Yasmin Selena Butt's Blog, page 3

yasminselena:Thanks to Rebecca Bradley for highlighting t...

yasminselena:

Thanks to Rebecca Bradley for highlighting this *excellent* post from Sgt Gary Watts. I swear, such has been the intensity of The Era of Hermitude, that I’ve somehow evaded Psy and his crazy song right until watching the Christmas edition of Top of the Pops!!

Seriously, hadn’t a CLUE! But these dudes knew the score and Sgt Gary Watts roped his colleagues into producing ��this video to make good on a Twitter bet and raise some cash for a wee boy, Joshua Wilson.

Happy New Year to you and if you’re feeling the Gangnam vibe, you know what to do. I’ll put you in the capable hands of the fellas in the dashing uniforms of Falmouth : ) ��Now make busy like butterflies and bees and spread the word ��. . .

Yasmin Selena x x

Originally posted on Constable Chaos - UK Police Blog:

So here���s the story from A to Zee ���. Sgt Gary Watts of the Devon & Cornwall Police said if he got 5,000 followers on Twitter he would do the ���Gangnam Style��� dance on YouTube.

Or did one of his colleagues stitch him up good and proper, and simply tell everyone else that���s what he said ???

The story from the ���horses mouth��� about events leading up to the making of the video can be read here ���> http://www.devon-cornwall.police.uk/ABOUTUS/BLOGS/Pages/voiceofanofficer.aspx?post=7112553400058575462

Either way, the Twitterati responded in their droves ���. and @SgtGaryWatts soon went over the magic 5,000 followers mark ���. so he had no choice, did he ??? ��

Add into the mixture a very good cause which is supported by many of the active Police Tweeters, #JoshuasJourney (@journeyjoshuas on Twitter) ��� a fund to help 12 yr old Joshua Wilson, who was diagnosed with his first brain tumour in 2004���

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Filed under: People you should know about

#GangnamPoliceman

Reblogged from Constable Chaos - UK Police Blog:

So here’s the story from A to Zee …. Sgt Gary Watts of the Devon & Cornwall Police said if he got 5,000 followers on Twitter he would do the ‘Gangnam Style’ dance on YouTube.

Or did one of his colleagues stitch him up good and proper, and simply tell everyone else that’s what he said ???

The story from the ‘horses mouth’ about events leading up to the making of the video can be read here –> …

Read more… 221 more words

Thanks to Rebecca Bradley for highlighting this *excellent* post from Sgt Gary Watts. I swear, such has been the intensity of The Era of Hermitude, that I've somehow evaded Psy and his crazy song right until watching the Christmas edition of Top of the Pops!!

Seriously, hadn't a CLUE! But these dudes knew the score and Sgt Gary Watts roped his colleagues into producing  this video to make good on a Twitter bet and raise some cash for a wee boy, Joshua Wilson.

Happy New Year to you and if you're feeling the Gangnam vibe, you know what to do. I'll put you in the capable hands of the fellas in the dashing uniforms of Falmouth : )  Now make busy like butterflies and bees and spread the word  . . .
Yasmin Selena x x

How would you dispose of a corpse?

Hello you, my lovely, lovely : )

I am so sorry for the radio silence but I’ve not been sat in a lilo floating in the ocean with a glass of sangria. I wish!

No, I’ve been an insanely busy one, firstly with NaNoWriMo (58,000 words = one month, go me) and then with the paper proof of Gunshot Glitter. After much effort and the kind help of my friends Lydia Nicolaides and Tina Gatt, I have a gorgeous print cover completed. And I’m working with Intype Libra on the print as we speak.

Over December and Christmas, to a soundtrack comprised 60% Snow Patrol/Tired Pony, 10% Katy Perry 10% Interpol and about 20% Cat Power,  I proofed the 420 odd printed pages of Gunshot Glitter, found myself in tears thrice just re-experiencing the emotions of the narrative.  They were welcome tears. I really engaged with my characters writing that novel and to be honest have missed them.

But come January, it WILL be printed. Finally! Thank you for your patience. It was important to me to do it properly and to do it well. I hope I’ve achieved that. It was a pleasure to re-read the book. Regardless of what’s happened this year, publishing it and having so much positive feedback has been . . . . to be honest, there aren’t words. Just THANK YOU if you’ve been on the ride with me.

Gary Lightbody: How can anyone not love this man? Just look at him!

Did you know by the way that the CD sleeve of Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream is candy scented? It’s a great record for a whole new reason now. Firework is my favourite track on it.

Right, stop looking at that amazing photo of Gary Lightbody ( I spotted that on his Twitter, whoever took it, you are a geeenius! Come here and let me credit you) In between Gunshot Glitter and life, I’ve really enjoyed reading his old Tumblr blog and just being knocked for six by his lyrics. I’ve literally sat and read the CD sleevenotes and just been reduced to silence by the images and scenes conjured up. It’s been a while since anything’s done that to me. I’m going to be enjoy being fuelled thus.

And he doesn’t actually seem to stop working, ever. The man is a great, big, 6ft 4″ poet of wondrous Irishness, emotion and humour and it would appear, Curly Wurlys. From one chocolate-adoring music-lover to another, God Bless You Mr Lightbody and your heart-breaking paens to romantic woe, especially ‘New York’. I don’t know how you do it. That song is devastating.  And thank you for this brilliant, brilliant video which cheered me up a treat in the small hours of a late November night.  For your viewing pleasure and a belated Xmas present, watch it with me:

 

Did you enjoy that?

Back to me!

I wanted to draw your attention to a great blog by Linda Parkinson-Hardman. She kindly featured me on it over Christmas and I’ve just had a lot of fun re-reading the interview. I loved it!

I thought you might too, check her out, she’s aces. Here’s the LINK. One of the questions was how would you dispose of a corpse. I love questions like that. So dear reader, how would you? And what’s your favourite TV moment? Check mine out, it’s class.

And my favourite writer, Lisa Jewell made my Christmas by featuring Gunshot Glitter on her books of the year review on her personal blog. Swear I felt all fuzzy inside. If you are anything like me, you’ll love book recommendations, especially from fellow passionate readers. So check it out. You might find your new favourite book among her selection here

Lisa published ‘Before I Met You‘ over the summer and it was a privilege to interview her on Hello You. Since then she’s actually had a hand in designing the cover of the forthcoming paperback edition. It’s a beauty. Give it a mooch, now.

I hope you’ve had a lovely Christmas. I did allow myself a day off on the day itself. I re-read Jojo Moyes ‘ Me Before You’ all over again, curled up on the sofa. It’s a stunning book, an unconventional romance where actions speak louder than words and two mismatched people change each other’s lives in completely unexpected ways.  I found there were pages I re-read twice over before I could continue because I wanted to revel in the feeling engendered. I loved it. LOVED IT. Moyes deserves all the accolades this book has received and I thank her for dreaming it up. I felt the ending was pretty brave.

It was my favourite read of 2012. What was yours?

Promise to be more prolific come 2013. Make some good wishes when the bongs chime okay? See you next year and take care. Thanks for reading.

Yasmin Selena Butt xx

p.s Please email print requests for the novel to GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk and remember the eBook is out on Amazon. In 2013 it will also be available on a wider network of eBook vendors.

Filed under: Gunshot Glitter, Music you should listen to, News, Writers I love

I Want To Press Your Buttons

. . . Or should that be I’d like you to press mine!

Because if you look at the blog menu of ‘Hello You’ you will see some *new* ones! But hang tight and read the rest of this post first before you go a-looking..

Hello you, remember me? I’m Yasmin 

Feeling better : )

Sorry it’s been a while.

I’ve been excruciatingly conscious it’s been well over a month since I last blogged. Last month was a ‘black dog’ month. If you know about mental health you’ll know people who experience depression refer to theirs as a ‘black dog’.

It was not a bundle of laughs. It made stuff come to a grinding halt for a while, but despite all that I kept it together long enough to get the last blog post out for Nicky Wells, before I retreated to deal with it and the various things that kicked it off. Some of my friends were amazing, seriously, especially Jan, the Scorpio, Steve and Clare.  Clare especially.  She knows why. We would be nowhere and nothing without our friends when life makes us vulnerable. Depression, when you confide in someone, truly reveals who your friends are.

I am starting to feel better now, thank God, and despite some heinous food poisoning yesterday, on November 7th, I took to Facebook and Twitter to mark Liam Griffin’s birthday.

Who is Liam Griffin?

Well if you’ve read Gunshot Glitter you will know EXACTLY who he is.

And if you’ve not, then click here and meet him.

He is the boy, the man, after all he is 21, that changes everything the night he meets Cornelia Friend.

There were tweets, tweets and tweets galore, it cheered me up a lot after losing the contents of my belly and not eating a thing until 8.45pm last night I tell you!!

But this is a News post so let me give you some more News rather than regaling you with the finer details of me being sick.

UPDATE:

Well, Gunshot Glitter, the eBook, has been out for about ten weeks and considering I’ve yet to hit bloggers and media with it, I am delighted at the word of mouth driven response to it. There are 13 great reviews on Amazon and a handful on Goodreads.  Thank you, if you’ve reviewed it.  Thank you if you’ve bought the eBook, I hope you’ve enjoyed it and if you don’t mind, if you haven’t already please do spread the word:

  *Tell peeps about it.

*Click that LIKE button on Amazon on Gunshot Glitter.

*Click the tags below the Amazon listing which point to categories it falls under.

I would really appreciate it. Here is the UK Amazon sales link but remember Gunshot Glitter is sold worldwide, which is amazing if you think about it.

