Crimefest – A guest report from Evonne Wareham

As I write romantic suspense – a genre that can have as a high a body count as a kiss-count – I sometimes get to play on the shady side of the street. Which is how I came to spend a recent weekend in the company of assorted serial killers, drug dealers, spymasters, global conspirators and all round bad lots, and the lovely people who create them. Yes, this was Crimefest, the Bristol crime writing convention that brings together criminal elements from all walks of life  - and the sleuths who pursue them – from the cosy amateur, solving puzzles over tea and scones, to the adventurer on the trail of an ancient artifact with mystic powers, by way of the jaded cop with the bottle of whisky stashed in his desk drawer. It takes all sorts to make a crime wave.

When you attend an event like Crimefest you realize just how many varieties of fictional crime there are – and locations. Scandinavian and American authors are always in demand, but delegates set their mayhem in Africa, Alaska, Italy, the Greek Islands, Iceland, … the Isle of Wight. The on-site bookshop was bursting with titles from all round the globe, with the chance of having them signed by the author in attendance. And it’s not just exotic places, but also a variety of time periods – Roman Britain, the eighteenth century, the roaring twenties …

Panels looked at everything from the North/South divide, to mixing crime and comedy. There were discussions on writing about the cold war and authors who have become overlooked or forgotten, often unjustly. Fans of Dame Agatha squared up to those of Sir Arthur  …

And all that was quite apart from the enthusiastic after-hours discussion that went on in the hotel bar.

The convention mixes writers and readers and everyone seemed to be in agreement that the panels this year were better than ever. I certainly enjoyed the ones I attended – even the one I was on. This year’s big coup was the appearance of Mark Gatiss, Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue of TV Sherlock fame – currently filming the third series, working round the availability of two stars who have suddenly become big cinema box office and determinedly ducking all requests to explain exactly how Sherlock is coming back from the dead.  It was a fun session, packed with enthusiastic fans – but I have to say that the personal convention high spot for me was the appearance of author Robert Goddard. He’s a great story teller. I’ve been a fan of his complex plotting for years. Fingers crossed that some of that complexity stuff may have rubbed off. I hope so, as there’s nothing I like better than a plot like a corkscrew.

It was a criminally enjoyable weekend.

Roving Romaniacs – An Earthless Melting Pot anthology launch

I was very happy to spend a lovely, sunny, writerly couple of days in London at the end of May, traveling up on the Friday for author drinks arranged by super-agent Juliet Mushens. In a busy bar in Soho, around twenty of Juliet’s authors gathered to drink and chat. It was lovely to spend time with an eclectic group of writers at all different stages of the journey to publication: Those, like myself, at the nail-biting editing/submitting stage, those who have the longed for book deal who are now awaiting publication, and the published ones – the writers on the Richard & Judy list, the bestsellers, the debut writers and the ones sweating over their second. All lovely, all inspiring – I’m already looking forward to the next Team Mushens outing!

Day 2 saw me back in Soho, this time in The Gallery at Foyles bookshop, for a private party to celebrate the launch of the Words with JAM short story anthology. My partner in crime for this do was fellow Romaniac Sue Fortin. The anthology is a collection of the prize-winning stories from the annual Words with JAM short story competition and I was thrilled to have one of my flash fiction pieces, Winter’s Kiss, included – my first story to appear in book form!

June Kearns, Sue Fortin and Lizzie Lamb

We weren’t expecting to see any familiar faces, so Sue and I were very happy to spot fellow RNAers Cathie Hartigan, Margaret James, Lizzie Lamb, June Kearns and Rosemary Gemmell amongst the guests. Cathie was another prize winner with her gorgeous story Scent of Lemons.

Me and Cathie Hartigan

The anthology itself, An Earthless Melting Pot, was beautifully designed and produced and I still haven’t got over the thrill of seeing my name in a book…

As well as the anthology launch, the event was to toast Triskele Books first birthday and the launch of four books by Catriona Troth, JD Smith, Gillian Hamer and JJ Marsh. Each of the authors spent a few minutes talking about their books and we were also treated to readings of the prize-winning stories by Ruby Cowling and Ken Elkes.

Add to this an amazing buffet and lots and lots of sparkly drinks and the evening was just about perfect…

Vanessa x

Janey Fraser and the art of Happy Families

I am very happy to welcome Janey Fraser to Romaniac HQ. With the James household one month into teenagerdom, this is a timely post. Thank you so much, Janey.

“OK,” said the kindly looking man at the front of the class with baby gunk on his left-hand shoulder. “Let’s start by finding out exactly what you want.”

A woman next to me, with lipstick on (where did she find the time?) put up her hand. “I’d like to be able to get my twelve year old son to bed on time”

There was a murmur of agreement.  “When would you like him to go to sleep?” said our leader sympathetically.

There was a pursing of glossy lips. “Nine o’clock at the latest.”

