A couple of members on the Facebook Group - Bring back fiction to women's magazines - have been mentioning success with the South African magazine, 'You'. So I thought I'd investigate this as a possible market for short story writers.
They do have a website, with full guidelines for submitting stories. Obviously, it's always better to read a few stories from any magazine to get a feel for the type and tone of story they prefer. Since this is more difficult with a country so far away, the guidelines are the next best thing. They seem to favour contemporary stories, although they mention they would like to see more detective/crime stories.
Full up-to-date submission details are on the You website. Please note their format - no indents.
Good luck!
Rosemary
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Sunday, February 26, 2012
Appearing on New Zealand Blog
I'm looking at some of my experiences that influenced the Setting, Characters and Subject Matter of the book. I'd love to see you there if you have time for a quick look at Sue's blog.
Rosemary
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Book Review: The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
This is an astonishing novel, both in construction and content. Rose Edelstein's mother bakes her a lemon-chocolate cake for her 9th birthday and as soon as Rose bites into the slice of cake, she discovers an overwhelming 'gift' that will plague the rest of her life. For Rose can taste every emotion that goes into the baking and cooking of food - any food, anywhere. And with that gift comes the knowledge that her mother, father and brother are dealing with their own particular problems.
Not quite as linear as some novels, it often dips into different scenes in Rose's life and the dialogue has no enclosing quote marks, yet I was never confused about who is speaking. The beautiful writing and magic-realism qualities of the novel are a joy to read, while Rose's own journey into adulthood is often amusing, wise and poignant. The almost non-existent relationship with her strange brother who disappears at intervals culminates in a touching revelation that only Rose will ever understand.
Although it might divide readers' opinions, I have the feeling this is one book that will remain in the mind far longer than usual, and it's one which I'll want to read again with even more understanding and appreciation.
Rosemary
Monday, February 20, 2012
Novel Competitions
All you have to do is email the first 3000 words of your Chic Lit novel to the address on the novelicious website, where you will also find full details of entry and prizes. Please note this competition is only for UK and Ireland residents, and entrants should not be under contract with a publisher or agent. Closing date is 3rd April 2012.
Email a synopsis and the full manuscript to the address on the Rose and Crown website, where you will find full details. Closing date is 31st March 2012.
Good luck if you enter either!
* If anyone remembers paper dressing-up dolls (like Bunty), please pop over to my Flights of Imagination blog and tell me about it!
Rosemary
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Author Spotlight: Gwen Kirkwood
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I am delighted to welcome the very interesting and helpful writer, Gwen Kirkwood, to my blog today. Gwen has a long list of publications, and her wonderful novels (and a few novellas) are rich with family detail in a country and farming background, taking readers into an absorbing tale. She lives in southern Scotland and her beautiful surroundings provide a backdrop to many of her stories. As an experienced writer, Gwen is always willing to pass on some of her knowledge and encouragement to newer writers, but she is one of the most modest successful writers I have the privilege of knowing.
The Silver Link - The Silken Tie is one of Gwen's print novels, now available on Kindle.
BLURB
Elspeth is the last of the Elliots of Everanlea. She shares her grandmother's love of their Scottish heritage and she is determined to preserve it, but running a large hill farm presents problems, and a danger neither of them could have envisaged.
Elspeth is dismayed when her father advises her to sell out to her neighbour, Robin Armstrong, for feuds between the Elliots and the Armstrongs of Arnhill are legendary. Even if she wanted to sell, could she bear to sell to the man she would never forget, or forgive, for humiliating her in front of her friends when she was sixteen? Besides her grandmother has engaged a manager, the charming and handsome, Howard Elliot. He appears very eligible, and Elspeth is reluctant to question her beloved grandmother’s opinions, but Howard is unfamiliar with the ways of Border shepherds.
In spite of their stormy relationship, Robin Armstrong offers his help – but he admits he has ulterior motives. So can she trust him? Or should she continue to rely on Howard?
The Silver Link - The Silver Tie is available from Amazon (UK) and Amazon (US)
Welcome to the Reading and Writing blog, Gwen. Many thanks for answering these questions and giving us some excellent insight into the farming world.
Thank you Rosemary for inviting me to your own very popular blog and for generously giving your time to share this with me today.
How much of your own farming background goes into your novels?
Some people are extremely good at researching facts and scenes about places they have never seen in reality. I am neither confident nor comfortable with this so I follow the advice “write about what you know”. In my case this is farming as I have lived on farms almost all my life. I am aware that if readers want to learn about a subject they will choose a text book, not a fictional story, so my novels depend on strong characters and I try to keep farming and country life as an authentic background.
Most writers agree that research, or knowledge, should be like an iceberg - a solid base but only an intriguing peak in evidence. I am constantly trying to think of a different event or situation so that my readers will not be bored with farming details as I have some loyal followers who have read all of my books. Both my agent and editor have asked for more farming details on occasion but I do not like situations to be contrived. They must fit naturally into the character’s life and work. It may be the death of a favourite horse, the tragedy of a foot and mouth outbreak, or the satisfaction of helping the birth of a calf from a favourite cow, or a life and death rescue from an intelligent dog, as in A Home of Our Own. Whatever it is, it will affect one of the main characters and if I have written it well enough the reader will share in his/her joy or sorrow.
I enjoy history too and often incorporate real life events when they occur at the correct time in a character’s life so I keep a careful note of dates and ages, especially when writing a series which covers three or four generations. The first Fairlyden saga starts pre 1900 and the fourth takes us to the Second World War. The Home series starts at the end of the war and is continuing. Farming didn't change much during my grandparents’ lifetime with horses and hand milking and a mixture of animals and crops. The war brought tractors. Milking machines took over from the women milking by hand.
In one book I tried to show the desperate shortage of food after the war and farmers being compelled to plough up grassland, whether or not it suited them. Gradually farms have amalgamated and this affects some of my characters as they struggle to find the money for bigger units. More farmers specialise in only one or two types of animal now, and some only grow crops and do not keep any animals - though not in my books. Last year my son installed robots so the cows can come to get milked by themselves whenever they feel the need. This is more natural as calves suckle regularly. The book I’m writing now is the first I have written up to present day. I shall introduce milk robots as a new slant, but they’ll also cause friction between some of the characters.
