Book Sale and Talks

 

In the USA, today is known as Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving. Evidently, everyone goes mad for sales today – maybe a little like our Boxing Day here in the UK, or the January Sales.

To mark the occasion and take advantage of the spending spree, my publisher, Tirgearr, has a 50% sale on all e-books from today until 8^th December. It’s a great opportunity to try some new authors. My own new full length historical, Midwinter Masquerade, is only £1.27 and short novella, The Aphrodite Touch, is only £0.77p!

Meanwhile, Paula is hosting me over on Heroines with Hearts some time today, where I’m talking a little about historical background in novels.

Then I’m off to deliver a talk at a writing and publishing day in the south of Scotland tomorrow – just about finished the PowerPoint presentation. Looking forward to it.

Have a great weekend,
Rosemary

Why do we Write?

I came across this interesting article a while ago, which is more accurately titled, Why Women Write? It makes interesting reading and I'm sure we'll all find a similar reason to our own in the responses.

The immediate question that struck me, however, was why should there be any difference between why women write and why men do? Or perhaps the article was only aimed that way because it's a site about women and books. I won't get into the whole male-female writing debate as it's been done to death. Mslexia magazine, which is aimed completely at women writers, is still alive and well and often carries comparisons between the genders.

My own reason for writing is multi-faceted: to express my thoughts creatively; to write out the stories and characters inside my head; to entertain and inform; to earn money where possible instead of going out to work!

No doubt you all have reasons of your own for this enjoyable, exciting, frustrating and creative activity.

I've been interviewed again and only discovered it last night, on Authors Interviews. Relentless online promotion when anew book comes out and people can't find it by wandering into a shop!

Rosemary

Hair cut, Trailer and Interview

 

 

Had to get my hair cut yesterday, which I detest doing as I never like it when just cut, no matter who does it! So I treated myself to posh coffee and cake while in Glasgow at a café in the beautiful Princes Square. Looking very festive at the moment.

 

You might remember the Exquisite Quills collection of winter-themed holiday stories I mentioned before - it's still FREE to download in all e-formats from Smashwords. One of the authors, Kaye, made this lovely little trailer for it.

Meanwhile, I'm chatting over on the Exquisite Quills blog today - if anyone has time to drop by!

 

Have a good weekend,

Rosemary

Writing Opportunities

As we near the end of the year, far too quickly as usual, here are a few writing competitions and opportunities that might interest some.

The Willesden Herald Short Story Competition - closing date 20 December

The Lascaux Review Flash Fiction - closing date 31 December

Read Short Fiction - market

Fiction Magazines - market

Good luck!
Rosemary

Featured Author: Anne Stenhouse

A very warm welcome on this dreich autumn morning to fellow Scottish author and colleague, Anne Stenhouse, who is sharing the inspiration behind her new historical romance, Bella’s Betrothal, while I’m on a visit to Anastacia Pollack’s Blog today.

Set in 1820s Edinburgh, Bella’s Betrothal is a very enjoyable read with a great sense of place and engaging characters. Since Anne is also an excellent playwright, there is plenty of sparkling dialogue between the hero, Charles Lindsay, and heroine, Lady Isabella Wormsley. It begins with one of the best lines I’ve read in any recent romance and I've really enjoyed following the not-so-smooth course of their love story and their interaction with a host of interesting characters. Here’s a little about the novel.

 

Bella's Betrothal

While she is travelling north to find sanctuary from the malicious gossip of the Ton, Lady Isabella Wormsley’s room in a Dalkeith inn is invaded by handsome Scottish Laird, Charles Lindsay. Charles has uncovered a plot to kidnap her, but Bella wonders if he isn’t a more dangerous threat, at least to her heart, than the villainous Graham Direlton he wrests her from.

Bella settles into the household of her Aunt Hatty Menzies in Edinburgh’s nineteenth century George Square where Charles is a regular visitor. She has been exiled to the north by her unfeeling mama, but feels more betrayed by her papa to whom she has been close. Bella hopes the delivery of her young cousin’s baby will eventually demonstrate her own innocence in the scandal that drove her from home.

Bella’s presence disrupts the lives of everyone connected to her. Direlton makes another attempt to kidnap her and in rescuing her a second time, Charles is compromised. Only a betrothal will save his business and Bella’s reputation.

Mayhem, murder and long suppressed family secrets raise confusion and seemingly endless difficulties. Will the growing but unacknowledged love between Bella and her Scottish architect survive the evil Direlton engineers?

Inspiration behind the story

Writing a longer piece like a novel brings together lots of things previously swimming in my subconscious soup. Place is a big influence. I sometimes find myself creating a character and scenario while standing in front of a house. It needn't be a big house and I've written one or two short pieces based on some photographs I took of a Victorian laundry. With Bella's Betrothal, I was very keen to showcase Edinburgh. I've lived here for a long time now in Georgian and Victorian houses. The townscape is always around me.

