Clock Watching!

It's Friday and oh my winey goodness, London is HOT! Perhaps this is the summer we never had? Whatever it is, I'm certainly not complaining... but let me tell you, wine o'clock is coming early ce soir! A picnic in the park is definitely in order. 

Today, I'm over on Amlokiblogs, talking about my next novel (official announcement on Monday, yay!) and various other bits and bobs. Sign up to the Rule of Three challenge over there for a chance to win a copy of Willow. And in other yay-worthy news, to celebrate being short-listed for Best Romantic Read, The Hating Game ebook is now on for a reduced price of 98p and its US equivalent. 

Now over to the lovely Elle Strauss, who is celebrating the launch of Clockwise!

Chick lit Isn’t Dead and Why chick lit is Needed in YA

Recently I read somewhere that chick lit was dead. Obviously no one told the very talented Talli Rolland that!  And I’m with Talli, there will always be room on the shelf for chick lit now that the genre exists.

I remember when it didn’t.  I have very clear memories of a younger me scouring library shelves wondering why no one wrote Romantic Comedy.  It did great at the box office as movies, but nothing came close to it on the shelves.

I think that’s why I read a lot of mysteries back then. Besides liking mystery, it was the only genre that had a “cozy” line.

Then came Bridget Jones’ Diary by Helen Fielding . Oh my gosh—finally! That’s what I was talking about! She opened the door to a whole new genre.  Which filled up fast.  Maybe too fast, thus the “dead” talk. 

But not in YA.  With the rush of Paranormal and Dystopian, and don’t get me wrong, I like me a bit of Paranormal and Dystopian,  anything on the lighter side seems to be getting not much more than a sideways glance.  Not everything, a few choice nuggets are getting through, like the spy books by Ally Carter.

Sometimes I think chick lit gets a bad rap. Like it’s just meaningless fluff, and flirty words.  And maybe there is some like that. But just because something is light and fun, doesn’t mean there can’t be a, a thought provoking deeper message of substance.

So, I say, let’s keep chick lit coming—both in women’s fiction and YA. Because sometimes you just need to read something that makes you smile and go, ahh.

Clockwise is launching electronically this week and it’s only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17 on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle Strauss is giving away five debut books by authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.

LOSING FAITH by Denise Jaden

THE CLEARING by Anne Riley

THE SECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorkle

PERILOUS by Tamara Hart Heiner

THE HATING GAME by Talli Roland

How to win? Sign up for Elle’s newsletter to enter. For extra entries just comment on any blog in the tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you have to win. Five books, five days, five winners!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sunny London Skies

Wheeee! It's Wednesday! Thank you all for your lovely words on my award short-listing -- I'm still happy dancing, which I can assure you is not a pretty sight. The official press release is here!

There are some days the world just seems to love London, and today is one of those days. It's sunny, about 25 C, and my parents are in town -- we've been busy exploring Little Venice, Camden Market, Primrose Hill, Regent's Park and Marylebone. A few photos from our travels are below.

No 'real' post today since I'm in lazy mode and I need to rest up for dinner tonight (tough life, I know), but I am in the hot-seat over at Cally Jackson's blog. Pop by if you get a chance!

Primrose Hill, looking down on London.

A boat on the Grand Union Canal.

Little Venice.

Have a great day, everyone!

Top of the Morning!

Just picture me saying that with an Irish twang... :)

Bad accents aside, I am feeling pretty tops right now. Why? Because I just found out The Hating Game has been short-listed for Best Romantic Read at the upcoming Festival of Romance Awards! Okay, so the novel might not be your typical romance, but to me (and hopefully to the judges) nothing is more romantic than two people who decide to be together not because they need to be, but because they want to be. I'm so thrilled to be in the running with the likes of Carole Matthews, Fiona Harper, Sue Moorcroft and Juliet Archer.

And just look where I found out the good news:

The Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens -- 180 steps up!

In the treetops! Fabulous location for great news, eh? And even better, Mama and Papa TR were by my side -- they're here in London for a visit after a rainy few days in Scotland. We spent a lovely morning at Kew. Here are a few more photos:

The Mediterranean Garden.

Kew Palace.

And in other news, I've been over at lovely Mariam Kobras' blog, spouting off about... you guessed it, chick lit! And the winners of Kate Walkers' Bedded by the Greek Billionaire are Glynis Smy and Janice Horton! Kate decided to throw in an extra copy -- thank so much, Kate.  Congrats, ladies.

I won't be around much until Thursday when M&P TR head back to Canada, although I'll try to visit as much as possible! Have a fantastic Monday, all.

Greek Billionaires and Handsome Strangers

I'm suffering from severe attacks of the sleepies these days, so a big TGIF! Before I pass you over to the wonderful Kate Walker (who has a very relevant and timely post on covers), I want to give a giant shout out to Leigh T Moore. She's just opened up an editing business, so if you're looking for someone experienced to cast an eye over your MS, she's your gal.

I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who has and is continuing to spread the word and review Willow! I'm so thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful group of supporters.

So, here's fellow RNA and romance writer extraordinaire Kate Walker, on 'Finally Getting the Book Cover I Wanted'.

