Julia Hughes's Blog, page 24
March 22, 2012
Happy Casablanca Day!
The great movie played in cinemas across the United States, and I've never wanted to be in America more. What a mind blowing experience to see the legendary Bogie up there on the Silver Screen and hear him mutter those immortal lines "Here's looking at you kid!" Not forgetting the anguish of Ingrid Bergman, lips trembling, tears shining in her lovely eyes when Rick tells her: "We'll always have Paris." Swoon.
Since I first saw the movie too many years ago, my favourite character has always been the impervious Sydney Greenstreet. He steals every scene he's in, with barely a flicker of his horsefly whisk.
"Might as well be frank, Monsieur. It would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles."
But of course, if the price was right, the big man would make it so.
As with all creations verging on the mystical, rumours and anecdotes surround the movie. And my favourite is that lurking somewhere in this big old world there is an alternative ending: Just because I'm into alternative history and might have beens - but then Casablanca is perfect, and how can you improve on perfection?
For more about Casablanca, shoot over to Stephen Spencer's site - a self confessed movie trivia addict, he's even got a fun quiz waiting for you! Go on and give it a go - you never know, it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Since I first saw the movie too many years ago, my favourite character has always been the impervious Sydney Greenstreet. He steals every scene he's in, with barely a flicker of his horsefly whisk.
"Might as well be frank, Monsieur. It would take a miracle to get you out of Casablanca, and the Germans have outlawed miracles."
But of course, if the price was right, the big man would make it so.
As with all creations verging on the mystical, rumours and anecdotes surround the movie. And my favourite is that lurking somewhere in this big old world there is an alternative ending: Just because I'm into alternative history and might have beens - but then Casablanca is perfect, and how can you improve on perfection?
For more about Casablanca, shoot over to Stephen Spencer's site - a self confessed movie trivia addict, he's even got a fun quiz waiting for you! Go on and give it a go - you never know, it could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
March 19, 2012
Double Whammy!
A Ripple in Time hit Amazon's top ten in the States & is at #5 in the UK FREE Action & Adventure! As if that wasn't enough excitement for one day, A Raucous Time hit the top one hundred paid downloads on Amazon.com in that exclusive genre British Detectives! I'm astonished and thrilled and would like to thank everyone who retweeted on twitter, or shared space on their facebook page, or took the time to glance at this little site. I am extremely grateful.
A Raucous Time will remain at 99 cents, around 77p until the end of March, by which time I hope those indents will learn to behave themselves.
If you haven't already grabbed your free copy of A Ripple in Time and fancy a romantic time travel adventure links to both the .com & UK sites are here on the home page of this site - click here - Help yourself to a copy, tell your friends - it's free until midnight tonight (19th March)
A Raucous Time will remain at 99 cents, around 77p until the end of March, by which time I hope those indents will learn to behave themselves.
If you haven't already grabbed your free copy of A Ripple in Time and fancy a romantic time travel adventure links to both the .com & UK sites are here on the home page of this site - click here - Help yourself to a copy, tell your friends - it's free until midnight tonight (19th March)
March 14, 2012
Watching the Detectives - An Explosive Time
An Explosive Time featuring Crombie, the fat, unfit, over forty detective received a fantastic uptake in free downloads, now comes the acid test - will Crombie continue to gain new audiences now that there's a price tag attached? I'm quietly confident in the old boy's ability to entertain.
The good news is that completely unexpectedly An Explosive Time falls into a brand new Genre: Prick Lit - and I never even knew such a genre existed until recently. The bad news is that Amazon have come over all Sunday School and refuses to allow the tag Prick Lit.
Prick Lit defined: We've had Lad Lit, apparently the male version of Chick Lit, with characters exploring emotions and values as they struggle towards spiritual growth and finding their role in life. Prick Lit is purely about the action, usually delivered in non-stop format with an undertone of blokey humour.
An Explosive Time is a little - for want of a better word - farcical, and represents a complete change of pace from its two predecessors. Hopefully the blokey humour peeps through, and there is a scattering of strong language. I've observed that even gentlemen will sometimes curse if there are no ladies present. And returning home from holiday to find an Alligator in your bathtub is enough to make a saint swear.
In order to keep the action coming thick and fast, it was necessary to ditch most of the emotional baggage, though there is a romantic ending - just!
At only 40,000 words this offering is the shortest in the series Celtic Cousins' Adventures, but packs a lot in. I had so much fun writing this story, (erm, maybe I shouldn't admit to that) I really hope you'll take a peek at the sample either on this website or on the Amazon page, and see what you think. Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com
When the circus comes to town and an elephant's abducted, Detective Crombie of the Met Police is dragged out of his little comfort zone. Then an alligator appears and life's about to get even more hetic: London's biggest villain and the Mandarins of Whitehall are determined to stop Crombie exposing a sinister partnership - get ready for An Explosive Time!
