• Blog

    Three Wishes Blog Blitz – three book-related wishes

    December 27, 2019

    9/1/2013

    Three Wishes Blog Blitz BannerToday I’m participating in the Three Wishes Blog Blitz, hosted by author Juliet Madison! From 2nd to 6th September you’ll have the chance to win some awesome prizes at all the blogs participating in the blitz, including mine. All you have to do is follow my instructions below for winning the prize I have on offer, and then you can click over to Juliet’s blog to enter her prize draw, and see the list of all other blogs taking part and enter their giveaways as well. How cool is that?

    Why is it called the Three Wishes Blog Blitz? Juliet’s new romantic comedy release, I Dream of Johnny, is about three wishes, a high-tech genie in a lamp, and one very unfortunate typo that proves magic isn’t all it cracked up to be…

    ***
    Today’s blog post is to be on the topic of three wishes so I thought I’d stick with wishes that pertain to books and writing.

    If I could rub the genie’s bottle I would ask for the following:

    Wish number one: I would like a big fat advertising budget for my books thanks Genie. I’d love to do an experiment and see if I had the money to spend if it would help more people find my books. I can’t change what they think of them, but I think there are people out there who’d like them who simply don’t know they’d exist. Thanks.

    Wish number two: I would like every little girl (or boy) who has a story to write to be encouraged to do so, thanks Genie. We have competitions where kids are lauded for kicking balls and singing songs and even for walking down runways with too much make-up on and that’s encouraging. Let’s have a world where using our imagination is encouraged. I bet it would be a nicer one. Thanks.

    Wish number three: I would like every person who leaves a book review to realise how hard it is to write a book and how easy it is to say “this book is rubbish!” I’d like them to keep that in mind when they write their reviews. Nobody minds honest well-thought out opinions at all (I certainly don’t and you hope that feedback is constructive and mindful) but people being unkind well, the world can do without that. Thanks.

    That’s it thanks Genie…those are my three wishes.

    ***
    I’m giving away a $10 Amazon gift card as a prize – all you need to do is tell me what one of your wishes would be. (It doesn’t have to have a bookish focus! You can go World Peace if you like. 🙂 )

    I’m not a fan of Rafflecopter so we’ll be doing it old school – I’ll be pulling the names out of a hat.

    Once you’ve entered my giveaway, visit Juliet’s blog & enter her giveaway too, and visit any or all of the other participating blogs to enter more prize draws. You could potentially win a whole heap of prizes! Good luck! Visit the official Blog Blitz post here: http://julietmadison.wordpress.com/2013/09/02/3-wishes-blog-blitz-official-post/

    NOTE: JULIET’S LINK is live from 12 noon Australian Eastern Standard Time. I’m a weeny bit early posting as I’m working all day and in meetings…so don’t click on it and get all cranky if you’re early too.

    Comments

    Elaine
    9/2/2013 02:39:25 am

    I’ll make my wish ‘booky’, too. 🙂

    I wish that every book was available in audio format from my library and was available whenever I want to listen to it.

    This Chick Reads
    9/2/2013 08:07:12 am

    I just wish I am happy every day, no matter what:) Thank you for the great giveaway!

    Gwen
    9/2/2013 09:16:17 am

    I wish we would get my kitchen floor laid, already 🙂

    gisele
    9/3/2013 12:39:50 am

    hmm. I have many wishes, but I will make this one book related. I wish my back deck was built, and furnished, so it would be a wonderful summertime reading, relaxing area. and I wish that I would have a whole stack of books to enjoy that space with.

    Deshipley
    9/3/2013 07:53:13 am

    Selecting at random out of the ton of wishes I have, I wish we could transfer the sometimes elusive pictures in our imaginations directly onto a page/canvas/screen/whatever, so we’d finally get a clear, complete image of exactly what they look like. Think how handy this would be when it comes to, say, really attractive characters. 😀

    Renee Brown
    9/4/2013 03:54:39 am

    I wish I’d get my basement cleaned out.

    Lee Todd
    9/4/2013 05:39:20 pm

    wish I had a job 🙂

    Sam Still Reading
    9/4/2013 09:12:43 pm

    Go the old school – I’m not the Rafflecopter type either!
    Thanks for the giveaway, I would wish for more leisure time with my family, friends and books!

    Read More
  • Blog

    What I’ve Learned on My writing Journey – Pamela Cook

    December 27, 2019

    8/28/2013

    Blackwattle Lake - CoverToday in the continuing series on What I’ve Learned on My Writing Journey I have Pamela Cook author of Blakwattle Lake and the upcoming release Essie’s Way.

    ***
    Three Things I’ve Learnt On My Writing Journey –
    Pamela Cook

    As a recently published author I’m pretty new to this writing game and for the last eighteen months I’ve been on a huge learning curve so the topic of this blog post is very apt.

