Tag: jenny kane Page 61 of 72

A new voice to Accent Press is joining me today. Please welcome Jeff Gardiner…

Hi, Jenny. Thanks for allowing me to invade your blog today, I really appreciate it. Let me tell you a bit about myself: I was born in Nigeria – to British parents – and now live in southeast England. After being a secondary school teacher for many years, I am now enjoying life as an author and editor. I recently signed a three book contract with the wonderful Accent Press for my ‘Gaia’ young adult trilogy, which begins with Pica, a novel of transformation and ancient magic.

My first success as an author came with my short stories, which can be found in many British and American anthologies and magazines. My collection of stories, A Glimpse of the Numinous, received a number of favourable reviews, including this one that I’m proud of:

“Reading is a form of escapism, and in Gardiner’s fiction, we escape to places we’d never imagine journeying to.” (A.J. Kirby, ‘The New Short Review’)

My first published novel was Myopia, a YA exploration of bullying and the non-violent responses to it. Igboland came next, which is set in Nigeria during the Biafran War, following a young English woman, Lydia, who is struggling with her marriage, identity and faith amidst the turmoil of conflict. Both these books were published by Crooked Cat Books.

My third novel, released by Tirgearr Publishing, is currently on special offer – only 99p/99c! Treading On Dreams follows Donny who becomes obsessed with his student housemate, Selena. She, however, is engaged to another and Donny has to cope with the dreaded spectre of unrequited love. Donny refuses to give up easily. Unrequited love is something that many of us can relate to. What do you do when the one you love says those cringe-inducing words, “I just want us to be friends”? Aagh!

I’d be very interested to hear any comments your readers have about those two themes: obsession and unrequited love. Has anyone out there got any good advice or tales to tell? Please do read the extract below and leave comments. I will endeavour to reply.

For more information see my website (http://www.jeffgardiner.com/) and blog (https://jeffgardiner.wordpress.com/)

Regards, Jeff

Here’s the blurb for Treading On Dreams:

Donny is obsessed with his housemate, Selena – but his love is unrequited. He enthusiastically accepts her willing friendship, which only fuels his deepening fantasies.

Jaz is their crazy landlord who likes sleeping with women – lots of them. He takes pleasure in educating the once innocent Donny in the hedonistic pleasures of sex, drugs and rock’n’roll. It blows Donny’s mind.

Selena is engaged to Melvin – the perfect man – but is also keen to befriend the ever-demanding Donny … until she falls pregnant and her wedding looms.

Donny expresses his true feelings at the wedding, causing mayhem and anger. But there remains a chink of hope: perhaps Selena’s marriage to Melvin is not quite as perfect as it seems.

An extract from Treading On Dreams:

One evening Donny overheard Selena talking to Melvin in her bedroom. Melvin’s unusually animated voice mentioned his name.

‘Because I don’t particularly want to invite Donny, if it’s alright with you.’

‘But we were asked to invite friends and he’s my friend,’ Selena replied, to Donny’s delight.

‘That’s all I ever hear from you. Everything has to involve Donny. You must really feel sorry for the guy.’ Right outside her door now, he crouched, ready to pretend to be going to the toilet in case it should suddenly fly open.

‘Sorry. Wish I hadn’t mentioned it now.’ For the first time Selena spoke in a sarcastic voice, before.

‘If I didn’t know better,’ Melvin continued, ‘I’d suspect something was going on between you two.’

Melvin was jealous of him. How wonderful. After so much time and energy resenting Melvin this change of affairs came as something of a welcome revelation. Even better, she spoke about him constantly.

‘Don’t be ridiculous.’ She sounded annoyed. ‘It occurred to me that we should invite Donny to Tuesday’s meeting.’

‘I suppose the more people we evangelise to the better,’ Melvin’s voice admitted. Donny jerked back from the door. He wasn’t about to be groomed as one of Melvin’s religious conquests. But were Selena’s attentions part of some process to convert him? Perhaps her friendship was completely fake, with the sole intention of evangelising and converting them, like taking scalps. But no. Selena wasn’t shallow or conniving. Instead, he imagined her friendship to be a response to becoming disillusioned with Melvin. Had he worked a bit of magic and she was genuinely attracted to him, realising there were other men to fall in love with? How did she put up with what Melvin said? Donny left them to their squabbling and watched a DVD instead.

The next day he read long through the night and into the morning, until his eyes ached when he finally submitted and went down for an early breakfast. Hearing voices, he assumed Jaz had brought home a girl. However, to his surprise Selena and Melvin came into the kitchen to make some toast and coffee. Melvin did not normally stay over, but then Donny guessed they’d probably sat up chatting through the night until it got too late for him to go home. Eventually, Melvin made his excuses to leave and Selena saw him out. Because they took a long time whispering on the doorstep, Donny feigned aloofness and took his mug of percolated coffee upstairs. He sat in his room reading again, until interrupted by a light tap on his door.

‘Is it okay if I come in?’

Selena!

He jumped up and opened the door. ‘Of course. I always allow beautiful women into my bedroom.’ She didn’t respond with her usual coy smile.

‘I need to have a chat with you, Donny. Is now a good time?’ She sat on the corner of the bed and he sat next to her, carefully cradling his drink. He was ready to say yes to the invitation to the meeting, because going would at least annoy Melvin. A long silence suggested this was not going to be her opening gambit.

