Free and Bargain Books

As a little early Christmas gift over the next few days, I’m offering a FREE download on Amazon Kindle of my Victorian novella, Mischief at Mulberry Manor, which was first published last Christmas. You can get it free on Amazon UK and Amazon US from Friday 13th to Sunday 15th December.

It’s only around 30,000 words so might be a good little treat in between all the busyness. Set around Twelfth Night in 1859, it has romance, intrigue and a ghostly presence amongst the festive gathering at the old Mulberry Manor. Here’s a reminder of the story via the trailer to whet your appetite!

If you don’t have a kindle, remember you can download the free kindle App to any e-reader or computer.

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If your taste is more for something in the (non gory) horror line, Jenny Twist is offering her story, Mantequero, as a FREE download from Friday 13th to Tuesday 17th December on Amazon UK and Amazon US.

 

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The collection of Winter-themed holiday short stories by international writers (including one of mine) from Exquisite Quills is still FREE to download in all e-formats from Smashwords.

 

 

 

 

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As an experiment, I’ve changed the cover of my first collection of eight previously published/prize-winning short stories, Reshaping the Past, to give it a more modern look. It’s available on Amazon UKat the princely sum of £0.99 and Amazon US for $1.59.

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In time for all the cooking over the festive season, what could be better than this updated collection of puddings, Just Desserts, from authors and staff at Tirgearr Publishing! It's available on Amazon UK at only £0.70 and on Amazon US at $1.26 - all proceeds go to charity when not free to download.

 

 

Hope you enjoy!

Rosemary

Internet Problems and Cover Poll

Is anyone else getting a strange message when logging on to Blogger this morning? I suspect it's a problem with our Internet connection again - seems to go slow for a while on a Monday but I've never had a message about problems with the browser before. I've been trying to watch an interesting little video trailer from a well known writer and had to give up for now - even though it's only 7 minutes long! Hope this post gets through as it won't let me preview it.

I'll just mention that my lovely Midwinter Masquerade cover is in a current book cover poll on StoryFinds. If anyone has time to vote (and you think it deserves it), I'd be very grateful. Thanks in advance!

Trying to get my writing organised (again) and sorting out what I should I be doing now and in the next few months, but feeling strangely reluctant. Must be the Christmas spirit creeping up on me and insisting I concentrate on that instead. It's the Christmas 'mince pies and manuscripts' meeting at the writing group tomorrow before we finish until the New Year, and I'm looking forward to my Christmas lunch out with a friend on Thursday.

Do you find it difficult to concentrate on writing at the moment?

Rosemary

Writing, Publishing and Country Hotel

View from our window

 

What a lovely weekend I had speaking down at the Dumfries and Galloway region in the south of Scotland. The writing and publishing day was full of information, networking with other writers and an overview of the choices available to writers these days and the practical considerations of running a small business. My own talk and presentation was about e-publishing and self-publishing options and the comparison with traditional print publishing.

The sun shone the whole weekend and my husband and I stayed overnight nearer to the coast in a beautiful hotel that was once an eighteenth century mansion. Situated in its own massive grounds, with woods, lots of walks and golf course, we wished for more than one night! To cap it all, there was an unexpected (to us) dinner dance in the evening and we took to the floor for a couple of Scottish country dances and the odd waltz - very fitting for St Andrew's Night!

Our window seat

The location was stunning and the hotel full of spacious, elegant public rooms. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to enjoy the full length indoor swimming pool but did appreciate the cream tea on arrival! We shall definitely make a return visit at a different time of year so we can explore all the walking routes. Great for researching that period of building for future novels.

Graceful interior

Now, I need to absorb all the information I gleaned from other writers at the conference and get my next writing projects organised. At the same time, I'm judging the Romantic Novel Award at the Scottish Association of Writers Weekend Conference in March, which also involves me writing a fairly detailed constructive critique on each. And the bundle of entries will be arriving any day from the competition secretary! Guess what I'll be doing for the next couple of months, in between Christmas. Looking forward to reading them all and offering my humble advice.

Remember the half price kindle sale which includes Midwinter Masquerade and The Aphrodite Touch until 8th December - and the great list of other books from Tirgearr Publishing.

Rosemary

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