***** Five Star People

Lovely cousins and Dad

I’m experimenting with a new-style, shorter length post today as we Romaniacs think we’ve been getting a touch verbose lately. (‘No, no!’ I hear you cry, ‘How can that be? How can there be too much Romaniac burbling? It’s almost like saying cake is bad for you.’ But, dear reader, stick with it, and feel free to comment at the end, which I promise you is not nearly as far away as usual.)

So, on the theme of less is more, I want to talk about Five Star People – the ones who become involved in your life for a very good reason, affecting the way you write and also the way that you see the world. Sometimes they pop in and go again quite quickly, more often they hang around for some time and occasionally they are with you for the duration. Whichever ones you’re thinking of right now, they all have something in common – they make your life better. They are life enhancers extrordinaire. And what’s more, they help you to develop as a writer.

Hoping you like the small selection from my personal gallery of five star award winners, naturally including the Romaniac gang. We have experienced some tough times between us since we met and have had to accept that we can’t always write or even be in touch as much or as often as we’d like to, but the support is always there and without them, my life would be much less sparkly. It would be great to hear about some of your own stars now, and also to have your views on the merits of short/longer posts. I’m off to make a cake now with all that waffling time I’ve saved.

So much missed.

Five star buddies Kay and Mum-in-Law

Cherished offspring

Romaniacs on parade

Tracy Bloom – Sex on a Tuesday? No way…

A massive Romaniac welcome to today’s featured author Tracy Bloom, who started writing when her cruel, heartless husband ripped her away from her dream job shopping for rollercoasters for the UK’s leading theme parks, to live in America with a brand new baby and no mates. In a cunning plan to avoid domestic duties and people who didn’t understand her Derbyshire accent, she wrote NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY. She soon found however that her new American friends took a shine to her British sense of humour and encouraged her to share her words with a wider audience. NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY went on to be successfully published internationally providing Tracy with a new dream job, making people laugh and sometimes cry through her writing.
Back in good old England now (desperately missing drive-through Starbucks, 30- Rock, NPR and people who talk to you in the street without thinking you’re a weido) and cracking on with writing about other people who screw up their lives in a hilarious fashion including a sequel, NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX AFTER A BABY.
And now, here’s Tracy to take us through her path to publication:

AROUND THE WORLD WITH NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY – TRACY BLOOM
Picture the scene – my first taste of success as a writer. I’m sitting in a fancy restaurant – by which I mean there isn’t a chicken nugget in sight. My publisher sits at the head of the table. A grand dame of the industry weighed down by precious metals and with hair that has definitely not been blow dried by herself. I glow with pride as I sign a copy of my book despite the fact I can’t read a word of it. Here I am celebrating seeing my novel in print for the very first time in … Milan, Italy. I’ve spent all day trailing bookshops, taking pictures of my book, trying to convince shop owners that I am the author and not some eccentric English lady who can’t speak Italian yet convinced she’s written an entire book in their language. This is not how I expected things to be.
I guess it’s fitting that I didn’t begin writing in my native England. Marriage, a baby and a husband sent to work in the USA for three years slung me out of my previous career developing theme park rides and attractions, and potentially into desperate housewife territory. As I gazed around the leafy suburbs of Connecticut I remembered I’d once had a dream to write a book. And so I did. Armed with ideas and a very British sense of humour I joined a creative writing class and NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY began to take shape. The tale of childhood sweethearts having a one-night stand when they meet years later at a school reunion seemed to strike a chord. When two classmates had a row about whether my lead character should stick with her younger boyfriend or rekindle her teenage romance having discovered that either men could be the father of her baby, I knew I had something.
Eventually it was finished and I skipped class to sweat over letters to potential agents in London. Not that I thought I’d get one, I just fancied getting some transatlantic mail. As it turned out one wanted me and my book. Champagne corks popped. It was a dream come true. I didn’t realise that dreams rarely materialise in the way you imagine them.
My agent (I will never get used to saying that) took my book to Frankfurt Book Fair and I waited impatiently to hear when I would be able to buy it in Waterstones. Then the news came that it had sold to the highest bidder in a German auction and a pre-empted bid had secured it a home in Italy. Not long afterwards Brazil grabbed hold of it followed by Poland. Initially I was crushed that I wouldn’t be seeing my book on home territory until the reality of being published abroad sank in. Someone in Brazil, a country I had never even visited, thought I was funny, thought I could write and wanted other Brazilians to read my story. That, I decided, was pretty cool.
One edition after another, my book appeared in print in languages I couldn’t read with covers so diverse it was hard to reconcile it as the same book. It was as though I had given my book up for adoption and it was having this whole fantastic life without me that I was unable to participate in.
Until this year. The massive changes driving uncertainty in the publishing industry had been blamed for my book not finding a home in the UK. However as a new era in publishing emerges, those changes have provided the opportunity for me to finally get published here. With the support of my agent who also represents Sophie Kinsella and has helped Kate Harrison achieve massive self- publishing success with her 5:2 Diet Book, my novel is now available in English on Amazon. Finally I can tell people to go and read my tale of a one-night stand that leads to utter chaos. Best of all I can understand the reviews and comments for NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY without having to resort to Google Translate!