When you talk books or someone asks you for a recommendation please mention it. I will roll it out to more eBook vendors. It will happen. I now have ISBNs! More ISBNs than you can shake a stick at. And I will use them, no fear. Some of you have done an amazing job spreading the word and trust me it has been noted. My friend, Geetha, knocked me for six with her enthusiasm which was a massive comfort during my rough patch.

*Update on the PRINT edition*

I plan to target the press and internet for promotion when the print copies are ready.

Celene Petrulak is designing the print cover as we speak. I’ve seen the first mock-up. It is looking good. And the very first edition, which is a special edition, will feature some exclusive content too, unavailable elsewhere. This copy is only available by mail order directly from me, each copy will be signed and numbered and published under my own imprint Venus Fiction. Yes, it will have an ISBN and everything and I’ll even send the British Library a copy if they want one. To pre-order write to me at GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk

They will make great Christmas gifts I promise, and if you’d like me to dedicate it to the recipient I would be happy to. It would be my pleasure. I have yet to have a formal release date. But I will let you know when I do. In future, there will also be an edition available through a print on demand service, when that happens I might vanish for a bit, I haven’t decided for sure yet. But I would dearly love as many of my first readers as possible to have a copy of this special first print so I can personalise it for them. I am all about the personal.

Other News

Those buttons I mentioned at the beginning that I’d like you to press? : ) What might those be? There are a few. Firstly, I now have a Pinterest page!  Go me!  I’ve seen other peeps using it and enjoying the site – and being a visual soul decided to have a mooch and do the same. It is still in its infancy, but you can enjoy and gaze upon the earlier work of Celene Petrulak and some of the visual influences on Gunshot Glitter. Do enjoy.

Plus, there is a button link to my new site Tartware and also, most excitingly, a Publicity page, because despite everything, I have managed to pen some words for some great sites and also be involved with some features too.  Pay them a visit. And if you’d like to interview me or feature me, contact me via GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk

If you are a fellow writer or in the process of self-publishing, you will find the post on DuoLit especially useful.  In fact I demand you READ IT NOW! It will save you a lot of headaches especially in regards to US Tax Laws.  And I recently contributed to a piece on self-publishing on Ronke Adeyemi’s great site here which includes some helpful advice on marketing strategy

Any Marketing or PR professionals will find the interview with leading agency The SG Group interesting. They are awesome souls and while I was writing Gunshot Glitter enabled me to secure work and juggle the demands of both.

Lastly, fireworks, I wrote a poem titled ‘Six Seconds’ for Morgen Bailey’s blog on Guy Fawkes night. November 5th to peeps who don’t know what the deal is. (He tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament hundreds of years ago but got rumbled, the naughty man!)  I should have called  the poem Love and Rockets, but Six Seconds is also pretty cool. It’s been ages since I’ve written a poem ‘to order’ so to speak, where you know the topic in advance and your response has to be in poem form.  I will love you and leave you now. I hope you enjoy it. Morgen released her own debut novel, ’ ‘The Serial Dater’s Shopping List  on the same day it took her three years but she got there! Well done to her. You can find out more about it and Morgen Bailey here

Sweeter Things

Gorgeous wee owl called Mogwai I kid you not!

Life has had some great, sunny bits though. I had a great time at both Affordable Art Fairs in London, reconnected with an artist called Martin Ridgwell whose work I bought and have framed in my bedroom.  I flew some owls with my best friend at a Bird of Prey Centre in Befordshire (my treat to me and my friend Steve) and I spent a night on this boat in Emsworth (it’s for sale!) which was exciting and cosy and witnessed a stunning sunrise. That was a unique experience and really soothing.

Never seen a sunrise over the tide out like this : )

And erm, I managed to chip a molar, flossing, a few weeks ago and have to gear myself up for a partial filling at the dentist. Not so soothing.  Somehow, I have to find the strength to get there in the next few minutes. Let’s hope that bowl of cornflakes I had an hour ago is going to be enough.

Stay warm : ) And keep spreading the word and love about Gunshot Glitter.

Very many thanks

Yasmin xx

p.s. I am participating in Nanowrimo – if this means nothing to you or you’re thinking what a funny sounding word! Click here:

If you are in the same boat as me and aspiring to write a 50,000 word novel in one month – very best of luck!

It’s my first time.  I keep changing the title of my story, right now it’s ‘Diamonds and Scars,’ it is a continuation of THIS. To everyone who wanted to know what happened to Sasha and Alex in Diamond Life on that Geek Love blogpost. Well . . .

Filed under: Gunshot Glitter, News

Nicky Wells: The Writer Who Loves Rockstars

Nicky Wells

Hello you

I want to introduce you to someone special.  If you are a regular visitor to my blog you can’t fail to have seen the comments left for me by a certain fellow writer, Nicky Wells. Nicky is awesome on so many levels that I just had to feature her on my blog. I am in awe of her organisational skills and chutzpah, she is a constant whirlwind of activity.

Plus, I have the wonderful Romaniacs blog to thank for meeting her. We both responded to a blogpost and admired each other’s comments and felt compelled to check one another out. Probably the cyber equivalent of eavesdropping on someone’s conversation at a party and thinking, ‘God they’re really cool I want to know them.’ We discovered we had a mutual, passionate love of music and I’ve been a frequent visitor to her blog for Music Monday, where I recall a vivid discussion about The Waterboys and Marillion cemented the bond and also introduced me to Joanna Gawn, another lovely writer ( author of The Cordello Quest)

Nicky recently published her debut novel ‘Sophie’s Turn’ with Sapphire Star and had a huge, spectacular launch for it on social media. She’s currently on a blog tour and today she’s mine ( and yours!) so enjoy the interview, check out her marketing advice for writers and be sure to check out the excerpt from her rockstar romance to see if it’s for you.  Here we go ; )

Yasmin Selena x x

YSB: Hi Nicky, tell me where you first sprang from, as I believe you’re originally from Germany?  How did you end up in Blighty?

How did I end up in Blighty… Where to start? Well, you did ask, so here goes. Imagine a 19 year old Nicky. Just finished school, enrolled in a teacher training course for English and History at her local university in Essen, Germany. Stuck (ouch, but there it is) in a very stale relationship with a boyfriend of several years. Stuck (again) living at home with her parents courtesy of the way the German university funding system works. Desperate to ‘do something’ with her life, although clueless as to what ‘something’ would be. Got that picture sorted in your head? Just your average teenager with the expected amount of late teenage angst.

So that was me, back then. And, as is my wont, to fix the situation, I kind of went into overdrive. One of my lecturers made the fatal mistake of asking me what I would do if I could do anything I wanted, discounting any problems or obstacles. The answer was immediate, although to this day I don’t quite know where it came from. “I would move to England and study Art,” I said. “Why don’t you apply, then,” he replied. He made it sound so easy, so I had a go.

Aw!

The Art thing never worked out, and I regrouped after the third rejection letter. Having become far too invested into the moving to England idea at that point, I applied to five colleges for degree courses in European Studies instead. That choice seemed kind of apt: you know, the whole European integration angle and so on. I got accepted in the college of my choice (based on a pure hunch), I told my parents what I’d done, packed up my belongings and set off. Or something like that; it wasn’t quite that straightforward and many tears were shed (not by me) but go, I did. And I neither looked back nor went back. Arriving here was like coming home. I don’t know why, or how that’s possible, but it was, and I stayed and built a life.

  YSB: That was extremely brave of you. What marked the turning point in your life when you realised you wanted to write, was there a clear moment of inspiration?

I cringe to write this, but I have always been writing in a fashion. I submitted my first batch of children’s ‘novels’ to a publisher aged around twelve! Needless to say, that didn’t go anywhere (although they did write me a very nice rejection letter, the nicest I ever got). I kept writing though, just for me, in various notebooks and later on an ancient typewriter. During college, the writing took a bit of a backseat as I was too consumed with academic writing. Between degrees, I wrote a short novella in a twelve day period. It just kind of came out, and was the most exhilarating experience (although the results have been deeply, deeply buried!). Then I started work, and I was writing for a living, even though it was non-fiction. So the urge to go back to my roots and my dreams really took hold when I left work five months before giving birth to my first child. I had all this time, a computer, a desk, and a stack of ideas… Suddenly, the opportunity was there and I grabbed it with all ten typing fingers.

YSB: I plan to go to the grave clutching some of my earliest efforts! Massive congrats on ‘Sophie’s Turn’ by the way : ) If you only had two minutes to tell someone the story, how you would describe it?

Two minutes? Wow, that’s a lot. I can fit an awful lot of information into two minutes, you just watch me go… Oh, alright, I’ll let you off. Here’s the elevator pitch.

Sophie’s Turn is a glamorous contemporary fairy tale featuring the rock star and the girl next door. One fine day in Paris, Sophie Penhalligan suddenly finds herself engaged to her teenage crush and love-of-her-life-from-a-distance, rock singer and star extraordinaire Dan Hunter. But there is the small matter of her very recent, but very prior, engagement to Tim. Reliable, honest, trusting Tim, her boyfriend of two years stashed away safely in his mews house in South Kensington while Sophie is drinking rather too much champagne with Dan in Paris. What is a girl to do? Find out what Sophie does in Sophie’s Turn.

YSB: Good pitch missus! I know that music is a biggie in your life, have you always been moved by it? Who were your first musical heroes?

Music has always featured in my life. I learned to play the recorder in Kindergarten, and started on the clarinet age seven. I played in an orchestra at school and was a bit late on the whole pop/rock scene, being too wrapped up in reading and writing books and making classical music. Yeah, I know, not exactly the cool girl on the block, right? But when I did wake up to rock and pop, it was with a loud crash, bang and a wallop. My first musical heroes were a German band called Modern Talking. They disbanded within about three months of me developing a crush on the lead singer (I was only twelve or thirteen) and that, as they say, was that.

