Literary Sub-Genres - A Shedload of Fun!

Sure, it may not sound like a barrel of laughs, but if you could create a new literary sub-genre, what would it be?

In my recent interview with the lovely Glynis, I pointed out that I'd like to write wine-lit. Set in vineyards, wine cellars, vats... following the character development of a grape. Here's a sample blurb:

For Grimskill Grape, life is one sun-drenched day after another, hanging out on his vine of choice and ripening robustly. But everything changes when Grimskill is suddenly plucked from his familiar world; his spirits crushed when he's rudely stamped on then thrust into a dark cave to ferment. Will Grimskill adjust to his new life and accept his role as part of the greater good, or will he struggle against decomposition -- and fate?

(Please do not take the above paragraph as indicative of my blurb writing skills, ha!)

What literary sub-genre would you like to create?

What's It All For, Anyway?

No, you haven't stumbled upon some kind of existential angst due to the intake of way too much wine (yet). Since I was a bit of a grump yesterday, I've decided to focus on the positive aspects of blogging.

Before I get to that, though, a few things: there's still time to throw your hat in the ring to win a signed copy of the The Hating Game and help me name that character!

And if you're an author, reader, crusty rooster or smelly guinea pig (don't ask) and you feel like donating a new or used book for my great book giveaway, just comment anywhere or email me (talliroland AT gmail.com). I'll be posting the list of donors on Friday -- thank you!

Final bit of news: the wonderful Glynis Smy has interviewed me over at her blog!

Phew. Okay, I'll keep this short. We all know why we blog, anyway.

BECAUSE THE WRITING COMMUNITY IN THE BLOGOSPHERE IS MADE OF WIN WIN WINEEEEEE!

(Yes, that was intentional.)

Seriously, thank you! For everything! :)

Ten for Tuesday: Things I Hate About Blogs

As you can tell, this post will be all sweetness and light. Hee!

But before I get to the grump, I want to say thanks to the people who kindly offered to donate books for my epic week of giveaways from March 7-11, in celebration of the paperback launch of The Hating Game! I'll be updating the giveaway list on Friday, so feel free to let me know if you have any books you'd like to add to the giveaway.

You all know I LOVE blogging. But there are some things that make me reach for the wine (again)! I may not get to ten, but here are my top bloggery peeves:

1. If you have more than one blog under your profile, PLEASE FOR THE LOVE OF GOD make sure your writing one is clearly identified so I don't have to click around aimlessly looking for something writing related.

2. I like funky toolbars and widgets as much as the next computer obsessive, but there are some blogs with so many add-ons that they crash my browser. I'm not joking. It takes me at least five minutes to leave a comment sometimes.

3. LOOONNNNGGGGG extracts of your lovely writing. It might be better than Hemingway, but I really don't have an hour to spend admiring it. (I know that sounds bitchy, I know. I'd like to have an hour to admire it. But I don't.)

4. Pop-up word verification boxes. I hate word verification, but I had to turn it on after spammers started attacking. But those pop-up boxes are the worst, and I can't tell you the number of times I'd already closed the window and moved on before realising... oops! I think the best thing to do is to embed the word verification into the page.

5. Comment links at the top of the post, not the bottom. Now I know this is something that's controlled by the template, but I REALLY hate searching around for the little thing to click to comment! If it's right at the end of the post, that's easy enough...

6. Giant headers. For those of us with Netbooks, this means we have to scroll waaaaay down to reach the post.

7. 'Followers' box half-way down the page. I want to follow you! For goodness sake, don't make me hunt for it!

Hmm, I seem have run out of steam! :)

So tell me, am I being persnickety? What are your bloggery peeves?

Books, Books, Booooks! And a Celebration!

Looking at my calendar, I was slightly stunned to see that the paperback version of The Hating Game launches two weeks from this Wednesday (March 9th)! Eep!

Lots of people have asked me what I'm going to do to launch the paperback. Well, the short answer is... not as much as the ebook launch. Publicity is rolling along thanks to everyone's support of the ebook, reviews are still coming in, and everything's going quite nicely! Some wonderful people will be posting interviews with me on their blog, too -- I'll keep you posted on that.

I want to use my launch week, from March 7-11, to say thank you to everyone who has tweeted, Facebooked, blogged, liked or had anything to do with The Hating Game... basically, anyone who reads this blog!