Book Description
Never has a one-night stand led to such chaos!
Childhood sweethearts Matthew and Katy agree they must never see each other again after they end up in bed together following a school re-union.
So all is forgotten… until eight months later when a shock meeting at an antenatal class forces them to confront the fact that Matthew could be the father of Katy’s baby. Oblivious to the mayhem unfolding, Matthew’s highly-strung wife frets over giving birth to twins and Katy’s much younger boyfriend refuses to take fatherhood seriously.
Love and life are messy but Katy and Matthew take things to a whole new level as deep emotions begin to resurface and hormones run riot. How will they navigate their way through this almighty cock-up?
Available on Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tracy-Bloom/e/B00BSRA0TA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1367435905&sr=8-1

http://www.amazon.com/Tracy-Bloom/e/B00BSRA0TA/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1367435161&sr=8-1

NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY has been published in Germany, Italy, Poland, Serbia, and will be released in Brazil this Summer.

Contact Details:
Website: http://www.tracybloom.com
Twitter: @TracyBBloom
Email: tracybloom@hotmail.co.uk
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tracybloomwrites

Tuesday Chit Chat – Katherine Garbera

                              

So, Katherine, we find you here in the Romaniac lair at last, and looking terribly glamorous as usual. Welcome! Did you by any chance bring cake? Only I’ve been a bit busy and the cake tin seems to be empty…you’re shaking your head sadly, guess that one’s  a no then.  Never mind, settle yourself down and relax. The garden’s looking lovely, we might even be able to open a window today and enjoy the sunshine. The girls have asked me to give you a gentle grilling – here are our questions:

What was the first complete book that you wrote, and at what point in your life did this happen?

Hi, Romaniacs – I wrote my first manuscript after the birth of my daughter when I was 24. I loved the experience of it so much that I couldn’t wait to write another one. I’m afraid I didn’t know much about plotting so it was mainly a story that contained the things I liked to read—a strong alpha hero, a heroine with a fabulous sense of fashion, lots of steamy sex and a bad guy who was always menacing them.

Was the road to publishing difficult for you?
I don’t think so. I just always knew I’d be published some day and when I got a rejection letter I’d l think well they just don’t get me.  My second manuscript almost got purchased so I knew I was on the right track. Then when I started writing my third manuscript I decided that if I was going to be any good at writing I needed to master romance or suspense before I tried to merge the two. I made the third manuscript a straight romance. It featured a single mom, a sexy construction worker who moved in next door and her adorable son. I still love that story! It won the Georgia Romance Writer’s Award of Excellence and became my first sale. I was aged 26. 

Do you have an agent?
Yes. And I like her a lot. I’ve had three agents over the course of my career.

Where were you born and brought up?
I was born in Haileah, Florida (that’s in the South just north of Miami) but was raised in Central Florida a little bit west of Disney world. My parents are very down-to-earth people who liked living life their own way so we always lived in the country. I grew up with the Green Swamp in my backyard and orange groves all around me.

We didn’t have any neighbors so my sisters and I were each others companions and my mom used to lock us outside in the summer and make us play.

I think those days really fired up my imagination and probably laid the groundwork for me to become a writer.

Does the place that you live influence your plots and characters?
Sort of. I think the places I’ve lived (Florida, Chicago, IL; Dallas, Tx, and Southern California) have all influenced me but really it’s the people I’ve met that have the most impact on me.

Where is your ideal writing spot?
Ideally at my desk, but when I find that distractions like the internet get too much, I move to a recliner I have in the corner of my office or the coffee shop. I don’t play games or waste time if I perceive someone else can see me.

What home comforts do you need to help you to write?
I need something to drink either hot tea (I’m American so usually drink Raspberry Zinger) or coffee and lots of it.

What inspired you to start writing?
My daughter inspired me to start writing. I’d always dabbled in it but when she was born I was working as a secretary and not really loving it. And I wanted her to see me doing something I loved instead of hating going to work every day. So I started writing with the intent to publish.

How do you begin to create your characters?
Usually I have an idea of a character in my head that’s pretty strong so I know where they are coming from. Then I just answer a few basic questions that lay the groundwork for my story. They are What does he/she want? (This is the Goal) Why do they want it? (Motivation) Why can’t they have it? (Conflict) Once I have these three things for the heroine then I do the same thing for the hero and I make sure that they want opposing things because people who are at odds on the page make it more exciting. And it become natural conflict instead of forced.

Who is your favourite literary hero?
I’m not sure if you mean author or fictional character so I’ll give you both. My author heroes are Margaret Atwood, Jayne Ann Krentz and Baroness Orczy. My favorite fictional characters are Claudia Kincaid from E.L. Konigsburg’s From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Elizabeth Gilbert from Eat Pray Love which is her memoir.

Do your family read your books?
Yes they do. My mom skips “those” parts, my grandmother before she passed away used to tell me to write more sex, and my daughter says she just doesn’t think of me writing them. 

Which celebrity would you like to send one of your books to, and which book would you choose?
I think I’d send it Sandra Bullock because she takes on projects and is passionate about them. I’d send her Bare Facts which is the first in a series I wrote that was a sort of homage to Charlie’s Angels.

How many works do you have in progress at once?
I only work on one book at a time but I am contracted for more than one book that I’ve written proposals for. So right now I’ve got five books in the hopper but am only working on one of them.

If you had no constraints of time and a guarantee of publication, what sort of book would you write?
I’m writing books I love right now. So more of the same. 

Do you have writing buddies?
Yes, I do and I miss them terribly because we live so far apart now. I’m a member of a very cool group called the Evelettes (Eve Gaddy, Lenora Worth, Julia Justiss and Denise Daniels) and then I have my Puffs—self-named after the PowerPuff Girls Bubbles aka Nancy Robards Thompson, Blossom aka Mimi Wells and me Buttercup!