I was a bit rudderless for a while and then The Final Countdown hit. Do you remember? 1985, I believe it was. I totally loved that song, and my older brother very kindly bought me the album (yes, vinyl!) for my birthday. They happened to be touring and I went to see them (Europe -YSB) in my hometown the following February. I would have been 13 or 14 then. I stood in the front row, I nearly, nearly was able to touch Joey Tempest’s cowboy boots. Swoon. That obsession lasted quite some time but quickly branched out into all things rock, as long as its melodious with gorgeous vocals. These days, I have the radio on non-stop. Sadly, it’s not rock radio as I haven’t found a local rock station, but I’m partial to a bit of commercial rock and pop too.

YSB: I remember Modern Talking! They had a big UK hit with a song called Brother Louie. I think you can get Planet Rock on DAB but I’m not sure it’s national? Did you listen to a lot of music when writing this book? Did you have playlists with themes?

I did listen to a lot of music, but not when writing. Strangely, I need quiet when I’m writing. Not complete quiet, but certainly no music. I find I would get carried away or sidetracked, and it’s too hard to try to get the songs to match the ever-evolving mood of my work. So instead, I listen to music in between bouts of writing, or when I spend time on social networking sites or email. For Sophie’s Turn, my downtime playlist involved largely a band called FM, and in particular their album, Tough It Out.

YSB: I’ve heard of them, I’ll see if they’re on Spotify. Who is your rock star, Dan Hunter, based on?  Did you dream about meeting and falling in love with a rock star yourself

(Blushes) My rock star is based on no one person in particular, but on an amalgamation of various long-haired, golden voiced rock gods with the man of my dreams. That’s the first part of your question. Did I dream about meeting and falling in love with a rock star? My God, yes. Age 13 or thereabouts, I had my wedding to Joey Tempest mapped out to the last detail, right down to the church that we would get married in in his hometown of Upplands Väsby near Stockholm in Sweden. There was no Internet in those days, so it was all based on research in the library (I think I hogged their illustrated Sweden book for the best part of a year) and imagination. It sounds a bit scary now, but I guess it was normal teenage behaviour. Right? (Say something positive, Yasmin, quick!)

YSB: Okay, I am now officially terrified of you, Nicky! Just kidding. At that age I think my great love was Billy Idol : ) I know compared to me you are massively organised when it comes to your writing, but for the benefit of the uninitiated, tell us how you do it?

Massively organised… more like, anally organised. I’m a compulsive obsessive plotter. I tried pantsing once with that novella I mentioned… (shudders) … and I don’t think I want to go there again. So how do I plan?

First of all, I need the core idea, the crux, the concept, the A to B. Where does the story start and end? Then I hand draw, on one page of A4, a rough linear outline of the plot with all the events that happen in the journey from A to B.

In the next stage, I transfer this on a dining-table size strip of paper, which I then populate with the key events already mapped out. From there, I add more events, subplots, character notes, questions, jokes, disasters, etc. I use post-its to add events in, which makes for very colourful viewing but also enables me to move things around if need be. When I’ve pressure-tested this concept a few times, I transfer it to MSWord and then compile one-page synopses for each event or section. I usually walk away with about 20 pages of concept including research notes. That’s my blueprint, and that’s what I use to write. It’s an iterative planning process and it does take time; I allow about four weeks for it. Now that I’m in a sort of rolling writing schedule, I plan for a while, then go back to editing a previous book, then plan the next one again, then plan a blog tour… so there’s lots of maturing time built in, which does actually help.

YSB: I swear if you weren’t a writer you’d make an amazing wedding planner. ‘Sophie’s Turn’ is being re-launched with Sapphire Star, how did you find each other, did you have an agent to help you?

I don’t have an agent. To begin with, I opted to publish Sophie’s Turn independently for a while to see what would happen. What happened was this. First, it got a very positive reception in the reviewing community and saw a steady trickle of sales on Amazon. Second, I learned a lot about the publishing process and industry. And third, a number of small, emerging publishers came to my attention who were accepting direct submissions from authors. So when I came across Sapphire Star Publishing on Facebook, I hopped over to their website, liked what I saw, and fired off a submission. I really do mean ‘fired off’ because I was all fired up. They looked good, it felt right, so I really went for it. Unlike previous submissions to said agents, I had some experience and a lot of positive reviews behind me, and I referred to them quite explicitly. I also had a platform in the making, so I submitted from a very different context.

When I received an email from Katie Henson asking for the full manuscript, I refused to get my hopes up. After all, I’d been there before, several times. So when the next email arrived in my inbox a few short weeks later, on a Friday night, I took a deep breath, steeled myself for the inevitable, and bounced off the walls when I read the words, “would like to offer you a publishing contract.” So that’s how we found each other!

  YSB: That is a lovely story and I’m sure it’ll inspire other writers. Nowadays, writers are under pressure to promote themselves, do you have any Marketing advice for writers who struggle to do this?

I don’t claim to be an expert, but here’s what I have learned. I’ll start with the basics, because I had to start from scratch. I really didn’t know any of this stuff just over a year ago!

1. You need a blog or a website. Give it a url that works for you and links to your author name or brand (see below on brand). Once you have it, use it. Post regularly. Post about anything at all that’s relevant to you, your writing or your books. It doesn’t have to be all about ‘buy my book;’ in fact, that would be harmful. Instead, let the world take a peek at you, the writer, the person. Use your blog’s syndication features to post on Twitter and Facebook, and leverage it to invite your email or Twitter or Facebook contacts to follow your blog.

2. Social networking. Do it. If you haven’t signed up to Twitter or Facebook, do it now. Invite friends. Post about yourself, your day, things you like. Stay clear of incessant “buy my book.” It’ll put people off. Instead, join up with other authors and post about them and their work; that way, you’ll both get exposure.

3. Don’t rush it. Rome wasn’t built in a day, and you’re not going to build your platform in a day. Take your time. Be sure that you put quality content out on your blog, Twitter and Facebook and keep plugging away at it. Don’t despair if you don’t go viral overnight. Few people do!

4. Brand. You need one. Think about it. Why would people read your book? How, in your genre, are you different from everybody else out there? What makes your books brilliant? Think up a few words that describe you and your work, and turn them into a motto, or brand statement. For example, my brand is “Romance that Rocks Your World.” Many authors now use these kinds of taglines. It helps you define yourself and set yourself apart at the same time. Have a go, it’s not as daunting as it looks.

Tool of rockstar

YSB: That is really sound advice Nicky. ‘Sophie’s Turn’ is part of a trilogy, how do you plan to publish the rest of the books?  What comes after the trilogy is over?

Sophie’s Turn is indeed part of a trilogy, and the sequel, Sophie’s Run, is written and due for release by Sapphire Star Publishing on 7 February 2013. The third book is currently in the planning stages and scheduled for release by Sapphire in September 2013. After that… I have several ideas on the go that I will explore. It’ll definitely be romance, for now, and it’ll definitely rock your world. It will be very different from Sophie’s Turn¸ however, and it most definitely won’t feature Sophie or Dan. Watch this space…

YSB: Thanks for answering the questions, let’s end things on a wee quickfire just because it’s fun!

Germans – most popular misconception you’d like to right: We are funny. As in, we have a sense of humour. It’s just that the rest of the world doesn’t always get it.

Daddy long legs – discuss: No, no, no, take him away, quick.

A band everyone should listen to: FM

My first crush was… A boy by the name of Alex, four years above me in school and sporting a Human League style hairdo that was called ‘popper curl’ in German

Leather pants are: sticky

Writer I most admire:  Couldn’t possibly list, there are too many

With you on this one

Most over-rated book I’ve ever read:Gulp, dare I admit it? The God of Small

Things. I just didn’t get it. Sorry.

Book I’d love to see made into a movie: Sophie’s Turn! Hahahaha, you did ask!

Movie which should have left the damn book alone because it was so pants! The Neverending Story but German author Michael Ende. This was one of my favourite books about a little unpopular boy who hides out in his school attic and finds a magic(al) book that eventually draws him into the story. It was printed in green and purple font, green for the boy’s story and purple for the neverending story, eventually switching into purple only (hint!) and it was truly magical. The film completely ruined it, the chronology, the charm, the magical creatures. Leave well alone, I say. (Too late!)

The book I demand you read because it’s so fabulous: The Eight by Katherine Neville. Or The Shaman by Noah Gordon. Or Ghostwritten by David Mitchell.

Thank you Nicky, the *very* best of luck with Sophie’s Turn : )

Yasmin Selena x

Sophie’s Turn is available in Kindle edition from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and many other Amazon sites. The paperback edition is also available from Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk. In addition, you can obtain Sophie’s Turn from Barnes & Noble.

Want to know more about Nicky Wells?

  *Read on!*

Visit Nicky on her blog where you can find articles, interviews, radio interviews and, of course, an ongoing update on her work in progress, the second and third parts of the Rock Star Romance Trilogy.  You can also follow Nicky on Twitter and find her on Facebook.  Nicky is a featured author on the innovative reader/author project, loveahappyending.com and has joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Nicky also has author pages at Sapphire Star Publishing and, of course, Goodreads.

Now, enjoy an excerpt from Sophie’s Turn:

“What the hell is going on here?” I hissed, trying to prevent others from hearing our exchange.

“Oh, Sophie, Dan’s turned up. Isn’t it amazing?” she beamed at me.

“I can see that,” I kept hissing, “But what is he doing here?”

Rachel was quite drunk herself and looked at me with those bleary eyes that usually meant she was up to no good. “Sophie,” she declared solemnly and rather loudly, “you have broken the man’s heart. He has come to reclaim you.” She wobbled unsteadily and I gripped her arm. Usually one to hold her liquor, party-girl Rachel had clearly gone too far tonight.