    Thanks Monique! I sat down and brainstormed the things I’ve learnt on my writing journey and came up with a very long list. Some of these things I’ve learnt over a much longer period of time – I’d been writing for 12 years before being published but I’ve decided to focus on three things I’ve learnt since my debut novel was released last December.

    1. Write The First Draft Fast

    I spent over five years on one novel, much of which was spent writing sections and revising them over and over rather than moving forward. That novel taught me a huge amount about the craft of writing – description, word choice, sentence structure and the like. But it taught me very little about plot and structure. The two subsequent novels were written very quickly, one as a NaNoWriMo (50,000 words in a month) and the other over three months. In both cases I forced myself to keep going with the story, resisted the urge to re-read or revise and in both cases the story unfolded organically and the structure seemed to come a lot more easily. Both of those novels were accepted for publication.

    Stop-start drafting allows your inner critic to whisper insidiously in your ear. You find yourself second-guessing the quality of your writing and the direction of your story. It may even nag you enough to block your writing altogether.

    2. Whether Your Book Is Published Or Not Is Largely About The Market and Not Necessarily About The Quality Of Your Writing

    I have read some amazing manuscripts – beautifully written, wonderful characterization, interesting plot – a whole variety of stories written by writing buddies. Yet sadly many of them have been rejected by publishers. The reality is that it’s all about the market. Even if a publisher loves a manuscript the bottom line is that it has to be approved by the marketing department. Much depends on popular taste at the time, what other titles the publishing house already has out there and how many copies they think it will be possible to sell. If your book has a strong commercial flavour it may be easier to get it over the line than if it is highly literary. Of course literary works are still sought after but it may take longer to find the right home for such a work. In my own case I just happened to write a novel set in the country which had some romantic elements right around the time the Rural Romance genre was starting to boom. Fortunately for me there was already a market out there for the type of book I’d written which made it that much easier for my manuscript to be picked up. Ultimately you need to write what comes naturally and what you love to write. And now there’s always the option of self publishing if a more traditional deal becomes hard to find.

    3. Hard Work and Perseverance Trump Talent

    I know some will disagree with this belief but after my own experience, and observing the writing journeys of many others I’m sticking by it. Of course there are some writers out there who are born with a natural flair. All they have to do is put pen to paper and the words flow. But that doesn’t guarantee publication. If having your book published is your ultimate goal you need to write, rewrite and then write some more. This will take hours, days and years of your life and you need to be prepared to devote a great deal of time to your writing. Discipline, time management and the ability to say no are all essential requirements if you are aiming for publication. Even the most gifted writers need to put in the hours.

    Those of us who are lesser mortals may have to work a little harder at perfecting our craft but it is the writers who keep at it, who take rejection in their stride and learn from it, and who are determined to find readers – whether through traditional or indie channels – who will be the most successful.

    There’s quite a few other things I’ve learned – and continue to learn – on my writing journey. I’ll be blogging about them in the future. But for now, happy writing, and keep at it.

    Pamela’s books are published by Hachette Australia:
    http://www.hachette.com.au/authors/pamela-cook/

    You can find Pam on her website:
    http://pamelacookauthor.wordpress.com/

    On Facebook
    https://www.facebook.com/PamelaCookAuthor

    Comments

    Jennie Jones
    8/28/2013 11:53:30 pm

    Monique – what a wonderful blog you have. I had the pleasure of meeting Pamela recently and chatting about writing so it’s wonderful to read her take here. I have to say, 1) So true – but so hard to write the first draft fast! 2) I agree, no matter how hard it is to bear, but these days, it’s becoming easier for those who truly yearn beyond belief to write, to become published. 3) Yes! That’s my view too. Perseverance will out, eventually. It has to, because perseverance means a writer continues to learn and learn and learn … and therefore get better and better and better. Thank you, ladies for an inspirational post.
    Reply
    Monique
    8/29/2013 08:34:08 am

    Thanks for stopping by Jennie! You did such a great job as MC at the #RWAus2103.

    It is solid advice isn’t it? Hard to apply but good to remember 🙂

    Jenn J McLeod | House for all Seasons
    8/29/2013 09:19:09 pm

    Oh yeah! I so agree. What a year!

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  • Blog

    Q&A with New Beginnings’ author Iris Blobel

    December 27, 2019

    8/26/2013

    Iris Blobel1. What was the inspiration for your novel?
    I took some “family-time-out” last year and went to Hobart for the weekend. I love Tasmania and just looking at pics starts a wave a wonderful ideas. So when I walked through the streets of Hobart, I wondered how it would be to live in this city, and bit by bit I had the story of two sisters moving there from Sydney.

    Obviously I had to add a little romance into the story as well – this is where the lawyer and the neighbour from across the road come
    in.