‘Donny, I get this feeling you and I have been getting quite close recently and I’ve really enjoyed your company and friendship.’

Donny’s face went hot.

‘Yes, it’s been wonderful. I love being with you.’

‘Well, I don’t think we should spend so much time together.’

Blood pumped in his ears and it almost deafened him. ‘Sorry?’

‘I only want us to be friends. I don’t want any more than that, Donny.’

‘Oh…no, okay.’ However, it wasn’t him speaking; he was a character in a corny film.

She walked out without looking at him or saying another word.

***

The phrase haunted Donny’s mind, echoing through the lonely darkness of each night: ‘I only want us to be friends.’ He imagined Selena saying it to him with her face warped into a mocking snarl.

After a while, the tablets started to lose their effect and waiting to drift into sleep was a tortured agony, but the more he thought about sleep, the more awake he felt.

How stupid he was to believe he had a chance with Selena. Scared of bursting into tears when meeting her, he avoided her for a few days, until one day he walked in on her making a cup of tea.

They both smiled politely but managed to avoid a conversation. He guessed they would no longer invite him to church meetings. Once Selena had made her drink, she quickly scuttled off to her room for the evening.

Donny struggled to put his thoughts together with his mind a jumble of loss, vulnerability, and dismay.

***

‘Women, eh?’ Jaz shook his head. ‘Don’t try to understand them, mate, that’s a mug’s game.’ Jaz sat opposite him in the snug bar of The Huntsman with two pints of Guinness each lined up before them. ‘My theory is that women fall into two categories: lizards and androids.’

‘But that’s the problem…she’s not either. She’s beautiful, intelligent, fun to be with and sensitive.’

‘Bloody hell, man, you’ve got it bad, ain’t you? You’ve started moping. Gotta stop that, right now.’

‘How?’

‘You’ve got to stand back and realise she’s just another human being no better than anyone else.’

‘Or a lizard? Is that what you do? Discard anyone after the conquest.’

‘It’s got its benefits. I don’t get hurt.’

‘But then you never get into a relationship.’

‘Well—nor do you—but at least I get some satisfaction.’

‘I suppose I got too hopeful and wanted it so much. It would only end in agony or ecstasy and knowing my luck…’

‘Hate to say this, but you’ve got to forget her.’

‘And how am I supposed to do that then?’

‘Join the foreign legion?’ Jaz returned without pause…

***

Links for ‘Treading On Dreams’ (Currently only 99p/99c):

Publisher: http://www.tirgearrpublishing.com/authors/Gardiner_Jeff/treading-on-dreams.htm

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Treading-Dreams-Jeff-Gardiner-ebook/dp/B00J4Z63PI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415641077&sr=8-1&keywords=treading+on+dreams+jeff+gardiner

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Treading-Dreams-Jeff-Gardiner-ebook/dp/B00J4Z63PI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1415641139&sr=8-1&keywords=treading+on+dreams+jeff+gardiner

***

Many thanks for visiting today Jeff – Treading on Dreams sounds great.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

Guest Post from Carol McGrath: My Writing Journey

By Jenny Kane

On April 2, 2015

In Blog, Historical fiction, News

I am delighted to welcome fellow Accent writer, medieval history lover, and Robin Hood fan, Carol McGrath to my site today!

Over to you Carol…

First of all thank you, Jenny, for hosting me on your blog today.

I always find authors’ writing journeys intriguing. Usually a writer’s expedition into the world of publication is a mix of very dedicated work mingled with that precious little bit of good fortune when it comes to finding the right agent and/ or publisher for your work.

My own writing history towards the golden globe of publication was the result of a dedicated effort to hone my writing skills and to an extent it was accidental. I’ve always scribbled. I wrote little books as a small child that were usually inspired by Enid Blyton’s adventure stories and the legends of Robin Hood. I also loved to write poems. My first published piece was more serious and poetic. It was about Vietnam’s terrible war and appeared in our school magazine. For the very first time, this month I am visiting Vietnam and Cambodia. It will be a fascinating trip.

I never thought anyone would seriously want to actually read anything I wrote. Whilst my children were growing up, I taught part-time in a High School. I attended day-school writing courses at Oxford Continuing Education. We were a close knit group that signed up year after year to the same tutor’s course. Some of my fellow writers came from writing families. I remember Eliza Packenham’s suffragettes fondly and Molly Keane’s daughter, Virginia, who was writing a children’s book set in the west of Ireland. Our tutor, Angela Hassell, encouraged me to send chapters of a novel I was working on to agents. This oeuvre was a saga set in Ireland in 1919 at the dawning of the Irish Civil War. I never did attempt to publish this novel because I had little free time to end the tale. However, writing it was a wonderful escape from a busy modern life. Now, so many years later, I often think of finishing it.

I studied for a two year diploma course in creative writing at Oxford University’s Continuing Education. Again, I never considered publishing. The seeds of my first published novel The Handfasted Wife were sown at this time, after a trip to Bayeux in Normandy. I wanted to write a radio play for my portfolio and was fascinated by a story I came across then, that King Harold’s wife identified her husband’s body on the battlefield by marks only known to her. King Harold had been defeated by William of Normandy who famously invaded England in 1066. I wrote the play and for a time forgot all about it. Only today I have been listening to it on audible, thinking of those voices from history that came to me all those years ago when I first wrote the play. The narrator got those tough Anglo-Saxon noble women right. It is a pleasure to listen to them speak via my I pad. Who would ever have thought I would one day hear them?

