Lorraine Wilson

Famous!

2012-01-21T16:59:00.001Z

It seems I'm famous for the wrong reasons though. I had an online supermarket delivery this week and a woman who normally works in the office was the driver. She said "Oh, didn't you used to live in..." and cited my last address. Warily I said I did and it turns out I am well known in supermarket circles for being, amongst other mishaps, the woman who ordered 77 bananas and recently 146 packets of crisps. Both by mistakes I hasten to add.
"You must have thought I had a crisp fetish." Was all I could think to say.
"Yes, we did." Was the alarming reply.

Oh well, at least I'm keeping them all in gossip.

Two good writing friends on the other hand I'm hoping will become famous for entirely different reasons - huge congrats to Joanne Pibworth and Jackie Ashenden on their recent Entangled pitch successes :-)

Getting in the mood...

2011-12-19T18:25:00.002Z

For some reason Christmas seems to have taken me by surprise this year - no Christmas cards written yet, presents not organised...But on Saturday I had a trip to London and the combination of the lights in Sloane Square, a couple of hundred Skating Santas (yes, you DID read that right) and an early Christmas present of the loveliest boots I've ever owned has got me in the mood.

If anyone is looking for a Christmas read I've been listening to The Jewels of Manhattan and can thoroughly recommend it. It's the kind of book that makes you itch to write and I'm hoping the fact I'm going away for a week somewhere I'll be looked after means I'll be writing again soon.

All I want for Christmas is to finish my book... Although I have to say the boots were rather nice too ;-)

Down a rabbit hole and being Kwirky

2011-11-29T12:50:00.001Z

I've been a little quiet lately because the house moves wiped me out. Well that and a few unfortunate accidents involving a lamp plug that left a hole in my best jeans and, ahem, in my nether regions, several packing boxes lurking and deliberately tripping me up and a fall down a rabbit hole that has left me needing to use a walking stick. Really, those damn rabbits should remember to close their front doors ;-)
I've also been busy getting my craft stuff ready to sell at some upcoming Christmas markets but once that's all done intend to get down to some serious writing again.
These are some of the things I'm taking to the events. For news of events see my other blog - Kwirky Design
Also you can get a sneak preview of my Facebook store - Kwirky Kaleidescopes

Glamlit v. Chiclit

2011-10-07T13:08:00.004+01:00

A while ago now I mentioned the rise of the glambuster. Several months later and the National Press are onto my trend (Okay, maybe they already knew but I like to think I was the first to recognise the migration over to glam ;-)

Glam is selling but Chic isn't so well. Personally I understand it - Tasmina Perry, Jo Rees and Tilly Bagshawe have captured my loyalty and my imagination. Reading about a world outside of my own is so much more mind-expanding!

You know that old saying about monkeys writing Shakespeare? Well take a look at this, personally I think it's hilarious :-)

Good luck to all NV entrants. Thankfully I am distracted this year by trying to arrange a house move and empty my house in Scotland as well. I should resurface from the Highlands in the middle of next week but I'm crossing my fingers I'll see names I know in the finalists' list!

Guilty!

2011-09-22T13:10:00.004+01:00

My New Voices entry this year, 'Confessions of a Chalet Girl', is about feeling guilty. It's personal to me because I've had to delve into the complexity of guilt and the irrational human emotions surrounding it over the past few years. My brain injury was an accident but it was caused by my husband. I know it was an accident, he knows it was an accident but that hasn't prevented a few dark moments for both of us.

So my story is exploring the issue and set in a place I love - Switzerland (well I had to justify those drives over to Verbier for 'research purposes'. Really I have to get published just to justify the travel ;-)

If you have time to read it I would value your comments. If the link comes up before I leave to fly to Corfu I'll add it in, if not then please bear with me!

Mad busy/Mad crazy

2011-09-20T20:12:00.002+01:00

I've been a little busy since I last posted - I've bought a house, booked a holiday and arranged to fly up to Scotland to pack up my house there. I only have a few weeks to go but in the midst of all the packing boxes I am trying to improve the rusty writing of my New Voices effort. At this rate I will be uploading my chapter from Corfu although the lovely sunshine will be a great distraction from watching my roses grow and shrink (and possibly shrivel back into the ground if last year is anything to go by!).

After New Voices 2010 I promised myself I would absolutely never enter any competition again but concentrate on the traditional route which seemed to be going better for me. Not quite sure what happened to that resolve...Still I'm hoping entering will let people realise I am (a) still alive and (b) still serious about writing.

I'm also hoping I will manage to stay sane and serene this time (who said 'Fat chance?'???)

Anyone else lurking in the shadows clutching a possible competition chapter?

New Beginnings (and this time I mean it!)

2011-08-27T16:10:00.018+01:00

Anyone who has known me for a while (and if you've stuck around you have my thanks for your patience!) will know that for the past few years I've been going through a particularly gruelling insurance process following a brain injury.
Thankfully on Wednesday this came to an end in a highly pressurised game of Deal or no Deal that lasted 7 hours in a windowless, underground room. I could take the bankers offer and run or I could stick it out for another two years during which I was promised (threatened?) things would get much nastier. As they had already been pretty nasty - being followed by private detectives, having my post box rummaged through at 3 am, being forced to try treatment that made me worse, having every aspect of my medical and personal history raked over, being squeezed financially to the point of homelessness and being unable to afford food, being lied about, threatened and even blackmailed - my mind boggled as to how things could get even worse.
So, with great relief I decided to take the money and run, or in my case stagger, home. I've been so shattered I can barely take it in but finally it's dawning that all the energy I expended on the insurance reports and rehabilitation can now be channeled back into writing and that, more than any amount of money, is what is making me happy :-)
Now I can finish that requested full (finally!) and maybe even dip a toe in the waters of New Voices. Just for fun though as I've been way too sick lately to sign myself up for the kind of rosemania that swept the internet waves last year ;-)

And in case you were wondering what I've been up to all this time, well even though I've been unable to face a computer screen my creativity still insisted on finding an outlet and these are a few of the things I've made this year. It's patchwork but not as my nan would know it...

#MarryingCadeWave Stop Six

2011-07-13T15:00:00.007+01:00

It’s launch day for Sally Clements’ new book, Marrying Cade, and to celebrate, she’s having a Mexican wave of excerpts! You can keep up with the wave’s progress on the twitter hashtag #MarryingCadeWave – and add a tweet with the hashtag to chat with everyone else who’s reading along!

Here’s how to do it…these are the stops, just call in to these blogs to read each excerpt (they start at stop one, and finish at stop ten). Alternatively, start wherever, and click on the next stop link at the bottom of the excerpt. Or just click on the buy link, to get your own copy of Marrying Cade!

Stop One – Talli Roland’s blog http://talliroland.blogspot.com/

Stop Two – Maya Blake’s blog http://mayabauthor.blogspot.com/

Stop Three – Nas Dean’s blog http://nas-dean.blogspot.com/

Stop Four – Joanne Coles’s blog http://joannecleary.blogspot.com/

Stop Five – Romy Summers’ blog http://romysommer.blogspot.com/

Stop Six – Lorraine Wilson’s blog http://lorraine-wilson.blogspot.com/

Stop Seven – Joanne Pibworth’s blog http://joannepibworth.blogspot.com/

Stop Eight – Suzanne Jones’ blog http://suzanne-sj.blogspot.com/

Stop Nine – Lacey Devlin’s blog http://laceydevlin.blogspot.com/

Stop Ten – Sally Clements’ blog http://sallyclements.blogspot.com/

Stop Six’s excerpt…

“Ciao, Cade.” Her low voice caressed his name. Her eyes rose to his and jolted him with a bolt of blue.

It was Melo, all right. He’d know those eyes anywhere.

She leaned toward him, proffering her cheek for the customary kiss.

Cade’s lips grazed the smooth skin of her cheek, and his nostrils filled with the intoxicating scent of her perfume. His fingers smoothed over her upper arms, feeling the shiver snaking through her. She had a tiny mole above the outer curve of her mouth, something else he remembered from the Melo of old.

He stepped back, needing distance.

“Hi Melo. You look great.” The scratchy croak was just about all he could manage. Rosa’s sister had blossomed into the most stunning woman he’d ever seen. Twelve years ago, the gangly tomboy had been the perfect companion for a boy on holiday. They’d done everything together. Well, almost everything. Now he was tongue tied around her, and that was new.

Read a review of Marrying Cade at Madeline Ash’s blog… http://madelineash.blogspot.com

Buy Marrying Cade from The Wild Rose Press:http://www.thewildrosepress.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=195&products_id=4557

Before you go on to stop seven, tweet this to help get the wave going! Now, continue on to Stop seven here! http://joannepibworth.blogspot.com/

CATCH ME A CATCH - July 2010, The Wild Rose Press

BOUND TO LOVE - February 2011, Embrace Books

NEW BEGINNINGS - February 2011, A collection of short stories

MARRYING CADE - upcoming 2011, The Wild Rose Press

LOVE ON THE VINE - upcoming 2011, The Wild Rose Press

Wake me when it's over...

2011-07-04T13:27:00.010+01:00

Sadly I haven't been absent for the past few weeks because I've been sunning myself in Monte Carlo, ensconced on the yacht of a gorgeous billionaire. Instead I've been having unpleasant things done to my spine and neck that have turned me into a pain fuelled, hobbling harridan.

I'm the first to admit I'm not much fun to be with at the moment and having to miss the RNA conference this year because of some doctor's desire to poke at my nerve endings with sharp implements has made me a tad...grumpy.

Still, I've been getting through the enforced rest by listening to as many audiobooks as I can get my mitts on and the dogs are wisely sleeping through my recuperation (and are a great source of unconditional cuddles!).

I was really pleased to find a new Heidi Rice audiobook has been released on audible.co.uk - Public Affair, Secretly Expecting.

I'm hoping that by listening, listening, listening I can not only distract myself from the pain but also learn and grow with my own writing so this needn't feel like such a wasted time.

If you're going to the conference have a great time and good luck to those of you with editor appointments. I will see you all there next year :-)

The new buzz word at HMB Romance HQ

2011-06-05T22:29:00.006+01:00

Unpredictability is apparently the new buzz word at Mills and Boon headquarters, to quote Editor Flo Nicoll "Unpredictability is literally all we can talk about". At last year's RNA conference the theme of the Mills and Boon Editor talk was 'new twists on old themes' so this is clearly something anyone trying to write for Harlequin M&B needs to be thinking about. I'm going to be interested to find out the results of the Unpredictability Task Force - what are readers sick of, what do they want to see more of etc. If you want to read the Editor blog post in full or find out what on earth I'm on about then click here.

How to be fresh and new and yet fit the category line? It's a very interesting question, answers in a comment box will be welcome ;-)
While you're thinking about it have a slice of cake:

Riva Bag Giveaway

2011-05-23T08:56:00.002+01:00

Just a quickie to let you all know the Riva bag I designed for the Mills & Boon Competition is this week's prize on the Minx blog so get over there and get commenting (and sign up to follow the blog while you're at it) and the bag could be yours!

Reporter Minx

2011-05-20T07:00:00.001+01:00

Check out the Minx site today for photos of Minxes at the RNA party. I was determined to get to what would be my first RNA event of the year and despite the pain and tiredness it was most definitely worth it. I got to meet Sally Minx for a start, which was lovely :-) It was also fab to chat to friends old and new and to feel that buzz, and the corresponding internal thought "I am a writer and I will write despite everything". Unfortunately I haven't had the pain relieving injections into my spine yet so I just want to set the record straight - if you saw me slumped against a wall it wasn't because I was sloshed ;-)

News and the science of heroes...

2011-05-05T20:53:00.009+01:00

I don't know if you've all heard about it and I'm trailing behind but in case you haven't - Amazon are branching out into publishing romance novels, both print, ebooks and audiobooks. Read about it here. An expanding market can only be good news I think :-) If I find out more about submissions I'll let you know...

Other news - After analyzing 15,000 Harlequin books, neuroscientists Ogi Ogas and Sai Gaddam have compiled a list of the top 10 most popular professions for heroes in romance novels. They are: 1. Doctor, 2. Cowboy, 3. Boss, 4. Prince, 5. Rancher, 6. Knight, 7. Surgeon, 8. King, 9. Bodyguard, 10. Sheriff.

Interesting but number 3, Boss, covers quite a lot of professions really!

Do any professions turn you off a hero? Or alternatively turn you on???

Out of mothballs...

2011-04-29T09:00:00.002+01:00

I've taken myself out of mothballs and have dusted myself down to blog over at the Minxes of Romance today. So if you're looking for some light relief from the mundanity of royal wedding commentary, have any interest in marrying a hot-yet-still-single prince or just want to say 'Hi' please pop over :-)

Yeah, yeah, you're coming over to support me, I know, the promise of a hot, single prince doesn't interest you in the slightest ;-)

P.S. for any eagle eyed viewers of "Guilty Pleasures" I did not in fact appear in it, it was my evil crone clone (who should not be allowed to trim her own fringe while tired, that's all I have to say on the matter). Thanks Suz for alerting me to the dreadful imposter :-)

Not so guilty pleasures

2011-04-08T18:01:00.015+01:00

On Tuesday 12th April TV viewers in the UK will be able to watch the Channel 4 documentary made about Mills and Boon - "Guilty Pleasures" (More 4 at 10 pm). It promises to examine the "allure of the fantasy world created by Mills & Boon".
Escapism, fantasy, glamour and the promise of an ending that will leave you feeling upbeat...well personally I don't see it's that complex a puzzle or anything to feel remotely guilty about.