Do you have any say in the cover designs for your books?
I fill in a very lengthy art fact sheet but usually that’s it. For my single title books I had more input and often got pictures from the photo shoots.

Now for some quick fire questions:

Sunbathing or swimming?
Swimming, I was a competitive swimmer for a long time.

Hugs or kisses?
Both but kisses win out.

Roaring log fire or funky high tech gas version?
Roaring fire.
Chocolate cake or crisps?
Cake I suppose but I can’t resist a bag of Ruffles.

Veggie burger or steak?
Steak

Spring, summer, autumn or winter?
Summer and the beach, baby!

Films or TV serials?
Films

Holiday venues – chill-out or active?
I like both.

Best ever holiday?
Venice with my husband and kids last summer.

Favourite ever dress?
Red cocktail dress that dipped to a low V in the back. I think it was a Laura Ashley dress I bought it on sale in New Orleans and wore the heck out of it. 

Thanks for giving us an insight into your life, Katherine– come back soon. I’ll make sure there’s cake next time…

Thanks so much for inviting me to your blog.

Agent Hunter – The Romaniacs try out an exciting and useful new website.

Recently, the Romaniacs were offered a challenge. It wasn’t cake based (although it has to be said that we are world famous for our capacity for eating scones and are expecting the Guinness Book of Records to be in touch very shortly). No; this gauntlet was thrown down by the dynamo that is Harry Bingham of The Writers’ Workshop. He wondered if we would like have a browse around his fabulous new website – Agent Hunter – and give the viewpoint of a bunch of aspiring writers.

            Well, The Romaniacs are always up for a challenge, and we are no strangers to languishing on the slush pile from time to time, so we dived in. We are generally very impressed with this new facility, but I’m going to shamelessly steal some snippets from the site to give you an overview first:

Who is behind Agent Hunter? Agent Hunter ( http://www.agenthunter.co.uk/ ) is   the creation of The Writers’ Workshop, the UK’s largest   editorial consultancy for new writers. The Writers’ Workshop has superb   contacts with literary agents and is constantly helping its writers secure   representation and book deals. A comprehensive list of all   literary agents and publishers. Not just in London, but across the UK.	Create your own search filters   to find agents who want work in your genre and who want new clients.	We supply rich data on every   agent: contact info, bios, photos, links, submission advice, and much   more.
We’ve asked agents to give us their   likes and dislikes. No other database has this info.	You can save your searches   and use them for your submissions planning.	Try us for free! An annual   subscription costs just £12, but you pay nothing if you cancel in the first 7   days.

Now for The Romanics’ opinions:

We really like the filter system for narrowing down the right agent for your genre. The site looks comprehensive, user friendly and informative.

Two small points to consider – we would like an option on the left hand side that says ‘Don’t mind’ or ‘Unimportant’, when asking the things like how many clients we’d like the agent to have, and all the other questions like that. Also, under ‘Agent Experience’, we think it would make more sense for the answers to be ‘less than 5 years’, ’5 – 10 years’, ’11-15′, ‘More than 15′ – for example. We all really like the agent/agency bios. It’s a very user-friendly site with good links to other information/pages i.e The Writers’ Workshop. The FAQ section seems to have most things covered.

Agent Hunter seems to have given the whole searching for an agent or publisher nightmare a more personal feel. It can be very daunting trawling through various books and websites for specific agents/guidelines. We think the subscription fee is very reasonable too. The mailing list option is also good, to stay in touch with latest news/offers.  

Overall, we think it’s a great idea, and it certainly speeds up the search for a relevant/suitable agent. It has given us all a good feel for which agent to pitch to, and has actually tempted us to submit.

Thanks, Harry, for the opportunity to explore this exciting new website – we’ll probably bump into you in there as we hunt for the ‘Look into the agents’ living room’ button and search for the coffee shop facility.

Tuesday Chit-Chat – Donna Douglas

 

Good morning, Donna – it’s good to see you here at Romaniac HQ. Make yourself at home – just brush the Hob Nob crumbs off the sofa and put your feet up. Scone? They’re cherry ones today. I think I might have accidentally finished off the clotted cream though…

 

Now, let’s find out what makes you tick. Your website’s great, I know a lot about you already but we’d better fill everyone else in too. 

 

When did you start writing and what inspired you at the very beginning?

 

I’ve always loved telling stories, even as a child. Unlike a lot of writers, I didn’t grow up surrounded by books. But I loved Jackanory on TV, and on a Saturday morning I used to get loads of girls’ comics like Bunty and Jinty, and devour all the stories. You can learn a lot about conflict and cliffhangers from reading those weekly serials! Funnily enough, after I left school I got a job writing photo love stories for a teenage magazine. I started writing my first novel when I was 20, and was finally published two days before my 40^th birthday. I’ve sped up a bit since then…

Reading this, I think we’re both from the same era! I loved Bunty, and Jackanory too. But what era would you have chosen to be born into, if not this one?

 

I don’t know about having to live my whole life in a particular era, but there are loads I’d like to visit. I’m a massive Tudor buff, so I would love to go back to the court of Henry VIII and find out what it was really like. And of course, I would love to visit a hospital in 1930s and pick up some ideas for my Nightingales books. Although I’m not sure about being a patient, since they didn’t stand much chance in those days!

Do you see yourself as mainly character or plot driven?

 

Characters are most important for me. It’s the characters and their conflicts that drive the plot. People are interested in people. If you don’t care about a character and they’re not real for you, then it doesn’t matter how much life or death drama you put them through, it’s not going to work.

Do your characters ever do things you’d rather they didn’t, or that you hadn’t anticipated?