Some years later, after completing an MA in Creative Writing at Queens University Belfast, I did consider that I was ready to send my work out to agents. Another Irish story set in 1910 was completed inspired by my MA. work. I called it The Damask Maker. A number of agents read the full manuscript. It clearly was not ready because they all suggested I did this or that to it. It is still waiting my attention and a possible name change.

Instead of reworking the spongy mid-section of that novel, I went on an MPhil course ( English and Creative Writing) at Royal Holloway, University of London, and fell utterly in love with the story I began to write there. My first published novel, The Handfasted Wife, inspired by that long ago trip to Bayeux, was written on this course along with a thesis on how Romance tempers Historical Fiction. The novel took me three years to write. Its protagonists haunted me and, equally, England, before and after The Norman Conquest intrigued me. This manuscript was picked up by my RNA New Writer’s Scheme reader, jay Dixon, who had just become a commissioning editor for Accent Press. When I told jay that I was thinking about a trilogy to continue the story I had begun in The Handfasted Wife, she commissioned all three for Accent Press. If I liked writing The Handfasted Wife, I liked writing The Swan-Daughter even more. This is the story of King Harold’s younger daughter Gunnhild and her fate after The Norman Conquest. I have just sent The Betrothed Sister, the final novel of this trilogy to Jay. I have not looked back. I am researching a new trilogy set in the thirteenth century, so Jenny, watch out because I shall be consulting you about ballads of the period, on which you are an expert.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my road to publication. There was no angst and no stress. I think I gradually grew into my route to publication, and looking back it feels as if it was a natural progression for me. I have always loved writing and telling stories. Reading Historical fiction was ever a passion and writing it well, whilst challenging, has been a very satisfying experience. Nowadays, what was a once upon a time hobby is now a full time job and it is certainly one that I enjoy.

I have one obvious tip if you want to be published- enjoy what you write, write it well, hone it and stay with it. Make sure it is ready and be determined to publish it when it it.

I wish Jenny Kane every success with Cup of Champers. I have read her novels and love them.

***

Carol’s Links-

Goodreads- https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6942793.Carol_McGrath

Twitter – @carolmcgrath

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/daughtersofhastings

Pinterest-http://pinterest.com/carol0275/

Blog- www.carolcmcgrath.co.uk

Scribbling in the Margins- http://scribbling-inthemargins.blogspot.gr/

****

Thank you Carol x

Great blog! I would be honoured to help out with your ballad research when the time comes- Ronin Hood fans unite! There is something very special about the stories from our medieval past. They had a magic that encapsulates the period.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

Another Cup of… The Dawn of a Series

By Jenny Kane

On March 31, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction

As I approach the last stage of writing the draft of Another Cup of Champagne– the fourth in the Another Cup of… series, I can’t help but look back on how it all began. I’ve had so much fun writing the adventures of Amy, Kit, Jack and their friends- but I honestly never thought I’d still be telling their stories four books along!

Although Another Cup of Coffee was the first book I wrote under the name Jenny Kane, it is actually my seventh novel. Without exception, all of my other works, be they long or short, have been formed from a single moment of inspiration- a flash point of certainty sparked from a conversation, location, or random thought, that has expanded and developed as I’ve penned the words.

Another Cup of Coffee however was a very different cup of tea! (If you’ll pardon the pun!). It’s dawn was thirteen years ago, shortly after the birth of my first child, and it started by accident. My youngest child never slept at night as a baby, nor did she feel inclined to eat much, so she was constantly awake, starving and grumpy (although she is totally lovely now!!), and as a sanity buster in the middle of the night I would lay on the sofa with her, and think back to all the wonderful times I’d had as a student when I worked as an archaeologist, all the fun I’d had with my university friends, I’d reminisce about how I met my husband, all the places we used to go, the music we used to listen to, the mistakes we made…and then, as the long nights wore on, I found I’d begun to think about the ‘what if’s’ in life.

It was these ‘what if’s’ that made me reach for a piece of paper- What if I hadn’t met my husband when I did? What if I’d met him years later in a totally different place? What if my first boyfriend had hurt me badly, rather than finishing things amicably? And what if he’d been my best friend ever since- as, in fact, he is- but with the past still an open wound between us, rather than just something we look back on fondly as a lovely adventure on the way to growing up? (I use the term ‘growing up’ very loosely!!) What if my heart had been so broken that I’d run away from all my friends and started a new life many miles away? What if…..?

I wrote all those thoughts down- and then did nothing with them. Then, when my second child was born, and the lack of sleep began again, I picked up that piece of paper, and gave the characters associated with this ‘what if-ness’ names- although not the names in the book now- the main character was called Jenny back then, rather than Amy as she is now…

Thirteen years ago Amy Crane ran away from everyone and everything she knew, ending up in an unfamiliar city with no obvious past and no idea of her future. Now, though, that past has just arrived on her doorstep, in the shape of an old music cassette that Amy hasn’t seen since she was at university.

Digging out her long-neglected Walkman, Amy listens to the lyrics that soundtracked her student days. As long-buried memories are wrenched from the places in her mind where she’s kept them safely locked away for over a decade, Amy is suddenly tired of hiding.