The last month has been pretty horrid but as everyone around me seems to have subscribed to 'The Secret' I will weed out the negative ;-) The most positive part of the past few weeks has been discovering new authors writing what I would call Glambusters - they all capture the essence of what I would love my writing to encapsulate - glamour, passion and emotion. I'd recommend without hesitation Tilly Bagshawe, Jo Rees and Tasmina Perry as fantastic Glambuster authors. I also managed to catch up on "Kissing Mr Wrong" by Sarah Duncan and last year's Romantic novel of the year "Lost Dogs and Lonely Hearts" by Lucy Dillon and I'm grateful to all these talented authors for getting me through a very difficult time and distracting me from pain during sleepless nights.
I hope that some of their skill may have rubbed off on me by osmosis as I am itching to write again and thankfully my voice to text software is now working again on my computer :-) I've also missed my lovely writing friends and hope to catch up with you all soon...

A sight for sore eyes

2011-03-09T12:56:00.012Z

I blame the painkillers. How else could I have missed Michael Weatherly returning to the screen in a new series of NCIS?Or Simon Baker with the re-start of The Mentalist? Or fail to spot a new legal drama starring Rupert Penry Jones - Silks. Okay he's playing a bastard but he's still easy on the eye and I can even forgive the glaring errors of the programme's researchers (I used to work in that world, in another life).

I've missed being in touch with my writing friends too. If I haven't emailed you back it is definitely NOT personal, I think I'll have to do an inbox trawl to see what I've missed...
Being able to sit and lie down is nice (yes, injured nerve in back still mucking me about) but being too zonked and sick to write isn't. Nor is having an allergic reaction to anti-nausea medication and the strapping holding my kneecap in place.
Stopping the drugs wasn't a great idea either as I now can't sleep and have become so irritable with the pain that I managed to get a cold caller to hang up on me (and I wasn't rude to her, I promise, just a tad...er, scathing). I've been medicating/distracting myself with episodes I've missed and scouring Youtube for things to make me laugh. Are there any programmes that have you glued to the remote? Please let me know, I need more material for the sake of the innocent bystanders and cold callers (actually I'm not so bothered about them).
It's not a completely dead period for me creatively though - I've been getting so many ideas and thoughts I'm keeping a special notebook of "things to do when better" because thankfully the fall down the stair injuries will get better...at some point and then I'll just be back to the brain injury which will feel like a treat in comparison!
And I will be sending my full to Mills and Boon, there is no injury on earth that is going to stop me. If Jean-Dominique Bauby could write The Diving Bell and the Butterfly by blinking (read about it hear if you are interested) then I am blinking well going to do it!

But if you lose me for a week or so it's because I've had to give in and try an opiate patch. I promise I'll be back and once more go a blog trawling...

Minx in a Muddle

2011-02-24T12:58:00.017Z

I don't normally need help to get into a mess. Since my head injury I frequently reverse things (hot instead of cold, up instead of down etc). This can lead to mild confusion i.e. when I say I've injured my left knee instead of my right. Or complete chaos when I write a message asking someone to do the exact opposite of what I want them to do, then misread a text message by reversing one word and omitting another... Confused yet? Try being me for a bit ;-) Better still try writing a book and having to laboriously check everything a million times.

However someone up there must be bored and has decided to assist this week in upping the mayhem quota - resulting in an x-ray technician x-raying the wrong part of me ('Computer says do what's on the form' never mind the human patient in front of you telling you it's wrong) and being given a faulty TENS machine which emitted random, unexpected surges so powerful they made my muscles jerk. Quite difficult when you're trying to talk to people and they have no idea you're hooked up. Funny? Well not if the electrodes are attached to you it's not, no...

Even my dogs have decided to lend a paw. Two nights ago Poppy (left) managed to lock me out of my house. It seems mildly amusing now she was able to shoot the bolt across the kitchen door, leaving me trapped in the garden room but I assure you it wasn't so funny at the time. Daredevil in a splint was on the other side of the door (up to goodness knows what circus antics) and I was shoe-less, phone-less and in dire need of the loo.

As my keys were still on the inside of the front door my initial plan of waiting for someone with a key to turn up and rescue me was pointless. Instead I had to traipse through the mud in my socks, climb through a hedge into next door's garden and try not to look too deranged when I knocked on the door. Thankfully the neighbour is a forensic police person who managed to break open the door and then replace the lock without any visible sign that the door had been forced. It's a little worrying someone can break in and replace the lock without me noticing but for the moment I'm merely relieved I didn't have to ring the fire brigade. Otherwise I would now be in the 'stupidest reasons for callout' book.

Enough is enough. I'm taking a deep breath and putting an end to the recent spate of bad luck. At least I have my Mills and Boon 'Make a Bag out of a Book cover' comp win to cheer me up (my entry is below). Although the email address I was given to claim my kindle prize doesn't seem to be working... Perhaps I need to take another deep breath ;-)

Getting in the mood...

2011-02-13T18:41:00.010Z

If you're looking for inspiration and want to get in the mood (to write of course. What else? ;-) both the media and Selfridges are doing their bit. Grazia and The Daily Telegraph have had big splashes about the Mills and Boon workshops given by Heidi Rice last week. It was certainly a fab day on Friday, made all the nicer by the fact the London Traffic gods were kind to me, making me early so I bumped into Heidi and Abby Green in the Yellow Cafe (see below).

If you weren't able to make it to a workshop click here for a link to the Daily Telegraph article

There is also an interesting interview with Abby Green (Daisy Cummins aka the Queen of Romance) in the Irish Independent.

For anyone who hasn't already heard - if you have a UK address you can get a free taste of Riva, either by buying The Sun on the 18th February (and going to WH Smiths or choosing a free download) or by visiting the Date with Mills and Boon webpage

There is more good news to celebrate - Minx Sally has a new release out, available to download to Kindle tomorrow and in paperback very soon. Congratulations Sally. Click here to see her gorgeous cover :-)

Getting back on Track

2011-02-10T18:07:00.004Z

Thank you for all your good wishes, both human and canine (waves to Elissa's Tillie!). Pip is home and doing well except for a very swollen foot. Now I just need to keep him from moving on the leg so the plate and screws stay in place... Ha! If Pip had only one leg working he would still find a way of getting around and getting places he shouldn't.

So I am now less distracted, although I am drugged up to the eyeballs (legally I hasten to mention), on permanent dog watch and dealing with crisis after crisis. Determined to turn the tide I have cadged a lift and a dog sitter for tomorrow so I can make it to Selfridges to see the lovely Mills and Boon artwork and of course have fun at one of Heidi's workshops. I may be a little zonked but intend to pick up inspiration by osmosis so that when I finally have five minutes peace I can think about the points raised by the Editor in her request email and maybe feel like a writer again!

Distracted

2011-02-07T08:52:00.005Z

I've just dropped Pip off at the vets for a major operation and can't settle to anything. In fact I didn't sleep last night and the expression on his face when I handed his lead to the vet clutched at my heart.

What upsets me most is that this operation isn't down to natural causes or even an accident - his previous owners who abandoned him by tying him to a sign post also left his broken leg untreated for years so that it became malformed and has caused him constant pain. He's having a plate put into his leg and the leg completely refashioned and while I know he's in safe hands at the veterinary hospital I can't help feeling very sick :-(
I chose this photo of him even though it's not a 'good' one because it's him very happily receiving a tummy tickle and it reminds me how happy I've been able to make him.
The op is this morning, please send your positive thoughts/vibes/prayers his way, he really does deserve to have his happy ending...

News, or 'A watched inbox never pings'

2011-02-05T17:42:00.003Z

I've been waiting since August to hear back on the partial requested by M&B and during that time I moved from mildly pleased with my story to utterly convinced I had messed it up. I'd been keeping an eagle eye on my inbox and with an ipad and iphone it was never too far away. But for some reason yesterday I just didn't check my email until the evening, preferring instead to do a stork impression at the Doctor's surgery, standing on one leg and begging for better pain relief (hadn't been able to sleep in a bed for days and had slept in the bath instead, waking up cold and very wrinkly!).

And so the Editor email sat in my inbox unread for a good 7 hours, in fact I almost missed it, skimming over my list and selecting a stressy one to read first instead. It's a modern take on the old wisdom - watched pans take longer to boil, if you take your umbrella out with you it doesn't rain, you only find object A when you are looking for object B...

What did the email say? It was a request for the full ms, my first full request and the nicest thing to happen to me for quite a while :-)

Getting hot under the collar

2011-02-01T18:00:00.019Z

Since my last post Modern Heat has made it onto audible.co.uk (Hooray :-)

It's good timing - A fall down the stairs before Christmas has left me with nerve, muscle and ligament damage in my back and knee which a doctor cheerfully told me last week would take 3 months minimum to heal. The irritated nerves are stopping me from sleeping and as the bath is the one place I can unclench my teeth I spent last night there (yes, the whole night, very glad of the combi boiler!), listening to Heidi Rice's "Pleasure, Pregnancy and a Proposition". Thankfully Heidi managed to distract me with the sizzling interaction of her characters :-)

As the injury is just one of the unpleasant things being thrown across my path at the moment after "The End" of the audiobook and in the interests of not going stark raving mad I progressed to series 4 of Brothers and Sisters which arrived on my doormat with perfect timing (yes, I have come late to the 'Gilles Marini in his swimming trunks party' but better late than never ;-)

Also I have had a go at making a bag from M&B Riva covers - they are so fab it's not hard to make them look good! Click here to see the other M&B bags.

Take one book nightly...

2011-01-24T22:35:00.014Z

I've always used books to self medicate against stress, the greater the stress the 'nicer' the book I prescribe myself. During my university finals I had a pile of my old Enid Blyton's and pony stories under the bed and as 2011 has been more than a tad stressful so far perhaps it explains my recent foray from Heat over to Sweet in listening (yes, listening! M&B audiobooks have returned to the UK :-)

Listening to Jessica Hart charmed and soothed me as much as any trip to a magic land at the top of a tree. In "Cinderella's Wedding Wish" the heroine likes dogs better than men and her dream is to renovate a dilapidated cottage in the middle of nowhere and to live in isolation. Now why does that sound familiar?

On a completely different note below are some pictures of my dogs and the house I renovated, er... Although I have to say when I was hanging off a ladder painting the guttering no handsome millionaire swooped in to catch me and offer to help with the DIY.

Ah well, we can live in hope, which I'm thinking is rather the point...

A Hopeful New Year

2011-01-02T20:43:00.002Z

May your Requests be Full,
And your 'R's be Revisions.
But most of all may 2011 be the year of 'C's -
Calls, Contracts and Congratulations all round...

Whether you're multi-published, aspiring or an avid reader I wish you all a very hopeful and happy new year :-)

Winter Wonderland & Tracking Santa

2010-12-24T11:38:00.018Z

It's pretty and it's cold, or should that be pretty cold? On the day it struggled to get above minus 16 (see the thick frost formed on top of the snow above) Pip started shaking and couldnt stop so I had to put him on a towel on the Aga! Some farmer friends put their sickly newborn lambs in their Aga's warming oven to keep them safe but luckily a stint on top sorted Pip out (see below ;-)

Whether you're sick of the snow or spending Christmas on the beach I hope you enjoy the photos. Have yourselves a peaceful Christmas and thank you for reading my blog.
If anyone wants to track Santa's progress there is a website that enables you to do just that - click here to read about it.

Home at last! (and a big thank you :-)

2010-12-15T16:38:00.004Z

Firstly I want to say a huge thank you to the people who left lovely comments on my last blog post, it meant an awful lot to me. If I ever come across fur coat woman again I'll tell her that her card is marked ;-)

Thankfully the black hole that sucked me up has spat me back out and I'm feeling HUGELY happier because I'm finally home again after 15 months of exile! Yep, I managed to make it back to Scotland during the temporary thaw and the minute I saw the snow covered mountains and the sunset reflected in the lochs something lifted inside my chest.

Three weeks of being left alone so I can potentially WRITE again is really exciting. Only slight dampner is that BT are sending someone to sort out the broadband tomorrow, the same day that the next lot of heavy snow is due. The inauspicious timing means I'm preparing to go cold turkey, and I'm not talking about Christmas leftovers! I'm currently sitting in an Internet cafe having what might be my last fix before I get gobbled up by a snow drift...

So, if you don't hear from me for a while, think of me snowed in in my remote croft house with enough food for a month, gorgeous views and uninterrupted peace and quiet to write in... Actually that doesn't sound too bad. Perhaps I should set up my own writers' retreat?

Bad Fur Day

2010-12-01T16:36:00.007Z

Like Pip (above) I've been having a bad hair day. Several in fact, ever since I tried to cut my fringe with blunt sicissors and a tired hand - end result I look like a monk.

A couple of Bad Everything Days have knocked me sideways out of Blogland for a while. I haven't blogged, tweeted or kept up with anything *slaps wrist*. (Weirdly I get more new twitter followers when I don't tweet than when I do but I'm trying not to dwell on this fact.)

I've been keeping myself busy, doing a good rendition of auditioning for Grumpy Old Women. I've been provided with ample fodder for my grumpiness - a flood in my kitchen that ruined a hundred odd books I had stored there, a washing machine that refuses to drain, a dishwasher that created a second flood and a plumber who has yet again failed to turn up to fix a permanently gushing tap. I've only been waiting for, ooh about 6 weeks.

I've nothing against the men who thought 8 am was a good time to start drilling concrete outside my bedroom window, they couldn't have known I had a migraine and it felt like they were drilling into my skull. What bugs me is the more personal and very pointed nastiness of a woman in Pizza Express - I accidentally dropped my fork vaguely near her and she shot me a death glare (warp factor 8) while ostentatiously examining her fake fur coat for spots. Also upsetting was finding rotten tomatoes had been thrown at my window the day I was late back from the hospital and my dogs had got upset and howled.

Whoever did it, it certainly wasn't my lovely, sunny ex-neighbour who is constantly smiling no matter what happens. Her cat was recently run over and killed, her husband has left her and she was dealing with a tantrum from her two year old while packing up the house to move when I went round to get my spare key. Still she was smiling, calm, cheerful...as much as I love her this felt a little, um, unnatural?

