Romy Gemmell's Blog, page 35

Release Day and Invitation!

 I'm delighted to say that my new full length historical romance, Midwinter Masquerade , is now released from Tirgearr Publishing and is available on Amazon UK and Amazon US as well as in all e-formats through the publisher.

Today, I'm featured on the Tirgearr Heart of Fiction Blog. Please drop by and leave a comment if you have time - my publisher is giving away a free copy to one commenter.

My lovely daughter gave me these birthday flowers early (it's on Saturday) for my book publication day!


On Sunday 27th October, my slightly creepy flash fiction story, Samhain, is on the KMN Books blog where there's a free copy of my Victorian novella, Mischief at Mulberry Manor, on offer to one commenter. There have been lots of chances to win prizes on Karen's blog all month - you can check out some of the other great stories from each day.

Monday 28th is my blog party celebration for my new novel! Please come and join in the fun here on Monday all day and on Facebook where you can come masked! Midwinter Masquerade ExcerptsVideo TrailerQuizRefreshmentsPrizesFun! Hope to see you here on MondayRosemary/Romy   

Writing, Speaking and Publishing

Well, Saturday was the start of an exciting week! I was asked to speak about e-publishing at a Writers' Day up in Inverness, run by the Scottish Association of Writers. As many of you know, I love to write on trains so the long journey north passed very nicely with a combination of writing, reading and watching the lovely scenery.


I arrived at the rather splendid, Gothic looking venue, The Town House, in time for the wonderful hot buffet lunch and enjoyed listening to another speaker before it was time for my own workshop talk. It's a subject I'm pleased to talk about and I'm always happy to share information about the amazing choices out there for writers these days, from the wealth of e-publishers accepting submissions to the ease of going it alone.

I'll mention here one of the important things I stressed. Most good e-publishers are exactly the same as traditional publishers in their professional attitude to accepting work and publishing. Rigorous editing, contracts, cover artists - all are provided by the publisher. My only problem now is writing fast enough to submit all the writing I want to finish for submission!

After the prize giving to competition winners, the Lord Provost of Inverness showed some of us around the wonderful building where Winston Churchill once sat at a cabinet meeting around the horseshoe shaped table. It was a delightful writerly day out and was worth the long journey home into the evening.

This week also sees the publication of my new full length historical novel, Midwinter Masquerade (as if you didn't know already!). It's releasing on Thursday from Tirgearr Publishing in Ireland, and I'm having my usual blog party celebration here and on Facebook on Monday 28th October. Hope to see you all there.

If anyone with Scottish connections fancies writing an article for Scottish Memories, they're looking for the following:
 Features from 600 to 1200 words (and can accommodate 1800 words for a feature with lots of strong images) on any aspect of Scotland’s past. We’re keen to see ideas with a strong nostalgia feel, focusing particularly on people/places and things within living memory – right through to the late 1970s.  We’d also welcome your input for an upcoming feature we’re planning on various things that were better in bygone days (such as sweets in paper bags, TV programmes, packaging,etc). This will be a light-hearted look at why the past was so good and contributions of anything from one sentence to a paragraph is fine and we’ll send three copies of the mag as a thank you to anyone whose idea we feature. Hope you had a great weekend,Rosemary