One upon a time, as all good stories should begin, my editor would ask me to contribute some ideas for the way the cover of my book should look when it was finally produced.   I used to think long and hard about this – describe my hero very carefully, give glowing descriptions of my heroine’s beauty, the style of her hair . . .  I’d give a scene that I thought would look great, something atmospheric, sensual, passionate. Hopefully something that would really represent the book I ‘d written. But when the covers finally appeared, often it seemed that – well, either I hadn’t written the book I thought I’d written, or the art department didn’t see my  story – or my characters in quite the way that I thought they should.

There was my very first book – The Chalk Line (1984) . The hero was described as having jet-black hair  - I got an ice-cold blond . Admittedly I’d asked for a snow scene, but I’d never imagined that the weather was going to bleach my hero’s hair quite so badly!   Then there was The Golden Thief. (The hero, an actor named Leigh Benedict was the ‘Golden Thief’ of the tile –he was meant to be gorgeous – tall, blond, devastating. A Robert Redford in his heyday type.  Hmmm – what I got was RR well past his heyday – or perhaps it was Robert Redford’s older, fatter, uglier brother.   And his heroine wasn’t quite the young, fabulous blonde I’d hoped for either.  In fact I did rather wonder if she was meant to be the hero’s mother, rather than the sexy, passionate love of his life.

Fast forward a few years and there was  Wife For A Day  ( 1998)– obviously being the wife of my hero Ronan Guerin, even if just for a day, had all been too much for Lily!  Her hair – her strange, wild, crazily bouffant hair had turned totally grey or again perhaps that was his mother  the hero was trying to force feed with a strawberry.

I began to wonder if I really had written the book I thought I had. Or were my heroes developing some strange mother fixation?   I’m still forced to wonder at times because the cover of Sicilian Husband, Blackmailed Bride (2007) seems to show a  mother – in a bridal dress – together with her  tall – v-e-r-y tall  . . er – husband?  No, he only looks about 16. Or perhaps I’ve got it wrong again and I really wrote a story about a cougar heroine and her 16 year old toy boy?

There was my first ever sheikh book –  Desert Affair (2002) - and I was truly sheikhen when I saw the cover. My son thought someone had spilled ink all over the book  -  and for ever after this one was affectionately known as The Blob because of the big dark stain that spread across the cover. It doesn’t look too bad in the paperback, but believe me, when it was in a hardback edition with the top of what is now clearly a towering sand dune cut of by the title and my name, it just looked exactly like – The Blob.  The title was a little iffy too – you see, Desert Affair was actually set mostly in London – in a wild, fierce snowstorm.  But what with the Blob and Desert Affair, it sold pretty well!

I tried everything I could – I went into even more lyrical and detailed descriptions, I cut picture out of magazines, I  pointed out just who had been my inspiration for the hero of each book  (Hugh Jackman as a Spaniard, Hugh Jackman as an Italian, Hugh Jackman  as an Argentinian. None of them looked at all like Hugh Jackman).   My very first cover in the ‘new style’ covers that came out recently – The Proud Wife (2011)  really wasn’t bad at all – it  featured a glamorous, beautiful woman – it was a stunning photograph. But – well, my heroine was a passionate, voluptuous heroine, fiery and feisty, not the glacially calm creature on the front of this book.

So when my latest book –  The  Return of The Stranger -  the one that’s out on 2nd September  (4th October if you’re in  America) was accepted, I really just gave in. A tall dark hunk was my hero – the book is inspired by Wuthering Heights  so I probably added ‘gipsyish’ or some such. Nothing  more.  And I didn’t hope too hard and I got . . . .

 Perfection!  That’s my hero just as I imagined him – he’s dark and sexy . . .  and everyone I’ve shown this cover to loves him. There’s no blob, no sign of his mother . . . it’s just Heath Montanha  - the hero of The Return of the Stranger, very close to the way I’d imagined him. There’s a moral to this story – say little, keep it zipped – and hope, just hope that someone in marketing has read the book and decides to give it the cover it deserves.

For now, I’m happy – so I’ll settle for that

THE RETURN OF THE STRANGER

 Standing high on the windswept moors, the lone figure of Heath Montanha vows vengeance on the woman who destroyed the last fragments of his heart...Lady Katherine Charlton has never forgotten the stablehand with dangerous fists and a troubled heart from her childhood. Now the rebel is back, his powerful anger concealed under a polished and commanding veneer. When ten years of scandal and secrets are unleashed, with a passionate, furious kiss, Heath's deepest, darkest wish crystallises...Revenge - and Kat - will be his!

Amazon UK, Mills & Boon, Ebook at Harlequin, Amazon, M&B Australia

 Website, Blog, Facebook Author Page created by Romance Book Paradise Promotions.

Kate is generously giving away one copy of her novel, Bedded by the Greek Billionaire (pwoar!) to a lucky commenter (commentator?). Thank you, Kate! Happy weekend, everyone.

Let Them Eat (Cup)cakes

It's Wednesday, and it's hard to believe the week is half-over! A big thanks to Arlee Bird for his review of Willow, and a shout-out for a lovely new blogger Emma Pass, whose YA dystopian is due out in 2013. Pop by and check out her blog if you get the chance.

