Talli Roland's Blog, page 5

United Authors of Chick Lit

Why, hello! Happy Monday!

You may (or may not) have noticed I didn't post last Thursday - the day completely got away from me, and then I figured I'd do it on Friday, and then . . . I was hungover, due to a book launch and a bottomless glass of wine. But this week I'll make up for it, because I'll be posting twice! In one week! Crazy!

Why, you ask?

Well, I'm taking part in United Authors of Chick Lit, bringing together writers of the genre from over the Pond and beyond. The next few days, chick lit characters will be jetting across the ocean to visit with fictional friends on either side of the Atlantic.

 On Tuesday, 22 Oct., read about Stella from Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes and Chloe from Lying to Meet You as they travel across the Atlantic to visit each other.

On Wednesday, 23 Oct., it’s time to discover what happens when Emma from The Pollyanna Plan and Kim from Blogger Girl meet.
On Thursday, 24 Oct., Izzy from Izzy’s Cold Feet and Jamie from Finding Lucas will be taking you on a trip alongside their characters.
And on Friday, 25 Oct., Kate from Sealed with a Kiss and Pilar from In Need of Therapy will be chatting about their overseas experiences.
Here’s a little sneak peek at the fun, frothy books and sassy gals featured in our international promo, all of which are priced at £2.99 or less:
Finding Lucas by Samantha Stroh Bailey – Daytime talk show producer Jamie Ross is beyond fed up with her toxic bad boy turned metrosexual boyfriend. Spurred on by her gang of quirky friends, she goes on a hilarious, at-times disastrous, and totally life-changing hunt to track down the ”one who got away.” But are some loves best left behind? Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Finding-Lucas-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A/ Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Lucas-Samantha-Stroh-Bailey-ebook/dp/B007VIIU6A and Kobo http://store.kobobooks.com/en-ca/books/Finding-Lucas/-wfpLcDV6keHZR-T80qCUg In Need of Therapy by Tracie Banister – Handling the problems of hysterical hypochondriacs, lovelorn neurotics, and compulsive man whores is all in a day’s work for super-shrink Pilar Alvarez. But can she deal with her crazy Cuban family, a trio of unsuitable suitors, and a threat to her practice without ending up on the couch herself? Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/In-Need-of-Therapy-ebook/dp/B008N6Z36Y and B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-need-of-therapy-tracie-banister/1112265620?ean=2940015006889 Lying to Meet You by Anna Garner – Overworked New York fashion girl Chloe Lane has no time for a real relationship, but when her childhood pal asks her to play the part of his girlfriend in order to test a theory, she decides to go for it. The lies start piling up and things start getting crazy. Will Chloe be able to keep it together? Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lying-to-Meet-You-ebook/dp/B00EZR5M9I and B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/lying-to-meet-you-anna-garner/1116838753?ean=2940148616924 Sealed with a Kiss by Rachael Lucas – Kate breathes a sigh of relief when she's dumped at her best friend's wedding. When she takes a job on the island of Auchenmor, she's determined to have a year off men, but that's before she rescues Flora the seal pup with the help of Roddy, her mysterious new boss... Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Sealed-with-a-Kiss-ebook/dp/B00BE9EUW0/ and Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sealed-with-a-Kiss-ebook/dp/B00BE9EUW0/  
The Pollyanna Plan by Talli Roland – Emma Beckett has always looked down on 'the glass is half full' optimists. But when she loses her high-powered job and fiancé, Emma makes a radical decision: from here on in, she'll attempt to see the upside, no matter how dire the situation. Can adopting a positive attitude give Emma the courage to build a new life, or is finding the good in everything a very bad idea? Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/The-Pollyanna-Plan-Talli-Roland-ebook/dp/B00AFAW2GK and Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Pollyanna-Plan-Talli-Roland-ebook/dp/B00AFAW2GK
Blogger Girl by Meredith Schorr – Kimberly Long has two passions: her successful chick lit blog and Nicholas, her handsome colleague down the hall. But when her high school nemesis pops onto the chick lit scene with a hot new book and eyes for Nicholas, Kim has to make some quick revisions to her own life story. Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Blogger-Girl-ebook/dp/B00EDTLDSW Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Blogger-Girl-ebook/dp/B00EDTLDSW B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/blogger-girl-meredith-schorr/1116358028?ean=2940148503125 and Apple iTunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/blogger-girl/id686654939?mt=11
Izzy’s Cold Feet by Sarah Louise Smith – Izzy is engaged to Greg, who is everything a girl could want. The trouble is – all she can think about is the men she loved before she met him. In the week leading up to her wedding day, Izzy is forced to ask herself who she loves the most. And, given the choice, who would she want to spend her life with? Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Izzys-Cold-Sarah-Louise-Smith/dp/1909841005/Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Izzys-Cold-Sarah-Louise-Smith/dp/1909841005/ B&N http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/izzys-cold-feet-sarah-louise-smith/1116263752 and UK Nook http://uk.nook.com/ebooks/izzys-cold-feet-by-sarah-louise-smith/2940045154499
Fat Girls and Fairy Cakes by Sue Watson – TV Producer Stella is over worked, over weight and under fire battling to balance family, career and those weighing scales. In the past she’s always found comfort at the bottom of her mixing bowl but now the most delicious lemon sponge with zesty frosting has no effect. However, life is about to get even tougher... and Stella has to face some truths about herself, her life and her future. Available on Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8 and Amazon UK http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fat-Girls-Fairy-Cakes-Watson-ebook/dp/B005L92JB8

