Janice Horton's Blog, page 36

A Scottish Castle Birthday...

I've had the most fabulous week and so I wanted to share it with you. You see, it was my birthday yesterday - and no, I'm not going to tell you which one - but I was spoilt rotton by my lovely friends at a dinner party last Saturday. We had lots of laughs, plenty of food, and the wine and whisky flowed freely. Sunday, as you can imagine, was a quiet day in comparison. Then, as if that wasn't enough, the lovely Mr JH whisked me away for the evening of my actual birthday - yesterday - to a Scottish Castle. It was so lovely that it could have come straight out of one of my own romance novels!
Barony Castle near Peebles in the Scottish BordersUntil we arrived at Barony Castle, I hadn't known which Scottish castle we were going to be staying at - as the lovely Mr JH had managed to keep our actual destination a secret from me. But our friends all knew, of course, and had naughily suggested that I might just be staying over the hill from our cottage - at the ruined Morton Castle - in a tent (shudder) and for all I knew they could have been right!
The ruins of Morton Castle near Thornhill Dumfriesshire
To my relief, we set off yesterday morning with our overnight bags and headed north, and the sun was shining as we headed for Edinburgh and I presumed - quite wrongly as it turned out - The Highlands. Soon however, we were driving through a blizzard of sideways snow and then we got rain and hailstones before the sunshine returned again. They do say, if you don't like the weather in Scotland you should just wait a minute and it will change!
On the way to my suprise birthday castle, we stopped off at a fabulous restaurant in Eddleston, just outside Peebles, called The Horseshoe Inn for lunch. The setting and the food here really is outstanding - a real fine dining experience - and we got a warm welcome from owner Mr Alahakoon.
Then, on my return home today, I discovered dozens of birthday greetings on my Facebook page and a 'Sunshine Award' from my lovely friend Rosemary Gemmell who blogs over at Reading and Writing blog. I really do have lovely friends and I so appreciate all your messages.

To finish off what has been an amazing week, I was excited and delighted to received a FIVE out of FIVE STAR review from Carol at Dizzy C's Little Book Blog for my latest novel 'Reaching for the Stars'. You can read Carol's review by clicking the link below:
Dizzy C's Little Book Blog
So, it's been a great week and with birthdays like this I really don't mind getting a year older!Until next week... Love, Janice xx

Location, Location, Location…

Readers of my books will know that I have always chosen Scotland as a prime location for my romantic novels. Bagpipes & Bullshot has a prologue set in Texas USA but the main setting for the story is in South West Scotland. Reaching for the Stars is set in both Edinburgh and in South West Scotland.
The main reason is because I happen to live in Scotland and feel constantly inspired by the incredible romantic beauty here. So much so that the locations in my books have become major characters in their own right. Characters in a novel need to have conflict of course - as without conflict there would be no story – and in Scotland there is plenty of it. Here, the soft rolling mists, the naturally diffused light, the ancient castles and old traditions are all traded off against the recognition of an incredibly harsh alter-ego of intensely dark winters, bitingly cold northern winds, midge-infested summers and the seemingly incessant rain.

Photo: View from St. Catherine's, Loch Fyne. By Trav Horton
So, readers, please share in the comment box which of your favourite books have locations that have become major characters in the story? I could site Scott F. Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Peter Mayle's Hotel Pastis, and of course Daphne du Maurier's Rebecca as great examples.
Writers, where do you like to set your books and do you like to keep to the same location for all your books? Some examples would be saga writers, who choose specific locations such as Liverpool or the East End of London, or authors who choose a period of time to write about, such as war years.
Don't forget you can follow and tweet me on Twitter @JaniceHorton
And on my Author Facebook Page you'll find links to all my latest books, news, reviews and interviews. What's not to 'like' - go on go on go on..? Thanks!