Each day during the week of my launch, I'll be giving away a minimum of two books -- possibly more! Since I am the Queen of Rubbishiosity when it comes to remembering other people's contests and such, all you need to do to enter this one is just be a follower! Let's make it easy, shall we? :)

I've read and enjoyed each of the following books, and I'm sure you will, too!

The Dating Detox, by Gemma Burgess
eSquared, by Matt Beaumont
Over You, by Lucy Diamond
Like Bees to Honey, by Caroline Smailes
Wasted, by Nicola Morgan
The Dresskeeper, by Mary Naylus
Without Alice, by DJ Kirkby
From Notting Hill with Love... Actually, by Ali McNamara
Naked in Knightsbridge, by Nicky Schmidt
50 Ways to Find Lover, by Lucy-Anne Holmes

If any authors would like to donate ebooks/ books as prizes, drop me a line or a comment! I will add a little blurb about your book and a link to your blog/ site to the bottom of a future blog post before the giveaway.

Happy Monday! Hope you drop by two weeks from today to see who has won some wonderful books.

From Arse to Zorba

Thank you to everyone who chimed in with their character suggestions yesterday! If you haven't yet, there's still time - I'll be choosing the winner next week.

So hey! It's Friday! I've had Eggs Benedict and a double espresso for breakfast, and I'm happy to report that I am finally going to see The King's Speech this evening (albeit in Leicester Square, which is the congregation point of all screaming teens from the suburbs). Still, I'm excited TO BE LEAVING THE FLAT!

Oh, a big thanks to Ellen from Pink Tea and Paper for her lovely review of The Hating Game. Yay!

Big news today from the A to Z Team: we have more hosts to help bring in even more participants for the April challenge. This year I'm taking part in the A to Z Challenge and am honored to be one of the hosts. The others are Arlee Bird, Alex Cavanaugh, Candace Ganger, Jen Daiker, Jeffrey Beesler, Stephen Tremp, and Karen Gowen. Have you signed up yet? Click the photo on my sidebar to join the fun!

What is the A to Z Challenge?

It’s blogging a letter of the alphabet every day the month of April (with Sundays off for good behavior.) It begins April First with the letter A and ends April 30 with the letter Z. Get in the habit of blogging on schedule and meet loads of new bloggers!

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Name That Character!

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

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

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

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

Getting to Know You...

Today, I'm taking part in Nicole Ducleroir's Bernard Pivot blogfest!

Without further ado, here are my answers to the man's iconic questions.

What is your favorite word?
Level. It's just so... balanced. On all counts.

What is your least favorite word?
Smear. Need I even explain? *shudder*

What turns you on creatively, spiritually or emotionally?
Do I need to be honest here? Erm... okay. Control. Yes, I said it. I like being in control, people!Where's my whip?

What turns you off?
Being controlled!

What is your favorite curse word?
Shit. I like that you can say it quickly, or drag it out: shhhhhhhit.

What sound or noise do you love?
I love the bird-song of chickadees.

What sound or noise do you hate?
The screeching brakes of double-decker buses. I swear that sound haunts my sleep.

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
What profession haven't I attempted? Um... sommelier.

What profession would you not like to do?
Rubbish collector! Ugh....

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
White or red?

So there you have it! Visit Nicole's blog to see the list of other participants. Thanks, Nicole!

Woebeblog

Yeah, I just made up that word. It describes my sad state of affairs these days -- not just with blogging, but computing in general. Yesterday my trusty little laptop had a bit of a fit. I got that sorted out, only to have my Internet connection go bonkers!

Up and down, all around -- God, it was like chasing a buzzing mosquito and boy, would I have loved to smack it around some. Every time I tried to post a comment, the connection would drop off and I'd lose the comment. This had been happening on and off for the past few weeks, but last night it did my head in!

All this to say, it's been a right some trying time (as they would say in my neck of the Canadian woods). Thank goodness Valentine's Day was in there, along with some strawberry infused champagne and lovely yummy cake. Then, there was lovely news that The Times article, previously published in January, had made its way into the Ottawa Citizen -- along with a photo of moi! It was so cool to be told by some of my best friends who live there that they'd seen my picture in the Sunday paper.

Also -- it's less than a month to the paperback launch of The Hating Game! The week of March 7th, I'll be hosting a par-tay extraordinaire, giving away lots of stuff to say a big THANK YOU!