Bad things happen in life. We get angry. Then little annoying things happen that push our buttons. Hats off to the positive thinking Pollyannas out there but I can't help thinking a desire to accidentally whack 'fork woman' while putting on my coat to leave the restaurant was a natural, healthy response to the distasteful sneer I received.

I know, I'll probably burn in hell or be forced into psycotherapy for that remark but, really! (and no, I didn't actually do it!).

I constantly drop and break things since my accident, so much so that I'm on my third set of cheap crockery. But this was the first time I was made to feel lower than a slug as a result. It topped the time I accidentally hurled a macaroni cheese at a woman in the supermarket. I was mortified but she smiled and was pleasant when I apologised.

Truth is I'm low, grumpy and tired. I've also put my back out to the point where I have to be pushed into an upright position in order to get out of bed. Endless appointments and a depressing prognosis re. the brain injury have left me wrung out like a dishcloth and without the energy to write. As not writing makes me grumpy, it's a self perpetuating circle.

Anyway, I ought to go as I've received an email informing me an internet order I placed in May 2009 has just been dispatched. Good news? No, it's quite a surprise given I paid for and received it last year, it was a horribly large bill then and I'm not exactly thrilled to find they've charged me for it again!

Thankfully I'm going home to Scotland for Christmas, I'll be seeing my house for the first time in ages and when I stop grumping about all the damage holiday guests have done to the place I may just recover enough to write again, not to mention finding time to catch up with all my lovely writing friends.

I asked a very wise person what I should do with the simmering anger I'm feeling and they replied. "You're a writer. So write".

Sound advice methinks ;-)

But if that fails you'll find me in bed with Pip and his toy rabbit, I'll come out again when the grumps have moved on :-)

The Week Jilly Cooper Made me Cry

2010-10-23T17:20:00.004+01:00

I'm sad to say I haven't been around in blogland for a while :-(
Being mostly over The Poisoning I've been too busy being a human pin cushion and travelling to endless tests and meetings where strangers in suits talk about me, making decisions about my life.
I've grown ever more belligerent as every possible surface of skin has been pricked and scraped with needles to see if I yelp any louder than I did a year ago when they did the same thing. I used to think it was more scientific than that but now I'm not so sure...

Combined with a sick Mac which had to be sent to computer hospital I've done no writing at all. Ideas have been buzzing around my head but my frustration is growing about not being able to sustain effort and concentration for long enough to make any real progress on anything.

The only relief in the past week has come from collapsing into bed and listening to Jilly Cooper's 'Riders' on audiobook. After hearing discussion about Rupert Campbell-Black as a great fictional alpha hero I was curious. I have to say I've been utterly drawn into the story, captivated even. Although I could never love an adulterous hero who is cruel to animals (so he won't be making it onto my fave heroes list).

You know I can't remember the last time a book made me cry.Yet Riders has made me cry twice already - once when RCB beat up a horse and the second time when a horse rescued from cruelty died. Clutching one of my rescue dogs (who has been badly abused) and stroking him, with tears streaming down my face I had to tell myself 'it's only a book, it's not real', trying desperately to pull myself out of the world Jilly Cooper had so masterfully immersed me in.
I think if I can ever make a reader care half as much about my characters as she has made me care about the horses in 'Riders' I'll consider I'll have made it as a writer...

Which books have made you cry?

No list required

2010-10-07T17:30:00.011+01:00

Whether you made it on to THE LIST or not it's time for that party I promised, so head over to the Minxes where the party is in full swing. Help yourself to a glass of champagne to take along with you...

If You're Not On the List...

2010-10-02T11:53:00.004+01:00

I'm sure you've all heard the New Voices news by now. If you've been somewhere else (like the moon) maybe not, in which case check it out here.

It feels a bit like a possible reprieve from execution. You've just come to terms with the judgement of the court and then you hear there might be a lifeline, some time next week... Too strong? Perhaps, ignore the crash, it was the attempt at a balanced and emotionally objective blog post being thrown out the window :-)

Okay, we're waiting in line to get into the most fab ever party, there are rumours that Gilles Marini, Michael Weatherly and Simon Baker are present (insert name of your favourite celeb crush). The doors have been closed and we're preparing to go home. Then a couple of burly bouncers announce there might be ANOTHER LIST but we're going to have to stand in line a bit longer...

Or, you may get a chance to be told publicly exactly why they're not going to let you in...

I know it's always been the same after competitions, requests have been sent but perhaps it's the public nature of the list that makes this feel more of a big deal. Not being on the list is going to suck, big time.

But in the interests of balance I'd like to point out the execution analogy was a bad one because this isn't the end for anyone, just a point on a journey, albeit a roller coaster one.

And there will be other parties.

Congratulations and a Guide to Shooting Crows

2010-09-27T11:45:00.011+01:00

Firstly a huge CONGRATULATIONS to the New Voices finalists and warm wishes as you write your second chapters.

But for the rest of us who are feeling inevitably a bit disappointed I'm pleased to announce it is now Open Season on Crows. So come and pick your weapon and ammunition of choice to shoot the crows of doubt now circling in menacing fashion.

If any of the following statements are applicable to you (and not all of them are applicable to me, I hasten to add) please select the appropriate weapon and take aim:

(1) I have had work requested from an Editor, therefore I am not crap.

(2) I have requested work still outstanding, waiting to be sent in to an Editor, therefore I am not crap. (and I promise myself to get on and get ready to submit)

(3) I have had really positive comments in a revision letter/face to face feedback at an Editor pitch, therefore I am not crap.

(4) I have previously placed in a competition, therefore I am not crap.

(5) I have received positive comments from readers who liked my competition entry, so they can't have thought I was crap.

(6) Failure to place in a competition does not mean I will not get published (invoke the names of Maisey, Tina et al at this point) so it does not mean that I am crap.

(7) The more I keep writing and learning craft and subbing and the harder I work at it the closer I will get to achieving my dream and I refuse to give up on it.

Take that pesky crows now I've only got one thing left to say:

PULL!

Battle of the Spooks

2010-09-22T16:24:00.017+01:00

I've decided it's time for some serious NTANV or NTATR (Not Thinking about the Roses!) distraction. There is a serious issue that needs to be decided: who is the most fanciable of the Spooks?

I know Richard Armitage has held court for a while but am I the only one to miss Rupert Penry Jones?

Apologies to those who haven't a clue what I'm talking about, Spooks is a UK TV programme recently entering a new series. It's choc full of alpha males (and women to be fair) racing around saving the country.

Anyway, we have a new contender to the battle - Max Brown aka Dimitri.

So, who is the sexiest spook of them all - Richard, Max or Rupert?

NTANV (Not Thinking About New Voices)

2010-09-16T16:51:00.010+01:00

Other writers have blogged about what they've learnt so far from the competition. All I know is that in order to NTANV I'm going to have to grow a thicker skin and force myself to learn a few...

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. If I possessed it I wouldn't have entered my New Voices submission early on but waited until nearer the end to save the prolonged angsting any time someone gives the entry a really low score ( I try to be impervious but I'm only human).
Perspective is a wonderful thing. And possessed in bucket loads by people who aren't actually entering... ;-) I was determined not to be consumed by this competition but being ill, cranky and physically feverish (and without the energy to throw myself into anything else) while trying to NTAI is not a good combination.
Patience is a... Okay, had enough of that. Patience is for saps, grumpiness rules :-) The fact I'm on week three without a cup of tea or the ability to eat chocolate is depriving me of my usual self-cheering strategies. I'm going to have to wheel out my favourite feel good dvds to do the job for me. ("The Accidental Husband", "Music and Lyrics" and "Ballet Shoes")
There is always an up side, much as it pains my grumpy alter ego to admit it. Being ill means I can feel my ribs again and my too-tight jeans are now loose. And the public nature of the competition means whatever happens I'll have some lovely comments to take away from the contest with me, feedback I wouldn't otherwise have got.

Is anyone else out there wishing the whole thing were over already? How are you managing to distract yourself?

Three Tips

2010-09-13T15:30:00.007+01:00

Tip 1 - if you're ever offered a medicine that has losing a stone in weight as a potential side-effect, don't think 'Fantastic' but ask questions.

Lots of them.

While being able to feel my ribs again is nice I wouldn't go through the past month again for anything.

Tip 2 - if you ignore tip 1 and end up subsequently incapacitated and dreadfully ill try Lucozade. Lucozade really is my best writing tip - I couldn't even move around my house at the weekend without holding onto the furniture or walls but a couple of bottles later and I was propped up at my desk writing.

I may end up in a diabetic coma (in which case it's been lovely knowing you all!) but I always think it's important to get your priorities straight ;-)

Tip 3 - have a read of Joanne Pibworth's "Sequins and Secrets" over at the New Voices site, it's a corker :-)

New Voices - Taking the Plunge

2010-09-09T15:00:00.006+01:00

There are only so many times you can change a word or phrase and then change it back again to your original choice without going stark staring mad.

So, with that in mind I've decided to take the plunge and upload my chapter to the Romance is Not Dead site.
The title is "In too Deep" and the chapter is in the Contemporary Romance section.

If you're still writing/polishing head over to the Minxes site tomorrow (Friday) - We've collated links to all the best competition tips and news stories for you in one post so you can spend more time writing and less time surfing.

Right, time to head over to Lacey's blog to get my badge for being brave ;-)

Romance is Not Dead (but it might have cold feet!)

2010-09-06T14:45:00.008+01:00

There's never a good time to be poisoned by your medication really, but the week before the launch of New Voices certainly wasn't the best timing for me to be laid low.
Being violently ill at the same time as realising the beginning of your chapter needs to be re-written isn't a good combination. Worst thing is I've been told it will be another week to ten days until the adverse reaction wears off and I can eat and drink properly again.
So why am I sitting at my computer instead of curling up with daytime TV world? Firstly, because I wasn't convinced The Michael Ball Show wasn't making the retching worse but secondly because next to not eating and not drinking, not writing is even more unpalatable.
Congratulations to those of you who've already uploaded your chapters. Diving straight in beats standing in the shallows getting cold feet. I've always been a 'walk in slowly while gauging the temperature' kind of girl myself when it comes to swimming in the sea (but then I do live in the UK and the sea is bloody freezing!)
I'm sure I'll take a last minute 'what the heck' plunge, once I've managed to re-write my beginning.
Good luck to all my blog friends, I'm looking forward to reading your entries :-)

Which came first, the heroine or the writer?

2010-08-30T09:53:00.010+01:00

I'm slightly less grumpy this week thanks to listening to Jack Dee's "Thanks For Nothing" which had me laughing out loud (so now the neighbours probably think I'm as barking mad as the dogs for seemingly laughing to myself ;-)

Or it could just be that I'm less grumpy by comparison to Jack...

Anyway, the question I'm turning over in my mind is whether my heroine is channeling some of my inner stroppiness or if I'm in fact channeling her? A chicken and egg literary question if you like?

I'm sure it's possible to create characters who contain nothing of ourselves in them but I've had a few heroines who've had elements of me in them, or of the me I'd like to be, and I'm sure I can't be the only one.

In my current WIP my heroine is spiky and sarky to the hero, mostly to cover up the fact that she feels incredibly threatened by his presence. I'm not sure I felt threatened by anyone when I returned to Richmond to complete the neuro-psych tests last week though, just sick and knackered but boy did the sarcastic responses keep flowing from my mouth!

When asked for the umpteenth time "What [randomly unrelated word] goes with clown?"

I narrowly avoided responding "I don't know and I don't actually give one, now let me go home to bed."

As a reward for such self restraint and given it's a bank holiday here in the UK I'm going back to bed with Jack ;-)

So, do your heroines ever influence you???

New Hero Love

2010-08-23T13:36:00.009+01:00

I'm cheating on Jack (the hero of The Art of Seduction) - I'm falling in love with the hero of my new competition story (In Too Deep) too!

Reluctantly being forced to take a break from writing it (have decided it's more new M&S briefs than old saggy pants on reflection) I watched Dannii Minnogue, Style Queen. I have to say my attention was gripped by her very gorgeous hubby - Kris Smith (see above). Not that I approve of husband coveting, I'm just saying he happens to look very much like my new hero and if he also happens to have an identical twin brother, well...
Where was I? Oh yes, I hadn't paid much attention to Kris with a K before now but in the programme he displayed a sense of humour and a lovely caring protectiveness towards Dannii that made me instantly think of my new hero.

Yes, I think Kris will do very well ;-)

Want to know a secret?

2010-08-20T08:00:00.006+01:00

Have you ever wondered if it's possible to make a living from writing? Of course you have, if you're being honest. And if you've been around the newbies block a few times you'll have grasped that it's a little harder than the media would have us believe, even after you sign that book deal.
'So what should we do?' I hear you cry. Funny you should ask me that, as Sue Moorcroft, author of Love Writing, How to Make Money Writing Romantic or Erotic Fiction is guest blogging for the minxes today on this very subject. Pop over and see what she has to say. If you've got any questions stick them in a comments box.
Yes we love writing and we'd continue to do it whether we got recognition and the reddies or not but...unless you're married to a billionaire (in which case why are you reading my blog instead of sun bathing on your yacht?) then it's a subject that affects us all.

***

This week I've been the moaniest Minx of them all. New medication and numerous tests in far flung places have left me mewing like a pitiful kitten to anyone prepared to listen. A few words have been penned on my potential competition entry but subsequently deciding it's pants has left me very irritable. Of course it may not be pants, just a combination of dirty first draft and that fog of tiredness that makes the entire world feel like a rotten place. So I'll reserve judgement a little longer...
How about the rest of you? Are your current WIPs pants or lacy works of La Perla art???

