22 August 2013
Guest Post on Bookish Whimsy
Today I'm over at Bookish Whimsy with a guest post on Charlene's excellent blog. If you'd like to know a little more about me, my writing space and how many houses I've lived in then pop on over and say hello.
15 August 2013
Book Reviews
Book reviews
were in the news for many of the wrong reasons last year and earlier this year,
and possibly because of this I guess many people discount some reviews
thinking they've been written by the author’s friends and/or family.
When my husband sent me a link to this blog post, I realised that perhaps the struggle to get reviews might have become my latest fixation!
I laughed out loud when I read the post, but found myself nodding in agreement at much of it.
Good reviews are wonderful – they give the author a huge boost of encouragement and lots of warm fluffy feelings. By a good review I don’t necessarily mean 5-stars (though that is brilliant). A sentence or two outlining what you've enjoyed about the plot/characters/prose is great as well as useful, and finding out what someone hasn't liked is also helpful. It's harder to read, but constructive feedback is good, though sometimes the phrase might sound more like a mantra through gritted teeth!
Yesterday my morning started brilliantly when I discovered this review on the Rabid Readers Review site.
When my husband sent me a link to this blog post, I realised that perhaps the struggle to get reviews might have become my latest fixation!
I laughed out loud when I read the post, but found myself nodding in agreement at much of it.
Good reviews are wonderful – they give the author a huge boost of encouragement and lots of warm fluffy feelings. By a good review I don’t necessarily mean 5-stars (though that is brilliant). A sentence or two outlining what you've enjoyed about the plot/characters/prose is great as well as useful, and finding out what someone hasn't liked is also helpful. It's harder to read, but constructive feedback is good, though sometimes the phrase might sound more like a mantra through gritted teeth!
Yesterday my morning started brilliantly when I discovered this review on the Rabid Readers Review site.
08 August 2013
Great Expectations
Someone asked me what I'm working on at the
moment. I’ve just published Lies of the Dead so I’m in the phase of deciding which
bubbling idea to go with next. I have two quite different book ideas I’ve been considering,
but one is definitely making all the running at the moment.
I love this part of the process, although it’s so nebulous
it can hardly be called a process. I recall vividly sitting in a café on the
coast somewhere between Sydney and Brisbane – okay I recall the moment and the
café just not exactly where it was - reading a magazine article, when THE IDEA
struck.
As with the previous ideas that became books, at that point THE IDEA was
just a premise with the main character appearing as little more than a
silhouette.
She (the main character) is still nameless. I always take a
long time with names before the correct one comes, but I know a lot more about
her now than I did in that café. I know how she feels about some of the things
that concern her and how she will react to situations. I know her family
situation, her husband’s job (which is important to the plot), and with each
piece of the puzzle she comes a little further out of the shadows.
The thing I love most about this part of the process is that
there is all this possibility ahead of me before the internal critic gets to
work and tells me I haven't quite captured the brilliance of my original idea!
On this subject my favourite philosopher (Winnie the Pooh) says,
'When you are a Bear of Very Little Brain, and you Think of Things, you find
sometimes that a Thing which seemed very Thingish inside you is quite different
when it gets out into the open and has other people looking at it.'
Neil Gaiman said, ‘Perfection is like chasing the horizon.
Keep moving.’
So I’ll keep moving and in the meantime I’m enjoying the
nebulous part of the process.
12 July 2013
Lies of the Dead
The nine months of a pregnancy often seem to last for longer than that, though at times pass too quickly - okay maybe just in hindsight!
In my experience writing a book is a much longer affair, though painful in different ways, but today I'm absolutely thrilled to say that Lies of the Dead is well and truly published and out there.
I had the initial idea for the story and the three siblings who are the main characters about four years ago, though they sat quietly for a while at the back of my mind, but gradually they clamoured more and more to be heard.
Liam, the youngest of the three, was the one who claimed my attention initially, and I intended to tell the story through him, but every time I thought about scenes, or tried to write, it was Tom, the oldest brother, whose voice came through. Eventually I gave in and listened to him.
Lies of the Dead is set mostly in Cornwall, though Andi lives in Bristol and Liam in London. The Cornish scenery and people played a large part in forming the story, and it is an area of England I love.
