Rosa Temple's Blog, page 5

Writing A Christmas Novel - Part Two

I'm making good progress with my Christmas novel, Single by Christmas ! but still feeling the pressure of trying to get it to book reviewers sooner rather than later.

I'm happy to say that I have written it and completed three edits. I'm definitely not a fan of the editing process but I know it's a necessity. The next stage is to get it to my editor. I've ticked that box and I'm waiting for the feedback so I can go in for the final edit. Once that's all taken care of, I can do my happy dance.

But while I'm waiting to hear back from the editor, I've been in touch with a couple of beta readers who read Natalie's Getting Married and I'm hoping they will want to read Single by Christmas , too. Fingers crossed. All good feedback helps with the final product.

My next gruelling task is writing a blurb. Yeuck! I hate writing those. They're so hard to get right. I recently noticed one author doing a poll on her blog in which she asked her readers to pick from a choice of two. Usually I send my blurb out to a few writer friends and try to get some comments and opinions. After a few days of my blurb going backwards and forwards, I'll end up with a something I'm happy with.

Some good advice I picked up when writing a blurb is to look at what the bestsellers in your genre and try to 'borrow' from their examples. Because I believe that blurbs should have the writers voice and the same tone as the novel itself, it might not be easy to adapt someone else's way of writing blurbs to suit you needs. Be selective if you're looking for examples but most of all, be yourself, I say.

But really I'm stalling a bit, I need to get on and write this blurb because sadly it won't write itself.

Writing A Christmas Novel - Part One

Last winter I was at an author event and one of the attendees talked about a romance writer friend who managed to pay her mortgage by producing two novels a year, one of them being a Christmas novel. I was impressed. I didn't have a mortgage but I did have rent to pay. Could I follow in this writer's footsteps and actually be able to pay bills with money I earn from writing books? Anything was possible, I thought to myself, but at the same time I baulked at the idea of writing a Christmas novel.

I wondered if it was for me. It's not that I don't like Christmas, I just realised I hadn't read a single Christmas novel in my genre! Something I remedied very quickly as it was that time of year. And very quickly I started to warm to the idea of writing my own.

Early this year an idea for an Xmas story title popped into my head and then a list of characters, followed by what I hoped would make for a really good story.

My biggest barrier to writing the Xmas novel was time. I'd already had other novel ideas brewing and I'd have to drop them, pick up my jingle bells (to get into the Xmas mood) and write my Xmas story.

I decided to write Single By Christmas .

Because I'm me and because I never do things by halves, I've taken on two writing projects. The first, to finish the Xmas novel by early July (that's edited, proofread, cover and everything) and the second, to write my next book which is now going to be a book series! A trilogy to be exact.

So operation, Manage My Time began.

I gave myself a 2000 a day word count (weekdays only) which means that after the Xmas book is finished I immediately start to write the series. With a 2000 a day word count I could write all four books at an average of 90,000 words each by early 2017!

Single By Christmas - Progress So Far...I am at a word count of about 62k words and the ideas are still flowing. I am no longer averse to writing Xmas stories. In fact I'm loving it!
What Comes Next? I've already got the book cover ideas in the form of some dodgy sketches and written notes and I've managed to find a fantastic book cover artist to work with after a search on Goodreads. That bit is going to be fun. Next I'll be lining up some Beta Readers, calling on my editor and my proof reader and asking for some book reviews. But I'll keep you up to date on the progress. I suddenly have a craving for mince pies. Do they sell them in June?

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Good Reviewer V Bad Reviewer

Book Reviews - Every author needs them and every author dreads the big bad review. But if you're going to put a book out there, you have to be prepared to be judged, right?

I haven't had a bad review so far (nothing below 3 Stars) but I have had two very bad reviewers !

I call them bad reviewers because they don't give other readers anything to go on. I had a bad reviewer for Sleeping With Your Best Friend. The reviewer gave me 3 Stars because one of my female characters did something that she thought was not very nice and did not show a female in a positive light. For that reason she did not like the character.