Author Inspiration: Suzy Turner

I'm going to be running a different type of author feature now and then, where we hear about the inspiration behind the story. A warm welcome to ex-pat British author Suzy Turner, who tells us about the inspiration behind her new chick lit novel, Forever Fredless , which sounds a lot of fun. But first, here’s a little about the book. Thanks for visiting, Suzy!
 Forever Fredless
Kate Robinson has spent the past two decades yearning to find her soul mate, the boy she found and then lost during a family holiday.
Shortly after her twenty-eighth birthday, however, she inherits a fortune from an old family friend and becomes something of an overnight celebrity. Can her new-found fame lead her to him after all this time?
Inspiration Behind the Story
Many, many years ago when I was a little girl I was holidaying with my family in a caravan site at the (then) popular destination of Skegness where it rained non-stop. But that didn't matter to me because there was something far more important than the weather there. There was a disco and it was for kids! WOOP WOOP!
So there I was, just a little lass of maybe five or six strutting my stuff on the dance floor (I won competitions, I'd have you know) when someone brushed up against my back. Turning, my world stopped for a few seconds as I saw the most beautiful little boy standing smiling, staring at me. I remember blushing and grinning back. But then, nothing. I can't remember another thing about that charming memory that has stayed with me for thirty years.
It was that little memory that was the inspiration behind my newest chick lit novel, Forever Fredless - a book about a woman who had the same memory, but rather than forget about it, she obsessed over it. Never forgetting that little boy, she spends her life yearning to find him. Will she discover him? Is he what she imagined him to be? Well, you'll just have to read Forever Fredless to find out ;) Love that idea, Suzy!
Forever Fredless is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US and Smashwords
Suzy Turner has worked as a journalist, assistant editor, features editor and magazine editor. Early in 2010 however, she began writing full time and has since completed six books for young adults: The Raven Saga trilogy and The Morgan Sisters series.
Although Suzy is a Yorkshire lass at heart, she left her home town of Rotherham, UK, to move to Portugal with her family when she was ten. The Algarve continues to be her home, where she lives with her childhood sweetheart and husband of 15 years, Michael, and their two neurotic dogs and a cat who thinks she's a princess.

You can find out more about Suzy on her Website; Chicklit Blog; YA Blog; Facebook  

Gwen's Free Book - Part Four

 For anyone following Gwen Kirkwood's great family saga series, the final part, Home to Lochandee , is now offered free until Wednesday 16th. This story sees a new generation of Maxwells hoping to farm at Wester Rullion in the 1980s. As always, nothing runs smoothly. You can find it on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

If you haven't already heard, Best Magazine is running a Christmas Short Story Contest at the moment. The closing date is 26h November and there's a prize of £1000 plus publication in the Christmas magazine. You need to collect vouchers to enter: either download them from the website or cut from the weekly magazine. Good luck if you enter!

This week, I'm preparing a talk on e-publishing and all the current choices open to us for a Writers' Day being held at Inverness on Saturday. Really looking forward to it and I'll be able to write on the long train journey both ways!

To keep me going while writing novels, I've had a short story Highly Commended in the Ifanca Helene James Competition and an article published in Scottish Home & Country Magazine. Next week, the focus will be on the release of Midwinter Masquerade and all its attendant promotion!

Have a good week,
Rosemary

Author Spotlight: Uuganaa Ramsay

I’m delighted to welcome lovely non-fiction author Uuganaa Ramsay to the blog today to talk about the events that led her to write her fascinating debut book, Mongol , which is on my TBR list when it is published in January 2014. First a little about what I’m sure will be an amazing book.

