Talli Roland's Blog, page 24

Renovation, Ghosts and Boy Bands

Phew, it's Friday! What a week. I'm thrilled today to have the wonderful Nell Dixon here, talking about her new novel, Renovation, Renovation, Renovation . As someone with a mini-crush on Phil Spencer and all things property, I have to say the title intrigued me instantly. Nell is a fellow RNA member and a generally lovely person!

Take it away, Nell. 


Renovation,Renovation, Renovation is a contemporary romance with a twist. One of theresidents at Myrtle Cottage, a fifteenth century house is a rather mournfulghost called Mary Ann. She was resident during a turbulent period of Englishhistory when Oliver Cromwell was coming to power and civil war raged throughoutthe country. Mary Ann's story becomes entwined with that of Kate, the currentowner bringing glimpses of the past into the present.

I'vealways been interested in old houses and the human stories they tell about pastresidents. My great, great aunt Lizzie was a renowned medium in Victorian times– apparently she was famous for her skills at reading tea leaves – and all thewomen in that side of my family are very sensitive to extraordinary happenings.This, combined with the present economic catastrophes affecting property saleswas the catalyst for the book. 
As part of my research I was lucky enough to beinvited to a séance and cleansing of an ancient cottage. I got to watch themediums at work and talk to the owner of the cottage. It was fascinating stuffand hopefully added authenticity to the story.
Here's an excerpt for you:
Amovement in the undergrowth outside caught my eye and the sight of my cat, MrFlibble making his way through the long grass towards the orchard at the sideof the house bought a smile to my face. Mr Flibble was the one good thing thathad come out of my seven-year relationship with Steve. Seven years, thirteenhouses and all I had to show for it was a broken heart, a half-ruined house anda one-eyed cat I'd rescued from a dumpster. Atheatrical cough from the direction of the kitchen door alerted me to Steve'spresence in the kitchen.Ididn't bother turning round. "Is there any hot water left?""Thetank'll fill up if you give it half an hour." Steve sauntered past me crossingthe neutral zone to reach his red-labelled cupboard. His hair was still wetfrom the bath and he hadn't bothered to dress before coming downstairs. Insteadhe had wrapped one of the dark blue bath towels that my mother had given us asa gift two Christmases ago around his waist."Youcould get dressed before you come down here." As soon as the words were out ofmy mouth I wished I could take them back. It was pointless saying anything likethat to Steve. He'd do it all the more if he thought it would annoy me. Backin his boy band days I would have found seeing Steve half-naked sexy, and wewould have made love amongst the dust and debris of the kitchen. Thousands ofscreaming teenage Danger Line fanswould have killed to take my place. Now having him roam around clad in only atowel was just one more of his annoying habits.©Nell Dixon http://www.nelldixon.com
Overworked, over budget and just so not over him! Kate would like an engagement ring from Steve but instead he's lumbered them with a thirteenth renovation project, and doing up Myrtle Cottage disturbs a ghost from the English Civil War who has romance troubles of her own.Available from Amazon UK  and Amazon.com.  
Thanks, Nell. So, over to you! Have you embarked on any massive renovation projects, in life or in building? 

What I've Been Reading

A big thank you to everyone who commented on my post on Monday. It was a big decision for me, and I was thrilled to have loads of people chiming in with their support! I was also on the Writer's Guide to E-Publication yesterday, talking about my decision-making process. It's a great site for anyone wanting to learn more about the world of self-publishing. Check it out if you have an interest -- I'll be there every Tuesday.

And if you're looking for a new blog buddy, head over to Coffee with Marcie and say hi! She's new to the blogosphere.

It's been a while since I've done some book reviews here, so I figured I'd do a little update on some books I've read recently.

  Following the Whispers - Creating a life of inner peace and self-acceptance from the depths of despair by Karen Walker
With a frankness and honesty, Karen Walker details her life from childhood to adult, revealing how she overcomes great obstacles to reach personal acceptance. Told in a clear, matter-of-fact manner (no self pity anywhere to be seen!), one can't help but be pulled into this brave and forthright memoir. Definitely worth a read.

