Here it is – the final post of 2023. I originally drafted a blog post to go out before Christmas but you know how it is, life and other stuff gets in the way. I’ve now scrapped the festive frolic, and instead, here’s my review of the year.
Holidays
We managed three trips, without any trips, so to speak. A huge relief after last year. We walked the Guernsey coastal path, visited Crete to undertake a 18 km hike through the Samaria Gorge, and enjoyed a leisurely cruise around the Adriatic, all without major mishap. It’s always good to discover somewhere new and if you like your scenery to be stunning, I highly recommend the Krka National Park in Croatia. We’d never heard of Krka before we booked our cruise but it really was an ooh aah just look at that view type of place.
Books Read
2023 has been an eclectic year in terms of books read. In the name of research I’ve had to broaden my habits and have become a regular visitor to my local library’s history section. Some books have impressed me, others not, but I am soaking up a whole new layer of knowledge – ask me a question about the Free French Army, why don’t you (who? what? Exactly. I didn’t know such a thing existed either twelve months ago). Anyway, talking of France, my favourite book, chosen for research purposes, would have to be Charlotte Gray by Sebastian Faulks, closely followed by Once Upon A River by Diane Setterfield, chosen not for research purposes but because it called to me from the library shelf with its beautiful cover and I needed a break from World War II.
The book that probably left the most lingering impression was When I Come Home Again by Caroline Scott – the haunting and poignant story of a soldier with complete memory loss in the aftermath of World War I. This was one of those books that just reaffirmed my love of reading; one of those books that made me wistfully sit and think I wish I could write like that…
And talking of writing…
Books Written
2023 saw the publication of the third Eliza Kane novel, Trouble on the Tide. I’m pleased to say the book was well received and sales of all three Eliza Kanes continue to trickle in when I pop my head out of my shell and do a bit of publicity. More than one happy reader has commented they think Trouble on the Tide is the best book to date. Another said it made her cry – always music to an author’s ears! As regular readers of this blog will know, this will be the last Eliza Kane for now. I always think there’s nothing worse than watching season 6 of a TV series you know should have finished at season 3. I like to think the Eliza Kane series is fresh and original. It’s good to end on a high.
Random Moments
What else have we been up to this year? The weather was pretty pants but we did visit the theatre a few times. I finally got to see Agatha Christie’s The Mousetrap which has been on the list for a while, and more recently, we went to London to see Back to the Future, the musical – a great evening of entertainment and nostalgia. Also while in London we visited the Monet Immersive Experience where you can literally step into a Claude Monet painting. As surreal as it sounds – highly recommended!
Life hasn’t been all jolly this year, there have been some real lows, but there’s a lot of misery in the world right now without me adding my pennyworth. All I will say is I’m glad I’d already made the decision to take a break from Eliza Kane in 2024 because if I’d promised book 4, I’d be panicking. Next year is going to be busy, and full of new challenges – some of which I’m very much looking forward to. I may not have much book news to blog about in my posts for 2024, but please keep reading because I’m going to have lots of other stuff to keep you entertained.
Meanwhile, thank you for your continued support of my writing journey throughout 2023. I wish all book lovers and readers everywhere, a very happy, and peaceful new year.
Continuing my series focussing on some of the wonderful people I’ve met on my writing journey, today’s guest is cover designer Berni Stevens. As an independent author it was important for me to ensure my covers were appealing and professional. I needed the right designer to transform my ideas into reality and I’m so glad I found Berni! Berni created all three covers for the Eliza Kane books, as well as the re-issue of The Theatre of Dreams. Berni was recently nominated for an industry award by the Romantic Novelist Association in recognition of her work. And, not only does Berni create covers, she also finds time to write her own novels too.
Welcome to the blog Berni. Can you start with telling us a bit about how you got started in your career as a cover designer?
Thank you for inviting me. As a child, I was always either drawing or writing – or both. I used to write stories and ‘illustrate’ them. And of course, I was an avid reader too. I think I would always have been involved with books somehow.
My first year at art college offered several different career paths from fashion and photography, to illustration, textile design and graphics. I was a bit torn, as illustration had always been my intention, but looking around at some of the superbly talented illustrators in my year, made me realise I should think about a more ‘commercial’ approach.
After a few months working for a small advertising agency, I went for an interview at a publishers in Mayfair, and I just knew this was the industry I wanted to be in. In the beginning, I worked on both covers and promotional material for some years – at W H Allen, Fontana paperbacks (part of HarperCollins) and Michael Joseph (who had just been bought out by Penguin.) Then I just sort of graduated into cover design from there and never looked back.
When did you cross-over into writing your own novels?
