Tuesday Chit Chat with… CONTRACTED AUTHOR, OUR VERY OWN LAURA JAMES

Sorry for shouting. It wasn’t the aggressive shouty type. More of a town cryer style because Hear ye, Hear ye we have some fantastic news for you today. And without further ado, we’ll get on with asking the lady herself…

We’ve noticed at Romaniac HQ that Laura hasn’t been eating her cake of late. We know this means something is on her mind. So, tell us Laura, what’s occurring?

You know me, stomach’s always the first to give when anything major happens in my life.

Don’t leave us guessing, Laura! You are being interviewed by a lady who is heavily pregnant with twins. I’m not in a position to be left in the lurch. What is the MAJOR thing that has happened in your life?

Sorry, Catherine. Hang in there.

I should warn you, I’m liable to spontaneously combust at any moment, and that’s something even I can’t plan for, so it might be best if you take cover somewhere.

I am exceedingly happy…no…make that ecstatic…to tell you the lovely people at Choc Lit , under their new Choc Lit Lite imprint, have said yes to my first novel, ‘Truth or Dare?’ *dowses self with cold water* And I’m going to have a cover! *Reaches for the jet-wash*

Jan, Jan! Where is the honk-o-meter? We need to offer up our biggest congratulations to Laura.

Jan: Yeeeeeee Ha!! To all of it! HONKS of gargantuan, major league, A1, epic, fantabulously titanic proportions!

I knew Jan would sum up how the rest of us Romaniacs feel. Knowing how much hard work you’ve put in, Congratulations didn’t quite cover it.

Fantastic honking, Jan Thank you, my wonderful Romaniac chums. What would I do without you? You have been and continue to be my pillars of strength. If pillars were built from laughs, you’d be that, too.

Right, time to calm you down for a moment and ask what is ‘Truth Or Dare?’ about?

Chesil. Portland. Dorset.

In a nutshell, which, as you know, is quite a difficult state for me to achieve, ‘Truth or Dare?’, as it currently stands, is a gritty, twenty-one year story, (is that split-era?) revolving around the influence of past events on the present and future. There is a romance at its heart, a family I’d love to visit for holidays, and a shed load of moral dilemmas, as the title suggests. And for the most part, it is set in Dorset, a county I adore.

Did you know there is a law against taking the pebbles from Chesil Beach?

We can’t wait for the moment it’s available, but we know you have lots of hard work in the meantime. But for now it’s time to celebrate so what have you got planned?

Eating properly. Maybe getting a little sleep. All the things I’ve failed to do over the last few weeks. And, since it’s a special occasion, I might even hug a few people.

In my head, I’m dancing with wild abandon. In my kitchen, I’m singing Paloma songs. With gusto. And you know it.

Love you xx

When I was young…

We love you too, Laura ‘Tis quite worrying, I’ve never known you to be this gushy and huggable. And we’ve got through this announcement without my waters breaking or you fainting. Just, if the other Romaniacs don’t mind, maybe we should ease off on the group hug so Laura and I can collapse on the sofa. And as it’s Romaniac HQ, I’d like to raise my glass (of lemonade, the rest of you have something more fancy) & HONK a toast to Laura and her much deserved success.

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

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

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.

Find Out Friday with Helena Fairfax

Helena Fairfax: Stumbling along the road to publication.

Hello, lovely Romaniacs, and thanks so much for having me on your blog. First things first, I’ve brought my trusty Tupperware container with me, and inside is a cake just crying to get out. Mmm…the heady aroma of a fresh chocolate and orange sponge…
Oh, you mean you’d like me to talk as well? I thought I’d just come to eat and drink tea. No? Oh, in that case I’d love to talk to you, let me just wipe this chocolate from my mouth…
Yes, I’m even happy to put down cake in order to tell you all about my first novel, The Silk Romance, which will be published next week – on the 24th May, to be exact, and I’m counting down the days!

As a former member of the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme, The Romaniacs have asked me along to talk about my road to publication.

I remember once years ago coming home from yet another terrible day at the office, and moaning for the millionth time: grr, I hate my job! My long-suffering husband asked a simple question: what would you actually like to be doing with your life? My answer: writing romance novels. Next question: well, what do you need to do to get there?
I knew what I needed to do. ‘All’ I needed to do was to write a novel and get it published. Oh, the simplicity of those words! The path to making my wish come true has been long and tortuous, but never dull. And the final result is thrilling beyond everything!

