September 11th thoughts

September 11^th   

9/11

 It’s one of those dates, a combination of numbers that strikes hard as soon as you hear it, isn’t it?  15 years ago and yet I still recall so clearly  - as  I’m sure everyone does -  the moment that just turning on the news, or catching an internet reference seemed to freeze life and mark a point after which things would never be quite the same.

It doesn’t take a world horror like that September day.  My beautiful sister in law went out of the house on the way to work one day when she was 36. We  don’t know what happened exactly.

Only that she crashed the new bright yellow car  she was delighted with and she never came home. The rose we planed in her memory still flowers on her birthday and her wedding anniversary - that's on Tuesday   and the glorious blooms are there  now to mark the date.

So the thought of all those thousands who went through that terrible experience 15 years ago today still tears at my heart.  

Every time September 11^th comes around, I remember  a poem by Dawn MarieHuddlestone called If I Knew . It contains this verse:

IF I KNEW

If I knew it would be the last time

that I see you walk out the door,

I would give you a hug and kiss

and call you back for one more.

 But the trouble is, we never know, do we?

When the Babe Magnet and I were in New York, we went to Ground Zero and tried to honour those who never came home from that event.  That huge great space where two huge great buildings had once stood, each of them teeming with thousands of people brings home in the saddest, shocking way how quickly today can become the past.   And  how terrible the words ‘if only’ can be.

Which brings me to another great quote:

Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift of God, which is why we call it the present.

Nobody seems quite sure who originally said this but it’s so much in my thoughts today.

On a day of remembrance, I hope you and your families can share a hug for this present. 

September 3rd is Pink Hearts Day!

Today's the 3rd September so that means it's my regular day to blog over on the Pink Hearts Society blog. 


 After yesterday's lovely card from the friends Indebted to Moreno is dedicated to, my post on the blog is all about dedications and I've been looking at some past books, past dedications and the memories they bring. And I'll admit I shed a few tears over some of the memories as well!

The joy of dedications . . .

I came home to a lovely reminder of one of the special joys of being an author. Publishing a book gives me the happy moment of sharing the publication day with a dedication to people I care a lot about. (Or, sadly, sometimes people I used to care a lot about, but thankfully there are few of them.) Today a lovely card let me know how pleased the special friends to whom Indebted to Moreno is dedicated made me smile with happiness at the thought that I have such fabulous friends in my life and that they are happy to discover that I shared the book with them. Regular readers will see that several of the dedications have resulted from the many happy times I've spent at Writers' Holiday - and I hope to share many more.

The 'Mal' half of Malison is also the major support behind the self-pubbed paperback new edition of the 12 Point Guide to Writing Romance. Luckily, both these friends know I love cats - as do they - so the card (see to the side) made me smile for other reasons

Meet Lara Temple - Part 2

1  I hope you enjoyed the first part of the interview with  Harlequin Historical author Lara King.

Today she's back to  answer the  second set of my questions - and talk about her experience with the So You Think You Can Write Contest  

        Don't forget to answer Lara's question in the comments to be in with a chance of winning a copy of one of her great books.

         Once again - thanks for joining me on my blog, Lara!

          You submitted  Lord Crayle’s Secret World for the So You Think You Can Write contest 2014.  What was that experience like?

That was truly an amazing experience! It was my mother’s idea in the first place to finally dust off one of the stories I had written and do something about the unspoken dream. It was one of those what-the-hell-let’s-just-do-it moments and quite frankly I never thought anything would come of it. When I received the email saying I made it to the top 25, I was so shocked I can still remember my cheeks tingling. For a moment I just didn’t believe it. I had read many of the other submissions and I thought there were so many wonderful ideas I didn’t allow myself to hope too much. Then they called to say I had made it to the top 10 and the real shocker came when they actually said they were interested in the book. That was pure joy!

2.         Did you have to do a lot of revising on the original submission?

I did actually. The original story was way too long (almost twice the length of Harlequin Historicals) and had a lot of historic and political detail in it that just didn’t fit the genre. I also had to intensify the emotional conflict, which was much more fun than the brutal chopping I had to do on the length. So it was quite an education but luckily I have an amazing editor who often sees the trees through my forest and she really helped shine light on what worked and what didn’t. It was a difficult but an invaluable process. I wrote the second book with much of what I had learned in mind so it needed less revisions, and the third was even smoother. Like everything else, writing is both an art and a craft and I spend a lot of time honing the craft part. In that sense I’m glad I had to really slog through revisions the first time round.