    2. When did you take up writing?
    Late! It was only a few years back that I started putting ideas onto paper, and even my first book was only meant for family and friends. It took off, though, and fast forward four years, and I’ve just published my 4th book, the sequel to New Beginnings coming out soon, as well.

    3. How important is setting/place in your writing?
    Very important. Most of my books are set in Tasmania or Ireland. I love both places. My 3rd book is set in Melbourne and I really had trouble to set the mood for the story. It took me a long time to finish it. Nothing against the exciting city of Melbourne! Not at all. It’s vibrant, interesting, ever-changing … cosmopolitan indeed, but it wasn’t right for “Innocent Tears”. I’m currently writing a trilogy of sports-romances, set in Victoria’s capital, and find that every third page my characters are traveling to the coast … it’s like a magnet.

    4. Do you have a favourite character (s) in your current novel?
    Little Mia is my favourite character. She’s about eight years old, lost her mother a few years earlier and her sister Sophie is now her guardian. But even at her tender age she takes everything in her stride … with wit and cheekiness! Aww … and Zach, the hunk from across the road. “More Beginnings” tells his story and I’m quite excited about the upcoming release.

    5. What’s the best piece of writing advice you were ever given?
    Ohhhh … NEVER, EVER GIVE UP! Nuff said.

    6. Do you have a schedule for writing?
    I wish I could have something like a schedule. Unfortunately I write when I have time … and when I feel like it. I did the 50ks in 30 days RWAus sprint event. It was great and I got heaps written. But I get easily distracted … *sighs*

    7. Are you a plotter or someone who tends to wing it?
    I just write and let my fingers guide me. A few of my stories have evolved though from a weekly prompt-writing I do with a group of author-friends. Check it out it’s called Tuesday Tales. The prompts (or picture) change every week. It’s a challenge, but I love it!

    8. Can you name three of four of your current favourite books?
    My favourite book is without a doubt “If you could see me now” by Cecelia Ahern. I love the current “Lucky Harbor” series by Jill Shalvis. A must read!! Apart from that, some of my treasures on the bookshelf are 84 Charing Cross Road,
    Effie Briest & Dream a little Dream by Susan Elizabeth Phillips.

    9. Can you tell me a little bit about what you are working on now?
    Oh …. Too much to write in too little time. I’ve just contracted the sequel for New Beginnings “More Beginnings” and have started the 3rd book “Fresh Beginnings” which tells the story of Mark’s friend Jared.

    Through Tuesday Tales I have started another trilogy including Melbourne sports stars – a football player, baseball and soccer player. I love writing these stories ….the bad boys, naughty language and arrogant attitudes.

    10. What advice would you give to a fledgling writer to assist them on their journey?
    Oh wow, I myself am still a novice author, but I’d give the same advice I’ve been given: NEVER, EVER GIVE UP. Make author friends and don’t feel afraid to ask lots of questions.

    New Beginnings - Iris Blobel - CoverNew Beginnings, Iris Blobel

    To believe in new
    beginnings is to trust in tomorrow

    Links:

    Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/New-Beginings-ebook/dp/B00ENU02BU/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1377251351&sr=1-1

    Astraea Press: http://astraeapress.com/#!/~/product/category=662245&id=27261175

    Smashwords:
    http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/349320

    Bookstrand:
    http://www.bookstrand.com/new-beginnings-6

    Bio:
    Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she actually had met her future husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only recently emerged, but now her laptop is a constant companion. Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her beautiful two daughters as well as her two dogs. Next to her job at a private school she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.

    Excerpt:

    Chapter One

    Sophie stared at the attorney, waiting for some answers. She and her sister, Mia, had been quietly sitting in Mr. O’Connor’s office for more than half an hour, and had learnt about the details of their inheritance.

    “Who?”
    “Clara Catherine Bellinger.”
    “Who is she?” Mia asked.

    Startled by the subtle sound of the clock chiming across the road, Sophie’s gaze turned to the window, where she saw the post office building across the road. It looked impressive and old. Surely, an old place like this would have its own ghosts — after all, Hobart was renowned for its lively spirits.

    Her younger sister’s gentle touch on her arm reminded her she hadn’t answered the question, yet.
    “I wouldn’t have a clue.” Sophie shrugged and focused her attention back on Mr. O’Connor. Although hearing his words, she still found it hard to comprehend. Here she was in this old office, furnished with heavy antique oak furniture, the curtains in a pretty shade of aubergine, and the carpet beneath her shoes thick and warm in a matching shade.

    “I believe she was a distant relative of yours. I’m afraid I don’t have any further details,” he replied.

    Sophie arched an eyebrow in disbelief.
    Was he serious? What kind of lawyer was he? Sure, Tasmania was at the very end of Australia, but wouldn’t they have the same education? With a slight shrug of her shoulder, she asked, “Why not?”

