Stella Wilkinson's Blog, page 10
May 4, 2014
Reviews of Juliet Blackwells Witchcraft Mysteries
As I'm currently writing my own Magic & Mayhem
witchy series
, (Book #1 FREE on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9M7IGC) I have been reading, no devouring, similar style books and have fallen in love with Juliet Blackwell's Witchcraft Mysteries. They are a little more mature than my own, which are aimed at young adults, but they are written with great humor, some characters that literally jump off the page, and Juliet has captured some men that make my heart thump :-) They are the story of 'born witch' Lily Ivory. Here are the covers:
The best pictures of Lily are of course off the covers of the books, but she is just a cartoon, if I had to pick a real life person who best sums up how I imagine her to look, then I would chose Jennifer Love Hewitt in her cute 1950's style outfits when she played Melinda in Ghost Whisperer.
There are five books in the series already and I'm going to review all of them! Basically because as soon as I finished one, I had to read the next one. And as each one arrived I was like this
I'm not going to type out the plot of each book, but here's the official blurb from the first one to give you an idea:
Secondhand Spirits#1 of the Witchcraft Mystery Series Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco....
Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion -she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.
But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?
Each book is a murder mystery, and contains a host of well rounded characters. Bronwen and Maya, who work in the shop are great, as is Inspector Romero, and Oscar, her Familiar, needs an entire review of his own, even the clothes are detailed so vividly that you want to find her outfits and buy them, but it's the men in Lily's life that really jump off the page. So I've trawled the internet trying to find pictures that do them justice, lol!
Max Carmichael: A Myth Buster. He and Lily are attracted to each other from the start, but their personal beliefs just can't gel. I could search the internet for days, but I'd never find someone better to play Max than Sam Worthington, he really is the epitome of strong male role, he's all man this one!
Aidan Rhodes, Male witch is described as blond and unnaturally attractive with boyish blue eyes. He and Lily have some rather explosive sexual chemistry, but she's extremely wary of him. His face was hard to find, but I think this Ralph Lauren model has pretty much nailed Aidan's looks and style as I envision them -
And lastly there's Sailor. Is it possible to lust after a fictional character from a book? I certainly think so. He's the ultimate bad boy, dark, brooding and gorgeous. Sailor is so wrong and so right for Lily. I wanted to see them together from the moment he appeared, though it took another couple of books before there was a hint. But Lily isn't the type to have a smooth love life. I think Sailor is going to give her a nice bit of rough before the smooth ;-)
So there they are. I hope you like my choices for the cast?
Now the really exciting news!
The new book in the series is due for release next month!! I'm so excited! The cover has been revealed:
I hope you love them as much as I did. Juliet Blackwell is such a fabulous writer, so go and get these books!! (And if you like them, then you should like mine too, wink wink!)
If you would like to be kept informed my new releases then sign up to my mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/wEMmD I never spam, I will only email you with my new releases and promotions. Plus the occasional freebie!
The best pictures of Lily are of course off the covers of the books, but she is just a cartoon, if I had to pick a real life person who best sums up how I imagine her to look, then I would chose Jennifer Love Hewitt in her cute 1950's style outfits when she played Melinda in Ghost Whisperer.
There are five books in the series already and I'm going to review all of them! Basically because as soon as I finished one, I had to read the next one. And as each one arrived I was like this
I'm not going to type out the plot of each book, but here's the official blurb from the first one to give you an idea:
Secondhand Spirits#1 of the Witchcraft Mystery Series Lily Ivory is not your average witch. Her spell-casting powers tend to draw mischievous spirits while keeping normal humans at a distance. But now her vintage clothing store could give her a chance to make friends in San Francisco....
Lily hopes for a normal life when she opens Aunt Cora's Closet. With her magical knack for vintage fashion -she can sense vibrations of the past from clothing and jewelry—her store becomes a big hit.
But when a client is murdered and children start disappearing from the Bay Area, Lily may be the only one who can unravel the crime. She tries to keep her identity a secret while investigating, but it's not easy—especially under the spells of sexy "mythbuster" Max Carmichael and powerful witch Aidan Rhodes. Will Lily's witchy ways be forced out of the closet?