Please bear with me as I attempt to have a smackdown with my Internet connection and comment on blogs again! Happy Tuesday!

Hot Heroes and Sally Clements!

Happy Valentine's Day! I'm thrilled to have the wonderful Sally Clements here today -- on the launch of her new romance, Bound to Love! I'll turn it over to Sally now; have a romantic day, everyone!

Hi Talli, thank you so much for having me as your blog guest today, its’s great to be here!

Around the middle of February is the traditional ‘thinking about what constitutes a hot man’ time, carefully disguised by a flurry of marketing. It’s impossible to get through the door in Tesco’s without knocking over the huge cardboard display touting love and flogging cards.

And when you do, it’s straight into everything heart shaped (which costs twice as much as the same product in a round packet, and will be in the bargain bin by the 16th).

Anyway, in my estimation, Valentine’s Day is for thinking about the ideal hero – and mine?

Well, he’s tall, dark and handsome, but that’s a given. He’s got a grin to die for. He’s also strong and lean, smells delicious, and has a deep, sexy voice. And he’s naughty, with a fine line in snappy dialogue, that leaves women flustered, blushing and all out of kilter.

It’s all about new love, when you can’t really tell if he’s serious or kidding, when you don’t know if he’s stepping forward to speak or kiss you, when the mere thought of brushing up against him in the shed (it’s happened…in my first book, Catch Me A Catch, doing the laundry is an exciting experience!!) is enough to make your heart thunder like a freight train.

In my current release, Bound to Love, released on today as one of Embrace Books’ launch titles, my security expert hero Jake Forrester, is such a man.

When he finds himself tied up in an abandoned lighthouse with a feisty redhead and has to undo her bindings with his teeth – well, he manages heroically!
So – in praise of my ideal hero – I leave you with some pictures, hope some of these inspire you all!

Sally’s website : www.sallyclements.blogspot.com
Catch me a catch is available here or from Amazon.co.uk here, or Amazon.com here.
Bound to Love e book: Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com
Bound to Love print: Amazon.co.uk & Amazon.com

Bookish Delights

Happy Friday! Since it's almost the weekend, I'll keep this short and sweet, and share a few of my recent and upcoming reads.





Gemma Burgess's A Girl Like You came today in the post. I can't wait to start reading.








Tamsyn's Murray second book in the Stunt Bunny Series, Tour Troubles, is a fantastic read for kids (and adults!). I have a bunny crush on Harriet!










As research for my next novel Watching Willow Watts, I've just started reading Goddess, a fantastically detailed, journalistic account of Marilyn Monroe's life, both on and off the set.





And from two blogging buddies:






The Bear with Two Shadows, by Roland Yeomans.







Birthright: The Arrival by Nicole MacDonald - an entertaining tale with kick-ass heroines!








What are you reading?

Truth Thursday

Taking a page from the wonderfully spunky Jen Daiker's blog, today will be a Truth Thursday. Also in homage to Jen, I'll be using Twitter hashtags for random things. Here we go!

I ate a whole packet of Red Twizzlers in half an hour this week. Oh yes I did. #imapigandidontevencare

I'm high on paint fumes right now. #anditfeelssogood

I hate Justin Bieber with a vengeance. #theonetimeineverbragaboutcanada

I haven't brushed my hair yet today. #thankgodforshorthair

Any truths to confess? Oh, apparently the Vatican is taking confessions via iPhone now... if you want to take it a step further!

Guest Blogger: Angelina Rain

Today is a day to celebrate! Angelina Rain is here -- a new anthology featuring one of her stories is out now! So... with plenty of champers and sparkling water all around, I hand you over to Angelina.

Why I Write
When I discovered reading, I didn’t just discover books. I discovered my passion. Reading was something that pulled me away from my boring life and threw me into a world I wasn’t familiar with.

When I wanted adventure, I would read romantic suspense, and when in need of love, contemporary romance would take a lead. When I would find a new author, I would read everything she/he ever published.

Soon enough, everything started to look the same. All James Patterson novels revolved around a serial killer. All Sandra Brown characters were the same. All Iris Johansen novels ended the same way. And all Janet Evanovich jokes were repeated.

