Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Building Suspense
Friday 26th September 2104: Suspense.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: Carry on from this sentence (max word count, 1,000.) Build the suspense the further you get into the story.
‘I don’t know what will happen if you flick that switch. I have never tired to find out what it does.’
by 
Thanks to Graeme, Penguin and FMcM Associates, we have ONE copy of The Rosie Effect to give away.
About the book:
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble.
To make matters worse, Don has invited his closest friend to stay with them, but Gene is not exactly the best model for martial happiness. As Don’s life with Rosie continues to be unpredictable, he needs to remember that emotional support is just as important as practical expertise.
Join Don and Rosie in the next chapter of their weird and wonderful journey.
How to enter:
by Blog Tour: Review – The Rosie Effect
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble.
To make matters worse, Don has invited his closest friend to stay with them, but Gene is not exactly the best model for martial happiness. As Don’s life with Rosie continues to be unpredictable, he needs to remember that emotional support is just as important as practical expertise.
Join Don and Rosie in the next chapter of their weird and wonderful journey.
I have been looking forward to this book for months. I loved The Rosie Project so there was a little bit of an expectation with this follow-up. I don’t think you’d be able to read this one without reading The Rosie Project first. It doesn’t stand on its own.
It picks up where The Rosie Project left off. Don and Rosie are now married and are living in New York (I love this fact as New York is one of my favourite cities. I had my honeymoon there.)
I have to say, it was so lovely being back in Don’s company. He’s like a friend I’d not seen in a while. There is something so nice and endearing about him and something interesting in how he sees the world. He’s become one of my favourite characters. It was nice to catch up with the other characters in this book but to be honest, both books for me are about Don and how he copes with the world around him and this book certainly gives him loads to try and cope with. His and Rosie’s relationship is tested and some of what they go through can be very relatable.
by Blog Tour: The Rosie Effect
We are very delighted to be welcoming Graeme Simsion to our blog today and his blog tour for his new novel, The Rosie Effect which is the follow-up to the fantastic, The Rosie Project. Graeme talks to us about how writing much of the novel in New York influenced it.
I had about half of The Rosie Effect drafted, and a clear idea of where it was going, when I arrived in New York with my wife for three weeks in December 2013. We had spent seven months there in 2010, and this was a chance to catch up with friends and revisit favourite places. A holiday: but I had vague intentions of working on the novel, which I felt would benefit from being written ‘on location’. By the time we arrived, those intentions had crystallised into a plan: I would try to write two thousand words every day and finish the draft. As motivation, I promised myself that any day on which I failed to meet the target would be an alcohol-free day.
One of the pleasures of NYC is its bars and restaurants, and I’m a reasonably enthusiastic consumer of wine and the occasional cocktail (‘occasional’ meaning ‘on the occasion of being in New York and it being evening’). I didn’t miss a day. My wife was particularly impressed to find me up at 7 a.m. on Christmas morning, writing diligently. We had champagne with the turkey.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: A Document
Friday 19th September 2014.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 find a document about your life. As you begin to read about the current day, things from the page start to happen in real life. Continue on the story. What happens next?
by Bella’s Scribblings: Post Holiday Blues (PHB)
Bella Osborne
Oh my word it’s hard being back at the proper job! All those wonderful days relaxing in the sun are so quickly a distant memory as you walk back into the office, open your in-box and start catching up. It all takes so much effort to keep your brain focussed in the room and not wandering off back to that sun lounger by the pool, with the warmth of the sun of your skin, the gentle breeze and the distant laughter of children splashing in the pool… sorry what was I saying? Yes, keeping your attention on the day job is tricky, but essential, because it’s the one that pays the bills.
Somehow after a holiday it all seems just a little bit more pointless than it did before you went away. Before you went on holiday, you were excited about the plans for the second half of 2014, you knew you were adding value, heck you actually enjoyed your job but something has changed. Of course nothing has actually changed – it’s just post holiday blues (PHB).
So question is how best to overcome them? There are probably quite a few right answers for this but here’s just a few suggestions that I tried:
- Cake – no don’t laugh, I’m serious. There isn’t much that can’t be solved with cake. Also if you share it with others it means less calories and lard points for you and a kind gesture to others suffering from PHB.
- Tea or Coffee – More frequent tea/coffee runs gets you away from your desk, which stretches your legs and gets the circulation going again. Giving yourself a break from a computer screen is good for your eyes. So physically this is a good thing.
- Lists – I love lists. It may be because they involve stationery and I have a proper fetish about stationery but any list is a good way to concentrate on the ‘must do’ things. Just take it one day at a time. Too much on the list makes it a ‘laugh and tear up’ list, you need it to feel achievable. You will also feel great as you tick things off your list. Make the first item on the list – Make a list!
- Choices – You do have a choice. You don’t have to do the day job. You could quit and do something completely different or do nothing at all but you choose to stick with what you know. Sometimes it helps to accept that it is your choice to stay in your current job, you could choose to leave but you dislike the alternatives more than staying so you choose to stay. Oh yes you do – I’m not saying it’s a great choice but it is a choice!
by Book News: R.S Pateman
The Prophecy of Bees is the new book from the author of The Secret Life of Amy Archer.
I loved R.S.Pateman’s first novel and so I am looking forward to reading his second novel. It’s due for release by Orion in hardback and e-book on 20th November 2014 and then in paperback on 31st December 2015.
About The Prophecy of Bees.
Moving to Stagcote Manor was meant to be a fresh start for Lindy and her teenage daughter Izzy. A chance at a new life in the country after things went so wrong in London. But for Izzy it is a prison sentence.
There’s something about the house that she can’t quite put her finger on. Something strange and unnerving. As Izzy begins to explore the manor and the village beyond its walls, she discovers the locals have a lot of bizarre superstitions and beliefs. Many of them related to the manor . . . and those who live there.
When Izzy begins to investigate the history of the estate, her unease deepens to fear as the house’s chilling past finally comes to light.
The Prophecy of Bees is available for pre-order
Read our review of The Second Life of Amy Archer.
by Writing Room: Photo Prompt
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post a prompt. Once you’ve written your piece, post it in the comments box below. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today’s prompt: Pathway.
Photos can be great for inspiration. What does this photo make you think about? Does it inspire a story? Using this photo, make a list of all the words and themes it makes you think of and then write a story between 500-1000 words.
by Mick’s Musings: Time To Let The Baby Fly The Nest
Nope, we’re not talking a variation on the Immaculate Conception, so don’t all line up wanting to become my manager. No ‘get rich quick’ scheme here. I’m referring to the fact that after getting my report back from the book I submitted to the RNA New Writer’s Scheme, I’ve now completed the changes/followed the advice that I was given and sent it off to the first publishing house yesterday. But it felt like letting my baby fledge and I admit to needing a little bit of a push to hit that ‘send’ button in my email. A little bit of procrastination reared its head. Asking a friend for advice, replying back, replying back, replying back…you get the picture, anything but admitting that I couldn’t quite get the back to finally send it off.
