Talli Roland's Blog, page 23

All the Magic in the World

It's Monday, and since the clocks changed here last weekend, I was all bright-eyed and busy-tailed this morning. Now... not so much. Still, it's Hallowe'en and I may rouse myself to buy a cupcake in celebration. One needs one's sweets!

This week, I'll be busy putting the finishing touches on Build a Man before sending it out to reviewers next week. Yay! I've already imposed on many of you, but if you or your nearest and dearest would like an e-copy in any format that suits for review, just let me know in the comments or drop me an email (talliroland AT gmail.com). I know how busy everyone is, so any help is ever so greatly appreciated.

Right, now on to today's post! In honour of Elizabeth Mueller's release of her debut novel Darkspell, I'm supposed to finish the phrase 'If I had all the magic in the world, I'd…'


Well, hmm. First of all, who'd want all the magic in the world? Can you imagine the responsibility? How many people would be bugging you, all the time? It would be a nightmare. But for the purposes of the question -- and ending poverty and such aside -- I'd give everyone a Kindle and fill it with all their favourite reads. Why? Because in my humble opinion, lots of people are too quick to dismiss e-readers without really giving them a try. Don't get me wrong; I do like paper books. But I also love my Kindle as a fast, convenient and cheap way of reading. I've bought and read more books this year than ever before, and I suspect many other e-book readers are the same. 


Advert over! Just call me the benevolent Kindle Fairy Godmistress. 


What about you? What would you do with magical powers?


Review from YA Book Babes:Winter Sky believes she is everything ordinary…until she is kissed by Alex Stormhold.  As seer of the Stormhold Coven, Alex is sworn to be Winter's protector against the darkness that hunts her.  Violently thrust into a magical realm she always thought impossible, she stumbles upon a disturbing secret of her own.
Darkspell doesn't fit into a typical YA genre box.  As a matter of fact, it's one of the most original books I've read this year.  A richly woven drama unfolds as young Winter Sky meets two handsome and mysterious neighbors, both fighting for affection. 
But one boy, the boy of her dreams—literally—has already won her heart.  But in short order her life is turned upside down as she enters the Stormhold world, a coven of magic users (I'm hesitant to use the world witch/wizard here.  This is really something very different) where she is being hunted by the Shadoweaer.  Suddenly everything is in jeopardy as she searches for her gift and fights to keep the boy she loves.
Elizabeth Mueller gives a great story, full of normal teen angst without tipping the scales to be annoying, she keeps us guessing, dropping nuggets for us throughout the story, but never tipping her hand.  Combine that with the fantastic use of illustrations that give it almost a graphic novel feel as we read, and this is easily a five star read.  I can't wait to pick this up in paperback and you should too!  Mueller is a great addition to the YA world and I can't wait to see what comes next from this talented writer!

Everyone Says I Love You... Except to Me

It's Friday! I don't even know where this week has gone, but I'm happy to report I'm slowly catching up on things, phew. 