On to today's topic! I debated blogging about this, because there's already been so much discussion about it -- at least on this side of the Atlantic. Not to mention, I'm getting pretty tired of defending my chosen genre of chick lit.

So I'm not going to rehash the event that's led to me write about this. Instead, I want to ask why women writers, in particular, need to defend what they write. Do we see popular male writers like Nick Hornby defending their humorous, light fiction? No, we do not. Do we see men apologising for throwing in multiple football references, the same way woman do with shoes or cupcakes? No. And do male readers complain that black and red covers are limiting their readership? Um... negative.

So why do women writers need to do this? Why are we constantly having to justify what we write, the appearance of our novels, how they're labelled... and on and on? What's the next step, to apologise for having breasts? Bah!

There is nothing wrong with liking pink. Shoes. Cupcakes. Or even NOT liking any of those things, but wanting to read stories that are relevant to modern women. Yes, I understand packaging and marketing everything with one set of 'symbols' can be grating, but we shouldn't let our constant defence of the labels overtake the fact that we're proud of what we write, and that we write entertaining novels that connect with our readers (at least, I hope I do!). How about being on the offensive?

Let's focus on the positive, and let the critics eat (cup)cakes.

(Now I want a cupcake...)

Odds 'n' Sods

Happy Monday, one and all! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was fabulous, filled with lovely pubs, great wine, rain (booo!) and fantastic reads.

And now it's a fresh new week. I'm half-way through my novella called Miracle in the Museum of Broken Hearts for a Christmas anthology with some other wonderful writers. I have to tell you, it's so good to be writing again after months of editing!

There are a few things on the Talligenda today, so let's get down to business. First up, the winners from my launch  day contest!

The winner of a selection of Marilyn stuff is... Leigh T Moore!


The winner of an ebook of Willow is... Rachel Brimble!


The winner of a £10 Amazon gift certificate is...Teresa Morgan!


Congratulations! I'll be in touch shortly. And thanks so much to everyone, again, who took part.

Oh, would you like a look into my brain? (Yes, I know. Scary.) Gird your loins... and, er... other bits, because at Nik Perring's blog today, you can peer inside the void. 

Onto the next item! Hilarious, fantastic rom-com writer Tonya Kappes has started her own blog recently. Head over and say hi if you get the chance.

And last but by no means least, fellow Canadian writer Isabelle Lafleche has recently launched a book trailer for the US release of her novel J'Adore New York. Have a look!

And that's Monday done, phew! Have a good one.

Miniskirts and More!

Happy Friday, everyone. Wow, what a week!

Before I get started on the miniskirts (don't worry, I'm not going to make you watch a video of me in one), I want to say thanks again for making my launch day so fantastic! Somewhere along the way, I ended up agreeing to wear my Marilyn costume in an author fashion show at the Festival of Romance. The reality of the costume ain't pretty, so if you're going, consider yourself forewarned!

A few links to share from the past couple days: first up, I'm on High Heels and Book Deals talking about my Freedom Shoes. Dance, baby, dance! There have also been lovely reviews of Willow at Bookersatz, One More Page, Kim the Book Worm, Surrounded by Books, and Thoughts in Progress.

And you can win an ebook of Willow at One More Page and Chick Lit Plus.

Phew!

Well, this wasn't just launch week for me. Today is the launch of the fabulous Carol Wyer's Mini-Skirts and Laughter Lines! It sounds like a fantastic read, and Carol is such a warm and lovely lady. I'm a guest in one of her 'rooms' (she's got a fab house party going on!). Drop by and say hi and congratulations if you get a chance.

I'm still working away on putting everyone's name into the bucket for launch day prizes -- so many people took part (yay! thank you!) it's proving quite the task. I hope you don't mind waiting until Monday. 

So until then... have a fab weekend, everyone!

How to Say...

...a big enough thank you? I don't think I can put into words how thrilled, grateful and overwhelmed I am with all the wonderful support I received yesterday from bloggers, Tweeters and Facebookers. It was amazing, and it made my launch day another incredible experience.

I hope I've got around to everyone to say thank you, but if I've missed anyone, please know how much I appreciate your participation! Yesterday was a bit of blur, as I went from Twitter to Facebook to blogs when I could, and back again. I tried to make it through all the amazing 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be' entries last night, but I ended up collapsing in a heap on the sofa around 10:30 pm.

But what amazing blogs people posted! From Glynis Smy's hilarious video, to Gina Dickerson's fab Lady Gaga, to Jabba the Hut, astronauts, cartoon characters, artists, Buffy, Lenny's brave mongoose... wow! I learned so much about loads of fascinating characters. It was fantastic.And to have Pam Reader live tweeting as she read Willow -- so much fun!

And although my goal was mainly to spread the word about Willow, I'm pleased to report my novel cracked the top 100 of Amazon UK on release day and was number 2 on Movers & Shakers (and it's actually still at number 3 right now!). And all down to the people I've been luckily enough to meet here, on Facebook and through Twitter.

