Carrie Elks's Blog, page 11
March 22, 2016
Watching X Files with no lights on… #LoveChatWrite Blog Hop
Welcome to this week’s Romance Writer’s Weekly Blog Hop. If you’ve arrived from Jenna Da Sie’s blog, hi, and thanks for joining me!
This week we’re talking TV and movies:
Fiona Riplee wants to find out some insights into the psyche of our minds by learning about what movie or Network series that we LOVE to watch. What do we think the show says about our creative personalities?
Credit: Depositphotos
From the first moment I saw this question, there wasn’t a doubt in my mind about the answer. Some of that comes from the fact that I’ve been watching the latest series of the X-Files (and being simultaneously horrified and gratified that Mulder and Scully have aged in the same way I have since the ’90s). But it also comes from the special place that the X-Files holds in my heart. I started watching it as a 21-year-old young woman, working in my first professional job. It was back in the days before the internet, before ebooks, and before all those other things like kids and family took my energy and attention. I was living in a shared house in Liverpool with other young professionals, and when the X-Files came on we’d all gather around the TV and keep quiet for a full hour. That in itself was a minor miracle!
So what was it (or is it) about the X Files that made me fall in love with it? I guess first of all it was the subject matter. I’ve always been crazy about the unexplained, and the fact there was a whole TV series about these types of phenomena stole my attention from the start. It was like watching Charles Fort but on the small screen.
But it wasn’t simply the science-fiction storylines that kept me glued to my seat every Tuesday night. It was the characterisation that made me come back for more. Mulder — like me — wanted to believe, and every time his theories were proved right I found myself giving him a silent cheer. Through the series arc we learned why it was he needed to believe – about his sister’s disappearance, about his father’s involvement in the conspiracy. It made the viewer both empathetic and understanding of his sometimes-wild suppositions.
On the other side of the sceptical fence, Scully viewed Mulder’s enthusiasms with a scientific eye, pulling him back when he was getting too fantastical, raising a single eyebrow when he went too far. But then something happened — or rather lots of things — and we saw Scully’s eyes slowly being opened to the reality of the phenomena they were investigating. She came to believe, too.
Of course the romantic in me also loved the dynamic between the two. I was desperate for them to get together, but also desperate for the UST to remain. In the end I think the writers did an amazing job of skating that line, giving us just enough to fill our desires, while leaving us questioning ‘will they or won’t they’. If I could replicate that in my books I’d be a very happy romance writer.
So to answer Fiona’s final question – what does this love of the X-Files say about my creative personality – I guess it’s that I want to believe. I want to believe in Love, in Happily Ever After and in two souls scouring the world until they come together. And I can’t see much wrong with that :)
Now let’s hop over to the lady herself, Fiona Riplee’s blog to discover her TV poison. And don’t forget to check out her story, Love’s Light, in the anthology The Hope Chest.
Until next time,
March 15, 2016
Let’s Talk Location #LoveChatWrite Blog Hop
Welcome to this week’s Romance Writer’s Weekly Blog Hop. If you’ve arrived from Teresa Keefer’s blog, hi, and thanks for joining me!
This week I got to set the question:
How do you choose the location for you books? Do you pick somewhere you’ve already been, or do you research creatively, using Google and other methods to find the perfect spot?
Oh, the power!
In some of the best books I’ve read, the location is like an extra character, adding a flavour and edge to a scene that allows the reader to close their eyes and picture the scene, allowing it to play out in their mind as if it’s a movie. Without really having to think hard about it, I can remember my favorite books that do this — including Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier (Cornwall), Wuthering Heights (Yorkshire) by Emily Bronte, and of course, Lord of the Rings by J.R.R Tolkein (The magnificently made up Middle Earth).
When I try to imagine any of these books taking place in a different location, it’s almost impossible to do. The setting is woven through the narrative like a silken thread. To pull it out would unravel the whole tapestry.
