Romy Gemmell's Blog, page 29

Time Out in Fife

We've just come back from a great few days away in Fife in the east coast of Scotland (we live in the west). It's been one of our favourite venues over the years and we love the particular hotel we stay at, Keavil House, which is like our own perfect retreat. The swimming pool is just a short walk across the path to its lovely leisure centre and it was wonderful to get back to swimming again after the full days exploring and walking.

Keavil HouseIt was also our anniversary at the weekend - a complete coincidence we chose that date! It's amazing how restful three days can seem away from the computer and all social media. The hotel had access to the Internet and a computer in the lounge for guests' free use but I only checked my email a couple of times and didn't reply to any while away. Instead, I had pen, paper and my camera and enjoyed taking time to notice everything around me. I even found a beautiful poppy field on our way to the coast, although it was beside a busy road and difficult to capture properly, or safely! But I also spotted many poppies growing at the side of another road.

                                                                                                                Poppy FieldWe were very near to Dunfermline with its ancient Abbey and the medieval Abbot House. I've been there so often that husband can't believe I never get tired of exploring them and taking new photos each time, but the sense of history always gets inside me and the Abbot House is the best place to have coffee and cake! 
Dunfermline Abbey Abbot House Garden Back of Abbot House

We usually take a drive to the little fishing villages long the East Neuk and this time stopped in Pittenweem, which is still very much involved in the traditional fishing trade.

Pittenweem HarbourSouth Queensferry, at one end of the magnificent Forth Road Bridge, is steeped in history and I discovered there's a boat trip out to a nearby island Abbey - a pleasure to keep in hand for our next visit. We even managed a trip up to St Andrews, famous for its golf, but it was a disappointingly muggy day and the sands weren't particularly appealing this time. But we did manage to have a nice lunch there!

Forth Rail BridgeIt has certainly recharged my batteries being away. Sometimes, we don't know how much we need a break from the usual routine until we're actually away and I'm now quite happy to get back to it all again!

Rosemary

Talking Romance

The first online Romance festival seems to have been a great success over the weekend, taking place on Facebook, Twitter, Harlequin blog and Google hangouts. All the posts and interviews I managed to read or watch were so inspiring and there was ample opportunity to ask big-selling authors questions. I was still talking about some of the posts to my long-suffering husband on the Saturday evening!

If anyone wants to try and catch up with some of the highlights, here are a couple of the best places.

Video interview with two of the huge best-selling US romance authors, Bella Andre and Barbara Freethy - one of the most inspiring author chats I've ever heard, although it's quite long!

Lots of interviews and information on the Romance Festival Facebook page, including one about Kobo which now allows authors to put their work on Kobo themselves.

There was also a huge amount of interesting information for aspiring romance writers on their official blog but that seems to have hit a problem this morning and I can't find them now. Wish I'd copied some of the advice!
STOP PRESS - it's now up and running again here!

I still haven't heard official news about the short story. I also had a rather bizarre experience of being interviewed for a radio programme during the week - same day as announcement of the Baileys Women Prize for Fiction. All very off the cuff and unprepared - think it was a student radio programme but I haven't found out details as I don't want to hear it!

Rosemary

Being Interviewed

Now that I have a new book out, The Adonis Touch , I need to let people know about it, especially since it's in e-book form and fighting against thousands of others on Amazon kindle! It's also available in all other e-formats from Tirgearr Publishing which helps a little. But, like many British writers, I'm not so keen on constant promotion.

So I'm delighted to be interviewed by the lovely Helena Fairfax today, where she asked the type of questions that made think - and one of them brought back lovely memories of my childhood. If anyone has the time or inclination to visit, you can find the interview on Helena's Blog.

I'm hoping to have other exciting news regarding one of my short stories but would prefer to wait until I have definite confirmation that the few hundred words I added to the story are acceptable! Watch this space...

Rosemary/Romy

Catching Up and Maya Angelou

After the great fun at the launch party for The Adonis Touch , on here and Facebook, I'm now trying to catch up with other bits and pieces in between the necessary ongoing promotion. I'm also working my way through my very first full length historical novel, Dangerous Deceit , to change it back into British English, now that the rights have reverted to me. It's tedious but very rewarding as I'm also tightening some of the original sentences in light of further experience! Hopefully, I'll be able to reissue it with a lovely new cover in June sometime.