 

All the time! It can be quite spooky sometimes. Your character does or says something and you think, ‘Now why did they do that?’ And then later in the story you realise that they’ve actually laid the foundation for an intriguing new subplot or twist that hadn’t occurred to you. Of course, it can also be massively inconvenient when you really need them to act a certain way for the sake of your ingenious plot and they just won’t play ball! In which case it’s probably best to listen to them, I find.

Looking back at that answer, I now realise I have the voices of various people in my head, who I truly believe are real and have minds of their own. If I wasn’t a writer that would be quite worrying, wouldn’t it?

Which three books would you take to a desert island and what treats would be in your picnic hamper?

 

Is it wrong that I can think of the food more easily than I can think of the books? Treat wise, there would have to be salt and vinegar Kettle Chips, Galaxy chocolate and Fruitellas. Also, we have a bakers in York called Thomas’, which does the best Chelsea buns in the whole world. Seriously, if you’re ever in York I urge you to get one. You will not be disappointed.

Right, now on to books. I guess I would have to take a survival manual, because being a city girl I am completely lost in the wild. And by wild, I mean anywhere that doesn’t have an M&S within walking distance.  I might also take one of my 1930s nursing manuals, because they show how to perform life-saving treatments with very little resources. For enjoyment, I would have to take Riders by Jilly Cooper. It’s my all time comfort read.

Just booking train ticket to York. With you on the Jilly Cooper choice too. Still on the subject of reading matter, which book, famous or otherwise, have you always wished you’d written yourself?

 

Something that has stood the test of time, with a story that still resonates, such as Jane Eyre. To be able to impact on people emotionally is a great gift for a writer – I love it when people tell me I made them cry! From a royalties point of view, I wouldn’t have minded coming up with Harry Potter, though…

Which has been your most romantic character so far, which the most heroic and which the most unsettling/sinister?

 

Nick Riley in The Nightingale Girls is my perfect romantic hero. He’s a real bad boy with a vulnerable heart. From the response I’ve had from readers, they all seem to like him too! Everyone wants him to get together with my heroine Dora, but they may have to wait awhile before they get their happy ending (if they get it…). Dora is pretty heroic – she’s a tough East End girl who’s overcome all kinds of obstacles to follow her dream of being a nurse. Nursing wasn’t an option for working class girls at the time, and she has to fight to prove herself every day. She’s the one I most identify with, because when I was young everyone said working class girls like me couldn’t be writers, either. I’m not sure about unsettling or sinister characters. I’ve written plenty of nasty people, like Helen’s overbearing mother Constance Tremayne or vindictive Sister Wren. She manages to do a fair amount of damage in The Nightingale Sisters, especially to the new Night Sister. But I always try to give them a human side too, or at least a reason why they behave the way they do, otherwise you end up with a cartoon villain.

A predictable question, but we’re very nosy here. Where do you write and what’s your ideal writing routine?

 

I have an office, which is basically the back of the garage. I used to write in the spare bedroom, but I spent far too much time nosing out of the window at all the goings-on in our street. Now my office has a tiny, high strip of frosted window overlooking a brick wall so I can’t focus on anything but work! I like to start writing early in the morning – I get most of my best work done before lunch. In the afternoon, I get sidetracked into domestic stuff, answering emails or hanging about on Twitter, so I hardly get anything done.

I know the feeling! Here’s another of our favourite questions. Do you have an agent, and if so, was he/she hard to come by?

 

My agent is the lovely Caroline Sheldon. We got together about four years ago. I’d already had a few novels published under the name Donna Hay, but then my agent retired and I became a bit jaded and realised I wasn’t enjoying writing contemporary stuff any more. I gave up writing completely for a couple of years but then I missed it so I called up Caroline because lots of people had told me how nice she was. And they were right! It turned out to be serendipitous for both of us, because a few days after our meeting she met an editor who was looking for someone to write a series of novels set in a hospital in 1930s – and Caroline thought I might be up for the challenge.

I love a happy ending. Now, what would be your dream job, apart from writing all day with an endless supply of money thrown in?

 

I’ve always fancied being a beauty therapist, because it must be nice to spend your day making people look and feel better. Everyone enjoys a bit of pampering, and working in a spa seems like a fairly stress-free environment.

Quick fire questions –

 

Gin or champagne?

Gin, definitely. In fact, the answer is almost always gin.

TV or theatre?

Much as I would like to sound highbrow, it has to be TV.

Austen or Bronte?

Bronte. Don’t get me wrong, I love Jane Austen. But the Brontes have always fascinated me.

Bubble bath or power shower?

Bubble bath, when I get the chance. But sadly it’s mostly showers.

Book or Kindle?

Kindle on holiday, but you can’t beat a book the rest of the time.

Chocolate cake or exotic fresh fruit salad?

If you’d said any other kind of cake I would have gone for that. But I’m not a big fan of chocolate cake. Chocolate, yes. Cake, yes. But not together. Oh no. I quite like the sound of those cherry scones you mentioned earlier, actually…

Late nights or early mornings?

Early mornings. But I remember a time when they were one and the same thing. I’d stay up all night then rock up to work in a party dress. These were the days. Couldn’t do it now, though.

And finally, what comes next for you?

My new book, The Nightingale Sisters, is out any day now. It follows on from The Nightingale Girls, but it’s a stand alone story, so you don’t have to have read the first to enjoy the second. I’m just finishing off the third book in the Nightingales series, which is due out in October. After that, I have another two Nightingale books to write. Although there might well be more…

Thank you so much for letting us see a snapshot of your writing life – I’ve packed you some fruit cake for on the way home. See you again, I hope, and good luck with your next project.

