Jenny Kane: Coffee, cupcakes, chocolate and contemporary fiction / Jennifer Ash: Medieval crime with hints of Ellis Peters and Robin Hood

Category: Contemporary Romantic Fiction Page 52 of 57

Guest Post from Gilli Allan: Art and Writing

Today I have another wonderful guest blog for you. Please welcome the brilliant Gilli Allan…

Art and Writing

At primary school, when asked “What do you want to be when you grow up,” I know I amused my teacher by responding “A commercial artist”. I was only 6 and she was probably expecting “ballet dancer” or “princess”. My father was a commercial artist, and from my earliest childhood I was encouraged to draw, and told I was good at art. So, to me, my answer to Miss Lawrence’s question was entirely unremarkable.

In those days, in the advertising industry, it was common to design your own Christmas card. As art director of an Ad Agency, and with his honour to maintain, my father felt he needed to step up to the plate in this regard. But his was a very high pressure and stressful job, and the extra work the production of the family Christmas card entailed was an annual nightmare. Aged 16, and just enrolled at art school, I offered to unburden him. I have done it ever since.

G Allen- Lewis Carroll

It wasn’t just the extra work, it was dreaming up the idea every year, which gave my dad the headache. “Six jolly Christmas carols to greet you” is the message on the front. Inside – in this cropped version of the complete card – I am Alice (aged around 7 or 8).

Early in the New Year my sister asked me if I’d based the Father Christmas in my 2014 card on our late father who, in his mature years, sported a white beard. I know what she means. There is a resemblance. But, no, I hadn’t based my Father Christmas on anyone. I don’t have a fully formed image in my mind when I start drawing. I may have a general idea – the joke I am planning to illustrate – but the execution of the design is organic. I put pencil to paper and just start. The result sometimes surprises me as much as it surprises other people.

G Allen- A Likely Story

My 2014 card, with a Father Christmas who, entirely accidentally, looks like my old dad

As I was rambling on to my sister, it occurred to me that this is exactly how I approach writing a novel. I can’t force it. I’m incapable, before I launch myself into it, of plotting the story. I know people who will have worked out a detailed synopsis, with character studies, chapter diagrams and turning points, plus flow charts of the dramatic highs and lows of emotion. I am in awe of this business-like approach. It makes sense. I just can’t do it. For me, writing a novel is like a stuttering journey, with halts and starts, spurts and lulls, and revelations popping up when and if they fancy.

I will already have thought a lot about my characters and will have developed the headlines of their back-stories in advance. And I will also know the scenario which brings them together. But that is just about all. And nothing is written down at this stage. It is only after I start – putting metaphorical pen to metaphorical paper – that the magic happens. The story begins to come to life of its own volition, and scenes float up out of the fog of my imagination – like photographic negatives – and begin to clarify before my inner eye.   Nothing, not even the looks or personalities (and sometimes names) of my characters, comes into sharp focus until I’ve started writing, and even then, not necessarily immediately. I may be many chapters in, but I am still continuously zipping back and forth through the chapters already written, editing, refining and expanding on the details I have only just understood.

G Allen Torn

So writing a story is more like a process of discovery – uncovering something that already exists – a slow and painstaking unearthing of detail that does not immediately make sense. And, once found, the story has its own trajectory which, ultimately, cannot be moulded and pushed in a prescribed direction.  Even the final destination is not necessarily what or where I expect. I have said this before, but it’s worth saying again. I didn’t know how TORN was going to resolve until I was within 2 chapters of the end. I hope it keeps the story fresh and the reader guessing.

So far, it has always felt like a kind of magic. What will I do if the magic doesn’t happen next time?

***

Gilli Allen

Biography

Gilli Allan started to write in childhood, a hobby only abandoned when real life supplanted the fiction. Gilli didn’t go to Oxford or Cambridge but, after just enough exam passes to squeak in, she attended Croydon Art College.

She didn’t work on any of the broadsheets, in publishing or television. Instead she was a shop assistant, a beauty consultant and a barmaid before landing her dream job as an illustrator in advertising. It was only when she was at home with her young son that Gilli began writing seriously. Her first two novels were quickly published but when her publisher ceased to trade, Gilli went independent.