Today, I'm pleased to have the wonderful Cally Taylor on my blog. Cally's second novel, Home for Christmas, is due out shortly. I've recently finished it, and it's a fantastic, heart-warming, perfect holiday read with characters everyone can easily relate to. I'd definitely recommend it. 
Over to Cally!
Everyone can remember their first kiss andmost people, unless they were particularly drunk, can remember when they losttheir virginity. But how about the first time a boyfriend or girlfriend said 'Ilove you'? How old were you? Fifteen? Eighteen? Twenty? Older?
 Ihad to wait until I was twenty-three to hear those precious three little wordsfor the first time. It wasn't that I hadn't had boyfriends - I'd had three bythat point, but none of them had ever told me they loved me.  Firstwas Casper*. We were 15, at different boarding schools and would sneak out atnight to meet on the Malvern Hills for elicit snogs. Casper was astonishinglyhandsome and very intelligent but when he sent me a beautifully eloquent letterover Christmas holidays, telling me how much he enjoyed our time together, Ifreaked out that he was getting too 'heavy' and finished things. He neversaid'I love you' (hardly surprising considering..).
 Nextup was Jake. I was 18 and spending my gap year sharing a house with a bunch ofstrangers in Worcester while I did a secretarial admin course. He was a friendof one of my housemates - 23, a chef and rode a motorbike. I fell hard and fastand so, it seemed did Jake, initially at least but as we approached the fateful3 month mark (what is it about 3 months and make or break moments inrelationships?) he started to pull away. When he finished with me he said itwas because I was going to uni that autumn and he didn't want to get hurt. Henever said I love you.
 Mythird relationship was with Ben. I was 21, had spent my 3 years at uni single(apart from the odd dalliance) but was still hanging around Newcastle, helpingout at Drama Society while I tried to get a job. Ben was a second year statsstudent who was in the Music Society with a friend of mine. She was convincedwe were perfect for each other and set us up on a blind date. We got onstormingly and were together for 3 months (there's that time frame again!) whenBen decided to give up his course, move back to Sussex and wave goodbye to ourrelationship at the same time. He never said I love you.
 Notlong after Ben and I split up I moved to London and got a job. The years rolledby and, before I knew it, I was nearly 23 and still hadn't heard those threelittle words. How come everyone else I knew had been told 'I love you', but notme? Just like Beth in my novel 'Home for Christmas' I started to worry thatmaybe there was something intrinsically unlovable about me.
So,what would you think if I told you that the Internet was directly responsiblefor me FINALLY finding love just a couple of months after my 23rd birthday? Wouldyou judge me if I told you I flew to the Netherlands, without telling anyone,to spend the weekend with 20 year old Frank, a man I'd only ever talked toonline? And that, 48 hours after we first hugged hello, he told me he loved me(and I said it back)? And that he spent Christmas with my family and we datedfor nine whole months before I realised that...But that's another story! 
How about you tell me about the first timeyou were told 'I love you' instead...*All names changed to protect the guiltyinnocent
Talli says: How's that for a cliffhanger? I want to know more about Frank! Thank you, Cally. Here's more about Cally's book:
Beth Prince has always loved fairytales andnow, aged twenty-four, she feels like she's finally on the verge of her ownhappily ever after. She lives by the seaside, works in the Picturebox - acharming but rundown independent cinema - and has a boyfriend who's so debonairand charming she can't believe her luck! There's just one problem - none of herboyfriends have ever told her they love her and it doesn't look like Aiden'sgoing to say it any time soon. Desperate to hear 'I love you' for the first timeBeth takes matters into her own hands - and instantly wishes she hadn't. Justwhen it seems like her luck can't get any worse, bad news arrives in thedevilishly handsome shape of Matt Jones. Matt is the regional director of amultiplex cinema and he's determined to get his hands on the Picturebox byChristmas. Can Beth keep her job, her man and her home or is herromantic-comedy life about to turn into a disaster movie?
'Home for Christmas' by Cally Taylor willbe published by Orion paperbacks on 10th November and is availablefor pre-order from Amazon.co.uknow. Cally can also be found on her blog, Facebook, Twitter or website.
Have a great weekend, everyone!

Why I'll Never Say a Book is Crap

[image error] How about that photo to get your day started on the right track? Ha! Well, it's Wednesday, it's raining, and I've just awoken from a tiny nap. Hope your week is going well!

If you read enough Amazon reviews, chances are you'll come across phrases like 'I don't know how this book got published', 'load of dross', 'could have been written by a three-year-old' and so on.

While I'm the first to say that every customer is entitled to their own opinion, I would never decry any novel as 'crap'. Why? Well, if there's one thing I've learned over the past few years, it's that readers'  tastes vary widely. What's rubbish to one person may be 'the best book ever' to the next. What's boring as all get-out to someone might be the most exciting story known to humankind to another.

I feel the same way about genres. Although many types of books don't appeal to me, I'd never say one genre is more worthy than another. That would be like me saying vegetables are a waste of supermarket-shelf space just because I don't like them. Silly, eh?

