Talli Roland's Blog, page 43

The Cap'n, Ali G and Me

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 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!

Getting Published - One Year On

It's a year to the day since my first book, 24 Hours London (published under my real name), hit the bookshops! And wow, what a year it's been! Since then, 24 Hours Paris has also been released, with Sydney on its way -- and, of course, The Hating Game.

Although I've always longed to have my fiction published, the anniversary of 24 Hours London holds a special place in my heart. It was the first sign to everyone that what I was doing wasn't so crazy, after all; that I could get something published. I was on my way.

A lot of great things have happened this past year, but I'd thought I'd share a few. One of the best was being asked to contribute to a London feature The Times was running, then getting a request to take part in a live online Q&A, run by London experts. My internet being what it is (dodgy), I decided to head into The Times to do it in their newsroom. And of course I got lost. Oh the irony. The 'London expert', lost in London.

Another highlight was being interviewed on BBC London by Robert Elms. I was absolutely terrified of messing up -- I even had loads of cheat sheets on late-night London in case I froze -- but it was fun and I don't think too many people noticed the tremor in my voice!

And wow, it was so spectacular when a junior editor at my publishers spotted my book on display at the British Museum! I nearly keeled over with joy.

Of course, signing a contract for The Hating Game and realising that my fiction would finally be published is right up there too.

All in all, it's been quite a year!

Where would you like to be, one year from now?

The Mad Ones Wear Bow-Ties

I have the great pleasure of living in a place crowded with hundreds of characters. Last year, while grabbing an early morning Sunday coffee on Portobello, my husband and I had a close encounter with one of them.

I sip my strong coffee as the unfamiliar sun caresses my head. Nearby, an old-school ghetto blaster belts out Lionel Richie as the street slowly stretches its Sunday morning arms.

'Am I annoying you?'

My head swivels. At the next table, a middle-aged posh-looking man is settling into a chair next to a complete stranger.

'No, you're alright, mate,' the stranger says. Eyes glued to newspaper and head down, he maintains Londoners' strict code of conduct.

'I smoked seven grams of cocaine and had six hookers last night,' says Posh Man, swaying slightly.

Stranger barely looks up. 'Sounds like a messy night,' he says in a typically understated British way.

Posh Man pulls a face. 'No, not messy. Not messy at all. I'm just coming down. I smoked seven grams of cocaine and had six hookers last night,' he repeats, louder, in case any of us have missed it. Stranger continues with his newspaper. Silence falls.

'I'm the best film maker on this street. Too bad my wife has left me. Man, she was hot.' He points to Stranger. 'Now, if she was with you, I'd be impressed. You're rich. Not as rich as me. I have a Rolex that used to be owned by Frank Sinatra. I'm the best film maker on this street.'

Stranger folds his paper and gets up, walking away without a word. Silence descends again, until another man nabs the chair Stranger's just vacated. Posh Man looks his way. 'I smoked seven grams of cocaine and had six hookers last night,' he says, delighted to have a new audience.

Husband and I get up to leave, stifling our laughter. 'He's a nutter!' my husband says.

'But he looked so posh...' For some reason, I find it hard to believe a man who speaks like Prince Charles could be clinically insane.

'He's wearing a bow-tie,' my husband responds assuredly. 'The mad ones always wear bow-ties.'

Any mad characters in your neck of the woods?

Ten for Tuesday: Literary Hotties

For me, the perfect man can be found in books. Not only can you create them in your mind's eye, but you can close the cover on them whenever you like! Shame the same can't be said for real life partners, who make you do pesky things like wash your dishes straight away...

Anyway. I digress! Without further ado or husband bashing, here are my literary hotties, past and present. I'm telling you now, I'm not going to make it to ten! Memory does not serve me well.

1. Philip, in the Adventure series by Enid Blyton. He was so well-loved by animals and I adored the tuft in the front of his hair. Plus, he was very brave. I do hope it doesn't need to be pointed out that I no longer find Philip as attractive as I did, say, 25 years ago.

