Networking in Dumfries & Galloway…

Last Saturday I took part in a writer’s conference organised by the Creative Arts Business Network (CABN) which took place at The Urr Valley Hotel in Castle Douglas. The event was organised by Mary Smith, the Creative Business Advocate for Literature and Publishing in Dumfries & Galloway, whose role is to help develop creative business networks for writers in the region, and Lesley Rogers, our Creative Arts Business Development Officer.  We are so lucky in our region to have such dedicated people valuing and supporting our creative businesses!

Key speaker of the day was Nicola Morgan, award-winning author of around 90 books across many genres and the self-professed Crabbit Old Bat. Nicola, who lives in Edinburgh, gives crabbitly honest advice to determined writers on her blog Help!I Need a Publisher! and in her books, Write To Be Published, Write a Great Synopsis, and Tweet Right - the Sensible Person's Guide to Twitter.

Me and Nicola Morgan

Nicola, who is one of fifty international authors invited to make up the Edinburgh Writers' Conference as part of this year's Edinburgh book festival, showed us how to build an author platform using Blogs and Twitter – and even more importantly how not to do it!

The programme throughout the day was interesting and varied. There was a delicious lunch of hot soup, which everyone seemed to enjoy, as it was a windy wet and cold day in Castle Douglas! There were also plenty of filled baguettes and time for ‘networking’ which of course is just writerly speak for lots of chatting!

Sara Bain, Entertainments Editor at the Dumfries & Galloway Standard newspaper spoke to us about preparing a press release that an editor would want to use and gave valuable insider tips on approaching the press effectively.

After lunch, Inga McVicar, a marketing professional with over 13 years of experience of book retailing with Waterstones and in publishing with Canongate Books, spoke to us about the dynamics of book marketing.

My talk was on independent epublishing, not the nuts and bolts of how to do it, but rather how to go about successfully promoting your book once it’s up there on Amazon. I hope I was inspirational!

The event was well attended and it was great to meet up with familiar faces and to meet new writers. I certainly came away from the day feeling very positive about being a writer!

So what makes you feel positive about being a writer? Is it the company of other writers or simply getting the time to write? Do tell!

The Summer Audience Event

I could have floated back to Glasgow from Gloucestershire on a cloud of happiness rather than taken a flight with Easyjet. The Loveahappyending Summer Audience weekend was fabulous fun and an amazing success!  And it was all down to the organisational skills of the woman at the helm, Linn B Halton. I first met Linn on Twitter just over a year ago, when she said she was setting up a reader/writer website and asked if I like to be part of it. I was new to Twitter but immediately recognised this as a good opportunity. I’ve never looked back - loveahappyending.com became established - and Linn and I have become firm friends.

I’d never done an author talk before, and so I was naturally anxious when climbing the stage to deliver my Zero to my Latest Hero speech last Saturday but, happily, the support of my fellow loveahappyending.com authors and the warm vibes from all the avid readers attending the event gave me the boost I needed to talk, on a very personal level, about why and how I became a writer.

Delivering my 'Zero to my Latest Hero' talk!

The day was not only a fabulous success but also a wonderful opportunity to meet up with the seventeen loveahappyending.com authors attending and to catch up with some of my own 'Team Horton' Associate Readers and book bloggers like Louise Graham, Sharon (Shaz) Goodwin, Sue Fortin and Kim (The Book Worm) Nash.

With Kim 'The Book Worm' Nash

Thoughout the day, Kim was also broadcasting live via Stafford FM's Book Club and interviewing attendants!

With book blogger Louise Graham

With book blogger Sharon 'Shaz' Goodwin

With fellow author Mandy Baggot and my editor Kit Domino

With fellow Scottish author Chris Longmuir

Me with author & event organiser Linn B Halton and Lou Graham

One of the highlights of the day was the keynote speech by Catrin Collier, which everyone agreed was spell-binding. Catrin, under various pen names, has published over 41 novels worldwide. She has had three stage plays professionally performed in addition to publishing various articles and short stories. Her first Catrin Collier novel, Hearts of Gold was filmed as a mini-series by BBC Worldwide, and attracted an audience of 6.8 million viewers when shown on UK network TV. Another highlight came in the form of the lovely award-winning author Jill Mansell, who dropped in to select one lucky winner of a a stack of books and e-books, plus a ‘Devils With Wings’ signed poster by author Harvey Black.