So, that’s the first one on the way. I was fortunate to get what could only be described as a very positive report. Ask my friends, I never ‘blow my own trumpet’, perhaps that’s down to a little lack in self-confidence, but what really made my mind up to crack along was meeting with the lovely ladies of the RNA Birmingham chapter the other week where they were all so enthusiastic after reading the report, and convinced me that it could barely have been any better. A time-line and two different meals were the only things I needed to change, apart from advice on the punctuation. I couldn’t believe my reader took the time to go through the whole manuscript to enter where they thought I needed better punctuation! Who was that ‘masked reader’? Is it a bird? Is it a plane? No, it’s wonder reader!!! Sorry, silly hat off.
To say I was choked up when I plucked up the nerve to read the report would be an understatement. I’d worked myself up so much, that I was convinced it would be a couple of lines saying – ‘Step away from the computer. Never darken Word’s doorstep again. You can’t write.’ Okay, you get the picture. See above comment re confidence. Then what it actually said, taken with the lovely ladies of Birmingham RNA reactions and I hunkered down to make said changes. Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Parents
Friday 12th September 2014:
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: ‘The last time I saw my mother was fifteen years ago.’ That is your first sentence. Who your character is and where you go is up to you.
by Book News: Cecelia Ahern
The Year I Met You by Cecelia Ahern.
It’s no secret that I love Cecelia’s novels. I am looking forward to the movie adaptation of Where Rainbows End. As if that wasn’t enough, she is also releasing her latest novel. The Year I Met You will be released on 9th October (so just under a month to go,) by HarperCollins and it’s available to pre-order. I think this has to be one of my favourite covers of 2014 too.
About The Year I Met You:
Jasmine loves two things: her sister and her work. And when her work is taken away she has no idea who she is.
Matt loves two things: his family and the booze. Without them, he hits rock bottom.
One New Year’s Eve, two people’s paths collide. Both have time on their hands; both are at a crossroads. But as the year unfolds, through moonlit nights and suburban days, an unlikely friendship slowly starts to blossom.
Sometimes you have to stop still in order to move on…
by Short Stories For Christmas.
Yes I know, it’s only September but I love Christmas and I am getting more excited as it draws nearer. The other great thing about this time of year is the Christmas stories we get treated to. Here are four short 
stories I am looking forward to reading. They are all due for release on 6th November – just in time for those dark, cold evenings.
Christmas Gifts at the Beach Café by Lucy Diamond.
Lucy’s latest short story is due to be released by Pan on 6th November.
This looks brilliant and I am loving this cover.
With her Cornish Beach Café closed for the winter, Evie Flynn should be looking forward to lazy days and a happy Christmas, with nothing more pressing to think about than when to have her next mince-pie.
But her sister Ruth is coming to stay, in a cloud of heartbreak and bitterness following her marriage breakdown, along with her three unhappy children, and Evie knows she’ll have her work cut out, trying to spread some festive cheer. Then her boyfriend Ed breaks the news that he’s going to spend Christmas in London, for family reasons, and her heart sinks even further.
Add in to the mix a lost dog plus the hotly contested village Christmas bake-off and before long, Evie is feeling the strain. But there are still a few surprises in store for her, that look set to make this Beach Café Christmas the most memorable one yet . .
by Review: Age of Iron by Angus Watson
Age of Iron by Angus Watson.
Released on 2nd September 2014 by Orbit Books.
Dug Sealskinner is a work-shy mercenary traveling south to join up with King Zadar’s army. But he keeps rescuing the wrong people.
Now Dug’s on the wrong side of the thousands-strong army he hoped to join – and worse, Zadar has bloodthirsty druid magic on his side. All Dug has is his war hammer, one small child, and one unpredictable, highly trained warrioress with a lust for revenge that might get them all killed . . .
I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started this book. I have read quite a lot of historical fiction by writers such as Bernard Cornwell, but almost without exception these have been based on post-Roman times so this was my first excursion into the heart of pre-Roman, Iron Age Britain.
I have to admit that I was a little put off by the cover. For some reason the stern looking, unwashed man on the front lead me to think that the novel would not be as good as I discovered it to be.
My first thought upon reading the opening chapters was that the characters seem very modern; they speak and act just like we do today, just with the odd Pagan god thrown in for a curse word every now and then. I found this a little unsettling at first, Continue reading
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Back to School
Friday 5th September 2014: Back to School.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: Back to School. Most children are going back to school this week. The character you’re writing about is a man called Bob and he wakes up to find that instead of being 44, he’s back to being 14 years old (but aware of his life as an adult.) What happens? How does he react and does this change?
by Book News: September Releases.
Autumn is on its way and although I am very sad to be saying goodbye to August, I am very excited to say hello to September as there are some brilliant books due for release this month. I have picked three books we are looking forward to reading.
The Sunrise by Victoria Hislop.
Due for release on 25th September by Headline.
I love the cover for this book. It’s very pretty. Victoria is the best-selling author of The Island and The Return and we’re looking forward to reading her latest release.
About The Sunrise:
In the summer of 1972, Famagusta in Cyprus is the most desirable resort in the Mediterranean, a city bathed in the glow of good fortune. An ambitious couple are about to open the island’s most spectacular hotel, where Greek and Turkish Cypriots work in harmony. Two neighbouring families, the Georgious and the …zkans, are among many who moved to Famagusta to escape the years of unrest and ethnic violence elsewhere on the island. But beneath the city’s faade of glamour and success, tension is building.
When a Greek coup plunges the island into chaos, Cyprus faces a disastrous conflict. Turkey invades to protect the Turkish Cypriot minority, and Famagusta is shelled. Forty thousand people seize their most precious possessions and flee from the advancing soldiers. In the deserted city, just two families remain. This is their story.
by Bella’s Scribblings: Is There Any Writer Out There?
Bella Osborne
Hopefully at some point in time you have faced the inevitable. You have given in to your deepest most feelings, (no not the one about the biscuits) those ones that have been telling you to stop hiding your true self. To embrace the real you and accept who you are. And declare to the world, with pride, I AM A WRITER.
Well done for that, it’s not easy and I hope you are coping with the repeated questions of So when will you get published? When can I buy it in a shop? How much have you made so far?’
It’s truly fun isn’t it? Why are you shaking your head at the screen (I can actually see you… Oh, yes I can… Anyway…) No, it isn’t fun, but mostly they do mean well. Even when they say, ‘Don’t you think it’s time you stopped wasting your time on this?’ Or ‘It’s only a hobby isn’t it?’ Honestly, they still only mean well. The thing is they really don’t understand. They may have known you all your life or just met you in the supermarket queue but the thing is you could spend a lifetime trying to explain but they will most likely never really get it.