What genre would you like to see gain more appreciation or shelf-space? And do you like veggies? :)

I'm All Out of Love

Yes, it's true. After a heady weekend at the Festival of Romance, I'm definitely not feeling the Monday love this morning. However, it's all worth it, because it was such a nice weekend. A Regency county home, lots of lovely  writers, a ball with chocolate, wine and jazz... honestly, can one really ask for more?

Helen Hunt gives the first session of the conference, a very informative hour on writing short stories. Friday kicked off sunny and cold, and the short journey north of London flashed by in a hangover-induced haze. Note to self: do not drink with Twitter pals the night prior to a conference! I managed to rouse myself to take part in a self-publishing panel that morning. Several fascinating panels and one chocolate-tasting session later, and the day was done.

Festival Goers! Back row: Celia, Nell, Fiona, Sarah, Liz. Front: Catherine, Sue.Saturday dawned not quite so hungover, thank goodness. Although I tried my best to get out of the author fashion show (Marilyn, anyone?), the MC was a tough taskmaster and a few hours later I found myself parading in front of a packed room in full Marilyn gear. Thankfully, I was joined by fellow authors dressed as chickens to waitresses, and we were all very well received!

The short-list for Best Romantic Read: Carole Matthews, Fiona Harper, Sue Moorcroft, Me!, Juliet ArcherLater that evening, we all dressed in our finery for the Ball and awards ceremony. A big congrats goes out to Sue Moorcroft, who won Best Romantic Read, and Jean Fullerton, the winner of Best Historial Read. I was honoured to have been short-listed.

Sunday, I crawled home and collapsed on the sofa. And I'm still in recovery! Excuse me while I go lie down... Have a great Monday, everyone.

Results Not Typical

FRIDAY! And I'm not here, actually -- I'm out and about being romantic at the wonderful Festival of Romance! I can't wait to wear my new dress. Yes, I'm that shallow. I admit it.

Today, Irish author and blogger Catherine Ryan Howard is holding down the fort. Catherine has successfully self-published her non-fiction travel memoires, and has recently released her first novel. Known for her tell-it-like-it-is, down to earth personality, Catherine's here to bust a few self-publishing myths.

Take it away, Catherine.