Invisible by Jeanne Bannon
Written in a fresh and fun voice, 'Invisible' by Jeanne Bannon tells the story of overweight misfit Lola, who has the uncanny ability to become invisible at any given moment. The story moves along at a swift pace, and I enjoyed watching Lola learn to accept herself -- and deal with the temptation of revenge. A very enjoyable read.

The Arranger by L.J. Sellers
'The Arranger' is my first LJ Sellers novel, and given how impressed I was with this futuristic, fast-paced narrative, it certainly won't be my last!

I was fascinated by Sellers' creation of a national competition called The Gauntlet, kind of a ramped-up version of a military obstacle course. Add one ex-cop who's older and tougher than the other competitors and throw in a lot of intrigue, and you have the makings for a fantastic thriller.

Can't wait to read more of Sellers!

Backpacked: A Reluctant Trip Across Central America by Catherine Ryan Howard
I read and loved 'Mousetrapped', so when I heard Catherine had a new book out, I couldn't wait to dive in. I wasn't disappointed -- Catherine takes the same dry wit and self-deprecating humour along for the ride in 'Backpacked', the story of her travels through South America. From nearly falling off a horse on a vertical volcano ride to a a bevvy of eccentric -- and sometimes downright threatening -- characters along the way, reading this travelogue made me feel like I'd gone on the journey myself. Highly recommended for anyone who loves reading about the extremes of exploration without actually having to endure the discomfort.

CLOCKWISE by Elle Strauss
'Clockwise' by Elle Strauss is a fun, fresh read. Featuring an awkward teenage girl who accidentally time travels, the novel follows her adventures as she struggles to cope with both the past and the present -- and drags her crush along with her! The narrator's voice is sharp and witty, and you can't help identifying with her insecurities. A fantastic read for anyone, adolescent or adult.

House of Diamonds by Karen Jones Gowen
House of Diamonds follows two sisters. One is on her way to achieving her dream of being a writer, despite the chaos in her busy household and her frequently absent husband. The other is struggling to keep it together whilst her newborn clings to life in the hospital. Author Karen Jones Gowen plunges readers into the daily details of each household, holding us at close range and never letting go. The intensity of emotion -- from frustration and fear to joy and faith -- is palpable throughout. Although generally I'm not big into 'faith' novels, Gowen weaves this into the narrative in a natural and subtle way, and it added to the fabric of the families' life.

Have you read any of these? Have a great Wednesday, everyone!

My Next Novel, and Why I'm Publishing It... Myself

Happy Monday! It's been a glorious summer weekend in London -- over 30 Celsius! Sunny! Joy!

So, I've got some news. Some rather big news for me! First of all, I have a new novel, Build a Man, coming out on December 7th as an ebook, and in paperback in the new year. If you're on Goodreads, you can add it here.

I'm really excited about this one, because it's told in first person (a departure for me from the first two novels), and because I absolutely love the main character, Serenity, and Jeremy, the man she 'builds'. Also, having worked in a spa with many wealthy clients about, well . . . I feel I had a very good grounding to accurately portray the setting. And look at the lovely cover India Drummond custom designed for me (If you're looking for a great designer, she's your gal.)

Here's a bit more about Build a Man:

Slave to the rich, rude and deluded, cosmetic surgery receptionist Serenity Holland longs for the day she's a high-flying tabloid reporter. Unfortunately, every pitch she sends out disappears like her clients' liposuctioned fat, never to be seen again. Then she meets Jeremy Ritchie -- the hang-dog man determined to be Britain's Most Eligible Bachelor by making himself over from head to toe and everything in between -- giving Serenity a story no editor could resist.  

With London's biggest tabloid on board and her very own column tracking Jeremy's progress from dud to dude, Serenity is determined to be a success, even going undercover to gain intimate access to Jeremy's life. But when Jeremy's surgery goes drastically wrong and Serenity is ordered to cover all the car-crash goriness, she must decide how far she really will go for her dream job.

But the truly exciting bit for me is that I'm self-publishing this.  It's a decision I've thought long and hard about over the past few months, and I've come to the conclusion that for me, this is the right option. Brace yourself for a rather lengthy explanation!

I finished writing Build a Man about a year ago, but put it on the back-burner to release The Hating Game with Prospera Publishing, a small independent publisher. Between launching my first novel and getting started on Watching Willow Watts (also under contract with Prospera), I finished up edits on Build a Man. I wasn't sure exactly where I wanted to go with the MS, but I'd met some lovely agents along the way and submitted the novel to them. There was interest, revisions . . . time passed, but ultimately I was told the chick lit market in the UK was saturated and publishers weren't taking on many (if any) new authors for that genre.