Author Showcase - Kathryn Brown

Kathryn Brown is an author who runs a sheep and arable farm in Northumberland. Her debut novel, 'Discovery at Rosehill' is a paranormal romance set in the Scottish Borders. Kathryn is one of thirty hand picked authors on the innovative reader/writer website Loveahappyending.com. She is currently on blog tour and you can also find her at her own popular Crystal Jigsaw blog.
Kathryn, tell us a little more about your writing and your life as an Author.I very rarely go a day without writing something, whether it's a blog post or an article. Writing is my passion and something I wouldn't want to be without. I always knew I wanted to be an author but had no idea when it would happen. Determination took over as I began writing 'Discovery at Rosehill' and I decided no matter what I would publish the novel – and just for myself if I had to. Being an author is incredibly rewarding but it is hard work, especially when it comes to promotion. I have learned over the past twelve months that marketing a book is so much harder than actually writing it.
What inspires you to write paranormal stories?My main inspiration is my love for the spirit world. I am sensitive to spirit presence and have probably been so all my life, although it has become more apparent during the last twenty years. I am deeply fascinated with ghosts and spirit communication and I knew this would be the subject on which I would base my debut novel.
How do you research your novels?I spent about twelve months researching for 'Discovery at Rosehill'. I asked questions of Mediums and had readings which gave me a real sense of the work they do. But the main research came from my own experiences. I live in a very atmospheric Georgian farm house and my sensitivities have been heightened since moving in here nearly 11 years ago.
Tell us about your novel?'Discovery at Rosehill' is based partly on me and my home. Medium Camilla Armstrong is a strong character, albeit a loner. Communicating regularly with her deceased grandmother, she is led to Rosehill where she moves in and turns the house into the grand residence it once was. But over the years, Rosehill has held many dark secrets and it soon becomes clear to Camilla why her grandmother introduced her to the house in the first place. Camilla makes discoveries about her past and her ancestors, and realises there is more to her life than that of a lonely medium living alone. When she opens her door to the village reverend, she is determined to find love and accept him into her life, even though their spiritual differences post a real threat to any relationship they may have. A third party is introduced to the story in the form of Ross, an old flame of Camilla's, and someone she still has strong feelings for. As the plot starts to unfold, Camilla discovers the secrets at Rosehill don't just live within its walls but also surround the vicar, too. Now on a mission to get to the bottom of what is going on, Camilla eventually works out the truth as her communication with the spirits becomes more intense.

Links:Buy 'Discovery at Rosehill' in paperback or for Kindle at Amazon UK or Amazon.comKathryn's Page at: Loveahappyending.com Kathryn's Blog: http://www.crystaljigsaw.blogspot.comParanormal Blog: http://www.marvellousmable.blogspot.com
Twitter A/c @CrystalJigsaw: http://www.twitter.com/CrystalJigsaw
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/CrystalJigsaw

The Perfect Book Title...

Last week's post  'Arresting the Reader'– a masterclass in opening lines - resulted in a variety of wonderful responses and examples here on the blog and prompted an interesting discussion on Twitter. One tweep (twitter user for those who are not familiar with Twitter jargon) quipped that he thought all his readers should be arrested - and I had a giggle at that one - so thank you to @himupnorth!
Another writer tweep said that after reading the post, she had 'revisited her opener' and having taken on board the advice to get a sense of mood, tone, content and place in those first few sentences, now felt 'really proud' of her opening lines. Fantastic!
This week, I have been asked as a result of a writer's title crisis to do a post on book titles. This is a subject I also need to explore for my current unnamed WIP (work in progress) and one I covered early last year when I first started blogging and writing 'Reaching for the Stars'. As many of you may not have read this post before and others may appreciate the refresher - I am therefore reposting it below.

Do you decide upon the title of your novel first and write the story to suit or do you finish the manuscript and choose a title afterwards?   With me, the title usually 'pops' into my head while I'm pondering the theme, the premise and the characters, then it is fixed. I just can't help myself. Of course, it might not be a good idea to get too attached to it if you have a publisher, as I know lots of writers who thought they had the perfect title, only for it to be changed later. Famously, Jilly Cooper's latest blockbuster ' Jump ' had a working title of 'Village Horse' during the four years she was writing it.
So what makes a good title? Well, surely it has to be the minimum number of words that sum up the feel of the book. If you can relate genre, setting, time period and premise, as well as attracting attention to the cover, then you have to be backing a winner.
I had an interesting time on Better Book Titles today - it's a website that features recognisable book covers of bestsellers and classics and updates them with a twist - giving a much more descriptive title. You can also now follow this site on Twitter at @betterbooktitle. The site is run by Dan Wilbur and he aims to give you the meat of the story in one condensed image. Great fun!
My advice if you are struggling to name your magnum opus would be to think about what you want the title to convey and to make notes, jotting adjectives, verbs and nouns, which can be associated with the story. Use a thesaurus and refer to a reverse dictionary - a reverse dictionary allows you describe a concept and get a backlist of words which have definitions conceptually similar to the words you search with - a good place to find a reverse dictionary is www.onelook.com
Next I would suggest giving yourself some time and space to process your ideas and to allow your subconscious to work. Then, when you have a title or a selection of title ideas to work with, go to Amazon and look up other books with titles that are similar or the same - noting in particular the ones in the same genre as your work. Originality is always best but remember that there are no laws of copyright on titles.
If you are deliberately trying to be controversial with your choice - or simply like to be a little different - then don't be surprised if you find yourself shortlisted for next year's Oddest Book Title Of The Year Award. This year's worthy winner, as announced recently by the Bookseller magazine, was an inspirational guide: Managing a Dental Practice:The Genghis Khan Way   
Writers - do tell us how you came up with the title of your book and at what stage in the writing process you did it...?

