Jenny Kane & Jennifer Ash

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

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‘Quirky Guest Post Blog Marathon’ by Virginia King: A Banquet of Consequences

By

On May 17, 2016

In Contemporary fiction, Fiction

I’m delighted to welcome Virginia King to my site. Today she is kicking off her ‘Quirky Guest Post Blog Marathon’ tour, with a wonderful blog- A Banquet of Consequences.

Over to you Virginia…

A Banquet of Consequences 270KB

Everybody, soon or late, sits down to a banquet of consequences. – Robert Louis Stevenson

This metaphor is chillingly accurate when it comes to life – each human action is not without its outcomes, foreseen or unforeseen, and often there’s a collision as they all come together with a bang.

It’s the same with the characters in a novel – and the reason I used Stevenson’s quote as the epigraph to my psychological mystery The First Lie.

The First Lie ebook 200 KB

For writers, the process of playing with consequences is delicious. They may plan the outcomes before writing, but serendipity has a way of meddling with plans, or they may allow the consequences to unfold as they write, with all the unpredictability of real life.

The first step is to plant the seed. Movies are very good at this, every moment hinting at an outcome later in the film. These seeds might be:

An action

In the Grimm’s fairy tale Rumplestiltskin a series of consequences befall the young woman after her father tells the King she can spin straw into gold.

In The Secret History by Donna Tartt, the disdain the main character Richard has for his working class background makes him obsess about joining an exclusive coterie of students and lie about his past. Lies are a powerful trigger for consequences. When he’s accepted into this dysfunctional group he becomes implicated in a crime that cascades into a banquet of consequences.

A character trait

In Lawrence of Arabia, the first scene shows Lawrence putting out a lighted match with his bare fingers. When he’s asked if it hurts, he replies that it’s not whether it hurts that matters, it’s minding whether it hurts that counts. This insight into his character is crucial to understanding the last scene in the movie – Lawrence’s ‘banquet’.

Burning Match 75 KB

In Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, Amy’s inability to be ‘real’ – after her parents turned her into an effigy of their children’s book character ‘Amazing Amy’ – leads to the chain of consequences that unfold.

An event

In the first scene in Hitchcock’s Vertigo, the police officer played by James Stewart is involved in a roof top pursuit which leaves him with a debilitating fear of heights. The banquet of spiralling consequences throughout the movie result from his affliction.

In one of my favourite books, The Girl in a Swing by Richard Adams, the main character Alan Desland is involved in a psychic experiment as a teenager early in the book, leaving him so shell-shocked that he suppresses his psychic gift into adulthood. But when he falls in love with the enigmatic Karin, escalating psychic clues haunt him until they finally reveal a very dark secret.

An object

Objects can be very powerful, especially in folktales and mythology. In The Lord of the Rings there would be no story and no dramatic consequences without the ring.

In the children’s book Dragonkeeper by Carole Wilkinson, a slave girl and an old dragon set out across China carrying a mysterious stone that must be protected. The stone carries all the consequences of their epic journey.

To Plan or Not to Plan

Sprinkling seeds in a manuscript – and not knowing their outcome in advance – can be serious fun. Some seeds are rich with promise. In The First Lie, my main character Selkie Moon hears a voice in a dream on page one that says: Someone is trying to kill you. I wrote the book not knowing what would happen at the end, but the warning planted the seed and drove Selkie’s journey of discovery. In The Second Path, Selkie wakes to find she’s collected seven objects in her sleep – a rock, a spoon, a message scrawled in lipstick … These objects lead her across the world like the path of crumbs in Hansel and Gretel’s forest. In my mystery-in-progress, a mysterious parcel arrives from Selkie’s great grandmother 35 years after her death … I’m writing my way towards that unpredictable banquet right now. Yum.

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Blurb

The First Lie by Virginia King

Someone is trying to kill you. When Selkie Moon flees Sydney to start over in Hawaii, it’s to live life on her own terms. But Life has other plans. Though she tries to dismiss the warning as just another nightmare, it soon becomes apparent that someone, or something, is stalking her. Attacked by frightening visions and mysterious compulsions, she must piece together the fragmented clues before time runs out. Virginia King effortlessly blends funky creativity and deep spirituality – with a dash of Celtic folklore – to craft a story of one woman’s fight for truth, and her discovery that the lies we tell ourselves are the most dangerous of all.