I had a decision. One: I could submit Build a Man to Prospera, who might publish it. Two: I could submit to another small publisher directly. Three: I could continue submitting to agents, in hopes of getting a big publisher. Four: I could go it alone.

One: Prospera has been brilliant -- I had a great editor there who was very easy to work with, supportive and understanding. I would never in a million years regret working with them, and I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them. But as the majority of my sales are on Amazon -- and in ebooks -- I didn't see why I couldn't hire a cover designer and a professional editor (in this case, the wonderful Caroline Smailes, a bestselling novelist herself) and keep all my profits.

Two: Any small press struggles with bookshop distribution, and I already had a very good situation at Prospera. One of the things I'd decided was that I wouldn't leave Prospera for another small press.

So, that left two decision points: try to get an agent and hopefully a big publisher, or go it alone.

Three: Let's say I was lucky enough to get an agent. Would they be able to sell my novel? How long would it take? And if they did sell it, how long would I have to wait until it was published? All things considered, the fastest would probably be a year -- if I was super fortunate. In one year, I could write three novels and have them bringing in revenue. Not only that, I've already made off one e-book (The Hating Game) what big publishers might offer me as an advance for two or three books. The financials just didn't add up.

So, that left going it alone as the logical choice for me. I can control my output. I can build up my readership on my own timeline. And I can keep the revenues! I truly believe readers don't care who or what has published a novel, as long as it's an engaging, high quality story. That's what I'm looking forward to delivering.

 Have I abandoned my dream of being published by one of the biggies? No, and I'm certainly not one to say that traditional publishing is dead, and self-publishing is the only way. It's different for everyone, and this is the choice I've made. I have learned there is more than one way to achieve a dream. Right now, my dream is to have as many readers as I can, as quickly as possible. And for me, that means self-publishing.

Is it a risk to walk away from a very good relationship with a great publisher? Yes, of course. But business is business, after all, and I need to think of my writing as a career. I've never been one to stick at a comfy job just because it's comfy. I like the element of moving forward; trying different things. And we parted on amicable terms, so who knows what the future holds?

Things are changing fast in publishing. It's exciting for everyone, and I can't wait to see what's ahead!

Clock Watching!

It's Friday and oh my winey goodness, London is HOT! Perhaps this is the summer we never had? Whatever it is, I'm certainly not complaining... but let me tell you, wine o'clock is coming early ce soir! A picnic in the park is definitely in order. 
Today, I'm over on Amlokiblogs, talking about my next novel (official announcement on Monday, yay!) and various other bits and bobs. Sign up to the Rule of Three challenge over there for a chance to win a copy of Willow. And in other yay-worthy news, to celebrate being short-listed for Best Romantic Read, The Hating Game ebook is now on for a reduced price of 98p and its US equivalent. 
Now over to the lovely Elle Strauss, who is celebrating the launch of Clockwise!
Chick litIsn't Dead and Why chick lit is Needed in YA
RecentlyI read somewhere that chick lit was dead. Obviously no one told the verytalented Talli Rolland that!  And I'mwith Talli, there will always be room on the shelf for chick lit now that thegenre exists.
Iremember when it didn't.  I have very clearmemories of a younger me scouring library shelves wondering why no one wroteRomantic Comedy.  It did great at the boxoffice as movies, but nothing came close to it on the shelves.
Ithink that's why I read a lot of mysteries back then. Besides liking mystery,it was the only genre that had a "cozy" line.
Thencame Bridget Jones' Diary by HelenFielding . Oh my gosh—finally! That's what I was talking about! She opened thedoor to a whole new genre.  Which filledup fast.  Maybe too fast, thus the "dead"talk. 
Butnot in YA.  With the rush of Paranormaland Dystopian, and don't get me wrong, I like me a bit of Paranormal andDystopian,  anything on the lighter sideseems to be getting not much more than a sideways glance.  Not everything, a few choice nuggets aregetting through, like the spy books by Ally Carter.
SometimesI think chick lit gets a bad rap. Like it's just meaningless fluff, and flirtywords.  And maybe there is some likethat. But just because something is light and fun, doesn't mean there can't bea, a thought provoking deeper message of substance.
So,I say, let's keep chick lit coming—both in women's fiction and YA. Becausesometimes you just need to read something that makes you smile and go, ahh.