 Mongol
Uuganaa is a Mongol living in Britain, far from the world she grew up in: as a nomadic herder she lived in a yurt, eating marmot meat, distilling vodka from goat's yoghurt and learning about Comrade Lenin. When her new-born son Billy is diagnosed with Down's Syndrome, she finds herself facing bigotry and taboo as well as heartbreak.
In this powerful memoir, Uuganaa skillfully interweaves the extraordinary story of her own childhood in Mongolia with the sadly short life of Billy, who becomes a symbol of union and disunion, cultures and complexity, stigma and superstition - and inspires Uuganaa to challenge prejudice. Mongol is the touching story of one woman's transformation from outsider to fearless champion of love, respect and tolerance. It's a moving tribute by a remarkable woman to her beloved baby son, testifying to his lasting impact on a sometimes imperfect world.
Tell us a little about how you came to Britain and how you became a writer.
I used to teach English as a Foreign Language in a language school in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia. The school sent me to go on a professional development course in London in 2000. The course was only for four weeks and I met my husband then. In December 2000, I was back to Britain celebrating my first ever Christmas in a British style, pulling crackers and trying turkey for the first time.
After I moved to Britain, I retrained and became a Careers Adviser and worked in Scottish towns and villages. I loved the different accents and my ears would tune into them very quickly. I like the Scots language a lot. It has similar sounds as Mongolian. Och, it’s brilliant.
I only became a writer in 2010. I wanted to share my story, and my grief after my son Billy’s death made me turn to writing. I started a blog writing to Billy about seven weeks after his funeral. My blog posts are letters to Billy, telling him what we were up to and how I was feeling. I still write to him and through this process I realised I wanted to do something tangible in memory of my baby boy.
Was it difficult writing about your past in Mongolia? And about the sad loss of your son?
It was lovely to write about my childhood, I revisited the happy memories of growing up in rural Mongolia in our ger (yurt). It made me happy as I was talking to my parents who still live in my childhood ger in Zavhan and finding out more about my childhood life.
On the other hand, writing about my son Billy was cathartic. His short life made a huge impact on many people’s life including my family and myself. My husband would look at the tissues beside my laptop and ask ‘Are you having fun?’ It was hard to relive the memories of Billy’s birth and death but I knew the story had to be told.
Why did you want to write this particular book?
When Billy was dying I promised him that I would make him live in people’s minds. I found out that every published book in Britain has a copy in the British Library. So Billy’s story would be in there archived as a history living on people’s minds in years to come.
Also I wanted to show who a Mongol is through a human story as there are many confusing meanings out there associated with the historical term “mongol” which describe people with Down’s syndrome. It’s a brave and wonderful testimony to your son to do this, Uuganaa.
Do you have a favourite writing place?
At home, at our dining table. With a cup of milky tea and some biscuits. Do you find time for hobbies?

I go to my writers’ club. I like the guest speakers, workshops and meeting new people there. Our kids are still young, so one of my favourite things to do is to watch films at home with my husband. We don’t go out that often, so once the kids are in bed we turn our room into a cinema. Great idea!

What are your current writing plans? Are you writing fiction?

I’m writing Mongol in Mongolian now, so I will be busy for a while. No, I’m not writing fiction in the near future, but I think I have plenty of ideas to write and explore.

Any tips for new writers?

If you are passionate about what you are writing about, go for it. Sometimes people say you have to pick a subject controversial or different, but choose something that you love or that annoys you, so that your passion comes through. Also don’t believe that there is one particular path to be a writer. If you can visualise your book in your head it is doable. Be grateful and be kind to other writers, and be happy for others when they do well.

Thank you so much for those wise and memorable words, Uuganaa. I can’t wait to read your book and I do wish you many readers.  Mongol will be available from the publisher Saraband as well as Amazon UK and Amazon US in January 2014. 
Uuganaa Ramsay was born in Mongolia and grew up living in a yurt, eating marmot meat and distilling vodka from yoghurt. After winning a place on a teacher-training course she came to the UK; she now lives in Scotland with her family. Uuganaa was the Mongolian Creative Woman of the Year for Mongolians in Europe in 2012. Mongol won the Janetta Bowie Chalice Non-Fiction Award from the Scottish Association of Writers' Conference.
 
You can find out more about Uuganaa on her Website and Billy’s Blog. Twitter: @guuye  Just heard Uuganaa featured on a radio interview today where you can hear her talking about the book and story in her beautiful voice: http://radiogorgeous.com/podcast/author-uuganaa-ramsay-mongol-a-mothers-memoir/
  

Research and Giveaways

Mention research and many people will immediately think of dry text books or hours spent in the library or online with the mighty Google. One of my favourite forms of research is visiting places that might feature in stories or novels. And that's exactly what we did at the weekend.


Loch Lomond is almost on our doorstep and I love investigating its many areas around the vast loch and the stunning scenery at all times of the year. This particular visit was to the Shores, a slightly more recent complex with shops, Sea Life aquarium and lovely walks by the loch where you can hire canoes, pedal boats, or bikes. The photos is of the old Maid of the Loch which is now a permanent historical feature at the Shores.