3.       What was it like to receive ‘the call’?

It was already exciting to have Harlequin interested in a manuscript in the first place, but I knew at any point during the revisions they could say ‘thank you, but no thank you’ so when my editor actually called me directly I was still so ready for rejection my brain was in such serious delay that the words ‘two book contract’ sort of floated around for a few blank seconds before making a very thumping and joyous landing. I don’t quite recall what I said (other than ‘Yes!’) but I don’t think

 it showed any sign of intelligence…I remember clutching my tea mug very hard!

4.       Your second book, The Reluctant Viscount, is published this month– can you tell us something about this new novel?

The Reluctant Viscount is about the impact of betrayal, the scarring it causes, and the possibility of redemption that comes from learning to trust (and love) again. Adam is betrayed first by a spoiled beauty who uses him to capture a wealthy husband and then by his family and community. Ten years later he returns, wealthy, titled, cynical, and determined to have nothing to do with the people who rejected him. Alyssa was barely eighteen but secretly in love with Adam when the drama unfolded. In the decade that passed she has managed to shake her wild and eccentric upbringing to become a very proper young woman. But when Adam is framed for murder she has to risk everything by entering a sham engagement. Luckily they find that trusting each other has unforeseen and, in the end, quite happy consequences.

5.       Is Alyssa another unconventional heroine?

Alyssa is an unconventional heroine trying very hard to be conventional. I liked the way Adam and Alyssa start out on opposite ends of the respectability spectrum and then swing radically to the other end of it before both each finding a happier middle through their relationship. The idea that love and acceptance can help each other find emotional fulfilment and equilibrium is an important theme for me.

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6.       Finally, what are you working on now? Can we hope to see another new Lara Temple on sale soon?

I just finished my third book and am doing revisions (though I don’t have a publication d

ate yet), and am almost done with number four (she says hopefully). They are both strong and sexy but one is set in London and is about emotional scars caused by loss and guilt (and about a Duke and a pug named Marmaduke) and the fourth is set in the peninsular wars and is about conflicting loyalties and choosing to love (soldier vs. spy). And in each case I am so happy with my hero and heroine – I always have a hard moment handing them over to be loved or (possibly) hated by others.  And in between I am still reveling in the fact that this is now my job – I still can’t quite believe it.

Lara's  Question for giveaways   - Please post your answer in the comments to be in with a chance for a giveaway of one of Lara's books.

Both Sari and Alyssa are not your run of the mill regency misses. History is full of unconventional heroines and I am always on the lookout for real life examples – do you have a favorite unconventional historical heroine?

Meet Lara Temple - with a chance to win one of her books!

One of the best things abut going to  the Romantic Novelists' Association conference - which, as  you'll remember , I did in July this year -  is that   as well as getting the opportunity to meet up again with many friends I've known for some time,  there is also a wonderful opportunity to meet  new writers, published and unpublished (yet)  who may start out being strangers but by the end of the conference have become friends and people I look forward to seeing again.

This time, one of these new friends was someone I met by the happy accident of the fact that she was allocated a room in the same flat as I - and some of my other friends  - was sleeping in.

So I first met Lara Temple on that Thursday night when the early arrivers all get together.  We started that night only knowing each other's names - and ended it firm friends. Several of my other friends/past student/fellow writers were also in the same flat, but by the end of the first evening you would have been hard put to separate the 'old ' from the new - and by the end of the conference it was as if we had all known each other for ever.

Lara had just had her very first Harlequin Historical novel  (Lord Crayle's Secret World) published and she was kind enough to give me a copy.   I loved the 'shout line' -  A Desperate Highwaywoman - and from reading the opening I was hooked, just wanting to read on - and on.   (Thanks, Lara! Just what I needed  - not! - with my own deadline bearing down on me!)

I also learned that Lara's new  book -  The Reluctant Viscount  - would be published later in the year - it's actually out today so Happy Publication Day, for The Reluctant Viscount, Lara -  As you know I love introducing readers to new authors, I asked Lara if she would come and visit my blog and tell you a little about herself.   She has  also kindly agreed to do a giveaway for both her books - all you have to do is to answer her question in  the comments either today or  on the second part of the Meet Lara Temple blog -   we'll leave this open over the weekend to give you time to read and comment.

So meet Lara Temple - and maybe you'll discover a brand-new favourite Historical Romance author.