Clockwise is launching electronically this week and it's only 2.99 on Amazon , £2.17on Amazon.co.uk! To celebrate, Elle Strauss is giving away five debut booksby authors that you can meet on her blog tour which is happening now.
LOSINGFAITH by Denise JadenTHECLEARING by Anne RileyTHESECRET OF SPRUCE KNOLL by Heather McCorklePERILOUSby Tamara Hart HeinerTHEHATING GAME by Talli Roland
Howto win? Sign up for Elle's newsletter to enter. For extra entries just commenton any blog inthe tour. The more blogs you visit and comment on the more chances you haveto win. Fivebooks, five days, five winners!
Have a great weekend, everyone!

Sunny London Skies

Wheeee! It's Wednesday! Thank you all for your lovely words on my award short-listing -- I'm still happy dancing, which I can assure you is not a pretty sight. The official press release is here!

There are some days the world just seems to love London, and today is one of those days. It's sunny, about 25 C, and my parents are in town -- we've been busy exploring Little Venice, Camden Market, Primrose Hill, Regent's Park and Marylebone. A few photos from our travels are below.

No 'real' post today since I'm in lazy mode and I need to rest up for dinner tonight (tough life, I know), but I am in the hot-seat over at Cally Jackson's blog. Pop by if you get a chance!

Primrose Hill, looking down on London.
A boat on the Grand Union Canal.
Little Venice.Have a great day, everyone!

Top of the Morning!

Just picture me saying that with an Irish twang... :)

Bad accents aside, I am feeling pretty tops right now. Why? Because I just found out The Hating Game has been short-listed for Best Romantic Read at the upcoming Festival of Romance Awards! Okay, so the novel might not be your typical romance, but to me (and hopefully to the judges) nothing is more romantic than two people who decide to be together not because they need to be, but because they want to be. I'm so thrilled to be in the running with the likes of Carole Matthews, Fiona Harper, Sue Moorcroft and Juliet Archer.

And just look where I found out the good news:

The Treetop Walkway at Kew Gardens -- 180 steps up!
In the treetops! Fabulous location for great news, eh? And even better, Mama and Papa TR were by my side -- they're here in London for a visit after a rainy few days in Scotland. We spent a lovely morning at Kew. Here are a few more photos:

The Mediterranean Garden.
Kew Palace.And in other news, I've been over at lovely Mariam Kobras' blog, spouting off about... you guessed it, chick lit! And the winners of Kate Walkers' Bedded by the Greek Billionaire are Glynis Smy and Janice Horton! Kate decided to throw in an extra copy -- thank so much, Kate.  Congrats, ladies.

I won't be around much until Thursday when M&P TR head back to Canada, although I'll try to visit as much as possible! Have a fantastic Monday, all.

Greek Billionaires and Handsome Strangers

I'm suffering from severe attacks of the sleepies these days, so a big TGIF! Before I pass you over to the wonderful Kate Walker (who has a very relevant and timely post on covers), I want to give a giant shout out to Leigh T Moore. She's just opened up an editing business, so if you're looking for someone experienced to cast an eye over your MS, she's your gal.

I also want to say a big thank you to everyone who has and is continuing to spread the word and review Willow! I'm so thrilled to be a part of such a wonderful group of supporters.

So, here's fellow RNA and romance writer extraordinaire Kate Walker, on 'Finally Getting the Book Cover I Wanted'.


