Author Interview: Emma Bennet
Emma Bennet is the author of I Need A Hero, His Secret Daughter and Snowed in for her Wedding. Emma joins me today to chat about writing, planning her novels and her dinner party guests.
Hi Emma, thank you for joining me. Do you have a favourite word?
I have several: pudding, serendipity and natty stand out as particularly wonderful to say. Actually, I managed to get ‘natty’ into my latest manuscript, a great moment!
How much planning do you do before beginning a book? What elements need to be in place?
I use an A4 notebook and write a basic outline over a page. I then expand on this over about three pages, and write short character profiles for my hero and heroine. I add to and refer to these sheets regularly! Once these are in place, I’m off!
Which novel would you like to live in for a day and why?
I think it’s got to be ‘Pride and Prejudice’: I’d love to chat with Lizzy, advise her mum on her nerves and dance with Mr Darcy!
Out of all the books you’ve read, which three have stayed with you?
It tends to be children’s books which stay with me the most. I absolutely love being able to share my favourites with my children. The top three would probably be Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood, Noel Streatfeild’s Ballet Shoes and Catherine Cookson’s Nancy Nutall and the Mongrel (which never fails to make me cry!).
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Competitions: Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2017 Winner Announcement
The best-selling Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is back for 2017 and thanks to Bloomsbury, we had ONE copy to give away.
WELL DONE TO PIPPA GOODHART FROM CAMBRIDGESHIRE WHO HAS WON A COPY OF THIS YEAR’S EDITION. CONGRATULATIONS.
This book is an essential guide to all things media and publishing. It’s in its one hundred and tenth printing and it was released by Bloomsbury on 28th July 2016.
The Writers’ & Artists Yearbook is an indispensable guide to all areas of publishing. It has plenty of advice and guidance for writers and is packed with guidance of whom to contact if you’re wondering what to do next with your novel and looking to get published.
It’s 816 pages and it has over 4,000 listings including publishers and agents.
by Blog Tour: No Turning Back by Tracy Buchanan – Extract and Review
I’m very happy to be welcoming Tracy Buchanan back to Novel Kicks and her blog tour for her new novel which is called No Turning Back (published by Avon on 28th July 2016.)
When radio presenter Anna Graves and her baby are attacked on the beach by a crazed teenager, Anna reacts instinctively to protect her daughter.
But her life falls apart when the schoolboy dies from his injuries. The police believe Anna’s story, until the autopsy results reveal something more sinister.
A frenzied media attack sends Anna into a spiral of self-doubt. Her precarious mental state is further threatened when she receives a chilling message from someone claiming to be the ‘Ophelia Killer’, responsible for a series of murders twenty years ago.
Is Anna as innocent as she claims? And is murder forgivable, if committed to save your child’s life…?
I have reviewed it below but thanks to Tracy and Avon, here is an extract from chapter seven of the book. Enjoy. (Warning, small amount of bad language.)
The Third One
‘My friends call me Coolio,’ the boy says.
I laugh.
‘Not for the reasons you think though,’ he adds. ‘It’s ’cos I once got my fingers stuck in a freezer door.’
I laugh again. This one’s funny.
‘I like it here,’ the boy says. We’re sitting in his garden, looking out towards the sea through the broken panels of his fence. It’s boiling hot and we’re both trying to huddle under a small tree, the one piece of shade out here. He’s new here, only been living in The Docks for three weeks.
I can’t help but look towards his pond. It shimmers under the bright exhausting sun and I have a flashback to the week before and the pale body that had lain prone in filthy water.
Guilt swirls with excitement. You said that will change, the guilt will eventually fade. I think you’re right, I’m starting to feel braver, fingers tingling with excitement.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: String a Sentence Together
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: String a Sentence Together…
For today’s prompt, use the following three sentences in a story.
‘The most beautiful smile I ever saw.’
‘Emma found something buried in the garden.’
‘Finally, the key gave way.’
by
Happy Wednesday everyone!
I can’t quite believe that we are already into August. The time is slipping by me in a surreal manner this year. Today marks the third year we’ve been in our current house and yet it doesn’t feel like five minutes since we moved in.
Before we know it we are going to be pulling those clocks back (I know, I said it. Ssshh, I hear you cry.)
This week I’ve been mainly trying to sleep and failing. Being wide awake at 2am isn’t so bad when I’m on my days off but on workdays it means copious amounts of tea and numerous walks around the building just to keep myself awake. In the last few days I’ve managed to spill tea all over the carpet (and my bag didn’t escape unscathed either,) drop things, walk into the occasional wall and drop a can of coke on a concrete floor, which had it spraying out absolutely everywhere. Lack of sleep does not do anything for my coordination. Ha-ha.
The writing side of my week has shown some progress. Most of my characters have had biographies written about them now. It’s nice to have a sense of who my characters are. They are becoming much more real to me now. Now it’s time to work on the plot.
One thing I have set myself starting this month is my Austen reading challenge. When thinking about it, I’ve realized that I have 
not read all of the Austen novels. I know!
So, the challenge is to read one a month for the next six months.
If you fancy reading along with me I am going to be reading them in this order…
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Opposing Characters Writing Exercise
Tuesday 2nd August 2016: Opposing Characters.
Today is about creating a brand new character. To do this, use people you know.
Create a character that is based on the personality traits of someone that means a lot to you but has the physical attributes of someone you don’t like.
You could also reverse it…. the physical traits of someone you love but the personality of someone you’re not so keen on.
by Author Interview: Lesley Thomson Talks About The House With No Rooms
Lesley Thomson
I’m pleased to be welcoming author Lesley Thomson to Novel Kicks today. Hi Lesley. Could you tell me a little about your typical writing day?
Hi Laura, great to be here.
My day starts at 6.45am when I walk the dog. In summer this is a lovely part of the day, with the sun shining on the ruins of the Priory behind our house and the grass lush and green. I know the other walkers who are out at that time and feel lucky to have such interesting conversations before breakfast. In the winter in the wet and dark, togged in waterproofs from head to foot with a torch strapped to my forehead, it’s more of an expedition.
I start work at 8.30 and break for coffee at 11am. I work until 1pm. If it’s a first draft then – after lunch and a longer walk with my dog – I do research. This is reading books and articles and taking notes. Perhaps setting up interviews. If I’m further on in the novel, I’ll continue redrafting until about 5pm.
Can you tell me a little about your book, The House with no Rooms and how the idea originated?
The House with no Rooms is a murder story set in Kew Gardens in the hot summer of 1976 and in 2014. Jack and Stella follow a series of clues to uncover a terrible secret that is forty year old.
I visited the Marianne North gallery in Kew Gardens. A 19th Century botanical artist, North painted plants and flowers on her solo expeditions around the world. There are 833 numbered pictures hanging in what looks like a house. My character Jack sees numbers as signs that dictate his actions and hold clues he must decipher. The story features the Palm House, the Queen’s Beasts and the Herbarium that stores thousands of dried specimens collected over two centuries. They are called ‘dead materials’. Add to this that the botanist’s chief tool of trade is the scalpel and I realised that the Botanical Gardens was the perfect place to set a scary crime novel.
Head of Zeus, April 2016
Do you have any writing rituals (needing coffee before you begin? Writing in silence etc.)
Yes, as I mentioned earlier, I have coffee at 11am. I drink out of a particular mug that I only use for work. I take the dog for walks at about the same time every day. While I work, I play Radio 3 although I like silence too. All this is less about superstition, I have found that a combination of ritual and routine gets me get into story and keeps me writing.
If you were only allowed to own three books, which three would you pick?
These would keep me going. I would need nothing else,
Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
Excellent Women by Barbara Pym
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins.
Is there a fictional character you’d like to meet and why?
There are two. As an adult, I’d like an introduction to Sergeant Cuff in The Moonstone. He has a quiet ego, he knows he’s good at his work, but is prepared to be wrong. But of course he isn’t. He’s professional, honest, unflurried and gives people careful attention. He has a great sense of priority. What matters most to him is to grow roses. I’d love to have tea with him in the garden in Dorking that he moved to after he retired. I’m sure I’d come away wiser.
As a child, I wanted to meet Lucy in The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe. She is passionate, honest and brave. Actually I’d still like to meet her.
What advice do you have for someone who is thinking of or in the processes of writing a book?
A writer is privileged to live in more than one world, their fictional world and the ‘real’ one. Sometimes I find the former more real. Two bits of advice, if you’re writing a novel, keep going until the end. Then you’ve got something to work with. If you’re contemplating writing, stop contemplating and start! Never wait for the muse to strike because it tends to strike when words are already on the page, not when the page is blank. And as I said earlier, you might see if it helps you to establish a routine. Above all, keep going.
How do you approach the writing process? Do you plan much, edit as you go?