I made straight for the huge antique shop on one floor as it's an absolute Aladdin's cave of fascinating items, large and small, and it requires many visits to properly see even half the contents. What better excuse to return? I was also pleased to see the Farmer's Market spread out alongside the loch, with the various wonderful Scottish fare.

Some of this features in the contemporary novel I've yet to finish and it certainly made me focus a little more on my characters' visit to this part. Obviously, the novel scene also moves the story on a little but I could imagine my hero and heroine walking along there beside me. I'm sure most writers enjoy these enjoyable days out that double as research!

Meanwhile, if you're looking for some new books, you might be in with a chance of winning free copies. Penny Estelle will be having her second Christmas in October post today (its every Monday and Thursday) and The Jigsaw Puzzle is one of her featured books.

Hope you all had a great weekend.

Rosemary

Author Spotlight: Sara Bain

I’m delighted to welcome multi-talented writer and friend Sara Bain to my blog today with her debut novel, The Sleeping Warrior . I thoroughly enjoyed this unusual blend of fantasy, crime and thriller set in London and the Scottish island of Arran. Sara is also putting her multitude of experience into her new publishing business, Ivy Moon Press. I’m sure both career paths will be hugely successful. Thanks for answering the questions, Sara.  First, here’s the blurb to entice new readers.

The Sleeping WarriorLONDON solicitor Libby Butler’s life is in a mess. Her affair with her boss is going nowhere as is her position in a city law firm. A narrow escape from the knife of south London’s elusive serial murderer, The Vampire Killer, has challenged her outward bravado and left her nerves in tatters.

When duty calls Libby to a police station in the middle of the night, she meets the enigmatic Gabriel Radley. Dressed like an ancient warrior, Gabriel has a habit of disappearing from police custody and danger appears to dog him.Gabriel is searching for a 'stone', its value 'beyond human imagination', that will help bring a 'monster' to justice. When Libby agrees to help him, she plunges her life into grave danger where no one is safe.

A cult who call themselves The Awakened, a gangland thug and his henchman, a female assassin, a detective chief inspector from Scotland Yard, and even the serial killer, all become inadvertently embroiled in the chase for the stone and the pivotal force of Gabriel.As the death toll rises, Libby is forced to face herself, learn the true value of life and the potent significance of the Sleeping Warrior within.

The Sleeping Warrior is available from Amazon UK and US, Smashwords and in print from FeedARead It is also up for the People's Book Award!Hi Sara, Please tell us a little about your background as a writer and why you’ve turned to fiction and publishing.

I’d love to say, like most authors, that I’ve been writing since I was a child, but that would be fibbing. My English mistress didn’t like my stories. She preferred the classical heroes English literature while I had my head well and truly stuffed into the realms of fantasy and the paranormal. I have enjoyed an entire career in the written word in some form or another, however, in particular in editorial. I have been writing fiction for the past 20 years and know the publishing business. Becoming a publisher therefore just seemed like the next natural step in my life.What drew you to the combination of fantasy and crime?

I will begin with the statement that I am a fantasy writer. That said, my fantasy never seems to fit into the strict confines of genre fiction lists. There’s either not enough magic, or not enough fabled beasts. I got fed up one day and decided to write a novel that would cross as many genres as possible while still maintaining a fantasy element. For some reason it worked. I started with the main ‘fantasy’ character of Gabriel and threw him into a contemporary society, having no idea what he would do. The story just developed into a crime fiction and he took it from there.Did you have to do a lot of research for The Sleeping Warrior?

I started my professional life as an English barrister so Libby’s vocation was a done deal. My brother-in-law is a policeman and he kept me right on the procedural side of law enforcement as it is today. The rest, apart from the fantasy element and, of course, some of the more unsavoury characters, was really written from what I already know and my own perceptions on life and human nature. I did have to do a bit of research on modern day weaponry (my forté is medieval warfare), which was very interesting. I’ve learned a lot and decided that I really hate guns.Will there be sequels featuring these characters?

