Talli Roland's Blog, page 42

Sore Heads, Soaking Stockings and More

I've fallen down on my blog commenting a bit this week, and I apologize! It's all down to the weekend away, house guests and midnight lamb -- and the Romantic Novelists' Association Winter Party! I shall redeem myself shortly, I promise.

Since I don't get out much, the thought of dressing up (and even brushing my hair) had me quivering in anticipation. The annual RNA Winter Party was held last night in the gorgeous Library of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers in Westminster.

The exterior of the Institute.

After meeting up with several RNA Tweeters at the Waterstones bar in Piccadilly (have you ever heard of anything so fabulous? A bar in a bookstore?), we coerced the doorman at The Ritz to flag us down a cab for the short journey to the Institute.

The interior of the Library.

The library was packed with writers, agents, editors and publishers -- all there to party it up! It was noisy and crowded but loads of fun, and I got to catch up with a lot of people I'd met at the conference and meet some new writers, too. It was all good except for one thing: my feet. Shoved into my foreign high heels, I was experiencing pain like never before. Despite the rain and the freezing cold, I couldn't help ditching the shoes and running in my stocking-ed feet down the street towards home! Freedom!

And the fun continues today: I'm off to Hannibal House (yes. Hannibal) to prove my identity for my first British passport! Other exciting news: over on High Heels and Book Deals, The Hating Game is reviewed! Pop over if you get a chance. And I'm very sorry to say I've finally had to enable word verification on my blog. I like enlarged penises and all, but... not on my blog, no.

What are you up to today? And do you believe high heels were invented to inflict pain on the women of the world?

Breakthrough Blog Tour - Conflict

Thank you to everyone for taking part in the quiz yesterday! As its creator, I admit the results might have been slightly skewed -- and by slightly, I mean there was only one possible outcome: romantic comedy! So I do look forward to seeing Alex Cavanaugh and Matthew Rush embrace their new genre with passion.

Today I'm delighted to welcome Stephen Tremp on the latest leg of his blog tour. Every post of Stephen's I've read has been full of useful advice and this one's no different! Take it away, Stephen.

"The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph" - Thomas Paine

Authors love to incorporate conflict not only into their stories, but into the very fabric of their characters. It is conflict that drives the plot forward and engages the reader. The more adverse the conflict is, or a state of opposition, the more rewarding the victory is to the overcomers.

According to Gillian Roberts in You Can Write A Mystery, the fundamental element of all drama is conflict, a clash between good an evil. Life vs. death. Law vs. disorder. There are internal and external conflicts and personality conflicts with people of different goals, hostile witnesses, uncooperative employees, or frustrating red tape. Murder is often the "crime of choice" as it is the ultimate offense and "therefore produces the most absolute and unequivocal conflicts." But conflict can manifest in numerous other less-violent forms, as long as it wrongs the accepted norms of a society or individuals. Gillain suggests the two sides of conflict be equally weighted (easier said than done). The protagonist should be the mental equal of the antagonist. Otherwise, it's an unfair fight or a rout rather than a difficult quest and the tension would be reduced.

Internal conflict, or the conflict that takes place within the mind if a character, and external conflict, the struggle against some outside force, can be deciding factors as to what separates a good story from a great story. The protagonist has to meet a challenge and conquer it. But it's hard if not seemingly impossible. He's repeatedly foiled time and again along his journey, but must press forward. There is also conflict between individuals and their interactions, whether they are friend or foe. Characters can have differing goals. There can be hostile witnesses or frustrating beaurocracy and red tape.

Conflict also offers the author the opportunity to weave into the plot twists and turns that will keep the reader up late at night, turning the pages. When the protagonist, antagonist, or other characters overcome a seemingly insurmountable obstacle, the author can take advantage of the opportunity to bamboozle the reader by shifting the plot and make an unexpected sharp left or right turn.

Utilitarianism, or conduct directed toward promoting the greatest good for the greatest number of people, provides an excellent opportunity for an author to implement the element of internal and eternal conflict. Throughout history, men and women in positions of authority, during exceedingly excruciating circumstances, have had to make utilitarian decisions that affect countless lives and history itself. During World War II, Allied decision makers had to sacrifice entire towns and cities in order to take one more step toward winning the war. Dropping nuclear bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in order to save literally millions of American and Japanese casualties would be another extreme example.
In my book Breakthrough, Chase Manhattan's utilitarian decisions may seem to be on a much smaller scale. However, as the Breakthrough trilogy progresses, we see a Pandora's Box that is opened and the key is the discovery of wormholes. Indeed, a seemingly innocent breakthrough that can benefit mankind can instead threaten life as we know it and send us back to the dark ages. The protagonist must overcome his own internal and external conflict if he is to stop the madness and destroy this breakthrough discovery.