Whooooop! I'll be back on Wednesday! Have a lovely week, everyone.

A Day in the Life

I've done these 'Day in a Life' things before, but I have to say it's a whole different story with a baby around (I know - duh). So, because the glamour quotient in my life is rather lacking these days, I thought I'd bore you with some minutiae. And to be honest, I really can't think of what else to blog about at the moment!

5 a.m. - Get up very quietly so as not to wake the baby (he's a very light sleeper in the morning). Tiptoe to the kitchen, cursing the creaking floorboards, and make a cup of coffee so strong the spoon stands up in it. Head to my desk (aka 'sofa'), boot up my computer, and furiously write.

6 a.m. - Baby TR wakes up! I work over his coos (aka 'cries') until they join together in one lengthy wail. Usually the coo to wail transition happens over a five-minute period, if I'm lucky. I bounce, play, walk, crawl and generally dust the floor with the length of my body.

7 - 9:30 a.m. - Feeding and yet more floor-dusting.

9:30 - 10:30 a.m. - Baby naps! I jam burnt toast down my throat and head back to my desk for more work.

10:30 - 1:30 p.m. - Feeding, floor dusting and a stroll to the shops where Baby TR and I terrorise the population of Kensington. We have a particular fondness for the lift in Boots.

1:30 - 3 p.m. - Baby naps! I lunge for whatever food is nearest, then make a break for my desk.

3 - 5 p.m. - Yet more feeding and floor dusting. I have a very clean floor.

5 p.m. - Mr TR's home! I hand over the baby and return to my desk.

6:30 p.m. - Baby TR's in bed and it's wine o'clock!

And there you have it! A day in the life of a writer/mum/floor duster.

What's the highlight of your day?

Locked In: Paul Anthony Shortt

I've got ten minutes until the baby wakes up! Ready . . . steady . . . blog!

Right, well, I hope everyone had a lovely weekend. London has been blessed with an abundance of sunshine and warmth; not quite sure what's happening there. Thank you all for the comments on last week's blog post. It's good to see I'm not alone in my struggle to keep a balance.

Although I normally post on Thursdays, I'm dropping in today with a special guest post from Paul Anthony Shortt. I seriously do NOT KNOW how this man finds the time to write! With twin daughters under a year and another one on the way, all I can say is he must be a super-hero.

Take it away, Paul!