Author Harvey Black with his alter-ego Jeremy - but which is which...?

The Loveahappyending Group Photo!

We polished off the day with a meal in a cosy Cotswold pub and raised our drinks to toast a fabulously successful event, each other, and to Linn B Halton and her lovely husband Lawrence for  making it all happen and for bringing us all together

Cheers!

You can read lots more about the Loveahappyending.com Summer Event, our Featured Authors and Associate Readers by visiting the website HERE

And tomorrow, Saturday 23^rd June, I’ve been asked to speak to authors in Dumfries and Galloway on ‘Building an Author Platform’.  The event, organised by The Creative Arts Business Network (CABN) in Scotland, is being held at the Urr Valley Hotel, Castle Douglas. I’m really looking forward to it and hope all this practice will stand me in good stead for doing lots more author talks in the future. I’ll report back on how it went next Friday. Wish me luck!

A Summer Audience - Recipe for Fun...

Recipe for a fun day talking about all things book related:

Ingredients:

30 passionate new Authors from around the world

16 wonderful Associate Readers

1 fabulous Keynote Speaker – Catrin Collier (photo above right – Linn B Halton, Mandy Baggot & Catrin Collier)

1 totally amazing surprise in the delightful form of Jill Mansell popping in to pick the competition winner (photo above left)

6 months of planning and a group of 46 passionate people

To read the rest of this feature please click on the link below:

Loveahappyending.com's Summer Audience Fun

I'll be blogging here on Friday - and bringing you all the news and views (including lots of photos) of the exciting Summer Audience event!

See you then!

Janice xx

A.W.O.L.

I’ve been Absent Without Leave – did you miss me…?

I didn’t make it back to bloggerland last Friday as I was away in Crete visiting Iain,  son #3, who is working over there as a Scuba Diving Instructor. While we were away, Mr JH went diving every day with Iain and his team, while I soaked up the hot and wonderful Cretian sunshine on the beach and read my Kindle! It was also our wedding anniversary while we were there and we had a lovely time celebrating in a traditional taverna. This photo is of Iain, me, and Mr JH.

There has been so much going on this week. I’m very busy preparing for my ‘Zero to my Latest Hero’ talk at the loveahappyending.com Summer Audience, which is taking place next Saturday 16th June, in Tetbury Glos, UK. The event is being covered by Radio Stafford FM’s Book Club and features lots of author talks, writer workshops, and publisher's points of view.  Check out the fantastic Event Programme. It’s not too late to get your tickets if you don’t have them yet – just click on the link below for more info on how to get them. It’s going to be the writer and reader event of the summer – so don’t miss out!

A Summer Audience - more info & tickets

This week I’ve been interviewed on author Sheryl Browne’s new ‘My Corner of the World’ feature on loveahappyending.com. I’m talking about my home in Dumfries & Galloway Scotland and why I find it so inspiring to live there. Click the link below to read the interview with Sheryl.

My Corner of the World

Next Friday, I’ll be on a flight from Glasgow to Bristol in order to attend The Summer Audience on the Saturday, but bear with me please, as I promise to return with a full report and photos – both of the event and the after party! Now, will I see YOU there..?

#Romcom4all - The Big Secret

In keeping with the recent campaign #Romcom4all - which calls for men who love reading romance novels to ‘man up’ and admit to it and for publisher's and book stores to refrain from tagging Relationship Novels as gender specific - I asked internationally bestselling romance novel author Kenneth Rosenberg to tell us all his ‘Big Secret’!

Take it away Kenneth!