Welcome to the blog, Lara and thank you for agreeing to answer my questions:

1.       Can you tell us a little about yourself ?

Hi Kate, thanks so much for inviting me on your blog! I write strong and sexy regency romances for Harlequin Mills & Boon – my first book “Lord Crayle’s Secret World” came out in March, my second “The ReluctantViscount” is out on the 25^th of August, and I am hard at work on three more books in the same line. In my previous and very different life I was a financial analyst on Wall Street and a high tech executive and I also moved around the world a lot. But throughout all this change, the one constant was my love of reading and writing. I’m VERY lucky Harlequin gave me a chance to realize it. I’m also lucky my husband and children are very happy and supportive about my change of career – I think they like the author more than the banker. Surprising!

2.       Have you always wanted to write? 

Yes. Yes. Yes! When I was three I forced my mom to write down my stories (they were rather mad adventures and I often wonder what they were feeding me back then…) and as soon as I could hold pen to paper, I took over. I had a little setback when my older brother discovered my secret notebooks where I had a story about teaming up with Batman, but I kept at it, just found a better hiding place. Still, it was always ‘for the drawer’ until I struck lucky when my mom pushed me into entering Harlequin’s So You Think You Can Write 2014 contest competition and my submission earned me a contract and a new direction in life.

3.       You write for Harlequin Historical can you tell us why you chose this particular line? Are you a great fan of historical fiction? Any special favourite authors?

I’m one of the many Jane Austen addicts and Georgette Heyer. I found my first Georgette Heyer book in a dusty bookstore in New York as a teenager and from that point on all my (many) daydreams migrated to the regency period. Whenever I needed to escape life and work I slipped into this

world, daydreaming or writing, and it is still “home.” I also adore contemporary and historical murder mysteries, and aside from rereading my Austen and Heyer books until they disintegrate to dog-eared dust, I do the same to my Sherlock Holmes’ collection. I especially love those with psychological depth, like those by P.D. James and Minette Walters. And too many others…I need more time!

4.       Your first novel, Lord Crayle’s Secret World has the ‘shout line’ A desperate highwaywoman . . .   Now that would immediately make me want to pick up  the book when I saw that.  Can you tell us a little about this novel.

My highwaywoman, Sari, is my favorite kind of heroine – unconventional. Very little about her life has gone ‘by the book’, and when she is at her wits end how to provide for her brother and friends, her choice of action is pretty unconventional, too – she tries her hand at highway robbery. Unfortunately, or for my purposes, fortunately, she has unwittingly chosen to hold up the carriage of Michael, the Earl of Crayle, ex-soldier, current spy, and luckily in need of a female operative for The Institute, an offshoot of the War Office. Michael is emotionally scarred by war and by the damaged relations between his parents and as a result he particularly values order and discipline. But although Sari has the best of intentions, her ambition to succeed in her new role often clashes with Michael’s need to keep everyone safe and naturally they clash. But when the hunt is on to stop a political assassination, the last thing either Michael or Sari count on is that the heat of their conflicting characters is eclipsed by an attraction they can’t control.

5.       What gave you the original idea for this book? What inspired you to write about such an unconventional Regency heroine?

I worked in several very male-dominated worlds – I was in the military, on Wall Street, and then in high tech, and in each case there is a sense of being on the outside trying to get in (and trying to stay in). One very late night at work in London I wondered – if it is this frustrating for someone in the 21^st century when all the doors are relatively open, what must it have felt

for someone two hundred years ago when the thought of being equal never even crossed a woman’s mind? And the idea of a woman finding herself drawn into the world of early espionage just appeared and started writing itself. 

Lara's  Question for giveaways   - Please post your answer in the comments to be in with a chance for a giveaway of one of Lara's books.

Both Sari and Alyssa are not your run of the mill regency misses. History is full of unconventional heroines and I am always on the lookout for real life examples – do you have a favorite unconventional historical heroine?

At last!

At last I've managed to find a copy of the cover of the UK edition of Indebted to Moreno so I can  show it to you here.

I love the sexy Spaniard's  dark and dangerous stare - and the heroine's hair is just the right colour  - important when the hero's nickname for her is Red!!

What do you think?

Preparing for the weekend

My shopping list for today:

Cat food  for Charlie and Ruby

Cat Treats  ( not the same as food – cat treats are to be had as a. an aperitif to the main course b.as a dessert following the main course meat  above a

nd c. As a treat!)

