My Writing Ramblings: On Track For 50,000 Words
Wow, we are already halfway through National Novel Writing Month. That is slightly hard to believe.
This month seems to be moving at an incredible pace.
Despite a few personal things I’ve had to deal with this month, so far, I am on track as far as the writing is concerned. In fact, I am slightly ahead of where I’d expect to be at this point in the month. As of yesterday, I’d passed the 30,000 word mark. I am very pleased.
My approach this month has been slightly different to previous years. At this point in the past, I have seen myself in various states. One year, I was already finished by now whereas the year before last, I finished on 30th November with two minutes to spare praying that my internet connection would hold long enough for me to be able to verify my win (which it did thank goodness!)
Where NaNoWriMo is concerned, I am very much a pantster. I tend not to plan much. I have a vague idea and tend to just go with it. With this writing challenge, I tend to like to see where the story will take me. (This month, the non planning was more that November jumped out at me slightly and I ran out of time.)
This year, I have been taking it slow and steady roughly writing 1800 words a day. I have to say, I am liking this pace. If I finish too early, then I don’t know what to do with myself.
by 
Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Interrogation Room
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt: Interrogation.
You are in a police interrogation room. You can decide whether you want to write from the point of view of the accused or the accuser.
Decide what the crime has been. Serious or petty?
Write a conversation between the accused and accuser but try not to disclose what crime has been committed.
by Blog Tour: Christmas Cheer (Willow Cottage) by Bella Osborne – Extract and Review
OK, I admit it, I already have the Christmas songs playing and if I could get away with it, I would already have my tree up. I adore this time of year. I love the songs, the lights and any excuse to dig out the Christmas films whilst eating mince pies.
One of the things I love the most are the Christmas themed novels. I am very excited to say that Bella Osborne is with Novel Kicks today (welcome back, Bella,) with the blog tour for her latest Christmas themed novel, Christmas Cheer which is the second book in the Willow Cottage series.
Beth is running away. With her young son Leo to protect, Willow Cottage is the lifeline she so desperately needs. Overlooking the village green in a beautiful Cotswolds idyll, Beth sees a safe place for little Leo.
When she finally uncovers the cottage from underneath the boughs of a weeping willow tree, Beth realises this is far more of a project than she bargained for and the locals are more than a little eccentric!
A chance encounter with gruff Jack, who appears to be the only male in the village under thirty, leaves the two of them at odds but it’s not long before Beth realises that Jack has hidden talents that could help her repair more than just Willow Cottage.
Over the course of four seasons, Beth realises that broken hearts can be mended, and sometimes love can be right under your nose…
Thanks to Bella and Avon, we have an extract from Christmas Cheer. Enjoy…
‘Carly!’ said Beth, her voice sharp.
Carly spun in Beth’s direction with an exaggerated movement. With slow blinks she looked at Beth until something registered.
‘Beth! This is … um … what was your name again?’ She swung precariously back towards Jack who stopped her falling on him with one hand whilst holding the pub table steady with the other.
‘I know who it is.’ Beth was trying to suppress the annoyance that was rapidly developing within her.
‘He’s lov-erly,’ cooed Carly whilst she stroked his arm in a deliberate action.
‘I’d like to know what he’s planning on doing with my drunk friend?’ Beth retorted. Jack let go of
Carly as if she were a lit firework.
As the accusation slowly registered, Carly looked hurt. ‘I’m not dunk!’ she protested as she slowly slid towards the floor.
Jack was looking blindly from one woman to the other as if he’d just been teleported there. ‘I was just …’
‘For someone that wasn’t looking for a relationship a few hours ago you’ve sure as hell come round to the idea quick!’ Beth stepped forward and grabbed Carly by one arm and hauled her into a standing position. ‘Come on! We’re leaving now.’
Carly wobbled on unsteady legs, grinned inanely at Jack and was towed away.
by November’s Novel Kicks Book Club: The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
Picador, June 2003
Welcome to the Novel Kicks Online Book Club.
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off in the comments box below. A good thing about our book club is that everyone is welcome to take part. It’s open to all. You can read the book at any point in the month or if you’ve already read it, tell us what you think.
The best part… it’s all from the comfort of your armchair/sofa/bed/comfy place.
For November, we’re reading The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold.
My name was Salmon, like the fish; first name, Susie. I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973. My murderer was a man from our neighborhood. My mother liked his border flowers, and my father talked to him once about fertilizer.
This is Susie Salmon. Watching from heaven, Susie sees her happy, suburban family devastated by her death, isolated even from one another as they each try to cope with their terrible loss alone.
by Blog Tour: Lesley Downer Talks About Writing Her Novel, The Shogun’s Queen
Me in Japan with a maiko (trainee geisha)
A big welcome today to Lesley Downer and the blog tour for her latest novel, The Shogun’s Queen which was released by Bantam Press on 3rd November.
Japan, and the year is 1853. Growing up among the samurai of the Satsuma Clan, in Japan’s deep south, the fiery, beautiful and headstrong Okatsu has – like all the clan’s women – been encouraged to be bold, taught to wield the halberd, and to ride a horse.
But when she is just seventeen, four black ships appear. Bristling with cannon and manned by strangers who to the Japanese eyes are barbarians, their appearance threatens Japan’s very existence. And turns Okatsu’s world upside down.
Today, on the last day of the tour, Lesley has joined me to talk about writing The Shogun’s Queen. Over to you, Lesley…
Hello, Laura. Thank you for allowing me to post on your blog today! I greatly appreciate it.
I’ve had a love affair with Japan all my life, and when I decided to move from non-fiction to fiction ten years ago, it was obvious that was where my stories would be set. I’m also mad about research. I love any excuse to go to Japan and I also love scouring old books written by Victorian travellers who were there in the nineteenth century. If I could live my life again it would be in old Japan, the Japan of the great woodblock print artists Hokusai and Hiroshige – and a reasonable second best is reading about it and being there in my mind and taking my readers there as I write about it.
Somehow – I forget how – I came across the Women’s Palace, a sort of harem where three thousand women lived and only one man, the shogun (the military ruler of Japan), could enter. To me the most surprising thing was that I’d spent so long in Japan and read so much about it yet in all those years hadn’t come across the Women’s Palace before. I decided to set my first novel there and so The Last Concubine was born. There was literally nothing in English about the palace. I had to struggle through a book written in Victorian-era Japanese with the help of a Japanese friend. My story took place at the very end of the era of the shoguns and my heroine fled the palace early on in the book.
I went on to write two more novels following on in time after the events of The Last Concubine.
Somewhere along the way I heard of Atsu’s heart-rending story and couldn’t get it out of my mind. It haunted me. Telling her story would mean going back to the Women’s Palace and I’d been feeling for a long time that I hadn’t finished with it – or rather it hadn’t finished with me.
by Blog Tour: Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern – Review
Welcome to Cecelia Ahern and her blog tour for her new novel, Lyrebird which was released on 3rd November by Harper Collins.
Solomon is part of a documentary crew. He, along with his girlfriend, Bo and their colleague Rachel, return to the farm of a set of twins (that have previously been subjects for one of their documentaries) for a funeral.
When exploring the area around the edge of the farm, Solomon finds Laura hiding in the woods. Laura has been living a solitary life. She’s such a secret no one knows she exists. They discover that Laura processes an extraordinary gift and soon, they have taken her back to Dublin.
Can Laura adjust to life in a big, loud city or will she feel even more trapped?
First of all could I just take a moment to gush about the cover of this book. It is beautiful. I loved the fact that when this book arrived, it came with very pretty feathers. Now I’ve read it the feathers make more sense but they were pretty all the same.
This book was so easy to fall into. It didn’t take me long to read as I couldn’t stop reading. There is something about Cecelia’s writing that just draws me in. There’s such a magic to it. Where Rainbows End still remains one of my favourite novels.
The plot is interesting and explores themes like the pitfalls of fame and reality TV, love and trying to discover who you are.
by Selection of New Book Releases
Hello everyone. I hope you’re all enjoying your Thursday so far. The temperature has certainly dropped today hasn’t it.
Summer has gone and we say hi to dark mornings, cold hands and scraping of the windscreen on cars.
The one thing I do love about this time of year is that when I do make it home after work or whatever, I can curl up in the chair with a blanket and a lovely mug of hot chocolate and read into the night.
As it’s Thursday, there is a new batch of book releases too. Here are four of the books released today that I am looking forward to reading.
Rather Be The Devil sees the return of Rebus and is the latest novel by Ian Rankin. It’s released today by Orion. I can remember seeing a documentary on the BBC about Ian Rankin and his writing process. It was so interesting. It was also very encouraging for a new writer like me as I got to see someone as fantastic as this author have the same insecurities as me when writing his books and he just sits down and gets on with it. I hope it does someday get repeated.
This book is the twenty first novel in the Rebus series. The general gist is that it has been forty years but for John Rebus, the death of Maria Turquand still prays on his mind. She was murdered in a hotel on the same evening a famous singer and his entourage were staying. Maria’s body has never been found.