It’s time to confront everything about her life. Time to find all the friends she left behind in England, when her heart got broken and the life she was building for herself was shattered. Time to make sense of all the feelings she’s been bottling up for all this time. And most of all, it’s time to discover why Jack has sent her tape back to her now, after all these years…

With her mantra, ‘New life, New job, New home’, playing on a continuous loop in her head, Amy gears herself up with yet another bucket-sized cup of coffee, as she goes forth to lay the ghost of first love to rest…

As you can see from the blurb, I took all those midnight mixed up memories, those sips of coffee from my life- a life which has involved one hell of a lot of caffeine- and weaved them into the story I first played with thirteen years ago!

It was been an amazing amount of fun to write a book which is so close to my life and yet, at the same time- is nothing like it…with maybe one exception. There is a character called Kit in Another Cup of Coffee– she is an erotica writer, she has two children, she is happily married, she never wears make up, can’t be bothered to worry about clothes, and she sits in a cafe all morning to write her stories!! Beyond that she isn’t like me- but that part of Kit is the real me all over!!

***

You can buy Another Cup of Coffee as either a paperback from all good bookshops or an eBook from-

Amazon UK- http://www.amazon.co.uk/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605533&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee

Amazon US – http://www.amazon.com/Another-Cup-Coffee-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783751126/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1377605667&sr=8-1&keywords=another+cup+of+coffee+jenny+kane

It is also available on Kobo and Nook.

Another Glass of Champagne will be out next year!!

***

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Guest Post from Kelly Hambly: The Best Advice I Ever Got

By Jenny Kane

On March 30, 2015

In Blog, News

Today I’m pleased to welcome young adult author, Kelly Hambly, back to my site today, to share a little of her writing journey.

Over to you Kelly…

The Best Advice I Ever Got

Unlike many authors, my journey to traditional publication was not quite as long but nevertheless, it doesn’t mean to say it was by any means easier.

When I took up writing fiction just over five years ago, after being inspired by a song I had heard, I had not written anything as such for years. In essence, I had to learn from scratch. By this, I mean, even the basics of storytelling and grammar, not to mention structure.

For a while I wondered if I had thrown myself in at the deep end, but the story I had formulated in my head kept gnawing away at me. So for the next 18 months I worked everyday teaching myself as I went along how to put this story down into words. I didn’t take any classes, I couldn’t. I suffered with anxiety so going out to meet people was a definite no. So I read, and read some more. I wrote, I wrote some more. And this passion continued, and by the end of the first 18 months I had produced my first novel. To say I was chuffed is an understatement.

My English at school wasn’t pretty good but I went on to do an English degree course, but that was 8 years previously, and did pretty much no writing after it. Well, I know a lot of authors can relate to the wonderful feeling of holding your first piece of work in your hands, but when I put it out there for feedback – the result wasn’t what I hoped for. To put it bluntly like this woman did, she told me to give up. I was crushed, but after moping for a day or two I took her advice. I made sure I improved, and set out to prove people like that wrong.

So I wrote another four novels and many short stories. And like I always say to those who ask me for advice, it only takes one story and one person to see its potential and you’re on your way, so you should never, ever give up.

I wrote The Town Halloween Forgot in June 2013. It was intended to be released as a short story for that Halloween, but something about it kept me wanting to write more, and the following year I toyed with the idea of self-publishing. It wasn’t a route wanted to go down again, and by chance I discovered Accent Press, and thought I had nothing to lose by trying. Three weeks later I got an email from them offering to publish it for me.

So, to any aspiring writer out there, right now, reading this, keep writing, and keep the dreams alive. Listen to criticism when it is given, but learn how to respond to it. It may not be what you want to hear, but it could help you reach where you want to go.

Buy link-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Town-Halloween-Forgot-Willow-ebook/dp/B00OFU7DRE/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_img_1

Bio-
K A Hambly lives in Swansea, South Wales with her husband and two children. She studied English and Media, where she wrote a thesis on Dracula (From Novel to Cinema)

Vampires and Gothic Horror have always been an interest of hers so it is no surprise that she began writing her own vampire series in 2011. She states music and movies play a huge part in her inspiration.

She is currently working on her new YA series, The Town Halloween Forgot.

****

Many thanks for coming to visit today Kelly.

Happy reading everyone,
Jenny xx

Novel Progress 5: Novel Interrupted

By Jenny Kane

On March 26, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, News

Here I am, sat at my desk in the corner of my local café with only a third of Another Glass of Champagne left to write, and yet that is not what is occupying my time this week.

Last year I drafted the Cornish romance novel, Abi’s House – and as regular readers of this blog will know, it is now available for pre-order. However- Abi’s House isn’t actually finished yet!

This week I have closed the Another Glass…file and reopened Abi’s House so that I can tackle the edits; polish it, perfect it, and generally make sure it is as good as myself and my lovely editor, Greg, can make it for you.

This ‘two novels at once’ technique of writing is fairly standard, and ensures that an author always has one book brewing, just as another is about to come out. The final tackling of the publisher’s edits, proofing, and (in my case at least), making sure the dyslexia hasn’t messed things up too much, is always a rewarding process. It’s also an extremely useful reminder for me- for six months has passed since I wrote Abi’ House, and I’ve written a novella and three quarters of a novel since then- I have to confess, some of the plot had already left my mind, and came as a nice surprise to me- I hope it does to you when the novel is released on the 13th June!