Five Misconceptions About Self-Publishing
1. It's easy.
Oh yeah, sure it's easy, if by easyyou mean twelve-hour stints, week-long formatting migraines and at least onemoment per day when you feel like you're drowning in the depths of a blackabyss where no one is ever going to buy a single one of your books again...Well, maybe that last one is just me. But self-publishing is not easy – at least, it's not if you doit right. I have encountered hundreds of self-publishers since I started onthis misadventure and I can say with some authority that all the successfulones have something in common: they take it seriously. They treat it like abusiness they're starting up; they're an entrepreneur and the book is theirfirst product. And what would you expect to have to go through to get abusiness off the ground? Long hours, caffeine-induced insomnia, stress, pain,tears, blood – you get the idea. When you hear of someone uploading their book toAmazon on Friday and buying a house in cash on Saturday, read beyond theheadlines – you'll usually find via the author's blog that this "overnight"success actually took five years. As the physicist Richard Feynman reportedlysaid, "If you think you understand quantum mechanics, you don't understandquantum mechanics." Well, I definitelydon't understand quantum mechanics but I do know this: if you thinkself-publishing is easy, you aren't doing it right.
2.  It's a get-rich-quick scheme.
Somehow I've managed to drag myselfaway from polishing my gold-plated Louboutins and counting my many millions towrite this paragraph... oh, wait. I'm almost 30 and I live in a bedroom thesize of a telephone box at my parents' house. Yes, we're all very proud. You can make money self-publishing but if you do a) you'll be one ofthe lucky ones and b) it'll take a lot ofhard work to get to that point. Keep in mind that every minute of every daysomeone is self-publishing their book – maybe even every second of every day.(Maybe  even every nanosecond...) And howmany self-publishers can you name who have sold enough books/made enough moneyto work their way into the news? My dear point, I believe I just made you.
3.  "It's Only Camping!" Syndrome or The Idea That Crap is Acceptable at 99c
Some years ago I had the misfortuneof working as a campsite courier on the south-west coast of France. Part of ourjob was to clean the customer accommodation – large tents, mobile homes andchalets for which people paid vast sums of money to stay in and pretend theywere roughing it. Whenever anyone complained about a stain on the floor or  dusty window, we'd shrug and say, "What dothey expect? It's only camping!" Unfortunately, some people have adopted asimilar attitude about self-publishing. I mean, you're only charging 99c foryour novel, right? So you're hardly going to spend a couple of hundred on aprofessional design, and you're definitely not going to spend four or fivetimes that getting your book edited, copyedited and proofread, right? That'sjust crazy talk! People aren't expecting much for 99c, are they? Well, um, yes,they are – they're expecting a book.And books generally come correctly formatted, in English that makes sense andwith a cover that doesn't look like several house pet enthusiastically vomitedupon it during the production process. If your book is poop, you might wellsell a few thousand copies of it – but you won't sell anywhere near as manycopies of your second book, if you manage to sell any at all. When I hearself-publishers protesting that they "can't afford" to get the basics done, Ineed to sit on my hands to refrain from strangling them. (And I'm a niceperson, generally-speaking). If you can't afford to self-publish, don't self-publish! Skipping a professionalcover design, editing and proofreading will, in the long term, be the mostexpensive thing you ever do because it will cost you sales. It might even nipyour self-publishing career in the bud right at the start.
4.  99c e-books only sell because they're 99c.
Do you need to pay your phone bill?Well, all you have to do is sit down for a few hours, poop out (by way of yourkeyboard; keep it clean, people!) 70,000 - 100,000 words, upload it to Amazon,set the price to 99c and then sit back and wait for the phone bill money tocome a-rolling in, my friend. I mean, that's how it's done, isn't it? Upload,set at 99c, sell millions, repeat as required. Yes, somehow people have got themistaken impression that 99c equals #1 bestseller. They either express this ina derogatory way ("Well of course he's sold a gazillion books – he's onlycharging 99c for them!) or put a positive spin on it ("My novel is so greatthat people will be exploding from the joy induced by getting it for a mere99c!") but whatever way they say it, they're wrong. A low price can help sell abook, but it won't do it all by itself. To confirm this, just look up some 99cself-published novels on Amazon and check out their sales ranks. Or, publishone yourself. You'll soon find out.
5. You have to do it because all agents and editors are horned demonswho meet once a month to drink pig's blood and entertain each other withstand-up based on our worst query letters, and if there's any chairs spare theysell tickets to Amazon, chain bookstores, Apple, etc.
There are many different reasons toself-publish. I self-published because I had a book that didn't have anexisting market, but I was able to make one; it's the kind of book that even ifit was traditionally published today wouldn't do well on the shelves, but I'vesold over eight thousand copies of it. Talli is self-publishing her next bookbecause she's recognised that she has the ability to replicate the success ofher previous books on her own, and so doesn't need the traditional model for itto do well. My blogging friend Roz Morris self-published one of my favouritewriting books, Nail Your Novel,because it was too short to be a traditionally published book. I think thesereasons reflect that we're smart, bright, organised women who know a thing orthirty-six about selling our own books, and are as hard-working as we arerealistic. (Ladies, you can pop those fivers in the post now...) We make, if Imay so and I think I will, very good self-publishers. But if you're gettinginto this because you can heat your house for winter by burning your rejectionletters, or because you've taken a business decision personally, or because andat least three literary agents have a restraining order out against you and youwant to SHOW THEM ALL, you're not going to succeed. Spite doesn't sell books,and bitterness doesn't make me want to read your blog. Plus, you scare me abit. So stop wasting your energy hating on an industry staffed by lovely peoplewho love books (just not yours – oooh,burn!) and put it into being a good self-publisher instead. Simples.
  About Catherine:
Catherine Ryan Howard is a 29-year-old writer, blogger and enthusiasticcoffee-drinker. She currently lives in Cork, Ireland, where she divides hertime between her desk and the sofa. She blogs at www.catherineryanhoward.com.
About Results Not Typical:
The Devil Wears Prada meets Weightwatchers and chick-lit meets corporatesatire in the debut novel from Catherine Ryan Howard, author of the bestsellingmemoir Mousetrapped: A Year and A Bit inOrlando, Florida. Through their Ultimate Weight Loss Diet Solution ZoneSystem, Slimmit International Global Incorporated claim they're making theworld a more attractive place one fatty at a time. Their slogans "Where You'reFat and We Know It!" and "Where the Fat IS Your Fault!" are recognised aroundthe globe, the counter in the lobby says five million slimmed and their shareprice is as high as their energy levels. But today the theft of their latestrevolutionary product, Lipid Loser, will threaten to expose the real secretbehind Slimmit's success...The race is on to retrieve Lipid Loser and saveSlimmit from total disaster. If their secrets get out, their competitors willput them out of business. If the government finds out, they'll all go to jail.And if their clients find out… Well, as Slimmit's Slimming Specialists know alltoo well, there's only one thing worse than a hungry, sugar-crazed, carb addict– and that's an angry one. Will the secret behind Slimmit's success survive theday, or will their long-suffering slimmers finally discover the truth?Available now in paperback and e-book editions. Buy from Amazon UK or Amazon.com .