I had a short story published by the Dracula Society in (about) 2002 and the editor of the anthology said my story read like the beginning of a novel. I’d never thought about attempting a full-length novel but paranormal romances were starting to take off round about this time, so I thought I’d try. This was pre the Twilight saga, but there were quite a few adult paranormal romances around by American authors like Sherrilyn Kenyon, Charlaine Harris and Laurell K Hamilton. I used to write on the tube journeys to and from work, but I didn’t do anything with my scribblings for some time. Another editor friend kindly read it and gave me some very sound advice in how to make it better! Eventually, I plucked up the courage to send it out into the world where it was taken up by The Wild Rose Press and finally published in the US in 2011.
When you are writing your own books, do you always know straight away what the cover will be?
No, almost never, it’s actually quite difficult to design for yourself, being that close to the story. I wasn’t allowed to be involved with the WRP cover at all – which incidentally I didn’t like much. I was simply given a form to fill in regarding descriptions of the main characters, setting etc. Having seen a lot of the American fantasy covers with bare-chested Chippendale type men, I had asked not to have a male hero on the cover. But they put a male hero on the cover anyway, who incidentally bore no resemblance whatsoever to my hero, and the title lettering read as Hedgling when actually the title was Fledgling. But I think this experience has stood me in good stead and helped me understand authors better.
I know you work with a diverse range of authors, are there any genres you won’t design? Alternatively, do you have a favourite genre to work with?
I’m not keen on the Science Fiction genre design-wise, although I do like Science Fiction books and films. The design for this genre is very specific and incredibly difficult if you’re not very experienced in the field. The illustrators who work on the genre are brilliant and I really admire their work. I love working on quirky romances, Rom Coms, paranormal romance, ‘cozy’ mysteries and thrillers.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever been asked for on a cover?
I designed a Steampunk romantic thriller once which was a lot of fun. Obviously, I needed the hero and heroine to be dressed in the appropriate clothes and I needed a few steampunk balloons for the background!
But the strangest request I had, was for a table with about ten photographs on it and there were detailed descriptions for every single photograph. It was eBook only and I had to politely remind the author that the content of the photos would never be visible on Amazon.
It must be wonderful to look on Amazon or wander through a bookshop and see your designs on the shelves. What would you say has been your proudest career moment?
Print books tend not to be taken by bookshops as often as they used to be, times have changed. Celebrity biographies and cookery books rule a lot of the shelf space as well as the celebrity fiction. Bookshops rarely take the kind of point-of-sale material we used to do at HarperCollins either, and I was always the ‘mad person’ straightening the POS in various shops if it was one of my designs! Proud moments for me, has to be seeing a lot of books with my covers all together on a shelf in The Works or on tables in local garden centres.
But possibly my proudest moment is when the CEO of one publisher I worked for, held up the cover I’d designed for a David Bowie biography, and said she couldn’t even begin to say how brilliant she thought it was! (I knew I liked her!) It was a labour of love of course, as he’s one of my favourite musicians ever.
David Bowie’s one of my ‘heroes’ too….That must have been quite a moment. What’s coming up next with your writing?
I’m working on two sequels at the moment, and actually I’m a bit stuck with one of them. Usually if that happens, I ditch the bit that’s annoying me and rewrite it until I’m happy with it. But it’s been very busy cover-wise for the last few months and the covers always come first. The Christmas covers tend to start coming in earlier each year – and they are very important!
With two busy careers, you probably don’t get a lot of time to relax, but how do you like to spend your spare time?
Five years ago, I trained as a Zumba instructor, I’ve always liked dance and originally trained in ballet, tap and modern jazz. I was a member of the Pineapple Dance Studios for years, until I went freelance and worked from home. (It became cost prohibitive). But I do take a Zumba class every week. I don’t make much money as I have to hire the studio and most of the money I make, goes to pay for that, but I love taking my class and we all have a lot of fun.
Also, my husband and I go out to the American desert when we can and hike canyons. We like to search for Native American ruins and rock art to photograph.
And we go to as many live concerts as we can afford (my husband is an ex rock drummer).
About Berni
Berni Stevens lives in a tiny, ancient cottage in Hertfordshire – which really will look fabulous when all the work’s done! (It’s taking a long time). She trained in graphic design and photography and has been a book cover designer for more than twenty-five years.
She’s long been a fan of Agatha Christie’s, but her favourite novel ever is Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
She loves to dance and is a licensed Zumba instructor, Hiking canyons in the American desert is another passion as are the many rock concerts she and her husband go to.
Her first novel was published in the US in 2011. She has had six books published so far, and intends to write more!
Many thanks to Berni for sharing her cover designing experiences with us – she’s had quite a career. I’m sure you’ll agree the Eliza Kane covers perfectly depict that vintage look of the Isle of Wight.
