Maria Savva's Blog, page 38

January round-up

A quick update.

I am currently in the process of typing up my handwritten first draft of Illusion, my sixth novel. I have written about 10 chapters so far, but as I haven't written anything new for the novel since mid-December, I have decided to type it up to remind myself where I am and how I should proceed. This is almost done, so I should be able to start writing more of it again in the next week or so.

I'm editing my new collection of short stories, Delusion & Dreams, an Anthology. Earlier this month, I wrote another short story for this collection, and a 'Part 2' for one of the older short stories. I have to type that one up, and generally edit the book.

Books I have read this month and can recommend to you are:








I've also had the opportunity to read the as yet unpublished third part of J. Michael Radcliffe's Beyond the Veil Trilogy! It's a really great fantasy tale. If you haven't read the first two books in the series, you should!

A-Z of Self-publishing and writing tips: Q - S

Continuing with my series of writing and self-publishing tips, today I will be dealing with a few common mistakes writers make in their manuscripts and also giving you a list of resources for writers and readers.

Q

Quotes, quotation marks

It doesn't matter whether you use single or double quotation marks for dialogue. Double quotes are more common in American English, whereas in the UK we tend to use single quotes for dialogue. The thing to note is that where you use double quotes for dialogue, you should use single quotes when you have speech within speech, and vice versa.

An example:

'Margery said she would be coming to tea; I asked her what time and she said, "See you at four".'

"Margery said she would be coming to tea; I asked her what time and she said, 'See you at four'."


Quotation marks are often used wrongly to emphasise a word in a sentence, when italics should be used instead, e.g.:

The meal was "delicious".

Italics should be used for emphasis:

The meal was delicious.

The reason I say that this usage is incorrect in this case is because the accepted use for quotation marks in prose (when not relating to the word itself) is for irony. So for example, in the above sentence by saying "delicious" in quotes, one might assume that the narrator didn't really like the meal.

You can use quotes to single out certain words in a sentence when the emphasis is on the word itself, e.g.

If you wanted to single out the word, 'horse' in a sentence, it is acceptable to use the quotes as I have just done.

Have I confused you enough yet? Good.

Who said writing was easy?

Another other thing I want to say about quotes is that the general rule is, where you use double quotes for speech, you should use single for highlighting other words. An example:

'Where are you going?' asked Jessica.
I wanted to tell her I was going home; I was tired, and needed to sleep. To be honest, I didn't really know where "home" was.

Question marks

Incorrect use of question marks. Another common mistake. I used to do it quite a lot which is why I'm an expert. (Having said that, I still do it quite a lot in my first drafts... )

Question marks should only be used at the end of a sentence when a direct question has been asked.

How are you?

Where are you?

Are you sure you know how to use question marks?

Some examples of inappropriate use of question marks:

It was possible Duncan was feeling the same way about it?

If he went to bed now, he might not be able to sleep?

Perhaps Matthew would ask her out?

I've also noticed a common usage of question marks in the wrong part of the sentence. For example:

Would he end up alone; someone once told him he might?

(Yes, that sort of mistake happens a lot!)

Would he end up alone? Someone once told him he might.

Much better, see?

So, we just need to think a bit more about where the question mark should be in the sentence.

R

Reviews

I could probably write a whole book just dedicated to these little things that mean a lot and then again don't mean much at all... Reviews... can't live with them, can't live without them.

For readers:

A heartfelt plea:

Please, please, please, WRITE A REVIEW IF YOU LOVE/LIKE A BOOK. IT MEANS A LOT, WHICH IS WHY I AM TYPING IN CAPITAL LETTERS!!!!!

If you don't love/like a book... be kind!! I cannot stress that enough. There will be things we don't like about a book, and I am all for free speech, BUT there is always something to like/love about even a rubbish book. DO NOT give a 1 star review unless you can back it up with a REAL reason. If a book has offended your soul, you can give a 1 star review... I have done so in the past. Otherwise BE KIND. Do you know how many months... if not years... of a writer's life is spent writing a book? They have written something AND had the courage to let others read it. That alone should warrant a bit of respect. No matter what a writer tells you, our books are personal to us. Most of my fiction contains stuff from my personal life which is fictionalised. Writers are often sensitive souls and may use their writing as a way of trying to comprehend the world we live in. DO NOT write a review without thinking about what you are writing. By all means, if you notice something the writer could have done better, point it out. Many of my more 'critical' reviews have pointed the way for me to become a better writer. HAVE A HEART when you're writing a review as most authors (especially independent authors who are just starting out) will read your review and WILL take it to heart.

Most writers will admit that their first book is not their best work, but having someone completely tear it apart in a review does no one any good. A writer improves with each book he or she writes. A little encouragement can go a long way.

Whenever I read a book that I don't like much, I try to point out the good and bad aspects in my review. If I honestly cannot give 3, 4, or 5 stars, I won't review it.

Be honest with your reviews. Even if you have a few negative things to say (among the nice things!!) the writer will thank you. Maybe not immediately, but later when they are more experienced.

A final and important point is -- your review does not have to be a masterpiece. It can be one or two lines saying what you liked about the book. You do not have to rehash the whole storyline in a review; in fact, I don't like the reviews that give away too much of the story. Be brief but say what you want to say. Why you think others should read the book. And, yes, say what you didn't like about it, that will help the writer; but try to be kind.

For Writers:

The best advice if you want to stay sane is DO NOT read the reviews. But most writers are curious creatures. Curiosity is one of the things that fuels our creativity. We cannot help but read the reviews, word for word... and then we concentrate on the negative parts of the review and start to cry... yes, I've been there a few times.



