Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

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

Guest Post from Sharon Black: On Books & Movies

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On May 13, 2016

In Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Romance

I’m pleased to welcome Sharon Black back to my site today to chat about her romance novel, Going Against Type.

This post is part of Sharon’s blog tour- make sure you read to the end to find out all the other tour dates, and to take part in a giveaway.

Over to you Sharon…

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EARLIER this week, I sat and watched Miss Congeniality on DVD. It’s the romantic comedy with Sandra Bullock and, amongst others, Michael Caine. As actors, I adore them both. I’ve seen it before of course. Romantic comedy? I’ll make the popcorn and luxuriate in ninety minutes of sheer escapism.

But this time I was watching it through the eyes of my younger daughter, who’s never seen it. When she shrieked with laughter, at the parts that now only make me smile, I found myself laughing again.

And it occurred to me that for some of us, romantic comedies may be timeless. Classics, almost. The sort of movies that you can put on, when you need a bit of comfort viewing.

Books, of course, are the same. Some of us have favourite novels that we return to again and again through our lives. As a child I read a lot of Enid Blyton and E Nesbit, for example. I still remember particular novels, to which I returned, right through my early years. When I was twelve, I read The Diary of Anne Frank, and found myself rereading this through my early teens. Emotionally connecting with a young girl I’d never met. Who’d lived and died long before I was even born. Drawn in, through her honest outpouring, to the tiny world that became hers.

Later, I discovered the wonderful world of romantic comedy. I watched reruns of the great Hollywood romantic comedies of the 1930s and 40s: Adam’s Rib, Shop Around the Corner, Lady Eve, His Girl Friday, and one of my favourites, Woman of the Year. In my early twenties, I discovered great writers of romantic comedy, amongst them Catherine Alliot, and later again, Sophie Kinsella. They became old friends, a pleasure to spend time with in the evening. And, like the ninety minutes of a movie, pure escapism. They are not, of course, my only reading. I read a lot of literary fiction, in particular because I’m part of a great little book club. We read everything from Irish writers like John Banville, Colm Tóibín and Anne Devlin, to American authors like Alice Walker and William Faulkner.

And everything in between.

In between this reading, I always try to dip into commercial women’s fiction, and if it’s  romantic comedy, so much the better.

I once read that the world is divided into readers and non-readers. But maybe it doesn’t always have to be the written word first? I know youngsters who won’t read, but love to watch a good comedy or edge-of-the-seat thriller, instinctively understanding story arcs and appreciating well drawn characters. A well written book in their favourite genre, has the potential to convert!

For me, a good book or a good movie can be interchangeable. Perhaps because I’m a visual reader. I need to be able to see characters and locations very clearly. And the writer who can do that with the least amount of words or flowery description, will grab me every time.

Here’s to the great novelists and the great screenwriters of our time!

***

EXCERPT

‘I hope you like Mexican food,’ said Derry as they drove from Charlotte’s house into the city centre on Thursday evening.

‘Well, I’d love to try it,’ Charlotte said, uncertainly.

‘Maybe another time, so. We’re actually going Greek tonight,’ Derry deadpanned. Charlotte smiled and snuck a glance over at him from the passenger seat of his twelve year old, very beautiful Ferrari. She placed her hands tentatively over her stomach, trying to calm her nerves. She’d spend an hour readying herself, much to Helen’s amusement.

‘Why are you so nervous, Charlotte? It’s just a date!’

‘Oh come on, Helen. The last guy I dated was Mr Uptight Conor, and before that I dated sports jocks. Derry is different. He’s Premier League status!’

‘And you’re Scumthorpe United? Take a look at yourself, woman!’

I’m not sure what he expects, but I’m not his type, Helen. I’m floundering.’ Helen caught Charlotte’s hands and forced her to meet her gaze.

‘Don’t you dare run yourself down, Charlotte Regan. You’re intelligent and totally gorgeous! But you need to do one thing!’

‘What?’

‘Allow yourself to be a woman! How do I put this without you taking it the wrong way? Don’t talk sport all night. You are incredibly bossy when you start. Let Derry take charge a bit. Allow him to be a man!’ Charlotte blinked.

‘Sorry, I just time travelled to the 1950s for a moment. What were you saying?’ Helen smiled.

‘Charlotte! You like this guy! So give him a chance. Don’t send him to sleep with triathlon stats. If he wants that, he’ll go drinking with his mates.’

‘If his mates are anything like him, they probably wouldn’t know a sports stat from the price of heifers in Mullingar.’ Charlotte sighed.
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BLURB

Some would say Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Regan has it all. Beautiful, smart, athletic and a great job working as a journalist – in the almost exclusively male sports department. But Charlotte is not quite as sure as she seems. Recently split from her overbearing boyfriend, she escapes for weekends, surfing in the Atlantic, and spends her free nights watching sports, roaring at the TV.