    He stared at her. “Pardon me?”

    Sitting up straight, she repeated, “Why not? Why aren’t there any further details?”

    He looked uneasy, but she didn’t care. She needed to know. Sophie had received a call from the lawyer a week earlier, and he’d told her about an inheritance. He’d given her details on where to pick up tickets to Hobart. Some legality, he had said. She needed to come in and sign documents for the transfer of ownership.

    “Ms. Bellinger was one of the partner’s clients. I was only given the details shortly after the client’s death.”

    Sophie drew in her lips. Her eyes darted over to the window as she took a few deep breaths, inwardly calming herself. Nothing had ever been easy in her life. “Why isn’t the partner here?”

    He took a deep breath.

    “Retired.”
    As she pondered on that for a moment, she began to think about what life could be like with this inheritance.
    Different. Better. Another sigh escaped as she returned her gaze to the man behind the desk.
    “You can’t just leave your assets to just anybody, can you?”

    “Miss Lever—”
    “Levesque,” she helped him.
    Their eyes met.

    “Are you refusing the bequest?” he asked hesitantly, and she clearly noticed how one of his eyebrows arched upward.

    Staring blankly with her mouth open, she could feel the panic running through her veins with every thump of her erratic heartbeat. An uncomfortable silence fell over them for a moment. Then she quickly said, “No. No, of course not. We’re accepting.” She turned to look at her younger sister. “We’re actually looking forward to seeing it.”

    And with one swift movement, he stood and went to a little cupboard near the window and retrieved a bunch of keys. “Would you like me to take you there?”
    Still feeling that rush within her, Sophie took Mia’s hand and inclined her head in answer. “Is it far?”

    Her voice sounded tired. Even to herself. It had been a long day already. She stood and thinking how tired she was, Sophie placed her arm around Mia, who was probably exhausted.

    “No, not at all. Five to ten minute drive, I’d say.”
    “I still don’t understand. Why us?” Sophie asked quietly, meeting his gaze and, for the first time, actually taking in his icy-blue eyes. He was very attractive. Too attractive for a boring lawyer. His face was tanned by wind and sun, and there always seemed to be a hint of a smile on his face. His blond curling hair was cut short. Her gaze fixed back on his mouth. Blushing, she quickly looked away.

    The attorney turned to them. He scratched the back of his head. “Ma’am, what I know is that both of you are in the will. What I know is that I was supposed to fly you down here to officially read you the will. What I know is that I’m supposed to hand over the keys to you, and to let you know that your expenses are covered for the next twenty-four months. I did not know Ms. Bellinger, as one of the retired partners wrote up the will. I do not know who she was or in which way she was connected to you. I assumed she was a distant relative.”

    Sophie took her sister’s hand as she thought about his last comment. Distant relative? Her mother would have at least mentioned her once. She sighed and tried to understand, not the circumstances that had brought her there, but the fact that the attorney just didn’t know. “Oh well, let’s go then.”

    He pinched his nose with his thumb and index finger and took a deep breath. “Okay. Look, Miss Lever—”
    “Levesque,” Sophie helped him again. This time somewhat more firmly.

    Running his thumb over his eyebrow, he stepped closer, but not so close as to be intimidating. “I’m sorry. It’s been one extraordinary week,” he said with his voice just above a whisper. “Once I get back I’ll check with the partners here to see whether anybody knows more about it.”

    One extraordinary week? His remark irked her. In fact it was downright annoying. Holding Mia even closer to her side, she lifted her finger and pointed at him. “No offence, Mr. O’Connor, but it has been quite a week for us as well, and I was prepared to answer all your questions. I have one simple question, and you don’t know. Wouldn’t there be something in the file?”

    Sophie was a kind person. Kindness was her middle name, but she wouldn’t have got that far in life if she hadn’t watched some of those nasty actresses on television and copied them. And the stare. Sophie met his surprised frown dead-on.

    He frowned and seemed taken aback by her words. “No offence taken.” And then he let out a deep breath. “You’re right. I apologise. As I said, I’ll find out details and let you know.”

    “Thank you, Mr. O’Connor,” she replied as she blew out a breath.
    “What about our stuff?” Mia whispered to Sophie.

    Sophie moved her head to look down at her sister, but before she had a chance to say anything, he beat her to it.
    “What stuff?” he asked as he opened the door.
    “Considering what we inherited here, we brought all our things,” Sophie explained without looking at him.
    The attorney stopped in his tracks. “All, as in all your clothes?”
    Sophie’s eyes met his. She emitted a small sigh, but tried to keep her composure. It was something she had learnt over the last few years. Standing straight, she corrected him. “All, as in all our belongings.”