Has farming changed a lot over the years since you started writing?
It is not only farming which has changed. My early romances were written in the 1980s and are too short to have much farming detail. The Silver Link - The Silken Tie is set on a sheep farm near Langholm and if mobile phones had been in use then they would have changed the whole plot.
Incidentally, I often use the names of actual towns to fix the area but I never use real characters and I change the names of villages and farms in case local people try to attach identities to my characters.
You began your writing career the traditional way – do you think e-books are a good idea?
Over the years I have had a lot of support from my local papers and libraries but on the whole I don’t enjoy the marketing which most publishers expect from authors these days. Marketing and utilising social media are essentials for any authors who are self-publishing, either in book format or digitally. Although I still prefer the sight and feel of a real book I intend to make more of my books available for digital E-readers. I think (and hope) it will keep them available. Paper books go out of print in a relatively short time due to economics, cost of paper and storage and general outlay, unless an author is lucky enough to write bestsellers which stay in continual demand.
Do you have a view of the countryside from your writing place?
When I look out of my windows and see the countryside on all around me, and watch the changing seasons, I think how lucky I am, but I keep my desk away from the window, partly to avoid distraction, but also because I do not like the sun shining on my computer screen.
Could you pass on some wisdom, or tips to newer writers, please
Well what works for one person may not work for another. I am not a plotter so I would say get writing and keep writing. Do edit diligently later though. My stories depend on characters. You only get to know them as they, and the story, develop. It is like getting to know new people in a village. The joy of writing is you are in control and you can do what you like with them and their situations. Later, when you know them better, you can strengthen them or change their name or hair colour or whatever you wish. I enjoy this editing stage but I know many writers hate it. Remember there is nothing to love, hate or change if you don’t get on with writing the story.
Hint for busy mums with lots of interruptions. Before you log off try to jot down a few words to remind you of your train of thought so that you can get straight into the next writing session when the opportunity arises.
Thank you so much for those wise and interesting answers, Gwen!
You can find Gwen's books on her website and further information on her Blog and as one of the five authors on Novel Points of View.
(Sagas grouped in their series)
1. Dreams of Home - Severn House
2. A Home of our Own - Severn House
3. Heart of the Home - Severn House
4. Another Home - Another Love (due May 2012) Robert Hale Ltd
1. Secrets in the Heather - Severn House
2. Call of the Heather - Severn House
3. When the Heather Blooms - Severn House
1. The Laird of Lochandee - Severn House
2. A Tangled Web - Severn House
3. Children of the Glens - Severn House
4. Home to the Glen - Severn House
1. Fairlyden - Headline
2. Mistress of Fairlyden - Headline
3. The Family at Fairlyden - Headline
4. Fairlyden at War - Headline
The Fairlyden series are out of print but will become available as audio books at libraries and from Audible during the next 18 months and as digital E-books as soon as I can upload them.
Shorter single romance novels
These were originally written and published under Lynn Granger but I have now uploaded them to Amazon and Smashwords as e-books under my own name of Gwen Kirkwood
Lonely is the Valley (available soon)
The Wary Heart
The Laird of Lochvinnie
The Silver Link-The Silken Tie
Written on the Wind
A New Beginning (title of printed version was Shattered Dreams)
Gwen Kirkwood is supposed to be retired but she can’t imagine a life without writing. She has three adult children so with her son farming over the garden wall, and one daughter with an ice cream parlour only a mile in the other direction, she sees a lot of her grandchildren. “They keep me on my toes and up to date with life,” she says. She also enjoys local history, gardening and reading.
The Silver Link - The Silken Tie is one of Gwen's print novels, now available on Kindle.
Elspeth is the last of the Elliots of Everanlea. She shares her grandmother's love of their Scottish heritage and she is determined to preserve it, but running a large hill farm presents problems, and a danger neither of them could have envisaged.
Elspeth is dismayed when her father advises her to sell out to her neighbour, Robin Armstrong, for feuds between the Elliots and the Armstrongs of Arnhill are legendary. Even if she wanted to sell, could she bear to sell to the man she would never forget, or forgive, for humiliating her in front of her friends when she was sixteen? Besides her grandmother has engaged a manager, the charming and handsome, Howard Elliot. He appears very eligible, and Elspeth is reluctant to question her beloved grandmother’s opinions, but Howard is unfamiliar with the ways of Border shepherds.
In spite of their stormy relationship, Robin Armstrong offers his help – but he admits he has ulterior motives. So can she trust him? Or should she continue to rely on Howard?
The Silver Link - The Silver Tie is available from Amazon (UK) and Amazon (US)
Welcome to the Reading and Writing blog, Gwen. Many thanks for answering these questions and giving us some excellent insight into the farming world.
Thank you Rosemary for inviting me to your own very popular blog and for generously giving your time to share this with me today.
How much of your own farming background goes into your novels?
Some people are extremely good at researching facts and scenes about places they have never seen in reality. I am neither confident nor comfortable with this so I follow the advice “write about what you know”. In my case this is farming as I have lived on farms almost all my life. I am aware that if readers want to learn about a subject they will choose a text book, not a fictional story, so my novels depend on strong characters and I try to keep farming and country life as an authentic background.
Most writers agree that research, or knowledge, should be like an iceberg - a solid base but only an intriguing peak in evidence. I am constantly trying to think of a different event or situation so that my readers will not be bored with farming details as I have some loyal followers who have read all of my books. Both my agent and editor have asked for more farming details on occasion but I do not like situations to be contrived. They must fit naturally into the character’s life and work. It may be the death of a favourite horse, the tragedy of a foot and mouth outbreak, or the satisfaction of helping the birth of a calf from a favourite cow, or a life and death rescue from an intelligent dog, as in A Home of Our Own. Whatever it is, it will affect one of the main characters and if I have written it well enough the reader will share in his/her joy or sorrow.