As you get more experienced as a writer, the bad reviews will not faze you as much (hopefully because you will have many good reviews to balance them out). I read a great piece of advice recently; it goes something like: one third of the audience will love your work, one third will be indifferent, and one third will hate it.

This puts things in perspective. If you have lots of bad reviews you're just not reaching the right audience.

Reviews are needed because the more reviews you have, the more sales you get; that's just the way it goes. Readers will be more likely to buy a book with 1000 reviews than one that only has 10. It seems more popular.

Whenever you're feeling down about a 1 star review, go and check out your favourite bestselling author's Amazon page; you'll see that even the big names get lots of 1 star reviews.

Finally, and probably the most important thing: a review is only ONE person's opinion. It doesn't mean your book is fantastic or rubbish. It means the book is fantastic or rubbish in THAT person's OPINION.

NEVER think that your work is that great that it should only ever get 5 star reviews... you are fooling yourself.

Resources for writers

We all know it's important for writers to make use of companies/websites that can help to perfect and promote our work. Here is a list of useful sites I have found and would recommend:

E-Book Formatting:

eBookBuilders: http://www.e-bookbuilders.com/



This is an e-book formatting company that will format your book as an epub and Kindle/mobi. I used the company for the kindle version of my novel Haunted, and was very pleased with the professional looking results, and the speedy service.

Ellie Mendez: http://www.ebook-format.com/
When I was looking for someone to format my book Coincidences for Smashwords I found Ellie via a fellow author, Susan Buchanan. eBookBuilders don't do Word formatting and Smashwords only accept .doc files, so I used Ellie's service for formatting. I was very pleased with quick and professional service, and the results!

Proofreading:

Proofread Julia: http://www.facebook.com/ProofreaderJulia

I usually use fellow writers for proofreading/beta reading, but have recently been introduced to Julia, who does this for a living, and she is good because I have read a book that she proofread You Wish... by Terry Tyler. She is in fact, Terry's sister. I am thinking of using her services for my next book. It's always good to have professional results.

Editing:

West of Mars: whttp://westofmars.com/susans-editing-...



Author Susan Helene Gottfried offer an editing service. I used her for my book, Haunted, and was pleased with the results.

Other editors that have been recommended to me by other authors are:

Dionne Lister http://dionnelisterwriter.wordpress.c...

Robert Helle: https://twitter.com/cubfan0217

All of the above services have reasonable rates, and it's definitely worth spending a bit of money to make sure you have a professional product.

Websites that are good for promotion:

BestsellerBound Recommends: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...



This is a blog started by Darcia Helle, which I contribute to and help to maintain, along with author J. Michael Radcliffe.

If you're an indie author and would like to be featured, check our our submissions page and rules here: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...

Celebrating Authors:

This site is similar to BestsellerBound blog; indie authors can choose from a list of promotional opportunities: http://celebratingauthors.blogspot.co...

World Literary Cafe: http://www.worldlitcafe.com/

This site does everything from promoting free Kindle books to interviews, and has special features; for example, there is a #WLCTwitterFollows group where you list your Twitter name and then people from the writing community follow you on Twitter & you follow back. A good way to build up a following.

Also, don't forget that doing interviews on your fellow authors' blogs is also good for promotion. As are giveaways (mentioned in one of my earlier posts in this series).

Review sites:

Orchard Book Club: http://www.facebook.com/OrchardBookClub
http://orchardbookclub.wordpress.com/

Juniper Grove: http://www.junipergrove.net/

BestsellerBound Recommends has a list of reviewers: http://quietfurybooks.com/bestsellerb...

The above review sites are also great places for readers to find new authors and books.

S

Spelling

Please don't only rely on spellcheck on your PC. It will not pick up words that can be spelt in different ways, e.g. there, their, they're, may have been used wrongly or you may have used 'if' instead of 'is'. Just because a word is correctly spelt, it doesn't mean there are no errors in the document. Again, this is where a good proofreader can come in handy.

Show Vs Tell/Storytelling

One of the most common things that editors complain about is how much 'telling' instead of 'showing' there is in a book.

Telling would be e.g.

Adam used to work for a supermarket. He worked long hours. Never came home until late in the evening. His wife didn't like that. She always used to complain at him. Nagging. He hated the nagging.

Showing this would be, for example:

Adam turned his key in the front door.
'Where have you been?' asked Jodie, frowning. Her arms crossed in front of her showed that she was not happy.
'I've been at work.'
'You're always working! How long do bloody supermarkets stay open these days?'
'It's a twenty-four hour store.' Adam pushed past her and walked into the living room.

As you can see, there is more action in showing as opposed to telling, and readers prefer something that will help them imagine the story.

Having said that, I believe there is a place for both showing and telling in a good novel. Finding the balance is the tricky bit.

I find that my first drafts are always full of telling. This is because I believe in getting the story down on paper as quickly as I can. I then take my time to edit. I look for scenes that can be developed from the 'telling'. It's all part of the editing process.

Where there is too much 'telling' in a book, it often makes the reader feel dissatisfied. It make me (as a writer) feel that the book could have been improved if more time had been taken to develop the scenes.


Smashwords



Smashwords.com is a site where indie writers can publish an e-book so that readers can download from the site in any e-book format they choose. I think it's a great site and believe that many readers haven't heard of it. It tends to be only indie authors that use the site, which is a pity because there are lots of bargain books and fabulous reads on the site.

For writers, you can also choose to publish the book so that it's distributed by Smashwords to Barnes & Noble, Sony, iBookstore, and other sites.

If you're an author outside the US, you will need to submit tax details to avoid the withholding tax (much in the same way as Amazon KDP).

