August 30, 2011
We’ve had a bit of ‘mare’ of a weekend, for one reason and another. Mr B has a poorly back again and is not happy bunny. I have now managed to lose my wedding ring, my eternity ring and this morning, my new engagement ring (the replacement for my burgled original engagement ring.) We’ve turned the house upside down for the first two – one I fear, was lost at the gym and this morning, my new engagement ring seems to have disappeared into thin air. Ms Bennet says they will turn up but somehow, I don’t think they will.
At least, our weekend was brightened considerably by her company and hopefully she’s going to spend a couple of weeks with us soon.
Looking on the bright side, I want to share this fab review from Bookishly Attentive for Fever Cure.
Ms. Ashley weaves a fine tale of start and stop, hook and cut bait, turn on and turn off. The mercurial nature of our fair doctor has us all wondering just how deep his wounds really are, while Keira suffers the folly of eyes-wide-open falling for a man who isn’t going to stick around, no matter how much he may want to. The very contrariness of Tom and Keira’s situation keeps the reader hanging on, waiting to see how it all turns out.
Trust me – you’ll definitely feel the heat. Fever Cure is a clever, well written remedy for whatever ails you.
PS Any tips on curious household places to look for/find rings – gratefully received.
Posted by Phillipa @ 6:35 am |
August 26, 2011
A great welcome to my guest on the blog today – best selling novelist, Rowan Coleman.
Rowan Coleman grew up in Hertfordshire secretly longing to be a writer despite battling with dyslexia. After graduating from university she worked in bookselling and publishing before winning Company Magazine Young Writer of the Year in 2001. Her first novel ‘Growing Up Twice’ was published in 2002.
Rowan has gone on to write eight novels for women including the bestseller ‘The Accidental Mother, and eight novels for children and teens. Her books are published around the world. She now lives in Hertfordshire with her family.
Lessons in Laughing Out Loud is your latest novel for adults, please tell us little more about it.
Lessons in Laughing Out Loud is about Willow, one of a set of identical twins. Yet although Willows sister Holly had the perfect life, perfect husband, children and home, Willow’s life has taken a very different turn. All because of a terrible secret that has haunted her since her childhood. Divorced, estranged from her step-daughter and a workaholic, it takes an encounter with a movie star, a surprise visit and a beautiful pair of shoes to set Willow on the right path again, and give her to strength to finally face her past.
I haven’t read the book yet yet but I ordered it just on the strength of the opening – it’s brilliant, funny and gripping! How long did it take you to nail the voice of the heroine, Willow or was she inside your head as soon as you started the book?
Willow was one of those characters that would wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me things…it really is a little bit like being haunted, except you know that it is all in your head. She means a lot to me.
You have two young children, how do fit in your writing around family life?
I don’t really know how I fit it all in, I just seem to always do it in the end, I think the same is true for all working mums!
You also write children’s and YA novels as well as adult fiction – how do you plan your writing schedule?
I’ve been having a break form YA writing for the last year or so, but I have been on another top secret project that I’m not allowed to tell anyone about….
Do you have new Rowan, Ruby or Rook novels in the pipeline?
Yes, there will be the last Ruby and the final part of the Weirdsville Books available to down load from my website next year!
If you were cast away on a desert island and could take one book, movie and album, what would they be?
Oh, hard questions….The book would be Jane Eyre, but absolutely most favourite book. I never get tired of reading it, there is always something new to discover. And the movie would be….oh hell, it would be Dirty Dancing. I bloody love that film, and nobody puts baby in the corner. The soundtrack would be Queen’s greatest hits. There is nothing better to life your spirits when you down that a bit of overblown, operatic rock!
I can see from just a single chapter that your books have very vivid characters Do you have any tips for writers on creating and developing characters?
I write long, long character biographies. Pages and pages of them, most of which I never use, but it is there when I write the books and maybe it helps…for me characterisation is my primary concern, its what really interests me, and so my books are very character focused. I’d recommend just thinking about your characters for a good few days before you start writing them.
Thank you, Rowan, for some fascinating answers. Love your desert island choices!
You can get Lessons in Laughing Out Loud from all good booksellers and online.
Posted by Phillipa @ 3:08 am |
August 22, 2011
I wasn’t going to mention it, but what the heck! Mr Richard Armitage is 40 today – which makes me feel a tiny bit better and what a wonderful excuse to post delicious Richard pictures, new and old.
I have a huge amount to thank RA for. It was his portrayal of John Thornton in North & South that inspired me to start writing romantic fiction in late 2004.
You all know the story by now – but I still can’t believe that one television drama would have such a powerful effect on me, that it literally changed my whole life overnight.
So, thank you Richard, for introducing me to writing and to so many RA fans and friends all over the world. Thank you for being my muse for two books including Fever Cure. Thanks too, for all the excitement, fun and pleasure I’ve enjoyed as a result of being part of your fandom and as a novelist.
May you have many more happy birthdays and inspiring roles. 🙂
Posted by Phillipa @ 6:58 am |
August 15, 2011
So, I’ve got a new Kindle and so far I’ve uploaded six free books to it and two paid ones – The Hating Game by Talli Roland and Damsel in Distress by Lucy King, just for the record.
I also bought a paperback today – Lessons in Laughing Out Loud by Rowan Coleman (who will soon be a guest on my blog.) I’m not sure if it was on Kindle but I bought the paperback anyway.
Despite the many advantages of my Kindle, I still love print books too; I like the covers and most of all, I love seeing my own books on shelves and in my hands! 🙂
But paperbacks can’t stay in print forever and I know that some of my LBD books are difficult to track down in print form at the moment. They are all available as e books, however. 🙂
BUT if you want a paperback, you can still get them – at a great deal right now. If you can’t find Decent Exposure and/or It Should Have Been Me as paperbacks in your country, I suggest you get over to the Book Depository which currently has the US editions of both books for around five pounds with free delivery anywhere in the world.
They are retitled Dating Mr December and Carrie Goes off the Map for US readers and have completely gorgeous covers. I haven’t shared the Carrie cover yet but believe me, it’s delicious and a very lovely trade paperback size too.
Just letting you know while there’s a great deal on.
Posted by Phillipa @ 2:52 pm |