Over the years, Gilli has been a school governor, a contributor to local newspapers, and a driving force behind the community shop in her Gloucestershire village. Still a keen artist, she designs Christmas cards and has begun book illustration. Gilli is particularly delighted to have recently gained a new mainstream publisher – Accent Press. TORN is the first book to be published in the three book deal.

Links

myBook.to/gilliallansTORN (universal link)

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Allan-ebook/dp/B00R1FQ1QE/)

Paperback link

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Torn-Gilli-Allan/dp/1783756918/

Connect to Gilli

http://twitter.com/gilliallan (@gilliallan)

https://www.facebook.com/GilliAllan.AUTHOR

http://gilliallan.blogspot.co.uk/

 

Life Class- Coming Soon from Gilli Allen

Life Class- Coming Soon from Gilli Allen

Thank you ever so much Gilli- what a fabulous blog. I am always in awe of anyone who can draw and paint. Bless you for sharing your Christmas cards with us!

I too am always worrying about the magic running out- scary stuff!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

CLIC SARGENT AUCTION OPEN: BE A NAMED CHARACTER IN MY NEXT NOVEL

Get In Character

The CLIC Sargent auction is now OPEN!!

BE A NAMED CHARACTER IN MY NEXT NOVEL

As part of CLIC Sargent’s yearly eBay Get in Character auction, I’ll be offering the highest bidder the chance to appear as a named character in a forthcoming novel along with 60 other best-selling authors. We’re all taking part to help raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer so please get bidding from 8pm 26th Feb! http://ow.ly/IoQdC

 Critique:

26 Feb 8PM #getincharacter: budding writers, bid to have your work critiqued by me to raise £ for @CLIC_Sargent http://ow.ly/IoQjS

 BUDDING WRITERS: HAVE YOUR WORK CRITIQUED

As part of CLIC Sargent’s yearly eBay Get in Character auction, some top authors will be offering the highest bidder the chance to have three chapters and a synopsis (or 3,000 words) critiqued. There are over 60 best-selling authors taking part in the auction either offering critiques or the chance for you to appear as a named character in a forthcoming book. We’re all taking part to help raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer so please get bidding from 8pm 26th Feb! http://ow.ly/IoQdC

 

Get bidding folks!!

Jenny x

Guest Post from Jenny Harper: A writer’s path is littered with obstacles

I’m pleased to welcome fellow author, Jenny Harper, to my site today, with an excellent blog about the perils of being a writer.

Over to you Jenny…

Jenny Harper PWL_FC

A writer’s path is littered with obstacles

Have you ever gone on a writing course? Read a book about plots, characterisation or dialogue? Done a degree in Creative Writing?

I have. I’ve done all of those things, except the last one – but my first degree was in English Literature, and it put me off creative writing for decades. I knew I could never be Tolstoy or Dickens, or even Monica Dickens, come to that. And all that close analysis of texts made me so self conscious about structure, words, imagery, metaphor and the rest that I was like a rabbit staring into headlights – frozen.

So I wandered through a career in publishing (I was a non fiction editor for Collins and Cassells), magazine editing, journalism and finally corporate publishing (I produced magazines and newspapers for corporate giants such as BP, Total, Clydesdale Bank, Bank of Scotland and a number of insurance companies, as well as local authorities and government departments). Only when retirement was looming did I finally pluck up the courage to look at creative writing again.

After floundering around a bit with scraps of ideas and miserable efforts to ‘write a novel’ (everyone can write, right?), I spotted a course that sounded just great. It was in a castle in the Scottish Highlands. The tutor was best-selling novelist Anita Burgh, and I could use a week away from work.

So I went on the course and became a novelist, didn’t I?

Wrong.

I certainly learnt a lot, met new friends (including author Jo Thomas whose career has just gone stellar), and had a great time – but all I learned was how much I didn’t know.

I went on more courses, including a wonderful week in Corfu with Katie Fforde and a week in the fabulous Chez Castillon in France with Veronica Henry.

I read books on writing.

I became increasingly confused.

After all, celebrities seem to be able to knock out a best seller the first time they set pen to paper, so why couldn’t I?

I became bogged down in scene lists, three-act structures, beats, conflict, points of view, themes – all the technical bits and pieces that underpin a novel.