The pink thrift of Freshwater Bay transformed onto the cover of The Puzzle of Pine Bay
Writing a book can be an lonely process. I’m easily distracted and when I’m in a creative spurt I like to lock myself away and keep my head down. But when it comes to publishing and promoting, a shy retiring writer like me has to come out of isolation. These are not my areas of expertise and I need all the help I can get. I’ve made many new friends along my writing journey who are involved in different aspects of the publishing and marketing world. I thought it would be interesting to run a series featuring some of these wonderful people who have talents and skills I could never master! I’m starting with writer DJ Bowman-Smith, who set up her own podcast. Over to you DJ.
Hi, I’m DJ Bowman-Smith and this is a short post about the Words and Pictures Podcast.
The podcast is just over a year old – I’m now on my 63rd episode. I began it because I thought it would be interesting to talk face to face with other authors. Although I am on social media and I make many connections, there is nothing like speaking to someone directly. Writers of all genres interest me and I want to talk to them all about their writing and their book covers. Every week I get to welcome all kinds of writers at different stages in their careers. It’s always inspiring.
Each show starts with a section I call ‘at my desk’. Here I discuss my own writing experiences, my process and anything another writer might find interesting or useful. Now and again, I record a whole episode solo to speak in more depth about a topic.
Writing is a solitary occupation. I started the podcast with writers in mind, and on the way found readers. I know for a fact that lots of readers listen in to hear a favourite author speak, or to learn more about what writers do and how they do it.
I research each author and compile a short list of questions. During the interview, I have the questions near just in case. But the trick to interviewing somebody successfully is to listen to what they are saying and ask them a question about that.
The actual nuts and bolts of running the podcast is more time consuming than people may realise. Setting up the interview time and answering questions can take a few emails. More recently I have made an FAQ page for the podcast which saves time. The interview lasts 40 minutes. Editing the sound files takes about an hour and a half. Adding the intro and outro, the music and loading it onto my host site Podbean is another hour. Show notes and the tagline need to be written and an e-mail with all the episode links sent to the guest. When this is done, I make a TikTok ready for the Monday morning when the podcast goes live. And of course, I post through my other social media accounts linking in the guests where possible. Each episode takes about four hours.
In the future, I hope to monetise the podcast so that it can cover its costs. The host site Podbean has to be paid and I also use Auphonic for some episodes to improve sound quality. The Words and Pictures Podcast is doing well. Achieving enough listeners to interest advertisers will probably take another year.
Find the Words and Pictures Podcast on your favourite app, ask Alexa, links on my website: http://www.djbowmansmith.com
About DJ
DJ Bowman-Smith is a multi-genre author whose current passion is paranormal women’s fiction. This genre features a mature protagonist and a fantasy element. This is appealing because DJ can’t help adding a touch of make believe to anything she writes and she herself is a woman of a ‘certain age’.
DJ plans to write more in The Mid Witch series and more books with older, strong-minded female main characters.
She is the author of a dark fantasy epic which runs to four books, and she also writes for children under the pen name Tiger Molly.
DJ is an artist and enjoys creating her own book covers and illustrations. She writes for magazines and hosts the Words and Pictures Podcast every Monday. DJ lives in the UK on the South Coast with her husband and a fast and friendly whippet called Evie. She has two grown-up daughters who live in London.
DJ’s latest book, The Mid Witch, was published on 19 August 2023.
Blurb
One Woman’s Struggle with midlife and Magic
Lilly is facing the fact that her husband is a philandering bastard, and she needs to move on now her children have flown the nest. Losing her job has not helped her dire financial straits, and her almost ex-husband wants to sell her ancient family home against her wishes. As she grapples with rude estate agents, stray dogs and hot flushes, a new problem emerges – she’s becoming a witch.
This paranormal women’s fiction is a funny and poignant take on midlife with a pinch of spice, a touch of magic and a relatable older heroine you can root for.
I love the sound of this book and isn’t that cover gorgeous? Many thanks to DJ for coming onto the blog and explaining the intricacies of podcasting. And don’t forget to check out Words & Pictures – DJ features some great authors, including me!
In my final book chat interview of the summer I’d like to welcome author Karen Hollis to my blog. Karen, who lives in Lincolnshire, has chosen the magical location of Stonehenge for our chat, so naturally my first question has to be why Stonehenge? Over to Karen….
It’s my favourite place in the world. I’ve only been there once, maybe 5 years ago. I wasn’t expecting to feel anything special, but it was so breathtaking, I cried!!!
That’s quite a reaction, although I think it’s impossible to visit the site without acknowledging it’s unique sense of history and mystique. (Note to self, it would be a great setting for a novel…)
Welcome to my blog, Karen. Please tell me about your latest book.
