Archive for June, 2010

June 24, 2010

Whizzing by because I should be writing copy (hurrah for being busy again. I hate the alternative!) but I just had to flag up three things:

1. Thanks to Novelicious, I came across this terrific video interview with romantic author, Jane Costello which effectively offers a concise and sensible Guide to Getting Published.

I think Jane answered just about 90% of the questions that novelists get asked! If you’re writing a novel or would like to, I hope you find find it a head-nodding or light bulb moment. As Jane says, writing a novel is hard work, you probably won’t get rich but it’s far more rewarding than you could ever dream.

Part two is here and discusses the practicalities of getting your book into print. Jane is joined by publisher, Ken Rogers, who also gives advice on writing and publishing non-fiction, including local and heritage titles. I find I get asked a lot of questions about non-fiction of this type at library talks – and Ken has some honest, down to earth advice.

2. Had a great time in Cambridge Heffers celebrating the launch of at Rosy Thornton’s new novel, Tapestry of Love – complete with delicious French/Cevennes themed canapes with chestnuts and goat’s cheese. If you’re wondering where they all went, Rosy, I put my hands up. I would have taken pics but my camera was stolen recently.

3. Finally, I had a very nice review from a Waterstones customer for Wish You Were Here.

A lovely romantic read from Phillipa Ashley! I loved both the main characters, Jack and Beth and the setting of the story in Corsica is described so vividly! Gripping story, had the book read in a few days as I couldnt wait to find out how it ended, would definitely recommend!

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June 21, 2010

Forget the football, Wimbledon begins today (I’m a huge fan) and what’s more, I’ve got two fascinating new ‘romantic’ novels from writer friends to celebrate.

Tomorrow I’m off to Cambridge to the launch of Rosy Thornton’s new novel, Tapestry of Love – but I’ll leave her to tell you about that later as today, I’ve got a guest blogger.

Elizabeth Ashworth is a historical novelist and also a friend from C19, the Richard Armitage inspired fan site which has become so much more – including an ‘incubator’ for new writers of romance and women’s fiction. Elizabeth’s debut novel was accepted by Myrmidon in 2009. Here she is to tell you about it.

Someone said to me the other day that it was daring to have a leper as the ‘hero’ of my novel The de Lacy Inheritance. So what made me decide to write about a man with leprosy?

I’ve always been interested in the local history of Lancashire, where I live, and when I discovered the story of Richard FitzEustace who had contracted leprosy whilst on Crusade with Richard the Lionheart and who lost everything – home, family, fortune, his standing in society as a nobleman and any chance of a normal life – I felt compelled to tell his story.

When life deals a rotten hand people have to make the best of it, and that’s what Richard did. Although he had to leave his home and family and was considered ‘dead’ by society he knew that he could still make a difference – and in my book, which interweaves known facts with my own fiction, he makes a difference by ensuring that his family can claim their rightful inheritance and that his sister, Johanna – that’s her on the book cover – finds the happiness that she deserves.

Much of the book is set in and around Clitheroe Castle which belonged to the de Lacy family. They were the Norman overlords of much of the north of England and as I spring from peasant stock I often feel the urge to curtsey when I hear their name mentioned. Although the family rose to be one of the most influential at court in the 14th century, the deaths of two male heirs and the execution of Thomas of Lancaster who was the husband of Alicia de Lacy meant that the family more or less disappeared. And that’s another fascinating story that I’m working on at the moment.

I also wanted to explore the attitudes of people towards disease. In medieval times illness was often viewed as a punishment for sin and I began to wonder what sins Richard had committed, or thought that he had committed, to deserve such a fate, and what he believed he could do to redeem himself.

I hope that readers won’t be put off by the leprosy. There’s plenty of romance as well. Loves are lost and found and I hope readers will enjoy the story of Richard FitzEustace and his sister Johanna.

You can read the first chapter on my website: www.elizabethashworth.com and there’s a growing archive about the de Lacy family and a slide show of some of the settings for the novel on my blog: www.elizabethashworth.wordpress.com

Finally, thanks to Phillipa for letting me come and chat on her blog. It’s good to have such generous support.