Dog food and a chew bone to keep dog occupied ( granddog Lola is coming to visit

c

Fat balls  for the hanging bird-feeder  for the small birds

Suet cakes for the bird table for the  birds who like to feed higher up

Seed for the seed trays for the robins etc who are ground feeding bi

Crunchies and mealworms for the hedgehogs – at least two of them

Peanuts for the squirrel  who comes right up to the french windows if we don’t leave him something.

Human food? 

Oh, well the Offspring and his lovely fiancée are coming  with Lola  so I think  we’ll treat ourselves to takeaway pizza -  do you think I’ll have time to cook  after I’ve dealt with all of the above? 

Black Cat Appreciation Day

Today is ‪#‎blackcatappreciationday‬ but Ruby says you can appreciate the white bits of her as well as the black And yes, she knows she's beautiful

She's also very good at providing post  pics to keep the blog going while I focus hard on Imogen  and Raoul. She doesn't mind that they have so much of my attention right now, so long as her dinner bowl is regularly filled and she can snuggle up at night.

For now, the sun is shining and she wants to be outside all day long anyway.

Tote Bags N Blogs Day

Still trying to catch up on everything since I got back home from wonderful Writers' Holiday.   And then the weekend celebrating the Babe Magnet's birthday in Harrogate  - was that really a week ago?!

I've also been trying to catch up with my latest hero and heroine (Raoul and Imogen) and their problems so that I can finish this book and send it to my editor.   I need to get that done asap so that I can work on the second book in this duet - the story of Imogen's sister Ciara  and her unexpected hero . . .

But today is the 12th of August  (if you're a grouse, please keep your head down  on this so called 'glorious' date.)
 
The 12th is a more pleasant date for me because it's the date I blog over on Tote Bags N Blogs  - so that'where you'll find me, blogging about one of my obsessions -  one that many friends know only too well because they help feed my addiction to lovely notebooks.

Book News

I have book news to catch up on.
After working my way through the piles of emails and letters that were waiting for me after  we got back  from Wales, there were also several boxes of books  to open.    Some were foreign editions -  Indian, German, Dutch . . .

But the best moment is always when I open a new box of a brand-new title and get to see the books in  reality for the very first time.  Unfortunately I still haven't seen the UK's edition of my new (September)  Presents title - Indebted to Moreno.

There is also a new reprint edition of an older book that's out right now - and that's  the 2013 title  A Throne For The Taking  which is now reprinted in a 3 in 1 By Request collection in the UK. The title of the collection is Claiming His Princess.

Coming up is some extra news for Australian readers  who will get Indebted to Moreno in October - and a best seller collection of 3 of my older title - A Question of Honour (2014) , The Konstantos Marriage Demand (2010)   and Saturday's Bride (1999).   These will all be in a collection that (I think ) will be called Resisting All Temptation!   

No covers for those yet, but as soon as I see them I'll share them with you.

As you'll see,  Saturday's Bride is a long ago title - so if you're looking to add a missing title to your collection, this might be the one. There might be more older titles coming up soon - certainly there'll be some news about older titles in the UK  in ebook form as well.  I'll let you know about that as soon as it's all finalised

This weekend I'm off to Harrogate to have a short break  to treat the Babe Magnet for his birthday.  Afternoon tea at Bettys and a trip to the theatre - I'm  so happy  I get to share it with him.

Hopefully there won't be so many emails/letters/packages waiting for me when we get back!

Catching up - trying to!

I've been missing for ages! I couldn't believe it when I looked at my blog and found that I hadn't posted since the beginning of July - my apologies for my absence but there are reasons for it.

It's July - the busiest month in the year for me most years and this year was no different. There was The RNA Conference in Lancaster,  a visit to dear friend and great writer Michelle Reid  - then home, unpacking, repacking and heading to Wales for the wonderful Writers' Holiday.

I've been meaning to write about my travels and the fabulous month I've had  but never found a moment for it -until now. Today is August 3rd which means that it's the day for my regular monthly post over on the Pink Heart Society Blog  so that's where I'm blogging today - and where you'll find my post about the highlights of the past month  as I've travelled up and down the country  and over to Wales.

Hopefully I'll now stay in the same place long enough to finish my latest book - and to find a way to lose  the extra pounds I've put on after the amazing food at Writers' Holiday last week. I keep saying I'll avoid the desserts  but . .  . they're  just too tempting.

New books/Old Books

I do love the way that books I wrote years ago can suddenly reappear in a new edition - a new translation. Or a reprint of a translation . . . or, as in this case, in a whole new version of an old story that's been reprinted several times already.