What would you risk to find the truth?
How well do we know those closest to us? When Liam kills himself, his older brother Tom needs to know why suicide was the only solution.
Tom, and his sister Andi, search for answers but don't know who they can believe. Are Liam's friends and associates the people they claim to be? Tom and Andi are propelled into a world where their ideas of right and wrong don't exist, and where people demand what neither of them possesses.
Liam's legacy of deceit is dangerous, and when Andi and her twin daughters are threatened, Tom realises that truth may have too high a price.
The main idea of the story remains as it first came to me, but the path it took has changed considerably, although I find that is often the way.
Lies of the Dead is available in print and Kindle through Amazon and Amazon UK and the other Amazon stores, and in alternative electronic formats through Smashwords. It will shortly be available through other retailers including the Apple store, Barnes and Noble and Sony store.
If you read the story of Tom, Andi and Liam I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know.
In my experience writing a book is a much longer affair, though painful in different ways, but today I'm absolutely thrilled to say that Lies of the Dead is well and truly published and out there.
Liam, the youngest of the three, was the one who claimed my attention initially, and I intended to tell the story through him, but every time I thought about scenes, or tried to write, it was Tom, the oldest brother, whose voice came through. Eventually I gave in and listened to him.
Lies of the Dead is set mostly in Cornwall, though Andi lives in Bristol and Liam in London. The Cornish scenery and people played a large part in forming the story, and it is an area of England I love.
What would you risk to find the truth?
How well do we know those closest to us? When Liam kills himself, his older brother Tom needs to know why suicide was the only solution.
Tom, and his sister Andi, search for answers but don't know who they can believe. Are Liam's friends and associates the people they claim to be? Tom and Andi are propelled into a world where their ideas of right and wrong don't exist, and where people demand what neither of them possesses.
Liam's legacy of deceit is dangerous, and when Andi and her twin daughters are threatened, Tom realises that truth may have too high a price.
The main idea of the story remains as it first came to me, but the path it took has changed considerably, although I find that is often the way.
Lies of the Dead is available in print and Kindle through Amazon and Amazon UK and the other Amazon stores, and in alternative electronic formats through Smashwords. It will shortly be available through other retailers including the Apple store, Barnes and Noble and Sony store.
If you read the story of Tom, Andi and Liam I hope you enjoy it. Please let me know.
09 July 2013
Words and Pictures
At the
moment we have a friend from England staying with us. This is his first visit
to New Zealand, and we are enjoying the
opportunity of showing him the local sights as well as places further afield
we love to visit. One of the great things about doing this is that it makes you
look at familiar places as if you’ve never seen them before.
Last week we spent a few glorious days in Sydney, and it was great to look at this city we love as if it was our first visit.
We took lots of photos – although we already have plenty!
There is a saying that a picture paints a thousand words, but words can also paint magical pictures.
About half of Driftwood is set in Sydney and while I haven’t experienced any of Juliet’s problems or had someone try to kill me, there are a number of elements and snatches of scenes included in the book that are places I’ve visited or things I’ve seen. When I read those scenes it brings back the incident I witnessed, or alternatively, when I visit a place I’ve included in Driftwood it reminds me how I used it in Juliet’s story.
Alex takes Juliet to dinner in Darling Harbour – this is a favourite spot of mine and while the restaurant they visited doesn’t exist, there are heaps of good places to eat in Darling Harbour.
In another scene Juliet watches a street entertainer in Circular Quay – I’ve since cut back this description, but the little I’ve left reminds me of his act and I can still see him clearly.
One of the chapters ends with Juliet watching a bride and groom in the gardens close to the Opera House. I watched the couple I describe posing for their wedding photographs by the harbour, and I sometimes wonder where they are now, and hope they are as happy as they were that day.
The New Zealand sections of Driftwood are set in Auckland, Christchurch and the Tasman area at the top of the South Island.
Juliet’s view from her home of the Auckland Harbour is the one we had at the time I was writing the book. The scenes set in Christchurch are ones I remember vividly, and with great sadness, as some of the places were badly damaged in the earthquake in 2010 and the severe aftershock in February 2011.
