LOOKING BACK - 2015 IN REVIEW

This time last year, I had one book published and another accepted for publication. I was both scared and excited in equal measure. Would anyone buy my story of the teacher and the rugby player? In the end, Sporting Chance did moderately well and got some good reviews. I still get sales every week.

Learning point 1 – dealing with reviews.

 

RainbowConnection had a more difficult birth. I still love the story and the characters, and it’s had some lovely reviews, but hasn’t sold well. I know it could be better written, especially the show not tell aspect. When it came out, I had no faith in it and didn’t advertise or promote it properly. It feels like a family member you don’t talk about.

Learning point 2 – dealing with promotion.
Learning point 3 – approaching bloggers.

This year, I’ve written or finished writing, one long novel, four shorter novels and three short stories. I’ve also rewritten a fanfic to make it an original novel. It hasn’t all be plain sailing. I have times when I can’t write anything much. I worry whether it’s worth continuing, like all authors. I can't help comparing myself to others when I know it doesn’t matter. I need to produce what’s in my head and be true to my voice. However, I’m lucky to have found a publisher willing to take me on, and an editor who has taught me a lot and believes in my work.

Learning point 4 – don’t compare yourself to others.

Learning point 5 – people out there want to help you. Always say thank you and appreciate the time and support they give to a new writer.

My, this is sounding so serious. Anyway, this is what I’ve written this year.

Comfort Zone is a longer novel linked to Sporting Chance. I wanted to give Aron a story and a HEA. Aron was Dan Morgan’s ex-boyfriend in Sporting Chance. He has some specific issues to deal with when he meets Joe Welsh. The style is similar to Sporting Chance in that there are family and friends who all chip in their views. The novel will be out in print as well so I get to hold it in my hands and look at it on my shelf. I loved writing this one because it flowed so easily. Comfort Zone will be out on general release 2nd February but you can get it on early download from Pride Publishing 5th January.

I was asked to consider writing a series. This is such a scary idea, I decided to get a few written before I submitted anything. I’ve produced a series of short novels around 50,000 words each, set on the North East coast of Scotland – a place I know well from holidays there. The first story, sadly, will probably never see the light of day as the MCs are both aged sixty and it seems people do not want to read about older men, but Jamie and John to appear in the other stories. 

Therefore, book two, Choosing Home, became book one in the Call of Home series, with MCs Zac McKenzie, an ex-footballer, and Seth Pritchard, who is recovering from a car crash and running away from his past.

The second book in the series, Returning Home, has MC, Darach McNaughton, returning to his home town and meeting the intriguing Brice Drummond. Darach’s copper’s nose tells him there is something to find out about Brice and what has happened to him, but curiosity can be a dangerous thing. Both of these stories have contracts and will be out in July and August next year.

The third story sees Sam Carmichael, the local Church of Scotland minister facing up to his past. I won’t spoil the second book by mentioning the other lead character. I have ideas for the fourth, but haven’t started writing it yet.

Learning point 6 – Some stories don’t get published.

Learning point 7 – writing a series is hard, but rewarding, and continuity is a bugger to get right.

Writing a short story requires its own form of discipline, especially when they can only be a certain length and have to contain scenes of a sexual nature. believe me, writing a sex scene at a funeral wake was challenging! Stay, started as a story for a submission call on the theme of random acts of kindness. I wanted to write a Christmas story. Not Every Time was produced in a couple of weeks with an is he or isn’t he question about Raz. I’ve written a sequel, which will be out in May next year, called, A Bell Rings, because I wanted to answer that question.

Learning point 8 – it isn’t easy to write a good short story, and you have to get used to people saying it needed to be longer.

This has been my writing year looking back. I’m going to write another post looking forward with my plans, such as they are, for next year.

I wish you all success in all your endeavours and

 

CHRISTMAS BLOG POST

 

 

 

This time last year, I had one published book, Sporting Chance, the story of teacher, Iestyn and rugby player, Dan. Now, I have four stories on Amazon, and the follow up to Sporting Chance, Comfort Zone, will be up for pre-order with Pride Publishing on 22^nd December. More on that story below.

Today, my Christmas short story, Not Every Time, is on general release. (See links below). I’ve always written Christmas stories for my fanfictions, and I love including Christmas in stories. It features in Sporting Chance and in Comfort Zone, and so writing a story set at Christmas seemed a given.

Not Every Time, is a short, sweet and sexy read. It is about two friends, Raz and Jack, who have known each other for twelve years, since Raz saved Jack’s life. Raz loves Jack, but Jack is still looking for the right woman. In the story, he discovers he’s been looking for love in the wrong place. There’s also a bit of a mystery in the story – an is he or isn’t he? Oh, and did I mention there are kittens? When I finished writing this one, I wrote a sequel straight away in a very short period of time for me. This story takes Raz and Jack further and reveals all. It will be out next year and is called A Bell Rings.