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June 14, 2010

I’ve added a new tab to the website For US Readers which, quel surprise, is designed to keep readers in the US up to date with all my latest book releases, reviews etc and links on where to buy the book.

There will definitely be giveaways and contests later in the year ready for the publication of Dating Mr December on November 1st. And yes, I’m excited, but I really don’t want to be thinking of autumn days yet. Haven’t even had a summer yet… but if you have a romance blog site, and would like to be added to a list for a possible review copy, just email me through this site.

You can already preorder the book from Barnes and Noble and Amazon.com, among others.

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June 11, 2010

This is a meme from Nell Dixon and as she says: “I love any opportunity to talk about books especially books which captured me when I was young so how could I resist?”

Name at least one book that you read as a child (ie 11 or under) that still exists in your memory as a perfect story. You can say why if you wish, or simply give a list — your choice. It can be a story that you are now uncomfortable about having loved or were uncomfortable at some point and have now come back to or alternatively just one that you have always loved:

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. A gripping, emotional story – had no idea it was allegorical, and I don’t care, I just enjoyed it.

2. Enid Blyton – especially the Five Find Outers and the Galliano’s Circus series. Very un-Pc but what the heck? As a very young child, I also adored the Brer Rabbit books.

3. Edgar Allan Poe’s Tales of Mystery – an auntie gave me a set of ‘classics’ for children when I was at primary school, mostly wholly inappropriate and I read Poe’s Tales over and over. Yes, they gave me nightmares and were very disturbing. I’m even more disturbed since I studied Poe at uni and found out what a very weird bloke he was.

4. Alistair McLean – from about 11, I developed an obssession with the thrillers of Alistair Mclean. I’m sure his craggy, taciturn heroes have had an effect on me… I read the lot and my English teacher was horrified when I told him how much I loved them. He made go and read Graham Greene’s ‘The Comedians’ which was deeply depressing.

5. The Hairy Maclary picture books by Lynley Dodd. I LOVE them, and confession here – they were some of my faves to read to my daughter, who’s now 22. I howl at the sweetly malevolent Scarface Claw, a huge cat who terrorises a pack of hilarious dog characters, all written in very funny verse. I’ve kept them all, in case I ever have grandkids.

I tag Debs Carr, Judy Jarvie, Elizabeth Hanbury, Grumpy Old Woman and Georgia Hill to do this too. I’d love to see what books you loved.

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June 8, 2010

Forgive me, bloggers, for I have sinned. It’s been over three weeks since my last post. The truth is that I had tons of copywriting and then I went to France for two weeks and also I’ve just finished a book.

I don’t know about you – maybe this is common to anyone who works for themself – but when I go on holiday, half of me is absolutely screaming for a break, while the other half finds it hard to leave behind unfinished projects. Consequently, I spend the first few days with the work adrenaline still pumping wildly. It takes me almost a week to unwind butwhen I do. Zonk. That’s it. Total meltdown of the brain, I can’t even remember the names of people of places or even common things.

But France is such a wonderful place to unwind. The scenery, the food, the wine… simply sitting in a cafe with a coffee, people watching, is entertainment in itself.

We spent the first week on the Cote d’Azur in a lovely apartment which overlooked the Bay of Cannes, the pink Esterel Hills and the island of Sainte Marguerite, ‘home’ of the Man in the Iron Mask. I’m going to provide a link to the apartment here, because it was so lovely. I also did some ‘research’ into luxury megayachts in Antibes and Monaco. How the other 0.00001% live, eh?

Ms Bennet joined us for the second week in Collioure, which is situated in the Languedoc near the Spanish border. Collioure used to be part of Spain and has a medieval castle built by the King of Majorca.

We also drove to Carcassone, a medieval citadel restored by the C19 French architrectural historian, Viollet-le-Duc. Carcassonne features in Robin Hood, Prince of Thieves, as Nottingham Castle.

I also returned to a lovely email from a reader called Kim who made my day by saying how much she loved my books and would there be more.
Watch this space.

Now, I have to go and fill in a frankly, humungous, questionnaire for my US publisher, Sourcebooks, all about Dating Mr December!

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