Janet MacLeod Trotter's Blog, page 10
May 22, 2016
A REBELLIOUS WOMAN!
The French know how to make a stylish entrance! And this is what my French publisher, Presses de la Cite has done with their new version of my novel A HANDFUL OF STARS.
They have called it UNE FEMME INSOUMISE (A Rebellious Woman) which is a fair comment on my ambitious, glamorous yet warm-hearted heroine, Clara.
The cover also conveys the glamour of the 1930s period in which the novel is set:
It’s 1931 and the Depression has brought Tyneside to its knees. Young, pretty Clara Magee is devastated when her father commits suicide leaving secrets behind him and the family is forced to sell their fancy-goods shop to a German couple. Despite her mother Patience’s disapproval, Clara befriends their daughter Rennie and hot-headed son Benny, but her heart lies with their dashing elder brother Frank. Patience thinks businessman Vinnie Craven, who runs the local boxing hall, a far better catch for Clara. When Frank leaves abruptly for Germany, Vinnie single-mindedly pursues the vivacious Clara, determined to make her his wife. Tempted by the glamorous life-style Vinnie is offering and security for her family, Clara buries her feelings for Frank. But she hadn’t bargained for Vinnie’s ruthless nature or growing fascination for Mosley’s Fascist Party. Yet the greatest shock is still to come …
or buy via Amazon
Filed under: Family Sagas, News Tagged: 1930s, A Handful of Stars, French edition, new book, Presses de la Cite, Une Femme Insoumise
November 3, 2015
Writers, Wine and Warm Welcome this month!
IF YOU ARE IN THE NORTHUMBERLAND area in the middle of November, then come along to a fun literary event at Morpeth’s historic Chantry building!
Six authors – from writers of historical novels to contemporary women’s fiction and non-fiction – will be chatting about life as a writer and giving readings from their latest work (including me!)
There will be wine and refreshments during the evening, as well as the chance to win two hampers stuffed full of good reading!
Come and be stimulated, ask questions, mingle with other book lovers and have a great evening out this November.
I will be reading from my second novel in the India Tea Series – THE PLANTER’S BRIDE
hope to see some of you there!
Janet
Filed under: Events, News Tagged: authors, literary event, Morpeth Chantry, Northumberland, The Planter's Bride
August 13, 2015
GOING BANANAS AT BELLADRUM MUSIC FESTIVAL!
Being a writer-publisher can get you into some amazing situations – far from the laptop and library!
The most recent was Belladrum Tartan Heart
Jenny Brown and myself in The Verb Garden
Music Festival in the Highlands of Scotland (@BelladrumFest), where I took part in a panel on Writing and Publishing a Bestseller. Along with top Scottish literary agent, Jenny Brown (@agentjenny), and founder of Canongate Books, Stephanie Wolfe Murray, we spoke to an audience in the ‘Verb Garden’ – a large tent with comfy sofas – and were introduced by veteran journalist, Maxwell MacLeod.
While the Verb Garden hosted a range of interesting events – from political debates to a talk by Rupert Wolfe Murray about living in Tibet (@wolfemurray) – there was a whole host of fun and musical events going on all around.
Danny MacAskill from Dunvegan, Skye
Marauding Vikings, death-defying cycle stunts from Skye-born Danny MacAskill (@danny_macaskill), ceilidh dancing Bananas, The Kaiser Chiefs, Motown legend Martha Reeves, fire-breathing dragons, bagpipes, DJs, Dangleberries, Idlewild, Eddi Reader, Manic Street Preachers, The Proclaimers, marriage ceremonies and a host of people dressed up as Batman, Spiderman, Braveheart, The Hulk (the theme for the festival was Super Heroes) and – er – those Bananas again …!
Bananas take a break from dancing for a cream tea!
All set in the beautiful surroundings of the Belladrum Estate near Beauly. Highly recommended for all ages! Tartan Heart Festival.
Filed under: News Tagged: Belladrum Music Festival, camping, Danny MacAskill, Inverness, literary agents, publishing, Scottish Highlands
August 10, 2015
Better to be called George than Georgina …?
Are you more likely to be taken seriously submitting work as a writer if you are male? 
Just wanted to share this interesting article by writer Catherine Nichols who got nowhere submitting a novel under her own name so, in desperation, reinvented herself as ‘George’! The results were quite different.
http://jezebel.com/homme-de-plume-what-i-learned-sending-my-novel-out-und-1720637627
Does it vary depending in which country you live or the type of book you are writing?
Has anybody experience of submitting under a different gender? If so, did it work?!
Filed under: Opinion, Uncategorized Tagged: gender, publishing, writers
August 5, 2015
From Purple Crayons to Summer Scones ….!
In a (seemingly vain) effort to render gloomy and grey London a little more cheerful and summery today, here is a new Q&A with our best-selling author Janet MacLeod Trotter. Janet is the author of mesmerising historical family sagas THE TEA PLANTER’S DAUGHTER and THE PLANTER’S BRIDE, as well as contemporary mysteries such as the captivating THE VANISHING OF RUTH.