Derry Cullinane is a fashion writer, gossip columnist and sophisticated man-about-town. The go-to guy for any woman seeking expert advice on what fabulous outfit to wear for any given occasion. He’s also tall, dark, good looking – and straight! So what’s the snag? He has a track record of dating glamorous, vain and shallow women.

Charlie gets an opportunity to write a new column under the pen name Side Swipe, but is soon drawn into a war of words and wit with a rival paper’s columnist The Squire – and their verbal fireworks get readers and editors talking. Yet neither Charlie nor Derry knows just whom the opponent is…

When Charlotte and Derry meet at the Races, the attraction is instant. As their relationship develops, so much more proves at stake, than protecting their alter egos. But a blunder puts Charlotte’s job in jeopardy just as Derry’s past makes front page, and Charlotte begins to doubt her feelings.

When Side Swipe and The Squire are finally forced to reveal themselves, will they revert to type – or confound everyone’s expectations?   

Buy Links:

Amazon USA: http://amzn.to/1pKAZtF

Amazon UK:   http://amzn.to/1zjr0fT

All buy links:  tirpub.com/gatype
sharonblack

Bio-                                              

IRISH author Sharon Black is a diehard screwball comedy enthusiast. Her first novel, Going Against Type, a contemporary romantic comedy set in Dublin, was e-published by Tirgearr Publishing in September, 2014 to great reviews.  She has had short stories published, and won the 2010 Dromineer Literary Festival short story competition. She worked for a number of national newspapers. She writes a regular blog, This Funny Irish Life, featuring light, fun, personal columns, and tweets at Authorsharonb.

When she’s not writing, she reads, walks, sees friends, and drinks far too much coffee. She co-founded a local book club 15 years ago. She loves theatre, old Hollywood films, every romantic comedy ever made, and edgy stand-up. She hates shopping. She lives in a Dublin coastal village, with her husband and their three children.

Find Sharon: Blog: http://sharonblackauthor.blogspot.ie/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SharonBlackAuthorPage/?ref=aymt_homepage_panel

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Authorsharonb

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Sharon-Black/e/B00RPI1I10

NOT FORGET THE GIVEAWAY!

Make sure to follow the whole tour—the more posts you visit throughout, the more chances you’ll get to enter the giveaway. The tour dates are here: http://www.writermarketing.co.uk/prpromotion/blog-tours/currently-on-tour/sharon-black/

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/share-code/OGI5ZWM1YmU4ZGM2YmI0ZWQ2MTgyNmNkMjI0MWJhOjE1OA==/?

 ***

Many thanks for coming by today Sharon,

Jenny x

Nothing’s Forgotten: The Premiere- Kindness and Camaraderie

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On May 9, 2016

In Blog, Fiction, Historical fiction

With two days passed now since returning from the premiere of the new Robin of Sherwood audio production, The Knights of the Apocalypse, the daily routine of life has settled, and my next novel is getting a little more of the attention it needs if I’m ever going to reach the deadline. Before I get back on with reality- or my version of it at least – there is time for one more #KOTA blog.

The title of today’s blog is well chosen.

I have taken many things away from the #KOTA premiere; the most enduring feeling however- and I’m aware this is going to sound twee – was the sense of gratitude, of friendship, and of pure joy.

KOTA prem 2

Sat in the audience for the show, watching everything happen around me as I always do, I was struck once again that the actors before me were not just a group of people who were doing their job. These were men and women (well, woman really), who were friends. Some of them have stayed in the acting business, others have branched into other related disciplines, while some have moved on completely, but they have remained friends. That love and loyalty to each other came over in the piece of audio art they (along with Iain Meadows from Spiteful Puppets, Barnaby Eaton-Jones, and the brilliant producer, Robert Young), have created.

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It was during the Q&A session after the premiere had been aired, that this strength of friendship and camaraderie came across most of all. As the audience fired questions, the laughing actors on the stage revealed that, with the exception of Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much) – who was most put out at being the only honest one amongst them- had permanently ‘borrowed’ things from the set.

Judi Trott (Marion) keeps Marion’s hair in  a plastic bag in the wardrobe, Jason Connery has retained some of his outfit, and Mark Ryan (Nasir) has umpteen swords and a throwing dagger above his fireplace in LA….

We learnt that one evening in LA, not too long ago, Jason and Mark rather overdid the whisky, and Jason challenged Mark to a sword fight…we were not privy to know the outcome of this challenge!

We found out that Peter does own more than one jumper- a relief to those of us who attended The Hooded Man event almost two weeks ago.