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Laying Ghosts

A Free Ghost Story

Get a taste for consequences with Laying Ghosts, a modern 24-page haunted house story inspired by a Russian folktale and tangled up in a murder ballad dating back to the 1700s. It’s a standalone story but also a prequel to the Selkie Moon Mystery Series. Download your free copy http://www.selkiemoon.com/#popup

Giveaway of The First Lie

You could be one of ten lucky winners who will choose either a signed paperback or an audio book of The First Lie plus a $15 Amazon gift code. One grand prize winner will receive a $100 Amazon gift code.

Enter here: http://www.selkiemoon.com/win-a-signed-copy/

Laying Ghosts

Website: http://www.selkiemoon.com/

Blog: http://www.selkiemoon.com/la-bloguette/

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

Twitter: https://twitter.com/selkiemoonbooks

All Retail Links Can Be Found Via-  http://www.selkiemoon.com/

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Virginia King Portrait by Amanda Thorson 200 KB

Bio

When a voice wakes you up in the middle of the night and tells you to write a mystery series what’s a writer to do? That’s how Virginia King came to create Selkie Moon, after a massage from a strange woman with gifted hands was followed by this nocturnal message. Virginia sat down at the keyboard until Selkie Moon turned up. All she had to do was jump, the first sentence said. Soon Virginia was hooked, exploring far-flung places full of secrets where Selkie delves into psychological clues tangled up in the local mythology.

Before Selkie Moon invaded her life, Virginia had been a teacher, an unemployed ex-teacher, the author of over 50 children’s books, an audio-book producer, a workshop presenter and a prize-winning publisher. These days she lives in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney with her husband, where she disappears each day into Selkie Moon’s latest mystery. Bliss.

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Many thanks for stopping off on your tour Virginia!!

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny x

 

Tiverton Literary Festival…Not Long Now…

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On May 14, 2016

In Blog, Books For Children, Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction

For the past 5 months, my colleagues and I have been working our little socks off, so that we can bring you another brilliant book event.

Tiverton Literary Festival, 8th-12th June 2016

Tiv Lit - K Fforde and Judi

Our line up  includes worldwide best selling author, Katie Fforde,

Michael Jecks, Katie Griffin, Ruth Ware, (a stunning trio of best selling crime writers),

Tiv Lit 2016 - Crime

and Jonathan Green (Dr Who fans DO NOT MISS THIS).

Tiv Lit 2016 - J Green

Not forgetting, Kate Lord Brown (with a brilliant writing masterclass); Marissa Farrar (back with her Self Publishing Workshop by popular demand), historian, writer, and radio presenter, Suzie Grogan; Rough Guide Writer and novelist, Rebecca Hall; renown journalists Fasial Islam and Alex Sehmer; novelist Laura Wilkinson and myself, talking about writing without agents or big publishers, and much much more!

Tiv Lit 2016 - K LBrown

On the Saturday (11th June, from 10am) we will be wandering through town with our children’s story trail. There will also be an authors’ market in the grounds of St George’s Church, Fore Street, Tiverton; where writers can sell their books, sign, and chat to the public and each other. If you would like to reserve one of these tables (free of charge) please contact me via info@tivlitfest.co.uk to reserve your space.

All the details about the events, and the link to buy tickets, are on the website- www.tivlitfest.co.uk

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I would recommend securing those tickets very soon. Especially for the workshops, the tea with Michael Jecks and myself, and the ‘Real Life of an Erotica Author’ evening, as places are limited…

See you there!

Jenny x

My First Time: Laura Wilkinson

By

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.

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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

LW 2 No 1 - dark, smile

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

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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

By

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:
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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.

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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

 

 

 

Guest Post from Christina Philippou: Stereotypes in fiction

By

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?)