I’ve always loved ships.  Big or small, old or new, there is something about the romance of the sea that I always found irresistible.  When I see a ship I have to wonder, where has it been?  Where is it headed?  What adventures await whoever steps on board?

At one point in my life, I decided to finally put these questions to the test.  Like Hermann Melville and Joseph Conrad before me, I opted to sign on as a deckhand and go to sea.  My first big voyage was on a ship laying fibre optic cables across the Pacific.  I took two books with me.  Moby Dick and…  Bridget Jones’ Diary.

The first book was an obvious choice.  I was partly inspired to embark on the journey by Melville after all.  I took the second book because, well, I’ve always had a soft spot for romantic fiction.  I just can’t help it.  I suppose I’m a born romantic at heart.

The problem in this particular case was that the cover consisted of a woman’s giant red lips.  There was no question that this was a book for women, not for deckhands on a ship in the middle of the ocean.

Now I will assume that most of the readers of this blog have not been fortunate enough to work in the merchant marines, but you can probably imagine that by and large the other sailors were manly men.  Not the type who would read fiction in general, and definitely not women’s fiction in particular.

Every time I went to the lounge at the end of the day to read a little bit, I found myself doing my very best to hide the cover from anyone else’s eyes.  I loved the book, but I was embarrassed.  The last thing I wanted was for any of these sailors to see me reading a chic-lit novel!  I might never hear the end of it…

Now years later, I struggle with a similar dilemma.  I’ve written not one but two romantic novels myself.  One of these even has hearts all over the cover.  I can only guess what the deckhands might think of that.

When people ask me what types of novels I write, I still have to pause sometimes before saying romance, but I’m getting used to it.  I guess my point is; I can understand men being a little embarrassed to admit that they like romantic fiction.  I’m a little embarrassed and I write it!  But just because I still struggle sometimes to admit it, that doesn’t mean I enjoy romantic novels any less.

Perhaps the stigma will never disappear.  Men in our society are supposed to be tough and unemotional, but the truth is that everyone wants to fall in love, no matter your gender.

I have been fortunate enough to receive e-mail messages from some of my readers telling me that they enjoyed my books and several of those have actually come from men.  It always surprises me when I do hear from a man, first that they read the book and second that they bothered to tell me they liked it.

One came from a retired postal worker in a small English village, half a world away from me.  That one made my day, and I figure if he can admit he liked a romantic novel, perhaps the rest of us men should take a lesson from him!  And if not, then maybe keeping romance novels as a secret, guilty pleasure, isn’t so bad either.

Kenneth Rosenberg is a California writer whose work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Surfer Magazine and other publications. When he is not writing, Kenneth spends his time surfing, snowboarding and traveling the world on a shoestring. His next hotly anticipated novel 'Natalia' is available soon!

  

KennethRosenberg’s blog

Buy Kenneth’s books on:

Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com

Thank you Kenneth!

I'm really looking forward to reading everyone's comments on this post - so please do leave one before you go!

Mandy Baggot - A Rising Star on Tour!

Mandy Baggot has just been announced by Romantic Fiction Online as one of the rising stars of 2012. Mandy has just launched her fifth novel Taking Charge and I'm delighted to be hosting her as as part of her month long blog tour. Mandy is also one of the featured authors at loveahappyending.com and will be taking part at the Summer Audience Event in Tetbury Glos on the 16th June. Mandy has been previously self-published but signed with exciting Sapphire Star Publishing in January this year. Go Mandy!

Food Glorious Food

Hi Janice, thank you for taking part in the Taking Charge blog tour and for having me on your wonderful website! Now, as Janice has written a novel about a celebrity chef and because food plays quite an important role in Taking Charge I am going to be talking about all things eating!

My lead female Robyn Matthers is slightly obsessed with food and none of it is healthy. Her idea of food Heaven is opening up a large bag of kettle chips and devouring the whole lot with a dip to accompany it. She also has a love of gherkins (pickles), barbecue and ice cream. So now, DRUM ROLL PLEASE, I am going to reveal to you my top five favourite foods in DESERT ISLAND FOODS!