I needed to read something different. I started coming up with my own ideas, my own plots and characters. They were in my head, entertaining my bored with life mind. But those stories wanted to be told and shared, so I had to write them. I wrote around thirty short stories and three novels in about two years. And then I put it all away. I didn’t start writing again until last year. Now I’m on my second publishing contract and my first short story, “The Problem with Love Spells”, (part of the “Indecent Encounters” anthology) is out TODAY!

Angie’s Fun Facts: When my mother was pregnant with me, she had severe insomnia and was addicted to books. She would read a book a night. You see, I was a reader before I was born.

Indecent Encounters
A Ménage Anthology, including “The Problem with Love Spells” by Angelina Rain
Sometimes a woman needs more than a lover… Independent, lustful ladies find pleasure and intrigue with more than one man, from a scandalous vacation in Australia, to a forced seduction at a cabin in the woods. A witch needs to break a shameful spell, and an older woman slakes her sexual needs with two younger men. Cougars purr with unrequited desire and werewolves compete for the love of their mate. Satisfaction is just a sigh away as a surgeon bends the rules for her patient, and an over-stressed boss finds more than a little peace with secret admirers. Find out what wicked delights await you with Indecent Encounters.

The Problem with Love Spells
When you’re cursed to live your whole life unloved, can you really be held responsible for casting a love spell? When Gretchen realizes that her love spell went wrong, her only option is to reverse it before too much damage is done. However, when she wakes with a werewolf and a vampire in her bed, she learns that even reversing a love spell could have its consequences.

~*~ GIVEAWAY ~*~
Angelina Rain is giving away one free copy of “Indecent Encounters” and it could be yours. All you have to do is comment or ask a question (she will answer it in the comments). One lucky winner will be announced on Feb 11th on Angelina’s blog. Leave your e-mail address so Angelina can e-mail you if you win.

Thank you, Angelina, and congratulations!

Getting Laid

The other day, I asked Mr TR if he thought I was laid back. He laughed, and I stomped off in indignation.

It's hard to hide from the truth.

Okay, so I'm not laid back. But really, have you ever met a writer who is? To test out my theory that writers are, in fact, the antithesis to laidbackness, I've devised this handy three-question survey.



So! Are you a laid-back writer? If you answered A on the first one, B on the second, or A on the third, it's pretty certain you're not. Drink some wine! Results will be shared in the future.

I'm in Lurve

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

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

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

Uh-oh.

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

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

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

Got an Ingrown Toenail?

Woo! It's Friday! This is a good thing for several reasons:

1. After two continuous weeks of painters scraping, swearing, burping and doing God knows what else right outside my office window, my tolerance is at an all-time low.

2. So is my brain power.

3. I can drink wine (more wine!) without having the it's-a-weeknight guilt factor that's a hang-over from my working days.

4. I can write lame blog posts.

Since there's obviously not much happening over here, I'd like to direct you towards places where there is actually a bit of intellectual stimulation. At Alexia Chamberlynn's blog, I'm talking about the first thing I did when I work up on my novel's Kindle release day. I'm sure you're dying to know!

Over at India Drummond's blog, she's got a great idea lined up to help promote her coming novel, Ordinary Angels. I've read the book and it's fantastic -- with one of the hottest male protagonists ever -- so scoot over and check it out.

Catherine Ryan Howard, author of Mousetrapped, recently wrote an article on her e-book publishing experience. It makes for some fascinating reading (and even mentions my novel The Hating Game - thanks again, Catherine!) and has since been picked up by the Irish Publishing News and The Bookseller.

And finally, if you're not signed up to the A-Z Blogging Challenge, there's still plenty of time!

There's lots going on the blogosphere these days, so if you or anyone you know is having a contest, has a novel coming out... has an ingrown toenail... or whatever, feel free to mention it in the comments below. Happy Friday!

What's Hiding in Your Closet?

Since Amazon sales rankings are consuming about 99.9% of my brain these days (the other .1% being wine, of course), I got a good laugh out of this video. Thanks to India Drummond for sending it my way!



My Internet connection is a bit moody these days, so I apologise for not returning comments as swiftly as usual. Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

1,400 Thank Yous!

Before I launch into today's celebratory post, I just want to say massive thank you for everyone's lovely thoughts and wishes on my last post about Egypt. We managed to talk to our family a few times over the weekend. Although there were a few dodgy moments, everything seems to be safe now and people are excited for change. Fingers crossed!