Going to Richmond

2010-08-11T17:56:00.020+01:00

Both I and my partial will have been to Richmond this week but not at the same time.
In a bizarre twist of fate I was sent for neuro-psychometric tests at an address just yards from the Mills and Boon Richmond offices on Monday. And I have given myself a deadline of this Friday to submit the requested chapters of The Art of Seduction.
Although I've been so knackered since the tests that's proving harder than I thought - every time I sit down to listen to my chapters I fall asleep. I'm hoping that's more indicative of my exhaustion than of the quality of the writing!

Embarrassingly the Boots delivery guy brought my medication while I was listening/sleeping and apparently was knocking for some time before I woke (and the front door is right next to the room with my computer! I'll have to use headphones or shut windows to listen in future). After the gardener I thought it couldn't get any worse but as usual I was wrong.

I think it's a hard and fast rule that no matter how bad things are/how much you embarrass yourself there is always scope for things to be infinitely worse...
If I do lick my chapters into readable and error free form then it'll be a testament to my crit group the Minxes of Romance and crit partner Jackie Ashenden (who was lovely enough to read my revised ending while she's on holiday/conferencing in Sydney and has much more exciting stuff to be doing ;-)
So I want to say a big thanks, I honestly don't know what I'd do without you guys.

I do have to go back for more testing as I was too ill to complete it on Monday so it's going to be weird, sitting in the tests being asked about the speed of light and playing the Generation Game (yes, it's those ones for anyone who remembers me blogging about them in October!) knowing my partial is sitting in the Ed's inbox just yards away from me!

In other news I've finally become a fledgeling twitterer, my ID is romanceminx if anyone wants to find me. Tbh I'm a bit bamboozled at the mo about the whole thing so will be pathetically grateful to anyone who follows me :-)
Also I'll be blogging over at the Minx site on Friday and promise you some lovely pics of gorgeous men and a mini follow up to Heidi Rice's New Voices competition workshop last Friday.
Begging and pictures, how can you refuse???

Flibbertigibbet

2010-08-04T10:08:00.011+01:00

Last week I managed to visit Montreux, Northern Italy, Monaco and then Cannes all in one day. Such gallivanting is most unusual, normally the highlight of my week is a trip to the supermarket but I was piggybacking on a business trip for which my ice cream eating presence was clearly essential, Mr Taxman :-)

While away I've been working on the partial of 'The Art of Seduction' and am hopefully getting close to submitting. But my flibbertigibbety behaviour has taken it's predictable toll on my health and so it may be 'The Art of Seduction - the Zombie Version' that goes to Richmond!

The accompanying sensation of an icepick wedged inside my brain has weirdly given me the opening to my new story idea, weird because you'd think the luxurious towns would have been the obvious inspiration. Although I did pass a gorgeous town in Italy that I instantly knew would be my setting - San Lorenzo al Mer (see below).

I'm not sure whether to give into competition fever - I need to concentrate on finishing AOS and have a punishing round of rehabilitation appointments and a medication change coming up. I should be sensible.

Maybe I'll just write that first chapter...

I have other distractions too - my ipad has just arrived, Hooray :-)

The perils of speech to text software (you won't find this in a manual)

2010-07-23T11:50:00.003+01:00

What could be more embarrassing than leaving your underwear in the middle of the floor for your father in law to trip over?

Er, how about dictating a steamy sex scene using your voice software only for a deep male voice to call "Hi there" through the window, it was the gardener come to cut the grass.

Really, I am never coming out of my house again... Or having visitors, or...

And for those of you who were wondering (and I know who you are!) yes, the gardener is nice! And yes the underwear thing did happen to me.

What happens in Vegas

2010-07-19T12:54:00.014+01:00

I was feeling depressed after watching 'Paris Hilton's New best Friend'. I know, I have only myself to blame!

Anyway, in need of cheering up I put 'What Happens in Vegas' into the DVD player. Ashton Kutcher certainly cheered me up although the film annoyed me in places and I hit the fast forward button a lot. That said there were some great sexy moments and some good writing.

Ashton "I bet you'd look really good with your hair down."
Cameron Diaz "My hair is down."

Despite still not having recovered from the conference I have managed to work on the rest of my partial on paper, and have a dirty draft. Actually it is very dirty - my characters decided to have sex much earlier than I'd planned to let them so I may have to go back over it and spoil their fun ;-)

Gaffs, gossip and good news...

2010-07-13T15:12:00.027+01:00

I've finally emerged from my post conference 'hangover' to make it to blogland. The effort of the weekend, despite all my efforts at pacing, has taken its toll and I've been asleep for practically the entire time since I got back on Sunday!

Anyway, it was worth it and great fun to meet fellow Minxes, blog friends and some truly lovely authors (not to mention editors!).

(The photo on the left is me melting in the heat at the Gala dinner next to Lucy King.)

Gaffs - Unsurprisingly I disregarded my "What not to do at your first conference" advice. This year I graduated from knocking cups of water over people's feet and threw pills at them too! My capacity to talk drivel also got an airing and topics of conversation with eminent Mills and Boon authors with 5o books under their belts ranged from the complexity of showers to the heaviness of doors. I topped that by discussing toilet roll with a nice lady who turned out to be Joanna Trollope!

Really I shouldn't be allowed out ;-)

Gossip - It was good to get the low down on the new Riva line and very exciting to hear about the changes to the covers and titles of the Modern Heat books. The key phrases from the Mills and Boon talk seemed to be 'twenty first century' and for wannabe authors - 'innovate, don't imitate'. Overall the feedback from publishers was positive with talk of sales booming and ebooks forming a large part of the future. 150,000 Mills and Boon ebooks were downloaded in 2009 and there are rumours that Google will be selling ebooks in the near future.

David Shelley from Little, Brown told us that in his opinion Romantic fiction is bigger now than in any time in the past two decades...

Good News - My Mills and Boon editor slot went well. In fact it went so well I'm convinced I dreamed it or somehow have blanked the parts where they trashed the submitted chapter! But for the moment I'm going with the dream where they loved the chapter and have asked for the next two chapters, said they're looking forward to working with me...

Before I drift off into my dream world that skips the hard graft of writing the rest of the story I want to let you know that Lucy King will be answering questions for the the Minxes tomorrow (Wednesday) and Julie Cohen has graciously offered to write a post for us about the conference to appear on the Minx blog on Friday. I leave you with some more photos from the conference - the lovely Nina Harrington and Natalie Rivers, the three conference Minxes and my two charming gala dinner companions Mary Nichols and Margaret Baker.

A stranger in a foreign land...

2010-06-28T21:12:00.007+01:00

I've just pressed send on the chapter being subbed for my M&B editor slot at the conference. I haven't been to NTAI (not thinking about it) country for a good while and to be honest the journey has been so knackering I am genuinely not NTAI. Having already been welcomed by a friendly fellow resident (waves to Jackie) I'm ready for a hot bath and bed.
I've weeded enough 'felt's out of my chapter to make several cuddly toys and have spent more time on a one page synopsis than a sane person ever should (Hmm, is that why I'm mad I wonder? All those one pagers?)
I love the story but battling errant 'voice to text' software, acquired dyslexia and a permanent headache to get it into some sort of reasonable format has been exhausting.
I still want to do it, I can't not do it so I have to find some way of making it work, even though it's so much harder. It reminds me of toothache - when it strikes it makes you wonder why you didn't value that great long period of time when your teeth weren't hurting.

If you're still pulling teeth, sorry I meant writing your synopsis, here's a good tip I received recently - remember it should be selling your story to the appropriate line. I got so fixated on making my plot fit to one page I forgot to use it as a selling tool.

Oh and here's the editing checklist I use:

1. Check for clichés

2. Check the following and replace if possible: was, felt, just, that, actually, began to, started, he/she felt, though, observed.

3. Reduce adverbs

4. Cut any pairs of adjectives

5. Check for repetitions, choose the best and lose the rest

6. Don’t show AND tell

7. Cut unnecessary repetition of tense – I’d, she’d…

8. Look for repeated words and use thesaurus

9. Make characters take note of surroundings, create a sense of place

10. Use all the senses

11. Eat chocolate :-)

Has anyone else got any suggestions to add to my checklist?

The weird and the wired

2010-06-11T16:06:00.010+01:00

I've been getting seriously hyped up about the upcoming RNA conference. What better way to gear up than attending last week's talk on Writing Romantic Fiction at Reading library? The meeting got off to a weird start for me as I thought I'd lost my marbles when the nice woman sitting next to me introduced herself as Romy from South Africa. Now I have bad memory problems so my first thought was to panic - was this my fellow Minx Romy who I'd believed to be still in South Africa? Actually it was another Romy but I had a very confused moment and as both are attending the conference I shall have to try not to get mixed up :-)
It was also strange when a couple of people mentioned having heard of the Minxes blog. Not to mention difficult to say "Actually I'm a Minx" without giving into the urge to giggle uncontrollably ;-)

Other than cringing on behalf of the panel when they were asked what the formula for writing Mills and Boon was (!) the point that struck me most from the talk was the panel's answer to the question 'How many full length novels did you complete before you were published?' The answer was anything between 2 and 10, the average being 5!
it reminded me again just how dedicated you have to be and how our commitment as writers is to the craft itself, rather than to any particular story.

Having said that I am loving diving into the world of the story I'll be pitching at the conference. For a taster below is the rooftop in Marrakech that my hero is going to whisk my heroine off to

It's good to talk...

2010-06-01T11:15:00.009+01:00

The Minxes have been brainstorming on Skype recently and it's been great - instant input and discussion (and a real laugh to boot). I'm starting to think about the new story I'll hopefully be

pitching at the RNA conference and knowing I'll be under skype scrutiny at the end of the week means I'll get my act together this week.

It's also good to listen

Reading Library has an event on tomorrow evening (2nd June) - "Writing Romantic Fiction". Julie Cohen, Nina Harrington, Tania Crosse, Beth Elliott and Janet Gover will be talking and I'll hopefully be in the audience listening. There are even rumours of a Mills and Boon giveaway at the event.

I had a sneak peek at the ipad yesterday, I'll hopefully be getting one soon and am delighted to hear Mills and Boon books will be available on the ipad later in the year - I used the voice utility to play part of a book aloud in a shop and was really pleased to hear a natural sounding reading voice, not the robotic voice I currently get on my computer. It will transform things for me, I'll no longer be stuck with just what I can get on audiobook.

Although that said there is even good news on the audiobook front. I'm trying out a romance audiobooks website, audiolark, which has some very reasonably priced titles.

I'll be listening to Nell Dixon's 'The Cinderella Substitute' as my next book which I'm really pleased about, having met her at last year's RNA conference. Talking of which I'm getting ridiculously excited about this year's conference and being able to chat to some of the writing friends I've grown close to over the past two

years :-)

Yep, Bob Hoskins knew what he was on about (famous BT ad in the 90s, for those of you outside of the UK!) .

Minxy moonlighting

2010-05-24T13:25:00.004+01:00

I'm blogging over at the Minxes of Romance site today to introduce myself. This is a shameless appeal to blogland pals to pop over and say 'Hi' or else I'll feel the kid who plays on her/his own in the playground - you know the one (it used to be me in a dim and thankfully distant previous life!).

If you comment I promise to love you forever (well as long as you don't say anything nasty that is :-)

Celebrating

2010-05-14T12:35:00.004+01:00

I have two writing reasons to be cheerful today:

My crit group's new blog Minxes of Romance is going full steam ahead and some great authors have agreed to take up our author spotlight slots. In fact we have the winner of the RNA's Joan Hessayon award (announced yesterday), Lucy King, guesting in July - you can read about her win here
I have started a new story AND found the paper notes for my Secret Billionaire partial so I can make some progress now...

I haven't had so much fun since my aqua-tai chi instructor told the class to swim to the deep end to warm up, completely forgetting that we had weights on our feet...

Discovering Scott Cole

2010-04-30T13:20:00.007+01:00

I've been discovering Scott Cole this week, sorry that was supposed to be 'discovering Tai Chi with Scott Cole' ;-)

I'm trying to improve my balance and while I'm attending aqua-Tai Chi classes (yes, it's exactly what it sounds like!) I still have no idea what I'm waving about or why so I decided to buy a dvd.

And there's no way I'd be shallow enough to buy a dvd just because it has a picture of a half naked man on it, honest, it just looked like a good dvd...

Oh and if you're interested, he does do some of the workouts without a shirt on ;-)

Lessons learnt last week

2010-04-27T11:16:00.010+01:00

Doing character sheets can be fun and makes synopsis writing easier.
Not checking emails/blogs until after lunch leads to getting more writing done (who'd have thought, eh?).
Ditto only checking blogs twice a week. Being forced to go cold turkey during my internet-less period helped me break the habit. I love it but could spend all my energy checking blogs, answering emails and critiquing and have none left over to write.
Looking at animal rescue websites invariably leads to a new addition to the household. Pipsqueak (the name I've given him) was found tied to a road sign half starved. I can only assume he was abandoned because he was old as he's a lovely little chap and has become my new pint-sized shadow. My other dogs have accepted him in true female fashion i.e. bickering amongst themselves while pretending not to have noticed him ;-)

Wicked witch of the west goes to the sea...

2010-04-15T14:06:00.010+01:00

Thank you for the welcome back but ah I spoke too soon, the lovely internet went off and when it did come back refused to let me into anything I wanted to see. Added to being too ill to write I embarked on a course of the grumps resembling the wicked witch of the west with very bad PMT. The only highlight of last week was getting myself to the RNA chapter lunch and chatting to some really lovely and inspiring writers, one of whom has the same editor who gave me the famed Business Card.

Fired up about submitting my partial and the upcoming RNA conference even the 40 minute wait in the cold for the taxi that failed to turn up (snark ;-) couldn't totally quench the flame. Although I find nothing more irritating than burning to write and being, for whatever reason, unable to. Thankfully a last minute weekend trip to one of my favourite beaches helped bring me out of the grumps. Sod anger management, give me a bit of sunshine any day! And after a really annoying enforced rest I feel I can write today. Hooray!