Again, there was a wave of enthusiastic nodding from every direction except mine. That’s because my jaw had dropped.

“I’d like my daughter to do more jobs round the house,” chirped up someone else.

Another chorus of ‘me too’s’ followed.

Then, without meaning to,  I put up my hand. “I’d like my fifteen year old to turn off his laptop before midnight; to do his homework without swearing at me; to promise faithfully not to have his hair dyed by his friends again – or sheared; and never, ever, to get another tattoo.”

There was an appalled silence. “Please tell me,” said the woman next to me, “that you are joking.”

Actually I wasn’t. In fact it was why I was here at a parenting class, hoping for some tips. Unfortunately, within the first five minutes, I had sent myself to the bottom of the class.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m proud of my children. They have character. But there are times when – in the absence of grandparent support – I need an extra hand. That’s why parenting classes seemed such a good idea. In fact, as the course progressed, I did pick up some good tips. Reflective listening was one. The idea is that when your children say something to you (or yell), you repeat back their words to show you have listened and add a dollop of empathy at the same time.  Here’s an example.

“I’ll bl….. well do  my homework later.” (teenager).

“I see. So you’ll bl…. well do your homework later? I understand you don’t want to do it now because you’d rather be playing video games. But if you do it now, I won’t need to nag you any more and you won’t get into trouble at school.”

It worked – up to a point – although my teenager did, after a while, question me. “Why do you keep repeating back what I’m saying?” he asked.

“Because someone told me to,” I retorted.

“Mum, I’ve told you enough times. It’s not cool to listen to others. You need to do what’s right for you.”

He has a point.

Then there was the three card trick. The idea was that if your child did something wrong, you gave them a playing card as a warning. Two things wrong meant two cards with a firmer warning. Three cards was a disciplinary (no pocket money).

No. It didn’t work for us either.

On the plus side, I did in fact make some friends – including one mum who said she admired my frankness and she wished she’d summoned up enough courage to confess that her daughter was so addicted to her laptop that my new friend had to hide the rooter in her boot.

I’d like to say that the parenting class brought peace and calm to our house but I can’t bring myself to fib. Not even for the sake of an article. What it did do, however, was to give me an idea for a novel about a mother, her brother in law and a young gran. They all meet up at a parenting class and get embroiled in a complex plot of love, lust and lies (not necessarily in that order). It’s been described as humorous family comedy with a dark streak.

Just like my lot really.

HAPPY FAMILIES by JANEY FRASER. ARROW 6.99

http://www.janeyfraser.co.uk/ (visit my website to win a free stay at Champneys for two).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vg7VJbSp1xg. This will give you a taste of the book.

www.facebook.com/janeyfraserauthor

Twitter:

@janey_fraser

Writing a Novella – is it any different to writing a novel?

Author Louise Rose-Innes is with us today, talking about writing novellas and her latest release, The New Year Resolution.

Take it away Louise …

My latest release, THE NEW YEAR RESOLUTION is about 35,000 words and is classified as a novella. Novellas are usually about 20,000 to 40,000 words. Anything shorter than that is termed a short story.

They’re punchier than category romances, often only in one POV, and usually with a single plotline (as the length doesn’t support multiple subplots).

Despite the shorter format, they still feature the normal goals, motivations and conflicts of a full length romantic novel.

This makes them fairly difficult to write, especially for authors who are used to a longer format. The trick to writing a fast-paced novella is planning. You have limited space so you can’t ramble or waste words. You need to be absolutely clear on your characters central conflicts, what drives them and how they react in different circumstances. This way you can outline your plot points and build your character arcs convincingly.

Novella writing is a good exercise for any author, as it forces you to focus on what’s important. It also forces you to up the tension of each chapter. A novella is usually faster paced than a full length romance, so you can play with sentence structure and length to keep it interesting all the way through. You can stick to one POV, or try writing in the first person.

Lee Child likes to experiment in his short stories. Stephen King thinks that all young writers should hone their skills on novellas.  He calls the novel a “quagmire that young authors stumble into before they’re ready.”

Personally, I struggle with traditional short stories (under 20,000 words). For me, the novella is a better format to work with. I like delving deeper into core conflicts and motivations and building a relationship between the reader and the heroine from the first paragraph. The novel itself, is a more complex beast, but it does give you more room to move and can be a little more forgiving.

As writers, we should experiment with all formats as we develop our skill, as this will make us more versatile overall.

THE NEW YEAR RESOLUTION is out now at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00D7HXMDU

http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00D7HXMDU

Blurb:

Last year, divorcee Nicole had only one New Year’s Resolution – to have a date for this New Years Eve – but with no strings attached.  One thing she knows for sure is that she isn’t ready for anything more complicated than a casual date.

So when eco-tycoon and international jetsetter, Ryan Jackson begs her to accompany him to a tropical island for a week, in order to impress his benefactor, Nicole categorically refuses. He’s way too hot and she’s way too vulnerable. Not a good idea.