So, how to say a big enough thank you? Well, I really can't. But my heart is full. *wipes tear*

(Winners of the Amazon gift cert, ebook and Marilyn stuff will be announced Friday.)

Yay! It's Watching Willow Watts Launch Day!

I can't believe the day has finally come. After months of struggle, blood, sweat, and wine-soaked tears, launch day for my second novel, Watching Willow Watts, is here!

If you're so inclined, you can buy a copy of Willow on Amazon UK for £1.71, or on Amazon.com for $2.99. Paperback coming in November!

Right! Now that's out of the way, let's get started on the fun stuff. First up, my Marilyn Monroe vlog (cringe!). Since in the novel, Willow becomes an overnight sensation after a YouTube video of her Marilyn Monroe impression goes viral, it seemed only fitting I go on YouTube, too. I apologise in advance!





Have you survived? Hope so! Because today is the 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' web splash! Almost 150 bloggers have signed up to post about who they would be, if they could choose anyone. Pop by and visit other participants, if you have a chance. I can't wait to see who everyone has chosen!

So who would I be, if I could be anyone? I wouldn't be Marilyn, that's for sure. I would be Emily Carr. Now, chances are you haven't heard of her. I actually had to Google the name to make sure I had it correct. She's a Canadian landscape painter, born in the late 1800s. Back in the days before I'd heard of Cezanne and Monet and anything else, I remember staring at her paintings and thinking: wow. I loved the colours and the vibrancy.

Carr was also a writer, although I didn't know it at the time. I remember seeing a photo of her and her easel in the midst of the Canadian wilderness, and I thought: 'I want that'. That solitude; that absorption. That dedication to art and creation.

Defying the role of women at the time, Carr is a true Canadian icon. But more than that, she's a true creative.

So... the million dollar (pound!) question. Who would you be, if you could be anyone? And even if you're not posting, feel free to Tweet (with the tag #watchingwillowwatts) or Facebook (tag @Talli Roland) to be in with a chance to win prizes!

A million thank yous to everyone supporting me today. I can't say it enough -- it means the world to me.

One Thousand and One Thank Yous!

I already know it's going to be a great week. Why? Because my blog has now topped one thousand followers! I'd like to thank everyone over the past year and a half who has read, commented and supported me and my novels. It means the world to me.

*sniff sniff*

Okay, enough sap for a Monday! Today, I'm over at fellow RNA'er Nell Dixon's blog, talking again about why I don't talk about writing. (I seem to talk a LOT about not talking, though!) And I've spent the past hour or so recording my vlog, resplendent in my Marilyn wig and dress. Oh yes. Drop by Wednesday (launch day!) to see it and cringe.

And I'd be remiss, of course, if I didn't mention launch day and the 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' web splash this Wednesday! Even if you're busy that day and can't post, you can still tweet, FB or G+ it! Use the tag #watchingwillowwatts or tag me on FB and G+ (Talli Roland) so I know you've taken part, and you can be entered in the draw for priiiiiizes! Fingers crossed it all goes to plan!

Until then, I'd like to know: what funny piece of writing advice would you give to someone? 

Mine would be this: Never keep a full packet of Twizzlers within arm's reach of the laptop. The aftermath is not pretty.

Lush, Links, Love

One of our friendly bottles of wine, posing in the Jardins Luxembourg.

Phew. I'm back from Paris, where there was plenty of wine, bread, wine, cheese, wine... my liver is in recovery! Plenty o' fun was had by all, except perhaps by the men we forced to open our bottle of wine in the grocery store. Oh, the humiliation.

A few quick things! If you'd like to win an ebook copy of Willow, you can enter at Chick Lit Club or Chick Lit Reviews.

This week, I've also been lucky enough to be a guest over at Christa's wonderful blog. Drop by to say hi and for the chance to win a copy of The Hating Game! And over at The Naked Hero, I'm stripping off a Frenchman. Go on, take a peek. You know you want to! :)

A massive thanks to everyone taking the time to read, review, sign up for my launch... I really appreciate it! And as you know, well, next week is going to be an exciting one for me. So I'm going to gather my energy and say have a fantastic weekend.

See you Monday!

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...

I *Do* Read Other Things...

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a fantastic weekend, and to all my North American friends... have a great Labo(u)r Day. Just a quick announcement: if you'd like the chance to win an ebook copy of Watching Willow Watts, just head over to Chick Lit Reveiws and fill out the tiny tiny form. :)

I talk a lot about how much I love chick lit, but I didn't spring from the womb as a fully formed chick lit reader. (Surprising, I know.) In fact, it wasn't until my late twenties and after I'd moved to London that the chick-lit bug really bit. I remember wandering into bookshops and being surrounded by lovely pretty covers... sigh!

But as much as I enjoy chick lit, that doesn't mean it's the only thing I read. Growing up, I loved science fiction by Monica Hughes and historicals by Janet Lunn. As an English Literature student, I read -- and enjoyed -- almost everything from every era (a big BLAH to Restoration comedies, though. Not my kinda humour.).