When it came to my own books, I chose the location very carefully. At first I stuck to what I knew well. Fix You takes place (for the most part) in London and New York, two cities I had spent a lot of time in. Of course I still needed to do research, to find the best part of the city for some of the action to take place, or to find the perfect restaurant or bar for a scene to be set in. But for the most part, luckily for me, I could use my own memory.
With my Love in London series, for the majority of the stories they take part in that city. London is a big place, however, and runs the gamut from very rich locations to extremely poor ones. In this respect I tended to choose the exact location to suit the characters. It would seem very strange for a poor character to be living in Mayfair, but equally weird for a wealthy one to be living in one of the poorer parts of East London.
Varenna, Italy
It’s only recently that I’ve started choosing locations that I haven’t had the chance to visit. I’m writing a new series (more information on this soon), and the first book is set in a fictional small town in West Virginia, USA. The second book is set in Italy, in a small village called Varenna on the banks of Lake Como. Researching these locations was a really enjoyable part of the whole process. In fact I loved researching about Italy so much that we’ve now booked our summer vacation there. Which means I’ll get to visit the real Varenna, and see if it matches up to the village I’ve created from my research.
We now have a joke in my family that wherever I set the next book, we will have to visit. I’m currently deciding between Mauritius and Koh Samui. Not a bad choice to make, huh?
So that’s pretty much how I choose the location. Now let’s hop over to Leslie Hachtel’s blog to find out why she chooses the locations she does. And don’t forget to check out her fabulous books, The Defiant Bride, The Dream Dancer, Captain Captive and Texas Summer.
Until next time,
March 7, 2016
Cover Reveal – Canada Square
Today I’m delighted to share with you the cover for my next release. Canada Square is the third in the Love in London Series, but like the rest of the books can be read as a standalone novel. Scroll down for the blurb and excerpt, and don’t forget to add to your Goodreads page! The book will be released on April 7th, and I’ll be sharing lots of teasers and excerpts on my Facebook page, so drop on by and say hello!
And if you would like to receive an email when the pre-order is live, please click here
Title: Canada Square
Series: Love in London #3
Author: Carrie Elks
Genre: Adult Romance
Release Date: April 7th, 2016
Cover Designed by: Sylvia Frost
SYNOPSIS
Secrets have a way of coming out…
Amy Cartwright isn’t sure who she’s supposed to be anymore. Her family thinks she’s flighty, her ex believes she’s a walkover (the bastard) and her friends think she’s plain crazy. But there’s a different side to her that nobody sees, nobody but the cool, sexy Scotsman who just happens to be her boss.
Callum Ferguson isn’t looking for excitement; he’s had that and it almost ruined him. He likes things calm and predictable – everything that his new PA turns out not to be. But from the moment she walks through his office door it’s as though the light has come back into his life, and he can’t get her out of his mind.
Fighting against the inevitable, they both try to ignore the attraction, but the flame of desire is too bright. They’re soon drawn into a steamy love affair that they have to hide from everybody, knowing the revelation could cost them everything they’ve worked so hard for, including each other.
Author note: Canada Square is the third in the Love in London series, but can be read as a standalone book.
EXCERPT
“I’m the youngest of three. Nothing’s ever just about me.”
He blinks slowly, eyes heavy lidded. “Something should be.”
The moment twists, the humour dissolving in the frisson that grows between us. I feel it crackling and buzzing against my skin, and all I can think about is that kiss.
Soft, sure. A brief moment of everything.
“Something?” I ask, a little breathlessly.
He catches my gaze, holding it without trying. In that instant I know for sure that whatever I’m feeling for him isn’t one-sided. It weaves between us, soft as silk, unbreakable as iron. It makes me feel delighted and downright scared. I can cope with a crush, enjoy it even. Treat him like the eye-candy he is, a piece of deliciousness to look forward to when I enter the office. But mutual attraction? That’s dangerous. It’s a lingering force that threatens everything; my job, my degree, my hopes for the future.
Here be dragons, but rather than run away from the flames, I’m letting them consume me.