I also discovered that Peter, who usually works alone these days, had suffered a massively sore throat as a result of all the talking he did at The Hooded Man Event. (I’m the same- I talk to hardly anyone all day- by the time I got home late on Saturday night I was sounding most husky).

I found out that the lovely lady sat next to me in the pub after the event went to Leicester University with me- and was doing the same course! (small world indeed), and it was revealed that, as a group, the RoS fans are not the best singers, despite the efforts of one of our number to keep us in tune.

Last of all I discovered that it’s a really really bad idea to run across London if you’ve accidentally packed a pair of jeans that are a size too big and you don’t have a belt…anyway…

Before I go, thanks again…

To  Iain Meadows for his splendid sound production- and for taking the time to chat to me despite being up to his eyes in things to do.

To the cast who made everyone feel as if they’d known us all their lives.

To Barnaby for being such a fine wearer of red glasses.

To Kim for her most excellent photography.

And to you, loyal blog reader, for putting up with me going on about Robin Hood rather more than I normally do!

Jenny x

Nothing’s Forgotten: The Premiere of The Knight’s of the Apocalypse #KOTA

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On May 8, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Fiction, Historical fiction

Where to start? Thirty eight years after the beginning seems like a good place.

Two years ago, a producer of many a radio show, Mr Barnaby Eaton-Jones, ran an event called The Hooded Man. This was a celebration of the 1980’s television show, Robin of Sherwood, which finished approximately thirty years ago. That event, in 2014, was attended by many members of the original cast, and it set Barnaby a-thinking…an audio version of the final episode that Richard ‘Kip’ carpenter had been scripted but which had never been filmed…ummm…

KOTA prem notice

To cut a long story short, the cast said yes – and this weekend just past saw the audio premiere of The Knight of the Apocalypse (#KOTA), in the Guy Whittle Auditorium, within the Royal Society of Medicine building on Wimpole Street, London.

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Starring Jason Connery as Robin, the entire cast (except for the much missed Robert Addie, who has been ably replaced as Guy of Gisborne by Freddie Fox, and John Abineri, who has passed the torch of Herne the Hunter onto his son- who sounds so much like his father it is truly spooky), #KOTA carried on the story a little time after the final televised episode (The Time of the Wolf).

Unbelievably I, along with many other fans, found myself at the premiere. I must pause here to thanks Annette for organising the post and pre drinks venue- the Cock and Lion pub- where I met my fellow premiere revellers. And who should I find the moment I walked through the door, partaking of a drop of sustaining juice before they metaphorically donned their outlaw attire , but Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much) and Mark Ryan (Nasir).

We moved from the pub to the main venue, where champagne a plenty greeted us, along with the most splendid Barnaby Eaton-Jones.

With a film crew from the BBC keeping tabs on us (but not ITV curiously), we progressed- a little merrier than before- to the main event, and the auditorium itself.

In the presence of Jason Connery (Robin), Judi Trott (Marion), Peter Llewellyn Williams (Much), Mark Ryan (Nasir), Robert Young (producer), Iain Meadows (sound producer), and Barnaby himself, we settled down to giggle our way through a behind the scenes film of the recording.

I’m not going to tell you about the audio itself, because that would ruin it for you. I will tell you that the cheer that went up with the HTV music played, and the theme tuned sang out was probably heard far beyond nearby Bond Street. If you’d like to hear #KOTA for yourself, then you can order your copy here- https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/robin-of-sherwood-the-knights-of-the-apocalypse#/

After the show was over, a Q&A session followed, but I’ll tell you more about in the next blog tomorrow…

All too soon it was over, but there were still photos to be taken with the cast before we all returned to the Cock and Lion pub. I found myself sat with the delightful Mr Connery and some friends talking about life, the universe, and his latest film Tommy’s Honour, which opens the Edinburgh Festival in June- check it out. I’ve seen a bit, and it’s awesome.

What an incredible day we had- and now…well…now I’ll write another blog (but first I’d better do the ironing!)

Jenny x

My First Time: Laura Wilkinson

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On May 6, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Interview

I’m delighted to be welcoming a good friend (and Tiverton Literary Festival guest for this coming June), to my site today. The multitalented Laura Wilkinson is here to tell us all about her first time…

First Time

Can you remember writing the first story you actually wanted to write, rather than those you were forced to write at school? What was it about?

I can! In my twenties I worked as an actress and during a spell resting – the euphemism for unemployment – I worked with another actress writing a two woman show. We wrote a number of sketches together and some independently. One such piece was a monologue called Passion Cake about a young, insecure woman waiting for a friend in a café. The friend is late and the protagonist, who is on yet another diet, is struggling to resist the last slab of passion cake on the counter, or is it the handsome waiter behind it? It’s a story of desire, eating disorders, and disappointment. I didn’t perform it, my fellow actress did and it went down very well with audiences. My lead was a prototype Bridget Jones – there was plenty of gentle humour in it.