Meanwhile, young pretender Darryl Christie is left weakened and vulnerable after a vicious attack and an enquiry into a major money laundering scheme threatens his position.
Danielle Steel also has a new novel out today. The Award has just been released by Bantam Press.
Gaelle is sixteen when the German army occupies France in 1940. Her father and brother are killed in a matter of months and her mother descends into madness.
Gaelle becomes a member of the resistance. She fearlessly delivers Jewish children to safety underneath the eyes of the Gestapo.
Toward the end of the war, she tries to help save France’s art treasures but when the war draws to a close, she is accused of collaboration. She flees to Paris and then to New York to start a new life as a model, a wife and a mother.
The ghosts of her past however are always near.
The third book out today is Lyrebird by Cecelia Ahern. This has been released by Harper Collins. I have actually read this book already (I will be reviewing it as part of the Lyrebird blog tour on 8th November so watch this space.)
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Space Race
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt is about a space race.
In the eleventh hour before a big race across space, you are fired from the team. On the morning of the race, you’re hired by the rival team. Your presence does not go down well with your former teammates. The stakes are high and the prize is life changing. The race is about to begin. On your marks, get set….
What happens in this race? Does anything underhand happen?
by Author Interview: Guy Mankowski Talks About His New Novel, An Honest Deceit
Guy Mankowski wrote his first novel, The Intimates when he was 21. His other novels include the fantastic Letters From Yelena and How I Left The National Grid. His new novel, An Honest Deceit was released by Urbane Publications on 20th October.
When Ben and Juliette’s young daughter dies in a tragic accident on a school trip, they begin searching for answers. But will they ever know the truth? What was the role of the teacher on the trip – and are the rumours about his past true? As Ben and Juliette search for the truth and the pressure rises, their own secrets and motivations are revealed…. An Honest Deceit is an intelligent and gripping contemporary psychological thriller that questions not just the motives of others, but the real reasons for discovering the truth.
Hi Guy, welcome back to Novel Kicks. Can you tell me a bit about your new novel, An Honest Deceit? What inspired you to write it?
Hi Laura, thanks for having me. An Honest Deceit is inspired in the main by an anger at the way our institutions often treat individuals who ask them uncomfortable questions. There are hundreds of people in this country who are sitting pretty in extremely well-paid jobs that they’ve only kept hold of because they’ve used the power institutions offer them to manipulate the truth. They use this power to hurt others and look after themselves. This book looks at the impact of that through the plot of a man investigating how his daughter was killed on a school trip.
What’s your typical writing day like? How has your writing approach changed since writing your first novel?
For my first novel, The Intimates, I edited the manuscript about three times. For my second novel, about eight times. For my third about 35 times and I couldn’t begin to count how many times I edited An Honest Deceit. Every word has been changed at least once so is it even the same novel? If someone looked at a draft I had of a novel called ‘Marine’, in 2011, I think they would barely recognise that it would become ‘An Honest Deceit.’ So my typical writing day has changed in that it is much more about editing and rarely about just writing.
What are the challenges of writing a psychological thriller?
It’s hard to know how deep you should go into a characters psyche because you don’t want to lose the narrative too much. The way I ended up handling it was to go very deep into their darkest thoughts and feelings and then in later drafts ensure that there were questions the reader had at every point to keep them going. It is hard to resolving everything, within your made-up world, so it doesn’t all seem too pat.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Sitting and Listening
Tuesday 25th October 2016: Sitting and Listening.
For today’s prompt, it’s about getting out and about and listening.
When you have a few spare moments, go and take a bus journey or sit in a coffee shop. In fact, any busy area will do.
Try to make notes of what people are talking about. How are they speaking? How do they say things? Try to take as many notes of conversation snippets as you can (but not making obvious you are spying on people.)
Once you’ve done that, make up a story based around some of the dialogue you’ve picked up.
by Review: Start Now (A Creativity Journal) – Perfect For Writers
Start Now: The Creativity Journal is written and illustrated by Kate Neckel and published by Chronicle Books (August 2015.)
This is a book to pour ideas, doodles and dreams. There are illustrations to help spark creativity.
I love books like this generally. It appeals to the part of me that loves stationary and books to work through.
This journal is for people who want to create something.
It is so beautifully illustrated throughout and the cover is bright, colourful and inspiring too.
This book is full of ways you can be creative. You can do pretty much what you want.
You can write, jot down story ideas, doodle, sketch, write down sayings or quotes you find inspiring, song lyrics (your own or ones you like) and poetry. That is what I love about it. It gives you the space to get your ideas (any ideas) down on paper. One of the best things… you can make mistakes and it won’t matter.
It’s inspirational too. Although I did think there would be more than there are, there are prompts to help you along should you get stuck. For example, there is the list of the ten ways to curate your day which includes a suggestion to make snacks. Ha-ha. There is enough space to really make this book your own.
It’s a place to jot down all your thoughts and ideas in one place (a place where you can find order in the chaos.)
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Very Short Story
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt is not a long story.
Write a short story in a hundred words or less. Subject, characters and setting is your choice but it has to be told in a hundred words or less. If you need some inspiration, there are some prompts below.
Two members of the public are stuck in a lift with a celebrity.
The door at the end of a very dark corridor suddenly opens.
For one hour, you find you can suddenly see and talk to that one person you miss.
by Book Review: A Cornish Christmas by Lily Graham
Nestled in the Cornish village of Cloudsea, sits Sea Cottage – the perfect place for some Christmas magic …
At last Ivy is looking forward to Christmas. She and her husband Stuart have moved to their perfect little cottage by the sea – a haven alongside the rugged cliffs that look out to the Atlantic Ocean. She’s pregnant with their much-longed for first baby and for the first time, since the death of her beloved mother, Ivy feels like things are going to be alright.
But there is trouble ahead and suddenly she misses her mum more than ever.
To give away a huge spoiler or not to give away a huge spoiler, that is the question.
And it is! There’s one thing I never do in my reviews and that’s to give the main points of a plot away and I’m tying my fingers in knots to stop them typing something yes, huge, about this story and a postcard…there, that’s the spoiler alert over with. If you want to know what I haven’t told you, there’s one good way – buy the book and read it!
All I shall say about the story is…Ivy and her husband Stuart have been trying and failing to get pregnant and finally make a break from London and move down to Cornwall. The change of scene and pace of life make all the difference, plus they get away from Stuart’s controlling mother, though Ivy feels a constant ache, she misses her deceased mother so much.
With the aid of new friends and finally re-acquainting herself with her mother’s old ones, Ivy struggles to accept that their dreams of a child may finally come true. Whilst Stuart makes a surprising success from producing condiments from his smallholding, his sister Smudge brings her own troubles to the fold.
by Books I Am Looking Forward To Reading: Part Three
As we reach the middle of October, there have and still are some fantastic book releases to come. Here are a few of the ones I am looking forward to reading…
The first book is Bridget Jones Baby: The Diaries. Now, I have to admit, I was not the biggest fan of Mad About The Boy. There were elements about it that were fine but I didn’t like what happened to Mark Darcy. From what I can gather, this book which was released on 11th October, is more along the story line of the recently released movie (which I am still yet to see.)
Bridget is finally pregnant in this latest novel. It is full of cheesy potatoes, outlandish advice from drunk singletons and smug mothers, scans and childbirth questions. Plus… who’s the father? (Bridget Jones Baby: The Diaries was released on 11th October by Jonathan Cape.)
Lyrebird is the new novel that is due for release by Cecelia Ahern. I love her novels and this one sounds like it is going to be great. In the deep of the woods, a young woman lives alone. She processes an extraordinary 
talent – a gift that has earned her the nickname, Lyrebird.
When Solomon finds Laura’s (great character name. I know, I am a little biased) solitary existence, her life is turned upside down. She’s pulled from her peaceful home to the chaos of Dublin. Solomon is sure the world will embrace Laura but will she feel free to spread her wings or will she feel trapped?
This is due for release by HarperCollins on 3rd November 2016.
The next book I am looking forward to reading is We Were On A Break by Lindsey Kelk (Harper, 6th October.) I now have Ross from Friends in my head screaming “we were on a break.” It makes me want to binge watch Friends.
Liv and Adam have found themselves on opposite sides of a life they had mapped out. What should have been a proposal has now turned into a break. Friends and family think they are crazy. Liv throws herself into her work (she finds animals so much simpler than humans) and Adam tries to get himself out of the hole he has dug himself. The short break gets longer. Can and do they want to find their way back to one another?
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Observation
Tuesday 18th October 2016: Observation.
Choose any colour. You can pick your favourite but it could be interesting to pick one you don’t like so much?
Now, either walk around your home, outside or take a break around your place of work for up to fifteen minutes. How many times have you seen that colour? Takes notes as you go around if you like.
Once you’re done, write about what you saw in as much detail as you can.
by Mick’s Musings: Time Flies When You…
Time flies when you’re having fun – and writing can be fun, though time flies in this case even if you’re not having fun. Of course, it can also behave as if you’ve got both feet stuck in quicksand.