Readers - what makes it a perfect book title for you...?
All comments and tweets appreciated. Love, Janice xx @JaniceHorton

Arresting Your Reader…

A couple of years ago, I attended a writing masterclass hosted by the fabulous Diane Pearson, acclaimed author and recently retired President of the Romantic Novelist's Association. Diane was also Senior Editor for Transworld Publishers where she edited - among many illustrious others - the wonderful Jilly Cooper and, in 1994, she won the British Book Award for Editor of the Year.
The subject of the workshop was getting the opening lines of your novel exactly right in order to immediately arrest the attention of your reader. I learned so much from Diane on that day about opening lines that I now work hard to make sure the start of my novels adhere to her wise words.
I learned that ideally the first lines should indicate the mood, tone and content of the book, as well as setting the time and place. Controversially perhaps, it was suggested that dialogue should be avoided in the first paragraph, as it makes it difficult to capture period and place quickly. To see how this is done effectively, I suggest we look at the one of the most powerful, most recognised opening lines in all of literature, that of Daphne du Maurier's novel 'Rebecca'.
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again. It seemed to me I stood by the iron gate leading to the drive, and for a while I could not enter, for the way was barred to me. There was a padlock and chain upon the gate. I called in my dream to the lodge-keeper, and had no answer, and peering closer through the rusted spokes of the gate I saw that the lodge was uninhabited."   Using Diane's advice, I tried to use this principle of mood, tone, content and sense of place with the opening lines of my own novel 'Bagpipes & Bullshot'. To my delight, she read out my work in class that day as an approved example!
"When the Greyhound bus pulled over in Baytown Texas, Innes Buchanan stepped off. He dropped his tartan backpack and bagpipes onto the boardwalk and inhaled deeply, feasting his eyes on the shimmering white sands and glittering blue waters of the Gulf of Mexico."
So writers, let's get to work on our own opening lines – please do feel free to let me know how you are getting along by leaving a comment.
And readers, what are you reading right now? Why not flip back to the opening few lines of the novel you are reading and let us know if you get a sense of mood, tone, content and sense of place from those first few sentences?
Love, Janice xx

Author Showcase – Richard Holmes

Richard Holmes lives in Tetbury, Gloucestershire. He has worked as a medium for over ten years with over six hundred public demonstrations of clairvoyance under his belt. He runs workshops in various spiritual topics, gives private consultations for guidance along life's pathway and also tutors on a one-to-one basis in meditation and spiritual awareness. He is a Reiki healer, psychic surgeon, spiritually inspired artist and he gives profound interpretations of dreams. He is also one of thirty hand-picked authors on the innovative reader/writer website loveahappyending.com and is the author of spiritual guidance books Astral Travelling, The Avatar and Me and Angelic Wisdom Trilogy.  

In his guest post, Richard talks about the spiritualism in his writing and gives an example of why he feels the entire human race is one whole inter-connected family.
Living Proof That The Spirit Has No Boundaries
In 1995 I was in a very dark place; I'd been suffering from depression for years but had no idea. I was also in a dead-end and brain numbingly boring job, working for the Royal Mail in Swindon, Wiltshire. I desperately wanted to break free of my humdrum existence and decided to pursue something completely different and creative. I had always been a big fan of rock and blues music and like many, played a mean ham-fisted guitar. My guitars were my pride and joy and I decided I was going to become a full-time student at New College in Swindon on their BTEC "Popular Music" course. It was a huge decision; it meant giving up full time employment and struggling by on casual jobs, such as washing pots and bar work; but I decided that I really needed the adventure. A while before the course was due to start, the college informed me they were not running the popular music course, but offered me "BTEC Performing Arts" as an alternative. I'm glad I decided to take them up on their offer because in no time at all after the onset of the course, I realised that I was not a very good guitarist after all, in fact I was just short of mediocre. I was 40 years old and attending a sixth form college, and there were kids of 16 playing guitar like Jimi Hendrix. But out of the darkness there came a light. I may have been a rubbish musician, but I found a flair for acting that I didn't know I had; and little did I know at the time that it would be my experience on stage, both as a member of a theatre company and as a solo performer, that would prepare me for my work as a medium in the future. Anyway, I digress; this story is not meant to be about me, but I did need to paint a picture for you.