Next would be theme in the sense of 'What is this novel about?' With Bella's Betrothal, I was exercised by the damage gossip can do. Even in our own, maybe pedestrian, lives, reputation is precious. Once lost, getting it back is the Devil's own job.

Characters are of course paramount and I will try out 'voices' until I'm hearing the main protagonists and, often, the villain. Villains are just so interesting and such fun to create. With Bella's Betrothal, I also had several very demanding and interesting secondary characters clamouring to be heard.

Thanks for being my guest, Anne!

Bella's Betrothal is available from Amazon UK and US

ANNE STENHOUSE has always loved words. Reading them and using them greedily, she can’t truly remember a time when she couldn’t escape into the pages of a book and certainly can’t remember when she couldn’t talk and ask questions. Anne is a published and performed playwright. She studied both English and History at University in Edinburgh, and finds it a great joy to combine these two disciplines in her novels.

Being a playwright means Anne loves dialogue and knows a piece is going well when she ‘begins to hear the characters talking to each other’. She has been a civil servant, full-time Mum, and for a while, a worker in an Addictions’ rehabilitation unit. Anne lives in Scotland with her husband and dancing partner of over thirty years. Their children and a grandchild are close by.

Anne’s debut historical novel, Mariah’s Marriage, was shortlisted for the RNA Joan Hessayon Award.

You can find out more about Anne on her blog, Novels Now.

NaNo Update

I think I've been a bit ambitious this year, trying to do too many things at once, including all the promotion for the new novel! I did finish the next novella in the Aphrodite and Adonis series yesterday and it's away to my publisher for a verdict. But I'm not getting on fast enough with the Victorian crime novel for the NaNo word count (although I probably am achieving it if I count the novella). However, it's not set in stone to write 50,000 words so I'll carry on and see how I get on - any number of words will move the story on.

Since it was a gorgeous cold and dry autumn day here yesterday, we took advantage of a lovely, bracing walk beside the river. Much better than slogging away at a computer and it does help to clear the mind a little.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), I'm on a visit to Charlotte Harrison's lovely blog - A Place on the Bookshelf. Might see you there!

Rosemary

Blog Interview

Delighted to be featured on Lisa Chalmer's lovely blog today. Being put through my paces and talking about some of the inspiration for Midwinter Masquerade!

Remember the collection of 15 winter-themed short stories FREE to download from Smashwords. Penned by international authors and includes my short story, Highland Hogmanay.


Have a great weekend!
Rosemary

FREE Holiday Anthology!

 

I'm delighted that the Holiday Anthology of short stories from members and friends of Exquisite Quills is now FREE to download from Smashwords!

The cover was donated by wonderful cover artist and writer, Carey Abbot of E-book Cover Designs. The anthology contains fifteen feel-good winter holiday themed stories from international writers.

Here's the list of titles and authors:

Christmas Knight- Victoria Adams
Star of Wonder - Rose Anderson
The Kissing Ball - E. Ayers
The Christmas Risk - Beverley Bateman
Fallen in Love- Helena Fairfax
Snow Job - J.D. Faver
Christmas Miracle - Jennifer Garcia
Highland Hogmanay - Romy Gemmell
Almost Christmas -  Vonnie Hughes
The Unexpected Christmas Gift - Susan Jaymes
Shooting Star Holiday Express - Gemma Juliana
The Christmas Gift - Jean Lamb
A Faery's Wish - A Mini Christmas Faery Tale - Jane Leopold Quinn
Joyeux Noel - Zanna Mackenzie
Gift to Treasure - Kaye Spencer

My story, Highland Hogmanay, introduces the two main characters from my short novella The Aphrodite Touch, Carla and Jamie, and how they met at a wedding in the Scottish highlands just before Hogmanay.

You can download the collection in any e-format from Smashwords, and if you don't have an e-reader, you can even download the Pdf version to read on your computer! All Free!

Rosemary

Discipline and a Competition

Now that I'm into the discipline of writing the suggested daily number of words for NaNoWriMo, the same thing is starting to happen as last year. As well as the official novel I'm attempting to draft during November, I'm finding it's making me a little more organised in general about all my writing.

In between, I'm also trying to finish redrafting the next short novella in the Aphrodite and Adonis series to get that submitted. Hope this energised work ethic lasts! Can't help thinking it's something to do with this being my favourite time of year when the colder weather makes me feel more alive.

For those who prefer the warmer part of the year, you might be interested in the short story competition from Harper's Bazaar. The theme is spring, maximum of 3,000 words, and the closing date is 13th December.

And to keep us all motivated, here's a very wise proverb I came across:

"If you want to do something, you will find a way. If you don't want to do anything, you will find an excuse."

Happy writing,
Rosemary