Yet Ryan won’t take no for an answer.  It’s for a good cause. She would only have to pretend to be his lover. It’s a luxury island resort with all expenses paid. How can she refuse?

Under the tropical sun, things heat up and their pretence goes out the window. Nicole gets cold feet. She’s not ready for this kind of affair. It’s doubtful she ever will be.

But have they come too far? Distancing herself from Ryan will cause him to lose the funding he so desperately needs for his eco-project, but staying with him means she’ll lose something far more valuable… her heart.  And that’s a risk Nicole is simply not willing to take.

Tuesday Chit-Chat with Amanda Egan

Today for a Tuesday Chit-Chat we have author, Amanda Egan, with us.  Amanda’s debut novel ‘Diary of a Mummy Misfit’ was  hugely popular and she has since gone on to write several more very successful novels.

Hello Amanda, great you could come over to Romaniac HQ for a chat. How are you? Enjoying the summer or are you busy writing at the moment?

Hi there and thanks for having me. Summer? What’s that then? I think we had a week of it back in April and that will be it for the year – we mustn’t be too greedy here in London though!

When I’m not squashing my nose against the window looking for sun, I’m writing, promoting and making ‘plot face’ (the look my husband says I get when I’ve disappeared into another world of possible characters and storylines).

You’ve had great success with your ‘Mummy Misfit’ books and your later books, ‘Completing the Puzzle’ and ‘Stilettos and Stubble’ – what do you think it is about your writing that hooks the readers?

I’m not really sure so I can only go by what my readers tell me. They seem to love the humour and the relatable characters I create. I’ve also been told that my books make people laugh and cry – these are the sort of books I love to read myself so that makes me one happy writer.

Did you have a clear idea of book covers or did you have someone design them for you?

All my images come from iStock photos and then I bully husband and teen son into designing the rest – title, font, back-cover etc. It’s such an exciting time when I see what my latest ‘baby’ will look like and it all begins to feel very real. I’ve been known to spend days looking for the right cover image but it’s the shop window to my words so I think it’s time well spent.

You have a high profile on Twitter – what are your thoughts on social media as a tool for authors?

When my husband first set up my Twitter account, two years ago, I didn’t have a clue what I was doing and I honestly didn’t see the point. As far as I could see, I was talking to nobody – which, of course in the early stages, you are. It didn’t take me long to get hooked though and I couldn’t believe how much Tweeting affected my book sales. It was also lovely to make friends with strangers who seemed to be loving my work. As an Indie writer, without social media, I honestly have no idea how I would be selling my books.

As a successful self-published author, would you consider submitting to an agent or publishing house in the future?

No, I’ve been there, done that, got the T-shirt and written the book(s). If I was approached with the right offer, I’d bite their hand off but I wouldn’t submit to anyone again as I came so close to a deal from two major publishing houses in the early days and I couldn’t bear that disappointment again.

What advice would you give to anyone considering self-publishing?

Do it! But be prepared for a lot of hard work because it’s not just a question of writing a book and uploading it to Amazon – YOU have to sell that book in any way you can and it takes a while to build momentum. It’s SO worth it though.

Random Quick Fire

Left or right handed?
Right handed.
Blue Peter or Magpie?
A little bit of both but not a great fan of either.
Duran Duran or Spandau Ballet?
Cheating but the same answer as above.
Indian or Chinese food?
I love both! Depends what I’m in the mood for. Sorry!
Saturday night in or out?
Most definitely out (or in with friends!)
What animal would you liken yourself to?
A mouse! I’m scared of everything, love cheese and I’m not a very good swimmer.
If you could be anyone, in any book, who would you be?
Delysia Lafosse in ‘Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day’. Pure 1930’s ditzy glamour – heaven!

Thanks for coming in Amanda, it’s been fun talking to you. Wishing you every success with your new book .

Thanks so much for having me – it’s been great. ‘Lottie’s Luck’ is out at Amazon for Kindle and in paperback at Lulu on June 19th.

Allie Spencer: Save The Date Book Launch

Allie Spencer

The Happiest Day of Your Life

…or is it? Of course it is! Your wedding is the one day in your life you get to dress up in a fairy-tale gown marry your Prince Charming. It’s the day all your relatives have to be nice to you (and each other), the day you get to call each and every shot and the day when you, the bride, are indisputably the centre of attention. Sounds perfect? Well, if it was that simple, we novelists wouldn’t be able to write book after book set around weddings, their attendant families and everything that can – and does – go wrong. But where do we get that inspiration from?

I loved my wedding day: it was as perfect as you could hope for – although it very nearly went horribly wrong. It began the week before the ceremony when I walked into the church and found the organ covered in plastic sheeting and the vicar announcing that there was going to be a stage and full theatre lightning up in front of the altar. A stage??? Nobody had told me I’d be saying ‘I do’ in the full glare of a professional spotlight. I was after the clean lines and stained glass windows of a medieval church! Luckily, after much begging and pleading (and quite a few veiled threats from my mother) the stage was dismantled in time for the ceremony and everything went ahead as planned. Twelve years on, and my stress levels are just about back to normal.