2. Boots, in the Bruno and Boots series by Gordon Korman. Bruno was the more audacious of the two, but I had a soft spot in my heart for the more cautious Boots.

3. Todd, in Sweet Valley High. Elizabeth's boyfriend, I mourned his loss when he moved miles away to Vermont and they broke up. Jeffrey was nowhere near as good as Todd!

4. Mr Rochester, in Jane Eyre. A bit of a jerk (okay, a big jerk). But he's blind in the end! Jane must take care of him! Awwww!

5. Colin Firth. Colin Firth, Colin Firth, Colin Firth. Yes, I know he's not in a book. But... Colin Firth!

6. Dermot, in Love Letters by Katie Fforde. A dark and brooding Irish man. Need I say more?

And I'll stop there, mopping up the drool that seems to have accumulated on my keyboard in the creation of this post!

Who's on your list of literary hotties?

Into the Shadows Blog Splash!

I've received so much wonderful support from the blogosphere that when I heard about Karly Kirkpatrick's release date (today!), I was more than happy to help spread the word!

Here's more about Karly's book, Into the Shadows.

Paivi Anderson has it all—friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn't see coming.

Help INTO THE SHADOWS climb the bestseller list at Amazon.com by purchasing your copy for $2.99 here http://amzn.to/c4QRzo November 1st. Even one day of great sales on Amazon helps push the book up the bestseller list, which makes the ebook more visible to other readers. No Kindle? No problem! Download a free app at Amazon.com. Also available at http://www.smashwords.com/, http://www.amazon.co.uk/, and http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ . Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at http://www.karlykirkpatrick.com/ .

Go Karly go!

And now, for something totally different, Summer is hosting a writing space blogfest!



This is my zone. It's certainly not going to win anything on its glam factor, I know. The thing is, I like my space to be fairly neutral and ordered. Yes, that's TweetDeck I have open there, alongside my favourite pen and notebook... and beside that, a booklet that keeps reminding me I need to do my taxes! The camel by the back wall was given to me by my husband's cousin in Cairo last year and that gold sphere beside it is an ashtray because she thought 'all writers smoke'.

One thing I cannot live without is my Aloe Vera Vaseline lip therapy (to the left of the computer). Nothing irks me like dry lips! If ever anything would prevent me from writing, that would be it.

Thanks, Summer, for hosting this!

Title Schmitle

(Yes, I am that brain dead. I just can't think of a title!)

It's the weekend -- almost! Not that it really makes a big difference to me, but it's still nice to heave a sigh and think back on everything accomplished.

First, a BIG thanks to everyone who agreed to review my book on Dec 1 on Amazon! I think I've sent it out to all who requested it, so if you didn't get one, please let me know.

Theresa Milstein's is holding a Haunting Halloween contest with international prizes. Check out her blog here!

The wonderfully crazy Candyland is holding I Heart Joy Like BR80 to raise money for women, children and families in Ghana. Head over to help out!

Susan Fields is also having a Back From Hiatus Contest giveaway with lots of great books. Go here for more.

Congrats to Clarissa Draper, who's just signed a contract with WiDo Publishing!

Have a great weekend, everyone! I'm off to Portobello Road for some cupcakes!

Bye Bye Baby

Today marks a turning point in the life of my soon-to-be-released novel. This is the day when The Hating Game's advance review copy makes it way out into the wonderful world!

There's something very strange about sending off a manuscript you've slaved over in isolation for months. Sure, I've had readers and editors look it over and pick it to bits, but not *gasp* strangers! Of course, many of the people reading aren't strangers at all -- they're blog buddies who've kindly agreed to help post a review on Amazon on the day of release.

Still, stranger or not, it's weird having your work in the public domain. Yes, I have non-fiction 'out there', but it's less personal. When it's a world you've created and characters you've honed, it's much harder to be objective.

So... bye bye baby! Momma's done what she can. May you fare well!