It’s hard to say where the path first started, as I’ve been scribbling away for what seems to be forever. Maybe the first time I seriously thought I could make a go of it was when I sent off a first chapter to a writing competition. Sadly I didn’t win, but I received a very encouraging letter from the organisers. The editor who wrote to me talked about my characters as though they were real people.
Entering that competition finally gave me some confidence in myself – something I was sadly lacking – and having confidence in your ability to write is an essential first step.

My next step: joining the RNA’s New Writers’ Scheme. There was a story in my head, but I had a lot to learn about how to get it down on paper in a way that readers would really enjoy.
I passed through the New Writers’ Scheme twice. The first year, I sent off just the first three chapters and a synopsis of the novel. I wasn’t entirely sure if I was on the right lines, and my reservations were right. I received a four page, highly detailed letter explaining exactly why the story still wasn’t quite right, and some suggestions on what to do to polish it up.
(If you’re interested in the nitty gritty of my reader’s observations on my particular book, I’ve written a post on my blog outlining exactly what her advice was.)
I took my reader’s brilliant and extensive comments to heart, and rejoined the NWS for another year. I was really excited about finishing my novel, and took both great pains and great pleasure in manipulating the characters and the emotional conflict, to make sure all my reader’s advice was followed.
By the end of the year, I finally had a finished novel. I sent it off to the RNA again, waited with bitten fingernails for a response – and finally, hooray! My reader loved it! Just a couple of tweaks required, and not even any need for a second reading. Hooray again! This should be the part where I jacked in my job and made millions. Oh, if only life were so simple…

I sent off my novel to a publisher and waited. And waited. And waited. And began writing another.
Then I finally heard from the publisher…and it wasn’t good news. They enjoyed my story, but it wasn’t right for their line. So… back to the drawing-board, and back to continuing with novel two. I had confidence in myself now, I had some encouraging words from editors and professional writers, and I had the determination to succeed. What could go possibly go wrong?

One thing I have learnt from my experience in life, above all else, is that we have these neat little plans and we follow them, thinking we are going somewhere, but fate almost always has other ideas. I suffered a terrible tragedy that stopped me writing for a very, very long time. I put away my novel, moved out of the house I’d lived in for twenty five years, bought a smaller place in need of renovation, and spent an entire year doing it up. Painting and digging the garden were the sort of occupations I could engage in that didn’t require any concentration. My mind was shot. By the time I felt able to open my lap-top again, the world of publishing had changed in a dramatic way. Writers such as Amanda Hocking and E.L. James were making massive success stories for themselves with e-books.
I revisited the first novel I’d written and thought, hey – a professional romance author at the RNA really liked this story. Just because it wasn’t accepted at one publisher doesn’t mean I shouldn’t try another. And what about e-books? E-book romances have taken off in an incredible way. So, I started looking around on the internet for other publishers who might be interested. After a lot of research, one publisher seemed to draw me more than all the others. Since starting in 2010, MuseItUp Publishing has made a name for itself as a growing e-publisher, with a supportive and friendly ethos. I submitted The Silk Romance to them. After all, I had nothing to lose…
…and everything to gain. They absolutely loved it, and offered me a contract. Since then, they’ve also offered me a contract on my second novel, The Antique Love. I’m now writing my third.

I wish I could give proper professional advice on how to get published, but I feel I’ve just been stumbling along the road trying my best. One thing I do know is, joining the NWS was invaluable. It gave me confidence in myself and determination to continue writing. I also ended up with a story I really loved. I had great faith in my characters to leap off the page and to be engaging.