And what about the moment that every bride secretly dreads – when the vicar or the registrar asks if there is anyone in the congregation who knows ‘due cause or impediment’ why she should not be joined in holy matrimony? Well, it happened to a friend of mine, although luckily he was the vicar not the bride. At the crucial moment, the Best Man blurted out ‘She’s not good enough for you mate!’ and everything ground to a temporary halt – temporary because, of course, ‘not being good enough’ isn’t a valid reason to stop a marriage taking place. The worst thing was, my friend tells me, not just that the Best Man blurted this out, but that he was probably right…

It’s this combination of love and high drama; beautiful costumes and a well-rehearsed script; meticulous planning but the tiniest chance that everything could still go spectacularly wrong which gives writers like me such inspiration. Throw in the odd dysfunctional family member, a lost love (or two) and, in the case of ‘Save the Date!’, a mischievous Jack Russell, and you have a pretty potent literary mix.

However, it’s always important to keep that fairytale ending in mind. What we want from a really good wedding is the promise of true love.  So, to all the brides and grooms – fictional and otherwise – who will be making their way up the aisle this summer: may you find the happy-ever-after that you are looking for and I hope, I truly do, that it is indeed the happiest day of your life. 

Family weddings can be hell.

…and, marooned in Italy for her cousin’s nuptials, Ailsa can be forgiven for thinking that this one is worse than most. With the bride and groom at loggerheads and the guests in uproar, it is a million miles away from the rest and relaxation she’d been hoping for.

And then suddenly, in the middle of the mayhem, she comes face-to-face with Nick, the man she walked out on just a few months earlier.

How can Ailsa help get the wedding back on track when she and Nick can’t stop arguing? But if they do, she might remember why she fell in love with him in the first place – and then there really would be trouble.

Allie is kindly offering one of our lovely Romaniac readers a chance to win a copy of her new release, Save The Date. All you have to do is leave a comment, by Friday evening (14th June), telling us about the most outrageous wedding ceremony moment you witnessed, first-hand, or were, indeed part of. The one that makes us go ‘Ohhh!’ the longest will be the winner. Good luck.

Thank you Allie for popping in to Romaniac HQ and leaving this brand, spanking new copy of Save The Date, released June 20, 2013, but available for pre-order from Amazon, here.

You can find Allie on Facebook here and follow her on Twitter, here.

Congratulations on your new book. We look forward to reading it.

Love,

The Romaniacs xx

Phillipa Ashley’s here, telling us about what it was that happened one night…

Today we introduce Phillipa Ashley’s brand new book, and the Romaniacs are already itching to read more. It’s funny, it’s feisty, and of course it’s naughty in the nicest possible way…

 

IT HAPPENED ONE NIGHT

Phillipa Ashley

Published as an e book by Piatkus Entice on June 6^th 2013

 

Blurb:

Sophie McBride has been in love with Adam Templar for as long as she can remember. Talented, brilliant and sexy, he shines like the sun over the tiny Lakeland village where she’s grown up. Now, at eighteen, she has her own big ideas and what’s more, Adam is home from university and has finally noticed her . . . really noticed her. When he asks her to a party, she dares to hope that all her dreams can come true, but what happens that night sets off a chain of events that bring heartbreak for Sophie – and lead to Adam leaving Langmere under the darkest of clouds.

Ten years later, no one is more shocked than Sophie to find him back in the village. Now an up-and-coming film director, he’s returned to make a drama about a notorious local poet and brought his glamorous cast, crew – and girlfriend – with him. As the on-screen drama plays out, can Sophie and Adam lay the past to rest or will history repeat itself?

 

EXTRACT

21 year old Adam Templar has finally made 18 year old Sophie McBride’s young life complete and asked her to spend the night with him at his younger sister’s birthday party – where he’s supposed to be in charge…

Adam emerged from the en suite, hurriedly buttoning up his Levis, “I have to go downstairs and make sure no one’s been killed in the past half-hour,” he said, shrugging on his T-shirt. “You stay here.”

“What, in bed?” asked Sophie, knowing exactly what he meant but wanting to hear him say it because it turned her on.

 “Yes, in bed. Where else? You don’t think I’m wasting the fruits of the Bell’s condom machine, do you?” He sat down on the bed next to her, tilting her chin up in the cradle of his fingers. “This is going to sound crazy but I want you to know something. I didn’t just get you up here for a shag. I mean, of course I got you up here for a shag but I also want you know that this has meant more to me than a one-night stand.” He smiled and she held her breath. “Or even a two-shag stand. The truth is I’d like to see you again over what’s left of the summer.”