A Love Reborn
I’m back on Talli Roland’s blog, the day before my second novel, Silent Oath, hits the shelves. I am so excited about this! This new book pushes Nathan to the limit, and offers him his greatest reward: Love.
In the world of the reborn, there are many challenges. Their beliefs make them targets of the Council of Chains, and they must frequently contend with issues that carry over from past incarnations. The Common Laws forbid them from letting past grudges or rivalries to carry over from life to life, but they’re only human, and emotions can get the better of them.
Of all the challenges reincarnation brings, few are as delicate and complicated as love.
Many new characters make their debut in Silent Oath, but the most important is probably Elena DeSantis. Readers of Locked Within will know her better as Malcolm, lover of Nathan’s past self, Katherine O’Reilly. As you will soon learn, Elena and Nathan have been lovers in many lifetimes, and have a history that goes back further than either of them realise.
Writing a romantic sub-plot like this proved to be a challenge. After all, you can’t have the shy, nervous introduction like you would with a traditional love story. Nathan and Elena know each other’s past selves intimately, and it was inevitable that some connection survived their reincarnation.
Instead, I chose to focus on the idea of a reunion. Two people, forced apart for literal lifetimes, suddenly thrust into each other’s lives again. That was an interesting thing to write. I know what it feels like to be separated from friends from long periods of time, and the combination of fear and excitement that accompanies a reunion. Would they still love each other? Would things be the same between them? Had too much changed in the time since they last saw one another, leaving them clinging on to the hope of a memory, and nothing else?
As if that wasn’t bad enough, Nathan and Elena’s reunion is marred by the machinations of their enemies, including a man they know only as Athamar. A reborn who has hunted them across lifetimes, determined to cause them nothing but misery, Athamar is a deadly foe, who brings with him powerful allies.
Only together can Nathan and Elena put a stop to Athamar’s plans, and that means putting aside their hearts’ desires for the time being. But it also means facing their past and coming to terms with things they have done, both in this life and in previous incarnations. There will be no easy answer for these two reborn lovers.
I’d like to open this one up to discussion. 
Do you guys think two lovers can rekindle their feelings after a long time apart? Even if each has been with other people in the interim? Should they even try, or should they accept that the past is over and move on?
A child at heart who turned to writing and roleplaying games when there simply weren't enough action figures to play out the stories he wanted, Paul Anthony Shortt has been writing all his life. Growing up surrounded by music, film and theatre gave him a deep love of all forms of storytelling, each teaching him something new he could use. When not playing with the people in his head, he enjoys cooking and regular meet-ups with his gaming group.Paul lives in Ireland with his wife Jen and their dogs, Pepper and Jasper. Their first child, Conor William Henry Shortt, was born on July 11th, 2011. He passed away three days later, but brought love and joy into their lives and those of their friends. The following year, Jen gave birth to twins, Amy and Erica, and is now expecting their fourth child. Paul's first novel, Locked Within, was released on November 6th, 2012, by WiDo Publishing. Silent Oath is the second book in this urban fantasy trilogy.
Thank you, Paul! See everyone on Thurday.

Keeping It Real

This week, I read a great blog post by Jessica Bell, Let's Fix This Before We Die. In it, Jess points out that many of our blogs have been taken over by promo pieces for other writers, making blogging less personal and fun.

I couldn't agree more, and I admit I'm guilty.

Back in the days before self-publishing, only a few lucky writers achieved the then-holy-grail of being published. We were all happy to jump on board the chosen writer's promo pony to help spread the word of their novel.  Now, many of us can -- and are -- being publishing by other means, and promo posts seem to have taken over the world (okay, just the blogosphere).

I think it's great that the blogging community is super-supportive. For my novel releases, I've had fantastic support from so many fellow bloggers it's made my eyes tear up, and I want to do my bit in return. But with so many releases, I have to draw the line somewhere to ensure my blog remains my own . . . and that any new readers and followers can still see 'me' in it.

I know when I visit blogs, I'm not that keen to see a cover reveal or a random author interview. I want to read what my blog buds are up to; see photos of their life (what can I say, I'm a little voyeuristic!). I miss that sometimes amidst the promo pieces.

How do you balance supporting other writers with keeping your blog personal?

Seaside Serenity

Hello, all! I nearly forgot to post today - I have to get my head around blogging on Thursdays.

