Murmuration

Snowflakes – an anthology by Bridge House Publishing was published at the weekend.

Snowflakes Small

Click on the cover to go to Amazon UK

My short story Murmuration is in it. It’s about a married couple where one partner has dementia. Although it is a work of fiction its storyline is a personal one.

My mum has dementia. She hasn’t known who I am for a good few years but there are times when she will look at me, smile and say, “I know you don’t I.” For a split second there’s that connection with her, with the past, with what might have been, what we’d be sharing now if she didn’t have the disease.

And then there’s my dad who despite his own health issues cares for her with patience, love and understanding. It can be exhausting however he still finds the time to be there not only for her but for others too.

Murmuration is more heart warming than hard hitting but I hope it gives a little insight into being a carer and shows some of the symptoms a person in the latter stages of dementia may experience, and how those precious moments of recognition are a joy for their family.

A murmuration is a flock of starlings. A talented friend of mine Tina Huckle at Love Alice Photography supplied the beautiful photograph for Murmuration in the book trailer. It was taken on the Somerset Levels.

Book trailer:

Ordering Flynn Matthews

“Ordering Flynn Matthews is quality writing, original, fun, zany, has great dialogue and very credible characters however struggling with how to publish it in a commercial way as it sort of straddles genres in that it’s not traditional women’s fiction but tricky to categorise it anywhere else.”

Last week’s paraphrased rejection from the publisher who had shown interest in OFM. Disappointed as I love this publisher.

Original’s good, right?

Flynn’s a drug addict and foul mouthed. He uses the c-word and I don’t mean Christmas. He’s not the irresistible male hero that a romance novel has. None of the men in it are, they make big mistakes and so does Ellie who becomes unwittingly embroiled in a series of mishaps, and naïve judgements.

It’s a pacey contemporary novel that covers some tough subjects – obsession, addiction, loss, betrayal – in an original unconventional way.

Genre? Well it’s definitely contemporary with its social networking, fangirling and celebrity obsessed media. Probably more adult fiction with the language, drug taking and sex however it’s got crossover appeal as it’s contemporary and let’s face it young adults today know as many swear words as Flynn if not more. More women’s than men’s fiction although amongst my readers the men have enjoyed it too although I doubt as a gender they’ll be the ones picking it off a bookshelf. A romance novel? Not really although it does have elements of it but relationships with family and friends are as important as romance to our heroine, Ellie. And with a thread of humour running through the novel perhaps it’s Chick Lit.

So I think that’s how I’d market it.

True Ellie style I photoshopped up an idea for a book cover using an image of Rob Pattinson who imo looks better than anyone else smoking a cigarette. I wish I could credit the photographer however I only found the image on fan pages and I don’t have Ellie’s fangirl dedication to track down the source. Maybe someone out there does… If so, let me know and I’ll add the credit.

Flynn has blonde hair. Wonder if RP would bleach his hair for a photoshoot?

Here it is:

RP

I do not own image used.

Fab Feb

February was good to me.

On Valentine’s Day Choc Lit announced its Search for a Star competition shortlist. I was delighted and grateful if not a little stunned to discover my novel Ordering Flynn Matthews had made the cut along with five others.

Cue flights of fancy of it being published with a gorgeous book cover (Choc Lit has amazing cover designs!), being made into a movie – the story really lends itself to the big screen, honest – doesn’t hurt to dream and hey in the spirit of the book and its main character Ellie I’m putting it out there in the hope of triggering the universe’s law of attraction and turning my dreams into reality!

My fellow shortlisters are lovely, accomplished and talented which doesn’t bode well for me!

Being shortlisted means I have returned to editing Failing Flynn Matthews and Working Flynn Matthews. Although Ordering Flynn Matthews can be a standalone novel there are sequels.

Thanks to Carrie, John, Lydia and Sam for reading my stories and for their valued feedback! And thanks to my editor Debz Hobbs-Wyatt too!

The good news continued as a few days later I successfully interviewed for a job with a charity! Ten hours a week which works perfectly with writing. I’m looking forward to starting early April.

It’s years since I went on a march and with my Behcet’s under control I decided to become more proactive and move on from just being an armchair supporter of Friends of the Earth, Greenpeace and the Green Party. So February saw me join the Green Party and sign up for the Time to Act march for action on climate change in London on 7th March. My children are marching too, so my daughter and I will be meeting her uni student brother there. We went banner making in Bristol on Saturday and met some wonderful dedicated activists. We’re looking forward to next weekend!