But the reviewer missed the point. I wanted you to not like what my character did. She was not a nice person - she wasn't supposed to be positive female character. Therefore, didn't I achieve what I set out to achieve?

Another bad reviewer of Natalie's Getting Married (also a 3 Star review so not bad) criticised me for getting something wrong about the 80's. My book starts in 1990! Ho hum.

I thought this post was going to be a rant but there's not point in ranting and raving. Everyone is free to write a review in the way they think a review should be written but here are a few things that might be helpful to other readers and to writers:

Update: Giving Books Away Free

Should writers give their books away for FREE?

Well I never thought I would and I always wondered, when I saw other authors do it, what on earth possessed them to. But, as I said in this post today's consumer wants to try before they buy, or they want a BOGOF.

Freebies seem to be the order of the day for some products to entice buyers and, sadly, books fall into that category. While that sucks for people who put everything they have, body, soul and hard earned cash, into producing a product, unless you are a bestseller or a celebrity, you may well have to give your art away in order for people to take a chance on you.

Anyway. I made the decision and the results seem to have paid off.

Firstly, let me say I am mainly talking about the ebook version of Natalie's Getting Married which is on KDP at the moment, so these results are all based on Amazon sales.

Before either of my books were free (one is perma free now) my ranking on the Amazon BestSeller List was way down in the high millions and I must have sold about a handful of books since the book came on the market in March of this year.

Helping to Promote my Free KDP Days
I did a bit of research on the above and discovered that people on the prowl for a free ebook tend to do so on a weekend, Sunday in particular. So I chose the Bank Holiday Weekend (here in UK) to promote Natalie's Getting Married as free for four of my five day entitlement on KDP.During my research I came across the idea of advertising with sites that advertise free kindle books to generate a wider knowledge of my generosity. I found this site which listed sites that advertise your free Kindle ebooks and this one! (Please note: Some info is a little out of date on these links and not all links work - but it's a start).As luck would have it, because of my surname, I was able to take advantage of getting tons of re-tweets on Twitter because of a group I belong to on Facebook.I also Tweeted like mad about the #giveaway. The ResultsDuring the free period my book entered the top 100 in the Free Kindle Rankings and in a few categories it got as far as top three! Then, after the free period was over the book quickly shot up thousands of places in the paid rankings. I've checked from time to time and noticed it got into the 3000's at one stage. Since then it's been luxuriating in the 4000's and never lower than 10,000. And while that might be laughable to some writers who are always top 100, I've been doing backward flips because I never thought as a new comer who can't market her books for toffee, that I could ever get that high up the rankings. In some categories like Humour and Women's Fiction, I've been in the top 100! Also I've had a few more reviews on Amazon, most of which were 5* and only one stinker who still gave the book 3*

So, I'm a long way from becoming a bestseller but I know I have to bide my time. I need more books and I'm working on that. I've almost finished writing my Christmas book and I've already got outlines and an opening few pages for my trilogy. More on what I #amwriting to come!

My next adventure in KDP promotions will be a price drop. I'll keep you posted!


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#ComedyBookWeek

I recently read a great post by writer Ana Spoke in which she addresses the problem writers of funny or comedic humour come across when trying to promote their books. So her idea was for writers of 'funny' to help cross promote each other!

Read the post by Ana Spoke by clicking here!

 
So #ComedyBookWeek is coming soon and I will be taking part by promoting posts, book reviews and info about all the participating authors.

In particular, lined up for that week, I will be featuring on my blog an interview by the Comedy Book Week founder, Ana Spoke, about her books, Shizzle Inc and Indiot which make up part of the Isa Maxwell Escapades series.

I will be hosting guest posts by author of It Started With a Snub, Bernadette Maycock and Susan Daffron who is the author of the Alpine Grove Romantic Comedies

And that's just for starters. Look out for #ComedyBookWeek on all the social media platforms and Share, Retweet and Like as much as you can. You'll be helping writers and you may discover a few you didn't know!