Comfort Zone can be read as a standalone story, but Dan and Iestyn do appear, and it might be better if you’ve read it to find out a little more about Aron. Aron was Dan’s first love, but now he’s on his own and has thrown himself into his work. In the first chapter he meets, Joe Welsh, a man who he first met by the side of the road a year ago when both their cars had broken down. Since that meeting, Joe’s life has taken a dramatic turn. We meet Joe’s family and friends - I love writing families and how they interact – and discover whether Aron can step out of his comfort zone to find love again. Along the way we also meet Rhodri, the bisexual son of Aron’s factory manager, who at eighteen has more confidence than Aron, Emrys, the wonderfully OTT brother of Aron’s best friend, as well as Charlie the failed sniffer dog, and a wonderful little girl called Ellie. I loved writing this story so much. It goes on general release in February.

Next year, in the summer, the first two books in The Call of Home series, will be out. These stories are set on the north east coast of Scotland, a place I’ve visited often. In the first, you’ll meet Zac and Seth and the second Darach and Brice. The third is written, and I’ve ideas for the fourth.

I hope everyone has a lovely Christmas, and I wish you all a happy and successful New Year.
 

 

Links

             Not Every Time
             Publisher

Amazon UK

Amazon US
            Barnes and Noble
 All Romance

Goodreads

 

Comfort Zone

Publisher

 

 

Sporting Chance - One Year On

 

 

 

A year ago today, I was a bundle of nerves wondering if anyone was going to buy my first novel. It had taken me over two years to write Sporting Chance, the story of teacher, Iestyn Jones and rugby player, Dan Morgan. I found time to write when I could – before work in the morning scrawling words in a note book, at lunchtime, after work and at weekends, when I didn’t have marking or preparation to do. Somehow, by the end I had a 80,000 word novel. I asked a few people to read it, and they encouraged me to submit it to a publisher. The first one turned me down, but the second, Totally Bound, took a chance on me.

The day I got the e-mail, I couldn’t believe it. I read it so many times, with tears in my eyes, until happiness was replaced by that strange mixture of fear and excitement. It was a long process between that e-mail in March and the book coming out in November. When I read that submission now, I’m amazed they took me on. I made so many mistakes, but I was lucky to have Faith, my editor, to take me through everything. I learned such a lot, not only about grammar and punctuation, but also about point of view, independent body parts, dangling modifiers and putting the sex into sex scenes.

 

I discovered there are words you need to cull like that, just, only, suddenly, really and many others. I find there’s something new to deal with every story I write.

 

When Sporting Chance came out several reviewers were kind enough to feature my story on their blogs. I will admit, I’ve never found criticism easy, but I put my teacher head on and gave myself the talk I’d given to so many students – you learn from mistakes. If you get something wrong, you can learn from others. I may not have agreed with everything that was said, but I hope I’ve learned something from every word.

A year on from the general release date, I now have a novella, Rainbow Connection and a short story, Stay published. In December, my Christmas story, Not Every Time is released, the story of two friends who become lovers – one of my favourite tropes.

Next year is going to be very exciting. In February, Comfort Zone, the follow up to Sporting Chance is released, and A Bell Rings, the sequel to Not Every Time, comes out in May. It turned out that Raz and Jack had more to say. I also have a series coming out titled The Call of Home, set in Scotland.

When Sporting Chance came out last year, I would never have believed all this was possible. It goes to prove you can teach an old dog new tricks, and that you simply never know what is around the corner.

To celebrate this anniversary, I’m going to offer a signed copy of Sporting Chance and a signed copy of Comfort Zone when it comes out next year. I’ve also had some charm bracelets made with charms representing the characters in my stories. If you’d like a chance to win please comment on this blog post.

Lastly, I’d like to thank every reader, reviewer, and all those authors who gave me advice as well as my editor, Faith, and my publishers for giving a new author a chance. You have all changed my life.

I don't like Halloween

 

There I’ve written it – I don’t like Halloween. When I was young we carved out swedes, put candles in them and made holes for string then carried them around. Yes, it was pretty lame. There were no pumpkins, or dressing up, or extra chances to let off fireworks, and there was certainly no trick or treating, and I’m so glad.

I would have hated dressing up – the pressure of finding a costume for a child who was larger than average and having to get my mother to make something. I hated fancy dress days at school as well. Now I know adults who dress up and decorate their houses, often a couple of weeks in advance – and they say Christmas is getting earlier each year - but I don’t get it.