My latest novel came out in April. It’s called Starting Again in Silver Sands Bay and it’s a second chance romance between two single parents – a divorced man aged 48 and a widowed woman aged 50. They both have children aged 11 and spend the summer in a caravan in Lincolnshire where they meet up.
What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?
I’m a pantser and I love seeing what happens! I have some ideas of what will happen, but often my characters decide otherwise and that’s the best bit. I have one novel on my laptop that is planned, I know everything that happens in each chapter, but when I was writing it, I got bored because I knew what was going to happen.
In my current WIP, guinea pigs suddenly became a part of the story!!
I’m a total pantser too, and love it when the characters start dictating the plot.When I’m surprised by a turn of events I know readers will be too!Where do you do your writing?
At home, on my bed. Not great for my back, as my chiropractor keeps telling me. But I live in my mum’s house (I’m her carer), so my bedroom is like my office space.
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block, and if you do, what’s your cure?
Not too often thankfully. I write non-fiction as well as fiction and always have several projects on the go, so if I’m stuck on one thing, I’ll try to work on the other. I write lots of books on gymnastics and am always interviewing gymnasts, which is pretty much my dream job! So if the novels aren’t working, I’ll concentrate on interviewing gymnasts instead.
What inspired you to first put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and start writing novels?
My parents were journalists, so I’ve always been surrounded by people writing. As a kid, Dad would take me to the theatre and he’d be interviewing someone while I watched.
I first self-published a poetry collection in 2003. The novels came later. I have often started novels, but until probably three years ago, I could never finish one. I’d get halfway through and the gremlins on my shoulder would tell me it was rubbish, so I’d stop writing.
It’s only through finding some amazing, supportive authors online (especially the Chick Lit and Prosecco Facebook group) that I finally had the confidence to finish a novel. Welcome to Whitlock Close came out in 2022.
How many unfinished novels have you got on your laptop?
There’s Welcome to Whitlock Close 2 and a cosy mystery that I’ve started and still intend to finish. Then there’s maybe another four that I’ve started, but I’m not sure if I’ll go back to. I’ve nearly finished my WIP which is exciting.
How do you come up with names for your characters?
Most of the time, they tell me. They turn up in my head, I can see what they look like and they tell me their name. Now hopefully, other authors reading this will completely understand this and not think I’m mad.
In my WIP, there’s a cat called Poppy. My son, who’s 11, said “Did you name her after Poppy in my class?” I said “No, she told me her name was Poppy.” He then told me I must be mad, because that couldn’t happen, the characters come from my head, therefore so do the names. Well, yes, but it’s not quite that straight-forward to explain!
Only very occasionally do I struggle with names. A character in Welcome to Whitlock Close was called Tony, but I also had a Toby so I had to change Tony’s name, but it took a couple of tries before I found the right name.
I’m totally with you on the name thing. Sometimes my characters go through several name changes before I find the right one that fits. Other timesthe name is there before the character!
About Karen:
I was born in Lincoln, England in 1969. I loved writing from an early age, being the daughter of two journalists. I am a mum to five children and have three grandchildren. I have had over twenty books published and have written about a variety of topics including motherhood, poetry, Doctor Who and gymnastics. My first novel Welcome to Whitlock Close came out in 2022 and my second one Starting Again in Silver Sands Bay in 2023.
Becki is fifty and a single mum to eleven-year-old Jemima, after being widowed five years ago. Dan is forty-eight and a single dad to eleven-year-old Freddie, after his wife left him five years ago. They have both given up on love. But when they all go to Silver Sands Bay on the Lincolnshire coast for the summer, will they be able to put the past behind them and find love again?
Many thanks to Karen for taking part, and inviting me to Stonehenge.Now I just need to come up with a good name for a Druid….
I’m delighted to announce that paperback copies of Trouble on the Tide are now available. It’s always a time of great excitement in our house when the delivery van pulls upside. Who knows what or whose parcel you’re going to get next, but to find a box of your very own creations on your doorstep is pure joy!
I’m old and wise enough to know these paperbacks are not going to sell like hot-cakes. Self-publishing through Amazon KDP means these books don’t come cheap – when you can get two for one bestsellers in Waterstones and WHSmith, and £3 bargains of the popular commercial titles in the supermarket, I appreciate the Amazon selling price of £9.99 isn’t an attractive proposition, but for a low-key self-publisher like me, KDP is the most viable option for producing print copies.
Books bought directly from me will be sold at a discount of course, but I know the only people who will buy – or receive – copies of this book will be people who know me personally.
So why do I do it? For that precise reason. Family and friends. Personalised books make marvellous Christmas presents and my Christmas list is sorted. I’ve had a huge amount of support on my writing journey from my family and various acquaintances, and this is a wonderful way to pay them back. (Pay back sounds wrong, like a threat…Reward? Show my appreciation?)