And then what? She wanted him to carry on. What would happen after the summer? She wanted so much more than a one-night stand too, no matter how much she’d convinced herself that having sex with him would be enough. Over the past few hours, hopes and expectations had somehow stolen into the room, no matter how hard she’d tried to keep them out.

“I’d like to see you too,” she said, marveling at how calm she sounded, while wanting to explode with happiness.

“Good. That’s great but . . . the thing is that, in a few months, we’ll both have to go away and it’s going to be bloody miserable and I don’t know how to fix that.”

She waited for him to carry on, hoping that he’d suddenly come up with some way to “fix it” and say they could carry on seeing each other once they were at university. She hoped he would say that he would drive up to her uni from Oxford every Friday or that she could come down on the train to his college. That he’d like her to meet his friends and wander the ivy-clad quads with his arm around her and that afterwards they could make love in his rooms all night, but he stayed silent and pushed back her wayward hair from her face in a way that Sophie should have found tender but instead found disappointing. She realised that he probably wasn’t going to offer to do any of those things – not tonight anyway but maybe, she thought, he might at the end of summer when they knew each other better.

“Then don’t worry. Let’s empty the machine at the pub and have a good time,” Sophie said brightly, hoping it was what he wanted to hear.

As if to remind them both, there were loud shrieks from outside in the garden.

 “You’re right of course. We should just enjoy now, but we both know it’s not going to be that simple.”

He smiled. She wasn’t sure if he was relieved or not, but he seemed happier.

The music ramped up a notch and the floor of the room felt as if it was throbbing. The shrieks and screeches grew in volume. It sounded as if the whole of Langmere was out in the garden, which was probably almost true.

“Adam!” A girl’s voice screamed through the door.

‘For God’s sake. What now?’

There was hammering on the door. “Adam! Open the door!”

“Wait a minute!”

The door flew open and Tarnyah dashed into the room. Sophie dived under the sheets as Adam swore loudly. “Get out!”

Before Sophie had time to expect the girl to giggle or point or shriek in embarrassment at finding her and Adam half naked, Tarnyah started shouting. “They’re in the lake. They’re in the lake. Come quick.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon UK:

It Happened One Night

Amazon US:

http://www.amazon.com/It-Happened-One-Night-ebook/dp/B009M1QR64/ref=la_B0034P9MC0_1_9_title_0_main?ie=UTF8&qid=1368446686&sr=1-9

Website

www.phillipa-ashley.com

Twitter

@PhillipaAshley

Facebook

Good luck, Phillipa!

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Phillipa-Ashley/133611746664705?fref=ts

Butterfly Moments

Butterfly photographs courtesy of Deb Anderson – with thanks.

So, what’s the most romantic thing you’ve ever done?

We’ve probably all got a cupboard full of skeletons that we only let out at 3am when sleep won’t come, but I’m not even going to think about those deeply embarrassing bits today. The theme of this blog is the other times – the ones when we got it absolutely right; the Butterfly Moments, if you like. You know the ones I mean. When you were trying to be really romantic and it worked? When you wanted to make someone very happy and it happened without any banana skins, unexpected gurgles in the stomach region (or worse) or red faces?
Cast your minds back to a time when the world suddenly became a simpler place and you gave yourself – if only briefly – full marks for an impulsive romantic gesture, a perfectly organised outing, a significant and suitable present well received or a cunning plan that came off.
These moments are precious if only to remind us that life can, sometimes, be a bowl of cherries. I know we use our depressing and cringe-worthy experiences to bring our writing to life but just for a few minutes, let yourself wallow in smug self-satisfaction as you remember something that deserves its own Westlife (subsitute own cheesy music choice here) soundtrack and fuzzy lighting. Go on, tell all…

Celia: Mine was when my newly discovered and already much-loved bloke announced that he was going away shortly for nearly two weeks on a railway journey that was going to touch on a whole bunch of major European cities. After I had finished hitting him with a stick and the bitter jealousy had subsided, I realised I was going to miss him. A lot. Unfortunately, this man was a texting novice at the time and thought that the mobile telephone was a scheme of the devil to waste our valuable reading time. I wanted to make sure he didn’t forget about me, but constantly ringing him to mutter sweet nothings was only going to make him remember how annoying I could be (which, incidentally, is pretty annoying).
For this man, who I was beginning to suspect had a secret romantic streak, the only way forwards was on paper. I shopped furiously for small and quirky cards and dug out my dusty collection of poetry books. Then I got a copy of his holiday itinerary and wrote a letter, complete with a poetic quote, for every day, labelled neatly with the place and date. I can sense your incredulity here – was this woman totally off her rocker? Surely this must have taken hours – time that could have been better spent eating cake, drinking copious amounts of wine and watching back to back episodes of Friends? The answer is, yes it bloody did. But it was worth it because he loved them and still has them stashed away where he thinks I can’t see them. Ha!