Here’s the blurb to The Silk Romance:
Jean-Luc Olivier is a devastatingly handsome racing-driver with the world before him. Sophie Challoner is a penniless student, whose face is unknown beyond her own rundown estate in London. The night they spend together in Paris seems to Sophie like a fairytale—a Cinderella story without the happy ending. She knows she has no part in Jean-Luc’s future. She made her dying mother a promise to take care of her father and brother in London. One night of happiness is all Sophie allows herself. She runs away from Jean-Luc and returns to England to keep her promise.
Safely back home with her father and brother, and immersed in her college work, Sophie tries her best to forget their encounter, but she reckons without Jean-Luc. He is determined to find out why she left him, and intrigued to discover the real Sophie. He engineers a student placement Sophie can’t refuse, and so, unwillingly, she finds herself back in France, working for Jean-Luc in the silk mill he now owns.
Thrown together for a few short weeks in Lyon, the romantic city of silk, their mutual love begins to grow. But it seems the fates are conspiring against Sophie’s happiness. Jean-Luc has secrets of his own. Then, when disaster strikes at home in London, Sophie is faced with a choice—stay in this glamorous world with the man she loves, or return to her family to keep the sacred promise she made her mother.
The Silk Romance is available on pre-order here in the Muse bookstore, and from 24th May will also be available from Amazon and all major e-tailers.
If you’ve enjoyed my post, please call in on my blog: www.helenafairfax.com, or on my Facebook page. You can also email me at Helena(dot)Fairfax(at)gmail(dot)com. I love meeting people 
If you’d like to know a little more about me, here’s my author bio:
Helena Fairfax was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now and that’s just as well, because nowadays she lives in an old Victorian mill town in Yorkshire, right next door to windswept Brontë country. She has an affectionate, if half-crazed, rescue dog and together they tramp the moors every day—one of them wishing she were Emily Brontë, the other vainly chasing pheasants. When she’s not out on the moors you’ll find Helena either creating romantic heroes and heroines of her own or else with her nose firmly buried in a book, enjoying someone else’s stories. Her patient husband and her brilliant children support her in her daydreams and are the loves of her life.
Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Romaniacs! I love reading your posts, and really look forward to your weekly chat, especially the cake. Although I see there isn’t a great deal left of the one I brought! Hmm…how did that happen?

Many thanks, Helena, and it was our pleasure hosting you. Congratulations on your publishing contract and best wishes for the future.
I have no idea what happened to that delicious cake…

What’s Your Current Position?

At Romaniac HQ, we often find ourselves in awkward positions. It’s tricky keeping one’s modesty with nine people occupying the same living space. Sue was in the kitchen with a good-looking Texan last year. The explanation, ‘We were cooking’, did nothing to settle our nerves.

We’d like to know where you are and what you’re doing with your hero or heroine, right this moment, and then, we want you to divulge your most favourite position with them.

We’ll get the ball rolling, for want of a better phrase.

Laura : In Follow Me, I’m in a wooded english garden, overlooking Chesil Beach, with a Hollywood Action Hero sprawled at my feet, on the veiny ground. And my favourite position? In bed, with a thoughtful, gentle and humorous Irishman, at The Smugglers Inn, in Truth or Dare?

Sue : Well, I’ve managed to extract myself from the kitchen and now find myself on Felpham Beach in West Sussex, skimming stones with Donovan, a criminal psychologist.

My most favourite position? An autumn evening, sat on the beach, snuggled under a blanket with said criminal psychologist; wind blowing, waves crashing and moonlight dancing on the whites of the waves.

Debbie: Well, I’m hard at work on my WIP for the NWS with ‘James Hardaker.’ We’re in the emerald green hills of the Yorkshire Dales, one of my favourite parts of the world (and where I was brought up.) Spring-time in Berrywood means my vetinary hero is currently zipping around the country lanes tending ewes who are having a hard time lambing!

By co-incidence I’m visiting the Dales next week for a little more inspiration. It is sooo beautiful in that part of the world.

As for my favourite position, well, that has to be in front of the log burner! Either on the rug or sofa…

Catherine: I’m never doing it again. Oh, sorry. May have got the wrong gist. My latest heroine is struggling with the idea she might have fertility issues and will end up with her legs up in stirrups as a result. Not quite what you were hoping for with this post. So I’ll go back to a creek in Kuringai Chase National Park. An isolated spot outside of Sydney, Australia where my hero and heroine meet in Miles Between Us.

Celia: In Little Boxes, I’m on a very special bench at a country park by a beautiful lake in Peterborough with a man who can’t commit to a passionate relationship…yet. The weather is chilly but the temperature between the lead players is set to sizzle. And my favourite position – horizontal in a Travelodge.

Jan: I’m standing, mesmerized, rooted to the spot halfway down a red-carpeted sweeping staircase in a glorious York manor house, staring into the eyes of a tanned, athletic Yorkshireman. And my favourite position? Lying face down on a massage table, mentally reliving every delightful second of it…

I can recommend all of these positions

Now it’s over to you…where, how and who?