Around about Christmas time in 1995 two young students at New College (whom I didn't know) decided they were going to race their cars up Queens Drive in Swindon on their way home. One of them tried to overtake on the inside lane and lost control of his vehicle. He mounted the grass verge and continued onto the pavement. Another young student, walking home, took the full impact of the car and was rammed into a wall. The wall was demolished and the young man departed this Earth there and then. I didn't know the young man; indeed I only heard about the incident from the other students in my group and ascertained that his name was Mark.
Even though I didn't know Mark, and if he were to stand before me now I would not know that it was him, I was really struck by how deeply his passing affected the kids in my group. Seeing how touched they were, in turn, touched me. So much so that in January 1996 I was prompted from within to write a poem that I simply called "Mark". I came into college one day and read the poem out and showed it around. Many were touched by it and news of the poem reached Mark's parents who, via the grapevine, requested a copy. Back then, computers were very much alien to me and I had written the poem by hand. I was very pleased that news of my work had reached Mark's parents and even more pleased that they requested a copy; so it was with great joy that I hand-wrote them another. The poem was not a piece of literary genius; in fact it was a very, very simple piece of writing. But its power was in its simplicity.
Now to the whole point of this article. It is difficult for many to understand that the entire human race is one whole inter-connected family. Human logic does tend to equate with the physical form and the boundaries and limitations imposed by our much tormented minds. But to me this incident proves that time, space and physical presence are of no consequence to the Divine Spirit that is our deepest and highest truth. I never knew Mark at all, but I was touched deeply within my heart; his parents never knew me (and still don't) but they were touched deeply in their hearts. It wasn't our physical forms that had an impact on our respective lives; it was our very souls reaching out to each other across time and space.
MARK Gather your thoughts as you read these words
A friend has departed, the emotions are stirred
As he winds his way up to Heaven above
We think of him and extend our love
He's happy now we surely know
But it broke our hearts to see him go
A far-away land, a pasture green
The most beautiful place you've ever seen
We shall meet you again when our time is done
In that beautiful place with the never setting sun
The flame of your memory Burns deep in our soul
And shall burn eternal 'till the hills cease to roll
So think of us Mark from your beautiful place
And send us a postcard of your smiling face
Richard Holmes – January 1996



Author's website: http://www.richardfholmes.co.uk/
Author's Blog: http://richardfholmes.wordpress.com/
Twitter A/c @atmicsplendour: http://bit.ly/kuyNKf Books on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Richard-Holmes/e/B004TL50JM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_pop_2 Books on Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Richard-Holmes/e/B004TL50JM/ref=ntt_athr_dp_pel_1

What's in a Name…?

I often start a new book with a fully formed character in my mind - who comes with a name – a name that suits him or her so well that they couldn't possibly be called anything else. Finn McDuff of Reaching for the Stars arrived in such a way and so did Orley MacKenna of Bagpipes & Bullshot - even my own three children arrived into this world with their names already decided upon - but this time I'm not entirely sure I have exactly the right names for my hero and heroine..!
How important is a name?
Well, I think names are very important because they immediately conjure up images and character traits and so I believe it's worth spending some time and research to get them right. Especially for your main characters. I mean, how many actors and musicians have changed their given names to something more in keeping with a strong image? Famously, there is Elton John, who might not have made it with the name Reginald Dwight. Then there is current pop siren Katy Perry – who is actually Kathryn Hudson in real life – but then there is already a famous actress called Kate Hudson, isn't there?
Surnames are as equally important. They should be strong and not silly. They have to resonate rather than clash with the first name and, personally, I would avoid names so unusual in either pronunciation or spelling that they run the risk of taking the reader out of the story. Surnames can state nationality. They can even suggest if a character belongs to the upper, middle, or lower classes – before they open their mouths.
How do we find the right name?
Twitter: I threw out this question last week here on this blog and on Twitter in preparation for writing this post and received some great suggestions. @MrsPogleswood – Luke or Luker and Alex (female). @BookstoRemember – Andrew and Tayra. @SallyHepworth – Patrick and Eloise.