I enjoy history too and often incorporate real life events when they occur at the correct time in a character’s life so I keep a careful note of dates and ages, especially when writing a series which covers three or four generations. The first Fairlyden saga starts pre 1900 and the fourth takes us to the Second World War. The Home series starts at the end of the war and is continuing. Farming didn't change much during my grandparents’ lifetime with horses and hand milking and a mixture of animals and crops. The war brought tractors. Milking machines took over from the women milking by hand.
In one book I tried to show the desperate shortage of food after the war and farmers being compelled to plough up grassland, whether or not it suited them. Gradually farms have amalgamated and this affects some of my characters as they struggle to find the money for bigger units. More farmers specialise in only one or two types of animal now, and some only grow crops and do not keep any animals - though not in my books. Last year my son installed robots so the cows can come to get milked by themselves whenever they feel the need. This is more natural as calves suckle regularly. The book I’m writing now is the first I have written up to present day. I shall introduce milk robots as a new slant, but they’ll also cause friction between some of the characters.
Has farming changed a lot over the years since you started writing?
It is not only farming which has changed. My early romances were written in the 1980s and are too short to have much farming detail. The Silver Link - The Silken Tie is set on a sheep farm near Langholm and if mobile phones had been in use then they would have changed the whole plot.
Incidentally, I often use the names of actual towns to fix the area but I never use real characters and I change the names of villages and farms in case local people try to attach identities to my characters.
You began your writing career the traditional way – do you think e-books are a good idea?
Over the years I have had a lot of support from my local papers and libraries but on the whole I don’t enjoy the marketing which most publishers expect from authors these days. Marketing and utilising social media are essentials for any authors who are self-publishing, either in book format or digitally. Although I still prefer the sight and feel of a real book I intend to make more of my books available for digital E-readers. I think (and hope) it will keep them available. Paper books go out of print in a relatively short time due to economics, cost of paper and storage and general outlay, unless an author is lucky enough to write bestsellers which stay in continual demand.
Do you have a view of the countryside from your writing place?
When I look out of my windows and see the countryside on all around me, and watch the changing seasons, I think how lucky I am, but I keep my desk away from the window, partly to avoid distraction, but also because I do not like the sun shining on my computer screen.
Could you pass on some wisdom, or tips to newer writers, please
Well what works for one person may not work for another. I am not a plotter so I would say get writing and keep writing. Do edit diligently later though. My stories depend on characters. You only get to know them as they, and the story, develop. It is like getting to know new people in a village. The joy of writing is you are in control and you can do what you like with them and their situations. Later, when you know them better, you can strengthen them or change their name or hair colour or whatever you wish. I enjoy this editing stage but I know many writers hate it. Remember there is nothing to love, hate or change if you don’t get on with writing the story.
Hint for busy mums with lots of interruptions. Before you log off try to jot down a few words to remind you of your train of thought so that you can get straight into the next writing session when the opportunity arises.
Thank you so much for those wise and interesting answers, Gwen!
You can find Gwen's books on her website and further information on her Blog and as one of the five authors on Novel Points of View.
(Sagas grouped in their series)
1. Dreams of Home - Severn House
2. A Home of our Own - Severn House
3. Heart of the Home - Severn House
4. Another Home - Another Love (due May 2012) Robert Hale Ltd
1. Secrets in the Heather - Severn House
2. Call of the Heather - Severn House
3. When the Heather Blooms - Severn House
1. The Laird of Lochandee - Severn House
2. A Tangled Web - Severn House
3. Children of the Glens - Severn House
4. Home to the Glen - Severn House
1. Fairlyden - Headline
2. Mistress of Fairlyden - Headline
3. The Family at Fairlyden - Headline
4. Fairlyden at War - Headline
The Fairlyden series are out of print but will become available as audio books at libraries and from Audible during the next 18 months and as digital E-books as soon as I can upload them.
Shorter single romance novels
These were originally written and published under Lynn Granger but I have now uploaded them to Amazon and Smashwords as e-books under my own name of Gwen Kirkwood
Lonely is the Valley (available soon)
The Wary Heart
The Laird of Lochvinnie
The Silver Link-The Silken Tie
Written on the Wind
A New Beginning (title of printed version was Shattered Dreams)
Gwen Kirkwood is supposed to be retired but she can’t imagine a life without writing. She has three adult children so with her son farming over the garden wall, and one daughter with an ice cream parlour only a mile in the other direction, she sees a lot of her grandchildren. “They keep me on my toes and up to date with life,” she says. She also enjoys local history, gardening and reading.
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
A Rose and Poem for Valentine's Day
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Valentine's Day
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I couldn’t let Valentine’s Day pass without a mention, so as an unashamed romantic, I’m dedicating this post to all my lovely followers, whether romantic or not!
The red rose evidently was the sacred flower of Venus, the Roman goddess of love, and is a symbol of love and beauty. A dozen red roses epitomizes romantic love, especially on St Valentine’s Day, while a single red rose usually means “I love you.” The 18th century Scottish poet, Robert Burns, talks of constant love in his song, My Love is like a Red, Red Rose. In some countries, the red rose means marriage, and in Christianity it is sometimes symbolic of Christ’s shed blood.
Often a symbol of purity and secrecy, the white rose represents water and is the flower of moonlight. In parts of Scotland, a white rose blooming in autumn was thought to herald an early death, but a white rose bud symbolized a girl too young to love. In a lovely custom in Saxon times, red and white petals were showered on newly weds to represent their union of passion (red roses) and purity (white roses).
This is one of the medieval poems in an old collection I have, and it sums up that wonderful closeness a man and wife (hopefully) retain over long years together.
Valentine’s Day is the traditional time for flowers, especially roses, and preferably red. Of all flowers, the rose is perhaps the most symbolic, often representing purity, perfection, love, marriage or death. Its essence has been well used in love potions, perfumes and cosmetics. And, of course, legends abound.
According to a charming medieval legend, the first roses made a miraculous appearance in order to save a ‘fayre maiden’ who had been sentenced to death by burning. Falsely accused, she prayed for deliverance and the fire subsequently went out. The logs which were already burning became red roses and the unlit logs became white roses.