The reason for this? (there are a lot of questions this week, I hope you are keeping up.) The reason is… drum roll please… they are not writers.
I can tell you are not blown away by that answer. Because you are most likely thinking that these people know you very well and they’ve probably witnessed the blood sweat, tears and coffee that you have poured into your writing, so surely they must understand – but trust me it takes a writer to understand another writer.
by A Moment With: Nell Dixon.
Nell is a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Her books include Christmas Ever After, The New Bay Series and Radio Gaga. Today, Nell shares her five tips for new writers.
Read lots.
Keep writing.
Write what you love.
Don’t be scared to reach out to other writers.
Never be scared to edit.
For more information about Nell and her books, visit her website: www.nelldixon.com
Follow Nell on Twitter.
For more information on the Romantic Novelists’ Association, visit their website: www.rna-uk.org
by Events: Peter F Hamilton
Peter F Hamilton will be at Foyles on 8th October to celebrate the upcoming release of his new book, The Abyss Beyond Dreams (which is a prequel to his popular Void trilogy.)
The event is taking place on Wednesday 8th October 2014.
It starts at 7pm and is being held at Foyles on Charing Cross Road in London (it’s being held in the auditorium on Level Six.)
Since the publication of his first novel, Mindstar Rising, Hamilton’s grand space opera visions have enthralled readers worldwide, with over two million copies of his books now sold.
Tickets are £5, and this includes a glass of wine.
To find out more or to book tickets, visit Foyles website: http://www.foyles.co.uk
Writing Room: Hi.
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post a prompt. Once you’ve written your piece, post it in the comments box below. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today, we are introducing ourselves to our characters.
As writers, we spend a lot of time with the people we create in our imagination but how well do we know them? How much you know your characters will depend on what kind of writer you are and what planning you do before you begin. Today’s exercise is about asking your characters questions about themselves and getting to know them better.
Ask three of your main characters the five questions below. You can choose to either share your answers in the comments box below or simply tell us whether this exercise helped you and why.
Ask your characters the following:
by Book News: Graeme Simsion
The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion is the follow-up novel to the fantastic, The Rosie Project.
I loved The Rosie Project and completely fell in love with Don and Rosie. I was lucky enough to attend an author session with Graeme where he told us a little about this new novel and I have been looking forward to its release ever since.
The Rosie Effect is due to be released by Michael Joseph on 25th September 2014 and is available to pre-order in hardback and e-book.
About The Rosie Effect:
With the Wife Project complete, Don settles into a new job and married life in New York. But it’s not long before certain events are taken out of his control and it’s time to embark on a new project . . .
As Don tries to get to grips with the requirements of starting a family, his unusual research style gets him into trouble. Continue reading
by Courses and Competitions: The Writers’ Workshop Writing Course.
Creative Writing Flying Start is a four-week online course aimed at beginners.
This is a course which aims to shed light on the whole creative process. The course helps you get those words from head to heart and onto page or screen. The first few exercises are designed to stimulate creativity and to get you into the writing habit. Above all this is about having fun, about letting your imagination fly.
The course will include an introductory period followed by four weeks of study which will look at Self, Other People, Language and Writing the Story.
It’s being hosted by The Writers’ Workshop and the course is £195. The next available course dates are 2nd September and 4th November. Continue reading
by News: Unseen Charlie and The Chocolate Factory Chapter Released.
Puffin.
Roald Dahl’s classic, Charlie and The Chocolate Factory turns 50 in October.
It is certainly one book that has stayed with me from my childhood and that is why I am excited about the Roald Dahl estate releasing a previously unreleased, unused chapter.
This chapter was not used in the 1964 published book. According to the chapter, there are two new children and another two are referenced but none of which feature in the published novel. These children are Tommy Troutbeck, Wilbur Rice, Augustus Pottle and Miranda Grope.
The characters in this chapter visit the Vanilla Fudge Room in Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory.
The draft chapter which was featured this weekend in the Guardian, reveals that in earlier versions of the novel, there were as many as ten golden tickets and ten children as opposed to the five children we are familiar with – Augustus, Veruca, Violet, Mike and of course, Charlie. Also in early drafts, it’s been indicated that Charlie was accompanied to the factory by his mother and not Grandpa Joe.
Y0u can read this unseen chapter at www.theguardian.com
by
Book Corner is our monthly online book club.
How it works…
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Anyone can take part in our book club. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off and then you can talk about any of your thoughts about the book in the comments box below.
This month, our pick is A Girl is a Half-formed Thing by Eimear McBride.
About the book:
This experimental debut novel tells the story of a young woman’s traumatic coming-of-age in rural Ireland, as she struggles with her abusive family and clings to her relationship with her terminally ill brother.
(Published by Faber & Faber. April 2014.)
Buy from Amazon in paperback and e-book.
by
Sphere, August 2014.
Created, The Destroyer was originally published in the early 70’s and has now been republished by Sphere. It was released on e-book on 21st August 2014.
About the book:
Sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit, ex-cop Remo Williams is rescued from the electric chair at the eleventh hour and recruited by a secret government organisation named CURE. From this moment, he ceases to officially exist.
From now on, he will be an assassin, targeting criminals who are beyond the law. Remo’s trainer is a grouchy old Korean named Chiun, whose mastery of the terrifyingly powerful martial art of Sinanju makes him the deadliest man alive.
Together Remo and Chiun set forth on their epic, impossible mission to vanquish every enemy of democracy – every bad guy who thinks they can escape justice.
This is a new era in man’s fight against the forces of evil.
This is the time of the Destroyer.
I wasn’t sure what to make of this book. I had very little knowledge of it before reading aside from the fact that I knew it was a series.
This book began well and drew me in. I wanted to know what was going to happen next. Of course I knew Remo was going to escape his execution but how was a mystery and it was interesting to see how his rescuers got him out of that situation.
Remo is a believable hero (you don’t find out too much about his past aside from the fact that he was in Vietnam. I would have liked to have known more about him.)
by Mick’s Musings: Torn Between Two Stories.
There should be a song in there somewhere. Set at some time from the seventies where all the ladies (and gentlemen) had big hair, knew it and weren’t ashamed (I know as I was one). Anyway, today’s story concerns a tale of two stories. Whilst waiting for the critique from the NWS reader – did I mention how wonderful they are? – I allowed myself to be persuaded to start the Children’s story I had the idea for a couple of years ago up in the Yorkshire Dales. I remember the day well, as my lady wife and I were on holiday and she was anxious to get an early start for a trip to (another) castle/ancient town/something else she wanted to see in case it fell down. I was sat at the breakfast bar whilst she was finishing getting ready and this single line came into my head from somewhere:
The Four Hedgehogs of the Apocalypse.
