Life Begins at 22

Hello, all! I had a total blog fail yesterday owing to someone pinning me down on the sofa and forcing me to watch the Federer Wimbledon match. What can I say, it was difficult but I toughed it out. 

So today, I'm taking part in the Life Begins at 22 'blorgy' (a Gemma Burgess word; I didn't make it up!)  to celebrate the launch of Gemma's Brooklyn Girls. Find out more about the book here and read more Life Begins at 22 entries here. I'm posting a bit early but there will be plenty of other entries to peruse soon!

For me, this post should probably be entitled Life Begins at 24, because that is the age I finally finished my Masters and went out into the big wide world of work. And thus began the disillusionment with corporate life, because although I loved having my own flat, making money, and living in a great city, I detested the nine to five grind of doing something (in this case, editing a medical journal) which was guaranteed to put me to sleep within five minutes. 

In fact, my colleagues and I would often indulge in a cheeky little snooze while looking suitably engrossed in an article on DREs (don't ask - you really don't want to know, believe me). 

But the brilliant group of people I worked with more than made up for the rather lacklustre material. All young, most just a few years out of university and living away from their hometowns, we became a close circle. Outside of the beige office, we took on Montreal: going to bars, eating eating eating, and hanging out on the terraces during the lovely hot summers. 

I still remember the heady excitement of exploring a fantastic new city, the freedom of returning home to my own apartment, and knowing that if I wanted something, I had the money to buy it. Life after 24 was all about freedom and fun, and although there was the inevitable heartbreak and confusion, that's what I remember most.

What do you remember about your twenties?

Pavilion in the Park

I hope everyone had a glorious weekend! I have now passed the 50,000 mark on The No-Kids Club, which I'm sure deserves a few glasses of wine. I'm hoping to finish the first draft in the next few weeks, and then the dreaded editing begins. *cue music of doom*

The past week has been a busy one! I'm very pleased to say I signed with super-agent Madeleine Milburn. She's got a great stable of authors -- many of whom I know -- and I'm thrilled to be a part of them. I hope to give more details of exactly why I've decided to go with an agent in the near future!

In a complete non sequitur, every year, the Serpentine Gallery in Kensington Gardens commissions an architect to design a summer pavilion. Checking it out has become an annual occurrence! While I wasn't keen on last year's, I quite like this summer's structure.

Gratuitous baby shot!

Have a great week, everyone. See you next Monday. 

Sex. On Tuesdays. Or Not.

Oh, my. It's Monday! Again! Who knew time could pass so quickly? I am currently tearing my hair and rending my wardrobe (not to worry, I've been wearing the same coffee-stained sweater for days).

Well, you'll be happy to hear that Baby TR has now decided he likes his crib and has returned to regular nap-times. Phew! I'm able to write again and I'm almost half-way through the first draft of The No-Kids Club. Whoop!

But enough about me! Today, I'm thrilled to welcome Tracy Bloom to the blog.

Take it away, Tracy.

Dreams Do Come True - But Not How You Expect Them To!

 I’d always dreamed of writing a book and getting it published. I pictured myself walking into book shop and seeing it there, right at the front, with my name all over it. That was my dream. And it came true…well sort of.

I didn’t start writing until marriage, a baby and a husband sent to work in the USA for three years slung me out of my previous career developing theme park rides and attractions and into desperate housewife territory.  In a bid to avoid domestic duties and people who didn’t understand my Derbyshire accent I threw myself into my dream, writing whilst my son napped in the afternoons. I joined a creative writing class and my romantic comedy, No-one Has Ever Had Sex on a Tuesday, began to take shape.

Eventually I finished my tale of a one-night stand that leads to utter chaos so I skipped class to sweat over letters to potential agents in London. Not that I thought I’d get one, I just fancied getting some transatlantic mail.  But to my absolute shock one wanted me. Champagne corks popped.  My dream was coming true...wasn't it?