To Be Free or Not To Be

There's a lot of controversy surrounding whether a writer (or any artist for that matter) should offer their work for free.

Up until recently, for me, the answer to the question would have been a resounding, 'No way Jose!' But I've caved.

Writers are already faced with massive competition from the leisure industry and getting their books in front of the buying public isn't easy. A lot of people spend their time in front of the television or other screen, surfing the net or gaming and it seems that reading a book is taking a back seat.


With so many forms of entertainment at our fingertips that are free, it's not surprising that some writers want and need to entice consumers away from their screens for a bit of a read every now and again.

So that does, sadly, mean that a carrot is needed. To me it naturally follows that as a new and independent writer, I need to do something drastic for people to know I'm here, that I write and I'd love for you to read me. There's an extraordinarily high volume of books on sale, of which many will never be seen. Very upsetting when you think of that book you spent years writing, which made you forget when you last mowed the lawn, cost you your relationship - or at least several episodes of Eastenders - is out there waiting to be read by somebody - anybody? please?
Not only have I made one of my books perma free, I've decided to offer my latest novel, Natalie's Getting Married for free to download on Kindle over the coming Bank Holiday Weekend. (Well it's a Bank Holiday in the UK, 27th to 30th May 2016).

I'm hoping it will encourage people who would never have known I exist, to notice me. Maybe they will become interested in what I write and might look out for my future books. Maybe they will Like me on Facebook - who knows? It's worth a try, right?

How it works out for me I'll only know after this weekend so I'll keep you posted.


Writers - Have you ever offered a book for free? If so, how did it work out, if at all?

Readers - What's your favourite pastime and how many books could you read over a month?

A Guide To Being The Perfect Wedding Crasher

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If there are two things in life that bring out the big cheesy grin and the tear to the corner of my eye, it’s a new born baby and a wedding. I just love those ‘aww’ moments. We’ve had a couple of new babies in the family but it’s been a long time since there was a wedding. More couples tend to live together rather than get hitched which is pretty selfish of them. [image error] It’s been ages since I got all dressed up, shared in someone’s life changing moment, ate wedding cake and cried over someone’s first dance song. I know, I’m just a big old romantic.But then it got me thinking – what if I gatecrashed a wedding? Would I get away with it? Would I get that ‘aww’ moment I’ve been missing so much? Or would I just get asked to leave before my first sip of champagne?
It was time to do some planning in the event of my never being invited to a wedding again. And here are my findings:Choose your season. Would you look better at a spring wedding or a summer one? Remember winter weddings require more clothing making them less handy in case you have to beat a hasty retreat if someone realises you’re not an actual guest.Don’t get a bigger hat than anyone else. Hats cause a commotion and people will be asking where you got yours and before you know it someone will be asking who you are, and if you haven’t prepared a script, you could be asked to leave.Turn up with a large present. Who’s going to suspect you of not being invited when you are so blatantly generous?Answer questions with a question. If someone asks you, ‘who do you know, the bride or groom?’ you throw that back at them. If they say ‘bride’ you say ‘groom’. Got it?Don’t be tempted into causing a scandal with the groom, no matter how hot he looks in a top hat. You’re only passing through and you’ll be surprised how quickly rumours spread.Arrive late at the church so you are not asked by an usher which side of the church you want to sit. Duck around the side and up towards the front to get a good view.Don’t be tempted to be in the pictures.Do not, under any circumstances, dance with a main member of the wedding party. No matter how persuasive the father of the bride can be, brides fathers are notoriously bad dancers. His awful dancing will draw attention and you’re bound to get found out.Don’t be the one crying loudest at the ceremony. In fact don’t make any noises that will have people pointing a finger at you.Lastly, dispel every urge to turn up in a long white dress. That’s basic wedding etiquette and if you break that rule, then none of the above will help you.Failing all of the above, if you’re looking for an ‘aww’ moment at a wedding, you could just read Natalie’s Getting Married. There are four weddings in this novel and hopefully one of them will make you go, ‘aww’.
First posted on T&L's Book Reviews March 15th 2016
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Free book anyone?