So! It's Monday, and I'm in the mood for celebrating! It's possible I've had too many mini Reese's Pieces (thanks, Shannon!), but chocolate-fuelled energy aside, I'm happy. Why, you ask (or not -- I'm going to tell you, anyway)?

The Hating Game has sold 1,400 copies on Amazon UK this month! Yes, 1,400! In January! Since the cover change, the books usually sells between 70 to 100 copies daily and it's in the top 50 on Amazon Kindle (UK) right now. I can hardly believe it!

A HUMONGOUS THANK YOU to everyone who has promoted, bought, reviewed, talked about or commented on anything to do with my novel! It's thanks to all of you that my debut novel has been successful.

Now... let's party!

Egypt: Rising Up

Looking down on the urban sprawl of Cairo from El Mokattam Mountain.

I was going to blog about something else, but today's events in Egypt have changed my plans. If you've read my blog for a bit, you know that Mr TR is from Cairo, and that all of his extended family lives in and around the Nile Delta. When we first met, I knew little about Egypt besides the romanticized notion of Pharaohs, pyramids and ancient tombs. Over time -- by reading authors like Naguib Mafouz, learning about the fate of politicians like Ayman Nour and by visiting the country myself -- I began to learn the reality was anything but romantic.

Despite many western nations supporting the government, the country is virtually a prison. Elections are fraudulent, dissidents are jailed and tortured, and free speech stifled. Unemployment is high and the economy is getting worse. People live in graveyards -- I've seen it with my own eyes -- and children beg in the streets. Yet Egyptians are some of the friendliest and most giving people I have ever met.

As Mr TR and I watched the demonstrations grow in size and strength over the week, I could sense the excitement in his voice. He's pretty much lived his whole life in that country under one dictator and the thought that a new government could come to power in his lifetime is heady.

By cutting off Internet and mobile phone access, the Egyptian government has finally shown its true colours to the rest of the world. Let's just hope the world responds as it should: in support of people struggling to assert their freedom and their human rights.

We haven't been able to reach our family in Egypt due to the communications black-out. Can I ask that you keep them -- and the rest of Egypt -- in your thoughts as the events unfold?

A to Z Blogging Challenge!

Last April, Arlee Bird set up a fantastic blogfest: blogging Monday to Saturday, using a letter of the alphabet.

And the good news? He's doing it this year, too! This time, Alex J Cavanaugh, Jen Daiker and I are all helping out, as well.

It's simple. There are 26 letters in the alphabet. There are 26 days in April (if you take out Sundays). You would blog Monday - Saturday writing a blogpost with the appropriate letter for that day. April 1 - A, April 2 - B, etc.

So... join in the fun, click the link and grab a badge because April is going to be fantastic. I'll even throw in a cupcake and a glass of wine!

Back Away from The Computer!

I didn't make many New Year's resolutions, but I did resolve to have one work-free day per week. On this day, I pledged to myself that I wouldn't do anything promotional, or any edits or plotting... nothing!

The more things I have on the go, the more I notice how work is flowing over into every minute of every day. There's always one more website to update; one more review to post on Facebook, one more forum to lurk on. Now that I'm starting a new writing project, I need at least one day of head space!

What will I do on this blissfully free day? Read, go out into the big wide world, maybe even splurge on a cupcake or three! I'm a big fan of staring into space. Imagine, a whole day just to stare!

Speaking of time and space, in a desperate bid to catch up on everything, I'm only going to be blogging on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for the next two weeks. I'm knee-deep in rapidly expanding check lists and I need a little bit of extra energy to get through it all!

Drop by on Wednesday for a rather exciting announcement (nothing to do with publishing, but everything to do with fun!).

Until then, what do you do to get some space?

Significant Other Blogfest!

It's the Significant Other Blogfest today, the chance to let your other half hold forth on... you! Since I've no idea what Mr TR might say if left to his own devices, I decided to ask him a few questions.

Check out the other Blogfesters here!


Me: Why did you encourage me to get serious about my writing?

Mr TR: I hated seeing someone I love wasting their life (ouch!).


Did (or do) you think I might have a chance to have a successful writing career?

Mr TR: You're talented and clever, and I knew you'd make it (I didn't pay him, I swear!).


How do you think my attitude towards my writing has changed, since I started?

Mr TR: From the first day, you had the right attitude: committed, respectful of your time writing, conscious of the fact that you're your own manager. What has changed is your awareness of the world of publishing, particularly in the last year or so.