My agent took my book to Frankfurt Book Fair and I waited patiently to hear when I would see my book in Waterstones. The news came that it had sold to the highest bidder in a German auction and a pre-empted bid had secured it a home in Italy. Not long after Brazil grabbed hold of it followed by Poland. But no UK publisher stepped forward. Initially I was crushed that I wouldn’t be seeing my book on home territory until the reality of being published abroad sunk in. Someone in Brazil, a country I had never even visited, thought I was funny, thought I could write and wanted other Brazilians to read my story.  That, I decided, was very cool.

So I headed to Italy to live the dream of seeing my book in a store.  I took pictures whilst trying to convince shop owners that I was the author and not some eccentric English lady who couldn’t speak Italian and yet convinced she's written an entire book in their language. Not quite what I had imagined but amazing all the same.

This year NO-ONE EVER HAS SEX ON A TUESDAY is finally published in English. With the support of my agent who also represents Sophie Kinsella, Veronica Henry and Kate Harrison I have self-published on Amazon.  So I still won't get to see it in a book shop but who knew that watching my novel fight its way up the Amazon charts gathering great reviews as it goes would actually be my dream come true?

You can follow me on Twitter @TracyBBloom or Facebook www.facebook.com/tracybloomwrites or get in touch via my website www.tracybloom.com.

 Thank you, Tracy! 

And an even better ending: since writing this post, Tracy's novel has rocketed to Number One on Amazon.co.uk! Congratulations, Tracy. It seems dreams really do come true. 

Have a great week, everyone. 

Notting Hill Press Launches!

Hello, Monday!

This week has been a busy one as usual, especially since Baby TR has decided he does not want to nap in his lovely new crib. Camping out in his room during nap-times has somewhat reduced my productivity although I swear I now have the ability to see in the dark.

But onwards and upwards! Today is an exciting day: I'm thrilled to announce the launch of a new publishing partnership I'm involved in: Notting Hill Press, a place to find some of the U.K.'s best-loved chick lit/romantic comedy. 

With more than 40 books already under its imprint, our authors include Sunday Times best-sellers Belinda Jones, Chrissie Manby and Sue Welfare; Romantic Novelist Association nominees and award-winners Victoria Connelly and Scarlett Bailey (aka Rowan Coleman); Festival of Romance  award-winner Nicola May; and best-selling debut author Lucy Robinson and Amazon best-sellers Nick Spalding, Matt Dunn and Michele Gorman.

Phew! 

We have a piece on the USA Today Romance blog explaining how it all came about, but basically, we're a collective of traditionally published writers who are also self-publishing, and we'll be sharing promotional efforts and professional contacts. Plus, we want Notting Hill Press to act as a sort of 'seal of approval' for British chick lit/ rom-com novels. It's an exciting time to be an author, and we hope this new initiative will showcase author power.

And there's a huge giveaway happening over on our Facebook page. Pop by to check it out!

Enough excitement for one day, I think . . . and little Lobster Baby is wailing again, so I must be off. See you next week!

Party and Parks

Happy Tuesday! Yes, Tuesday. I'm a little late posting this week, owing to the long weekend. For once, we had sun! Yes, sun! On a Bank Holiday weekend. I needed a drink to get over my flabbergastion (should be a word!).

I've been attending parties . . .

At the RNA Party a couple weeks ago.

Wrangling with this little guy . . .

Now five months old!

And enjoying springtime in London with my parents.

And, of course, I've been writing writing writing. It's busy times here chez Roland!

Is it spring in your neck of the woods? Have a great week, everyone!

Love, Cupid, and Gosling

Happy Monday!

This week I am gallivanting around the city (well, as much as one can 'gallivant' with a five-month-old), so I'm inviting the wonderful and vivacious Holly Hepburn to take over my blog today! I shall return next week with photos from the RNA Summer Party and all my latest exploits. Brace yourself!

Until then . . . here's Holly!

My name is Holly Hepburn and I am an addict. But before you judge me, read my story.

Back in December 2012, I was just like you. I had an idea for a book about Cupid, but I thought it would be a YA novel and, with all my other writing, I didn't really have time to write it. Then two things happened; firstly, I watched a film called Crazy Stupid Love, starring a certain R Gosling. I should say at this point that although I was aware of Le Gosling, I hadn't seen any of his films and could quite possibly have passed him on the street without knowing it. That all changed once I watched Crazy Stupid Love. Not only did it make me guffaw with laughter, it ignited an - um - appreciation of the actor himself.