Oh, and the dogs enjoyed themselves too!

Back from Siberia

2010-03-31T17:38:00.007+01:00

So I finally, finally have broadband and can return to Blogland! J I feel like an outcast returning from a spell in the Gulag where I’ve been having a bit of a foggy night of the soul.

But the fog is starting to clear and despite test results detailing the damage to my brain (for some reason I can’t write ‘brain damage’, it sounds so horrible) or perhaps in a rebellion against them, new Romances keep popping into my head, demanding to be written. So I’m just going to have to find a way to write them, to get some balance and routine back into my life and accept I’ll have to do things differently.

Which I can do - I have got some very nice and clever people helping me and I’ve had training offered for my voice software so I can learn how to use it properly and edit with it.

So watch this space - the partial is almost ready to send off and then I can turn to the stories that are itching to be written.

It’s nice to see on my return to the internet that the UK media is awash with positive stories about Mills and Boon – The Daily Mail reports that digital downloads of Mills and Boon have risen fifty seven per cent in five months.

And my favourite magazine, Grazia, raised the issue as a talking point this week.

And if that doesn’t cheer you up then this picture of a meerkat being used as a backrest by his fellow meerkats has got to raise a smile!

I’ll be blog visiting very soon, just need to shave the beard off first, to make myself presentable ;-)

An interesting choice of metaphor

2010-02-15T12:36:00.007Z

I'm doing a quick post to quell rumours that I've been crushed by a giant writers' block falling from the sky. Instead I've been surrounded by cardboard boxes (some of which have fallen on me actually) and having yet more problems with my internet connection (grr). Anyway, just because I haven't left any comments on your blogs doesn't mean I don't love you all anymore, in fact I've really been missing my daily blog check and can't wait for life to let me slot back into my normal writing-obsessed routine.

So, to say sorry I haven't been around here are some romance novel quotations that I hope will make you smile :-)

1. His body was hard -- not hard like Milosevic, the Serbian strongman, but hard like the marble on your shower floor, when you fall and bang your knee.

2. Her embrace made his manhood swell like week-old roadkill on hot asphalt in the Georgia sun.

3. Her breasts heaved like a stormy ocean, and her pointed nipples were like hypodermics washed up on the shore.

4.Her petticoats dropped to the ground, rustling like a cockroach in a sugar bowl.

5. He tore open her blouse like a Publisher's Clearing House letter in which he, and some guy named Steven Bouber from Stockton, California, were potential finalists for the $10 million prize.

6. With each breath, her chest heaved like a bulimic after Thanksgiving dinner.

7.Then he kissed her, like a butterfly kisses the windshield of a Porsche on the Autobahn.

8. His manhood stood at full attention, stiff and stony like the vice president.

9. Beatrice was on him like a piranha on a corn dog.

10. His chest was her pillow, and oh, did she drool.

The phantom phone ringer and a creative glimmer

2010-02-02T10:56:00.042Z

Yesterday I actually wondered if the house might be cursed.

With the heating, hot water heater and drains all still on the blink and the phone line recently joining their strike after a valiant 6 day disruptive action campaign - crackling, disabling my internet and ringing at random times in the night with no one at the other end of the line (and spookily no call registered when 1471 was dialed). Well, maybe it was the internet withdrawal but when my lovely audiobook-playing iphone died and resisted resuscitation the whole curse idea seemed highly plausible. A notion that was only compounded by the electric blanket joining the 'things on the blink' list. Okay, so I've suspected for a while that my skin crackling with electricity when in bed was probably a bad sign but I needed it to keep WARM.

What's next? A plague of locusts?

On the plus side I am now deliriously grateful when anything previously taken for granted actually works. This morning I beamed at the BT man who fixed the "massive circuit failure" and gave me my internet back. It works. It works! I am no longer cast out into the utter darkness :-)

And another smidgeon of hope - I had a new story idea yesterday and an idea of how to fix Secret Billionaire (focussing on the emotion and motivation in each scene and maybe starting completely from scratch again. Gulp). Not exactly a complete demolition of writer's block but it's a start.

And I'm feeling surprisingly zen. Riding on the tide of my internet high I have a dream that one day I will again live in a home with piping hot water and those warm white things on the walls. The internet will flow unimpeded and my iphone pick up emails without my having to climb a tree and... Bother, my dream has just been interrupted by the kettle making a loud screeching noise. No, not the kettle, please spare the kettle (see The Rampage of the Tea-aholics).

I'll be back soon to see what you've all been up to. Plagues of locusts allowing of course :-)

Trailing behind/Kreativ Blogger

2010-01-22T10:45:00.000Z

Okay, I seem to be slightly behind everyone else at the moment. I mean, I've only just found out that Edie has died in Desperate Housewives (I'm playing catchup with DVDs) and when Sally mentioned she'd nominated me for a Kreativ Blogger award I didn't actually know what she was talking about. But now I find I've missed loads of interesting personal facts being divulged and even missed Jackie and Lacey nominating me too! A week away from blogland is a very long time indeed.

So, I'm getting my act together, resisting the urge to blog about the boiler exploding and my life imploding and finding my manners to say thank you very much :-)

Now for seven hopefully interesting facts about myself. Hmm, well:

I used to read and write arabic as a child but can't remember a thing now. I also used to speak fluent spanish and ditto. Everyone said it would come back (my parents now live in Spain) but it never has. By the time I was three years old my teddy had a BA frequent flyer's badge because we'd flown so many trips together (I was an ex-pat kid).
I was evacuated from Iran during the revolution, along with my sister and mum. I remember everyone being very stressed and huddling round radios to find out what was going on.
I managed to create a few dramas of my own by nearly dying several times as a toddler - I caught a tropical fever and had to be packed in ice, walked to the bottom end of a swimming pool and had to be resuscitated and fell off a sofa and stopped breathing.
I once rode a racehorse belonging to the Sultan of Oman.
I've been told this week I have 'Acquired Dyslexia' - it happens sometimes after a head injury but no one really knows why. Ah well, at least I know why everything's been coming out as gibberish when I type.
I used to work somewhere that was used as a film set and was caught hanging out of the window trying to get a glimpse of Colin Firth as he went for his lunch. I also saw most of the cast of Harry Potter and got to ogle the props (the Knight bus, a hippogriff and some of the Hogsmeade shops).
I've had tea at Buckingham Palace and with the Archbishop of Canterbury (Yes, really!)

Now, who to nominate? Most of my blog friends seem to have already been nominated so I'm doing a quick think about who I'd like to know interesting facts about. So I'm nominating:

Joanne Pibworth
Joanne Cleary (who's already been nominated but has yet to divulge so I'm adding to the pressure - dish the gossip Jo ;-)
Sri Pammi
Lucy King (who did a recent interview for Cataromance, I don't know if everyone saw it?)
Judy Jarvie
Waiting for the Call
Rachael Johns (when she gets back from holiday!)

Reasons to be cheerful

2010-01-19T09:24:00.019Z

Yesterday was 'Black Monday' the day of the year calculated to be the most depressing by well, h'experts I suppose! When chatting to my mother in law about lack of heating etc a couple of weeks ago I said "Well, things could be worse". She replied doubtfully "I fail to see how." But in the past week I've been proved right - we ended up with no cold water either and then when the thaw came had extensive power cuts and the drains overflowed and blocked. I also got a stomach bug in addition to my cold.

In the interests of not depressing the hell out of my blog readers I've been thinking of reasons to be cheerful other than "it could be worse". They are rather shallow I'm afraid but they've worked for me ;-) Oh they're also a bit UK centric I'm afraid but I figure if you're in sunnier climes you might not be in as much need of cheering up!

Hustle is back on BBC1 with the lovely Mickey Bricks (Adrian Lester) who steals from the bad guys and is the epitome of alpha control :-)

Season 1 of The Mentalist will be out to buy on DVD very soon. I still haven't decided if it's Patrick Jane or Simon Baker I'm in love with :-)

Most fab news of all is that a new series of NCIS is on! I am a huge Michael Weatherly fan, but perhaps you've noticed that???

The rampage of the tea-aholics

2010-01-09T11:29:00.016Z

Now hot water I can do without. Heating I can do without (just). But the one thing guaranteed to put me in a strop is being deprived of my cup of tea. Not having one to start off the day just feels all wrong and trying to write without tea in my system, well...

And tea for me requires milk.

Unfortunately by the time we got out of our snowed-in village we found panic buyers have emptied shop shelves of every single drop of milk, even the skimmed and UHT stuff I've never known anyone to like.

Combine that with tankers being unable to access dairy farms and you have total and utter chaos among the tea-aholics. I'd used some of our last precious reserves for my husband's emergency flask (as advised by every single news broadcast I've seen) as he set off in the snow to see a client. Said client spied the flask and leapt upon it (well he hadn't had a cuppa for two days so I do sympathize). Then he and the husband shared the contents closeted in the office where the other staff wouldn't see them.

Anyone who's ever worked in a British office knows if the kettle ceases to the work the workers begin to revolt. I fear if milk deliveries don't resume we will have a national crisis on our hands.

You have been warned. Expect reports of cow rustling soon...

It doesn't snow but it pours...

2010-01-06T16:17:00.018Z

Some lowlights of 2010 so far:

Falling flat on my face in a frozen forest and giving myself a black eye.
Discovering this morning that the temperamental hot water supply has gone the same way as the heating and is now refusing to put in an appearance at all. Not great when the temperature is going down to minus 9 at night and unlikely to rise above zero for at least a week.
Open warfare, resulting in a vet's visit this week, between my two dogs who have happily shared a basket and been the best of friends for four years. Any tips on how to restore harmony gratefully received.
Going down with yet another stinking cold. Honestly, I didn't get colds at home in the Northern Highlands (too cold for the germs to survive perhaps?).

Some highlights of 2010 so far:

Being snowed in today meant I got to miss physio and actually made some progress re-writing Secret Billionaire. Nobody faint, please ;-)
The snow also meant I got to see Holly do a mad 5 minute roll in the snow, making very cute squeaky noises and making me laugh.

A New Writing Year

2009-12-26T19:52:00.006Z

It may seem like I'm jumping the gun a little here but as yesterday was the anniversary of my accident today seems an appropriate day to start a fresh page.

So. Here is my New Year writing goal - to finally complete my re-write of Secret Billionaire and send the partial off to Richmond.

Even if it means dirty dishes sitting in the sink, wearing clothes more than once and ignoring the crumbs the dogs have left on the carpet...

So what are your New Year Writing goals?

P.S. Hope you like the photograph - I took it in Pralong, a tiny village near where we were staying in Switzerland.

There's always the squirrels...

2009-12-20T21:24:00.016Z

Things that are making me smile:

Father Christmas has brought me an early present to cover the time of day the main heater in the house decides it's done a full day's work (about 11:30 a.m.) and the time of day I can decently climb under the duvet and switch the electric blanket on (6:30 p.m. is the earliest so far!). I hasten to add it's faux fur (and not squirrel fur, I'll get to them in a minute).

The friendship and support of my writing friends. How did I do this before I knew you all I wonder? I'm proud to be a part of a new writing group and looking forward to a New Year with exciting challenges.

This video. Even if you're feeling decidedly Un-Christmassy I defy you not to smile at the squirrels! http://video.telegraph.co.uk/services/player/bcpid1529569286?bctid=5524339001

Confessions

2009-12-15T11:16:00.009Z

I am wearing odd socks chosen from the bizarre assortment left to me by the sock monster. All I can say is he must have got hungry while we were away - I had an impressive 11 odd socks to choose from.
Due to a catalogue of mishaps involving laptop dropping, password forgetting and technical incompetence I am now locked out of my yahoo email (needed to connect me to the Reading RNA chapter), now known as Loraine W on iheartpresents instead of Lorraine Wilson (the site tells me Lorraine Wilson is in use and when I squeal "Yes, by me!" remains as implacable as an obdurate bouncer) and on eharlequin there is now a blank space where my face used to be.
That bit about the blank space for some odd reason makes me feel like crying. Bloody hormones!
Despite having much more huge, horrible stuff going on in my life at the moment which should put getting a form rejection from the Mills and Boon competition into perspective, it somehow made it worse, like I was pinning everything on getting some good news, something nice to happen... Don't worry, I intend to rally and lick Secret Billionaire into shape to attach to my treasured Editor's business card but for the moment I just feel crap.
I have a sinful amount of swiss chocolate in my kitchen and despite mumbled intentions in the duty free shop do not intend to give any of it away as Christmas presents. Well it should help with confessions 3 and 4...
I am really behind with my emails, sorry guys. Just wanted to say I love and appreciate you all and thanks for supporting me through a really tough year. Here's hoping I can be a little more reliable next year but maybe that should be part of a resolutions post in January...

If you can't stand the heat...

2009-12-03T11:23:00.009Z

then go and bury yourself in a snowdrift. Well that's my motto and I'm sticking to it.

Seriously. Blundering around in sub zero temperatures in the dark, trying to find the key to your swiss chalet (and indeed the chalet itself), slipping on a vicious patch of black ice and the ensuing pain seeping through your limbs...Well it's an excellent distraction from wondering if anyone at Richmond liked your competition entry at all.

Think of it not so much as a NTAI last minute holiday in the Alps as an opportunity to have more distraction providing accidents. Although as my last two bizarre accidents involved the leg of the ironing board and the lid of the laundry basket (I must be the only person in the world to injure themselves with wicker, surely?) I have to say I prefer the view here.

Pass the ibuprofen...

