Jane Killick's Blog, page 8
June 8, 2014
Fairy Nuff — My New Romantic Comedy Novel: Out Now!
Stuck in a fairy costume with magical powers, Julie “Nuff” Nuffield wishes for anything she wants. But when magic turns mischievous, a dishy doctor literally sweeps her off her feet — with a broom! — and a million pound coins trap her in her house, she must find a way out of the chaos. All while contemplating sleeping with her ex again. Sound unfair for a single woman battling through life? Or is it Fairy Nuff?
A fun story of one woman’s quest for love and search for the right wish to bring her happiness. A light-hearted romantic comedy from the author of If Wishes Were Husbands.
ebook: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Apple | Kobo | B&N
Paperback: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones | B&N | Book Depository (ships worldwide)
May 26, 2014
Why I Dropped My Pseudonym
I write chick lit and I am proud!
I’m coming out of the literary closet, I’m admitting it to the world, I’m putting my own name on the covers of my romantic comedy books. Yes, I am Elizabeth Kyne, she is me — but Elizabeth Kyne must die!
Logical
There was a reason I created her and it all seemed perfectly logical at the time. Lots of writers publish under a pseudonym and there are lots of good reasons for it. I was persuaded by the same reason that crime writer Ruth Rendell wrote a series of novels under the pseudonym Barbara Vine.
My first chick lit novel, originally published under the pseudonym Elizabeth Kyne
A reader could be sure when picking up a Ruth Rendell novel that they would have the experience of a compelling mystery, usually featuring Chief Inspector Wexford. But she also wanted to write more psychological novels without confusing her fans, and so she put them out under the pen name Barbara Vine.
Marketing people call this branding, and it worked very well for her. She ended up with two separate publishing careers, both of which were successful, and allowed her to write the sort of books she wanted to write.
I was in a similar boat. I was known for writing about science fiction. I had years of magazine articles about film and television SF in my background, as well as books about Babylon 5 and, more recently, Red Dwarf. But suddenly I had written a romantic comedy. That was a bit different. it didn’t fit with my ‘brand’ at all.
Besides, I knew I wasn’t leaving behind science fiction entirely. I wanted to return to the genre and write science fiction novels (my Perceivers series is out in 2015). The idea of a writer who was into both chick lit and science fiction was too confusing to readers, I was persuaded. What I needed was a pseudonym, a brand, to distinguish my romantic comedy from my SF. And so Elizabeth Kyne was born.
My popular short short story was originally published under the pseudonym Elizabeth Kyne
It was then I realised the problems of having a split identity. I needed two websites, two Facebook pages, two author biographies. When people asked about my novel, I had to explain that even though If Wishes Were Husbands had Elizabeth Kyne on the cover, I was the one who had written it. I would have to explain that I was using a pseudonym and then I would explain why.
What sounded like a good idea in theory turned out to be a bad idea in practice.
Readers are Smart
Then I heard another theory, one that I liked much better. Readers are smart, said the new theory. Readers themselves understand that just because they enjoy watching a period drama like Downton Abbey on a Sunday, doesn’t mean they’re not going to sit down and watch a James Bond thriller on Monday. They understand that writers, too, are people. Like readers, they have different interests and therefore are capable of writing different sorts of books.
As for branding, it’s not just about the author name. For example, it’s easy to tell what sort of book If Wishes Were Husbands is just by looking at the cover. The fact that it has the author name ‘Jane Killick’ written on the top shouldn’t lead to confusion.
My new novel (out June 2014). You can tell what sort of book it is, right?
It’s a bit like Iain Banks. Although a lover of science fiction, his first published book was The Wasp Factory, a mainstream book. When it came to publishing his SF, he included a middle initial and became Iain M Banks. However, I usually can’t remember which version of Iain Banks does mainstream and which version does SF. I just know, if it’s got a spaceship on the cover, it’s science fiction.
Now that all my books are being published through Windtree Press, and I have a new novel coming out, Fairy Nuff, it seemed the right time to ‘re-brand’. Elizabeth Kyne is coming off the cover of my books and my name, Jane Killick, is going on them.
Because I write chick lit and I am proud!
With thanks to Scott William Carter for his on giving up his pseudonym and for talking me through it last year.
May 20, 2014
I Ate David McCallum’s Salad
David McCallum moments before I ate his salad
Asked to come up with a strange fact about myself for this month’s Windtree Press newsletter (sign up here!), I remembered the time when I ate David McCallum’s salad.
Yes, the David McCallum. The actor David McCallum. The same David McCallum who’s in NCIS.
Of course, Windtree only wanted one fact about me, they didn’t want the whole story. That’s where my own website comes in handy. You see, it was like this…
May 19, 2014
Doctor Who Documentary — listen to it all!
Last year, I was privileged to be asked to speak about Doctor Who for a Radio 4 Extra documentary celebrating fifty years since the programme began in 1963. I expected a twenty second clip of something vaguely interesting I said to find its way into the programme — but, no! I’m in it quite a lot. What’s more, I keeping meeting people who tell me they heard it and enjoyed it.
For those who missed it, or want the chance to listen to it again, the nice people at the BBC have put the whole lot on YouTube. And it’s not just me, it features a lot of other top people as well, and repeats of some Radio 4 archive programmes. My favourite is The Reunion (1’05″ in) in which people involved with the first episode get back together and reminisce with Sue MacGregor.
Worth a listen!