************************************************************************************

I hope you'll find the above tips and recommendations useful.

Thanks for reading.

The story of THE DEVIL’S RIGHT HAND Jason McIntyre

**Guest post by Jason McIntyre**



More than a decade ago, before I had published any novels and rarely (if ever) shared my work, I had a thought. What if there were god-like beings who, on their whims, could manipulate and contort our lives here on earth?

It was an overwhelming thought for me, these hidden manipulators who were like us but un-like us in many ways.

Of course, there would have to be some rules for these beings. And some greater purpose. I didn’t think anyone would much care for a story where mean individuals simply monkeyed with the lives of regular hard-working folks if there was no point to it. I began to see it as a series of sweeping books.

I started the first one and then...well...life happened.

I didn’t get back to writing it for some time. And, because the concept was so unusual I next wrote a novella-length piece called, simply The Night Walk Men. Last year, that novella was downloaded over 45,000 times at Amazon over five days. When some of those readers eventually read the story, the reviews were mixed. Many loved it, some just couldn’t wrap their heads around it. As with much non-mainstream literature, some readers didn’t get it or care to.

But, the downloads continued and the reviews did too. It certainly wasn’t the most successful book of all time, far from it, but it was a handsome success for a nobody like me.

With its climbing number of readers, I began to bat around my old ideas for the over-arching story. I wrote the first draft of a much longer novel that had all the same elements but offered so much more. Sperro and Fallow were back. These are the two brothers that drive things forward. And there was a pile of new characters now too. The people they were dealing with were so compelling to me that I wrote over 150,000 words in less than ninety days. I incorporated much of my new life into the book, things that had changed for me since the decade previous when I wasn’t yet a parent, when I hadn’t experienced hardships, and the aches of life, but also the joys of it.

I was so excited to share this book.

But then. Well. Life happened.

Finally, after re-drafts and cover design and over 160 beta readers plus the help of a professional editor to sort it all out, I have finally released the full-length novel.

It’s called The Devil's Right Hand and I’m more proud of it than I could have imagined all those years ago when I pondered “What if...”

Official synopsis:

The saga began with The Night Walk Men, the #1 Kindle Suspense novella by Jason McIntyre. Now it continues with The Devil's Right Hand. And a war is brewing.

Meet Benton Garamond. He's lost. He careens through the wet streets of downtown Vancouver on a collision course with a dirty lawyer named Levy Gillis. He wants something from Gillis and he aims to get it.

Meet Donovan Lo, former drug kingpin and not bad with the ladies if you ask him. He's in hiding and has a plan to leave his empire for good. But something -- and someone -- aims to put a bullet through his last big score.

Now meet Sperro. He has a lot to say about his job, about Benton Garamond and about Donovan Lo. Sperro will be your tour guide.

"We are Night Walk Men, imbued with the lives of at least ten men, and we walk among you like a blur, unseen but often sensed or smelled like pollen in the air when you can't see flowers--or the tingle you get when the hairs on your neck stand up.

"If you hear footsteps on the parched earth behind you, or if dry autumn leaves scrape concrete with a breeze, that's most likely one of us, walking just a little ahead or just a little behind. If it's dark and you climb into your car and for once--for no reason at all--wonder why you didn't check the back seat for strangers, one of my brothers is mostly likely back there as you drive off.

"We are everywhere at once and nothing can stop us. We are Death incarnate, walking under long robes of black and chasing down the winds to read from a discourse that may be the last words you'll hear..."

Be prepared to shake The Devil's Right Hand.

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You can keep up with Jason's writing at his website: http://www.thefarthestreaches.com/

Follow him on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JasonCMcIntyre

Get your copy of The Devil's Right Hand on Amazon, here: viewBook.at/B00A6E329Q (this link will take you to your local Amazon store)

And check out the novella, The Night Walk Men, here: viewBook.at/B009LAHAI0

Introducing Geoffrey D West, author of Rock 'n' Roll Suicide!

My guest today is 
Geoffrey David West, author of the gripping thriller Rock 'n' Roll Suicide.

After reading his book, I was keen to invite him here and introduce him to all of you. His book is a great murder mystery, and I would highly recommend it. As luck would have it, you have the chance to download your copy FREE from Amazon this week (between 14th and 18th January)!

The Kindle edition is readable not only on a Kindle e-reader, but also on your PC, Mac, iPad, or smartphone - you can get free apps from Amazon to read Kindle books if you don't own a Kindle. So, make sure you grab a copy of "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" this week.

Here's the link you need (this clever link should take you to your local Amazon store): viewBook.at/B009XA5SQ4



Here's my interview with Geoffrey:

When did you start writing Rock 'n' Roll Suicide, and did you have a plan for the story when you started?

About a couple of years ago I think. Just had a hazy idea at first, began writing, put it away for a while, then started again in earnest. Had no plan at all when I started.

Did you do all your own editing?


Yes, and in retrospect it was a mistake. I didn’t want copy editing, as I’d already done that, but I thought I’d done the proofreading, having read it over several times. But on the kindle screen I saw more mistakes, and republished. And now I know there are still more mistakes, so I’m going to republish again. I’m really short of money, but rather than have the nightmare all over again I’m going to ask Julia, Terry Tyler’s sister, for help with my next book, as an amateurish manuscript with typos and missed words is awful and embarrassing.

Hmm... to make you feel better, I have just read a book published by Penguin that had no less that 6 typos... there may have been more that I didn't spot, of course. I do believe that it's not possible to get a completely typo-free book.

There is a lot of description in your novel about places and buildings. Did you visit all the places mentioned in the novel, during the course of writing it?