What followed was about thirty minutes of frantic scribbling as what came into my head, was desperately (and slightly illegibly) jotted down in a too small notepad; all the while with my lady wife looking over my shoulder and tapping her watch in a very meaningful way. Then, it got pretty much forgotten about until I’d finished the story that went off to the RNA NWS scheme. In the meantime, as happens, around three or four other ideas came from somewhere and vied for prime-spot in the ‘next to be written’ pile.
My heart and gut actually wants to write another romance, but I’ve decided to allow myself to give this children’s one a go. So far, there are only two and a half chapters written, so much slower than I was hoping for, but I think I’ve just had a minor ‘block’. I do love Walter the Henchtoad and his evil boss Greyback the Squirrel (grey of course), but I’m not exactly enamoured with a couple of the names I’ve given my hero Hedgehogs, but I guess they’ll do to let me keep writing, I can always change them later.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday – Late, Late, Late.
Friday 29th August 2014: Late, Late, Late.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 character is running late for a meeting. Why are they late? What consequences are there for the character because they are late? What happens? Do they make the meeting? Have you ever been late for an important meeting? If so, use it as inspiration.
by
We are very happy to welcome Trisha Ashley to our blog today as we kick off the blog tour for her new short story, A Piece of Cake which was released today by Avon.
Trisha will be sharing one of her own recipes shortly but first, we review the book.
A Piece of Cake is the latest short story from best-selling novelist, Trisha Ashley.
Kate is an accomplished cake maker and is currently making the cake for her best friend, Laura who is getting married. Also, much to Kate’s annoyance, as if she’s not got enough to do, Laura is trying to play matchmaker and set Kate up with her groom’s best man, Wes. However, Kate has met Wes before and first impressions die hard. The last thing Kate wants is a romantic encounter with Wes.
This short story was so charming. Once I started reading I couldn’t stop. I am a huge fan of Trisha’s books and this one did not disappoint. Despite its length, it still has the humour and warmth that I would usually find in Trisha’s novels.
I found that the characters were well-rounded and I liked Kate and Laura’s dynamic.
Wes was an interesting love interest who is charmingly awkward toward Kate and this, to me made their relationship and interactions more realistic and believable.
I read this book within about twenty minutes. I would love to know what happens next actually. This book is perfect if you are looking for a quick read before bed, or on the bus or looking for something to read for a relaxing session in the bath.
I loved A Piece of Cake. Bravo, Trisha.
To celebrate the release of her latest short story, Trisha shares with us her recipe for Caribbean-style Chocolate Rum cake and we have to say, it looks scrummy.
Caribbean-style Chocolate Rum Cake (Serves 12)
I spent some Christmases in Antigua and Grand Cayman, where I substituted the usual fruit cake for a local speciality, Rum Cake. You can get them in different flavours all over the Caribbean, but it’s taken me a few attempts to recreate anything similar at home. Here’s my recipe for chocolate rum cake, which is as close as I can get to the original and makes a perfect alternative to the traditional Christmas cake.
by Fiction Friday: Nursery Rhymes
Friday 22nd August 2014: Nursery rhymes.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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: Pick a nursery rhyme (it can be any one you want,) and write a story using it as inspiration for a story. The maximum word count is 1,000 words.) You can choose whether you tell it from first person or third person point of view and it’s your choice as to which character within the rhyme you use.
by Courses and Competitions: The Big Idea Competition
Do you have an idea for a story that children will love?
The Big Idea Competition is giving you the chance of seeing your idea transformed into a book, TV, movie or theatre production!
The judges are Tess Daly, Neil Blair, Barry Cunningham, Debra Haywood, Philip Ardagh and Sonia Friedman. The closing date for entries is 2nd September 2014.
All you have to do is come up with an original story for children and tell the judges in 500 words (they ask you don’t exceed 750 words,) about your story using the following questions:
. Who’s in it?
. What happens?
. Who’s it for?
. When and where?
To enter, Continue reading
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A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Janice’s debut novel, Mary & The Marquis was released by Mills and Boon Historical earlier this month. We chat to Janice about her book, her approach to her writing and her advice for new writers.
Can you tell us a little about your debut novel, Mary and the Marquis and how the idea originated?
Mary and the Marquis is set in Northumberland in the autumn of 1811. When destitute widow Mary Vale aids an injured man on the road, she is shocked to discover he is the reclusive Lucas Alastair, Marquis of Rothley. She’s intrigued by him, but when she offers to nurse him back to health in return for shelter he proves a difficult patient. Lucas hides some deep emotion beneath his brusque manner, and a stolen kiss leaves Mary longing for more… She’s able to help mend his physical injuries, but can Mary heal the wounds of his painful past?
The idea came from a mental image of a young woman, with two small children, walking through a gloomy wood. Suddenly a deep, rasping groan sounds from amongst the trees. Who is she? Why is she in that wood? Where is she going? What is that noise?
Did you plan much before starting the novel?
I probably knew more about Mary and Lucas’s pasts than I did about what would happen in the actual story. I had ideas for the turning points, but I didn’t plan in any great detail, which is probably why the editing caused me such headaches! I had to delete a few scenes entirely – always hard to do.
How do you approach editing?
Every day, I go over what I wrote the day before as a way of immersing myself back in the story. I do tend to edit at that point, although I’m well aware it can be a waste of time if that particular section ends up deleted (see previous question). I should try and break that habit!
by
Bella Osborne
Last time on Bella’s Scribblings I talked about finding time to write. What I didn’t cover was how to avoid squandering it on non-writing displacement activities. School holidays is the time when most of us grab a couple of weeks away from the proper job to spend time with our offspring and hopefully get some writing done too. What actually happens is that offspring magically eat up all but a smidgen of the time we have and when we do get time to write what do we do?
I’m afraid to say that sometimes, not always, but sometimes we waste the time that we do have. I am thinking of starting a local group of Procrastinators Anonymous, but in the meantime here are my suggestions for combating procrastination:
My family want feeding – This is an easy one. Go back in time and spend a day making batches of food you can reheat and use fish fingers for the other days, they’ll be fine – that’s what vitamin supplements are for.
The house needs cleaning/tidying – scientific fact that living in a sterile environment isn’t good for the immune system so a little bit of dust will be better for your family’s long term health.
I need to go on Twitter to keep my social media presence current – and a couple of quick posts a day should do it. You do not need to read everything from the last ten hours on your feed nor do you need to look up everyone you know to see if they posted something interesting in the last few days. Trust me, they won’t have. Do not get caught up in conversations about dogs, cats or wine – they go on forever. Stop obsessively checking the number of followers you have and trying to work out who has deserted you – it doesn’t matter – well, certainly not as much as finishing your writing does.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday – It’s Not All In Your Imagination.
