Introducing: TalliMarilynstein

I'm not actually here. I'm in... *pause for dramatic effect*... PARIS! Yes, my friends, as you read this, I will be stuffing myself silly with every croissant and macaron (not macaroon) I come across, skipping merrily down the cobblestones streets with a little red beret perched jauntily on my head. Hm, I think that's all the stereotypes I can work in for now.

So I'll keep this short, with a small reminder (not like you need it, with the way I've bleated on) that Willow's launch party is one week from today. Still loads of time to sign up to post on 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...'. Now's your chance to be whoever you want.

And to celebrate the one-week milestone... I give you a brand new creature, TalliMarilynstein! Yes, I've been having loads of fun playing around with my Marilyn wig and dress for an upcoming vlog (shudder) -- it's hours of entertainment, I tell you. Why Marilyn? In the novel, Willow's Marilyn Monroe impression gets spotted on YouTube and catapults her to insta-fame. The only problem? She's so not Marilyn material (kind of like me)!

Holy hair!

I'm trying for a cheeky look but it's not really working...

Well, at least I had fun! :) A bit too much, quite possibly...

Eye in the Sky

Thanks, everyone, for weighing in on Monday's post! I debated posting it, but it certainly provided an interesting discussion and lots of wine for thought.

Two lovely little bits of news to share with you: Chick Lit Love and The Alliterative Allomorph have both reviewed Willow. Yay! And almost 100 bloggers have now signed up for the Willow launch on 14th September. Thanks loads to everyone. There's still plenty of time to get your name down if you'd like to take part.

One of the things I struggled with while writing Willow is believability. Crazy things do happen in real life, and sometimes, reality can be much stranger than fiction. In fiction, though, we've all heard that things must happen for a reason.

In my novel, a YouTube viewer mistakes an image in a tourism video for Marilyn Monroe's ghost, and a village is suddenly overwhelmed as Marilyn fans flock to pay homage to where the icon was spotted. In the book, I worked in reasons for how such a thing occurs. But in real life, there aren't always explanations for strange internet phenomenons.

Take the video below, for example, which I first saw on the BBC! How on earth has this made the news in England, miles away from the actual occurrence? *shakes head*

There's nowt as queer as folk, as Willow's dad says. Happy Wednesday!

Well-Behaved Women... Or Not

It's Wednesday! I've hardly slept at all! Yes, my friends, I spent the night trying to snooze on the sofa. And when I did finally manage to drift off, I dreamt a rat bit my pet kitten and it died in my arms. Pleasant, I know.

As I've mentioned once or twice (har!), the launch for Willow is coming up Sept 14th. Yay! I'd gathered quotes by Marilyn Monroe to put at the start of every chapter, to echo the action. Sadly, due to legal reasons, they had to be removed. But never fear, because from now until launch-day, I'm going to post them on my Facebook author page. I'm quite possibly a little over-excited about this plan, but I did love those quotes. Chapter 1's quote was this:

Well behaved women rarely make history.

--Marilyn Monroe

I know many of you are busy with WriteOnCon, so today I'm going to post a link to a video by the wonderful author Beth Revis on not giving up. Head over and have a watch -- it's very inspirational.

And have a great Wednesday!

I've Got That Vomit Feeling

Happy Monday! Thank you loads for all the wonderful comments on Phillipa's post. If you'd like to keep up to date on her news, you can sign up for her newsletter on her website.

Right! Onto the vom.

Watching Willow Watts is now winging its way toward reviewers, and I gotta tell you, there's nothing worse than sending your baby out into the world. Sure, I've slaved away and done everything in my power to make it the best it can be, but deep down inside a little voice lurks, whispering it's horrible, terrible, and everyone will discover you're a fraud who can't write worth beans (cupcakes?). The month before your novel comes out is something I'd only wish upon an evil London looter, because it's a tense, angst-filled, nightmare-ridden time where I question over and over why the hell I'm doing this.

Of course you come out the other side when you realise you're doing this because you love writing, because you do actually want people to read what you've done, and there's nothing better than creating a world and characters who exist there.

But until then... vom.

And on that note, if you'd like to read the first chapter of Willow, you can do so here! :) And a little reminder that you can still sign up for the online launch party on 14th September, if you so desire. I promise it will be puke free.

Watching Willow Watts Launch!

Yay! I'm excited to announce that my next novel, Watching Willow Watts, will be available on Kindle and other ebook platforms in September. The official launch day is Wednesday, September 14th!

So how do I plan to welcome Willow to the world? Lots of people have asked me if I'm going to do another web splash a la Hating Game. Well... no. I think that kind of thing is only effective once. I'm super-appreciative of how much you all helped me the first time around, and this time, I want to do something fun.

So on September 14th, I'm organising an online 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' party! Now is your chance to make your superhero, film-star, or Rock God fantasies come true (okay, maybe not all your fantasies...). It's sort of like a blogfest, but with a party atmosphere. Why the theme? In my novel, Willow decides to take on the identity of Marilyn Monroe, almost losing herself in the process.

There's no need to actually dress up -- all you need to do is post a photo of your chosen one (dead or alive) along with an explanation why you've picked that person. If you're on Twitter or Facebook, just post 'If I could be anyone, I'd be X' as your status, along with the hash-tag #watchingwillow on Twitter (or tag me on FB so I know you've taken part).