I already knew the places in Kent, because I write for a magazine called Kent Life, in which I described towns and places, so that was fine. And I know Paris slightly. But as for Hamburg, I’ve never been, did it all from books and on the net, so I hope there aren’t any mistakes.



I know that you also write non-fiction. After writing your first novel, which would you say you prefer, fiction or non-fiction writing?


Fiction, definitely. Nonfiction is a lot easier, and also rewarding, but essentially you’re just presenting facts, not creating anything.

Do you think your experience in non-fiction writing helped or hindered you when you came to writing fiction, and in what ways?


Helped definitely. I’ve written many articles about subjects I knew absolutely nothing at all about when I started, to the extent that if I phoned experts, for instance on a building-related subject, I wasn’t even sure which questions to ask. I realised that you just have to bundle into it, get something down, not wait around until it’s crystallised in your mind. Even if you put down rubbish, you can extract what’s any good from it, arrange it into a different order and so on. Many people talk about writing, but hardly any actually get down to doing it.

When you came up with the idea for your novel, did you plan to write a series or is that something that you decided on later?


Decided on later, when I found Jack Lockwood seemed to be an interesting person.

Jack Lockwood, your protagonist, is a psychologist. Do you have any psychology qualifications?


No, none at all I’m afraid, it’s all from what I’ve read and tried to understand, and I hope I’ve got away with it.

How many books do you plan to write in the Jack Lockwood series?


I’d like to write about six, I think, maybe more, but depends if they sell.

Part of your novel revolves around a conspiracy theory about John Lennon’s murder. Were you/are you a Beatles fan? If so, what do you think is their best album?


I was about 10 when they had their first breakthrough (I remember ‘I want to hold your hand’) and back then I was certainly a fan, and followed their careers until I was around 18 I suppose. I always remember the Sgt Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club album being played at a friend’s party when I’d just left school – that one I suppose is my favourite.



Much of your novel includes characters who are in some way linked to the music industry. Do you have a musical background?


No, I’m afraid not. But I have read a lot of pop star autobiographies.

What is your favourite type of music?


Country Music, and it’s sad because you hardly ever hear it in Britain. I love Randy Travis, Alan Jackson, the Dixie Chicks, Lyle Lovett. I also like the old rock bands, for instance Lynyrd Skynyrd. And I do like David Gray, Fleetwood Mac and Richard Thomson and the old folk bands, such as Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span.

Was Maggi O’Kane, or any of the band members in your novel, inspired/based on real musicians?


I suppose I loosely thought of Suzi Quattro, but only because she’s the closest to what I had in mind – Maggi is certainly not based on her. However the place, ‘The Mansh’, I think was based on someone (I think a Fleetwood Mac member) who owned a country mansion, and they called it ‘The Manor’ and used it as a recording studio. The lovely old building and the musicians in it, gave me the idea for the beginning of the book, and the ‘What if’ extension of the beginning turned it into a story.



How much research did you do for the book?


Quite a bit I suppose, but nothing too deep. For instance, I read a lot of pop star biographies, researched Hamburg for the travel details and so on, and also researched the ‘new’ career of being a Behavioural Investigative Adviser, and read books by leading criminal profilers about their careers and cases they worked on.

The book is written in the first person, and often when I read books written in the first person, I wonder whether the character is similar to the author. How much of you is there in Jack Lockwood, or is he based on someone else/purely fictional?
  

A lot of first person writing is, perhaps, wishful thinking – I would love to be a fearless righter of wrongs and intrepid in the face of danger. I would also like to be extremely clever! However the only real way Jack Lockwood I suppose is like me in that I love building, crafts and DIY and do a lot of that kind of work, and know plumbing, carpentry etc.

Apart from the Jack Lockwood series, are you working on any other projects?


Yes, I’m lucky enough to get writing work for Kent Life magazine, also I’m trying to get back into writing articles about building and DIY, plus I’m planning to do a few building/DIY books on kindle. I tried to interest publishers on books on Kent, but with no success at all.

Your book is only available in e-book format at the moment, as far as I know. Do you have plans to make it available as a paperback?



Not at the moment because I cannot afford it. Although I suppose there’s the Print on Demand option, how do you sell books when you’re unknown? People might risk wasting 77p (99c), but would they risk £5 for a book they may not like?

Do you prefer reading e-books or print books?


I suppose print books, it’s nice to feel a book in your hands, but the convenience and cheapness of e-books is their advantage, being able to buy one within seconds.

Do you have any tips for someone who may be considering self-publishing a book?


Yes, get someone to read it to check for mistakes, or, better, pay a professional proofreader, because, for some reason, there are always more mistakes than you realise, and you can’t see your own mistakes. And don’t be put off by the technical side of formatting, because Kindle and Smashwords.com both offer very good free guide books that take your through the entire process. I was also lucky enough to hook up with some really nice people on Twitter who helped me in many ways: Terry Tyler , Maria Savva (of course!), Darcia Helle , Martin Johnson , Mary Metcalfe and a number of other kind folk. Going on Twitter is an excellent way to try to market your book and discover other tremendous authors to read.

Who designed your book cover?


Ian Scaife, of www.isgraphics.co.uk He
did a terrific job.

Yes, it's a great cover!

Who are your favourite authors?

Robert Goddard, Dick Francis, Douglas Kennedy, Tony Parsons, Sarah Waters, Barbara Vine.

There are lots of twists and turns in Rock’n’Roll Suicide, and lots of murders/deaths! As a crime fiction writer have you ever based a character on a particular person you dislike and then killed him or her off in the novel?

Great question, but actually no, I don’t think I hate anyone enough to want them dead. But who knows about the future?

Where can people buy your books?