On the night, I want to turn off all the lights and hide from the knocks at the door, but instead I reluctantly hand out sweets to the children who knock the door, glad that I don’t get many, and that most of them are with their parents. I don’t like the idea of sending children out to ask for sweets, or that there is a veiled threat of a trick if you don’t join in. I know people don’t see it that way, and I’m sure they have fun. I guess I’ll just be seen as a Halloween version of Scrooge.

So pardon me if I don’t enthuse, or hang spooky pumpkins, or spiders, or anything else on my blog or on Facebook. I’ll admire some costumes – although why they have to be sexy this or that for women I don’t know, including last year a sexy Ebola nurse – I kid you not.

Happy Halloween to those who enjoy it and for everyone else, including those who hide in the dark, at least it’s only one night a year.

Thirteen Reasons to Hate Halloween

 

 

 

Stay - Update

STAY

Stay is now available from Pride Publishing for early download and on pre order from Amazon - links below.

Blurb

Ben Harwood loves his grandmother. When he visits her in the hospital, another old lady, Ivy, expresses a longing for an orange, so Ben, who works in a supermarket, takes her oranges the next day. Later, after attending his grandmother’s funeral, he discovers that Ivy has died too, and decides to pay his respects. There, he meets Ivy’s grandson, Martin Riley, and the attraction is instant. To his amazement, Ben finds he has become a bit of a hero to the Riley family, who have travelled over from America. For Martin, Ben breaks his three-date rule more than once. Is this simply a holiday romance with great sex, or can he and Martin build something more permanent?

Stay is also going on a mini blog tour and I've done author interviews for Goodreads and the new Pride Publishing blog. Thanks to the blogs for hosting me.

Buying Links

 Pride Publishing

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Amazon Canada

Amazon Germany

Amazon Australia

All Romance

 

Congratulations America - Love Wins

I'm British not American, and I'm not married, but I wanted to say how wonderful it was reading through all the tweets and my Facebook feed on Friday when the Supreme Court announced that same-sex couples could get married all over America.

I read so many happy stories and watched some lovely videos. I was especially touched to see two men in their 80s, who'd been together over 50 years, get married in Dallas, Texas.

The haters are going to hate, but this time love won. There are other fights to be fought, but one major victory happened on Friday. I just hope the US has enough wedding planners!

Update and what to write next?

What to write next? That is the question.

 

I am in the fortunate position of not having to write to keep my head above water. I write because I want to write. I can choose my hours, and how long I spend tapping away. Others, I know, do not have this luxury.

Some authors seem to be able to produce lots of words in a week and lots of titles in a year. I’m relatively new to being an author. I have one novel published, Sporting Chance which took me years to write, a novella, Rainbow Connection, which sadly hasn’t been as popular, but has received some nice reviews, and a short story, Stay which is due for general release next month. The follow up to Sporting Chance, called Comfort Zone, has been contracted and will be out next year. Comfort Zone has Aron’s story. The title came from a friend, as did the idea for the issue Aron has to deal with when he goes out of his comfort zone for love.

I’ve just written another short story. It’s had lots of names, but I settled on Not Every Time. This story was written in five days, and came from an idea about what happens if you save a life. Raz saves Jack from certain death, but Raz has a secret. I’m hoping my publisher will like it.

A friend recently asked me where my ideas come from. I have three or four stories with starts written, and I need to decide what to do next. I’ve also three stories completed, two of which need editing. Ideas come from all over the place, stories in newspapers, things from my past, conversations overheard or read online, television shows, photographs—all sorts of places. So far, I’ve written contemporary romance stories, but I have an idea for a time-travelling story set partly in sixteenth century Scotland at the time of the murder of Lord Darnley. The idea came from a photograph of a bare-chested man in a kilt combined with teaching Mary, Queen of Scots using this image.

 An idea grew from there. Maybe one day I’ll have the courage to step out of my comfort zone and write it.

So, do I choose to write the fourth in my Home series set in Scotland with the closeted church minister, Sam Carmichael and the grieving widower, Tosh Mackintosh, or a standalone story set in Norfolk about cat loving librarian, Will Owen and carpenter and am dram fan, Jonah Jackson. I seem to have written about a few cats recently, and this one is likely to have more smiles than the first. While I decide, I’ve Home Goal in front of me to edit with Zac and Seth’s story. There’s a cat in that one too – a ginger Tom called Ron, who weasels his way into Seth’s affections. I'm sure you can see what I did there.

How do you choose what to read and/or write next?

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And to celebrate Stay being available for early download, and it being my birthday next week, I'm going to have a giveaway so you can win an EPub or PDF version of STAY when I get my copies. Please comment below if you’d like to win a copy, and I’ll use random.org to pick a winner a week from today.

Stay can be bought here