Pippa Croft's Blog, page 4

Poldark, a LoveFest and two books written

Aidan Turner shooting Poldark in Cornwall, October 2015

Morning everyone, from a very grey and gloomy middle of England. I notice that my last post was July 3rd – OMG, that’s four months ago.

So, what have I been doing over the summer?

Quite a lot actually.

1. I finished TWO books – yay!! – both contemporary romances so look out for publication details on my Twitter, Facebook and Instagram feeds. Writing two at once has been interesting – the downside is you feel as if neither of them will ever be completed. The upside is that you gain fresh ideas for one wip while working on the other.

2. Yes, I finally joined Instagram which was instantly addictive. Good job I didn’t join until I’d finished my books. You can find me there as @phillipa.ashleyauthor

3. I’ve been to Cornwall three times as research for one of my books – yes, surprise, the new book is set in Cornwall.

The stunning Minack theatre near Land’s End, Cornwall.

4. While in Cornwall in early September, we came across the crew of the BBC Poldark series building the set – and when we went back 4 weeks later, we happened to see Aidan Turner actually shooting scenes at Charlestown. By now, you might have guessed that the Cornish setting of Poldark has inspired one of my new books – but more on that story later. Hopefully I’ll be keeping up the blog more regularly from now on.

So I call that a summer well spent.

The thing is that while writers need to do enormous amounts of promotion and social media these days, this author also needed to WRITE. I lost my mojo for a while at the start of the year and then we had an unexpected and very sad family event, but I’m back now, loving my work again.

Thanks for your patience,

Phillipa xx

PS I’m taking part in the Harper Collins BFI LoveFest but I’ll post about that next week.

New covers – new books.

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How long has it been since I last blogged? Um, let’s not think about it and whizz onto the good news.

I’ve been writing two Phillipa Ashley books since the start of the year which means that, fingers crossed, at least one of them will appear by the end of the year! It’s also been a difficult time, family-wise, but I’ve managed to carry on writing when I could and my work has been a comfort and solace to me.

I’m so glad the warm weather is here properly – and on that note, I’ve also got some exciting news about my US editions. Sourcebooks have given the covers a delicious summery feel and I have to say they’re my favourite covers ever.

I’ll be back when I have definite news about new books. Have a great summer.

Phillipa

Budding writers: bid to have your work critiqued by me

As part of CLIC Sargent’s yearly eBay Get in Character auction, I’ll be offering the highest bidder the chance to have three chapters and a synopsis (or 3,000 words) critiqued. There are over 60 best-selling authors taking part in the auction either offering critiques or the chance for you to appear as a named character in a forthcoming book. We’re all taking part to help raise vital funds for children and young people with cancer so please get bidding from 8pm 26th Feb – that’s tonight!

Get bidding!

I’m honoured and delighted to have been asked to take part – last year, the Get in Character auction raised £3,500 to help CLIC Sargent provide clinical, practical and emotional support to children, young people with cancer and their families. Help us beat that amount so that we can help more children!

Best–selling writer and former SAS Sergeant Andy McNab said: “I’m thrilled to be taking part in Get in Character again this year and helping raise money for CLIC Sargent.

“In 2014 the auction to be named in my book The New Enemy raised an incredible £500, so I jumped at the chance to be involved again.

“It’s a fantastic opportunity for booklovers to make their mark on a book, and something they can be proud of.”

The auction is happening from 8pm on Thursday 26 February 2015 until 8pm on Sunday 8 March 2015.

Visit HERE to find out how to bid and more.

What’s truly shocking about 50 Shades of Grey

So, I finally saw it – the movie that has shocked the world.

Clad in Yoda style robes, we skulked into an early evening showing of Fifty Shades of Grey last Saturday night.

Far from the expected hordes of women fighting in the aisles, screaming and giggling – and worse – the screen was about half full, almost exclusively with couples of all ages, from twenties to sixties. None of them were in bondage gear so our Yoda cloaks were possibly a mistake.

So far, so shocking, eh? Adult couples want to see a racy film. How dreadful. The world will end (apparently, according to this Vulture review, in some parts of the US, folk were possibly expecting that to happen.)

I nearly had heart failure when a member of the Odeon staff questioned every member of the audience just before the movie started. I thought he was going to take names and report us to the council or add us to some kind of list of Undesirables or the Feeble Minded. But no… he only wanted to sell us a tub of Ben & Jerry’s.