This has actually got nothing to do with what I’m going to talk about today, it’s just something that’s been flitting around my mind for a while and I’m hoping that by laying it down on paper (so to speak) I’ll be able to get this wind-worm out of my head. Sorry if you’ve now got it.
Right, so what have I been up to since the last time I wrote?
For a start, there was the RNA Conference in Lancaster, probably the highlight of the writing year for me at the moment (at least until such a time as I get ‘that’ call) and as much fun as ever. My heartfelt, and belated, thanks to all who gave their time to present to everyone, word cannot be enough to express my thanks – quite ironic considering the purpose of the conference. Especially to Imogen Howsen for her ‘Speed Dating’ session. No, you did read correctly, though we didn’t come away with partners in that respect, but rather it was utilising the format to find Critique Buddies. I’ve come away with some terrific ladies – Lisa Hill, Elaina James, April Hardy, Sue Mackender, Samantha Bentall; Imogen has also foolishly looking at various attempts at my writing too and thanks out to Bernadette O’Dwyer as well for ‘being there’.
by
Forty-year-old air stewardess Emily Forsyth has everything a woman could wish for: a glamorous, jet-set lifestyle, a designer wardrobe and a dishy pilot of a husband-in-waiting to match. But when he leaves her to ‘find himself’ (forgetting to mention the bit about ‘…a younger girlfriend’), Emily’s perfect world comes crashing down.
Catapulted into a mid-life crisis, she is forced to take stock and make some major changes. She ditches her job and enrols on a drama course in pursuit of her childhood dream, positive that, in no time at all, she’ll be sexily sporting a stethoscope on ‘Holby City’, and her ex will rue the day he dumped her. Wrong! Her chosen path proves to be an obstacle course littered with rejection and financial insecurity.
If she is to survive, she must learn to be happy with less, and develop a selective memory to cope with more than her fair share of humiliating auditions. She tells herself her big break is just around the corner. But is it too late to be chasing dreams?
Learning to Fly is a wonderful debut novel about it never being too late to give yourself a second chance and having faith in yourself.
Quitting her job as a flight attendant, Emily decides to take a leap and fulfil her life long ambitions to be an actress. Things are not always easy for Emily as she tries to navigate the world of agents, other actors and auditions.
Jane Lambert has created a delightful, relatable main character in Emily. There were moments that had me laughing out loud or wanting to turn the page as I wanted to know what happened next. Sometimes, it was both at the same time.
There is a lot of love, warmth and humour in this novel.
It all felt very realistic when it comes to the ups and downs of a life in acting. One minute you’re on top of the world and the next, you’re spending many days in pajamas waiting for the phone to ring.
by Blog Tour: Extract From All She Ever Wished For By Claudia Carroll
I’m excited to be welcoming Claudia Carroll (best-selling author and all round lovely lady,) back to Novel Kicks and the blog tour for her new book, All She Ever Wished For which was released by Avon on 6th October.
Marriage. It’s a dream come true. Isn’t it?
One wet winter night, two women meet on a bridge. One is Tess Taylor, a personal trainer on the way to meet her boyfriend for date night. The other is Kate King, a celebrity married to a handsome billionaire who just happens to make her cry. In the cold dark evening, there is nothing to link them together but the bridge they shiver on. Little do they know they’ll both hold the key to each other’s future marriage…
All She Ever Wished For tells the story of what happens when your dream is about to come true. And what happens when that dream turns into a bit of a nightmare…
Thanks to Claudia and the lovely people at Avon, I have an extract from All She Ever Wished For to share with you. Enjoy!
The present
‘The main thing is not to panic,’ says Bernard, my hubby-to-be, when I call to fill him in on what’s just happened, my imminent heart attack, etc.
‘Try not to panic?’ I say, doing the exact polar opposite. ‘Bernard, I’ve just been summoned for jury service, bloody jury service and you’re telling me not to panic?’
Claudia Carroll
I consult the now half-scrunched letter in my hand for about the thousandth time today. ‘Here it is in cold, hard print. I’ve got to be at the Criminal Courts of Justice at 9 a.m. this coming Monday morning. So forgive me for panicking when this lands on me less than a month and counting before D-Day! Do you realise how much there’s still left to do?’
It’s a rhetorical question; of course Bernard hasn’t the first clue what’s left to do. After all, he’s a forty-three-year-old heterosexual male. What the hell does he know about weddingy floral centrepieces or alternate menu choices for coeliac lacto-ovo vegetarians?
‘Now I strongly suggest you stay calm dearest,’ Bernard says patiently. ‘All this panic is getting you nowhere.
A nice cup of tea, that’ll soon set you to rights.’
Bernard, it has to be said, thinks that there’s no drama in this life that can’t be instantly righted with a cup of Clipper gold blend.
‘The thing you have to understand,’ I sigh, regrouping and trying my best to keep cool, ‘is that with a wedding like this, there’s a whole clatter of stuff that you can only leave till these last, precious few weeks. So there’s no way in hell I can handle something as huge as jury service right now. Besides, I’ve got my family and pals all roped into helping me out before the big day, how could I possibly just skive off to court and leave them to do all the heavy lifting for me?’
by Book Release/Extract: Making It Up As I Go Along by Marian Keyes
Making It Up As I Go Along (Notes By A Small Woman) by Marian Keyes has its paperback release today (released by Penguin) and is available in most UK bookshops and online.
Welcome to the magnificent Making It Up as I Go Along – aka the World According to Marian Keyes™ – A bold and brilliant collection of Marian’s hilarious and often heartfelt observations on modern life, love and everything in between.
From a guide to breaking up with your hairdresser to entering the fifties-zone, the joys of her nail varnish museum to singing her way through insomnia, Marian will have you laughing with delight and gasping with recognition throughout – because at the end of the day, each and every one of us is clearly making it up as we go along.
I have reviewed the book below but first, thanks to Marian and Penguin, I am able to share an extract from Making It Up As I Go Along with you. Enjoy….
Writers I Love
May I tell you about what turned out to be one of the happiest days of my entire life? I may? Tanken yew! Well! You know Sali Hughes, the brilliant journalist who writes for the Guardian on a Saturday and the Pool on a Wednesday? And has her own website, salihughesbeauty.com, where she does great videos called ‘In the Bathroom’, where she visits the bathrooms of famous and/or interesting people and discusses their beauty products and skincare and whatnot? Well, I’ve been a fan of hers for a long time because while she really loves all things beauty, she’s entirely honest and reliable and informative. She knows everything.
We first came into contact when I twittered asking people what I should do about the little broken capillaries on my face and everyone told me to email Sali – and she emailed me back immediately, giving me a variety of options and telling me the upsides and downsides of each. And after that we stayed in touch, and even though we hadn’t met in real life I loved her already because she has great sweetness and gentleness coupled with razor-sharp intelligence.
Also, she gives airtime to all kinds of brands, they don’t have to be big names and expensive, so she’s in nobody’s pocket, so I know that what she writes in her columns is genuinely impartial. Also, she’s wonderful for giving exposure to new and emerging brands, which thrills me because I am a divil for ‘New and Exciting’.
And now she’s after writing a book, called Pretty Honest, and it is the ABSOLUTE BEAUTY BIBLE – it covers everything from the very basics, such as identifying your skin type, to how to manage your beauty when you’re going through something awful like cancer, and she demystifies the ‘anti-ageing’ industry, separating out cod science from things that do actually work. (As well as acknowledging that there’s nothing wrong with looking your age – basically she gives you every option.)
Every woman should have this book. Because beauty stuff is a passionate hobby of mine, I thought I knew a bit, but compared to Sali I know nothing and I’ve already consulted the book many times.
So anyway, there I am, living in Dublin and, you know, living a quiet life, seeing my mammy and the Redzers and the Praguers and going for walks with Himself and Posh Kate and Posh Malcolm – when Sali sends me this invitation to a lunch. A foncy lunch – being thrown for her by Bobbi Brown – yes! The make-up brand Bobbi Brown! And I was invited!
There were only twenty people invited and I was one of them – and when I saw the list of the other invitees, didn’t I nearly get sick! They were all writers or journalists that I hold in HUGE regard: India Knight, Jojo Moyes, Sam Baker, Polly Samson, Miranda Sawyer, Hadley Freeman, Lucy Mangan, Maria McErlane, Georgia Garrett, Julia Raeside, Jo Elvin, Camilla Long, Sophie Heawood, Bryony Gordon and Sarah Morgan. Also invited were three amazing women from the Estée Lauder group: Jay Squier, Cheryl Joannides and Anna Bartle.
My immediate impulse was that I couldn’t possibly go, that I didn’t belong, that I wouldn’t fit in, and then I thought, ‘Feck it! I want to go. I’m GOING!’
And this was huge for me because I’ve been mad in the head (MITH) for so long that I’ve had to keep my life very small and safe because it was all that I could cope with. But I realized I was ready to go into a daunting, intimidating situation and try to hold my own.