Please join me tomorrow as I visit L. Diane Wolfe at Spunk on a Stick's Tips for Researching the Research.

Stephen Tremp is author of the action thriller Breakthrough . You can visit Stephen at Breakthrough Blogs where Breakthrough is available for purchase and download to all eReaders.

The Big Reveal

It being Tuesday and all, I thought I'd replace today's Ten for Tuesday with a handy-dandy quiz to help you uncover your ideal reading genre. (Sorry, I tried to embed it, but it keeps crashing! Maybe later...).

Who knows, you may even be surprised! Enjoy!

Two More Weeks!

I've returned safe and sound (albeit somewhat fluey) from my forray to the land of the Beatles! It was a great trip and good to get out of London, but even better to be back again.

I keep banging on about my forthcoming ebook release, but when you have little else besides wine and chocolate to focus on, such things do become a bit of an obsession. Over the past few days, I've received a few emails from people asking just what they have to do on December 1 for my big Take On Amazon Web Splash, so -- for lack of anything better to post about today -- I thought I'd clarify! Still plenty of time to sign up, if you haven't yet. And a big thanks to everyone who has!

So! Next week, I will be sending out an email to everyone who's signed up with the book blurb and the links to the Amazon Kindle listing on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. On December 1, you can post the book blurb (and cover, if you like) along with the Kindle links on your blog. Basically, the aim is to let people know about the book release on that day, in hopes of driving sales to get as high as possible on Amazon charts. If you'd like to buy the book, that would be fantastic, but please don't feel in any way obliged -- I know how tight funds are at this time of year. It's really all about spreading the word.

Check your junk mail, as I'll be sending from a newsletter site that allows me to send to lots of recipients at one time. I'll also have all the info available on this blog, as well as on the Facebook events page. And if you blog or tweet, I'll provide status updates for you to share.

If you're reviewing the book (thank you, thank you!), you can post your Amazon review any time from when the Kindle listing is live (I'll email to let you know).

Phew! That's everything, I think! And, to top it all off, there's an extract from Chapter One of The Hating Game available here. Take a peek, if you have a chance.

Happy Monday! And thank you a million zillion times for all your support!

Breaking News - I'm Leaving the Flat!

The unthinkable is happening. Not only am I leaving my flat, I'm leaving London! Yes, I am going to venture out into the wide world... all the way to Liverpool -- for the weekend, anyway. So, I thought I'd leave you with a few things for which Liverpool is known (see how awkward that sentence is? Really, ending sentences with prepositions should be fine! It should! See, this is why I need to leave my flat).


Ferry on the Mersey River. When I did this a few years ago, I nearly froze my arse off.

The Beatles. I am the only person in the history of the human race not to really appreciate their music. Yes, I know, I know...

WAGs. Need I say more?


The Albert Docks.

My favourite bar in Liverpool! Alma de Cuba, in a restored church.

Have a great weekend!

The Wonderful World of Hair!

Thank you all for the wonderfully reassuring comments yesterday! At the risk of sounding all smushy, I feel so lucky to have such a great group of online friends!

Today's post has nothing to do with writing. Nothing at all. Today's post is, in fact, all about hair -- another small obsession of mine.

It may shock you that despite being born a blonde, platinum is no longer my natural colour (yes, I know! I hear the sighs of disbelief, ha!). In fact, platinum is just one of the many colours that has graced my locks, from black to red and back again.

Me and my brother, hanging out in the tree in all our polyester glory.

My obsession with hair began early on, when I took to trimming the hair of my Strawberry Shortcake dolls until they were nigh on scalped (and let me assure you, a scalped Lemon Meringue doll is just plain scary). Even My Little Pony tails didn't stand a chance against me and my scissors. I was the five-uear-old Edward Scissorhands of my block.