Here on the blog: Louise Graham suggest Cheryl and Richard. Old Kitty favours Angelina and Aiden. Cassam likes Abi for a heroine and Ross or Garth for a hero. Valentina (whose name I love!) offered Olivia and Matt.
So do keep the name suggestions coming in - either in the comment box below or on Twitter (I'm @JaniceHorton)
A great piece of advice came in from @Rodney_Willett on Twitter. Rodney is the lovely husband of acclaimed novelist Marcia Willett. He says: "it doesn't matter – just call them anything to start with - then one day you will realise that Jane is really Sarah and Dominic wants to be Andrew."
Research: I think television programs are a great source of name ideas and don't forget the goldmine that is the credit list at the end of movies. The internet lists currently popular names and baby name books or listings are also worth checking. I like the idea of finding names with meanings: for example Gareth means 'firm spear' and Lachlan 'warlike' – so these guys would be tough and manly in any book!
Next Friday: having settled on a couple of names, we'll be considering book titles and I'll be hosting a mini-writing-workshop looking at writing the opening paragraph. Do let me know if you are starting a new book right now too – or if you are thinking about it…?
In addition to my regular Friday posts (which often appear on Thursday evenings!) I have decided to host my Author Showcase posts additionally on occasions as there are so many writers out there whom I feel deserve to be showcased and supported.
So, pop back on Saturday 4th February to meet Richard Holmes, author of Angelic Wisdom Trilogy. Richard is a Medium, a Reiki healer, a psychic surgeon, a spiritually inspired artist and interpreter of dreams.
Janice xx

The Blank Page...

I've been away for a couple of weeks but now that I'm back - I'm excited to tell you that I'm just about to embark on a new and longer journey - I'm about to face the blank page once again and start writing a new novel!
So, my dear friends, do you think you might be interested in popping back here every Friday over this next year to travel with me on this exciting new novel journey? Do you want to find out exactly what it takes to write and publish a novel from start to finish? Perhaps, if you are a reader, you've always wanted to write a book yourself?
My first book was traditionally published in paperback but I have since gone on to self-publish my second and third novels as e-books. These have gone on to be bestsellers on Amazon's Top 100 lists and are currently selling well all over the world. Would YOU like to get involved in following the progress of Book Number Four? Over the next weeks and months I'll be discussing the ups and downs of my writing and regularly seeking out your opinions and advice from right here on this blog. Then, later on in the year, we can discuss matters such as editing, formatting and cover design, and everything else that takes us from an idea to a finished book.
So far, I've done the extensive research that I advocate as the best way to 'know my characters' and I have two such people now firmly embedded into my head. I'm not entirely settled on their names yet, but one is a hot-shot female lawyer, an eco-warrior and passionate green campaigner. In order to know this character better, I took a part time job in a solicitor's office. The other protagonist, and the love interest in the story, is an ambitious industrialist. As I have previously worked in the offices of a construction company, I felt I already had sufficient background research for this character, for now at least.
What now? Well, they will meet on page one and I think I'm going to open the first scene in his point of view (POV).
I've always been a bit of a 'pantser' - this means that unlike writers who prepare a carefully planned story outline - I just start to write and hope the ideas will pop into my head. It's a risky strategy. I mean, ideas can (and do!) dry up and this can put you right back to that intimidating first blank page. I suppose I have blind faith in that somehow, perhaps on a subconscious level, it will all come together in the end and that by allowing my characters to tell the story (rather than it being plot driven) it will emerge fresh, pacy and engaging. Well, that's what I'm hoping anyway!
Next week, I hope to have names for my first two characters. Do you have any suggestions? What do you think is fashionable right now and can you think of a name to suit my beautiful lady eco-lawyer and her handsome nemesis, the industrialist businessman? Perhaps we could have a poll and vote on the best name suggestions? As I don't have a title yet either - we might have to do the same for that too!
You will see from my sidebar that this blog has just been nominated for a Top Writer Blog Award. This is a huge honour as it comes from an educational website and if you have a moment to spare I'd love you to consider voting for me. Your support would be greatly appreciated. No signing up necessary - just a click through from the sidebar button to the nominee list and press the Vote button. Thank you!
See you next week…? Janice xx
Did you know? I also have a fun and regularly updated Facebook Author Page - please visit me there too - for all my latest day to day news, reviews and interviews!