Today on Amazon, I was delighted to spot that my 1997 book- The Groom's Revenge had appeared in a brand new form - the  Manga edition turned into an English version as one of the line of Harlequin  Comic.  These editions are great fun because you get all the heightened emotion of the Manga version, the amazing illustrations,  but the story is all in English instead of the Japanese  translation of the original.  So, while I've always loved the Manga version, it's great to be able to actually read this version and understand it.

Checking back to see exactly when the first UK (1997) and  USA (1999)

editions appeared, I was fascinated to see the way the cover had changed along the way too. The first edition had a very square-jawed hero  and he appeared on the first Japanese edition.

But then the book was reprinted - again - in Japan in 2009  (as  a 'Classic)
 and that had a  very different cover . Now here's the Manga edition and once again my hero and heroine are reinvented and appear in a new version - and new illustrations.

I'm delighted to see this new re-reprint of a book that's  - eek - over 20 years old!

Are you an RNA Conference Virgin?

 

I  still remember how it felt to head for my very first conference back in 2000. I was so nervous. But I soon got settled and this year I’m back for my 12^th or 13^th – how did that happen?

In 2002, I helped introduce some ‘newbies’ (aka Conference Virgins) to the Conference experience and then for the next 2 years I ran the first timers’ welcome scheme and newsletter – something that’s now an established part of the conference. So when I was asked to write a post for the RNA blog about the things a first-timer should pack, I just had to go back over my past newsletters to collect up my list. 

So here is the Virgin’s/First Timer's Packing List.   Hope it helps!

• Clothes you can  live in for a day of  workshops/sitting on chairs/taking notes/taking part/drinking tea or coffee/eating lunch/talking/meeting people.  Be comfortable  - dress code is pretty casual.

• Layers – this is England - you never know what the temperature will be. In Sheffield we baked in the heat  - other days - well, see below!

• Rain protection – umbrella/ jacket to run from accommodation to workshops etc

• Shoes you can walk in from bedroom to workshop to coffee to workshop to lunch to queue for lunch in to workshops to tea to your room . . .

• Glitz  for the celebration dinner – this is the time to wear shoes to flaunt  and have photographed for the blog . Some people dress up to the nines, other just  up to five – use it as an excuse to glam up if you want.

• Notebook File Pens – you may be provided with some of these  – but it’s amazing how many people forget that they will need to take notes  etc The goody bag usually has paper in it but if you have a preference for a particular sort of notebook or a pen  bring one.

• A bag to carry them around in and collect up handouts from workshops  papers will slip and slide in your hands. Straps long enough to go over your shoulder help – specially when trying to drink tea/coffee/eat bacon rolls etc. There is always a goody bag given by RNA - but you want to make sure you have something suitable for all the stuff you need to tote around.

• It can be useful to have a small fold-up/cotton bag (or that 'goody bag' )  to go inside your other bag to carry the books you inevitably buy from the bookshop

• Don’t bring book(s) to read – your goody bag will provide some and there is always the bookshop

• Small bottle of water to carry round  - specially in workshops etc if it gets warm and have water  in your  room to avoid hangover  see below!

• Cash for  books, drinks, extras

• Tissues

• Alarm clock or one on  your phone  - you don’t want to miss anything. Use your phone to plan your day as well. 

• Paracetamol  for ‘overload’ headache

• And/or   hangover cure – water/paracetamol/milk thistle. Every year the bar staff are warned the Romantic Novelists can shift a little wine. Every year they don’t quite believe it – until they have to send for fresh supplies!

• Ear plugs if noise bothers you – it’s a place you’re not used to and people do gather and chat in the kitchens etc.

• Toiletries shampoo etc

• Hairdryer if needed

• Minimum makeup stuff – do you really think you’ll have time for a full glam up for the evening?

• Pyjamas or similar for wandering from room to kitchen/staying and chatting in kitchen

• List of books you want to get hold of/authors you hope to meet

• Laptop/ipad/blackberry/whatever if you really can’t live without email

• A pack of disposable plastic tumblers are a good idea – wine drinking back in the digs can be difficult with no glasses....  (Thanks to Anna Louise Lucia – one of the original ‘virgins’  who reminded me about this one!)

• Anna also says:” I bring a note of my workshop choices, so I don’t have to double check.”

• And  you might want to bring extra tea bags  specially if there's one brand you love - or you go for green/white/fruit teas.