Catherine: I’m not sure I can be classed as romantic, but I do my best to be thoughtful when I can and not just for the man in my life. Later this year it’s my Mum’s 60th Birthday. Old Ma Mo (I never came up with that nickname) has stated she doesn’t want a fuss, and no parties. Well, I’m very good at ignoring my Mum and at knowing when she means what she says… hence, I have plans. Secret plans which I cannot reveal even among friends. I will tell you about her 50th though. Since she was at school, my Mum has had a pen pal over in Texas. Twice her pen pal had been over here, but Mum couldn’t afford to go on the return journey. So I got in contact with her pen pal and started making secret plans with her and my grandparents. Sue (Mum’s pen pal) was able to be very generous and paid for Mum to go over with air miles and the savings went towards me going with Mum as she didn’t want to travel alone. We didn’t keep it a secret until she was going, we told her about a month beforehand. Here we are in a rather fuzzy photo in San Antonio. Now to live up to it for her 60th! And Mum, if you are reading this, as we’ll have 3 month old twins, they’ll be no flights involved this time!

Jan: This Butterfly Moment couldn’t strictly be labelled ’romantic’, but Mr B was certainly happy. He’s a keen golfer and his trusty ‘old’ golf bag had long been the butt of much banter on the fairways. It was so ancient that, during a round one weekend, his clubs were dragging along the grass where the masking tape holding the bottom of said bag together (I kid you not!) had worked loose. A-ha! I thought at the time… I know what to get him for his next birthday. Trouble was, that birthday was six months away and, in the meantime, he was invited to attend a golf day at this really posh club with about twenty other guys. Now, Mr B hasn’t a snobby bone in his body, but I suspected that, deep down, he must be a tiny bit concerned about how dinosaur bag would be received come tee-off time, not to mention its survival chances over 18 holes. So, I went out and bought him a shiny, new one which I presented to him the day before the big event. A pre-birthday gift for one pleased-as-punch golfer!

“FORE!!!!”

So, what we really want to know is what was your perfect, romantic moment? Or maybe, you’re planning one right now…You can tell us.

Celia x

Liam Livings and The Value of Attending Writing Events

We thank and welcome today’s guest, gay fiction author, Liam Livings to Romaniac HQ. Liam discusses the value of attending writing events. We’d love to hear your thoughts, too.

Take it away, Liam…

6 reasons why attending writing events is so useful for a new writer (and all writers)

I attended my first writing event in September 2012, the UK Meet in Brighton. It was the suggestion of my friend Clare London and I think, one of the most useful things I’ve done on my journey to becoming a published author. And these are the reasons why…

1. You don’t know what you don’t know.

I learned a great deal of things about writing, promotion, the publishing industry, which I had absolutely no idea about before. Yes, you could get some information on the internet, but when you’re starting out, it’s like the new thing you’re grappling with has no edges, no shape, no names, no words for you to google even (shock horror!). When you’re entering a new ‘industry’ as I was, taking your first tentative steps, there’s a whole new language, set of abbreviations, tools and techniques you need to learn. And there’s something very human and satisfying about learning new things with like-minded people, being able to ask in the breaks or over lunch, ‘What’s a trope?’ or ‘What does HEA stand for?’ And because you’re in like, friendly company your answer is met with a friendly helpful response. I didn’t even know what a blog tour was, never mind being able to think, that would be a useful way to promote my book. I’d never heard of Nanowrimo, and over dinner Anna Martin explained it to me. I didn’t do it in November, but ended up doing Janowrimo instead. I didn’t know what I didn’t know, and there’s a whole new world of new ideas and concepts to know. Once you start to know what you didn’t know, that leads onto more knowledge, and then you can begin to have opinions about these new concepts: is a HEA always good; should I do Nano this year? As I drove through Brighton on my way home, that Saturday night, my head was buzzing with ideas and new phrases, like these, and I doubt very much if I’d have got that buzz from a few hours diligently googling.

2. It can lead to lots of other things, which wouldn’t happen (probably) if you’d not met the people face to face.

Meeting people at writing events can lead to many other opportunities, which may have happened, had you met them online, but are much more likely having met the real people and really ‘connected’ with them in physical real time. There’s something about having a meal with a group of new people, chatting over tea (I don’t drink coffee) between sessions, asking them how they’ve got on, that cements relationships in a way online can’t. After the UK Meet I was asked by Charlie Cochrane to guest on her blog, which I loved. I was asked by Clare London to take part in the next big thing blog tour, and because I’d met some other authors, I actually had people to tag. I’ve been on Becky Black’s blog. And somehow, using my marketing skills from my day job, I’ve ended up being part of the planning group for the 2013 UK Meet: I said yes to all of them. All things which I doubt would have happened, had I not met these people at the UK Meet 2012.