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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

 

Interview with N.B. Dixon: Outlaws Legacy

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On April 14, 2016

In Blog, crime, Fiction, Historical fiction, Interview

Regular readers of this blog will know that I adore anything to do with Robin Hood. Recently, thanks to the rebirth of Robin of Sherwood (see my previous blogs), I have met many other writers who share my interest. I couple of days ago I was fortunate enough to interview the lovely N.B.Dixon, and question her about her own outlaw obsession, and how she is interpreting it for a modern audience.

So pull up a chair, rest those weary legs, and have a read.

coffee and cake

When did you first encounter Robin Hood as a character?

I had a free period one Friday afternoon and I was buried in a corner of the school library. I had been given two tapes, one was a straightforward narration of the Robin Hood legend, the other, as I’ve only recently discovered, was an audio-book adaptation of one of the episodes of the TV series, Robin of Sherwood. I don’t remember why the librarian gave me these tapes to listen to, whether I’d expressed an interest in Robin Hood, or whether it was just something she thought I would like.

I was a bookworm even in those days. However, my love of Robin Hood was born. It’s the only time I can ever remember being disappointed when I heard the school bell.

User comments

How much historical research have you done on the subject of Robin Hood?

I’ve done extensive research into the Robin Hood legend, trawling various websites in an effort to locate any real-life men who might have been the outlaw. Though there’s no proof Robin Hood ever existed, the parallels between the legend and certain real-life men are fascinating. I’ve also

done considerable research into the period of history in which the Robin Hood legend is set, namely, the reigns of Henry II and his sons, RichardI, known as the Lionheart, and his brother, Prince John. Richard and John have always figured the most prominently in the Robin Hood stories. I’ve

visited the places in which the Robin Hood legend is set, most memorably, Sherwood Forest, and I’ve also handled a longbow and been put in the stocks, all in the name of research.

What is your writing regime?

I tend to write in the morning, then break for lunch and write again in the afternoon. I take a longer break late afternoon and once dinner is over, I turn my attention to any editing I might have to do. More often than not I’m writing one book and editing another.

RH books 2

What excites you the most about your book?

The idea of adding to the Robin Hood legend excites me. There have been so many different interpretations of the story over the years. I wanted to find a balance between telling the legend people were familiar with, and placing my own stamp on it. For me, the most exciting thing about writing this series is the love interest for Robin. Outlaws Legacy is the story behind the legend of Robin Hood. It chronicles his life from his childhood onwards and tells the story beneath the surface legend we are all familiar with.

On the surface, many readers will be familiar with the story; a young nobleman loses his land, becomes an outlaw, meets a rich heiress etc. My Robin however has a secret, and this secret is that he is in fact in love with another man. I wanted to portray someone who, on the outside, was the people’s champion, confident, brave, all the things a hero should be, but beneath this facade was a man with his own doubts and troubles, a human being who would make mistakes and discover things about himself.

I’ve really enjoyed describing the romance as it has unfolded over the series. Currently, book 1, Heir of Locksley, is with my publisher and due for release late 2016/early 2017. I have just completed book 2 and there are still two more books to go in the series.

These books have challenged me in ways I could never have expected and I’m only halfway through. I can’t wait to see what else I will encounter on this journey.

Which is your favourite medieval outlaw apart from Robin Hood?

I think that would have to be Fulk FitzWarin. His story is similar to that of Robin Hood in that his lands are stolen from him and he fights to get them back. His story is a bit of a cross between Robin Hood and King Arthur as he fights just as many dragons and monsters as he does people.

Like Robin, his story also has a bittersweet ending as although he is able to reclaim what was stolen from him, he loses his site in the process as a punishment for the lives he has taken. I always found that story rather moving.

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

Robin Hood of course, since I’m sure his hunting skills would come in very handy. I’d pick Sherlock Holmes so that I could have intelligent conversation, and I’d choose Harry Potter so that if anything came along to threaten me, he could wave his magic wand and incapacitate it somehow.

Between the three of them, I think I’d be pretty safe.