Next week however, I’ll be back to the Pickwicks crew…and believe me, the sooner the better, because I’ve left poor Amy at a very inconvenient moment – for her at least…

Happy reading,

Jenny xx

Guest Post from Julie Frayn: Writing is…

By Jenny Kane

On March 24, 2015

In Blog, crime, News

I am thrilled to be welcoming Julie Frayn back to my site today. Today Julie is discussing what writing is. I have to say, she has nailed it for me! How about you?

Over to you Julie…

Writing is… a warm puppy?

I have a day job. It’s a lovely job that I’m very good at, at a wonderful organization (charity, theme park, museum, shopping and great food – and a full-size steam train – all rolled into one. Can’t beat that).

In my spare time, I write. Now, that makes it sound like writing is my hobby. Oh, no. It’s so not.

The writing’s the thing. I’m talking THE THING! Get it? But the rest of life finds ways to throw roadblocks up, to prevent accomplishment of THE THING.

There are dishes to do, children to support, laundry and cooking and vacuuming and other such drudgery. As Alzheimer’s eats at my mother’s independence, she needs more of her family’s time to ensure she stays in her home. There’s that day job, of course, along with a myriad of other priorities that keep me away from what I wish was my true full-time career. (That would be writer, in case it wasn’t clear).

So on days like this, where responsibility is tugging at me to visit Mom, where the taxes have yet to do themselves (stupid taxes), where I have too much to do and not enough hours in the day, I wonder if it’s time to quit writing.

Oh, hell no.

Why not? Because this is what writing is to me.

Writing is red. It is the stuff of life, the crimson that flows through my veins. It is that spark of color in a neutral room. It is scarlet patent leather stilettos punctuating a black suit.

Writing is my third child. A child that embodies all the characters I love. All the broken souls (the ones I broke on purpose for the sake of story) whom I can’t hug in person, whose hair I can’t stroke and tell them it’s going to be all right. Because, for some of them, it never will be.

Writing is release. To quote the Red Hot Chili Peppers song, My Friends, release is peace. Finding the right combination of words, the perfect sentence, prompts me to moan yes, yes, yes at my monitor. It hits the writing g-spot. Some days I have multiple literary orgasms. But I am only temporarily sated. I always hunger for more.

Writing is solitude. It is me time. Better than any spa day. Better than shopping. No, really. It is that time I can be crazy in private, sing at the top of my lungs, pace the floor and swear at my computer, then pet the screen in apology because, really, is it the computer’s fault when I can’t get it right? When I do that stuff in public, people look at me funny.

Writing is connection. When I write, I touch others. Not in a creepy, get your hand off my thigh before I scream, kind of way. Virtual touching. Emotional touching. Get inside their head and make them feel something they didn’t expect, touching.

Writing is hope. It is everything I am not. Everything I am afraid to be. Everything I can be. Everything I will be.

Writing is breath. Without it, I fear I may die.

Links

Amazon US http://www.amazon.com/Mazie-Baby-Julie-Frayn-ebook/dp/B00KGMJ79M

Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Mazie-Baby-Julie-Frayn-ebook/dp/B00KGMJ79M

Bio

Julie Frayn pens award-winning novels and short stories that pack a punch. And a few stabs. She has published three novels and two short, short story collections. Suicide City, a Love Story won two gold medals in the 2013 Authorsdb cover contest, It Isn’t Cheating if He’s Dead won the Books and Pals 2014 Readers’ Choice award for women’s fiction, and Mazie Baby was named to three Best of 2014 lists by Suspense Magazine, IndieReader.com, and Readfree.ly and is currently nominated for a Big Al’s Books and Pals Readers Choice Award in Women’s Fiction. You can vote for her here if you like! http://booksandpals.blogspot.ca/2015/03/2015-readers-choice.html

A bean counter by day, Julie revels in the written word. When she is not working or writing, she spends as much time as possible with her two children (grown adults, really), while they still think she’s cool.

Social links:

Website/blog: http://www.juliefrayn.com

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/JulieFrayn

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/juliebirdfrayn

Google+ : https://plus.google.com/+JulieFrayn

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

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/juliefrayn

****

Many thanks Julie- brilliant post!

So, lovely readers- what s writing to you?

Happy reading,

Jenny x

ABI’S HOUSE: AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

By Jenny Kane

On March 19, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, News

I am delighted to be able to announce that my forthcoming novel, Abi’s House, is now available for pre-order!!!

Blurb

Newly widowed at barely thirty, Abi Carter is desperate to escape the Stepford Wives-style life that Luke, her late husband, had been so keen for her to live.

Abi decides to fulfil a lifelong dream. As a child on holiday in a Cornwall as a child she fell in love with a cottage – the prophetically named Abbey’s House. Now she is going to see if she can find the place again, relive the happy memories … maybe even buy a place of her own nearby?

On impulse Abi sets off to Cornwall, where a chance meeting in a village pub brings new friends Beth and Max into her life. Beth, like Abi, has a life-changing decision to make. Max, Beth’s best mate, is new to the village. He soon helps Abi track down the house of her dreams … but things aren’t quite that simple. There’s the complicated life Abi left behind, including her late husband’s brother, Simon – a man with more than friendship on his mind … Will Abi’s house remain a dream, or will the bricks and mortar become a reality?