Often a symbol of purity and secrecy, the white rose represents water and is the flower of moonlight. In parts of Scotland, a white rose blooming in autumn was thought to herald an early death, but a white rose bud symbolized a girl too young to love. In a lovely custom in Saxon times, red and white petals were showered on newly weds to represent their union of passion (red roses) and purity (white roses).
This is one of the medieval poems in an old collection I have, and it sums up that wonderful closeness a man and wife (hopefully) retain over long years together.
Ausonius
To His Wife
Love, let us live as we have lived, nor lose
The little names that were the first night’s grace,
And never come the day that sees us old,
I still your lad, and you my little lass.
Let me be older thank old Nestor’s years,
And you the Sibyl, if we heed it not.
What should we know, we two, of ripe old age?
We’ll have its richness, and the years forgot.
Monday, February 13, 2012
Lovely Liebster Award
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Lovely Liebster Award
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I'm so touched to have received two more of the lovely Liebster Awards - German for dearest or beloved. How appropriate for this Valentine week. Many thanks to online writing friend Paula Martin, and fellow Muse author Jane Richardson whose own blogs are well worth visiting.
I'll make the five things snappy favourites, lest I begin to bore you!
1. Favourite classical music is baroque: Bach, Handel, Albinoni, Vivaldi
2. Favourite colour is green, or sometimes purple
3. Favourite bird is the eagle, or an owl
4. Favourite animal is the tiger, or penguin
5. Favourite sculpture is Rodin's The Kiss
And now I'm passing the award on to a few of my writing friends:
My lovely daughter Vikki whose creative blog, Through the looking glass, deserves more readers, and to encourage her to write more posts!
A newish interesting blog from five lovely writers at novel points of view
Interesting writer of crime and historicals, Chris Longmuir
Irreverent and amusing poet and crime writer, Michael Malone
Philosophical prolific writer of many genres, Bill Kirton
I follow many, many deserving bloggers but I'm sticking closer to home on this occasion!
Rosemary
Thursday, February 9, 2012
Author Spotlight (and Guest Blogger): Lindsay Townsend
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Lindsay Townsend
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I am truly delighted to welcome British writer, Lindsay Townsend to my blog today. I'm often in awe of Lindsay's prolific writing output and she still takes time to run several forums, such as the one I joined, British Romance Fiction. I'm even more excited that Lindsay is my first guest blogger as she has written the following wonderful post on writing from fairytales. I loved her short novella, A Christmas Sleeping Beauty, and the way she turned the helpless Sleeping Beauty idea on its head. I'm now looking forward to reading The Snow Bride.
The Snow Bride Blurb:
She is Beauty, but is he the Beast?
Elfrida, spirited, caring and beautiful, is also alone. She is the witch of the woods and no man dares to ask for her hand in marriage until a beast comes stalking brides and steals away her sister. Desperate, the lovely Elfrida offers herself as a sacrifice, as bridal bait, and she is seized by a man with fearful scars. Is he the beast?
In the depths of a frozen midwinter, in the heart of the woodland, Sir Magnus, battle-hardened knight of the Crusades, searches ceaselessly for three missing brides, pitting his wits and weapons against a nameless stalker of the snowy forest. Disfigured and hideously scarred, Magnus has finished with love, he thinks, until he rescues a fourth 'bride', the beautiful, red-haired Elfrida, whose innocent touch ignites in him a fierce passion that satisfies his deepest yearnings and darkest desires.
So a warm welcome, Lindsay. My blog is all yours today! Thanks for this great post.
Hello! First I want to say a huge thank you to Rosemary for her having me on her wonderful blog. It’s full of good things! And second, I’m sure many writers use and adapt old tales, especially if they are writers of historical romance.
For myself, I’ve always loved fairy tales: African fairy stories, Old Peter’s Russian tales, Grimm’s fairy tales and the western classics – Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, The Goose Girl, The Frog Prince. The themes of love, sacrifice, keeping promises (the theme of the Frog prince) transformation (in The Goose Girl and Cinderella) justice (again in Cinderella) are epic to me and timeless, worthy of exploration in romances and modern stories.
Cinderella, the story of selfless devotion rewarded, is a popular theme for many romance stories, with the ‘prince’ often an Italian or Arab billionaire who sweeps in to transform the heroine’s drab, oppressed life. I’m sure there are romances to be written about the ugly sisters, too – positive stories where they grow from their petty spitefulness and obsession over balls and dances into generous, complete women, who also find love. That element of the happily ever after and the unexpected is strong in both fairy tales and in romance and both appeal to me greatly.
Fairy tales can also be epic, dealing with issues of life and death. Look at Gerda and her determination to win her brother out of enchantment in The Snow Queen. Look at Sleeping Beauty, where the prince rescues the princess from the ‘death’ of endless sleep.
Recently I did my own ‘take’ on Sleeping Beauty in my A Christmas Sleeping Beauty. I made it a story of transformation for both my heroine, Rosie, and the prince Orlando, who starts as a very arrogant and selfish young man who needs to learn to love and cherish. I didn’t want my Rosie to be passive, simply waiting to be woken, so she is active in the story both through her dreams and through her speaking directly to the hero in a letter. I also added more urgency by making it a ticking clock story – Orlando must wake Rosie in three days or he loses his chance forever.
The story of Beauty and the Beast has thrilled me since I was a child, with its dark and menacing beginning, the terrifying beast and Beauty’s courage and love for her father and ultimately for the beast. I was inspired by these basic tenets to write my own medieval version of Beauty and the Beast in my The Snow Bride. Magnus, the hero, has been hideously scarred by war and looks like a beast. He considers himself unworthy of love. Elfrida, my heroine, is also an outsider since she is a white witch, but she willingly sacrifices herself (as Beauty does in the fairy story) because of love, in her case her love for her younger sister, Christina, for whom she feels responsible. When she and Magnus encounter each other, I made it that they could not understand each other at first, to add to the mystery and dread – is Magnus as ugly in soul as in body? They must learn to trust each other, despite appearances, and come to love (just as in the original fairy tale).
I also added other fairy tale elements to The Snow Bride: magic, darkness, the idea of three (a common motif in fairy tales) spirits in the forest and more. Perhaps in the darker elements of my forest I was inspired by that other old fairy story – Red Riding Hood.