And off I went. And I really hope you don’t think I’m being a boasty-boaster, I just wanted to let you know that if you’ve suffered from the MITH-ness yourself and you think you’ll always feel terrible, it may not be the case for ever.
I ‘jetted’ in from Dublin – normally, when I travel by air, I simply fly, but because this was so glamorous I ‘jetted’ – and the lunch was upstairs in the private room in Balthazar and I had to scuttle past the welcoming committee to go to the Ladies to do last-minute checks on myself, only to discover that – horrors! – I’d somehow managed to leave Dublin without my comb!
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Backwards Coming Forward.
Wednesday 5th October 2016: Backwards Coming Forward.
Today’s writing prompt is about writing and starting at the end. Go through your ideas journal and pick a story that sparks inspiration.
Now, begin writing it but start at the end and work your way back. Start with the last line and end with your first line.
Then, once you’ve finished, read it forward.
If you need a little inspiration, try these….
A clown who ends up with his own circus but starts out as a lawyer.
A family who end up living on another planet because they’ve had to abandon their own.
by October’s Novel Kicks Book Club: The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett
Welcome to the Novel Kicks Online Book Club.
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off in the comments box below. A good thing about our book club is that everyone is welcome to take part. It’s open to all. You can read the book at any point in the month or if you’ve already read it, tell us what you think.
The best part… it’s all from the comfort of your armchair/sofa/bed/comfy place.
For October, we’re reading The Versions of Us by Laura Barnett.
For fans of One Day, Life after Life and Sliding Doors.
Eva and Jim are nineteen, and students at Cambridge, when their paths first cross in 1958. Jim is walking along a lane when a woman approaching him on a bicycle swerves to avoid a dog. What happens next will determine the rest of their lives. We follow three different versions of their future – together, and apart – as their love story takes on different incarnations and twists and turns to the conclusion in the present day.
by Review: Collection of Harry Potter Colouring Books
I am Laura, and I am a Potter Head. I will never grow tired of these amazing stories. When I received these wonderful colouring books in the post for review, I was beyond excited. I love an adult colouring book. It’s an activity I’ve liked all my life and find relaxing (and can be for a lot of people especially if you have anxiety or have trouble relaxing.) I have found that people either do love them or hate them but I find colouring books can be really good for wellbeing and mental health.
I received the full size version of The Magical places edition, the compact edition of the Harry Potter colouring book as well as postcard editions. It was hard to decide which one to try first.
The illustrations in these books are beautiful and really capture the greatness of this incredible world. The details within them are great and a wide range of characters and places are represented.
I decided to try the Hogwarts crest first in the postcard edition. What is good about these is that you don’t have to have a good knowledge of the colours. You can choose how you want it to look or simply (as I did) look up an example and copy the colours.
by Blog Tour: The Million Dollar Blog by Natasha Courtenay-Smith
I am delighted to be a part of the blog tour for The Million Dollar Blog which is a new how to practical guide for people who want to build a successful blog and is written by Natasha Courtenay-Smith.
About The Million Dollar Blog: In a world where everyone wants to blog and blog posts are ubiquitous, how do you stand out? How do you blog your way from nobody to somebody?
How do you make money blogging, how do you start your own blogging business, and how do you, as a business owner, use content to build your brand and drive your success?
Through a combination of practical advice and interviews with some of the world’s most famous and successful bloggers, vloggers and content strategists, including Seth Godin, Lily Pebbles, Grant Cardone and Madeleine Shaw and dozens more, entrepreneur and digital strategist Natasha Courtenay Smith shows you how to build a blog that will increase your profile, create new opportunities, earn money and change your life.
For this blog tour, I’ve been invited to talk about my journey into blogging. I have to admit, when I first started, the idea of blogging terrified me. In some ways it still does.
I began Novel Kicks back in August 2009. I can’t quite believe I have been blogging for that long. It originally began as a forum for myself and fellow writers to talk about writing and to post work.
That is still the fundamental principle of my site but it’s also evolved into a place that has all my favourite things. I love writing stories, I love escaping into books. Everything I post on Novel Kicks is something that I am very interested in. This blog is very personal to me and above all, even after seven years I am still enjoying building it up. This is a lot of my passions in one place.
When interviewing authors, I try and keep the questions fun but I also want to ask them how they approach the writing and editing process. As a new writer, these are pieces of advice I find most helpful and I hope other people do too.
by Competitions: Winner of September’s Blind Date With A Book
It’s time to announce the winner of September’s Win a Blind Date With a Book competition.
It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. Our competition is one with a twist. It’s your chance to win a blind date with a book.
I didn’t reveal what the title was of this month’s book was nor did I reveal the cover. All I did reveal is that the themes included ‘childhood, siblings, friendship, family, triumph and tragedy.’
Well done to Carol Peace from West Yorkshire who has won this month’s book. The new competition for October is coming soon.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Wedding Lottery
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt involves a wedding lottery.
A system is introduced that means marriage partners are chosen by a lottery.
You don’t meet your spouse to be until the day of the wedding.
Write about one wedding. What happens? What conflict emerges?
by Review: The Christmas Promise by Sue Moorcroft
Avon, December 2016
I am now a Master Milliner…well, perhaps not, but I know a whole lot more about hat creation than I ever did before. They go on your head. Correct?
Here I am, fresh from having survived the new Sue Moorcroft novel, The Christmas Promise. Don’t get worried, by survived, I mean that Sue’s stories are always emotional roller-coasters, she’s that good.
Lucky enough to obtain an advance copy of this novel, I settled down to immerse myself, knowing that my attention would never be allowed to wander, no chance of skipping even a word here and I wasn’t disappointed.
All wrapped up in a snowy cover, don’t be fooled. Sue is a master of emotions and here, you’re going to be pulled left, right and centre before the conclusion; actually, afterwards too however, you’ll need to read the book for that little Easter egg.
Ava is to a degree, damaged emotionally, as are all good characters and we follow her in a journey of trust, who to trust, how much to trust them, learning to trust herself even. She dislikes Christmas due to her parents attitude to it when she was growing up and now finds herself caught up as the victim of Revenge Porn. Riding to her rescue is Sam. Ah, to have his qualities would be wonderful…I digress. Stumbling into each other, attraction is mutual but Sam is just as traumatised as Ava in his own way and so we watch them bond over his mother’s cancer struggle, Ava’s feelings of perceived guilt over those pictures, getting close but neither feeling able to make that final step that will enable them to become the couple we know they should be.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Looking Ahead
Tuesday 27th September 2016: Future Predictions
Today’s Prompt is looking into the future of your characters.
Make a list of your main characters in a work in progress or favourite novel.
Pick a year in the future (make it at least thirty years.)
Write about what the world would be like?
What will your characters be like?
What would they be doing?
Is it a future where technology has expanded even more? Has everything gone back to basics? Dystopian? Expanded to other planets?
by 25 Bookish Facts About Me
I’ve seen people do this tag on You Tube and it looked pretty fun so I thought I would give it a go. It’s the twenty five bookish facts about me. If you fancied doing this too, please do in the comments box below. I love tags like these. So here we go…..
Fact one: Despite all of the books I’ve read in my life so far, I can actually be quite a slow reader. It can take me quite a while to get through some books. It’s usually a sign that there is something about the book that I am not quite gelling with and that I am finding it hard going. Sometimes it’s because I keep falling asleep as I tend to read before bedtime.
Fact two: One of my favourite book series growing up was The Sweet Valley High series. I adored them and I think they are pretty much all I read for a good couple of years. I was very much an Elizabeth in that I loved writing and books but I wanted Jessica’s confidence. I loved the TV series too. Anyone now got the theme tune in their heads?
I am surprised I didn’t start writing Sweet Valley High fan fiction. I was so excited to get my hands on the new book in the series that came out a while ago. It was good to find out what happened to these characters I grew up with.
Fact three: I have many favourite characters from literature but I think one of my absolute favourites (because Harry Potter can’t be my answer for everything,) is Don Tillman. Don is the main character from The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion. Don doesn’t really do subtle but he is such an adorable man. His heart is in the right place. He has a lot of charm and is loveable. Despite the bluntness he displays sometimes, he is a very good man.
Penguin
Fact four: OK, so you know when I said that I can’t include Harry Potter in every answer and fact? Well, this one was unavoidable because the fictional world I want to visit is Hogwarts. I want to go to school and learn potions, transfiguration, charms and play Quidditch. OK, I am more likely to be in the crowd cheering having fallen off the broom too much to be able to play but it would be so cool.
Fact five: I am trying to write my first novel and have been for a while (and could if I got out of my own way.) It’s called The Back Up Plan and currently focuses on Carrie, Dylan and Sarah.
Fact six: The first book I read that made me go wow as I made my way through it was The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood. I read it when I was sixteen and it made such an impact on me that even now, it is a book I still think about a lot. Whenever I hear The Day We Find Love by 911 and A Thousand Miles by Vanessa Carlton (yes I know, my music taste hasn’t improved with age either,) I think of this book as these were two songs I was listening to a lot when I was reading this novel.