Rock’n’Roll Suicide: viewBook.at/B009XA5SQ4 And I’ve got a page on Amazon for my others: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Geoffrey-West...

Where at the best places for people to connect with you online?

www.geoffreydavidwest.com and my blog at http://bit.ly/QoYXbv

Thank you, Geoff! I wish you continued success with "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide", and look forward to reading the rest of the series!

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Don't forget to download your free copy of "Rock 'n' Roll Suicide" between 14th & 18th January 2013: viewBook.at/B009XA5SQ4

A chat with author Susan Buchanan, and a giveaway!

I am pleased to welcome back to my blog, author, Susan Buchanan. I met Susan on Twitter last year and interviewed her here after I read her excellent debut novel, Sign of the Times. For those of you who missed that interview, here's a link: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...






I recently read Susan's second novel, The Dating Game, and invited her back here for a chat.

Susan has also generously agreed to give away an e-book copy of The Dating Game to one of my blog followers. To enter all you need to do is leave a comment below, or 'like' this post. Winners will be picked on 25th January 2013.



Here's the interview!

Having read both your books, Sign of the Times and The Dating Game, one thing that strikes me about your novels is that there are lots of characters involved. In Sign of the Times (SOTT) you had 12 main characters all with different star signs and then there were the friends and family and acquaintances of those characters; and in The Dating Game (TDG) you have Gill and her 3 best friends, as well as all her dates, and work colleagues, and various other characters. I think all your characters are believable and well developed. This is no mean feat. Do you plan each character in detail before you write the book? Take us through your method for making sure that you can keep up with all the different characters in your books.

Yes, there are rather a lot of characters, particularly and understandably in SOTT. I started off with SOTT, just knowing the characters and building on them, but as I went along, I didn't want to get confused, so I kept a document with info on them. When I wrote The Dating Game, I gave each character a Word doc and filled in what I knew of them at the beginning and kept updating each sheet daily, as I learned things about the characters.

That's a great idea, I may have to nick that as I am always forgetting things about my characters, and that leads to headaches when I'm editing!!

In TDG, Gill joins a professional dating agency. Have you or anyone you know ever joined one of those types of agencies? If not, how did you go about researching how they work?

I haven't personally, but the idea for The Dating Game came from a friend who had joined just such an agency in Glasgow. Although none of her experiences are those Gill had (quite frankly my friend thought it was a complete waste of time and pretty dire!) some of the anecdotal detail I took from her.

In your book, Gill is sent a profile for each potential date, and then asked whether she wants to go on a date with him. I know you are a Rupert Penry-Jones fan. If you were writing a profile for him, what would it say?



Hmm. Now this is a tough one, as obviously Rupert is married. So let's have a little bit of poetic licence and say he isn't married. Great question!

Name: Rupert Penry Jones

Age: 42

Lives: Hampshire

Occupation: Actor - best known for role of Adam Carter in Spooks. Currently filming series 4 of Whitechapel. Many know me from the courtroom drama, Silk

Qualifications: Attended Dulwich College and Bristol Old Vic

Height: 6’ 1’

Marital status: Single

Smoker: No

Interests: Swimming, dog-walking, evenings in with friends, playing pool, wine tasting, playing football.

Further information: My parents, my brother and sister-in-law are all actors. I'd like to break into films, but although I have had some excellent roles, it's more difficult than you would think and acting is bloomin' hard work.

Looking to meet:
a) An intelligent, attractive lady who likes sport and trying new activities. Would be an advantage if she enjoyed the theatre. Must love dogs.
b)*love Scottish accents and blondes, so my ideal woman would be an author who is blonde and Scottish. I realise I am not asking for much!

*well, I can dream, can't I?

LOL, that's excellent!


In your first novel, some of the scenes took place in Italy, and in The Dating Game there are scenes that take place in Barcelona. I know that you are well travelled. If money was no object and you could plan your perfect getaway, where would you go and what would you do?

Oh Lord. So many places. I would probably want to do a round the world trip, taking in New Zealand (Marlborough wine country), Bora Bora (as it has always sounded really cool to me), Malaysia (I've always wanted to go to the Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur), the Maldives (have always wanted to go, but we keep finding an alternate holiday destination), Reykjavik or Northern Finland for the Northern Lights, The Great Wall of China and I'd love to go to Machu Picchu in Peru, to name but a few!




Can I come? LOL

I know you're working on a sequel to Sign of the Times. I would also personally like to see a sequel to The Dating Game. Just as with SOTT, you have introduced us to so many likeable characters, I want to know what happens to them! Do you have any plans for a sequel?

At the moment, no plans for a sequel to The Dating Game, as I am already writing What If, my third novel, which I hope to finish by the end of March (the first draft). I had hoped to launch it in the Spring, but I am 6 months pregnant and expect to be MIA until about June! So likelihood is it will launch in the autumn. The sequel to Sign of the Times will follow in 2014 and quite frankly, I have another two books minimum planned after that.


Which book was harder to write, SOTT or TDG, and why?

SOTT, simply due to chronology, the amount of characters involved and the fact that it was written over such a long period of time. The book was initially a lot longer (I am often told I could have made a book about each character, so it's not really surprising!)

I think that too; you could have a novel based on each of the characters in that book!

How long did it take you to write TDG?

A lot less time than SOTT! I started writing full-time (more or less) in March 2012, after I published SOTT. Had already written three chapters of The Dating Game three years ago. All in all it took me 7 months to write, edit and launch it. But believe me, I am a glutton for punishment and I was working ridiculous hours to get it finished. I still really enjoyed it, though, plus I had learned SOOO much from writing Sign of the Times. That helped a lot.