Laura xx

Charlie Cochrane: The Perils of Public Speaking

Charlie Cochrane

I sometimes get conned – sorry, asked nicely – into chairing author/reader events such as the Festival of Romance or the UK Meet. Now, this is meat and drink to me, seeing as I do some freelance training and facilitating, so standing up to handle panellists and audiences holds few terrors, and acting as a panellist for author events is also right up my street. When Laura asked me to blog about how some of the opportunities came about – and if the skills needed can be learned – I was delighted to oblige.

The Deadly Dames is a classic example of me being in the right place at the right time (story of my publishing life). I got to know Nicola Slade and Eileen Robertson through the local Romantic Novelists Association lunches and, one day, Eileen said, “Would you be interested in doing library talks? You have to join Mystery People first.”I almost knocked her down in my rush to say, “Yes, where do I sign?”

The Deadly Dames

From there the Deadly Dames grew – five “girls” local to the M27 corridor, all of whom write cosy mysteries as well as other things. We devised a name, a logo, a style (black and red clothes) and began our career at Chichester library, discussing how and why we write, where we get inspired, how we do our research and lots of other things. It was a great success, which we’ve followed up with other bookings, some of which we’ve sourced ourselves – cue nabbing librarians and trying to charm them – and some have been sourced by the lovely Lizzie at Mystery People (next up, Bognor!)There are pros and cons to all of this, not least because of unforeseen problems which upset your plans. The DDs had been lined up to do a panel in Windsor but it had been booked to clash with Comic Relief and had to be cancelled. Back into the cupboard the snazzy red and black gear goes… But you have to take the rough with the smooth, and the ‘free’ opportunities – to get our names out on advertising, to engage with potential new readers (whether they buy our books at the event or later or get them from the library) and to present ourselves as interesting, nice people – are not to be sniffed at. Any author at our level in the profession will tell you that books don’t sell themselves and the harder you work and network, the more success you tend to have.

Preparation is key for Deadly Dames events. Not to the nth degree, as you start to sound very flat (you need some bounce in your bungee!) but to have some idea of what you might say. For the Deadly Dames, our panel leader circulates some key questions in advance so we can get our notes ready to tackle those. Those questions change, so people could come to several DD events and not be bored.  I also like to have some answers at least half prepared in my mind for anything tricky someone in the audience might ask. You know the sort of thing. “Why does a straight woman write about gay men?” I want to get the answer to that absolutely right. (Although some of the audience questions, especially about e-books, make such little sense that having an answer ready would be well nigh impossible.)

Extending the discussion to the chairing or facilitating of panels/events, experience and practice undoubtedly help, but the sort of skills involved can be learned and there are plenty of tips to help things go smoothly, such as:

• Have people in the audience you know you can call on for comments if questions have dried up or are slow getting started. Something like, “Laura, I know you’re interested in vampire fiction. What’s your opinion on ‘Victoria and Albert, love at first bite’?” Once somebody talks, generally others will join in.
• Make sure you have some questions to ask your panellists if nobody else is doing so. You can always use generic ones, such as, “Is there a classic book you couldn’t finish” or “Is there a book you wish you’d written?”
• Try to ensure everyone gets to ask their question, even if that means being blunt with floor-hoggers. “Can we come back to you if there’s time? I have a lady in the back row who won’t forgive me if I don’t get her question in.” Smiles and good humour help pour oil on many a troubled water.
• Don’t be afraid to pull panellists/delegates back on topic. Remember that your core business isn’t to be everyone’s friend, it’s to keep the event running to topic and on time. Oh, and have a clock to hand, and even a whistle. Don’t be afraid to use either of them!

What are your tips for making public appearances go well? And do you want to pick my brains (such as they are) on the subject?

As Charlie Cochrane couldn’t be trusted to do any of her jobs of choice—like managing a rugby team—she writes. She lives in England, but has yet to use her local town Romsey as a setting for her stories.

She’s a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Mystery People, International Thriller Writers Inc and is on the organising team for UK Meet. She regularly appears with The Deadly Dames.

