Books, Shoes, Snoring and Blogs

Happy Monday! It's a beautiful sunny day here in London but my eyelids are sagging, thanks to my husband's wonderful snoring. At 5:30 a.m., I finally decided to abandon bed and get up to start the day's work. Any solutions to snoring out there? I've tried kicking, screaming, shoving, pushing, strangling and empty threats...

Today's I'm over at Mel's lovely blog, High Heels and Books Deals, talking about books and showing off my shoes! If you have a sec, head over and say hi!

And a new blog to introduce you to! Fellow writer and RNA'er Nikki Goodman has started a blog. Since I've babbled on to her how wonderful the world of bloggers is, drop by when you can.

Finally, a big congrats and lots of sparkly sweet cupcakes to DJ Kirkby, who's just launched her debut novel Without Alice with great reviews! Woohoo!

Now I'm going off to nap.

Will Write for Cupcakes

Reading through Prospera Publishing's newsletter yesterday, I came across this:

Forget about equating writing with financial reward. You need to write because you love it, not because you want that contract and a place in the bestseller charts. The first should help with the second, but writing is one of those jobs that pays nothing for a very long time, and the sooner you come to terms with this, the better you'll feel about continuing your work.

And I had to smile, because this is such a great piece of advice and something I constantly struggle with. Leaving the corporate world and my own income behind and relying solely on my husband was a giant step. At the time, I didn't realise just how huge it was. My eyes were set only on getting published. I didn't think about what would happen after I got published. There was no need to, because I'd be making money then, right? I'd at least be able to buy my luxury hair conditioner again rather than the cheap non-name stuff (this was a giant sacrifice at the time, I can assure you)!

WRONG!

Because here I am, two published books later, and I can assure you that my hair is still slathered in Tesco's conditioner rather than my lovely Aveda one. I still fret over whether I can really afford that dinner out with friends. And I'm into my overdraft just to attend a conference in July.

I know, I know: poor me! I am so grateful and proud to have those two books published, and a novel on the way. And with one just out in November and the other released this month, my books are selling relatively well, too: sales are increasing month by month! So it's not that I'm not on my way. It's just that it takes a long time, and a lot of work, for the profits to start showing.

For the past two and a half years, I've worked every day from 8 am to 4 pm - a regular work-day (and often on the weekends, too). If I was to take the profit I have made so far from my published books and divide it by 30 months... well, let's just say it would not even buy me a cupcake a week!

Writing is hard work, and it's the rare author who can live from the profits they make. So yes: forget about equating writing with financial reward. Write because you love it, and don't lose sight of that -- even if your hair does fall out of your head!

(Thank you to everyone who added The Hating Game on Goodreads yesterday! Mwah!)

Sweet Sunday: Cupcakes

Veering slightly away from the writing theme, every Sunday I shall wax rhetoric about one of my favourite sweets (because they are also an invaluable part of the writing process!).

London is experiencing a cupcake (or fairy cake, as they used to call them here) revolution. With two shops in striking distance, it's easy to fall prey to the lure of their wonderful spongy goodness.

Feeling stuck on how to move a character forward? Why not try a cupcake? the sugary little voice in my head bleats. And usually, I succumb. My favourite is Red Velvet, a vanilla sponge base dyed to a deep red colour topped with cream cheese frosting. Sometimes I also plump for double chocolate (chocolate base with chocolate frosting).

Thank you, cupcakes, for all you've done to help my writing!

Fingers Crossed

I've always been superstitious. I never walk under ladders or scaffolding (unless it's on Oxford Street, in which case I'm coralled through them like a bloody sheep!). I try my best not to walk on the cracks in the pavement. So I shouldn't be too surprised that now -- when a publisher has actually expressed interest in my new novel -- I'm afraid to say anything lest I jinx the whole thing.

I'm going to eat some more cupcakes for good luck. And some coffee, of course.