I was saddened to hear of the death of wonderful author, poet and human rights activist Maya Angelou, whose autobiography, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings (1969), made her the first African-American woman to make the Best Seller List in 1970 . Besides her powerful writing, Maya Angelou has uttered so many meaningful quotes that I have some of them in my collection. The world has lost a unique voice. Here are a few of my favourite quotes:

'Each of us needs to withdraw from the cares which will not withdraw from us. We need hours of aimless wandering or spates of time sitting on park benches, observing the mysterious world of ants and the canopy of treetops.'

'Sunsets and rainbows, green forest and restive blue seas, all naturally colored things are my siblings. We have played together on the floor of the world - since the first stone looked up at the stars.'

'You may not control all the events that happen to you, but you can decide not to be reduced by them.'

'I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.'
'Try to be a rainbow in someone's cloud.'
There are many more such words of wisdom and I'm sure you'll have your own favourites.
Rosemary

And the Winner is...

The winner of the £5 Amazon voucher randomly chosen from the comments on the blog is... Teresa! If you let me have your email address, please, Teresa, it will be on its way.

Many thanks again to everyone who joined in the fun, here and on Facebook, to make the launch party such an amazing day!

Rosemary/Romy

The Adonis Touch Launch Party!

A warm welcome to the fun launch of the second novella in my Aphrodite and Adonis series, The Adonis Touch . As with the first novella, The Aphrodite Touch, this one is again set on the beautiful Mediterranean island of Cyprus. The fun is also going on over on Facebook and one copy of The Adonis Touch will be given away to a commenter on Tirgearr Publishing's Heart of Fiction blog - have a look there later this morning! I will be giving away one Amazon voucher (£5 or $5) to someone on here and one on Facebook from the comments - which should be enough to buy a couple of e-books!
Here’s the Blurb to set the scene
When thirty-something Katie Murray agrees to go on holiday to the romantic island of Cyprus with the man in her life, Mike Sinclair, it’s on the understanding they have separate rooms. Much as she hopes their relationship might develop into something more, she is still not completely over the untimely death of her husband and only lover, childhood sweetheart, Paul. Can she put her sadness behind her, let go of her inhibitions and learn to love again?
On Cyprus in spring time, Aphrodite and Adonis are reunited after two seasons apart and in between renewing their love for each other they watch the influx of tourists to Paphos, choosing the next couple to benefit from their special help. Recognising the sadness in Katie’s eyes and the love Mike waits to share, the mythological couple are determined to do all in their power to ensure the two humans discover the joy that awaits them. Will Adonis work his own type of magic touch?




So please pull up a chair, help yourself to a drink and some nibbles and watch the short trailer.
The Adonis Touch

I’ve had a fascination for Greek mythology since school days and while I wanted to write contemporary romance, I prefer if it has a touch of mystery, adventure or fantasy along with the love story (this has fantasy). We visited Cyprus many years ago and I was immediately captivated by its romance, history and legend. There are so many references to Aphrodite that my imagination was fired and ready to wander among the ruins and beauty spots in the hope that the goddess still walked amongst the local and tourists. And so the series was born.


Although Aphrodite was the goddess of love and took many lovers of her own, I especially felt drawn to the references involving Adonis. Some say he was completely mortal but other ancient writers suggest he was a demi-god. The fun part of writing fiction of course is that you can make up your own rules! More importantly for my series - Aphrodite was wildly in love with him. Adonis is also mentioned a lot on Cyprus and I was delighted to discover – after I’d written a sexy scene there - that he and Aphrodite used to bathe in Aphrodite’s Baths.  Why shouldn't they still appear there at times? I did say this was partly a fantasy romance, didn't I!

Please help yourself to some cake and pretend you’re in this flower-filled café with the scent of Mediterranean herbs all around.



Do you have a favourite island, either near home or far away? You can post a picture of it on Facebook if you like.

Quiz - what Greek goddess are you? I'm Athena and happy with that! Try the quiz if you dare.
Certificate: Test resultsWhat Greek Goddess Are You?You are Athena! Talented, brave, smart, wise and peaceful, there's nothing about you to not like. But sometimes you are in your own zone. Pull out of this and see all of the people around you! You like arts and crafts. You are resourceful and full of ideas, and you're sure to make a difference in the world!
 
Take this quiz: What Greek Goddess Are You?
So where is Cyprus?
An island country in the Mediterranean, Cyprus is roughly situated between Greece, Turkey, Syria and Israel. It is mainly divided into two: the Greek part in the south and Turkish in the north. That's Cyprus to the right on this old map, with Crete on the left.