Charlie’s latest release is Promises Made Under Fire

France, 1915

Lieutenant Tom Donald envies everything about fellow officer Frank Foden–his confidence, his easy manner with the men in the trenches, the affectionate letters from his wife. Frank shares these letters happily, drawing Tom into a vicarious friendship with a woman he’s never met. Although the bonds of friendship forged under fire are strong, Tom can’t be so open with Frank–he’s attracted to men and could never confess that to anyone.

When Frank is killed in no-man’s-land, he leaves behind a mysterious request for Tom: to deliver a sealed letter to a man named Palmer. Tom undertakes the commission while on leave–and discovers that almost everything he thought he knew about Frank is a lie…

Thank you so much for your wonderful advice, Charlie. As Chairperson at the Festival of Romance, you certainly put us at ease for our first panel, and we knew we were in safe hands.

We wish you and your Deadly Dames well.

Laura x

Tuesday Chit Chat with Hazel Osmond

Welcome, Hazel, to the Romaniacs sofa. What can I get you? We have some heart-shaped chocolates from Valentine’s Day. Rose creme?

Oh, don’t mind if I do. Can I interest you in some liquorice in return? No, thought not. It’s an acquired taste and somewhere along the line I acquired it. Along with a love of aniseed balls which sounds faintly sniggery, but there we are.

I find aniseed balls a little hard, personally. They make my teeth rattle.

Recently, you went to a Paloma Faith gig. What is it you like about Paloma?

Sensational voice, great clothes, fab sense of humour, very down to earth, believes in connecting with her audience. But above all, she understands about putting on a show. I love people who really go for it – can’t stand it when performers give off that ‘I’m just here adding to my pension pot’ vibe. Paloma is ‘on’ from the moment she’s on.

Paloma has a fantastic stage presence, which leads us to acting. Do you like to be on stage, or backstage? Why?

I do take my turn helping backstage because there are always more people in our drama group who want to act than there are parts – so you have to let everyone have a go. But I always want to be on the stage. There are very few things that compare with that instant feedback you get when you’re acting. Oh, all right then, I’ll admit it, I’m a terrible show off and thrive on the love you get from a good audience.

How did your day at Denton Burn Library go? Please tell me about it.

Oh it was brilliant. Newcastle City Council is proposing massive cuts to arts funding which will mean a range of libraries being closed. Ann Cleeves, author of the Vera books, had the initial idea for writers and performers to hold events in the threatened libraries to raise awareness of what might happen. My friend Mari Hannah who also writes murder novels, got a group of us together in Denton Burn. We had singers and poets and writers and a good crowd of people in the audience. Kind of ironic that murder writers are taking the lead against the killing off of libraries.

How did you get into copywriting and please explain what that involves?

As a copywriter, you’re responsible for coming up with the written content of advertising – whether that’s words for an advert or a brochure or a script. In reality, you probably also play a part in coming up with the basic concept – it’s usual for a copywriter to be teamed with a designer so you kick ideas around together. And drink beer. After which all your ideas seem splendid.

How did I get into it? Well, I wanted to do it after university but lacked the confidence to sell myself to an agency. It was only after six years as a civil servant when I thought ‘stuff this, I’ve only got one life’ that I started applying to agencies and got lucky.

In what ways can this help and/or hinder short-story writing and novel writing?

It’s a good training ground. It really teaches you to be succinct because you have to get your main message across in a limited space. It also gives you an appreciation of the market you’re writing for. Where it doesn’t always help is that you’re hardwired to come up with something memorable, maybe even gimmicky. That’s not good when you’re trying to be true to the emotion of a story, particularly in a romance.

What drew you into the world of fanfic?

(Hazel puts her hands over her face and blushes). Lust. I saw Richard Armitage in North & South on the BBC and then as Guy of Gisborne in Robin Hood. I had a google of him (as you do) and stumbled on the C19 website. That’s where I discovered fan fiction. After reading some of it I was inspired to write my own story. It came out as a romance and it felt as if I’d found my writing voice.

Are you a prolific writer?

If I’m in the right mood, yes. I will have a book and several short stories on the go at once. On the other hand, if I’m not in the right mood, I spend an awful lot of time staring into space or scowling at the computer screen. It’s like that rhyme – ‘when she was good, she was very, very good. But when she was bad, she was rotten.‘

Ah – the girl with a curl…

At what time of the day do you prefer to write?