Each book is a murder mystery, and contains a host of well rounded characters. Bronwen and Maya, who work in the shop are great, as is Inspector Romero, and Oscar, her Familiar, needs an entire review of his own, even the clothes are detailed so vividly that you want to find her outfits and buy them, but it's the men in Lily's life that really jump off the page. So I've trawled the internet trying to find pictures that do them justice, lol!
Max Carmichael: A Myth Buster. He and Lily are attracted to each other from the start, but their personal beliefs just can't gel. I could search the internet for days, but I'd never find someone better to play Max than Sam Worthington, he really is the epitome of strong male role, he's all man this one!
Aidan Rhodes, Male witch is described as blond and unnaturally attractive with boyish blue eyes. He and Lily have some rather explosive sexual chemistry, but she's extremely wary of him. His face was hard to find, but I think this Ralph Lauren model has pretty much nailed Aidan's looks and style as I envision them -
And lastly there's Sailor. Is it possible to lust after a fictional character from a book? I certainly think so. He's the ultimate bad boy, dark, brooding and gorgeous. Sailor is so wrong and so right for Lily. I wanted to see them together from the moment he appeared, though it took another couple of books before there was a hint. But Lily isn't the type to have a smooth love life. I think Sailor is going to give her a nice bit of rough before the smooth ;-)
So there they are. I hope you like my choices for the cast?Now the really exciting news!
The new book in the series is due for release next month!! I'm so excited! The cover has been revealed:
I hope you love them as much as I did. Juliet Blackwell is such a fabulous writer, so go and get these books!! (And if you like them, then you should like mine too, wink wink!)
If you would like to be kept informed my new releases then sign up to my mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/wEMmD I never spam, I will only email you with my new releases and promotions. Plus the occasional freebie!
April 19, 2014
Review of Cassie Mae - Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend, and all the others!
Recently I wrote reviews of 'Switched' and 'How to Date a Nerd' by Cassie Mae on Goodreads. Those of you who read it may recall my response was something like this:
So how could I not go and read all her other books? I can start by saying there weren't enough of them! I downloaded Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend. I was this as I started to read:
Basically, I'm a fan! It was funny.
On to the actual review:
Was it as good as Switched? No, it was a simpler storyline with two great main characters. Hayley isn't actually particularly fat, which for some reason I found disappointing, but she did have some self esteem issues and was a total sweetie. Brody is a way too lifelike! He's a boy in the real sense rather than the romantic sense. I loved following his train of thought and watching him being won over by the girl with the bigger personality. There's no cliff hanger here, but it's a fantastic fun read and I'm keeping it for a reread sometime. I think Cassie is an author who is clearly going from strength to strength. I also read 'Friday Night Alibi' and loved it, but I think her later stuff is even better. Switched was brilliant, but How to Date a Nerd made my top 5 fav books.
I know, I know, I've just reviewed 5 books all at the same time without giving each one enough credit, but when I find an author I like, I tend to devour on mass.
I guess my final word is that I love Cassie Mae and each book has been even better than the last, so start with the first one and work your way up and if you value my opinion at all then go and pre-order the new one:
http://www.amazon.com./dp/B00ILMKZGS/
Because it's gonna make you feel like this:
So how could I not go and read all her other books? I can start by saying there weren't enough of them! I downloaded Reasons I Fell for the Funny Fat Friend. I was this as I started to read:
Basically, I'm a fan! It was funny.
On to the actual review:
Was it as good as Switched? No, it was a simpler storyline with two great main characters. Hayley isn't actually particularly fat, which for some reason I found disappointing, but she did have some self esteem issues and was a total sweetie. Brody is a way too lifelike! He's a boy in the real sense rather than the romantic sense. I loved following his train of thought and watching him being won over by the girl with the bigger personality. There's no cliff hanger here, but it's a fantastic fun read and I'm keeping it for a reread sometime. I think Cassie is an author who is clearly going from strength to strength. I also read 'Friday Night Alibi' and loved it, but I think her later stuff is even better. Switched was brilliant, but How to Date a Nerd made my top 5 fav books.
I know, I know, I've just reviewed 5 books all at the same time without giving each one enough credit, but when I find an author I like, I tend to devour on mass.
I guess my final word is that I love Cassie Mae and each book has been even better than the last, so start with the first one and work your way up and if you value my opinion at all then go and pre-order the new one:
http://www.amazon.com./dp/B00ILMKZGS/
Because it's gonna make you feel like this:
Hurrah! Halloween Magic & Mayhem now Free on Amazon!