    They stepped outside the building and followed Mr. O’Connor with their suitcases. Two teenage boys walked past them, eager to get the attention of some girls across the road. Aware of the attention, the girls covered their mouths with their hands and broke into giggles. Sophie’s stomach churned. So many things she had missed out on in life. But it was going to be better from now on, she reminded herself, and straightened up as she followed Mr. O’Connor.

    Comments

    Iris Blobel
    8/26/2013 03:14:24 pm

    That was fun!
    Thanks for having me over at your “virtual” loungeroom today, Monique.
    Reply
    Monique
    8/26/2013 04:00:51 pm

    It was an absolute pleasure.

    TripFiction
    8/26/2013 07:06:03 pm

    Glad to discover this novel set in Hobart. Thank you for the great author interview
    Reply
    Iris Blobel
    8/26/2013 07:47:06 pm

    Thanks for stopping by!

    Heather Gray
    8/26/2013 11:37:50 pm

    Ohh! This looks so good! I can’t wait to see what happens to the sisters and what the inheritance even turns out to be. Is it in good shape? Bad shape? I’m completely intrigued now. 🙂
    Reply
    Iris Blobel
    8/27/2013 11:11:50 am

    Hi Heather, thanks for coming over. As for the house … it’s lovely. As for the neighbour … even better 😉

    Read More
  • Blog

    Musical Monday – redemptive love

    December 27, 2019

    8/25/2013

    Alphabet Dating CoverHappy Monday all. it’s a gloriously sunny day in Sydney. I started my day writing which is always a lovely thing.

    I was listening to the radio yesterday as I drove along and it got me thinking about Musical Monday for this week and what the theme would be.

    Then I heard a song that had my mind wandering to when love is redemptive.

    I hope somewhere the knowledge that you can’t change someone by loving them has filtered through to the women of the world – I’m sure Dolly, Cleo, Cosmo and Redbook have all done more than enough articles on the topic to last a lifetime.

    That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about when someone decides for themselves that they need to change or they will lose the girl or guy of their dreams.

    One is “If I love him enough maybe he will give up heroin/drag-racing/karaoke.”
    The other is. “This heroin/drag-racing/karaoke is killing me and that lady is going to leave me because I’m ruining both our lives…time to stop. Maybe when I stop she’ll reconsider me.”

    So here are a couple of songs to get you pondering that theme as well.

    First up we have this one from M People – I just adore this woman’s voice.
    Hoobastank’s The Reason…this is a great one on the topic. Let the lyrics speak for themselves.

    Read More
  • Blog

    Let’s link up

    December 27, 2019

    8/21/2013

    Hearts AfireToday I’m going to provide you with some chat and then some links to places I’ve been mentioned in cyber space this week or places I think might interest you.

    As you know I was at the Romance Writers of Australia conference on the weekend. One attends a conference like that for a variety of reasons including professional development, the opportunity to pitch to agents and publishers and as well as networking with other authors.

    I did pitch on the weekend so I need to get busy preparing my submission while busily prepare to launch my next indie title.

    It is a wonderful opportunity to meet people who want to talk about writing and books. (What could be better?) It’s also a chance to put faces to the many writers you meet on Twitter, Facebook and via blogs.

    Now I’m home it’s time to link up. I need to e-mail people, find their Facebook author pages and follow them on Twitter before I do what I did last year and misplace all those lovely business cards I’ve collected.

    Speaking of linking up here are a few links where I’ve been mentioned around the web this week.

     

     

    The lovely Cindy Roesel wrote this lovely piece about Mr Right and Other Mongrels on her blog today.
    http://cindyroesel.blogspot.com.au/2013/08/and-they-live-happily-ever-after.html#.UhVs9KF–P9

    My friend Pamela Cook who I travelled to the RWA with did a great blog post yesterday about our travels.
    http://pamelacook.wordpress.com/2013/08/21/riding-the-waves-my-wrap-up-of-rwas-2013-conference/

    And I understand my novel Hearts Afire has been nominated at Indie Author News for favourite indie book for September here. If you liked it and would like to vote for it this is the link.
    http://www.indieauthornews.com/p/top-50-indie-books.html

    Read More
  • Blog

    Taste of Tuesday – why chick lit is like French Onion Dip, in a good way!

    December 27, 2019

    8/19/2013

    French Onion DipI’ve recently returned from the Romance Writers of Australia Conference in Perth. Even though I’m Australian Perth still is a long-haul. (Did you know it was the most isolated city in the world? Probably not.)

    And do you know what is more isolating than being in Perth?

    The answer is -being a chick lit author at a romance conference where ‘everyone’ says chick lit is dead, especially when you don’t believe it is.

    Especially when you must answer the women at the conference, not the publishers or the powers that be, but other authors when they ask you what you write.

    “I write chick lit but that you can’t call it chick lit that you have to call it women’s fiction,” said I.

    And they said “Why?”