Other points you might want to consider:

Pace yourself 

The RNA is quite a small conference, particularly when compared to America’s RWA – but it doesn’t always seem that way when it’s your first time and you don’t know many people. You don’t have to do everything and even if you attended all the workshops you wanted you probably won't take everything in if you're rushing frantically from A to Z. One of the important benefits of a conference is meeting and talking with fellow writers - people who actually get what this is all about.  Balance this with the workshop benefits and take time out when you need it. It's so easy to get swept away in the hype, the networking, the fun but taking a moment to regroup your thoughts/grab a water/caffeine boost can set you up for the rest of the conference. If you give yourself some "break" time, it'll stop you feeling overwhelmed and give you a chance to absorb what you've heard.

Meeting authors and others

Remember that published writers are only human - this means that they  will  usually be easily approachable and happy to talk - if you approach them at the right time.  Specially if you want to ask them to sign a book! But published authors can get as overwhelmed as new writers. When an author is talking with an agent/senior editor - any editor is not the best time to approach. But if they are looking a bit lonely or in a queue for lunch  that's a good time to stop and say Hi.

This is the case with people giving talks or workshops - if you have questions that there wasn't time for in the talk most people will be happy to answer - but make sure that they're not on their way to another talk/a meeting/ coffee with someone/a meal. You can always come back later.

Smile and say hello to people.  Introduce yourself. You never know who you might end up standing/sitting next to

Above everything else, have fun  and enjoy yourself.  If you have a problem  or feel lost – ask. There will always be someone who’ll know the answer or if they don’t they can find someone who will help.

See you there

Kate

PS I'm  giving a talk on Emotion on Sunday afternoon if you're there for the whole conference and not leaving at lunch time.

Pink Heart Blog Day

Today has just slipped away from me - so much to do  - that I nearly forgot that today is my Pink Heart  Society Blogging day.

But I remembered just in time!  And got my post up while it was still today.

So that's where I am today

Writers' Holiday in Wales

I recently had some enquiries about  any courses I have coming up  so I thought I’d just remind you that as it’s July  I’ll be spending my usual wonderful week by the sea in Fishguard in Wales  with the fabulous Writers’ Holiday.

I’ll be  teaching  The Complete Romance Writing Course

 This course is intended to provide information and advice for anyone who wants to learn how to write a popular romance genre novel. It gives an introduction to all the skills needed for success, from creating realistic characters, sustaining pace and conflict, packing emotional punch, writing sex scenes and crafting a satisfying ending. While the focus may be on romance novels, the techniques – dialogue, characters, tension, pacing, settings, hooks etc. will also be relevant to all forms of popular fiction.

So looking forward to the week by the sea, meeting old friends , making new ones. A week  of enjoying the company of other writers – eating good food (lots of it!)  sharing laughter and  lots of interesting ‘main’ talks.

Oh – and I almost forgot the very special  Friday Night  Welsh Night – how could I forget that?

  Friday evening only, after dinner, gives delegates the opportunity of sampling a little of the singing reserved normally for the communities of Wales. This private concert will start at 8.00pm and the excellent Cwmbach Male Voice Choir will also adjourn to the bar after - an evening not to be missed.

I’m only sorry that I can’t do all of the other courses on offer . . .perhaps if I snuck out and  joined one of them, no one would notice?

FIRST HALF OF THE WEEK:

1 IDEAS ON YOUR DOORSTEP: FIND THEM, WRITE THEM – AND PROFIT FROM THEM

  STEPHEN WADE

2 SHORT STORY MAGIC - HOW TO WRITE EMOTION

DELLA GALTON

3  THE COMPLETE  ROMANCE WRITING COURSE

KATE WALKER  

4    POETRY FOR ALL!    

ALISON CHISHOLM

5   Painting and Drawing  

SUSAN ALISON

SECOND HALF OF THE WEEK:

  6    WHAT'S YOUR DREAM?   MAKE IT HAPPEN NOW!

 SOLANGE HANDO     

7   WRITE A NON-FICTION BEST-SELLER

SIMON WHALEY

 8    E&P-I-Y YOUR BOOK – LEAVE OUT THE MIDDLE MAN AND KEEP ALL THE PROFIT!

 MALCOLM CHISHOLM

 9   THE SERENDIPITOUS WRITER   

CAROL FENLON

  10   Painting and Drawing

   SUSAN ALISON

Or you can just stare at the sea

 And all for only £499    - for that you get two 8 session writing courses as well.

Partners welcome any time. 