I have the idea and write a synopsis. Then I plan out the novel chapter by chapter. I consider what research will be needed. This might be interviewing experts in their field. For The House With No Rooms I talked to botanists, a botanical illustrator and the ex Met Detective Superintendent and District line driver who have helped me with the Detective’s Daughter series. I walk the places in my novels. The House with no Rooms demanded lots of visits to Kew Gardens, poor me… I start the research after I’m half way through a draft when I know what questions to ask.
I write a first draft, ploughing on without editing even if I’m not happy with it. Then I do another draft, editing, refining and rearranging scenes to ensure they work. By the time the novel is published I have completed at least six drafts.
What’s your favourite word and why?
Contentment. It is suggests satisfaction with one’s life and in the moment. I imagine I would feel contentment sipping tea in Sergeant Cuff’s country garden with the scent of roses on the summer air.
More about Lesley:
Lesley Thomson grew up in London. Her first crime novel A Kind of Vanishing won The People’s Book Prize in 2010. The Detective’s Daughter is a number one bestseller and Sainsbury’s ebook for 2014. Ghost Girl, the second in the The Detective’s Daughter series (2014) went to number one in Sainsbury’s e-chart and is another bestseller. The Detective’s Secret was published in 2015. The Runaway, an eBook short about Stella Darnell (the detective’s daughter) came out in July 2015 and the fourth in the series, The House with No Rooms in 2016.
For more information about Lesley, visit http://lesleythomson.co.uk
by
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.
The best-selling Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is back for 2017 and thanks to Bloomsbury, we have ONE copy to give away.
This book is an essential guide to all things media and publishing. It’s in its one hundred and tenth printing and it was released by Bloomsbury on 28th July 2016.
The Writers’ & Artists Yearbook is an indispensable guide to all areas of publishing. It has plenty of advice and guidance for writers and is packed with guidance of whom to contact if you’re wondering what to do next with your novel and looking to get published.
It’s 816 pages and it has over 4,000 listings including publishers and agents.
The new content in this edition includes advice from Maggie Gee, Mark Billingham, Martina Cole, Alexander McCall Smith, Claire McGowan and Kate Harrison.
There are also articles on being a debut novelist, self publishing dos and don’ts and marketing yourself online.
TO WIN A COPY:
by August’s Novel Kicks Book Club: The Drowning of Arthur Braxton by Caroline Smailes
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 August, we’re reading The Drowning of Arthur Braxton by Caroline Smailes.
by Book Cover Reveal: Claudia Carroll’s ‘All She Ever Wished For’
I am very excited to take part in the cover reveal for the upcoming book release by Claudia Carroll. All She Ever Wished For is being published by Avon in the UK in October – 6th October to be more exact.
Ta-dah. The cover is absolutely beautiful. It is very dreamy and festive looking. The plot also sounds very compelling. I am looking forward to reading this novel when it is released.
What are your thoughts on the cover?
A gorgeous story of chance meetings and unexpected friendships. Because sometimes what you’ve always wished for isn’t necessarily what life has in store . . .
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…
Claudia Carroll brings you a Christmas gift filled with second chances, fateful encounters and a lesson in what true love means.
by Novel Kicks Competitions: July’s Blind Date With A Book Winner
It’s time to announce the winner of July’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 ‘solitude, loosing yourself, keeping belief and survival.
Well done to Polly Bartlett from Poole. I hope you enjoy your blind date and I will be in touch via e-mail shortly.
The new competition for August will be posted soon.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Exam Time
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: Exam Time
You are one of five candidates for a job. You’re lead to a room where you are told you need to sit an exam. The first person to finish gets the job. You are not allowed to take anything with you. There are five desks, five exam papers but only one pen…
by Blog Tour: A Certain Age by Beatriz Williams – Review
Harper, July 2016
The blog tour train has arrived. Hello to Beatriz Williams who’s new novel, A Certain Age was released earlier this month by Harper. Here’s the blurb:
As the freedom of the Jazz Age transforms New York City, the iridescent Mrs. Theresa Marshall of Fifth Avenue – a beautiful socialite of a certain age – has done the unthinkable: she’s fallen in love with her young lover, Captain Octavian Rofrano, a handsome aviator and hero of the Great War. But though times are changing, divorce for a woman of Theresa’s wealth and social standing is out of the question.
When Theresa’s bachelor brother, Ox, decides to tie the knot with the youngest daughter of a newly wealthy inventor, Theresa enlists her lover to present the family’s diamond rose ring to pretty ingénue, Miss Sophie Fortescue – and to check into the background of this little-known family. Yet even as he uncovers a shocking secret, Octavian falls under Sophie’s spell…
Divided loyalties and dangerous revelations lead to a shocking transgression and eventually Theresa must make a choice that will change them all forever.
My verdict on A Certain Age…
It took me a couple of chapters to settle into this book but once I had, I found it to be very compelling to the point where I couldn’t stop reading. This book beautifully captures what I imagine the twenties to have been like and the imagery is so vivid. I felt like I was in New York at the beginning of the 1920’s witnessing the lives of these characters.
The plot is developed well and has a good number of twists and turns. It didn’t turn out quite the way I imagined. There is mystery surrounding this story. You know me, I love a good mystery.
The story is told from the point of view of two women; Theresa (she’s been married to a wealthy husband for a number of years,) and 19 year old Sophie.
by Latest Book Releases: 28th July 2016
Century, 20th July 2016
It’s Thursday again. Is it me or did that week go incredibly fast?! It does mean that it’s time for some more book releases…
The first book is The Moment She Left by Susan Lewis which has been released today in hardback. The e-book version is also available.
Here’s the blurb:
Kesterly-on-Sea is full of secrets.
Some are darker than others; many are shameful. One is even deadly.
Andee is an ex-detective whose marriage is breaking up. So when a young female student disappears without trace, she throws herself into the search.
Meanwhile, the town’s beloved Rowzee Cayne has just discovered that she is terminally ill, and doesn’t want to burden her family and friends with the news.
Andee and Rowzee don’t know it yet, but their journeys are going to help them uncover a secret. One that is going to affect them more than they could ever imagine.
This one sounds like I’d really enjoy it. It’s got a lot of mystery and sounds very compelling. I shall definitely be giving this one a read.
Sphere, 28th July 2016
I See You by Claire MacKintosh has also been released today. I think this cover is so pretty. I have to admit, I’ve not read I Let You Go which was Claire’s debut novel but reading the synopsis for I See You, it’s one I will definitely pick up at some point. What do you think?
When Zoe Walker sees her photo in the classifieds section of a London newspaper, she is determined to find out why it’s there. There’s no explanation, no website: just a grainy image and a phone number. She takes it home to her family, who are convinced it’s just someone who looks like Zoe. But the next day the advert shows a photo of a different woman, and another the day after that.
Is it a mistake? A coincidence? Or is someone keeping track of every move they make . . .
Truly Madly Guilty is the latest novel from the fantastic Liane Moriarty.
Michael Joseph, 28th July 2016
Despite their differences, Erika and Clementine have been best friends since they were children. So when Erika needs help, Clementine should be the obvious person to turn to. Or so you’d think.
For Clementine, as a mother of a two desperately trying to practise for the audition of a lifetime, the last thing she needs is Erika asking for something, again.
But the barbecue should be the perfect way to forget their problems for a while. Especially when their hosts, Vid and Tiffany, are only too happy to distract them.
Which is how it all spirals out of control…
It’s the week for suspense and thriller. There is something about Liane’s books that draw me in so I can’t wait to read this one.
by Stationery Spotlight: Literary Listography
This journal is part of the Listography series. I’ve previously owned the Film Listography journal and loved it. The Literary Listography enables you to keep track of your literary life for past, present and future books.
There are over seventy list prompts ranging from favourite books to favourite reading spots.
I adore lists. Before settling down and doing anything productive, I must have a list. This is what makes this sort of journal perfect for someone like me… lists and books. It can’t go wrong.
This edition is beautifully illustrated. It has some fascinating suggestions for lists such as favourite classics, fictional characters I would go on a date with (for the record, I would like to have dinner with all the characters in the great hall at Hogwarts,) books that made me laugh, favourite book endings and authors to explore. It also has a big section for favourite quotes. I have lost track of the amount of times I’ve liked a passage in a book and not had a central place to keep everything.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Super Sibling Rivalry
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 Christmas Day. Your character is a superhero and has gone home to see the family for the day.
Their sibling is also there. This sibling happens to be an evil supervillain. Write about what happens over dinner.
by June/July Book Haul
I’ve acquired some fantastic books recently. My TBR pile has never looked so good. I wanted to share some of the titles with you.
Mount by Jilly Cooper (Bantam Press, 8th September 2016. Review copy received.)
Rupert Campbell-Black is back!
I was so excited to receive this book in the post. Riders was such a guilty pleasure of mine and Rupert is the bad boy we all hate to love. He’s of course been in other novels but this is the first time he has taken centre stage for a while.