What’s your daily routine when you are writing?
Go for a walk to get fresh air and the brain ticking over before heading to the library to write – with a promise to myself to return home for a huge coffee after a couple of hours!
If you weren’t writing, what other job would you dream to have?
I’d re-create the tea-house in my novel, The Tea Planter’s Daughter, and bustle around in an Edwardian tea dress chatting to the customers about world events while musicians played in the background and my staff served up delicious scones and cakes – which I would have to sample, of course.
Favourite book as a child?
Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson – I was fascinated by the idea of being able to create an imaginary world just by drawing a few lines in purple.
Favourite food/snack while writing?
Regular flapjack with coffee at the Lit & Phil Library in Newcastle has seen me through several novels!
Most unglamorous part of being a writer?
There’s a glamorous part?!
Do you have any secret talents (other than writing)?
I used to be able to stand on my head in the middle of the room but I think my centre of gravity may have shifted.
What has been your most touching review or message from a fan so far?
It’s a toss up between one from a woman:
“The House is in a mess, the kids had to eat at McDonalds and I’m not getting any sleep – and its all your fault! I just can’t put your brilliant book down”
and one from a man:
“I meant to write ages ago to complain about The Hungry Hills. Hardened commuters are not supposed to cry on the 19.15 from Kings Cross. Most embarrassing.”
Favourite holiday destination? Are you a beach bunny or a city explorer?
I prefer to explore beaches and sit around cities watching the world go by! My ideal holiday involves walking, a bit of sight-seeing, good meals, a swim or two, a ceilidh dance, sun-downers and plenty reading time. Scotland, France or India tick a lot of boxes.
Summer tipple of choice?
Chardonnay or Belhaven beer (to be honest I can drink either all year round!)
Last but definitely not least, what is your favourite ice cream flavour?
Vanilla with tablet. If you’ve never discovered tablet (fudge but better) then get yourself to Scotland quickly!
A summery snap of Janet enjoying some scones!
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Filed Under: agent, author, bestseller, ebooks, foreign publishers, historical fiction, Interview, romantic fiction
Filed under: News Tagged: author interview, bestseller, ebooks, historical fiction, literary agents
July 27, 2015
HOT AND STEAMY – Romantic Novelists in a London heatwave!
It began with a vodka bottle (not mine) delaying my train – the guard announced that a bottle had got stuck in the door. “It’s not the first time I’ve been defeated by a bottle of vodka,” he announced, “and it probably won’t be the last!”
The Border Reivers march on London for the Gala Dinner! (Caroline Roberts, Janet MacLeod Trotter, Shirley Dickson, Lorna Windham)
But vodka trains and a tube strike didn’t stop me from getting to London and my first Romantic Novelists’ Association (RNA) Conference (although I’ve been a member for years) which was a great event. Three days of action-packed talks, workshops and socialising – wow, do romantic novelists know how to party – the temperatures in and out of the conference halls in East London soared!
A small sample of fascinating things learned:
Customer profile at WH Smith Travel shops is 50/50 male-female, and largely professionals; 7 out of 20 current top titles have the female sex in their titles, eg girl, woman, female name etc. (info from Fiction Buyer Matt Bates)
Kingsford Campbell is a new literary agency, combining traditional author representation with marketing campaigns (info from former Bookseller reviewer, Sarah Broadhurst @S_Broadhurst)
How to get editors excited! Gillian Green of Ebury (@GillianGreenEd) loves a snappy ‘elevator pitch’ – best one at a recent acquisition meeting was, ‘Robinson Crusoe set on Mars’ !!
Online book reviewers – Lovereading want a review to be a “piece of passion” not boring publishing blurb; The Little Reader Library and The Worm Hole have an open author policy (ie will read self-published books too) – Charlie at Worm Hole loves anything about history or castles while Lindsay at LRL prefers to read print but will review ebooks too. Anna at We Love This Book (run by the trade magazine The Bookseller) must be wowed by the first page in deciding what to review and won’t take self-published.
Multiple genre author, Jane Holland (@janeholland1 who writes under an impressive dozen or so different names!) suggests setting up a different social media profile and brand for each pseudonym – she uses Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Pintrest, Linkedin, Instagram, You Tube – and don’t forget which ‘author’ you are when posting to your fans! Use a quote from your book on a promotional card or a picture to conjure up the brand.
Reader Insight – the use of statistics and info on readers garnered from social media – Kate Harrison (@KateWritesBooks) opened up a brave new world where sales rankings, Amazon page reads, web page visits, YouGov profiles, Goodreads reviews can all be used to build up a profile of your ideal reader – their likes, brands, hobbies. Then go and interact with them and give them what they want!
Marketing guru, Alison Baverstock (@alisonbav) told us about planning a marketing strategy – it’s an ongoing process from developing relationships with readers on social media to organising review coverage of a new book – “tempt but don’t tell too much or they won’t want to buy it!”