One upon a time, as all good stories should begin, my editor wouldask me to contribute some ideas for the way the cover of my book should lookwhen it was finally produced.   I used to think long and hard aboutthis – describe my hero very carefully, give glowing descriptions of myheroine's beauty, the style of her hair . . .  I'd give a scene that Ithought would look great, something atmospheric, sensual, passionate. Hopefullysomething that would really represent the book I 'd written. But when thecovers finally appeared, often it seemed that – well, either I hadn't writtenthe book I thought I'd written, or the art department didn't see my  story– or my characters in quite the way that I thought they should.
There was my very first book – The Chalk Line (1984) . The herowas described as having jet-black hair  - I got an ice-cold blond .Admittedly I'd asked for a snow scene, but I'd never imagined that the weatherwas going to bleach my hero's hair quite so badly!   Then there was TheGolden Thief . (The hero, an actor named Leigh Benedict was the 'GoldenThief' of the tile –he was meant to be gorgeous – tall, blond, devastating. ARobert Redford in his heyday type.  Hmmm – what I got was RR well past hisheyday – or perhaps it was Robert Redford's older, fatter, uglierbrother.   And his heroine wasn't quite the young, fabulousblonde I'd hoped for either.  In fact I did rather wonder if she was meantto be the hero's mother, rather than the sexy, passionate love of hislife.
Fast forward a few years and there was  Wife ForA Day  ( 1998)– obviouslybeing the wife of my hero Ronan Guerin, even if just for a day, had all beentoo much for Lily!  Her hair – her strange, wild, crazily bouffant hairhad turned totally grey or again perhaps that was his mother  the hero wastrying to force feed with a strawberry.
I began to wonder if I really had written the book I thought Ihad. Or were my heroes developing some strange mother fixation?   I'mstill forced to wonder at times because the cover of SicilianHusband, Blackmailed Bride (2007) seems to show a  mother – in abridal dress – together with her  tall – v-e-r-y tall  . . er –husband?  No, he only looks about 16. Or perhaps I've got it wrong againand I really wrote a story about a cougar heroine and her 16 year old toy boy?
There was my first ever sheikh book –  DesertAffair (2002) - and I was truly sheikhen when I saw the cover. My sonthought someone had spilled ink all over the book  -  and for everafter this one was affectionately known as The Blob because of the big darkstain that spread across the cover. It doesn't look too bad in thepaperback, but believe me, when it was in a hardback edition with the topof what is now clearly a towering sand dune cut of by the title and my name, itjust looked exactly like – The Blob.  The title was a little iffy too –you see, DesertAffair was actually set mostly in London – in a wild, fiercesnowstorm.  But what with the Blob and DesertAffair, it sold pretty well!
I tried everything I could – I wentinto even more lyrical and detailed descriptions, I cut picture out ofmagazines, I  pointed out just who had been my inspiration for the hero ofeach book  (Hugh Jackman as a Spaniard, Hugh Jackman as an Italian, HughJackman  as an Argentinian. None of them looked at all like HughJackman).   My very first cover in the 'new style' covers that cameout recently – The Proud Wife (2011)  really wasn't bad at all – it featured a glamorous, beautiful woman – it was a stunning photograph. But –well, my heroine was a passionate, voluptuous heroine, fiery and feisty, notthe glacially calm creature on the front of this book.
So when my latest book –  The Return of The Stranger -  the one that's out on 2ndSeptember  (4th October if you're in  America) was accepted, I reallyjust gave in. A tall dark hunk was my hero – the book is inspired by WutheringHeights  so I probably added 'gipsyish' or some such. Nothing more.  And I didn't hope too hard and I got . . . .
 Perfection!  That's my hero justas I imagined him – he's dark and sexy . . .  and everyone I've shown thiscover to loves him. There's no blob, no sign of his mother . . . it's justHeath Montanha  - the hero of TheReturn of the Stranger, very close to the way I'd imagined him. There'sa moral to this story – say little, keep it zipped – and hope, just hope thatsomeone in marketing has read the book and decides to give it the cover itdeserves.
For now, I'm happy – so I'll settlefor that
THERETURN OF THE STRANGER Standing high on thewindswept moors, the lone figure of Heath Montanha vows vengeance on the womanwho destroyed the last fragments of his heart...Lady Katherine Charlton has never forgotten the stablehand withdangerous fists and a troubled heart from her childhood. Now the rebel is back,his powerful anger concealed under a polished and commanding veneer. When tenyears of scandal and secrets are unleashed, with a passionate, furious kiss,Heath's deepest, darkest wish crystallises...Revenge - and Kat - will be his!Amazon UK, Mills & Boon, Ebookat Harlequin, Amazon, M&BAustralia Website, Blog, Facebook Author Page created by Romance BookParadise Promotions.
Kate is generously giving away one copy of her novel, Bedded by the Greek Billionaire (pwoar!) to a lucky commenter (commentator?). Thank you, Kate! Happy weekend, everyone.