Mount sees an older Campbell-Black but is he wiser? This new book from Jilly brings together old and new characters and is set in the competitive world of flat racing.
Fans of Jilly Cooper… there is not long to wait.
The Lie Tree by Frances Hardinge (MacMillan, May 2015)
This book was recently a pick for one of the subscription boxes I subscribe to. The cover is so wonderfully atmospheric and almost gothic. The plot sounds so interesting I just couldn’t resist buying it.
Faith is searching through the belongings of her recently deceased father and discovers a strange tree. The tree only grows healthy fruit if you whisper a lie to it. In return, once the fruit is consumed, it will deliver a hidden truth to the person who has eaten it.
The bigger the lie, the bigger the truth and the more people believe it.
This book sounds so ace and right up my street. I am looking forward so much to reading it.
by Book Review: Imagine Me Gone by Adam Haslett
In 1960s London, Margaret’s fiancé, John is hospitalised for depression. At this point she has two choices; stay, get married and carry on with life together knowing what she knows, or leave to help prevent any heart ache and suffering, his condition may cause.
She decides to stay and this is where the story starts. The pair go on to have three children; Michael, who copes with life through his music and his use of parody; Alec; the smart son who is a high achiever and is devoted to looking out for his family and Celia, the daughter who lives to help other people succeed.
The story follows the highs and lows of this family from Michael’s struggle to cope in the real world to Margaret’s love and affection for her children and her willingness to do anything to help them, especially her eldest, Michael.
Imagine me gone is a wonderfully-written, at times heart breaking story of a family who are haunted by mental illness and their struggle to survive.
The topic of mental illness and especially depression is a difficult one to cover. For many it is such a sensitive issue and so is not written so much in books until recently. Adam Haslett has succeeded at an impossible task of portraying mental health in a sensitive, sombre way without completely lowering the morale of the whole book.
by My Writing Ramblings: Well Hello There Summer…
Welcome Summer. I’m pleased you could join us. I’d almost forgotten what you look like. Haven’t the last couple of days in the UK been absolutely glorious?
I do love winter. I love being able to come in out the cold, wrap up warm and snuggle. I love that chill in the air that carries with it the potential promise of snow and yes, I am a bit of a Christmas nerd.
However, I have to say that there isn’t much that beats lounging around midweek beside the sea in the beautiful summer sunshine with a cold drink, a notebook and a book which was pretty much my day yesterday.
This week has been a good one for me as I have tried to chill out a little, read, see friends and generally just watch the world go by. I feel I’ve not had much of a chance to do that recently. I’ve read some really great books (like Lying in Wait and I’m currently reading A Certain Age. Both are proving to be excellent although the jury is still out on A Certain Age as I am still reading it.)
by Writing Room: Musical Inspiration
Wednesday 20th July 2016: Musical Inspiration.
Turn on the radio and listen to the next three songs that come on.
Whilst listening, take down as much as you can about the themes of the songs, whether they tell a story and what you think about when you listen to them?
Also think about the subject of the song. For example, if it’s a love song, what about the person being sung about?
Use your notes to begin a short story.
by Blog Tour: Lying in Wait by Liz Nugent – Liz’s Approach to Writing
I am pleased to be welcoming Liz Nugent to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her new book, Lying in Wait.
‘My husband did not mean to kill Annie Doyle, but the lying tramp deserved it.’
Lydia Fitzsimons lives in the perfect house with her adoring husband and beloved son. There is just one thing Lydia yearns for to make her perfect life complete, though the last thing she expects is that pursuing it will lead to murder. However, needs must – because nothing can stop this mother from getting what she wants …
I’ve reviewed the book below but first, Liz chats to us about her approach to writing psychological thrillers. Over to you, Liz….
I have always been interested in the psychology of killers. What makes them tick, how they deal with the horror of what they have done. Two books which were hugely influential were John Banville’s The Book of Evidence and Sebastian Faulks’ Engleby. Both were first person narratives about deeply flawed men.
I used to work on a TV soap opera and one day in a story meeting, we were discussing a character who had just killed somebody and I insisted that he must be extremely distressed and I said ‘You know the way when you dream you’ve murdered somebody and you wake up in the horrors?’ Everyone just stared at me and that was when I realised that I was the only one who had those nightmares. I kill people in my sleep!
In real life, I am a pacifist and actively avoid confrontation, so I’m not sure from where this murderous side of my psyche comes, but I hope it has given me an edge when writing from the point of view of murderers!
by Interview: Todd Lawton, Co-creator of Mobile Book App Litsy
Todd Lawton (left) & Jeff Leblanc (right) – Co-founders of Out of Print and creators of Litsy
Todd Lawton, along with best friend, Jeff Leblanc is the co-founder of Out of Print which has been selling literary themed merchandise to support reading initiatives for the past six years and has donated more than 1.7 million books to communities in need.
Recently, the pair launched their new app, Litsy (which is a social community app for readers.) I’ve been talking a look at the app and it’s brilliant. On it you can discuss books with other readers, review books and you can even add quotes from your favourite books. Todd has joined me today to talk about Litsy. Welcome Todd, can you tell me a little about Litsy, how it came about and how it works?
Before Litsy, I helped create Out of Print—a literary lifestyle brand that sells literary apparel and accessories. We started Out of Print because we felt there was bookish conversation to be had outside the solitude of reading. Why not wear your favorite titles and authors for everyone to see? It’s invites a special kind of dialogue. Another inspiration for us were bookstore shelf talkers, the “staff picks” signs with personal recommendations and anecdotes. We wanted to extend these conversations; we wanted more people, from anywhere in the world, to join the conversation. That’s when we created Litsy. On Litsy, users can share any book moment on the go, and other readers, not algorithms, are there to engage and recommend your next favorite titles.
It’s been downloaded in over 119 countries. In your opinion, what is it about that is making it so popular do you think?
I think users appreciate having one central place for all things book related. Rather than going to one platform to review, and then another to blurb, and then another place to write down a quote, and then another to post a picture, Litsy users can organize their reading stacks, post, and engage in the same place. There isn’t the noise of other content competing with the books—it’s only books.
by Competitions: The Choice on DVD Winners
It’s time to announce the winners of our competition. We had three DVD copies of the film adaptation of The Choice to give away.
Congratulations to Cheryl Hadfield, Alexandra Crisp and Martin Turner who were picked at random and have all won a copy. An e-mail from me will be on its way shortly (make sure to check your spam folder.)
When feisty medical student Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) moves in next door to perennial ladies’ man Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker), it sends them both on a romantic journey neither ever dreamed possible. After a whirlwind courtship, Gabby and Travis wed and build a family together, making every decision hand-in-hand until one of them is forced to make the most important choice of their life alone. A poignant and life-affirming celebration of love, marriage and family that explores the most heart-wrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?
(The Choice, adapted from the novel from Nicholas Sparks was released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment on 4th July 2016. It stars Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, Maggie Grace, Tom Welling and Tom Wilkinson. Certificate: 12.)
by Blog Tour: Hungry For Love by Lucy Beresford – Review
Jax is about to cancel her wedding to Jonty. On the day. By text. A scrumptious celebration of survival for anyone who’s longed for love or felt unworthy of it, Hungry for Love will show you the importance of self-respect and that love can be found where you least expect it.
Jax is the daughter of Majella, famous British television chef and author of Food of Love, a best-selling cookery book due for re-issue. But if there s one thing Jax loathes more than her ex-fiancé, it’s cooking. So when her boss orders her to use the week she’d booked off for her honeymoon to attend a cookery course in Majorca, Jax fears her life cannot get any worse.
When tragedy strikes closer to home, Jax is forced to re-assess her relationship with food. As learning to cook inflames her desires, she must decide whether her plan post-Jonty to starve herself of men is such a great idea. Maybe there is a recipe for love out there, after all?
We meet Jax on the morning of her wedding. However, instead of it being the happiest day of her life, she’s about to cancel her wedding… by text.
Needless to say, she’s not in a happy place. She has support from her sister Caryl but not so much from her mother, famous TV chef, Majella.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Mirror Mirror…
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:
Your mirror begins to talk to you and tells you that you’re the fairest of them all. You believe it. It also says that it can grant wishes. You get a wish every day. All you have to do is say the words ‘mirror mirror on the wall who is the fairest of them all?’
All is going well to begin with but then….
by Blog Tour: Eleanor Brown – Author Interview and Review
Photo credit: Joe Henson
I’d like to welcome Eleanor Brown and her blog tour for her new book, The Light of Paris which was released yesterday (14th July) by The Borough Press. Hi Eleanor. Thank you so much for joining me. How do you approach the writing process? Do you do much planning and do you edit as you go etc?
I’m a non-planner by nature but I’ve trained myself to do at least some. With The Weird Sisters I just clanged around discovering the story as I went, but with The Light of Paris I worked quite hard to plan things out ahead of time. Consequently, it took me years to write The Weird Sisters, but once I had The Light of Paris figured out, I wrote the first draft in under two months.