“Shh!” I admonished. “Will you keep your voice down? What are you talking about?”

“Dan is completely besotted with you, and he said he couldn’t bear the thought of you getting engaged to Tim so he had to…hic…come and check him out…hic!” Oh God, she had the hiccups. She would have to spend the night in the guest room. Once Rachel got the hiccups, she was beyond salvation. I gave her twenty minutes before she collapsed. I had to extract critical information fast.

“Why did you introduce him to Tim?” I continued my interrogation. “Couldn’t you have sent him away?”

“Oh no, Sophie. I couldn’t turn this lovely, heartbroken man away.” She looked at me with big, innocent, and totally unfocused eyes. “In fact, we were just looking for you. You seemed to have… hic… hic… hic…disapp-hic-eared.”

“What did you say to Tim about who Dan was?” I needed to know.

“That he was Dan, of course. Your boy-hic-friend from Tuscq!” She dropped this bombshell completely nonchalantly.

“You what?” I squeaked. “Please tell me you’re joking.”

“No, I’m s-hic-erious! Ti-hic-im thought it was very funny. Hic.”

I wrung my hands and barely prevented myself from tearing at my hair. If Tim had thought it was funny, he must have thought Rachel was being facetious or winding him up. He had seen her drunk before — the experience hadn’t done anything to endear her to him in any way —so it was likely that he hadn’t paid the slightest bit of heed to the truth she was spouting. But I had to move, and fast.

“You,” I said to Rachel, grabbing her by the shoulders and steering her toward the stairs. “You have had enough to drink. You are going to bed.”

“I hic-am?” Rachel asked, surprised.

“Indeed,” I confirmed grimly and marched her up the stairs. “Right, here you are. Guest room. Bed. Now.” I propelled her forward and she flopped on the bed like a rag doll.

“Very ti-hic-hic-red,” she mumbled before passing out.

I, on the other hand, had sobered up dramatically and had only one thought left: damage limitation. I blundered back downstairs, racing quite unladylike in my high heels, and skidded to a halt in the lounge. There they were, companionably sitting in front of the stereo, playing DJ.

I clattered across the floor, grabbing a bottle of champers and three glasses off a table as I went. Tim looked up, and then sprang to his feet.

“And here she is,” he announced to Dan with no small measure of proprietary pride. “Doesn’t she look gorgeous?”

Dan rose to his feet, somewhat unsteadily, and looked me up and down. A sad smile played on his face for just the briefest of moments.

“She looks stunning, indeed. Congratulations to you both.” He walked over to me and planted a chaste kiss on my cheek. “Well done,” he said softly, and Tim beamed gratefully, completely unaware that the comment was aimed solely at me. In fact, he seemed completely besotted by Dan’s manly, famous presence.

“Dan here and I were just discussing rock music,” he informed me as though Dan were his new best friend.

I shuddered for a moment. God forbid.

“Dan has some very interesting views about the movement, you know?”

I winced and smiled a secret apologetic smile at Dan, but he was too drunk to notice anything patronizing in Tim’s comment. I had to separate the two before things got out of hand. Luckily, one of our other guests absolved me of thinking up more ruses by descending on Tim and whisking him away to the kitchen.

Dan and I regarded each other in silence.

“You do look beautiful,” Dan repeated, suddenly sounding a whole lot more sober.

I wanted to cry. “What are you doing here?” I whispered, not trusting my voice.

“I don’t really know,” he acknowledged. “I just felt…lonely. At a loose end. I had to see you and convince myself that…well, that it really is too late. You know?”

I was simultaneously touched and petrified. “I thought we’d agreed…,” I started, but Dan interrupted immediately.

Filed under: People you should know about

Why Writers Need Tartware Featuring Bionsen & Weleda

Hello you

Anyone who knows me or has visited the Castle, would have to be the registered blind, if they didn’t twig within two minutes of entering, that they were not in the home of a normal person, in regards to the esteem held by occupant – for toiletries, make-up and perfume, henceforth referred to as TARTWARE.

Gateway to Heaven

Most people have pots, pans, food, cleaning gear in their kitchen. I have a top cupboard and double cupboard filled with unused tartware: the backup I will turn to when the world goes to pot – and when we all start eating each other like the cannibals in The Road, I will still have nice hair and smell good; a small comfort in such dark times. But hey, when the cannibal is eyeing me up and wondering . . . hmmm breast or thigh? I will go down feeling my best!

What lack of tartware will do to a man. Crying shame.

Because that is what good tartware should do, make you feel you best.

As a writer, you end up burning the candle at both ends. You end up staring at a screen and forgetting to blink and wondering why your eyes feel dry and sore in the morning. You face deadlines – real or self-imposed that interfere with your relaxation and your sleep. You wake up with that nagging edit or new idea and  you can’t open your exhausted eyes, but you’re still feeling around for your pen and notebook in the dark, or you’re so beyond exhausted you’re dreaming you are writing it down when you are still fast asleep.  YES I have done the latter. For real. I was gutted when I woke up to realise that the answer to the Meaning of Life hadn’t in fact been committed to paper. I’m actually not joking about that, it came to me in a dream. Like I said, gutted!

THIS is when great tartware can come to the rescue. And prop us up and keep us sane and hold back the ravages of stress on our minds and bodies until sanity returns and we start to sleep at night.

I wanted to review some recent offerings sent by Weleda, that have seen me through the stresses of publishing Gunshot Glitter, and seeing that we’ve enjoyed an indian summer and Bionsen whose bath products I adore, kindly sent me some funky new deodorants to road-test, I am also going to feature them too. In fact why don’t we start with them?

Bionsen makes aces deodorants

Good stuff!

Traditionally, with deodorants, I’m a roll-on girl, I couldn’t stand sprays because I’d get engulfed in a cloudy fug I’d end up choking on. I’d never tried anything from the Bionsen range, but I was pleasantly surprised by their 24 hour deodorant spray (£3.29) because the spray came out in a nice, precise way and was instantly cooling and refreshing, it also had a clean, ionised air smell.

So big thumbs up from me.  Their whole range is paraben-free and great for sensitive skin. Parabens were associated with cancer a while back and many companies now avoid using them in tartware.  The thing that defines Bionsen’s range is that they use Japanese spa minerals copper, zinc and manganese to deodorise and neutralise the bacteria responsible for bad odours.  So it means the products don’t act as an antiperspirant and don’t block the pores of the skin.

Impressive

The roll-on (£2.29) from the range went on nice and cleanly, with a thin, non-sticky layer, and I really liked the smell, it was clean and fresh like the smell of the air on the beach. As the owner of almost a hundred perfumes ( at last count) I am fussy about that. Neutral smells are great as they don’t clash with the scent you are wearing.  Bionsen’s offerings are also 100% aluminium free which means you won’t have it leaching into your body and potentially interfering with your brain.  That bit isn’t a joke by the way, there’s been some real debate about it.

Most curious

But the one I suspect they were most excited about me trying was the 100% natural deodorant Total Body (£4.49), which shook like a rattle in the box when it was delivered to me. I was a bit taken aback when I unpacked it. It was a bunch of salt rocks in a spray bottle.  This is the first time I’ve come across a ‘make your own deodorant,’ it’s a novel idea. You fill up the bottle with water and are encouraged to use it as an all-over body deodorant and I mean ALL over your body, including the soles of your feet. You can even use it as an aftershave. And because it’s salt and water, it’s 100% natural.

The other cool thing is that the bottle can be refilled up to another four times, so effectively, you’ve got the equivalent of five deodorant sprays for the price of one, minus the dodgy chemicals which some boffin will probably come back and tell us is responsible for the evolutionary development of glow in the dark armpits.

I’ve got to say I was unconvinced to begin with. I’m from the ‘School of Scent is Queen’ and it just felt as if I was spraying myself with water. The instructions say wait a day. I’d advise waiting two to three and then you’ll notice the salt hit – and you know what? It’s quite pleasant! It’s like being misted with the scent of the sea left on your skin.

Plus, you don’t get the acrid, bitter stink (let’s face it is a stink) you get from a chemical-based deodorant reacting with your skin and fabric. The salt neutralises it. So that was a bit of a turn up for the books. It works better than the Lush rub on ones which to be honest just crumble and attract dust and dirt. Avoid those.  And if you keep it in the fridge you’ll also get an especially icy hit.  Watch out for the little crystals getting caught in the nozzle spray though.

So now we don’t smell absolutely minging, the other thing on my mind was my skin. Even being blessed with Mum’s amazing genes wouldn’t be enough to combat the stress I was putting this face and body through for Gunshot Glitter!

Wild roses couldn’t tear me away…

Weleda have been nourishing the mind, body and spirit since 1921

I’ve had a LOT of late nights and early starts in the last few months, so the least I could do was pamper my pores by way of compensation.

Weleda have a Wild Rose range of skincare which I adore. I got to trial the Wild Rose Smoothing Day Cream (£13.95) and Night cream (£14.95). The creams were a real, genuine pleasure to use. I liked how silky the texture was of the day cream and the scent of rose wasn’t chemically pungent or artificial.

*Day*

Weleda use real essential oils in their products, so you’re not wearing a load of artificial compounds on your skin. The oils actually absorb through your skin into your bloodstream.  Both creams absorbed really quickly, to leave a light layer of hydrating protection on my face.

The Wild Rose Smoothing Night Cream felt especially pampering, but not in a heavy-congest-your skin-kind-of-way-way. Just avoid applying it too close to the eye area to avoid puffiness and irritation. The smell of rose soon fades, but while you are applying it, the waft is lovely! It has Evening Primrose oil in it too, to aid skin regeneration and healing.

