Shalini Boland

The Forever Girl Book Tour - Guest Post & Giveaway

2012-03-02T00:01:00.000Z

I first met Rebecca Hamilton on Authonomy, a writer's site run by Harper Collins. We chatted and bantered on the forums and then she gave me some very insightful advice on writing, specifically to do with a character's viewpoint, and how readers will often connect more fully with your protagonist if you write from inside their head and show events unfolding purely from their point of view.
Out of the hundreds of excerpts I read on the site, Becca's is one of the one's which stuck out most vividly and I'm beyond excited to see her novel has finally been published. It's on my kindle to read asap!

GIVEAWAY!!!

Rebecca has kindly agreed to give away an ebook copy of The Forever Girl to one lucky winner. And if you live in the US, you'll also get this fantastic Forever Girl scented candle - gorgeous!

All you have to do to win is leave your name in the comments box below.

The Forever Girl

Sophia Parsons’ family has skeletons, but they aren’t in their graves... Solving the mystery of an ancestor’s hanging might silence the clashing whispers in Sophia's mind, but the cult in her town and the supernaturals who secretly reside there are determined to silence her first. As Sophia unknowingly crosses the line into an elemental world full of vampire-like creatures, shapeshifters, and supernatural grim reapers, she meets Charles, a man who becomes both lover and ally. But can she trust him? It’s not until someone nearly kills Sophia that she realizes the only way to unveil the source of her family's curse: abandon her faith or abandon her humanity. If she wants to survive, she must accept her who she is, perform dark magic, and fight to the death for her freedom.

RebeccaHamilton On Writing

Iprobably spend about 10% of my writing time actually writing. Writing is theeasy part. All you have to do is follow your emotions, put your imagination topaper, and keep asking the ‘what if’ questions you’d never want to answeryourself in real life.

Beyondthat, there’s listening to your beta readers, rewriting, trading critique,re-writing, revising, editing, copy-editing, proofreading, deciding that itstill needs another re-write, having to revise, edit, copy-edit, and proofreadagain. And on it goes, with not one of those steps being as easy as they soundto those who don’t know what each of those skills entail.
Ofcourse, we get all the help we can. Sometimes it’s free…other times, it onlyrequires we sign over our life.

And itdoesn’t stop there.

Writingisn’t a job. Some can say they will sit at their desk from 9:00 to 5:00 andwrite—or work on any of the above mentioned writing activities. But writing isa lifestyle. You are working on your writing while you read. You’re working onit while you shower. While you sleep, change a baby’s diaper, do thedishes…you’re writing. When you walk through a forest trail and you notice alarge oak tree that looks completely out of place among a forest full ofredwoods or when you notice the receptionist at your optometrist’s office issquinting to read her paperwork … you’re writing.

Writingis just one of those things that, in my experience, consumes you. It becomespart of who you are. You live your life, same as before, but everything meansmore now. Everything is valuable. Writing becomes an outlet for life.

This is where you can find Rebecca:
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads

Don't forget to leave your name in the comments box below if you'd like to win a copy of The Forever Girl and that gorgeous scented candle!
The contest closes at midnight on March 9th

WOOD SPIRIT - A New England Horror Story

2012-02-24T11:34:00.000Z

Johanna Frappier is one of those authors who makes me envious with her whip smart originality and fantastic storylines. Her latest novel Wood Spirit is, in my opinion, her best book yet. It's spooky, grizzly and hilarious with a cast of characters so real I'm sure she can't have made them up. This book had me pinned to its pages.

We're introduced to ghostbuster, Sebastian Park, and it's not love at first sight - he's a self-proclaimed womaniser and con-artist. But when he's called to a job in the too-good-to-be-true town of Peachtree, the place works some kind of magic on him, making him question who he is and what he's doing with his life.

If you like your comedy black and your horror left-of-centre, then this is most definitely the novel for you. I give Wood Spirit five black blood-dripping stars.

Wood Spirit is available from the following places:

Amazon

Smashwords

Barnes & Noble

Cameron's Law by Mia Darien

2012-02-20T01:00:00.000Z

Author Mia Darien is up on the blog today, talking about her vampire novel Cameron's Law.

Vampires are people, too. Cameron's Law says so. Vampire and public face Sadie Stanton called Adelheid, CT home and it attracts a lot of attention. It attracts a lot more when vampires start attacking werewolves without provocation.

Can Sadie keep the community from descending into chaos and war before it brings all of to harm? And can she do it when she herself gets thrust into the spotlight?

What will readers like about your book?

Oh my, this is a tricky question, because I believe that every reader brings something different to and from a book. But... I've been told that I'm a fairly humorous writer, by anyone who enjoys a dry and often kind of sarcastic wit!

Otherwise, I try to take a spin on the vampires and werewolves genre that not everyone is doing, though I know I'm not the first to do it. I think people will enjoy seeing these mythical beings in "real life" as themselves. To read about their struggle to fit into a human world when they're not human. I like to think the struggle speaks to the... well... human condition. Or maybe Inhuman condition? Amidst other external trials and tribulations, in the form of mysteries and suspense and drama. All that fun stuff.

What inspired you to write it?

I actually started writing this series when I was a teenager, more than a decade ago. I set it aside for a while as life got so incredibly crazy but never forgot the stories and characters, so I turned back to them with a more mature eye and here we have the stories written, being written and will be written. What inspired it all, though, I'm not sure I could say. It was a long time ago! But the mythical has always fascinated me. I used to just thumb through the "Werewolf Encyclopedia" and be totally engrossed. I have no idea where it came from, but I run with it.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes, indeed! I always have new works in progress. The second book in the series, “When Forever Died,” is now available and I am writing the third book in the series, as well as several other projects in various states of completion.

Who are your favorite authors?

These days? Let's see. P. N. Elrod has been a long time favorite. I count her Vampire Files series as a big inspiration for the writing I do now. Joe Abercrombie is a top five favorite these days. I’m in a new apoplectic fit waiting for his next book. "The Firebringer Trilogy" by Meredith Ann Pierce is one of my favorite books of all time. I love a lot of classics too, like Austen the Bronte sisters and so on. I like a lot of authors, so it's hard to narrow it down really.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I still watch "Sailor Moon" from time to time, but only the original, subtitled and uncut Japanese version! ('Cause that totally makes up for this little guilty pleasure.)

Mia Darien has lived in New England all of her life and knows that no matter where she goes from here, New England is always going to live in her. Presently, she still lives in the land of snow and fast talkers, with her husband, her son and her pets. She writes a bit of everything genre fiction (horror, romance, mystery, fantasy and science fiction) and thinks it sounds like an odd joke: a unicorn, a space monster, and a pair of zombie lovers walk into a murder investigation...

Mia's Website: http://www.miadarien.com

Cameron's Law on Smashwords: http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/117615

Neverdark by C.S. Einfield

2012-02-14T15:49:00.002Z

I just had to share with you this gorgeous children's book

by C.S. Einfeld and Aaron Einfeld.

The Faeries of Southnut are in big trouble. Lord Darkwater is up to no good.

The White Castle of Doru is under attack by the greatest army Princess Fiera's ever seen. Lord Darkwater is poised to crush her tiny kingdom unless the king gives Fiera up to become his wife.

Well, fffungus! She's having none of that!

The race is on for Fiera to outwit Lord Darkwater's Dragonfly Riders, Bat Brigades, and even a giant, faerie - eating Spider to save herself and, before it's too late, her whole world.

My Review
This is a classic fairy tale with a contemporary feel and I read it in just a couple of sittings. Aimed at tweens, this beautiful feisty little book kept me (aged 42) totally absorbed and entertained.

Fiera is a fairy whose life and home is under threat and who must embark on a quest to save all she holds dear. The format isn't new, but the telling is fresh and funny. Einfeld's voice jumps off the page with humour, originality and a sense that you are in the company of a born story teller.

I instantly bonded with the characters - all distinctive and wonderful. (Manuel the crow is my favourite). I could picture this as a Pixar movie - there's comedy, pathos and adventure in spades. Added to this, Aaron's illustrations made my heart skip a beat every time one appeared on the page.

If you have children, I urge you to get them a copy. If you don't, then read it yourself. What an absolute treat!

Neverdark on Amazon

2012-01-27T01:00:00.000Z

TodayI’m thrilled to welcome James Hutchings to the blog.

James lives in Melbourne, Australia. He fights crime as Poetic Justice, but hisday job is acting. You might know him by his stage-name 'Brad Pitt.' Hespecializes in short fantasy fiction. His work has appeared in Daily ScienceFiction, fiction365 and Enchanted Conversation among other markets.

His latestcollection: The New Death and others, sounds intriguing:

Death gets a roommate...

An electronic Pope faces a difficulttheological question...

A wicked vizier makes a terriblebargain...

44 stories and 19 poems. There's athin line between genius and insanity, and James Hutchings has just crossed it- but from which direction?

Q: What willreaders like about your book?
People have said that they like the humour. They've also said thatthe city of Telelee, which appears in a few stories, is interesting. I alsothink it stands apart from a lot of fantasy simply because it isn't based onthe common template of huge novels about epic quests.

Q: Whatinspired you to write it?
Some ideas just pop into myhead, without me knowing where the idea comes from. Other ideas come fromexperiences in my life. For example a while ago I found three injured birds inthe space of a few weeks. I took all of them to the local vet. As I wascarrying one of them, I thought that the woman at reception might wonder whereI was finding all these injured birds, and that was the inspiration for mystory Lost, Feral or Stray. I've written a lot about cats, based on havingbeen a cat owner.

Of course other fiction is a big inspiration. In some cases it's obvious. I'vedone poems directly based on stories by HP Lovecraft and other writers forexample. In other cases it's more subtle: for example the city of Teleleli orTelelee is partly based on Fritz Leiber's Lankhmar, partly on Terry Pratchett'sAnkh-Morpork, and partly on Port Blacksand in the Fighting Fantasy series.

Q. Do youhave any new works in the pipeline?
I'm working on a verse version of A Princess of Mars. This is ascience fiction adventure story, now in the public domain, written by EdgarRice Burroughs, who's more famous for Tarzan. Disney is also doing a movie ofit, called John Carter, but that's not why I chose it. I generally work onseveral things at the same time, so I'm also in the middle of a few shortstories and poems.

I've beenencouraged to write a novel set in the fantasy city of Telelee, which is thesetting of a few of the stories in The New Death and others. I have a lot ofbackground for this world, because I blog every day and most of it is setting detail. I also have a half-finished novel calledAll-American Detectives, which is a combination of a detective story and astory about superheroes, which I'll probably come back to in the future.

Q: Who areyour favorite authors?
I don't know if these are my only favourites, but they're the onethat probably influenced The New Death and others the most. JRR Tolkien andJack Vance for the elaborate dialogue. Robert E Howard for the generalatmosphere. Terry Pratchett for the humour. and Lord Dunsany for the use ofFame, Time and so on as characters.

Q: Tell ussomething about yourself that not many people know.
I have three nipples (the third one is a lot smaller, and looks likea birthmark, but it isn't).

Lol!Thanks, James for telling us about yourself, your writing and your extra littlefriend there.

James' ebookcollection The New Death and others is now available from Amazon and Smashwords.

James also blogsdaily at http://www.apolitical.info/teleleli

Received in the Post

2012-01-20T12:31:00.000Z

Before Christmas I got an email from a friendly chap called Paul Stapleton. He knows I like my post-apocalyptic fix and asked if I might like to review his graphic novel for my blog. The thing is, I don't really have time to write reviews at the mo, so I said I'd be happy to do a feature.

Paul sent me a copy anyway (nice!) and a couple of days later I received a thin brown packet through the post. It sat on the windowsill for a day or so as I've been too busy to look at it (Man-flu has arrived chez Casa Boland).

Finally, I got around to opening it - The Undisputed King of Nothing, Volume 1 'Goodbye to all That'. Interesting artwork. Flipped it over - intriguing blurb on the back. Yup, looking forward to reading this one asap. I think my husband's got his eye on it too.

Reviews

Paul's Links:
Bedsit Press
Amazon Page
Waterstones Page
Facebook

Win a Signed Copy of Hidden over on Jera's Jamboree

2011-12-06T20:01:00.000Z

** This Contest is now Closed**

Check out my Giveaway over on Jera's Jamboree this week.
You could win a lovely shiny newly signed copy of HIDDEN or a fab ebook.

Jera's Jamboree: Book giveaway with author Shalini Boland: Today Jera's Jamboree would like to introduce to you ...

Drumroll Please

2011-12-03T08:00:00.002Z

Contest Winner Announcement!