Whew.

We were safe. For now. Because at any moment, I expected the Thought Police to burst into that cinema, to snatch pictures of us for their Twitter feed. So I spent the film in a high state of alertness and tension (especially as I’d consumed three large cups of coffee that afternoon and continually needed a pee but was too afraid to miss anything.)

Then – Oh. My. God. The lights went down. I gripped the arms of my chair. My husband slowly licked the final creamy drop of Ben & Jerry’s from the spoon and moaned in ecstasy. I let out a great juddering breath and IT started.

And I was shocked. Truly shocked and astonished… for these reasons:

1. I’ve been very nervous and wary about posting this piece – and then angry and ashamed with myself that I felt intimidated into NOT posting about it sooner. Ditto posting about IT on Facebook and Twitter where the slightest reference to the film or books is likely to attract a storm of bitter protest, outrage and sarcasm.

3. This film is so not that shocking. The BDSM scenes are pretty tame, IMO, by BDSM romance novel standards. Peacock feathers? Ice cubes? A bit of slap and tickle? The final scene is a teeny-weeny bit shocking but – hell – it’s meant to be. Then again, I’m way more shocked by the glorification of violence in many action thrillers, TV series and horror movies.

4. One of the most shocking things about this whole FSOG thing is the bullying, intimidation, shaming and general ridicule heaped on those thousands – possibly millions – of people who did read the books, enjoyed them and wanted to see the film. Given that a huge proportion of those people are women and that many aren’t habitual readers or movie goers, I can’t help have the suspicion that mass sexism and intellectual snobbery have been at play. Some of these comments, especially in the media – and from PC, ‘right on’ media and commenters – have been acccompanied by sly references to the size, age and sex of the people watching the films and reading the books. Now, that is genuinely disgusting, IMO.

5. Plus this the real kicker – I was disappointed and shocked because I found out that – THIS MOVIE IS NOT REAL. The people don’t exist -this is FICTION. Christian and Anna aren’t out there, flying gliders and having their (sickeningly gorgeous) bottoms flogged. After this discovery (because apparently people who read the books and see the film can’t tell fact from fantasy) I’m in counselling now but have been comforted by this review by Heidi Rice, former newspaper film critic and best selling romance author. Equally I recommend this post by NYT best seller Jennifer Probst.

6. Now for the final shocking aspect of 50 shades of Grey, and the one which truly astonished me. Having been made to feel embarrassed to even set foot in the cinema, and expecting a movie of such utter brain shrivelling drivel, that my husband would divorce me for taking him, I actually rather liked it. No, that’s a lie. I really enjoyed it. It’s not the greatest movie but I thought it was beautifully shot, that Dakota Johnson was excellent and I will definitely get the DVD and see the sequel.

If I’m allowed to, that is. Because any moment now, I’m expecting the Apocalypse or to be flamed and shamed on Twitter. Or unfriended by that woman on Fb who said she was glad she lived in a repressive state where the film was banned.

Gulp.

Meet me at ‘A Passion for Books’ on Feb 12

Just a reminder that tomorrow, Thursday February 12th at 7pm, I’ll be at Waterstones Stafford hosting a Passion for Books event. The poster in the window has been designed by the talented Mike from the branch.

I’ll be talking about romantic fiction, chatting with booklovers about their favourite romantic reads over a glass of wine and signing copies of the new series. There are also couple of romantic book themed goody bags to be won too.

Call Waterstones Stafford on 01785 222212 for more information.

Come and meet me at TWO free events

I LOVE February! The spring bulbs are poking through the soil, I have two family birthdays to celebrate and it’s Valentine’s Day. There may also be a certain steamy movie out and yes, *of course* I’ll be going to see it – with my husband too.

But the best thing about February is that I have two events planned – one online and one a Real Life event in a bookshop.

This Saturday I’m delighted to be taking part in a huge Online Romance Festival @romancefestival with dozens of romance authors.

I’ll be answering Qs on the ‘Challenges of writing steamy scenes’ on Saturday 7th at 4.30pm GMT On the Romance Festival Facebook Page - https://www.facebook.com/romancefestival

So if you’ve ever fancied writing a steamy romance and want some tips or have questions about the Oxford Blue series or my other books, this is your chance.