The good news is that completely unexpectedly An Explosive Time falls into a brand new Genre: Prick Lit - and I never even knew such a genre existed until recently. The bad news is that Amazon have come over all Sunday School and refuses to allow the tag Prick Lit.
Prick Lit defined: We've had Lad Lit, apparently the male version of Chick Lit, with characters exploring emotions and values as they struggle towards spiritual growth and finding their role in life. Prick Lit is purely about the action, usually delivered in non-stop format with an undertone of blokey humour.
An Explosive Time is a little - for want of a better word - farcical, and represents a complete change of pace from its two predecessors. Hopefully the blokey humour peeps through, and there is a scattering of strong language. I've observed that even gentlemen will sometimes curse if there are no ladies present. And returning home from holiday to find an Alligator in your bathtub is enough to make a saint swear.
In order to keep the action coming thick and fast, it was necessary to ditch most of the emotional baggage, though there is a romantic ending - just!
At only 40,000 words this offering is the shortest in the series Celtic Cousins' Adventures, but packs a lot in. I had so much fun writing this story, (erm, maybe I shouldn't admit to that) I really hope you'll take a peek at the sample either on this website or on the Amazon page, and see what you think. Amazon.co.uk Amazon.com
When the circus comes to town and an elephant's abducted, Detective Crombie of the Met Police is dragged out of his little comfort zone. Then an alligator appears and life's about to get even more hetic: London's biggest villain and the Mandarins of Whitehall are determined to stop Crombie exposing a sinister partnership - get ready for An Explosive Time!
March 12, 2012
Gone Fishing
Warm sunny morning and the collie indulged in a paddle. A flurry of fish joined him, probably attracted by the feathers on his legs. Later that day, over the common, saw my mate Val and her lurcher and two Jack Russells a couple of fields away. Shouting and calling "Yohoo Valerie Yohoo - wait for me!" - haven't seen her in days - Then from a field away realised it was a total stranger with his dogs staring at me in horror and quickly pretended one of my dogs was called 'Valerie.'
Think I got away with it. Though I did wonder at the time how she'd managed to put on so much weight. And change hair colour.
March 8, 2012
Favourite Fictional Characters.
Go to any readers' forum on the web, or earwig into any conversation about books, and I guarantee you there will be one topic or theme that makes eyes light up, and even the shyest "lurker" break their maiden.
"Name your favourite all time fictional character"
I'll guarantee you something else as well - the same old names will crop up time after time. Sherlock Holmes, Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, Heathcliff, Miss Havisham, James Bond, Harry Potter, Rebecca, Rebus, Rupert Campbell-Black, Hermione Granger ... they're coming from all walks of life, and some are already a couple of centuries old, so you can say they've stood the test of time.*
One thing they all have in common though is their ability to be larger than life. Pick anyone of the above, and think about it. Isn't Hermione cleverer than the cleverest girl you went to school with? Heathcliff could brood for an Olympic gold medal as for Campbell-Black, no woman between the age of eighteen to eighty is safe from him (and I get the feeling he'd make an exception outside those age ranges if the gel was pretty enough).
Conan-Doyle, Ms Austen, Dickens et al obviously aren't available for interviews and I rather doubt even in my wildest dreams (it involves an elevator and power failure) either Jilly Cooper or J K Rowling would ever consent to being interviewed by little old me.
Nil Desperado - or something like that - when author Stephen Spencer dropped by for a chat, I lulled him into a false sense of security before springing the biggie: How do you create such realistic characters? If you've read any of his books, you'll know immediately what I'm talking about. Like so many talented artists, he considers the answer to be simple. Stephen also modestly gives all credit to another author, whose advice he seized. Now in his own words, Stephen Spencer is "paying it forward". So if you've ever wondered why some fictional characters manage to take on a life of their own, long after their creators have written "The End" click Author! Author! and you'll find an exclusive interview with Stephen.
*In case your favourite character isn't listed, instead of muttering under your breath about it, you can always tweet me @Tinksaid, or add a comment.
"Name your favourite all time fictional character"
I'll guarantee you something else as well - the same old names will crop up time after time. Sherlock Holmes, Mr Darcy, Elizabeth Bennett, Heathcliff, Miss Havisham, James Bond, Harry Potter, Rebecca, Rebus, Rupert Campbell-Black, Hermione Granger ... they're coming from all walks of life, and some are already a couple of centuries old, so you can say they've stood the test of time.*
One thing they all have in common though is their ability to be larger than life. Pick anyone of the above, and think about it. Isn't Hermione cleverer than the cleverest girl you went to school with? Heathcliff could brood for an Olympic gold medal as for Campbell-Black, no woman between the age of eighteen to eighty is safe from him (and I get the feeling he'd make an exception outside those age ranges if the gel was pretty enough).