Now, I have a particular fondness for non-fiction. I'm currently reading and loving an ARC of Backpacked by Catherine Ryan Howard, I've got Karen Walker's Following the Whispers on my list, and I enjoyed Ann Best's In The Mirror.

This year, I've also read and enjoyed Alex Cavanaugh's science fiction novel CassaStar, Stephen Tremp's action-packed book Breaththrough, Karen Jones Gowen's House of Diamonds and Jessica Bells' literary fiction, String Bridge.

So, yes. I love chick lit. But I do read other things!

How about you? Do you stick with one genre, or are you open to most anything?

Live It, Love It

Welcome to all BBQ'ers arriving from Karen's! Please say hi so I can visit with you, too. :)

Today I feel like a chicken who's been injected full of caffeine then had its heard cut off! My best friend from Canada arrives this weekend, and while we have a fun week planned of wine, wine and PARIS, I've got about five zillion items to cross off my to-do list. Spending an hour yesterday playing with my new Marilyn get-up (oh, yes) was not exactly time well spent, either.

A few links to share with you before I pass you over to today guest blogger, the wonderful Shirley Wells! First off, I was on Fabulosity Reads yesterday talking about why I love chick lit, and at The Naked Hero spouting off on why I love London. There's a new review of Willow here, and a nice one of The Hating Game here (I almost forgot I wrote that novel, ha!). Phew. That's everything, I think.

Oh! My favourite donut-loving, writer friend India Drummond's Ordinary Angels is available again on Amazon! Yay!

And now... over to Shirley!

Thank you, Talli, for inviting me to your utterly gorgeous home. I’ll try not to drop crumbs or spill anything while I’m here.

For those of you who don’t know me, let me say that Talli and I are practically identical. We both write. Talli writes wickedly humorous books and I write mysteries, but it’s close enough. We both love wine. Talli gets mistaken for super-model Agyness Deyn and … well, I’m working on that.

What else is there to know about me? Well, I’m an internet addict. I’m still not sure how that happened, but thanks to Facebook and Twitter, I can give you daily weather updates for Florida, Lanzarote, Arizona or just about any place you could want.

Am I jealous of these exotic locations? Well, yes. And no.

I was born in the Cotswolds, but I’ve lived in Cyprus where I wrote several holiday romances, and in Orkney where I continued writing romance. I still remember my horror when Mr W’s job changed. He was promoted and we needed to move to the north of England. “No,” I cried. “It’s nothing but whippets, flat caps, and racing pigeons. It’s always raining. And it’s all grimy old mill towns. There’s a reason people say it’s grim up north, you know.”

Despite my pleas, I had to move north. And I love it. It has a beauty all its own. I live out in the countryside, amid the rolling Pennine Hills. Instead of walking along picturesque beaches, I take the dogs across bleak, windswept moors.

When a heavy mist falls, it can get quite spooky on those hills and instead of working out the storyline for my next romance, I began to think “Hey, this would make a great place to hide a body” or, more often, “What was that noise?”. Instead of the happy-ever-afters I’d been writing for years, my mind was turning more and more to crime.

In 2006, I wrote my first crime novel and my eighth has just been accepted. So although I turn a particularly unattractive shade of green when I see white sandy beaches and hear of 30 degree temperatures, I know that moving to Lancashire was the best thing I ever did.

What about you? Do you love where you live?

Thank you again for having me, Talli. (And don’t worry, the whippets are house-trained.)

Having had several hundred short stories, ten serials and ten novels published, Shirley Wells is finally getting the hang of this writing lark. Her latest Dylan Scott mystery, DEAD SILENT, is available from Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble and all good e-retailers. Connect with Shirley via her website, follow her on Twitter or find her on Facebook.

One Fortnight!

I must say, I do love that word! It sounds so much more intriguing than plain old 'two weeks', doesn't it?

However you say it, two weeks from today is Willow's launch, and I'm rounding the bend from the vom-feeling to excitement. I want to say a giant thank you to everyone here for putting up with me, and a huge HUG to all the wonderful people taking the time to read and post reviews.

So what's happening on launch day? Well, over 100 people have signed up for 'If I Could Be Anyone, I'd Be...' fun! I like to think of it more as an online party than a blogfest. You can visit with the other guests if you like, but there's absolutely no pressure.

Even if you don't want to post on your blog, you can still take part on Facebook (tag me so I can enter you in the draw) or on Twitter, by using the tag #watchingwillowwatts and just saying who you'd be. I can't wait to see who people chose.

In other news, I have purchased a Marilyn wig and white dress... stay tuned for more! :)

Over at L Diane's Spunk on a Stick, Alex, Matt and I are discussing how to get blog comments. Drop by to say hi!

And finally, I want to do a giant shout-out for the lovely Laura of The Daily Dodo, who has finished the first draft of her first novel! You all know what a massive accomplishment the first one is; just knowing you can do it is half the battle. When I first met Laura back in April, she told me she didn't ever think she could write so many words on a regular basis. Just a few short months later, she's done it. Yay!

Mister Clean

It's Bank Holiday Monday here (what that means, I have no idea -- besides a holiday!). And it's the Notting Hill Carnival! Time for some jerk chicken, lots of people, booming bass, crazy costumes...