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What was your first official publication?

On the web – Beloved of the Moon, a modern day fairy tale (it won a competition).

On paper – The Whispering Wall in a monthly short story magazine called New Editions. Sadly, the publication no longer exists. The story was given another lease of life digitally by Ether Books and in paperback by Blinding Books. It’s in an anthology of work by women writers called My Baby Shot Me Down. It’s a ghost story, of sorts, about alienation, longing for a child and betrayal.

COVER FOR T SHIRTS

What affect did that have on your life?

Very little really! I earned some cash but more importantly it gave me confidence in writing fiction; I was freelancing as a journalist and copywriter at the time.

Does your first published story reflect your current writing style?

Yes and no. As you’d expect my writing has developed – enormously, in fact. In common with many authors I tend to feel embarrassed about work the moment I see it in print; see all sorts of ways I could improve it, and nowhere is this more apparently than in those early stories. That said, Beloved of the Moon is written in first person and though I’ve written two books in third person, and short stories, I do favour first. Also, interestingly (to me, at least!), Beloved of the Moon explores territory I have returned to: the importance of looking ‘normal’ and the lead is a child who only ventures out at night. My next novel, Skin Deep, scheduled for publication in March 2017, is about a beautiful artist and her muse. It explores notions of beauty, how to find a place in a society obsessed with image, the legacy of parental exploitation, and one of the narrators is a child at the tale’s outset. There’s definitely overlap!

What are you working on at the moment?

I’m working with my editor tweaking Skin Deep whilst working on a new novel. Until a complete draft is down and I am happy that it’s something I can work with, I tend not to talk about work-in-progress. I feel that if I talk about it too much, I will talk out the magic and lose interest – I have a very short attention span! All I’ll say is that it’s a contemporary story about love and addiction and truth.

***

Buy links

to my first published story –

My Baby Shot Me Down: http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Baby-Shot-Me-Down/dp/0956781136/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1398500876&sr=1-1&keywords=my+baby+shot+me+down

Redemption Song Final

…to my latest story-

Redemption Song (e-book): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Redemption-Song-Laura-Wilkinson-ebook/dp/B017BQOBZA/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1458406808&sr=1-1

Redemption Song (paperback): http://www.amazon.co.uk/Redemption-Song-Laura-Wilkinson/dp/1783758694/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1458406808&sr=1-1

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Author Bio

After working an actress and journalist, now Laura writes novels and short stories. She is published by award-winning independent press, Accent. Her novel, Public Battles, Private Wars, was a Welsh Books Council Book of the month; her latest, Redemption Song, is an insightful look at learning to forgive and love again after significant loss. Alongside writing, she works as an editor for literary consultancies, Cornerstones and The Writing Coach, and runs workshops on self-editing and the art of fiction. She’s spoken at festivals and events nationwide, including London Metropolitan University, GladLit, University of Kingston, The Women’s Library and Museum in Docklands. www.laura-wilkinson.co.uk   Twitter @ScorpioScribble Facebook: Laura Wilkinson Author

public battles draft

***

Many thanks Laura- great interview- and very lovely photographs!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Nothing Forgotten: The Hooded Man Event

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On May 2, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

This weekend I found myself in a situation I never thought I’d be in. Okay- that’s a sentence I’ve said fairly often since I started this writing lark (especially when I’m being that Kay Jaybee person).

This weekend however, it is totally true.

As I type this I am reflecting on two days sat in a room of stall holders within the beautiful St Pierre Marriott Hotel, nr Chepstow. Why so far from home?  I was attending The Hooded Man event- a celebration of the immensely popular television series from the 1980’s- Robin of Sherwood.

You cannot have escaped noticing if you’re a follower of this blog, that I am something of a Robin Hood fan. I like everything about the legend- and that love was engendered by Robin of Sherwood. I don’t claim that it saved my life or anything, but it set my imagination racing off in a direction previously unexplored- and it hasn’t stopped racing since.

I never thought I’d be in a situation where I’d be able to thank some of the people that sparked that flame of interest in me a shy teenager. A spark that took me on a journey which has been both exciting and unexpected, and has taken me from archaeologist, to medieval historian, to novelist, literary festival organiser, writing tutor and, in the future, who knows what else.

So here I am now- a day after the event- in the corner of the cafe where I write my fiction; thinking about the experience of selling my books to the conference attendees. It is incredible how many people I met that feel their lives have been as influenced by the simple act of watching a television programme. And- if I’m honest- feeling oddly emotional that I did have the chance to say thank you- and that my words were appreciated, and not merely kindly tolerated.