In addition, what writer doesn’t want to hold their very own paperback? I’m a true book lover, I grew up in a house surrounded by books and reading has always been one of my main hobbies. I have a Kindle, and yes I use it, especially when I’m travelling, but you simply can’t beat the feel and smell of a paperback.
When I do talks to groups I like having paperbacks to illustrate the fact I am a genuine writer – because, let’s be honest, nobody has ever heard of me. I’m so lucky I found the marvellous Berni Stevens who has created such attractive covers for the Eliza Kane series. Even if I don’t sell an awful lot of physical books at events, the covers do make an impression and I might see a spike in ebook sales afterwards.
The three books look wonderful together and I now have five of my own creations nestling amongst my favourites on my bookshelf.
Anyway, the whole point of this brief little post is to announce that paperbacks are now available to purchase either from me (happy to post within the UK or deliver by hand in the local area), or the big A.
Meanwhile, I’ve also updated my social media author pic to something I think gives me a more serious author-ish look as I embark on my next project (basically I’ve balanced my glasses on my head to look more intellectual). I’m still having a little bit of trouble getting inside the psyche of my new leading lady, young Kat, or old Kat, as she is at the start of the novel. She’s already telling jokes, which has to stop, because my WIP (Work In Progress) covers very serious matters. I need to lock myself away and concentrate, hard when the sun is finally shining and the temptation beckons in the form of a deckchair in the garden and a good book…
Today I’m having a chat with author Jodie Homer. I first met Jodie through the fabulous Chick Lit & Prosecco Facebook Group which is a wonderful meeting place for writers and readers of romantic fiction. I’m catching up with Jodie in her local coffee shop, The Dark Horse, in Solihull.
Hi Jodie, thanks for inviting me to Solihull. What’s your new book called and what is it about?
Married By Thirty is a book all about second chances. My main characters make a marriage pact when they are teenagers. Freya leaves town only to return all these years later so there’s a will they won’t they going on. There’s also someone else in the house that only Freya can see and while Freya and James get closer they have to find out all about this person in the house and who are they.
What part of the writing process do you enjoy the most?
The first draft. I know that sounds really strange but I call it a brain fart on paper because you don’t even have to write sentences really with a first draft. It’s just an idea of a story and no one judges you for first drafts because they are just the idea going down on paper.
Where do you do your writing?
I am actually really boring. We have a two seater sofa and I sit next to the coffee table with my drink and my laptop and I write. I wish I had a cool studio or office to write but I don’t get a lot of time to do my writing.
I know you have a young family so I’m amazed you have any time to write at all!What inspired you to first put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and start writing novels?
I’ve always wanted to write but when I first joined Chick Lit and Prosecco I made friends with loads of authors and they all told me to go for it. I also watched Facebook Lives of them explaining how to write and the different ways to write and it definitely made me think I could do this too.
How many unfinished novels have you got on your laptop/in your notebooks?
I have one unfinished novel on my laptop and that’s only because I’ve only just started it. I’ve been good at actually finishing them. I actually keep thinking I have no more ideas in me and then the words will flow and another first draft comes out.
If you could pick one character from your books to meet in real life, who would it be and why?
Annie from A Magical Christmas on the Isle of Skye. She would be so much fun to have on a night out. She was actually really fun to write as well.
In a dystopian future you’re only allowed to keep one book from all the books on the shelves in your house. Which one would you choose?
I think it would have to be the first Shopaholic book by Sophie Kinsella but I also love her standalones so I would maybe have to close my eyes and just choose one of them, otherwise it would be so hard to choose.
I’m a huge fan of Sophie Kinsella too. I think the Shopaholic series hasinfluenced many romcom writers over the yearsand reading about Becky Brandon/Bloomwood would certainly keep a smile on my face in a grim dystopian world!
About Jodie
Jodie lives in a small village in Solihull with her husband and two children. She loves nothing more than dancing around embarrassingly to 90s music and eating mint chocolate. Jodie enjoys reading and writing books full of romance and swoon-worthy fictional men.
Married by Thirty will be released on 31 August 2023.
Almost fourteen years ago, Freya and James made a pact to marry if they were both single at thirty. When Freya inherits Mulberry Manor and its rumoured ghost, she returns home and enlists James’ help in figuring out the truth behind the ‘haunted house’. But it’s not just the house that is being a little weird. Can James and Freya figure out the mystery of Dahlia Mulberry without the spark between them setting both their lives on fire? And now they’re both thirty… when the clock strikes midnight, will they really put a ring on it?