My series is set in and around Paphos, in Greek Cyprus – an area very much identified with Aphrodite. According to Homer, Aphrodite was born at the rocks along the coast from Paphos, known as Petra Tou Romiou(Aphrodite’s birthplace). There's a scene set here in the first novella, The Aphrodite Touch. Here’s how Homer describes it in his Odysssey VIII.
‘Laughter-loving Aphrodite went to Cyprus, to Paphos. The moist breeze of zephyr brought her there on the waves of the sea, with a noise of thunder, among the soft foam, and the gold-dressed Horä (beautiful women priestesses) received her with joy.’ You might know the famous Botticelli painting that depicts this scene.
I think it must be time for some Champagne and cake. Please raise a glass to send The Adonis Touch on its way into cyberspace. 


And if anyone would like to read The Adonis Touch, you can download it on kindle from Amazon UK, Amazon US and in all e-formats from Tirgearr Publishing! 


As a special offer to celebrate publication of this second novella, the first in the series, The Aphrodite Touch, is now available at the bargain price of $.99 from Amazon US and Amazon UK at £.77!





Thank you all so much for joining in the fun today, here and on Facebook, to help me celebrate the launch of The Adonis Touch. If you've been kind enough to buy the novella, I do hope you enjoy reading it and might even like to leave a review on Amazon if you think it deserves it!
Rosemary (Romy)

Newsletters

I've decided to take the leap and will try sending a regular newsletter out to anyone who might want to read it! This is another learning curve and I'm using one of the most popular companies - MailChimp. They do provide advice and short tutorials but I'm a hands-on person and like to learn by trial and error while actually doing it.

It's fun and I do hope it works okay. But I need subscribers to whom I can send the newsletter. So you will see a sign-up form at the side of the blog and if you'd like to receive my newsletter, then please do fill it in. You can unsubscribe at any time and your details are not shared with anyone. I'm aiming to send one out monthly, if possible, or every two months.

So what will the newsletter contain? As well as any news on my own publishing ventures, I shall feature submission details for a different publisher each time, for those in search of one for their own work, as well as at least one writing market. If the newsletter really takes off, I might begin featuring a guest author in each issue. My aim is to provide information to writers in addition to sharing my own news.

I'll let you know if it all works out!

Watch out for the launch party for The Adonis Touch on Friday 23rd May. It will mostly take place on Facebook this time but I'll post all the fun details here as well on Friday.

Rosemary

Author Spotlight: Helena Fairfax

It’s a great pleasure to welcome UK author Helena Fairfax to the reading and writing blog. Helena is one of the lovely writers I’ve been privileged to meet online and she runs a very interesting blog that I always enjoy reading. A member of the Romantic Novelists’ Association, Helena’s debut novel, The Silk Romance , is one of the contenders for this year’s prestigious Joan Hessayon Award - for authors who came through the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. 
I have just finished reading the novel, which is published by MuseItUp in Canada, and I loved the story, characterisation and setting. I also greatly enjoyed her second book, The Antique Love. We wish Helena all the best at the Joan Hessayon Awards on 22nd May. Before Helena kindly answers my questions, here’s a little about the novel.