If you'd like to sign up, just fill out the form below or respond in the comments. On launch day, I'll post the links of other partying bloggers so you can pop around and meet everyone if you like -- no obligation, though! All partiers will be entered into a draw to win Marilyn Monroe paraphernalia, a copy of Watching Willow Watts and a £10 Amazon gift certificate!

On a secondary note, I'm looking for early reviewers for Willow. If you fancy an ARC, let me know in the comments, too.

As always, your help and support mean the world to me. I know how busy everyone is and how many demands you have on your time, and I really appreciate everything!

On a final note (I know, you're probably sick of me by now!), I'm over at Angie Paxton's blog later today, talking about my publishing journey. Pop by if you get the chance. :)

Smelly Animals

Why, it's Monday! How did that happen?

I've got my revisions back and after seven hours spent staring at the screen, going: 'How can I make that work?', my brain is fried. So I did what I usually do for inspiration: I went on Twitter and asked what I should blog about today. And I must thank @InTheseHeels for providing the inspiration of smelly animals. It's timely, too, seeing as how I have a paragraph about a stinky guinea pig in Willow.

Without further ado...

‘Take that, you disgusting rodent,’ Jay Bellamy growled, pouring a fresh handful of sawdust over the world’s smelliest guinea pig. He smirked as the animal tried in vain to shake off the flakes. Bunny – just why his mother had named her guinea pig Bunny was beyond him; if she wanted a rabbit she should have got one! – was the bane of his already horrifying existence. It was bad enough having to move back in with his mother in Milton Keynes, but when you had to share your room with a stinking, chubby guinea pig, too . . . ugh.

Don't you just love a malodorous rodent?

On Bad Blogger Day (Friday!), I was on the Minxes of Romance, talking about book promotion. Check it out if you have a chance!

Watching Willow Watts

How's that for Ws, huh? It's the name of my next novel, so I thought I'd use the occasion to show off the PINK cover!

And the blurb!

For twenty-five-year-old Willow Watts, life has settled into a predictably dull routine: days behind the counter at her father's antique shop; nights watching fuzzy telly whilst the elderly residents of Britain's Ugliest Village bed down for yet another early night. But everything changes when Willow's epically embarrassing Marilyn Monroe impersonation is uploaded to YouTube. A canny viewer spots Marilyn's ghostly image hidden in the film and Willow becomes an international sensation.

Her dire little town is suddenly overrun with fans proclaiming her to be the 'new Marilyn'. Egged on by the villagers - whose shops and businesses are cashing in - Willow eagerly embraces her new identity, dying her hair platinum and scoffing cakes to achieve Marilyn's legendary curves.

But when the only man she has ever truly loved returns, seeking the old Willow, it's decision time. Should she risk stardom and the village's new-found fortune on love? Or is being Marilyn Willow's real ticket to happiness?

Yeah, baby! :)

It was a load of fun to write! It's due out in paperback in November, but like The Hating Game, it will available a few months before hand on Kindle. You can add it to Goodreads here, if you so desire.

And a final note before I go! The wonderful Laura over at Chick Lit Love is featuring my Top Tips to write chick lit each day until Saturday. Have a gander, if you like.

Name That Character!

Thanks to everyone who came by yesterday to see my entry for Nicole's blogfest!

If you have 'liked' my Facebook page, you may have seen that I'm holding a contest to name one of the characters in my upcoming novel, Watching Willow Watts. I've had some fantastic suggestions so far and I thought I'd give my blogging buds a chance to get involved! If your suggestion is chosen, you'll get a signed copy of The Hating Game and my undying gratitude!

The character: an old, rather crotchety woman who is a former UK film star. She fled the industry years ago to live in the peace of the countryside, and she's now a recluse.

Any and all suggestions welcome! Have a great Thursday, everyone.

I'm in Lurve

Look at that! I'm in love, and it's not even Valentine's Day. And the object of my affection is not Mr TR.

No, I have fallen for a brand new, shiny idea: my next novel, Watching Willow Watts, about a small-town girl who is catapulted to stardom after her YouTube video gets millions of hits. I'm in that honeymoon phase, where everything seems to be positively brimming with potential -- before you realise your beloved can't stop cracking his toes or terrorizing the neighbours with growling snores (oh, wait -- that is Mr TR).

As I sat down today to finally start plotting WWW, it struck me that as excited as I was, I'd forgotten how to plot the darn thing.

Uh-oh.

So, I thought I'd share my steps back to writing redemption. I'm NOT an expert (obviously), but asking these questions really helps me clarify what I want my novel's overall structure to be.

What does my protagonist think she wants?
What will stand in her way?
What will she learn and how will she change by the end?
Initially, Willow thinks she wants the stardom that's thrust upon her. I'll raise the stakes by making her whole village dependent on her fame, along with a sleazy agent with a dodgy contract; a crotchety busybody who's determined to bring her down; and the return of 'the one that got away' who can't relate to the new her. In the end, she'll learn that she doesn't need to pretend to be someone else to be happy.
Of course there are a zillion blanks to be filled in, but if I can just figure out the answers to those three questions, it makes adding the details much easier.

How do you get your relationship off on the right foot? By writing a synopsis first -- or just plunging right in?