That's right folks! Ahead of the release of the sequel, Amazon have now made Halloween Magic & Mayhem FREE! Zero, Zip, Nada, Nothing, Nought! LOL, Grab a copy while it stays that way and hopefully you will like the sequel too :-)
Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9M7IGC
Halloween Magic & Mayhem
How on earth did I end up here? I was supposed to be at a party kissing the boy of my dreams, instead I’m dancing naked on the town common, on Halloween, with a Coven of strange women who might be witches, a bunch of zombies that I have to return to their graves, a talking crow, and my pet ghost thrown in for good measure. Just yesterday I was an ordinary teenager…
On her sixteenth birthday Emily Rand discovers that she is a witch. Unable to control her spells she unwittingly raises zombies, and corporealizes the ghost haunting her house. She finds herself in a race against time to put everything right if she has any hope of getting to a certain Halloween party and seeing a certain boy again.
If you would like to be kept informed of new releases from Stella Wilkinson, don't forget to sign up for her mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/wEMmD
Find it here: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9M7IGC
Halloween Magic & Mayhem
How on earth did I end up here? I was supposed to be at a party kissing the boy of my dreams, instead I’m dancing naked on the town common, on Halloween, with a Coven of strange women who might be witches, a bunch of zombies that I have to return to their graves, a talking crow, and my pet ghost thrown in for good measure. Just yesterday I was an ordinary teenager…
On her sixteenth birthday Emily Rand discovers that she is a witch. Unable to control her spells she unwittingly raises zombies, and corporealizes the ghost haunting her house. She finds herself in a race against time to put everything right if she has any hope of getting to a certain Halloween party and seeing a certain boy again.
If you would like to be kept informed of new releases from Stella Wilkinson, don't forget to sign up for her mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/wEMmD
April 14, 2014
Cover Reveal! Werewolf Magic and Mayhem
Book One -
Halloween Magic & Mayhem
( http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G9M7IGC ) was a fun Halloween novella about sixteen year old Emily Rand, and the chaotic and amusing consequences of her first night of being a witch.
Following on from the success of that book and bowing to your requests for more from Emily and her Familiar, Bob; I have written a full length sequel.
Werewolf Magic and Mayhem - Due for release 22 April 2014
So here is the much awaited cover! Find the blurb below and don't forget to check out Book 1 first if you're interested.
Werewolf Magic & MayhemNew witch Emily Rand and her crow Familiar, Bob, are back for another bout of magical mayhem. Emily is approached by a werewolf called Fletcher who wants her to cure him of his affliction. Despite her lack of experience, Emily decides to try to help Fletcher. Unfortunately her spells aren’t known for going according to plan, and Emily accidentally divides Fletch from his handsome human body and brings forth his inner wolf in a very real sense. Now she has to find a way to put it right by the next full moon or Fletcher will be stuck as a wolf forever. A Paranormal - Comedy - Romance novel from best selling young adult author Stella Wilkinson.
If you would like to be kept informed of new releases from Stella Wilkinson, don't forget to sign up for her mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/wEMmD
Following on from the success of that book and bowing to your requests for more from Emily and her Familiar, Bob; I have written a full length sequel.
Werewolf Magic and Mayhem - Due for release 22 April 2014
So here is the much awaited cover! Find the blurb below and don't forget to check out Book 1 first if you're interested.
Werewolf Magic & MayhemNew witch Emily Rand and her crow Familiar, Bob, are back for another bout of magical mayhem. Emily is approached by a werewolf called Fletcher who wants her to cure him of his affliction. Despite her lack of experience, Emily decides to try to help Fletcher. Unfortunately her spells aren’t known for going according to plan, and Emily accidentally divides Fletch from his handsome human body and brings forth his inner wolf in a very real sense. Now she has to find a way to put it right by the next full moon or Fletcher will be stuck as a wolf forever. A Paranormal - Comedy - Romance novel from best selling young adult author Stella Wilkinson.