Seriously lovely stuff!

Bodywise, when I am tense, I love a good massage; my shoulders as a writer, always hunch up when I am focused and all my good posture intentions go flying out of the window! Body oils are really great for waking you up or calming you down. Plants have different properties, lavender is well known for soothing and healing.  Weleda have a Body Oil range which excitingly also come in a wee travel/sample size box at £12.95.  This way you get to get to try several and see what suits. I found the Lavender Relaxing oil really handy for a head, shoulder, back massage and Citrus Refreshing oil really perked me up too. The smell of lemons can invigorate your skin and lift your mood. Citrus is also detoxifying and good for brightening the skin.

The only thing I’d say is be careful, they’re not stoppered bottles and if you drop it, as I did with slippery fingers, you’re looking at a spillage disaster. Weleda use sweet almond oil as a base and I especially liked that the lavender had a smidge of frankincense in it add a depth of eastern warmth. It’s one of my favourite blends as lavender can be a tricky oil to blend right.  Weleda’s gorgeous-smelling Wild Rose oil can even be used on your face for moisturising and massage. Little fact, it takes 3 tonnes of rose petals to make 1 litre of essential oil of rose. Along with jasmine, it’s one of the most expensive essential oils to procure.

Suitable for face and body

Now for the BEST part . . .

The daddy, the King and Queen and all things in-between of relaxation for me, is the hallowed event which is the . . . bubblebath. I love them. I swear by them. I wouldn’t last two minutes living in a house which didn’t have a bath, unless of course I had the ocean on my doorstep (as I did from 2002-2003 in the Maldives). And my bath of choice is a corner bath or a lovely, retro Victorian bath.  When I visit old country houses and observe the hipbath, I shake my head in despair, not only at how minging people were back then, but on how they missed out on the joy of feeling the beauty of water slip over their naked skin. It’s the closest we get to being back in the womb; such a sensual treat. I do some of my best thinking and brooding in the bath. And the potions that surround me are all picked to match my moods and needs.  I use indulgent confections worth a mint and cheap and cheerful choices from the 99p store.

Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!!!!

But when I write and I need a wake up, I reach for the citrus family.  Weleda do a great Citrus Creamy bodywash (£7.95).  Sometimes, I like using Body Shop’s exfoliating gloves in the bath. They’re brilliant; they get the blood circulating, remove dead skin and really work the scent and benefits of a product into your skin. You will be amazed at how soft and smooth your skin feels after a firm going over; just as good as a professional exfoliation treatment in a salon. If gloves are too aggressive for you, I completely recommend Bionsen’s Scrub Shower Gel (£2.79).

Gritty, but in a totally different way to Gunshot Glitter

I’m not normally impressed with any kind of granular product in goo, but this one left my feet especially feeling smooth and soft.

Will leave you with skin as soft as a baby’s bum!

And Bionsen’s Cream Shower (£2.79) wash for dry skin is amazing – and smells as mild and creamy as it looks. It will be your best friend, especially come winter, when central heating, wind and rain batter your skin.  I first came across Bionsen several years ago when I tried their hydrating bubblebath. Soap based products can be drying. It was a pleasant surprise to discover this wasn’t and their range is wonderfully affordable too.

And if you are looking to chill-out, Weleda Lavender Creamy Bodywash (£7.95) is a wonderful night time treat if you need to mentally wind down and soothe your exhausted brain.  It’s made using organic lavender and entirely biodegradable.  Apparently Romans used to bathe in lavender scented water, the progressive tarts!

Shhhh, hush now, go to sleep…

But they had the right idea. Tartware can be applied in a multi-layer effect for maximum benefit.  A little body massage, followed by a relaxing warm bath or vice versa, should see you into a night of tranquil, rejuvenating deep sleep.  Essential oil based products are a wonderful helping hand, seriously. I know they can be premium priced, but if you can afford them, splash out and get decadent you will definitely smell the difference.

So be good to your body, take care of that skin and that head of yours. Remember to go for a walk and a stretch to stave off Writer’s Arse, a technical term ; ) and give your eyes a break, and may your writing be filled with sparkle and wonder. I’m off for a bubblebath, not decided what I will plump for, but with a plethora of products in that little room of wondrousness, fairylights and feathers I am grateful to be spoilt for choice.

Spill the beans. Tell me what you enjoy using to make your feel good? Any favourites? Anything you think I’ve been missing?  Spread the Tartware love.  I’m, listening :  ) Plus, look out for the formal launch of my new blog Tartware in 2013, I hope I have time to do It justice, but little secret, it’s already live now and if you want to get a head-start, and gasp, be featured – then head over there right now and find out what the deal is. Click here now and go take a mooch : )  Enjoy. I’m off  to pick a potion.

Yasmin Selena x x

Thanks for your support

P.S. To everyone who has read Gunshot Glitter and been kind enough to spread the word – Thank you so very much! xxx.  Please keep going, keep me in the loop. I get a thrill whenever I see a stranger mention they are reading it. I am on the case with print copies. There will be an update if you want one. Remember to write to me at GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk if you’d like to reserve one and/or request a free sample of  Chapters 1-7.  You can also download the sample for free on Amazon Kindlestore world-wide.

For more information on Bionsen and Weleda including stockists visit:

Bionsen    Bionsen Shower    Weleda

Many thanks to Bionsen for the products and Weleda for the samples.

Filed under: Uncategorized, What do you think?

Unmissable: London 2012 Paralympics – Why it rocked!

Yes!

Hello you, the Paralympics is officially over.  And I’m exhausted after a month of Gunshot Glittering. And it’s cloudy outside my window. Boo!!  It’s like the clouds were polite enough to keep themselves at bay, while the Paralympians were breaking world records in London, but now it’s over they’re saying .. ‘Righto, that’s your lot!’

* But no fear if you read this blog you’ll get to enjoy some great wee video clips on You Tube so keep your eyes peeled*

The Paralympics closed last night with a spectacular Coldplay gig played against a backdrop of blinding, beautiful lights. It knocked the Olympic closing ceremony flying off its feet. Though if you hated Coldplay it must have been excruciating, but I’m fond of them, I would have loved to have been there, I don’t think I’ve ever had such ‘wish I was there’ envy ever! I would even have risked the ‘he’s going to poke my eye out at this rate’ Chris Martin, groin thrusting away behind his keyboards, but C4 thankfully only filmed him from the waist up when he was seated.

I was disappointed at how snotty some of the tweets were flying around my Twitter feed though.  Coldplay are huge, world famous, that gig would have netted them a quid, they didn’t have to do it, it’s not like they need the publicity. They’re fantastic ambassadors for the UK.

Lord Coe

But what I want to focus on is Lord Sebastian Coe’s closing speech. It electrified me. The man is a childhood hero of mine.  He knocked me for six in 1984 at the Los Angeles Games when he came back from toxoplasmosis to get a silver and gold in the games when the media had written him off.  The man has been on the receiving end of a lot of pot-shots since adopting the mantle to bring the games to London, but if you weren’t moved by his words here, then come over to the Castle so I can check you over for a pulse, please. This is what he said, read this:

“ I was travelling on the tube when I met someone wearing the familiar purple uniform and a pass marked Medic. A Games maker. And the Games makers stand among the heroes of London 2012. We began talking.

His name was Andrew and he told me he was a doctor at St Mary’s hospital on his way to help out at boxing.

But when I tried to thank him, he wouldn’t let me. He said he was the one who wanted to do the thanking. And as we did a very British dance over who should thank who, he suddenly cut through all the politeness and said:

“I was on duty on 7/7, that awful day. For me this is closure. I wasn’t sure I should come or whether I could face it. I’m so glad I did. For I’ve seen the worst of mankind and now I’ve seen the best of mankind.”

Just a few days later I met Emily – a Games maker at the Paralympic Games. She talked of what the Games meant for her and what participating in wheelchair basketball means to her. “It has lifted the clouds of limitation”, she said.

So Andrew and Emily, I am going to have the last word. Thank you thank you to you and all the volunteers.

The Paralympic Games has set new records every day, sporting records, records for crowds, for television audiences, for unbridled spirit.

In this country we will never think of sport the same way and we will never think of disability the same way. So yes, the Paralympians have lifted the cloud of limitation.”

I loved it. I really hope that the words stick. I was very moved by them. I was very curious to see how people around me reacted to the Paralympics, if people would be watching it, or as supportive of them as they’d been of the Olympics.  My personal Twitterfeed was pretty quiet though Daniel Honey was loving it & Juan was annoyed he couldn’t see it in the USA.  I will be the first to confess that I was pretty ignorant of the Paralympics up until London 2012. I’d never seen any of the events, didn’t have a clue that they’d been taking place since the 1948, and except for South African sprinter, Oscar Pistorius, couldn’t name you a single athlete who’d be taking part in the Games.

C4 Superhuman campaign

Were you the same? It wasn’t a case of deliberately ignoring them. I’ve never seen them discussed or televised or promoted.  I think Channel 4 did a great job with their teaser campaign, it got me genuinely hooked ‘ The Superhumans,’ angle.

And despite how infuriating I found the constant commercial breaks, though I loved the Volvo V40 advert with the aces riff from The Telekinesis song  ‘Please ask for help’ which  drove me spare until Liz and Charlotte put me out of my misery on Facebook by telling me who was behind it – I felt, as the games progressed, Claire Balding ( great poach from the BBC) and Ade Adepitan  did a great job with the commentary and explaining the different  classifications for competing. I once met the latter at an anti-racism gig – a very sweet, dapper dressed  man.