The second thing was that I dreamed I actually wrote Cupidity. Only it wasn't a YA novel, it was a chick lit novella and it sold like red roses on St Valentine's Day. And in my dream, it was made into a film starring Ryan Gosling as Cupid. After that, it seemed rude not to write the book and release it on Valentine's Day 2013.

Fast forward around two months and I abandoned the project at around 13,000 words. It was two days before Valentine's Day, I couldn't finish it in time and I had other deadlines banging at my door. So, with deep regret, I closed the Google page of Ryan Gosling images and got on with my other writing.

Around six weeks later, I was finishing my contribution to the Sunlounger anthology and was hit by the sudden realisation that Cupidity didn't have to be a Valentine's Day story - it could work just as well as a tale of summer loving. With quivering fingers, I searched out an image of my leading man, made it the wallpaper on my phone and knuckled down to work. Ten thousand words later, I was done - Cupidity was finished. It's been an Amazon bestseller since the day I uploaded it, which I'm obviously happy about. But the personal price has been high - I'm left with a lingering infatuation with Ryan Gosling. OK, it's more of an obsession. I mean, imagine him in a toga. Actually, I might have to make it a loincloth for the film. Mmmm, Ryan Gosling in a loincloth...

See?

My name is Holly Hepburn and I am a Gosling Addict. It has been ten minutes since I last Gosled.

My website is www.HollyHepburn.com and you can read the first chapter of Cupidity for free here www.hollyhepburn.com/books. Twitter - @hollyh_author

Thank you, Holly!

Have a lovely week, everyone.

London-versary!

Hello, all! Hope everyone had a great week and that all the mums in North American had a fabulous Mother's Day. It truly irks me to no end that in the UK, we celebrate the day in March, when the weather is at the peak of its yucky greyness. I should start a petition to move the day to May! In all my free time, snort snort. 

Well, I'm pleased to report that I'm about one-third of the way through the first draft of The No-Kids Club, my latest novel. I'm really enjoying writing it, and the three points of view are certainly providing lots of opportunity for conflict. My hope that putting more thought into plotting would mean less rewriting hasn't exactly come to fruition, though . . . I seem to have gone off-piste again! Ah, well. That's part of the fun, isn't it? Just remind me of this when I'm struggling with the edits. 

Last week, I celebrated my nine-year Londonversary. In May 2004, I packed up my belongings, hopped on a plane, and travelled to London in hopes of finding a job and a new life in one of the world's greatest cities. It was a leap of faith, and one I've never regretted making. Within a week, I'd met Mr TR, who became my guide around town -- and my boyfriend (and then, a few years later, husband). It took a little longer to find a permanent teaching job, but the hellish few months of supply teaching in Central London seemed more like an adventure than torture.

The Royal Festival Hall and the London Eye, site of my first date with Mr TR.

The Millennium Bridge to St Paul's. 

One of my favourite buildings on my street.

Now -- several jobs and one baby later -- I can't believe I've been living here for nine years. I can't imagine being anywhere else! I feel a part of this city now; it's wound its way into my life. Heck,  I even published a book on it!

So here's to nine incredible years in London . . . and the UK!

The Black Mountains in Wales. 

With Mr TR, looking down over Broadway in the Cotswolds.

A village in the Cotswolds.

If you could live anywhere you liked, where would it be?

Books, Bank Holiday, and Baby!

Happy Monday, all! We're in the middle of a glorious long weekend here, with plenty of lovely sunshine, for once. I'm a little anxious this will turn out to be our 'summer' before we plunge back into grey and cold, but I'm trying to get out and enjoy it as much as I can.

Basking in the sun in Holland Park.

'How the heck did I get here?'

They smell so gooooood!

And in book news! I've managed to finalise the cover for my new novel, The No-Kids Club. Click here to read more about it, and to add it to your Goodreads.