    And I said. “Apparently no one reads it anymore. I was told that last year and the year before too.”

    And to a one they say “But I love chick lit.”

    It’s a conundrum to be in a room where you’re being told what you write is out of fashion and yet you’re surrounded by people who say they like it. It’s harder still when you love it yourself.

    Chick lit was like the French onion dip of the conference. It’s not very trendy, you won’t see it on a menu anywhere because it’s been pushed aside by hummus and guacamole and even beetroot dip but still there’s barely a woman who when left alone with some French onions dip and crackers won’t take a bite. Not only that she’ll have another dip. She may even find herself embarrassed by the fact that she ate the whole bowl and loved it.

    She may even find herself grabbing a small tub at the supermarket next time she’s there because she forgot how much she really enjoyed it and how much she had missed it.

    Now she may not serve it up on Saturday night (or in the case of the book, recommend her whole book club reads it) but she will enjoy it.

    I think that’s chick lit right now. It’s not widely available or celebrated but people do like it. It’s not trendy but people still read it.

    You know why that is? To my mind at least, it is because chick lit books are about women trying to find themselves in this crazy world with the help (or hindrance) of friends their friends, family, co-workers and lovers.

    That’s also the story of every woman who was at the Romance Writers of Australia Conference. They were an amazing, wonderful, vibrant group of women who were busy making new friends, building careers while trying to balance family and work. They were trying to find their way, where they fit in and how they could move forward on their journey.

    I didn’t hear anyone talking about their own boyfriends or lovers or needing men to complete them. They were talking about their jobs, balancing that with their families and trying to become their full and happy selves (or happier because there were some gloriously happy people in that room).

    That’s why I believe chick lit (and French onion dip) can both survive because we enjoy them and they are a part of our own stories, even if we may not always admit it.

    (If you would like to come over for a Jatz cracker, some French onion dip and to borrow a book, do let me know!)

    6 Comments
    Deborah Nam-Krane
    link
    8/19/2013 08:35:15 pm

    I would totally come over for crackers and dip if you and I lived close by!

    And I think that’s it exactly- chick lit isn’t dead, but it isn’t trendy like it was a few years ago. Oh well. I think the same can be said for certain kinds of mysteries- and yet people still read them.

    Keep writing what works for you- the internet is filled with stories of writers who started writing to be trendy and are miserable.
    Reply
    Ainslie Paton
    link
    8/19/2013 08:50:20 pm

    Nice one, Mon. Don’t they say, don’t write to where the market is because it will have moved before you get there? Well, that.
    Reply
    Louise Wise
    link
    8/19/2013 11:49:15 pm

    Grrrr it annoys me when I hear people (usually literary snobs) say chick lit is dead. Of course it isn’t. Give me onion dip over the hummus any day!
    Great post!
    Reply
    Anne R.Allen
    link
    8/20/2013 02:20:12 am

    Chick lit is alive and kicking her stilettos! It’s just got to be called rom-com now. But with a new Bridget Jones coming out this fall, I think chick lit will be able to speak its name again. Some people do hate it. I’ve got a troll attack on my bestselling chick lit boxed set right now. People keep giving it one stars because they say my heroine is stupid. No. People who don’t understand an unreliable narrator are stupid. And you could say that of every comic heroine from Lucy Ricardo to Bridget Jones. But they’ve knocked me down to three stars, so I guess they think they’ve killed chick lit.
    Reply
    Monique
    8/20/2013 08:53:23 am

    I don’t understand why some people see the need to spend their time in destruction when to be productive and creative (like us) is so much more rewarding.
    Reply
    Monique
    8/20/2013 08:52:16 am

    I agree you have to write what you enjoy and you have to write the story you want to write and hope it finds it’s audience.

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  • Blog

    What I’ve learned on my writing journey – Louise Wise

    December 27, 2019

    8/15/2013

    The latest in the series “what I’ve Learned on my writing Journey” today features Louise Wise.

    Begin at the End By Louise Wise

    I couldn’t get a more different story line for my two contemporary romances. The premise is the same (as with all romance) man meets woman, or vice versa, there’s an internal denial of love and something, or someone, is stopping them from revealing their feelings. They overcome that, fall in love and live happy ever after—or not, depending on the authors you read.

    Personally, I like a story where I know there is an expected happy ending. A sad ending isn’t a conclusion, it’s a cliff-hanger in my opinion, and they leave me unsatisfied.

    And what I’ve learned on my writing journey is that endings HAVE to be thought of BEFORE you start writing whether they are a happy or a sad finish. To write ‘by the seat of your pants’ is fine but you HAVE to know where you’re going or else your writing will be never-ending (like a soap opera). Even a gloomy ending means you have to tie everything together.