Friday 14th August 2014 – It’s not all in your imagination.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 character can be male or female and any age over 18. They have always had an active imagination. What if they woke up one morning to find that their imagination was coming to life? Whatever they thought of appeared in front of them. It’s great at first but if course, like with everything, there are consequences. What happens?
by Book News: Ella Harper
Pieces of You by Ella Harper was released today by Avon. It’s available to buy digitally from 14th August with the paperback being released next month.
A couple of weeks ago, mysterious post began showing up at my door. First, I got a box containing a picture frame and a letter. This was followed by another letter. Eventually, a copy of Pieces of You by Ella Harper arrived. I love it when publishers send little clues and I now can’t wait to read the book. Going by the clues and the blurb, this book sounds brilliant.
About the book:
The perfect marriage.
A devastating secret.
An impossible choice.
Lucy was always sure of one thing – her future with husband and soul mate Luke. But after eight long, heart-breaking years trying to have a baby, that future is crumbling before her eyes. Continue reading
by News: Harper Fiction Launches Digital Imprint
HarperFiction is launching a brand new digital crime and thriller imprint. It’s called Killer Reads and initially, for a limited period, they are opening their doors to un-agented submissions of crime and thriller novels.
Killer Reads is looking for a wide range of submissions from across the genre, ranging from police procedurals to psychological thrillers, to high-concept thrillers and beyond. The selected manuscripts will be the first titles to be published.
‘This is a hugely exciting opportunity for us to discover emerging talent in the crime and thriller area and bring their work to readers hungry for new stories.’ says, Sarah Hodgson, Deputy Publishing Director.
Submissions will be accepted from 29th August until 14th September 2014. From 29th August writers can submit their full manuscript, a synopsis of their novel and an author biography, by emailing: killerreadssubs@harpercollins.co.uk.
by Writing Room: Colours
Writing Room is our online writing group.
We post a prompt. Once you’ve written your piece, post it in the comments box below. Anyone is welcome to take part and it’s an opportunity to post work plus give and gain feedback.
Today, we’re looking at using colours.
Write a short story. Begin your first sentence with a colour. Then continue to use a colour (different one each time,) at the beginning of each paragraph. Try to use as little description as possible. Try to use dialogue as much as you can.
Write up to 1,000 words.
by Events: David Mitchell
Waterstones Piccadilly are holding an evening with David Mitchell.
The author of ‘Cloud Atlas’ will be in conversation with Sam Leith. They will be discussing David’s book, The Bone Clocks which has been longlisted for the Booker Prize.
The event is being held on Monday, 10 November 2014 at the Waterstones in Piccadilly in London. The evening begins at 6:30PM.
Tickets are £8 and it’s £6 for Waterstones Loyalty Cardholders
Tickets are available in store or you can get them online at Waterstones.com/tickets
For further details, call 0207 8512400.
For more information on David Mitchell, visit his website: www.davidmitchellbooks.com/
by Novel Kicks Chats To Paige Toon
Paige Toon has worked at various magazines before becoming Reviews Editor at Heat Magazine. Her novels include The Longest Holiday and One Perfect Summer. Her new book, Thirteen Weddings was released in May. We chat with Paige about her book, her favourite word, Tom Cruise and Simon Cowell.
Can you tell us a little about Thirteen Weddings and where did the idea originate?
It’s about a wedding photographer who falls in love with a groom. The year before last I went to four weddings in one summer and I remember watching the wedding photographers and imagining what it would be like to be such an important part of two complete strangers’ ‘best days of their lives’ – I thought it would be an interesting subject for a story.
If Thirteen Weddings had a soundtrack, what songs would you include?
Love by Daughter – even Bronte listens to this song when she’s thinking about Alex. I also listened to a lot of Lana Del Ray while I was writing it – dark and moody yet totally beautiful.
What’s your favourite word and why?
‘Aah’ – I seem to say it a lot on Twitter when I’m conversing with my lovely readers!
by Birthday Kindle Competition: Winner Announced
We turned five last week and to celebrate, we were giving you the chance to win a Kindle plus a £10 Amazon voucher.
Thank you to all who entered our draw. We had a staggering amount of entries.
Well done to Stu H from Hampshire. You were the lucky winner of our draw. We will be e-mailing shortly.
Thank you to everyone for your support over the last five years.
To find out more about the Kindle, head to http://www.Amazon.co.uk
by Review: The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman
The Friday Project, 2011.
A robber charges into a bank with a loaded gun, but instead of taking any money he steals an item of sentimental value from each person. Once he has made his escape, strange things start to happen to the victims.
A tattoo comes to life, a husband turns into a snowman, a baby starts to shit money. And Stacey Hinterland discovers that she’s shrinking, a little every day, and there is seemingly nothing that she or her husband can do to reverse the process.
The Tiny Wife is a weird and wonderful modern fable. Small, but perfectly formed, it will charm, delight and unnerve in equal measure.
The Tiny Wife is a short novella. It’s about ninety pages in length and so I read it in a couple of sittings (night shifts got in the way again,) so it’s great if you’re looking for something short to read. This book got recommended on You Tube so I thought I would give it a go. I chose the hardback version as I just thought the cover was beautiful. You can also get in paperback and on Kindle too.
The story opens on a bank robbery but the thief doesn’t take money. Instead, he takes a sentimental item from each person. Soon after the robbery, each person goes through a different experience – some have a positive outcome and some don’t. The story is mostly told from the point of view of the husband of someone in the bank. Stacey begins to shrink soon after the robbery as a reflection of her own life. Another example is Dawn’s tattoo of a lion that comes to life and begins to chase her.
This story makes you really think and the lesson is not to take your life for granted. It really made me reflect on my life. From the first page this book pulled me into everyone’s story. I wanted to know how it ended and it’s beautifully written. I loved the illustrations which are dotted throughout the book too. It made me think of what would happen to me. Even though I finished it a couple of days ago, I am still thinking about it.
This was an original, magical story and well worth reading. I loved it.
by Competitions – Where Love Lies Winners.
Thanks to Julie and the lovely people at Bantam Press we had THREE copies of Where Love Lies to give away.
Well done to Elaine from Lancashire, Rich from Surrey and Annette from Staffordshire who have all won a copy of Where Love Lies.
Here is a little about the novel:
Lately, Felicity just can’t shake a shadow of uncertainty. Her husband Quinn is the kindest person she knows and loves her peculiarities more than Felicity feels she deserves. But suddenly it’s as if she doesn’t quite belong.
Then Felicity experiences something extraordinary: a scent of perfume in the air which evokes memories that have been settled within her for a long time, untouched and undisturbed. As it happens again and again, the memories of a man Felicity hasn’t seen for ten years also flutter to the surface. And so do the feelings of being deeply, exquisitely in love . . .