***

I am particularly excited to announce, that not only is Abi’s House out on Kindle on 13th June, but it will also be released as a paperback on 18th June. It will be available in all good bookshops as well as from Amazon and other online retailers.

Available for pre-order from:

Kindle

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abis-House-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00UVPPWO8/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1426711175&sr=1-1&keywords=Abi%27s+House+Jenny+Kane

http://www.amazon.com/Abis-House-Jenny-Kane-ebook/dp/B00UVPPWO8/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426711253&sr=1-2&keywords=Abi%27s+House+Jenny+Kane

Accent – http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/12915/Abis-House

Paperback

http://www.amazon.com/Abis-House-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783753285/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426711253&sr=1-1&keywords=Abi%27s+House+Jenny+Kane

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Abis-House-Jenny-Kane/dp/1783753285/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1426711343&sr=1-1&keywords=Abi%27s+House+Jenny+Kane

Accent- http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/12915/Abis-House

***

Happy pre-ordering everyone!!

Jenny xxx

Guest Blog from Alison Rose: The Long Path to Publication

By Jenny Kane

On March 17, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, News

I’m thrilled to be welcoming my fellow Accent author, friend, and RNA Chapter member, Alison Rose to my blog today!

Over to Alison…

Hi Jenny,

Thanks for inviting me to your blog. I’ve followed a very long path to get here!

It all began years ago when my husband bought me an Amstrad Word-Processor – yes, it was THAT long ago!

“You read so many books,” he said. “Why don’t you write your own?”

“I’ll be published by the time I’m thirty,” I declared.

Well, I think God must have had wax in his ears that day, because he misheard me. Either that, or he thought I needed to learn the art of patience. It took thirty years.

I haven’t wasted the time. I’ve learned my craft, through courses, workshops, and writers’ groups. I’ve tried lots of different genres and styles of writing, and eventually found a voice – or rather voices, as I now write contemporary women’s fiction as Alison Rose, and YA adventures as Alison Knight.

My first book, Off the Record, was published by Accent Press in December 2014:

“Journalist Kate Armstrong has always known that music icon Johnson Brand’s platinum-selling first album was written about his break-up with her mother, Alexandra. When Kate’s boss sends her out to interview the star himself, her life is turned upside down when her resemblance to Alexandra prompts Johnson to seek out her mother and renew their relationship.

Kate suddenly has a lot on her plate – coming to terms with Alexandra and Johnson’s rekindling relationship, as well as keeping the two of them out of the public eye, all the while trying to resist the advances of Johnson’s playboy son, Paul. She thinks she has everything under control, until a threatening figure from the band’s past rears its ugly head. Will love tear them all apart … again?”

Available at: http://www.accentpress.co.uk/Book/13662/Off-the-Record and http://www.amazon.co.uk/Off-Record-Alison-Rose/dp/1783752491/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425213920&sr=1-1&keywords=off+the+record+alison+rose

Another romance, as yet untitled, is due out from Accent Press in June, followed by the first in a series of YA time-slip adventures in early 2016.

I’m currently working on a novel based in 1960s London, and have lots of ideas for further books – thirty years’ worth!

I can’t describe how thrilling it is to be a published author. But that’s only a part of the story. I’ve been so lucky to find many special friends in writing groups, classes and organisations like the Romantic Novelists’ Association. They encourage and inspire me, and never let me give up on my dream.

So, if there’s a message in this post today, it’s: if you want to achieve something, keep going and never give up. Work hard, and learn from every experience, and one day you’ll get there. It might take longer than you expect, but it will be worth it in the end. Oh, and when you do get there, give a hand to others on their way and tell them not to give up!

Alison

www.alisonroseknight.com

https://www.facebook.com/AlisonRoseAuthor?ref=hl

Biography

Alison was born in London, and now lives in rural Wiltshire with her husband and their crazy Jack Russell terrier. She has two grown-up children and one and a half grandchildren (number two is due in May 2015!).

She has been a lawyer, a registered child-minder, and a professional fund-raiser, and currently works for an international development charity as a legacy officer. She lived in the US for a year as a teenager, and has travelled to China, Israel, Egypt, Thailand, and Honduras – where she picked up a very nasty bug which laid her low for a couple of months after she got home.

At the age of forty-five, Alison became a part-time student while continuing to work full-time, and now has a first class degree in Creative Writing from Bath Spa University and a masters in the same subject from Oxford Brookes University. Now she’s trying to learn Spanish in advance of her next holiday, and researching London in the 1880s for her next YA time-slip adventure.

She’s a member of the Society of Authors, The Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the Oxford Narrative Group.

***

Brilliant post Alison. Many thanks for blogging with me today.

Happy reading,

Jenny x

Guest Post from Alice Raine: The Encouragement of Mum

By Jenny Kane

On March 15, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, News

Please welcome the lovely Alice Raine to my site today, with a special Mother’s Day post.