The Silk Romance
Sophie Challoner is sensible and hard-working, and a devoted carer of her father. One night her grandmother throws a ball for her in Paris…and Sophie does something reckless that she can never forget.
Jean-Luc Olivier is not a man to treat lightly. And so when fate takes a hand years after the ball and reunites him with Sophie in Lyon, he is determined not to let her go a second time.
But it seems the fates are conspiring against their happiness. Jean-Luc has secrets of his own. And  when disaster strikes at home in London, Sophie is faced with a choice—stay in this glamorous world with the man she loves, or return to her family to keep a sacred promise she made her mother.
Thanks so much for having me, Ros!
It’s lovely to see you here, Helena and thanks for answering my nosy questions!
Tell us a little about how you became a writer.
I started writing as a way to occupy myself on a long train commute to work. On those deathly mornings when the rain steams off everyone in a packed carriage, and all the windows are fugged with condensation, it was so much nicer being in the south of France with my characters and the world of my imaginings! Bit by bit, my story evolved, and I began writing more and more often. I then joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme, and my writing became a lot more focused - until eventually the exciting day arrived when my first story was published!
Exciting indeed!
Was there a particular reason for setting this novel in France?
I worked in Lyon as an au pair for several months when I was a student, and fell in love with the city then. This sunny and vibrant part of France was so different from to the grimy University town I came from. Everything seemed to me intensely colourful: the two rivers, the Rhône and the Saône, gliding through the city; the market stalls with their ripe fruits; the cypress trees; the street cafés and the night-life. It was an intense experience, which stayed with me long after I left France.
Sounds wonderful!
What’s the best part about being a published novelist?
By far the best part is the people I’ve met. Being a writer is quite a lonely experience, but since being published I’ve met other wonderful writers and avid readers, and I feel as though I’ve found my tribe!
How does it feel to be nominated for the Joan Hessayon Award?
It still seems surreal to me that the story I started scribbling on a crowded early morning train is now a contender for a prestigious RNA award. After many months of writing and re-writing and agonising about my abilities as a writer, to be part of this fabulous group of contenders has given an enormous boost to my confidence.
Well deserved!
What is the most difficult part about starting a new book?
I find just getting on with it is quite hard. When I’m in the middle of a book, I find it easier to sit down and write every day, because I’ve grown to know my characters, and I care about them as though they are real people. With a new story, I feel as though I’m getting to know strangers, and it takes me a while to get involved in their lives. Does that sound weird?
Not at all – I know what you mean!
Do you have a favourite writing place?
I love the summer, when I can sit outside in my back yard and work at the garden table. My dog loves it, too, and she lies down in a patch of sunshine. We listen to the birds singing, bees buzzing, the hustle and bustle of the nearby street, and it’s the nearest I get to total contentment.
You make it sound idyllic! Must admit, I'm an autumn/winter person.
Do you prefer e-books or print? Does it matter these days?
I love to be able to choose. I recently moved house, and had literally hundreds of paperbacks that I’ve read once and will never read again, that I had to find a home for. Now I can store books on my Kindle and transport them everywhere. I also love the possibilities offered by interactive e-books, especially for non-fiction.
There are certain books I would only buy in print, however. These books are “keepers”, which I turn to again and again. There’s a recent anthology of poetry, for example, called Poems That Make Grown Men Cry, which I’m planning to buy in print.
Yes, I feel the same about e-books and print.
How do you promote your books and does it work?
Like a lot of writers, I’m not very good at promoting myself. The promotion that was most successful for me was a book tour for The Silk Romance which was organised by France Book Tours. The tour gained me new readers and several excellent reviews. Other than that I’m quite active on social media (links below) and keep a blog. All writers these days need to devote some time to promotion, and I find it hard to juggle the time between promoting and writing. I do believe, though, that the best way of getting more readers is to write the next book.
Good advice!
Do you find time for hobbies?
I walk every day with my dog on the Yorkshire moors, which is great exercise, and the solitude helps me mull over my writing. I love to watch the changing seasons, and have learned so much about wildlife since I started these walks. Since moving into my new house I’ve replanted the back yard to make it far more wildlife friendly, including putting in a small pond. Unlike most people, I don’t mind all the insects in the garden, of which I see literally hundreds of different varieties. Over the past couple of years the garden has begun to attract far more bees and butterflies, and we finally this year have a couple of birds nesting in our hedge.
Besides outdoor pursuits, like every writer of course I’m also an avid reader! But in the evenings, when I’m flagging, I like nothing better than to sit down with the TV and a glass of wine and get out my knitting. I always have a knitting project on the go, and at the moment it’s a cable-knit cover for my sister’s iPhone.
I’m with you on watching TV in the evenings but I don’t knit!
What are your current writing plans?
I’ve just submitted a short story for an anthology, and am now at the stage of creating a whole new novel from scratch. I have three ideas, and have written my way into all of them with a few thousand words or so. One of the ideas – a story set in a hotel in the Lakes - is grabbing me more than the others at the moment, so much so that I scribbled down some of a scene at six am this morning! So after I’ve finished this interview, I’ll carry on with the hotel story, and hope that the scene and the characters in my head will start to come to life, and I’ll begin care about them as real friends :)
Sounds great and I look forward to reading it!
Any tips for new writers?
First of all, read as much as you can. Find out which new novels are getting rave reviews in the press and in book blogs and check them out.
Secondly, if you want to be serious about writing, you have to stop treating it as a hobby and learn to write every day – even when you’d far rather be doing something else. This dedication is what separates professional writers from other writers.
Thirdly, having said all that, there is absolutely nothing wrong at all in just writing for fun, if that’s what you’d rather do!
All excellent advice! Thank you for being my guest, Helena.
The Silk Romance is available in e-format from major e-book retailers, including MuseItUp Publishing; Amazon UK, Amazon US; Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.
Helena Fairfax was born in Uganda and came to England as a child. She’s grown used to the cold now and that’s just as well, because nowadays she lives in an old Victorian mill town in Yorkshire, right next door to windswept Brontë country. She has an affectionate, if half-crazed, rescue dog and together they tramp the moors every day—one of them wishing she were Emily Brontë, the other vainly chasing pheasants. 
When she’s not out on the moors you’ll find Helena either creating romantic heroes and heroines of her own or else with her nose firmly buried in a book, enjoying someone else’s stories. Her patient husband and her brilliant children support her in her daydreams and are the loves of her life.
You can connect with Helena on her Blog; Facebook; Goodreads; Pinterest and Twitter @helenafairfax