Overwhelmed and bewildered by her emotions, Felicity tries to resist sinking blissfully into the past. But what if something truly isn’t as it should be? What if her mind has been playing tricks on her heart?
Which would you trust?
Where Loves Lies is available to buy via Amazon and other leading bookstores.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday: Reunion
Friday 8th August 2014: Reunion.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 haven’t seen your family for a while. You are all forced to reunite for some reason. Why haven’t you seen them for a while? What happened? Who is in your family and what is the dynamic?
by Bella’s Scribblings: Finding The Time To Write
Bella Osborne
I have covered this in a previous column but this is School Holiday season and it’s particularly hard. Children are like limpets but with a more advanced sticking ability.
First of all don’t feel guilty about wanting to spend some of your hard-earned holiday time on your writing – IT IS OK. The children will get the lion’s share of your time, which goes without saying. It’s most likely that soggy middle that needs some attention now (soggy middle of your novel that is).
So the big question is how do you find the time when the offspring are demanding your every waking moment and a few of the night-time ones too?
No1 – Be prepared. I know you love stationery so make sure you always have a notebook and a pen (one that actually works not that free one) with you at all times. (I will excuse you in the shower/bath but have one ready for when you come out). This means you won’t miss an opportunity to write, even if it’s just the odd sentence of brilliance – they all add up.
No2 – Be vigilant. Time is a crafty little thing and these childfree moments creep up on you. So you have to recognise them and grab them quickly. Usually they occur when the child/children are unexpectedly distracted – Loom bands is working well in our house but the length of time they hold child’s attention is varied. They can be unexpected so watch carefully for those ones. An example would be ‘Picking fluff out of Daddy’s tummy button’ bought me 9 minutes the other day!
No3 – Be creative. Set them up with tasks or games that they will hopefully become engrossed in and will leave you in peace for a few minutes without trashing the place. Make sure you sell this in at the start e.g. “Mummy/Daddy (I do have some male followers and I am all for equal opportunities) has some work to do so instead of you having to sit quietly and be bored would you like to…?”
by
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO US!
Novel Kicks is five and to celebrate, we are giving you the chance to win an Amazon Kindle.
We love books and reading. This Kindle fits in your pocket (it is incredibly light,) has Wi-Fi so you can easily download over 650,000 titles and will hold up to 1,400 books (that will get you through a holiday.) It can also be seen clearly in sunlight which will be perfect for the summer.
Not only are we giving you the chance to win a Kindle, we are also giving the lucky winner a £10 Amazon voucher to go with your new Kindle so you can immediately treat yourselves to some books.
TO ENTER:
To be entered into the draw to win a Kindle and the £10 voucher, comment on this post with your name and county by the closing date which is Monday 11th August 2014 at 23.59. The winner will then be picked at random from the entrants and announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Tuesday 12th August 2014. The winner will also be contacted via the e-mail address they provided when they entered the competition (we will never pass it on to someone else.)
UK and Ireland only.
As a side note, Amazon will require you to have an amazon account in order to register the Kindle upon receipt. To find out more about the Kindle, visit www.amazon.co.uk
by Book News: Matt Dunn
Matt Dunn is the best-selling author of A Day At The Office and The Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook. The next book from Matt Dunn is called What Might Have Been. We love Matt Dunn here at Novel Kicks and I have to say, we are adoring this book cover too.
It’s due to be released on 12th August 2014 by Lake Union Publishing (so not long to wait,) and is available to pre-order in paperback. It will also be available in e-book.
About the book:
A year ago, Evan and Sarah shared one incredible night. Then Evan’s music—the thing that brought them together—suddenly tore them apart.
Since then, Evan’s not been able to forget about her. And try as she might, Sarah can’t seem to get over him either.
With time running out, Evan’s got one last chance to convince her that the two of them were meant to be. But is one night enough for Sarah to make a decision about the rest of her life—even if it was the best night of her life? And if she doesn’t believe in love at first sight, how can Evan persuade her that what they had will last?
Click here to read Matt Dunn’s guest post on creating characters.
by Blog Tour: Where Love Lies by Julie Cohen
We are super excited to be welcoming Julie Cohen to our blog today. Julie is the best-selling author of Getting Away With It and Dear Thing. Her new novel, Where Loves Lies was released by Bantam Press on 31st July. We are very happy to be kicking off her blog tour today for her new novel. We chat with Julie about her book, her writing rituals and Sherlock Holmes…
Can you tell us about your new book, Where Love Lies and how the idea originated?
I’m calling it a sort of twisted love story. It’s about Felicity, who has been happily married to Quinn for a year—at least she thinks she is happily married. Until out of the blue one day she starts to smell the scent of frangipani, and along with that, she experiences overwhelming memories of a man she was in love with ten years ago, before she met Quinn. Believing this is some sort of sign, she leaves Quinn, to find Ewan, her first love, and discover why she is having these emotions. On the way she grapples with the different kinds of love, and tries to understand her own heart. But sometimes our heart is not ours to control…
I can’t actually tell you how the idea began, because if I did, it would give away part of the story! But it is based, very loosely, on something that actually happened to a friend of mine. I talk about it in a note at the end of the book, so you will have to read the book to find out! Sorry.
Which fictional character would you like to chat to and what would you talk about?
I am an enormous Sherlock Holmes geek, and have been for most of my life—so much so that I’m an official cartoonist for the Sherlock Holmes Society, and I’ve written an alt-reality Sherlock Holmes story that will be published later in the year, under my initials JE Cohen. So I would love to talk to Mr Holmes. In the stories, he’s a charming conversationalist as well as the world’s greatest detective. I’d like to go to dinner with him, and maybe a violin concert, and then I would tag along whilst he solved one of his cases!
Do you have any writing rituals?
I always make a soundtrack for my novels. Sometimes it’s songs that reflect what the book is about, and sometimes it’s just songs that I like and which get me in the mood for writing. My soundtrack for Where Love Lies included ‘Never Going Back’ by Fleetwood Mac, and ‘Our Day Will Come’ by Amy Winehouse.
by
THIS COMPETITION IS NOW CLOSED.
Julie Cohen kicks off her blog tour with us today for her new novel, Where Love Lies which was released by Bantam Press on 31st July (we will shortly be chatting to her about her new book.)
Thanks to Julie and the lovely people at Bantam Press we have THREE copies of Where Love Lies to give away.
Here is a little about the novel:
Lately, Felicity just can’t shake a shadow of uncertainty. Her husband Quinn is the kindest person she knows and loves her peculiarities more than Felicity feels she deserves. But suddenly it’s as if she doesn’t quite belong.
Then Felicity experiences something extraordinary: a scent of perfume in the air which evokes memories that have been settled within her for a long time, untouched and undisturbed. As it happens again and again, the memories of a man Felicity hasn’t seen for ten years also flutter to the surface. And so do the feelings of being deeply, exquisitely in love . . .
