Jane Wenham-Jones's Blog, page 17
March 18, 2013
A Very British Blog Post
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Have been having a grand catch-up on my emails (just the 117 now left in my To-Answer folder) and discovered this British Blog Post offering, received on 23rd February, duly flagged up for my IMMEDIATE attention and then lost in the mire, from one Seumas Gallacher who is a v. good chum of mine.
Seumas first emailed me out of the blue back in… oh, 2008 I think it was, and said he’d enjoyed Wannabe a Writer? and he’d love to take me out to lunch. (Apparently I was his third choice after Billy Connelly and Alex Ferguson but they didn’t want to come.)
Well, how could I resist such flattery?
Usually I resist it very well actually (not for nothing do I have a chapter in Wannabe a Writer We’ve Heard Of? entitled Nutters & Weirdos) but there was something about old Seumas’s email that made me say – hey, why not?
I even met him on Friday 13th.
When I queried the wisdom of this, he promised to bring along a black cat and he did! It lives on the back seat of my car – I won’t tell you what I call it 
– and, I like to think, keeps me safe on long journeys…
Since that first lunch, when he was asking me questions about the whole publishing process, describing what an old dinosaur he was when it came to all things web-based, he has written two thrillers which have downloaded in their thousands and also become a blogging fanatic. Now he can teach me a thing or two!
So since he says I should do a Very British Blog Post I thought I would. Tho’ I’m not putting on the flowery frock for anyone. Here goes…
Q. Where were you born and where do you live at the moment?
A. I was born in North Cray – which counts as a London borough these days, but was then Kent. Now I live in Broadstairs by the sea…
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Q. Have you always lived and worked in Britain or are you based elsewhere at present?
A. Always been here. Tho’ now base myself in the Dordogne for at least a couple of weeks a year at the fab www.chez-castillon.com. Teaching there this April (one last place left on my course) and September. Click here for details (where you can try to win your stay for free!).
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Q. Which is your favourite part of Britain?
A. Oh gosh I hate having to pick favourites. When I spend too much time here, I miss the buzz of London, when I’m a few days in the city I look forward to seeing the sea. If I go hill-walking in Wales I feel I should do it more often, if I visit the west country I long to live there… Britain has too many lovely corners and contrasts to make that sort of choice.
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Q. Have you ‘highlighted’ or ‘showcased’ any particular part of Britain in your books? For example, a town or city; a county, a monument or some well-known place or event?
A. Both my third and fourth novels One Glass is Never Enough and Prime Time are set mostly here in Broadstairs.
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Q. There is an illusion – or myth if you wish – about British people that I would like you to discuss. Many see the ‘Brits’ as ‘stiff upper lip’. Is that correct?
A. Maybe in old films… Though I do think we are good in a crisis. Brits don’t run about screaming when the place is on fire or the roof has fallen in. They get on with what has to be done and then have a nice cup of tea.
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Q. Do any of the characters in your books carry the ‘stiff upper lip’? Or are they all ‘British Bulldog’ and unique in their own way?
A. My heroines are more likely to weep and wail and throw themselves about, to be honest. And then have a stiff drink. The only stiff upper lip in Prime Time comes when Laura has Botox.
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Q. Tell us about one of your recent books
A. Prime Time – a cheering tale of dysfunction and daytime TV - was shortlisted for the Romantic Comedy category of the RoNas – the Romantic Novel of the Year Awards. And One Glass Is Never Enough was based on my two years of co-owning a wine bar. Oh dear that’s two books. Silly me.
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Q. What are you currently working on?
A. The full-length print version of 100 Ways to Fight the Flab – which will be out next Christmas.
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Q. How do you spend your leisure time?
A. Walking, reading, eating and drinking, playing poor tennis, wondering how the hell I managed to get so behind on my emails…
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Q. Do you write for a local audience or a global audience?
A. I write for anyone who is good enough to read me and I’m hugely grateful to every one of ‘em. Thank you xx
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Q. Can you provide links to your work?
A. Of course – tho’ I think they are pretty much plastered all over this blog already. See “books”
Hope that meets with approval, my old mate. Now I believe I have to suggest others to do this too?
How about
Morgen – http://morgenbailey.wordpress.com
Vikki – http://angelchildvikki.wordpress.com
Lynne Hackles - http://www.lynnehackles.blogspot.co.uk
Annie Ireson – http://annieye.blogspot.co.uk
and PDR http://rowanlindsay.blogspot.co.uk/
for starters….
But if anyone else reading this, fancies a go, why not? Leave a comment here so we can all come and read it.
jxx
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Filed under: eBooks, interview, novels, RNA, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, Seumas Gallacher, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
March 15, 2013
Plain Jane, Isle of Thanet Gazette, 15th March 2013: A heavy Pryce for us all to pay
Thought it was too good to be true.
My Plain Jane column is up online but without my name on it. Again.
But did write it, honest. As seen on page 15 of the paper proper…
What do you think about custodial sentences? Bang ‘em all up or try out some more constructive penalties?