If you would like to be kept informed of new releases from Stella Wilkinson, don't forget to sign up for her mailing list here: http://eepurl.com/wEMmD
April 13, 2014
Great Article for Young Adult Writers / Readers
Re-blogging this from TED Blog The best way to get a book deal? Write a story 19 million people want to read
17-year-old Beth Reekles had a really good year. She published two books; appeared on national TV; sold the film rights for her first book, The Kissing Booth; graduated from high school and started college; and earned a spot on TIME’s list of the most influential teens of 2013, alongside household names like Malia Obama and Justin Bieber. And still she found time to watch five seasons of Gossip Girl.How did such a young woman get so far so fast? When Beth was 15, living at home in Wales, she wrote a novel (“the kind of book I wanted to read”) and put it up on the story-sharing website Wattpad. 19 million views later, she won a three-book contract with a young adult division at Random House to publish that first book,
The Kissing Booth
, and two more, including the recently published
Rolling Dice
. That kind of transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing is rare — but her true-to-life stories of teen romance, sans vampires and werewolves, must have tapped a void that needed filling.This much-in-demand writer has developed a routine that helps her stay focused. Beth likes to write alone with her computer and a cup of tea. (She avoids writing with others in the room, because she hates the idea that someone might be reading over her shoulder.) If she’s feeling blocked, she turns on background music — such as the soundtrack to Doctor Who or Pirates of the Caribbean — to help her feel more creative. “Something emotive and exciting,” she says. She experiments with form as well — on her Wattpad page, you can find short stories, chapters and novellas, including the holiday one-off “Deck the Halls.”She’s a freshman at the University of Exeter now and plans to major in physics. She’s busy preparing for January exams and working on her third book. This summer, when classes end, she’s excited to spend her summer typing away, possibly working on a sequel to The Kissing Booth.We talked to Beth via email about self-publishing, J.K. Rowling, and letting go of bad reviews. Our first question:What inspired you to write a novel at 15? Here’s Beth –I was looking for a high school romance that didn’t involve a vampire or werewolf – every teen romance seemed to have a paranormal element, and I was sick of that. So when I couldn’t find the kind of book I wanted to read, I decided to write it instead. That’s how I ended up writing The Kissing Booth.What did you think when Random House called you up and said, “Hey, want to write a few more for us?”I was thrilled! I’d thought about traditionally publishing my books, but I didn’t think it would actually ever happen, and certainly not like that! Sometimes I still can’t believe it.A lot of people in the publishing world are wary of self-publishing. What is your take on it?Self-publishing is making writing something that a lot more people take seriously now. It gives a lot of new and younger writers the opportunity to try and put their work out there quickly and easily, so it’s encouraging more and more people to write.What are you writing now?Right now I’m working on my third book for Random House, which is going to be another young-adult romance, called Out of Tune.How do you come up with a new character or story? What’s your process?I usually get the ideas for characters before I come up with a story. My characters seem to have lives of their own that I have to try and put down on paper. I’ve never been any good at planning stories; I often go with the flow and don’t know how the story will turn out until I’ve finished it!Which authors do you really admire?J.K. Rowling has always been one of my role models. I’ve loved the Harry Potter series since I began reading it as a child, and when I read about how she persevered despite all the rejection letters, it’s really encouraging and inspiring to me as a writer.Are there any responses you’ve gotten from fans that have really stuck with you?I get so many messages from young girls telling me that I’ve inspired them to write, or that they don’t usually read but tried my book and loved it. Those are the ones that really stick with me. They’re very humbling messages to receive, and they always make my day! It’s brilliant to hear that I’ve encouraged other girls to read and write more.What is one thing you know that you wish everyone knew?One bad piece of criticism can make you feel like everything you’re doing is a waste of time, but you really need to put it in perspective. Take note of all the good things people are saying!