This particular event is especially important for RoS fan’s. For the first time in 30 years, all the surviving cast members have reunited to record an audio follow up the final televised episode, which was first televised in 1986. This new episode, The Knights of the Apocalypse, stars Jason Connery as Robin, and has been produced by the lovely Barnaby Eaton-Jones.

With Barnaby Eaton-Jones

With Barnaby Eaton-Jones

It is thanks to Barnaby that I was at the event, surrounded by those men and women who set my life on its roller coaster course. Jason Connery, Michael Praed, Judy Trott, Mark Ryan, Peter Llewellyn Williams, Clive Mantle, Jeremy Bulloch, Claire Toeman, Michael Craig, James Coombes, Rula Lenska and Marcus Gilbert were all present, and correct, and on fine form. As was the incredible force of nature that is Esta Charkham, the programmes casting director and then producer. The woman has a magic eye for casting- thank goodness!

The cast are all so kind, friendly- and very funny. Mark Ryan (Nasir) has had us all in stitches many times with his- shall we say ‘puckish’ sense of humour! This was particularly the case when the cast performed a ‘cut scene’ from the audio show live on the event stage- I can’t tell you what it was about- but the humour was adult, and it was very very funny. I will not mention Mark’s disco dancing, as that would be cruel…. I will tell you however, that we were all treated- all be it 30 years late to witness the wedding of Little John and Meg of Wickham- thanks to vicar Barnaby!

Wedding of Little John and Meg – (Official event photo)

There were many interview sessions held throughout the day, and although I was unable to attend many as I was busy selling my words to unwitting passersby, those I did see were so much fun. Held together by “The last word in RoS himself”- Andrew Orton- (if you are a fan, and you haven’t purchased his two volume set The Hooded Man– then pop them on your Christmas list the very minute), the cast chats were informative and light hearted, and it was clear that every actor, whether they have gone on to be household names, or whether it was their only acting job, have as much affection for the show as those that came to see them.

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My book, Romancing Robin Hood, contains the line ‘It’s all Jason Connery’s fault.’ So when Jason came to my stand, those were the first words I (unintentionally), found myself speaking- which luckily, he found funny. Somehow I managed to intrigue him enough for him to buy a copy. It is a weird feeling when a renowned actor and director asks for my autograph. A situation which repeated itself later, when Peter (Much) also bought a copy. I am – of course- now terrified neither of them will like it!! If I had been thinking straight, I would have asked them for a photograph of them holding my book, but I wasn’t thinking straight. In fact I was thinking, these are two extremely kind men, who have a word-ish creatively that I understand totally, and in different circumstances I would have loved to have talked words with them for much longer. (Yes that is what I was thinking!! Honestly- you doubters you!!!)

As well as having the chance to acquire autographs and photos with the stars; there was plenty of opportunity to eat way too much medieval fayre (with the odd drop of alcohol). There were excellent displays of archery and sword play from Bowlore, Andrew Orton was busy selling his much respected books on the background to the series, and there was the chance to buy fabulous event t-shirts. You could also buy these gorgeous little figures inspired by the show; the event had lots to offer.

The days past have been truly wonderful. They have added greatly to my store of memories and- without a doubt- will form the basis for a new story. Trust me- the people watching alone could fuel a trilogy!

I made some lovely new friends, put faces to the names of Facebook friends, and finally caught up with the lovely Jonathan Greene, who is writing the novel version of The Knights of the Apocalypse. Actually- he was sat next to me writing it for most of Sunday- it was soooo hard not too peep!

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A final thank you to Barnaby and his delicious wife, Kim.

When Richard ‘Kip’ Carpenter first penned the catchphrase, ‘Nothing’s Forgotten’ for Robin of Sherwood over thirty years ago, I wonder if he had any idea how pertinent those words would become.

Nothings Forgotten. Nothing is ever forgotten.

Jenny x

RH- RoS 2

 

My First Time: Patrick Whitehurst

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On April 27, 2016

In Blog, crime, Fiction, Interview

Today I am joined by a good friend from the other side of ‘The Pond’. Patrick Whitehurst is a multi-talented, multi-genre author. He first came to my attention with his erotic writing, but is now best known for his fabulous ‘Barker Mystery’ crime fiction. So, how did it all begin?

Over to you Patrick…

First Time

Can you remember writing the first story you actually wanted to write, rather than those you were forced to write at school? What was it about?

The first story I wrote that I actually wanted to write was a short story about a man in a cabin who fought off a werewolf attack. The story was likely influenced by my love for Stephen King. I was 16 at the time.

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What was your first official publication?

My first published story was a non-fiction humour piece about Valentine’s Day that appeared in the Arizona Daily Sun, a daily newspaper out of Flagstaff, Arizona.