5. Roast Dinner

You know what I’m talking about. Nice breast of chicken, broccoli, carrots, swede (rutabaga LOL), peas, stuffing and a plate overflowing with thick gravy! Yum!

4. Greek salad

Not just for holidays! Lettuce, tomato, onion, olives and feta cheese, drizzled in olive oil.

3. Indian

A nice chicken Bombay on a bed of mushroom rice with a tarka dal and a garlic naan. It may not be that healthy but it’s LOVELY.

2. Chinese

Now most of you know that I ADORE food from my home village Chinese takeaway Pearl River. I cannot get enough of their sweet and sour chicken balls! We try and limit these to once a month but it would be a must for me to survive on a desert island.

1. Packet mashed potato

Yes! I had to have it as my number one desert island food. I could not survive without packet mashed potato. It’s quick to make, all you need is hot water and a fork and there’s a low fat hearty meal. I do really take a packet with me whenever I go away anywhere!

So there are my five desert island foods! Now we want to hear what you would take with you to that desert island. What food could you not live without? Leave a comment!

 

Mandy’s novel Taking Charge was released on 3 May 2012

Click here to buy on Amazon UK

Click here tobuy on Amazon.com

or visit Mandy’s Website

Romcom for All…!

This week I’ve been completely bowled over by a fabulous independent review of my contemporary romance novel ‘Reaching for the Stars’ on Amazon UK. Why bowled over, you might ask?

Well, as I explained on Nicky Wells ‘Centrestage’ blog this week - it was because it was by a man!

Okay – he confessed to downloading my book by accident and then reading it anyway – but the fact remains that he enjoyed it, took the time to write a fabulous review, and then to download my previous book ‘Bagpipes & Bullshot’.

All of this made me wonder why bookshops, both on the high street and online, continue to label Relationship Novels as ‘Women’s Fiction’ as if men should have nothing to do with them?

It’s stereotyping in the extreme. Yet the market for relationship novels continues to expand and men and women are breaking the stereotypical role image every day in real life. So why do publishers insist that the covers of Chicklit genre novels are routinely pastel colours with swirly-girly illustrations rather than designing innovative covers with a wider appeal?

They would say they are ‘target marketing’ of course - and it’s an undeniable fact that women read more than men do and that women buy more books - but that is hardly forward thinking. It is being narrow minded. How are we ever going to encourage men to read romantic contemporary fiction if we alienate them?

Romcom for All!

Nicky’s Centrestage blog post attracted some interesting comments and stirred up some passions on the subject of genre gender divide. Nicky Wells said: “Men do read romance.  Yes, they do.  I know that for a fact. They just don’t talk about it, they don’t like to admit it, and they certainly wouldn’t want to be seen holding a romantic novel in their hands while travelling on the Tube. If you think about it, it’s kind of obvious.  Everyone loves a happy ending.  Everyone wants to be loved.  Everyone is looking for that special someone in their life.  Why should men not enjoy a romantic novel?  In fact, the clever man will read romance as a ‘how to’ manual!”

So do men have a lot to learn from a romantic relationship novel?

And are men more likely to read romance on an ereader?

What do YOU think?

As a woman – how do YOU feel about the segregation of ‘Women’s Fiction’

As a man – are YOU man enough to read a romance novel?

Fellow author Nicky Wells and I are calling for a campaign to bring ‘Romcom for All’

We will be tweeting using the hashtag #romcom4all.

Please join the debate and share your views!

Click here to go to visit Nicky Wells Blog

Please do feel free to leave a comment before you go, share this post on Facebook or your other social networks, tag this blog with your own blog post so that we can follow YOU – and don’t forget to and tweet YOUR thoughts on Twitter using the hashtag  #romcom4all.