Affinity Marketing = linking two products that go well together, eg books and chocolate!
Urine in medieval times was a sought after resource (there is nothing we authors won’t discuss!) – used in bleaching, tanning, shrinking cloth and dyes. This was just one of the facts learnt in an entertaining hour on historical research led by Joanna Hickson (@joannahickson) and Jenny Barden (@jennywilldoit).
Best of all were the meet ups, chats, gossip and laughter with fellow writers – both with friends from the Border Reivers Chapter in Northumberland and with new friends made at the conference. Big Thanks to Jan Jones (@janjonesauthor)for carrying out the mammoth task of organising the conference so well and to Kate (@katyhaye)for looking after the ‘newbies’ with our special sparkly badges.
Roll on next year!
Filed under: News Tagged: bloggers, historical romance, literary agents, publishers, publishing, RNA, RNA Conference 2015, writers
July 20, 2015
MAGIC BUS COMING YOUR WAY!
For all of you who enjoy arm-chair travelling or are nostalgic about past travel on the overland route to India, BBC Radio 2 have a treat in store next week. The programme, MAGIC BUS (produced by Mark Sandell and narrated by Tony Wheeler of Lonely Planet fame) is going out on Wed 29th July at 10pm.
It will feature music from the hippy trail – what was played aboard the buses and along the route – as well as interviews with travellers. I have contributed to the programme with anecdotes and extracts from my travel diary as an 18 year old hitting the trail straight out of school! It was this trip that inspired my mystery novel THE VANISHING OF RUTH
After the 29th, the programme will be available on iplayer for the following five weeks.
Filed under: News Tagged: 1970s music, BBC Radio 2, Hippy Trail, mystery novel, The Vanishing of Ruth
June 23, 2015
ALL-STARS ON TYNESIDE!
The night skies this summer maybe largely dark and cloudy here in Northern Britain, but I became an Amazon All-Star author in May! That means I was one of the top hundred authors read on Kindle (a combination of bought and borrowed titles)
The Tyneside Sagas was and All-Star title in May too – a box set of A HANDFUL OF STARS, CHASING THE DREAM and FOR LOVE AND GLORY
Filed under: News Tagged: Amazon charts, The Tyneside Sagas
June 1, 2015
TEA AND ROMANCE LAPPED UP BY FRENCH AND RUSSIANS!
Today is a red letter day! Two parcels arrived: one containing copies of the French edition of The Tea Planter’s Daughter and the other the Russian version of its sequel The Planter’s Bride.
What is so interesting about being published in translation is how the new publishers interpret the stories anew, changing covers and even titles.
Presses de la Cité have created a sumptuous, alluring cover of a woman’s face and called 
it, LES LUMIÈRES D’ASSAM (Lights of Assam). This was chosen for the May catalogue of the prestigious GRAND LIVRE DU MOIS.
Meanwhile the Russians (Hemiro/Family Leisure Club) have gone for the romantic hero with smouldering looks, plus a peacock to denote the Indian setting; they’ve re-titled the novel, A KISS WITH THE TASTE OF MANGO
Both editions are gorgeous in their own way and have been expertly negotiated by Maddy Milburn at The Madeleine Milburn Literary, TV and Film Agency. Merci beaucoup Maddy!
Filed under: India, New Publications, News Tagged: French edition, Kiss with the Taste of Mango, Les Lumieres d'Assam, Madeleine Milburn Agency, Russian edition, The Planter's Bride, The tea planter's daughter, translation
February 12, 2015
THE TYNESIDE SAGAS are a hit with UK readers!
‘Brilliant set of books, gripping’
Kindle readers are giving the thumbs up to a box-set of Janet’s North-East historical novels – and have pushed the compilation up to Number 4 in Historical Romance!
‘Excellent. Well written. Keeps the reader interested.’
‘Very true to life on Tyneside – loved them – all three.’
They helped one reader pass the time when laid up – while another went early to bed to read them!
This is what they are about:
3 dramatic tales of passionate women: pretty Clara fighting her way out of ’30s poverty falls for bad boy Vinnie [A Handful of Stars]; Millie escaping a shameful past, dreams of riches [Chasing the Dream]; fun loving Joe uncovers dark family secrets and makes sacrifices for love [For Love and Glory]. Set in momentous mid 20th century Britain with heartwarming heroines, the stories stir all the emotions.
‘I’ve given 5 stars because I enjoyed reading all three books. Nicely written and very interesting story lines. I will definitely look for other books by this writer.’
‘Couldn’t put down – will look for more like this – great value.’
The box-set is available on Amazon UK at: http://amzn.to/1DlDoxS (as well as all other Amazon sites and on Kobo)
Filed under: Family Sagas, New Publications, News Tagged: 20th century, Amazon charts, Amazon.co.uk, ebooks, family drama, historical romance, Newcastle, The Tyneside Sagas