And in even more book news! The lovely Glynis Smy has a new novel out this week, a wonderful book called Ripped Genes.

Ripped Genes will be at a special launch price of 99c/(77p approx) for the ebook version, until end of May. The descriptive blurb holds a spoiler for those who have not read the first book. If you would like to read, Ripper, My Love, first, then contact Glynis at: glynissmy at outlook dot com, and put FREE BOOK PLEASE in the subject line. You will be sent a code for Smashwords, where you can download a copy in any format you please. 
 

Growing up in late nineteenth century East London, Kitty Harper’s life is filled with danger and death – from her mother, her beloved neighbour and the working women of the streets ... Read more. 

Purchase and Review Link to all books by Glynis Smy

About Glynis:


Glynis has lived for eight years in Cyprus. Her historical novels carry a twist in the tale, and she creates strong female characters who struggle in life. In June 2013, Glynis returns to her hometown,Harwich, Essex,in the UK, where she will gain inspiration for her next novel, The Man in Room Eighteen.  

Find Glynis on:
Twitter: @ghunibee. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/glynissmyauthor

Congrats to Glynis!

Have a lovely week, everyone. I'm struggling to fit in my blog rounds with as much frequency as I used to - I'm feverishly writing whilst the baby is napping! - but please know I do appreciate each and every comment you leave. 

Scaling the Mountain

Happy Monday, everyone! It's a sunny morning here in London (yay!), and I've managed to write 1,500 words of my new novel today (yay!) and, well, I'll be drinking wine tonight (double yay!).

Starting a new novel is always a little daunting. Although I've done extensive planning this time around and I feel I know my characters' motivations inside out, it's a bit like staring up a mountain you're about to scale. Plus, I've found that no matter how much I plan, things always change. A scene I thought would take ages to write turns out to be only half a chapter, or a new character jumps into the fray. While I like the surprises, sometimes I wish writing could just be straightforward! Or that I could bl**dy well stick to an outline!

Plus, there are often those bleating voices in my head constantly saying: 'This is boooooring! No-one will read this! This is booooooring!' I find eating chocolate helps to vanquish them.

I'm hoping to get this new novel out by autumn, although with a baby in the house, one never knows what each day brings. More details coming soon!

So this week, I'll be writing, writing, writing... hopefully.

How do you feel about beginning a new novel? 

Have a great week!

What a Difference A Few Years Makes

Happy Monday, all! Hope you've had a lovely week. I've no idea where mine went!

Today I'm excited to host author Michele Gorman, talking about how publishing times have changed. Take it away, Michele!

What a Difference a Day (or a few years) Makes

In what other profession does one pour her heart and soul into her work, for years, without getting paid? All right, nuns, yes.

But we’re not nuns, are we? Definitely not. No, we’re authors, so we don’t even get VIP tickets through the pearly gates. And yet, there we are, toiling at the laptop, month after month, year after year. For what?

Well, for a lot of things, actually. Because the fact is, we love to write. Every character that we fall in love with, every storyline that comes together makes us happy. Sure, everyone has dreams of writing their first book, quitting the day job, staying in their pyjamas all day to pen novels and watch the cash roll in. But something makes us keep writing, even after that first book doesn’t find an agent or a publisher. We still write, late at night after a long day’s work, without being paid. Why? Because eventually all that writing pays off.

When I started, around 14 years ago, I had the same idea that everyone does when they start. But it took two books to find an agent, and four to find a publisher. I took me six to be in a position to quit my day job to write full-time. I’ve just published the seventh book I’ve written, Bella Summer Takes a Chance, and got to spend months with some of the warmest, funniest characters I’ve ever imagined, exploring the question: does “in love” really exist, and do you have to be in love for a relationship to last? They’re questions that I’m sure lots of women ask (myself included), and it was fantastic to see my characters figure out the answers for themselves…. I think it’s my best book yet.

That’s what I’ve learned from all this – the late nights, sacrificed weekends, knock-backs and rejections. That we get better the more we do it. It never gets easier, because we’ll always push ourselves to perfect our craft, but we get better. That’s good for us and it’s good for readers.