About my fellow author Nicky Wells:  Nicky Wells writes fun and glamorous contemporary romance featuring a rock star and the girl next door that rocks your world!  Nicky is signed to Sapphire Star Publishing and loves rock music, dancing, and eating lobsters.  When she’s not writing, she is a wife, mother, and teaching assistant.  Nicky is also a featured author with the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com. Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress, the second and third parts of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy.  You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook.

Behind the Scenes…. Research

This is the first in a series of ‘Behind the Scenes’ posts that I’d like to do for writers and readers alike. It’s an account of how one writer constructs a novel from concept to completion and this first post is very much about concept. It’s actually the part I love the most. You see, for me, one of the best things about the whole writing process is all the fun research I do beforehand!

Some writers claim to do very little in the way of research but most I know do some in advance and more as they write the story. This is all very much on a ‘need to know’ basis. Many say they do research afterwards, in order to authenticate or flesh out already written scenes. I can see how this would be a time efficient way of working - but my approach to research is quite different as I advocate something I like to call ‘the total immersion method’.

You’ll know from previous posts about plotting that I don’t ever plan a storyline before I sit down to write, but that doesn’t mean that I’m at all unprepared. I start with two main characters and (as I write stories with a strong romantic thread) I will have already identified the conflicts, both physical and emotional, that will stand in the way of them falling deeply in love.

Once these conflicts are resolved of course, over the length of the entire story, we are led to an emotionally satisfying conclusion for both the characters and for the reader. But is it enough to simply write a ‘satisfying’ story? Fiction is all about living in another world for a while - and I’m not just talking about Sci-Fi or Fantasy genre here – but the importance of creating a realistic three dimensional setting with authentic real-life problems which relate to that setting.

I believe the best way for a writer to achieve this realism in fiction is through immersive research.

The Total Immersion Method.

I discovered this method entirely by accident while writing my first novel. I was at the penultimate chapter and my hero was in court and facing a jury. He was about to discover not only his fate but which of the two women in his life was going to stand by him. Suddenly, to my frustration, I realised that the scene wasn’t working and it was because I had no experience of actually being in a courtroom. Then something amazing happened: I was called up for jury service.

For a whole week I listened to the evidence presented and observed the formality of the setting, the tension in the room, the mannerisms of the judge, the lawyers and the barristers. It was the richest source of study for my novel I could have wished for and it taught me the true value of research. I went on to finish my scene, complete the novel, and have it immediately accepted by a publisher.

For my second novel, Bagpipes & Bullshot, I needed to know about Scottish country estate farming in order to get real perspective on what might work in my plot and what wouldn’t. So I donned my wellies and wax jacket and went out to explore the countryside and to interview farmers, gamekeepers and country estate staff. Getting out there and fully immersing myself in a real setting made my fictional one immediately come to life and revealed to me scenes and plotlines that I would never have imagined without the benefit of first-hand experience.

My third novel Reaching for the Stars is set in the world of top chefs and steamy kitchens and was, as I’m sure you can imagine, great fun to research! Interviewing Michelin starred chefs and those who cook for VIP’s and celebrities in real life gave me inside perspective and a fantastic but realistic setting for my entirely fictional novel about a gorgeous but lonely media-hounded celebrity chef with anxiety issues. Readers have said in reviews for Reaching for the Stars that they felt they were ‘transported to the scene’. All, I’m sure, not just down to this author’s overactive imagination but through her meticulous and immersive research.

Me with top chef Colin Masson

For my current work in progress, an exciting romance story about an eco-lawyer and an industrialist, my extensive research is done and the hard work of writing has now begun. But as work on this novel progresses, I’m also researching for the next book, which will be set in the wonderful world of horticulture. You see, in order to totally immerse myself in this research, I’m currently working part time hours in a fabulous independently owned garden centre - and just from my day to day real life experiences, I can already tell you that the plot ideas are flowing - and I can’t wait to get started on writing this next one too!

I’d love your thoughts on this post from the perspective of a reader, a writer, or both - so please do leave a comment and feel free to share on Twitter, Facebook etc etc.

See you next Friday!