Conan-Doyle, Ms Austen, Dickens et al obviously aren't available for interviews and I rather doubt even in my wildest dreams (it involves an elevator and power failure) either Jilly Cooper or J K Rowling would ever consent to being interviewed by little old me.
Nil Desperado - or something like that - when author Stephen Spencer dropped by for a chat, I lulled him into a false sense of security before springing the biggie: How do you create such realistic characters? If you've read any of his books, you'll know immediately what I'm talking about. Like so many talented artists, he considers the answer to be simple. Stephen also modestly gives all credit to another author, whose advice he seized. Now in his own words, Stephen Spencer is "paying it forward". So if you've ever wondered why some fictional characters manage to take on a life of their own, long after their creators have written "The End" click Author! Author! and you'll find an exclusive interview with Stephen.
*In case your favourite character isn't listed, instead of muttering under your breath about it, you can always tweet me @Tinksaid, or add a comment.
March 2, 2012
Kindle Ranks and Free Promos.
The promo on A Raucous Time has now finished, peaking at #2 in Kindle free British detective Amazon charts, thank you so much if you took time to download a copy, or helped get the word out on Twitter and other social media. Especial thanks to Brian, Carole, Christina, Lesley, Mack and Stephen (last but never least). For the next 24 hours or so, you can still download a free copy of An Explosive Time, if you scroll down, the links are below my last post, and if you're looking for more kindle freebies, follow @kindle_freebies on Twitter. Simples!
March 1, 2012
Free Giveaway to Celebrate St David's Day!
First off, I want to wish each and every one of you iechyd da - Good Health and Happy St David's Day and help yourself to a small celebration on me, as both A Raucous Time and An Explosive Time are totally free today. I would have sent A Ripple in Time free too, but for reasons beyond my control this ain't possible, at least not today. Although if you fancy the three card trick, it's still only 77p/99 cents.
Secondly, I'll apologise here for the formatting glitches in A Raucous Time, again for reasons beyond my control - the memory stick containing the files has gone missing.
I've rung DI Crombie of the Met Police, but he sounded rather harassed and suggested I keep a close eye on the puppy's movements over the next few days. Slightly ungracious, but that's the kind of behaviour I've come to expect from him.
Crombie made his first appearance in A Raucous Time after all. He started off with a bit part, and boy did he build up from there. I've explained that heroes aren't usually over forty or over weight. Crombie responded with three words: Tommy Lee Jones, who no-one in their right minds would want to cross. There's no answer to that and in An Explosive Time the fat old copper has his hands full and his leg pulled as he hunts down an escaped elephant and deals with an apathetic alligator. Hollywood material he ain't, but Crombie knows how to deal with the bad guys, and although those Celtic Cousins are still running rings around him, I'm beginning to think secretly Crombie enjoys getting caught up in their adventures. After all, if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned.
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Amazon.com
Amazon.co.uk
Secondly, I'll apologise here for the formatting glitches in A Raucous Time, again for reasons beyond my control - the memory stick containing the files has gone missing.
I've rung DI Crombie of the Met Police, but he sounded rather harassed and suggested I keep a close eye on the puppy's movements over the next few days. Slightly ungracious, but that's the kind of behaviour I've come to expect from him.
Crombie made his first appearance in A Raucous Time after all. He started off with a bit part, and boy did he build up from there. I've explained that heroes aren't usually over forty or over weight. Crombie responded with three words: Tommy Lee Jones, who no-one in their right minds would want to cross. There's no answer to that and in An Explosive Time the fat old copper has his hands full and his leg pulled as he hunts down an escaped elephant and deals with an apathetic alligator. Hollywood material he ain't, but Crombie knows how to deal with the bad guys, and although those Celtic Cousins are still running rings around him, I'm beginning to think secretly Crombie enjoys getting caught up in their adventures. After all, if you play with fire, you can expect to get burned.
Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
Amazon.comAmazon.co.uk
February 28, 2012
Me and the universe have a little something for you:
Just because it's leap year. Logically, I know it isn't a magical gift from the universe. It isn't an extra day, just a way of realigning something man made: measuring time; to something natural: time. It actually takes planet Earth 365 days and five hours and a few odd minutes to orbit the sun entire. And so once every four years, a makeshift unit of time has to be inserted. Else we'd end up celebrating Christmas in June - just because we'd call the summer month of June December wouldn't make the days any less longer, or any less warmer, or any less summery. We'd just be calling it the middle of winter.