Finally, I learned that it takes most novelists an average of nine novels before they find a publisher. I threw the lot away. I listened to my inner voice and simply wrote. All the advice and lessons I had had over the years must have sunk in, because the things I had found so hard began to flow naturally. I gained confidence. I drew on the support of fellow writers. I joined a lot of social networks. I networked in the real world. I became a writer!

Here are my top tips for anyone on a similar journey:

1)    Tell the story you want to tell (and make sure you know which character’s story it is).

2)    Focus, by asking yourself what your story is really about ­(not a synopsis of the plot). Try to capture it one word, then in two sentences.

3)    Dig deeper. Get right inside your characters.

4)    Persevere.

5)    Don’t be afraid to get help – from writing buddies, mentors, beta readers or editorial agencies.

And finally – please tell me I’m not the only one who has been on this journey!

Jenny CC 2 web

Bio:

I live in Edinburgh, Scotland, but I was born in India and grew up in England. I’ve been a non-fiction editor, a journalist and a businesswoman and I’ve written a children’s novel and several books about Scotland. Nowadays I write contemporary women’s fiction with bite – complex characters facing serious issues.

Face the Wind and Fly is about a woman wind farm engineer with a marriage in trouble and a controversial project to handle. 

Loving Susie is about a female politician with a complicated family history and at odds with the world.

Maximum Exposure, is about a newspaper photographer with job to save and some growing up to do.

My latest novel People We Love is about an artist who is struggling to support her family after her brother’s death. She needs friends, and reasons to be happy, and her journey is a strange one.

Links:
People We Love UK: http://amzn.to/1CUmBTV
Maximum Exposure UK: http://amzn.to/1vRUqRD
Loving Susie UK: http://amzn.to/1qfSorq
Face the Wind and Fly UK: http://amzn.to/1xf3IJf

***

Thanks ever so much for such a great blog Jenny. My writing journey has also been littered with potholes, fits, and starts! I’ve never done a creative writing course either- I’ve always been wary of them- they always seem to add pressure rather than make you feel more capable- or maybe that is just me!!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

CLIC Charity Sargent Get in Character Auction- Bid to name one of my characters!

Get In Character

I am delighted to announce that I have been asked to donate one of the characters from my forthcoming novel- Abi’s House– to the CLIC Sargent charity auction.

And what company I’m in!! Katie Fforde, Lisa Jewell, Milly Johnson, Rovbrt Thorogood, Lee Child and many more!!

So for your chance to pick a name for the characters in some amazing books- just check out the information below…

CLIC logo

BE A NAMED CHARACTER IN MY NEXT NOVEL

As part of CLIC Sargent’s yearly eBay Get in Character auction, I’ll be offering the highest bidder the chance to appear as a named character in a forthcoming novel along with 60 other best-selling authors.

We’re all taking part to help raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer so please get bidding from 8pm 26th Feb! http://ow.ly/IoQdC

***

Abi's House_edited-1

Good luck- happy bidding!!

Jenny xx

 

New Novel Stage 3- End of Part One

Any of you who’ve read Another Cup of Coffee will know, I split the first novel in the Another Cup of… series into monthly sections.

Inside Another Cup of Coffee

 

Another Glass of Champagne will also follow this format- this time over three summer months- June, July and August.

This week I finished writing the action that takes place in June- and therefore I’ve now drafted the first part of my novel! And let me tell you- June for the Pickwicks guys has been one eventful month!

“Oh Jack!! How could you?… “

Now “June” is over- on paper at least-that means I’ve now written a third of my novel! Yeah!! 35k down- approx. 60k to go!!

I’ll be off to hit “July” then…

Another Glass of Champagne_edited-1

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

 

Bookshop Loving: “There’s a Cow in the Flat” Goes Walkabout

One of the very best things about my job is meeting the lovely people who read my books- especially the children.

I’ve been writing stories for children for far longer than I’ve been writing for adults, although I’ve only invested effort in getting one of them published so far- others are on the way!

cow in flat cover

This week I was extremely flattered to be invited to the Books Yule Love bookshop in Moreton-in-the -Marsh, Gloucestershire. I was there to read my children’s picture book, There’s a Cow in the Flat, to three groups of very well behaved school children from the nearby St David’s Primary School.