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Filed under: articles, Plain Jane, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, custodial sentences, ebooks, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, politics, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
March 4, 2013
100 Ways To Combat Writer's Bottom: An Interview with Jane Wenham-Jones
Reblogged from Catherine, Caffeinated:
Jane Wenham-Jones is the author of one of my all-time favorite "how to" writing books, Wannabe a Writer? And since I started writing full-time, my arse has been expanding at a rate that's in direct proportion to the amount of time I've been spending sitting on it. So when I heard that Jane had published a new e-book, 100 Ways To Fight The Flab: The Wannabe Guide to a Better Bottom…
Very pleased to have been interviewed by the lovely Catherine. She is hilarious. (And knows a bit about a bit too! Have a look and enjoy.) Only just remembered one can do this reblogging lark. So here goes...
March 1, 2013
RNA & Plain Jane 1st March 2013: The sartorial choices of the stay-at-home writer
Bit lax on the old blogging front lately but will catch up soon with the excitements of Richard and Judy at the book awards – for a small insight, see Liz Fenwick’s clip here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DFRiukyq_RI and things various, soon.In the meantime, my Plain Jane is up on line – with my name on it! Hurrah….
Filed under: articles, events, Plain Jane, Richard & Judy, RNA, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, Richard & Judy, richard and judy, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
February 18, 2013
Plain Jane 15 Feb 2013: Lasagne? What’s the beef?
The trouble with writing a column five days in advance and then not getting round to posting it for three more is that by then – the whole world has changed. A week is a long time in Burger-land too!
But posting anyway, for those of you (two at the last count) who like to follow my PJs and because I have embarked on an ill-advised project to rearrange my writing room (currently looks like Steptoe’s yard) and have no time to write anything else.
Yours in grumpy disorientation because there is no Today Programme this morning (Footnote for blog-readers from foreign climes – BBC Journalists on strike) and there are books all over the floor….
jxx
Filed under: articles, Plain Jane, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
February 10, 2013
100 Ways to Fight The Flab – Womag Review
100 Ways to Fight The Flab has its second review!
“heartily recommend for all writers, both big and small”
“I must say it’s quite brilliant”
Click here to read Womag’s favourite tip!
Filed under: books, eBooks, humour, non-fiction, review, writing Tagged: author, blogging, book review, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, flab, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, review, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, Womag, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
er… not on the radio after all…
Quick one to say that they have technical problems over at Radio Litopia so I won’t be on this evening after all…
Will post new date as soon as I know it. In the meantime, hope you are all having a lovely time on this wet, windy bloody-freezing Sunday – or is that just the fair Isle of Thanet?
Despite the horrible weather, I have been much cheered this weekend by a great review by the lovely Kath over at womagwriter.blogspot.co.uk.
Coming up next in a blog post that Morgen made earlier….
Filed under: events, interview, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, Richard & Judy, romance, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
February 8, 2013
Shortlists and radio shows
There – don’t they look pretty? Prime Time with the covers of the other lovely books shortlisted for the Romantic Comedy category of the RoNas.Very proud to be in such excellent company. You can see all the other categories and short-listed novels HERE. 18 days to go to the ceremony with Richard & Judy (how thrilling is that!) - as I see from Morgen’s countdown box on the right (which also means 18 days to follow my own advice so I can get the zip on my dress done up!).
IN the meantime if you happen to be hanging around, having a fiddle on the internet Sunday evening (as one does), I am on Radio Litopia from 8pm which sounds like fun. I gather you listen – or even join in – by clicking http://litopia.tv/rad. Can’t tell you any more as it’s all new to me too. It was Ms Bailey’s idea so we’ll blame her if it all goes wrong
Until then – have a great weekend and don’t drink any more than I would
jxxx
PS More of the shortlisted books - including some by lovely friends…
Filed under: books, competitions, eBooks, events, fiction, humour, novels, Richard & Judy, RNA, romance, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, Morgan Bailey, Morgen Bailey, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, Radio Litopia, Richard & Judy, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
February 1, 2013
Today’s Plain Jane
Hello and Happy Friday. We have progress of sorts.
My column in the Isle of Thanet Gazette is finally online (hurrah) but does not yet bear my name (possibly a blessing in disguise as will not be top favourite down at t’ local council this morning). To see it in all its questionable glory click HERE and take my word for it that I wrote it.
For those not living in Thanet, who don’t give a flying f*** about Mssrs Worrow and Gregory (very wise) then in other news the programme for the CHIPPING NORTON LITERARY FESTIVAL is out now! Am very excited about this and will be wittering on about it in much greater depth as we get closer.
Have a great weekend….
Filed under: articles, events, Plain Jane, writing Tagged: author, blogging, books, characters, creative writing, ebooks, Isle of Thanet Gazette, Jane Wenham-Jones, journalist, Kent, literature, non-fiction, novelist, novels, Plain Jane, speaker, story author, story authors, Thanet, Wannabe, WordPress, writing, writing magazines
January 30, 2013
Writing, Work and Wine with... Jane Wenham-Jones
Reblogged from Writing, Work and Wine:
Those who are sharp-eyed and read my last author post with Peter Jones may have noticed that I failed to publish a post last Wednesday. Oops, sorry about that... other stuff prevented me from getting to my blog, but in my defense I did appear on the Romaniacs blog again (with some lovely authors); here's the link if you're interested…
Thank you Nikki Goodman for inviting me over to hers earlier.
Always happy to talk about wine.....
