Paula R.C. Readman's Blog, page 37

The Deed is Done

Just submitted my horror novella today. Had trouble sending it off, but the publisher was kind enough to suggest another way of sending it. Fingers crossed that he will like it.

I’m now focused on Granny Wenlock novel. I’m hoping to get the first draft down as quickly as possible. It will be rubbish but I’m sure some great ideas will come to be along the way. I really excited to get started on it again.

Oh Yes! In the Top 100 paid list on Amazon

How wonderful is this Seeking the Dark has just made it into the top one hundred paid Vampire Suspense. How exciting is that!

Click here for your Amazon link. Seeking the Dark

Just when you thought it was safe to go out in the dark….

This novel is set in Whitby, (of course, land of my ancestors) Middlesbrough and Scarborough. Oh, and London. The time line takes the reader across history, from the modern times to the dawn of creation. From the streets of Whitby to an ancient lost civilisation.
Please don’t think you know all there is to know about vampires because there’s a twist here.
The Dark is out to get you, so be prepared to have evil on your side for once.
If you haven’t already read my latest novel then here’s a bit of a hint
Oh, and here’s a link to, https://mybook.to/seekingthedark
Cheeky, I know.
I’m told it’s quite good , but I would say that

Seeking the Dark

Oh Horror, sorry I don’t read Horror

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and a few to be chewed and digested….

Essays : Francis (1561-1626)

For the last few days I have been busy editing my new horror novella, Never Reaching the End. The storyline is more about an obsession, which is never ending, but how many readers will never read my tale because of the word horror.

It has come to my attention while marketing my books that many readers have formed a negative view of what horror books are all about, and why they’re not on their to-read-lists. Like all main fiction genres, horror has many sub-genres, but some readers are unaware of this. I can understand this as in life in general we have a nasty habit of labelling something we don’t fully understand under one simple label, rather than investigating it further.

I always say I don’t do romance, but in fact I have read and enjoyed many books which are classed as being a romance. This is because the storyline has grabbed my attention. The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller is a romance and it is on my top best-ever-reads list. As a writer, I know that it’s hard to classify one’s book, when you feel your plot covers a wide array of sub-genres.

My novel Seeking the Dark is an interesting example of this. The story is about a desperate journalist Jacob Eldritch who is obsessed with solving the mystery of the dead men sleeping a series of unexplained deaths. With this simple description you would say it’s a Crime novel. And you would be right. The book does have a crime that needs solving. Could it be classed as a Police Procedural? Once again, yes, but the focus isn’t on the police solving the crime. In a way the crime in the novel has been classified by the police force as a cold case.

So could Seeking the Dark be classed as a Mystery? Yes, quite easily. Jacob can slip on the shoes of an amateur detective as he tries to piece together the puzzle that links the death of his parents and the series of unexplained deaths. Ah, so you’re saying there a Historical element in this book. Yes, there is. It covers quite a wide timeline from the dawn of ancient history to the ruins of a civilization Jacob’s parents were uncovering with their team of archaeologists.

Oh, so we mustn’t leave out the Romantic element to this tale. Well, as I said, I don’t do romance but as all writers know our characters lead their own lives in our books. Jacob has three leading ladies in this tale. There’s the owner of the nightclub, a childhood friend and then the mysterious white-haired beauty. Jacob has a big heart and he’s the kind of man women are comfortable to be around, though his obsession has left him with a broken heart and alone.

Now let’s look at why Seeking the Dark is classified as a Horror tale. This is easy to answer. It has a Supernatural element. Most reader see the word horror, and automatically think it must be full of blood, guts and lots of gore. This is so untrue. Yes, if you are a die-hard horror fan you will want a gory horror read, but if you are like me this is the last thing you want. I read to be entertained, I enjoy chilling tales that allows my mind to decide just how much I want to be scared.

The Victorian Gothic Writers were brilliant at taking their readers to the edge of their seats, without over describing gory scenes. Remember the Victorians were all about the family and high morals so if such books and stories were going to be read aloud they couldn’t be too graphic. The Victorians also tidied up the Grimm brothers’ fairy tales which we allow our children to read. In the original story Cinderella’s stepsisters cut their toes off to make the shoe fit. And, as for the wolf eating granny in Red Riding Hood, well isn’t that too graphic for you?