Author Showcase – Nancy Volkers

[image error] Nancy Volkers is an American writer and when I heard she was on tour promoting her new book 'Scotland by Starlight' I jumped at the chance to ask Nancy a few questions about her life, her writing, and why from so many thousands of miles away, she chooses to set her novels in Scotland?
Tell us a little about yourself Nancy and about your life as an author.I'm a 40-something mom of two who grew up in Western New York in a very small town. I started writing stories when I was about five years old. In addition to novels and short stories, I've written nonfiction articles, poems and plays, and am working on a screenplay. I have degrees in biology and communications, and in "real life" I write and edit medical information and manage websites. Besides writing, I like reading, running, kayaking, skiing, hiking, multiple crafty pursuits (quilting, sewing, knitting), and am starting to get into cooking. I don't like tomatoes, hot weather, littering, closed-mindedness or dusting.
A Scottish Ferry Tale was the first novel I completed. I had some external pressure from joining National Novel Writing Month, a contest that takes place each November. I wrote much of Ferry Tale during November 2008. I had absolutely NO time to do such a thing – my kids were 6 and 3 years old, and I was working a full-time job, a part-time job and doing all the other things you do to get through daily life. And yet I found the time… which reinforces the idea that time is relative. If you want to do something badly enough, you'll find the time to do it!
As an American writer what has inspired you to set your novels in Scotland?I wanted to send Cassie on a journey to a new place, both literally and figuratively. Travel forces you to see things differently, and she was at a place in her life where she needed that. I chose Scotland because I'd been there before, and it seemed like the kind of place where magical things happen.
How do you research and how much time do you put into researching your novels?I put a lot of time into researching – the theatre, Scotland itself, the language, the people and the customs. I wanted my novels to be factually correct as much as possible – Coll is an actual island, for example, and it really is 13 miles long, and there really are standing stones there. The food that's discussed in the novels is legitimate Scottish food. And the legend that Ralph recounts about the dog-sized cats that may or may not roam the Isle of Mull is also based on an ancient Scottish legend.
For the most part I used the Internet to research, but I did pick up a few books on Scottish clans and customs. The clan names and mottoes at the beginning of each chapter in Scotland by Starlight are factual, to the best of my knowledge anyway!
Tell us about your new novel - Scotland by Starlight.Scotland by Starlight is a sequel to A Scottish Ferry Tale… and it does help to have read the first novel, although you don't necessarily need to. Scotland by Starlight is an account of Cassie and Ralph's lives after Cassie makes the decision to move to Scotland. I read a review that said "a lot of things happened in this novel, but nothing really happened" – that made me laugh. That's sort of what I was going for. There are no huge conflicts resolved, and no character goes through major changes. The book is more of a window into Cassie and Ralph's lives, as well as the lives of Leslie, Rose, Jamie, Saoirse, and other characters introduced in A Scottish Ferry Tale. I had great fun writing Scotland by Starlight and I think it's a "chunkier" book with more going on, whereas Ferry Tale is more straight-up romance, focusing almost exclusively on Cassie and Ralph.
The epilogue to Scotland by Starlight upset quite a few people. But I can't apologize for it. I sat down one day and began writing in Ralph's voice, and went with what he was saying. To me, the epilogue is Links:
Visit Nancy's website!
Visit Nancy's GoodReads page!
Follow Nancy on Twitter!
Buy the book:Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com Smashwords [image error]

Next week I'll be back from my writerly retreat and I'll be chatting about the process of starting a new novel – facing that blank page and either following a carefully constructed plan or flying by the seat of your pants. As I'm a pantser myself I'll let you know exactly how I got on. See you next Friday!
Janice xx

Author Showcase – Sue Johnson

I'm delighted to introduce you to Sue Johnson, a wonderful and talented writer whom I'm known for several years through the Romantic Novelist's Association and now as Associates at the innovative reader/writer website Loveahappyending.
Sue was born in Kent and has had a variety of jobs during her working life including training administrator, vicar's secretary, cinema usherette and running her own patchwork quilt-making business. She is now a writer, artist and musician and most of her work is inspired by the stunning Worcestershire countryside where she currently lives. She is a Writers' News Home Study Tutor and also runs her own brand of writing courses.
Her short stories have appeared in Woman, My Weekly, Woman's Weekly, Chat: it's fate, Take a Break, The People's Friend and That's Life – Australia. She is published as a poet – including a joint collection with her partner Bob Woodroofe entitled 'Tales of Trees.'
Sue has produced four booklets and two CDs in her 'Writer's Toolkit' series, designed to help writers of all levels of ability. Her first novel 'Fable's Fortune' was published by Indigo Dreams in August 2011. 'Creative Alchemy: 12 steps from inspiration to finished novel' was published by HotHive in October 2011.

