Hello from blogland

It’s been a while since I blogged, and it’s time I popped in to say hello to everyone.

In response to Hazel Williams who wants to know if the cat café series in People’s Friend will be published in book form, I’m not sure, but hope so as I enjoy the stories as well. If anyone knows the answer to that, Suzanne, or Pat, could you pop in and let Hazel know. Otherwise, Hazel, you could drop a line to the People’s Friend magazine, and they’ll tell you.

I’m having a relaxing day today, and working on the latest novel set in WW1 – finished chapter 4 and on to number 5 now, up to 8,000 words so far and will finish on 10,000 words for today.

As you would imagine, Edith and Rupert will have a mention in there seeing as I’ve studied them both in detail for articles that appeared in The Great War magazine.

The Angel and The Poet for sale here..

 

My collection of stories set in Norfolk are here on Amazon.

During the daytime I’m usually creating mugs and tee shirts for personalised gifts. This week I’ve got some pink ones to do for a work conference. Not forgetting the Wolves key rings for the team from the Midlands who are roaring their way up the Premier league.

Have a great week, and hope someone knows the answer to Hazel’s question.

 

RNA Profile

I now have a profile on the Romantic Novelists Association profile pages. If you want to have a look, it’s here.  

Thank you to John Jackson for all his hard work in updating everyone’s profiles, and hope you see some other names you recognise from your favourite writers.

Hope the writing is going well with you all, or whatever else you may be doing. I’m busy reading up on WW1 and WW2, as well as having a lovely chicken dinner. We’ve got our four legged friend for company as well.

He likes to have a paddle whenever he can. Have a great week, talk soon.

 

Her Own Robinson Crusoe

This is what I’m off to read in the garden under the umbrella of course. It’s still hot here in Warwickshire, but before long I’ll be taking the plane journey with Serena off to the Caribbean. Better get a cool drink to go with it. It’s in the shops today.

Sophie had good news today as well, she got her first swimming certificate. Well done, little swimmer and  hope it’s the first of many.

She looks as proud as Grandma with her books doesn’t she? Well done, Sophie.

 

 

 

More promoting

I’m getting into this promoting lark now. So I’ve been working on my website as it’s been neglected for a while. No excuses not as I have more news to tell you, and I think there might be an option to sign up to a newsletter on the front page of the website. Still working it out, so if you sign up and hear nothing, fear not, it’s just me working it out.

Following on from last post, there’s been a review in prices of the Writers’ key rings. Talking to the boss it turns out that I got the prices wrong, not the only thing this week, but that’s another story. Details will be on a Facebook page where you can see the more generous offer. Now I’m busy making up key rings with my own book covers and watch out for some fab giveaways on here very soon.

It’s football fever around here and well done to England with that great win over Panama earlier, but not sure Panama knew the rules. Did you see all that dancing and hugging going on?

Her Own Robinson Crusoe will be in the shops on 12th July, but I’m sure I’ll be reminding you before then as I’m so excited and can’t wait to see it on the shelves in Asda. The cover is really lovely and just how I imagine the heroine Serena to look.

Have a great week and enjoy the lasting sunshine but don’t forget the hats and sun cream.

 

Catch up with Rosemary

                                        

It’s my great pleasure to welcome another of my writing buddies onto the blog today. Rosemary Kind is editor of Alfie dog fiction site, where you will find lots of lovely short stories and books for download. Rosemary is also co-author with Patsy Collins of From Story idea to Reader. Looking forward to hearing about Swanwick as well.

First of all, I’d like to hear more about New York Orphan. I am lucky as I got to read this when it was an idea… Maybe you need to write, from novel idea to reader. Now look at me, I haven’t even offered you a cup of tea. Let’s put the kettle on, and get you one of my Caribbean nutty cakes and tell me how Daniel and his friends are going on…

Help yourself to a cake or two.

New York Orphan is proving wonderfully successful for me. It’s far from being my first book, but all of a sudden readers are starting to find my work and it’s been very exciting. I was used to my books selling steadily but in relatively low numbers. Starting to find them selling in hundreds and dare I say it thousands rather than tens, is just an amazing feeling. I keep having to pinch myself.
I put my heart and soul into the book and even editing it was moved by the story I’d written. Having readers on both sides of the Atlantic feel the same way is very special.

It’s brilliant and I’m so proud to have read it early on, and I have heard a rumour that there will be a follow up. The cover image is a credit to the artist as well. And what’s going on at Swanwick? I’ve heard lots of people say it’s a great place to go. Can you tell us a bit more please? Go on, have another cake, they’re practically sugar free.

I’m very much looking forward to the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School in August. I went for the first time two years ago, in some trepidation. I’m never at my most comfortable with large groups of people and the thought of a whole week terrified me. What I had not thought about was the sort of people that would make up that group. As many other writers are very similar in character to me, it turned out to be the easiest company and very enjoyable. The creative energy is amazing, and I came away not only energised but making very clear to my husband that I would be going back the following year… and the next one…
So, here I am on year three and it is one of the highlights of my year. I’m running a workshop on Publishing this year so I can share what I’ve learned over the years with other writers.