I always say to my writing students that you’re going to do the organizational work sometime – whether it’s at the beginning, in the middle when you get stuck, or at the end is up to you, but you can’t avoid it altogether. I recommend a bare minimum of planning at the beginning, even if you consider yourself a free spirit – it saves a lot of pain and dead ends.
There is zero editing as I write! I just hurl it all on the page and tell myself I can make it pretty later. I hate drafting so much I just want it over with. Besides, what’s the point of making something pretty if I am just going to have to cut it later?
Can you tell me a little about your typical writing day and do you have any writing rituals (coffee before you begin, writing in silence etc.)
For a long time I thought if I could just figure out the perfect habit, I’d have this writing thing conquered. Now I understand that there is no perfect schedule – only what you can get done.
You have to write when you can, and that may change from year to year or week to week or day to day. I used to write in the mornings and took care of business in the afternoon. But lately it’s made more sense to do business in the morning and write in the afternoon. If I kept desperately trying to fit the way things are into my old schedule, I’d be frantic. Occasionally I just have to step back and say, “This isn’t working right now. What can I do differently?”
I believe writing rituals are dangerous. What if there’s a day you can only write while you wait for your kid to get out of soccer practice? If you’ve trained yourself to need your favourite pen and the perfect blend of tea, you’re out of luck. I just write when I can, where I can, as much as I can.
by Book Review: You And Me Always by Jill Mansell
Headline Review, June 2016
Lily’s always been surrounded by love.
Ever since her mother died, she’s been cared for by friends who are as close as any family.
Coral, her mum’s best friend; Patsy, her old babysitter – and even Dan, Patsy’s incorrigible younger brother – have always been there for her.
But when she chance comes to meet the man who was the love of her mother’s life, Lily knows she has to take it. Getting to know him could change everything, and not just for Lily…
I really didn’t think it would be possible for this sparkling author to top ‘Three Amazing Things About You’. If you haven’t read that one of Jill’s yet, then make that the next one you read after ‘You and Me, Always’, before the movie comes out! Well, maybe not, but someone really should turn it into one.
Sorry, I digress. ‘You and Me, Always’ is top-notch writing and un-put-down-able reading. If, like me, you see a blurb that mentions a movie star or someone fleeing something, that always starts an alarm bell ringing, but no need to worry here. Jill’s characters are always well thought out and the character of Eddie is nicely believable, things don’t even veer towards pie-in-the-sky world when the story deals directly with the world of celebrities.
by Author Interview: Jane Green
Author, Jane Green
Eeeeeek! I am so excited to be welcoming Jane Green to Novel Kicks especially as it is publication day for her new novel. Hello Jane. Thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me a bit about your latest novel, Falling and how has your writing routine changed over the time you’ve been writing?
Falling is my first big, epic love story in a while. I wanted to narrow it down to two people, and draw from my own story, in that I met my husband three days after my first marriage ended, by renting his beach cottage. The story goes off in a very different direction, but I loved writing about these two people who I grew enormously fond of. My routine is much the same in that I still leave my house to write, and am still finished by lunchtime, but entirely different in that the landscape of the world has changed, and hours a day are spent maintaining a presence and building a following on social media.
Do you plan much prior to beginning and do you edit as you go?
I plan my characters, and sometimes my story, although I prefer to have a rough idea of the arc of the story and let the characters then tell it. I do a cursory read through every day of what was written the day before, and might make minor tweaks, but I save the major edits until I have finished.
Which fictional character would you like to hang out with for a while and what would you do?
Right now I would quite like to hang out with Claudette from This Must Be the Place by Maggie O’Farrell because I am immersed in her world.
by Latest Book Releases: 14th July 2016
Yey it’s Thursday which means more book releases. This week is a great one too.
On The Other Side by Carrie Hope Fletcher (Sphere, 14th July 2016.)
The premise for this book sounds so brilliant (and I am kind of annoyed I didn’t think of it.) I’ve been looking forward to reading this book and so I am pleased it’s been released today. Plus this cover is just gorgeous.
Your soul is too heavy to pass through this door,
Leave the weight of the world in the world from before
Evie Snow is eighty-two when she quietly passes away in her sleep, surrounded by her children and grandchildren. It’s the way most people wish to leave the world but when Evie reaches the door of her own private heaven, she finds that she’s become her twenty seven- year-old self and the door won’t open. Evie’s soul must be light enough to pass through so she needs to get rid of whatever is making her soul heavy. For Evie, this means unburdening herself of the three secrets that have weighed her down for over fifty years, so she must find a way to reveal them before it’s too late. As Evie begins the journey of a lifetime, she learns more about life and love than she ever thought possible, and somehow , some way, she may also find her way back to her long lost love…
The Kept Woman by Karin Slaughter (Century, 14th July 2016.)
The Kept Woman is the latest novel in the Will Trent series.
A body is discovered in an empty Atlanta warehouse. It’s the body of an ex-cop, and from the moment Special Agent Will Trent walks in he knows this could be the most devastating case of his career. Bloody footprints leading away from the scene reveal that another victim – a woman – has left the scene and vanished into thin air. And, worst of all, the warehouse belongs to the city’s biggest, most politically-connected, most high-profile athlete – a local hero protected by the world’s most expensive lawyers. A local hero Will has spent the last six months investigating on a brutal rape charge.
But for Will – and also for Dr Sara Linton, the GBI’s newest medical examiner – the case is about to get even worse. Because an unexpected discovery at the scene reveals a personal link to Will’s troubled past. The consequences will wreak havoc on his life and the lives of those he loves, those he works with, and those he pursues.
But Sara’s scene-of-the-crime diagnosis is that they only have a few hours to find the missing woman before she bleeds out . . .
by My Writing Ramblings: Best Laid Plans
This past week I had expected to be going to the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s annual conference. My cat had other plans and it has meant about three trips to the vet. My cat Buddy, who we thought had swallowed something he shouldn’t get rushed to the vet by us at half eleven in the evening on Tuesday night. Turns out, after him having to stay for two nights, he didn’t swallow anything bad but had something completely unrelated. I have seem more of the vet in the last week than I want to see for a while and I certainly think my cat has.
I think I have had enough excitement for one year if I am perfectly honest.
We did meet a lovely couple who had also brought their cat in. He had a brother at home and their names were Ronnie and Reggie. Unusual names for cats.
As a result of our vet visits, I ended up missing the RNA conference which was being held up at Lancaster. Best laid plans and all that.
However, life sometimes does get in the way like that doesn’t it. Not that my cat got in the way but you get what I mean. He was more important.
There was an element of me that was feeling slightly guilty because my plan had been to have something to present to an editor this year but that hadn’t happened so it’s great in a way as it means I can now focus on the conference next year so there was a silver lining. I am looking forward to attending next year.
by Courses and Competitions: WriteInvite
Write Invite is an initiative to invite anyone to write.
They welcome writers of all ages, experiences and styles to get involved in their short story competitions.
It’s run online. The write Onsite competition in particular. This opens at 5.30pm every Saturday.
Three themes are given. Choose your theme, pay the entrance fee (which is £4 and you’ll need a PayPal account,) and you’ll then get a certain amount of time to write and submit your entry.
The entries will then be judged and the top three will then be chosen. These three stories will then be made available to the other participants. They will be online to read and be judged from the following Wednesday to the Saturday at 5pm.
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I have been hauling some lovely stationery things recently (I need help… seriously.)
I wanted to share some of my favourite products from the last few weeks. I love doing these kinds of posts as I love reading these kinds of posts. You never know what you’re going to discover. I’ve included a link to each one.
Storyteller Pencils:
I love writing in pencil. There is something quite freeing about it. I know that I can always erase anything that I don’t want to keep. I do tend to hoard pencils actually. I’ve also just recently brought a set of Beatles pencils too. I remember writing a lot with pencils when I was at school when I used to do creative writing and I guess that’s what I like about it. When I was that age, the internal editor was a lot more co-operative.
I think I actually got these ones for Christmas and they are so cute. They are very nice to write with too and comfortable in your hand as they are smooth.
The best thing about these pencils though are the little quotes on them. For example, these ones have things written on them like ‘Once upon a time, it was a day just like any other, it was a dark and stormy night and for the Star Wars fans amongst you, in a galaxy far far away.’
I want to aim to get the procrastination pencils too which include funny sayings such as ‘a to do list..you need a to do list, just chew on me and look thoughtful for a bit or you probably need another coffee.’ Hmm, maybe not such a good idea. I don’t need anymore procrastination encouragement. Haha.
Day One is an app I’ve been using for a few weeks.
It was an app I had installed on my phone a few months ago and had been meaning to use. When I did eventually get around to trying it, I found it to be a really simple journal app to use. Some of them can be a bit complicated and hard to navigate.