How about you? What inspires you in your reading or writing?
Lindsay Townsend
A Knight’s Vow – Kensington Zebra
A Knight’s Captive – Kensington Zebra
A Knight’s Enchantment – Kensington Zebra
To Touch The Knight – Kensington Zebra
Flavia’s Secret – Siren-Bookstrand
Blue Gold – Siren-Bookstrand
Bronze Lightning – Siren-Bookstrand
Escape to Love – Siren-Bookstrand
Silk and Steel – Siren- Bookstrand
Chasing Rachel – Siren-Bookstrand
A Secret Treasure – Siren-Bookstrand
Holiday in Bologna – Siren-Bookstrand
Palace of the Fountains – Siren-Bookstrand
The Snow Bride - Siren-Bookstrand
A Christmas Seeping Beauty - Muse it Up Publishing
Midsummer Maid - Muse it Up Publishing (Forthcoming)
The Lord and Eleanor - Ellora's Cave (Forthcoming)
Among other places, you can find Lindsay on her historical romance website; Bookstrand; Kensington; Amazon (UK); Amazon (US)
Twitter: @lindsayromantic
She is Beauty, but is he the Beast?
Elfrida, spirited, caring and beautiful, is also alone. She is the witch of the woods and no man dares to ask for her hand in marriage until a beast comes stalking brides and steals away her sister. Desperate, the lovely Elfrida offers herself as a sacrifice, as bridal bait, and she is seized by a man with fearful scars. Is he the beast?
In the depths of a frozen midwinter, in the heart of the woodland, Sir Magnus, battle-hardened knight of the Crusades, searches ceaselessly for three missing brides, pitting his wits and weapons against a nameless stalker of the snowy forest. Disfigured and hideously scarred, Magnus has finished with love, he thinks, until he rescues a fourth 'bride', the beautiful, red-haired Elfrida, whose innocent touch ignites in him a fierce passion that satisfies his deepest yearnings and darkest desires.
So a warm welcome, Lindsay. My blog is all yours today! Thanks for this great post.
Inspired by Fairy Tales
Hello! First I want to say a huge thank you to Rosemary for her having me on her wonderful blog. It’s full of good things! And second, I’m sure many writers use and adapt old tales, especially if they are writers of historical romance.
For myself, I’ve always loved fairy tales: African fairy stories, Old Peter’s Russian tales, Grimm’s fairy tales and the western classics – Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, The Goose Girl, The Frog Prince. The themes of love, sacrifice, keeping promises (the theme of the Frog prince) transformation (in The Goose Girl and Cinderella) justice (again in Cinderella) are epic to me and timeless, worthy of exploration in romances and modern stories.
Cinderella, the story of selfless devotion rewarded, is a popular theme for many romance stories, with the ‘prince’ often an Italian or Arab billionaire who sweeps in to transform the heroine’s drab, oppressed life. I’m sure there are romances to be written about the ugly sisters, too – positive stories where they grow from their petty spitefulness and obsession over balls and dances into generous, complete women, who also find love. That element of the happily ever after and the unexpected is strong in both fairy tales and in romance and both appeal to me greatly.
Fairy tales can also be epic, dealing with issues of life and death. Look at Gerda and her determination to win her brother out of enchantment in The Snow Queen. Look at Sleeping Beauty, where the prince rescues the princess from the ‘death’ of endless sleep.
Recently I did my own ‘take’ on Sleeping Beauty in my A Christmas Sleeping Beauty. I made it a story of transformation for both my heroine, Rosie, and the prince Orlando, who starts as a very arrogant and selfish young man who needs to learn to love and cherish. I didn’t want my Rosie to be passive, simply waiting to be woken, so she is active in the story both through her dreams and through her speaking directly to the hero in a letter. I also added more urgency by making it a ticking clock story – Orlando must wake Rosie in three days or he loses his chance forever.
The story of Beauty and the Beast has thrilled me since I was a child, with its dark and menacing beginning, the terrifying beast and Beauty’s courage and love for her father and ultimately for the beast. I was inspired by these basic tenets to write my own medieval version of Beauty and the Beast in my The Snow Bride. Magnus, the hero, has been hideously scarred by war and looks like a beast. He considers himself unworthy of love. Elfrida, my heroine, is also an outsider since she is a white witch, but she willingly sacrifices herself (as Beauty does in the fairy story) because of love, in her case her love for her younger sister, Christina, for whom she feels responsible. When she and Magnus encounter each other, I made it that they could not understand each other at first, to add to the mystery and dread – is Magnus as ugly in soul as in body? They must learn to trust each other, despite appearances, and come to love (just as in the original fairy tale).
I also added other fairy tale elements to The Snow Bride: magic, darkness, the idea of three (a common motif in fairy tales) spirits in the forest and more. Perhaps in the darker elements of my forest I was inspired by that other old fairy story – Red Riding Hood.
How about you? What inspires you in your reading or writing?
Lindsay Townsend
Lindsay Townsend is fascinated by ancient world and medieval history and writes historical romance covering these periods. She also enjoys thrillers and writes both historical and contemporary romantic suspense. When not writing, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her husband, gardening, reading and taking long, languid baths – possibly with chocolate.
Author's Other Works:
A Knight’s Vow – Kensington Zebra
A Knight’s Captive – Kensington Zebra
A Knight’s Enchantment – Kensington Zebra
To Touch The Knight – Kensington Zebra
Flavia’s Secret – Siren-Bookstrand
Blue Gold – Siren-Bookstrand
Bronze Lightning – Siren-Bookstrand
Escape to Love – Siren-Bookstrand
Silk and Steel – Siren- Bookstrand
Chasing Rachel – Siren-Bookstrand
A Secret Treasure – Siren-Bookstrand
Holiday in Bologna – Siren-Bookstrand
Palace of the Fountains – Siren-Bookstrand
The Snow Bride - Siren-Bookstrand
A Christmas Seeping Beauty - Muse it Up Publishing
Midsummer Maid - Muse it Up Publishing (Forthcoming)
The Lord and Eleanor - Ellora's Cave (Forthcoming)
Among other places, you can find Lindsay on her historical romance website; Bookstrand; Kensington; Amazon (UK); Amazon (US)
Twitter: @lindsayromantic
Monday, February 6, 2012
Panster, Plotter or Procrastinator?