So, I recently took part in a survey for romantic authors on their ideal hero. I clicked my way through the questions, wondering what my fellow writers were choosing. Does height matter? Weight? Religious persuasion?

Well, as it turns out, there's one really important thing: personal hygiene. I had to laugh. Of course! Who can lose themselves in a romantic encounter when the hero in question smells like garlic, or reeks of last night's mackerel?

Ladies, what characteristics make up your ideal hero? And men, what's important in your perfect heroine? Any bad personal hygiene dating tales to share?

PS: I'm over at Christina Dos Santos' blog today! Pop by if you have the chance.

Bullshot! (Yes, you read that correctly.)

Guess what? It's Friday! It's been a great week -- Mr TR's birthday was yesterday so we hit the town to celebrate (I admit, I've a bit of a sore head); Willow got another nice review on Dot Scribbles; and I've joined the wonderful ladies over at the Naked Hero to write a weekly post! Yay!

Equally exciting, today I've got fellow RNA member Janice Horton here, talking about... drinks! And her latest novel of course. The perfect Friday post. Take it away, Janice.

The most common question I’m asked about my humorous romance novel Bagpipes & Bullshot - is what bullshot is! Well I’m here today to reveal that bullshot is not a typo or a clever play on words but a drink: it’s a bit like a Bloody Mary and is favoured by those who swig from a hipflask and shoot from a shotgun. To me the word ‘bullshot’ epitomises the Scottish country estate. To explain further, it reflects the jaunty humour and the theme of Bagpipes & Bullshot, which is set in Scotland. Innes, the hero of the tale, does indeed also play the bagpipes and quite beautifully too!

But back to the bullshot: to make this fabulous drink (you can call it a cocktail, if you like!) first take two mature bulls…. Erm, no, not really!

Bullshot Recipe

If you prefer it, you can use vodka, but the traditional Scottish version (and the one favoured by all the characters in Bagpipes & Bullshot) has whisky in it. However, if you are planning a trip across the grouse moors later or doing a bit of stalking on the hill, you’ll certainly need your thermos and the extra ingredient of hot beef stock with your bullshot. Mmmmm…warming.

First take a whisky tumbler – and put in it a bit of ice and a slice of lime. Then add a good measure of finest Scotch whisky. Fill to the top with tomato juice; add a good dashing of both Tabasco pepper sauce and Worcester sauce and if you’re feeling frisky add half a teaspoon of grated horseradish. Stir and enjoy! Mmmmm…delicious.

Bagpipes & Bullshot is available to download as an e-book on Amazon Kindle UK and Dot Com and in all other e-formats from Smashwords. Janice blogs here. Follow her on Twitter and her Facebook Author Page.

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!

Publishing is a Business

Happy Monday, everyone! It's a lovely day here in London and my insomnia has somewhat subsided. And Willow got a lovely book blogger review over the weekend, so I'm thrilled with that. All in all, the week is off to a flying start.

An interesting debate has cropped up over on Clarissa Draper's fantastic blog recently. Clarissa asked if she should do a giveaway offering an Amazon gift-card, or if she should use that money to buy and review fellow authors' books. Most commenters thought she should buy and review, but there were a few interested threads I want to pull out.

One of them was that if you want to review a book, the author should send it for free. This is true for ARCs (which, by the way, completely depend on the publisher, not to mention limitations on how many you can distribute). If I ask someone to review my novel, I'd never expect them to buy it, and neither I nor my publisher have any issues sending out free ARCs.

But once the book is available and unsolicited review requests come in, should an author be responsible for sending out free copies of said book for review? Where should an author draw the line?

If I look at my own situation, I receive ten free copies of the final version of my paperback book. (I can usually get more if I request them, for special purposes.) These ten copies go quickly when spread amongst family members and close friends. If I was to send out a paperback for review, I'd need to: a) pay for the book myself; and b) pay for postage. My book costs £7.99 and I receive just under a pound for each in royalties, so that would leave me at a loss. I don't make enough to support my wine habit as it is! :)

I can't see my publisher too keen to send my book out to anyone (I'm talking apart from book bloggers and media) who promises a review, either. Publishing is a business. The goal is to sell books, not give them away. If I didn't sell, both myself and the publisher would go bankrupt.

Another point made in the comments section on Clarissa's blog was that if people help you promote your book in the blogosphere, you should be prepared to do quite sizeable giveaways. Whoa. Giveaways are great if you have the resources to pay for lots of postage, gift certificates, etc. Most of us are writers -- poor by definition. But that's not my main qualm. I don't help people by buying their book and doing reviews because I want something in return, nor do I expect something. For my blogsplash last year, I deliberately avoided offering prizes in return for help. To me (and this is just me), it smacked a little of desperation. I didn't want to have to trade something in return for people's assistance, you know? I wanted people to help because they wanted to help me. And if they didn't (or couldn't) fair enough.

I do my best to help and support other authors because I understand that publishing is a business, and our success and livelihood ultimately boils down to -- whether we like it or not -- sales.

What do you think?