What are the sub-genes for horror?

Dark Fantasy: A mixture of supernatural and fantasy, example Johnathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke Dark Mystery/Noir: these are normally tales about a detective who is sent to investigate some paranormal activities whether it be criminal or morals, example: The Nightside series by Simon R. Green Quiet horror: the equivalent to cosy crime in the horror gene: subtly written by using atmosphere and mood to create fear and suspense rather than graphic description. This allows the reader to use their imagination, examples: works by Edgar Allen Poe, Mary Shelley, Bram Stoker, Daphne du Maurier, Charlotte RiddellPsychological: stories that a based on insanity, altered realities and fears but of the human kind rather than supernatural monsters, examples ROSEMARY’S BABY  by Ira Levin SILENCE OF THE LAMBS   by Thomas HarrisCreepy Kids: Often children under dark forces, normally directed at the adults but can be other children, example. We have always lived in the castle by Shirley Jackson, Lord of the Flies by William GoldingSplatter: This category is what most readers think of when the word Horror is mention. It’s the extreme storytelling which cuts right to the core of gore, examples The Girl Next Door by Jack Ketchum, The Traveling Vampire Show by Richard LaymonReligious: These tales puts angels, demons and religious icons and mythology at the heart of the stories, examples: The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty, The Omen by David SeltzerHistorical: are tales set in a specific and recognisable period of history. The Woman in Black by Susan Hill, Dracula by Bram Stoker, 1922 A novella by Stephen KingErotic Horror: Sexuality and love between humans and the creatures in the Neverworlds, anything from vampires, werewolves and, dare I say, zombies etc, examples Voice of the blood  by Jemiah Jefferson, Feral Sins by Suzanne Wright, Erotic Zombies by Tracy Wilson, (please don’t ask me, I just keep imagining parts keep dropping off)Supernatural Menace: this is when the normal rules of existence no longer apply. Ghosts, demons, vampires and werewolves rules examples: Pet Sematary by Stephen King, Midnight by Dean Koontz Technology Horror: tales that features out of control computers, cyberspace and genetic engineering example: Parasite Eve By Hideaki Sena, House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski. Demon Seed by Dean Koontz Weird Tales: Strange and uncanny events example: Spawn by Shaun Hutson, Rats by James Herbert Zombie: Committing mayhem example: Patient Zero by Jonathan Maberry, The First Days by Rhiannon Frater

So next time you see the word Horror on a book cover, ask yourself, “I wonder, what sort of tale is it?” Who knows you might be surprised and find it’s an enjoyable read that will take you outside your comfort zone, just a little. And, if you’re wondering what category my writing comes under, then its very much quiet horror. I’ll let you into a little secret, I can’t watch horror movies because they scare me too much, but I can read horror books as long as they are quiet horror.

Thank you for taking the time to read my post.

No More Reviews From Me.

Honesty is the first
chapter in the book of
wisdom."
~Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was an American statesman, diplomat, lawyer, architect, musician, philosopher ~

It’s tough for me to say I’m no longer going to give reviews on books because in a way it’s not quite true. The truth is after finding myself in an awful situation, I’m no longer going to review books of close friends, or people I am in contact with online. It has come as a hard lesson for me to realise honesty isn’t always the best policy. This simple fact puts me in a difficult situation, where I am expected to spare the writer’s feelings because we are friends. But by sparing their feelings, I’m in fact lying to their face, which thus means it doesn’t make for a good relationship. As they say, the truth has a nasty habit of coming back and biting you when you least expect it. As someone who expects complete honesty from others no matter what, as long as it is fully explained, I try to give that same honesty to others. When I’ve read a book, I do enjoy writing a review for two main reasons. I’ve always loved Goodreads, and leaving a review on there, even before I took up writing myself. I saw Goodreads as a form of keeping a record of all the books I’ve read, and my thoughts on them too. As an author/ reader I know reviews are about individual’s tastes and thoughts. They aren’t written in stone, and only a view of the book. One reader might love it, another hate it, but as long as the reviews are honest and constructive and not rude or nasty, and of course, don’t give the plot away. As are all authors are, I am pleased to receive reviews as they give us an insight into the thoughts of the readers.