Best news of all. 😉 It’s official. Dark chocolate is a super food! Fact. (Dietitians may disagree)

Green & Black's Dark Chocolate

My weekly supply…you think I’m joking

Busy Writing

In my last post I was busy editing Blood Moon the sequel to Blood Rain – I haven’t quite finished yet as an idea for a new novel wouldn’t stop nagging at me. So four months later and after an edit from Debz Hobbs-Wyatt (more later on Debz) and a busy weekend getting it ready my contemporary adult novel Ordering Flynn Matthews is seeking representation. I emailed a synopsis and the first three chapters to a few carefully chosen agents today.

I haven’t sent Blood Rain out since my last update, not that I’ve given up on it, I still believe in the story, it’s very current considering the extreme weather we’re getting, although I’m not sure it’s happening for the same reasons as in my novel! however Ordering Flynn Matthews has taken over for the time being. Or maybe it’s Flynn Matthews who’s taken over. I’m already writing the sequel Failing Flynn Matthews.

Before I get back to Flynn I must tell you that of all the books I read last year the one that stands out most and I would recommend as a definite read is While No One Was Watching by Debz Hobbs Wyatt. 32 5* reviews on Amazon already! Wonderfully heartfelt with engaging characters, fabulous relationships and a fifty year old mystery to solve.

Oh and one more thing, a few days before Christmas we were lucky enough to go to the Warner Bros Studio Harry Potter Tour If you ever get the chance it’s well worth it! Truly magical 🙂 No idea where the owl photo comes from so can’t credit the person who made it but thank you whoever you are. It’s cuter and preferable to the one of me on a broomstick.

Image

Backing Up & Editing

After a busy summer today is my first day back at ‘work’ and so far so good the procrastinating is going well!

During the summer months I meant to edit the rewrite of Blood Moon but never got round to it plus my laptop died. Apparently five years old in the computer world is elderly! Fortunately I had all my writing saved to a memory stick which is only something I started doing this year, thank goodness. Always back-up at the end of every writing day!

I haven’t managed to hook an agent yet and since my last post where I wrote about having the Blood Rain manuscript requested I’ve had a couple of standard rejections plus three more very positive rejections. When the agent has strayed away from the standard rejection they have commented that although it’s not for them (staying positive it will be for one agent!) they enjoyed it and it stands out from the majority of submissions they receive.  I put that down to having Blood Rain professionally edited. I ‘met’ my editor Debz Hobbs-Wyatt when she edited my short story Trojan for On This Day anthology and she was my first thought for editing my novel. She is having a very well deserved successful year and her first novel While No One Was Watching will be published next month! Check out her blog for what an editor does and excellent writing tips!

Before I get back to editing, I shall procrastinate a little more and share that it’s been a fruitful year in my garden with tomatoes, cucumbers, french beans, apples and plums. Here’s my shed hiding in the foliage.

My shed

My cute shed

Feeling a little bouncy

My YA novel Blood Rain is back from its full edit by the wonderful Debz Hobbs-Wyatt. She’s a brilliant editor and also a writer whose work I admire so her words that I write well and it’s a good novel worthy of publishing mean a lot.

Of course there are no guarantees that will happen but I’m determined to try and currently have the Children’s Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook 2013 to hand looking at agents/publishers to submit to. It’s a little daunting but also exciting!

On This Day

My short story Trojan was published on 21st June 2012 in On This Day, an anthology of short stories. The kindle version will be out in July – date to follow.

Stories had to be linked to a “world stopping event” for the competition. The event was to be the backdrop for the story. Trojan takes place during the London bombings on 07/07/2005.

Trojan

The blast brought clarity to her thoughts. She was no soldier but every day of her life was a fight without hope of defeating the enemy… today fate presented her with the opportunity to win the war. In that moment of truth Meg took her moment to live.

Hastily she left Market Crescent and returned to the scene of the explosion. Traffic was at a standstill, a broken bus was the centre of activity, its roof peeled off and back end open. A fine layer of dust covered everything and the paper that had been flying around before, now lay on the ground. The screaming she had ignored ten minutes earlier was replaced by the wailing sound of sirens. She saw two blood soaked bodies crumpled on the pavement. She ought to help. It would be the right thing to do… that’s what people did when others were in need. Meg shakily picked her way through the rubble. Her right ankle went over as she trod on a broken wing mirror and she grabbed a metal railing to steady herself. The reality of it hit her. With blood on her hands she could not deny what she had done.

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If you want to read more of Trojan and the other stories order your copy by clicking on the book cover below: