Rebecca Emin: Ramblings of a Rusty Writer

Post Launch Roundup

2012-01-25T11:29:00.001Z

I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone who helped me celebrate the official publication date for New Beginnings on Monday. It was so much fun, and I should have published this post earlier but after 16 hours straight at the computer on the day, I couldn't face going near it yesterday!

I would especially like to thank all of the bloggers who signed up for my Web Splash. You can check them out using the links below.

I said in my post on Monday I was offering a prize for the blogger who had the most clicks via my linky list - that was Pete Domican. I also said there would be a prize for the person who commented on the most blog posts and that was Gina Dickerson. They could both chose a signed copy of either of my books or an entry to the writing competition, and have selected a signed copy of my short story collection each. They are on their way, along with all of the giveaway prizes.

Thank you to everyone who made Monday so much fun. I hope you enjoy the book if you read it.

A Writing Competition to Celebrate the Publication of New Beginnings

2012-01-24T00:00:00.000Z

I am pleased to announce my second writing competition, thisone to celebrate the publication of my debut novel New Beginnings.

This time I am looking for entries of up to 700 words.

The story must involve a fresh start or new beginning insome way or other, and may be in any genre apart from erotica.

This year there will be a fee to enter. The fee for one entry is £3, or for twoentries £5.

First prize will be 60% of the takings.

Second prize will be 35% of the takings.

There will be a number of runners up prizes including achoice of books which have been donated by some of the publishers I haveworked with in the past.

The remaining 5% of the fees taken will be donated toBullying UK,the charity mentioned in my novel, which helps people who are being bullied forany reason.

Here's the obligatory list of rules:
1. E-mail your entry to NewBeginningsComp@yahoo.co.uk

Your entry should be in word format or in the body of theemail.
2. Wordcount is 700 maximum not including the title or your name. There is nominimum wordcount.
3. Please only submit your own work. Previously blogged/published/adapted worksare allowed, and copyright remains with the author at all times.
4. If you enter this competition, you agree that your entry may be published onmy blog after the competition closes. (This will apply only to prizewinners.)
5. The competition is open to anyone, worldwide, until the last timezone passesmidnight on 22 April 2012.
6. Your entry will be disregarded if it exceeds the maximum word count or doesnot involve a theme as detailed above.
7. Any genre is allowed, apart from erotica. You are welcome to enter with astory for children or YA, but for your info, all of the judges are adults.
8. Paypal payment for your entry/entries should also be sent toNewBeginningsComp@yahoo.co.uk
9. Judging will be by a carefully selected panel of readers. (None of them arewriters.) Their decision will be final, whether I agree with them or not.
10. I will acknowledge receipt of every entry. If you do not hear from mewithin 5 days of submission, please feel free to query.

11. There is a maximum of two entries per person.

Have fun!

New Beginnings - Publication Day!!!

2012-01-23T01:00:00.000Z

Thank you for joining me here on the officialpublication day of my debut novel New Beginnings.

Web Splash

A lot of lovely bloggers have signed up for my Web Splash,so please do take a look at their sites today. You can find links toall of their blogs here, and on them you will find interviews, guest blogs,reviews and more. If you have a blog and would like to sign up, you can stilldo so until the end of today.

Writing Competitions

This is my second writing competition, and this time I amhaving a competition for children as well as one for adults. The competitionfor children is over on my other blog Writing for Children and Teens, now. The competition for adults will go live onthis blog at midnight (UKtime) tonight. I know, I know, what a tease. But today is all about New Beginnings.

Giveaways

I will be doing some random giveaways today, which will take placeon my Facebook author page.

Prizes

The person who comments on the highest number of blog postsabout New Beginnings (from my Web Splash linky list) by 10am GMT on24th January is going to receive a prize – they will be able tochose a signed copy of either of my books, or one free entry to the writingcompetition. The only rule with this is you have to make it obvious you haveread the posts in your comments.

The blogger who receives the most clicks through my linky list today will also receive a prize as above.

If you are able to help spread the word on Twitter today, please use thehashtag #NewBeginnings

Thank you to everyone who has already read New Beginnings. Ifyou haven’t, you can find out how to get your own copy of it here.

Thanks for visiting my blog today. It’s a very special dayfor me and it’s lovely to have you here.

Someone Beginning With T

2012-01-20T10:10:00.002Z

You know when you get to know somebody and you become really fond of them; you find them likeable, funny, witty and you know they'll go far?

Then they do and you feel so very proud of them.

That is how I feel today.

Some of you may remember a book review post I did way back in January 2011 called, Tracy is One To Watch. Well, guess what, I was right!

Tracy's Hot Mail by T.A.Belshaw has been snapped up by E-book publisher Crooked {Cat} Publishing and today it's her official publication date, complete with face lift and everything.

I highly recommend Tracy's Hot Mail, and all of other Trevor Belshaw's books to you. Trevor is a fantastic writer for readers of all ages but I have a particular spot soft for his book for children, Peggy Larkin's War as well as Tracy herself, of course.

Yes, Tracy, today I am so very proud of you!

Doesn't She Look Gorgeous?

What are you waiting for? Buy the book now on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com I promise you you won't be disappointed.

Not Long Now...

2012-01-18T10:10:00.002Z

23 January 2012

Hi Everyone

Well it's not long until the official publication date for New Beginnings. I have spent the last couple of weeks writing quite a few guest blogs and interview answers which has been great fun.

So far over 40 people have signed up for my New Beginnings Web Spash. This is many more than I was expecting so I am thrilled about that. I also discovered when I logged into Linky Tools this morning that the blogs on the list are being clicked through to already, so that's a good side effect for my blogging friends.

I hope you will be around on Monday when I will be celebrating online, and doing lots of giveaways and things. There will be:

The launch of a writing competition for adults on this blog
The launch of a writing competition for children on my blog about writing for children
A prize for the person who visits the most blogs in the blog hop
A prize for the blogger whose blog gets the most clicks through on the day
Random giveaways on my Facebook Page
Much tweeting using the hashtag #NewBeginnings
Loads of virtual champagne and cake.

None of the prizes will be the book itself, so if you want to read it you'll have to buy, borrow or steal your own copy, although I don't personally recommend the stealing option.

If you need a little reminder on the day, you can join the event page on Facebook so it will ding up at you on the morning!!

Thanks so much for reading, and for the enthusiasm that has been shown so far. You are all fabulous!

x x x

Interview with David K. O'Hara, Novelist and Playwright

2012-01-13T18:33:00.000Z

It is with great pleasure that I welcome David K. O'Hara to my blog. David is a versatile, local (to me) writer who has written two novels and several plays. I have seen one of his plays The Upstairs Room which was fabulous, and will be seeing his latest play next week.

I hope you will enjoy this interview as much as I did.

David K. O'Hara

Hello, David, andwelcome to Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

Please could you letus know a little bit about yourself in about 50 words?

Thank you for having me. Yes, I’m an Oxford-based writer. Alsoan occasional teacher and photographer. I was born in the California Bay Areain 1979 to an English father and an American mother. And I’m sure it wouldboggle the minds of most of my school teachers to know that I somehow became awriter, let alone made it to university.

How long have youbeen a writer and what have you written in the past?

I’ve always been writing. It was one of the few things Ifound I could do, that I wanted to do without being told, though it hascertainly taken on different forms over the years. There was the obligatorycomic book phase in my teens, followed by a journal crammed with bad poetry. Inever really thought it would amount to anything, it was just something I foundmyself doing privately. Honestly, it wasn’t until I met a great Canadian writernamed Greg Hollingshead and joined his writing classes that I focussed andstarted paying attention (to the craft, to other writers, to the devotionalaspects of writing). It was only then, as an undergraduate, that I began torealise that, yes, this is what I actually want do, this is how I want to makemy way in the world.

I now consider myself a novelist who also writes plays.

What made you decideto write plays? Could you tell us a little bit about your process?

Playwriting was pretty accidental: I was doing research. Ihad a character in a novel I was writing who finds himself accidentallyinvolved in the theatre, and I needed to find out more about the hands-on sideof play production. I knew that James Savin, from the Oxford School of Drama,was about to put on a play here and I asked if I could get involved somehow. Hesaid I should read the play first: it was Sartre’s Huis Clos, the Stuart Gilbert translation, and I read it once, readit again, then rang James and pleaded with him not to do the play, listingthe various reasons why. I proposed instead that I write something for him,based around this same purgatorial idea (a man and two women locked in a roomtogether) but as a response to what Sartre was grumbling about. James said hecould give me two months and, if he liked the script enough, he would swap theone for the other. That was how The Upstairs Room happened: meeting with Jamesone a week at Cafe Rouge in Little Clarendon Street and looking over the nextinstalment.

As for my process, I do find playwriting easier than, say,writing a novel. There’s less to think about and therefore it’s easier tohunker down in your subconscious and see what happens. You can concentrate onvoice alone. With a novel you have to worry about the prose, you have todescribe things interestingly and savour them. The ball just gets rolling muchfaster when you can simply type a name and, underneath, start typing a line ofspeech. It’s almost like outwitting yourself, because you don’t have so muchtime to think about it.

What is it likeseeing something that you’ve written acted out by professional actors?

On a very basic level, the experience of being a playwrightis far less lonely than that of the traditional writer. It’s not just you,alone, at your desk tearing your hair out. You know that there are people, whom you will meet, and who are dependingon you, who will bring these characters and emotions to life.

I suppose the experience of seeing your work performed is ratherlike a traditional writer getting into the head of a reader, and actuallyexperiencing first-hand how much that reader is investing. It gives you anextreme sense of worthiness, a sense that your work is worthy. On the otherhand it’s very much about handing over the reins. You’ve laid out the map, andnow other people are going on the expedition. You wait to see what unexpecteddiscoveries they come back with.

You have a playshowing in Oxfordnext week, what is it about?

It’s a one-woman show, called Now Until the Hour, starring the wonderful actress Jacquie Crago.The story is very much that of a woman’s life, but it’s not a biographicalmonologue per se. She’s one of these artist manqué figures. She has anexpansive imagination and she could, once upon a time, have been an artist ofsome kind had she only believed in herself more, had she only been alloweddifferent choices. But she’s been dealt some awfully short straws andexistentially-speaking she’s sort of locked-up shop, hidden herself away indaydreams.

I had this daydream of my own while writing it: a painting,an amazingly expressive piece of outsider art, hidden in an attic somewhere,unloved, which—in a kind of protest—decides to erase itself. It occurs to me, in writing this out, that I'mdescribing something not unlike Robert Rauschenberg's Mother of Godcollage-painting that hangs in the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, not farfrom where I grew up. The Virgin Mary in both this work and in my play isinvoked to suggest the similar mystery: that sense of self-erasure when onemakes room for the unknown. It's what the Greeks called the khora.

Thematically-speaking, the play is very much about howstorytelling and fiction, even as lies, can express a kind of poetic truth andoffer even the most limited of lives a kind of spiritual freedom.

What are your plansfor future writing projects?

I’m working on a new novel, but also continuing to write newplays. One theatrical project I have on the go is an adaptation of one ofIngmar Bergman’s most unloved films. Another is a bigger production, about oneof Freud’s most famous case-studies.

Thank you so much for taking the time to answer my questions, David. I'm really looking forward to Now Until the Hour.

David is represented by Leslie Gardner at Artellus Ltd. His academic website can be found here.

Full information on Now Until the Hour

Savin-O'Hara Productions Present

Now Until the Hour: a new play by David K. O'Hara

Starring Jacquie Crago and Directed by James Savin

At the Jacqueline du Pré Music Building, Jan 17, 18, 19 and 21st (Q&A)

Tickets (£8) available on the door or via Tickets Oxford.
www.oxfordplayhouse.com/ticketsoxford
01865 305 305

A woman named Mary. A woman alone. A woman dreaming. A woman who took her degree at Oxford. A woman who never left home. A woman sleeping in the basement of a museum. A woman behind a reception desk. A woman without love. A woman with nothing but love. A woman who used to run to the very edge of town. A woman who is still running. A woman who can barely walk. A woman handing out questionnaires. A woman with a doll’s head in her pocket. A woman on a bus. A woman mystic. A woman who spills her coffee. A woman haunted by the ghosts of her past. A woman who lives only for today. A woman who knows the clock is ticking. A woman who answers phones. A woman too afraid to answer the phone. A woman at the bedside of her dying father. A woman looking after lost schoolchildren. A woman telling stories. A woman telling lies. A woman speaking the truth. A woman speaking to us. A woman named Mary.

Short Stories on Wednesdays: While I'm Still Myself

2012-01-11T10:14:00.000Z

This is the first time I have joined in with the Short Stories on Wednesdays meme, and I plan to join in with it whenever I can. I love both reading and writing short stories, and I am also focusing on writing short stories for the first quarter of this year.

On to the book at hand. I am currently half way through While I'm Still Myself by Jeremy Mark Lane. This collection was published yesterday, and I am rather proud of my signed copy which winged itself across the Atlantic Ocean and into my hands. The book feels lovely in my hand which is why I had to buy a signed copy, even though I also have a copy on my Kindle. (Long live paperbacks!)

Jeremy Mark Lane is a versatile author who has got his head around the short story form. Each of the stories I have read in this book so far has made me smile, made me think, and has basically given me that "I liked that a lot" factor. My favourite so far is called The Reflection, Only Hers which is a beautifully written, clever piece which merits a re-read very quickly after the first.

Jeremy on the Ether app

Jeremy Mark Lane first came to my attention via the Ether app, where he has had ten stories published to date, incidentally, some of the stories from the collection are also available via the Ether app so if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, you can read them on there.

I am really enjoying this collection so far, and I am looking forward to reading the rest of the stories.

As always, thanks for reading. x

Click to read my review of this book on Amazon.

Interview with Sarah England

2012-01-09T00:30:00.000Z

Sarah England

Today it gives me great pleasure to interview Sarah England here on my blog. Sarah is a prolific short story writer as well as a novelist. I invited her here so I could find out more about her.

Hello, Sarah, and welcome to Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

Please introduceyourself using around 50 words for any of my readers who have yet to discoveryour work.

Hi, I’m Sarah England and I’ve been writing short storiesfor around 5-6 years now, mostly for women’s magazines like Woman’s Weekly,also for newspapers and anthologies (like Mosaic (below) and Global Shorts Anthology), and now online.

Just out is…ta da…. mydebut comedy novel on Amazon kindle - Expected.

Mosaic features 2 stories by Sarah

You have had a lot ofshort stories published, how did you get into writing short stories originally?

I started telling stories when I was about 5 years old butonly turned professional when I became an old crone about 6 years ago. I wasswigging gin and shouting out obscenities to passing builders when it hit me –hey I could be a millionaire this time next year! So I began writing huge tomesthat no one wanted to read before deciding to learn how to do it. Short storieswere no easier but at least the turnaround was quicker, so that’s how ithappened. It turned out I liked doing them and people began to buy them -eventually.

Your novel, Expected, is available on Kindle. Howwould you describe your book using only five words?

Fast, funny, feisty, thought-provoking.

Do you find it easyto switch between writing short stories and novel length fiction?

No. I’m in this dilemma right now. Once in short story mode theideas come and I’m into the groove. Once out of it and into a novel I becomeimmersed and obsessed. It takes a huge amount of work to produce a novel – evenfast humour like Expected. I become my characters and it’s very hard to comeout of it. My nearest and dearest notice the change!

So, you have yournovel available via Kindle, and have also had short stories published digitallyby Ether Books. What do you think of digital publishing as a whole?


Sarah, top of the charts!

I think it is a very fast moving concept that is reallytaking off. With short stories uploaded onto Ether Books, they did the bookcover so that was relatively easy to do – and I love the concept of peopledownloading a short story onto their phone while stuck on the tube or in aqueue. However, putting my own novel onto Kindle I found very difficult becauseI had to edit, format and market, which was horrendous for a techno-phobe likeme. I am not widely known as a novelist and promoting the book istough! I wonder too, how readers canpossibly know what is good and what is not good when Kindle books areself-published. That is why I try to establish my magazine background and offera free sample before they part with their cash.

As you can see from the screenshot, Sarah's short story 3am And Wide Awake is currently the number 1 bestselling story on the Ether Books app. Congratulations, Sarah!

What type of persondo you think will enjoy your novel, Expected?

Expected is really for women in the 20-50 age group. Theywould need to enjoy comedy and an alternative view point – chick lit thisisn’t! – and to be challenged. My heroine, Sam Sweet, is rebelling againstmarriage and children. Her fiancé is a respected doctor and only she can seethat he is also a psychopath. She is also working class and in trouble. She’sreal and she’s feisty but she’s also rather lost. I hope that her somewhatgallows humour endears her to the reader. The whole concept is about what isexpected of women and what happens when/if you step out of line.

Do you find yourself mostlywriting in one particular genre?

Yes I veer towards comedy or thrillers and horror! Maybethis is my nursing background or perhaps my Northern humour, but I often findthe two juxtaposed - and the closer to real life the better. I’m also very intopsychic phenomena and psychology so often the characters will show aspects ofthese interests.

What are you workingon at the moment?

Tricky question. I’m at a cross roads right now – a bookthat will take months and hardly anyone will read, or more magazine stories? Iwant to stretch myself and am justhoping the answer will pop into my head shortly!

Thank you for joining me here on Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

Expected is available now for Kindle via Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

Connect with Sarah by visiting her website, adding her on Twitter, or adding her as a friend on Facebook.

Tag - You're It!

2012-01-06T11:07:00.002Z

Tagging on Amazon is a subject I have heard more and more about recently. In brief, if you tag a product on Amazon, people can find it easily if they are searching for items using that keyword.

I'd like to ask a favour. Could you possibly pop over to Amazon and tag my books? I'd be so grateful (it will only take a couple of clicks).

If you are a writer, and would like me to tag your books as well, please leave a comment under this post and I will click on the tags on your books too.

Click to see My books on Amazon.co.uk
Click to see My books on Amazon.com


Launching on 23rd. Please join us!

Tags for New Beginnings: Young Adult, Bullies, Bullying, Childrens Books, Feel good, musical theatre, uplifting

Tags for A Knowing Look: anthology, collection, flash fiction, short stories, short story collection

You should find these tags already in place but please ignore the other weird ones which people seem to be adding for reasons I can't fathom, like "virus" "sci fi" and other irrelevant words.

Thank you SO much.

Also don't forget to sign up for my New Beginnings web splash which is taking place on the official publication date - 23 January 2012.

Another Visit To The Wallingford Bookshop

2012-01-05T13:54:00.000Z

The Wallingford Bookshop is a shop I have mentioned a few times on this blog. I remember how nervous I was the first time I popped in clutching some anthologies, but now when I go in, I am greeted by name and always given such a lovely reception by the owner and staff. It's such a lovely shop, and I am not just saying that because they have stocked everything I've every asked about, bless them. Not only that, they've pretty much sold every copy as well.

Today I went in and was told New Beginnings had sold out and by chance (ha ha) I had taken two more copies in with me. I also asked about the possibility of them stocking A Knowing Look and Other Stories, and before I had finished my sentence, the lovely shop owner, Alison, had the books in her hand and then... well you can see for yourselves:

A Knowing Look & Other Stories next to Nothing But Flowers

And over in the children's section...

New Beginnings rubbing shoulders with a book by one of my heroes

The Wallingford Bookshop can be found at:

10c, St. Martins St

Wallingford

Oxfordshire OX10 0AL

Tel: 01491 834383

My Latest Giveaways

2012-01-04T07:49:00.001Z

Please feel free to enter the two giveaways below.

Goodreads Book Giveaway

New Beginnings

by Rebecca Emin

Giveaway ends January 22, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Goodreads Book Giveaway

A Knowing Look and Other Stories

by Rebecca Emin

Giveaway ends February 29, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter to win

Don't forget to sign up for my New Beginnings web splash which is taking place on the official publication date - 23 January 2012.

Thanks for reading!

A Small Stone: 1 January

2012-01-01T17:16:00.001Z

My first ever small stone as I dip my toe into the river

Nine empty plates, scraped clean with turkish bread.
Through the constant chatter, fascinating memories are revealed.

I have set up a new page for this, and my future small stones.

What is A River of Stones? Find out all about it here, or by using the #smallstone hashtag on Twitter.

A Knowing Look and Other Stories Post Launch Update and a Special Offer

2011-12-30T15:30:00.002Z

Since I had my mini-launch for A Knowing Look and Other Stories, I have been feeling quite pleased with the book, mostly because of feedback I have received from others, including reviews on Amazon and Goodreads, but also because when I hold the book in my hand, I actually feel a sense of pride that I created it myself.

I was also very surprised and delighted as I was approached by several book bloggers who were interested in reviewing the book. I didn't think this would be very likely considering firstly that it's a book of short stories and secondly because it is self published, so I am thrilled about that. I sent three review copies off yesterday and am now anxiously waiting to see what these readers think of my short stories.

Today I took delivery of a bulk order I made recently, and for a limited time only, I am able to offer signed copies for the following reduced prices including shipping:

UK: £2.99

Europe: £3.99

Rest of World: £4.99

These are available via the drop down button in the panel on the right hand side of this blog.

Thanks for reading, and have a wonderful New Year's Eve and a fantastic 2012!

My Writing Year 2011, in Multi Media

2011-12-27T08:47:00.000Z

I started 2011 with stories published in two charity anthologies in paperback and feeling really happy about that. 2011 itself has been a ride and a half. Here it is in summary:

January 2011 - I became a voluntary reader for 100 Stories for Queensland
Click here to see more about the anthologies I have been involved with

February 2011 - I launched my first writing competition.

March 2011 - I signed a contract with Grimoire Books who are publishing my debut novel in January 2012
Click here to visit the Grimoire Books website

April 2011 I made this short video about my writing for Ether Books.

I really don't like being on video so this was a major thing for me


May 2011 - Nothing But Flowers published. This book includes my story 'On The Corner of Clerk Street' and here it is for sale in The Wallingford Bookshop Click here to see 'Nothing But Flowers' on Amazon.co.uk

June 2011 - Ether Books launched the latest version of their app. Throughout the year I have regularly had stories in the bestsellers list
Click here to see my list of content available via the Ether app

July 2011 - I received my author copies of 'New Beginnings' and held my first ever book launch which went really well. Frozen Lime Images turned up and took some fabulous photos for me.
Click here to visit the Frozen Lime Images website

August 2011 - My first radio interview on BBC Radio Oxford


Septermber 2011 - I was interviewed by Rebecca E Brown for her 'In The Wishing Chair' Podcast series Click here to visit the website for In The Wishing Chair


October 2011 - Tweet Treats was launched, with several of my recipes included Click here to see Tweet Treats on Amazon.co.uk


November 2011 - Frozen Lime Images included one of my signing photos on the front of their 2012 calendar Click here to see the calendar online

December 2011 - A Knowing Look and Other Stories - A collection of my short stories - published in all formats
Click here for more details on 'A Knowing Look and Other Stories'

Fancy a Quick Read via Ether Books?

2011-12-23T10:47:00.002Z

Ether Books are celebrating advent by featuring one of their writers every day on their Facebook page as well as on Twitter with the hashtag #EtherAdventCalendar

I have had fun watching the advent calendar progress and reading stories by some of the featured writers, but today it's 23rd so that means it's my turn. Yay!

I thought I would write a post here in case any of my new followers have yet to hear of Ether Books. Ether as a company are a pleasure to work with and to date they have published 14 pieces of content of mine, either short stories or collections of flash fiction. You can find out all about my stories that have been published to date here.

You can also read my interview on the Ether Books website here.

To date the app is available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad but it will be made available for other platforms during 2012.

If you do read any stories via the Ether app, don't forget to leave a rating afterwards.

Thanks for reading.

Short Stories on Wednesdays: A Meme

2011-12-21T09:07:00.001Z

I am thrilled to have found this meme today. I wanted to share it with all of you, as I know many of my online friends are also short story writers:

Click here to find out more.

Mystery Gift Winner & other rambles

2011-12-17T13:12:00.000Z

Thank you to everyone who helped me to celebrate my launch of A Knowing Look and Other Stories on Thursday. I was quite touched by the amount of lovely messages I received.

The winner of my mystery prize is gillfraserlee. I will be in touch.

Apologies for the delay with announcing the winner, yesterday was an incredibly busy day with the last day of term and all that involves, plus one of my closest friends came to visit, so it's been a bit of a whirl.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Launch of A Knowing Look and Other Stories

2011-12-15T05:00:00.000Z

Today is an exciting day for me as I am finally able to launch my collection of short stories, A Knowing Look and Other Stories which I have been blogging about in my Self-Publishing Adventures series over the past few weeks.

I am delighted to now have the book available in all formats. It's been a really interesting experience to go through all of the processes involved, and given me confidence should I decide to do so again in future.

Anyone for a glass of fizz?

A Knowing Look and Other Stories contains eighteen short stories which have had a big impact on me in the past two years, either being placed in competitions, having been published or simply because the emotion behind the writing was so intense. I hope you will enjoy them if you decide to read them; they are quite a mixed bunch so I would be delighted to hear from you if you have a favourite.

Surprises for someone

I am going to give away a mystery prize to one person at the end of today, so if you tweet (using the hashtag #aknowinglook), mention on Facebook or elsewhere online, or even tell your mum/friend/postman about this collection please leave me a message in the comments section under this post and I will enter your name into a hat. I'm not going to tell you what the prize is just yet but it will make a nice Christmas present for someone and will definitely include at least one book related item and a tasty treat.

Thanks for joining me here today x

A Knowing Look and Other Stories is on Goodreads here.

A Knowing Look and Other Stories can be purchased from the following places online:

Amazon.co.uk (Kindle)
Amazon.com (Kindle)
Smashwords (All E formats)
Lulu (Paperback)
Or directly from me via the panel on the right of this blog (until the paperback appears online in Amazon, B&N etc)

Wish I Was Here...

2011-12-14T05:00:00.000Z

The view just above my laptop

Today I am taking part in an online party to celebrate the launch of Janice Horton's new e-book Reaching For The Stars. In the book, the main character, Chef Finn McDuff disappears on a self-imposed exile, so we are all sharing our dream escape locations!

This was a no-brainer for me, as you will see from the very rubbish photo, I have two of my favourite places right in front of my desk at all times. They are Champneys in Tring and Formentor beach in Mallorca, both of which I love rather a lot. If I'm ever having a stressful moment I shut my eyes and imagine the blue seas or the pampering you get at a spa... bliss!

The full blurb for the book follows below:
Scottish celebrity chef Finn McDuff is media stalked and disillusioned after winning his third star and losing his third wife. He decides he’s had enough of all the food campaigns, the TV cookery shows, the constant frenzy surrounding his private life and, after giving up all his accolades and closing down his restaurant, he disappears.

With the enfant terrible of the kitchen missing, two rival newspapers, having lost their media meal ticket, compete against each other to whip up further public curiosity in the missing chef. Love him or hate him, everyone is out looking for Chef McDuff. Who will find him first and whose side will you be on...?

You can find Reaching For The Stars on Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com

If you would like to join me in congratulating Janice on her book launch, please visit her blog here.

Congrats, Janice!

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 7: Ready for Lift Off!

2011-12-13T19:26:00.000Z

Print copies in need of a good home

What a difference a month makes! It was just under a month ago, on 15th November, when I decided I would go ahead and self-publish a collection of my short stories.

Today my print copies arrived, which I'm thrilled about.
My book is now also available online in all e formats.

I'm going to have an impromptu launch party online on Thursday so please do pop past my blog to say hello and grab a glass of virtual fizz!

As always, thanks for reading! x

Book Lover's Holiday Giveaway Winners and The Perfect Man

2011-12-07T10:29:00.001Z

I put all the names of people who entered my Book Lover's Holiday giveaway in a pot and the first two names I pulled out were Ricki and Krystal Larson. Both of you have said you are interested in both of my books so, as this is the last giveaway I am doing here on my blog before Christmas, I am going to send a copy of both of the books to both of you. I will be in touch.

Today is the launch date for my friend Talli Roland's third novel, Build A Man, which is my favourite of all of her books to date. If you have ever wished you could build your perfect man, go and visit Talli's blog here as for a limited time only she has made this possible!

This morning I am also delighted to say I have received my paperback proof of A Knowing Look and Other Stories as well as some marketing kit I ordered from good old Vistaprint. YAY! I will be having an online launch for that next week. Whoop!

Thank you for reading x X x

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 6: Proofs aka What I Will Do Differently Next Time

2011-12-06T09:19:00.001Z

This is the post of the series I have been dreading writing. It's the one where I admit to my mistakes. So here we go.

After uploading my stories to Kindle & Smashwords, I was on such a massive high that it went so well, I did what I usually do when I feel happy... I told my online friends. Luckily, in this one instance, I only shared on Facebook and not Twitter, or I would have more people to apologise to now.

I shared more because I thought it was such a miracle I'd managed to do the Kindle & Smashwords publishing without any aggravation. BUT, what I failed to realise was I have possibly the most supportive and fantastic online buddies on the planet, and within a couple of hours of saying, "Look what I did," 10 copies had sold via Kindle and 1 on Smashwords. It was only then that I thought... oops... I should have checked it through before I said that.

If you are one of those 11 people who bought a copy quickly, please do get in contact with me and let me see a copy of the receipt via email (if you have it) or my contact me page on here if not. I would like to give you a coupon for the latest version. Since that first upload I have added a full stop (I KNOW!), done a bit more tweaking of the formatting, and changed one of the story titles slightly thanks to something my daughter said... so I would prefer it if you had the up to date version.

As far as the paperback is concerned the first proof looked ok. I then made some tiny tweaks to that as well, and added my back cover blurb. At the time of writing I am waiting for the crash of my letterbox which will signify my final (hopefully) proof arriving.

My next post will hopefully let you know where you can buy the paperback!

Thanks for reading!

The next post in the series is here.

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 5: Interview with Artist Paul Townend

2011-12-03T10:01:00.001Z

Cover by Paul Townend

When I had my collection of stories sent off for editing, my thoughts turned to the cover. I looked at a couple of stock photography sites as I knew I wanted an elephant on the front cover, but the best photograph I could find was the back view of an elephant and that didn't really go with my story A Knowing Look.

Some of my more regular readers may remember the charity anthology Shambelurkling and Other Stories which I have two stories in. I loved the cover of this book on first sight and in a moment of inspiration I decided to approach the cover artist and see if he had ever drawn elephants.

Now, if someone asked me to draw an elephant, they would get something like this:

WTH is that?

Yes, I am spectacularly hopeless at art. So imagine how I felt when Paul Townend sent me three pictures of elephants that were all brilliant. But then he took it one step further; he read my story A Knowing Look and sent me the picture that became the cover of my short story collection. I am totally in awe of his talent!

I have invited Paul onto my blog to find out more about him.

Hi Paul and welcome to Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

Thanks, Rebecca

Could you tell us a little about yourself in 50 words or less?

I'm a 33 year old artistfrom Worcestershire. I studied music technology and spent many years working asa Dj and teaching music at youth detention centres, before turning to thevisual arts.I sign my work with the pseudonym DotDotDot...as I was initiallyembarrassed to call myself an artist.

How long have you been an artist? Is it something you have always beeninterested in?

I've been a artist foraround 5years and I fell into it completely by accident. I was playfully tryingto encourage my girlfriend to do more work for her university media course, andI've continued to draw almost everyday since. I vaguely remember winning adrawing competition at primary school, around the age of 5 or 6.I think it wasof a haunted house.

Although I continuouslypaint and draw, I don't really have a huge interest in the visual arts and onlyreally know a handful of different artists that I enjoy looking at, which aremostly personal friends.

You did the most incredible job by drafting the cover for my book afterreading my story. Is this the way most of your ideas come to you?

I've only worked in thatway a few times so far and was instantly inspired by your words. I could feelthe imagery form as I progressed through the story.

Most of my work comes fromimprovisation and spontaneity, as I never really know what I'm going to dountil the pen hits the paper. I usually start with a few randomly placed linesand often something will come out, that I've seen or thought in the previousfew weeks. I find it quite exciting when given boundaries to work within forcommissions.

What is your favourite medium to work with?

I love using black ink oncard.

Which artists inspire you?

My favourite artists are Joan Miro and the Cornish painter, AlfredWallis. I'm also inspired by the beautiful colours of Matisse. I find it hardto look at their work for any longer than 5 minutes before I'm compelled tostart a drawing. My main influence comes from music .

Is there anything you would find impossible to draw?

Being an artist with noformal training, I find any type of still life drawing really difficult. Myvery first attempts were so incredibly bad and so I have a great respect forany artist who represents things realistically.

If anyone else would be interested in speaking to you about acommission, what would be the best way to get in touch with you?

Examples of my work can befound on my Facebook page - feel free to friend request me.

My email address is:www.paul.dotdotdot.townend (AT) gmail (DOT) com

Please feel free to contactme for any enquiries regarding commissions or purchases etc.

Thank you so much for visiting my blog, Paul, and also, of course, for the fantastic cover.

Click here for part 6, all about proof reading and things I will do differently next time I self-publish.

Book Lover's Holiday Hop

2011-12-02T06:53:00.001Z

It's giveaway time again! Woo hoo!!

I am taking part in the Book Lover's Holiday Hop which is being co-hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Kid Lit Frenzy.

I am giving away two prizes.

The winner of my giveaway with have a choice of a copy of my debut novel New Beginnings, in paperback, or a brand new hot-off-the-press paperback or e format copy of my short story collection (for adults) A Knowing Look and Other Stories.

You can see a preview of both of these books over on Amazon.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is leave a comment under this post, and say which book you would chose if you win (if you are interested in both, that is ok too, I will put your name in both "hats").

This will stay open until the end of 6 December when a winner will be chosen at random.

I am happy to send the prizes anywhere in the world.

You can get extra entries for following this blog, following me on Twitter, liking my page on Facebook or adding my two books on Goodreads.

Sorry but over 16s only for the short story collection.

Good luck!

For more chances to win copies of my books, take a look at the list of current giveaways in my panel on the right.

Thank you for reading!

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 4: Interview with Editor Nik Perring

2011-12-01T10:29:00.001Z

Once I had selected the stories I thought I would include in my collection, I wanted a second opinion and an keen eye to check them over. There was no way I was going to self-publish anything without having it edited, so when I discovered The Story Corrective it was a no-brainer. I had known Nik Perring for a while online but somehow it had gone under my radar that he also edited short stories until I read a blog post he had written.

He did a fabulous job of editing my stories, so I have invited him onto my blog for an interview.

Hi Nik, welcome toRamblings of a Rusty Writer.

Hi Rebecca! It’s great to be here. Thanks for inviting me.

Nik Perring

Please could you giveus your bio in under 50 words?

I’m an author and editor. I’ve had two books published (withone to come): ‘Not So Perfect’ is a collection of short stories which came outlast summer through the wonderful Roast Books; and my children’s book, ‘I Met a Roman Last Night, What Did You Do?’ was published by EPS in 2006. I also foundedThe Story Corrective.

(I know that’s alittle bit over the limit, but what’s a few words between friends, eh!)

What sort of writing doyou do?

All sorts! I started off writing for magazines andnewspapers, almost ten years ago now. Which is scary. (Really, where did that go?) A little while after that Istarted writing fiction, and that led to (or solidified) my love of shortstories. I had some published, then I published my children’s book, when I was26, a few years later. And then I fell back into writing short stories and, asI mentioned earlier, was lucky enough to have a publisher as cool as RoastBooks wanting to publish them.

So, while my writing’s been varied (I’ve also blogged regularly for over 5years) it’s mostly been about, oraround, short stories. I’m really lucky that people have seemed to really likethem.

How long have youbeen an editor for and how did that come about?

I think that the moment you start taking writing seriouslyyou become an editor of sorts. It’s the only way (unless you’re ridiculouslytalented or lucky – I am neither) to make your work good enough to be published,or good enough to do the story idea justice, or be good enough for people toenjoy it. It really is a huge part of the process.

But, technically speaking, I’ve officially been an editorsince last summer when I started The Story Corrective, an editing consultancyspecialising in short fiction. I wanted to provide a simple, efficient, andaffordable service to people who want to make their stories better. And I’dbeen doing that, in different guises (behind the scenes for writer friends, andthrough teaching, and running workshops) for a few years, already, so it feltlike a natural step to take.

I think a lot of people assume that editing’s a reallycomplicated thing, and really it’s not – well, not all of it! All you need is an eye for it, and plenty of experience(which helps develop that eye) – and it’s not all about spotting misplacedcommas and typos either; it has as much to do with understanding story shapeand structure and how stories work,as anything else.

Do you prefer writingor editing?

I honestly love both. I think I simply love writing andwords and stories. And while writing will always come first (I am a writer after all!) it’s really, reallybrilliant to be able to work with people and their words in other ways too –and editing and teaching allows me to do that.

What is yourfavourite thing about editing?

This is either going to sound horribly trite or reallyarrogant – but I really like being able to help people make their storiesbetter.

And your leastfavourite thing about editing?

That’s a tricky one! I’d not really thought of that before.I love the job. I suppose the money could be better (though if it was, TheStory Corrective wouldn’t be so darned fantastic value!).

You have recently hada collection of short stories published, please could you tell us a little bitabout that?

Of course. ‘Not So Perfect’ is a collection of 22 shortstories. Some of them are very short. Some of them are about things which mightsound a bit odd. There are women in there who throw up small animals. There’s aboy in there who’s a shark. There’s a couple counting down the last five yearsof earth. There are also strawberries. And a lot about love and relationshipsand how we, as people, relate to each other.

Do you have anythingelse in the pipeline writing-wise?

I do. Next spring, The Friday Project (HarperCollins) arepublishing a book called Freaks!. I wrote it with the wonderful Caroline Smailes and it’s been illustrated in a really cool comic book style by Darren Craske .It’s another collection of short stories(there are fifty in this one) and they’re all about people with superpowers,real or imagined. I’m super excitedabout it.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Nik!

You can find Nik's books on Amazon by clicking on the links below:
Not So Perfect
I Met A Roman Last Night, What Did You Do?
Freaks!

Click here to read the next post in this series: an interview with cover artist, Paul Townend.

Random Acts of Kindness - Thanks for November 2011

2011-12-01T09:34:00.001Z

During November 2011 I received The Lovely Bones as a Random Act of Kindness from Kate who blogs over at Kate's Book Life. I had only added this book to my wish list recently after seeing the film on TV so I am looking forward to reading it. Thank you, Kate!

I offered Kate, along with a few other people who were signed up for Random Acts of Kindness and hadn't received a book during October, a copy of New Beginnings.

November was definitely a month for giving as I sent a few copies out. I'm very grateful to those RAK people who have read the book and reviewed it on their blogs, Amazon or Goodreads. Thank you so much.

Links to the reviews can be found on my New Beginnings Websplash page.

Thank you for reading!

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 3: Lulu

2011-11-28T11:20:00.001Z

Uploading my collection of short stories to Lulu was the upload I had the most fun with. I loved the part when you could fiddle about with the prices, I loved flicking through the "book" online and being able to see what it would look like on paper, and I loved creating the cover in their wizard as well. There really was some wizardry going on as the whole process on Lulu was simple and fun... and they even give you a voucher for a free proof copy too.

I'm waiting for my proof copy and then I'll check it through. If everything is ok I'll then be able to click on the "approve" button and then Lulu will very kindly make my book available to buy from not only their own shop but also many different places online as I have got myself an ISBN from them for absolutely free and that means they will make it available on Amazon as well as various other places.

I will, of course, let you know when it is available in paperback!

Exciting posts to come later this week; interviews with my editor and cover designer.

As always, thanks for reading. x X x

Click here to read the next post in this series, all about the edit for this collection.

Gratitude Giveaway Hop Winners

2011-11-28T10:39:00.001Z

Well, what fun I have had this morning, as you can see from the photo!

The winners are as follows:

Poetry Against Cancer was won by April
English Slacker was won by Sarah Pearson
Without Alice was won by Laura H
New Beginnings was won by Megan

I will be in touch with all the winners shortly.

If you are interested in buying a copy of any of these books, you can do so by visiting Lulu for Poetry Against Cancer, or order directly from the publisher of the other three via the Punked Books website.

Thank you to everyone who took part.

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 2: Smashwords

2011-11-27T15:28:00.001Z

I had heard things about Smashwords from several writer friends and somehow in my head had built it up to be a rather scary place to submit to. I'd read in various places the submission process can take a long time, and be rather complicated.

However, for me, it was a breeze. I know, how lucky?!

From signing up to Smashwords to having everything uploaded took me twenty minutes in total. I started at 6.40am, thinking I would get started, stop at 7 to get the children ready for school and do the school run and then finish later. When I submitted my file was #2 in the queue, and luckily for me it was all accepted first time, so everything was finished by the time 7am arrived. I would definitely suggest submitting early in the morning, UK time!

At the time of writing this post I am just waiting to see if they accept it into the premium catalogue. Fingers crossed.

You can see A Knowing Look and Other Stories on Smashwords here.

Oh yes, two things I noticed about Smashwords. Firstly they let you download all the formats of your own book for free because it's, you know, your book. (Not so on Kindle.)

Secondly they have a "special" submission page for people who are submitting NaNoWriMo novels. Firstly I thought, seriously? But then it dawned on me that perhaps Smashwords are trying to keep novels of a certain quality in a "special" place. I'm not saying there won't be some excellent novels as a result of NaNoWriMo... just that the actual words written in November should be considered a first draft, and as such why would anyone be submitting already? You know what I mean. Hopefully.

Thank you for reading! x X x

Click here to see part 3 of this series of blog posts.

My Self-Publishing Adventures: Part 1: Kindle

2011-11-24T13:32:00.001Z

My story collection A Knowing Look and Other Stories is now available via Kindle and I am very delighted to say people have actually started buying it, bless each & every one of them.

To think this all started as a passing thought, 'I wish I had my favourite stories all in one place.'

A number of factors followed on from that thought. Firstly I signed up to support National Flash Fiction Day, secondly I read a guest blog by Nik Perring over on The Long and Short of It and thirdly I got bored of my NaNoWriMo projects and as a result started focussing on this. As you do.

Anyway, after the edit and cover design was sorted out (more on both of those later), I got my Kindle out and opened up my copy of Catherine Ryan Howard's superb book Self-Printing: The Sane Person's Guide to Self-Publishing and I have to say thank goodness for this book, it was absolutely perfect as a step-by-step guide to formatting for Kindle.

I was quite surprised as I uploaded my files at 2pm yesterday, and by 7pm A Knowing Look and Other Stories was live on both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.

I ended yesterday feeling quite proud of myself. I also learnt some very useful tips like how to create hyperlinks, and I discovered my Kindle has a web browser in it by clicking on one of my own links. Who knew?

Thank you for reading x X x

Click here to read the second post in this series.

Coming Soon...

2011-11-22T14:15:00.001Z

Here is a sneak preview of something I have been working on. I am self publishing a collection of my short stories and flash fiction.

So far I have worked with Nik Perring who has edited my collection of short stories, and Paul Townend who has created this work of art cover. Both of them will be showcased on my blog in the near future.

I can't put into words how I feel about this project. I'd love to know what you think.

Thanks for reading.

My Latest Three Publications

2011-11-19T21:20:00.001Z

If you're a regular reader of my blog you may remember I took part in the Third Writers' Platform-Building Campaign recently. I met a lot of new people, bookmarked a lot of new blogs and took part in all three writing challenges.

The good news is, a rather wonderful lady called Cat, suggested that we create a book out of some of our stories, and publish it to raise money for Help Harry Help Others which was set up by an incredibly brave boy called Harry Moseley who recently died of a brain tumour at the age of 11.

I am keen to support cancer charities so I donated all three of my stories. They were all accepted for publication in the book, which is now available via Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com as well as from Smashwords.

Friday Flash: Dentist/Actress

2011-11-18T09:44:00.001Z

At my writing class this week, we were working on character development. We were asked to chose two different characteristics for one person and given five minutes to write a short piece about them.
This is what I wrote:

Dentist/Actress

I’m drilling away at my three o’clock and the nurse won’tshut up. I think how much happier I would be at the end of the day if she wouldgive it a rest.

“Can you pass the…” and I’ve forgotten the name again.

“Polisher,” calls the voice from behind the curtain.

The voice is always there when I forget my words. It feelslike a safety net.

I’ve lost concentration again…

“Exit through the door, I’ll…” nudges the voice.

“I’ll be back shortly, Mr Brown, I need to get someequipment,” I say.

I walk out of the surgery and as I head up the corridor, Ispot the curtain twitching in my peripheral vision.

Gratitude Giveaway Hop

2011-11-17T00:30:00.000Z

I am taking part in the Gratitude Giveaway Hop which is being co-hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and All-Consuming Books.

This giveaway is a way of saying thanks to all my followers and online friends for keeping in touch online.

I am giving away a copy of one of a choice of four brand new books that I have featured on my blog in the past:

My own debut novel New Beginnings
English Slacker by Chris Morton
Without Alice by D. J. Kirkby
or
Poetry Against Cancer

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is leave a comment under this post, and say which book you would chose if you win.

This will stay open until the end of 27th November when a winner will be chosen at random.

I am happy to send the prize anywhere in the world.

Good luck!

For more chances to win books, take a look at the list of current giveaways in my panel on the right.

Thank you for reading!

The prize is a choice of one of these four books

NaNoWriMo - The Second Half

2011-11-16T06:00:00.001Z

Today is day 16 of NaNoWriMo, meaning participants should be over 25,000 words and on the downhill stretch towards the end of the month.

Ok.

Well, as you can see from this screen shot from my own profile on the NaNoWriMo site, real life has got in the way in recent days. I have some catching up to do.

Taken from the NaNoWriMo.org website

Last year, I finished - or rather stopped taking part - on day 19 at 27k words.

I hope to push through this year and make it to the end. But we shall see.

I have plans for next week. Several writing sprints, with the possibility of a visit from a crack team of cleaners and an extra session for the 4yo at pre-school. I will see how I am doing before booking either of those, but they would be two ways of making more time for my writing at least. It's nice to have back-up plans!

Did I mention I am also writing two books at the same time? At the risk of disappointing some of my younger readers, the one I have written the most of is the book for adults. I'm enjoying it a lot. But not enough to be ahead or even on target, it seems.

NaNoWriMo is a marathon, not a sprint, and sometimes when you run long distance you slow your pace for a while and then pick it up again. I intend to pick my pace up as from today.

Thanks for reading xx

Latest Interview and Giveaway

2011-11-14T08:08:00.001Z

Today it gives me great pleasure to say I am over on Rachel Connor's blog being interviewed and also there is a giveaway running so please do go and have a look.

While you are there please do look at Rachel's gorgeous novel Sisterwives. I will be featuring Rachel here on my blog at a later date.

Interview with Talli Roland

2011-11-10T07:10:00.000Z


Talli Roland

Today it gives me great pleasure to have a special guest on my blog for an interview. Talli Roland has three novels available so far, and without further ado, here she is answering my questions:

Hello Talli and welcome to my blog.

For anyone who hasyet to discover your books, please could you do a summary of each of yournovels using only five words?

Yikes! That’s a tough one to kick off with. Damn you formaking me think. Okay, here we go:

The Hating Game:Ball-breaker woman faces four exes.

Watching Willow Watts:Country mouse becomes famous overnight.

Build A Man: Ambitiousreporter constructs nation’s perfect man. (Six words, sorry!)

Do you have afavourite of your own novels?

I feel guilty saying this, but yes. I think out of all ofthem, Build A Man is my favourite.It’s the one I feel is most ‘me'.

Do you draw onpersonal experiences when you are creating your characters and plot lines?

Inevitably, whether I mean for it to happen for not,personal experiences filter into my writing somehow – not exactly as they’veoccurred in my life, but in a phrase I’ve heard, or a setting. I don’t do itintentionally, but I’m usually surprised at what’s made its way into my workwhen I look back over my draft.

You have recentlyblogged about your decision to self publish BuildA Man. For any writers who read this, could you tell us if this has beenreally hard work in comparison to having your books published by a publisher?

Actually, it feels much the same. I worked with an editor anda cover designer on Build A Man, thesame way I had with a publisher. I always did my own marketing and promotion,so that hasn’t changed at all. In a way, I find it easier, because now I havecomplete ownership of my work and timelines.

How easy do you findit to market your books? Any tips for other authors?

It’s never easy to market yourself! But I think the bestthing to do is to be interactive. Don’t just push your books at people – takean interest and be genuine, too. Also, be consistent. You can’t do one bigpush, and then stop blogging and tweeting for months. A little bit each day isthe best way to keep top of mind.

This is obviously themost important question of the lot. If you had to give up coffee or wineforever, which one would you chose?

Rebecca! You’re so evil – I can’t believe you’re making mechoose. I’d have to say wine, because without coffee, I couldn’t even start myday.

What next? Could yougive us a little summary of any other books in progress?

I’m working on ConstructA Couple, the sequel to Build A Man.It follows my main character as she attempts to lay the foundation for theideal relationship. Unfortunately, she soon discovers nothing is ever perfect.

What is your top tip for aspiringwriters?

Keep writing, and remember why you write – because you enjoyit. It’s easy to get caught up in the angst of trying to be published. And onceyou are published, it’s a whole other world of stress! Try to hang on to thejoy of creating something you’re proud of.

Thank you for joining me here on Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

Build A Man Giveaway

This giveaway has finished.

You can find Talli online in the following places (click to follow links):

Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Talli's website

Talli on Twitter

Talli on Facebook

Talli's blog
Talli on Goodreads

Rebecca Emin: Calendar Girl

2011-11-09T06:51:00.000Z

Dear All

I am delighted to say Frozen Lime Images have asked whether they can use a shot of me (taken at my first book signing) on the front cover of their 2012 calendar.

I will keep you posted on this.

Rebecca x X x

November Madness and A New WIP

2011-11-05T07:31:00.000Z

Hi All

Wow, what a rollercoaster of a month so far. I started NaNoWriMo on the 1st November. NaNo is a challenge to write 50k in a month. It's a tough one.

I started writing my sequel to New Beginnings. It started well, but then on 1st and 2nd of November I received two rejections from Lit Agents for my second book When Dreams Come True. The surface reaction to these rejections was, 'I don't mind, it's part of the publishing thing, it is with three publishers, one of which I really really, really want to work with, so there is still a "wait and see..." thing going on'.

Goodness knows what is going on deeper in my head, however. Whatever it is, I have sat in front of my computer fiddling around on the internet and deliberately distracting myself for more hours than I care to think about.

On 3rd, I thought it wasn't working so well but I plodded on, thinking of new characters and big scenes to write. But yesterday I got up at 4.50, hoping to write a big chunk. I sat, and sat, and nothing came to me. (This is NOT normal for me as a writer.) So I made a decision.

Yesterday I opened up a new file. I typed A Listening Ear at the top. And I haven't stop writing since. As you can tell from the date I wrote the #fridayflash of the same name, this character has been bubbling under the surface for a year and a half and it's about time her voice was heard.

And so, my first novel for adults has begun.

Thanks so much for reading. Rebecca x X x

Feeling Like A Proper Writer, At Last

2011-11-02T16:21:00.000Z

The other evening, I was holding a book in my hand. I read the acknowledgments, I read the copyright notice, then I flipped it over and looked at the back. And then at last, from nowhere, into my head came the thought, 'Oh my God I really did write this book'.

It's taken ages for that to happen. It's taken this long to feel real, and I'm starting to feel like a proper writer now. Shall I tell you why?

1. I have started see good book reviews appearing on Amazon and Goodreads from people I have never met and never will, and don't know at all online. Strangers. Liking my book. That is amazing.

2. I have started to get emails from readers asking what else they can read of mine.

3. I have begun to gather up a little collection of rejections. And the rejections honestly don't bother me, as I have accepted that this is an important part of the publishing process. (This is massive for me. I thought I would cry every time. But, nothing...)

4. I have decided to self-publish a collection of flash fiction and short stories. And I have the contacts and knowledge to make it happen.

5. NaNoWriMo isn't bothering me in the slightest. I write so much every day now anyway, I feel quietly confident that I'll finish the first draft of my third book this month.

6. I have been trying out new things. Submitting short stories for anthologies, magazines and learning more about different markets.

7. Ether Books. I love being an Ether Author for many, many reasons.

All in all I am really happy right now.

If you have read this, you are a part of this process so as I say at the end of many of my blog posts:
Thanks so much for reading.

Rebecca x X x

Spooktacular Giveaway Winners!

2011-11-01T23:01:00.000Z

Thank you to everyone who entered my Spooktacular Giveaway.

I know there are rules to these things... but some rules are made to be broken. I was totally amazed by the amount of people who entered this giveaway so I have decided to give away two copies of my book instead of just one.

The winners are:

Taffy

and

Kulsuma

I am running giveaways on Goodreads back-to-back so please click here to enter the current one.

I will also be taking part in another giveaway hop soon, on this blog.

Random Acts of Kindness - Thanks

2011-11-01T09:55:00.002Z

I would like to say thank you to Rebekah Fairbairn who sent me a copy of 'Chocolat' by Joanne Harris as a Random Act of Kindness in October.

I really hope the person I sent a book to enjoyed it too :o)

For anyone who hasn't heard of Random Act of Kindness, you can find out more about it here.

Adopt an Indie Month

2011-10-31T07:07:00.003Z

November 2011 is Adopt an Indie month where authors and bloggers are coming together to discuss self-printed books as well as those published by small presses.

There is also a chance for book bloggers to 'adopt' a book published in this way and showcase it on their blog, as well as have contact with indie authors.

There are also prize draws for authors, bloggers and readers, and the chance for authors who missed this one to sign up for the second Adopt an Indie month which is happening in February 2012.

Please do visit the site and share your thoughts, and maybe even adopt a book if you are a book blogger.

You can also:
Follow Adopt an Indie on Twitter
Like Adopt an Indie on Facebook

Tweet Treats - The Perfect Christmas Present!

2011-10-26T00:30:00.000+01:00

It is with great pleasure that I am playing host to the Tweet Treats blog tour today. This lovely little book is the perfect stocking filler, as it contains many quick and easy recipes from people all around the world, including 140 celebrities and is the perfect size to slip into a Christmas stocking.

I have a few recipes in the book myself, keep an eye out for mine when you get your copy!

Without further ado I would like to introduce you to the lovely Jane Travers. Without Jane, Tweet Treats wouldn't exist today.

Hello Jane and welcome to Ramblings of a Rusty Writer

For anyone who has not yet heard of Tweet Treats, could you briefly describe what it’s all about?

Thanks for having me, Rebecca! Tweet Treats is a project tocollect 140 character recipes (140 characters is roughly 25 words) sourcedthrough Twitter. I collected recipes from 140 celebrities as well as fromordinary people, compiled a book which has just been published by O’BrienPress, and I’m donating all the royalties to Médecins Sans Frontières.

Why Médecins Sans Frontières?

They’rean amazing charity, and I have huge respect for them. They provide medical carein countries stricken by war, famine and natural disaster, quietly and withoutblowing their own trumpet. They are utterly non-partisan in their dealings withpeople, and are funded entirely by voluntary contributions so that they are notaffiliated with any country, religious institution, etc. I received recipesfrom all over the world for Tweet Treats and I wanted to involve a truly globalcharity; MSF was the obvious choice.

Youcreated the book via Twitter. So, for anyone who may be wondering, what exactlyis Twitter?

Jane Travers

Twitteris a social network – but everyone knows that. You might not know what itreally means, though. The emphasis is on “social” – Twitter is about building abroad online community of people with similar interests, who come together andchat, joke, discuss and debate. The essential brevity of a tweet (140characters) is, I think, what makes Twitter great; you have to hone down whatyou want to say to its bare bones and still make it interesting. It means thatTwitter moves fast and stays sharp, as there is no room for waffle in 140characters. It’s a great exercise for writers, actually, to be concise andclear about what they want to get across. I love it. (And yes, that passage wasmore than 140 characters – see what happens when I’m not on Twitter?)

Haveyou met any of the celebrities who have donated recipes? If so, what were theylike?

Ihad to think about that for a minute! I feel like I’ve met so many peoplethrough chatting to them online, it can be hard to remember who I’ve actuallymet. I met Pat O’Mahony, an Irish celebrity – he actually agreed to launch thebook for me, which was great fun! Pat is a good laugh and a huge lover ofTwitter – he’s even made a documentary about it. I already know a number of theIrish writers who contributed, like Colette Caddle, Claire Hennessy, RF Long,etc. I’ll be meeting Neil Gaiman next month in Seattle and I’m crazy excited about that.

How many new recipes have you tried since creating Tweet Treats? Do you have a favourite?

Gosh, loads of them! I couldn’t give you a number. Lastsummer, when I was flat out collecting recipes, I tried a new Tweet Treatsrecipe almost every night. A few of them have become firm favourites, likeBanana Nut Bread by @mduffywriter – I have to make large batches of that everytime because it doesn’t last long in our house!

What were the highlights and lowlights of getting Tweet Treats together?

The whole thing was an enormous amount of fun, I’m happy tosay! There were loads of little highlights along the way; getting the firstcelebrity (@Tracy_Chevalier, author of Girl With a Pearl Earring), getting arecipe from my personal hero @neilhimself (Neil Gaiman), and loads of othercelebrities gave me a huge kick too! There was a low point in the middle of thewhole thing, when I thought I was mad and would never bring the whole thing tofruition. I thought about giving up and that same day @PaulaAbdul tweeted me toask how the whole project was going and when the book would be out. I thought,wow, if Paula Abdul can have an interest in this, then I’ve got to keep going.And I did. The highlights far outweighed the lowlights, I’m pleased to say!

Would you ever create another fund-raising book?

I’dlove to. I love the sense of well-being and purpose that Tweet Treats has givenme, and the fun I’ve had with it. However, the only things I’ve had publishedto date have all been for charity, so it’d be really nice to actually earn somemoney from writing for myself one of these days!

Whatwould you say are the most positive things that have come from using Twitterfor you as a writer?

The network of writers. There are a fantastic bunch ofwriters, agents, editors and publishers out there, chatting, joking, sharingadvice and information, and occasionally having a good rant. Before I foundTwitter I was sitting on my own in front of a computer screen, typing into theabyss; now I’m part of a wider community. Writing is a solitary business, butI’ve learned it doesn’t have to be a lonely one.

What are you working on at the moment?

I had been polishing off a novel (women’s fiction). I put itaside when I started working on Tweet Treats, but now I’m trying to finish itoff and find it a home once and for all. I’m also working on a YA paranormalromance, which I’m hoping will be a trilogy.

Thank you for joining me here on Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

No no, thank you! ;)

If you like the sound of Tweet Treats, head over to Jonathan Pinnock's blog as he is currently hosting a giveaway of a copy of the book.

You can find further information via the following links:

The Tweet Treats website

Jane Travers on Twitter

FB Fan page for Tweet Treats

MSF

You can also buy a copy of Tweet Treats via Amazon.co.uk

Or via Amazon.com

Launch of 'Eighty Nine' a Literary Mix Tapes Anthology

2011-10-25T09:07:00.001+01:00

Today I am at a virtual launch party for Eighty Nine, the latest anthology in the Literary Mix Tapes series.

This is a collection of short stories created around prompts from, you guessed it, the year 1989.

Me in 1989!

Some of my friends are included in this book and all of the writers are superb. As you will know if you are a regular reader of this blog, Nothing But Flowers is also a LMT book and after working with the editor Jodi Cleghorn I would happily recommend anything she has worked on.

You can join in the launch party on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=175234282561950 and find out all about this collection.

Buy Eighty Nine on Amazon.com by clicking here.
Buy Eighty Nine on Amazon.co.uk by clicking here.

A Spooktacular Giveaway

2011-10-24T00:30:00.000+01:00

I am taking part in the Spooktacular Giveaway Hop which is being co-hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and The Diary of a Bookworm.

I am giving away one copy of my debut novel New Beginnings in paperback. (You can find out more about the book by clicking on the 'Novels' page above.)

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is leave a comment under this post.
You can get additional entries in the following ways:

Follow me on Twitter. +1
Like my Facebook Page. +1
Follow this blog. +1
Follow my blog about writing for children and teens. +1
Let me know which of these you have done in your comment.

This will stay open until the end of 31 October.

I will announce the winner on 2 November.

I am happy to send the book anywhere in the world.

Good luck!

DJ Kirkby's Story Chain

2011-10-23T07:12:00.002+01:00

A very short post, simply to say please visit my friend D.J. Kirkby's blog today as she has set up a story chain and would love you to add to it.

As a thank you for joining in, DJ will add your name as an entry in her Kindle giveaway, and your words will also be taken along to her book brunch which is happening at the Portsmouth Book Fest on 26th October.

Thank you! x X x

Anti-Bullying Week 2011 - Bullying and Me

2011-10-22T11:23:00.000+01:00

When I started at senior school I was the tallest in our class, I was one of only two in the year with red hair, I was shy and I needed braces. That was all it took. I was called all sorts of names like 'Duracell' 'carrot top' and 'Jaws' and as time went on there would be whispering behind my back and then nasty stuff said in front of my face. It got to the point where I didn't want to go to school, despite enjoying the lessons, and I didn't have a clue what to do about it.

It was a teacher who discovered what was going on. She called me into a room one day and she said (I will never forget this), "You have a high IQ but your results aren't showing it. What is going on?" and I told her everything. The headmistress then dealt with the bullies (the process of which was terrifying to me as I was made to stand up in the middle of assembly while the ringleader named her 'gang' and included someone who hadn't done anything. I have felt bad about this ever since. This girl thought it was ME who had named her). Anyway, after this apologies were made, and the bullying stopped.

Why then did I find myself writing my debut novel about a girl who is bullied? Because even now, I feel the results of it. When I enter a room full of people I don't know, I instantly think none of them will like me. I am still more of a listener than a talker and I think some people think I am being anti-social or ignorant but it's because I am scared I will say something and be laughed at. This is thirty years later.

Bullying is a damaging thing. Bullies may think they are being clever or even be hiding their own insecurities by trying to look 'hard' in front of their mates, and the worst thing is, it is going on ALL the time.

These days with the internet there are places that can help, Bullying UK being one of those charities. I mentioned them in my book and I have always pledged to support them, so for the next four weeks (up until the end of Anti-Bullying Week) I am going to donate £1.50 to Bullying UK every time someone places an order for a signed copy of New Beginnings via my blog.

New Beginnings has been received well so far by people ranging from 9 to 70+. It is the story of Sam, a girl who gets bullied as she starts at senior school, but finds ways to gain confidence and stand up for herself.

Please help me to support Bullying UK if you can. There are buttons in the right panel of this blog if you would like to order a copy.

Results Not Typical by Catherine Ryan Howard

2011-10-19T00:30:00.000+01:00

Today I am proud to be part of the blog tour for Results Not Typical by Catherine Ryan Howard. I have invited Catherine onto my blog for an interview and she has also kindly donated some copies of her book for a giveaway (please see at the bottom for the details).

Here is the full blurb for Results Not Typical, followed by my interview with Catherine:

TheDevil Wears Prada meets Weightwatchers and chick-lit meets corporatesatire in the debut novel from Catherine Ryan Howard, author of the bestsellingmemoir Mousetrapped: A Year and A Bit inOrlando, Florida. Through their Ultimate Weight Loss Diet Solution ZoneSystem, Slimmit International Global Incorporated claim they’re making theworld a more attractive place one fatty at a time. Their slogans “Where You’reFat and We Know It!” and “Where the Fat IS Your Fault!” are recognised aroundthe globe, the counter in the lobby says five million slimmed and their shareprice is as high as their energy levels. But today the theft of their latestrevolutionary product, Lipid Loser, will threaten to expose the real secretbehind Slimmit’s success...The race is on to retrieve Lipid Loser and saveSlimmit from total disaster. If their secrets get out, their competitors willput them out of business. If the government finds out, they’ll all go to jail.And if their clients find out… Well, as Slimmit’s Slimming Specialists know alltoo well, there’s only one thing worse than a hungry, sugar-crazed, carb addict– and that’s an angry one. Will the secret behind Slimmit’s success survive theday, or will their long-suffering slimmers finally discover the truth? Availablenow in paperback and e-book editions.

Hello Catherine andwelcome to Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.
Congratulations on publishing your first novel, Results Not Typical. What inspired you to write this story?

“Inspired” might be the wrongword! I’d always wanted to write a corporate satire, as that’s a kind of book Ireally enjoy reading. I also think that any environment which unconditionallyaccepts what otherwise would be considered lunacy (I once worked for anAmerican company that had us all open “emotional bank accounts” and – it getsworse – make deposits in each other’saccounts as we saw fit) is ripe for mockery. In September 2009 I joined thisscary cult-like weight loss clinic, and what I witnessed there/was subjectedto/was traumatised forever by gave me an idea: a corporate satire set at anevil weight loss company.

Could you summarise Results Not Typical for us in only fivewords?

No, but I can do six: TheDevil Wears Prada meets WeightWatchers.

Do you draw onpersonal experiences when you are creating your characters and plot lines?

Not so much for characters,because nearly all of the characters in Resultshave an air of pantomime villain about them. However I definitely drew on theodd WeightWatchers meeting I’ve attended and crazy diet book I’ve read for theplot. There’s one scene where the, ahem, “Fat Club” leader is describing how tomake something she’s calling a pizza even though it’s as much pizza as a chairis by using a wholewheat pitta bread, tomato purée, a couple of button mushroomsand a dessert spoon of low-cal grated cheese. That sort of thing – beingencouraged to go to extreme lengths to make tasteless substitutes for fattyfood instead of just, hey, a radical idea, justeating healthy food – definitely comes from my own personal experience withthese people!

Your novel is allabout a slimming company which leads to a very important question: What do youeat and drink while you are writing?

Coffee and calories. Repeat as required.

You have published three non-fiction books in the past. Could youdescribe Mousetrapped, Backpacked and Self-Printed for us in five words each too?


Catherine signing copies of 'Mousetrapped'

Mousetrapped:Disney + Florida + (Dreams/Reality) = Happiness?

Backpacked: Veryreluctant backpacker goes backpacking

Self-Printed: Howto self-publish for realists.

Do you find it easierto write fiction or non-fiction? Which do you prefer?

I find it much easier to writenon-fiction, because the story has already happened – you know what’s comingnext, and how it ends. Plus I enjoy taking situations and mining their humour.I find fiction much more difficult to write because I tend to tie myself up inplot knots, but I have a much greater sense of achievement from writing it thanI do non-fiction.

Do you plan yourbooks in advance, or write what comes into your head as you go along?

I’m definitely a planner. Any excuse to waste a few hoursmessing around with different coloured pens and Post-It notes!

Could you briefly explain, for anyone who yet to visit your blog, whyyou decided to self-publish your books?

Originally it was because I had abook - Mousetrapped - that was likedand praised by every editor or agent I sent it to, but they all agreed thatthere was no market for a book about an Irish girl moving to Florida in searchof pixie dust, Space Shuttle launches and dreams. When I found out aboutCreateSpace, I thought I might as well put the book up there, as I believedthere were readers for it out there somewhere, and I didn’t want to leave it ina drawer. Now, a year and a half later, I’ve self-published three other booksand am about a month away from hitting 10,000 books sold. The difference withme though is that I’m not campaigning for the death of books just yet; I’mstill pursuing traditional publication and just think of self-publishing as abit on the side. Hopefully some day in the future there’ll be something to putit on the side of!

After reading Mousetrapped Iwould be very interested to know if you would ever go back and work at WaltDisney World again? Have you been backto visit since you wrote the book?

I don’t think I’d work thereagain just because I’ve moved on now, but I would love to live in Orlandoagain, if only for the weather and the fact that there’s always something todo. I’ve been back twice – Eva (one of my best friends there) and I have beentrying to go once every calendar year. This year we all met up in Europe but Ihope to see Florida again in the new year.

What next? Should we expect more novels or further non-fiction booksfrom you in the future?

I hope so! In the immediatefuture my attention is totally focused on writing a novel I hope to submit totraditional publishers, but after that yes, I do plan on writing more books toself-publish. I’m just not 100% what those will be yet!

Thank you for joining me here on Ramblings of a Rusty Writer.

You can buy the book here on Amazon.co.uk

or, on Amazon.com

Enter the giveaway to win one of five copies on Goodreads (Open until 31 October)

Or if you would like to enter a draw for one of three e-copies of Results Not Typical, leave a 'pick me' comment under this post.

This will be left open until 12 noon UK time on Tuesday 1 November.
3 winners names will be picked at random.

I'm Guest Blogging Today

2011-10-14T10:13:00.001+01:00

Today I am guest blogging for the first time ever, thanks to the very lovely Sue who blogs at The Long and the Short of it.

In the post I talk about the importance of having a platform, speaking from my own experiences.

Please do pop by and visit.

Coming Soon on Ramblings of a Rusty Writer...

2011-10-08T08:28:00.002+01:00

Interview here on 19th October

I have some very exciting blog posts coming in the near future. Firstly I am proud to be a part of Catherine Ryan Howard's blog tour for her first novel, Results Not Typical.

I also have interviews with some other authors lined up, which I am very much looking forward to. I won't say who just yet as I don't want you to get too excited.

I have been asked to guest blog on two other blogs, these will be happening in the next couple of months.

Post here on 26 October

And finally I am proud to be part of the blog tour for Tweet Treets which is a fund raising recipe book which I have a couple of recipes in.

All this on top of my usual ramblings!

As always, thank you for reading x X x

We All Have Days Like That

2011-10-02T09:09:00.003+01:00

I had one of "those days" on Thursday. You know, where you're tired, you don't get a minute's peace, you have a bazillion and five things you want to do and no way of achieving them at that precise moment. And to top it all, a sore spot in your guts where you've been kicked by a rejection.

Yes, it was one of those days. I was well and truly fed up. Downward spiralling and not sure how I would ever feel any better. And then I realised the story I had drafted for a magazine that I was really pleased with would never be submitted to that magazine as the publication I intended it for didn't accept work from new writers, I developed a migraine, and all three of my children had a complete meltdown in the middle of my favourite shop. I have never seen them all like that at the same time, it was horrible; shouting, shoving, yelling all at each other but ugh!

So I vented on my social networks. They say a platform is vital to a writer, but in this case it suddenly became my safety net. On Facebook and Twitter I got instant replies from people who either felt the same or offered words of encouragement. I instantly knew, that despite those niggling suspicions, I was not alone.

One of my Facebook friends, who is a fellow Ether Writer and also coincidentally I worked with back in the 1990s said on Facebook: "Some days you're the pigeon, some days you're the statue. This is a statue day." I have never heard this one before and it made me laugh so much. Just the thing.

Since Thursday I decided to cut down my to do list in any way I could. I have removed myself from several online sites which I never used properly but had emails from all the time (LinkedIn, to name but one). I have done a lot of thinking about the next step for my second book and then in a completely coincidental fashion a good friend and fabulous writer sent me a very encouraging email. I was almost there by myself but her words tipped me into the "I will not give up" zone.

I dragged my husband out of the house on Friday and we had lunch outside a restaurant; good food, gorgeous weather and a fantastic bit of city people-watching where I gained a few character ideas.

Then I sorted something out that I hadn't even realised was bugging me. I polished some first drafts that I had sitting around on my desktop for weeks and sent them off to their various places. And I allowed myself a bit more chat time on Twitter.

It's funny as I feel like a different person today but I wanted to write all this down so next time I have the black clouds hanging over my head I can maybe come back and read this and get back to how I feel today more quickly.

I went out for a lovely family meal last night and during the conversation I discovered my Dad has read my book. I actually didn't think he would ever read it, so I am floating on clouds today.

So the worst kind of day to the best in only three days. That can't be bad.

The Random Photo Post

2011-09-29T14:26:00.001+01:00

I thought I'd share this photo of a cherry tomato, picked from our tomato plant today.

All I'm going to say is, the comment under this post that makes me laugh the most is going to win somebody a signed copy of my book. (This is now closed, as I have picked a winner.)

The Third Certainty

2011-09-25T09:59:00.000+01:00


Me with Eldest at 2 hours old

They say nothing is certain but death and taxes. I beg to differ. For parents, there is a third certainty. From the moment your baby is born, the cord is cut and they take their first breath, they are striving to gain their independence. As parents we encourage it, we teach them the skills that they will need to grow and evolve and eventually become well rounded, considerate individuals capable of making their own informed decisions.

As a mother, I personally find this difficult. I like the fact that my children are young enough to be inside our house and I know where they all are. I love the way they are growing into sociable, questioning and loving people in their own right. Yet something inside me wants to resist these changes, as much as I know I can't.

On my daughters first birthday I made her a cake in the shape of a '1' with smarties all over it. Everyone watched as she was completely oblivious to what was going on but revelled in being the centre of attention. Years have passed and today she is nine. It seems like only yesterday I was sitting in hospital grinning and saying I would "do it all again in a heartbeat." Last night she had her first sleepover party and this morning at exactly 8.10 I was sitting in the kitchen having an emotional moment thinking about the moment I became a mother, and she was upstairs laughing and joking with her friends. Oblivious, but in a totally different way.

All of us in April 2011

We have reached the "half way to eighteen" stage and it terrifies me. I dread the day she starts senior school and has her own front door key. I dread the day my middle son stops shouting "I love you more than you love me" from the school door, not caring who hears. I dread the day my youngest son stops trying to snuggle in with me in the morning for a cuddle and telling me I am his "favourite person in the whole wide world."

I know, I know, the parent/child bond will be there forever, but it's a different relationship. I am preparing myself for the loss of being at the centre of my children's world.

This certainty is one of my motivations for writing. In 2009 I had a great sense of time racing on. My second child started school, and I started to wonder how I would cope with not feeling "needed" to the same extent any more. I started writing with the knowledge that when my third child starts school (Jan 2012) I will feel a deep sense of loss. When I come home to an empty house, missing the chatter of my children, at least I will always have my characters to keep me company.

Air, Imago or Poison? Possible Causes of the 1854 Cholera Outbreak in London

2011-09-22T19:08:00.000+01:00

“Mr Chadwick, pray tell me your thoughts on this choleraoutbreak, seemingly affecting the whole of London.”

“I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Williams; allsmell is disease. The miasma which overpowers as you approach the riverside;this is indeed the cause of these symptoms which render so many ill or dead.”

This conversation remained in my mind for many a yearafterwards. However some suspected there may be a lacuna present in thissimplistic theory of synchronicity between smell and illness.

Mr Chadwick did suggest reforms leading to improvements insanitation provisions across our city. These changes greatly reduced the incidences ofcholera and other diseases. Yet the theory that one would only have to be inthe vicinity of the Thames and not so much astouch the water was seemingly flawed.

I would sit through many lectures on the matter, trying togain knowledge, while observing fellow scientists oscitate or even doze rightoff to sleep. Their manners were appalling!

I am almost ashamed to tell you it was eventually a Frenchgentleman, Monsieur Louis Pasteur who finally proved Chadwick wrong. Pasteurproved that the cholera was transmitted by germs. What a clever chap.

200 words

This piece was written for a challege as part of the platform building campaign.

Just thought I'd say that in case any of my regular readers think I have gone barking mad!

Thanks for reading x X x

Latest Interview and Giveaway

2011-09-22T07:34:00.000+01:00

Today I am over on I Am A Reader, Not A Writer where I have been interviewed. There is also a book giveaway in progress. Please do pop by and visit!

Snow and Awards

2011-09-19T11:04:00.001+01:00

Hi Everyone

No, it hasn't actually snowed outside, but I am feeling somewhat overwhelmed at the moment as I am behind on absolutely everything - domestic admin, online everything, even the dreaded laundry. I am officially snowed under, so please bear with me while I catch up. Following the school summer holidays I have had family members at home ill for all but one day and now I have my husband at home for two weeks as he is between contracts. It's always my online time that gets shoved to the bottom of the list in these circumstances, unfortunately.

I will eventually visit back everyone who comments on any of my blog posts (I have a special folder they all go in to, which they stay in until I visit back), and respond to direct messages, emails and Twitter/FB messages as soon as I can.

Following on from the snow theme, I have experienced a recent avalanche (but in a good way) of blog awards which I am incredibly grateful for. I am going to bow out of following all the rules, however and simply thank the following people for the awards. Please do pop by and visit them if you have a chance.

For nominating me for the Versatile Blogger Award, I would like to thank:
Claire Robyns
Beth Kemp
Christy Farmer

For the Appreciated Follower Award, thanks to:
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell

I would like to thank the following people for awarding me the Liebster Blog Award:
Shelley Koon
Beth Kemp (again!)

And if I have missed any award nominations (this is highly likely) I am really sorry, please do let me know and I will add your name to my list.

As always, thanks for reading x X x

Me, in a Spotlight!

2011-09-19T08:50:00.002+01:00

Today I am over on The Kelworth Files where I am in a spotlight post as part of the Writers' Platform Building Campaign.

Thanks for the feature, Chris!

100 Copies Sold - Celebration Giveaway!

2011-09-17T14:43:00.002+01:00

Hello dearest lovely readers.

I'm delighted to tell you that I have sold 100 copies of New Beginnings, that I know about, via direct sales. I'm incredibly happy about this, so I'm having a giveaway to celebrate.

But the catch is, it's only open to people who have a copy of New Beginnings.

To enter you have to do two things:
1. Leave me a comment below this post, saying which of the characters in New Beginnings is your favourite and why. Please try to keep your comment spoiler free in case people who have yet to read the book take a look.
2. (Only for people who did not buy the book directly from me.) Send me a message via the comment form here on my blog, telling me the first sentence of chapter 8 of New Beginnings.

The prize is a copy of each of the following books sent to you, PLUS a signed copy of New Beginnings sent to a person of your choice. A friend, a school, whoever you think you'd like to send a copy to.

Poetry Against Cancer is a charity collection of poetry. I don't have any poetry in this book but a few of my writer friends do.

Shambelurkling and Other Stories is a collection of short stories and poetry for children which I have two stories in.

Nothing But Flowers is a collection of short stories for adults which I have one story in.

Of course there is nothing stopping you buying a copy of New Beginnings now if you want to enter the competition. You can do so via Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com or via the panel on the right hand side of my blog.

This giveaway will run until 12 noon UK time on 17th October, and I am happy to send the books worldwide.

In The Wishing Chair

2011-09-15T11:53:00.000+01:00

I was delighted when I was asked by Rebecca E Brown to be a part of her new project, the In The Wishing Chair podcast. Rebecca interviewed me a while ago and the interview is now live on iTunes. She has also done a lovely post all about me here.

Please do give In The Wishing Chair a listen, and if you enjoy what you hear, please don't forget to leave feedback for Rebecca on iTunes.

Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland

2011-09-14T07:13:00.001+01:00

Talli Roland's second novel is launching to Kindle today in a rather spectacular way. Talli is having an online launch party and asking everyone to come dressed as someone they'd really like to be.

The only thing is, I've always been useless at fancy dress, but more than that I have actually been thinking a lot about the sentence Talli has asked us to finish: "If I could be anyone, I'd be..." and as crazy as it sounds, the answer would be... me. I actually don't have any desire to be anyone else. So I've just popped by to say congrats anyway.

I hope Talli will forgive me. I'll just quietly put some fine red wine and home made cheese straws on the table for later and tell you about the author and the book.

Watching Willow Watts - The Author

Talli Roland is one of those people you will never forget once you meet her. She's slim, she's beautiful, she has a gorgeous Canadian accent and she says "awesome" a lot. She is adorable, quite honestly. But the thing I notice most about Talli as a writer is the way she creates her presence around the social networks, befriending people who she connects with and being incredibly supportive. She really is a very lovely lady and if you don't do so already I urge you to connect with her online.

(Am I forgiven for not dressing up now? xx)

Watching Willow Watts - The Blurb

For Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop and nights watching TV, as the pension-aged residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when a YouTube video of Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation gets millions of hits after a viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image in a frame.

Instantly, Willow's town is overrun with fans flocking to see the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers -- whose shops and businesses are cashing in -- Willow embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and ramming herself full of cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when a former flame returns seeking the old Willow, Willow must decide: can she risk her stardom and her village's newfound fortune on love, or is being Marilyn her ticket to happiness?

Talli, I hope you have a wonderful day today, as Watching Willow Watts launches to Kindle.

I must go now, I have a book to read.

You can buy the book for your Kindle on Amazon.com or on Amazon.co.uk

Talli's blog is here.

Follow Talli on Twitter here.

Like Talli on Facebook here.

Ether Books made my day (again!)

2011-09-13T15:15:00.001+01:00

Hi all

I had a little look at the Ether Books website this morning.
Perfect timing, as this is what I saw:

Just look at that lovely panel on the left!!

Check out the app if you have an iPhone, iPod Touch or iPad. There are loads of brilliant stories on it, including quite a few of mine.

Spotlight on Bookshops: Blackwell, Oxford

2011-09-12T13:00:00.002+01:00

This morning I popped into Oxford, and visited Blackwell.

Blackwell, Broad St, Oxford


The Children's Section

And now for the most important shot of all:

New Beginnings on the 'Older Readers' shelves

My First Blogged Review

2011-09-09T07:48:00.002+01:00

You may remember the recent interview I took part in on Emma Kerry's Notebook. Thank you once again to lovely Emma for hosting this on her blog.

The winner of this giveaway has now read New Beginnings and left a lovely review on her blog. Please do go and take a look here.

Thank you, Nancy.

Emma Kerry is on Twitter here.
Elizabeth Anne Mitchell (aka Nancy) is on Twitter here.

10 Random Things About Me

2011-09-07T10:19:00.002+01:00

I have been tagged by Rosalind Adam, via her wonderful blog Rosalind Adam is writing in the rain.

Please do go and visit Rosalind!

As a result I have to share 10 random facts about me. I will try and make them things that I haven't ever said on my blog before, and I'll try to make them vaguely interesting.

1. I am 5ft 10 and was always the tallest in my class at school. For several years, my husband tried to convince me I was actually 5ft 9. He failed. (He is 5ft 6.)

2. I love being near the sea. It doesn't matter what the weather is like; I like stormy crashing waves as much as a glistening blue ocean on a sunny day.

3. I have several long standing friendships that have lasted decades. Some of these friends I can go for a year at a time without seeing, but when we get together we click back into how we always were. I think of them all the time, even when we don't meet up or speak very often.

4. When I was a child I was a tomboy and wanted to be Spiderman. I was deeply traumatised when I put on a Spiderman costume and STILL couldn't climb up walls.

5. I have never curled or coloured my hair. I hated the colour of it until Pretty Woman came out and suddenly I loved it (and Julia Roberts).

6. I have never read any Harry Potter or Twilight books. I know! I lost interest in vampires after Interview with a Vampire (and the series that followed). Remember that?

7. I love swimming, and find being in water relaxing and soothing (this may be related to point 2). I gave birth to all three of my children in a birthing pool, which was a wonderful experience.

8. I have a high pain threshold (also linked to 7).

9. I love the theatre, especially musicals. I love the soundtracks from them too. Some shows I have seen up to four times, way back when I had more time.

10. I have never been happier in my life than I have been in 2011. Holding my novel and anthologies in my hands, as well as having a wonderful family and friends makes me feel very contented.

So now I have to tag some other bloggers.
I would like to say to them, don't worry if you don't have time to do this. :o)

Alison Wells at Head Above Water
Kathryn Brown at Crystal Jigsaw
Lesley Galston at Lesley Galston's Passions aka Sloanwriter
Rebecca E Brown at My Little Notepad
and
Emma Kerry at Emma Kerry's Notebook

Recent News, In Brief

2011-09-05T09:56:00.000+01:00

Today the first challenge has been set for #writecampaign and to my utmost joy I've discovered it's a flash fiction challenge so I will be thinking about that and posting my story this week.

I have joined in with Random Acts of Kindness (#RAK on Twitter) because I love the idea of it and I can't wait to surprise someone with a RAK. Such a brilliant idea. You can find out more here.

I have decided my next novel will be a sequel to New Beginnings. It will include some of the characters from New Beginnings along with some new faces, and a completely different story line.

Speaking of which, the next three people who order a signed copy of New Beginnings via my blog (there is a button in the panel on the right) will receive a free copy of Shambelurkling and Other Stories with their order. I have two stories in Shambelurkling, which is an anthology created to raise funds for autistic children.

If you 'Like' my Facebook page, you will hear about these sorts of offers first, as I occasionally do giveaways and other special deals either exclusively for people on the page, or at least announced there first.

I think that is my news for now, but I may add to this post later if I think of anything else.

Thanks for reading xXx

I'm back!

2011-09-04T11:28:00.001+01:00

I just wanted to let you all know I'm back from two back-to-back mini-breaks, the first one was to a spa on my own, and the second one with my family to the Isle of Wight. We went to the Isle of Wight for three nights and by some stroke of luck, the weather was lovely every day we were there, so it felt like a proper holiday

We got back last night and I am ridiculously behind with all of my online communications, and as the children go back to school on Wednesday I think it will take me until the end of the week to catch up. But I will do eventually.

I hope you are ok and I will look forward to visiting your blog soon.

If you are interested, you can read my reviews of places we have stayed on Tripadvisor. (The reviews of the latest 2 places are currently pending.) My policy on there (as well as for my book reviews) is only to post positive reviews. So we have been to some places that are not so nice. You just won't see them on there.

Radio, Magazines and an extract from When Dreams Come True

2011-08-30T10:21:00.002+01:00

Hi everyone

I have been away for a couple of days but I wanted to share a couple of things that happened yesterday. First of all, I was catching up on reading my copies of Writers' Forum magazine, which I subscribe to but rarely have time to read at home. I started on the June issue (I was on a sun lounger near a jacuzzi, if I need to set the scene!) and I came to an article about Writing Competitions by the lovely Sally Quilford. I had to read a certain paragraph three times before it sunk it, as Sally quoted me in it. It was ironic really, as about five minutes earlier, I was thinking 'wow it must be so amazing to see your name in this magazine'.

I then took myself off to find a part of the spa which had wifi (believe me they are limited) to send hubby a note about this. As soon as the wifi connected I received an email from him saying Radio Oxford had been in contact to invite me onto another show this morning (to discuss 'Back To School' shopping!). I had to decline as my children are all here and it's lucky I did really as just at the time I would have been on, they started scrapping with each other in a "right you're back, we want your attention" sort of way. But it was lovely to be asked.

While I was away I received some lovely reviews for New Beginnings on Amazon, which made my day on Sunday. Thank you to lovely Talli and Anne.

And finally, I have added a new page to my blog today. It's an extract from my second book, When Dreams Come True. I'd love to know what you think; feel free to let me know by commenting on this post or via the "contact" form.