Have a great weekend, everyone!

What Colour Scarf Are You?

Happy Wednesday, lovely people! The sky is a brilliant blue in London today, the air is crisp, and it's one of those days that makes you want to don a long russet-coloured scarf, shiny leather boots, and skip down the street on the crunchy leaves. I might do just that later today! If I can find a russet-coloured scarf.

Since I'm lazy and feeling rather lax ce matin (and yes, I quite enjoy lapsing into foreign languages randomly), I thought I'd give you a little update on what I've been doing.

Edits for Build a Man are almost done (yay!), and you can check out the first chapter here. I've also been busy tidying up my novella, Miracle at the Museum of Broken Hearts. It's for a Christmas anthology I'm doing with American authors Tonya Kappes, D.D. Scott, and L.A. Lopez, and I'm pretty excited about pairing up with such great writers. Due out American Thanksgiving, here's the blurb for my little tale:

When chief romantic Rose Delaney scores her dream job at London's quirkiest new attraction, The Museum of Broken Hearts, she thinks she's got it made. Sure, it's a little depressing dealing with relics of failed relationships each day, but Rose is determined not to let it break her 'love conquers all' spirit. After discovering the museum's handsome curator is nursing a broken heart of his own, Rose steps in to fix it. Can Rose heal the rift in time for the holidays, or will this Christmas crush her fantasies forever?

And, last but not least, you can enter to win a copy of Watching Willow Watts and read about what makes me laugh over at Chick Lit Central! 


Have a fabulous day, everyone. What coloured scarf would you wear to go dancing down the street on a lovely autumn day? 

The C Word

Ah yes, control. (Which C word were you thinking of?) :) Today, I've divided myself in two and I'm at Pauline Barclay's blog and over at Phillipa Ashley's, talking about one of the main reasons I've decided to go it alone. I love being in control! Pop over if you get the chance.

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Mine passed in a blur of theatre, wine, films and dance. It was quite the cultured couple days, I must say. Can I ask you to spare a thought for Mr TR, who starts directing his new film this week? It's a massive undertaking and he could do with a few good vibes sent his way.

I'll keep this short and sweet, as this week is as manic as the last. Have a great Monday, all!

Friday! Get in the Culloden Spirit!

Where on earth has this week gone? Mine has passed in a blur of art galleries, dinners out, hair dye (yes. It's now R-E-D! My scalp will thank me later, and it was time for a change), theatre and editing. I'm exhausted!

Thank you for bearing with me; I've been trying to get around to visit as many people as possible in the meantime. And next week, I have a wonderful writer pal from Spain visiting, then it's off to Hunton Park for the Festival of Romance. I've purchased a new dress for the Ball and awards ( The Hating Game is short-listed - wish me luck!).