When my children were little, the only uninterrupted time in which I could write was when they were asleep. So I wrote late in the evening and on into the night. Now I can write more or less when I like, but I still think I do my best work in a house filled with sleeping people!

Let’s move on to your books. Who is afraid of Mr Wolfe, and why?

Oh, good question. Well, Ellie should be afraid of her new boss, Jack Wolfe, who is slowly laying waste to a swathe of the female population of London. But Ellie believes her level headedness and her humour make her immune to his charms.   Wrong. She falls for him and then finds out that there’s a very big secret about Jack that makes him even more likely to cause her heartache.

The book was my take on all the elements that made up the romances I loved to read when I was a teenager – Alpha male, scruffy girl who has to up her game, gay best friend, etc. but I wanted to shake them up and give them a twist. It was short listed for Romantic Comedy of the Year by the RNA in 2012 and I was heartily chuffed about that.

What was the inspiration behind The First Time I Saw Your Face?

Years ago I read about a journalist who had managed to work undercover at BuckinghamPalace for months without being discovered. He got away with it because he looked the part. It set me thinking about how much we judge by appearances. In the book, I play around with that idea – Mack is pretending to be someone he isn’t and gets accepted by people at face value, whereas Jennifer has to cope with being judged negatively purely because of the way she now looks. And Northumberland inspired me – so the book is also a great big, gorgeous love story to the county. I’m hoping to start a tourist boom.

Why do you like humour in your books?

A person who cannot laugh at their own failings and the joys and absurdities of life is my idea of hell. I think taking yourself too seriously is a major character flaw!!

Humour in your writing can sharpen all the other emotions – it’s that bitter-sweet thing. I also feel that if you use it properly, it can widen out the story so that it’s not just about this man and this woman, but about how life plays around with all of us. I always feel more sympathetic towards characters who are having a crappy time and can raise even the tiniest laugh as opposed to those who sob in a corner.

What’s next for you?

Book 3, ‘Playing Grace’, is out this summer – it’s set in London again, and shows what happens when a seemingly uptight and very controlled woman gets thrown together with an off-the-wall young American guy. I’m also writing Book 4 at the moment, which will be a return to a Northumberland setting. Working title is ‘The Mysterious Miss Mayhew’ but I’m rubbish at titles so it’ll be something different when it comes out.

Chocolates or Flowers? 

Can I have chocolate flowers? No, okay then … flowers. Love white ones particularly.

Theatre or cinema?

Theatre. Do like cinema, but sometimes it doesn’t seem as honest as theatre – too glossy, more about the stars than the story.

Nightclubs or concerts?

Laughing like a drain at the thought of me in a nightclub. Wouldn’t know what to do with myself. Concerts are my thing. I try to go to a lot more now the kids are older. I’ve even been to a couple with them which works as long as we split up on the way in and I don’t do any dancing.

Valentine’s Day or Anniversary?

Anniversary. I had a Saturday job in a flower shop and am emotionally scarred by the memory of having to sell price-hiked red roses to lovesick men on Valentine’s Day. I like celebrating Anniversaries – it’s a bit like getting a long service medal.

Haha! Which leads nicely to the next question…

Slapstick or subtle comedy.

Oh dear. Hate slapstick. Would rather eat my own hair than sit through that. Mind you that would be quite funny in itself.

You can find out more about me and my writing – and read some of my short stories too – on hazelosmond.co.uk

Both books are available in paperback and ebook format, here and here

You can find Hazel on Amazon, here.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Hazel. Let us know if Northumberland gets busy xx

Life in a Book

Some stories, whether in novel, song, poem or film, get right beneath my skin. They’re the ones that stay with me.

Paloma Faith

I’m obsessed at the moment with songs from Paloma Faith. I made mention of it on my site last week. It’s possible you’ve caught me posting on Facebook too. I’ve listened to both her albums for some time, but it’s now only that I’m relating to the lyrics. Is it that I’m paying proper attention to the words or that the songs are relevant to this point of my life? Or have my life experiences been such that I now understand more?

Recently, I read Sue Moorcroft’s Dream A Little Dream, and aspects of the story resonated within. It was the same with Me Before You, Jojo Moyes.When I read these books, their subject matter was extremely pertinent to what was happening in my life, and their effect on me was made all the more powerful by the skill and care with which the books were written.