I didn't know how I was going to decide who would win the opportunity

to star in my upcoming novel, Thicker than Blood, so I roped in a little help.

I asked my sons (aged 8 and 4) to draw the name out of a hat (a cowboy one!).

Of course, they argued about who was going to actually draw the name,

so I said they could draw a name each. So-o-o that means two names,

which means two winners!!!

The winners are:

Sergell Elioreg

and

Zoe Marshall

Congratulations to you both!

Can you message me using the 'contact me' page?

Thanks so much to everyone else for entering.

As it was so popular, I may do this again in the future...

2011-12-01T21:09:00.000Z

Be a Vampire in my Latest Novel

Winner to be announced Saturday December 3rd!

Only One Week Left To Be My Vampire

2011-11-23T17:34:00.001Z

Last month I asked if anyone would like to be a character in Thicker than Blood my upcoming sequel to Hidden. So far, nearly 70 of you have entered. I've no idea how I'm going to choose, but I'd better get thinking because there's only one week left until I have to make the decision.

Part of the novel will be set in 6th century Byzantium and here's a taster of where my lucky vampire might live - Cappadocia in winter...

Of course, as a vampire you'll never get to experience it in daylight. Your view will be something like this...

So if you haven't entered yet, click here to see what it's all about.

OUT NOW! Fairy Thief by Johanna Frappier

2011-11-02T09:50:00.005Z

So, you all probably know that Fairy Circle is one of my favourite books and so I'm thrilled and delighted that author friend, Johanna Frappier, has agreed to tell us a little about the recently released sequel, Fairy Thief.

Hi Shalini! Thank you so much for letting me stop by. I wanted everyone to know that the next installment in The Fairy Circle Series, FAIRY THIEF, is now available as an eBook on Amazon, Smashwords, Barnes and Noble, and all the other lovely E retailers. The paperback is available on Amazon.

Here's what FAIRY THIEF is about:

It has been a year since Saffron Keller traveled to the Fairyrealm. She had no intention of ever mixing with fairy-kind again. When the fairy, Ny, steals the soul of her human love, Markis, she finds herself entangled once more in all that is beautiful and magical and torturous. To find Markis, she must travel through different realms - alternate planes of existence and spaces of time – all before her life in the Earthrealm passes too far into the future.

Not wanting the help of the possessive fairy, Li, whom Saffron has shared turbulent past lives with – she is instead paired up with two immature boy fairies, Tai and Wo, who try her patience to the very limits of tolerance. As the three pass through realms they meet others who hinder and help them on their way: Orji - the handsome man with the bad bed-side manner, Deva - the cow who has the twins besotted, a monster of a prince, and the most vile dragon lady in one hundred realms.

Woohoo! Now I'm so excited to read it! Sounds like it's going to be another great story with an exotic cast of weird and wonderful characters. Oh, and I'm pretty sure I know that vile dragon lady personally. Thanks so much for stopping by, Johanna, and good luck with Fairy Thief!

Spooky Reads for Halloween

2011-10-30T22:48:00.003Z

I'm not on about gore-fests or full-on horror - no. I'm talking proper old-fashioned, spooky stories with haunted houses, ghoulish ghosts and other things to make you shiver...

The Winter Ghosts

Devastated by the death of his older brother during WW1, Freddie Watson goes abroad in search of solace. Driving through the foothills of the Pyrenees, his car spins off the road in a snowstorm. Freddie takes refuge in an isolated village and there meets a captivating woman. But by daybreak, Fabrissa has disappeared and Freddie realises he holds the key to an ancient mystery that has been concealed for 700 years...

The Beaumont Bequest When Patrick Peto destroys the last will and testament of his uncle Rex Beaumont, he has no qualms about ignoring his request to leave "all my books to Barbara". But when he illegally obtains possession of the Heartsease estate and consigns the author's stories to the flames, he awakens vengeful forces that are determined to set matters right and make sure that Barbara Dane receives what is rightfully hers.

As Patrick imposes his own vision on Rex’s old house, the author's imaginary worlds invade Patrick's reality until he can no longer distinguish fact from fiction. He becomes a prisoner at Heartsease where Rex's fictional creations put him on trial for murder. He is sentenced to death, but after a plea for mercy from one of the characters, his sentence is reduced to 90 days and 90 nights, during which time he must recreate every story he has destroyed.

The Little Stranger One post-war summer in rural Warwickshire, Dr. Faraday is called to a patient at lonely Hundreds Hall. Home to the Ayres family for over two centuries, the Georgian house, once impressive, is now in decline. Its owners - mother, son, and daughter - are struggling to keep pace with a changing society, as well as with conflicts of their own. But are the Ayreses haunted by something more sinister than a dying way of life? Little does Dr. Faraday know how closely, and how terrifyingly, their story is about to become intimately entwined with his.

The Woman In White "There in the middle of the broad, bright high-road-there, as if it had that moment sprung out of the earth or dropped from the heaven-stood the figure of a solitary woman, dressed from head to foot in white garments."

And this is how young Walter Hartright first meets the mysterious woman in white. Secrets, mistaken identities, surprise revelations, amnesia, locked rooms and locked asylums, and an unorthodox villain made this mystery thriller an instant success when it first appeared in 1860, and it has continued to enthrall readers ever since.

So those are my spooky picks for Halloween.

If you have any of your own you'd like to share, feel free

to leave a comment below!

And the Winner is...

2011-10-27T12:13:00.001+01:00

Sam Bella!

Congratulations, Sam. You've won an ebook copy of

STOLEN by Catherine Stovall.

Sam, Catherine's publisher, Untreed Reads, will be contacting you shortly.

Thanks to all those who entered. Do keep checking back

as I plan to host more giveaways in the future xx

Requiem of Humanity Tour Stop & Giveaway

2011-10-20T06:13:00.060+01:00

Today, as the leaves fall from the trees and the cold autumn rain makes me shiver, all I want to do is curl up with a cup of tea and a great vamp novel. If this sounds like your idea of heaven, you could be in luck, because today Catherine Stovall has offered to give away an ebook copy of her debut novel, Stolen (Requiem of Humanity). To be in with a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment below.

~Jenda and Soborgne are best friends and everything they do, they do together. Unfortunately, this time the girls may die together. The girls are kidnapped and held captive by Belle and Matteo, two vampires with a plan. Belle, a sociopath in life and death, is searching for an heir to her reign as the only vampire to hold the secret to surviving the sun. Matteo is a lost soul who would give anything to be loved and to see the light of day.

~As the four characters’ worlds collide, blood is spilled, lives are lost, and rules are broken. Disappointment in love and life bring out the worst in humans but with vampires, it leads to a chilling tale that will make you look under your bed before you close your eyes and then dream of falling in love with a medieval fiend.

Catherine's also been kind enough to share some of her experiences on getting published. Here's her guest post on what it means to her to be an indie author:

Stuck in the Middle with Me by Catherine Stovall

I am not one of those authors who have been writing novels for the past ten or twenty years. Stolen is the first novel I have ever written. One day, I decided to write a book and six months later Stolen was born. There I was with my completed manuscript staring back at me and a question in the space between me and it. Stolen was completed, proof read, and edited, now what?

The next logical step was to publish my brain child. This fragile and newborn thing must be sent out to the wolves on its own with just my hopes to carry it. Who would I choose to judge my heart and soul? There were only really three options. I could publish Stolen myself, I could send it off to the big print publishers and agents, or I could send it to the eBook Publishers.

I knew right away that the self-publishing industry just wasn’t for me. I admire those brave souls who put on their entrepreneur hats and storm into the world of publishing. These miraculous authors take on all the challenges and hard work of seeing their novels through the fog and into the eyes of the reader. I needed more guidance, more direction, and the help of someone who positively knew how to do what I didn’t.

Checking the submission guidelines for many of the well-known print publishers I learned quickly that this would be a daunting task. Most print publishers do not accept unsolicited manuscripts from writers, only those with agents. Agents do not generally accept authors who have not previously been professionally published. I found myself in a conundrum.

I began looking into ePublishing. Though someday I want to see Stolen in print, the more I learned about eBooks, I knew this was the path for me as a new author. ePublishers offered me everything I was looking for. Here were companies who welcomed unsolicited manuscripts without an agent, provided professional editing, and offered very competitive royalty rates. I loved the idea of being able to tell my future grandchildren that I was a part of the eBook revolution. When I learned that I could have a bigger say in the entire process with the ePublishers than with print publishers, I started cheerfully preparing the perfect query letter.

Sixteen letters went out. In a matter of weeks, I received several polite no thank you letters, one letter that not so politely told me not to give up my day job, and two letters saying yes. Now, from what I have heard, this is rare if not a miracle. I consider myself blessed to now be a part of the Untreed Reads team.

I have many of the same privileges, as a self-published author. In addition to these privileges, I have an extra helping hand from the publisher. Still, having Stolen published in eBook only by a small publisher is tough. Sometimes I feel I am stuck in the middle. Not being independent enough to be Indie and not big enough to be something else, I find myself in a hard place as an emerging author. It is a struggle to find outlets to promote and then I do most of than promotion myself. Yet, I am very happy where I am right now with my writing career.

As far the question of rather or not I am an Indie author goes, I really don’t know. It depends on the person’s point of view. To some, the term Indy means an author who has no affiliation with any company. To these people I am not an Indie writer. To others, Indy means an author who is Independent in their thinking. One who Never gives up. One who Drives forward and continues to learn as they grow as author and person. One who is Inventive in the way they promote their work and in their publishing endeavors. Most of all, an Indie author is a person who Experiences the process of writing, editing, and publishing with their heart, minds, and soul. I can only hope that these people define me as Indie, it would be my honor.

You can discover more about Catherine on her website and on Facebook. Don't forget to leave a comment below if you'd like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of Stolen.

Become a Vampire in my Latest Novel

2011-10-03T09:46:00.009+01:00

***This Competition is now Closed***

Ever dreamed of being a vampire?

I’m currently writing Thicker than Blood, the sequel to Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) and I thought it would be a bit of fun to give you the opportunity to become a character in the story. I’ll use your real name and, if you get picked, I’ll message you for more information on hair colour, character traits etc.

The novel is set in present day England and in 6th century Byzantium. You won’t be a main character, but you will play a significant role in the story and what’s more, I’m giving you the option to be a good vampire or an evil vampire bwahahahahaha!!!!

All you have to do, is follow my blog and write your name in the comments section below. Also state whether you'd like to be good or evil.

If you win:

- The name used will be your first and last name as stated on the comments section.

- The character using your name may not necessarily have your exact personality/looks etc.

- You cannot substitute anyone else’s name.

- You might get killed off!

- Your name may be used in future publicity.

- By entering this competition, you agree that I can use your name as a character in the Marchwood Vampire Series.

All entries must be in by midnight 30^th November 2011.

I'll announce the winner on December 3rd, so don't forget to check back here to see if you're my vampire!

Good luck, bloodsuckers!

PS. Blogger is playing up a bit at the moment, so if you're having trouble commenting, make sure you uncheck the 'stay signed in' box, and it should be okay.

Someone who Inspires me

2011-10-02T20:16:00.000+01:00

My Aunty Joyce is 91 years old and both of her children suffered from Down's Syndrome. Her son died several years ago and she recently lost her daughter, Monique.

Joyce is an amazing woman and is currently preparing 130 pieces of art for an exhibition in aid of Research into Epilepsy. I hope I would be as strong and inspiring as her in the face of such heartbreak.

Below is an invitation to her exhibition in Paris, France from October 25th - 28th. If you're in the neighbourhood, she'd love you to pop in and say hello!

December Moon, Virtual Book Tour

2011-09-14T06:00:00.004+01:00

I've just finished reading Book Two in the Raven Saga. It's called December Moon and is a great fun novel with all kinds of interesting and mysterious characters who find themselves in precarious situations. Author, Suzy Turner, does a great job of keeping the pages turning right up until the end. I'm thrilled to welcome her to the blog today, with her vamp-tastic guest post:

Author, Suzy Turner. (Someone you wouldn't mind running into in a dark alley)

When I was a wee lass, my sister and I were taken to the cinema to see a kids film (I think it was Neverending Story, but I'm not entirely sure)... unfortunately, we couldn't get in to see that and our only other option was a vampire flick called The Lost Boys. We ummed and ahhed (or rather our parents did... it's not exactly suitable for kids under ten!) and decided to go for it. I'm so glad we did. It's now one of my all-time favourite vampire movies.

What is it about vampires that are so appealing? I mean, they're usually evil blood-sucking creatures who go from beautiful to grotesque in a matter of seconds? They want to drink our blood, kill us or turn us into fellow blood-suckers, don't they?