Day one allows me to have more than one journal so I can separate things out a little. At the moment, I have a random thoughts journal, a notes folder, a blog folder etc. Plus because it is available on both the iPhone and the Mac, it all syncs which makes things so easy. You can password protect the app too which is great for me as I am also using it to write letters to my Mum (sappy I know.)
I’ve found that I’ve been using it every day and it’s developed into one of my favourite apps.
(Day One App is available for Mac, iPad and iPhone: http://dayoneapp.com)
Usually I would use Microsoft Word but I’ve been increasingly using Scrivener lately. I have just found it to be perfect for what I want to do. It allows me to create pages for the characters where you can incorporate images and things. I work better when I can visualise people’s faces and surroundings. You can use the templates if you want to. It will give you a cork board view if it’s easier to see your ideas in that way and more importantly, it will allow me to create chapters which I can jump to and from but will give me the option to include them in a complied document at the end.
Writing the book is frightening but so is the editing part (and one of the reasons why I have been putting it off – the idea of facing this big document.) It being split into chapters means that it’s already in bite size sections and therefore not as scary.
It can be hard to get your head around. I’ve been using it for a while and I’m still not aware of all its features. Sometimes I have no choice but to use another word processing programme (if I’m not using the computer but using the iPad) but it is easy enough to copy and paste in and keep it organised. I love it.
by Writing Room: Introducing Something Unexpected
Tuesday 12th July 2016:
Today’s writing group exercise is about introducing something unexpected.
Take something you’re working on at the moment. Make a copy of it (one that you can discard after.)
Now, using that copy, pick a major point in the story and introduce something unexpected into it. If it’s a serious subject, introduce something crazy like a talking animal circus or if it’s a lighthearted plot, introduce something serious into it. What if a unicorn suddenly popped up in a history lesson where your character has just assured the students that unicorns don’t exist?
How do your characters react to the change?
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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 ‘solitude, loosing yourself, keeping belief and survival.
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 Saturday 30th July 2016.
I will then pick out a winner at random and will announce it on the Novel Kicks blog on Sunday 31st July 2o16.
It’s not needed to enter but if you wanted to have a go at guessing what the book is too. UK and Ireland only this time around. Good Luck.
by Author Interview: Seré Prince Halverson
Seré Prince Halverson is the author of All The Winters After which was released by Landmark Source on 16th February . I am pleased to be welcoming her to Novel Kicks today. Hello Seré, thank you so much for joining us. Which moment in history would you like to return to and witness?
It would be pretty cool to bounce around with Neil Armstrong on the moon.
What’s your typical writing day like? Do you have any writing rituals?
I’m usually up early. I make strong coffee with frothy almond milk. I write in my journal to clear my mind and warm up, then eventually I’m writing the novel and move to the computer. When I get stuck, I go back to the notebook and scratch around or take a walk or read. Or I have a snack. Snacks help.
What is your favourite word and why?
Ostranenie. And before you think I have a grand vocabulary, I’ll admit that recently a list of fantastic words popped into my inbox, and this was one of my favorites. I liked them all, but you asked for one so I won’t be too obnoxious and throw them all around. It means: encouraging people to see common things as strange, wild, or unfamiliar; defamiliarizing what is known in order to know it differently or more deeply. Isn’t that a great word? Check out the whole list: http://www.stumbleupon.com.
Out of all the books you’ve read, which three have impacted you most?
I could answer this question differently on any given day. Too many. So I’ll tell you the first books that had a big impact on me.
When I was nine years old, I read three very different books that changed the way I viewed the world: The Diary of Anne Frank, Anne of Green Gables, and Island of the Blue Dolphins. It’s strange, even today, I can see their influence on The House of Frozen Dreams—hiding, isolation, love of place and family, and longing for home.
Oh, and I should mention Charlotte’s Web. I still carry spiders out of the house instead of squashing them.
by Blog Tour: Whyte Lies by KC Acton – Writing Process and Review
I’m pleased to be welcoming KC Acton to Novel Kicks today and the blog tour for her novel, Whyte Lies. This is the first novel in the Whyte Lies series and introduces us to DCI Faith Whyte.
About Whyte Lies:
The perfect family? Or the perfect lie? Gunshots ring out on the sweltering summer air, shattering the peaceful silence. The stench of exhaust fumes and burning rubber fill the humid breeze as the car’s wheels spin against the embankment.
In front of the car, a girl lies hunched, her blonde hair stained red. Her light summer dress is torn. She’s missing a sandal. Part of her wishes she were dead. Inside the car, the girl’s father is slumped over the steering wheel. Behind him, the girl’s mother lies motionless.
The forest is eerily quiet, silenced by the violence, while the shadows of the trees protect the carnage. Crime and justice are Detective Faith Whyte’s business. Murder is her speciality. Faith thinks she has seen it all, until she investigates the brutal killing of a family in Killarney National Park. However, the killer is closer than she thinks, and Faith must open her eyes before someone else becomes the victim of a dark and deadly mind.
Faith has spent a lifetime running, but the past is about to catch up with her. Now, she must surrender to the present and trust her instincts more than ever. What happens when the present collides with the secrets of the past?
I’ve reviewed the book below but first, KC Acton talks us through her writing process and what she thinks makes a good thriller…
I’ve just published my first book, Whyte Lies, and am almost finished the first draft of my second book, Whyte Heat, so I suppose I’m still experimenting with my writing process. I try to focus on getting a certain number of words written per day, for me that’s usually around 2,000 words. I tend to write better in the late morning because it takes a while for my brain to get going. No matter how much sleep I get, I usually wake up feeling like I’ve been smacked in the face with a frying pain. Needless to say, I am not a morning person! I usually can’t manage much more than a few muttered words until I’ve downed my second coffee–the stronger, the better.
by Latest Book Releases: 8th July 2016
It’s time for another set of great book releases. I am looking forward to reading pretty much all of these. How about you?
The Sister by Louise Jensen (Bookouture, 5th July 2016.)
This book sounds fantastic. I have already downloaded my copy and will be reading it as soon as possible. I like books with a twist.
‘I did something terrible Grace. I hope you can forgive me …’
Grace hasn’t been the same since the death of her best friend Charlie. She is haunted by Charlie’s words the last time she saw her, and in a bid for answers, opens an old memory box of Charlie’s. It soon becomes clear that there was a lot she didn’t know about her best friend.
When Grace starts a campaign to find Charlie’s father, Anna, a girl claiming to be Charlie’s sister steps forward. For Grace, finding Anna is like finding a new family and soon Anna has made herself very comfortable in Grace and boyfriend Dan’s home.
But something isn’t right. Things disappear, Dan’s acting strangely and Grace is sure that someone is following her. Is it all in Grace’s mind? Or as she gets closer to discovering the truth about both Charlie and Anna, is Grace in terrible danger?
There was nothing she could have done to save Charlie … Or was there?
Sunshine and Secrets (Book One of Willow Cottage) by Bella Osborne (Released on Kindle by Avon 7th July 2016.)
This has just got its Kindle release and is the second book to be released recently by Bella Osborne. I’ve got my copy and if it’s anything like A Family Holiday, it’s going to be fantastic.
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…
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*** Sorry, this competition has now closed.****
We have three DVD copies of the film adaptation of The Choice to give away.
When feisty medical student Gabby Holland (Teresa Palmer) moves in next door to perennial ladies’ man Travis Shaw (Benjamin Walker), it sends them both on a romantic journey neither ever dreamed possible. After a whirlwind courtship, Gabby and Travis wed and build a family together, making every decision hand-in-hand until one of them is forced to make the most important choice of their life alone. A poignant and life-affirming celebration of love, marriage and family that explores the most heart-wrenching question of all: how far would you go to keep the hope of love alive?
The Choice, adapted from the novel from Nicholas Sparks was released by Lionsgate Home Entertainment on 4th July 2016. It stars Benjamin Walker, Teresa Palmer, Maggie Grace, Tom Welling and Tom Wilkinson. Certificate: 12.
We have THREE copies of the DVD to give away.
To enter:
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: New Best Friend
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: You wake up one morning to find that your favourite fictional character is your best friend.
What is the first thing you do? And the second etc. You need to fill the whole day. Throw some conflict in there as well.
by Book Review: The Waking Fire by Anthony Ryan
For decades the lands of the Ironship Syndicate have been defended by the Blood-blessed – men and women able to channel the powers contained in the potent blood of wild drakes. Elite spies and assassins, their loyalty has established the Syndicate’s position as the greatest power in the known world.
Yet now a crisis looms. The drake bloodlines are weakening, and war with the Corvantine Empire seems inevitable. The Syndicate’s only hope of survival lies with the myth of a legendary drake, whose powerful blood might just turn the tide of the war – if it even exists.
The task of hunting down this fabled creature falls to Claydon Torcreek, a petty thief and unregistered Blood-blessed. He’s handled many valuable things in his time (most of them illegal) but nothing as priceless as his nation’s future.