I hope so, but perhaps next year. At the moment I am concentrating on bringing out my epic – or, what I call, ‘my big’ fantasy – if only I had a chance to finish it!What is the most difficult part about starting a new book?

I don’t find it at all hard to start a new book, the difficulty arises when trying to find time to write it and then finish it. I know that feeling!How do you promote your book and does it work?

Those are million dollar questions! I have spent the past six weeks guest blogging, Tweeting, Facebooking (can that word even be a gerund?), promoting, marketing and lots of other activities ending in ‘ing’. But it is really hard work and sometimes, when I’m sitting up at four in the morning retweeting the random ramblings of someone I don’t know, I wonder if I will gain maximum benefit from such monumental effort. Someone said that it takes more than eight months for a new author to rise above the parapet of the infinite mound of other authors scrambling for the highest positions on Amazon, and at least 10 reviews. Reviews take time. They take time to find a reviewer who’s not past saturation point; they take time to read; they take time to write; and they take even more time to post. With the benefit of hindsight, I would have started promotion work at least two months before the book was due to be released. I have no idea whether this system works. I’m blogging about it at the moment and only time will tell.Do you have a favourite writing place?

I’m one of those people that can turn off from the rest of the world and find my own quiet space amidst a clamour of chaos. This is probably because I’m from a big family; have a big family; and am accustomed to meeting tight deadlines in the middle of a loud and busy newsroom. I do have an office of sorts which is really a cupboard where the computer is stationed. This may sound ridiculous, but I am quite computer literate and am very fussy about keyboards. I have to have one of those ‘clicky’ ones; the ones with Cherry Blue MX switch technology that gamers use: you know, the ones that make a proper click when you depress the keys. It’s the noise and tactile feel that helps me concentrate on the task at hand and I honestly don’t notice anything else. I suppose I could say that my favourite place for writing, therefore, is wherever my clicky keyboard is stationed. Love the clicky keyboard idea!Do you find time for hobbies?

I’m sorry, I’m not familiar with the term ; ) Either that, or it has been a very long time since I had a hobby. I did try and take up knitting last year, just before Christmas. I have these fads that I hurl myself into with considerable enthusiasm but they never last long. I’m afraid that my poor husband’s new Aran sweater with the fancy cabling and bobbles will probably be ready by Christmas 2077 if I can be bothered to pull out the very many mistakes in the knitting and remember how to cast on.

What are your current writing plans?

I plan to bring out my big fantasy at the end of the year which means that the sweater will definitely not be ready for the festive season. I wrote the first book over 20 years ago and it really needed a complete re-write. I’m only just half way through it and am already at 100,000 words, so it will also need a very tough edit.

Any tips for new writers?

I would warn any new writer that writing the book is only a small part of the publishing experience. Getting it published and wrestling with edits and publishing systems is the next hurdle, while promotion will take up the main part of the effort. My advice is to produce content of quality. A good story, written well will eventually see the light of day and probably sell itself. Keep the faith and a good sense of humour at all times.
Many thanks or your words of wisdom, Sara, and all the best with your writing and publishing.
A former newspaper journalist and editor of professional text books, London-born Sara Bain is a fantasy writer who now lives in South West Scotland. The first book of her epic fantasy The Scrolls of Deyesto is due to be published at the end of 2013.
You can find out more about Sara on her website and blog, and at Ivy Moon Press.

Cover Reveal and October Events

 I'm so delighted to reveal the lovely cover image for my new historical romance, Midwinter Masquerade , which is being released by Tirgearr Publishing on October 24th! Although the story takes place in the Regency era of 1816, it's not quite as traditional as my previous one and after the beginning in Edinburgh, it is mostly set in the southern Scottish countryside around the winter solstice. And, yes, there is a masquerade ball towards the end! I love the winter feel of the image as it captures the setting beautifully. I'll post a little bit more about it on my Romancing History blog in a day or two. And, of course, I'll be arranging an online launch party once it's released.

Other events happening in October include a great Christmas in October giveaway of YA and tween books every Monday and Thursday all month on Penny Estelle's blog. The Jigsaw Puzzle is mentioned on October 7th. Lots of lovely books on offer to some lucky commenters, beginning on October 3rd.