In The Lost Boys the vampires were undoubtedly the bad boys, unlike Twilight where Edward is just so totally swoon worthy and the epitome of a real gentleman. Granted, it has its fair share of the nasty variety but the Cullens are just, well, to die for, right?

In today's YA stories, many of the lead male characters are vampires. They're usually breathtakingly beautiful and falling for the female protagonist. Now there's nothing wrong with that... it makes for a fabulous story, I say. In December Moon, I have my own loved up vampires who happen to be far from evil. Carmelo and Jo are simply a lovely couple who would do anything for anybody... not your usual, run of the mill, vamps! However, there is something evil lurking beyond those pages. Something so frightening and deadly. Actually, okay, okay... it's a another vampire. The bad kind. His name is Duran (Olivier Duran, to be precise) and he's not exactly a very nice lad. He's extraordinarily good looking though so that makes it all right, doesn't it?!

If you love a great vampire story with a good variety of other paranormal elements thrown in for good measure, then give December Moon a go... I'm pretty sure you won't be disappointed.

Thanks so much for joining me, Suzy. the Lost Boys is one of my fave films too. I bet someone will remake it one of these days.

For more information about December Moon and The Raven Saga, visit:

Suzy's website: http://suzyturner.com

Blog: http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Amazon AuthorPage:http://www.amazon.com/Suzy-Turner/e/B0050BSH1I/

The Things A Boy Will Do To Get A Girl: Becoming Edward by Faye Meredith

2011-09-07T13:03:00.000+01:00

Today I'm lucky enough to be joined by the fabulous Faye Meredith, author of Becoming Edward. I've read the novel and have to say I loved every second. At one point I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe. Cute, funny and unashamedly British, this is a story I'd love to see on TV. It's genius!

Rachel’s hooked on Twilight and is in love with Edward Cullen. Clive is obsessed with Rachel but he’s no Edward. Lewis is in love with himself until he meets Rachel.

Both boys fail to win her until one of them has the bright idea of becoming Edward.

Becoming Edward is a light-hearted teen fiction novel for young adults who love paranormal romance, especially Twilight and Breaking Dawn. There are no vampires in it, but there is a boy who thinks he's Edward Cullen.

The author is a huge Twilight fan and explores what happens when obsession goes too far.

What will readers like about your book?

The lengths that boys will go to attract the girl of their dreams, even if it means dressing up like a fictional character and getting it completely wrong. Hopefully, it’s funny and insightful at the same time.

What inspired you to write it?

I was in Borders (which I sorely miss now it’s gone) and I saw a group of teenage girls sitting around the Twilight section, reading the books like their lives depended on it. I think Breaking Dawn had just come out and I guess they couldn’t afford to buy the hardback. A thought popped in my head: how would they react if someone who looked like Edward Cullen walked in? That’s where I got the idea for Becoming Edward.

Originally the boy was going to be the full package and be completely unaware that he looked like Edward Cullen. But then I thought it would be far more interesting to make him change into him. More importantly, what would make him want to do that? It had to be for a girl.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes and no. I have far too many ideas. I’ve have about 4 books planned out but I can’t decide which one to write first.

Who are your favorite authors?

Gosh, so many. Here goes, in no particular order: Anne Rice, Suzanne Collins, Nick Hornby, Ian Banks, Stephenie Meyer, Ken Follet, George Macdonald Fraser, Philip Pullman, Roald Dahl, Terry Pratchet, CS Lewis, Eoin Colfer and Shalini Boland, of course.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

At weekends I dress up in rubber (no, not that sort of thing you dirty lot!) and go surfing. I’ve been doing it quite a few years now and have surfed in Spain, Portugal, France, the Canaries and chilly old Cornwall.

Thanks so much, Faye!

If you like the sound of Becoming Edward, here's where you can get your mitts on a copy:

Amazon for Kindle

Barnes & Noble for the Nook

Smashwords

How to Tame the Heart of a Hoodie

2011-08-28T12:18:00.000+01:00

It was the usual scenario – a bunch of hard teenagers hanging out in the park where we were playing with our young boys. We kept our distance, but I could still hear a few choice swear words.

My four-year-old had a balloon which he accidentally lost his grip on. As he watched it swirl away out of reach, up into the sky, he cried:

‘My balloon! My balloon! No!’

The group of youths all turned towards my son and his disappearing balloon.

‘Aaawww,’ they cried. ‘His balloon!’

There’s nothing quite as sad as a child who’s lost his balloon. Even the local hard kids would agree.

Free Ereaders Coming Soon!

2011-08-27T00:03:00.000+01:00

I’ve been thinking about the publishing industry and, more specifically, about where the publishing industry is headed and what it will mean for readers and authors - the rise of ebooks, the decline of print books etc etc. And then something occurred to me. Ereaders will soon be free.

Of course they will. It’s blindingly obvious to me now. Kindles and Nooks and Kobo Readers will be given away or sold for a fraction of their current price. Surely the real revenue is in the thousands of books we download each month. If Amazon wants to sell Kindle books, it has to make sure everyone owns a Kindle.

Maybe readers will pay a monthly subscription, like a mobile phone tariff. For example: Get a free Kindle 3G for a monthly payment of $20 and receive 4 free downloads.

As authors, we might even be given the opportunity to opt in to the ‘monthly subscription programme’, where we receive a set fee each time a reader chooses our ebook as one of their monthly downloads.

At the moment, a lot of video games consoles are sold at a huge loss because the games themselves are where the money is. So it follows that the same could happen with Ereaders.

And where would this leave the author? Wouldn’t it then make more sense to go directly to the ereader manufacturer rather than via a traditional publisher?

So this takes me back to my initial pondering about where the publishing industry is heading. What of the traditional publisher? In the short term, print books will still be around, but if everyone owns a free ereader, why would anyone need a paperback? And therefore why would any author need a traditional publisher?

As an author, I can buy in editing, design and formatting from freelancers, get it straight from Amazon or do it myself. Which means, one day we’ll all be indie authors. Interesting times.

Author: Winslow Eliot

2011-08-21T12:04:00.000+01:00

A PERFECT GEM

Bad things happen to other people. Not to us. Crista's husband says this often, right up to the day his car goes off the cliff, killing him. Then she learns he was married to someone else. She's fired from her job and evicted. She and her two children move to Tahton, the small town she fled 25 years earlier, vowing never to return. As she begins to recover from the shock of betrayal, his ‘real’ wife contacts her, looking for something valuable…that Crista doesn’t even know she has.

What will readers like about your book?
Any reader who enjoys romantic, suspenseful page turners I hope will like A Perfect Gem. My books are written for pleasure and entertainment. My greatest joy is when a reader tells me they stayed up all night reading one of my books. I write to make readers happy. I have a happiness guarantee on them – if you don’t like it - and you’ve bought it from my website – I’ll give you a 100% refund. J

What inspired you to write it?
Two things came together one hot summer afternoon: First, I was driving along a quiet country road after a fabulous encounter with a wonderful man - Bernie Fallon (author of 'Goodology.') At the time he owned the Public Market in my village, and he's very much like Gareth in 'A Perfect Gem.'

Then, on my way home, I noticed a small, handmade sign by the side of the road that said "Crystals and Gems" and a funny arrow pointing up a driveway I'd never seen it before, even though I know this road by heart! Of course I pulled in. There was no one around, so I went around the side of the house to a small barn in the back and there were these two odd-looking gentlemen with a barn full of the most amazing crystals and gems you've ever seen. (This is all true, I swear.) I spent hours and hours with them, touching the stones, learning all about them, sitting in the sun as I held one, talking about their travels... That whole experience seems other-worldly. Afterward, I tried to get in touch with them, but never saw either them or that barn again.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?
Yes – PURSUED will be published in fall 2011. Here’s the blurb: “A storm–a disaster–a theft. When Kale Trenton’s most valuable possession is stolen, investigative reporter Leigh Gardner vows to go to the ends of the earth to bring it back. She chases every lead, explores every possibility, and hunts down Kale’s rival, Peregrine, to find it. How far will Leigh go to bring it back, and will she survive?”

Who are your favorite authors?

I have so many! Daphne Du Maurier, Georgette Heyer, Susan Elizabeth Phillips. But probably the author who has had the most influence is my grandmother, Ethel Cook Eliot. She wrote wonderful children’s books (The House Above the Trees, The Wind Boy). She also wrote teenage mysteries, way before the term Young Adult was coined. She’s mystical, romantic, wise, and, best of all, a good story-teller. That’s my ideal writer.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I’m a belly dancer!

Thanks so much for sharing a bit about yourself, Winslow. I'm really looking forward to reading A Perfect Gem.

If you’d like to learn more, here’s Winslow’s website and you can find her books at Amazon and Smashwords.

Winslow Eliot's Author Bio:

My greatest pleasure is entertaining readers with tales of romance and thought-provoking posts about writing in general, and poetry, teaching, and inspiration in particular. My free online newsletter, WriteSpa – Oasis for Writers, welcomes visitors from all over the world. Besides writing novels and my WriteSpa, I teach high school English (not sure if that’s a hobby or a job, or both!).

Fantasy Romance Author - Amanda Leigh Cowley

2011-08-15T12:50:00.000+01:00

Soul Protector is a fast-paced fantasy romance. In part one of the Soul Protector series, Gracie discovers she can switch into other people's bodies.

Unaware she has a visible aura, she gets abducted by a monitor, Dan. He introduces Gracie to the world of Soul Protectors, but while she admires what they do, she isn't brave enough to embrace switching herself.

She falls for Dan, but finds he has hang-ups of his own. When Gracie does finally pluck up the courage to switch again, she uncovers a dark secret; one that shocks her to the core.

Hi Amanda! What will readers like about your book?

Soul Protector is a fantasy romance with twists and turns, so hopefully you will be hooked, but unable to predict the outcome.

What inspired you to write it?

I’ve always wanted to write a book, but when I tried in the past, I gave up after the first chapter. Then I had one of those days where everything was going wrong, and I was worried about a family member (illness – but they’re all better now). I just wanted to escape into someone else for the day and leave my worries behind – and that put the idea for Soul Protector in my head. The idea just grew and grew, and I couldn’t type fast enough…

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes. Part two in the Soul Protector series is my work in progress. I hope to have it available in digital format and paperback by the end of this year.

Who are your favourite authors?

I like Kelley Armstrong, Richelle Meade, Stephenie Meyer, Kazuo Ishiguro and Marian Keyes.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I have the world’s worst sense of smell. It’s shocking. I was on plane once, and when I came out of the toilet, the air hostess sprayed me with air freshener. I was a little put out to say the least – but my husband told me the gentleman who came out before me had left a really bad smell, and the air hostess ran off to get the freshener; no once could believe I’d wandered in, (oblivious), while they were all gagging.

Amanda Leigh Cowley lives in Northampton, UK, with her husband, two sons and a shaggy dog. In addition to helping her husband with the admin side of his business, ferrying the kids between football (soccer!) matches, and writing articles online, she has managed to fulfil a burning ambition to write a book. Soul Protector is her debut novel.

You can find out more by checking out Amanda's blog: http://amandaleighcowley.blogspot.com

Soul Protector is available to buy from Amazon and Smashwords

I Predict a Riot

2011-08-13T14:50:00.000+01:00

Petrol is non-existent and there has been no food on the supermarket shelves for weeks. People are hawking produce in the streets and goods are traded as British coin is currently worthless. People want food, alcohol, tobacco and medicine. Pharmacies and hospitals have been emptied of stocks. Supplies, supposed to be on their way, just aren’t getting through to their destinations. Electricity, phones, gas and water are functioning, but only intermittently and people are hoarding bottled water.

We’re lucky to be in a small village and not a big town or city where there are riots and looting. It’s a surreal time where a person can be stabbed to death for a pack of cigarettes.

I know the London riots have been bad, but we haven’t reached this stage yet. My new novel Outside explores what could happen if things really did escalate out of control.

What are your views on the riots? Why do you think they happened and could the government have done anything to stop them sooner?

Huge Ebook Giveaway - 24 Titles - 48 Winners!

2011-08-07T20:48:00.000+01:00

All you have to do is shoot over to one of these blogs to enter:

After The Book

OR

JeanzBookReadNReview

As soon as each blog reaches 100 followers, the first winners on that blog will be drawn. First winner drawn gets first pick of the ebooks on the list.