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So which are you? The first two are often debated on writing blogs and many writers fall into either the panster camp, or plotter camp. Does it matter and is one better than the other? In the unlikely chance that someone hasn't come across the terms, here's a simplified recap: a panster normally writes 'by the seat of the pants', without a complete plan preferring to see where the story takes them, while a plotter (as it suggests) begins only after planning out a story or novel in fairly comprehensive detail.
And the procrastinator? That's me. Only, until this weekend I always said I'm a panster - I've never plotted a story or novel in my life, so far. Now, I'm convinced that panster is just another word for procrastinator in my case. I've been putting things off for as long as I can remember. And it has seeped into my writing life. Someone might recall the list of 'works started, or in progress' that I mentioned when debating about doing NaNoWriMo in November - it was a shocking list of procrastination. Novels started and abandoned, in the hope of getting around to finishing them 'one day'.
So this weekend, I admitted to being a world-class 'putter offer' of things (although husband has often said as much). Maybe that's why I'm a panster, in the hope that if I just start writing when I feel like it, I'll have a story or even novel at the end. But it's really because I can't be bothered knuckling down to doing the work in a planned, focused manner. And I need a deadline - a metaphorical whip - to make me finally produce the goods. I finally understand this after deciding at the last minute to enter a competition for a novella or novel. But I'd forgotten the deadline was yesterday and I only remembered late on Friday.
I could have let the chance go past, but I'm occasionally quite determined (husband calls it stubborn) and decided to turn a 3,000 word story into an almost 16,000 word short novella over the weekend - in between going out, cooking meals, ironing and watching a few TV programmes. Did I do it? With the skin of my teeth. But I have to say that keeping off the Internet and social media made the biggest difference in achieving it. And I loved writing it, as the basic outline of the novella was already partly in the short story - but I'd always felt this deserved to be a much longer piece with a completely new subplot added and had never been bothered to rewrite it as such. Just wish I'd given myself more time.
And this made me question the way I write. It flowed so much better through having that basic outline and knowing where the story was going before trying to write it all. Devoting concentrated time to it meant I stayed with the characters and they became even more real to me. And I completed a new piece of work that had long been waiting to become more than it was before. I'm going to have to think about this more carefully, once I catch up on everything I neglected over the weekend.
So does it matter if you're a panster or a plotter? We're told to find what's right for us. But I'm having trouble finishing the novel I've been writing as a panster and I know I'm going to have to change so much of what I originally started with. Maybe I need to stop and do a basic outline for the whole novel before writing another word of it, check I'm on the right track. Now I just have to make sure I don't procrastinate and leave the poor novel languishing for another month. As for the competition - it's not the fact I entered that excites me, it's completing my first short novella.
Rosemary
And the procrastinator? That's me. Only, until this weekend I always said I'm a panster - I've never plotted a story or novel in my life, so far. Now, I'm convinced that panster is just another word for procrastinator in my case. I've been putting things off for as long as I can remember. And it has seeped into my writing life. Someone might recall the list of 'works started, or in progress' that I mentioned when debating about doing NaNoWriMo in November - it was a shocking list of procrastination. Novels started and abandoned, in the hope of getting around to finishing them 'one day'.
So this weekend, I admitted to being a world-class 'putter offer' of things (although husband has often said as much). Maybe that's why I'm a panster, in the hope that if I just start writing when I feel like it, I'll have a story or even novel at the end. But it's really because I can't be bothered knuckling down to doing the work in a planned, focused manner. And I need a deadline - a metaphorical whip - to make me finally produce the goods. I finally understand this after deciding at the last minute to enter a competition for a novella or novel. But I'd forgotten the deadline was yesterday and I only remembered late on Friday.
I could have let the chance go past, but I'm occasionally quite determined (husband calls it stubborn) and decided to turn a 3,000 word story into an almost 16,000 word short novella over the weekend - in between going out, cooking meals, ironing and watching a few TV programmes. Did I do it? With the skin of my teeth. But I have to say that keeping off the Internet and social media made the biggest difference in achieving it. And I loved writing it, as the basic outline of the novella was already partly in the short story - but I'd always felt this deserved to be a much longer piece with a completely new subplot added and had never been bothered to rewrite it as such. Just wish I'd given myself more time.
And this made me question the way I write. It flowed so much better through having that basic outline and knowing where the story was going before trying to write it all. Devoting concentrated time to it meant I stayed with the characters and they became even more real to me. And I completed a new piece of work that had long been waiting to become more than it was before. I'm going to have to think about this more carefully, once I catch up on everything I neglected over the weekend.
So does it matter if you're a panster or a plotter? We're told to find what's right for us. But I'm having trouble finishing the novel I've been writing as a panster and I know I'm going to have to change so much of what I originally started with. Maybe I need to stop and do a basic outline for the whole novel before writing another word of it, check I'm on the right track. Now I just have to make sure I don't procrastinate and leave the poor novel languishing for another month. As for the competition - it's not the fact I entered that excites me, it's completing my first short novella.
Rosemary
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Author Spotlight: Myra Duffy
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A very warm welcome to fellow Scottish writer, Myra Duffy. I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Myra through our local writing group and I’m delighted to introduce her, and her writing, to a wider audience. You can read more about this interesting writer at the end of the interview.
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Myra’s second Alison Cameron novel set on the lovely Scottish island of Bute, Last Ferry to Bute, is a truly absorbing mystery, with enough twists and turns to satisfy any reader of cosy crime and mystery. I particularly enjoyed the fact that protagonist, Alison, is an ordinary wife and mother who always seems to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It also brought back memories of wonderful family holidays on Bute.
Last Ferry to Bute
Blurb
When her mother’s friend, Jessie, expresses some concerns about her safety in the exclusive Hereuse Nursing Home where she now lives, Alison reluctantly agrees to investigate. She also is persuaded into helping with the arrangements for her college reunion on the island, resulting in frequent trips to Bute.