The Waking Fire is a fantasy book set in a world split between the Empire and the Ironship Syndicate. Among the people a precious few are able to draw power from the blood of Drakes (a creature with striking similarities to Dragons, indeed the series is titled the Draconis Memoria or Dragon’s Memory)
This gives them abilities beyond the norm, such as telepathic communication, superhuman strength and speed, the ability to create fire and telekinesis. These people are called the Blood-blessed and they are the top spies, assasins and operators for the largest company group, the Ironship Syndicate.
However, they face a problem – the potency of the drake blood is reducing and drake bloodlines are getting weaker, and with war with the empire becoming inevitable they set out to find a mythical breed of drake which could well turn the tide. The story follows several arcs, the primary being the story of Claydon Torcreek, an unregistered Blood-blessed who is forced to work with the company tasked with tracking down this fabled creature.
by Blog Tour: Would Like To Meet by Polly James – Polly’s Writing Routine and Review
I’m pleased to be welcoming Polly James to the blog today and the blog tour for her new novel, Would Like To Meet which was released by Avon on 30th June.
Could the worst thing that’s ever happened to Hannah Pinkman also turn out to be one of the best?
She and her husband Dan have reached the end of the line. Bored with the same gripes, the same old arguments – in fact, bored with everything – they split up after a trivial row turns into something much more serious.
Now Hannah has to make a new life for herself, but that’s not easy. She’s been so busy being a wife and mum that she’s let all her other interests slip away, along with her friends. And when Hannah is persuaded to join a dating site, her ‘best match’ is the very last person she expects it to be . . .
A clever, funny and poignant novel about life after a long relationship, the importance of friendship, and rediscovering your identity.
I’ve reviewed the book below but first, Polly what’s your writing routine like?
Every night, I write in my diary just before I go to sleep, and the day’s entry always ends with this identical note to self: “FFS. Get a grip”.
That gives you some idea of how effective my so-called ‘routine’ is – or ineffective, to be more accurate. I even contemplated lying about what it really involves when you asked this question, because it’s so ridiculous, but then I decided not to be a hypocrite. I usually try to write about life with what’s been described as “fearless frankness”, so on that basis, here you are: the horrible, unvarnished truth.
by Writing Room: Time Line
Tuesday 5th July: Time Line.
Write out a time line of your current WIP. If you can, write each major event on post-its so they can be easily moved around. If you’re a stationary nut then this exercise is a good excuse to go out and buy all different colour post-its.
If you have multiple characters and time lines, use different colours.
Once you’ve done this, put them all out in a line and study it. Does anything need to be moved around, taken out, replaced with something else?
Does anything need to be added or extended on? You can do this with a favourite novel if you’re currently not working on anything.
by Blog Tour: Escape To The Riviera by Jules Wake – Extract and Review
It’s lovely to welcome Jules Wake to the blog today and her blog tour for her latest novel, Escape To The Riviera which was released by Avon on 30th June 2016.
Carrie Hayes has a job she enjoys and a perfectly nice boyfriend. She’s sorted. Isn’t she?
But Carrie’s life wasn’t always like this. As a young, wild drama student, she married fellow actor, Richard Maddox, after a whirlwind romance. Life back then was full of possibilities, but when Hollywood beckoned Richard, Carrie was left behind.
Now an A-list superstar, Richard’s life couldn’t be more different to Carrie’s, so when their paths cross in glamorous
St Tropez, she can’t help but wonder what might have been.
But with lovely, sensible Alan in tow, Carrie knows she needs to do the right thing. The only problem is, Carrie and Richard never quite got round to getting a divorce…
My review on the book is below but first, Jules has very kindly shared an extract from Escape To The Riviera with us. Enjoy.
‘Jade!’
‘I’ll catch you up.’
Carrie decided this was a lost battle and it would be better if she left – and quickly, before Richard turned around and linked the two of them together. Would he remember Jade from all those years ago?
She hurried down the street, fighting the temptation to take one last look back. A few streets later, a piercing stitch stabbing into her side forced her to stop. Her whole body hurt but it had nothing to do with the stitch. Her face crumpled and she bent double trying to ease the pain.
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It’s rapidly approaching one of my favourite times of the year, and if Coke can have their own tune and felt of glittery trucks as it comes to theirs, then why can’t we RNA’ers have the same? Instead of trucks, why not a line of sparkly shoes dancing across a vista of wine bars, to the accompaniment of ‘These Boots Were Made for Walking? Devil in Your Shoes? Diamonds in the Soles of Her Shoes – that’s probably the best one and the one least likely to get me murdered in my sleep at the conference.
I hasten to add that this doesn’t apply to me – I just couldn’t find a pair to match my eyes!
Now I’ve completely alienated myself for the weekend…yes, it’s that time of year again. The Annual Romantic Novelist’s Association Conference is being held in Lancaster this weekend 9/10th July. A time to catch-up with people we probably haven’t seen since last year’s. Gossip will abound, congratulations will ensue to those who’ve secured a Publishing Deal and/or an Agent and those of us still endeavouring to get the same will bite our ‘stiff upper’ lips and come away all the more determined to be amongst this group by the next year.
by Author Interview: Sarah-Jane Stratford
Sarah-Jane Stratford
I’m excited to be welcoming the wonderful Sarah-Jane Stratford to the blog today. Her novel, Radio Girls was released on 14th June by Allison and Busby. Hi Sarah-Jane. Thank you so much for joining me. Can you tell me a little about your typical writing day and do you have any writing rituals (coffee before you begin, writing in silence etc.)
Hi, I’m so pleased to be here! I’m a member of Paragraph Workspace for Writers in New York. For a monthly fee, we get 24/7 access to a quiet writing space – about 60 carrels, so you just pick an empty desk you like, plug in, and get to work. I have to settle in first – get my tumbler of hot green tea, no matter the weather; read a bit of the newspaper; deal with emails – before my brain can be considered more or less functional. Then it’s on to the second tumbler and work. On a good day, I like to get about 1500 words written before lunch. The members of Paragraph are all pretty terrific and I usually have lunch with one or two friends, where we either talk about writing or the real world for a little while – either way, I’m raring to get back to it. Then I try to get another 1500 words in by evening. Then I collapse. Usually I make it home before that happens, though there is a sofa at Paragraph if need be.
How do you approach the writing process? Do you do much planning and do you edit as you go etc?
First comes research, always. I just love that process of settling down in a library to read and study and wander into a time and place. Then I start to think about the characters in that time and place, and from there, an outline develops. I like to draw up detailed, meticulous plans, knowing full well that about half of them are going to be abandoned once I’m actually in the thick of it. The characters tend to develop their own ideas about what’s going to happen as the story goes on.
It’s never a good idea to edit as you write, but of course I do it all the time. And then I tell myself not to and keep doing it anyway. In the end, it more or less works out, but I know the best route for me is to just write, get that rotten first draft, and then tear the whole thing apart and start over.
Your book is called Radio Girls. Can you tell me about it and how the idea originated?
Radio Girls mixes real people and fictional characters to tell the story of the women behind the scenes in the early years of the BBC.
It all started with Hilda Matheson, the real-life first Director of Talks at the BBC. I came across her name when researching and the more I read about her, the more enthralled I was. I knew I had to bring her story and this world to life. The 1920s and the beginnings of the BBC are such an exciting time – it’s really the invention of a whole new media, and building something from the ground up. I was so thrilled every day, trying to capture that, get inside that world. I realized early on that the book would work better if Hilda wasn’t the protagonist – mostly because I adored her too much to allow her many flaws – but instead created a character, Maisie, who enters the BBC as a young secretary and gradually discovers her potential as she learns the ropes. Essentially, she learns to use her voice, helped by having Hilda as a mentor.
by A Moment With Chris Whitaker: Five Books I Wish I’d Written
I’m happy to be welcoming Chris Whitaker to Novel Kicks today. His debut novel, Tall Oaks was released by twenty7 in April of this year with the paperback edition due to be released in September.
For fans of Twin Peaks and The Truth about the Harry Quebert Affair, this brilliant debut is dark yet hilarious, suspenseful and sad. Everyone has a secret in Tall Oaks . .
When three-year-old Harry goes missing, the whole of America turns its attention to one small town. Everyone is eager to help. Everyone is a suspect.
Desperate mother Jess, whose grief is driving her to extreme measures. Newcomer Jared, with an easy charm and a string of broken hearts in his wake. Photographer Jerry, who’s determined to break away from his controlling mother once and for all. And, investigating them all, a police chief with a hidden obsession of his own . . .
Missing persons, secret identities and dangerous lies abound in a town as idiosyncratic as its inhabitants.