Definitely, absolutely NTAI

2009-11-24T11:51:00.007Z

I am definitely, absolutely not doing any of the following:

Wondering if my competition entry has made the shortlist mentioned in the contest update
Thinking about how I'll feel if I get the generic 'abandon this project' email I got back from the competition last year.
Wishing I was satisfied with the final edit I carried out under the fug of flu.
Feeling depressed about my 'time passed to writing accomplished' ratio in recent months.

Although I have to admit that as the deadline draws nearer NTAI is becoming harder and harder. I'm trying to work on my other partial, employing what seems like perfect logic to me - that if I don't work on 'Reluctant Heir, Passionate Affair' then they'll want to see it... Hmm, well it seemed logical before I wrote it down :-)

How are you all bearing up?

Tonic?

2009-11-20T11:10:00.023Z

The neurophysiotherapist who is torturing, sorry I mean rehabilitating, me on a regular basis took one look at me last week and said "You look like you need a tonic."

Decided not to say "Yes, a gin and..." as she's an ultra healthy gym bunny. Was slightly depressed that after a month of viral bugs clinging to me like limpets I clearly look as bad as I feel.

Not being one for neat cod liver oil I prescribed myself a bit of rest and more watching of Michael Weatherly (obsessed, moi?) from my NCIS boxset when I suddenly got fresh inspiration for 'Secret Billionaire'. The part where Tony is deceiving Jeanne (apologies to non NCIS fans here) and yet falling in love with her and knowing it can't end well - it provoked me to start thinking more deeply about Luke and how he'd be feeling, why he'd be doing what he's doing and most importantly why on earth any reader should love a hero who starts off in a place of deception.

He'd changed so much with the revisions I didn't feel I knew him very well but now I've got to know him properly I realise I do actually love my hero again. Quite important really.

I've made brief contact with my missing Mojo who is still in Cannes claiming to be doing 'research' (the virtual chocs go to Jackie as a reward :-) but refuses to come back until it stops raining.

So I'll make a start anyway and hope Mojo comes back to join me at some point...

Lost

2009-11-10T16:37:00.010Z

Lost:

One Mojo, last seen being gagged and bound by a vicious flu bug but passed on to his friend the common cold who was lurking, waiting his turn.

Whereabouts currently unknown but no ransom demands made as yet.

Please report any sightings (The Pub in the M&B Community has been searched already but without success).

News that there have been 544 entries into the M&B competition could be lowering the Mojo's morale. Coaxing with either jaffa cakes or chocolate digestives may be effective.

Reward:

To be negotiated (but I do a good line in virtual chocolate :-)

Never Ever

2009-11-06T14:32:00.004Z

Never ever:

re-read your competition entry after it's been sent
edit when you have flu

Have discovered hideously idiotic mistake in my chapter - the caretaker's wife inexplicably changes her name from Sofia to Maria mid chapter. How? How on earth could I miss this blatant character rebellion? Is it because I only gave her one line and described her as dour???

Aargh. I knew it was a bad idea to read but did it anyway. Like buying a tube of Pringles and thinking you'll only eat a handful, it had that same feeling of inevitability about it.

Sigh.

Has any else caved and re-read their entry? Can anyone beat my mistake?

P.S.L.D

2009-11-02T10:04:00.009Z

Following on from Suzanne's suggestion that we should campaign for Competition Obsessive Disorder to be recognised as a legitimate ailment I've identified another affliction - Post Sending Let Down.

It's a bit like that post exam feeling - you've revised, got through the exams and now you've got to wait and try and forget about it until you get your results. Almost as soon as I hit send on my competition entry the slumps hit me, although to be fair my being post viral hasn't helped.

I also think the M&B competition is much worse than any exam - you can revise your socks off, read every writing book available, absorb every forum comment going and still not get any feedback at all (gosh, I'm really cheery this morning aren't I? ;-).

Last year I sent off an entry I really quite liked and waited hopefully, in vain as it happened. This year I'm savvier (I hope), I am also completely sockless (literally as it happens, the sock monster is very active in my house) and suffering from PSLD.

It will pass I'm sure. I've prescribed myself listening to 'Azur Like it' to get back into French Riveria/'Secret Billionaire' mode and also much watching of Michael Weatherly in my NCIS dvds :-)

Competition Obsessive Disorder

2009-10-24T18:07:00.016+01:00

If you've entered the Mills and Boon competition or are just about to, then the above condition requires no further explanation.

Symptoms may include muttering about internal conflict in your sleep or trying to explain the 'action and reaction' thing (explained so beautifully by Jackie) to non writing 'civilians'.

Distractions from Competition Obsessive Disorder to date:

A baby cold picked up in Liverpool that has now grown to the kind of monster proportions favoured by King Kong, Godzilla et al.
A bizarre accident involving the leg of the ironing board and my nose (don't ask).
Listening to "Passion" by Louise Bagshawe, so utterly engaging that my own writing feels even more hobbyish than usual.
Remembering there are things other than writing that matter in life. Like erm...er...

Fantasy

2009-10-20T11:11:00.022+01:00

My days in Liverpool were surreal. Every taxi driver was Jim Royale from 'The Royale Family' and insisted on giving me a detailed history of each building we passed. The tests (so tiring I actually fell asleep on the desk at one point during a break) were at times a bizarre mix of 'The Generation Game' meets 'Who wants to be a Millionaire' but sadly without any prizes :-(

After being shown 50 pictures of objects and asked how many I could remember I was so tempted to say "Oh and the cuddly toy, do I get the cuddly toy?" but I had a feeling that humour would not encouraged. Shame, as I was also tempted to respond to the question "Why do people pay taxes?" with the answer "Because they haven't got a good enough accountant!'

Back home shattered and wrung out, I'm struggling to gather my resources to rewrite my chapter. So I'm trying to focus on fantasy, on escapism, which is what my chapter is all about really and what I've been enjoying listening to with my Louise Bagshawe audiobooks, (titles including "Glamour", "Glitz", "Passion" and "Sparkles"). Her wonderfully written alpha males and exotic locations are an inspiration IMO.

I'm still waiting for M&B to develop an audio programme in the UK. If I lived in the US I'd be allowed to listen but because I'm in the UK I can't. Neither can I get my computer to read the ebooks I've purchased for copyright reasons, very frustrating given I have paid for them...

Anyway, I've come across a real live prince who looks nothing like Prince Charles :-) He's HRH Prince Emanuel Filiberto, Prince of Venice. An exiled prince working in Geneva as a hedgefund manager (so says wiki anyway :-) There are a lot of House of Savoy exiles in Europe, plenty of fantasy fodder for my 'future heroes' file.

I've also found a picture of my hero's villa on Lake Como.

Yes, it's working, I'm starting to feel better already...

A Dickens of a Week

2009-10-12T11:09:00.005+01:00

Ten days since my last post and what have I achieved?

Erm, pass.

But by bizarre coincidence I went to an RNA chapter meeting on Wednesday held at a pub called 'Great Expectations' and then a few days later had a drink at a The Wagon and Horses at Beckhampton, visited by Charles Dickens in 1835 and used by him in 'The Pickwick Papers'.

Is it a sign? A sign I'm spending too much time in pubs maybe ;-)

But now comes the nitty gritty, after some excellent advice I've realised I've made an old mistake yet again - making my hero do something because I wanted him to, even though if I thought long enough about his character I'd realise it wasn't quite right.

So, more tweaks and a note to self to really think hard about character before plot in order to maintain credibility.

Unfortunately most of this week will be taken up by brain testing in Liverpool which I know will wipe me out but if necessary I shall revert to the Red Bull and sweets combo that got me to the RNA meeting, it's truly dreadful but as effective as a defibrillator.

Is anyone else still tweaking their comp entries or have you already done the deed?

A little known fact

2009-10-02T09:57:00.014+01:00

It is a little known fact that marshmallows are essential for synopsis re-writes. Well the husband didn't know about it at least. In fact he questioned the need for the late night drive to the 24 hour garage yesterday, before going away for a business trip today. The accountant in him brought out the "wholly and exclusively rule"that's applied to business expenses i.e. was it really essential for my writing? I replied that it was and he said I was welcome to argue that one with the taxman should the need arise.

They are also virtually fat-free but it was decided, on balance, that the taxman probably wouldn't be too interested in that. Although knowing you're eating something that isn't too fattening must reduce your stress levels and enable you to write better, surely?

So, I have my marshmallows, and I also have a DVD of the first two series of 'Moonlighting' which I'm only allowed to watch once I have a satisfactory rejigged synopsis. I absolutely loved this programme in my teens and the banter between Cybill Shepherd's and Bruce Willis's characters is inspiring, as is the sexual tension between them.

Perhaps I should point out there are other essential factors for synopsis re-writes as far as I've been able to garner - a focus on internal conflict (especially if its Modern Heat), so a clear idea of what is going to keep H and h apart. And also making it obvious how they're going to resolve their conflicts - what is it about them that is going to enable them to heal each others wounds?

All in one page? What about a bit of external plot structure in there?

Sigh.

Pass the marshmallows.

Layer Cake

2009-09-28T10:56:00.005+01:00

Okay, so this post isn't actually about cake, sorry! But I knew cake would get your attention :-)

It is however, about layering. As in how could I possibly have forgotten about it? You know, Kate Walker, the onion, and Shrek ;-)

Duh!

Anyway, thanks to Jackie for reminding me. I got so het up about making all my conflicts clear instantly that I forgot about only revealing the upper layer of the conflict first - then I can unravel it as the story unfolds, making it worse and worse until the Black Moment hits.

So I pruned, shpuggled a bit about the fact my CPs were right (again!), dumped some loved text into my cut text document, promising myself I'd use it somewhere else. Sigh.

And now I have a better chapter, one within the competition word limit too. In fact I'm in such a good mood I'm going to let you have your cake after all :-)

Body counts

2009-09-23T11:31:00.005+01:00

My body count (i.e. number of dead people contributing to my story conflicts) is really stacking up in 'Reluctant Heir, Passionate Affair'. A sign of laziness perhaps?

I'm currently struggling with Bryony Green's comments on ihearts about the Modern Heat hero not necessarily being as tortured as other series' heroes. Yet how to balance this with making sure the conflicts run really deep? Should he be just mildly tortured?A little bit upset? I think maybe it's to do with a lighter touch. If anyone's got any ideas I'd be interested to hear them.

Anyway, so far this is the body count tally for my WIPs:

Maverick Millionaire - 1

Secret Billionaire - 1

Reluctant Heir, Passionate Affair - a whopping 3!

I do have several (now put aside) stories containing no dead people so I'm not sure why I've suddenly gone so morbid.

Have any of you reached a higher body count than me? Do tell :-)

Still here. Just.

2009-09-21T11:21:00.004+01:00

Both writing and life have been like wading through treacle lately. My brain injury medication is being adjusted and the side effects are hellish. It’s making my balance problems worse and I'm having loads of accidents - knocking shop displays over, banging my head, breaking things and this morning shutting my finger in a window. Add a nasty cold on top and my grumpiness has reached new heights. The Wicked Witch of the West has nothing on me - as the man who parked outside our house and decided to empty the rubbish from his car into our personal bin discovered. ;- )

Which is why I was so touched when the gardeners finally drafted in to clear our jungle (very out of place next to the perfect gardens of St Mary Mead) bought me a present. We’d been chatting during the day and they knew about the accident but it was still a lovely surprise when they presented me with a gift before they left - a potted red geranium, a splash of colour to cheer me up, they said.

Perhaps I should get them in to help me prune my chapter? It was 500 words under the competition limit. I edited it and I'm now 1000 words over! Ah well, will have to sit down and have a good look at it. Or send it to somebody less grumpy :-)

BTW I take it everybody participated in International Speak Like a Pirate day at the weekend? In case anybody missed it, here's something to get you in the mood...

It's Official

2009-09-09T16:26:00.019+01:00

I have crossed over the line from normal writing obsession and am now three stops short of Dagenham (i.e. Barking - for anyone unfamiliar with the London Underground system).

Yes, I am now as barking mad as our terrier who thinks she can scare off the RAF, currently using our croft house as target practice, by squeaking her toy.

It’s the broadband withdrawal that's done it (have now given in and driven to internet cafe). Without CPs and blogfriends to be my reality check (or, less politely, to tell me to stop being a muppet) I have even taken to dreaming about technical problems with my competition entries. In a dream last night someone lectured me at length about my secondary character interaction and the banter between my hero and heroine.

Angels giving me good crit or a sign I’m officially over the edge?

I suspect the latter.

In an attempt to draw myself back from over-angst I have designed a teeny little questionnaire about my current comp idea (please leave you answers in a comments field. You get a reward if you get to the end J).

(1) Titles. Which option do you prefer?

(a) Reluctant Heir, Passionate Affair

(b) Hot Nights with the Playboy Prince

(d) To tell me to stop thinking about titles, which are irrelevant really, given you don't get to choose them, and get on with writing the damn thing

(2) Princes. Compatible with Modern Heat?

(a) No, they belong in historicals or Moderns at a push

(b) You might be able to pull it off, AITE and all that

(3) Your reward. Would you rather…

(a) Have a date with George Clooney

(b) Be analyzed by the Mentalist (aka Simon Baker)

Okay, so you might have to use your imagination to claim your reward but thanks for taking part in my poll and pulling me back from the edge :-)

Unless of course you didn’t, in which case you may find yourself reading in the news headlines that a mad hermitess has been found roaming the Highlands muttering about stripping out too much external conflict (not to put any pressure on you or anything ;-)

Getting Steamy

2009-09-03T12:29:00.021+01:00

I may have finally cracked the problem of how to make friends in a new community when you a) work from home and b) don't have any kids - find a steam room!

Littlecote House (mentioned in my last post) has a lovely leisure club and I've taken to lolling about in the pool area while the husband goes and does very unappealing gym stuff. Every time I go in the steam room someone chats to me - I've had more conversations with potential friend types in one week than I had in a whole year in Scotland (I'm not blaming the Scots, I would like to point out - they just happen to be outnumbered by sheep in the area we bought a house).