3. Writing can be quite a lonely experience and these events brings us together.

Although my friends have taken an interest in my writing to varying degrees, ranging from begging me to read the manuscript and commenting profusely, to not knowing what to say, I’ve found the actual process of writing can be quite lonely: it’s me, my laptop, a cup of tea, and sometimes one of my cats on my lap. I tend to write when I’m alone in the house, finding it helps my productivity. This is contrary to my extrovert personality (I’ve done Myers Briggs, and reading the summary was like they’d got inside my head had a poke around and written the report, rather than me ticking some boxes on a form) where I love interactions with people, hearing their stories, meeting my friends and family. But with the exception of one friend, I had no one I could talk proper geeky writing with – technique, planning, word count, you know the nitty gritty. Not one. I have ‘car friends’ with whom I can indulge my geeky car interests. So going to the UK Meet allowed my inner writing geek loose: to plan or not to plan; how many words can you write in a day; where do you get your ideas from; grammar errors which should result in capital punishment…All topics you can talk about until your little writing heart’s content at writing events. At UK Meet 2012 I realised I’d finally found my people, I’d found my ‘writing friends’ which is so healthy and normal as a person, to share interests with others. Yes, you can have these discussions online, and I think that’s great (and do still do that). However, in a world when online seems to be the way all things are going, there’s something very comfortingly old-fashioned about meeting people face to face, having a ‘I do that too’ moment, or a ‘are you mad, you’re wrong’ moment, face to face. These moments are the seeds of friendships and before you know it you have a range of ‘writing friends’ all around you. That’s something writing events can deliver in spades if you roll your sleeves up and get involved.

4. Knowing who to contact for different questions and to ask for help.

Yes, you can do this online. Yes, I have done this online (I contacted Laura online, having never met her to ask if I could be on this blog). However, I wouldn’t have known anything about the Romaniacs blog, as I wouldn’t have known what to google, or what a guest blog post was (see point 1) if I’d not been to the UK Meet. Also it was Charlie Cochrane, who I met at UK Meet (thanks v much) who introduced me to Laura. Now, I’m sure Laura’s very kind and generous and would have welcomed me on the blog with virtual open arms, but I felt a had a better chance, a better hope of a warm welcome, having been introduced from Charlie. It’s a bit like in the mafia where they introduce new members as ‘a friend of mine’ which means they’re safe and not the police. (I have the full box set of The Sopranos and Donnie Brasco for that reference btw!)

5. Talking to others who’ve been through the same thing you’re going through.

When you’re an unpublished author, as I am at the moment, getting published can seem like a mythical world, far far away. A bit like Narnia maybe… mmm James McAvoy playing a fawn, concentrate Liam… So talking to other authors who’ve been through that process, and come out the other side, a published author was one of the most valuable things I took from the UK Meet. The session on getting published, where Becky Black explained there was no magic handshake, no special codes, it was about making the work the best you can, targeting the right publishers, and persevering, was like a halleluiah moment in my head. Talking to other authors during the weekend in Brighton showed me many other similar stories about other authors, juggling writing with family/work/pets/life, and still getting published. Hearing these stories from the mouths of other writers was so much more powerful than reading about it on the internet, and it has really spurred me onto getting published.

6. Practical tips for things you’d never have believed you could do.

Me, making a website! Never. When I went to UK Meet, all I had was a domain name www.liamlivings.com (which against the better belief of The Boyfriend, and all my friends who know I have no web skills whatsoever, I’d somehow managed to organise). Having spoken to other writers, who’d all made their own websites/blogs/whatevers who were all about the writing and not so much about the HTML, I had the confidence to make my website and blog. I left the UK Meet 2012, with a list of build your own website (for dummies) sites. One afternoon, two weeks after the UK Meet, I made it happen. Whatever your particular sticking point as a writer, I’m sure a chat with someone who’s been there before who could show you how easy it is, would free your sticking point. I would not have had this confidence, to just go ahead and do it, had I not spoken to so many others who’d done the same.

So, the next time you’re umming and ahhing about whether to stump up the air/rail/fuel and hotel to attend a writing event, just remember how valuable it is to really connect (old fashioned face to face connect) with like minded people, and how many more wonderful opportunities can come from a conversation with another writer.

Tuesday Chit Chat: Alison Morton

Good morning, Alison, and welcome to Romaniac HQ. I’ve piped in a little Abba music for the occasion…Ack! Who am I kidding? I play their songs all the time. Have you see the recent TV interviews with Agnetha?

Yes, I caught one on YouTube. I think her new album ‘A’ has just come out?

Which Abba song would you sing at a karaoke night?

Waterloo (the historian’s answer!)

What is it about their music that draws you in?

It’s catchy, melodic and has great lyrics and energy. But mostly it’s the sheer danceability.

I was always in awe of the fact a Scandinavian group wrote in English. Tell me about your love for language.

I was a natural chatterbox who loved reading, and writing stories and listening to them, so that’s the four language skills in a nutshell! As for foreign languages, I learned my first French at age 6 in France, studied French and German at uni and overseas business schools and, via various jobs, became a professional specialist translator. I know a little survivor’s Italian and Spanish, and, of course, Latin! All this paid off when I studied for my history MA and I could read source documents in their original language.