Trouble on the Tide has been out in the big wide world for a month and I’m pleased to say the book has been a resounding success. And by success I’m not measuring myself by any Sunday Times bestseller list rankings (I wish), but my own far more realistic criteria for self-asessment, ie came up with a plot, wrote it down, refined and edited it into a manuscript of 84,000 words, uploaded it as an ebook to Amazon Kindle, and launched it. Anything post launch is a very welcome bonus – and that includes enough sales to put a smile on my face and some wonderful 5* reviews (like the one below) that have been a fantastic boost to a fragile ego.
It’s also good to see an upturn in sales/page reads from the first two books in the series – the knock on effect and proof that the writing a series is the right way to accrue a readership. There’s part of me that thinks I should continue with Eliza Kane Investigates Books Four, Five and Six, rather than take the planned break but that epic romantic historical saga is getting impatient…
The characters are starting to talk to me. I’ve had Eliza Kane in my head for the last three years and to be honest, she’s still there yapping on about a potential Christmas special. Now I need to switch her off and tune into a seventeen year old in 1942 who is currently called Kathleen, or Kat to her friends, and who is itching to relate her heart-wrenching story of love, loss, war and peace.
I like the idea of shutting myself away and creating something new from scratch, but slightly daunted by the constraints of writing a novel inspired by true events. As a relative newbie to the world of historical research, I can see how very easy it is to fall into the trap of disappearing down irrelevant rabbit holes. My last trip to the library resulted in the borrowing of four books, three pertinent to my cause, and another called Bloody Brilliant Women by the journalist Cathy Newman which for some bizarre reason was in the World War II reference section. Its bright yellow cover attracted my attention amongst the grim military greys. What has this book to do with war, I asked myself. The answer is nothing – it had clearly been mis-filed. Bloody Brilliant Women is useless as far as my research goes, but it is a fascinating trawl through the last two centuries highlighting the work of unsung pioneering females who have made valuable contributions to society. This book should be on the school curriculum, and as you can guess, like the worst kind of textbooks, the other three highly relevant WWII books have been shoved aside, unread.
But I’m not working to any deadlines, and my Kat is going to be a bloody brilliant woman who has some very tough choices to make. And if I’m going to be a bloody brilliant author, I should stop procrastinating and get on with writing her story down. In my defence, I’m not just procrastinating, I have been otherwise occupied. For some bizarre reason, to counter-balance the high-level of anxiety caused by some stressy other life stuff going on at the moment, I decided it would be relaxing to make a new hall curtain and matching Roman blind. (I’ve made curtains before, but a Roman blind! What was I thinking??)
Anyway, for those of you who like the feel and smell of a paperback the good news is that copies of Trouble on the Tide should be available by September. Meanwhile, I highly recommend Bloody Brilliant Women by Cathy Newman as an exceptionally good read. I also have a top tip for anyone thinking of embarking on the creation of fiddly soft furnishings. Don’t.
This week I’m delighted to welcome science fiction writer Judith Mortimore to my blog. We’re keeping our feet very firmly on planet earth for our chat as Judith has invited me to her beautiful garden in Gloucestershire.
Hi Judith. What’s your latest book called and what is it about?
‘The Canopus Conundrum’ – due out this month – is book two of the Uncharted series, light space adventures with romance. Colonel Kovis and Prefect Gloriana must solve a mystery and a crime, but their biggest challenge may be finding out each other’s secrets. I know a lot of romance readers avoid science fiction, but mine is ‘cozy’ and I promise there are no lengthy descriptions of machinery!
The book sounds amazing – and very original! Where do you do your writing?
I am fortunate to have an office with plenty of space, although to be honest a lot of it is taken up by embroidery paraphenalia. I really need to finish some projects!
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block, and if you do, what’s your cure?
When I did my PhD a few years ago, I lost my fiction writing ability completely. I got it back by doing ‘Nanowrimo’ several years running until I found my stride again. I asked myself what I wanted to write – the answer was SF, and romance, so that’s what I’ve been writing and since I made that decision I haven’t had a problem with writer’s block!
What inspired you to first put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and start writing novels?
I was the sort of child who made their dolls enact stories, so I guess I was ‘writing’ before I could even write. I spent most of my teens and twenties writing fan fiction, and only in later years have turned my hand to creating my own worlds. I read a lot, too.
How many unfinished novels have you got on your laptop/in your notebooks?
Far too many! Although ‘Leaving Meridiana’ (book one in the series) is the only one published so far, I have written seven books in that series with more planned, two stand-alones (one of which will probably have a sequel, if I ever have time) … and then there’s the massive fantasy novel that should probably be published as a two-parter!
You sound like a very busy person!How do you come up with names for your characters?
They tell me their names! I did start the SF series by picking the names of obscure stars, but now I just jot down names I come across that sound futuristic and appeal. If I really can’t come up with anything, I use an online name creator (there are a number of them).
I think characters do pick their own names. I know it’s taken me several false starts to find names that are the perfect fit.