Thanks for having me, I’ve had a lovely time. Although if I’d have known there was cake involved I would have bought you a Chelsea bun from Thomas’…

The Nightingale Sisters is published by Arrow Books. It’s available from Amazon  – http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Nightingale-Sisters-Donna-Douglas/dp/0099569426/ref=pd_ecc_rvi_1

 

Find out more about Donna by visiting her website –  http://www.donnadouglas.co.uk/

You can also follow her on Twitter – @donnahay1 – or read her blog – http://donnadouglasauthor.wordpress.com/  

Spring; The Waiting Game.

Spring trying to arrive in Somerset

Celia: I’m not very good at waiting. No, that’s something of an understatement, I am absolutely pants when it comes to patience. Just the thought of things happening gradually (and especially that horrible phrase ‘in the fullness of time’) have always given me the jitters. But just lately, while we’ve all been waiting and longing for spring sunshine, daffodils, butterflies etc to appear and for the country to warm up a bit, I’ve been having a rethink.

Without going into boring details, there have been several big changes and breakthroughs in my life during the last year. I’m now officially an orphan and therefore possibly a grown-up at last. And grown-ups are meant to be patient…aren’t they? My change of heart about the value of biding my time could be due to the excitement of getting a real live contract after long months searching for an agent and a publisher. It’s probably also a lot to do with a traumatic family relationship, long fractured and seemingly hopeless, that time has finally healed. Whatever the reason, I’m beginning to think that some things might, just might, be worth waiting for – if there’s no other option.

I asked the other inhabitants of Romaniac HQ for their views on the subject of playing the waiting game:

Sue : I am and I’m not. How’s that for sitting on the fence? I’m very patient when it comes to other people but when it comes to getting things done, I want it done yesterday. I hate waiting. I think that can at times make me quite impulsive. I am trying to be more patient as I get older, but it’s hard to break a lifetime of rushing to get things done. I am looking forward to spring. I usually enjoy all the seasons but, I have to say, I’m a bit bored of winter now. It’s encouraging to see the blossom on the tree in my garden. Surely, spring will be here soon.

Jan: I like to think I’m pretty patient with most people, especially friends & family. “You’re a good listener!” they tell me. I’m also quite restrained where long queues are concerned, as in airport check-in lines or traffic jams. I suppose where I do feel the steam rising slightly is if I’m trying to figure out instructions and can’t grasp things straight away, generally with new gadgets or household products, rather than with teachers or text books. The only other time impatience strikes, of course, is if I can’t unwrap a box of chocolates quick enough! As for remaining uncomplaining about the weather… well, spring can’t come quick enough. It’s my favourite season. New beginnings, beautiful blossom on the trees, daffodils and other buds & blooms, brighter days & lighter evenings, the promise of summer still to come, dusting off my flip flops… I could go on and on.

Vanessa: I read Celia’s post above and a lot of it could have been written by me … except for the contract bit – I’m still waiting for that one! Since losing my dad at the end of last year, I’ve become almost panicky when it comes to waiting, a little voice in my head is constantly whispering life is too short. I had the same thing when I lost other people, friends and family members, that reminder of your own mortality you get when someone dies and all the things on the to-do list that remain un-ticked. I’m trying to force myself to slow down, to not rush everything to completion, and at the same time to take advantage of every opportunity that presents itself. And mostly, to remind myself that some things are worth waiting for, with the end results all the more delicious for the tense build-up the waiting game offers.

Laura: ‘All good things come to those who wait’ – I can hear those words in my mothers’s voice. For most of the time, when major situations are involved, I’m happy to sit tight and let them play out, and I believe this stems from my fatalistic nature – what will be, will be. And yes, I am now singing one of my all time favourite Doris Day songs, the sentiment of which incidentally, brings a sincere tear to my eye.

Life is short, and we should make our own luck, but sometimes, waiting is good for the soul. Sometimes, waiting provides distance from the core issue, and distance provides perspective. That change of view might make us see things differently, and stop us from blindly rushing in.
I wonder how connected patience are acceptance are?

So, what are you waiting for right now? And is the waiting game one you’re happy to play?

Book Review – A Stitch in Time by Mandy James

Mandy James’ time-travelling extravaganza A Stitch in Time starts with a complete drenching for its heroine Sarah, and hurtles on to give breathtaking snapshots of life in the American West, the 1920s and the Sheffield Blitz. Sarah starts out as a victim after a disastrous end to her relationship and a double betrayal, but fairly soon begins to gain ground and to get her teeth into the fearsome challenge thrown at her by the delectable ‘Needle’ John. Still nervous, unsure of why she’s agreeing to do the things he asks and afraid of failure, Sarah’s stressful teaching job (very accurately and amusingly painted) takes a back seat as she becomes absorbed into these strange new worlds. She meets characters who both intrigue and exasperate her, and in the meantime, fights hard not to fall in love…

 
I loved this book from the first paragraph to the very last page, rooting for the feisty Sarah all along, and hoping against hope that she would find happiness with the right person and not somehow get stuck in time, unable to return to sort out the train crash of her life. The concept of the relationship between a ‘Stitch’ and a ‘Needle’ is quite mind-boggling, and the prospect of all the things that could go wrong for Sarah is so haunting that I rushed to finish it to see if Sarah made it home safely and then immediately wished I had made it last longer.  The different periods of time are entertainingly described with enough historical detail to set the scene thoroughly but not so much that it feels as if you’re being secretly educated! I can’t wait to read more by this author.