I hope everyone is having a great week. You'll be happy to hear I am now on Draft 5 of The No-Kids Club and getting ever-closer to submitting it to my editor. Yay!

This time last Thursday, I was ensconced in lovely Broadstairs, a seaside town in the south of England. The weather was (mostly) co-operative, and we spent a lovely four days exploring the coast and tootling around the town.

Baby TR before christening his jumper with his lunch . . . several times.
Viking Bay in the early morning. 
Flowers!
The sun makes an appearance!
Bleak House - Dickens lived in Broadstairs for a bit and wrote some of his novels here.
I had to satisfy my door fetish.
A row of brightly painted beach huts in Stone Bay.
The famous white cliffs of the Kent coast.And there you have it! My weekend getaway. It was fantastic, and I'll definitely be back!

Have a great weekend. I'll see you next week!

Stormy Seas

Hello, all! Welcome to my new posting day -- Thursday! From here on in, I will be posting each week on Thursdays, except for any guest posts I have already scheduled.

And today, I'm thrilled to be taking part in Alex Cavanaugh's launch of CassaStorm. Comment on Alex’s blog this week for a chance to win a Cassa mug, mousepad, magnet, and swag.

As part of his launch, Alex invited everyone to ask him a question. I asked: Is there more than one Alex? How on earth do you manage to get everything done?

(Alex is a human blogging dynamo! Here is his answer.)

Talli, do you need to borrow my cloning machine?
Just me! I guess I just make certain things a priority and they get done no matter what. I just decide that I’m going to do it.


Here is more about his book:
CassaStormBy Alex J Cavanaugh
From the Amazon Best Selling Series!
A storm gathers across the galaxy…
Commanding the Cassan base on Tgren, Byron thought he’d put the days of battle behind him. As a galaxy-wide war encroaches upon the desert planet, Byron’s ideal life is threatened and he’s caught between the Tgrens and the Cassans.
After enemy ships attack the desert planet, Byron discovers another battle within his own family. The declaration of war between all ten races triggers nightmares in his son, threatening to destroy the boy’s mind.
Meanwhile the ancient alien ship is transmitting a code that might signal the end of all life in the galaxy. And the mysterious probe that almost destroyed Tgren twenty years ago could return. As his world begins to crumble, Byron suspects a connection. The storm is about to break, and Byron is caught in the middle…
“CassaStorM is a touching and mesmerizing space opera full of action and emotion with strong characters and a cosmic mystery.” – Edi’s Book Lighhouse

Find CassaStorm:
Barnes and Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/1116848619?ean=9781939844002Amazon - http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-Alex-J-Cavanaugh/dp/1939844002/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378484337&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastormAmazon Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/CassaStorm-ebook/dp/B00F2O9QMC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1378811366&sr=1-1&keywords=cassastormGoodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17670532-cassastorm

 Learn more about Alex  here: 
Website – http://alexjcavanaugh.blogspot.com/Twitter – http://twitter.com/AlexJCavanaugh  
Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4287922.Alex_J_Cavanaugh
Alex is one of the most supportive bloggers around, and I wish him the best of luck with his new novel!
And with that, I am off to Broadstairs on the ocean for a mini-break! Although the weather is definitely on the cool side, as long as the rain holds off, I'll be happy. I shall be back next Thursday with plenty of photos, including Baby TR's first glimpse of the sea. 
Have a great week!

Park Perks

Hope everyone had a great week!

The air feels more autumnal in London lately, but I can't complain. We had a stellar summer -- for the first time in years! With such good weather, the parks around us became our second home. And now that Baby TR is crawling (and into everything), we need the space to let him loose.

Early morning in Holland Park.
The Orangery and roses in Holland Park.
Baby TR contemplates his next move on the chess board.


In between park jaunts, The No-Kids Club is coming along! I'm now on Draft 4 and it's getting there. Slowly.

Swans on a rainy morning in Kensington Gardens.

Baby TR dips his toes in the Diana Memorial in Kensington Gardens. 
I'm sad to see Summer go, but autumn in London is wonderful, too.