Fact seven: My favourite place to read is in bed. This is one of the reasons I actually quite like winter evenings. It’s the perfect excuse to snuggle under my duvet, stay warm and make my way through a good book. I find it really relaxing.
Face eight: My favourite things to eat and drink when reading is a mug of tea and biscuits. My tea of choice is good old Tetley or everyday brew from Tea pigs. I also collect mugs and I love going to my shelf, picking a mug and making some tea. It’s the small things. Ha ha. My favourite biscuits are chocolate digestives or hobnobs and jammie dodgers (unless I have Fox & Son’s Jam creams,) and yes, I dunk!
Egmont Children’s Books
Fact nine: My favourite book is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams. I really do wish I had discovered this book earlier than I did. It’s such a beautiful story and has such a lovely message. I will forever own a copy.
Fact ten: I’ve previously never been too keen on audiobooks. In the past, I have tried and failed to get through an audiobook. I am trying to improve. I am currently making my way through The Glittering Art of Falling Apart by Ilana Fox and really enjoying it so I am coming around to the idea. I am trying to make more of an effort to listen to them and are finding they are great in the car.
Fact eleven: I struggled deciding on the contents of this fact as I love so many but If I were only allowed to own three books (which was be a sad state of affairs indeed,) they would be Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K Rowling. This is my favourite Potter book and I can’t imagine not owning one, Bridget Jones Diary as Bridget is a wonderfully flawed character who I imagine would be great to hang around with and Bookends by Jane Green. I read this when I was living by myself in London so it reminds me that I can do things that scare me and get through the experience.
Fact twelve: If there were no intervening factors getting in my way, the characters I would most like to have around for a dinner party would be Severus Snape (just so I could listen to the voice,) Elphaba from Gregory Maguire’s Wicked (as I relate to her a lot,) Aslan, as he is just a cool dude and also a big cat and I love cats and finally Becky Bloomwood from the shopaholic series as I imagine she is just really great fun to talk to.
Fact thirteen: I collect bookmarks (as well as mugs.) I have all the bookmarks my Nan collected in her lifetime from all the places she has visited and when I can, I’ve carried on the tradition.
Fact fourteen: Although I have tried to, I very rarely re-read books once I’ve read them.
by A Moment With Laura Briggs: Self Publishing Vs. Traditional Publishing
I’m happy to be welcoming a fellow Laura to Novel Kicks today. Author, Laura Briggs talks about Self Publishing vs. Traditional Publishing and the pros and cons of each. Over to you, Laura.
First of all, thanks to Laura for inviting me to appear on Novel Kicks with a post on self-publishing vs. traditional publishing. I’ve learned a little about both in recent years and hope my experiences may prove useful to some of you reading this.
Let me start by saying that my publisher, Pelican Book Group, is nothing less than excellent. I love working with them and plan to submit more manuscripts to their company in the future. I also love self-publishing and am grateful to have the opportunity for both.
Now—let’s get to some pros and cons on publishing!
The Pros of Traditional Publishing:
•Professional Editing: This is an obvious one, but I can’t stress it enough. Freelance editors cost a few hundred on average, so yes, professional editing gives traditional publishing an edge.
•Professional Cover Design: Another obvious one, I know, but important. Not everyone has the software, or the know-how to make a good cover, even with so many high quality images available via sites like Dreamstime. The cover often serves as your book’s first impression, so it needs to be good.
•Professional Marketing: Let’s face it—marketing is tough. And hugely competitive. Book review bloggers are swamped with requests and even buying ad space from a popular service like Bookbub is difficult to achieve. Some publishing companies have better methods of getting your book out there. Some don’t. It depends on the publisher, and of course, even authors with a traditional publisher must still do some of their own marketing.
•It Has More Options Than Before: There are many small and up-and-coming publishers who will take unagented submissions from writers these days. There are even divisions of bigger publishing houses, like HarperCollins, I believe, that welcome unagented submissions. They may not pay author advances like big companies do, but some are quite generous on the royalties.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Planets Meeting
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s prompt is about the planets around us.
The planets are all getting together for their annual solar system conference. What they talk about and where they meet is up to you.
However, the only rules…. Venus likes Mercury. Jupiter is grumpy and Neptune doesn’t like Earth (is jealous of earth,) so they can’t sit next to one another.
by Writing Room: Seeing Is Not Always Believing
Tuesday 20th September 2016.
Today’s prompt: Seeing is not always believing.
Senses are obviously very important. Visual is what we most rely on.
For today’s exercise, describe a place of importance but only use smell, hearing, touch or taste.
Anything but visual descriptions.
by Blog Tour: The Perfect Girl by Gilly Macmillan – Review
To everyone who knows her now, Zoe Maisey – child genius, musical sensation – is perfect. Yet several years ago Zoe caused the death of three teenagers. She served her time, and now she’s free.
Her story begins with her giving the performance of her life.
By midnight, her mother is dead.
The Perfect Girl is an intricate exploration into the mind of a teenager burdened by brilliance, and a past that she cannot leave behind.
Zoé and her mother Maria moved from Devon to Bristol to start a new life following a big tragedy. Maria is now married to Chris and along with his son, Lucas, Zoé and Maria seem to be getting their lives back on track. Tessa, Maria’s sister is also living near by.
Zoé finds that she isn’t going to really find protection from her old life when it very much catches up with her. When more tragedy strikes the family, Zoé is worried she is going to become suspect number one but is she really to blame?
I loved Burnt Paper Sky so I have been waiting patiently and excitedly for Gilly’s new novel, The Perfect Girl which is due its paperback release on Thursday (22nd September.)
The Perfect Girl has a great build up of suspense across the novel. It is set in a very short but very tense space of time. The lives of the characters are complicated and fascinating.
by My Writing Ramblings: Taking Myself Seriously?
It is amazing how quickly a week can go and how little you can actually achieve. It has been seven of those days that seems to have merged into one. Where the day job (or in my case this week has been my first lot of night shifts for months) has taken priority.
I have been trying to sneak bits and pieces in here and there. I’m still making my way through Emma. I am a little behind. I am not too worried about that. Reading Austen was never about how quickly I could get through them. If you’re reading along with me, how are you getting on?
I have been writing about two hundred words of a short story this week to make sure I at least write something. My planning has got to a stage where I need to sit down and map out plot so it is not something I have been able to do this week as I don’t want to rush it. I have done that before and it has not got me far. I am so tired from my shifts though that once I do get home, I just want to sleep. Surprisingly, I am not actually getting too worked up about it. I am still working my way through the plot in my head. That counts…right?
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Woods For The Trees
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Woods for the trees.
What does the picture inspire?
If you need further inspiration, how about this… There are two characters – one male and one female and they are just about to enter the woods. It is up to you whether this man and woman get on and why they are going into the woods. It is also up to you what happens once they go into the woods.
by Blog : Gill Paul Chats About The Launch Party For Her New Novel, The Secret Wife
The Secret Wife is the latest novel by Gill Paul and it was released by Avon on 25th August 2016.
A Russian grand duchess and an English journalist. Linked by one of the world’s greatest mysteries . . .
Love. Guilt. Heartbreak.
1914
Russia is on the brink of collapse, and the Romanov family faces a terrifyingly uncertain future. Grand Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with cavalry officer Dmitri, but events take a catastrophic turn, placing their romance – and their lives – in danger . . .
2016
Kitty Fisher escapes to her great-grandfather’s remote cabin in America, after a devastating revelation makes her flee London. There, on the shores of Lake Akanabee, she discovers the spectacular jewelled pendant that will lead her to a long-buried family secret . . .
Haunting, moving and beautifully written, The Secret Wife effortlessly crosses centuries, as past merges with present in an unforgettable story of love, loss and resilience.
Gill Paul has joined me today to chat about the launch event for her new novel (which sounds amazing and I am looking forward to reading it.)
Hi Gill. Congratulations on the release of The Secret Wife. What was the launch party like?
I organise parties like military campaigns with master lists covered in arrows and squiggles only I can decipher. There were lots of elements to this one, which I’d been planning since June, when the Open Russia Club kindly said I could hold The Secret Wife launch there. Among things to arrange were:
• Lots of booze, including vodka I’d brought back specially from St Petersburg.
• Several different types of canapés: caviar on blinis, smoked fish on rye, chopped egg, cream cheese and beetroot, and two trays of gluten-free ones.
• Cupcakes (made by my powerhouse friend Karen, CEO of Orenda Books).
• A large screen showing home movie footage of the Romanovs with a Tchaikovsky sound track.
• Four boards with postcards of Fabergé eggs pasted on them.
• A table for the lovely Waterstones bookseller Maria to heap up the books.
• Postcards of Tatiana and Dmitri for guests to take as bookmarks.