Birthday Celebrations – The Romaniacs are one year old!

Happy birthday to us, Happy birthday to us, Happy birthday Dear Romaniacs, Happy birthday to us!

Ok, Ok, so I’m two days early. But who says we can’t start the celebrations a little early. Here at Romaniac HQ, we’ve been celebrating all weekend and we plan for it to continue all week, too. So why not come and join us for a celebratory glass of champers and a slice of cake and let’s get this party started!

A year ago, on February 13th 2012, we launched our blog to the writing world. When we decided to do this, we had no idea how we would be perceived. Would people like us? Would people bother to read what we have to say?

Would people think we’re nuts?

But the response has been truly amazing. People did like us. People were logging in and reading and sharing our posts. And most importantly people do realise that yes, we are a bit nuts! But that’s OK, because we never claimed to be anything but.

The sheer amount of support and encouragement we have received, both as a group and individuals, over the last year has surpassed anything we ever could have imagined. We always knew that the writing industry was a supportive, positive community, but I don’t think anything could have prepared us for what lay ahead.

So in the spirit of birthday celebrations, we got talking about some of our favourite – and worst – celebrations growing up. They weren’t all necessarily birthday celebrations and some needed censoring so much, we felt best to keep those in the archive folders!

However, I’ll start the ball rolling. My worst birthday party memory wasn’t actually for mine, but for my older sisters. There is five years between us and I was but a nipper at the time and she had all her friends over for a party. In our garden we had a huge shed – we lived in a flat and it was the communal shed so you can imagine how big it was – and she and her friends were playing chase. I wanted to play. I ventured into the garden and saw them all running rings around said shed. Stupidly, to catch up, I ran around the shed but in the OPPOSITE direction to around 15 children. You can see how this story ends, can’t you? Yep, I spent the rest of the party upstairs, on the sofa with a bruised and battered face. It wasn’t a good party for me.

On the flip side, my best party – so far I hasten to add, I’m planning on having many more! – was for my 21st. It wasn’t a big ‘do’ but I had only just had my daughter and I had been dieting and training for months and months in preparation for my 21st and I lost 2 stone and got into the size 8 dress I had bought. I felt great. Some of mine and my husband’s friends came back to our house after the club shut (mine and my husband’s birthdays are 3 days apart so we always have joint celebrations) and we carried on partying until the morning. It was a brilliant night.

We would love to hear your best and worst party experiences. I’ll leave you with some messages from the girls about theirs. Here’s to another fantastic year. Cheers!

Lucie x

Celia: Crikey, Lucie; you’ve said it all! Huge thanks to everyone who has visited our blog over the last year and given us your witty, supportive comments. Now, parties…

My worst one has got to be a Halloween do when I was about nine. I was a Brownie at the time, and we were all invited to our Sixer’s birthday. I only had a hazy idea about Halloween up to that point – I knew witches came into it somewhere, but as the world’s wimpiest child, I had never got up to speed on how people celebrated it. The mum in charge of the party had some great ideas. She had blacked out an entire room and hung it with fake cobwebs, rattling bones etc, there was an atmospheric ghostly soundtrack and we were blindfolded and led through one at a time, touching and listening to various things which got scarier and scarier. The finale was having our hand plunged into a bowl of sheep’s eyeballs. I’ve never felt the same about a peeled grape since that day.

The best wasn’t a birthday, it was my second wedding in 2008 (I’ve only had the two, in case that makes me sound like a female Bluebeard.). We decided to just have the best bits of a wedding, i.e.massive amounts of home-made cake, no speeches, no official photo session where the guests are starving and everyone loses the will to live, a small, warm venue so it would be cosy (it was a frosty night on December 29th) the most delicious food we could order and a late afternoon wedding so we could go straight into the serious eating and champagne quaffing. It was magical. I think I might have been quite, quite drunk.

Vanessa: Well, my best is easy – on my 29^h birthday, Tim, my boyfriend at the time, took me to Cornwall for the weekend. We tried to stay in a beautiful old pub in Mousehole, right on the quay, with beams and a roaring fire … but it was full, so we ended up in an odd B&B that smelled of kippers. We tried to have dinner at one of the quay front pubs or restaurants but they were all full, so we ended up eating fish in a strange bright blue sauce at a cold restaurant where we were the only customers. Then, as we walked along the seafront, Tim proposed and it became the best birthday ever – kippers, blue sauce and all.

The worst is more difficult… because I love birthdays, always have. I always take the day off work and have a totally indulgent day. I think my worst birthday was my saddest – the last I got to celebrate with my best friend Suzanne. She’d been ill for a long time, but I’d been in denial, waiting for a miracle cure. That night was the night I finally accepted the truth and the last time we got to go out before she died.

Sue : I’ve never in my life had a birthday party … cue violins and sad music Never had a party as a child and never as an adult but that’s okay, as to be honest, I wouldn’t find being the centre of attention any fun at all. I much prefer going to other people’s parties, so much more relaxing and enjoyable. I’ve had quite a few family birthdays this year and they all have been great fun.

On the flip side, I have been to a few which haven’t been quite so successful. My friend’s 21st springs immediately to mind. All had been going well until late into the evening, after much drinking and merriment, my brother (Nick) and I hit the dance floor – that was our first mistake. The second came quite quickly after the first, Nick and I decided we could jive and were doing reasonably well, holding hands we were swinging each other backwards and forwards across in a kind of jive/barn dance sort of way. Mistake number 3 was the speed at which we attempted this with rather sweaty hands. I guess I must have been stronger than I thought. Sensing Nick was waning, I gave a particularly sudden and fast yank on his hand which, together with increased momentum, sent him whizzing past me in a blur of legs and arms, Frank Spencer style. I could only watch in horror as he went crashing into the disco lights; the scene reminiscent of a Jean Michel Jarre light and laser display.  It was certainly a party to remember, probably for all the wrong reasons.