The eBooks:

1 The Bringer - Samantha Towle Twitter
2 Raven - Suzy Turner Twitter
3 Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series) - Shalini Boland Twitter
4 Beautiful Evil – Robbi Sommers Bryant Twitter
5 Bloodletter - Angel Haze
6 Piercing Through the Darkness - Emerald Barnes Twitter

7 Paradox - The Angels Are Here - Patti Roberts Twitter

8 Black Wood - Jayde Scott 9 A Job From Hell - Jayde Scott Twitter

10 Coexist (Keegan’s Chronicles) – Julia Crane Twitter
11 Legacies of Talimura (War of the Witch) - Angel Haze Twitter
12 Scorpio Rising (The Scorpio Series) - Monique Domovitch Twitter
13 Ruby and the Mix Games (Hue Series -Vol 1) - Joseph Seegitz Twitter
14 Paranormal Doorway to the Triquetra - Lenore Wolfe Twitter
15 Dark Warrior - Lenore Wolfe
16 Salt Bowl Death – Cypher Lx Twitter
17 Nalia and the Potion Maker (Nalia, Book 1) - Queenbe Monyei Twitter
18 Chasing Destiny - Linda Eble Swain Twitter
19 Darkest Before Dawn – Cypher Lx

20 Caged In Darkness - J.D. Stroube Twitter

21 Crossroads - Mary Ting Twitter

22 Forever Sunshine - Collette Scott Twitter

23 Outside - Shalini Boland Twitter

24 Fairy Circle - Johanna Frappier Twitter

Vampires In The Cotswolds

2011-08-06T10:05:00.000+01:00

I just did my very first book signing for Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series)! It took place in Gloucestershire (the setting for most of the book) at That New Shop, a gorgeous little gift boutique that sells all sorts of beautiful things.

Owners, Amara and Sue, put a great sign in the window 'Vampires In The Cotswolds' and set me up with a chair and table right in the centre of the shop.

I was nervous before we started, but everyone was so lovely and friendly that I ended up having a great time. Special thanks to Paulette and Tracie for chat, coffees and that deliciously decadent cupcake!

We sold out halfway through the morning and had to take orders, so apologies to those people who didn't get a copy straightaway. But there's another box of books winging its way to the shop as I type. It should be there next week.

I hope to do plenty more book signings in the future. My aim is to arrange them at all the locations in the novel. So next stop Paris, then Cappadocia...

Raven by Suzy Turner

2011-08-04T12:17:00.000+01:00

Lilly's life is strange. She has odd parents and only one friend. But when Lilly’s parents disappear, things get even stranger. Everything she knows is taken away from her and she begins to realise that she isn’t who she thought she was. The story had me flipping the pages to discover Lilly’s family secrets and I wasn’t disappointed.

Suzy Turner’s writing flows and the story pulls you in with its intrigue and mystery. The characters are compelling and the plot unfolds into an exciting and dangerous adventure.

I can’t wait for book 2 and I’m really glad it’s going to be about Lilly’s friend, December Moon. She’s a character I wished we’d seen more of in Raven, so it’s brilliant we’ll get to find out who she is. All in all this was a fantastic read!

Raven is a refreshingly different novel suitable for children, teens and adults alike. You can find it in the following places:

Amazon for Kindle
Barnes & Noble for the Nook
Smashwords

Suzy's website: http://www.suzyturner.com/

The Books In My Life - Suzy Turner

2011-07-28T09:55:00.000+01:00

The gorgeous and super-talented author, Suzy Turner, has very kindly agreed to write a guest post for Someone Wot Writes! I'll be following it up later with a review of her amazing YA novel Raven.

The Books in my Life

Books have always been incredibly important to me. I remember reading so many different kinds as a child, anything from Arthur C Clarke's Islands in the Sky, Robert O'Brien's Z for Zachariah, some of the Nancy Drew series, a whole load of Mills and Boon and many others before I eventually moved on to Jilly Cooper, Danielle Steel and Jackie Collins. I tell you, I learned a lot from those women!

There are some books that were so powerful to me when I first read them as a young teenager. At that age I guess I was easily blown away. Probably because I needed to be taken away into other people's worlds after I lost my mother when I was just 13.

Some that I remember with fondness are Queenie by Michael Korda, Lace by Shirley Conran and Destiny by Sally Beaumont. I also loved the Lucky Santangelo series by Jackie Collins. There was something about all of those books that really touched me at the time. I ought to read them again and see how I am affected now, as a grown woman.

A little later, I remember my dad recommending Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth. A huge book, I know, but boy... what a story! It was fantastic. The TV series, although good, just didn't do it justice. Jean M Auel's Clan of the Cave Bear was another book I read soon after,and it certainly wowed me!

Since those days, I've become a true Harry Potter and Twilight fan. I know I will read these books over and over. The only other book that I've ever read twice is Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden and that is an amazing tale - much better than the movie.

But now, since the advent of ebooks and the kindle, I am thoroughly enjoying reading books written by authors in the same situation as me. Self-published authors who have decided to go it alone. And here I am, being blown away yet again by the sheer talent out there. Some firm favourites include Shalini's Hidden, Johanna Frappier's Fairy Circle, Patti Roberts' Paradox... there are so many, I could easily list tons more!

I haven't given up on traditionally published books, of course. I would never do that, although I do prefer to read on my kindle these days as it's so much more convenient than lugging around books around in my handbag!

Thanks so much, Suzy. I loved reading about your book history. I think we must have almost identical reading tastes!

http://suzyturner.com
http://suzyturner.blogspot.com

Guest Blog by Tore Sinding Bekkeval, NORWAY SURVIVOR - Linked from Hannah Warren's Blog

2011-07-27T13:20:00.000+01:00

My thoughts are with the survivors of this truly awful event. I can't begin to imagine what they must have gone through and are yet to endure.

Norway survivor, Tore Sinding Bekkeval, has written a guest post for Hannah Warren's blog:

"I wrote a Norwegian post explaining my experience at Utøya. I had taken this blog for dead, and had entirely forgotten that it was syndicated on Planet Debian. I don’t want to let Google Translate make this disaster any worse than it is – the translation of “bullets” into “balls” being particularly bad – so the international attention the massacre has garnered in consideration, I am writing an English translation of my experiences. I feel somehow duty-bound to make people aware of what happened, but I don’t want to get into anything else but a sober description of the events and some very brief reflections. There are many details I have chosen to omit.

"Others have written their experiences of the events at Utøya. I wanted to write mine down as well, and “get it out there”. Partly, I want to write this down because I’m unsure if I will remember all the details at a later point in time, although I think I’d prefer it if I couldn’t. I’m also writing this because people are asking about my experiences and it’s much better to have an URL to give them, lest I have to keep going through the same spiel over and over again ..."

Read more

Selling Ebooks for the Nook from Barnes & Noble

2011-07-26T13:42:00.000+01:00

Yesterday I discovered that my young adult novel, Hidden(Marchwood Vampire Series), was in the Barnes & Noble Nook Top 100 list. And not just in the top 100, but it’s reached the vertiginous heights of number 27!
How did it happen? And what does it mean?

I published to B&N via Smashwords, which is great, but unfortunately it means I have to wait until next month to find out what this chart position represents in terms of sales – NO-O-O-O-O!!! How can I wait that long? My mind is on overdrive wondering how many people have bought my book.

Nearly all my previous sales have been through Amazon. In fact, in June I only sold 6 copies of Hidden via B&N and it was ranked in the thousands. So how has it managed to leap from that, to number 27? I’ve been featured on a few blogs and had some great reviews, but apart from that … I’m stumped.

I’m not complaining, just curious and itching to find out how many I’ve sold. Anybody care to take a wild guess???

Doing Nothing, Part 2

2011-07-22T23:54:00.000+01:00

So a while ago I set myself the challenge of doing nothing. I don’t often get the chance to do nothing, but I had a window of opportunity and I took it. It was a dismal failure. See here: http://someonewotwrites.blogspot.com/2010/10/doing-nothing.html

And now, nine months later, I've had the time and opportunity to give it another go:

I tidied up the lounge (monumental event) and turned off my laptop (super-monumental event). Then I leaned back into the sofa and tried not to get annoyed by the traffic noise outside. The worst bit was the fidgetiness - the thought of all those things I could be, should be doing. But when these intruders came into my head, I kicked them out and tried to think of beaches, mountain streams, forest glades … I was flitting to all kinds of places of outstanding natural beauty, finally settling on the shore of a lake with my toes in the water.

My shoulders relaxed, my fingers tingled, my toes felt light and fluffy. The coloured energy bars in my body began to power up, multiplying and changing from red to go-girl-green. The cells in my body sighed: ‘We like this. We like this a lot’.

I managed this for a whole ten minutes, but it felt great and I know I should do it more often. I’ll try not to wait another nine months before revisiting the shores of my lake.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MUM!

2011-07-20T23:06:00.000+01:00

Hope you have a lovely day!

Love from Shalini and Neil

xxxx

Author: Shawn Maravel

2011-07-15T09:57:00.000+01:00

Shawn Maravel was born in a small New Jersey town parked right smack dab in the middle of farm country. She has a twin sister and two kid sisters. When her husband joined the Army and was stationed in Germany she packed up her things and moved to Germany to be with him. Making the most of the Army life Shawn has traveled around Europe as much as possible and considers Germany home after spending the last two and a half years there. She spends most of her time reading, writing books, and spending time with her husband, faithful Rottweiler, and ninja cat.

In the book Volition Joel seems to enter Charlotte's life at just the right time, or just the wrong time, depending on who you ask. His easy charm and good looks are assumed by her friends to be Charlotte's biggest distraction in seeing him for who he really is. But the question isn't who he is, it's what.

His bright green eyes match Charlotte's exactly; his hair is the same chocolate brown. Are these just a coincidence or is there a reason for their similarities? Are they connected somehow? Well...that would be absurd...wouldn't it? Charlotte doesn't even know Joel. He's charming and sweet and has the air of innocence, yet he seems to know maybe just a little too much.

There's a fine line between mysterious and dangerous. But where does Joel fall? And why won't he tell Charlotte anything more than that he's "here to protect her." Well that definitely clarifies nothing. Sure she had a close call at the club a few nights ago and things could have ended badly but they didn't...right? Well, that's when Charlotte met Joel and she did happen to meet him in a dark hotel room after she'd passed out at said club. Wait. Now everything is just beyond confusing.

Joel seems honest and something in Charlotte's gut says that he's telling the truth...but what exactly has he told her apart from nothing?

What will readers like about your books?

I think that readers will like my characters and find them very relatable. In book one, Volition the story is built up, the characters developed, the plot and suspense begin, but in book two the action, romance, and suspense really take off. And in book two you really get a feel for the characters even more, discovering what they are willing to do for love and in some cases, revenge.

What inspired you to write them?

The first story I wrote, With Eyes That See I wrote when my husband, then boyfriend, enlisted in the Army. It was something to focus my attention on. That story was inspired by my grandfather who was diagnosed with glaucoma when he was in his early twenties. I am actually re-writing it now. Volition and Severance were similar, I started writing Volition when my husband deployed to Iraq for a year. It started off as one book, inspired by a question that I had asked myself one day, “Who loves you more than anyone else, puts you first, loves you for all that you are and has known you your entire life, putting their love for you before all else.” I developed characters and a plot from there. And soon one book became two books!

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

I actually have one book called The Wanderer that I will be releasing in January. It is a story about a recently retired Army Veteran. It was originally inspired by my love for a man in uniform and how fabulous I think they look riding a motorcycle in uniform. Seriously…I cannot get enough of it. The main character, Landon Bradley is the kind of man who is not used to sticking around for too long in one place. He packs up his motorcycle and heads North West in search of peace and maybe even a place to finally settle down. But what he finds in a small Wyoming town scares him.

Maxine Abrams, more affectionately known as Max makes him think that maybe he is the kind of man that can be loved, after so many years of thinking otherwise. In the end he must chose which call to heed, his heart or the open road. It really was a very fun story to write. It only took me two months actually. And I love Landon just as much as Max. I think that I created two very strong and believable characters, and a love story that will melt the hearts of my readers.

The story I am working on now, the re-write of With Eyes That See, is arguably my favorite, just because it is my first and re-writing it is something I kind of thought I had lost hope of ever doing. I mean, I wrote three books in between! You can read more about all of the books of course in greater detail on my blog.

Who are your favorite authors?

My favorite authors vary. I read mostly YA books and literary fiction. Those are the two genres that I write as well. For literary fiction I like Nicholas Sparks and Jodi Picoult, though I’ve only read one of Jodi Picoult’s books as of right now, Salem Falls which honestly blew me away. Very well written. And for young adult I like Stephenie Meyer the most, at this point in time. I’m not a crazy Twilight fan by any means but as a writer I envy her easy flow and her ability to write a story that is so fluid.