I know that both your books are only available on Kindle at the moment. Do you have plans to make them more widely available for other e-readers, or as paperback books?

Hmm. Not really, not at the moment. My priority is currently to write and market the e-books, as I definitely see that as the future, but it's true that there is no greater lure than the thought of being able to touch your own books! I think it's not going to happen this year, though. With the baby coming and "What if" to write and publish, I think if I have bitten off enough!

Very true!


If you were single and joined a dating agency and you were sent the profiles that Gill was sent, which candidate do you think you'd get on most with?

Wow! The thing is, all of them have a little something about them...but my favourites would be Anton (am a sucker for accents and he loves classical music and he's tall!) Also Liam, he's decent, sexy, can cook and is a bit of a hero!


What are you working on at the moment?

What If, novel number three. I'd always had this idea of how my life would be if I hadn't split up with various partners over the years, hadn't chucked various jobs, met certain people and so forth. What If combines all of that, about protagonist Cameron. I'm excited about it as I get to get inside a man's head again (not sure that's wise!). I will be running parts of the story and dialogue past some male friends before I publish it, for extra realism!

Do you have any other news for your readers?

To be honest, not really, as I think I've probably given everything away above! Me and my big mouth! Rest assured plenty will be happening with the writing and on the blog between now and the end of March. In fact, I am doing a blog hop from 17th-21st January, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

Thanks for having me on your blog, Maria. Always a pleasure. Sooz

Thanks for answering my questions, Sooz! I hope all goes smoothly with the new baby, and the next book. I look forward to reading more of your work!

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If you'd like the chance to win a copy of The Dating Game, don't forget to 'like' this interview, or leave a comment below. Good luck!

Haunted chosen in Darcia Helle's top reads of 2012!

I was thrilled to discover that Darcia Helle has chosen my novel, Haunted, as one of her favourite reads of 2012!



Here's the full list: http://quietfurybooks.com/blog/2012/1...

I'm going to be checking out those titles and will try to read as many of them as I can soon. I have read, The Blues Detective, Metallic Dreams, and Gone, from her list. I enjoyed all of those. And, I've almost finished Rock 'n' Roll Suicide, and am enjoying that. I have no doubt that the others on her list are fabulous too! If only there were more hours in the day for reading!

Epic Fantasy Saga, Shadows of the Realm, on Sale Jan 8-22!

**Guest post by Dionne Lister**





Shadows of the Realm is an epic fantasy for teens and adults. Join Bronwyn and Blayke, two young realmists, and their animal companions, as they are forced to leave the only home they’ve every known to undertake a dangerous journey towards Vellonia, city of the dragons.

The gormons are invading, slipping through the corridors between realms, and they want blood, lots of Talian blood. Will the young realmists learn enough of the Second Realm magic to prevail, or will everything they love be destroyed?

The first book in The Circle of Talia series is on sale from the 8th to the 22nd of January for the bargain price of $1.99 on Smashwords and Amazon.

Grab it now and escape into an original and enchanting world filled with mystery, danger, dragons and adventure.

Calling all self-published authors: Writing Magazine: Self-Publishing Award - deadline 31st January 2013

I've just found out about a self-publishing award, organised by Writing Magazine and supported by the David St John Thomas Charitable Trust. It's described as the 'most prestigious prize' of the year for self-published authors. I am going to submit my latest novel, Haunted.

The contest is open to all writers as long as your book was published in print form in 2012.

Here's a link to the Competitions page on Writers Online: https://www.writers-online.co.uk/Writ... You can download the entry form by clicking on the link for 'Self-Published Book of the Year'.

There are also other competitions on the website that you might like to enter.

Good luck if you do decide to enter any of the competitions!

Interview with Jerry Castaldo & book giveaway!

My guest today is an accomplished entertainer, Jerry Castaldo. He regularly plays over 300 shows a year. He has opened for such stars as Jerry Seinfeld, David Brenner and Dom Deluise.
Jerry Castaldo has enjoyed playing such well-known venues as the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, NJ, and the Waldorf Astoria Hotel (including benefits honoring Christopher Reeve and Ray Charles). His repertoire spans the eras--everything from big-band favorites (he has also performed in concert with the Sammy Kaye Orchestra) to contemporary standards.

Watching him today, his audience would be unaware that twenty years ago Jerry was barely surviving. He had an addiction to drugs and alcohol and that led to criminal activity and even a suicide attempt. He is a survivor who proves that it's not impossible to turn your life around. In his memoir, Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective, he has set out to explain his past and to be an example to people who may be going through similar struggles.

His book is a compulsive read. Jerry tells me that for the past two years it has been sitting at the #1 position in Top Rated Biographies and Memoirs of entertainers on Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/gp/top-rated/di...



Jerry not only agreed to answer my interview questions, but also to give away a signed print copy of his book to one of my blog followers! To be in with the chance to win this book, all you need to do is leave a comment for Jerry below, or simply 'Like' this interview. A lucky winner will be chosen on 20th January 2013.


Here's my interview with Jerry:



Your autobiography is a very honest and no holds barred account of your life growing up in Brooklyn New York. You have admitted to various crimes that you were in involved in when you were a teenager and in your twenties, and to a serious drug addiction and alcohol abuse problem. In the introduction to your book, you have stated that you were warned by some people that you should not publish this book as it may damage your career; I understand you're now a successful entertainer in New York. What was the driving force behind your decision to publish this book, despite the warnings?

First off, thanks for having me. Great question, Maria. The driving force behind my decision to publish this book, even though many in my professional circle had advised me not to, is very simple. I wanted to explain to everyone, including those who I grew up with and to my extended family and friends, exactly what was going on with me back then and to let them know who I really was.