Have cultural experiences influenced your writing? How?

Big time! Sure, I’ve learned about other cultures through the window of their language and literature, but it’s when you stand in the country and touch the buildings and the things they’ve made with your own fingers that it all comes to life. The first time I ‘met’ the Romans was when I was eleven.  I was fascinated by the beautiful mosaics in the Roman part of Ampurias (a huge Graeco-Roman site in Spain). I wanted to know who had made them, whose houses they were in, who had walked on them. 

I think I’ve always been a closet historian, or perhaps it’s sheer nosiness! It’s perfectly normal to me to clamber over Roman aqueducts, walk on mosaic pavements, follow the German frontier limes, visit Roman loos in France, pretend I’m a Roman playactor in classic theatres all over Europe from Spain to then Yugoslavia, from Hadrian’s Wall to Pompeii.

How do you use your research to write about alternative civilisations?

Ah, very good question! Setting a story in the past or in another country is a challenge. But if you invent the country, then your work is doubled. For instance, the geography and climate must resemble the ones in the region where the imagined country lies. I’ll confess: I ‘borrowed’ Slovenia as the model for Roma Nova where my novel INCEPTIO is set.  The other thing no writer in any genre can neglect their imagined country’s social, economic and political development. This sounds dry, but every living person is a product of their local conditions. Their experience of living in a place and struggle to make sense of it is expressed through their culture and behaviour.

The key is plausibility. Take a character working in law enforcement. Readers can accept cops being gentle or tough, enthusiastic, intellectual or world-weary. Law enforcers come from all genders, classes, races and ages and stand in different places along the personal morality ruler. But whether corrupt or clean, they must act like a recognisable form of cop. They catch criminals, arrest and charge them and operate within a judicial system. Legal practicalities can differ significantly from those we know, but they must be consistent with the imagined society but remain plausible for the reader. But a flashing light and an oscillating siren on a police vehicle are universal symbols that instantly connect readers back to their own world.

I try to infuse, but not flood, the story with corroborative details to reinforce the original setting.  Even though INCEPTIO is set in the 21st century, the Roma Novan characters say things like ‘I wouldn’t be in your sandals (not ‘shoes’) when he finds out.’  And there are honey-coated biscuits (honey was important for the ancient Romans) not chocolate digestives in the squad room.

Another way to connect to readers when writing from an unfamiliar setting is to ensure the characters display normal behaviour. Human beings of all ages and cultures have similar emotional needs, hurts and joys. Of course, they’re expressed differently, sometimes in an alienating or (to us) peculiar way. But we can identify with a romantic relationship, whether painful, instant, careful or intense – it binds us into the characters’ lives.

‘Inceptio’ was launched in March of this year. Please tell me about the book.

With pleasure!

New York – present day alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe.

Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety and a ready-made family. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else and alienated from Conrad, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it…

It sounds so exciting!

Which three words best describe Alison Morton?

Ha ha! I laugh because I had to ask friends and colleagues exactly this question during a business coaching session. Their most frequent three were: motivated, imaginative, organised. Mine for me are: persistent, nosy, positive.

If you lived in Roman times, what name would you use, and what would be your occupation?

In early Roman times women usually took their father’s family name differentiated by Prima, Secunda, Tertia (First, Second, Third) or Maior  (the Older) or Minor (the Younger), but later were often named for both male and female relatives, so a huge choice! Using later conventions, I’ll go for Aelia, the nearest-looking first name to Alison, and Carola after my father’s first name (Aren’t you glad you asked?). 

And my occupation? At no time in Ancient Rome’ were women allowed to hold public office or work in the government. Elite and middle class women didn’t have jobs. But there’s a lot of evidence for women running small businesses and working in practical trades as well as the oldest profession. Of course, the silent influence of strong women was everywhere… I think I’d run a small business. Could this be me, tallying up the accounts?

Now for some Romaniac Quick Fire questions. Ready?

(Takes deep breath.)

Dream dance partner? Patrick Swayze

Favourite Frenchman? Alain Delon

Afternoon Tea or Picnic in the Park? Picnic

Denim or silk? Denim

France or Florida? France (as I live there!)

Sea bathing or private pool? Private pool (but I love a dip in the sea now and again.)

Jogging or walking? Walking

French wine or English cider? Difficult, but on balance wine

Cheddar or Brie? As long as the Cheddar is a good one…

Alison, thank you so much for joining us today, in our own alternate Romaniac universe.

Ego tibi gratias maximas ago (Thanks a million!).

You can find INCEPTIO on Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/INCEPTIO-Roma-Nova-ebook/dp/B00BMU5OW6 and Amazon US  http://www.amazon.com/INCEPTIO-Roma-Nova-ebook/dp/B00BMU5OW6

You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing here:

Blog: http://alison-morton.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor

Twitter: @alison_morton

Photographs courtesy of Alison Morton.