May 17, 2014
I’ve Signed Up with Publisher Windtree Press
I’m thrilled to announce I have signed with Windtree Press to publish my fiction. It’s a great publisher with an exciting group of writers and I am looking forward to working closely with the team there. My novel If Wishes Were Husbands is is already available through them and I will be launching my new novel, Fairy Nuff with Windtree in June.
I’m hoping this will launch a whole new phase of my writing career.
See more at my page on the Windtree Press site.
November 22, 2013
Talking about Doctor Who — on Radio 4 Extra
With the fiftieth anniversary of Doctor Who almost here, Radio 4 Extra interviewed me about the genesis of the series for their celebratory programme, Who Made Who. I talked a lot about how the show fitted within the culture of the sixties, particularly the role of woman and the show’s first, and esteemed, producer Verity Lambert. And, it’s not just me! The BBC website reveals:
“Mark Gatiss examines the Target novels, which offered a glimpse into those early stories before video. We hear from surviving cast and crew of the original pilot episode, the people who gave the show its unique sound in Dance of the Daleks, and finally we catch up with Susan – the Doctor’s Granddaughter, last seen on 22nd-century Earth. In between, John Lloyd, AL Kennedy and others who recall those monochrome early years examine what makes them so special.”
You can hear it on Radio 4 Extra on Saturday 23rd November at 9am and at 4pm. More details here, where you will also be able to listen again, once the programme has aired.
And what’s more — I made the trailer! Here’s Nick Briggs introducing me:
July 27, 2013
My Interview with Iain Banks
During the Easter weekend, 2010, I interviewed Iain Banks at the Odyssey convention (“Eastercon”). Following the untimely death of the jovial and critically acclaimed writer, the video has been released for people to watch again.
With thanks to the nice people at Odyssey.
June 25, 2013
My Interview with Iain Banks
During the Easter weekend, 2010, I interviewed Iain Banks at the Odyssey convention (“Eastercon”). Following the untimely death of the jovial and critically acclaimed writer, the video has been released for people to watch again.
With thanks to the nice people at Odyssey.
The post My Interview with Iain Banks appeared first on Jane Killick.
April 25, 2013
New Red Dwarf Book
The long-awaited STASIS LEAKED COMPLETE: THE UNOFFICIAL BEHIND THE SCENES GUIDE TO RED DWARF is finally here. The book grew into a mammoth 326 pages and 95,000 words, so took a lot longer than I was expecting. It covers all the behind-the-scenes details of every episode of the series, concentrating on the BBC years of the show.
Stasis Leaked Complete: The Unofficial Behind the Scenes Guide to Red Dwarf by Jane Killick
Based on interviews with the cast and crew, this book goes behind the scenes of the successful space comedy, Red Dwarf. With chapters on every episode, it reveals how the series was made, and tells the stories of what happened on and off set.
ebook: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Apple UK | Apple US | Kobo | B&N
Paperback: Amazon UK | Amazon US | Waterstones | B&N | Book Depository (ships wordwide)
January 4, 2013
I Ate David McCallum’s Salad
David McCallum, moments before I ate his salad
Asked to come up with a strange fact about myself for this month's Windtree Press newsletter, I remembered the time when I ate David McCallum's salad.
Yes, the David McCallum. The actor David McCallum. The same David McCallum who's in NCIS.
I was writing for TV Zone magazine and Mr McCallum had agreed to be interviewed about his fondly-remembered TV work such as The Man from U.N.C.L.E. and Sapphire and Steel. I think, in truth, he had reluctantly agreed under pressure from his agent who was keen for him to get some publicity to keep him in the public eye.
We met in a restaurant in London. He ordered food. I didn't.
Not that I wasn't hungry, but I had made the mistake before of eating while interviewing. Firstly, this leads to the recording of the interview being full of unpleasant eating noise from yours truly. Secondly, interviewing — even for a magazine — is not the same as having a natter with your friends over burger and chips. You have to concentrate on what the person is saying and think of your next question. If you're thinking about dipping your chips in the tomato sauce instead, then you can forget what you were going to say next. Or, if you concentrate on what you're going to say next, you forget that you're holding a chip with a big blob of tomato sauce on the end which is going to drop down your front at any moment.
TV Zone from 1992 in which my interview with David McCallum appeared
Which brings me to the third reason not to eat while conducting an interview: I make a mess in front of famous people.
So, we conducted the interview. I was able to concentrate on my questions and refrain from making a mess. David McCallum didn't remember very much about working on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., unfortunately, but did remember a little more about Sapphire and Steel. Towards the end, I was able to snap a picture of him to accompany the article (as pictured: I couldn't find the original one in colour, so I scanned in the black and white version from the magazine). Then, itching to go, he looked up to see someone he recognised coming into the restaurant.
“Who's that woman?” he asked.
I looked up. “Claire Rayner,” I said. For it was she, the (now late) agony aunt from TV and tabloids.
He stood up to greet her. “Claire! Darling!” he called across the restaurant.
“David!” she said. They proceeded to give each such a luvvie hug that, for a moment, it was like being in the middle of some spoof comedy about the theatre.
The finished article!
He seemed to know her quite well, despite not actually knowing what her name was. I suspected it was just a good excuse to stop talking about TV shows he couldn't remember.
After all that talking, I confess I was a little peckish. The thing about sitting in a restaurant without eating anything, is it has a tendency to make you really hungry. So, as I was packing up my stuff, I noticed that David McCallum had eaten the main part of his meal, but had not touched his salad. It was rather a shame to leave it sitting there. Especially as it would only get thrown away by the staff.
So I reached over and helped myself.
The post I Ate David McCallum’s Salad appeared first on Jane Killick.