And I absolutely loved the irreverent humour of  C4’s post- Paralympic nightly event dissection ‘The Last Leg’ hosted by Adam Hills which was on at 10.30pm. It was brilliant, exactly what the disabled community needed.  Just witty and wicked.  If you missed it, I hope it’s on 4OD.  The ‘Is It OK?’slot was thrown open to people to tweet in questions they’d been dying to ask about  disability.  There wasn’t a jot of mawkishness or political correctness in sight, just honesty, gleeful humour and a celebration of sport.

I don’t think you would’ve found that on the BBC, so despite my initial skepticism about the Games going to C4, not a channel I associate with sport, I was happy to be proven wrong.

Tatyana McFadden

And to be honest a LOT of the personal stories of the competing athletes knocked me for six, some of them had terrible starts in life such as  the USA T54 (wheelchair) athlete Tatyana McFadden who’d been found abandoned with spina bifida in an orphanage in Russia by an American couple who adopted her and her sister. Other athletes had been injured in wars or terrorist attacks. The human interest angle was immense.

And I WENT TO THE GAMES!  I got a ticket for the Athletics during the middle of the Olympics.  My brother was going to some of the events and despite my aching, empty bank balance, I realised I would be a Class A buffoon to miss out because of that. This is after all a ‘once in a lifetime’ thing, the games being here in my capital.  And I love athletics, my ticket was £20 and included a travel card, it was an utter bargain to be honest.  I had a seriously lovely day, it was weird going into London on my own when recently all my days out have been enjoyed with friends, but I had a gently amazing day which I will summarise for your pleasure in bullet form:

On the 607 bus I met a handsome young photographer/DJ  called Solomon, who ate two bananas in a row, got talking to me about how cool his niece was and then said he’d only watched the ‘real’ Olympics, before laughing at himself for how un-PC that sounded.  We talked about Gunshot Glitter .  I made him say the novel title 5 x in a row for fun and later tested him, he called it ‘Gunshot Sparkly thing,’ which had me in hysterics, before then getting the name right and going off home to Holland Park for a kip.


I went to Fenton House  in Hampstead to chill-out in the gardens and mooch the property. This was the first time I’d been to a National Trust site on my own, I normally go with Steve, I wasn’t sure I could be trusted to behave myself; posh places bring out a slightly wicked streak in me and make me want to tamper with things, I think I did quite well all things considered.  I met an American woman and her son in the garden, they were celebrating her birthday. They were deliriously happy. I helped them light the candles and took a few pix for them. They offered me a slice of cake – carrot or chocolate.  ‘ Chocolate please!’ I said. I ate my slice surrounded my the rosiest of apples in the orchard. I also met this gorgeous mixed-race couple with their toddler. I was seated in a deck chair, sleepy and blissful, and saw them taking a photo of each other. And I called out ‘Let me take your photo as a family, but you’ll have to come to me, I’m too tired to move!’


Paralympics!!  **Excited**. Couldn’t stop smiling the whole time even when I was told by a volunteer that I was seated miles away and was in for quite a walk. I was going to get to go to the OLYMPIC STADIUM how could I not be smiling?

Me and the Cauldron = True Love

I was cheesed off with myself for being 10mins late because I could hear the roar of the crowd as I approached Bridge E and I was worried about what I was missing. I was seated next to two Asian girls who were clad in Union Jack flags. They were from Stratford and just chuffed to be there as they couldn’t get tickets to the Olympics.  Then the one sat next to me asked me what country I’d come from and seemed oddly taken aback when I said I was a Londoner, which bemused me a bit.

My view

Most dodgy but well-intentioned comment of the night. An Asian couple rocked up halfway through the sport and sat next to me. She turned to me during a wheelchair race, grabbed my arm and said ‘Look how fast they’re going, I can’t even go that fast and I’ve got feet!’

Oscar Pistorius after his win

 Most electrifying moment of the night: ‘Blade Runner,’ Oscar Pistorius  winning   his 400m T44 heat by MILES, there is a reason that man is an icon and a star, despite the hoopla he caused by being critical of Brazil’s Alan Oliveira’s blades,  when he was beaten into second place in the 200m T44 final, the man has charisma and style oozing out of him. The place was in uproar when he was racing.
And all the Mexican waves during the 5000m were cool, how they start is a mystery to me, but I am glad they do ; )


For me, a magical, huge moment was taking my seat to look up and find I was located in front of the home straight and finish line AND the Paralympic flame. I’ve been besotted with the cauldron, ever since seeing it form moved me to tears, during the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games. If I didn’t run the risk of singeing my eyebrows off, I would have given it a good cuddle. I’d never been in a proper big stadium before. I’m not sure Willesden stadium when I was 12 counts? I was sure the scale would intimidate me, but no, I could get on board with this, the stadium rocks ; )

My preciousssss.. (at end of day)

One of my favourite moments of the night was Angola’s Jose Armando’s medal ceremony for the T11 ( visually impaired) 400m when he hoisted up his silver and bronze medalist runner ups, from Brazil and France, onto his podium and they had a proper little dance together. They really went for it. The crowd loved it.

Making Angola proud!

The people around me who’d dressed in celebration of their day at the games and the young couple who danced up and down the steps in a world of their own.  They were so sweet to watch and looked fantastic, after the athletics ended we were all really reluctant to leave, got chatting and looked out at the empty stadium and took pix of each other. This was ours. He insisted I wore his hat and she insisted I wave her flags, so I did.

The party carried on outside the stadium with people milling about soaking up the atmosphere well past 10pm. Gamesmakers were singing, ‘If you’re happy and you know it clap your hands!’ and high-fiving passing peeps old and young. The floodlit stadium and structures looked stunning.


I spotted a middle-aged gamesmaker lady trying to take a self-portrait and making a hash of it, I told her I’d take one for her.  Taking photos were definitely my good deed today. She told me it was her last day and she’d volunteered at both the Olympics and the Paralympics and it had been the best time of her life. She got quite weepy talking about it and embarrassed at her own tears, so I gave her a big hug.


As I was making my way towards Westfield Stratford all these people were peering over a ledge and I went over and said ‘What’s everyone looking at?’ This woman beckoned me to her spot and said ‘The water is spelling out words’.  And she was right. There was a short cascade of water dropping periodically with a word running through them. It was so unexpected and like everyone there I was charmed by it. So I filmed it for a few seconds. Enjoy and watch this it is a must see : )

And my **bonus** memory of the night goes to the blonde, cute, tired, but happy London Underground worker with a loudhailer repeatedly saying, ‘Jubilee line on your left, Central on your right,’ outside Stratford station. I stopped by him to get my Travelcard out and burst out laughing when he got them mixed up. I said, ‘And you were doing so well until then!’  He said he was exhausted, but it was really nice to see people having so much fun. I told him he should do it in a Yoda voice to keep himself alert. He said maybe he’d try like Darth Vader, I insisted Yoda was cooler. I said he should say, ‘Central Line, right you must go’.  He said he’d think about it.  I went into the station and heard him do it!  And then over the loud hailer I heard, ‘I DID it!’

Gamesmakers!

And that, there, endeth my day at the Paralympics. Londoners who attended, supported, watched at home, good for you. But the rest of the world needs to catch up and recognise and respect the Paralympians for who they are – athletes who strive as hard and as determinedly as everyone else. I was really shocked to hear that the USA didn’t televise the games live. If they didn’t, I wonder how many other countries didn’t either? To me that’s a kick in the teeth to superb athletes like Tatyana McFadden. That her nation doesn’t deem her achievement worth televising until some strange late hour? The world needs to catch up with the Superhumans. They deserve the respect of their countries. How was the Paralympics for you? How did you feel about it all?

But, God, well done, Great Britain!  Well done to our own amazing athletes like Ellie Simmonds, David Weir, Jessica-Jane Applegate and to Channel 4 for doing a great job of televising the games.  I spotted a gold letterbox in Uxbridge the other day so we must have an Olympic champion in Hillingdon, but didn’t have my camera. I look forward to Paralympians getting theirs too the nation over.

Wimbledon’s!

When I blogged about the Olympics I said I didn’t know what kind of  world I’d be looking at when these games arrived, but that Gunshot Glitter would definitely be out.  If you read my blog you will know that I did it. That I beat the fear and published my debut novel. I am flattered and relieved at the enthusiastic reader response I’ve had so far.

The most unexpected have been comments from strangers who took a punt on me, who didn’t know me at all from Facebook or Twitter, or had been recommended by a friend.  Promoting a novel by yourself is very hard work. If you’ve read it and enjoyed it, get yourself a dose of good karma by spreading the word. Please. It would mean a lot to me. I am working on organising a print edition. There’s been a pleasing demand for it and I want to do it properly.

Little news for you: I recently bought 100 ISBNs and have decided one day I will manage my own publishing brand … that should keep me out of mischief.  Take care : ) xx

ooh yeah!

Filed under: What do you think?

Gunshot Glitter: Let Me Tell You A Story, literally!

‘Joy’ : Exhausted, but *happy* published writer!

Wow, what a week! Never had a week like this in my whole life.

Hands down, formatting Gunshot Glitter for Amazon Kindle and getting it out,  has to have been *the* most white knuckle ride experience of my life. I’ve been nervous about the formatting for months to be honest. It all took longer than I thought. On top of that, I had two guest blog posts due for fellow writers Nicky Wells and Rebecca Bradley.  What an experience!  But I have learned so much I swear and that is brilliant.

It’s been nerve-wracking, but so educational. And I want to thank Jo Harrison for tips and advice, because at times I was an inch away from losing it completely, thinking I would never get it right.  And the novel cover in Kindle preview looked so dodgy I panicked and emailed Celene in America, the Scorpio and my friend Lydia, thinking I might need to change the colours in the title.  I wanted the book to be perfect. But it was all fine, absolutely fine, so take heart if you are a prospective self-publisher,  if I can do it, anyone else can too.