So back to my issues about no longer giving reviews to books written by friends and acquaintances online. The real issues for me is about what is expected by them if I review their books? I don’t expect anyone to read my book in return. My book might not be to their personal taste so if they feel obligated to read it they might not enjoy it and feel pressured into giving a review which isn’t an honest one.

My policy about reviewing books is quite simple. My star ratings is this: 3 star is a great book. An enjoyable read that I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a book to add to their to-read-list. 4 star is a brilliant book. Everything about this book had me turning the pages, its characters, plot, and settings were well-drawn, but there were one or two things which didn’t quite do it for me to be able to give it a five stars review. 5 star review on a book for me is when the book is outstanding. It has to be a book I wish I could have written. The storyline flows, characters and settings are well-drawn that I’m carried along with them that I can’t stop thinking about it. “What’s going to happen next?” I’m behind the characters as soon as the book has open I’ve stepped into their shoes.

Any reviews under 3 stars I don’t give. My reason could be varied.i.e. it didn’t hold my attention, I didn’t like the characters, too annoying, too flat or unrealistic, or the book had an unbelievable plotline. I had read a storyline very similar before, too predictable. The plotline was a cliché and I had started to work it out too soon. I began to skip pages looking for the real story. The writing was poor, too much information dumping. Too much tell and not enough show etc. These are all my personal views which is why I don’t give these ratings out, never did before I took up writing, and I certainly won’t start now.

If I was to give 5 stars reviews away like candy on Halloween Night my reviews would be worthless, so I don’t. The kind of books I tend to read have to be highly-original and catch my imagination as soon as I read the opening page. I’ve just finished reading The Last House on Needless Street. This book caught my eye after I read a comment about it by a horror book reviewer on their blog. They said it was the best book they had read in a long time so I hunted it out.

The book, The Last House on Needless Street has had some amazing review by quite a few famous authors, and has won awards too. I’m never blindsided by this. In my early twenties I read quite a few books I had borrowed off my ex-husband’s parents. They were avid readers. Most of the books they read were award winning books and included some booker prize for fiction winners, too. These books I found heavy going so I decided it was all down to personal taste, and I would only read books with stories that interested me. In a bookshop, I would read the back blurb and opening paragraph before purchasing. If these caught my attention, I would buy it.

The Last House on Needless Street is a four stars book for me. It’s a cleverly written book with a set of amazing characters, with plenty of twists and turns. BUT, there were things I didn’t like. I skipped a few pages here and there because some of the characters repeated information they had already told the reader. I understood that it was the nature of the characters, but it became annoying for me as it took the reader away from the main storyline. The end of the story, where it all became clear to the reader, was a bit fragmented and continued beyond the conclusion which I felt was unnecessary for me. As I said it was all about personal taste.

If you read the reviews for The Last House it has a wide range of comments. This is normal for any well received book. It doesn’t mean the book is bad or good, it’s all down to the readers’ taste and opinions and whether the book is selling well.

If you decide after reading my blog post that you would like me to read and review your book, you have to be aware my review will be an honest one, and I will only read books that spark my imagination. I only have time to read a very few books as my time is taken up with writing. On my kindle I have quite a few books waiting to be read, too.

Happy Reading, Everyone

So Where Do You Get Your Ideas From?

At the weekend I was asked the question most dreaded by all writers and authors… Where do you get your ideas from?

My husband and I were regulars at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival. Whenever it came to the question and answer segment at the end of the talk someone in the audience would always stand up and ask “Where do you get your ideas from?” It would cause all the writers on the discussion panel to roll their eyes towards the heavens. This question of ideas, along with the other most asked questions, When did you start writing? and Did you always want to be a writer? never got the discussion panel of writers excited.

As I sit here editing my latest horror novella ‘Never Reaching The End’ I realise the answer I should have given was, I don’t have a single idea when I start writing, but a series of ideas. What all writers start with is deciding upon a theme to their idea. i.e. is my tale one of Horror, Romance, Historical, Crime, etc.