As well as reading to the children, I had the pleasure of chatting to them, and sharing in their vivid imaginations. It is wonderful, in this age of 2D entertainment, to see that the imagination of children is alive and well and as delightfully abstract as ever! When I asked them all how they thought the cow had got into the flat in the first place, the answers ranged from the common sense replies of “the cow came through the door”, to “she beamed in from space”, was sent “via remote control”, and flew in through the window via “airplane” or “jumped in with the aid of a trampoline”. Wonderful!!

Not only was I made very welcome my Mike and Richard of Books Yule Love, but I was overwhelmed with the number of happy faces, the number of books sold, and – the icing on my cake- to see a copy of my contemporary romance, Another Cup of Coffee, popped neatly on the bookshop shelf!!

So, I’d like to extend a big thanks to the people of the Cotswolds, for making me so welcome last week – I look forward to seeing you all again on World Book Day!!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

Guest Post from Lisa Tenzin-Dolma – Lainey’s Lot

Happy Valentine’s Day!!

I have another fantastic guest visiting today. I am delighted to welcome Lisa Tenzin-Dolma (a.k.a Lisa Ryan), to talk about her YA book, Lainey’s Lot.

Over to you Lisa…

Lisa-Lainey cover

Thanks very much for inviting me as a guest on your blog, Jenny!

Last autumn Accent Press published my Young Adult book, Lainey’s Lot, on Kindle and in paperback. The Swan Lake, under my contemporary women’s fiction name, Lisa Ryan, has just been published by Accent on Kindle and is about to come out in paperback. Both books were a lot of fun to write, though the styles are very different.

In Lainey’s Lot the central character, Lainey Morgan, is a fourteen year old girl whose life is turned upside down at the worst possible time. She’s just met Kieran, the Boy of her Dreams, and is diving deep into the exhilarating waters of first love in Bath, Somerset, when her eccentric mother decides to up sticks and take Lainey to live in an isolated commune in deepest Nottinghamshire. Lainey has a truly horrible time there, and her trials and tribulations are intensified when Kieran’s band wins a TV talent show and he suddenly becomes famous. The story follows the ups and downs of their relationship under the spotlight of the paparazzi, further undermined by the vindictive Dorm Demons, the young people in the commune. Lainey’s lot is not an easy one, but I really enjoyed shifting into her sparky character while I was writing the book.

My daughter, Amber, was a teenager when I first started writing Lainey’s Lot, and although I have to say, hand on heart, that Lainey is not modelled on her (and I’m definitely not like Lainey’s mother, thank goodness!), Amber reminded me of how it felt to be a teenager – the sheer emotional intensity, the agonising insecurity and uncertainty that comes with groping blindly through the uncharted territory of burgeoning hormones, first love, friendships and betrayal, and that feeling of powerlessness when subjected to the unwise decisions of adults. It was very easy to revisit how I felt at that age and see how Lainey’s character would negotiate the challenges in her life.

The Swan Lake cover Lisa Ryan

The Swan Lake begins in England but is set in County Clare, Ireland. The landscape and the lake in the story are loosely based on the area in East Clare where I lived for 18 months; a magical place that was steeped in myths, legends and superstition. Astarte Weaver, the central character, has spent all her life seeking security after growing up reluctantly roaming the world with her hippy parents, Rainbow and Leaf. As the story opens she thinks she has the life she always dreamed of, but the abrupt ending to her long-term relationship prompts her to take a vow to never have another relationship and to start afresh in a new place. She moves to Ireland, buys a pile of stones, formerly a cottage, and rebuilds this with the help of Flynn, the attractive local builder. To his chagrin, Astarte views Flynn solely as a working partner, and tongues start wagging when Eden, a rock star in the throes of a nervous breakdown, returns home to the Swan Lake and Astarte helps him through the recovery period.

As Astarte settles into her new home she becomes deeply involved in the small, close-knit community. Flynn and Eden; John and Siobhan, the estate agent and his wife; Seamus and Mairie, pensioners who are determined to carry on the neighbourly war that has carried on between their families for five generations; Ned, her closest neighbour, who hates incomers and tries to drive Astarte away; and Jamie and Sinead, teenagers in the throes of first love. When tragedy strikes the community and drives a wedge between old friends, Astarte is forced to confront the demons of her past and find a new way to live her life.