Janice xx

Author Showcase - Gilli Allan

This week I’m hosting fellow Romantic Novelist, Gilli Allan.

Gilli has been previously traditionally published but now self publishes in ebook format which, she says, has given her the freedom not to follow any kind of formula in her writing. “Love may still be the engine of the plot, not that my characters are necessarily aware of this, but I try to write honestly, refusing to romanticise the downsides and the pitfalls in modern relationships”. Gilli’s new book ‘Life Class’ is out on Kindle on the 1st May. For the next two weeks, she is running a special price offer on her current book ‘Torn’ for those of you who might not have yet discovered this talented author.

Take it away Gilli..!

I woke this morning, my mind still pleasurably caught up in the dream I’d been having.  When I’d properly come to, the dream lingered. I was prompted to think about the iconic opening line of Daphne du Maurier’s ‘Rebecca’, which led me on to the not very startling conclusion that all writers (of fiction) need to be able to dream. 

At this point I have to make it clear that, despite the originating thought, I am no longer talking about that thing we do when we’re asleep, although for some, I understand, their night-time adventures can be quite an important wellspring of their waking creativity.  I am talking about switching off from the prosaic world around you and allowing yourself to fantasise - to start playing the ‘what if...?’ game.

I am convinced everyone possesses this potential. If you played make-believe as a child, whether it was Cowboys and Indians, Princes and Princesses or Orcs and Hobbits, you were tapping into that ‘let’s pretend’ part of your brain. I am not saying that everyone has a good book in them, few do, but everyone has the capacity to dream.  No one would buy a lottery ticket, bet on a horse or consider going in for X Factor, if they didn’t. In many people, however, the child-like part of the brain that devises a scenario, fills it with characters and weaves the ingredients into a story, seems to wither as they grow older and real life takes over.  

All fiction writers must hang on to this capacity, although their imaginative life varies wildly from one to another. Some stay in the world of pure fantasy, of fairies, knights and maidens, vampires, time-slip or space travel. Others create a world, which some might argue is still fantasy, by writing erotica or category romance peopled by beautiful ‘cinderellas’ and handsome billionaires.  Others create a darker, gritty, uncomfortable world peopled with policemen, low-lifes and serial killers. 

In many ways I wish I could put a convenient label on my stories.  They don’t fall within any easily pinned down sub-genre like Chick-Lit or Rom Com. If anything, my own imaginative star leads me to subvert the stereotypes of romantic fiction - to people the contemporary world I’ve created with plausible characters, who aren’t drop dead gorgeous, or mega rich, or film star handsome. I give them the regrets and ambitions any of us might have, the strengths, flaws and weaknesses that make them human and believable. And then I throw in obstacles to trip them up and divert them from achieving their goals. The path to happiness, whatever that means for the individual concerned, may not be smooth, it may lead in unexpected directions, but in the end....   Well, you’ll have to read one of my books to find out.

Oh yes...  about that dream, the one that set me thinking...  You may not believe me, but last night I dreamt I was having an affair with Johnny Depp!

Alongside the publication of ‘Life Class’, Gilli is running a special offer price cut - for the next two weeks - on her book ‘Torn’.

Gilli’s Links:

http://www.gilliallan.blogspot.com/

http://famousfiveplus.blogspot.com/

http://britishromancefiction.blogspot.co.uk/

twitter: @gilliallan

Thanks for all your comment's - I love to hear from you.

Do pop back next week - when I'll be discussing my favourite writerly  topic - research!

From Zero to my Latest Hero....

Apologies for a splash and dash blog post this week – but I’m writing, working, writing, working, writing….

Although, don't you dash off just yet – because I did do an interview this week with innovative reader/writer website Loveahappyending.com founder Linn B Halton.  Linn asked me to spill the beans on the specifics of my ‘From Zero to my Latest Hero…’ talk at the Loveahappyending Summer Audience Event of the 16th June - and this is what I had to say…!

Janice talks to Linn B Halton about her talk at The Summer Audience Event

Do tell me - what are YOU busy doing this week…?