The steam room has even given me some writing inspiration - a hot shot american tycoon was in situ the other evening, having been helicoptered into the hotel grounds, and as a result I now have yet another story idea with a very steamy opening. I can't possibly write another competition entry or it will start getting ridiculous - how on earth will I choose which one to enter?

Perhaps I ought to point out that the tycoon type didn't inspire me in that way and my husband was present at all times!

I've also taken another step out of my hermitess ways and yesterday went to the Reading chapter of the RNA, headed by Julie Cohen. I tried not to be too fan-girlish but think I failed. I had to tell her it was 'Delicious' that had inspired me to write for Modern Heat (or Extra as it was then) in the first place. It can't be too bad to be told how much someone likes your books, surely? I hope not anyway!

Just in case this interaction with the rest of the human race has been too much for me I now have a break - we're off home to Scotland for a week to sort out the heating so there might be radio silence from me for a while. In all reality we'll probably drive the 35 miles to an internet cafe when the broadband withdrawal kicks in...

Friday Stuff

2009-08-28T10:29:00.030+01:00

I'm taking a break from competition angst and enjoying myself. The new story is proving fun to write, it might be pants but I actually don't care too much, it's just nice to be creating again instead of worrying about 'getting it right'.

I also continue to be inspired by my new surroundings - the thatched cottage villages with duck ponds and lovely pubs and the plethora of Agatha Christie characters strolling the streets. Oh and the historian in me is loving the nearby ruined Wolf Hall and Littlecote House with it's suits of armour, resident ghosts and tales of the wooing of Jane Seymour by Henry VIII.

I have a budding rural romcom in me and since I heard the grisly tale behind the Littlecote ghost the stirrings of a historical story too. Here's a link to the ghost-watch report if you're interested. It's supposedly one of Britain's most haunted houses.

On the down side I am currently mourning the end of series 1 of 'The Mentalist' and the best alpha hero ever created IMO, Patrick Jane - so sexy, so arrogant and yet tortured and infinitely lovable. Until series 2 (or until series 1 is released on DVD) I shall have to content myself with internet peeks at the man (or is it the character?) voted sexiest man on US TV:

The F Factor

2009-08-25T12:04:00.008+01:00

I have been ignoring my writing rule number one (well actually I've just decided it's my only rule) - 'Don't ignore your niggles'.

I haven't been able to throw off an uneasy feeling about my competition chapter missing something despite getting good crits from people. I got carried away with knowing I've got the emotion, an alpha hero I can actually fall in love with (and want to secretly heal because of his past) an opening line I'm happy with and conflicts that feel consistent.

So what's the problem? The 'F' factor, that what's missing - that 'fun 'n flirty' vibe so important for Modern Heats. I think I got bogged down by my H & h's shared backstory, there is just so much emotion there that when they get together flirting isn't exactly on my heroine's agenda.

Now it is possible I can re-write from a different starting point and keep her antagonism further under the surface but I have to say I feel a little flummoxed. Suppose I put the F factor in and in doing so lose the other stuff I finally managed to get right?

I did start my new idea yesterday, just to have a standby in case I can't make MM work but given I spent ages thrashing out my conflicts for Maverick Millionaire all I can say is thank goodness the deadline is a while off.

How do people manage to write four of these a year and get them right???

Need chocolate :-(

How to open doors and other useful tips

2009-08-20T11:22:00.016+01:00

I have now moved on to 'Secret Billionaire'. Yes, really! (Just in case there are any lurking doubters out there) And have been doing some research about my hero's undercover job as a doorman. I realise this might sound like more procrastination but it's actually helped me overcome my mental block about the story.

I was reading some interesting posts from hotel doormen about what they love and hate about their jobs when I clicked on an ask.com question in my google results - 'How do you open a door?' Yes, someone actually spent a couple of minutes of their time logging on to ask.com to type in a question asking how to open a door.

Why?

Were they just testing to see if anyone would answer them? (They did, requesting more details about the model of door, type of handle, angles... Sorry, drifted off to sleep at that point).

How sad is it to sit at your computer spending a valuable portion of your time writing about opening doors? Err, right, on that note it's time I went off to do something more useful instead :-)

The joy of polishing (or should that be procrastinating?)

2009-08-18T10:49:00.018+01:00

I love polishing. Not the housework variety, because despite having been paid good money for my household tips (the husband is still rather disbelieving about that) my real heartfelt housework tip can be summed up as 'Life's too short'.

However I do enjoy going over and over a piece of writing and substituting a word here, cutting a sentence there etc. In fact I suspect I enjoy it rather too much. Every time I read my competition chapter I see a glaring error and I'm starting to think that no matter how many times I read it I will keep seeing stuff I don't like and I will never, ever be satisfied with it.

So, I'm going to have to set myself a deadline to leave it alone to rest (or ferment???) and actually get on with the writing I'm supposed to be doing - the partial to send to Richmond that I have developed inexplicable stage fright over. Before Jackie points out (although probably not publicly because she's too nice) that I already set myself a deadline to move on to Secret Billionaire um, yesterday, I will quickly set myself a new one - before the end of this week I am going to start my re-write of SB.

In the meantime just a little more indulgence of looking for any lurking cliches or 'was's or 'felt's that might have crept in when I wasn't looking :-)

Before I get my duster out I just want to pass on three really good editing tips I read recently:

If you write something you think might be unclear, it is. Big time. Change it or cut it.
Make sure you've started your scenes late and left them early.
If you find you've said the same thing more than once - choose the best and cut the rest.

The Name Game

2009-08-13T16:57:00.008+01:00

Okay, I'm trying to distract myself from the fact my competition synopsis is still eight lines too long despite drastic pruning. The annoying thing is it was the correct length but it was missing character development, so I've put that in, tried to strip out external plot and...

So, I'm thinking about names instead. My hero was originally called Matt Munro but it was pointed out to me that he was a crooner who inspires granny crushes, not a great name for a Modern Heat hero then. So I've finally come up with Matt Marshall. Please tell me now if he's a famous porn star/mass murderer/fluffy cartoon character so I know if I can do 'find and replace' in my word doc!

I've also been thinking of a name for my hero in my new story idea (the notebook kind of fell out from under the bills and my pen just got scribbling, very naughty I know). So I want to take a poll - he's (probably) royalty in a small independent european Principality so I've been looking at the family tree of the Liechtenstein royal family (procrastination, moi? :-)

I have:

Karl
Josef
Lukas
Max
Alexander

Any preferences?

Okay, getting back to that synopsis, honest guv ;-)

The Look of Lust

2009-08-10T09:50:00.009+01:00

According to recent research men spend almost a year of their lives ogling women - the average man stares at 10 women each day which has been calculated to take 43 minutes (how do they calculate these things???), so between the ages of 18 and 50 that will add up to 11 months and 11 days.

Not exactly unexpected news but what did surprise me was that women apparently ogle 6 men a day, spending 20 minutes a day on this pastime. Erm 6? I don't know about you but coming across 6 men a day worth ogling would be a freak occurrence for me (6 a year in some places I've lived would be a challenge...)

If Michael Weatherly, Simon Baker, Hugh Jackman and Rupert Penry Jones were walking about the streets why would I need to post pictures of them on my blog???

More wobbly than a weeble

2009-08-07T10:19:00.008+01:00

I'm currently resisting the temptation to throw my competition entry in the bin and work frantically on a new idea. However, working on the assumption you should never make rash decisions (because they're often mood inspired) I am being a good girl and working hard on finishing the chapter. The notepad with the new ideas is still calling me though, perhaps I should bury it somewhere beneath some bills?

My only consolation is that while I'm being more wobbly than a weeble, weebles do actually manage to remain upright at the end of the day. I shall finish it, send it out and hopefully my CPs will tell me I'm being a muppet :-)

How many kids toys I can compare myself to in one blog post I wonder???

Anyway, time to get back to work...

Too tough to talk

2009-08-06T10:09:00.012+01:00

A recent e-mail conversation with Jackie has got me thinking. What do you do when your hero is too tough to talk? My current hero, Matt, is not the type to ever talk about his emotions. He's got a hard edge and has had a tough childhood he would never want to talk about, not even to the heroine. I could make him but it wouldn't be in character.

So, my question is - is it sufficient to have his internal POV reflections and heroine finding out and understanding about his past, maybe alluding to it but not pressing him about it?

Bah, what can you do with these men who don't want to talk???

Getting back on track

2009-08-03T11:01:00.014+01:00

I'm back and determined to catch up and get myself into gear. Big apologies to everyone who is still waiting for emails from me, I promise I haven't forgotten you - I've just been a bit swamped lately.

But a few days relaxing in the sun, breathing fresh swiss mountain air and having a couple of relaxing massages has revitalized me and I'm now determined to get down to work, master my new software and WRITE!

I was relieved my experience at the hotel spa was faultless - at a different hotel several years ago I was asked if I was really sure I didn't want to swap my relaxing massage for an anti-aging wrinkle busting treatment! The cheek, I was only 30!

No, the only embarrassing blip to my trip away was at airport security when I was asked to remove my shirt jacket and had to mumble that I wasn't actually wearing anything underneath. Thankfully I wasn't forced to strip so my blushes were spared ;-)

Now, time to focus - here is my Maverick Millionaire, Matt (my comp entry hero), how can I fail to be inspired?

Distractions and Diversions

2009-07-29T09:34:00.013+01:00

No. of words written for new version of 'The Secret billionaire': 0

No. of unnecessary (but nice) purchases made with the assistance of Great Aunty Amex (friend of Jackie's Great Uncle Visa I believe :-): Far too many

No of iced fingers consumed (I blame the bakery in the next village for being too nice): see above

No of hours spent feeling bad about not having done any work on the re-write: approx 1 hour per day

I have however spent time thinking about my competition entry and made some progress with 'The Maverick Millionaire' which is good as previously it had come to a grinding halt in chapter 3. I also think a break will help me come back to Secret Billionaire with fresh eyes (sounds like a good excuse so I'm sticking to it!)

The rest of this week will be a write off (no pun intended) as I'm going away for my birthday to my favourite hotel in Switzerland and will be lounging around sipping cool drinks and looking at the jaw-dropping view (see above).

But next week all diversions will come to and end I will definitely, absolutely get cracking on my re-write to sub to Richmond. If I don't please feel free to cyber nag me :-)

Think it Speak it Create it

2009-07-17T11:00:00.006+01:00

My computer has started talking to me. No, I haven't been driven barmy by the process of trying to get published (not yet anyway) but I've discovered that my mac had the ability to read me selected text all along. Duh! It only took me six months to discover it.

The only problem is the most realistic voice it can use is still very robotic - there's nothing like a very unenthusiastic robot reading your work to make you feel like going back to bed and hiding under the duvet.

I've also been trying out my new speech to text software - It is a whole new way of writing for me. Normally my process is 'Think it Write it See it Create it' but I'm having to learn how to be less visual, more auditory as I write.

Who knows, maybe it will lead to more realistic dialogue and better flow (although having to say 'comma', 'full stop', 'open quote' etc is irritating me at the moment). It's certainly better than previous systems I've come across with a lot less errors but I was still bemused when I read in my new synopsis for 'Maverick Millionaire' - "Matt realises that he still loves a mini and sets about juicing her." I actually said "Matt realises that he still loves Emily and sets about seducing her"!!!

I think much more practice and careful editing is needed or who knows what I could send off to Richmond! There may even be a few "be quiet Holly"s at crucial moments when I forget my headset is live (Holly is the noisiest of my dogs).

On the subject of new things there is a brilliantly titled blog that has just been started called Love and Chocolate by the lovely Sally who I met over at Trish Wylie's forum. Love, chocolate and writing, what else could you possibly want???

Happy Bunnydom

2009-07-14T11:43:00.021+01:00

I arrived back from the RNA conference last night shattered, happy but most of all inspired to write.

My editor slot went well, the phrases "yes, this could work for Modern Heat" and "you have a strong voice" combining to make me a very happy bunny indeed.

I have my own personal holy grail (an editor's business card) tucked safely away in a secret compartment in my handbag and an invitation to attach it to my partial and submit direct to her :-)

I've learnt loads about craft from the seminars (Jessica Hart, the Mills and Boon one and Jodi Thomas in particular) and am positively itching to put what I've learnt into practice. I also picked up lots of gems while queuing for coffee! It was lovely to be able to talk writing all weekend without anyone's eyes glazing over and such a privilege to chat to so many experienced authors who were willing to talk to a newbie nobody.

Unfortunately the weekend has wiped me out health wise but it was so worth it. Scratching the itch might have to wait until I've recovered but my lovely new 'speech to text' software has just arrived so I'm hoping it's going to make the whole process much easier.

If you've never been to the RNA conference (and are a NWS member) I'd say it's worth selling your grandmother to get to it. Apparently next year will be quite big as it's an anniversary and it will be in London which means they're hoping to get a lot of editors and agents along on the Friday. It's going to be popular and there are going to be quite a few big name authors coming so the advice I was given was book early.

All I can say is be there or be a sad bunny.

P.S. if you didn't attend and would like detailed feedback on some of the seminars I found most useful (mostly specific to M&B targeting but some more general) leave your email address in the comments section and I'll send you something I've written up to try and consolidate it for myself.

Normal Service is Resumed

2009-07-08T11:07:00.006+01:00

After a couple of weeks of trying to keep up with emails, blogs etc using motorway service stations as I traveled from England to Scotland and back again several times (bet that messed up peoples’ feedjit! J) I finally have broadband in the new place.