How do you think you help me with my writing ambitions?

Mr TR: By two opposing acts: either nagging you (or pushing you to commit to some idea or project) or by shutting up and being silent and letting you do your thing (these are his words exactly. Yes, MR TR speaks like that).


How has writing full-time changed me?

Mr TR: You are definitely a happier person since you started pursuing your dream. Still as gorgeous as ever, and as nice as all Canadians (Mr TR thinks Canadians are very nice). You watch less telly and drink less wine (if you think I drink a lot of wine now, you should have seen what I consumed when I was teaching!).


Anything else to add?

Mr TR: Yes. I love you (awwww!).

Thank you, Mr TR! And thanks to everyone participating in the Blogfest, and to DL for organising it! I'm waaay behind on blog comments this week, but I'm going to try to catch up this weekend, so please bear with me.

Dealing with Eurekas

Eureka moments are one of the best things about being a writer: that excitement you get when a new idea hits; the surge of creative energy.

But before you go off and write 80,000 words in a fit of mania, slow down for a second and ask yourself these three questions.

1. What's different about this idea? Has it been done a zillion times before?

2. Is there enough potential for conflict to carry this idea through a full-length novel?

3. Does this idea fit in with my genre of writing? Is it the type of genre I'd want to first be published in? Does it even fit comfortably into a genre?

When I get a new idea, I try now to let it sit for a week or two before I go back to it -- long enough to let the fervour die down, so I can examine it with objective eyes. If, after answering those three questions, I still feel excited, then I go for it!

How do you deal with new ideas?

Significant Other Blogfest Tomorrow! Drop by to see what Mr TR has to say about my writing (among other things!).

Taking a Lesson from Trashy Tabloids

I'm about to jaunt off to my lengthy bi-monthly session at the hairdresser. It's the high, high price one pays for platinum hair -- quite literally. Although I'm not so keen on the amount of time it takes to slather burning bleach onto my scalp and snip my errant ends, I do love perusing the trashy magazines. It's my one chance to catch up on the cultural ongoings of this great nation. No one does tabloids like the Brits!

Writers could learn a thing or two from tabloid writing. Say what you like about such news outlets -- you have to admit, they're never boring. With punchy, rhythmic language, every word counts. Every sentence brings you deeper and deeper into the story, and just when you think you know what's happened, POW! They hit you with another twist.

They're in, they're out, and they leave you with a definite emotional reaction. What more could you ask for (facts aside)? Perhaps I've found a new calling. Move over, Piers Morgan!

Do you read the tabloids? Come on, admit it!

The Reluctant Video Star

There's nothing more cringe-worthy than watching yourself on video, is there? Last weekend, Mr TR bought a new video camera and, to test it out, he decided to shoot a small video. With no other victims and under great duress, I grudgingly agree. Here's the result! Hope you enjoy watching more than I enjoyed starring.

Getting it Right

Happy Monday!

You may have noticed that the cover of The Hating Game has changed. Yes -- again. Late last week, I had a conversation with my publisher, who told me that while the book was selling well, she still didn't feel it was reaching its target market. One of the biggest worries was that that the sinister-like red and black cover was turning off prospective female buyers who might think it was more crime than rom-com.

So we took the plunge and made the change. And guess what? Sales jumped almost immediately. On the first day after the change, I sold almost four times more copies a day than usual, and the trend is continuing.

Once the initial launch momentum had worn off, The Hating Game usually fell anywhere from around 350 to 600 in the UK rankings, depending on the day. Since the cover change, it's been between 150 to 200. It's still early days, but it's pretty safe to say the new cover is having the desired effect.

That's the great thing about Kindle. If something isn't working, then it's easy to change. Would it have been better to have all this figured out, pre-Kindle publication? Well, yes.

But better late than never!

Reminder: Significant Other Blogfest this Friday!

Interview with Gemma Burgess, Author of 'A Girl Like You'

Today, I'm very pleased to welcome Gemma Burgess to my blog! Her first book, an anti-romantic comedy called The Dating Detox, was a hilarious, warm-hearted read. Gemma's just released A Girl Like You, and I can't wait to get my mitts on that one.

And a massive congratulations to her -- she's just signed a book series deal with St Martin's Press in New York! Not only that, her awesome Dating Detox trailer has now reached over 25,000 hits. You can read more on her blog.