I didn’t read at all until I finished a book called The Wild Girl by Jim Fergus (I honestly read it just because I loved the cover so much) and it was really good though it was hard, as someone who didn’t read, to get through it. The next book I picked up was Twilight and by that point all four were already out and as someone who found reading difficult…I have never read a book so fast in my life, let alone four, even as someone who enjoys it now. In fact…I can thank those books in part for picking up writing again in the first place.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I don’t drink, at all. Not for any religious reason or family issues or anything like that. My twin sister and I just grew up very stubborn and just about anything that “everyone did” that was considered "cool", we rebelled against. So even to this day, at age 23 neither of us drink. Everyone I know personally knows this of course but it’s kind of a strange thing about me that always surprises people.

Thanks so much, Shawn!

You can find more information on Shawn and her writing in the following places:

Author Blogspot

Goodreads

Facebook

AmazonAuthor Page
Twitter

Hidden Makes The Headlines!

2011-07-13T20:57:00.000+01:00

This week I've been featured in The Dursley Gazette! Now that might not mean a lot to most of you, but it's SO exciting for me. It's the local paper where I grew up and I used to read it every week and scan for stories about anyone I knew - stories like 'Vandals Destroy Rugby Posts' and 'John Smith Wins Fruit Basket at The Dursley Carnival'

Well, now it's MY turn...

Dursley author to make it big with cult vampire novel

11:21am Wednesday 13th July 2011

By Claire Marshall

A FORMER Rednock student is on her way to making it big as an author with what looks set to become a cult hit vampire book.

Shalini Boland could be hot in the heels of Twilight author Stephenie Meyer, judging by the success of her new vampire novel, Hidden.

The book is selling well in the UK, but it is in the US where it is really taking off and the reason could be ... Read more

BiteMarks by Drew Cross

2011-07-12T10:36:00.000+01:00

Drew Cross is a thirty-year-old former model and ex-cop (sadly never a model cop!), now masquerading as a Financial Services professional, from Nottingham, England. He is married with two young children - The Zeds (Zac and Zara) - and a stroppy weimaraner called Charlie. When he's not reading, writing, toddler-wrangling or weimaraner-wrestling, Drew likes to practice martial arts, cook south-east Asian cuisine, and meditate. He hopes one day to break the habit of referring to himself in the third person.

Blood, lust and bloodlust collide when the police hunt for a vampiric attacker threatens to shine an unwelcome spotlight onto the dark secrets of one that they call their own...

What will readers like about your book?
Despite the darkness of the subject matter, there is a good scattering of humour and playfulness throughout the book. Shane Marks is a memorable and complex character (which we'll continue to see as the other books in the series are released), and this is not a paint-by-numbers police procedural, there are several big surprises to keep you guessing. Please ignore the publisher blurb though, guys; this is not a 'vampire' novel, it's crime fiction and there are no supernatural characters involved.

What inspired you to write it?
When I left the police force a number of years ago I felt that I'd had an insight to the both job and to the city that I live in, that many people never get to know. I also had a ton of resentment and anger, so this seemed like a constructive way to channel those feelings!

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Loads! There's TrackMarks - the second book in the 'Marks' crime fiction series; a YA fantasy trilogy called 'The Scarmap'; a WIP YA novel called The Girl and Her Ghost, about a girl who upon choosing to end her life meets somebody who already has...I've also just released 'Under The Influence' a vicious and creepy horror short on Smashwords; and finally (for now), there's a satirical piece under construction too called 'Selling It', which can't decide whether it wants to be a script or a novel.

Who are your favorite authors?

Thomas Harris, John Connolly, Mary Shelley, Robert Louis Stevenson, Poppy Z Brite...probably a dozen others that will occur to me once I've sent this mail too!

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I have a Mensa tested IQ of 155.

Thanks so much, Drew!

www.drewcross.blogspot.com

Bitemarks is available from Amazon and Smashwords

MUSIC BLOGGER: EMMA SUTHERLAND

2011-07-07T10:47:00.000+01:00

Aspiring music journalist, Emma Sutherland, talks to me about gigs, bad rappers and her prediction for the next big thing…

Hi Emma! Have you always been a writer?

No, I've only got into writing in the last year or so. I started by writing for the Daily Echo (and still do from time to time) and have written for the Mr Kyps website and an online youth magazine in the North of England. It's a nice hobby I have at the moment but I would really love to do it as a full time job.

How did you get into writing music reviews?

I've always loved music and love the atmosphere you get at gigs; the build up and excitement of seeing a band you love is a great experience. I realised after seeing a few gigs in Bournemouth that I could write about them so as I have a permanent memory of the gig. I got in touch with Nick Churchill (the Daily Echo's entertainment editor until last year) and asked if he accepted gig reviews from anyone or if you had to be a staff writer. Fortunately the Daily Echo have a small army of ordinary people doing reviews and he asked me to send him a review I had done. Off the back of this he offered me a review job for the band Wild Beats at 60 Million Postcards in Bournemouth and despite not knowing all of their material I had a really good night. They're one of the best live bands I've seen and in such a small venue it was a great opportunity to see them up close and get a feel for the band and their music.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

I go to Mr Kyps pretty regularly so I think my favourite place to write is in there! It's great because I can stand at the bar and still see the onstage action while sipping a nice cold beer, which sometimes, if I'm lucky, I get for free!

Best ever gig you've ever been to? Why?

There's too many to mention! I've seen some great acts but I think my favourite has to be Muse at the SECC in Glasgow. This was a couple of years ago before I was thinking about writing gig reviews but it was amazing for a number of reasons. One, Muse are one of the best rock bands in the world so what could go wrong? Two, I went with some lovely people and three, it was a proper road trip!

And the worst gig ever?

There was a night of poetry and music in The Winchester pub quite a while ago and a guy that came on stage to rap towards the end of the night was pretty poor - quite a few people left the pub, me included!

Top three albums?

Ghostpoet 'Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam'

Metronomy 'The English Riviera'

Tricky 'Knowle West Boy'

What are you listening to at the moment?

Ghostpoet and Foals' first album 'Antidotes' are been heavily repeated on my iPod at the moment. They're both so easy to listen to and I love Ghostpoet's talented lyrics

Your prediction for the next big thing...

I went to The Great Escape music festival in May this year which is a three day event for up and coming bands as well as a good few established ones. Among my predictions for this year are two two piece girl bands, one called 2.54 and the other Smoke Fairies. Both different in musical style but emerging talents for 2011 (hopefully!)

What's your dream job?

Being a full time, paid, music journalist.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I'm a massive Formula 1 fan and was lucky enough to go to the Canadian Grand Prix this year. We got absolutely drenched by the rain but it was well worth it!

Thanks so much Emma!

You can check out Emma’s music reviews here:

http://emmasutherland.posterous.com/

Paranormal Romance Author: Tessa Stokes

2011-07-04T20:00:00.000+01:00

Hi Tessa! Welcome to Someone Wot Writes. Can you tell us a little about your writing.
I have just completed book four in The Seven Spell Saga, it is titled, The Sealed Door. My books, Spellbinding, The Spell Breaker, and The Seven Spell all in The Seven Spell Saga are romantic, lyrical, sprinkled with the motifs of magic, love, friendship, time travel, and immortality.

I wanted my characters to strike real chords with readers, they had become so real to me that it seemed very important to me that readers could also picture and empathize with the characters. One of my characters actually has their own twitter account, although not too many followers just yet. LOL I will leave readers to guess which character. Anyone who has read any of The Seven Spell Saga books will be able to guess who.

What will readers like about The Seven Spell Saga?

That the main character draws them into her life and tells them about her feelings and thoughts as well as her experiences. Chloe McGarry also turns to the reader now and again for opinions. I think that readers will like the two guys in the book, Oliver Tarrant is centred, loving and lovely. Tristan Dearing is mysterious and intense, his love is consuming. I think readers will like the love triangle in the books. As Chloe settles down to her new life in a different country, falls in love and makes new friends the style of the book reflects her growth.

What inspired you to write them?

I wrote The Seven Spell Saga after having the ideas in my head for a few years, I had made notes on various computers and suddenly found that they all gelled. I love ancient places and history, plus I have come across some strange coincidences in life and that is a major motif in the books.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes book five of The Seven Spell Saga is started, I love my characters so much I could not leave them where book four finishes for long and so started the fifth book straightaway.

I have two chapters of a science fiction young adult novel written and I am about the third of the way through a vampire paranormal romance, another plot I have had in my head for a long time. It's a vampire story with a difference, I hope.

Who are your favourite authors?
I have read so much and find it hard to have favourite authors but at the risk of seeming high brow which it's not, I love Shakespeare, also Thomas Hardy. I read lots of detective novels because they are far away from my own genre so that I am not influenced by anything. So I read, Sue Grafton, Ruth Rendell. I also read Alexander McCall-Smith.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I have a degree in Computer Education. If that is too crusty, I once lived in Tangiers, Morocco, quite exotic.

Thanks so much, Tessa. And good luck with your Seven Spell Saga!

You can discover more about Tessa in the following places:

Twitter

Facebook

Tessa's Blog
Tessa's Website

The Seven Spell Saga is available to buy from Smashwords and Amazon

A Gift of a Read...

2011-07-01T08:42:00.000+01:00

It's a new day, it's a new dawn and I’m thrilled to welcome Geoffrey Fox to the blog, with his historical adventure, A Gift for the Sultan.

A story of Christians versus Muslims, cosmopolitans versus anti-urbanites, the conflicts within each group, and the surprising complicities between supposed foes. Based on the true history of the siege of Constantinople in 1402 and the battle of Ankara, with a cast of historical figures and fictional composite characters.

What will readers like about your novel?

Many will be fascinated by this encounter of two contrasting civilizations, one urban and sophisticated and Christian Orthodox, the other the newly Muslimized frontier culture of the Ottomans. The passions of the Christian child princess and of the Ottoman warrior sworn to protect her, the attitudes other characters, and the vivid portraits of city and country life in that epoch make for lively reading.

What was the inspiration behind it?

The brutal siege of Sarajevo in the 1990s and the resistance of its Muslim and other citizens to the onslaught by mostly rural Christian Orthodox forces were very much in my mind when, on my first visit to Turkey, I learned of this earlier siege where the forces were reversed: Christian Orthodox urbanites against a rustic Muslim horde. The overlay of contrasting cultures in Istanbul also deeply impressed me. I wrote the book to try to understand that conflict in 1402, and what it would have been like for both Christians and Muslims to live it.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes, first another collection of short stories, and then another novel about world-shaking events, but set in the not so distant past.

Who are your favorite authors?
My favorites change, according to what I'm working on and what I’ve read lately. Right now, I am most impressed by Mario Vargas Llosa and a young Colombian author, Juan Gabriel Vázquez. Don DeLillo, Annie Proulx, Leon Tolstoy and Gustave Flaubert are also examples I return to frequently.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.
I am pleased to report that the Istanbul-based publisher Nokta will publish A Gift for the Sultan in Turkish this fall, and will present it at the TUYAP International Book Fair there in November. I’m now working on learning Turkish (my fifth language). Also, I draw caricatures and I'm practicing to play better guitar, and I'm so stubborn that I may succeed despite my lack of talent.

Congratulations, Geoffrey, your book sounds like a fascinating read. And good luck with the guitar lessons!

After graduating from Harvard, Geoffrey worked as a community developer in Venezuela and later, after earning a Ph.D. in sociology (Northwestern U.), did research in other Latin American countries while teaching in various universities. He began writing full time around 1978; his book of short stories, Welcome to My Contri, was very favorably reviewed in New York Times, 1988. He has also published many articles and books on Latin America. He and his wife now live in southern Spain.

You can discover more about Geoffrey Fox and his writing in the following places:

http://geoffreyfox.com/
http://geoffreyfox.blogspot.com

His books are available here:

Amazon

Smashwords

A Healthy Dose of Satire

2011-06-28T08:58:00.000+01:00

Lisa Scullard has been writing novels since the age of 18, and has managed to scrape by otherwise without any relationships or permanent career. She has one daughter from a holiday she can't really remember properly, and her main job so far was nightclub bouncer full-time for seven years.

Hi Lisa! Can you tell us about your first novel, Living Hell.

Set in the fictional small suburban town of Jericho, in a world which took a religious wrong turn several hundred years ago and is currently mostly non-practising Satanist, a group of Youth Club volunteers try to organise a Halloween party. In between dealing with the local Press's fixation on an unresolved suicide, and day-to-day blackmail, 19-year-old Kim hooks up with Hellraisers frontman Alastair Brash - and all HIS problems. Which look like they're only just starting.