The first book to make me cry was Love and Devotion, Erica James. If I remember rightly, I read it not long after I’d had my second child. I won’t give away the plot, but the questions the book raises, and the fact the tragedy that befalls the children in the story is not outside the realms of possibilty, affected me greatly.

Jodi Picoult and Laura.

My Sister’s Keeper, Jodi Picoult, was the second book that made me weep.

I was watching Home Alone with Child Number Two a few days ago, and even though I warned him I would cry at the end of the film, he was still surprised by my emotion. ‘Really, Mum?’ he asked, eyebrows as high as the Empire State. ‘Really,’ I replied, as Gajitman passed across another Kleenex.

Have you ever watched Beaches? Yep. Makes me cry every time. Sound of Music does too. And I know why. It’s because I understand the parents’ point of view, and feel for the children. Since having my two, my tissue expenditure has increased ten-fold.

So, which books, films, songs or poems get beneath your skin? Which make you sob your heart out? Why are we affected so much by stories?

Laura x

Addicted to Fiction, with Sharon Goodwin.

Hello ladies, I can’t tell you how excited I am to be invited into the inner sanctum to talk book blogging with you.  I really enjoy reading your posts and now here I am!

My days of blogging began during a lull in projects – in my spare time, I had spent 3 years tracing mine and my OH’s family tree and not being able to go any further (and with my family fed up with traipsing around graveyards around the country) I needed a new challenge!

I’ve always been an avid reader (and a secret poet – although not quite that secret as some of my poetry is showcased under my pen name Cerris ) My blog came about quite by chance, having started entering competitions via blogs (not for books – surprisingly enough), I liked the thought of a virtual community and being able to chat all things books via comments and social media … and so Jera’s Jamboree was born on 6th February 2011. 

I’ve reviewed some fantastic books, hosted interesting guests, created interviews and taken part in book tours.  I’ve had authors compliment me on my PR skills on Twitter and I’ve jokingly asked if they could use my services.  That was the kernel of what was to become Fiction Addiction Book Tours.  During October half-term, that idea grew full fledged after researching and then approaching a couple of authors who I knew would be honest with me. My first step was to implement a Tour Host database because how could I coordinate virtual book tours without any hosts?  I have a fantastic network of bloggers who immediately signed up whom I trust implicitly.  The database is expanding but I always research new tour hosts to see if they would be suitable.

So what is Fiction Addiction Book Tours? 

As the name suggests, we coordinate and promote virtual book tours at very reasonable costs (for example a five stop Cover Reveal tour is £20 and a five stop Standard Tour is £30).  How does it work? Once tour dates are agreed with authors I create a Press Kit which is then shared with the relevant tour hosts on the database (tour hosts sign up for all different genres).  A tour badge is created which hosts display on their blogs (this links back to the authors website). Once the tour is full I share all relevant information with the author.  I quite liked the idea of showcasing the books on tour, even when they are full, and so Fiction Addiction Books on Tour was created.

One month before the tour is due to take place, a tour post goes live on the website with all relevant details.  Two weeks before the tour begins an event is created via Facebook and Goodreads.  One week before the tour begins a feature post goes live on Jera’s Jamboree.  Also, information is pinned on a dedicated Pinterest board. All of these posts are tweeted about and linked to a Facebook page. Once the tour begins, tour hosts, ourselves and the authors promote the posts via Twitter and Facebook.

Authors have full control at all times, for example they are able to stipulate the posts they would like on tours (ie a 5 stop tour = 3 x reviews, 1 x guest post, 1 x interview).  The Press Kit is not sent out until the author has seen it and agreed to its contents.  The tour badge is not shared unless the author is satisfied with the graphics/design.

Fiction Addiction Book Tours ticks all the boxes for me.  Books (of course!), organising (I’m a list person), communicating (certainly not lacking there) and creating.  This is something I really love doing and it is FUN!

Thank you for listening to me today.  Don’t hesitate to get in touch.  You’ll find me at fictionaddiction.booktours@gmail.com.

It must be time to quaff that delicious looking beverage beside me now.

Ciao    Shaz

Thank you for dropping by, Shaz. It’s our pleasure, and thank you for your kind words. It’s been great learning about other aspects to writing. Help yourself to the hot chocolate – you’ve earned it. Good luck and best wishes with your ventures. xx