Although I described the area as yummy mummy land (in the interests of balance I ought to say they’ve all been lovely to me) I’ve also met a plethora of retired colonels and majors emerging from perfect thatched cottages, not to mention a few ‘Honourables’ and a minor noble. I’ve been informed in no uncertain terms that attendance at the village fete, sports day etc is compulsory. Perhaps once I’ve been drinking the water for a couple of months I’ll develop the urge to competitively grow misshapen vegetables or join the Women’s Institute.

I’ve decided I must have moved to a twenty first century St Mary Mead and any minute now Miss Marple will be knocking on my door to inform me that the rector has discovered a body up at the Manor House. Or maybe at the ruins of nearby Wolf Hall (great name isn’t it?)

Not that I’ll have time to help Miss Marple solve the crime as my editor slot is now only TWO days away. I blame gadding about with boxes and having fun days out at hospitals.

Somehow I’ve managed to write a new synopsis in the midst of it all (taking the ‘ah sod it’ approach to the piles of boxes helps) – my characters are now more believable (I hope) and their actions more consistent. I’ve also given Luke a bit of an alpha makeover in line with the new Modern Heat guidelines; he is now harder, less laidback but still essentially the same Luke.

I’ve decided to take everyone’s advice and not worry too much about the slot. I can discuss the new story angle and hopefully sound out whether or not The Secret Billionaire (as Bridal Bet is now called) could ever work for the Modern Heat line.

Hopefully I’ll have lots of lovely feedback next week about the conference, or the reincarnation of Miss Marple should she appear J

P.S. the above picture is an old photograph of where I'm now ensconced!

Isolated, bizarrely dressed and a little bit crazy

2009-06-25T14:41:00.014+01:00

Apparently working from home can leave you isolated, bizarrely dressed and a little bit crazy. I tried to feel a bit affronted by this headline when it came out but failed as, secretly, I couldn't help agreeing, at least for myself. The isolation bit I find is offset by broadband connecting me to the writing community, a fact brought home to me as I've been positively twitching without it for the last five days. As for a little bit crazy? I'm not even going there :-)

And now for bizarrely/badly dressed, well... I used to manage to look quite presentable when I worked in London but my standards have gone slowly downhill to the point where I consider smart jeans to be my going out clothes and the mention of wearing 'something sparkly' for the RNA conference dinner brings on mild palpitations.

Which is why I was slightly alarmed at the weekend when I visited a foreign country to me - yummy mummy land. You see while I'm all for remote I've reluctantly had to concede that my kind of Highlands remote isn't great when you're not well enough to drive, your husband is away a lot and you keep having bizarre accidents. To cut a long story short it's been decided I need another foray to the south while I can't be trusted not to burn the house down or knock myself out on a cupboard door in the husband's absence. Hopefully it won't be for too long.

So, a suitable house for short term let near husband's office has been found and I went down for a look. The presence of beauty salons, nail bars and high end dress shops in tiny villages (and absence of other shops) should have been a giveaway but it was only while I was walking the dogs that it struck me that it wasn't just the period cottages that were picture perfect - at every turn I came across glamazons in elegant attire and with immaculate make-up, accompanied by golden haired toddlers wearing Cath Kidston wellies. I suddenly became aware that I hadn't brushed my hair since I'd set out from Scotland and worst of all I was wearing no make up! Normally this is not a thought that would ever cross my mind but here I suddenly felt odd, like a barbarian interloper.

So now I have to decide whether for my temporary residence I attempt to camouflage myself to avoid scaring the natives? Or do I apply my recent approach to all things non-writing lately, namely the 'ah sod it' approach and just brave the potential 'woman spotted walking dogs in non designer jeans and WEARING NO MAKE-UP' headlines in the local press?

I think I'll probably just settle for making sure broadband is sorted out for when we go down, now that's REALLY important.

How NOT to write a hook

2009-06-17T10:39:00.007+01:00

Think of a catchy hook and then impose characteristics on your H&h to make them fit in with your hook.
When you encounter inconsistencies in your characters' behaviour don't go back to the beginning and question your premise, simply come up with more backstory to force the fit, like a large foot into a small shoe (or should that be strappy sandal???)
Once you've stuffed that foot in, ignore any niggles in the back of your mind and reassure yourself with the fact the strappy sandal does look quite pretty.
On no account try to get a crit from a writer you really admire, like the fabulous Heidi Rice say, if you're not prepared to let go of that strappy sandal and put the work in to find a shoe that fits.

Well I did points 1-3 but thankfully was the successful bidder for a critique in the Brenda Novak auction and have now had all those niggles brought skillfully to the surface. Not only that but I can see how I can address them.

The one thing I've most definitely learnt is DON'T IGNORE YOUR NIGGLES. Question why, why, why and don't be afraid to change your premise if it doesn't stand up to scrutiny. Other than that I don't have any wise advise about how to use a hook. Other than maybe try to address your niggles before you send your synopsis and first chapter to an editor. Ahem.

Still it shows I'm able to revise, right?

Romance is Everything

2009-06-11T09:00:00.004+01:00

WH Smith has launched a new promotion, this free canvas bag when you buy any four Mills & Boon titles. The lovely slogan made me think about amending it to 'Romance writing is Everything'. I've always found writing to be a wonderful escape when life is a bit crap and I'm certainly finding that now.

So, while in the waiting room to see the neurologist yesterday I dreamt up the beginnings of a new story (the ultimate indulgence when you have two WIPs waiting to be finished). Not much news to report on the head injury front - yet more waiting for an MRI scan and cognitive testing to work out exactly what's going on and some powerful drugs that I've been told will probably make me feel lousy for a couple of months but then might (and only MIGHT) bring me some relief from the headaches I've had every day since the accident nearly six months ago. During examination it became apparent that I've lost quite a lot of feeling in one side of my face and one eye which was a bit worrying.

So my new acronym of the day is NTAAEW (a new variation of Jackie's NTAI) - From now on I'm Not Thinking About Anything Except Writing :-)

Top tips

2009-06-05T12:02:00.012+01:00

I had a nice surprise yesterday - a letter from a magazine saying they want to publish one of my 'top tips'. This was a surprise firstly because I didn't remember sending it in and secondly because I can't even remember what the tip was!

I'm guessing it wasn't one of the following:

Don't bother laying flooring - bare concrete never shows the dirt.
If you don't cut your grass then eventually it will get to such a height it hides all the weeds in your garden.
If you don't invite anyone round then you don't have to tidy up.
Do your building work over as long a period as possible then you'll always have a good excuse for your house being in complete chaos.

Well, it was a nice distraction from post emailing angst anyway. I pressed the send button on my chapter and synopsis for my M&B editor slot with Jenny Hutton. I then woke up the next day with the sudden realisation that I'd forgotten to give a hastily created secondary character any distinguishing physical characteristic (wooden leg, glass eye, severe facial disfigurement... that kind of thing).

Ah well, such is writing life. Overall I'm reasonably happy with it.

I've also been having a very interesting conversation about smells with my tiler, (should have consulted him about the alpha scents debate :-) whilst forcing first aid on him. Eventually he accepted my nursing but only on the grounds that he "didnae wanna get blood in ya grout". His favourite smell is one that apparently came second in a poll of people's favourites - clean sheets fresh from the line being ironed or drying on the range.

Which reminds me I should go and do some washing and make some pretence of being the kind of domestic goddess who dispenses top tips...

One of THOSE days

2009-06-02T15:03:00.024+01:00

Good news - I recently found out I can email the editors my first chapter and synopsis before meeting them at my conference slot. This is a fantastic opportunity and I'm currently thanking the writing gods that I didn't do my usual steaming ahead to complete the first draft but have been working and re-working my beginning and synopsis.

Unfortunately the brand new synopsis that I was FINALLY happy with is two pages long and I now have to get it down to one page. Not a task that would normally freak me out but today is synopsis day and unfortunately it's also turning out to be one of THOSE days - you know, when one thing after another goes wrong in a farcical way that you recognise might be vaguely comical if it wasn't happening to you.

I was on the phone trying to sort out the latest disaster with an unhappy plumber and a supplier mess-up when I noticed a couple of tourists standing in my garden peering in at me and taking photographs. Now our house is a long way off the public road so this struck me as, how can I put this politely? A little odd.

I rounded up my contract law spiel to the supplier and headed out ready to express my miffedness only to find the tourists had come all the way from California to look at my house as a distant ancestor had lived here! Obviously could not tell them to bog off, well I could have but it would have been rude so I chatted to them instead. All the while the builders were drilling in a way that sounds and feels like the drill bit is actually piercing my brain.

Copious painkillers and several cups of tea with the plumber later and I am now feeling calmer and able to start the synopsis prune. Am also considering getting a hotel 'do not disturb' sign for my door...

P.S. Wanted to say BIG thanks to those of you who've been giving me help and writing advice recently. You're all stars :-)

Alpha Scents

2009-05-31T02:23:00.012+01:00

I try to remember to engage all five senses in my writing but for some reason I always struggle when it comes to describing how my hero smells. I have my stock favourites that I trot out but often feel I put them in just because I know I have to write something.

There's 'musk' which sounds uncomfortably close to musty and makes me think of moths. Or 'citrus' - a nice, safe scent and not too feminine. But I rarely stop to ask myself if I actually want my hero smelling of lemons. I just grab it and put it into my text so I can tick the hero smell box on my list!

With all the talk in forum and blogland about cliches I can't help thinking I've invented a new one - I write smell cliches.

So what does an alpha male smell of? Sweat? Engine oil? Or that old favourite - 'man'. Whenever I read that I want to ask 'But what does man smell of'???

I suspect the irresistible scent of an alpha is actually pheromones but as I don't know what a pheromone smells like I decided to google my husband's after-shave, a scent I particularly love. Its manufacturers describe it as having a deep amber note so I thought okay, I'll try amber but that just made me think about traffic lights :-) and the after-shave's other components were all too technical to ever be written into a sensuous scene.

So I'm left with "She inhaled his scent, it was a musky scent with a deep note of amber and the faintest overlying hint of citrus". Total and utter gobbledegook :-) Or, to be blunt, writing crap at its best.

Any writing advice gladly welcomed on this subject otherwise I run the risk that ALL my heroes are going to smell of an identical citrus scent :-)

P.S. I don't have a problem with my heroine's scent, it's just my hero!

Weird and wonky

2009-05-26T15:41:00.014+01:00

Work is progressing noisily on our renovation wreck (too noisy to deserve its writers' retreat label today). So far we've been told we have crazy electrics, weird plumbing and today the tiler announced we have wonky walls.

I have to keep dashing out to provide fresh tea when the swearing (theirs, not mine :-) gets too bad and as I type the tiler is laughing in a slightly hysterical way outside in the hallway.

It seems kind of symbolic of the weird wiring in my post head injury brain at the moment - I think everything's functioning okay and then something weird happens that throws me. V. annoying.

Anyway, I can't help wondering if it's affecting my writing too. Emails have to be checked several times before sending as often contain gobbledegook and I'm thinking this maybe explains my slow moving word counter. I have actually been working on Bridal Bet but have been going over everything I've written numerous times before moving on which is not how I normally write at all.

I'm interested to hear from anyone who's used speech to text software (as this will be easier on the bad eye and cut out some of the gobbledegook). I'm limited for choice because I use a Mac so I'm more interested in how it effects the writing process and how easy it is to adapt to a different way of working than a specific recommendation.

BTW sadly our plumber looks nothing like Mike from Desperate Housewives but it seemed a good excuse to post a nice photo :-)

A great story and nice work if you can get it

2009-05-22T11:47:00.010+01:00

A recent news story got my attention, it starts off a little tawdry but then strays into almost Mills and Boon territory - A girl called Alina decided to auction off her virginity to pay for a university course. So far not remotely romantic but the story then takes a turn as her winning bidder, a wealthy Italian business man, whisks her off to a luxury hotel in Venice and Alina takes a shine to him. "I hope to see the man again" she says "And next time I won't make him pay!"

Unfortunately I can't foresee any circumstances that would make the selling sex thing an appropriate plot for M&B, not even raising money to pay for a relative's kidney, but if you want to read the full story you can find it here.

Jo commented on my Unlikely Heroes post that she wouldn't mind the job of choosing men to model for covers. I really didn't think that such a job existed so when I found out it did I knew I had to share - Powerhouse Casting Offices in Torronto were recently casting for authentic heroes for Harlequin covers. The request was for "real firefighters, police officers and paramedics who are good looking and between the ages of twenty five and forty eight". Apparently since 9/11 there has been a "a huge reader response for men in uniform - men in control, taking charge. You know, the safety factor."

The promising were asked to take off their shirts. Not sure who made up the judges panel but definitely nice work if you can get it!

Aargh

2009-05-18T10:37:00.012+01:00

Does anyone else feel like me about this writing lark - that you just think you've cracked an area you were struggling with when something else pops up that you'd never even thought about?

A message from the M&B editorial staff on the How to Write a Modern Romance thread of the Mills and Boon Community (link on my list for those of you who've not found your way there yet) has given me a bit of an 'aargh' moment:

"conflicts can become cliches if they are used to create a character. For this reason it helps to start by seeing the characters clearly in your mind as they exist in the present - not by seeing their conflicts first. Once they are real to you, you are free to wonder (in the way we often do with new people) - how did they become the person that they are? In fiction, as in real life, the answer to that question is never simple!"

I'd been feeling quite pleased with myself that I'd finally started thinking about my internal conflicts before my external setup but I can see how easily I could end up making my characters about their conflict and nothing else.

Hmm, so much to think about. Wish I could accelerate the learning curve and get there more quickly, need a turbo-charged literary skateboard. Failing that I'll have to stick to trawling blogs, forums and writing sites and learn the hard way...

Couldn't resist

2009-05-15T11:09:00.004+01:00

Wasn't planning on blogging today but HAD to share this link with you.

Click here to choose the rugby players you want to see swapping shirts (you have to click on launch site).

For some reason I'm thinking that Jo might appreciate this one :-)