I sent Gunshot Glitter off in a MSWord document, all formatted, looking slightly insane, but absolutely correct for conversion purposes. Wednesday night I hit the publish button. I must have previewed the novel a dozen times on Kindle. I’d had 11 hours sleep in three days. I’d missed a lot of meals. Want to lose weight, publish an eBook, best diet ever!

When I woke up yesterday at 6am and saw it on sale.  My first words aloud were ‘ Oh DEAR GOD!’

I was delighted, bemused, excited and mildly terrified all at the same time.  It was quite a feeling!  If I could have had someone else look at the Kindle sample to check it was alright, I would have delegated that responsibility in a heartbeat. It was 99.9% perfect. The beauty of Kindle publishing is that you can tweak it offline while the last version remains on sale.  It’s now out there. I’ve done the best I could, sometimes you just have to let go.

Gunshot Glitter is now officially OUT THERE, worldwide on Amazon Kindle

God it feels good to write that

You can read it on any Amazon Kindle App on iPad, smartphone and iPod, PC as well of course the Kindle.  But, if like me you love the sensuality of print, you are most welcome to email me here: GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk and request a gorgeous, printed colour cover copy.

I will be sorting them out soon. I love that people are asking for print, because I love print too.  Printed books are sexy and smell nice.

So, I’d looked at the sample, re-published it, feeling pretty chuffed.  But once it was out there I knew I had to tell people it was out there, I know that sounds obvious, but remember there is just little old me. No swish PR team in a London office, just me. That felt a bit intimidating, despite the fact I’ve worked in Marketing/PR promoting brands, because this time I was promoting me.  Eeep.

Yesterday, I created a Facebook launch event, very last minute, I had no idea how it would be received so close to the impending August Bank Holiday.  But I really wanted the novel out so people could read it over the break and also I’d stated in Psychologies magazine it was out in August, so dammit I had to make that true!

I asked my friend Jan if I should do it, create a launch invite.  She said do it, but do it right now. So I did. I called the event:  *The Most Short Notice Invite to the BIGGEST Event of My Life* – because its true, it was! It took me three attempts to get it right.

Who launches their novel with 24 hours notice? Erm me.

But the response from some my friends who’ve heard about Gunshot Glitter, some of them for several years has been AMAZING, immediate and generous. My Facebook account went into hyper-drive with notifications, I was so relieved, the start of my novel’s life felt blessed. And this is just the start, the tiny baby step.

I would love you to spread the word too.  Please. Go to Amazon, whichever one you use and put in ‘Gunshot Glitter’ and you’ll be able to download and enjoy a free sample. If you like what you read, then please buy it and if you think, ‘no I want to curl up and hold this’ then mail me for a print copy and I will make that wish come true.

Gunshot Glitter is now also on Goodreads. You can class it as a book you’d like to read if the premise tickles your fancy.  If you can leave a review on there and/or Amazon that would be brilliant.  You are my eyes, ears, fingers and lips where my novel is concerned.

I recorded a reading of Gunshot Glitter in my flat. This is the opening chapter. Oh for an auto-cue.

Yasmin Is Going To Read To You

Relax and have a listen or a mooch while you get on with something as I read to you.  Share the clip around, and yes the battery did run out before the end!! I recorded this on the opening night of the Olympic Games there wasn’t time to do it again.  Except just a wee clip. Grrr.

Enjoy the reading from yours truly. Admire the wallpaper of my bedroom!  But if you’d prefer to have a read of Chapter One right this second or indulge in both, please read this post

And if you are reading this and you are one of the kind souls who sent a #gunshotglitter tweet, posted a wall-post, bought a copy, then thank you from the bottom of my heart. I’ve had quite the day!

Please spread the word, the really hard part starts when the launch and hoopla are over.  But with such a wonderful, positive reception in the first 24 hours, I couldn’t have asked for a sweeter to start to the life of my novel.

Thank you and keep going, you rock!

Yasmin Selena Butt x

Filed under: Gunshot Glitter

Gunshot Glitter: Chapter 1 ‘The Birthday Present’

Art by Celene Petrulak

 

‘In that case … you can try me for free,’ she seductively whispered into his ear.

Her sensual voice made the hairs on his neck stand on end. He raised his eyebrows at her.

She nodded at him slowly, her glossy ruby lips smiling. ‘Follow me,’ she insisted. She took his hot, damp hand into her cool, silky one and walked him past the writhing bodies, dancing under the pulsing lights of the club. Clad in his first-ever designer suit, he was mesmerised by this place.

‘Live dangerously,’ they had told him at work, ‘it’s your birthday!’

He stumbled past his manager, Paul, whose glazed blue eyes were hypnotically fixed on a blonde, Amazonian-sized woman’s cleavage. Paul briefly raised his head up to flash him an approving smile and give him the thumbs up. It had been Paul North’s thirty-fifth birthday the day before. This was a double celebration for the both of them.

All their other colleagues had long since left as they had wives and girlfriends to report home to. He’d never been to a place like this before. His manager had thrust a toy gun loaded with three bullets of glitter into his hand; ‘Private dances – on the house. Fire at the dancer you like the look of and away ya go my son!’ A birthday treat. It made him feel heady, like a kid with free reign in a candy store.

He’d first spotted her at the bar, fanning herself with a brilliant plume of blue feathers that matched the colour of her eyes. She’d flashed a hint of a wicked smile, strode over to him and, unthinkingly, he fired the gun at her. His second bullet of the night.

A gunshot of twinkling silver glitter exploded through the air. It grazed her cheek, she wiped a shimmer of sparkle from her face and traced it across his nose. ‘You are so mine,’ she said, pulling his tie, chuckling at his wide-eyed response.

He was a boy from Pickering in North Yorkshire, now making huge strides in the heart of London. This was all new territory for him: the cocaine tingling in his nostrils, the absinthe in his glass, the euphoria surging joyfully through his veins. He had never felt so alive or out of control. Anything was possible. Barack Obama had just been elected president. The world, despite the recession, felt like a place suffused with hope.

She had told him her name was Cornelia. It was an unusual name for a girl with the face of a ‘50s screen goddess, but suited her somehow. He told her his name was Liam and today, November 7th, was his twenty-first birthday.

‘Happy birthday, Liam. That makes you a Scorpio, like me. We are hands down the sexiest sign of the Zodiac.’ He’d nodded, struck dumb by her.

‘You have very striking eyes, has anyone ever told you that?’ she’d whispered into his ear, gently stroking his eyebrows.

‘You have too. Your eyes I mean, they’re so…they’re so blue. So when’s your birthday?’ he’d managed to stutter, blushing hard.

‘Oh, it’s soon, very soon…’

Neither of them was sure if the other was telling the truth. Nor did it matter. Gunshot Glitter on Brewer Street in Soho was now the place to be on a Friday night. Everyone who was anyone in London knew that. The pouting faces swivelling on the podium, the burlesque artists teasing with coquettish routines, and lap dancers gyrating over aroused, wealthy bodies changed each week.

Tips alone each night could run into thousands. There was always the hearsay of a better, more exclusive gig to chase, a new club to conquer and more money to make, but tonight, beneath the neon lights, every performer was a star and they glittered at their finest.

The club was fast becoming infamous for being a cult celebrity playground for the influx of rising Hollywood stars hitting the West End. Just yesterday, sex kitten screen diva Kristen Elliot had been papped with her rockstar boyfriend, Jamie Eucrow. His band, The Euchrid Eurows, had played a secret gig, and then at the afterparty, it had been reported he had bought her five lap dances and a private performance with Azriel – a dazzling girl, glistening in body glitter, whose routine climaxed in her pulling a string of pearls out of her pussy. Kristen Elliot ended the night swinging on a trapeze undressed to her Agent Provocateur sponsored panties to the delight of The Mirror’s 3am Girls.

‘Where are you taking me?’ Liam shouted above the throbbing music.

‘I’m going to surprise you.’ Cornelia replied with a sexy, confident smile.

‘I love surprises!’ he grinned. ‘Goody,’ she said to herself.

Cornelia took him through swinging glitter-covered doors into the ‘Staff Only’ area. Liam did not notice. She sashayed into the dressing room and waved to the gaggle of girls preparing to take over the next session.

‘Hey!’ a redhead exclaimed, spying his figure outside the door. ‘You know he’s not allowed back here!’

‘It’s okay, trust me,’ Cornelia murmured with a wink, picking up her velveteen gloves and reaching into her bag. A few of them raised their eyebrows and then carried on making up their faces.

‘I don’t remember seeing her here before,’ one of the girls remarked, curling her lashes. No one replied. Cornelia put on the gloves, refreshed her lipstick, and reclaimed Liam’s hand. Her grip was steely and firm.

The ambience changed. This area was darker, quieter and smelled a little damp. He turned to her; in the dim light he could barely see her face. She dropped his hand and her face hardened a little. ‘Follow me, baby, we’re almost there,’ she crooned, sensuously massaging his groin. His cock hardened quickly under her touch. He moaned softly. She led him through the fire exit doors at the back of the club, into a courtyard. There was no one there, only a few parked cars. The night was clear and, for November, unusually mild. Liam looked up to the sky, noting that the moon looked full and that he had never remembered seeing it so bright.

It had to be a good omen. He had been promoted to Senior Account Executive last week. Paul’s boss had told him he had the Midas touch; he was a natural and he’d never seen so much advertising revenue flood in, and in a recession! He pitched, he scored, and the clients loved him. This was Liam’s third promotion in sixteen months at Anderson Jacobs.

The sky was the veritable limit. Look where he was now. He was barely twenty-one, and probably about to have the most unforgettable night of his life with the sexiest woman he’d ever met. He’d watched her perform on stage, transfixed. She was a siren. Just stunning. He just hoped he didn’t make a fool of himself; despite his nerves he was feeling good.