The publishing world has certainly changed since I started. That makes me sound like a rocking chair-bound octogenarian. In fact, we’ve seen an incredible rate of change in just a few years. The Kindle wasn’t launched until late 2007, and Amazon.co.uk’s Kindle store didn’t open until August 2010. Yet by May 2011, eBooks were outselling all other formats on Amazon.com. What a difference a few years makes, eh?

So now we can publish with the Big 5. We can publish with small presses. We can publish independently. We can do all of the above. And as tempting as it is to hurry along the process, we do need all that practice to become the best possible writers. So as tempting as it is, try not to rush it. The more we write the better we become. If it’s your dream to have a traditional publishing deal, then keep going until you get there. If you want to publish independently then make sure you give your book the attention that it, and your writing, deserve: use professional content editors and copy editors, and ensure it has the best possible cover. As authors we have more options than ever before. But at the end of the day we are authors because we love to write. And doesn’t that make us lucky girls and boys?!

Michele Gor

man is the best-selling author of the Single in the City series and Bella Summer Takes a Chance. She also writes upmarket commercial fiction under the pen name Jamie Scott. Born and raised in the US, Michele has lived in London for 16 years. 

If it weren't for Twitter and Facebook, Michele would be a much more prolific writer, but wouldn't have nearly as much fun, so do chat to her online:

Twitter:@expatdiaries - Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/MicheleGormanBooks - Blog: www.michelegormanwriter.blogspot.com
Website: www.michelegorman.co.uk

Thank you, Michele!

How have changes in the publishing world affected you?

Have a great week, everyone!

Friends and Foes

Monday, Monday! And guess what? I'm not wrapped in a blanket shivering, oh no I'm not. I'm actually wearing a T-shirt. Without a sweater! Spring seems to have finally sprung in the capital, thank goodness.

Last week, I had the chance to put on my party shoes, trot lost around Victoria for a little while, then head (via pub) to Belgravia Books where the wonderful Caroline Smailes was launching her latest novel. If you haven't read any of her books... get on it! Caroline's style is unique and mesmerizing.

Me, DJ Kirkby, and a very animated Caroline. (Photo by Pete Dominican.)

Me and author Michele Gorman, who'll be on the blog on Thursday!

I am so out of wine-guzzling shape, so can you believe I was hungover from two glasses of wine? Sheesh!

This week is the London Book Fair, and although I won't be gate-crashing this year, I'm looking forward to seeing my dear friend and crime writer extraordinaire Mel Sherratt while she's in town.

So what of the foes? Well, they're the mindless daytime telly programmes I seem to be falling victim to on a daily basis! No more Millionaire Matchmaker for me. And this time I mean it.

What are your foes, metaphorical or otherwise?

What I've Learned in the Past Three Months

Nothing brings yourself into sharper focus than having a baby. In the past three months, amidst the inevitable fatigue and the millionth nappy change, I've learned a lot! So, in no particular order, here are my revelations. 

About Writing:

- I need to write. Even if I'm tired or covered in spit-up, writing has become a part of me.

- Sadly, I am not one of those cool, multi-tasking writerly types who can pen their tomes from the comfort of their sofa. Nope, I need a desk, a chair, and no telly within easy reach! Hence, my new makeshift office. 

I think the word is 'basic'!

- Crying babies do not enhance the creative process (surprising, I know!).

- Despite my more limited writing time, I'm still capable of wasting as much time on the Internet. Sigh!

About Babies:

- Nappies never fully contain explosive poos. I believe this is a market gap and I shall soon be developing my duct-tape diaper design. Watch for it at a Tesco near you!

- You can fall asleep while still rocking the baby's basket. Looks like I possess the multi-tasking ability after all. 

- There's nothing better than your baby's morning smile. Awwwwww!

And in other news, writer DJ Kirkby has a new book out called Special Deliveries. It's a lovely collection of stories from the maternity unit. If you enjoy Call the Midwife or One Born Every Minute, you'll definitely enjoy it, too. 

What's something you've learned recently?

Have a great week, everyone!