In junior high, I crimped, I hairsprayed, I banana-clipped, I permed... there was nothing my poor old hair didn't handle. With SunIn, Flirt (a hideous red 'temporary' dye that turned everything orange) and lemon juice, I was determined to be transformed. Honestly, it's a wonder I still have hair on my head!

What were you obsessed with when you were young? And have you outgrown it?

Giant Mushy Sponge

Three weeks to go until The Hating Game ebook release and my insides are like a giant mushy sponge, sucking up every bit of doubt and fear and stubbornly hanging onto them despite multiple wringings.

I remember reading about authors with pre-publication nerves and rolling my eyes. Whatever. They're getting published! I'd think, dismissing their fears with a blithe 'I should be so lucky'.

But now that I'm here, I can safely say this is probably the most stressed out I've been. Yes, I like to worry: I got my gold star in anxiety long ago. But when it's something you've created and dreamed about, it's absolutely terrifying -- enough to even put me off chocolate (for five minutes).

Still, it's part of the process and I need to learn to embrace it. If I don't put my work out there, I won't get lovely emails and comments from early readers that have made my heart sing and helped to calm me (thank you!). I won't ever set a foot on the road to my career, if I let my worry stop me. So... as anxiety-inducing as this time is, it's also exciting. This book isn't the end (hopefully!) of my career. It's only the beginning.

What have you found most terrifying about the writing process?

(If you'd like to sign up for my Web Splash on December 1 to help with my ebook release, there's still plenty of time!)

Ten for Tuesday: Keeping Cozy

I'm going to have to re-name this feature, because there's no way I can make it to ten most days!

Winter has come to the UK. By 'winter', I mean the temperature has fallen below 10 degrees C and there's plenty of rain and wind, along with general gloom. Having grown up in Canada with snow and such, there's no excuse for me to complain of cold. But really, the cold in England gets into your bones and takes up a clammy residence, spreading mould and damp... well, you get the picture.

It doesn't help that I sit in front of an old sash window, which oozes cold air right onto me. Brr. So, in honour of the season, today's not-so-ten for Tuesday is all about staying warm. Here are my top tips!

1. Fingerless gloves. Yeah, baby! Not so sexy, but they keep your hands toasty warm and your fingers free for munching. And typing.

2. Under-desk heater. I shove a heater right up under my desk (not an euphemism for anything, I assure you) and then press my legs against it. Ohhhh ssooooo satisfying.

3. Chocolate-scented blanket. What's this, you ask? So easy to create. Simply choose a plain blanket, melt some chocolate in strategic (or accidental) locations, then wrap yourself up tightly.

4. The sock layering organisational system. If you're like me and you can never keep track of your socks, why not wear them all at once? Your feet will be warm and you'll never lose them again.

5. Mulled wine. Hey, it's almost Christmas! Get in the spirit early and keep your insides cheery by having a cup of mulled wine. You deserve it!

How do you keep warm? Happy Tuesday!

Does Your Book Have the X-Factor?

The UK is caught in the grip of reality TV these days. In particular, the X-Factor: a show like American Idol, but with old(er) deluded people as well as young. Being a reality TV junkie, of course I'm loving the caterwauling and lapping up the tears.

But, amongst the screeching and nasally tones, there are some singers who just have it. They shine onstage and they 'can sing the phone book', to quote Simon's favourite line. They just sparkle.

I've been doing a lot of reading these days, and I've come to the conclusion the x factor can be applied to books, as well. There are some books I've read where I'm gripped straight away, lured into the narrative and soaring through the plot. They have that elusive quality that makes them shine.

What kind of book has the x factor for you? Beautiful writing, unique voice... or can you put your finger on it?


PS - BIG CONGRATS to Jessica Bell, who just announced her novel is going to be published! Woo! Head over to say congrats, if you have a sec!

The Cap'n and Ali G

Big thanks to everyone for the wonderful comments yesterday! Wishing all a productive year ahead.

Today, I'm over on Joanna St James's blog, expounding on Cap'n Crunch, Ali G and more. Check it out if you have a second.

And there are lots of great contests going on these days! The lovely Jen Daiker's almost at 1000 -- if you're not already following, get over there and read all about her contest.

Everyone's favourite Alliterative Allomorph is also holding a 400 followers contest.

And over at Candyland, you can donate to help the women and children of Ghana.


Any more contests? Feel free to post about it in the comments! Have a fantastic weekend, everyone!