That’s really good news, and makes me think I should be going there, if it weren’t for so much editing and writing to get on with I would definitely be joining you. Maybe one year soon. Thank you so much for popping in, and good luck with the workshop. Toodles for now, and talk again soon. xx

You can find out more about Rosemary and her writing here.

http://www.rjkind.co.uk

http://www.alfiedog.me.uk/

http://www.facebook.com/rjkind

 

 

 

 

 

Pocket Novels

I’m a pocket novelist for My Weekly, and proud to say another one will be published soon. It’s set in the Caribbean, will let you know as soon as it’s here.

Great to see family members today, Ann and Sophie called, then our Son and his dog bounded in, and lovely to see them all.

                

Knitting is another pastime that I find helps with relaxing, not that I need an excuse to sit down and watch something funny on t.v. Rising Damp is on, and for me good comedy doesn’t date. Same as Larry Grayson who was on the night before. He was a local celebrity in our area, coming from local town of Nuneaton.

My day job is now making badges and key rings, also putting words on tee shirts. Can’t wait to put book covers on key rings, and more news on that coming soon. Have a great week, however you’re spending it.

 

 

 

The Winner is…

Congratulations to Sally J, the winner of Murder in the Village. Alan drew your name out of the pepper pig pot a while ago.

Well done, Sally

 

 

The winner is…

Your signed copy will be on it’s way next week if you could email your postal address please. Or p.m me on facebook. Well done.

Thank you to everyone who had a go at winning my latest book. Jan, Honoria, Maggie, Nick, Rosemary, Amy and Navedeep.

Here’s the link if anyone would like to buy it, and there will be more giveaways on the blog later on. To enjoy the first in the series of Redington, that one is here.

If you’d like to see the other works I’ve done along the way, these are found on this link.

The garden is looking good at the moment, have a look at these.

You wouldn’t be surprised that I have an idea for a book with the word sunflower in the title for later on in the year. Still working on the Caribbean story, and looking forward to the RNA conference next Saturday. Have a good week, and more news after the conference.

Murder in the Village

I’ll keep it simple… if you’d like a free signed copy of my latest book all you have to do is leave a comment. Why you’d like it would be a good thing to know. My mum has her copy and can’t wait to read it, and my favourite aunties have theirs lined up as well. And not forgetting Alan’s aunt who was asking on the phone if I have any more books for her to read. It’s lovely when family members actually like the stories and want to read more.

Now I am working hard to get the latest story I’m working on finished. And if you’d like to read one of my short stories, it’s in this weeks issue of My Weekly on the coffee break page near the back. This is a proud moment for me as I used to send my stories to My Weekly years ago, and looking back, I can see why they weren’t quite right… but that’s another story. Have a great week, and garden photos coming soon.

Latest news

Here’s what’s coming soon, and there will be a giveaway on the blog, so watch out for that.

Looking forward to the RNA conference in July, and meeting up with other pocket novelists and romatic authors.

I’m busy writing my next story, which hopefully should be finished before long. I’m on chapter 10 of 15, and if you’d like a taster… of course you would, then here it is…

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“I don’t feel guilty for keeping you here; you should be working, but I’m selfish and you wanted to know more about life in the Caribbean, so let’s compromise.” Broderick took her hand and smiled. “How about if I show you some of the more interesting parts of the island, and then later on, I’ll cook while you relax.” He pulled her towards him. “You’re fun to have around.” He laughed, “That’s when you’re not crowning my friends over the head with breakfast plates or spiralling yourself over the edge of my hammock and landing in heap on the grass.” Broderick stifled a laugh and offered his arm.

Serena forced her thoughts away from the beach, and linked her arm through his. “Don’t fret too much, you’re hardly keeping me prisoner. I could have gone back over to Neptune, and maybe I should have, because the longer I stay here, it’s as if…” She didn’t want to say it, but the island of a thousand shells was beginning to grow on her enormously and now that Agwe had taken the children back to the small-holding for a salad lunch with Daniel, she was all alone, with her own Robinson Crusoe.

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Hope that makes you want to know more. It does me, so I’d better get on and finish it.

The garden is looking fab, and we have lettuce quite often, but a bowl of chips pops in with it now and again. There’s flowers on the tomato plants and mini cucumbers on the mini-munch variety. Our little grandaughter loves to help water them and is our number one tester of strawberries. She has to eat at least six or seven to see if they’re suitable for the rest of us.

Enjoy the sunshine and more garden photos when the sunflowers are out.

Bit of a clanger

You may remember that I’ve recently released A Factory Affair, and done a giveaway on the blog. The winner is the lovely Rosemary Gemmell, and still waiting to hear whether you’d still like the book, Rosemary.

Well, another lovely lady, Elaine Everest, author of Woolworths Girls, and due to release Butlin’s Girls, wondered why I’d put that I was on the shortlist with this for the RNA new talent awards. I didn’t realise the shortlist I was on, along with Elaine, was with the Festival of Romance. For some reason I really thought it was run by the RNA. Maybe it was sponsored by the RNA, but because lots of names I recognised as being romantic writers, were there, and Katie Fforde spoke at the end, and won an award as well. I think that’s why the confusion popped in. So now I’ve corrected the opening of the book to say, this story was on the shortlist of the Festival of Romance, new talent award. We have to get these little details right don’t we? So glad that’s cleared up. Now I need to alter it on the kindle version as well. Thanks to everyone who’s shown an interest in the book, and watch out for another giveaway very soon.