What do you think readers will like about the book?

It's about that post-adolescent stage in your life when school was pretty much over but nothing real has come along to replace it, and everything's awkward. Your parent's aren't part of your daily life anymore, so you find ways to get by on your own, and try not to be sucked into other people's gangs, groups or cult-type things.

I think a lot of people forget about how funny everything is at that age – there are no commitments, mortgages or 'lifestyle' to keep up with, and pretty much everything is spontaneous and weird.

Also it's a great mystery/action plot following the aftermath of a Halloween party, which takes place over only four days. I wanted to keep the story focused and create interesting characters that readers would want more stories about in future.

What inspired you to write it?

I wrote Living Hell when I was 18, aiming at my own age group - all there was to choose from when I was a teen was Judy Blume, Enid Blyton or Willard Price. Nothing was edgy or racy enough, and it was depressing. Gollancz and Pan MacMillan loved it, but wanted me to change the target audience to adult. Pan Mac asked me to write a sequel, but that only got to first draft stage before the editor handling it left. It was three years' waiting wasted, and I lost confidence for a long time after that.

I lived in a small village with boy racers and bikers amongst the locals, with nothing to do at weekends except pubs or the sports centre in a nearby town - not even a cinema within 30 miles, and the last bus anywhere was at 5.30pm. I also had Graves' Disease and was going back and forth to hospital appointments in London, and having various beta-blockers tested on me, none of which were working, and I couldn't get a job. My brothers and I read Pratchett, Tom Sharpe, watched sci-fi and comedy, and I wrote stories as escapism.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

I've also just published Death & The City in hardcover, paperback and eBook - a chick-lit backlash against traditional romance/crime stories. It's satire, dark, and due to get darker in follow-ups. It's about a female bouncer with a personality disorder who has to bump off contract killers identified through her usual job. Her head office set her up with a wingman, and she doesn't want to be manipulated or tied up in romantic cliches that other women would assume was part of the scenario. It's a bit postmodern in that sense.

I'm doing some illustrations at the moment, and writing a sequel to The Terrible Zombie Of Oz, as well as continuing the Death & The City "Tales Of The Deathrunners" series. I haven't got into the sales side of it, I don't want to - would rather just wait and see if readers like it without being pressurised into buying.

Who are your favourite authors?

Terry Pratchett and Tom Sharpe - for pure irreverence and style of humour. The laugh-out-loud even if you know you shouldn't sort.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

While I was at school my only real ambition was to get married at 16, and have six children *fail* :) But at least I can say I've got further in writing fiction than I have in real life ambitions, even if I never sell many books :)

Lisa, you’re such a star. I already have two of your paperbacks on my bookshelf at home and you know I’m a big fan. It’s been a joy to have you here.

LIVING HELL was Lisa Scullard’s first completed novel, and is now available in both ebook and paperback on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Smashwords (Nook/Sony), Createspace (paperback) and Lulu (hardcover/dustjacket).

You can ~~stalk~~ find more out about Lisa here:

http://www.screenkiss.co.uk/eStore.htm

http://voodoo-spice.blogspot.com
On Twitter
On Youtube

A Heavenly Read

2011-06-25T09:00:00.000+01:00

A dreamy Scottish hero, a feisty modern heroine and a paranormal twist. I’m talking about Cyndi Tefft’s debut novel, BETWEEN.

Lyndsey Waters finds herself at the gates of heaven, but that’s not what’s making her knees quiver. It's because her grim reaper comes in the shape of bonny Aidan MacRae, a Scotsman from the eighteenth century. It’s definitely lust at first sight. But this quickly transforms into something deeper as they are given the opportunity to share glimpses of each other’s lives.

The story has a well-paced balance of humour and pathos as we are taken on an emotional journey through the main characters’ memories of Scotland, Paris and Seattle. At one point, I thought this was going to be the main thrust of the story, but Cyndi Tefft manages to pack a few more surprises into this engaging tale.

There are strong themes of faith and family weaving throughout the novel and these fit in perfectly with the story. There's also a smattering of steaminess, but I'd say it's still a suitable read for young adults. Lindsay is a charming, funny, sympathetic main character and I’m looking forward to reading more about her in the sequel when it’s released!

Between is available to buy now:

Ebook: Smashwords, Apple

Print: Createspace, My website (signed copy)

Print and ebook: Amazon, Barnes & Noble

You can discover more about Cyndi Tefft here: Her Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.

Hot New Author: Tallulah Grace

2011-06-23T08:30:00.000+01:00

Tallulah Grace is a wordsmith specializing in romantic suspense novels that often include a touch of paranormal thrown in just for good measure. Today, she's talking to us about her latest novel, Fate.

Is precognition a prescription for happiness or disaster?

The good things in life are coming together for Kristina Collins. She’s found her ideal home, her career is on track for mega success and the man of her dreams has finally come back into her life.

In Fate, the first installment of the Timeless Trilogy, Kris Collins discovers the benefits and risks of having precognitive visions while being stalked by a serial killer. Her friends can’t help her, the FBI can’t save her; she must save herself.

The Timeless Trilogy heroines, Kristina, Veronica and Cassandra, each deal with paranormal abilities as they discover and rediscover eternal love.

Hi Tallulah! What will readers like about your novel?

The characters. Kris, Roni and Cassie come to life in Fate, along with one (maybe two) love interests. The relationships continue to develop in the next two installments, Spellbound and Destiny. From the connection between the three heroines to the love each one discovers as the stories unfold, I believe that readers will enjoy a rapport with the women and the men who love them.

What inspired you to write it?

It wasn’t so much inspiration as necessity. I’ve known for years that there was at least one book rattling around inside my soul, but there was never time to write it. Turns out, there’s more than one. My alter-ego writes freelance business and how-to articles for private clients, so I’m familiar with research and stringing words together to make coherent sentences.

I was amazed to find that creating a work of fiction is completely different, at least for me. Developing the characters and adapting the story line is truly an organic thing. Quite often, I never knew what was going to happen until I started writing it. If I tell you that the characters told me who they were, you’ll probably think I’m crazy, but that’s exactly what happened.

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

Yes, I’m in the middle of Spellbound, Book Two of Timeless Trilogy and have already written a bit of Destiny, the third installment. ‘Spellbound’ revolves around Roni discovering her true power and ‘Destiny’ focuses on Cassie’s past, present and future journey towards true love. All three books have a strong element of suspense, along with romance and a hint of paranormal. When I say paranormal, I’m not talking vampires and werewolves, at least not this time around. As much as I love a good vampire story, my books include more common paranormal abilities that any human might have. Kris is precognitive, Roni is filled with magic and Cassie learns more about reincarnation than she ever wanted to know.

Who are your favourite authors?

I love Kay Hooper, Elizabeth Lowell, Linda Howard and Iris Johansen. Nora Roberts is also a long time favorite.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

Tallulah Grace is one of my pen names.

And a gorgeous name it is too. Thanks so much for joining us today. Fate sounds like a fantastic read.

Fate is available now from Amazon.

You can find more information on Tallulah at her website:

http://www.tallulahgrace.com

Music Journalist: Chris Morley

2011-06-20T09:00:00.000+01:00

I’m doing something a little bit different today. Instead of a Hot New Author, I’m pleased to welcome music journalist and aspiring author, Chris Morley to the blog. Hi Chris! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

OK. here goes, my name's Chris Morley, I'm a 24 year old cerebral palsy sufferer and music journalist also trying his hand at writing, I have a part time job too but that's not so rock and roll, is it?

Have you always been a writer?

I can't say I've always been a writer, I've always enjoyed reading but its only really at college and university that I actually seriously thought about it, I started out writing for the music section of my university's student newspaper, and now write for MintSouth and I also had a brief spell as a scriptwriter/actor on a local radio soap opera ' Conway Street' with Express FM in Portsmouth for a few months after graduating, having also had some experience on hospital radio during my college years. But I guess as a serious writer I am but a novice, although I'm not really all that serious!

What inspires you?

What inspires me? Ooh, now there's a good question! I suppose in my work as a music journalist the music itself is what drives me on, I guess I've always felt a very strong attachment to it for some reason, I'm still trying to work out just how it got to that point but its always played a big part in my life, from my early days being introduced to the Beatles by my parents to my present state dabbling in pretty much anything, as a recent example I've been listening to a lot of the Velvet Underground and by extension Lou Reed, but I'll listen to pretty much anything, my taste is eclectic, my last album purchase being the Danger Mouse & Daniele Luppi album ' Rome' ( think of it as the soundtrack to an imaginary spaghetti Western film) and thus far its my album of this year, coincidentally I'm listening to it now, although its impossible to imagine myself as some kind of Sergio Leone anti-hero in suburbia on a Sunday night! So obviously I have to cite music as a big inspiration.

Also film ( my degree is in Film Studies), I don't get to the cinema as much as I'd like purely because there's not much on these days that catches my interest, but should things pick up you'll more than likely find me angling for a trip, I record a lot of different films from the television which all have some influence on me, whether good or bad. Television in itself inspires me, if I find a good series that I can get into I'll gladly give over a few hours to it, I like comedy and science fiction in particular if they're done well.

I was pretty much hooked on the present series of ' Doctor Who' ( they've just had the mid-season cliffhanger prior to a two month break) and Steven Moffatt, who's the head writer, has done a great job of reinvigorating my interest in what was getting quite stale before the introduction of the Eleventh Doctor. Incidentally if Steven is reading this you could do worse for a possible future Doctor.......I guess I'm very much an audiovisual person, I'd say my sense of humour influences me, I hope my slight sense of eccentricity is coming through!

There’s a glimmer shining through, Chris. I’m a massive Doctor Who fan myself. Do you have any new projects in the pipeline?

New projects, you say....well, I intend to keep up my music journalism and continue with my entries to Paragraphs Of Power under the watchful eye of Suzanna Burke. Actually while I'm here can I thank her and certain members of the Night Publishing family- Catherine Chisnall, Samantha Towle, Paige Pendleton, Diane Nelson....they've tolerated me crashing their party, for now I am but a mere journalist, I am not worthy! And I'm not going to turn this into one of those rambling acceptance speeches they do at the Oscars, I promised myself I wouldn't cry!

Also if I were better at guitar I would consider a more practical music project, having had some experience in producing thanks to a university project in which I made a radio documentary on the local alternative music scene, in retrospect I can sort of see how Phil Spector went mad, not that I went as far into the abyss as he did! But it was quite enjoyable exploring that side of things, I guess the finished product came out sounding like a Public Enemy album, as I'd been listening to a lot of that kind of thing at the time and so wanted to meld music and speech together. Who knows, maybe if I do make a success of it as a writer that may open a few more doors.

Do you have a favourite place to write?

Most of my writing is done in my bedroom, to be honest! Mind you, I suppose there are worse places to do so, my reckoning is if Brian Wilson can manage to give the seemingly humdrum a new lease of life then so can I. Or maybe I'm just a little bitter that I couldn't come up with ' In My Room' first! Never mind. It's not much of a view, I can look out of the window and see people and cars passing by but it’s nothing too glamorous as it goes. Otherwise I have a notepad in which to write my ideas for various projects, unless I happen to be doing something else and then have a brainwave, in which case I do my best to store it until I can get my hands on anything with which to write.

Who are your favourite writers?

My favourite writer at the moment is Tolkien- I read the Lord of the Rings books a few years back, as well as The Hobbit, and have yet to make inroads into the Silmarillion and Children of Hurin, though I do at least now have copies of them after a recent spree in Waterstone's, I just admired the fact that here was a man who took so much care and attention in creating Middle Earth and really bringing it to life. I guess I just admire any writer who can put a lot into their work, whether it be fiction or whatever. I must also confess to a liking for Stephen Fry in anything he does, including his books, both fictional and otherwise, he's a bit of a national treasure. Best book ever written is too hard to answer as I've read so many so I shall move on! If I'm allowed to include musicians in the writing category I must include Lennon & McCartney, among oh so many others.......

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

There's such a lot that people don't know or haven't cared to find out about me, I shall have to rack my brains as to something interesting. Oh, here's one. I've met royalty, though I was only two so can't remember a lot of it, I presented Princess Anne with flowers when I was a member at a wonderful place called the Rainbow Centre. They taught me to walk so I owe them a lot, even if I had not a clue who Princess Anne was at the time and amused the parents present by asking if every woman in the room plus those who later walked in was her, I guess I was fonder of any kind of limelight back then. Either that or a great big show-off. I'd like to think though that even at that tender age I kept my cool.