If you could pick one character from your books to meet in real life, who would it be and why?
Captain Asterion – because he’d show me around his space cruiser, and I’d really love to see it! Mind you, that’s cheating a bit, since many of the other characters from my novels would be around!
I wouldn’t mind being shown round that space cruiser too!Many thanks to Judith for taking part.
Author Bio
J A Mortimore writes space opera/fantasy with romance. She started writing fiction at a young age and has never stopped. She wrote fanfiction for many years in a number of fandoms in the days when publishing involved stencils and a duplicator. She has been active in science fiction and media circles for longer than she cares to think about. She is retired and lives in Gloucestershire, UK with two friends, a number of cats, and far too many books and half-finished manuscripts.
Whilst her longer fiction tends to involve romances, she admits to being at the mercy of her protagonists, so how their relationship develops is different from couple to couple.
She is currently a member of the Alliance of Independent Authors and the British Science Fiction Association.
Judith is currently offering a free copy of the novella which introduces her Unchartered series to readers who sign up to her newsletter, (but you can unsubscribe after you get the novella). LINK: subscribepage.io/HtlH0s
Is someone out to destroy Bendos Platform? What Flight Lieutenant Zaran overheard could mean nothing – or it could mean everyone on Bendos platform is at risk, including his mother. When nobody but fun-loving Professor Phaedra will take him seriously, he must race against time to find out the truth before it’s too late.
This week I’m delighted to welcome author Liv Thomas to my blog. Liv, who writes under the pen name of Isabella Connor, hails from the same part of the south coast of England as me, but we’ve travelled to one her favourite places for our chat, the beautiful little village of Adare in Limerick, Ireland, where we’re enjoying a cuppa in the sunshine and sampling the local freshly baked scones.
Firstly Liv, tell me about your latest WIP.
The working title is ‘An Irish Dawn’ and is a follow up to Beneath an Irish Sky. The main plot follows Luke and Kate as parents, and also sees Luke confront some of the characters in the first book who gave him a hard time (understatement). It’s mainly about Luke and Kate, following a specific incident, but I can’t say anymore! Let’s just say it’s about ‘rediscovery’.
It’s easy to see why Liv is inspired by the beautiful Limerick countryside
Do you ever suffer from writer’s block, and if you do, what’s your cure?
I do suffer from writer’s block, generally as soon as I’m in front of the laptop! However, when I’m walking over to the supermarket or wherever, I have the most amazing ideas and everything falls into place. Of course, when I get home I’ve forgotten it all… When WB does strike, I like to keep the momentum going so will often continue with dialogue in script form, then return when inspiration strikes to fill out the narrative with description etc. At times, I try really hard to cast myself as the reader and not the writer, and think about what I’d be hoping to read next in the story. It works sometimes!
What inspired you to first put pen to paper, or fingers to the keyboard, and start writing novels?
I read books from a very early age and they inspired me to put pen to paper, also from an early age.
I was definitely inspired by Enid Blyton but I read other writers too…I would read my favourite books more than once, Little Women, What Katy Did, Heidi amongst others. I loved creating my own characters and my own scenarios – even though initially, i.e. before I was ten, a lot of it was probably plagiarism…
I was exactly the same. I loved Enid Blyton as a child and definitely made up my own stories based entirely on other authors’ works!
How many unfinished novels have you got on your laptop/in your notebooks?
At least three. Sometimes you stall and if another idea pops up at the same time it takes preference.
How do you come up with names for your characters?
Well, believe it or not, the characters in Beneath an Irish Sky chose their own names. It really was quite bizarre, but most of them didn’t need thinking about and it was almost like we knew them as people already, and their names just ‘tripped off the tongue’. For those characters who weren’t as familiar to us, we used the usual methods like looking at name lists. I found Facebook useful too – I’d choose someone who was the age of the character and look through their Friends. Bit cheeky maybe.
You say “we”…tell me more
Beneath an Irish Sky was the first novel I had published, written in collaboration with Val Olteanu. Val lives in Canada and we wrote the entire novel using email and phone calls. We’ve never actually met.
That’s amazing! I can’t imagine writing a novel with anyone else, let alone someone I’ve never actually met. You must be totally intune!
Now for the moral dilemma….Hollywood comes calling and you’re offered big bucks for film rights to one of your books, but you have absolutely NO SAY in how it’s adapted. Would you sign on the dotted line?
That’s a difficult one. I’d probably hold out for as long as possible because if they wanted it that badly they’d surely be flexible. If it came down to a choice between ‘no say’ or ‘no movie’ I honestly don’t know. Part of me would definitely be very protective and I wouldn’t want to sign it over to someone who would dramatically change things – but in reality, it would be silly not to consider it. However, I’m looking at that from the point of view of someone who isn’t a best-selling author – if I was, I think I’d ask to see what plans they had for my baby, and if I didn’t like those plans, I’d say no.