Let Them Eat (Cup)cakes

It's Wednesday, and it's hard to believe the week is half-over! A big thanks to Arlee Bird for his review of Willow, and a shout-out for a lovely new blogger Emma Pass, whose YA dystopian is due out in 2013. Pop by and check out her blog if you get the chance.

On to today's topic! I debated blogging about this, because there's already been so much discussion about it -- at least on this side of the Atlantic. Not to mention, I'm getting pretty tired of defending my chosen genre of chick lit.

So I'm not going to rehash the event that's led to me write about this. Instead, I want to ask why women writers, in particular, need to defend what they write. Do we see popular male writers like Nick Hornby defending their humorous, light fiction? No, we do not. Do we see men apologising for throwing in multiple football references, the same way woman do with shoes or cupcakes? No. And do male readers complain that black and red covers are limiting their readership? Um... negative.

So why do women writers need to do this? Why are we constantly having to justify what we write, the appearance of our novels, how they're labelled... and on and on? What's the next step, to apologise for having breasts? Bah!

There is nothing wrong with liking pink. Shoes. Cupcakes. Or even NOT liking any of those things, but wanting to read stories that are relevant to modern women. Yes, I understand packaging and marketing everything with one set of 'symbols' can be grating, but we shouldn't let our constant defence of the labels overtake the fact that we're proud of what we write, and that we write entertaining novels that connect with our readers (at least, I hope I do!). How about being on the offensive?

Let's focus on the positive, and let the critics eat (cup)cakes.

(Now I want a cupcake...)

Odds 'n' Sods

Happy Monday, one and all! Hope you had a great weekend. Mine was fabulous, filled with lovely pubs, great wine, rain (booo!) and fantastic reads.

And now it's a fresh new week. I'm half-way through my novella called Miracle in the Museum of Broken Hearts for a Christmas anthology with some other wonderful writers. I have to tell you, it's so good to be writing again after months of editing!

There are a few things on the Talligenda today, so let's get down to business. First up, the winners from my launch  day contest!

The winner of a selection of Marilyn stuff is... Leigh T Moore!


The winner of an ebook of Willow is... Rachel Brimble!


The winner of a £10 Amazon gift certificate is...Teresa Morgan!


Congratulations! I'll be in touch shortly. And thanks so much to everyone, again, who took part.

Oh, would you like a look into my brain? (Yes, I know. Scary.) Gird your loins... and, er... other bits, because at Nik Perring's blog today, you can peer inside the void. 

Onto the next item! Hilarious, fantastic rom-com writer Tonya Kappes has started her own blog recently. Head over and say hi if you get the chance.

And last but by no means least, fellow Canadian writer Isabelle Lafleche has recently launched a book trailer for the US release of her novel J'Adore New York. Have a look!

And that's Monday done, phew! Have a good one.

Miniskirts and More!

Happy Friday, everyone. Wow, what a week!

Before I get started on the miniskirts (don't worry, I'm not going to make you watch a video of me in one), I want to say thanks again for making my launch day so fantastic! Somewhere along the way, I ended up agreeing to wear my Marilyn costume in an author fashion show at the Festival of Romance. The reality of the costume ain't pretty, so if you're going, consider yourself forewarned!

A few links to share from the past couple days: first up, I'm on High Heels and Book Deals talking about my Freedom Shoes. Dance, baby, dance! There have also been lovely reviews of Willow at Bookersatz, One More Page, Kim the Book Worm, Surrounded by Books, and Thoughts in Progress.

And you can win an ebook of Willow at One More Page and Chick Lit Plus.

Phew!

Well, this wasn't just launch week for me. Today is the launch of the fabulous Carol Wyer's Mini-Skirts and Laughter Lines! It sounds like a fantastic read, and Carol is such a warm and lovely lady. I'm a guest in one of her 'rooms' (she's got a fab house party going on!). Drop by and say hi and congratulations if you get a chance.

I'm still working away on putting everyone's name into the bucket for launch day prizes -- so many people took part (yay! thank you!) it's proving quite the task. I hope you don't mind waiting until Monday. 

So until then... have a fab weekend, everyone!