17-year-old Beth Reekles had a really good year. She published two books; appeared on national TV; sold the film rights for her first book, The Kissing Booth; graduated from high school and started college; and earned a spot on TIME’s list of the most influential teens of 2013, alongside household names like Malia Obama and Justin Bieber. And still she found time to watch five seasons of Gossip Girl.How did such a young woman get so far so fast? When Beth was 15, living at home in Wales, she wrote a novel (“the kind of book I wanted to read”) and put it up on the story-sharing website Wattpad. 19 million views later, she won a three-book contract with a young adult division at Random House to publish that first book,
The Kissing Booth
, and two more, including the recently published
Rolling Dice
. That kind of transition from self-publishing to traditional publishing is rare — but her true-to-life stories of teen romance, sans vampires and werewolves, must have tapped a void that needed filling.This much-in-demand writer has developed a routine that helps her stay focused. Beth likes to write alone with her computer and a cup of tea. (She avoids writing with others in the room, because she hates the idea that someone might be reading over her shoulder.) If she’s feeling blocked, she turns on background music — such as the soundtrack to Doctor Who or Pirates of the Caribbean — to help her feel more creative. “Something emotive and exciting,” she says. She experiments with form as well — on her Wattpad page, you can find short stories, chapters and novellas, including the holiday one-off “Deck the Halls.”She’s a freshman at the University of Exeter now and plans to major in physics. She’s busy preparing for January exams and working on her third book. This summer, when classes end, she’s excited to spend her summer typing away, possibly working on a sequel to The Kissing Booth.We talked to Beth via email about self-publishing, J.K. Rowling, and letting go of bad reviews. Our first question:What inspired you to write a novel at 15? Here’s Beth –I was looking for a high school romance that didn’t involve a vampire or werewolf – every teen romance seemed to have a paranormal element, and I was sick of that. So when I couldn’t find the kind of book I wanted to read, I decided to write it instead. That’s how I ended up writing The Kissing Booth.What did you think when Random House called you up and said, “Hey, want to write a few more for us?”I was thrilled! I’d thought about traditionally publishing my books, but I didn’t think it would actually ever happen, and certainly not like that! Sometimes I still can’t believe it.A lot of people in the publishing world are wary of self-publishing. What is your take on it?Self-publishing is making writing something that a lot more people take seriously now. It gives a lot of new and younger writers the opportunity to try and put their work out there quickly and easily, so it’s encouraging more and more people to write.What are you writing now?Right now I’m working on my third book for Random House, which is going to be another young-adult romance, called Out of Tune.How do you come up with a new character or story? What’s your process?I usually get the ideas for characters before I come up with a story. My characters seem to have lives of their own that I have to try and put down on paper. I’ve never been any good at planning stories; I often go with the flow and don’t know how the story will turn out until I’ve finished it!Which authors do you really admire?J.K. Rowling has always been one of my role models. I’ve loved the Harry Potter series since I began reading it as a child, and when I read about how she persevered despite all the rejection letters, it’s really encouraging and inspiring to me as a writer.Are there any responses you’ve gotten from fans that have really stuck with you?I get so many messages from young girls telling me that I’ve inspired them to write, or that they don’t usually read but tried my book and loved it. Those are the ones that really stick with me. They’re very humbling messages to receive, and they always make my day! It’s brilliant to hear that I’ve encouraged other girls to read and write more.What is one thing you know that you wish everyone knew?One bad piece of criticism can make you feel like everything you’re doing is a waste of time, but you really need to put it in perspective. Take note of all the good things people are saying!
March 31, 2014
Something to Take on the Trip - OUT TODAY!
Dear Everyone! Another book out today. This one is an anthology that I was very proud to be a part of. 100% of proceeds go to Charity. Wallace and Gromit's Grand Appeal, which is a Bristol Children's Hospital based charity.
The ebook is live on Amazon now http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JD41Z3K (UK) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD41Z3K (US) and costs less than a cup of coffee to download.
The paperback will be out in about a week. Please support the charity and pick up a copy. It is over forty short stories, each only around 1,000 words, and we were lucky enough to get some fairly big hitters on board (My personal flap being David Gerrold, who wrote The Trouble with Tribbles, the very famous crossover episode on Star Trek. I snuggled my own contribution right up against his, lol. Go and check out some of the other big names too!)
Thank you! Stella x
Something to Take on the Trip is loaded with short stories for people who have a limited amount of time to read a bit of something everyday.
Aimed at commuters and people on journeys short and long, each story is just the right length for your trip. Comedy, romance, drama, mystery, science fiction and everything in between, there is something here for you whatever your mood!
This is no ordinary anthology. Aimed at readers 18 - 80 it contains a variety of genres from a variety of authors. The writers who contributed to this book come from locations across 4 continents, and kindly donated their work in aid of a children’s hospital charity.