Thanks for reading xx

Writers Platform-Building Campaign

2011-08-25T15:10:00.001+01:00

I've decided to take part in a platform-building campaign that is being organised by Rachael Harrie.

Please visit her blog Rach Writes to discover all the details and sign up if you wish to join in.

Book Review: English Slacker by Chris Morton

2011-08-25T07:54:00.002+01:00

I first discovered Chris Morton on the Authortrek website. When I had read a couple of short stories by him, I remember thinking, 'Please let this writer have a book'. And sure enough, he has.

A brief synopsis of the book:
Chambers is an eighteen-year-old student living in the small town of Bracksea, England. Fresh from his final college exams, he is now ready for what is to be his last summer of freedom, which involves going to parties, smoking dope and getting drunk with all his friends. However, what begins as a seemingly innocent and routine set of social events soon turns into a nightmare for Chambers as a suppressed memory – which may or may not be related to the recent disappearance of his best friend Colin – begins to surface. The more Chambers immerses himself in the distractions around him the more he begins to find that he is losing his whole sense of reality…

The book is like no other book I have read. The protagonist is obviously eighteen so the point of view is very different to a lot I have read recently, and his character is also very different to mine; he swears a lot, does a lot of drugs, and quite frankly seems to be having a bit of a miserable life. However, despite all of this, I could not put this book down. I found myself caring about Chambers, wanting him to turn out ok, and constantly keen to know what happens next. Definitely the sign of a good book.

It seems I am not alone in enjoying this book, as English Slacker has been shortlisted for the Not The Booker Prize 2011. Because of this, you lucky, lucky things, you can currently get a free pdf download of the book via the Punked Books website.

And now a plea. Please do download English Slacker, but please also read it asap. The voting for the Not The Booker Prize will re-open shortly and I would like to enlist a bit of help with this. There are a number of reasons, pick any one of them to suit you ;o)

1. Chris Morton is a brilliant writer.
2. English Slacker is a unique book and deserves to win. It's a fine example of how a high quality piece of writing does not have to sit with an enormous publisher to be wonderful.
3. (This is where I get a bit shameless) Punked Books also publish my book New Beginnings, as well as books by two friends of mine. Any help Punked Books get in the way of publicity, is going to help all of us. Team Punked!
4. Please?

Please 'Like' the Punked Books Facebook page to be kept up to date when the voting starts.

I hope you enjoy English Slacker.
x x x

New Beginnings, New Experiences, A New Me

2011-08-24T08:55:00.005+01:00

Exactly two months ago, a delivery driver almost got the shock of his life as I got mildly hysterical about him delivering my first box of 50 author copies of New Beginnings to my house. That was the first of many firsts.

There was my first direct sale, my first book signing event, my first appearance on BBC Radio Oxford. My first sighting of my book in a book shop, my first Amazon sale, my first review, all these firsts seem like amazing things. Each and every one as special as the last.

Of course, the main worry when you have a book published is, will people want to buy it? The devil whispering in my ear made me wonder if I would sell more than three copies, (Mum, sister and aunt). But I'm pleased to say my definite sales figure (ie the ones I know about) is 90 to date. The majority of those being direct sales. Not bad for a book that isn't officially published yet!

Two months on, my Amazon reviews are now in double figures. It's such a thrill that people actually want to buy my book, but when they take the time and effort to review it as well, it is appreciated so much, especially as my first ten reviews all have five stars.

I'm quite proud of my achievements with marketing and publicity as a first-timer. I have got quite a lot of reviewers waiting to read the book nearer to the official publication date, I've had numerous bookshops say they will stock the book, and people saying they will take part in my publication date (23 January 2012) websplash. It has amazed me how much I have achieved, just by building up the courage to ask.

New Beginnings has changed me as a person. I now have no qualms at all about calling myself a writer for a start. For the first time in my life I am actually starting to have a bit of self confidence. I'm having such an exciting time at the moment, and if you are reading this, thank you for being a part of it.

My First Radio Appearance (BBC Radio Oxford)

2011-08-17T15:41:00.008+01:00

Today, I was on the radio, as part of the book club feature of Jo in the Afternoon on BBC Radio Oxford.

This morning I was a bit nervous. I took two of my children over to my parents house (by 9am, quite a feat in the school hols) as they were going for a day out to the seaside.

Later, I took my four year old to a friend's house, stayed for coffee for an hour which was a nice distraction. Then I went home to "plan" but being at home on my own sent me into a spiral of nerves so I popped out to one of my favourite haunts to buy some bits and pieces and came home and then distracted myself again with some lunch and a flick through the Children's Writers' & Artists' Yearbook 2012.

I started listening to BBC Radio Oxford online at 1pm when the show started. It was as the show began and I heard the presenter saying they would be talking to me by name, that the nerves turned into excitement.

I had no idea what I was going to be asked, but I kept telling myself to listen, pause, answer, but I must admit I did have a couple of things I wanted to mention (apart from New Beginnings, obviously) and luckily Jo asked questions which enabled me to mention most of them.

The chat flew by, and by the end I was hoping it would go on for longer. It was a great experience and I hope it won't be the last time I am on the radio.

Many thanks to BBC Radio Oxford, who kindly sent me a copy of the interview to keep & share.

Me, on BBC Radio Oxford

2011-08-16T16:14:00.008+01:00

Tomorrow, at approximately 1.30pm (UK time) I will be on BBC Radio Oxford as part of their monthly book club feature.

I will be talking about New Beginnings as well as discussing books in general.

You can listen live on the BBC iPlayer or you can "Listen Again" via the website.

I would also like to thank the following shops in and around Oxfordshire who are now stocking New Beginnings:

Blackwell, Oxford
Chalgrove Post Office
Cole's Books, Bicester
Cotswold Bookstore
Jaffe and Neale, Chipping Norton
Little Milton Village Shop
Mostly Books, Abingdon
The Book House Summertown
The Book House, Thame
and
The Wallingford Bookshop

Review of my First Book Signing Event

2011-08-14T07:55:00.003+01:00

Yesterday I did one of those things I am sure everyone does from time to time: I Googled my own name and the title of my book. In doing so, I noticed this gorgeous write-up of the book signing event I was lucky enough to hold in one of my favourite writing spots, the Village Shop & Cafe in Little Milton.

This piece was in the Little Milton village newsletter but I have also taken a screen shot, so click on the image to see the full size version.

I really do love this place for writing, there is a cafe down one end of the shop and along one side of it there are floor to ceiling windows. I can only write if I have a view outside, so this place is absolutely perfect and it's where I did a lot of writing and editing for New Beginnings and it has also inspired several of my #fridayflash stories, including Autumn Days.

You can even add them on Facebook and find out in advace about any future events. I will definitely be having another book signing here when my second book is published!

Me, at the book signing

Friday Flash: Three

2011-08-12T19:19:00.001+01:00

There have been years when I’ve longed for March to pass. All the talk of new life and fresh starts would make my stomach turn. It’s hard to feel joy when the time of year only reminds me of unexplained, sudden loss.

Six years ago, in an instant, my dreams of a future as part of a family of four disappeared like blossom on the breeze. After the beauty of that dream turned to dust, he walked away. I never saw him again.

I refused to let my dream fade to nothingness. I’d always set thirty-two as my cut-off point.

I stand, feeling the tentative rays of a practising sun caressing my skin. For once I don’t imagine the spring flowers are turning away from me in shame or fear.

The procedure had worked first time. I’d worried the first few months away. But now, as I pocket my keys and the taxi driver helps me with my bag, I feel a thud on either side of my abdomen. I heave myself into the taxi, smiling. I can’t wait to meet them.

This story was previously published in my Seasonal Flashes: Spring collection by Ether Books.

Download the free Ether app to your iPhone or iPod Touch to read more of my writing.

Book Review: Losing The Hate by Simon Palmer

2011-08-11T20:31:00.001+01:00

As an author who writes for children, I have to state:

This review and the book are not suitable for children.

Recently I have only read books by people I have got to know online. This wasn't a conscious decision, it was just that I was interested in reading books by so many of my online friends that I didn't have time to select anything else.

This morning, however, I checked my 'followers' list on Twitter and discovered a new follower, @Syepal. I clicked to look at his profile, as I always do with new followers, to see if I want to follow them back. I clicked on to his website and what I read there made me download his book to my iPod Touch, and read it on the Kindle app this afternoon while my children were scampering around a soft play centre.

Losing The Hate is a powerful memoir of child abuse, from the point of view of the victim.

This book is a painful reminder that there are people in the world who should not be trusted, some of them even in positions which they should not be allowed to be in. It had me reading on while at the same time hoping that the inevitable wasn't going to happen.

It seems that the author is not writing to gain any sort of sympathy; on the contrary, he even questions whether his less-than-perfect behaviour as an adult can be attributed to his treatment as a child. The book is, however, a powerful lesson to readers, that you can never be certain about people, and you should always be on your guard.

I used to work in the council offices, where I read reports about children treated in ways similar to how this author was treated. These children who have had reports written and cases discussed, have had someone to talk to about all of these events. This memoir, on the other hand, feels like the author is telling you personally about his experiences. It's a raw and frank tale, and one that left me feeling incredibly sad, and more than little angry.

From a reader's point of view, the book is hard to read as far as the subject matter is concerned and yet I was unable to stop reading. The writing is incredibly good, with detailed descriptions of some very personal and terrifying events. The book also contains poetry that shows so much emotion it could only have been written by someone in such a situation.

The author repeatedly states that he regrets the perpetrators of the events in the book may have been able to shatter other young lives. By writing this book, it is possible that he will raise awareness of situations that some may not even imagine possible, and prevent cases like this happening in the future.

I have no idea how the author managed to write all of these experiences out, but I sincerely hope that it has helped him in some way.

You can download this book to your Kindle now, via Amazon. The paperback is to follow.

Writer/Mum Part 2 - One Year On

2011-08-10T10:18:00.001+01:00

On 1 August last year, I wrote a post called A Day In The Life of a Writer/Mum which was basically a bit rant about how difficult it is to write during the school holidays. This post has been one of the most visited posts on this blog, so I am guessing people can relate!

This year, I decided early on that things had to be different. I didn't want to feel that frustration again, the dreadful resentment of the lack of writing time, and especially the guilt for not spending more time enjoying the time I have with my children.

I told myself this year would be different. And it has been.

A lot has changed since last summer. I've been published several times, for a start, and New Beginnings is making me very proud at the moment as the sales and reviews keep on coming. I am so grateful to everyone who has bought a copy and also to the lovely people who have left reviews on Amazon and Goodreads about the book. This really does help so thank you very much.

I finished and self-edited my second novel, When Dreams Come True well in advance of the school summer break this year. That is the main thing that is different this year, my timings have all been brought forward. It feels wonderful. Instead of wondering about piles of edits, I am spending the odd bit of time I do have on promotion and social networking. It's lovely to catch up with my friends and it's amazing to see the results of my marketing efforts. I am enjoying this part of the process greatly.

As for the writing? It's on hold. The ideas are there, they're gently simmering away, but I won't be writing them out until the school term starts.

And now? I'm off to play some games with my children.

Have a great summer xx

Interviews, Radio, Bookshops, Auctions and More

2011-08-05T11:53:00.004+01:00

What a busy week! I am actually astonished at the amount I have achieved this week, despite it being the school holidays and having my husband working at home.

I have been asked to be a part of BBC Radio Oxford's Book Club feature on 17th August at approximately 1.30pm. So tune in if you can, to hear me umming and erring my way through the slot. I'd love to know what you think after the event!

Since hearing about this, I have called the majority of Oxfordshire's bookshops asking if they are interested in stocking my book. So far the responses have been very positive and I have only stopped my calls as I have now run out of copies (all 106!) and had to order some more from my publisher. Every single one of the independent bookshops I have called has said they will stock my book. Waterstones and Blackwell are still pending a decision, so we shall see.

My second novel, When Dreams Come True is out with my beta readers. I am awaiting feedback before I can do any final tweaks to that.

So this morning I was left wondering what to do. I have set up some auctions on Ebay as a result. Thought I may as well do something useful! You can find them all here. You may be able to grab yourself a bargain, or even get your hands on one of the mugs I have had made up to help market New Beginnings.

Have a lovely weekend! And don't forget the book giveaways running in the following sites:
A copy of New Beginnings over on Emma Kerry's blog.
A copy of New Beginnings on Goodreads.
A copy of The Green King by Stephanie Parker over on my other blog.
All of these giveaways finish next week. Good luck if you enter!