Over to you Alice…

To celebrate both Mother’s Day this year, and the fact that the complete Untwisted series is now available on Kindle, I was asked if I’d like to write an article that described a significant memory of when my mother’s input changed my identity as a writer, or some words of encouragement she gave me which may have inspired me, or a story she read me that inspired my own interest in writing. It’s ended up as a bit of a rambling tale, but here goes …

There were always books around our house when I was a child, and Mum and Dad would read to me daily; everything from princesses, to explorers to fire breathing sea monsters, which certainly helped spawn my overactive imagination from a very young age. I wasn’t what you would describe as an engaged writer at school, my interests lay in sport, art, geography riding my bike, and falling off my skateboard (frequently), but at some point I must have developed the urge, because to this day my mum still recalls the day she found a book that I had written in my bedside draw.

By this point I was probably early teens, and yes, I’ll admit it … I had a crush on Kevin Costner. Quite an embarrassingly big crush actually, to the point where I had his pictures blue-tacked to my cupboard door and copies of his films lining my shelves. The film “The Bodyguard” had been released a year or so before, and if you’ve seen it, you’ll know the ending is quite open to misinterpretation – are the two main characters still together? Or have they split up and gone their separate ways? This was the question which must have burned in my curious teenage mind, and already being a bit of a sucker for a good romance story I decided that quite simply, the uncertainty just wasn’t good enough. So I sat down and started to write a sequel.

I got sixty pages in – double sided and hand written in neat lines on that old fashioned computer paper with the holes down the side – before preparation for my GCSE’s got in the way. I’d completely forgotten about it until last year when I was on a phone call with my mum excitedly explaining about signing with Accent Press for my Untwisted series, and mum mentioned that she’d always thought I might end up as a writer after she’d found the book in my bedside draw all those years ago. I have no idea if it was any good, or if my mum read any/all of it, but I suppose that can go down as my first official attempt at a manuscript.

Since then I have written far more prolifically, most of it just for my own amusement and stored away on my computer. I must be slightly obsessive/compulsive when it comes to writing, because once I get an idea I simply have to write it down. I now have stacks of projects on my laptop which have never seen the light of day, some of which run to hundreds of thousands of words, but I can be very self-critical, so I tend to keep them hidden away, happy with the knowledge that the idea is out of my brain and at least in print somewhere, even if it is just on my memory stick!

People often ask me if my mum has read my Untwisted books, and the answer, in short, is no (at least I hope she hasn’t!). Once the series got taken on by Accent I politely requested that she didn’t read it because of its, er … steamy contents … Mum was happy enough to oblige, but asked if I could send her something else that I had written so she could read that instead. As a writer I have an overriding predilection for romance, but not always the darker form of romance that is included in my Untwisted series, and many of the bits and pieces on my laptop are actually Chick-Lit. So I looked through my memory stick and selected one of my favourite gentle romances for her. It’s a light-hearted, comical take on real life, containing no steamy stuff what so ever, apart from a bit of innuendo thrown in here and there. After reading it, my mum said, and I quote: ‘I enjoyed it, but it’s a bit rude in places isn’t it?’ Hmm. I hadn’t thought it was rude at all, so I dug deeper and discovered that she was referring to one of the scenes involving a bit of flirting and innuendo. If mum thinks that’s rude, then I’m certainly glad she has taken my advice and stayed away from the Untwisted books!

As for words of encouragement, my mum is great at them. Even though she hasn’t read the published series, still frequently tells me how proud she is of me for pursuing my dream, which means so much to me, and she even bought me a little number ‘1’ pendant when my first book got published which has pride of place on my bracelet.

All in all my mum is pretty amazing, as is my Dad. Love you both, and happy Mother’s Day to all the mums out there.

Alice xxx

The complete Untwisted series is available on Kindle now, and coming to bookstores near you in paperback too. http://tinyurl.com/o87oczp

You can also expect the first instalment in Alice’s new series by Summer 2015!

If you’d like to get in touch with Alice, please feel free using the links below:

Twitter: @aliceraine1

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Alice-Raine/1433662383579684

***

Many thanks for visiting today Alice!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xxx

Guest Post from Grace Lowrie: Why am I sitting here at the top of a roller coaster?

By Jenny Kane

On March 14, 2015

In Blog, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, News

I’m delighted to welcome Grace Lowrie to my site today. Fellow Accent author Grace is posied and ready to launch herself into a life of writing…from a roller coaster…

Over to you Grace..

Why am I sitting here at the top of a roller coaster?

This is the question I’ve found myself pondering ever since Jenny Kane’s generous invitation to guest blog on her site.

Like many people I enjoyed writing creatively as a child, but my recent shift into ‘being a writer’ has been unexpectedly sudden. I’m only a published author as of yesterday and while I am tingling with excitement and walking around with a silly smile on my face, I am also unnerved by the whole thing. You see I am attempting to evolve into an author, having been a full-time garden designer for the past decade.

My occupation was perfectly enjoyable, as was my life as a fine art sculptor before that. I was lucky enough to have lovely clients and I gained immense satisfaction from conjuring up creative solutions and seeing them through to fruition. So why am I giving it all up? Because I just LOVE writing stories, almost beyond reason – more than designing gardens and even more than eating cake (which is a lot by the way).

Am I alone in this?

I wrote my debut novel Kindred Hearts because I found I had fictional characters, specifically the twins, Sebastian and Celeste, living in my head and it was a choice between going mad or putting pen to paper. I honestly felt compelled to write their story and I revelled in the process so much that the dark winter months positively flew by.