Then the mysterious deaths begin and Alison is soon caught in the middle of several strange occurrences. Between trying to discover if Jessie’s worries have any foundation in fact, and concerns over the smooth antiques dealer with whom her besotted daughter is working, Alison is soon out of her depth. Then she is confronted with some mysterious deaths. Can she find out the answer to her questions before she too is in danger?
Myra kindly agreed to answer the following questions
You also write short stories and non-fiction, Myra - which do you prefer and why?
I’ve always enjoyed writing non-fiction because it comes from personal experience and I feel confident about my areas of expertise. The non-fiction I’ve written to date draws on my experience of initially managing a section within a large organisation, then latterly managing a small organisation and dealing with the problems that can arise from limited resources and both paid and voluntary staff. I hope to write an updated non-fiction management handbook for small organisations at some stage.
In recent years I’ve concentrated on fiction. I’ve always written fiction, but mostly for my own interest rather than with a view to publishing, though winning a number of prizes over the years has been very encouraging. Short stories tend to come to me almost fully formed - a sudden idea - and I like to write character based short stories with a sting in the tale. But mostly I prefer to write novels, though they are more difficult and more time consuming, of course. Over the length of the novel you have time to develop both character and plot. My Bute novels feature the same main character, Alison Cameron and I’m getting very well acquainted with her.
Do your management skills help you to organise your writing time?
I would love to say - absolutely! However, it’s not quite as easy as that. Managing characters in a novel is even more difficult than managing people in real life, though in theory you should have much more control. But the discipline of management has helped me in planning and keeping to a plan. For example, I set myself the task of writing 50,000 words in a month for the Write a Novel in a month initiative last November (NaNoWriMo) and I did complete it, though by the end I was writing some 6,000 words a day. Probably that would fall into the category of ‘Just in Time’ management!
Why did you choose to write 'cosy crime'?
The main interest for me in any crime is the puzzle - who did it and why. I suppose this springs from the development of the characters and I like to keep the reader guessing as long as possible, though there are plenty of clues in the novel.
Bute is an ideal place to set such stories. It’s a small island off the West coast of Scotland with a population of no more than 6,000 people, except in the summer when the population is swelled by many visitors. This gives me all the benefits of a location that has strong associations for people in the West of Scotland (many of whom spent childhood holidays on Bute) and indeed with the many people of Scottish descent throughout the world. It allows me to focus in on the characters and use a kind of shorthand for the locations. And in a small place you have lots of opportunities for local gossip and intrigues to help move the plot along! I prefer not to write about violent crime, as I write the kind of books I like to read.
How do the islanders feel about your Alison Cameron mysteries being set on Bute?
Some of them are rather bemused, I think. But everyone has been very supportive, very helpful. And I do know a number of people living on the mainland, having read the books, decided to take a trip to the island. So I suppose I’m doing my bit for island tourism, though I am very careful to have a large disclaimer about the characters not being based on anyone I know. I do use real locations, but often change details for purposes of the plot.
I must add that the island isn’t the hotbed of crime that my novels suggest. In fact there is very little crime and it is a beautiful place with lots of unspoiled beaches and excellent walking, including the West Island Way. A lot of money is being spent on upgrading facilities, including the Art Deco Rothesay Pavilion which features strongly in the next book.
Do you have a favourite writing place?
I write in the attic, which isn’t nearly as Spartan as it sounds! I have a PC facing a blank wall to avoid distractions. But I can write anywhere and often write some of my novel on the ferry to Bute.
What are you working on now?
My current novel, the work-in-progress, is for the moment called Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion and the plot centres on the renovation of the Pavilion. During the last war Bute (especially Rothesay) was a very busy place as many army and navy personnel, including some from Canada, were stationed there and there is a fund of stories about what went on. Ettrick Bay, for example was used as a practice run for the D-Day landings. I’m weaving some of this history into the novel and I hope the twist will please readers.
Any tips for new writers?
Join a writers’ group! There’s no doubt in my mind that joining Erskine Writers a few years ago was just the impetus I needed to take my fiction writing seriously. Everyone has been so supportive, I’ve learned lots and the opportunities to enter competitions and receive advice from the judges have given me exactly the kind of help I needed. Writing can be a very solitary business and apart from the opportunities to develop your skills, a writing group offers a great social focus.
Thanks for those great answers, Myra, and for being my guest today! All the best with your novels.
Myra has written in a variety of genres since early childhood and still possesses a copy of her earliest novel, Jewels in the Snow, written at Primary school. She also wrote plays and on Friday afternoons the teacher allowed her to recruit classmates to act them out, or sometimes they were performed with glove puppets, a much loved Christmas present. Her first real success was winning a national writing competition at the age of thirteen. She continued to write and be published in local magazines during her schooldays and wrote short plays, performed at the local church.
Because of her background in management, she is a well established non-fiction author, specialising in educational articles and in management training handbooks for small organisations. Recently she’s had the opportunity to devote more time to her first love – fiction. Myra has been a prize-winner in a number of competitions run by Erskine Writers, of which she is currently President and also had some success in the competitions of the Scottish Association of Writers (at their annual conference). A number of short stories have been in publications such as My Weekly and the Ireland’s Own anthology.
Myra’s preference is for writing novels and to date these comprise When Old Ghosts Meet (published 2009), and the first of the Bute novels The House at Ettrick Bay (published 2010). Her latest novel, Last Ferry to Bute (published 2011), is also set on the Isle of Bute. Both Bute novels have the same protagonist - Alison Cameron, an ordinary woman who finds herself involved in extraordinary events.
The work in progress is provisionally titled Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion but Myra says she “is struggling with a bearded man who keeps appearing and I’m not quite sure what he intends to do!”
.jpg)
Last Ferry to Bute
Blurb
When her mother’s friend, Jessie, expresses some concerns about her safety in the exclusive Hereuse Nursing Home where she now lives, Alison reluctantly agrees to investigate. She also is persuaded into helping with the arrangements for her college reunion on the island, resulting in frequent trips to Bute.
Then the mysterious deaths begin and Alison is soon caught in the middle of several strange occurrences. Between trying to discover if Jessie’s worries have any foundation in fact, and concerns over the smooth antiques dealer with whom her besotted daughter is working, Alison is soon out of her depth. Then she is confronted with some mysterious deaths. Can she find out the answer to her questions before she too is in danger?