Overwhelmed and bewildered by her emotions, Felicity tries to resist sinking blissfully into the past. But what if something truly isn’t as it should be? What if her mind has been playing tricks on her heart?
Which would you trust?
HOW TO ENTER:
by
RHCP Digital, 2008
Book Corner is our monthly online book club.
How it works…
We love books and we love chatting about them even more. Anyone can take part in our book club. Every month, we pick a new book for discussion. We will post a question to kick things off and then you can talk about any of your thoughts about the book in the comments box below.
This month, our pick is Before I Die by Jenny Downham. (This was also published as Now is Good.)
About Before I Die:
Tessa has just a few months to live.
Fighting back against hospital visits, endless tests, drugs with excruciating side-effects, Tessa compiles a list. It’s her To Do Before I Die list. And number one is sex.
by Book News – Becky’s Back…
Eeeeek. We are super excited here at Novel Kicks. We are huge fans of the Shopaholic books and couldn’t be happier that Becky Brandon is due to return in the latest installment to the Shopaholic series by Sophie Kinsella. It’s called Shopaholic To The Stars. It’s due for release by Bantam Press on 25th September (in hardback and e-book with the paperback due for release in March 2015,) and we can’t wait!
You can pre-order the book in hardback and it’s available to order in e-book too.
About Shopaholic To The Stars…
Becky Brandon (nee Bloomwood) is in Hollywood! It’s as if all her life has been leading to this moment. She’s hanging out with the stars . or at least she will be, when she finally gets to meet movie superstar Sage Seymour, whom husband Luke is now managing.
There’s so much to see and do! And getting Minnie through the hurdles for her A-list Hollywood pre-school will require some.er.help.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday – Doing Things Differently
Friday 1st August 2014 – Doing Things Differently.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 – What would you do if you could go back and change something from the past? Would you do things differently? Take a character you’re currently working on or, if you’ve not got one, choose a character from a favourite novel. Re-write part of their story but this time, change a decision they made and get them to do something differently. What happens?
by Competitions – Writers’ & Artists Yearbook Winner
The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is acknowledged as the indispensable companion to navigating the world of publishing. This book provides guidance on writing for newspapers, magazines, scripts for film, radio and TV; advice on writing and submitting plays, poetry, non-fiction and fiction of all genres and how to contact publishers and agents; managing finances as a writer; negotiating legal issues, such as copyright; understanding the editing process; self-publishing and conventional routes; digital and print.
Thanks to Bloomsbury, we had one copy of the new edition to give away.
Well done to Chris Roche from Sussex who has won a copy of the 2015 edition.
The new edition was released by Bloomsbury Publishing on 31st July and is available in paperback and eBook.
Visit the Writers’ and Artists’ website at www.writersandartists.co.uk
by Novel Kicks Chats To Kathryn Simmonds
Kathryn’s first collection, Sunday at the Skin Launderette won the Forward Prize for best first collection in 2008. Her short stories have been published in magazines and broadcast on Radio 4. Her first novel, Love and Fallout was published by Seren Books in 2014. We chat with Kathryn about her book, her planning process and Oscar Wilde.
Can you tell us about your novel, Love and Fallout and how the idea originated?
The idea for the novel evolved from a short story I was writing about a charity worker who gets a sudden and unwelcome TV makeover. To help fill in my character’s history, I did some research into the Greenham Common peace camp where she’d protested as a teenager, and the more I read the more fascinated I became.
As I looked at film footage of the 1980s demonstrations, particularly ‘Embrace the Base’, when thirty-thousand women joined hands around the military airbase, I wondered where those women were now and what they might be doing. My original story grew: my character had a secret from her past, an old friend of hers turned up, and gradually a novel began to take shape.
What’s your planning process like when writing a novel?
This is my first novel so I don’t have a tried and tested method. Love and Fallout became difficult to control as the story expanded, and mid-way through I had to stop and properly consider the plot. Writing into the unknown is exciting, but I learned that it’s also necessary to have a loose idea of what’s ahead or you’ll write yourself into a corner.
by A Moment With Carole Matthews
Carole Matthews is the best-selling author whose books include Summer Daydreams (which was nominated for the Melissa Nathan award,) and A Place to Call Home (which was released earlier this year.)
Today, Carole shares her five writing tips…
1. Write every day.
2. Write what’s in your heart.
3. Don’t follow the latest trend. By the time you’ve written your book, it will have passed.
4. Don’t make excuses about why you can’t find time to write.
5. Don’t give up. Determination is the key. And a great story, of course.
Carole can be found at her website, www.carolematthews.com
by News – George RR Martin & Robin Hobb in Conversation
HarperVoyager has announced this week that they will host an event with two of their highest profile authors.
George RR Martin and Robin Hobb will be in conversation on 19th August 2014 in an event taking place in central London (the exact location will be announced soon.)
If you are a fan of either author (we love Game of Thrones,) this unique event features two of the world’s greatest storytellers, discussing how they build their fictional universes, create their characters and balance fantasy and reality; about their influences and inspirations, their struggles and successes.
This is a uniquely exciting event, bringing together two of the greatest storytellers in modern fiction talking candidly about their writing lives, said Jane Johnson, HarperVoyager’s Publishing Director.
Tickets will go on sale later this week. They will be £45 each and this includes a hardback copy of Robin Hobb’s latest novel Fool’s Assassin.
For more information about the event, visit HarperCollin’s website.
by Mick’s Musings – Better Late Than Never
My first post for a couple of weeks. Better late than never – hopefully that’ll mean my blog boss won’t tell me off too much.
The reason for which is simple; I’ve been desperately putting the finishing touches to getting my one page synopsis down from a page and a half. I could easily write this post which wasn’t what I had planned, but let’s see where this actually does end up. So, welcome folks, step right this way for the Magical Mystery (Post) Tour. No buses, no Walruses, but perhaps plenty of flying pigs!
Please include a one page synopsis – only 6 words, a nice small sentence. Cue pulling out of hair, opening of that bottle of wine you swore you’d keep for that special occasion, making sure the fridge (it is hot at the moment) is full of your favourite chocolate – Milky Way Stars here please (any sponsors out there?). Now, pull out all those notes you have of what’s actually happening in your story and – SWEAR as loudly as you can. Who the heck decided this was a good idea???
Now, settle back and eat chocolate and drink wine until it comes out of your ears, you fall down and decide that yes, this is a good idea. You are now ready to condense your lovingly crafted story into one little page of paper (ok, screen). Sound easy? Of course it’s not. My latest is just under a page and a half and that was difficult enough – but it’s a nice page and a half. Wish it could stay at that length, but that’s the rules and this has to be ready to go out in three days time. So, now you know how I spent this lovely weekend, but if I want to become a published author, this is a cross to bear willingly.