Like most military campaigns in history, this did not go entirely to plan. It turned out there was no way to fix the Fabergé boards to the walls so we propped them on the floor and no one could see them once the crowds arrived. The television screen was too low down so not everyone could get close enough to watch the incredibly moving pictures of the Romanov girls prancing around in their white dresses and Alexei playing at being a soldier. The music my friend Lee had spent so long mixing couldn’t be heard over the chatter in the room. And worst of all, I forgot to bring my makeup bag to the club with me!!
Several guests arrived early, including Linda Hill – which was great because these early birds were the only people I got to have a proper conversation with all evening. Suddenly, at 6.30, a crowd arrived en masse, the room filled up, and all I could do was wave, air kiss and smile. My editors Eloise and Phoebe acted as bar staff, and were so good at it there’s definitely another career waiting for them should the publishing thing not work out. I seemed to spend the rest of the evening signing books, trying desperately not to spell anyone’s name wrong.
by My Favourites: Book Worlds
J.K Rowling. Bloomsbury. 2001.
I have always loved reading and always will. There is something so magical about being able to escape to another place for a while. Whenever I feel anxious and want to relax, I pick up a book. It can be such a comfort.
One of the things I love most about escaping into a book is that I get to experience all of these different worlds. I get to travel, get to know the characters and see life through their eyes (it appeals to the part of me that is incredibly nosey.)
Having loved reading since I was young, I have visited many places and worlds. Some I have loved, some I have found intriguing and there’s some where I’ve outright wanted to pack up everything and go and live there.
I don’t think it is any surprise to anyone then that the first book world that’s my favourite is the world Harry Potter inhabits. From the moment I started reading these I fell in love with the magical world. I want to be able to own a wand and do magic. I want to go to school at Hogwarts and learn spells, potions and transfiguration. I don’t think there would ever be a dull day. This is the one world where I would like to actually go live rather than just visit. Can I head to the Hogwarts Express now?
C.S.Lewis. HarperCollins Children’s Books. Nov 2009.
Narnia is another world I would love to go and visit (although unlike Hogwarts, I am not sure I’d want to live there.) The stories and the world of Narnia is something I’ve been reading since I was a young child. When I was little, it was the characters within the world that I loved the most and the power to overcome someone like the white witch. As I grew older, I began to appreciate the whole world.
Is it strange though to say that I love the bit with all the snow (yes, coming from the christmas freak.)
My favourite bit is the part with Father Christmas. The setting is just so magical. The imagery you also get at the end where Cair Paravel is described as being by the sea with what I imagined as a beautiful view. It would be somewhere nice to go on holiday.
Never Never Land – the land where you don’t have to grow up. When I was a teenager, I couldn’t wait to grow up and become an adult. I ignored all of the warnings my Mum gave me when she told me to not be in such a hurry and… yes… she was right.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Setting
Tuesday 13th September 2016: Setting.
For today’s writing exercise, we’re going to be looking at setting.
Choose a place that you know well. Place your work in progress or an idea you’re thinking about developing into this setting.
Now think of an event that began up to a month before the beginning of your story.
Then, by only describing the place/setting reveal as much as you can about the story and the characters.
by Today’s New Releases: 8th September 2016
Hello, hello, hello. How is everyone? Thursday has rolled around again. This week has gone incredibly quickly I must say. Here on Novel Kicks, Thursday means a new list of new book releases.
Rupert Campbell-Black is back in Mount which is the latest novel by Jilly Cooper.. It has been released by Bantam Press in hardback and eBook today.
Rupert is the anti hero we all love to hate and hate to love. We find Rupert consumed with his grey horse, The Love Rat. He longs to beat Roberto’s Revenge, the horse owned by his rival Cosmo Rannaldini. This obsession means abandoning Penscombe and his wife, Taggie.
The fort at home is being held by Rupert’s assistant, Gav. Gala also arrived at Penscombe. Gav is attracted to her. The bad news for Gav is that a returning Rupert is also dangerously tempted.
Riders is so delicious and so it’s good to see Campbell-Black make his return.
If you’re a fan of Jilly’s novels, be sure to pick up a copy of Mount.
The Protector by Jodi Ellen Malpas has also been released today this time by Orion. From what I get from the blurb of this book, it sounds as though it would make a great book to take with you on holiday if you’re managing to escape the impending Autumn weather and the darker mornings that seem to be sneaking up on us.
People think they know Camille. They see her as a beautiful spoilt daddy’s girl who uses her father’s money to fund her lifestyle. Camille however is desperate to have a life free from his strings. She has fought hard for the happiness and independence she now has but she soon finds that her father’s ruthless business dealings threaten her new life.
Camille prepares herself for the measures her father will take to protect her. That is until she meets Jack. He is hired as her bodyguard but he has his own issues. Jack soon finds out that his perception of Camille is incorrect.
I’ve not read any of Jodi Ellen’s novels before but this one sounds very intriguing and a good place to start. This book feels as though it would be a good insight on first impressions and how incorrect they can initially be.
by
It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. The cover is the thing that initially catches our eye in the book shop. It can sometimes completely sell the book or make you walk by it without giving it a chance. Our competition is one with a twist. It’s your chance to win a blind date with a book.
I’m not going to reveal what the title of this month’s book is nor will I reveal the cover. All I will reveal is that the themes include ‘childhood, siblings, friendship, family, triumph and tragedy.’
How to enter:
All you have to do is comment below with your name and county (although county is optional.) The closing date for entries is Thursday 29th September 2016 at 23.59.
by News: Another Screenplay Release For JK Rowling
Little, Brown. November 2016
There has been so much divided opinion since Harry Potter and The Cursed Child was released at the end of July. For me, it was lovely to be back in the magical world that these wonderful characters inhabited. Yes, there were elements for me that didn’t quite add up but regardless, this was another piece of the world I love so much and that is better than nothing. It is for that reason that I am excited for the upcoming release of Fantastic Beasts and Where To Find Them which is due to be released in cinemas on 18th November (it is starring Eddie Redmayne as main character, Newt Scamander.)
When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt’s fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone . . .
Inspired by the original Hogwart’s textbook by Newt Scamander, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: The Original screenplay marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books.
This film is based on the short book JK Rowling wrote especially for Comic Relief. That short book was based on the textbook that is required reading for students of Hogwarts.
At a recent trip to the cinema, I saw the trailer for this film. I’ve only got to hear that music and I am back to when I was reading all the Harry Potter books for the first time. It never fails to make me smile.
To carry on the trend of releasing screenplays in conjunction with their performance counterparts, the original screenplay is being released on the same day.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Coming Home
Tuesday 6th September 2016: Coming Home
Write a story about a man named Max. He is twenty-six years old. He’s just returned home after a ten year absence. He’s returned for his mother’s funeral.
What is the reaction of the people he returns to? Why has he not been back for so long? What made him leave home at sixteen?
Write in the first person and up to two thousand words.
What if it was a twenty-six year old girl named Rachel? How would the story be different?
by Author Interview: Vicki Wakefield Talks About Her Novel, Inbetween Days
I’m pleased to be welcoming Vicki Wakefield to Novel Kicks today. Vicki is the author of the YA novel, Inbetween Days which was released by Text Publishing on 26th August.
Jacklin Bates has life figured out – dropped out of school, moved in with her runaway sister, in love with an older boy. But why does she have a sinking feeling that she still needs her mum? Perhaps because she’s stuck in Mobius – a dying town with the macabre suicide forest its only attraction – stuck working in the roadhouse and babysitting her boss’s demented father.
Vicki, thank you for joining me today. Can you tell me about your typical writing day?
There are no typical days. I write when I feel like it, or when a deadline forces me knuckle down. It’s not that I don’t love writing, it’s just that I focus best when my slate is clean. I tend to deal with family, housework, bills, pets and life first, and then I breathe out. I can be epically productive or utterly paralysed. There’s no middle ground.
Do you have any writing rituals (coffee, silence?)
I’m terribly provincial. I can’t do cities, hotel rooms, libraries or cafes (I wish I could, but I either get distracted or lonely). I like to be outside; I like my dog under my feet. I prefer to write at night when everyone else is asleep, and I need tea, wine, chocolate or biscuits (not necessarily at the same time, but I’ve been known to go on a bender). I keep only one working file, so any changes are lost forever (I’m told this is the equivalent of base-jumping, but to me it’s a superstition, like wearing your lucky stinky socks for every game).
Do you edit as you go and plan much prior to beginning a book?
I’m always thinking about a new book long before I finish working on my current one, so the planning can take place years before I write a single word. I keep notebooks filled with random ideas and drawings to help me get to know the world and the characters, and I’ll usually have my opening paragraph perfected before I open a new document (the blank page scares me). Planning in advance helps me to decide whether a story has legs, and drawing helps me to refine my characters before I begin. That said, I’m not a plotter. I trust that the story will take me where it needs to go. I do edit as I write the first draft (against most advice on writing first drafts). It’s my way of feeling out the story. My ideas change so often and so unexpectedly that I worry the novel would be unfixable if I ignored my instincts and tried to write through.
by
‘I love deadlines. I love the whooshing noise they make as they go by.’ – Douglas Adams.
Happy Friday all.