So, with all of this going on, I hope you'll forgive me for being brief today and head over here, where I'm in the Gulf News! Gosh, I get around.

Today is Matt from the QQQ's Pay it Forward Blogfest . All you need to do is choose three blogs, and encourage others to pop off and follow. Mine are India Drummond ('coz she's given me loads of support and her posts always make me laugh) and Help! I Need a Publisher, for invaluable advice.

Number three is for writer Anita Davidson. I've known Anita from when I first started blogging under a different name, and she's beyond lovely. Her latest is called Culloden Spirit.

Carrie Gordon's season in her native York was an unqualifiedsuccess, until the young man who paid her so much attention married someoneelse. When her family takes a summer trip to her father's ancestral home in theScottish Highlands, her handsome Scottish cousin, Duncan McRae, takes animmediate dislike to Carrie, mainly due to her father's plans to refurbish CairInnes castle which is in need of extensive repair beyond the means of itspresent owner and resident, Iain McRae.

Carrie feels the vacation will be a disaster until she discovers a strangeyoung man while exploring the derelict castle, However, she soon learns RuairiMcRae is not what he seems, and the battle he intends to fight was lost by hisclan a hundred and fifty years before.

Will Carrie be able to accept that she cannot be part of Ruairi's world? Andwhen the Roma arrive to camp on Bucks Meadow as they do every summer, who isthe beautiful gypsy girl Duncan won't talk about?
Sounds fab, doesn't it? Happy Friday everyone, and have a great weekend!

21st Century Dodos!

How's that for a blog post title? 
Happy Wednesday, everyone! Today, I'm delighted to have Steve Stack (aka Scott Pack) here to talk about his new book, 21st Century Dodos . Scott is the publisher of The Friday Project (HarperCollins) and also blogs over at Me and My Big Mouth. Dodos provides a look at extinct or soon-to-be-extinct aspects of the British way  of life, and as someone who hasn't grown up here, it's fascinating. 
Before I turn it over to Steve, just a quick link to give you: yesterday, I was over at The Writer's Guide to E-Publication, wondering about the divide in sales between Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. Pop by if you get the chance!
And now, over to Steve!
Thelovely Talli has invited my on to her blog but on the condition that I mentionshoes.Ishould probably explain. A couple of weeks ago there was a bit of a debate onTwitter about some press article or other that dared to suggest that allwomen's fiction, the author probably called it chick lit, was about shoppingand shoes. Quite rightly, Talli and other writers of fiction aimed at a femaleaudience were up in arms and keen to point out that the genre, such as it is,covers the whole spectrum of human existence and isn't just about shoes andshopping.Andthen I piped up to point out that shoes do actually get mentioned quite a lot.Whichis why I have to mention shoes while I have here. I have now done so twice.Hopefullythat now buys me a few paragraphs to plug my new book. A book, I hasten to add,which contains not one mention of footwear. It does have 134 entries on otherthings though. It is a collection of (hopefully) humorous pieces about the manyinanimate objects, traditions, experiences and other stuff that are in dangerof becoming extinct. I call them, and the book, 21st Century Dodos.Giventhat Talli is someone who has come to our shores from abroad and has adoptedthe UK as her home, I thought this entry about the playing of the nationalanthem in cinemas might be quite apt.Talli,you must stand until the end of this blog post.---Rightup until the late 1970s, the national anthem was played at every screening incinemas up and down the land. Patrons were expected, but not actually forced, toobserve the anthem by stand

Happy Thanksgiving!

It's weekends like this past one that I really miss being back home in Canada. Today is Canadian Thanksgiving, a time of the year when the leaves are glorious and it's usually the perfect weather for a family gathering. Sigh!

Here are a few photos of my homeland, from last autumn.




(The last one is my Mum, Dad and Mr TR trotting along the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.)

I have a very busy next couple weeks with friends visiting and a conference, so although I'll be posting as usual, I may not be blog-hopping quite as much! Bear with me; I'll be back with a vengeance come the last week of October.

Happy Monday, everyone!