Although none of the characters are based on real people, the story emerged from a boozy evening with a friend who was an Intensive Care nurse. We were playing a “What if?” game in which she, a city person, moved to the depths of the country. I woke the next morning with a slight hangover and the entire story in my mind, and couldn’t stop writing until it was all on paper. Ireland holds a special place in my heart, and it was a joy to set the story there.

****

Amazon link to Lainey’s Lot: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Laineys-Lot-Lisa-Tenzin-Dolma/dp/1783753528/ref=sr_1_11?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422638241&sr=1-11&keywords=lisa+tenzin-dolma

Amazon link to The Swan Lake: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Swan-Lake-Lisa-Ryan-ebook/dp/B00SLD5BMU/ref=sr_1_1_twi_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1422638320&sr=1-1&keywords=lisa+ryan

Lisa Charlie Skye by Kerry

Facebook page for The Swan Lake: https://www.facebook.com/TheSwanLakeBook

Lisa’s website: http://www.tenzindolma.co.uk

Author bio: Lisa Tenzin-Dolma has had 22 books published, fiction and non-fiction, about a variety of subjects. She’s also a qualified canine psychologist and is principal of The International School for Canine Practitioners.

***

Many thanks for a lovely blog Lisa,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

 

 

A Pre-Valentine’s Day Romantic Taster…

Happy Almost Valentines Day!!

Valentine's hearts

 

I thought, as it’s almost Valentine’s Day I’d share a romantic extract from Another Cup of Coffee with you today!

****

…Amy was nervous, more nervous than when she’d caught up with Rob on her arrival in London.

Paul was late. She examined the inside of the intricate medieval stone work opposite her. The doorway to St Martins-in-the-Fields wasn’t easy to spot, Amy had walked past it by mistake before she’d come in, and she’d been here before. Maybe the British Museum would have been a better place to meet, or the Victoria and Albert? Amy glanced at the entrance for the tenth time in as many minutes. Paul might not even recognise her; after all, it had been a long time since they’d seen each other.

Her drink was already half gone. Amy checked her phone again. No messages. Giving up, she dug into her bag, bringing out the ever present novel.

Paul had spotted Amy as soon as he’d manoeuvred his six-foot-two frame through the low stone doorway. He’d been confident she would be in the café’s furthest corner, and sure enough, there she was. Amy had always adopted a position where she could hide. As he watched her, Paul wondered if it was even something she was conscious of.

There was a coffee cup by Amy already, and the book her nose was stuck into was a paperback of the more ponderous variety of classic. Most of the girls he met these days wouldn’t even have considered picking it up.

Another Cup of Coffee - New cover 2015

 

She was definitely a bit slimmer than he remembered, and her hair was sleeker, tethered back into two shoulder-length bunches that made her look younger than she was. Amy hadn’t managed to get them level, and one bunch was noticeably higher than the other. Paul found he was dying to straighten them out for her.

Her clothes were the same as in the old days, though; knowing Amy, Paul thought with a grin, they might well be exactly the same. Jeans and a stripy blue jumper, probably with a T-shirt beneath, very probably a black one. The only really noticeable difference between now and then was that she was wearing knee-length boots with a wedge heel rather than trainers.

Rob was right. Essentially, Amy Crane hadn’t changed a bit.

Suddenly aware that she was being observed, Amy looked up from her book.

‘Hello!’

Her face broke into a welcoming beam. ‘I thought you might have got lost.’ She stood up and found herself smothered in a massive bear hug. Paul smelt nice; all warm and clean without the overpowering scent of the male perfumes Amy so despised.

‘Tube delays. I couldn’t get a signal down there to let you know.’ Paul felt awkward, not quite sure what to say next, having held her slightly longer than perhaps was normal for a couple of friends. He’d engineered this opportunity to get her alone, and now he was here, he was tongue-tied.

Amy unwittingly came to his rescue. ‘You getting a coffee then?’

‘Yes, sure. You want a top-up? Black I assume?’

‘Yes please.’

‘Any cake?’