IN THE SERIES
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. An avid social networker, she tries to limit her Facebook and Twitter time to stolen moments between writing chapters. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two.
March 1, 2016
Why I *LOVE* to write romance! #LoveChatWrite Blog Hop
This week the fabulous Leslie Hachtel asks us this question:
How did you pick the genre you write? Or did it pick you?
Photo Credit: Depositphotos
It’s no secret that I love being a romance author. I can’t think of a better way to spend my day than writing about two flawed characters who fight against the attraction, trying to resist, yet find that the draw of love is too powerful to ignore. Even better when they hit bumps and dead-ends, leading to bigger problems that they have to overcome.
I didn’t always want to be a romance author, though.
Hard to believe, isn’t it?
Back when I was younger, I pretty much wanted to be Enid Blyton, and write about boarding schools and midnight feasts, and magic far away trees. Then as I got older I wanted to be JRR Tolkein, and write about rings and hobbits and epic journeys that became fights between good and evil.
It was only when I was in my 20s that I discovered romance, and even that was in a roundabout way. Being a voracious reader, I’d pretty much grab anything in my local library, devouring the pages like a starving man would grab hold of food.
I’d read thrillers and historical fiction, contemporary fiction and horror. As I said, pretty much anything I could find. But as I read them, I found myself looking for the same thing over and over again. Some kind of romantic pull between the main characters.
That was when I started to read romance, and I’ve never really stopped. From there it was a no-brainer to start to write the kind of stories I loved, and today I wouldn’t have it any other way.
I chose romance, and romance chose me; it was pretty much a mutual attraction! And neither of us are ready to let go of each other any time soon.
So that’s why I write romance. Now let’s hop over to Xio Axelrod’s blog to find out why she writes the things she does. And while you’re there, check out her book, Falling Stars – the first in her new series!
Until next time,
February 11, 2016
My Week in Pictures
1. Publication day – I wake up to find the living room full of Fix Yous!!
2. A box of paperbacks arrive – I *may* have kissed every one of them.
3. Here’s me looking kind of dorky
4. Then Heat magazine featured Fix You in their Valentine’s Day special
5. I was interviewed on BBC Essex to talk about the book
6. I also had my last day at work this week. I’ve left to concentrate on writing full-time. Yay!
7. And this is what I’ll be doing to celebrate on Friday night!
So that’s my week in a nutshell. Fix You is now available to buy in store at Tesco, Asda and WH Smith travel, and online in ebook at all good web stores.
And if you want to listen to my interview – here’s the link. I come in about halfway through the podcast (at around 2:10)
Have a great week,
February 9, 2016
Blog Tour – The Recovery of Catherine Brodie
Today I’m delighted to welcome my fellow writer (and Leeds signing author) Grace Harper to my blog. Grace’s latest release is The Recovery of Catherine Brodie, the follow up to The Disappearance of Catherine Brodie. A dark and emotional read, these stories will grab you from the first page. Scroll down to read some more!
It’s live!
The Recovery of Catherine Brodie is the second book in the Catherine Brodie Chronicles.
A romantic suspense story chronicling Catherine’s life after she made a fatal mistake. The four books span a decade telling the story of how she comes to terms with her new life. The friends and enemies she makes along the way. Will she ever find absolution?
Book 1, The Disappearance of Catherine Brodie is at half price until 17th February, so if you want to start the series, now’s a good time. It’s available on all platforms.
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000446_00070]](https://authorgraceharper.files.wordpress.com/2015/10/cs-final-cover.jpg)
The Introductory price for The Disappearance of Catherine Brodie is also at half price on all platforms, here are the links:
Amazon: myBook.to/TROCB
Kobo: http://bit.ly/1VoJJ2o
B&N: http://bit.ly/1OWAAub
iBooks: https://itun.es/gb/MPtlab.l
You can also add it to your TBR list on Goodreads here: http://bit.ly/1LaJwKl
Synopsis:
“…’Do you love me yet?’ Alex said, hoping the answer was yes…”
The Recovery of Catherine Brodie starts four years after Erin’s confrontation in the cellar of Green’s. Alexander Devlin wants his band to perform at Green’s and writes a begging email. Erin relents and says yes, even though it goes against all her rules.