Have a lovely week, everyone!

Handbag Highjinx

Happy Monday, everyone! If you're in North America, then I wish you a very restful Labo(u)r Day.

Today I am very pleased to welcome the very funny writer Lynda Renham, talking about her new book . . . and the contents of her handbag!

Take it away, Lynda. 

I am so excited to be on Talli Roland's blog that at first I could think of nothing to talk about, and then I realised it had to be handbags and Lady Gaga. What do the two have in common? Ah, read on to find out.
Harriet, the heroine in my new novel ‘The Valentine Present and Other Diabolical Liberties’ which is available now on Amazon by the way, has a great deal of trouble opening her bag at a very important moment. Harriet also owns a little pink Primark suitcase which she uses for a very dodgy deal. But, read the book and you can enjoy her adventure.  Bels, the heroine in ‘Croissants and Jam’ empties her bag at the airport when she loses her boarding pass and pulls out everything from a rented DVD to a pair of knickers. She later leaves it sitting in the airport and doesn’t realise until she is many miles away, that she no longer has it.
I’m not saying I do things like that, of course not *tiny embarrassed cough* But I do have very interesting things in my handbag and I can’t help wondering if your bag experiences match mine and Harriet’s.  In my handbag at the last look I had three notepads. Well, an author can never have enough, right? There is also an assortment of bills. Oh dear, I’d better check they’ve been paid. I imagine if they have been stuck in my handbag it is unlikely, right?
 My Blackberry and a bottle of Flexall coupled with Biofreeze and I think there is some Ralgex in there. Not that I’m a hypochondriac or anything. A pair of glasses with both arms missing. Go figure. I’m attached to them what else can I say? There is a crumpled cheesecake recipe, which I will make one day. A small bag full of an assortment of pills, for headaches, diarrhoea, migraine, irritable bowel and there are some anti-histamines. I stress I’m not a hypochondriac. That reminds me I must book an appointment to get that pain in my foot checked. 
There’s my purse, covered in doctor appointment stickers. Not that I’m a hypochondriac or anything. Have I already said that? Do you think I protest too much? This is great but I can’t work out which is the next appointment now. I really should remove some, except… they are well stuck and refuse to be removed.
Oh, here is the best thing. My Lady Gaga CD which goes everywhere, so if I have the opportunity to play it, then I will. I have three combs. As you can see one is never enough for me. I believe in excess rather than moderation. The shoulder strap for my handbag which I never use, but you just don’t know do you? Better safe than sorry. Three pens, see what I mean? 
Three tubes of 4orehead. One pair of knickers, as I’m not likely to need three of them at any one time am I? Finally a pair of earrings, a tampon and a tin of cat food.
Standard contents of a handbag, would you agree?  I’m sure you have far more fascinating things in yours. I’m glad I did that actually. It has confirmed I’m perfectly normal. Anyway must fly. I have a doctor’s appointment, not that I am a hypochondriac or anything.
Enjoy ‘The Valentine Present and Other Diabolical Liberties’ where handbags are mentioned- a bit. 
Thanks, Lynda! 
You can find Lynda on Facebook, Twitter, her website, and Amazon!

I don't think I could list the contents of my handbag even if I tried - each and every handbag I own operates like a black hole where things go in, never to be seen again. 
What's in your handbag (or man-bag)?

You Say Tomato...

Hello, all! Thank you for the lovely supportive comments on last week's blog post!

It's a Bank Holiday Monday here, the 'hood is alive with the sounds (and rubbish) of Notting Hill Carnival, and I'm on my way out the door. So I'm pleased to hand over the blog to the wonderful Laura Pepper Wu today. Take it away, Laura!

You say tomato, I say tomato. You say eggplant, I say WTH?!

 As a Brit living in Seattle, I love reading Talli’s blog and hearing all about the happenings “back home”, and of course her perspective on them as a Canadian in the UK!