Jan: I’ve been to many great parties over the years but one that evokes such fond memories for me is the surprise party my sisters and I organised (along with several much appreciated volunteers) as part of Mum and Dad’s 30th wedding anniversary celebrations. My younger sister and I were still living at home which, of course, made things a lot easier to manage. On the big night, my older sister and her husband, acting as decoys, took them out for a meal. As soon as their car rounded the corner of our road, me, sis and various friends & neighbours swung into action, fetching and carrying all the booze which had been stashed in a neighbour’s garage, blowing up balloons, wheeling in the cake and making sandwiches. Our aunty Heather was on bread buttering duty whilst the rest of us washed, sliced and diced all the fillers. We had to make sure the steady stream of guests arriving had parked out of sight so Mum’s eagle eye didn’t spot any familiar cars on their return. It really was like the proverbial military operation and a great success. It still makes us laugh remembering Mum’s utter disbelief at not cottoning on to our scheming.

As for the worst party, well a front-runner would have to be one I attended with a friend in my late teens. The phrase ‘One man and his Dog’ sprung to mind as we walked into the venue, there were so few guests. Add to that, strip lighting, warm wine, a Tarzan -o-gram for the host and the DJ’s decks blowing up halfway through the evening, and you get the picture. Cue stampede (or should I say, trickle) to the pub round the corner!

Laura: My tale is simple and short. My most and least favourite celebration was my last birthday, March 2012. Everything at home was perfect. I received surprise gifts, which were truly wonderful, cards and messages from many friends, and short-list notification of the first Choc Lit short story competition. Ahead was the prospect of a great summer, out and about with my family, including my mother who, the day before, had endured a difficult, but at that point, successful operation.
Why the mixed feelings? It was the last birthday I shared with my lovely mum.

Catherine: Worst? Well, you did ask. It was the winter of 2002. I was 21 and about to enjoy my first Physiotherapy Department Christmas Party. The day before I’d completed a junior rotation in care of the elderly and I was ready to let my hair down. Dinner started with a lovely Minestrone Soup. Only it didn’t seem so lovely. In fact, I was feeling decidedly queasy. It didn’t take me long to realise why I was feeling so ill. No, it wasn’t the soup. It was the dreaded norovirus. A nice leaving gift from my rotation. I was chucking up before the main course arrived and managed to get safely home before performing the party trick that involves a toilet and a bowl. So not the evening I’d had in mind.

The best? I’m going to be greedy and pick 3! My Nan and Grandad’s Ruby, Golden and Diamond anniversary parties. I was 8 at the first party. It was in a church hall with lots of family and friends and I got roped in waitressing duties with my cousins. I remember talking about the next party when I’d be 18 and being very excited about it. And before you know it, you’re 18 and at the next party!

Tuesday Chit Chat with Serena Fairfax

Well, it’s a rather chilly February morning, but it’s very cosy here in the heart of Romaniac HQ. Today we’re welcoming Serena Fairfax to the best sofa in the house. Good morning, Serena, I’ll sling another log on the fire and then we can get started. I must say you’re looking very fetching in your complementary Romaniac t-shirt. Make yourself comfortable; the kettle’s on, the coffee beans are freshly ground, and I’ve made a fruit cake in your honour. Or would you prefer a refreshing pot of Earl Grey?
I’m delighted to be here and to meet such a talented bunch of writers. Who can resist coffee and cake? It’s just my cup of tea.
So, I’m passing over the guest footstool – sit back and tell us a bit about yourself.
I spent my childhood in India, qualified as a Lawyer in England then joined a large City firm. I’m still in the day job. I’m the author of six novels. STRANGE INHERITANCE and PAINT ME A DREAM were published by mainstream publishers Robert Hale Ltd. GOLDEN GROVE, IN THE PINK, WHERE THE BULBUL SINGS (I traded bricks and mortar for a houseboat and wangled a short sabbatical to write this one) and WILFUL FATE are indie published. I divide my time between London and rural Kent (the county favoured by Dickens) where I live with my golden retriever Inspector Morse who can’t wait to unleash his own Facebook page. 
Q: What difference has the advent of ebooks made to you as an author?
I think it’s fair to say eBooks have revolutionised the publishing world. The book’s easily downloadable and just as easily delete-able! Uploading a typescript is easy – one doesn’t have to wait months for one’s masterpiece to see the light of day. One can compete with the big names and there’s a gamut of opportunities.
Q: Do you have an equal fondness for all your books, or is one of them a particular favourite?
I like them all for very different reasons but I think IN THE PINK is a front-runner because it’s an experiment – being a departure from the romance theme and wry and quirky.
Q: You’re in the right place if quirky is your style. So,what was your very first success as a writer, and how did it happen?
After some rejections- a rite of passage – Hale accepted STRANGE INHERITANCE for its Rainbow Romance line (now defunct) and it was thrilling to see my first born in print.
Q: That’s the part we all love to read about – when the dream finally becomes reality. But which three main qualities do you think a writer needs to succeed?