Myra kindly agreed to answer the following questions
You also write short stories and non-fiction, Myra - which do you prefer and why?
I’ve always enjoyed writing non-fiction because it comes from personal experience and I feel confident about my areas of expertise. The non-fiction I’ve written to date draws on my experience of initially managing a section within a large organisation, then latterly managing a small organisation and dealing with the problems that can arise from limited resources and both paid and voluntary staff. I hope to write an updated non-fiction management handbook for small organisations at some stage.
In recent years I’ve concentrated on fiction. I’ve always written fiction, but mostly for my own interest rather than with a view to publishing, though winning a number of prizes over the years has been very encouraging. Short stories tend to come to me almost fully formed - a sudden idea - and I like to write character based short stories with a sting in the tale. But mostly I prefer to write novels, though they are more difficult and more time consuming, of course. Over the length of the novel you have time to develop both character and plot. My Bute novels feature the same main character, Alison Cameron and I’m getting very well acquainted with her.
Do your management skills help you to organise your writing time?
I would love to say - absolutely! However, it’s not quite as easy as that. Managing characters in a novel is even more difficult than managing people in real life, though in theory you should have much more control. But the discipline of management has helped me in planning and keeping to a plan. For example, I set myself the task of writing 50,000 words in a month for the Write a Novel in a month initiative last November (NaNoWriMo) and I did complete it, though by the end I was writing some 6,000 words a day. Probably that would fall into the category of ‘Just in Time’ management!
Why did you choose to write 'cosy crime'?
The main interest for me in any crime is the puzzle - who did it and why. I suppose this springs from the development of the characters and I like to keep the reader guessing as long as possible, though there are plenty of clues in the novel.
Bute is an ideal place to set such stories. It’s a small island off the West coast of Scotland with a population of no more than 6,000 people, except in the summer when the population is swelled by many visitors. This gives me all the benefits of a location that has strong associations for people in the West of Scotland (many of whom spent childhood holidays on Bute) and indeed with the many people of Scottish descent throughout the world. It allows me to focus in on the characters and use a kind of shorthand for the locations. And in a small place you have lots of opportunities for local gossip and intrigues to help move the plot along! I prefer not to write about violent crime, as I write the kind of books I like to read.
How do the islanders feel about your Alison Cameron mysteries being set on Bute?
Some of them are rather bemused, I think. But everyone has been very supportive, very helpful. And I do know a number of people living on the mainland, having read the books, decided to take a trip to the island. So I suppose I’m doing my bit for island tourism, though I am very careful to have a large disclaimer about the characters not being based on anyone I know. I do use real locations, but often change details for purposes of the plot.
I must add that the island isn’t the hotbed of crime that my novels suggest. In fact there is very little crime and it is a beautiful place with lots of unspoiled beaches and excellent walking, including the West Island Way. A lot of money is being spent on upgrading facilities, including the Art Deco Rothesay Pavilion which features strongly in the next book.
Do you have a favourite writing place?
I write in the attic, which isn’t nearly as Spartan as it sounds! I have a PC facing a blank wall to avoid distractions. But I can write anywhere and often write some of my novel on the ferry to Bute.
What are you working on now?
My current novel, the work-in-progress, is for the moment called Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion and the plot centres on the renovation of the Pavilion. During the last war Bute (especially Rothesay) was a very busy place as many army and navy personnel, including some from Canada, were stationed there and there is a fund of stories about what went on. Ettrick Bay, for example was used as a practice run for the D-Day landings. I’m weaving some of this history into the novel and I hope the twist will please readers.
Any tips for new writers?
Join a writers’ group! There’s no doubt in my mind that joining Erskine Writers a few years ago was just the impetus I needed to take my fiction writing seriously. Everyone has been so supportive, I’ve learned lots and the opportunities to enter competitions and receive advice from the judges have given me exactly the kind of help I needed. Writing can be a very solitary business and apart from the opportunities to develop your skills, a writing group offers a great social focus.
Thanks for those great answers, Myra, and for being my guest today! All the best with your novels.
Last Ferry to Bute is available from Amazon (UK), in print, and at the special e-book price of £1.99 for a limited period. Also available from Amazon (US). The previous Alison Cameron mystery on Bute, The House at Ettrick Bay, is also available from Amazon.
You can pop over to Myra’s blog to read a little about Bute and perhaps hear what Last Ferry to Bute protagonist Alison Cameron has to say for herself.
A graduate of the University of Glasgow, Myra Duffy’s early career was in Education, with teaching posts (secondary and Further Education) in London, Madrid and Glasgow. She then held further posts in Educational management, finally as Director of the Scottish Wider Access Programme (West).
Myra has written in a variety of genres since early childhood and still possesses a copy of her earliest novel, Jewels in the Snow, written at Primary school. She also wrote plays and on Friday afternoons the teacher allowed her to recruit classmates to act them out, or sometimes they were performed with glove puppets, a much loved Christmas present. Her first real success was winning a national writing competition at the age of thirteen. She continued to write and be published in local magazines during her schooldays and wrote short plays, performed at the local church.
Because of her background in management, she is a well established non-fiction author, specialising in educational articles and in management training handbooks for small organisations. Recently she’s had the opportunity to devote more time to her first love – fiction. Myra has been a prize-winner in a number of competitions run by Erskine Writers, of which she is currently President and also had some success in the competitions of the Scottish Association of Writers (at their annual conference). A number of short stories have been in publications such as My Weekly and the Ireland’s Own anthology.
Myra’s preference is for writing novels and to date these comprise When Old Ghosts Meet (published 2009), and the first of the Bute novels The House at Ettrick Bay (published 2010). Her latest novel, Last Ferry to Bute (published 2011), is also set on the Isle of Bute. Both Bute novels have the same protagonist - Alison Cameron, an ordinary woman who finds herself involved in extraordinary events.
The work in progress is provisionally titled Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion but Myra says she “is struggling with a bearded man who keeps appearing and I’m not quite sure what he intends to do!”
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