I think I’m with you on that one!
In a dystopian future you’re only allowed to keep one book from all the books on the shelves in your house. Which one would you choose?
Am I allowed to keep my own? Because I would definitely keep the one that started it all, Beneath an Irish Sky. I’d want to keep that to remind me of the good times before freedom fell! If not, it would probably be the Lord of the Rings trilogy, or does that count as three?
You’re allowed to keep your own!
Liv with her lovely mum
About Liv
I was born in the South of England and have never lived anywhere else, though my heart is firmly in Ireland. I worked for the NHS in various clerical/admin positions, including a hectic six years in the Emergency Department. Before that, I was a secretary for a Trade Union area representative. I love music and my tastes are pretty diverse – Nathan Carter, Matt Cardle, Bryan Adams to name a few. My idea of heaven would be the Irish countryside in a cosy cottage full of Westies and a room just for books.
Beneath an Irish Sky
Jack Stewart is a wealthy businessman; Luke Kiernan is a Traveller who has grown up with violence and rejection. When Jack married Annie Kiernan, it was the most exciting thing to happen in the affluent village of Baronsmere since the baker too put much yeast in the bread mixture, and it was a match which was never given the approval of Jack’s ruthless father and snobbish mother neither of whom sympathised when Annie disappeared a year after the marriage. Following a road accident in Dublin some twenty years later, Jack is asked to go to Dublin to identify his wife’s body, and whilst there, he learns he has a son he never knew about. When the injured Luke is taken back to Cheshire by his father, he harbours a desire to punish those who made his mother suffer. Two very different worlds collide and there are shocking secrets and lies from the past that make sure life will never be the same again, either for Jack or Luke. It seems that the past might be too painful to allow them to find some common ground and build a relationship, but when love enters both their lives just when they need it, will their hearts soften? Or will Luke’s violent uncles make life even more difficult, because Luke left Ireland with something they want.
It’s the eve of the BIG DAY. Launching a book is like giving birth. You conceive a brilliant idea, watch it develop over several months and then comes a mighty puff, puff, whoosh (I can’t remember the exact breathing technique as it’s many years since I actually physically gave birth) and suddenly your book baby is out there in the big wide world and you’re filled with anxiety and trepidation. Now everyone can see this wonderful thing you have been nurturing inside you. Will they love it as much as you do? Will they “get it” and appreciate how much time, effort, blood sweat and tears you’ve put into those 80,000 words?
I’ve said it many times, I write because I enjoy the process and I’ve read enough books in my time to know that what I write is just as good as a lot of other stuff out there on the market. Therefore I publish my stories because I think other people might enjoy them too. It’s still a nerve-racking process.
There have been times over the last twelve months when I could have easily given up. The first draft of Trouble on the Tide was finished when I broke my arm in November 2022, but the final chapters had been rushed because I was determined to type The End before I set off on my fateful holiday. I couldn’t type for weeks. Luckily I edit as I go along (against all the advice of writing gurus) and that did mean 80% of the manuscript was pretty tidy. However, a sojourn off social media and away from my keyboard did leave me thinking…do I actually need this writing/publishing malarky in my life?
It really was only because I’d promised my small band of lovely loyal readers that there would be a third Eliza Kane book that I eventually, one-handedly to start with, polished off the final quarter of the manuscript and continued along the publishing route. I don’t like letting people down, and I’d set out to wrap up the series on a high note. I couldn’t leave the job unfinished.
I’ve said before this story was a joy (despite the physical pain!) to write. Flashbacks are set in August 1981 and as a 1980s girl, I’ve always wanted to set a book in that era. Without a doubt, the 1980s were the best decade ever for music, and while some of the fashions might have been a bit dodgy, when you’re a teen you go with the flow!
Just like some of the characters in this book, I too took a holiday to the Isle of Wight in the summer of 1981 with a group of friends, and I would like to categorically reassure those friends (and yes we are still in touch) that this novel is NOT based on anything that happened during that holiday (although I haven’t totally dismissed the idea of one day writing some sort of psychological thriller about four teens stranded in the middle of nowhere after a night out who see a light on in an isolated cottage and knock on the door…)
I have everything crossed readers will enjoy Eliza’s third adventure. I’m old and wise enough to know this book won’t go flying off the shelves, it will be more of a gentle slide, but I’m okay with that. I’ve achieved what I set out to do, and if I can spread a little joy and happiness in the process, that’s all the better! I’d like to thank everyone who has followed my writing journey over the last five years, and read and reviewed my books.
The ebook of Trouble on the Tide is currently available on Amazon Kindle for just 99p/99c. Paperback copies will be available later in the year.