Chris joins us today to chat about the five books he wishes he’d written. Over to you, Chris…
The Body by Stephen King (part of the Different Seasons collection)
Probably better known by the name of the movie it inspired, Stand By Me, The Body is a coming-of-age masterpiece set in the town of Castle Rock, Maine in the summer of 1960. It’s told in the first person and narrated by Gordie Lachance, as he and his three friends set out to find a dead body located 40 miles away. It’s funny, sad and poignant. It was definitely an inspiration when it came to capturing the issues of bullying, friendship, and fitting in, that the teen characters of Manny, Abe, and Furat face in Tall Oaks.
by July’s Book Club: The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
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 July, we’re reading The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory
When Henry VIII tires of pretty young Mary Boleyn, her powerful family instructs her to promote her sister, Anne, as a replacement. But Anne Boleyn, newly returned from the French court, intelligent and spirited, doesn’t agree to be Henry’s mistress – only his wife. Pitting the king’s desperation for an heir against his powerful advisors – Wolsey, Cromwell and Dukes of Norfolk and Suffolk – what Anne brings about will change the course of a country’s history.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Alien Question Time
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.
An alien invites you to dinner. You are told you can ask him/her five questions. Using dialogue, create those questions and then get the alien to answer them. What is the aliens reaction to your questions? Is the alien friendly?
by Latest Book Releases – 30th June 2016
It’s Thursday which means the release of some more fantastic titles.
Get Even by Martina Cole (Headline, 30th June 2016.)
Get Even is the latest from Martina Cole.
Playing grown-ups, the future is theirs for the taking.
Sharon Conway and Lenny Scott are childhood sweethearts. Everyone says they are too young, but nothing can keep them apart. Sharon doesn’t question Lenny’s business dealings and it isn’t long before his reputation as a hard man destined for the top means they are living the good life with their sons.
It leaves a stain on her heart for ever.
But one night Lenny doesn’t come home. It isn’t the first time he has gone AWOL. But it is his last. He is found murdered – beaten to death in an act of brutality that shocks even the police. And Sharon never knows why.
Old wounds will surface.
Now, twenty years later, Sharon is about to find out the truth. Such a crime cannot go unpunished. Revenge is long overdue. The time has come to…
GET EVEN.
The Plumbery School of Comfort Food by Cathy Bramley (Corgi, 30th June 2016.)
This book was originally published as a four-part serial but it’s now the complete series in one book and it gets its release today. This book had me at its title.
Verity Bloom hasn’t been interested in cooking anything more complicated than the perfect fish finger sandwich, ever since she lost her best friend and baking companion two years ago.
But an opportunity to help a friend lands her right back in the heart of the kitchen. The Plumberry School of Comfort Food is due to open in a few weeks’ time and needs the kind of great ideas that only Verity could cook up. And with new friendships bubbling and a sprinkling of romance in the mix, Verity finally begins to feel like she’s home.
But when tragedy strikes at the very heart of the cookery school, can Verity find the magic ingredient for Plumberry while still writing her own recipe for happiness?
The Singles Game by Lauren Weisberger (Harper, 30th June 2016.)
From the author of The Devil Wears Prada comes The Singles Game and with Wimbledon in full swing (see what I did there… I’ll get my coat), it is the perfect book for this time of year.
When Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Silver makes a pact with the devil, infamously brutal tennis coach Todd Feltner, she finds herself catapulted into a world of stylists, private parties and secret dates with Hollywood royalty.
Under Todd it’s no more good-girl attitude: he wants warrior princess Charlie all the way. After all, no-one ever won by being nice.
Celebrity mags and gossip blogs go wild for Charlie, chasing scandal as she jets around the globe. But as the warrior princess’s star rises, both on and off the court, it comes at a high price. Is the real Charlie Silver still inside?
Sweeping from Wimbledon to the Caribbean, from LA to mega yachts in the Med, The Singles Game is a brilliantly entertaining romp through a world where the stakes are high – and no-one plays by the rules.
by
It’s time to announce the winner of June’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 ‘Family, Mystery, Secrets and Sibling Relationships.’
Well done to Jessica Askew from Essex. I hope you enjoy your blind date and I will be in touch via e-mail shortly.
The new competition for July will be posted soon.
by Book Review: The Comfort of Others by Kay Langdale
Hodder & Stoughton (June, 2016)
Sometimes friendship springs from where you least expect it.
Minnie has always lived with her sister Clara in her family’s beautiful, grand, yet increasingly dilapidated house Rosemount. Now in her seventies, she finds herself looking back to a life that has been shrouded with sorrow, and a painful secret that she has guarded since her teens.
Eleven-year-old Max, who lives opposite Minnie on the housing estate built in Rosemount’s grounds, has grown up happily with his single mother. But his mum has begun a new relationship and suddenly life is starting to change.
As each of them tell their stories, she via a resurrected childhood journal, him via a Dictaphone, they spot each other through their bedroom windows and slowly and hesitantly an unlikely friendship begins to form.
A friendship that might just help Max come to terms with the present and enable Minnie, finally, to lay to rest the ghosts of her past…
The Comfort of Others is told from two people’s point of view and focuses on two main characters – Minnie, who is in her seventies and Max who is eleven years old. Max lives with his mother on a housing estate. He begins to feel a little pushed out when his mother gets a new boyfriend. He finds his mum’s old dictaphone and so decides to keep a diary.
Minnie lives in the big house opposite. Her family used to own the land Max’s house is built on. She has lived there all of her life and for many years, has lived alone with her older sister, Clara. Around the same time that Max finds a friend in speaking into the dictaphone, Minnie also starts writing down things from her past – things she has previously run away from.
Whilst both working with their journals, they begin to wave at one another through the window and eventually they form an unlikely friendship.
I quickly got sucked into this story. Both of them are heartbreaking and bittersweet in their own way. The writing in this novel is beautiful. Kay painted such a vivid picture of Minnie’s house and the surrounding area. It all sounded so pretty that I wanted to move there.
by Competitions: A Family Holiday Tote Bag Winner…
To celebrate the release of her new book, A Family Holiday (read my review here,) we had a limited edition A Family Holiday tote bag to give away.
Well done to Wendy Jones who has won herself that tote bag.
About A Family Holiday:
She’ll do whatever it takes to keep this family together…
As the nanny to four quirky but loveable children, Charlie French has learnt that if there was ever a cement shortage Weetabix would be a viable substitute and that YouTube videos can go viral in seconds, much to her horror. But, most importantly, she’s learnt that whatever happens you stick together as a family.
When tragedy strikes, Charlie is forced to decide whether it’s time to move on or fight to keep the children she loves. With the distraction of the children’s gorgeous Uncle Felix and the chance of a holiday in stunning Antigua, she’s left wondering if turquoise seas can wash away their present troubles. Is the pull of white sand beaches too tempting to resist or will paradise fail to keep them all together?
A gorgeous summery beach read, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Jill Mansell.
by
Hi everyone.
It’s been a while eh?!
2016 for me has been an eventful one (a little bit of an understatement actually.) I have wondered whether to talk about what has been happening in my life recently and whether it would do any good to write about it but I have always gone to the written word to express my feelings. I’ve always kept diaries over the years (not always good at keeping them up though.) Whenever anything happens, I go to the page. Not to write a novel but to just express myself. Recently, I’ve been mostly doing this on seven hundred and fifty words. That blank page listens and it helps.
For me, this year has handed me some pretty intense experiences. Firstly, a miscarriage. This was back in January and it broke my heart. Chris and I had been trying for eight years. The day we found out, I felt as though I was walking on air. All the anxiety and fear I had been feeling had melted away. All that mattered was the baby.
A few weeks later, I needed to have an appointment for a scan as a problem developed. That moment when they confirmed what I think I already knew…time had never slowed like that for me before.
Miscarriage is one of those things that is not really spoken about but once you go through it, you realise that it is something people around you have been through. You get your head around the idea that you are going to be a parent and then…. nothing. You’re left with nothing but this real enormous feeling of sadness and loss for someone whom you never met and yet incredibly miss.
by Novel Kicks Writing Room: Write Down The Conversation
Tuesday 28th June 2016: Write Down The Conversation.
Today’s prompt..
Create two characters. One wants to do something and the other one doesn’t. Each decision has consequences.
Each person believes that they have the winning argument.
Write an exchange between these two people showing the conflict and allowing each to get their argument across.
Don’t use anything but dialogue.
Do they resolve things?
Try to write at least five hundred words.
by Author Interview: Lynne North Talks About Be Careful What You Wish For
I’m happy to be welcoming author Lynne North back to Novel Kicks today to talk about her latest book, Be Careful What You Wish For.
About Be Careful What You Wish For:
Finn is a bored young leprechaun. He lives with his mum and dad in a small village named Duntappin, and goes to the local school there. He spends most of his free time with his best friend Dallan, but craves some excitement in his life. Unfortunately, Finn missed out on being blessed by the Good Luck Fairy and soon gets far more than he bargained for. He finds himself a long way from home in the hands of a travelling circus where he is little more than a ‘freak’ to amuse the customers.