That’s the rant over and I feel much better. Thank you to all of you who stayed with me.
by
The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook is acknowledged as the indispensable companion to navigating the world of publishing. This book provides guidance on writing for newspapers, magazines, scripts for film, radio and TV; advice on writing and submitting plays, poetry, non-fiction and fiction of all genres and how to contact publishers and agents; managing finances as a writer; negotiating legal issues, such as copyright; understanding the editing process; self-publishing and conventional routes; digital and print.
The new edition is due to be released by Bloomsbury Publishing on 31st July and is available to pre-order in paperback and eBook.
Thanks to Bloomsbury, we have a copy of the 2015 edition to give away.
How to enter:
Comment on this post with your name and county by the closing date which will be Thursday 31st July 2014 at 23.59. The winner will then be chosen at random from the entrants and announced on the Novel Kicks blog on Friday 1st August 2014. The winner will also be contacted by e-mail (we will use the e-mail provided when you enter.) UK and Ireland only.
Good Luck.
Visit the Writers’ and Artists’ website at www.writersandartists.co.uk
by Courses and Competitions – The Writers’ Academy
Creative Writing for Beginners by The Writers’ Academy (Penguin Random House,) is being led by Selina Walker.
It’s a 10-week interactive online creative writing course which gives you the essential skills and techniques you need to get started writing fiction.
You will learn with experienced creative writing tutors, and interact with a highly experienced Editor at Penguin Random House as you are introduced to the key elements of writing a story: Character, Plot, Point of View, Description, Dialogue, Voice, Setting and Beginnings.
The course consists of a series of carefully planned weekly writing exercises, videos and podcasts from world-famous authors (including Audrey Niffenegger.)
The course will involve between five and ten hours of learning per week at whatever times suit you. You can contact the course enquires team on 0044 (0)203 026 0810 if you have any questions.
by Novel Kicks Fiction Friday – Undercover
Fiction Friday
Friday 25th July 2014 – Undercover.
Fiction Friday is our weekly 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 are a police officer. You’ve not been one for long and you’ve been partnered with someone new (who you don’t know well.) Your first assignment means that you both have to go undercover and be convincing in your role in order to catch a criminal. Where, why and you is up to you.
by Blog Tour: This Family Life by Jon Rance
We are very excited to be welcoming Jon Rance and his blog tour for This Family Life today. Jon’s previous novels include Happy Endings and This Twentysomething Life. His new book, This Family Life, is the sequel to Jon’s novel, This Thirtysomething Life and was released recently by Amazon Media (the kindle version is currently only 99 pence.)
Jon joins us today to talk about his new book and he also gives us a sneak preview too. Hi Jon and welcome….
Hello and a HUGE thank you to Novel Kicks for hosting what is the fourteenth stop on my ‘This Family Life’ Blog Tour. If you missed the last blog you can see it here http://hell4heather.com/
So hello again and today I’m going to talk about my new novel ‘This Family Life’. The book is written as a diary from the point of view of thirtysomething husband and new father, Harry Spencer. The book is the sequel to ‘This Thirtysomething Life’ and Harry’s job as a secondary school teacher wasn’t really integral to the plot in that book, but in ‘This Family Life’ I wanted to explore his career a lot more.
In this book, new father Harry realises that now he’s a parent it’s time he started taking his job more seriously, and so when he’s offered a promotion to head of department, he sees this as the chance to prove to his wife Emily, and more importantly to himself that he can do it. I was lucky enough to have a very good friend who’s actually a teacher and is also head of his department, and so he gave me some great inside information on what it’s really like.
The school scenes in the book were some of my favourite to write and I hope I conveyed what it’s really like. Obviously I added a lot more comedy and took some literary freedom with it, but I tried to add it bits of reality in a hopefully a humorous way. There’s a bit when Harry takes the job as head of department and he gets his new schedule, full of meetings, pre-meetings, training, and other tasks and he innocently asks, ‘And when am I going to find time to actually teach?’ and he’s laughed at, but he wasn’t joking. This is one of those moments that I know a lot of teachers have, and I hope that although in the book it’s sort of a joke, it’s something that teachers can relate to.
by Bella’s Scribblings – Why is a One Liner so Hard?
Bella Osborne
I can write a novel, I have proved it by doing it twice. Neither are published yet but that’s not the point. The point is I can write circa 100,000 words relatively easily but when I have to write something in a card my mind goes blank. The worst scenario is when you are under pressure. When someone sidles up to your desk, plonks a card down and says ‘Freda is leaving, write something funny’. I actually think one of my brain cells dies and it is most definitely one devoted to writing funny things.
I generally manage the situation by panicking and asking for more time, which results in lots of huffing and eye rolling until they eventually slope off, leaving me to sweat over the card. So then I start to read what everyone else has put – this does not help. All this does is waste more time, highlight that most of the office are just like you and have nothing funny to say, not that this has stopped them penning it in the card.
However, there is even more pressure if you have to go first, always try to avoid this scenario. There will be the odd one or two who have put in something slightly humorous and right there is the spark that I needed. I now have a challenge and I have a target to beat (not that I am in anyway competitive, you understand). At this point I find it works well to pretend you have a meeting and head off carrying papers or laptop, supporting a purposeful stride. Find an empty meeting room and get to work.
I will start by having a one woman brainstorm – What is Freda known for? Are there any funny stories already that I just need to recall? Is there an opportunity to play on words here? What did she get up to at the last office party? After much head scratching an idea will alight. I write it out in draft and see if it needs editing to make it punchy. Once I am happy with it I need to find a space in the card. (Why do the people who say the dullest things have the biggest writing?) Eventually I reach the point where my mission is accomplished and I return the card with a smug look to the card co-ordinator.
by Book News – Liane Moriarty
Liane’s new book is due for release this month.
We LOVED The Husband’s Secret (if you haven’t read it yet, we can’t recommend it enough. Read our review here.) We are very excited about Liane’s new book which is due to be available from 31st July. It’s being released by Penguin and it’s called Little Lies.
We are also liking this cover. Very pretty.
It’s now available to pre-order from Amazon.
About Little Lies:
Jane hasn’t lived anywhere longer than six months since her son was born five years ago. She keeps moving in an attempt to escape her past. Now the idyllic seaside town of Pirriwee has pulled her to its shores and Jane finally feels like she belongs. She has friends in the feisty Madeline and the incredibly beautiful Celeste – two women with seemingly perfect lives . . . and their own secrets behind closed doors.
But then a small incident involving the children of all three women occurs in the playground causing a rift between them and the other parents of the school. Minor at first but escalating fast, until whispers and rumours become vicious and spiteful. It was always going to end in tears, but no one thought it would end in murder . . .
by Book Club
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