I can’t quite believe that August has gone and we’ve now reached September.
It’s been one of those weeks where the day job has kind of taken over. I’ve been on mid shifts which on the whole don’t bother me but it’s meant that productivity of everything else has been put on the back burner. This includes the Austen challenge.
However, I now have a few days off so I will be back on track with finishing Emma before I know it…I hope. For the people doing the Austen reading challenge with me, the book for September is Mansfield Park.
My deadline to begin my novel was yesterday. I’ve not fully finished my planning so I’ve not started writing yet. Not finishing my planning has been my number one procrastination excuse. No more. I have given myself one more week.
I have so many feelings about beginning my novel. It has been something I have been talking about for such a long time. It’s this thing that has been built up in my head. I do worry about whether I am going to be able to begin it and keep going this time. However, I also think about when I’m a lot older and what I would regret more. Finishing a novel that possibly is not publishable but I’ve done it or not starting. Plus, there is also editing.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: It’s All Mythical
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: It’s all mythical.
For today, write a story that is based on or uses figures and creatures from mythology. Any time period or culture. Your choice.
For example, what if Thor met up with his best friend once a week at a bar. His best friend is a basilisk by the way.
by September’s Novel Kicks Book Club: Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
Quirk Books, August 2013.
Welcome to the Novel Kicks Online Book Club.
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off in the comments box below. A good thing about our book club is that everyone is welcome to take part. It’s open to all. You can read the book at any point in the month or if you’ve already read it, tell us what you think.
The best part… it’s all from the comfort of your armchair/sofa/bed/comfy place.
For September, we’re reading Miss Peregrine’s Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.
A mysterious island.
An abandoned orphanage.
A strange collection of very curious photographs.
It all waits to be discovered in Miss Peregrine s Home for Peculiar Children, an unforgettable novel that mixes fiction and photography in a thrilling reading experience.
As our story opens, a horrific family tragedy sets sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine s Home for Peculiar Children.
by Competitions: August’s Blind Date With A Book – Winner
It’s time to announce the winner of August’s Win a Blind Date With a Book competition.
It is very easy to judge a book by its cover. I know I do it. Our competition is one with a twist. It’s your chance to win a blind date with a book.
I didn’t reveal what the title was of this month’s book was nor did I reveal the cover. All I did reveal is that the themes include secrets, lies, murder mystery and betrayal.
Well done to Christine who has won this month’s book. Keep your eyes peeled for September’s competition which will be coming soon.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Titles and Dedications
Novel Kicks Writing Room: Tuesday 30th August 2016.
Today’s prompt is a little different.
Today, jot down ten potential book titles for a current or future work in progress. Once you have ten, pick the one you think is most suitable.
Also write your acknowledgements page and dedication for the novel you’re working on or just about to start.
Once you’ve done that, pick a title and keep that, the acknowledgements and dedication somewhere nearby for when you need a boost and or inspiration.
You can do this!
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: A Villain With A Happy Ending?
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: A Villain with a Happy Ending.
It’s always good to see things from another point of view. What is the villain in fairy tales got their happy ending? What if they are not evil but been misunderstood. Rewrite a fairy tale from the villains point of view.
What is going on with the evil stepmother? Is she evil or is Cinderella not as nice as she seems? What about the ugly step sisters? What if Gaston told his story? The witch in Hansel and Gretel? How different would the stories be if the villains got the happy ending?
by Latest Book Releases Including Gill Paul, Bella Osborne and Katie Flynn
Hello. I hope everyone is enjoying their Thursday evening. It’s time for another week of great book releases. It’s a perfect evening for settling down with a book and like I try to do every week, I wanted to share a few with you.
The first book out today is The Secret Wife by Gill Paul (released by Avon.)
This one sounds great. It appeals to my love of history and I am interested in the history surrounding the Romanov family.
The general information on this novel is a Russian Grand Duchess and an English Journalist are linked by one of the worlds biggest mysteries.
In 1914, Russia is on the brink of collapse. The Romanov family face an uncertain future. The Grand Duchess Tatiana has fallen in love with Officer Dmitri but events take a catastrophic turn that puts everything in danger.
In 2016, Kitty escapes to her Great Grandfather’s cabin. There she discovers a jewelled pendant that will lead to the uncovering of a big family secret.
The second novel out today is A Family Holiday by Bella Osborne.
We took part in the blog tour for this book when it was released on Kindle earlier in the year (to read my review, click here.) I absolutely adored 
this book and couldn’t put it down. If you’re a fan of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews or Jill Mansell, you will love A Family Holiday.
Charlie is a nanny to four children. When tragedy strikes, Charlie needs to decide to move on or fight for the children she loves. There is also the added distraction of the children’s uncle, Felix.
Charlie gets the opportunity to have a family holiday to Antigua and this leaves Charlie wondering whether the turquoise seas can wash away to present troubles. A Family Holiday was released today by Harper Impulse.
The House on Sunset Lake is the third novel released today. By Tasmina Perry, it’s released via Headline Review.
This is another one that sounds like I’d really like it. Even by reading the blurb to the book, I can imagine myself in front of this big house.
Casa D’or, the mysterious plantation house on Sunset Lake has been in the Wyatt family for over fifty years. Jennifer returns to it one summer full of hope but by the end, she will have a broken heart. Casa D’or stands neglected twenty years later and Jennifer has closed the door on her past.
A reunion though will stir up old ghosts for both of them and reveal the dark secrets the house still holds.
by Blog Tour: Out of Bounds by Val McDermid – Review
I’m pleased to be welcoming Val McDermid to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her new novel, Out of Bounds. This is the latest novel in the Inspector Karen Pirie series and has been released today by Little, Brown.
There were a lot of things that ran in families, but murder wasn’t one of them . . .’
When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it’s as twisted as the DNA helix itself.
Meanwhile, Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kind of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for . . .
Out Of Bounds is the latest instalment of McDermid’s successful Karan Pirie series of crime thriller novels. The story follows Inspector Karen Pirie of Police Scotland’s Historical Case Unit. When a teenage joy rider in a stolen car ends up in hospital his DNA casts new light upon a twenty two year old cold case, but finding the answers are never as simple as they should be and getting to the bottom of this problem is a complex and twisty task.
In the meantime Karen is drawn to another case, stepping on toes and winding people up in the progress as it is not her case, when an apparent suicide has her digging into a decades old bombing from the IRA era.
This is the first book from this series which I have read and I am pleased to say that it stands on its own very well, as relevant and concise backstory is provided as required in a subtle way unlikely to frustrate those already familiar with it.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Childhood Stories
Tuesday 23rd August 2016: Childhood Stories.
Think about a story you used to be told when you were little about something that happened in your parents or grandparents childhood.
Write down as much information as you can remember.
Now take that incident and write about it in the first person and present tense. Who was there? What happened?
by Blog Tour: If I Only Had A Duke by Lenora Bell – Author Interview and Book Review
I’m very happy to be welcoming Lenora Bell to Novel Kicks today and her blog tour for the latest novel in the Disgraceful Duke series, If I Only Had a Duke which is due to be released by Piatkus on 30th August 2016.
After four failed seasons and a disastrous jilting, Lady Dorothea Beaumont has had more than enough of her family’s scheming. She won’t domesticate a duke, entangle an earl or vie for a viscount. She will quietly exit to her aunt’s Irish estate for a life of blissful freedom. Until an arrogant, sinfully handsome duke singles her out for a waltz, making Thea the most popular belle of the season.
Well, the duke ruined her plans and now he’ll just have to fix them.
Dalton, Duke of Osborne, is far too heartless for debutantes or marriage – he uses dalliances to distract from his real purpose: finding the man who destroyed his family. When his search leads to Ireland, the last thing he needs is the determined, achingly innocent Thea, who arrives in the dead of night demanding he escort her to her aunt. His foolish agreement may prove his undoing. The road to the Emerald Isle is fraught with unforeseen dangers, but the greatest peril of all might just be discovering that he has a heart . . . and he’s losing it to Thea.
I’ve reviewed the book below but first, I’ve had a chat with Lenora. Hi Lenora, thank you so much for joining me today. First, can you tell me a little about your typical writing day and how many words you aim to write on a daily basis.
Hi Laura! Thanks for having me here at Novel Kicks! I see you have a cat named Buddy. Every writer should have a cat, don’t you think? They’re such good companions for long writing sessions. They just curl up and sleep to the sound of your clicking fingers on the keyboard as if it were rain pattering on a tin roof. (Yes, Lenora, I totally agree!)
Writing for me is both agony and ecstasy. There is a certain amount of slogging through the trenches that needs to happen before the words on the page learn to fly. A typical writing day for me means churning out extremely rough stream-of-consciousness pages and then spending three times as many hours trying to wrestle those rough pages into something fit to be seen by other eyes. I may have ten rough pages and only produce one edited page *sigh*. But when things go right there truly is no better feeling.
Do you have any writing rituals (plenty of coffee, writing in silence etc?)