What affect did that have on your life?

From that point on, my short non-fiction and even art began to appear more and more in northern Arizona publications, which led to college and a degree in journalism.

Does your first published story  reflect your current writing style?

Not at all! Back then I tried to sounds smarter and write with my humour than I do these days. For me, the simpler the style the better and the more accidental the humour the better.

Mantula Cover-2

What are you working on at the moment?

I am currently editing “Mantula,” the story of a man born into the body of a tarantula. He teams up with a quail, himself a former meth addict, to find a cure for their affliction. With Catholic saints, curses, an evil centipede, and more; it’s the weirdest novella I’ve ever produced. Portions of the story are told in the form of faux news stories, memes and comic books. Mantula should be available on Amazon in March.

Patrick-trinip

BIO:
Patrick Whitehurst is a fiction and non-fiction author who’s written for a number of northern Arizona newspapers over the years, covering everything from murders to Rotary luncheons. In his spare time he enjoys painting, blogging, the open water, and reading everything he can get his hands on. Whitehurst is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and currently lives along the central coast of California.
Monterey Noir-1
Amazon Patrick Whitehurst page link:
Author website:
***
Many thanks Patrick.
Happy reading,
Jenny x

Interview with Rachel Dove: Competitions and Beyond

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On April 25, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Interview

I’m delighted to have Rachel Dove popping for a cuppa today- maybe some cake- and a chatter about her new writing adventure.

Over to you Rachel…

coffee and cake

What inspired you to write your book?

At the time, my husband owned a sunbed shop next to a dog groomers, and one day while I was helping out there, the idea of two shop owners came to me. I had just seen the competition in Prima, so I took pen to paper right there and started writing.

Do you model any of your characters after people you know? If so, do these people see themselves in your characters?

Grace and Marlene, two of the characters in The Chic Boutique are the real names of my grandmothers, and parts of them are incorporated in the characters. Other than that, I make up my characters from scratch.

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What type of research did you have to do for your book?

I love small villages and have been to Haworth lots of times, and even where I live is quite rural, so I had a head start creating Westfield, but I did have to do a lot of research on chickens, birthing calves and general vet knowledge, which was fascinating!

Do you prefer to plot your story or just go with the flow?

I am a bit of a rogue that way, I tend to play with the pieces in my head away from the computer, till they fit, then I draw up character profiles and plot plans, so a bit of both really.

What is your writing regime?

I recently took a year off from teaching to write, but I wrote Chic Boutique in three months, over the summer holidays too, when both of my boys were home, so Chic Boutique was pretty much a full on writing adventure. These days, I tend to aim for 500 words minimum a day, but aim for more. I also enter competitions regularly, and read a lot of books and magazines. I have a clippings file where I keep things that could be made into stories, writers tips etc, and I have done this since my twenties, so I have a fair few ideas!

 What excites you the most about your book?

Where to start? I am really excited for people to read it, to get to know my characters, and hopefully they will love them as much as I do. I think the moment I see my book out there, on shelves in shops, will be something I will remember forever.

If you were stranded on a desert island with three other people, fictional or real, who would they be and why?

I would have to say my husband Peter and our two boys. I just don’t work without them.

***

Links

https://racheldoveauthor.wordpress.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Rachel-Dove-Author-373524896089079/?ref=bookmarks

Twitter: @writerdove

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Chic-Boutique-Baker-Street-Mills-ebook/dp/B018DKIWTE

Rachel Dove

Bio

I am a wife, mother of two boys, degree student, avid reader and writer of words. I sometimes sleep, always have eye bags and dream of retiring to a big white house in Cornwall, with 2 shaggy dogs and a load of chickens, drinking wine on my seafront balcony whilst creating works of romantic fiction. All done with immaculate make up and floaty dresses. In the meantime I nearly always remember to brush my hair, seldom have time to look in a mirror and write many, many to-do lists.

The Chic Boutique on Baker Street is my debut novel from Mills & Boon, and the winning entry of the 2015 Prima Magazine and Mills & Boon Flirty Fiction Competition.

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Many thanks for stopping by today Rachel. Congratulations on such a terrific win!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

The Importance of Instant Impact

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On April 24, 2016

In Blog, Fiction, writing tips

There are many rules in the construction of good story. One of the most important is the art of instant impact- the art of capturing the attention of your readers/potential readers as quickly as possible.