When you move to a country other than the one you grew up in, you expect culture and language differences to hit you almost immediately. And they do; I say rocket, you say arugula, I say duvet you say comforter, and so on.
There are plenty of subtle things that creep up on you only as time goes by however. The longer I’m here in the US, the more I realise that there are a myriad of social and cultural differences that are harder to spot. Though we speak a common language, the US and UK have different ways of socialising, making friends, interacting, humour, and what’s ok - and what’s not ok to talk about or do can be contrasting, too.
It takes some analysis to understand why a conversation bombed, why you felt totally misunderstood, or why you were left feeling as though you just did something utterly inappropriate and awkward! But it’s all part of the fun of traveling or living overseas, right? Entering my fourth year living in North America, here are the language differences that I’ve come to understand of late!

The British use of negatives to describe something positive
-       The other day the nice man at the smoothie bar asked me how my day was going - in typical West Coast friendliness – and I replied cheerfully “Not bad, thanks!” This was met with lots of laughter. As he filtered strawberries and banana into the blender, he periodically threw his head back to giggle, saying under his breath, “not bad, not bad!” I felt a little flummoxed by this until I read recently that Brits are infamous for using a negative to describe something positive. Case in point: That Talli is awfully nice, isn’t she?
Calling me out
-       A few years ago, I asked a new acquaintance “What is your son called?” She asked me to repeat the question several times, and then looked a little peeved as she responded, with a wee bit of attitude, “you mean his name?”
I sort of forgot about this incident until a couple of weeks ago when a friend asked me where I had just come from. “Oh I was just having coffee with this woman called Liz…” I started. “What did you just say?!” she laughed, going on to explain that in US English, using the term “to call someone” is pretty rude. Rather, Americans might say  “I was having coffee with this woman named Liz…” I cannot tell you how many times I must have said or written this over the last few years. Holy shitake.
What’s in a name?
-       In the UK, you could have a lengthy conversation with a strange in a pub, or sit next to someone on a train or plane for hours without ever exchanging names. You might know the man down the street as ‘the bloke with the red car’, even though you say hi to him every morning!

In the US, names seem to be much more important – people often introduce themselves as soon as you meet them, even if you’re likely only to be talking for a few minutes and may never see them again. It’s just not that important to us Brits to be so name-aware – or at least we have a different sense of privacy than in the US where greetings are often accompanied by revealing your identity.
I know that readers of Talli’s blog are from the US, Canada, UK, Oz… and we speak all kinds of le English! I’d love to hear your stories about times you felt completely awkward or embarrassed when using a kind of English that wasn’t familiar to the other person… and the consequences of course! Leave a comment J

Laura Pepper Wu is Thank you, Laura. Have a great week, all!

It's a Bit of a Struggle

I'll be honest here. Writing a novel while caring for a baby? It's a bit of a struggle. I love Baby TR with every cell in me, and I can't imagine life without him now. But looking back PBTR (pre-Baby-TR), I honestly had no idea how much time I had. I want to bellow at the old me now: Enjoy it! Lie on the sofa! Savour the silence! Take that nap! Because you'll never, ever be able to fully relax again! I am constantly twitching at each and every little noise, thinking it's the baby crying.

While I do manage to get the odd uninterrupted nap (I only write while he's napping), more often than not, I'll just be getting into a scene when he lets out a wail. I'll tip-toe in, settle him, creep back out and sit down at the desk . . . and another wail erupts.

No-one is forcing me to write while my baby is still young. But writing is a part of me -- I need to do it. I can't imagine not having a story playing out in my mind; not having that creative outlet. It's a piece of me I can't (and don't want to!) let go, no matter how hard it may be.

On the positive side, though, Baby TR has forced me to be extremely disciplined about sitting down at the desk. When I know I only have a limited window, suddenly it's not so hard to turn off Twitter and write like the wind, even if I'd much prefer to a. take a nap!; b. lie on the sofa and savour the (occasional) silence; or c. drink a freakin' HUGE glass of wine.

Writing a novel is hard work. Taking care of a baby is hard work. The two of them together? Well . . .  Where's that wine?

(And if you tell me to cherish these moments, I will virtually slap you with a very wet nappy.)