And then there’s the mysterious magic of timing, which can be hard to ignore. Last summer I relocated from London to be closer to my sister and her family in Hertfordshire, coincidentally receiving the keys to my new home on my company’s ten-year anniversary. Amid a frenzy of decorating and DIY my fabulous best friend Alice Raine encouraged me to submit my book to Áccent Press and before I had time to really think about it I was offered a book contract. Words cannot convey how grateful I am to Alexandra Davies for taking a chance on me and I want to fully embrace this incredible opportunity, give it my all and if possible, turn it into success.

Of course to do that I need to sell books and that means promoting myself … and the thing is I am a hermit at heart – perfectly friendly but generally quiet, unassuming and somewhat shy – so to suddenly launch myself into the alien world of writing and publishing through Facebook, Twitter and blogging, has been a bewildering and exhilarating jump into the unknown. Thankfully everyone I’ve met online so far has been amazingly kind and welcoming, and I’m able to do part-time admin work to pay the bills. So far so good – I’m happily tucked up indoors indulging my romantic imagination, instead of outside in the wind and rain wrestling shrubs into muddy holes.

But the book market and the romance genre in particular, is highly competitive. I find myself wondering if I am crazy to invest so much energy in something that I may or may not be any good at, and anxiously note that I have set myself up for a fall. After all at this moment in time my role as an author is entirely untested – virtually no one has had a chance to read my book yet!

So why am I sitting at the top of this roller coaster, my eyes wide and knuckles white as I wait to find out if anyone will like my baby?

Because life is short.

I owe it to myself to go for what I want, even if I land on my face (I fell down a flight of stairs at Christmas so I already have some idea of what to expect in a literal sense). So all I can do now is try to be brave, enjoy the ride and hopefully make some new friends along the way.

Kindred Hearts by Grace Lowrie

When the enigmatic twins from Natasha Graham’s childhood sweep back into her life and draw her into their glamorous world, she is seduced by a potent cocktail of love and sexual desire. But Sebastian and Celeste Walker are two sides of the same coin, darkness and light and everything is not as perfect as it seems. Can Tasha make the right choice when it comes to her heart? Or will the past destroy everything worth saving?

An excerpt from Kindred Hearts:

I spent most of the autumn term trying not to obsess about Sebastian, but it didn’t work. I could tell whenever he was somewhere close by a prickling sensation on the back of my neck and I couldn’t resist subtly looking out for him in the playground. Despite his cold indifference I still got butterflies in my stomach every time our eyes met, so I tried to avoid him as much as possible. But in November the twins had a joint fourteenth birthday party.

I felt shy at first – it was strange seeing everyone outside of school and the crisp, clear night felt eerily magical. But Celeste was keyed up about the fireworks and her infectious excitement soon reassured me. The display was breath-taking and we all oohed and aahed as flashes of fiery light illuminated the sky with transient colour, leaving trails of smoky echoes in their wake. Some of the boys snuck up on the girls in the dark to make them shriek and soon we were all giggling and larking about.

Sebastian hung back in the shadow of the house, watching the rest of us from afar with his usual laid-back manner. Most of his dark straggly hair was hidden under a black beanie, pulled low down on his forehead so that he looked even more brooding than usual, but he laughed along as we made idiots of ourselves. Eventually Celeste went over to him, took his arm, and dragged him down the garden to where we were toasting marshmallows over a bonfire in a big circle. Sebastian was forced to stand between Celeste and myself and as I passed him a skewer, I silently prayed that he couldn’t see me blushing.

Maybe I was just distracted or impatient, but I just couldn’t get the hang of toasting my marshmallows. They caught fire and tasted burnt or simply melted off into the flames, disappearing out of sight. I was just about to give up completely when Sebastian unexpectedly offered me his skewer. Perched on the end of it, was a perfectly toasted marshmallow. He didn’t say anything, just watched me with an unreadable expression as I carefully took it from him, my gloved fingers brushing his. I thanked him, my words coming out in a whisper, but he nodded once in acknowledgment before turning away to comment on something someone else was saying. I glanced around the group but was relieved to find no one looking in my direction. I gently blew on the marshmallow before tentatively putting it into my mouth whole. It tasted delicious and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face as it warmed me from head to toe.

Grace Lowrie

Writing was my first love back when I composed poetry and short stories as a child. Since then I have worked a variety of jobs, run my own garden design business and travelled the world. Now I am rekindling my original passion by writing contemporary romance novels in Hertfordshire, where I also help out with the family business, explore the countryside and bake (and eat) cakes.

Kindred Hearts: www.myBook.to/KindredHearts

Website: www.gracelowrie.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/gracelowrie1

Twitter: www.twitter.com/gracelowrie1

***

Many thanks for coming by Grace! Great blog. I have been strapped to the writing roller coaster for some time now- hope you enjoy the ride as much as I have hun!!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

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

Tag: jenny kane Page 61 of 72

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ABI’S HOUSE: AVAILABLE FOR PRE-ORDER

Available for pre-order from:

Guest Blog from Alison Rose: The Long Path to Publication

Guest Post from Alice Raine: The Encouragement of Mum

Guest Post from Grace Lowrie: Why am I sitting here at the top of a roller coaster?

Tag: jenny kane Page 61 of 72

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