Erin continues to put her past behind her, but like every bad penny, they always turn up.
Erin Brodie has made a success of her music venue and it’s the most sought after place in the country for non-signed artists to perform. Alexander Devlin is the guitarist from the rock band Fragile, they are at the top of their game and are just about to release their final album.
Erin drops her guard and so her courtship with Alex begins, but it comes at a price. Erin has enemies and, this time, they have upped their game. This time, her life is in jeopardy and it takes all of her friends to race to find her.
This time, they might just be too late…
To be in with a chance of winning a signed paperback (open internationally), sign up to my newsletter HERE to keep up to date with future releases and exclusive prizes. One winner will be picked from anyone who signed up between 1st February 2016 to 17th February 2016. Winners will be notified via the newsletter in March 2016.
The host for this post is not responsible and neither is the social media platform, I am
Grace Harper x
Author Bio
Grace Harper is a British author who loves to write about strong women and the friends and lovers who make them stronger. She adores writing steamy scenes of first encounters and there is always a little twist along the way.
When Grace is not writing, she can be found mooching about in stationery stores, dreaming up tattoo designs or teasing her friends until everyone is in fits of giggles. Grace might have a Maltesers addiction but is not ready to stand up and own that just yet.
If you want to get in touch, please do, Grace is pretty laid back and friendly.
Twitter: @authorgharper / Tsu: @graceharper / Instagram: @authorgraceharper /
Email: authorgraceharper@gmail.com / Facbook: Grace Harper, author
February 8, 2016
They Say I’m Doing Well Blog Tour – Authors Raising Money for MIND
Today I’m featured on a blog tour that’s very close to my heart. Raising money for the MIND charity, the ‘They Say I’m Doing Well’ tour features a number of authors who are working together to raise awareness about mental health problems. I am privileged to be among this group.
According to statistics, in the UK in 2015 around 10% of the population suffered from either depression or anxiety. Sadly, I was one of those 10% last year. Read below to hear more of my story, and make sure you hop over to the ‘They Say I’m Doing Well’ site to read more posts.
Stress strɛs/ – a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.
Stress can be the most destructive of forces. Metal buckles beneath it. Walls crack, houses crumble, people disintegrate. When it hits you, it’s almost impossible to evade, and I’ve found that it always seems to come at the moment you’re least ready for it.
In my day job I see the effects of stress on a weekly basis. I’ve watched it turn distinguished, strong men into frightened children, and experienced the way it can spin peoples’ world on an axis. In its most iniquitous form it can cause Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, a dreadful affliction where people can be triggered back to that moment of fear, experiencing it over and over again.
Though I’ve seen it first hand, it wasn’t until early last year that I felt the full-blown effects of stress. That’s when I began to suffer from anxiety attacks, sleeplessness and severe reactions to triggers. Combined with depression, stress can cause you to stop functioning, and that’s exactly what happened to me. My entire life went into fight or flight mode.
The simplest things could cause my heart palpitations and breathlessness; images on television, a certain song, or even sleep. So I began to avoid sleeping, laying in bed frightened to let my eyes close, because I knew I’d wake up to a speeding heart and a lump in my throat that made it impossible to take in air. But it was a self-defeating gesture, because my lack of sleep only served to heighten the tension, making me even less able to fight off the anxiety attacks, and ensuring that I was regularly caught in a negative thought cycle, where I came to believe that my depression and anxiety were my fault.
Somehow, I managed to get some help. I found an amazing counselor who worked with me on two levels. Firstly to deal with the effects of the anxiety, and secondly to deal with the underlying causes. She introduced me to Mindfulness – a useful tool to help you deal with negative thoughts and being hung up on the past. Mindfulness, according to the dictionary, is a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. Through this I discovered there are a large number of Mindfulness Podcasts out there—many available for free—and I listen to these and use the techniques on a daily basis.