You begin with a question: what is the theme of my writing project? Who is my main character? and then you begin to ask yourself a series of what if questions that begin to spark another idea until you have built the first draft of your tale.

When I started writing ‘Never Reaching The End’ it was to be a short story for Black Hare Press Horror House Theme anthology. I decided to take the classic tale of a haunted house and turn it on its head by misleading the reader in one direction. As I’m editing the novella new ideas are coming to me all the time. As you add more information about why the character is behaving in a certain way, creating your settings, and dealing with the emotional relationships between the characters, and how the setting is feeding into the characters growing problems, new ideas develop along the way. After reading through the manuscript, I sometimes find that certain areas may need more clarity. By building more tension into a scene by adding more horror, ( or romance, and facts according to whichever theme you’re writing) to each scene, this can also lead to other ideas which may strengthen the plot.

So in answer to the question… Where do you get your ideas from? My answer should have been quite simply. The ideas find me rather than me trying to explain where the idea for each book I’ve written so far came from, and seeing a vacant look cross the questioner’s face as they were expecting a simple, straightforward answer.

Here’s a video of the award winning writer, Neil Gaiman explaining about ideas, and how all writers come up with a novel answer to that most dreaded question of Where Ideas come from?

A Ghost In The Family

When we think of cruelty, we must try to remember the stupidity, the envy, the frustration from which it has arisen.by Edith Sitwell (2011). “Taken Care Of: An Autobiography”, p.172, A&C Black

It’s crazy what you can find out on the internet. There I was writing about another ancestor of mine who was linked to Cpt, James Cook when I thought I would check out another ancestor who worked as a butler for the famous family of Sir George Revesby Sitwell of Renishaw hall, Derbyshire. Henry Moat apparently is now a ghost in one of the Sitwell’s grand houses. This is odd as he died in Whitby, North Yorkshire and is buried in his family grave in the cemetery there.

John Singer Sargent’s painting of Sitwell Family

The Sitwell family were made up of three siblings, the oldest being Dame Edith Louisa Sitwell DBE (7 September 1887 – 9 December 1964) who was a British poet and critic. Next, Sir Francis Osbert Sacheverell Sitwell, 5th Baronet (6 December 1892 – 4 May 1969) was an English writer and wrote about his family in two volumes Left Hand, Right Hand! and The Scarlet Tree. and Sir Sacheverell Reresby Sitwell, 6th Baronet CH (15 November 1897 – 1 October 1988) was an English writer, best known as an art critic, music critic (his books on Mozart, Liszt, and Domenico Scarlatti are still consulted), and writer on architecture. They were the children of Sir George Sitwell 4th Baronet, of Renishaw Hall and their mother was Lady Ida Emily Augusta (née Denison), a daughter of William Denison 1st Earl of Lonesborough  and a granddaughter of Henry Somerset 7th Duke Beaufort through whom she was descended from the Plantagenets in the female line. The Sitwell family roots were from Scarborough, North Yorkshire. Together, the three siblings became well-known in the literary and artistic circles in London between 1916 to 1930.

In Osbert’s books he wrote in great details about the type of person Henry Moat was as he shared many stories about him. He describes him as being in a good mood and having a liking for gaiety and late hours, but he also loved the early morning, too. When Henry walked he swung his arms as though taking part in a state procession of some sort. He always wore a bowler hat, with its large, impressive black dome. He walked with a slight nautical roll, and by his figure no less than his gait, it was plain that he wasn’t growing any thinner. He weighed sixteen stone, and it was increasing as the result of Henry’s enjoyment of Italian fare and the red wine that accompanied it.

I feel the siblings were drawn to Henry as he was much more than just a butler in their eyes, more of some sort of parent figure as both Edith and Osbert wrote about the difficult relationship they had with their own parents. Edith reacted badly to her eccentric, unloving parents and lived much of her life with her governess.