FABLE'S FORTUNE is a modern romance built on a fairytale structure. The back cover blurb reads: Fable Mitchell is born under a roof of stars in a Kentish plum orchard, and her early childhood is spent in a house called 'Starlight' where she lives with her mother Jasmine and Gangan the Wise Woman. However, her life is not destined to remain like a fairytale. When she is ten, she is abducted by her estranged father Derek, now a vicar, and taken to live in his austere vicarage at Isbourne on the banks of the River Avon. Fable is unable to escape. When she is sixteen, she falls in love with Tobias Latimer but he dies in mysterious circumstances and Fable's happiness is once again snatched away from her. She tries to rebuild her life and marries Tony Lucas because she thinks the omens are right. Fable soon realises he is abusive and controlling, but is trapped because she fears losing contact with her daughter. Nearing her 40th birthday, Fable hears Gangan the Wise Woman's voice telling her to 'be ready' – magic happens.' That is certainly true, but does Fable have the necessary courage to finally seize her chance of lasting happiness?
The story (originally called 'Star Dragon') began life in 1998 following my own marriage break-up and divorce. I didn't do any planning and completed 85,000 words in less than two months. It was extremely therapeutic and helped me get through a stressful time without needing tranquillisers or taking to drink!
Having finished what was a very scrappy first draft (I didn't really know what I was doing!) I put it on one side for several years while I went back to University to do a creative writing course. During that time, I wrote a lot of poetry and short stories – many of which were published in women's magazines. I was taken on by the agency Midland Exposure who sold short fiction to women's magazines.
When I eventually went back to the novel (in about 2002) my ideas about the story and characters had moved on. The story had never left me in all the time I'd been away from it – bits kept playing like a film inside my head. Helped by a severe attack of vertigo, I reworked the story (now called 'Cloak of Stars.')
By 2005, having written three more novels and failed to find a publisher, I joined the Romantic Novelists' Association New Writers' Scheme. I submitted 'Cloak of Stars' for a critique and was advised to take out the fairytale element.
I felt a bit despondent – but decided to have one more re-write. It was at that stage that my heroine, originally called Rose, decided that she didn't like her name! I searched through all the children's name books I could find + various internet sites, but found nothing.
In the end, I put my jacket on and walked into town, deciding to stop for a coffee at the first café I came to and the first woman's name I heard would be the one I went for. Two women wearing fur coats and carrying wicker baskets came in. As they took their coats off one of them said: "Of course, my daughter Fable…" I paid my bill and hurried back to my computer.
One thing I learned in the process of writing this book was that I needed to be persistent and ignore the negative things some people said. I wish I'd concentrated on finding a publisher rather than wasting time trying to get an agent – especially after one admitted, when I contacted her after a long time of being fobbed off by her assistant, that she'd 'buried my manuscript under a pile of other stuff and forgotten about it.' The first publisher that I sent the manuscript to after that episode was Ronnie Goodyer Indigo Dreams Publishing – and he said yes! He now has the complete manuscript of my second novel and I'm keeping everything crossed.
My advice to new writers is:1.         Write every day even if you only manage five minutes.2.         Get as much work in circulation as possible.3.         Create a writing C.V. – a publisher or agent may ask for one.4.         Reward yourself for the effort you put in.5.         Don't stop until you achieve your writing ambitions.
'Fable's Fortune' by Sue Johnson is published by Indigo Dreams Publishing (www.indigodreamsbookshop.com)
Copies of 'Creative Alchemy: 12 steps from inspiration to finished novel' published by HotHive Books are available direct from Sue as the publishers have gone into liquidation. Look out for special offers on www.writers-toolkit.co.uk/blogLinks: Sue Johnsonwww.writers-toolkit.co.ukwww.indigodreamsbookshop.com