(The inevitable plug: If anyone would like a PDF review copy in exchange for a review on Amazon on the day of release -- December 1 -- please let me know in the comments or by email: talliroland AT gmail.com! You must have an Amazon account you've used to purchase something, but it doesn't have to be my book. I'm looking for about 10 or so more reviewers to help out. Many thanks to those who already are!)

I Dedicate This Book To...

[image error] As I've been banging on about, the ARC for The Hating Game is now almost ready! Yes, I'm about to collapse in heap on my desk, but I'm actually starting to feel less nervous and more excited.

And today, I had the super-fun task of writing the dedication. Of course there can only be one person to whom I could dedicate my first novel... but there's a shiny little beetle-black gadget that also deserves my eternal gratitude: my former BlackBerry. If it wasn't for that phone, I probably would have taken much longer to leave the corporate world and really begin my writing career.

Before I gave up my full-time job, I worked in a very busy office. It was intense; it was frantic; it was long hours, from seven-thirty in the morning to six at night with no lunch... and while I might not have taken issue with that, I knew it wasn't my life's ambition. Not by a long shot. I'd already given a lot of thought to taking up a part-time job elsewhere and having a go at writing.

One Friday, things reached a breaking point. Coming home from work, I met up with a friend and proceeded to rant on about how unhappy I was, how I wanted to quit, and precisely what was wrong with my bosses.

The weekend passed in a blur as usual, and on a rainy cold November morning I made my way back into the office. Just seconds inside the door, I got a call: could I meet with my bosses, pronto. Shrugging, I figured it was just an early morning strategy meeting.

But oh, no. It was anything but. As I swung into the chair in front of them, they fixed me with an intense stare and asked if I realised I'd rung them last Friday evening. My brow furrowed. What? I hadn't rung them on Friday -- at least not to my knowledge.

Although I hadn't, apparently my dandy little BlackBerry had! Oh yes! Unbeknownst to me, it had revelled in its freedom (I'd forgot to lock it), dialling my bosses' voice mail and leaving not just one BUT TWO messages of me, raving away to my friend about our wonderful workplace.

Needless to say, my sentiments did not go down well. Before my bosses could say anything, I handed in my notice -- with my feelings out there on the table, suddenly it was clear to me (and now, to them!) that I couldn't do this any longer.

One painful month later and I was free, working part-time and starting my writing in earnest.

So... as much as I resented you at the time, shiny BlackBerry, thank you!

Who have -- or would -- you dedicate your book to?

Ten for Tuesday: My Favourite Rom Coms

[image error] What's not to like about a rom-com film? It's funny; it's entertaining... and on top of it all, there's romance. Sigh!

So here are my favourites.

1. Love Actually (pictured). I could watch this over and over... and I have. With a stellar cast of actors all set against a backdrop of one of my favourite cities (London), it's a winner.

2. Bridget Jones's Diary. Hugh Grant, Colin Firth... need I say more?

3. Notting Hill. Funny, because I live close to Notting Hill, I sometimes run into tourists looking for 'Julia Roberts? Hugh Grant?', as one Spanish couple asked me. But proximity or not, it's a fantastic film.

4. Green Card. An oldie but goodie!

5. About a Boy. Yes, I know. Another Hugh Grant film!

6. Serendipity. Set in New York... a wonderful tale of fate and finding the right one.

7. Pretty Woman. Richard Gere! Yum (or at least, then).

8. The Wedding Singer.

And now I'm bored, so I'm stopping! Really, I could on, but I'll spare you.

What's your favourite rom-com film?

O Typo, O Typo, Wherefore Art Thou?

As I struggle through the (hopefully) last round of edits of The Hating Game ARCs, I'm continually amazed how many of these little typo critters are clinging to the pages.

Even though I've read each sentence countless times, still they remain: persistent, resistant and taunting me with their beady little typo eyes.

I'm determined to hunt them down and KILL them; to gain the advantage; to reclaim my novel. Still, one must be realistic in one's efforts. I am only human, after all. Typos have plagued our race for years.

Death to typos! Who's with me? Writers, unite!