Archive for March, 2009

Mixed Monday with eggs on the side

March 31, 2009 | 2 Comments

…yes, I know it’s Tuesday now but yesterday was a funny old day. First thing, I opened my email inbox to find I’d got a very desirable copywriting job. It turned out to be not for me after all. Sigh. My daughter, who is at home from uni, made me a cup of tea and suggested I start mailing people.

However… the day ended with a not-inconsiderable squee when Headline emailed to confirm that Wish You Were Here and Decent Exposure are going to be published in Turkey and Thorpe has bought the large print rights to It Should Have Been Me. I just can’t wait to see the covers of all three editions. Can you imagine a Turkish Will Tennant?

We went to M&S for lunch and bought Mr Bennet a Top Gear Stig Easter egg, complete with racing car roar (he doesn’t read the blog so he won’t find out.)

Woo Hoo review

March 27, 2009 | 4 Comments

I’ve had a lovely review for It Should Have Been Me from Sally at her new blog, Woo Hoo. Nell and I are going to be doing a scavenger contest soon, with LBD Goody bags (and books, of course) as the prizes.

Casting characters

March 26, 2009 | 4 Comments

I’ve been indulging myself by ‘casting’ the two main male characters in the current wip. There was only one ‘ hero’ at the start – Dominic – and I thought I knew him but he’s changed over the course of the book. I think the closest image of Dominic is Michael Fassbender (from the Devil’s Whore and the new Wuthering Heights.) Dominic is a brooding, restless character who likes to be in control at all times. He hates having to stand by and watch things happening. Not being in control of his own emotions is driving him mad.

Then there’s Harry. Ah, Harry. He wasn’t going to be a hero at all until about two-thirds of the way through the book when he took on a powerful life of his own. In fact, I had to go back and rewrite his role as he just wouldn’t be kept out of the limelight (which is very appropriate.) Harry is laid back and laissez faire, almost to the point of amorality but he undergoes a big change. I think of him as Mark Umbers from Mistresses – for the way he looks and just as important, for his voice. The heroine, Olivia, first hears Harry before she sees him. His voice is his fortune…

And I have just realised that is the first time I’ve written anything ‘formal’ down about the characters! I can’t do those lists and charts first, I have to get to know them as I write, no matter how many words I waste along the way.

Richard Armitage up for BAFTA with Spooks

March 24, 2009 | 5 Comments

The BAFTA Television nominations have been announced and hurrah – Spooks has been nominated for Best Drama Series.

I used to watch it before Richard Armitage was cast as Lucas North and I’m so glad I came back to the series. RA was a bonus – I would have found the show gripping and utterly compelling without him. Honest. That last episode had me on the edge of my seat. You may have gathered by now that I love thrillers, adventure and gritty drama, perhaps even more than I love romance. Put the lot together and I’m totally hooked.

Other nominations I cheered at include The Devil’s Whore – the passionate English civil war drama/romance. John Simm, Angela Riseborough and Michael Fassbender gave superb performances in this. Get it on DVD if you can.

Mother’s Day pleasures

March 23, 2009 | 7 Comments

Well, I had a very happy and relaxing Mother’s Day. The three of us went for a ‘posh’ picnic (prepared by Mr B) at Hanbury Hall in Worcestershire – complete with some roses and a mini bottle of Cava for me. Miss B bought me a DVD of the 2000 adaptation of Lorna Doone. What a brilliant romantic adventure it is, especially with Richard Coyle as John Ridd and a magnificent cast of evil, brooding Doones.

Now I’m in the office with the newly discovered joy of Real Work (The Credit Crunch has made me appreciate a lot of things I used to take for granted) and a book that’s very close to being finished. Again.