    So, when I have an idea for a story, like most writers, I mull it over in my head to get a feel of the characters. Then I ask myself how I want the story to be resolved. Then I write the ending FIRST.

    It isn’t proper prose, more like notes, and of course it can be changed to suit the characters, storyline or both. But at least I have an idea that the book has an ending. It gives me guidance and something to aim for.

    The Fall of the Misanthrope - Louise Wise - CoverThe Fall of the Misanthrope:
    I bitch, therefore I am
    “They say I’m ‘as hard as my acrylic nails’ but what they don’t understand is I have to be. It’s called self-preservation.” – Valerie Anthrope

    USA: http://amzn.to/Wtbman
    UK: http://amzn.to/Syt3Di

    What happens when Cinderella is brought screaming into the 21st century, where the ugly sisters are Valerie’s thoughts and emotions, and the fairy godmother is a middle-aged busybody from hell.

    The fairy godmother bursts into Valerie’s life with her magic wand (AKA interference) and insists that she can help Valerie—whether Valerie asks for help or not. And she most definitely does not.

    Then there is playboy Lex. The flirty Prince Charming whose “bed ‘em and leave ‘em” motto applies to ALL women—until Valerie fails to fall at his feet as he expects.

    A concoction of fun, tears and cocktails.

     

    A Proper Charlie - Louise Wise - Cover~~~

    A Proper Charlie

    What’s a girl to do when she discovers her boss is a wanted man?

    Turn herself into a honey trap, that’s what.

    All Charlie Wallis wanted was a career and a man. Not just any man, but a man to love and cherish her; someone she can confide in, share jokes and toothbrushes.
    A life partner, not a husband – she’s modern – and a couple of babies like the other girls in her council block. And maybe a fast-paced career like those power-suited women racing around with spouted paper cups of latte in one hand and a briefcase in the other. It wasn’t much to ask, was it?

    Poor Charlie, she should’ve stayed home.

    Amazon.UK
    http://amzn.to/Qxv3w6
    Amazon.com http://amzn.to/PHLrL8
    ***

    Married, with four children, Louise Wise lives in England. She is a pharmacist technician by day and a writer by night. She was educated in an ordinary state school and left without achieving much in the way of qualifications; you could say she was the result of a crap state-funded school. Hungry for knowledge she enrolled in an Adult Education centre and
    studied English, maths and creative writing. Whereas other young girls asked for makeup and clothes for their birthdays, she asked for encyclopedias!

    Louise Wise used her general love of romantic fiction and interest in astronomy to write and publish her first book, Eden. It was an experimental novel and was never meant to see the light of day! She had received many rejections, which stated that the novel was just too original for the current market. An agent took it on but failed to find a publisher for it, this urged Louise into believing in herself as a writer. Since then she believes she has found her niche with romantic
    comedy.

    Her books include: Eden, A Proper Charlie and non-fiction So You Want an Author Platform? And newly released, The
    Fall of the Misanthrope: I bitch, therefore I am.

    Links:
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/louise_wise
    Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WiseWordsBookBlogger
    Pinterest: Book Junkies Library of indie books – http://pinterest.com/bookjunkies/

    Blog: http://louisewise.com

    Comment

    Louise Wise
    8/15/2013 06:29:33 pm

    Thank you very much for having me here.

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  • Blog

    Saturday Chat – conference prep, pitching etc

    December 27, 2019

    8/9/2013

    Today it’s a sunny Saturday in Sydney.
    This time next week I’ll be at the RWA Conference in Perth. I’m so looking forward to it. I’m helping with the newbies a couple of times so you may see me wandering about in a Pirate’s hat. If you do, come and say hello.

    One think people can do at Conference is pitch to a publisher or agent so I thought I’d bump this blog post from last year that explains the pitch process.

    Pitching

    I think I’m about ready for conference…I have my fabulous new postcards. I almost have my outfits planned. I’m going with my writing buddy the wonderful Pamela Cook so it’s going to be a whole lot of fun. it’s Pam’s first conference and my fifth I do believe.

    I’m looking forward to catching up with some lovely authors I’ve met at previous conferences and also online.

    There are lots of great workshops – let’s see if I can finally master Scrivener. Fingers crossed.

    Meanwhile I’m just plugging away on Building Attraction which will be out soon. Have a great Saturday (I have to take my daughter to netball and then we have her birthday party – what fun!).

    Monique McDonell All Books Promotional Card

    Comment

    Pamela Cook
    8/9/2013 11:00:23 am

    Looking forward to it Monique. Hoping you can show me the ropes. 🙂

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  • Blog

    What I’ve learned on my writing journey – guest post by Deb Nam-Krane

    December 27, 2019

    8/8/2013
    Deborah Nam-KraneHere is the second post in my series – what I’ve learned on my writing journey by Deb Nam-Krane
    ***
    What I’ve Learned

    I published my book a little less than six months ago. As far as crafting a story,
    I don’t think I’ve learned anything that you haven’t already heard: Keep
    reading, keep writing and keep editing. I’ll add that it doesn’t matter whether
    you’re going to publish it or not what the genre is- or even if it’s fiction- as
    long as you keep up your job as a storyteller.