Take your lead from the balladeers and the storytellers of history. If they didn’t impress the audience who gathered to hear their tales by the end of the second line they’d uttered, then they wouldn’t earn enough money to eat that night.

writing woman

For the modern writer this lesson is a good one. There are so many books in the world that, if you don’t take a firm grip of your reader’s imagination within the first two or three paragraphs (if not sentences), then the chances of you selling your work is automatically harder. If not impossible. Editors and agents read hundreds of first paragraphs each month. If you don’t engage them straight away they won’t read more than a few pages. Consequently, every single word you have written after page four is in danger of being nothing but a waste of time.

ripping paper

Here are a few ways to create instant impact and grab that elusive audience- and hopefully keep them grabbed!

– Start with some powerful first line dialogue. Something that makes you want to know what follows, and why what is being said, is being said. Such as…

“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again.” – (Rebecca, Daphne du Maurier)

– Add immediate tension by starting in the thick of the action. Such as…

Dr Clouston could barely keep himself on the seat. The wheels of his carriage kept cracking over humps and puddles, breaking the night’s silence as they rode frantically towards Dundee.  –  (The Strings Murder, Oscar de Muriel)

– Build a scene on paper that draws the reader in so much, that they want to be there- or that leaves them feeling relieved that they aren’t.  Such as…

“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to Heaven, we were all going direct the other way.” – (A Tale of Two Cities, Charles Dickens)

– Start with a sentence that makes sense- but makes the reader need to keep going to find out what on earth is going on. Such as…

“It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” – (1984, George Orwell)

– Begin with an intriguing recollection. A situation that your novel will later explain. Such as…

“Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice.” – (One Hundred Years of Solitude, Gabriel García Márquez)

Keep calm and write on

Happy writing,

Jenny x

 

 

 

Interview with Caroline James: Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me

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On April 21, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Fiction, Interview

I love featuring other authors on my blog- there are so many brilliant books out there to read- and so many fascinating writers behind them.

Today I’m delighted to welcome Caroline James for a cuppa and a chat about her latest novel.

Over to you Caroline…

coffee and cake

Enormous thanks for hosting me and my new book Jenny, I’m thrilled to be on your lovely blog.

What inspired you to write Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me?

I read an article that stated that one in three people over the age of fifty, in the UK, live on their own.  It hooked me and I started to research. I soon found that are great many fifty plus people who are on their own through a partner’s death, divorce, separation and of course, choice, and many of them don’t cope too well. For example, thirty years of marriage comes to an end – how do you get back in the groove? Or your partner dies and you don’t know how to begin life as a single? I decided to write a book that covered these issues and chose my two favourite characters to lead the way. Jo and Hattie came from a previous book, set in the 1980s, and were perfect as they fitted the age category now and I worked them into the story as single friends who are beginning again when they suddenly find themselves on their own.

CTTCM cover

Do you model any of your characters after people you know? If so, do these people see themselves in your characters?

I model characters from experiences I’ve had with people over the years and then make it all up. My books often feature the hospitality industry and that’s something I know well having worked in it for most of my life. It’s a fantastic environment to find characters. I represented several celebrity chefs for a number of years and have been tempted to use some of the weird and whacky situations I’ve found myself in but I think readers might find some of the things that happened a little far-fetched!

What type of research did you have to do for your book?

Most research can be done on the internet; how lucky we are as writers today. But I like to immerse myself in the surroundings I write about. Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me is set in Cumbria and Barbados – both places where I have spent a considerable amount of time and both destinations that inspired me to let my characters roam free.

cumbria 3

If you were stranded on a desert island with three other people, fictional or real, who would they be and why?

The chef in me would want to have the late, great Keith Floyd along. I’m sure he liven up any dull moments and keep us all slightly sozzled with a good supply of booze, while he cooked something scrumptious. Bear Grylls would ensure we survived and bring some adventure to the island, as well as a decent supply of fresh fodder for Keith to cook. Finally, I’d like Oscar Wilde to lounge beside me with a constant drip-feed of delicious literary quips.

What excites you the most about your book?

I soon realized that the book has the potential to become part of a series. It is the sequel to my debut book, Coffee Tea The Gypsy & Me and although a stand-alone read, it incorporates characters from my previous books including: So, You Think You’re A Celebrity…Chef? and when I bring them into the next book it is like meeting up with old friends. Two of my favourite authors, Maeve Binchy and Mary Wesley did this with their writing and, subconsciously, I seem to be doing it with mine.