‘No thanks.’

coffee cups

Amy watched Paul flirt with the Polish girl behind the counter as he placed his request. He was taller than she remembered. His black hair was still cropped very short, but it wasn’t as severe as the shaved style he’d favoured as a student. His jeans were blue rather than black, and his shirt, although crumpled, was smarter than the off-white T-shirts she’d always associated with him. Smarter. He was definitely smarter. A huge brown overcoat, which probably weighed a ton, covered the back view of him almost completely, the heels of his Doc Martens only just visible below the hem.

How come she hadn’t noticed how attractive he was back then? Amy felt taken aback at the alien notion, and abruptly pushed the idea away. Yet that hug …

Amy reined in and dismissed her wild flight of fancy as Paul returned with their refreshments. After they’d covered a wide range of comfortable reminiscences and laughed heartily at their past selves, Amy brought the conversation back up-to-date.

‘So, is anyone special waiting for you back on site?’

Paul pushed his cup aside. ‘No. No one’s twiddling their trowel and pining for my return.’

‘That’s not like you.’

Paul regarded Amy as if she was nuts. ‘I’m not stuck in a timewarp, Amy. I’m thirty-four. That pretty much makes me the father figure. I’m the oldest guy on site by at least five years. It’s the twenty-something’s that have the trowel-twiddlers waiting for them these days.’

‘But surely …’ Amy was genuinely shocked. She was so sure that things would have been just as she’d left them. ‘You must meet heaps of nice people.’

‘Sure I do. I have many friends, both male and female, right across the world.’

Amy wasn’t quite sure why she pushed further, ‘But no one special?’

‘Not since uni.’ Paul sighed, not sure if he was ready to go where this conversation might take them.

‘Uni?’ Amy couldn’t believe it. This was Paul. The guy every girl had wanted to date back then. Well, every girl bar her. Yet none of the string of young women he’d dated had ever lasted more than a fortnight, and for the life of her, Amy couldn’t remember if Paul had especially liked any of them. ‘Who was that then? You never said at the time.’

Paul hesitated, before taking the easy way out, ‘You never met her. Let’s go and explore. Gallery, museum, or a walk in the park?’ …..

***

hearts

If you fancy finding what finds out next, or how much had to happened before Amy and Paul caught up with each other after years of being apart, you can buy Another Cup of Coffee as an e-book or a paperback from…

 

 

Happy almost Valentine’s Day,

Jenny xx

Guest Post from Sue Moorcroft: What use is Social Media to Writers?

I’d like to welcome Sue Moorcroft to my site today. Sue, a fellow Accent author, who has written a huge selection of wonderful novels, is addressing a question I am often asked myself.

Over to you Sue…

Sue Moorcroft

I’m frequently asked by writers who use social media very little or not at all ‘What use is social media? Wouldn’t the time you spend on Twitter and Facebook be better spent writing?’

Social media works well for me. I do keep a close watch on how much time I spend on it and the more under pressure I am the less you’ll see me online. But …

1 What use is social media?

  • Readers can contact me. I feel privileged to be writing in an era where someone can read one of my books then, in a couple of clicks, tell me that they enjoyed it. It’s not just that there are few things that give me more pleasure than readers enjoying my books, it’s that the reader can get into conversation with me if they wish. They can feed back about what they think of the book compared with another or ask me questions created in their minds by reading my book.
  • Promotion. I can tell readers about special offers or when a new book’s out. This is, obviously, not just a service to readers – it helps my book sales.
  • Increasing traffic to my blog. Whenever I post on my own blog a link automatically appears on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn etc. Others share the information. (Likewise when I publish my newsletter.)
  • Information. I read social media as well as contribute. I pick up interesting articles about writing, publishing or world events.
  • Research. Some of my research isn’t so much about facts as about public opinions and feelings. The zeitgeist. On social media I can ask, ‘If you’re in your thirties, would you expect to split the bill on a first date?’ The resulting conversation arms me with a view of modern manners in this particular area. Or I can ask for help from someone with a particular job, condition or experience, to learn how it feels to be that person.
  • Networking. Via social media I have been invited to appear at literary festivals, give talks, run workshops, do appraisals, write guest posts on blogs (including this one) and submit my work.
  • Profile. Visibility. Discoverability. Presence. Utilising social media I can, to some extent, promote and influence all of these.