If you’re with the family, or staying somewhere else nearby, you can always become a Day Delegate

  DAY DELEGATE RATE INCLUDES EVERYTHING except a bed! For just £299

Full English breakfast, all morning coffees/lunches/afternoon teas/dinners

together with all courses/workshops from breakfast until late evening each day.

Full details  from Writers' Holiday

I can't wait!

Weekend cats

Oh Ruby - what are you looking at  so intently?



- I'm looking at Charlie in the tree and wondering just how he got up there.

I was far more worried that he wouldn't get down and we'd have to call the fire brigade - but luckily he managed it fine.

Trouble is - Ruby is now trying to reach his perch in the crab apple tree!

 

What a difference a cover makes!

You might remember my last book - Destined for The Desert King. I loved the UK and USA cover of that . it was very suitable for the book, gorgeous colours  and had so many touches of luxury and  portrayed the characters so well.

But then yesterday I got a package of new foreign translations, and there was a Dutch translation of Destined for the Desert King  - same book, same characters - but - what a different mood, style and image for the cover.  Same characters but at a different point in the story  and . . . well, see for yourself. . .

They're both fine for the story, and my hero and heroine. The hero has lost his beard in the Dutch one - but then he does shave that off in the middle of the story.  It's such a different mood though  - but it's the same book.

Personally I'm all for  different types  of images on the covers . I don't mind a sexy passionate bedroom scene, or a more subtle, perhaps more tender scene. I think that the Harlequin  Presents  line indicates a mixture of both.  And, let's face it, 8 books with 8 covers of 8 heroes and 8 heroines in bed together - er - 4 couples separately, not all 8 in one bed!!) will inevitably  look rather 'samey' and uninteresting. And while that image might be suitable for one scene in a book - or perhaps a lot of another! - it doesn't actually represent the whole development of the story.  But then what cover can.

Which one do you like best?   What sort of cover art would make you want to pick up  a romance novel?

Father's Day Weekend

Lovely Lola

This  Sunday being Father's Day, we  enjoyed the company of The Offspring and his Lovely Fiancée.

And the beautiful  grand-dog, Lola  the golden retriever.   Lola was a very cute puppy,  and she has grown into a very beautiful  nine month old dog.   She is one of those very pale golden dogs - more a blonde, and at times almost white.  (Though not when she has been to the beach or the woods because then she is really mainly mud!)

Thanks to the Lovely Fiancée, she is also a very well-behaved creature, so she's a delight to have around.

And what about our cats? How did they cope? Well, Lola lives with six cats so she is used to felines, and she is very sensible and well-behaved around them. She's also (even more sensibly) very respectful to Charlie, recognising that he is the Alpha Cat in the household. This was her third visit to stay overnight and it seems that Charlie has just about come to accept her. No great friendship there, but he'll tolerate her.

Almost there!

So long as everyone accepts that he is the most beautiful creature in the house.  Which of course he is.

And Ruby? She's taking a bit longer to come round - but then she's only half the size of Charlie, so Lola must seem very imposing to her.  It'll take another couple of visits I think - but she'll get there.

Lola likes cats so much, she'll wait.

Tote Bags Day

Today's the 12 June which makes it my day for blogging over at Tote Bags 'N' Blogs. ( A little late as the heavy thundery weather left me with a migraine - but I made it in the end!)

As  here in the UK there have been major celebrations for the Queen's 90th birthday, I thought I'd take the opportunity to look back at the past 90 years of romance novels and some of their amazing covers.    So if you want to see some of 'The Art of Romance'  -  take a look over there.

The trouble with Maine Coons

As you will have noticed, Charlie is a Maine Coon - which means that he is  very much a long-haired cat.  A beautiful long-haired cat, as many people have been kind enough to say about him.  (I'm keeping that bit quiet as the admiration he's already had has gone to his head far enough already.

  Long-haired cats obviously need a lot of grooming - regular grooming - or they don't  stay beautiful for very long.  Charlie is not a fan of being groomed. Particularly not when he has a just-healed sore spot on his neck, and lower down from a just-healed nasty abscess.  So I have had a struggle to do any serious grooming this past week if I wanted to keep my hands. And as they are rather useful to me, I have had to do a basic minimum of the grooming thing or I would  have been able to write this post.

The other thing about Maine Coons is that when they shed their winter coat (which is a long, heavy coat)  they don't just shed like ordinary cats ie a few threads of fur here and there - that can be hoovered up quite easily.  Maine  Coon's winter fur gathers together into a clump and that clump is what sheds.   This is what I try to groom off him.