Links

Coffee, Tea ,The Caribbean & Me – myBook.to/CTTCM2

www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk   (  http://www.carolinejamesauthor.co.uk/ )

Twitter – @carolinejames12    (  https://twitter.com/CarolineJames12  )

Facebook – Caroline James Author  (  https://www.facebook.com/AuthorCarolineJames/?ref=hl  )

AUTHOR CAROLINE JAMES (PROFESSIONAL PROMO SHOTS 14.08.2015)

Author Bio:

Caroline James was born in Cheshire and wanted to be a writer from an early age. She trained, however, in the catering trade and worked and travelled both at home and abroad. Caroline’s debut novel, Coffee, Tea, The Gypsy & Me shot to #3 on Amazon and was E-book of the Week in The Sun newspaper. Her second novel, So, You Think You’re A Celebrity… Chef? has been described as wickedly funny: ‘AbFab meets MasterChef in a Soap…’ The manuscript for Coffee, Tea, The Caribbean & Me was a Finalist at The Write Stuff, London Book Fair 2015 and the judge’s comments included: “Caroline is a natural story-teller with a gift for humour in her writing.” Her next novel, Coffee, Tea, The Boomers & Me will be published autumn 2016.

Caroline has owned and run many catering related businesses and cookery is a passion alongside her writing, combining the two with her love of the hospitality industry and romantic fiction. As a media agent, Caroline represented many well-known chefs and is currently writing a TV script and accompanying book about the life of a celebrity chef. She has published short stories and is a member of the RNA. Caroline writes articles on food and celebrity based interviews and is Feature Editor for an online lifestyle magazine. When she’s not running her hospitality business and writing, Caroline can generally be found with her nose in a book and her hand in a box of chocolates, she also likes to climb mountains and contemplate life.

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Many thanks for such a great interview Caroline.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

 

 

Guest Post from Christina Philippou: Stereotypes in fiction

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On April 19, 2016

In Blog, Contemporary fiction, Fiction

I’m delighted to have another new face to my blog today- please welcome Christina Philippou. This is a fascinating blog…so pop the kettle on, grab a cuppa, and have a read.

Over to you Christina…

Coffee blog- Full Bean Cafe Somerton- Hot Choc

It’s a trap we’ve all fallen into at one point or another: assuming someone – or something – is who or what we think just because, well, we think so. And stereotyping is just that – making assumptions on first impressions.

But, despite stereotyping’s bad press, it doesn’t necessarily have to be ill-meant. Very often, stereotypes come from subconscious prejudices that we didn’t even know existed. Someone refers to a model and a footballer and we all assume they are talking about a woman and a man in that order. But there are male models and female footballers and, just as in life, these sometimes find their way into fiction.

Morbid, I know, but my favourite part of The Lord of The Rings is Eowyn’s killing of the leader of the ringwraiths. Morbid because – spoiler alert for those that have only watched the film – she dies, but also wonderful because she shows an unexpected side to what in many other fairy-tales or fantasy stories would be, effectively, a stereotypical princess that rides off into the sunset with her lover (which she actually does in the film).

Then there’s Pride and Prejudice, where Elizabeth Bennett and Mr Darcy would probably have ended up together far sooner had it not been for both of them stereotyping the other – her stereotyping him as a pompous, arrogant rich man, and him stereotyping her as a gold-digger.

In my debut novel, Lost in Static, I actively tried to create anti-stereotypes to bring some ‘reality’ into my fiction. In that vein, one of my protagonists is a woman who loves (to both watch and play) football, one is a member of a hockey team that doesn’t actually love sport, and one is a male who is not as obsessed with sport as some of his female friends (OK, and the final one is a yoga-loving, fashion-conscious woman, but I had to have one stereotype in there, right?)

9781910692707

Stereotypes have their ‘cosy factor’. Who wants to read a romance where the hero is fat, balding and has copious amount of hair on his back (unless you’re reading a paranormal romance, in which I suppose the latter is reasonable)? Readers want a certain amount of familiarity, but if the Gone Girl phenomenon has taught us anything, it’s that you don’t have to love a protagonist to keep reading the book.

And that’s the other thing about stereotypes – they very rarely produce flawed characters. They are always black and white; the perfect villain with his cantankerous laugh and white cat, or the hero with his caring personality and chiselled abs. Having said that, I do have some chiselled abs in Lost in Static, but they certainly don’t belong to a flawless hero, if he can be considered a hero at all.

But, love them or hate them, stereotypes in fiction will always be around. Or am I guilty of stereotyping literature?

CPhilippou (2)

Author Bio

Christina Philippou’s writing career has been a varied one, from populating the short-story notebook that lived under her desk at school to penning reports on corruption and terrorist finance. When not reading or writing, she can be found engaging in sport or undertaking some form of nature appreciation. Christina has three passports to go with her three children, but is not a spy. Lost in Static is her first novel, due to be published on 15 September 2016 by Urbane Publications. Christina is also the founder of Britfic.

You can connect with Christina via her blog, Twitter and Facebook.

Lost in Static is due to be published on 15 September 2016 and is available to pre-order from the publisher website, Amazon UK and Amazon US.

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Many thanks for such an interesting blog. Good luck with all your writing adventures.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

 

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