I am one of the lucky ones. In the UK, counseling is hard to come by on the NHS, and private sessions can run upwards from £40 per hour. Stress and Depression are hugely destructive to individuals and families, but unless you have available cash, it’s hard to find a way to get the therapy needed to deal with them. As I discovered, by their nature, mental illnesses are difficult to deal with on your own. Having a trained person to lead you through the path of healing is necessary, and unfortunately so many people don’t have access to this kind of help.
Considering stress is now the number one reason for long-term absence from work, it’s hard to believe why treatments are so under-funded. The sad fact is, that unless you are either rich, have a wonderfully tenacious GP or have a job where you get benefits such as medical care, you’ll think you have to deal with stress and depression on your own.
Except you’re not alone. Once I was on the road to recovery I discovered an amazing plethora of help online. From support boards, to blogs to practitioners willing to offer pro-bono advice, I discovered that help is only a Google search away. By being honest about my issues, and seeking out those who are going through something similar, I’ve found healing. I’ve also found friendship and encouragement.
One of the most important things to understand if you’re going through something similar is that you don’t have to do this on your own. Even if you haven’t yet suffered from depression or anxiety yourself, reach out to those who have. A kind word, a smile, or the results of a Google search could go a long way to making the world a better place.
They say I’m doing well. I’m now in recovery (I don’t think anybody is truly cured). But I’m more aware of myself and my triggers than ever, and if I feel myself getting low, I’m sure to let my husband or my family know. I still practice Mindfulness—it’s something I think I’ll always do—and I’m very grateful to be alive and well in this beautiful world. But I’m also aware that so many more people than ever are out there suffering, and if that’s you, I promise, you aren’t alone.
Carrie Elks © 2016
Carrie Elks lives near London, England and writes contemporary romance with a dash of intrigue. At the age of twenty-one she left college with a political science degree, a healthy overdraft and a soon-to-be husband. She loves to travel and meet new people, and has lived in the USA and Switzerland as well as the UK. When she isn’t reading or writing, she can usually be found baking, drinking wine or working out how to combine the two. http://www.carrieelks.com
A Lecture on Mindfulness by Prof Mark Williams – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAy_3Ssyqqg
Mind – http://www.mind.org.uk
The Samaritans – http://www.samaritans.org
Thank you so much for taking part Carrie!
To see the full list of authors taking part in this month-long blog tour, [click here]
To find out what “They Say I’m Doing Well” is all about, [click here]
Carrie is giving away an ecopy of her book Coming Down. To be in with a chance of winning, visit Carrie’s FB Page and post on her wall “Sarah sent me!”
Good luck everyone and thanks for reading!
January 9, 2016
January News!
A very Happy New Year to you!2015 was a year of real highs and lows for me, and although it was often rewarding I have to admit I’m sort of pleased to see the back of it. From a writing point of view it was very successful – I released Broken Chords (Love in London #2) to some great reviews, and also saw the digital edition of Fix You go from strength to strength in the UK, reaching a high of #2 in the iBooks charts and #20 in the Amazon charts.
Somehow I even managed to write 2 more books, both of which are awaiting publication dates. Canada Square is #3 in the Love in London series, and tells the story of Amy, a student who interns in a big city partnership, and Callum, her boss. My beta readers think that this could be the best book in the series so far, and I hope that you’ll think the same! Release date for this should be coming soon.
In other news, I’ve started a new secret project, a 4 book series that I hope to update you on soon. I had a lot of fun planning these stories, and can’t wait to unleash them on the world.
From a personal point of view 2015 was challenging. At the end of 2014 my daughter was diagnosed with Scoliosis, and this year we’ve spent a lot of time at hospital appointments with her, culminating in a spinal fusion operation in December. Though she faced many challenges this year, I’m delighted to say she’s recovering in leaps and bounds while keeping a smile on her face, and making sure her school work is done. To say I’m a proud mum would be an understatement.