(EDIT 1: I want to make it clear that I do think ARCs should be free, and I'm in no way opposed to giveaways -- quite the contrary! :) What has got me slightly ranty is the expectation, I guess, of something free in exchange.)

(EDIT 2: I'm not talking about book bloggers or media who review books.)

I Am Not a Girl

Happy Friday! I'm delighted to report I've had no more rat-biting-kitten dreams, but the insomnia does seem to have sunk in its teeth a little further. I've been awake since 3 a.m., wheeeeeeeeee!

Ahem. So, I'm delighted to welcome Aussie author M.J. Hearle to my blog, who very obviously is not a girl. Read on for more.... over to you, MJ!

Firstly, thank you so much to the lovely Talli for letting me borrow her blog for the day. I promise to return it promptly and in the same condition it was given (those scratches were there beforehand...honestly!)

Secondly, I’m going to take this opportunity to make a startling confession – I am not a girl. Yes, I know my first novel, Winter’s Shadow is a Paranormal Romance, a genre typically dominated by female writers. Yes, the story is told almost entirely from the perspective of a teenage girl and it’s true M. J. could stand for Mary Jane, (it was in fact the intention of my publisher to obscure my gender) but I would like to state for the record that I am absolutely, positively not a girl.

Michael James Hearle is a man...or a thirty-one year old boy, depending on who you speak to.

Being a man, and concerned with such manly things such as football and cars, one might think it was difficult writing a novel from the perspective of a teenage girl.

One would be right.

Unfortunately, the story that had popped into my head, the story that was making it difficult to sleep at night, demanded to be told in a seventeen-year-old girl’s voice. A girl named Winter Adams. Somehow I had to find that voice, but what did I know about teenage girls? Sure, I’d been through high school with a bunch of them, but I didn’t understand them then and age certainly hasn’t improved my understanding of these mysterious creatures. So, I decided to take a different tact.

I didn’t know anything about sensitive teenage girls, but I did know a fair bit about sensitive teenage boys – I would write Winter as though she was a boy. Winter became me – or a version of me, with alternate plumbing. Once, I’d finished the book I gave it to the three most significant women in my life – my mum, girlfriend and sister – to see if I’d succeeded or if I’d completely missed the mark. The feedback from all three was that Winter felt pretty authentic, however some of the finer details in my characterisation needed tweaking. Here’s a few of the notes I received:

• Middle-aged women in the fifties might have gone to bed wearing facemasks and cucumbers over their eyes, but seventeen year old girls generally don’t. They also don’t get to bed with rollers in their hair.

• Girls don’t just sit around talking about boys and shoes. They can discuss other topics such a music, movies, television, and politics. They probably wouldn’t discuss who won the football on friday night.

• Not all girls love Sex in the City (though most do) and even if they do, it’s doubtful they would refer to themselves as a ‘Samantha’, ‘Carrie’ etc.

• A seventeen year-old girl would probably find Justin Bieber just as lame as a thirty-one year old man.

• Jane Austen isn’t the only author teenage girls read.

• Girls don’t refer to themselves as ‘chicks’.

Tired of the same old glittery vampire and shirtless werewolf stuff, I crafted an entirely new supernatural mythology for Winter’s Shadow. I invented a whole other world, new creatures, new rules, and while coming up with a fresh take on a well worn genre was pretty tricky, I can honestly say it wasn’t half as hard as writing a believable teenage girl.

It’s no coincidence that my next book will be about a thirty-one year old man who likes watching television and eating nachos.

Winter’s Shadow

Blake Duchamp…

He’s all that Winter Adams can think of. Ever since their fateful meeting at Pilgrim’s Lament. Ever since he looked at her with those emerald eyes. Ever since he saved her life.

But Blake isn’t all that he seems. There is a strangeness about him, something dark and otherworldly. Something dangerous. In his attic is a secret he would kill to defend, but Winter seems to have a special ability to make him forget his duty. And he is her only protection against the gathering darkness.

The only problem is, to protect Winter, Blake must risk exposing her to an even greater danger.

Himself.

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!

Tweet Right!

Hi all! I'm popping in on a Tuesday before tomorrow's regular post to celebrate the launch of Nicola Morgan's Tweet Right. But before I get to that, I want to say thank you for all the lovely comments and messages of support on yesterday's post. Time and again, I'm reminded what a great community of people I have around me. Thank you!

Right. *wipes tear* Now, I'm a massive fan of Twitter. I've met loads of people on there -- many I've met in 'real life' and now count as firm friends -- and I think it's an invaluable tool for writers. But it can be hard to get stuck into, non?

In her infinite Crabbit wisdom, the wonderful Nicola Morgan of Help! I Need a Publisher has written an easy to understand, practical guide to Twitter.

Nicola says:

Okay, cards on the table: I am a big fan of Twitter. I’m self-employed and Twitter is wonderful for us: individuals, often working alone, using our own initiative, free to manage our own time, setting our own rules. But it’s just as useful if you’re not self-employed and you just want to make new friends and contacts, and acquire new knowledge about your fields of interest.

Get your e-copy of TweetRight here. And if you're not on Twitter... why not? :)

See you tomorrow!

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.

It’s a book, Jim, but not as we know it...