Also during October, Karen Nutt is featuring Flash Fiction stories for Halloween all month on her blog and my story will be posted on October 27th. Again, there are lots of giveaways on offer to commenters. Should be fun and it starts on October 1st.

From Thursday 3rd October, I'll be featuring authors now and then on the blog again, so please look in on Thursday to meet wonderful debut author Sara Bain.

Rosemary

TV Inspiration

As autumn draws in, I love nothing more than to settle down for the evening, curtains closed against the dark, ready to watch the latest TV drama. I also find some of the programmes and story lines quite inspiring to a writer. Apart from the return of Strictly Dancing, which I watch for pure pleasure, here are my other favourite programmes of the last two weeks.

The Guilty

I adore watching Tamsin Greig in anything and it was great to see her play such a powerful dramatic part (the detective), rather than her usual comedy. Like Broadchurch before it, The Guilty dealt with the disappearance and death of a young boy, some of which was very upsetting to watch. From a drama point of  view, however, it was interesting to see how the various characters interacted and behaved after the discovery of the body. I guessed the outcome, although not exactly how it happened, and I enjoyed the added element of angst for Greig and her husband over the worry about their own young boy's possible autism/Asperger's. It was a satisfying drama that thankfully only took three episodes to deliver a good story.

The Young Montelbano

As a huge fan of the Sicilian series, Montalbano, I was wary of the new series portraying the detective as a young man in the early 1990s. After all, it's partly the characters and actors that make the original programme so watchable. However, Young Montalbano didn't take long to hook me and keep me wanting more. I love the actor playing the main character (Michelle Riondino) and find it very easy to imagine him as the younger version of the mature Montalbano. Add to that all the other characters, setting, and enjoyable storylines, making it one of my favourite programmes. It even inspired me to write a letter to the Radio Times, which was published in the current issue!

SicilyDownton Abbey

Although it has its critics, I was pleased to see the return of Downton last night. The storylines vary in quality but for me it's a visual delight. What better way to enjoy research of the early 1920s than to watch the interplay of servants and masters, the introduction of 'modern' touches to the house and kitchen, and the gorgeous clothes adorning the ladies. It's also a fairly good reference for women's place in society at the time, from the highest born lady to the lowliest servant's expectations and opportunities.

I certainly won't feel guilty about enjoying TV this autumn and winter and can put many of the programmes to good use by seeking inspiration at the same time!

And now to inspire you to get writing and sending out your short stories, Words with Jam is running a new competition with three different lengths of short story. Closing date is 31st October and full details are on their website.

Over on my Flights of Imagination blog today, American YA author Chris Weigand tells us the inspiration behind her new book, Palace of the Three Crosses.

Happy writing and watching,
Rosemary

So You Think You Can Write

No, I'm not asking that question of my lovely readers - I wouldn't dare! So You Think You Can Write is Harlequin's competition to find new writers for their various romance lines. As one of the biggest traditional publishing houses, Harlequin offers this great opportunity for romantic novelists to submit the First Chapter (up to 5000 words) of a novel plus a 100-word pitch to the series you're aiming at.

This first part of the competition runs submitted between 23rd September and 9th October. The top fifty First Chapters will be chosen by mid-October and the authors will be asked to submit the full manuscript - ten finalists will survive to the next stage.

Although this is an excellent chance to be noticed, you have to be prepared for your first chapter to be posted for all to comment upon it, readers and editors. The full details are on the Harlequin SYTYCW website. I noticed they're also running a competition on Wattpad to find a winning writer for their New Adult series. Good luck to anyone who enters either.

Over on my Flights of Imagination blog, I'm featuring British author Pam Kelt who tells us the inspiration behind her intriguing YA fantasy, Ice Trekker .

And now I must make sure I've finished preparing my talk for a writers group across the other side of river from me this evening. Looking forward to it as it's always good to share information and chat to other writers.

Have a productive writing week!
Rosemary