How long did it take you to write the book? Had you kept diaries about your life, or were you just writing from memory?

Over the last twenty years, I’d tell people some of the incredible things I’d experienced in my travels growing up in New York City and around the world, and I’d always get a wide-eyed, jaw-dropping response coupled with, “Man, you’ve ‘got’ to write a book!” So I started making notes, grouping my stories into chronological order, where things happened and with whom I was with. That took about two years, and then the book took another year to actually write. Because I wanted the book to “move,” I wound up using on thirty percent of my notes, sticking to the really interesting stuff. I guess it paid off, because if you browse the over 300 “Five-Star” reader reviews on Amazon and Barnes and Noble Online, you’ll read the same descriptions of my book from these readers, over and over, “Fast-paced”, “This book really moves,” “I couldn’t wait to read what happened next” and so on.

I agree with those reviewers' comments. It's a fast-paced book, and I was definitely hooked!

Was it difficult for you to dredge up the memories from the past in order to write the book? You had, after all, faced some very hard times, and you'd also attempted suicide. Was the writing process cathartic in any way, or did it just bring back bad memories that you would have preferred to have forgotten?

I have a very good memory, despite my long-term alcohol and drug use. Of course while you are under the influence, you have blackouts, so there are many things that happened to me that I’ll never remember. I used to wake up some mornings, laying in my bed bloodied and with my clothing torn, sort of like the werewolf did in the movie. But anytime that I wasn’t high, I remember lots of details. Yes, it was difficult to dredge up, but there was no way around it. I just had to tell my story. I think my mother had a harder time because she had to relive it all when she read the book.

You have stayed away from crime, drugs, and other negative addictions for about 20 years now. That's a great achievement. In your book you've described how your life up until your early thirties had been dogged with drug/alcohol addiction and the inevitable criminal activity resulting from that. You seemed to go through times when you were clean and then rebound into the destructive behaviour again. In your life, what do you think are the factors that have ensured you have been able to kick your previous habits and successfully resist going back down that route again for such a long time?

As I write toward the very end of my book, when I finally walked into an AA meeting, that was the turning point. I attended one or more meetings every single day for over one year. That solid “base,” beginning, is what ensured that I’d never go back. Of course, there’s no guarantee I’ll stay clean and that’s why it is important for me to stay connected to AA in some way, so that I know it’s there if I should need them. I’m still a drug addict and an alcoholic, and I will be for the rest of my life, so there is always a chance of relapse, although I feel confident that it won’t happen to me. And if it ever does, I will seek help. By the way, this is not an AA book and I don’t preach. I only mention that organization at the very end of my story as they were who helped me.

In your book, it is clear that you were aware that your habits in your younger years were having a destructive effect on your relationships with partners, friends, and family. Do you think that there was anything the people close to you could have done to prevent you getting back on the downwards spiral after you were clean, or to prevent your suicide attempts? Or were these things that ultimately you take responsibility for?


As most family members and friends who are fortunate enough to get their own help from the group “Al-Anon” know, there is absolutely nothing that they can do to help the addict. They can only love them and make sure that they do not help the addict in such a way that would allow the addict to continue to use drugs and alcohol. For example, by giving them money to buy drugs or alcohol, or giving them a place to live free of charge, they only enable the addict to continue to slowly kill themselves. As difficult as this is, they must more or less abandon the addict so that he or she can fall flat on their face and hit rock bottom. To enable the addict is to help the addict die.



If you could go back to Brooklyn in the '60s/'70s and talk to your old self, what piece of advice do you think you would give, and do you think he would listen?

That’s easy. I would have said to myself, “Jerry, get help! Counseling, join AA or NA.” I wished I’d been committed to some kind of rehab. Many, many years of pain and suffering, for both me and my family and friends, could have possibly been avoided, had I heeded the advice that I “was” given at various times during my addiction.





Do you think it is always the circumstances in a person's life that will cause him or her to get involved in addictive and self-harming behaviour, or do you think it's the individual who is responsible?

I think it can be either or, and also a combination of both of those things. Of course, there is no hard and fast rule to anything when it comes to this subject. But again, if there is a mentor or someone else who is in a position to help or guide someone starting to engage in this type of behavior, then that is always a great thing. Unfortunately, for me, I was totally out of control and even though my parents loved and cared for me, they were unable to do anything.






From reading your book, I know that becoming a successful entertainer, for you, was always a dream that you reached for, even in your darkest days. Now you are living your dream, with relative success in that field, is it everything you dreamed it would be? What plans/hopes do you have for your career, and where do you see yourself in 5 year’s time?

Ah, the “where do you see yourself in 5 years” question. I work on my career 24/7 and I don’t give much thought to the future. When I first got into rehab, I found one “slogan” to be the most helpful and I now find it to be the most useful. That slogan is, “Live in the now.” Of course I plan for the future regarding my finances, making sure I’m booked a year ahead at all times and that sort of thing, but I focus on living each day to the fullest and not projecting too much. If I can never get any further in my career, I’m OK with that because I’m performing all the time and am able to maintain a nice home and lifestyle for myself. That, coupled with eating right and exercising regularly, make for a great life for me. Plus, I have a supportive, loving family. What more could I ask for?




What do you hope people will get out of reading your book?

Hope, inspiration and the ability to be able to see the “real me.” Not the crazed, drug-addicted, violent criminal that I had morphed into as a teenager growing up on the streets of Brooklyn, NY.



I understand that your current career involves 300 shows per year. What kind of things do you do in your shows?