Thanks for such a great interview, Chris! I really appreciate you taking the time to share your likes, loves and writing habits. Before you go, could you just tell us where we can find some of your writing?

My music reviews are to be found at MintSouth and a Google search for Paragraphs of Power should guide you to my other writing efforts, I can't remember the exact link at this precise moment!

Thanks again, and may I also congratulate you on having such an interesting name!

You may J

Hot New Author: Johanna Frappier

2011-06-16T09:00:00.000+01:00

Today I’m excited to welcome my new best author friend to the blog – Johanna Frappier!

Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

I live in Massachusetts with my husband, three children, and two cats. We are in training to be alpaca breeders and are working on weekends to build our farm. I watch the skies by night for UFOs and beg my favorite psychic friend for stories.

What will readers like about your book? I've always loved stories that weave in and out of silly, scary, grief, happiness… I love when the emotion of a character is at one level, then without warning shoots somewhere else-just like in life. So you’ll find a lot of unkempt emotion in FAIRY CIRCLE. Just tryin’ to keep this fantasy real!

What inspired you to write it?

My mother raised me on Grimm’s Fairy Tales and fairy tales from all over the world. But she especially loved Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and tsk tsked the modern vampires that have so many conflicting emotions. This is where she and I differed-I can’t get enough of the modern moody vampire!

Also, when I was nine, my older brothers took me to see some Disney movie at the theater. After my parents dropped us off and drove away we left the Disney line and I was escorted to the Poltergeist line… The movie was almost sold out and there weren’t enough seats together. I had to sit with strangers because my six-year-old brother “would be too scared” to sit alone! I don’t think I can put into words how much that film terrified me, but I can say, I’ve never slept a whole night through since! I totally credit Poltergeist with the things that still go on in my head today. ;o)

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

FAIRY CIRCLE is part of a series called, The FAIRY CIRCLE Series. Currently, I’m giving FAIRY THIEF, the second book in the series, a going over for release on October 1, 2011.

Who are your favourite authors?

Ooooh! I love: Clive Barker, Stephen King, and Mary Stewart.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

When I went skydiving for the second time, I pulled my chute and zoned out. When I was supposed to flare to slow myself down I was too slow getting about it and hit the ground hard. Luckily, I only twisted my ankle.

You’re a braver woman than I am! Thanks so much for gracing us with your gorgeous presence and I hope squillions of people buy Fairy Circle.

Thank you for interviewing me, Shalini. I must get back to my book. It’s my new fave: HIDDEN.

Yay!

www.johannafrappier.blogspot.com

Johanna on Facebook

Fairy Circle at Amazon for Kindle US

Fairy Circle on Goodreads

Award-Winning Author: Gerry McCullough

2011-06-13T12:05:00.000+01:00

Today on the blog I’m delighted to be featuring award-winning author and poet, Gerry McCullough!

Gerry has been writing poems and stories since childhood. Brought up in north Belfast, she graduated in English and Philosophy from Queen's University, Belfast, then went on to gain an MA in English.

She lives just outside Belfast, in Northern Ireland, has four grown up children and is married to singer/songwriter and Media Producer, Raymond McCullough.

Hi Gerry! So what will readers like about your latest novel Belfast Girls?

So far, I find they like the characters. Sheila, Phil and Mary, the three girls growing up in Belfast, are all very different. Sheila starts off shy and lacking in self-confidence. She’s the ‘ugly duckling’ who turns into a beautiful supermodel. Phil is bouncy, confident, popular with boys – but she lets herself be dragged into trouble by the man she loves, Davy Hagan. Mary starts off as a wild child, nearly dies of a drug overdose, and then has a spiritual awakening which turns her life around. People seem to be really interested in the girls and their lives and loves. There’s a lot of action, too, but that’s more of a bonus.

What inspired you to write the novel?

I’ve always written stuff, since my childhood. It seemed natural to write about my hometown, Belfast, and about the sort of things which I know something about. Then, there’s so much misunderstanding about this place. I hoped I could explain a bit about the goings-on here to the rest of the world. In a country where religion has so often been a dividing factor, Sheila, Phil and Mary are friends in spite of being from different religious backgrounds, and that’s not really as unusual as you might think. As for writing about girls growing up in Belfast, well, that came even more naturally to me, since that’s been my own life, growing up as a Belfast girl!

Do you have any new works in the pipeline?

I’m halfway through another novel, of a similar type to Belfast Girls, and I also have a collection of short stories newly edited by a professional which a local publisher here has shown some interest in. I have hopes for them, and for my new book, if I can ever find time to complete it.

Who are your favourite authors?

How much space do I have for this? Let’s keep it brief – Jane Austen, Tolkien, C.S.Lewis, PG Wodehouse, Agatha Christie, Georgette Heyer, Terry Pratchett – better stop there!

And finally, can you tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I hate desiccated coconut. Real coconut is a different thing, mind you. My father brought one home one year at Hallowe’en, and broke it up with a hammer, and I enjoyed my piece very much. But the desiccated stuff is just too dry, I suppose. Now, isn’t that interesting?

Haha! Now people know what not to buy you for your birthday. Thank you so much for joining us today, Gerry. It’s been a pleasure. Best of luck with Belfast Girls.

www.gerrymccullough.com

www.gerrysbooks.blogspot.com

Belfast Girls on Amazon US
Belfast Girls on Amazon UK

Hot New Author: Samantha Towle

2011-06-10T17:46:00.000+01:00

Today I’d like to welcome Samantha Towle, to the blog! I’ve had the page-turning pleasure of reading her novel The Bringer and I can honestly say I adored it.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself, Samantha?

I live in Yorkshire with my husband Craig, children Riley and Isabella, dog Max and cat Murphy. The youngest of four daughters, I love music - all music - and dream of a day when …. now that's another story. My first book, 'The Bringer' was published by Night Publishing in May 2011. My second, 'A Single Bite' will be published later in the year.

What will readers like about your latest novel The Bringer?

It’s not your average ‘angel’ novel. It’s full of twists and turns, and I think readers will really identify with Lucyna and her naivety when she finds herself in falling love with James. We’ve all felt the thrill that love creates, that first shot of ecstasy when you meet the ‘one’ and how overwhelming it can be. But Lucyna has never felt anything before now, so she is completely overwhelmed and totally out of her depth with all of these feelings her love for James is creating within her.

I think readers will enjoy going through the journey with her and encountering the twists thrown in along the way!

What inspired you to write it?

‘Don’t Cry’ by Guns N’ Roses. I got the idea for ‘The Bringer’ whilst listening to the song. It got me thinking about the painful effects that love can have on us, then I got to thinking about what it would be like if we didn’t have to feel at all, would things be easier and that is how I came up with the concept of The Bringer. An ethereal being with no feelings, whose sole purpose is to guide the recently deceased to Heaven, who without warning suddenly develops feelings.

Can you tell us a little about your work in progress?

‘A Single Bite’ is the novel I’m currently working on. It’s due out later this year. It’s slightly different to ‘The Bringer’. It’s still a Paranormal Romance, and whilst there is angst and heartbreak in it, there is also a lot of humour. Alexandra ‘Alex’ the MC is very clumsy with her words, she often speaks before thinking!

Who are your favourite authors?

Thomas Harris, Charlaine Harris, Sophie Kinsella and Paige Toon.

Tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I have worked every job known to man! From being a chambermaid, to factory work, to waitressing, a bit of modelling, singing, you name it I’ve probably done it!

… and now you can add 'published author' to the list! Thanks so much for letting me interview you today. It’s been heavenly (sorry, bad pun).

Samantha’s Blog

The Bringer on Amazon Kindle US
The Bringer on Amazon Kindle UK
The Bringer on Smashwords

Hot New Author: Robert Craven

2011-06-07T11:43:00.000+01:00

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Robert Craven to HOT NEW AUTHORS, a brand spanking new feature on my blog. I’ve been pestering him for weeks to let me know the release date for his fab new spy thriller, Get Lenin, and now here it is! Yay!

Available from Amazon

So Robert, what will readers like about Get Lenin?

What readers will get is adventure, espionage & both the horror & the glamour of the 1930's as the story unfolds into WW2 through the eyes of the main character Eva Molenaar.

What inspired you to write the novel?

I grew up loving the books of Alastair Maclean, Fredrick Forsyth, Jack Higgins and John Le Carre. I came across a book called 'Lenin's Embalmers' about 10yrs ago which told the story of Lenin's mausoleum shipping in its entirety to the Urals in the face of the German army advance. Then a bulb went off in my head that went 'what would happen if...'

Do you have any other favorite authors?

As well as those mentioned above I love Cormac MaCarthy, Arthur Miller, Robert Ludlum and Martin Cruz Smith. Irish authors Roddy Doyle, John McGahern, Frank O'Connor and Brendan Behan.

And are there any new works in the pipeline?

I have almost completed the sequel, but mindful of how Get Lenin does. I have pitched to Night Publishing a semi-autobiographical work called 'Vocals preferred, own transport essential'. I was a musician in Dublin in the late 1980's to the mid 1990's and would jot down incidents and stories along the way. It needs a lot of work and is more of a long-term project.

Finally, can you tell us something about yourself that not many people know.

I've a pathological hatred of mime artists.

I'm with you on that last point! Thanks so much for taking the time to chat to us and I'd like to wish you massive success with Get Lenin. It's a great read.

How do you Promote your Novel?

2011-05-10T11:45:00.000+01:00

For those of you who don't know, I've written a paranormal romance called Hidden. I uploaded it to Kindle just under a couple of months ago and, to my surprise, it started selling. Most of the initial sales were to friends and family (thank you!), but when the friends ran out, complete strangers started to buy it. I've sold almost 200 copies to people I don't know. As an unknown author, I don't think that number is too shabby. I've kept my pricing modest, but not too low at $2.99. It's not any where near Amanda Hocking levels or even Jake Barton, but it's exceeded my expectations.

However, it does freak me out on many levels. I swing between: they're all going to hate it, to, wow!

I don't know how people are coming across my book. Are they searching on Google or Kindle? Is it being recommended? I'm trying to cover all the bases so far as promotion is concerned, but there doesn't seem to be enough of me to go around. Here's some of what I've managed to do in the way of promotion so far:

TAGGING
I've tagged my book on Amazon. Not just the odd keyword, but I've really tried to think how people might search for my type of book. Like: 'vampire', 'paranormal romance', 'supernatural' - those are fine for my genre, but if someone's searching for a book, they might also type in: 'books with vampires' or 'vampire ebooks'. Also, I looked at the more successful books in my genre and copied their tags.

FORUMS
I occasionally chat on the forums - Kindleboards, Amazon, Goodreads etc - without promoting my book every two seconds. This is really hard to do (for me anyway). I always want to talk about my book, but it would probably annoy them if I were to constantly shove my title in their face. So I try to hold back and just chat, have a laugh, be helpful and hopefully, other forum users might check out my profile and book.
Note to self: I must be more active on the forums.

BLOGGING
I'm a lazy blogger. My new resolution is to share my publishing experiences with other writers. And if this has the added benefit of raising my profile, then it's all good!

LINKS
The more links you have pointing towards your website/book page, the better your search results will be on Google. So try and get your links in as many places as poss.

GOODREADS
This is a great place to have a profile. You get a book page like this and you can apply for an author page, like this.

I also use the 'Listopia' function and have added Hidden to the relevant lists. Eg: 'Best YA', 'What to read after Twilight' etc. I'm hoping this will boost visibility.

BOOK REVIEWS
Try to get a few good reviews on Amazon/Goodreads/ Smashwords etc. If you know someone who's read your book, plead with them to put a review up for you. Most people who browse for books like to know what other people think and it could definitely sway them to buy yours. There are also a lot of book bloggers out there who will write an honest review in return for a free copy of your book. I've compiled a comprehensive list on Twitter called Brilliant Book Bloggers.

TWITTER
I tweet my latest reviews, releases etc. But that can get tedious for others, so try to intersperse your tweets with some sparkling wit and interesting news. Or, if you're anything like me, the odd rant/moan.

FACEBOOK
I've given Hidden its own Facebook Page where I can keep people updated about new books in the series, new formats, trailers etc. Once I reached 25 fans for my page, I was able to choose which name I posted with: Either Shalini Boland or Hidden (Marchwood Vampire Series). This gives you the added benefit of posting on other Facebook pages using your book name and image.

This list isn't anywhere near finished yet, but I'm dying for a cup of coffee, so I'll carry on later ...