A Good Egg

Well, it may be the coldest Easter in the UK since records began, but I'm not going to let that affect my long weekend!

It's a holiday here today, so I'm going to just say this...

Happy Easter!

Good luck to everyone kicking off the A to Z Challenge. See you next week!

Birthday on the Bank

It's Monday again, and wouldn't you know it: London is still freezing! No matter, because I had a wonderful birthday weekend despite Arctic conditions and a failed shopping trip (why is it that when you want to buy something -- anything! -- nothing takes your fancy, but when you're dead broke...). Not wanting to brave the snow flurries on Saturday, I holed up indoors and watched Margin Call. It's a brilliantly terse film with wonderful dialogue. The night was topped off by strawberries and champagne and, er... pizza. Not quite as decadent as champers and berries, but just as yummy!

On Sunday, Mr TR, Baby TR and I faced down the biting wind and had lunch at the British Film Institute on the Southbank, where I got a wonderful pair of diamond and sapphire earrings. I'm a lucky woman!

You can sort of see my new earrings here!

Then we strolled along the river, trying not to freeze, and over to the Tate Modern for some art and dessert. Baby TR had just about enough at this stage and his Lobster-y side kicked in, so we beat a hasty retreat home where we gulped down some delicious Chinese takeaway and birthday cake.

Baby TR... before becoming Lobster-y.

And that was that! So, okay, it wasn't Paris and yes, there was plenty of poo and pee involved (the baby's, I hasten to add!). But I have to admit, it was a pretty damn fabulous birthday anyway.

Thank you all for the birthday wishes here, on Facebook and on Twitter!

Have a great week.

I Love London in the Springtime...

Happy Monday! Less than one week until my birthday, just in case you needed reminding. Last year, Mr TR and I went to Paris for the weekend. This year, well... let's just say it'll be a celebration if I make it through the day without being sprayed with spit-up/ pee/ explosive cascading poo/ drool. I do have a super-cute baby for my troubles, though, so I really can't complain (much).

This past week was a busy one! I met with my agent at a cute cafe next to the English National Opera, had an enquiry from a publishing house in Brazil, went to lunch with six other mums at the Orangery in Kensington Gardens -- you should have seen the horror on the other patrons' faces as we wheeled our prams in! -- and attended a talk by the wonderful Jane Lovering at a Romantic Novelists' Association event. And the weather, well . . . let's not speak of it; I'll let the ironic title of this post do that. Argh.

I'm now putting the finishing touches on my short story, and tomorrow I'll start plotting a new novel. I've been mulling this one over for a while and I can't wait to get started crafting the story line! A big thank-you to everyone who chimed in with nap suggestions. You'll be pleased to hear Lobster Baby is dozing as I type. Long may it last!

I'll leave you with a photo of this time last year in Paris... sigh!

Have a lovely week, everyone!

Existential Monday

Monday again! I've no idea where the time is going, and what a difference a week makes. This time last Monday, I was picnicking in the park sans jacket. Now, I'm cowering by the heater wrapped in a robe as  Britain suffers a wintry blast. Fingers crossed Spring sees fit to make a return!

Yesterday was Mother's Day (or Mothering Sunday, as it's also known) in the UK. I always found it strange to celebrate in March as opposed to May, and this year - as a new mother - even more so. Despite the icky weather, Mr TR, Lobster Baby and I managed to make it out to brunch on nearby High Street Kensington where I devoured a HUGE stack of pancakes in about five minutes. I may not be classy, but man, can I eat quickly! I hope all the other UK mums reading this also had a fantastic day.

I am feeling so out of the loop these days, and I hope to return to make the blog rounds soon. (Yes, I've said that before, I know, I know.) With Lobster Baby on a regular nap schedule now (and if he stays napping when he's supposed to), I should be able to! Thankfully, I have been able to get some words down amidst the clamour of the ongoing painting work. It's been a strange couple months not writing, I must admit, and I did miss it. Slowly, slowly, I am finding my way through the mists of motherhood and back to the world!

What's the weather like in your neck of the woods (yes, I'm obsessed with weather)? How on earth do you get children to stay asleep once they're down? And why are we here, anyway? :)

Have a great week, everyone!