Contributing Authors: Kevin J. Anderson, Aditi Bathia, Graham Brand, Donald R. Broyles, Cora Burhlert, Neil Bursnoll, Jamie Campbell, Michael Carmella, T.L. Champion, Helen Cho, Samuel Clements, J. David Core, Cate Dean, Stephen Drivick, Dan Fiorella, Erin Garlock, David Gerrold, Edward M. Grant, Sheila Guthrie, Jamie Horyski, Mary Kincaid, Paul B. Kohler, Paul Levinson, Kevin A. Lyons, Kelly Lytle, Ron McLarty, John L. Monk, Lindy Moone, E. Percy Muove, Debadatta Pati, Dario Solera, H.S. Stone, Joe Tannian, Vincent Trigili, Karen Tucker, Rich Walls, Stella Wilkinson, Richard Wolanski and Frank Zubek.
The ebook is live on Amazon now http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00JD41Z3K (UK) http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00JD41Z3K (US) and costs less than a cup of coffee to download.
The paperback will be out in about a week. Please support the charity and pick up a copy. It is over forty short stories, each only around 1,000 words, and we were lucky enough to get some fairly big hitters on board (My personal flap being David Gerrold, who wrote The Trouble with Tribbles, the very famous crossover episode on Star Trek. I snuggled my own contribution right up against his, lol. Go and check out some of the other big names too!)
Thank you! Stella x
Something to Take on the Trip is loaded with short stories for people who have a limited amount of time to read a bit of something everyday.
Aimed at commuters and people on journeys short and long, each story is just the right length for your trip. Comedy, romance, drama, mystery, science fiction and everything in between, there is something here for you whatever your mood!
This is no ordinary anthology. Aimed at readers 18 - 80 it contains a variety of genres from a variety of authors. The writers who contributed to this book come from locations across 4 continents, and kindly donated their work in aid of a children’s hospital charity.
Contributing Authors: Kevin J. Anderson, Aditi Bathia, Graham Brand, Donald R. Broyles, Cora Burhlert, Neil Bursnoll, Jamie Campbell, Michael Carmella, T.L. Champion, Helen Cho, Samuel Clements, J. David Core, Cate Dean, Stephen Drivick, Dan Fiorella, Erin Garlock, David Gerrold, Edward M. Grant, Sheila Guthrie, Jamie Horyski, Mary Kincaid, Paul B. Kohler, Paul Levinson, Kevin A. Lyons, Kelly Lytle, Ron McLarty, John L. Monk, Lindy Moone, E. Percy Muove, Debadatta Pati, Dario Solera, H.S. Stone, Joe Tannian, Vincent Trigili, Karen Tucker, Rich Walls, Stella Wilkinson, Richard Wolanski and Frank Zubek.
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March 10, 2014
What song makes you feel confident? Use it!
What song makes you feel confident? Have a really good think about this one because I want you to pick your very own theme tune.
You want a song that makes you feel really good inside, that makes you want to smile. It also needs to be something a bit bolshy, so that it gives you a "Go Me!" feeling too.
For some people it will be an angry feminist song, for others it will be a Disney style pretty song, for some it will be totally unrelated to the words and just be something that brings up a feel good memory, but for most it will be something in the middle, a girl empowering song.
Mine is Supermodel by Jill Soble. It was so fab in the movie Clueless, check it out below. Mind you some of the words shouldn't be taken too literally, e.g. I didn't eat yesterday, I'm not going to eat today and I'm not going to eat tomorrow! That totally isn't me, I love to eat ;-) just eat healthy. But the lines: 'Cos I'm young, and I'm hip, and so beautiful! Those make me feel it.
You need to listen to your theme song several times before you go out, or when you need an extra boost, and it should really pump up your confidence.
Then at that crucial moment, like when that perfect boy approaches, you need to play it in your head, and then, just like that, you will feel all pumped up and confident again. Chances are that as you play it in your head, you will start to smile, you will look more confident and sexy just because you are thinking of your very own feel good theme song!
So get listening to everything that makes you feel empowered and choose one just for you!
Here's mine:
You want a song that makes you feel really good inside, that makes you want to smile. It also needs to be something a bit bolshy, so that it gives you a "Go Me!" feeling too.
For some people it will be an angry feminist song, for others it will be a Disney style pretty song, for some it will be totally unrelated to the words and just be something that brings up a feel good memory, but for most it will be something in the middle, a girl empowering song.