But with the sore neck etc problem I haven't been able to do a full thorough  grooming session. As a result, we knew that there was a large clump of fur that had gathered together and we were waiting - trying a bit more each day - to get it away from his neck and lower down his back so we could  remove it  - at least trimming off most of it.  But yesterday he went out - messy clump attached  - and came back without messy clump.

Fine, it had fallen off on its own. But  this morning the lovely lady who lives along the road and her handsome Border Collie Dylan   (who is way bigger than but frightened of Charlie!) knocked on our door in some concern.  (Well the lady did - I know Border Collies are bright, but not that bright!)

'Is your cat all right ?' she asked, worried  has he been in a fight or something . . ' She was afraid he might have met the local fox or perhaps a car.  She held out the clump of fur that Dylan had

found by the roadside.   A very large clump of fur.   As you'll see from the picture.

Luckily I was able to reassure here that this was simply Charlie shedding - but  even I have to admit that if I'd spotted that lying in the middle of the road, I might well have feared that a small kitten had had a terrible accident - or that a cat had had a large chunk torn out of him.   Either way, I really appreciated her taking the time and trouble to come and check that the big ginger guy was all right.  Thank you so much kind neighbour - and Dylan.

It just shows what a couple of days missing grooming can do!

And, on a serious point, if  you have a long-haired cat and don't groom it in the spring shedding season particularly - that lump of fur is what can end up  being tongue-groomed - and swallowed and can end up blocking the cat's stomach.   As you can see, Charlie has a lot more where that came from!

Welcome return visitor

They haven't been seen for a while, and  to tell the truth we were getting a little worried that perhaps the residents of Hedgehog Towers (aka the Hecks) had packed up and moved on - or worse. Particularly when a poor ex-hedgehog was squashed on the road last week.

But  the food we had put out for them was being eaten by someone -  though that could be the stray cats/squirrels/magpies or even the rook that comes down to the bird table. (He takes a whole suet ball for himself and retires to the garage roof to eat in peace!)

But last week the neighbours said that they'd seen Ruby the black and white cat  playing jump over the hedgehog in their garden so we hoped we could relax- and last night the warm weather and light evening meant that at least we could get our first clear view of a foraging hedgehog snuffling about the lawn.

We're glad to see him/her back again - hopefully it's not the only one.

Pink Hearts Day

For anyone who wants an update on Charlie - he is so much better he's eating like a pig, and now has gone out to chase magpies off his lawn!

Today is the 3rd of the month which means that it's my day to blog at the Pink Hearts Society - where I'm looking forward to the events coming up - RNA - Writers Holiday - Relax and Write and all the fun I'll have there.

Have a great weekend. I know Charlie will!

New cover reveal.

So after 48 hours of antibiotics, regular bathing of his neck good food, and a l-o-n-g sleep Charlie Rumpusscat (his full name!) is feeling so much better. He's celebrated getting rid of the cone of shame by running out of the house and up a crab apple tree. singing a song of joy as he goes. :-)



Or perhaps he's celebrating the fact that I've just been sent the image of the cover of my new book - Indebted to Moreno - which is coming at the end of September. Would you like to see it? It seems to have pleased Charlie.

A Day in The Life of . . .2

Charlie the Maine Coon would like to thank everyone who paid him compliments and said he was beautiful - which he is - but he would also like everyone to know that his life is not always  one long round of snoozes and snacks.

It is sometimes, but there are other days on which that enjoyable and comfortable life  is disrupted by things of a disastrous type - ie  visits to the vet disasters.

He has had one of those days today,  after appearing at the door with a rather nasty mess on his neck which turned out to be the result of an abscess under his fur which had burst. After a trip to the vert for a clean up - plus some eye wateringly expensive antibiotics and painkillers, he is now back home safe and almost sound. But he is not happy as you can see.
The dreaded cone is round his neck to stop him from scratching at the wound  and he is to stay inside  for a while - which he is not best pleased about.

His song of protest is loud and from the heart, specially as  - if you look  at this picture - you will see a pair of black and white legs that belong to his sister Ruby who is allowed out into the garden, much to his disgust.

However, if the thunder and rain forecast for the evening appear, perhaps that will make him feel better about staying inside. It's already cold enough to  mean that if he did go outside, then he'd soon be back in again.

But at the moment he is singing a song of heartfelt protest in a fine, high tenor voice!