I'm thrilled to welcome author Phillipa Ashley to my blog today! She's a fellow member of the Romantic Novelists' Association, super nice, and a brilliant writer. Her first novel was even made into a TV movie starring Kristin Chenoweth!

Phillipa's post made me laugh out loud several times -- never have truer words been spoken. Take it away, Phillipa!

When is a book a ‘real’ book?

If you’re writing your first novel, I’d argue that your book becomes ‘real’ when the first draft is complete. The reason being that if you’ve finished a first draft, you’ve already achieved something significant. You’ve spent months at the keyboard, you’ve made sure your plot is not a series of events but actions with consequences, ruthlessly eliminated your clichés and turned your cardboard cut-outs into flesh and blood people.

When you’ve ‘finished’ it?

So you’ve written The End, even though you know it’s not the end at all, but the beginning of the next phase of your book, where even more slog, angst and hurdles await. Still, after the first draft, you can pat yourself on the back and book that fortnight in the Maldives or more likely, open a bottle of Tesco’s Finest Cava and rest up for the next, even tougher, phase.

Eventually, after several months of thinking and rewriting, you will get to a point where The End really does mean your book is finished. You’ll realise that, while your ms is far from perfect, it can never be perfect and tinkering further will be counter-productive. It’s time to get feedback from a critique service, or send it off to agents or a publisher.

When you’ve sent it out into the world?

You may also feel the need to tell friends, relatives and random people on the bus about your book. Perhaps you’re looking for validation, support and applause. But do they believe it’s a proper book? Well, quite often the answer is 'no'!

From the non-writer's pov, your book will probably not be considered a ‘proper’ one unless it is published. If it’s not, you may as well claim to have landed on the Moon. It won’t matter how brilliant, funny, touching and insightful your work is, or that you’ve spent years researching it and agonising over every word. Unless it’s been published, many outsiders switch off as soon as you mutter ‘well, not yet but...”.

When you get a deal?

Let’s be optimistic and say you get a publishing deal. Maybe with a big publisher, more likely with a smaller, independent press. You are ecstatic – and validated!

Er... no. Because out there in the big wide world, many people won’t consider your book is a ‘proper’ one, unless it’s published by a ‘real’ publisher – i.e. one they’ve heard of, usually Penguin, possibly Hodder (schoolday memories) or Bloomsbury (Harry Potter.)

When you see your book in print?

Despite the Rise of the Kindle, for many people, e-books still don’t count. As an example, I’ll share a conversation I had with my hair colourist last week (whaddaya mean, I’m not a natural brunette?).

Me: “Want to see my shiny new Kindle?”

Hair colourist: “A Kindle? I’d never have thought you’d have one of those. I thought you loved books.”

Me: “I do love books but a Kindle is simply another means of delivering stories to readers, the way iPods have replaced records and CDs. And my books are in print too...”

Colourist: “What a shame. That just shows what the world’s coming to. I’ll leave you to set for half an hour.”

When it’s in the shops or won an award?

For some people a book isn’t proper unless it’s in The Shops. Not just Waterstones and Tesco and Asda, but every little shop on every street they will ever drift into. And it needs to be in all the shops, in perpetuity, for it to really count.

For a few, a book’s not proper unless it’s won an award, and that has to be a big award sponsored by a coffee company, a mobile phone provider or Richard & Judy.

For a sizeable chunk of the population, your book won’t be real because it has a pink sparkly cover or butterflies or a couple snogging. It may not be a proper book unless a main character dies at the end when you least expect them to, causing you to weep for a week and throw the book against the wall. Or it’s not real unless a dozen people are killed in ingenious and horrible ways or the book is set in 13^th century Outer Mongolia or an alternate universe where everyone is a yeti with telepathic powers and fangs.

Or it may not be a proper book because you, the author, are in fact, still alive.

So, if you’ve written a book, and you’re still worrying about whether it’s a proper book, I’ll let you into a secret. It is.

Phillipa Ashley writes sexy, fun, romantic women’s fiction and is the author of five novels, published as print and e-books by Little Black Dress, Sourcebooks and Samhain.

Her latest book, Fever Cure, is available from all good online stores including amazon.com and amazon.co.uk. The paperback will be in The Shops in the USA and available online worldwide in early 2012.

London Love

Thanks loads for the fantastic response to my Watching Willow Watts Party! I'm thrilled so many of you have signed up to come have a ball. Yay!

Unless you've been living under a rock, you've probably heard about the London riots. Horrific pictures and tales have been streaming in from across the city. Monday night -- the height of the violence -- was my and Mr TR's second anniversary. I've harped on about our London love story so I won't wax poetic here, but needless to say this city played an integral role in our relationship. As we headed out to the theatre and dinner on Monday, we had no idea of the violence that was about to erupt, just ten minutes away from where we live.

I don't want to talk about any of the horrible things that happened in the city. I do want to show you some fantastic images of London on our wedding night. So... here's to London and love!

The National Theatre, all lit up.

London Bridge, done up in pink.

The City, London's financial heart.

The Millennium Bridge.

London Eye.

London Eye, from the river.

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. :)