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For more information on the Outlaws Legacy series, please visit

http://www.nbdixonauthor.com/

Bio

I’ve made up stories since I was a child. I loved to take characters from my favourite books or television programs and make up stories about them or continue existing stories. In fact, if I had ever published them, I’d be in flagrant breach of copyright.

Away from all things literary, I am an enthusiastic theatre goer. I also play the piano for pleasure and I like to sing when I’m sure no one can hear me. I’m fond of cooking and long walks, and even now I’m still a self-confessed bookworm.

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Many thanks hun. Great ideas there- Do you buy the Richard I and Prince John era for Robin Hood’s ballads?

Good luck with your series.

Happy reading everyone,

Jenny xx

 

 

My First Time: Lynne Shelby

By

On April 13, 2016

In Contemporary fiction, Contemporary Romantic Fiction, Fiction, Interview

Amazingly, two weeks have passed since Nell Peters shared her ‘First Time’ publishing experiences with us. Today I’m delighted to have the ‘French Kissing’, Lynne Shelby, here to share her own first time with us.

Over to you Lynne…

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 remember that first story! I was fourteen, and had decided that I wanted to be a writer. My first effort was ‘The Mysterious Island, ’a book-length fantasy/adventure story (it would probably be called YA now) in which four teenagers were out in a rowing boat off the Cornish coast, and were lost in a sudden sea mist. When the mist cleared, they found themselves … on a mysterious island, where time had apparently stood still since the middle ages. Taken prisoner by the island’s villainous ruler, a witch, and about to be sacrificed to the ‘old powers,’ the four teenagers were rescued by the island’s rightful – and extremely handsome – ruler! Looking back, I can see that the book can best be described as ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’ meets ‘The Wicker Man’ – which I guess is a reflection of the sort of books I was reading as a young teenager! I sent the completed manuscript off to a publisher, and although they didn’t publish it, one of the editors sent me a very kind and encouraging letter back, telling me to be sure to keep writing as she felt I did have talent. I’m so glad I took her advice! I kept the manuscript of that first story for years, but it got misplaced when we moved house.

What was your first official publication?

My first official publication was my debut novel, ‘French Kissing,’ which won the Accent Press and Woman magazine Writing Competition in 2015 – the prize was to be published by Accent Press. A contemporary romance, the novel is about two childhood penfriends, one English, one French, who meet as adults, when their friendship could become something more…

Lynne Shelby with her debut novel French Kissing

What affect did that have on your life?

For me, becoming a published author really was a life-long dream come true. This last year, since I found out I’d won the competition, has been amazing, with so many highlights, like holding a book I’d written in my hands for the first time. It’s been fantastic to have so many readers tell me they’ve enjoyed the book, and I’ve also had the opportunity to meet some wonderful writers who have been so generous with their knowledge and advice about writing.

Does your first published story reflect your current writing style?

I think ‘French Kissing’ is the story in which I found my ‘voice,’ and I am continuing to write in that style – although I hope that I can always continue to grow as a writer.

What are you working on at the moment?

At the moment I’m working on another contemporary romance – a love triangle set in the world of showbusiness. I’m having a lot of fun writing about film premieres in Leicester Square and first nights at the theatre.

L Shelby cover

 

Buy links to ‘French Kissing’ by Lynne Shelby:

Bio

Lynne Shelby can’t remember a time when she wasn’t writing stories, and it has always been her ambition to be a published author.  She writes contemporary romance because that is what she most likes reading.  She’s worked in a variety of day jobs from stable girl to legal administrator. She’s also had a very enjoyable vicarious career as a stage mother, which has given her a love of the theatre that inspires a lot of her writing.  She loves travelling, and she’s also inspired to write by the many wonderful foreign cities that she’s visited and explored – with a camera and writer’s notebook in hand – and her first novel, ‘French Kissing’ is set partly in Paris. She is currently working on her second novel. She lives in north London with her tall, dark, handsome husband and a lot of books.

Website: www.lynneshelby.com

Twitter: @LynneB1

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

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Many thanks Lynne! Great stuff!

Happy reading,

Jenny x

 

 

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