UPDATE: Sorry, it's taken me a few weeks to finish my coffee, but I'll revisit this soon x

Hidden #SampleSunday

2011-04-10T13:33:00.000+01:00

He felt the drumming of the earth, the heartbeat of all humankind in his bones and blood, in his skin and soul. It sang a song that he had known forever and in that instant everything became clear. He knew the reason for it all; the key to life and it was so obvious. How could he not have known this simple truth before now?

And then as suddenly as it had come, it left. His beating heart slowed, the song faded and the knowledge slipped away like an elusive memory refusing to come to mind. He felt a devastating loss, worse than if his dearest love had died.

A heavy melancholy descended, so profound he felt as though he should like to sleep for a thousand years. In the cold darkness, tears rolled down his face and stung his cheeks like acid. He closed his eyes and tried not to think. It hurt to think.

It hurt.

God, it hurt.

Like the skin being stripped from his body. He could not breathe and his eyes burned white hot with a searing pain.

He tried to speak but his throat constricted, closed shut. Was he in hell? Was this the fate he deserved? Please, God, no! Help me! he silently screamed. Save me! I promise … I promise anything. I will do anything. Just please … make … it … STOP.

HIDDEN on Amazon

Mega Excitement for Mini Trailer

2011-03-28T22:31:00.000+01:00

I've got a new mini trailer for Hidden, my paranormal vampire adventure and I'm so in love with it that I had to post it here. B. Lloyd from AuthorsAnon created it and I think she's done a top job. Thank you, B!

And the other cool thing is that KindleObsessed put it on her website as one of five trailers that should persuade you to part with your money.

Is it me?

2011-03-18T21:59:00.000Z

Is it me, or does everybody in the publishing industry seem to be obsessed with voice, perspective, style and rules?

Do you read for enjoyment or do you read for ‘the experience’? Do you look for a great story or a great ‘voice’?

Personally, I love to get swept away in a consuming story with characters I care about. Voice is secondary. I do admire the cleverness of a novel written in an original way, but these days I’d rather lose myself in a character’s struggle, than have my breath taken away by stunning prose.

Maybe it’s because I’m a busy mum with too much crap rattling around in my head. As I get older, my tolerance for culture is dwindling. In my twenties I was always up for watching a clever art house film, or listening to an experimental Mercury Music award winner. Now, I revel in paranormal romance, sci fi blockbusters and a bit of Paulo Nutini.

The gatekeepers of the publishing industry all talk about voice as if it is the only thing that matters. They’re constantly searching for authors who tell stories in new and inventive ways. But maybe they’re missing the point. Surely, for most, reading is a form of entertainment - a comfort or an escape.

Is this obsession with voice a prestige thing? A form of snobbery? Or is it really the way to move the publishing industry forward? A way to generate buzz and keep the mystique of literature. A publisher's ‘Finest’ range, made with organic, speciality ingredients. But sometimes the only thing that’s really going to hit the spot is a plate of curly fries.

Authonomy Showcase

2010-12-28T15:45:00.000Z

Name
Shalini Boland (Screen name: trainspotter)

Location
Dorset

Occupation
Mum/Songwriter

How long have you been on authonomy?
I joined in 2009, but didn’t start using the site until about 6 months ago.

How do you use the site – are you a reader or a writer?I’m a writer. When I first joined authonomy, I wanted people to tell me how wonderful my book was and for an agent or publisher to snap it up. Then I got a reality check in the form of some serious ...

Read more: http://blog.authonomy.com/2010/12/authonomy-showcase-shalini-boland.html

Naming Names

2010-11-19T23:30:00.000Z

So I’m spending my Friday night looking at a map of Britain, trying to get inspiration for a character’s name. There are some good possible contenders for surnames:

Willoughby, Lovell, Foscott …

Digby? Angus Digby?

Oh, it’s really hard. I’ve virtually finished the book and the character’s name is currently Sam Richards, but it’s not right. He’s a seven-year-old boy, a little bit spoilt, but with a good, brave heart. The book is the first in a series so I want the name to be strong, but a little bit quirky.

Burton Coggles! Far too quirky! It could be a double barrelled name, but he’s not a posh character, so that wouldn’t really be right

Todd Finchley – could be good.

I liked the name Edward Poots, but Pete, my husband turned his nose up. He’s probably right. It’s a bit Dickensian. Single syllable surnames are good though – Jones, Smith, Black.

My favourite so far is Thomas Tripp, but it’s actually a pub, named after a local smuggler. Would it be cheeky to rip it off and steal the name, or would people say, “oh yeah, she ripped it off and stole the name”?

I also like Nathan Jones, but that’s probably because it’s familiar to me – Pete (again) pointed out that it’s the name of a song and, thinking about it, I do vaguely remember the Bananarama version.

Why are names so hard to get right? I know that if I do get it right, his character will come alive. Novelist, Elmore Leonard, once said in an interview that he had a problem with one of his characters - he couldn’t write any dialogue for him. He kept getting writers block. Then, as soon as he changed his name, he couldn’t shut him up.

What about the name Dylan Jones? But he’s not from Wales, so it would be confusing. Readers would wonder why he had a Welsh name.

George Swift is another possible. Wilbur? Walter? Arghhhh. I’ve been thinking about this name for months.

Any suggestions?

Voodoo Spice: The Voodoo Review: Shalini Boland

2010-10-18T16:21:00.000+01:00

Voodoo Spice: The Voodoo Review: Shalini Boland: "SHALINIwww.shaliniboland.co.uk http://someonewotwrites.blogspot.com I’ve been lucky to meet this multi-talented lady through the HarperCol..."

A Pumpkin Day To Remember

2010-10-11T12:44:00.000+01:00

Yesterday was the kind of day I always imagined family life would be like. You know that image you have of an ideal family - fun days on the beach, Sunday lunches, days out, everybody smiling and laughing, teasing each other good naturedly.

But I've found that life with kids is somewhat different to the image I carried around in my head for years. In my everyday reality, there is much gratuitous noise, a truckful of disagreement, an inordinate amount of crying, a smattering of bedwetting and an awful lot of poo.

Yesterday reality went on hold for a day. For me, yesterday was a pure distillation of autumn. If I reach old age, I’ll wheel out the memory of 10/10/10 and hold it up to the light to view from all its impossibly perfect refracting angles.

The day was ripe with a warm amber glow. It began with me and Billy sweeping up leaves in the garden. You would never think it, but sweeping up leaves with a three year old is one of the most pleasurable things you can do. We chatted and swept, talking about everything from, how many leaves it would take to fill up the green bin, to why Stephanie from Lazytown always wears pink.

After lunch, we piled into the car and drove out to a local farm to choose pumpkins.

“There they are!” the boys shouted. “Pumpkins! I can see them. Look, Mum! Hurry up, Dad.”

And there they were – comical blobs of orange strewn across the fields. Billy and Dan tumbled out of the car.

“Corn on the cobs!” Dan yelled. “And they’ve got blackberries. Can we get some?”

“I want a punkin,” Billy said, lip quivering at the mention of other, less exciting, foodstuffs.

We chose two fat pumpkins, a whole heap of corn on the cobs, some local honey and several punnets of blackberries.

Still early, we decided to drive on up the road to The New Forest. The light filtered down through the trees, dappling us with its warmth. We headed to a small arboretum packed with towering redwoods, silver birches, larches, horse chestnuts and solid oaks; perfect for climbing. Red-leafed maples and smooth-trunked eucalyptuses rustled next to willows and other exotic specimens.

We collected fallen leaves, built rickety miniature wigwams from fallen branches and picnicked amongst the acorns and conkers.

Life can be hard work and mundane. Sometimes it can be heartbreakingly unfair and sad. But yesterday was beautiful and I’ll keep it safe and separate in my mind to take out and polish on the not-so-great days. Like a shiny conker or an exotic orange pumpkin.

Doing Nothing

2010-10-11T11:22:00.000+01:00

9.25am

Pete’s at work, The boys are at school and preschool. Nothing to do for the first time in ... months. Well, I say nothing to do - there’s a ton of stuff to do around the house, but I’m exhausted, like there are no bones in my body. Like I want to crawl back under the duvet and sleep for a year. So, today I’m going to do nothing. I mean nothing. Nothing at all. Not read a book, not watch TV, not listen to the radio. Not even go out somewhere to do nothing. Just sit in the lounge and …be. Can I do that?

First, I’d better empty the dishwasher and wipe down the surfaces in the kitchen. Then I’ll make a coffee and I might even treat myself to a bag of Maltesers.

House a mess. Don’t look.

Phone’s ringing… Yes my house is on the market. Yes I understand you’ve got five hundred million buyers who all want to buy my house. But no, I don’t want to change my agent. Yes, I suppose it would be okay if you called me back in a month’s time. THANK YOU, BYE!

9.37

I sit in the lounge, crunch my chocolate and sip my deliciously scalding hazelnut coffee. It’s quiet and warm. Just right. The unfamiliar sensation of luxury sweeps across me. The luxury of time and of peace. Of empty hours lined up ahead of me. I smile.

My laptop sits benignly on the wide arm of the sofa.

I’ll just check my Hotmail. I open it up and press the power button. The warm silence is replaced with a heated electronic hum. I wait, not so relaxed now, but still …

Hotmail. Great, five messages: two new Twitter followers. Better check them out, follow back and then I’ll have a quick look on Twitter while I’m at it. Think of a few witty-ish tweets. Okay, I’ll give myself till 10am then I’ll stop and carry on doing nothing.

Song lyrics in my head. Quick, grab notebook, write lyrics. Ooh melody too. Quick, grab phone, press record, sing into phone.

Phone’s ringing … Shit, forgotten the melody. Hello? Hello? Oh joy, a call centre. Why can’t I just hang up? No thanks. Oh really? No, no thanks anyway. I’ve got to … Oh? No, I’m not really interest … Right, Mmhmm. Thanks, but I’m really not ... Repeat to fade.

10.05am

Some new messages on Hotmail. Family stuff. I’ll just fire off a few replies. Better check Pete’s email to see if he’s got any offers of work (freelance copywriter extraordinaire). Check Authonomy to see if anyone has commented on my book – nothing. Bastards.

10.35

Just had an amazing idea for the next chapter of my novel. If I don’t write it down now, I’ll forget it. It won’t take long and then I can really relax and rest my cluttered brain.

12.30pm

So happy with my chapter. How could any agent resist? I still want to carry on writing, but I’m shaky with hunger. Lunch first and then I’ll write and make sure I leave some time to do nothing. I don’t have to pick Billy up until 2. I’ll still have some time.

Some cheese and crackers whilst writing a couple of critiques for other books on Authonomy.

1.10pm

Now, back to the relaxing. Just ever such a quick peek at Hotmail, followed by the teensiest tweet and another check on Pete’s email. A little look on Authonomy. Someone backed my book! Love them forever xxxx

1.20pm

Ooh, the sun’s come out. I can put the washing on the line. Anyway, it’s too late to write anything before school pick up. Still trying to remember that elusive melody. Bloody call centre. I’ll quickly hang out washing and then should have a good forty minutes left to relax.

House still a mess. Don’t look.

1.45pm

Phone’s ringing. No, Virgin, I don’t want to upgrade my phone package. Piss off please, thank you very much if it’s all the same to you.

1.55pm

Buggering crikey! Is that the time? I’ve got to go and pick Billy up from preschool. And it’s effing raining, the washing’s going to get soaked. What happened to my day of doing nothing? I did pretty much nothing, so why am I still tired and why do I feel like I’ve wasted a precious day? Bad mood descending, grrrr.

My Glob

2010-10-04T15:01:00.000+01:00

"I have a glob!" my chic Parisian Great Aunty Joyce declares. "Would you like to see it?"

I must confess I'm not at all keen to see it. She's ninety years old and I have a fairly weak stomach. But, there is no refusing Aunty Joyce. She leads me into her bedroom and I brace myself.

"I have met zis wonderful man," she confides. "And he make me zis marvellous glob. You must see, you must see."

My Aunty Joyce is what's known as 'a character'. She resides in a bohemian apartment on the Seine. She paints, she writes, she creates! Her home is a treasure trove of flamboyance and kitch. A leopard printed, Japanese-laquered, decoupage-encrusted jewel of a place. Her bedroom is no exception and my eyes are pulled every which way at the marvelosity of everything.

"Look, look." She pats the chair and I squeeze in beside her. We sit at her dressing table, in front of a laptop and she shows me her glob.

"It is good, no?" she smiles. "I am fantastic, yes?"

"Yes, Aunty Joyce. You are fantastic." I kiss her rouged cheek and she hugs me.

She is fantastic. She's ninety years old, she looks incredible, her life has been tough and yet she has so much vibrancy and enthusiasm. She also writes a glob.

If she can write a glob, I reckon I can give it a go.