Coffee, of course! Absolutely necessary for those late night writing binges. I find what helps me the most to focus on the emotional heart of scenes is to do some yoga and light a candle before I write, and then stop every hour or so and take a quick yoga break. It helps me focus as well as helps stretch all those cramped writing muscles.
Your new book, If I Only Had a Duke is the second in the Disgraceful Duke series. Can you tell me about it?
I’m so excited about this book! It’s the second in the Disgraceful Dukes series and is loosely inspired by the Wizard of Oz. If you read it with that in mind you’ll find subtle references throughout the novel. This is the story of Lady Dorothea Beaumont, who’s had more than enough of her family’s scheming and just wants to escape from London and live a quiet life as a spinster, and Dalton, Duke of Osborne, who uses public spectacle to distract from his true purpose—finding the man who destroyed his family.
How did you approach writing this novel in terms of planning and research?
I worked closely with my fabulous editor at Avon Books, Amanda Bergeron, on planning and plotting. Sometimes my plots tend to wander and she always reined me in and redirected me to the heart of the story. As for research, I read books and watched videos on everything from Regency-era traveling coaches, ships, and gaming hells to etiquette and recipes for trifle. It was tons of fun!
by Competitions: Five Copies of Ready Steady Mo! -Winners
Thanks to Hodder Children’s Books, we had five copies of Ready Steady Mo! to give away. All you had to do was answer the following question;
What sport is this book about:
A) Cycling
B) Running
C) Swimming
And of course, the answer was B, Running.
Congratulations to Susan Dias, Maryanne Pike, Naomi Farquharson, Katie Skeoch and Charlotte Rooney who have all won a copy.
Ready, Steady Mo! is a fun, action-packed rhyming picture book that will get kids reading, and running too.
Run on the pavement
Run on the grass
Run in the playground
Perhaps not in class!
by Book Cover Reveal: It’s a Wonderful Life by Julia Williams
OK, so we are technically still in Summer but I am a little obsessed with Christmas (if you’ve not guessed already) and one of the things I love most about this time of year is the Christmas themed books that get released.
That is why I am over excited to be part of the cover reveal for the new novel by Julia Williams.
Her new novel is classic Julia, it’s due out on the 3rd November 2016 and it’s Christmas themed. It’s called It’s a Wonderful Life (I just say that and get the festive feels.)
Isn’t this cover just beautiful? I absolutely LOVE it. What do you think of the cover?
Christmas with the family. Cosy, relaxing…and a total nightmare?
Driving home for Christmas, Beth has everything she wants. The kids and the house, the career and the husband. So why is it that when the New Year comes, she can’t stop thinking about her old college boyfriend?
Her husband Daniel is tasked with bringing a struggling school up to scratch, but when family life catches up to him, can he be a good father and a good teacher at the same time?
Beth’s sister Lou has just been dumped…again. Single and childless, she can’t help but be jealous of her sibling’s success. But is the grass really always greener?
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Mythical Creatures
Fiction Friday is our weekly writing prompt. The aim is to write for a minimum of five minutes and then keep going for as long as you can. Once you’ve finished, don’t edit, just post in the comments box below.
Today’s Prompt: Mythical Creatures.
There is a meeting today. The attendees are a dragon, a fairy, a mermaid, a unicorn and bigfoot. They are all meeting up for their weekly catch up over a drink.
Write about their evening. What would they talk about? Do they get on well? What would their day have been like?
Write up to 1,700 words.
by Latest Book Releases: 18th August 2016
Notting Hill Press, 18th August 2016.
Hello all. It’s another Thursday which means another load of book releases. I wanted to share a couple of them that I am looking forward to reading.
I love Michele Gorman’s style of writing and therefore have really enjoyed all the books I’ve managed to read so far. Life Change (which is due out on Kindle today,) is released by Notting Hill Press and sounds great (this book was originally released as Bella Summer Takes a Chance which is one of Michele’s books I’ve not read.)
Michele is really good at the feel good romantic comedy and this book sounds like it is no exception.
The general information on the story is that Bea has been through some big life changes recently (including loosing her job, her flat and finishing a long-term relationship over a takeaway.) With no boyfriend, no job and nowhere to live, things are very shaky for Bea for the first time in thirty-eight years.
Things are not made any easier but the fact that dating has moved on too. With online dating and apps she has no idea how to date anymore.
She used to dream of a music career but the best she can do is performing to drunks in pubs. She’s beginning to wonder whether anything is easy after all.
by My Back To School Stationery Wish List
As you may have guessed, I have a bit of an obsession with stationery. There is nothing like a new notebook or finding a nice pen.
I did used to dread September and having to go back to school after having six weeks off. The one thing I did look forward to though was the chance to go shopping for all the back to school supplies – you know; the beautiful rucksack that costs more than your pocket money allowed or the five pack of pritt stick your brain convinces you that you’re going to need for the new year at school and will then spend the next nine months in the back of your draw.
As we’re nearing September, I wanted to share my wish list for back to school stationery. I can still want all these even though I’m not at school anymore and haven’t been for a while right? Please? Pretty please? (I’ve tried to include links as I love posts like this and I like knowing where I can get things if any of the items takes my fancy.)
The first item I’ve chosen for my back to school wish list are these Polka Dot Gel Pens from Paperchase (I could seriously spend all my money in that place if I didn’t stop myself. Somehow I don’t think my lack of rent money would be appreciated though.)
What I love about these is that they are so colourful. You have green, purple, blue, red and yellow so if you’re like me and you like to use various colours to brighten up a planner or a notebook then these are perfect.
They are soft grip and retractable too so perfect for those long note taking sessions.
(A pack of five is £4.00 at http://www.paperchase.co.uk)
The second thing on my wish list is also from Paperchase and it is this Purr Maids A5 subject notebook.
This collection from Paperchase I think is among my favourites. It’s cats. That’s me pretty much sold. It’s so cute and like the pens, it’s very bright and colourful.
What I like about this notebook is that it has five sections with colourful dividers so you can keep all your notes for each subject separate and organised.
There are 100 sheets (so 200 pages.) It’s close ruled paper and it’s spiral bound which I find easier to use if taking notes (especially if you need to remove any. It really irritates me when I have to rip a page out of a notebook and it leaves a messy heap of the page behind.)
(Purr Maids Subject A5 notebook is from Paperchase and is £8: http://www.paperchase.co.uk)
by Book Review: Smoke by Dan Vyleta
W&N, 7th July 2016
Smoke opens in a private boarding school near Oxford, but history has not followed the path known to us. In this other past, sin appears as smoke on the body and soot on the clothes. Children are born carrying the seeds of evil within them. The ruling elite have learned to control their desires and contain their sin. They are spotless. It is within the closeted world of this school that the sons of the wealthy and well-connected are trained as future leaders.
Among their number are two boys, Thomas and Charlie. On a trip to London, a forbidden city shrouded in smoke and darkness, the boys will witness an event that will make them question everything they have been told about the past. For there is more to the world of smoke, soot and ash than meets the eye and there are those who will stop at nothing to protect it . . .
Imagine a world where sin were rendered visible by smoke; where evidence of your deeds and intents was visible for all to see. Large cities like London are hives of sin and corruption, wrapped in smoke and stained with soot, where the common people are forced to live in the thick of it while the very wealthy move out into the countryside away from the corruption and into the fresh air where their own smoke can dissipate.
The children of the wealthy are schooled in how to be mindful of their thoughts and actions so as not to smoke and it is in once such school that the story starts.
Thomas is a young boy who until very recently was home schooled, until a powerful sponsor secured his place at a well-respected school outside of Oxford. On a school trip into London to observe the sinful city Thomas sees something which causes him to question the true nature of smoke.
by My Writing Ramblings: Dream a Little Dream of Strangeness.
Happy Wednesday everyone.
How lovely has this weather been? It’s been absolutely gorgeous. On Sunday I went with some family over to Moors Valley Country Park near Bournemouth. I remember going there a lot when I was a child. There was such a magic to all the woods that seemed to go on for miles.
I would love reaching the climbing structures (and was very annoyed that I am now too big to go on them. It does suck being a grown up sometimes.)
If anything, the lake and the surrounding area is just as beautiful and I will never stop loving the steam train that runs around the park. As I passed the play area and saw the climbing frame, the zip wire and the area with the slide that looks like a castle, it brought back so many memories.
On Monday I also got a chance to spend the day at Sandbanks beach which is one of the most beautiful beaches. It was lovely to just swim in the sea and sit in the sun. As we had family staying, there has not been a lot of writing and planning but there has been a bit of chilling out and it’s been nice.
by Writing Room: Magazine Roulette
Tuesday 16th August 2016: Magazines Roulette.
For today’s prompt, we’re taking inspiration from magazines.
Try and gather up as many magazines as you can.
Cut out anything that catches your eye; pictures, words, phrases. (If you have no magazines, you could always use what is available online and write down any ideas on small bits of paper.)
Put them all into a bowl. Pick out two or three and write a short story based on each.
Don’t write more than three hundred words per story.
by Book Club
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