I suppose they must be perseverance, passion and courage, and the hide of a rhino. Someone once said Genius (talent) begins great works, labour alone finishes them.
Q: The Romaniacs all met as RNA New Writers, and we’re big fans of the scheme. How has being a member of the RNA helped you?
It embraces a range of writer from newbies, the successful and still struggling and is supportive and encouraging to all. But what would be even better is if it were to go the extra mile to welcome to membership, talented indie authors who haven’t before been published by traditional houses, thereby ending the unjustified bias against them. The local chapter meetings are a fun place to exchange ideas and the speakers give valuable tips on hot topics.
Q: The following character, from Paint Me A Dream – already has me hooked -
‘Rafe Rostov.’ He uncoiled his lean, powerful body at six feet topping her by several inches. ‘I’m meeting with Alec Craig.’ The voice was a deep, eastern seaboard drawl and long forgotten echoes from the past rushing back reminded her how soft-almost seductive – it could sound. If you could meet one of your own heroes, which one would it be, and why?
Oh, it’s definitely the Maharajah of Walipur who features in WHERE THE BULBUL SINGS. He’s a good natured, fun-loving, generous man and he’d spoil me rotten in his ravishing palace, indulge my every whim, shower me with gorgeous gifts and jewellery and treat me to the experience of a lifetime.
Q: Here’s a slightly random question – do you have any phobias and if so have you ever worked them into your novels.
I must confess, none at all! Phobias are all in the mind. There’s a German proverb that goes something like this: Fear makes the wolf bigger than he is. Do you know phobias range from A to Z although there isn’t one starting with Q or Y. One that catches my eye is wiccaphobia (not a fear of Wikipedia) but a fear of witches and witchcraft and surely no writer has euphobia, which is fear of hearing good news.
Q: Although you must admit Wikipedia can be quite scary sometimes. Now, on the subject of admiration for other writers, which novel by another author have you always wished you’d written yourself?
The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch that was published in 2006. It’s a shining, unusual novel about coming of age and the richness and variety of the natural world.
Q: If you could present an award to any celebrity, who would you choose and why?
This is an easy one! It must be that romantic icon, Colin Firth, for his role as Fitzwilliam Darcy.
Q: I’m definitely with you on that one! What one thing would you like to do if you had more time?
I’d like to learn to fly a jumbo jet.
Q: Where is the most interesting place you’ve ever lived, and did it inspire your writing?
Botswana for its incredible array of wildlife and although the Okavanga Delta is fascinating it’s too awesome to transpose to the written page.

Q: Do you have a writing routine? And more importantly, do you stick to it?
This is largely dictated by the day job so I write in the evening and at weekends. I try and stick to it but occasionally I lapse and it’s all the better for that.
Q: How many WiPs/projects do you have on the go at any one time?
Heaps milling round in my head. One actually.
Q: What are your thoughts on novels with multiple points of view, or less than straightforward structures such as two characters voicing alternating chapters.
They make for a much more interesting read.

Q: At what point did you decide to write a novel and did you choose your genre, or did it choose you?

Not a conscious decision as such. Just penned a few words and it took off from there. I chose the genre- couldn’t have genres choosing me – that just wouldn’t do.
Q: Who was your first celebrity crush, and did any of their characteristics appear later in your heroes?
The Dalai Lama and no hero can match him.
Q: What is your favourite aspect of promoting your novels?
Meeting readers in person; talking about books; writing my blog.
Q: What guilty pleasures do you enjoy?
I can’t say I do guilt. Pleasures are too numerous to mention.
Q: Which one item would you lock in Room 101 and why?
D.I.Y manuals because they’re impossible to follow.
Q: What are your future plans?
I seldom plan. Like Mr Micawber I believe something will turn up.
Quick fire questions next:
Champagne or Tequila? Tequila Margarita at lunch, champagne at dinner.
Dickens or Shakespeare? Dickens.
Bus or tube? Tube- it’s faster.
Walking or running? Running.
Florida or Italy? Italy.
Stationery or shoe shops? Who can resist shoe shops?
Bananas or chocolate? Chocs.
Dr Who or Eastenders? Neither.
Sunrise or sunset? Sunset.
Fountain pen or newly sharpened pencil? Always loved fountain pens. They’ve morphed into a serious must have now.
Well, it was great to chat to you, Serena – come back soon!
Thanks so much and good luck to you all. May I have another slice of that divine cake?

You most certainly can; it’s my own recipe. And here’s a doggy bag to take home, just in case you have an energy crisis after all that interrogation. Safe journey – just make the fire up again on your way out, would you? It must be about nap time.

Review: No Such Thing As Immortality by Sarah Tranter

I’m still reeling from the impact of this amazing book. As seen last week, the Romaniacs are big fans of Sarah Tranter, and we would heartily recommend No Such Thing… as a great page turner.

Nate is a hero to die for, but Rowan isn’t ready to die yet. She has no idea what she’s getting into when she literally runs into Nate (or vice versa) but he is certainly going to change her world –  will it be for better, or worse?

As Rowan and Nate fall head first into a passionate, intense relationship, they both have many issues to face and dark areas of their lives that must be confronted before they stand a chance of a future together. But are these mountains too high to climb? And who, or what, is the sinister Simeon Frey?

Written from Nathaniel’s point of view, which is refreshing in itself, Sarah’s story takes us into a world where love and extreme loyalty are of prime importance, but where enchantment and supernatural powers can threaten Nate and Rowan at any moment. Family ties are different here, but no less powerful. With a bond between them that is like nothing they have ever dreamed of, the lovers should be invincible, but Nate hasn’t banked on Rowan’s past being as lethal and mysterious as his own.

I can’t wait for the follow up to this book – hurry up, Sarah! Nate is haunting my dreams…