Sunlounging!

Summer seems so far away, doesn't it? But this week, I've been working on a short story for Belinda Jones' Sunlounger anthology, featuring thirty chick lit writers (including yours truly!). My story is set in Cairo, complete with sand, camels... and sun! Sigh. Although it is sunny in London at the moment with a high of 13 Celsius, so I can't really complain.

If you fancy getting your story in there, you can submit 1000-5000 words right up until 31st March. Click the photo to read the fine print...

Apart from camels, I've been busy doing more park walks, lunches, and brunches in Soho. And next week, I hope to start plotting my new novel. Yay!

Hope you all had a lovely weekend. Wishing everyone a great week ahead!

When in Rome

Happy Thursday, all! Thank you for your lovely comments on Monday's post. You'll be happy to hear I'm feeling much better, blood pressure aside, and I'm off for a lovely stroll through Hyde Park in a bit!

Today, I am pleased to welcome fellow RNA member Alison Morton to the blog to talk about her new novel, Inceptio.

Over to Alison!

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your blog, Talli.

Tomorrow is the official publication date of my debut novel, INCEPTIO. Hooray! Three years of slog – researching, writing, and polishing – have led to this exciting moment. It’s a thriller, so it’s doubly exciting. Now, I’d like to tell you about it! But too much telling’s frowned on by Those Who Know, so let me show you…

An eleven year old fascinated by the mosaics in Ampurias (huge Roman site in Spain), I asked my father, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the men?” Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain that day, maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartarse question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?” Real life intervened (school, uni, career, military, marriage, motherhood, business ownership), but the idea bubbled away in my mind and INCEPTIO slowly took shape.

Of course, I made the classic mistake of submitting too soon, but had some encouraging replies. Several rewrites later and I’d made some full submissions, even to a US agent! I had replies like ‘If it was a straight thriller, I’d take it on’ and ‘Your writing is excellent, but it wouldn’t fit our list.’  I was (am!) passionate about my stories so I decided to self publish with bought-in publishing services. Using high quality professional backing (editing, advice, registrations, typesetting, design, book jacket, proofing, etc.), I think it’s a fantastic way for new writers to enter the market.

You describe your novel as an “alternate history thriller” – how is that different from a normal thriller? 

Alternate history is based on the idea of “what if”? What if King Harold had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or if Julius Caesar had taken notice of the warning that assassins wanted to murder him on the Ides of March? Sometimes, it could be little things such as in the film Sliding Doors, when the train door shuts and Gwyneth Paltrow’s character splits into two; one rides away on the train, the other is left standing on the platform.

The rest of the story or history of a country, from that point on develops differently from the one we know. In my book, Roma Nova battled its way from a small colony in the late fourth century somewhere north of Italy into a high tech, financial mini-state which kept and developed Roman Republican values, but with a twist. It’s really fun working this out! The thriller story then takes place against this background. The nearest comparison would be J D Robb’s Eve Dallas Death series.

Stories with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles, depravity, intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords. But imagine the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward into the 21^st century. How different would that world be?

So what’s INCEPTIO about?

New York – present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe. Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, a ready-made family and a new career. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...

And next? I’m working on PERFIDITAS, the second book in the Roma Nova series.

You can find INCEPTIO on Amazon UK  and Amazon US.  

You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing on her blog: www.alison-morton.com, on Facebook www.facebook.com/AlisonMortonAuthor and follow her on Twitter @alison_morton.

 Thanks, Alison. Have a great weekend, everyone!

Lurgy, Builders, and Lobster Baby

Well! It's been an eventful week, what with Mr TR and I being struck down with the lurgy from hell, trips to the GP, more trips to the GP, and today's journey to the hospital to investigate my apparently high blood pressure (white coat syndrome! white coat syndrome!). There's nothing quite like being poked, prodded, and stuck with wires early on a Monday morning. I can say -- definitively  -- I am now very alert!