Music and Eurovision Songs

I love listening to music and even enjoy it as background to my writing at times, choosing relevant tracks and eras to fit. It can be anything from the Baroque period of Bach and Albinoni, to Scottish and Irish Celtic style, to contemporary pop. My daughter has even compiled a couple of CDs for me with a variety of modern tracks I particularly like. One of my current favourites in the afternoon is a new CD she bought me by singing duo The Civil Wars which is in danger of wearing out soon as I love it so much.

Grand Piano in German MuseumBut I also find music hugely inspirational as a writing prompt, in much the same way as art is one of my favourite visual sources of ideas. I'm not surprised that Stephanie Meyers listened to such a great soundtrack when writing the Twilight series as some of her choices immediately make me think of paranormal type stories.

So one TV highlight I never miss is the extravaganza that is the Eurovision Song Contest! As always, I sat through the whole programme last night and mostly enjoyed it all, from the sublime to the ridiculous. I hadn't heard any of the songs before last night, apart from the UK entry, so I had no preconceptions. We always have lots of complaints over here about the political voting and how the UK will never win against the type of voting that goes on between certain countries. Well, in my humble opinion we haven't had a good enough song for the past several years! I did have high hopes for Molly last night, as I think Power to the People was one of our best and strongest songs for ages. It had me at the drumbeats and her performance was very good.

However... Austria, Sweden, The Netherlands and Armenia proved to be too much competition and we ended up in 17th place - surely not helped by the fact of being last to sing. Of these top songs, my favourites were Austria and The Netherlands so I wasn't surprised when Austria won. Although Conchita, the 'bearded lady', was one of the more controversial acts, her stunning voice, performance and song fully deserved the accolade. It was the kind of Bond-theme type song I really like and the lyrics of Rise Like a Pheonix seemed particularly apt.

I'm sure it was a subliminal message to some of the less tolerant countries, but what surprised many was the overall agreement on the winner for a change, and fewer obviously political 'back scratching' votes between neighbouring nations. While understandable, it seemed a shame that Russia was booed at every mention when the singers were two sweet young 17 year old twins, although they stayed smiling all evening. In the end, it was surely all about the music (cheesy or not) and its power to bring millions together in common pleasure.

Anyone else willing to admit they like the  Eurovision Song Contest?!

Rosemary

A Cover, A Story, and An Award

All in all, it's been a productive week at the Gemmell household. The edits on my novella are long away and the next stage is well under way at Tirgearr Publishing. And I now have a cover - first reveal on here today! I'm happy with it as it fits the tone of the first novella in the series (The Aphrodite Touch) but this is a stronger tone which I wanted for The Adonis Touch. Publication is scheduled for 23rd May and I'll no doubt have a fun launch party on Facebook and here, as usual.

Other good news is that one of my short stories, 'Being a Stepdaughter', was published in the latest edition of Ireland's Own magazine. That was a lovely surprise and is the third story the editor has taken. Obviously, I'm doing something right with those stories! The People's Friend, on the other hand, sent me a nice rejection. Win some, lose some!

Simon's AwardMy lovely husband, Simon, also had a fantastic week. He won the Aspire Booking of the Year Award (this is the luxury side) at the National Travel Awards in London on Wednesday evening. He said it was like the Oscars, with his name called out X-Factor style then his progress to stage captured on the huge screens. It was obviously a bigger do than either of us had realised, although he knew it was a black-tie event. It was great to hear the company he works with, Designer Travel, also won two awards, even though they are a fairly small independent agency compared to the big boys.

Wonder what this week will bring? Enjoy your bank holiday Monday!

Rosemary