    Nothing new there. It’s the business side- just maybe- where I might have learned something.

    I made the decision when I launched to make my book available exclusively through Amazon via their KDP Select program. While I liked the idea of making my book available on multiple platforms, a number of authors I respected talked about the exposure they were able to get via KDP Select. I was also hearing from many that getting the formatting right for Smashwords (the preferred program for non-Amazon booksellers) was a frustrating experience. Most importantly, getting Amazon to match the other platforms’ price didn’t seem to be a predictable process either. That last was very important for me as I wanted to reward some very supportive friends and family (aka my first newsletter subscribers) with the opportunity to download my book for free. With that in mind, I enrolled in KDP Select, in large part to take advantage of the five free days I could offer.

    Mind you, I wouldn’t characterize it as a failure. Over 90 days, courtesy of KDP Select, over 7000 people downloaded my book. Great! Now here’s hoping some of them will read it, a number of those will review it, and- god willing- some of
    them will like it. With just one book out, I’m about where I expected I’d be in numbers, and I’m not expecting a big uptick in sales or ranking until I have more titles out. (That’s just simple Search Engine Optimization!)

    But maybe I could be doing better. The chatter I’m hearing from other authors is that free promotions are not nearly as productive for authors as they used to be. In part this is because the KDP Select program is so much more popular (and
    they’ve changed some of their rules), in part this is because as the ebook (and ereader) market matures, we’re seeing a little more supply and a little less demand. Mind you, there’s still room for growth, but the ease some indies might
    have had a few years ago making sales isn’t there now for their “newer” peers. Also, as attractive as Amazon has made their e-readers, not everyone owns a Kindle. In other words, when my KDP Select period runs out (yes, I re-enrolled),
    I’m uploading to the other formats as well.

    Let me stress: I am NOT expecting to see a huge difference, and for all I know I’ll have even fewer sales because I can’t stoke the Amazon engine as well as I can now. Maybe, but it’s worth a shot.

    So what have I learned? Keep trying new things.

    —

    Deborah Nam-Krane has been writing in one way or another since she was eight years old (and telling stories well before that). The Smartest Girl in the Room, the first book in her series The New Pioneers, was published in late March. Her sequel The Family You Choose will be coming out any day now.

    The Smartest Girl in the Room - Cover
    Please connect with Deborah Nam-Krane on any of the following sites:

    Written By Deb

    Deb In the City

    Adventures in Urban Homeschooling

    Amazon Author  Page

    Twitter

    Facebook

    LinkedIn

    Google+

    Goodreads

    Join her mail list to find out first about new releases.

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  • Blog

    Let’s talk about setting

    December 27, 2019

    8/7/2013

    Does the setting of a book affect whether or not you choose to read it?

    If you read a book set somewhere you know do you prefer that? Or what about if it’s somewhere you know but in the book you’re reading it looks unrecognisable. “Hey that’s not my town, that’s not right!”

    Here are a few thoughts of my own on setting.
    Sometimes all you need to do is change the name to protect the innocent. In my second book Hearts Afire the island I describe is a real island in Queensland but I changed it’s name so I could take some creative license. Likewise the characters live in Stanton – no such place exists in Sydney’s inner-west, at least not by that name.

    If you want to use a real setting my best advice is to make it real. get the facts right and no one will complain, get it wrong and well, you’ll certainly hear about it.

    So do you like books set in real places or do you prefer created towns, cities and villages?

    Comments

    Brea Brown
    8/7/2013 10:27:15 am

    I like to read books set in places I know, would like to know, or would like to visit. I’ll admit that if a book is set somewhere that doesn’t interest me, I generally won’t read the book. There aren’t too many places that don’t interest me, though, so setting is rarely something that rules out a book for me. I enjoy writing about places I know or creating completely fictional settings. Mixing the two is also a lot of fun. Great post! Love the video!
    Reply
    Monique
    8/7/2013 10:45:12 am

    I’m the same Brea…there are a couple of places that I prefer to avoid but otherwise I’m pretty open…as long as it’s a good premise I’m in!

    Pamela Cook
    8/7/2013 05:37:08 pm

    I love a good setting. One of the reasons I read is to escape (don’t we all?) and an evocative setting will take me away every time. I agree about the need to get the details right. Love the outdoor video. More please!

    Louise Wise
    8/7/2013 07:06:55 pm

    I love to read books and see that it’s set close to where I live. I’d be annoyed if the author was anything but complimentary about my home town, but forgive them if they lived there.

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