Sue Moorcroft covers

2 Wouldn’t the time you spend on Twitter and Facebook be better spent writing?

No, not in my opinion. See above.

Supplementary notes

    • Publishers and agents have never asked me questions 1 or 2!
    • Publishers and agents are often keenly interested in the visibility, of otherwise, of a writer’s social media platform.
    • I limit my time on social media but usually work on it at intervals throughout a day.
    • I enjoy it. Not every writer does enjoy it and not every writer does it.

 

  • Google+: google.com/+Suemoorcroftauthor
  • Facebook sue.moorcroft.3 and https://www.facebook.com/SueMoorcroftAuthor
  • Website: www.suemoorcroft.com (where you can sign up for her newsletter)
  • Sue’s latest book: The Wedding Proposal
  • Sue also writes short stories, serials, articles, writing ‘how to’ and is a competition judge and creative writing tutor.
  • Award winning author Sue Moorcroft writes romantic novels of dauntless heroines and irresistible heroes. The Wedding Proposal, Dream a Little Dream and Is this Love? were all nominated for Readers’ Best Romantic Read Awards. Love & Freedom won the Best Romantic Read Award 2011 and Dream a Little Dream was nominated for a RoNA in 2013. Sue received three nominations at the Festival of Romance 2012, and is a Katie Fforde Bursary Award winner. She’s a past vice chair of the RNA and editor of its two anthologies

Sue Moorcroft- wedding

Thanks, Kay, for inviting me onto your lovely blog.

***

Many thanks for sharing such and excellent blog Sue.

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Guest Post from Georgina Troy: The Graduate

I have another wonderful guest visiting my site today. Please welcome Georgina Troy, an amazing writer, and graduate of the New Writer’s Scheme.

Over to you Georgina…

Georgina Troy - Author Pic

Thank you very much for inviting me to your blog today.

I’ve been a member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme for a few years and as well as the support I received from more experienced authors, being a member of the New Writers’ Scheme means that each year I could submit a manuscript for a detailed report. These reports were invaluable, they helped me see how I could improve my manuscript and taught me lessons that I continue to use. I believe it was thanks to suggestions from my Reader – always anonymous – and other authors who I met through the Romantic Novelists’ Association that I felt encouraged enough to initially self-publish A Jersey Kiss. This book is a romance set in Jersey about love, loss, refusing to give in, and a mysterious legacy.

Last August I realised a dream to be traditionally published when I signed with Accent Press for the first four books in my Jersey Scene series. It also meant that I graduated from the New Writers’ Scheme to become a full member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, another dream realised.

A Jersey Affair by Georgina Troy

The second book in the series, A Jersey Affair, will be published by Accent Press soon and earlier this month I delivered, A Jersey Dreamboat, the third book in the series to my wonderful editor. I’m now working on book four.

The blurb:

People say that it’s hard not to fall in love living in the ‘Sunny Isle’ of Jersey, but for Bea Philips, still reeling from a divorce and the loss of her beloved godmother, she’s not sure she can find the time. Between her soon-to-be-ex-husband trying to take away the home she grew up in, surly but attractive builder Luke renovating the house, and her old flame Tom re-appearing at work, she’s worn out!

Is life going to give Bea a break for once…and maybe let her fall in love?

A-Jersey-Kiss-800 (2)

Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Jersey-Kiss-Scene-ebook/dp/B00NSL8DX4/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GeorginaTroyAuthor

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GeorginaTroy

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/georginatroy/

Website: http://www.georginatroy.co.uk/

Blog: http://georginatroy.blogspot.co.uk/

Bio: Georgina Troy believes her love of writing was influenced by Father Christmas giving her a typewriter when she was seven. It probably wasn’t the present she was hoping for at the time, but on reflection, maybe it helped focus her imagination while giving her parents a break from her constant chatter. She bases her Jersey Scene series on the island where she lives and when she isn’t daydreaming about gorgeous men or plotlines while walking on one of the many beaches, she’s working on her next book.

****

Many thanks for dropping by today Georgina,

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

 

Page 52 of 57

Powered by WordPress & Theme by Anders Norén