And lucky us, this week we have builders painting our back wall, complete with clanging scaffolding and blaring radios. As we live in a five-storey Victorian terrace, any maintenance job seems to take forever, requiring a United Nations team of workers! What I can't get my head around is how these very manly men can bear to listen to Taylor Swift-esque music all day long.

This week, I'll be working on writing a short story for an upcoming anthology. I'm looking forward to crafting a story again, even if it's not my usual full-length novel. And, of course, I'll be doing some Lobster-Baby-Wrangling with my now two-month-old!

What are you up to this week? Entertain me!

A Walk in the Park

Hello, all! Hope everyone had a great weekend.

Lately I don't seem to be doing much writing (wonder why?), but I have been doing a lot of walking! It's a great way to get out of the flat, and Lobster Baby seems to fade away, leaving a lovely sleeping cherub.

I'm very lucky that I live smack dab between two iconic London parks, Holland Park and Kensington Gardens. While I usually head to the Gardens, today I decided to opt for the less-touristic Holland Park. It's much more manicured than Kensington Gardens, and also features a mini-woodland.

The fountain.

Manicured garden in the sun.

Statue of some dude (aren't these captions informative?).

One of the many peacocks... and a London police officer (on the left).

The Kyoto Garden.

A heron basks in the sun.

Gorgeous, eh? By the way, thank you all for sharing your worst date stories last week! I share in your pain. :)

Have a great week, everyone!

Your Worst-Ever Date!

Happy Monday! Hope everyone had a great weekend. It was a rainy and yucky one here in London. Ugh!

Starting today, a group of chick lit writers - including me -  are banding together for Valentine's Week to share our own romantic (or not!) experiences. Head over to Michele Gorman's blog to read about our worst-ever dates.  I have to admit, answering some of the questions to come brought up some memories I'd prefer to forget! Pop by Michele's blog each day for a new question.

And now, since I hear Lobster Baby's increasingly lobsterish cries, I must be off! Have a lovely week!

What was your worst-ever date? Care to share?

Love Thyself

It's Thursday! I don't usually post on Thursdays, but this year I've decided to make my new blogging schedule Mondays and Thursdays instead of Fridays. Hopefully, that will give me more time to get around to everyone in between. On that note, a huge thanks to everyone who continues to visit here despite me not returning the favour. I miss you all and hope to be able to start making the rounds soon. Baby TR, visits from Mama and Papa, and life in general has kept me hopping!

And now for today's guest... I turn you over to Eliza Green. 

I’m so used to blogging about writing topics that when Talli asked me to write a light-hearted post, I was secretly pleased. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and keeping the focus on love, I thought it might be fun to look at what we love about ourselves. Besides a new author, the one thing I enjoy being is a woman and I’ve compiled my personal top ten list. Some things are more obvious, others not so much, but these are my favourite reasons why.

1: We can get away with being in a bad mood once a month and longer if nobody is keeping tabs on our outbursts!

2: We can use our feminine charms to our advantage, whether it’s flashing a quick smile to the person holding the door open for you or to the barman so he will serve you first.

3: We are far better at spotting a bargain in a store, although not so good at reining in the spending!

4: We are encouraged to be more adventurous with our fashion choices and we have plenty to choose from. Men’s choices are simpler, but they can get stuck in a rut. They aren’t always inclined to make the same effort that women do.

5: We get extreme satisfaction from eating chocolate. I’ve tried to educate my partner about savouring each square but he just doesn’t get it. I definitely think it’s a woman thing!

6: When it comes to books, our tastes are more varied than men’s. We will read much more from Crime, Fantasy, Chic Lit, and Erotica ...  many genres.

7: We’re extremely capable of multitasking, something I enjoy teasing my male colleagues about.

8: We have bigger hills to climb because we are female and I think that makes us stronger.

9: We don’t complain when we are sick. We just get on with things. A man sneezes and it’s the end of the world, as he knows it.

10: Having a good old cry can reduce stress. Women seem to understand that better than men.

Do you agree? Is there something you would add to this list, or subtract?

Eliza Green has just released her debut science fiction novel, BECOMING HUMAN and has one Kindle copy of her book to give away. Just leave a comment to be in with a chance to win.

 See you all on Monday!