Next week on February 12th, the lovely book folk of Waterstones Stafford have invited me to host their Passionate About Books event. I’ll be chatting with booklovers about their favourite romantic readers over a glass of wine and signing copies of the new series.

Tickers are free – call Waterstones Stafford on 01785 222212 for more information.

Win signed copies of Second Time I Saw You & Third Time Lucky

Happy new year everyone! How would you like to win paperback copies of Second Time I Saw You AND Third Time Lucky? I’ll even sign them for you.

All you have to do is post the name or a picture of who YOU would cast as Lauren or Alexander in a movie/TV series of the book on my Facebook page or to my Twitter account @PippaCroftBooks.

I’ll gather all the names and pick one at 8pm on Monday January 12th.

Contest is to UK addresses only.

Happy 2015 – and news on the Oxford Blue series!

The author in pensive mood on New Year’s Eve with a balloon growing out of her head.

Happy 2015, everyone! I’ve survived the party night of the year. I was going to do a look back at the past year and write about my plans for this one but I’ve been getting so many messages about where to get Books 2 and 3 in the Oxford Blue series that I’m making this post about stockists.

First, a HUGE JUICY ‘Thank you’ to everyone who’ve been buying their First Time We Met e book or paperbacks from ‘the shops’ – WH Smith, Tesco and some independent bookshops.

So, you want Second Time and Third Time?

For UK readers, the good news is you can order them from any real or online book store such as Amazon, WH Smith, Tesco Online or Waterstones.

Outside of the Uk, you may see the book in your local store and you can order or download it from just about anywhere.

If you have any trouble, contact me on Facebook, Twitter or through this site.

Now – back to work because I have finally started writing two new projects. A novella first (and I can’t say what but I’ll leave it to your imagination.)

Most importantly, I wish you health, happiness in 2015 and may your dreams and hopes come true.

Oxford Blue Launch Party

The Oxford Blue series ready to go

“There’s a greatness to your lateness, Pippa…”

You know when you’ve planned an important one-off Book Launch to the last detail? When you think you have everything under control and a contingency plan? When you’ve fretted for weeks that people won’t turn up?

The one thing you haven’t factored in is that YOU might not turn up!

Well, THAT.

The Launch Party for the Oxford Blues series was last Tuesday – the reason I haven’t blogged about it is because we headed off to Bruges immediately afterwards for some R&R.

The launch party was held at the fabulous Goldsboro Books in Covent Garden. This famous bookstore specialises in signed first editions, including some by Agatha Christie, JK Rowling and Daphne Du Maurier. To have my launch in that setting was beyond all my expectations.

Penguin Books supported the event – hurrah – and Alex Clarke and Katie Sheldrake came along to celebrate with me. Thanks to them for waiting while I made my – um – fashionably late entrance!!! Thank goodness, Alex is gracious and generously made a joke of my arrival (see above.)

With the lovely Alex from Penguin.

Now, I am a self-confessed control freak. I turn in books early and usually, I’m too early for things but for the biggest night of my career? Due to a motorway Armageddon, I managed to be 45 minutes late to my own launch

But I’m not going to dwell on that now, just post some pictures and thank everyone who made the effort to come and celebrate the launch and my 10 years as a writer. Big hugs go to my family, to my college and C19 friends, to my RNA author buddies and fabulous book bloggers including Kim Nash, Sophie from Reviewed the Book, Best Chick Lit and Ann’s Book Corner.

Author, Alison Sherlock.

Jules Wake, Ian Skillicorn and Donna Ashcroft.

Book blogger, Ann.

Finally to my agent, Broo and David from Goldsboro Books, thank you for the amazing venue.

Psst. Want to come to a London book launch?

OK. So how would you like to attend a London book launch with readers, authors, book bloggers and publishing people? And drink wine and help me celebrate TEN years of writing fiction?

Next Tuesday December 9th is the launch party for the Oxford Blue series. The event takes place at a secret bookshop venue near Covent Garden from 6.30pm.

I’ll be signing books and chatting to readers and I’d love to see you there.

If you want an invitation and more details of where, Tweet me @PippaCroftBooks or @PhillipaAshley or email me through this website HERE.

Now, I’m off for a run to see if I can lose a few pounds to try and squeeze into my outfit. Then I’m making themed cupcakes to put all the weight back on.