Fortunately I also had lots of lovely things happen to me in 2016. I attended 3 signings in the UK and managed to meet lots of wonderful readers and bloggers, and also had some success abroad, selling the rights to Fix You to Germany and Italy, with more announcements to come. Coming Down was also translated to Portugese and released in Brazil. Fix You will be released in paperback in the UK on 4th February 2016, and will have a gorgeous new cover. I can’t wait to share it with you!
In 2016 I plan to spend a lot of time writing and also with my now-recovering family. I hope to have at least a couple of new releases to share with you, as well as meet many of you at the signings and events I’ll be attending this year. Remember, if you want to be the first to hear about new releases, make sure you sign up for my newsletter. I often have exclusive sales news and competitions solely for my subscribers there.
In the meantime, I hope that 2016 treats you kindly, and that you managed to grab some rest and recovery during the holiday period.
Lots of love,
December 10, 2015
Blog Tour – 500 Confessions by K.C. Hitt
500 Confessions
Author: K.C. Hitt
Genre: Erotica
Release Date: November 3, 2015
500 Confessions is a compilation of 500
real sexual confessions from real people. Compiled over almost four years, they
range from those that push the boundaries of sexuality, to the cute moments
many of us dream of experiencing during sexual activity. Some are of a caring
nature with the ability to heal, and some are crushing with long lasting and
outreaching effects. Others are dark and twisted making one feel extremely
uncomfortable, while some cause the heart to flutter with excitement. Perhaps
most intriguing is the knowledge that some, or all, of these confessions were
meant to stay as secrets, never to be known by anyone.
Amazon US | Kobo | Inktera | Scribd. | iTunes | B&N
K.C. Hitt is an author who loves putting pen to paper. Intrigued from a young age, K.C. began taking writing more seriously after finishing university and dedicates a large portion of time to all things writing related.
Although K.C. has enjoyed writing many genres including adventure, sci-fi, fantasy, and suspense, the major focus has always been romance. From light-hearted to adult, and most recently dark romance, the idea of the struggle and the power of love has always been the centralized interest.
Amazon | Twitter | Facebook | Goodreads
December 1, 2015
GIVEAWAY – Romance Writers’ Weekly Holiday Hop!
Happy Holidays! Or at least, we at Romance Writers’ Weekly hope that they are. But we know what it’s like to be moms, dads, daughters, sons, workers… you name it, we have it covered. It doesn’t matter which hat you’re wearing, December can be the most stressful and busiest time of the year.So we’ve decided to have some fun in among all the chaos. From December 2nd we’ll be posting once a day about Holiday traditions, songs, stories and movies, to remind ourselves of how much fun it can be. To make it sweeter still, we are going to have a treasure hunt buried in each post, giving you a chance to collect all the clues and a chance to win a $100 Amazon Gift Card. Plus there will be daily prizes to win, so make sure to read each blog!
To keep up with the posts, be sure to subscribe to the blog here, or follow us on Twitter or Facebook . Even better, do all three – that way you’re sure not to miss out!
What are we waiting for… let’s have some fun!
POSTING SCHEDULE
December 1 – Kick Off Post
December 2 – Katie O’Connor
December 3 – Jeanne McDonald
December 4 – Rebekah Ganiere
December 5 – Betty Bolte
December 6 – Veronica Forand
December 7 – A.S. Fenichel
December 8 – Juliet Cross
December 9 – Susan Scott Shelley
December 10 – Brenda Margriet
December 11 – Leslie Hachtel
December 12 – Jami Denise
December 13 – J.J. Devine
December 14 – Xio Axelrod
December 15 – Collette Cameron
December 16 – Gemma Brocato
December 17 – Tracey Gee
December 18 – S.C. Mitchell
December 19 – Eden Ashe
December 20 – Kristi Rose
December 21 – Jo Richardson
December 22 – Victoria Barbour
December 23 – Carrie Elks
December 24 – Sarah Hegger
December 25 – Round Up & How to Enter