Henry Moat

According to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography: Moat, Henry 1871-1940 by Philip Carter. Henry claimed the Moats were descended from a family of Italian jet cutters the Moatti who arrived in England in the late sixteenth century. This isn’t true. The Mowat were in fact Scottish. All the research that I’ve done shows that they came originally from Wick, Caithness, Scotland. Like my name of Readman which was originally spelt without an A as the name is pronounced in Yorkshire as Redman, the Mowat might have dropped the letter W from the spelling of their surname. This might have been because of the Yorkshire accent pronouncing the name Mowat as Moat. In 1851 the census became far more detailed and surnames began to settle down to a single spelling. This was helped by the fact more people could read and write by this time.

Peter Mowat & Katharine’s son John was born in 1758 in Wick, Caithness, Scotland, and was a sailor. John then married Elizabeth Easton in Whitby, North Yorkshire. Their son, John Mo(w)at married Mary Re(a)dman (daughter of William & Sarah Brand) born 1785 in Whitby and had five children. Their youngest child was also John Moat, born 1827 and he married Jane Carter. It was their son, Henry Moat, born 1871 who went to work as a butler with the Sitwell Family.

A Thread within a Plot line.

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I don’t want to depress anyone by talking about health issues. This is more about me coming to terms with the changes getting older brings about and how I shall be dealing with it. This blog has always been about my writing journey, and will continue to be so, but at this point in my life, I’m going to take you with me on a detour. Of course, I won’t be going into graphic details and I would hate to scare you off. The horror of real life doesn’t match up to our fictional one. It’s funny how we can deal with Zombies, Demons and Vampires, but other people’s illnesses and bad health has us running for the hills.

I now have my hospital appointment and I’m nervous as hell. My problem isn’t life-threatening and a lot of women suffer terribly with the problem. Many at quite a young age too. I joined a Facebook Group (UK) where women share chats, advice and horror stories about their treatment, failed operations, etc. It has been a huge eye-opener for me, and I’m amazed it isn’t headline news after reading the awful experiences some women have to deal with every day. Having lived a healthy life the thought of having an operation frightens me, but until I know how serious my situation is I’m focusing on my writing and exercising madly too. I’m hoping by reducing my weight and toning muscles it might help to reduce my need to have surgery.

After the Garage Sale at the weekend, I’ve found, much to my delight that both of my novels have had sales on them via Amazon. So my advertising has had an added bonus. My new novella is going well, too and I’m hoping to have it finished before my hospital appointment as I’m wanting something positive to look forward, too. I’m over halfway now, and editing as I work my way through changing what was once a short story into a novella. I think it’s a much stronger plot now as I’m able to enlarge on the different scenes within the tale.

Once I’ve completed the novella, Never Reaching The End I’ll be back working on the Granny Wenlock novel. This will take me at least six months to complete. Once I hit the first 10k word mark, I find writing so much easier, because you’re into the flow of the piece, and start to feel the plotline is finally on track.

Have a great weekend and look after yourself.

Keep Safe.

Garage Sale Leads To Book Sales

Life does not come to us in lifetimes, comes only a day at a time.Anonymous.

Yesterday morning while out walking I collected up all the Silver End Garage Sale signs my husband and I had put up to let people know they had arrived in our village for the weekend event I had organised. Before the pandemic hit us we had organised one before. From that experience we learnt from the feedback we had received where our weaknesses were to help us improve things for the visitors to our village. one of the things we learnt was some people didn’t know they had arrived in Silver End as the main road takes you in and out of the village before you realise it. One gentleman said, there wasn’t any signs in the village to let visitors know the garage sale was on, so we posted a few at all the main routes into the village. The trouble is, in today’s world, we rely too much on the internet without realising there’s also needs to be a physical presence in the real world too. Also not everyone has an internet connection, or even uses it.

After my husband had set up all the tables on our drive, we put up a banner saying Garage Sale Here. I then tacked a map and the addresses of the other sellers in the village to our fence. Once I had put the map up I had a brainstorm that I needed a poster advertising my books were available here too. I dashed upstairs to quickly make one. I used a programme template on my computer which came together easily. It surprised me as it normally takes ages to get things looking so good.

Soon my family and our neighbours, from cross the road, join us and quickly set up their stalls. It all became rather busy as the buyers started arriving too. I’m very pleased with how well my book promoting went as I got to speak to such lovely readers, especially Sarah G, who came with her husband to meet me.