I've no idea why this extra day makes a leap year, or why it's customary for women to propose to men, but I do know it always gives me a little fillip of pleasure to think that the silly human race has given itself the present of an extra day. Oh the possibilities - what will you do with yours? I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to give everyone A Raucous Time. Grab your free copy on February 29th or March 1st - Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Amazon.De
I've no idea why this extra day makes a leap year, or why it's customary for women to propose to men, but I do know it always gives me a little fillip of pleasure to think that the silly human race has given itself the present of an extra day. Oh the possibilities - what will you do with yours? I know what I'm going to do. I'm going to give everyone A Raucous Time. Grab your free copy on February 29th or March 1st - Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Amazon.De
February 20, 2012
Past Imperfect.
I don't believe in foresight, but if you could deliver hindsight to a person living one hundred years ago, I guess you could change their future. Except you would of course be changing your own past, and might find yourself in a completely different present.
Confusing isn't it? That's why it became so important to create believable characters for A Ripple in Time; which deals with time travel. Characters should evolve with the story, if we knew everything about them within the first couple of pages, why bother reading on? Better writers than I have written about character development, I'm just happy that now and then, I manage to achieve it to readers' satisfaction.
Writers write and readers read and often some do both. I think of myself as a reader who writes, and every time someone says they've enjoyed one of my offerings, it makes me smile. What makes me dance around the kitchen though, is when a fellow reader compliments the character development. This week, two complete strangers who connected with A Ripple in Time were kind enough to state publicly how much they enjoyed reading the story: Thank you kind readers, comments such as yours make it all worthwhile.
(One posting on Amazon.com and one on Goodreads site).
Confusing isn't it? That's why it became so important to create believable characters for A Ripple in Time; which deals with time travel. Characters should evolve with the story, if we knew everything about them within the first couple of pages, why bother reading on? Better writers than I have written about character development, I'm just happy that now and then, I manage to achieve it to readers' satisfaction.
Writers write and readers read and often some do both. I think of myself as a reader who writes, and every time someone says they've enjoyed one of my offerings, it makes me smile. What makes me dance around the kitchen though, is when a fellow reader compliments the character development. This week, two complete strangers who connected with A Ripple in Time were kind enough to state publicly how much they enjoyed reading the story: Thank you kind readers, comments such as yours make it all worthwhile.
(One posting on Amazon.com and one on Goodreads site).
February 17, 2012
The Enigma Choice.
When someone asked Churchill how he managed to predict events so accurately, his chilling response was: 'Because dear boy, I study history.'
What the wily old warlord didn't mention was foresight. By the time the Nazis realised their unbreakable decipher, 'Enigma' had been broken, the damage was irreparable. British Intelligence had been reading their messages, and passing them onto the War Cabinet. Churchill's nickname for Hitler was Herr Schickelgruber; he despised and hated the madman with a vengeance. But Churchill never made the mistake of underestimating his enemy.
In order to gain the most value from Enigma, it remained vital that Hitler's High Command continued to believe in its invincibility, and continued to use it for top secret messages. If the Allied Armies acted on every single piece of information received via Enigma, it would become obvious that Britain was receiving inside information. Churchill wanted his golden egg laying goose active for as long as possible. Consequently, Churchill and his Cabinet made unthinkable choices. Choices not to warn of impending attacks. Choices to sacrifice some, in order to save others.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, the lessons of the past are there for all to see; it's a blessing in disguise that most of us don't have foresight. In "A Ripple in Time" Wren's choice is stark. Will he allow the Titanic to meet her destiny and restore his own future, or allow hundreds of innocents to perish?
Available at a special introductory price of 77p on Amazon.co.uk, or 99 cents on Amazon.com
Nine customer reviews on .co.uk
Eleven customer reviews on .com, average star rating 4.75
What the wily old warlord didn't mention was foresight. By the time the Nazis realised their unbreakable decipher, 'Enigma' had been broken, the damage was irreparable. British Intelligence had been reading their messages, and passing them onto the War Cabinet. Churchill's nickname for Hitler was Herr Schickelgruber; he despised and hated the madman with a vengeance. But Churchill never made the mistake of underestimating his enemy.
In order to gain the most value from Enigma, it remained vital that Hitler's High Command continued to believe in its invincibility, and continued to use it for top secret messages. If the Allied Armies acted on every single piece of information received via Enigma, it would become obvious that Britain was receiving inside information. Churchill wanted his golden egg laying goose active for as long as possible. Consequently, Churchill and his Cabinet made unthinkable choices. Choices not to warn of impending attacks. Choices to sacrifice some, in order to save others.
Hindsight is a wonderful thing, the lessons of the past are there for all to see; it's a blessing in disguise that most of us don't have foresight. In "A Ripple in Time" Wren's choice is stark. Will he allow the Titanic to meet her destiny and restore his own future, or allow hundreds of innocents to perish?
Available at a special introductory price of 77p on Amazon.co.uk, or 99 cents on Amazon.com Nine customer reviews on .co.uk
Eleven customer reviews on .com, average star rating 4.75