Gemma did me the favour of reading through The Hating Game pre-publication, and she did wonders at soothing my pre-pub nerves. She's every bit as lovely and funny as you might expect from an author who writes such wonderful novels.

Right, I've done enough gushing, so I give you... Gemma!

1. Your second novel, A Girl Like You, has just been released. Was it easier or harder to write than your first?

Both. Harder, because I was worried that the nice reviews I had for The Dating Detox were a one-off, and well, the first was just a bit of fun, the second was suddenly 'real'... Easier, because, well, the more you write, the better you get at it! - same goes for plotting, dialogue, characterisation...

2. What are three things you must have to make your writing day a good one (e.g., tea, vodka…)?

Coffee, a large bottle of still water, and nice nails.

3. What’s one thing you wish you knew about the publication process before you got published?

Two things: that it's very, very slow, and that you have no control over your cover so it's not worth stressing about.

4. What’s your favourite word? Least favourite?

My favourite and least favourite words are the same; when I go through my writing, I find certain words everywhere, and curse myself for having such a limited and predictable vocabulary - soupcon, awesome, seriously, dude... Actually, I didn't use dude much in A Girl Like You, as it didn't suit the main character. But I used it a lot in The Dating Detox.

5. If you had to choose between a cocktail, ten minutes on Twitter, reading a few pages of a novel or a bite of cake, what would you choose?

You had me at 'cocktail'. Twitter is fun, but not as fun as a cocktail. I like my novels in big chunks. Ditto cakes.

About Gemma:

Gemma Burgess wrote her first book, The Dating Detox, when she and her sister discussed the difficulty of had finding a comfort read with cojones. Her second book, A Girl Like You, is inspired by her experiences of learning to navigate the bastard-infested waters of the London bar scene after a long time in a relationship. Gemma grew up all over the place and now lives in Notting Hill. Find out more at www.gemmaburgess.com or follow her on Twitter at @gkateb.

Thank you, Gemma! Have a great weekend, everyone.

Bodice Rippers, Hunky Heroes and Secrets

Over the Christmas holiday, I spoke to The Times (and by default, The Daily Mail) about the enormous popularity of romance novels on Kindle. The reporter asked me if I thought it was due to the fact that on Kindle, you can hide the cover of your novel in a way that's just not possible in paperback form.

I reckon that's part of it. There is indeed an unfair stigma attached to romance, and riding the Tube with your sexy cover displayed for all the local pervs to eye up might attract some unwanted attention. Plus, there lurks the stereotype of the spinster getting her kicks through such books. And it doesn't help when the article itself used cliched language like 'bodice rippers' to describe romance novels; someone please tell me how that's romantic?

The bit the reporter didn't include was this: romance novels are fast-paced, entertaining and well plotted. They're as difficult to write as any genre, and as enjoyable. That's why romances are so popular, and always have been. And with the low prices available on Kindle, the masses are pouncing on them yet again.

So this brings me to my question: have you ever wanted to buy a book, but were turned off by a childish/ too feminine/ embarrassing cover? And if you have a Kindle, would you consider buying that same book now?

Rain, Rain and Rain: I'm Home!

After two glorious sun-drenched weeks in Egypt, I returned yesterday afternoon to an equally rain-drenched London. But that's okay -- as much as I loved the break, it's so good to be home. Granted, I have about a zillion emails to deal with and lots of work to do, but I'm more than ready to dive back in!

I've also imported about half the cinnamon stock of Cairo (you would not believe how good the cinnamon is there), along with 3 kilos of sweets, so there is plenty of fuel to keep me going.

Some rather nice things happened while I was gone. Chick Lit Reviews listed The Hating Game and Watching Willow Watts on 'Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2011', while Trashionista named The Hating Game as one of its Top 10 of 2010! On his blog today, James Garcia Jr has a rather nice review of my novel, too.

All that and I was quoted as a 'bestselling romantic author' in The Times and The Daily Mail! I'll be talking a bit more about that tomorrow.

Maybe I should go on vacation more often! What's new with you? What have I missed?

Alexandria!

I've just returned to Cairo from two amazing days in Alexandria. Fresh fish, beach, palaces, Roman ruins... Who could ask for more?

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Happy New Year!

Happy New Year from Cairo! Here's how I spent the first day of the year. Wishing everyone a fabulous 2011!

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