Hi Lynne, thank you so much for joining me today. Can you tell me a little about your latest book, Be Careful What You Wish For and now the idea originated?
‘Be Careful What You Wish For’ is a children’s humorous fantasy tale about Finn, a young leprechaun. It was published by Crimson Cloak Publishing on St Patrick’s Day, 2016.
So, it’s a happy story about a lucky chap with a liking for green clothes? Well no, not exactly. Finn is far from lucky. His parents missed his blessing with the Good Luck Fairy, the reasons why will be revealed in the book. Anyway, if there is bad luck to be had, Finn finds it. Despite knowing he isn’t the luckiest leprechaun in the village, he still craves adventure and excitement. Something he believes to be in short supply in the peaceful village where he lives with his parents. Somehow though, when Finn’s big chance of adventure does come along, he soon discovers that all adventures are not necessarily as much fun as he expected…
Anyone who has read my books before, like ‘Caution: Witch in Progress’, will know that I like to turn the expected on its head. I’m not entirely sure where my first thoughts of Finn began, but there he was winding his way through my head. All leprechauns are lucky, I thought, but what if this one isn’t? The ideas began to flow quickly. I also delved into Irish myth and folklore for some great characters. You might not have heard of a lot of them, but even if you do know about them, you won’t recognise my versions. I can guarantee that no character in this book will be quite what you expect!
How do you approach the process? Do you look at characters or plot first? Do you edit as you go?
I like to find my characters first. Or they find me, and insist on being written about. As I said, Finn wheedled his way into my thoughts until I just had to write about him. I tend to write in longhand in the first instance. In that way I can fling my ideas down in any scribbled format I choose. Once a chapter is completed in this way, it then meets my computer and becomes more legible and professionally written. So yes, I edit as I go along, though of course once the book is complete it undergoes one, or more, final serious and structured edits and proofreads. It’s a long process, but what matters is my satisfaction (and my publisher’s of course!) with the final product.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Fill in the Gaps
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: Fill in the Gaps:
Fill in the gaps in this story. There should be five words (of any length) between each of them and it has to make sense.
….. ….. ….. ….. ….. snowfall ….. ….. ….. ….. …..elephant ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. double ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. massive ….. ….. ….. …… ….. again ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. clown ….. …… …… …… ….. disagreed ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. health ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. travel ….. ….. ….. ….. ….. season.
by
I am extremely happy to be welcoming Bella Osborne back to Novel Kicks and her blog tour for her new novel, A Family Holiday.
She’ll do whatever it takes to keep this family together…
As the nanny to four quirky but loveable children, Charlie French has learnt that if there was ever a cement shortage Weetabix would be a viable substitute and that YouTube videos can go viral in seconds, much to her horror. But, most importantly, she’s learnt that whatever happens you stick together as a family.
When tragedy strikes, Charlie is forced to decide whether it’s time to move on or fight to keep the children she loves. With the distraction of the children’s gorgeous Uncle Felix and the chance of a holiday in stunning Antigua, she’s left wondering if turquoise seas can wash away their present troubles. Is the pull of white sand beaches too tempting to resist or will paradise fail to keep them all together?
A gorgeous summery beach read, perfect for fans of Katie Fforde, Carole Matthews and Jill Mansell.
I’m reviewing the book below and we also have a great competition (details of which are also below,) but first, we chat to Bella about her favourite holiday themed films (which features some excellent choices). Welcome back, Bella. It’s so good to see you…
Hi Laura and thank you so much for having me on the Novel Kicks blog it is brilliant to be back! My latest novel is ‘A Family Holiday’ and as you may be able to guess a holiday is rather key to the story. So that got me thinking about what were my favourite films that featured a holiday as a key part of the plot and here they are:
My Top 10 Favourite Holiday Films
by Books I’m Looking Forward To Reading in 2016: Part Two
2016 is shaping up to be a great year for book releases and I for one can’t wait for what’s to come (can anyone say Harry Potter and The Cursed Child?)
I wanted to share some more of the titles I am most looking forward to reading. What about you?
(Click here to read Books I’m Looking Forward to Reading in 2016: Part One.)
Falling by Jane Green (MacMillan, 14th July 2016.)
There is not long to wait for the latest novel by Jane Green (who is one of the most nicest women on the planet incidentally.) I’ve been a massive fan of Jane’s ever since a friend introduced me to her novels (I think the first one of hers I read was The Other Woman and since then, I’ve been a fan.) The sleeve for this book looks beautiful too.
Eight years ago, Emma Montague left behind the strict confines of her upper-crust English life – and rather dull boyfriend – and moved to New York City, where she immediately found success in the world of finance. But her soulless, cut-throat, all-consuming job has only led to another life she didn’t want.
Answering an online ad, Emma finds a tiny beach cottage to rent in the small town of Westport, Connecticut. It needs work – lots of work. But it’s the perfect project to satisfy Emma’s passion for interior design and gardening, if her new landlord, Dominic, is agreeable to the small changes she yearns to make.
To Emma, Dominic is also something of a fixer-upper. A local handyman with a six-year-old son, he’s a world away from the men she should be interested in, but he’s comfortable in his own skin, confident, quiet and kind. Slowly, over a shared garden, time spent with his son and late-night conversations, Emma finds herself falling for Dominic.
From friends to lovers happens as naturally as the changing seasons. But laying down roots doesn’t come easily when two lives as different as theirs merge into one. And Emma will realize that the seeds of happiness must be nurtured and cherished to grow into something strong enough to shelter all their hopes and dreams . . .
Three Sisters, Three Queens by Philippa Gregory (Simon & Schuster UK, 9th August 2016.)
I love history (especially the Tudor and Elizabethan era) and so this book looks right up my street. Also, just a heads up but The Other Boleyn Girl is going to be the book club title for July so keep an eye out for that.
“There is only one bond that I trust: between a woman and her sisters. We never take our eyes off each other. In love and in rivalry, we always think of each other.”
When Katherine of Aragon is brought to the Tudor court as a young bride, the oldest princess, Margaret, takes her measure. With one look, each knows the other for a rival, an ally, a pawn, destined – with Margaret’s younger sister Mary – to a sisterhood unique in all the world. The three sisters will become the queens of England, Scotland and France.
United by family loyalties and affections, the three queens find themselves set against each other. Katherine commands an army against Margaret and kills her husband James IV of Scotland. But Margaret’s boy becomes heir to the Tudor throne when Katherine loses her son. Mary steals the widowed Margaret’s proposed husband, but when Mary is widowed it is her secret marriage for love that is the envy of the others. As they experience betrayals, dangers, loss and passion, the three sisters find that the only constant in their perilous lives is their special bond, more powerful than any man, even a king.
by
Picador, March 2016
When four graduates from a small Massachusetts college move to New York to make their way, they’re broke, adrift, and buoyed only by their friendship and ambition. There is kind, handsome Willem, an aspiring actor; JB, a quick-witted, sometimes cruel Brooklyn-born painter seeking entry to the art world; Malcolm, a frustrated architect at a prominent firm; and withdrawn, brilliant, enigmatic Jude, who serves as their centre of gravity. Over the decades, their relationships deepen and darken, tinged by addiction, success, and pride. Yet their greatest challenge, each comes to realize, is Jude himself, by midlife a terrifyingly talented litigator yet an increasingly broken man, his mind and body scarred by an unspeakable childhood, and haunted by what he fears is a degree of trauma that he’ll not only be unable to overcome – but that will define his life forever.
At 720 pages this is probably one of the longest books I have read in a while but it is also one of the most moving, well-written novels I have read for some time.
Hanya Yanigahara is a fantastic writer and this book is an emotional rollercoaster ride you will still be feeling even after finishing. This is not a happy, light read. It will break your heart at times and make you want to cry; it will also take hold of you, strap you in tight and won’t let you go until you make it to the end.
We meet the boys in their first dorm together during college. Their friendships are still reasonably fresh and new and we see each character as a young student working towards their chosen career. As the book progresses we see each of them start jobs, fall in love, break up, go on holiday and generally live their lives. However, the main focus of A Little Life is on Jude, who has many deep, dark secrets about his horrific past. As we see him grow older the past comes back to haunt him again and again and we see how he struggles to live a normal life compared to the rest of them.
by Courses and Competitions: Mslexia’s Children’s Novel Competition 2016
Are you an unpublished female novelist or are you thinking of writing a children’s novel? Mslexia are now taking submissions for their 2016 Children’s Novel Competition.
This competition welcomes books written for children (who are able to read for themselves) as well as Young Adult and can be in any genre.
The first prize is £5,000 and five finalists will also receive an invitation to a special networking event with literary agents.
It is £25 per novel to enter and you’ll need to submit the first 3,000 words of your completed children’s novel (which needs to be at least 15,000 words to qualify.)
by Book Club
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