Sarah G

Sarah told me she had been following my writing journey online, and wanted to meet me in person. It took my breath away and I had to choke back tears. That wasn’t something I was expecting to happen to me. The reaction I’ve had to my writing has been amazing and still shocks me. One lady, Mandy B told me she has read all my books and enjoyed Seeking the Dark best of all. “I’m sorry but I borrowed it from the library and didn’t buy it.” she said.

“That’s okay,” I reassured her, “I’ll still receive a payment every time someone borrows one of my book from the library. It isn’t a lot, but it’s a payment. So I’m very pleased.”

Mandy then asked me if there’s going to be a sequel to Seeking the Dark. I had to explain that I did have part of a follow-on sitting on my computer, but I was busy working on two other books at the moment. It’s a project for the future. Seeking the Dark is very much a standalone novel that does have the feel that there could be a follow-on.

In total, I sold ten books. It was five more than last time. The next village garage sale is in May 2022 so hopefully by then I will have add another book to my collection, and have a few more buyers dropping by, too. It’s amazing to meet the readers and hear in person how much they have enjoyed reading your work.

One very happy writer,

In The Garden, a Messenger Warning of Impending Disaster

A brave old house! A garden full of bees, Large drooping poppies, and queen holly-hocks with butterflies for crowns - tree peonies, and pinks and goldilocks.from A Garden Full Of Bees by Jean Ingelow (17 March 1820 – 20 July 1897) was an English poet and novelist,

Today while I was busy in the garden I was surprised to see not just one Brimstone butterfly but two. I quickly dashed indoors to grab my camera. On returning I was disappointed to see them flutter over the hedge into next door’s garden. After putting my camera back indoors I went back to cutting the grass. To my delight one of them returned. I dashed back indoors again for my camera and was rewarded with not just a snap of the Brimstone, but a video, too. Later on, I was glad I kept my camera to hand when I spotted a dragonfly in the vegetable plot.

In the evening I read up on Brimstone butterflies and discovered that this beautiful creature is reliant on only two food sources for its survival. In today’s world, we humans need to stop focusing on just our own wants and needs but look at the bigger picture. There’s a delicate balance in the natural world as many if not all life is interlinked in some way. If we are to survive, we need to make sure we provide green corridors which allows species to move freely across the countryside. This shouldn’t just happen locally but across the whole planet so the natural world can continue its cycle of life, while keeping the balance we all need to give us life on planet Earth.

Brimstone

Brimstone: This butterfly is a powerful flyer and a great wanderer. The males are often seen in urban areas though it is normally found on the margins of woodland, along hedgerows and scrubby areas and thickets. Brimstone is the old word for sulphur which is yellow, and the actual word butterfly is said to come from the Anglo-Saxon name, bottor-fleoge, because of the male Brimstone’s colour resembling that of butter. The female Brimstone is very pale green, almost white, unlike the males who have yellow-green underwings and yellow upper-wings. They are our longest living butterflies at eleven months old and normally dies shortly after egg-laying is completed. Though some will survive hibernation, during cold weather, among evergreen leaves such as ivy. The Brimstone caterpillars, which are green in colour, relies on only two food plants, the buckthorn and alder buckthorn. In country lore brimstone are credited with the power to look into the future, and act as messengers, ominously warning of impending disaster.

Brimstone

Purging buckthorn: (rhamnus catharticus) It was once used as a purgative (having a strongly laxative effect), which was thought to help rid the body of illness and disease. Another name for this shrub was crossthorn as the short shoots occur opposite each other, forming a cross. This was thought to provide protection against witchcraft and evil. The wood of this shrub was widely used during Iron age Britain and was cut and used with other woods to create charcoal for smelting.

Alder buckthorn: (Frangula alnus) Like purging buckthorn, the alder buckthorn was used as a laxative but it has many other roles too. From explosives to dyestuffs and butchery. The charcoal from its wood is slow burning so an ideal ingredient for gunpower and making fuses. In creating natural dyes, from the bark of the alder buckthorn shades of yellows or browns were made, while from the berries came green or bluish-grey dyes. Butchers used to favour its hard, easily sharpened wood to make skewers. Once again this shrubby little tree has the power to protect against witchcraft, demons, poisons and headaches.