The Nelson and Abel Tasman areas of the South Island are outstandingly beautiful and we’ve spent many happy holidays exploring the beaches and walking the tracks through the National Park.
If you’re interested in seeing some of the places, I’ve been working on a board using photographs I’ve taken during visits, and I’ll be adding more images over the coming weeks.
Last week we spent a few glorious days in Sydney, and it was great to look at this city we love as if it was our first visit.
We took lots of photos – although we already have plenty!
There is a saying that a picture paints a thousand words, but words can also paint magical pictures.
About half of Driftwood is set in Sydney and while I haven’t experienced any of Juliet’s problems or had someone try to kill me, there are a number of elements and snatches of scenes included in the book that are places I’ve visited or things I’ve seen. When I read those scenes it brings back the incident I witnessed, or alternatively, when I visit a place I’ve included in Driftwood it reminds me how I used it in Juliet’s story.
Alex takes Juliet to dinner in Darling Harbour – this is a favourite spot of mine and while the restaurant they visited doesn’t exist, there are heaps of good places to eat in Darling Harbour.
In another scene Juliet watches a street entertainer in Circular Quay – I’ve since cut back this description, but the little I’ve left reminds me of his act and I can still see him clearly.
One of the chapters ends with Juliet watching a bride and groom in the gardens close to the Opera House. I watched the couple I describe posing for their wedding photographs by the harbour, and I sometimes wonder where they are now, and hope they are as happy as they were that day.
The New Zealand sections of Driftwood are set in Auckland, Christchurch and the Tasman area at the top of the South Island.
Juliet’s view from her home of the Auckland Harbour is the one we had at the time I was writing the book. The scenes set in Christchurch are ones I remember vividly, and with great sadness, as some of the places were badly damaged in the earthquake in 2010 and the severe aftershock in February 2011.
The Nelson and Abel Tasman areas of the South Island are outstandingly beautiful and we’ve spent many happy holidays exploring the beaches and walking the tracks through the National Park.
If you’re interested in seeing some of the places, I’ve been working on a board using photographs I’ve taken during visits, and I’ll be adding more images over the coming weeks.
28 June 2013
Lies of the Dead - Cover
I'm really excited that my latest book Lies of the Dead is just about there and thrilled to unveil the cover created by the talented Andrew Brown of Design for Writers.
Unlike Driftwood and Lives Interrupted I had absolutely no ideas for the cover of Lies of the Dead, but working with Andrew makes the process incredibly easy. He asks a lot of questions about the plot and characters, important (poster) scenes, my own likes and dislikes, and then he goes away and works his magic.
Lies of the Dead is set predominantly in Cornwall which is an area I love. Writing those scenes has allowed me to wander through villages, along beautiful cliff walks and feel the sand under my feet on the glorious beaches. The setting of Poldrayth is fictitious but it is based on a real Cornish village to allow me to play around with the geography a little.
What would you risk to find the truth?
How well do we know those closest to us? When Liam kills himself, his older brother Tom needs to know why suicide was the only answer.
Tom's search leads him, and his sister Andi, to a criminal world where their ideas of right and wrong don’t exist, and where people aren’t who they claim to be.
Liam’s legacy of deceit is dangerous and when Tom and Andi and her twin daughters are threatened, Tom realises that truth may have too high a price.
Thanks a million Andrew for a wonderful cover - drumroll
Unlike Driftwood and Lives Interrupted I had absolutely no ideas for the cover of Lies of the Dead, but working with Andrew makes the process incredibly easy. He asks a lot of questions about the plot and characters, important (poster) scenes, my own likes and dislikes, and then he goes away and works his magic.
Lies of the Dead is set predominantly in Cornwall which is an area I love. Writing those scenes has allowed me to wander through villages, along beautiful cliff walks and feel the sand under my feet on the glorious beaches. The setting of Poldrayth is fictitious but it is based on a real Cornish village to allow me to play around with the geography a little.
What would you risk to find the truth?
How well do we know those closest to us? When Liam kills himself, his older brother Tom needs to know why suicide was the only answer.
Tom's search leads him, and his sister Andi, to a criminal world where their ideas of right and wrong don’t exist, and where people aren’t who they claim to be.