She smiled, raised an arched brow and slowly unbuttoned his jacket, then the buttons of his shirt, exposing his smooth chest. She kissed him on his heartbeat, leaving a beautiful lip print. His skin tingled with anticipation. Liam closed his eyes, his head swimming a little, and leaned in to kiss her.

But her blue eyes flashed disdainfully and she recoiled in disgust. The look made his blood run cold. Before he had time to react, she swung round and punched her velveteen fist into his throat. He spluttered once, choked and tumbled to the ground, his brain completely confused; a lone, bewildered thought – why? Why did you do that to me? I thought you liked me? The very last thing he saw was Cornelia’s snarling face, swinging black hair and her spiky stiletto steel heel coming down over his heart…

****

He was most certainly dead, she was sure of it. She knew she had punctured his heart from the crunch of his breastbone and the meaty gore caught on her heel. It was her killer move, how she loved these shoes! Three strategic, hard stabs resulted in shock and internal bleeding. They really should have come with a safety warning. She watched his body twitch and jerk at her feet, the last throes of life ebbing away until eventually he lay still.

Just to be sure, she reached down and felt his pulse and, after the barely-there memory of a heartbeat receded into nothingness, she straightened up, satisfied. Killing him had been extraordinarily easy. She smiled in amusement when she noted the dark stain of urine flood across his crotch. This nearly always happened. She inspected the ground to see if there was any blood to betray her night’s work. She was satisfied to note that there wasn’t too much, but she would have to work fast.

Reaching into her cleavage, she withdrew a car key. Pressing on it, the sleek Japanese car parked behind her beeped back in response. Swiftly, she opened the boot and located a towel to clean her shoe and mop his blood. The boot was spacious and a swag of black tarpaulin was spread out, just as she had been promised. She went back to Liam’s limp body and, grabbing him under the armpits, dragged him over to the car. Bending at the knees she grasped him and stood up.

For a statuesque woman of almost ten stones she was extremely strong. Factoring in his dead weight, he weighed much more. She dropped him unceremoniously into the boot and threw his legs in afterwards. He lay sprawled in an undignified position, eyes closed, mouth slackly open.

Cornelia wiped his blood off her body, gazed at him speculatively and reached into his jacket pocket. His wallet contained eighty pounds. She had lied to him; nothing came for free. She took the money and emptied out his pockets. He had keys and a mobile phone. Shoving the empty wallet back into his jacket, Cornelia slapped his mouth shut, covered him up and brought the boot door down.

She leaned against the car and looked around. The fire exit door opened. Cornelia held her breath. The Amazonian blonde strode out towards her. Her gaze was hard. ‘So, did you do it?’ Cornelia opened the boot for her client’s approval. The blonde looked in, nodded approvingly and went into the front to pick up a shoulder bag and a bottle of bleach. Cornelia closed the boot. ‘Show me where you did it.’ They walked over to the spot. The blonde pulled out a towel, got onto her knees and began rubbing at the concrete.

‘So you’re telling me Paul really has no idea?’ Cornelia eventually said.

‘None whatsoever, maybe he’ll start sleeping at night again now Boy Wonder’s out of the way,’ she said, carefully surveying the scene. Tomorrow she would stay late and double check for fibres and hairs with the kit she’d bought off the internet. The blonde looked up at the moon with her feline eyes and smiled to herself. Cornelia stifled a laugh as she began to sing Happy Birthday for Paul.

‘Sera Logan!’ Cornelia chided.

Sera chuckled softly, cupped her face and planted an ardent kiss on her lips. Cornelia could taste the sweetness of amaretto on her breath. ‘I did it for him,’ Sera said, ‘it’s better than a tacky Ed Hardy top don’t you think? I can’t keep him out of those.’ Even though she loved Paul, and by God did she love him, enough to kill for him – this woman, Charlotte, working under the new alias ‘Cornelia’, still entranced her, and probably always would. They went back a long way.

‘Did you clean your shoes? Have you checked there’s nothing on you, no blood?’ Sera said, stroking her raven locks.

‘Yeah, of course I did,’ Cornelia murmured, ‘I know the drill, I’m the professional, it’s you who’s got to come back and cover the area with Luminol.’

‘Can you stay tomorrow?’ Sera whispered into her hair.

‘No, sorry, I have my stuff coming into Manchester this morning,’ she said, feeling her face flush with desire as Sera’s fingers lingered over the skin of her collarbones. ‘Sera, do you really have this covered? I’ve put his personal effects in the boot, remember you destroy those too; you don’t want anything of his on you or in the car. Be smart. Leave no trace.’ Cornelia was pleased to see it was clear and quiet; this had gone without a hitch.

Sera nodded confidently. ‘Larry’s going to take care of it; but I really, you know… wanted to see you.’

‘I know you did, maybe next time when I’m in London? Go, I’ll tell Ray you got sick if he asks and that you’ll pop in and settle up tomorrow. Now get going!’ Cornelia said, taking one last look around, as they kissed.

‘Listen, thanks again. I know it was a hassle coming down, but trust me it’s worth it. I’ll do a transfer of the balance tonight, to the Cornelia Friend account. Nice name by the way. I like it more than Rebecca. Are you sure you’re ready to go back in?’ Sera said, getting in the car.

‘Yes,’ Cornelia said, she was positively impatient to get back inside. Killing had become a serious adrenaline rush and in a club like this an involuntary aphrodisiac. There was a sea of eager bodies to direct her sexual energy at and she was going to make the most of it.

At 2am, she got a cab back to her hotel with a lithe, straight dancer called Syreeta, and almost two grand in her red leather clutch bag. By 8am, she was already on her way back to Manchester.

**

*Gunshot Glitter is out now on Amazon Kindle around the world. You can read it on Kindle or download a FREE app to read it on PC, Smartphone, iPod or iPad. Download the full, free sample of chapters 1-7 to read even more. Click HERE to go to Amazon.

* Write to GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk to reserve a First Edition printed copy, or to request a Word attachment of the free Amazon sample. Paperback copies of the novel will go into production soon with a full colour cover.

Thank you so much for reading; please spread the word if you liked what you read. Let’s get people reading Gunshot Glitter. 

Thank you for your support, Yasmin Selena Butt x

****

Gunshot Glitter

Your name is Celine Silver. But no one has called you that in eight years.

You’re a classically trained musician and an Honours graduate.

You come from a nice, middle-class family.

You kill people for money.

And no one knows you anymore.

Fate throws the man you abandoned right back into your path – the man who knew you before you got blood on your hands, before you changed your name.

And he’s demanding answers. 

But is there a way back to the path of normal?

What price do you have to pay when you realise you no longer want to be monster? And who are the real monsters and victims anyway?

And what about the incinerated boy who will never quite go away…

Filed under: Gunshot Glitter

Gunshot Glitter: The Cover

Thank you Celene Petrulak

Isn’t it beautiful?

Celene Petrulak  is an amazing artist. Visit her site here 

She’s in the middle of a cross-country house  move at the moment, but once she is settled I look forward to interviewing her on my site.  I think she did a fantastic job.  If you read my update blog a few weeks back you will have seen this:

“Your name is Celine Silver. But no one has called you that in eight years.

You’re a classically trained musician and an Honours graduate.

You come from a nice, middle-class family.

You kill people for money.

And no one knows you anymore.

Fate throws the man you abandoned right back into your path – the man who knew you before you got blood on your hands, before you changed your name.

And he’s demanding answers. 

But is there a way back to the path of normal?

What price do you have to pay when you realise you no longer want to be monster? 

And who are the real monsters and victims anyway?”

You are looking at Celine Silver

This time next week you should be able to buy an eBook  of  Gunshot Glitter from Amazon, worldwide.

In fact, I am hoping to formally launch it out to the world on Friday 24th August 2012 , though the cunning among you will probably be able to spot it on sale a day or so sooner! If you do, what are you waiting for?  Buy it with my blessing, read it and enjoy it and leave a review, hit the like button, spread the word. Or read the sample chapter preview. I will be previewing the opening chapter on the day of release on this site.

Writer and Sunday Times Best-seller,  Lisa Jewell, very kindly read Gunshot Glitter earlier this summer and loved it enough to support it with a cover quote, which was very flattering. Thank you  again Lisa.  Support like this counts for so much when you don’t have a publishing team behind you. I am my own publishing team, marketing team, distributor, layout team etc etc.   Any support you can offer me to promote or support Gunshot Glitter would be amazing.

Gunshot Glitter: the plan

The plan is to launch it with Amazon and then roll it out to all those other wonderful sellers in due course, such as Waterstones, Kobo, Barnes and Noble. They each have their own unique requirements for example Kobo requires all eBooks to have an ISBN.

And there will also be printed copies of Gunshot Glitter available to order directly from a website.  I think I might have found a printer in London.  If you would like to reserve a first edition  printed copy send me an email at: GunshotGlitter2012@yahoo.co.uk

I am pleased that there has already been some interest in printed copies. So do get in touch. I plan to sell them for £9.99; that colour cover is going to look amazing in print.

Okay, I am going to dive in the bath. There have been a LOT of 18 hour days in the Castle getting Gunshot Glitter ready for you all, but just look at her, I think she’s worth it, don’t you?

Thank you for all your support, it means everything to me

Yasmin Selena Butt x x

p.s. This week, I am writing guest posts on two great sites – Rebecca Bradley‘s wonderful Crime blog (Wednesday) and Sapphire Star’s Nicky Wells’ Romance That Rocks Your World  (Thursday) – keep an eye out for them … x

Filed under: Gunshot Glitter, News