Mine is Supermodel by Jill Soble. It was so fab in the movie Clueless, check it out below. Mind you some of the words shouldn't be taken too literally, e.g. I didn't eat yesterday, I'm not going to eat today and I'm not going to eat tomorrow! That totally isn't me, I love to eat ;-) just eat healthy. But the lines: 'Cos I'm young, and I'm hip, and so beautiful! Those make me feel it.
You need to listen to your theme song several times before you go out, or when you need an extra boost, and it should really pump up your confidence.
Then at that crucial moment, like when that perfect boy approaches, you need to play it in your head, and then, just like that, you will feel all pumped up and confident again. Chances are that as you play it in your head, you will start to smile, you will look more confident and sexy just because you are thinking of your very own feel good theme song!
So get listening to everything that makes you feel empowered and choose one just for you!
Here's mine:
January 6, 2014
Doing a Goodreads Book Giveaway
As so many people have already read book one and two (especially as book one is free! http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C14KSH8) I thought I would do a giveaway for Book Three, Further Flirting Games as it only came out just before Christmas, (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00G06MOJI)
You can sign up on Goodreads to recieve a free paperback copy and I will be shipping it out to the winner on 5 February 2014.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19155700-further-flirting-games
Good Luck!
You can sign up on Goodreads to recieve a free paperback copy and I will be shipping it out to the winner on 5 February 2014.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/19155700-further-flirting-games
Good Luck!
Sherlock and Moriarty Kiss
OK, it's been pointed out to me that in the interest of balance I absolutely have to blog about the kiss between Sherlock and Moriarty as well.
What can I say? It didn't have the passion of his kiss with Molly, but it had way more build up and sexy tension. The way Moriarty looks at him, his eyes flicking to Sherlock's mouth like he can't resist it - yet he does, he lets Sherlock figure out what he's thinking. It takes him only milliseconds, he can read any facial expression after all, and he recognises the subtle look and the shift in Moriarty's thinking, he spots the exact moment when Moriarty thinks about kissing him and less than a second later you can see the process in his own mind, him deciding whether or not to go for it. Then he does and every Sherlock fan on the planet let out a simultaneous gasp. But it was shocked delight. The fanfiction is bursting at the seams with Sherlock and Moriarty romance. There is no doubt at all that Gatiss and Moffat put this in for the serious fans to squeal over.
And yes, it's still bloody thrilling and takes the Stella award for sexual tension, but not for the perfect kiss, that one still goes to Sherlock and Molly Hooper....
January 3, 2014
Sherlock and Molly's Kiss
I got up at 4am this morning to watch this again on replay. I watched this kiss 16 times this morning, trying to analyse what made it the sexiest, most impactive kiss I've ever seen.
As a writer (and one who writes a fair few kiss scenes) I wanted to find the words to capture a kiss that blows you away like this one did for me.
It had everything. I know crashing through the window like that was a bit cheesy cliche, rather like the 80's milk tray man (I really wish they'd bring those adverts back), but it was the way he tousled the glass from his hair and reached for her that made me yearn to be her more than I've ever wanted to be anyone (this from a girl who spent an entire year going to bed in a catwoman outfit in the hope that an adventure would suddenly happen in the night). As Sherlock draws Molly in for the kiss you can see she is completely and utterly powerless to resist. She stares at him in wonder as he is both strong and tender in that moment, then she melts completely into the kiss. I melted with her, sliding off the sofa right into a big puddle on the floor. My heart was thumping and my legs were jelly.
Why? That's what I want to know! I mean yes, Benedict Cumberbatch is fairly stunning, but not actually my type. I met him once at a party about ten years ago, but I thought he was a bit on the skinny side, and I was much more smitten with a boy who wore a red nose and those glasses where the eyeballs bounce out. He made me laugh. Of course he went on to become pretty famous too, he was Rory Kinnear, and in hindsight that was one kiss I really wish I'd followed up on, but I didnt feel that about Benedict.
Of course, we all fancy him as Sherlock. Just as I fancied David Tennant enormously when he was Doctor Who. We love those clever clever boys don't we. But even then I didn't go jelly legs when he was on tv. So what sucked me into his kiss with Molly? It was the kiss itself. It was intergalactic cosmic sexy! It burned right off the screen. I can only applaud their incredible acting in that moment to so move me, and most of all, I want to know if the writer wrote it just like that or if the director made them do it over and over until he felt the heat coming off it?
So how the hell do I write a kiss with that kind of impact? Could you?