I am primarily a singer who does a one hour show of songs from “The Great American Songbook” as well as songs from the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s. I also play guitar in my show and I do some comedy by interacting with the audience. You won’t find me standing still on stage during my shows. I’m leaping, sliding and spinning.



As well as doing shows, you also record music. Do you have any albums or singles on sale that people can buy? If so, where can they buy them?

I have several original songs that I sing in my show that I plan to release on iTunes in the future. My original ballad, “When Did You Stop Loving Me?” is currently in production for a music video. A few months ago I was interviewed by one of the biggest radio shows in the US, “The Howard Stern Show,” and they also played my song on the air. I’m excited that such a hugely popular radio show, that has had up to 20 million listeners at times, has invited me back when the finished video is done. They also have an “On Demand” TV show of the radio show where snippets of my music video may play. You can view a two minutes video sneak preview of “When Did You Stop Loving Me?” on “You Tube” right now: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Tczd...

Which entertainers were your favourites when you were growing up?

At age ten, I started playing guitar and started a band at eleven. We played a lot of The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin and other current rock songs in that vein. So I guess those bands we emulated were my favourites.





What sort of music do you like listening to?

My musical tastes run the gamut. I love everything. If I had to pinpoint any type of music that I wasn’t too excited about, I guess it’d be traditional Country music and “hard-core” rap.



Do you like reading? If so, what are some of your favourite books?

I love reading, and it was my favorite thing to do as a pre-teen. These days I’m mostly reading business related stuff though as I need to keep up with the entertainment industry as well as the book business. My favourite books have always been “self-help” types, such as “The Sky is the Limit” by Dr. Wayne Dyer. Other examples are, “The Road Less Traveled” and anything non-fiction that I can learn from.



Where are the best places for people to connect with you online?

Besides my website, www.jerrycastaldo.com, I’m very active on Facebook, You Tube and Twitter. Again, look for all of my music videos on my “You Tube” channel, along with acting videos of scenes and monologues that I’m using to increase my chances of securing more acting work.



Where can people buy your book?

Amazon, Barnes & Noble Online and most any other online bookseller. The huge Brooklyn Public Library recently gave “Brooklyn NY: A Grim Retrospective” a great review, and I’m excited to have so many other public libraries around the country carrying it. As far as “brick and mortar” bookstores, it’s hit or miss as to which ones choose to carry my book because the online booksellers seem to be where most readers find it easier to order from.



Do you have any news for your fans?

I’m excited to share that a couple of Independent film companies have contacted me about having my book adapted to a screenplay, but I’ll believe it when I see it, ha, ha. Also, I continue to perform about 300 of my music shows a year, mostly in the northeastern part of the US. Finally, please don’t forget to visit my “You Tube” channel, Friend me on FB or follow me on Twitter. It’s very exciting to be able to communicate directly with my readers and fans of my show. I make every effort to write everyone back. Wishing everyone a very healthy and happy 2013!

Happy 2013, Jerry! Thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to answer my questions. I wish you continued success with your career.

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Remember, for your chance to win a copy of Jerry's memoir, please leave a comment below or 'like' this post. Good luck!

Writing Goals for 2013

I was looking through my blog posts a while back and came across one that I wrote this time last year about my writing goals for 2012. Here's a link: http://www.goodreads.com/author_blog_...

I accomplished 2 out of 3 which isn't bad. Number 3 was my new short story collection. I had planned to publish that last year, but life gets in the way of these things. Anyway, I'm almost ready to publish that collection, so not too far behind schedule.

Here are my writing goals for 2013:

1. Publish my new short story collection, titled, "Delusion & Dreams, an Anthology". I have decided on the stories that will be included in this new collection. The story "Delusion & Dreams" is a story in four parts. The first part I wrote about a year ago, but when I read it over a couple of months ago I was inspired to continue the story. I ended up writing three more parts to it. I banned myself from writing any more because I didn't want to be writing another novel (I'm already working on one!). Two of the stories in this new collection were rescued from an old floppy disk. I'd written them back in the mid-late '90s. There were several other titles of short stories that showed up on the old disk when I tried to copy them on to my new computer, but there was no data, so either they are lost forever or I have just not found a way to recover the data yet. Time will tell. Quite a few of the other stories for this new collection were found on my computer, dating back a few years at least. I'd originally written them for short story competitions. I have edited all the stories. Two of the stories in this new anthology were stories I discarded from the original ones I wrote for Pieces of a Rainbow. When I read the stories again, I liked them, so although they didn't fit in with what I wanted for "Pieces of a Rainbow", they deserve to be published, in my opinion (I may be biased, of course). I'll be including bonus stories; those that have already been published in the BestsellerBound Anthologies. I thought it would be nice to have all the stories in one place.

2. I would hope to at least be almost ready to publish my new novel by the end of the year. The book is very much in the early stages at the moment, so it depends how much time I get to write this year. The working title is "Illusion", but this could change. It's a fantasy/romance with a splash of rock fiction.

3. I will be publishing a second edition of A Time to Tell sometime this year, hopefully. I've ended the contract with the original publisher who helped me publish the book. I will be self-publishing the second edition through Lulu.com as I have done with my other titles. I thought it made more sense to have all my titles in the same place, and also, this way, I have more control over the book and royalties.

4. I am involved in a joint writing project with the BestsellerBound members. I have already written my chapter, and a few other authors have done too. There are a few outstanding chapters left to write for that project. I'm hoping that the novel will be published this year.

5. Last year I started writing an experimental novel with another author. I'm not sure whether this one will ever see the light of day as we are both very busy, but if it does, it will be something different, and hopefully something our readers will enjoy. As you can tell it's in the 'top secret' stage at the moment.

I will of course keep you updated on all the developments.