I don't know about you but I love a freebie. I'm a big sucker for anything gratis, whether it's something I want or not. For example I once bought a magazine because they were giving away a free nail polish. I don't even like that magazine and the nail polish sits there untouched because it isn't even my colour!
[image error] But every now and again it is possible to grab a freebie that you really quite like and were happy you were at the right place at the right time to grab it with both hands.

I guess that's what I'm hoping will be the case when I tell you that my novella, Sleeping With Your Best Friend is permanently free. You don't have to battle anyone else to the ground for it, you just need to pop here and take a copy.

Most of all I'm hoping it's a freebie you'll like and that if you do, you'll pop back over here and tell me what you thought. Actually come back over and tell if you didn't like it and why. But do try it - it's free!

Winners of the Giveaway Announced!

Congratulations to all the winners of my recent giveaway!

5 lucky people won an e-copy of Natalie's Getting Married and the copies are winging their way as we speak.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Get your copy of Natalie's Getting Married here:
Amazon UK
Amazon US

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I Heart Romantic Comedy

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Romantic comedy can be labelled as Chick-Lit and Romcom, both of which are fine by me, but I know that if a reader picks up a book in my genre they are expecting the writer to deliver 100% solid content. Much the same as any mystery or crime thriller writer would have to for their readers.When I think about my readers and what they expect from me, the list is long. I must have a romance at the heart of my story, I must deliver a happy ever after and I must make the reader feel good. But my reader doesn’t want to be bored by predictability; I have to throw in curve balls, sub-plots, barriers to the happy ending and the feeling that it is out of reach. And throughout all the tears and messy bits, I have deliver on the comedic value, too.Most of all my reader wants to sit back and enjoy the ride and feel like they are in a safe pair of hands.That’s my challenge and one I gladly accept and the reason why I don’t feel that my writing skills are any less than my more literary contemporaries.Admittedly, writing romcoms is a new journey for me and I expect it will take time before anyone will actually say the words: ‘Hey, have you read the new one by Rosa Temple?’ But that’s okay, because for now, I’m enjoying the ride.I have to say, that though my audience is very small right now, the majority of them like what they are reading from me. More so for Natalie’s Getting Married than for my first publication, Sleeping With Your Best Friend. But, again, that’s okay, too, it only means I’m getting better, right? (Mind you, reviews for Sleeping With Your Best Friend were pretty good).So yes, I’m taking a lot of comfort in the reviews for Natalieand it’s inspiring a whole string of ideas of what to write next. At the time of this post coming out, I have already got two novels on the go and a notebook filling up with ideas, plot lines and even dialogue for characters who are still not fully formed.So what makes for good romantic comedy?
Content, content content. I try so hard not to have any of, what I call, ‘throw away’ words, sentences or paragraphs. Every syllable counts otherwise you lose the reader and we all know how boring it gets reading something that only grips you every ten pages.Next - dimensions. Okay, so there is comedy but that doesn’t mean you can’t write about serious things. In Natalie’s Getting Married there are lots of ‘serious’ situations; anything from having your heart broken to watching your father have a stroke. Being able to marry this sort of content with laughter is no mean feat, I assure you.True to life situations. Nothing beats being realistic but by that I don’t mean humdrum. I work on my characters and make them realistic but larger than life at the same time. For me characters in comedy are so important, more-so than setting I think, so they must be colourful and spring at you from the page. Yes, I’m a work in progress, but believe me when I say I work hard at what I do and I’ll never stop trying to improve. A writer is as good as his or her last book, so with that in mind – I’m off to do some more writing!
First posted on Sparkly World on 15th March 2016
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