Liam’s legacy of deceit is dangerous and when Tom and Andi and her twin daughters are threatened, Tom realises that truth may have too high a price.
Thanks a million Andrew for a wonderful cover - drumroll
06 June 2013
Matariki
At this time of year in New Zealand it's the celebration of
Matariki – the traditional Maori New Year.
Of course we also celebrate New Year on the 31st December/1st January, and as there is also a large Chinese population we have festivals to celebrate Chinese New Year, as well as Matariki events.
I’m fascinated with our obsession of changing habits and making goals on a specific date because it’s a New Year. I think having several different dates emphasises the point that we can make goals and change behaviours at any time.
I’ve blogged about making goals before, but it seemed a good time to post about a few of the things I've learned. The major thing has been to make one goal at a time, which is a good reason not to confine them to New Year.
If our goal is about big behavioural changes, then we’re more likely to succeed if we concentrate on one change at a time.
Ask yourself what you really want to change? What skill you really want to improve? Or what skill you’d like to learn?
Take some time and really think about what you want out of life. Now is a good time as the papers and magazines aren’t full of celebrity goals that can sway our thinking.
When you’ve come up with your goal, write it down. I find the act of committing it to paper makes it more real.
Now break the goal down into smaller more manageable tasks you can measure and set a time period for achieving.
In the past I’ve tended to choose a number of things I want to change or do, and then I get bogged down trying to keep them all. Making one goal at a time and steadily progressing towards it allows me to focus on what I need to do.
I’ve also found it useful to tell someone about my goal. Usually just one person, again it’s about making it real, but also about choosing someone who recognises why that goal is important to me, and will remind me about it in a supportive way.
Many companies have a program of continuous improvement. I’ll leave aside the fact that many pay lip service to it, but I think about it in respect of my goals. Things aren’t going to change overnight, we will probably find ourselves reverting to old habits, but concentrating on one goal, breaking it down into bite size pieces and giving ourselves the time and space to achieve makes success a lot more certain than a New Year’s Eve scattergun approach.
Start now - get out a piece of paper and think about something you really want to achieve.
If you're interested in finding out a little more about Matariki here are some links:
http://www.matarikievents.co.nz/
http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/matariki
Of course we also celebrate New Year on the 31st December/1st January, and as there is also a large Chinese population we have festivals to celebrate Chinese New Year, as well as Matariki events.
I’m fascinated with our obsession of changing habits and making goals on a specific date because it’s a New Year. I think having several different dates emphasises the point that we can make goals and change behaviours at any time.
I’ve blogged about making goals before, but it seemed a good time to post about a few of the things I've learned. The major thing has been to make one goal at a time, which is a good reason not to confine them to New Year.
If our goal is about big behavioural changes, then we’re more likely to succeed if we concentrate on one change at a time.
Ask yourself what you really want to change? What skill you really want to improve? Or what skill you’d like to learn?
Take some time and really think about what you want out of life. Now is a good time as the papers and magazines aren’t full of celebrity goals that can sway our thinking.
When you’ve come up with your goal, write it down. I find the act of committing it to paper makes it more real.
Now break the goal down into smaller more manageable tasks you can measure and set a time period for achieving.
In the past I’ve tended to choose a number of things I want to change or do, and then I get bogged down trying to keep them all. Making one goal at a time and steadily progressing towards it allows me to focus on what I need to do.
I’ve also found it useful to tell someone about my goal. Usually just one person, again it’s about making it real, but also about choosing someone who recognises why that goal is important to me, and will remind me about it in a supportive way.
Many companies have a program of continuous improvement. I’ll leave aside the fact that many pay lip service to it, but I think about it in respect of my goals. Things aren’t going to change overnight, we will probably find ourselves reverting to old habits, but concentrating on one goal, breaking it down into bite size pieces and giving ourselves the time and space to achieve makes success a lot more certain than a New Year’s Eve scattergun approach.
Start now - get out a piece of paper and think about something you really want to achieve.
If you're interested in finding out a little more about Matariki here are some links:
http://www.matarikievents.co.nz/
http://www.mch.govt.nz/nz-identity-heritage/matariki
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