7 Lines from the 7th Page

This came from Alex Laybourne

I read this blog earlier today and it is such a simple idea yet so effective!

1. Go to page 7 or 77 in your current manuscript
2. Go to line 7
3. Copy down the next seven lines as they are; no cheating
4. Tag 7 other authors

The below comes from the 77th page of my current manuscript Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel), Book 2:

This world intrigued me.  It was vibrant and alive, full of beasts.  I was the only predator in my realm, and it was beginning to feel very lonely.  Pausing momentarily, I glanced sharply around, taking in my surroundings.  I was aware of smaller animals disappearing into burrows and nests, desperate to avoid capture and certain death.  They were of no consequence to me at this time.  I needed something bigger, something strong and worthy of my time and energy.  Staring ahead, I saw the swish of a wolf’s tail as it disappeared into the undergrowth. 

END

That was fun! Now I will tag 7 authors, although I’m not sure if they’ll see this post.

1. Alex Laybourne
2. Borislava Borissova
3. Y. Correa
4. L. Filloon
5. C.E. Hart
6. Cheryel Hutton
7. Deborah R. Turner

Advice for New Writers

I would like to recommend a website for writers who are looking for a community that will offer feedback and support for their work. Write and Share is a UK based website that has grown at an incredible rate during the last twelve months. I have been with them from the start, and I can't actually remember how it was that I connected with the owner, Naomi Chance. All I know is that she is a wonderfully supportive and enthusiastic writer who shares her passion with others.

I have become very closely affiliated with Write and Share, and now offer my own writers' advice corner. Here is the link: http://www.writeandshare.co.uk/category/author-catherine-greens-advice-corner/ Under my personal account I have posted some short stories and extracts of my novels, which you can read and review as you wish. This is the same for all members of the site. I encourage you to look at my writers' advice articles, especially if you are an amateur who is seeking guidance, or an Indie author simply learning more about your craft. I write from personal experience, and am confident in what I share.

The Writer Loves Books

OK, the title of this post is perhaps a little silly and I am stating the obvious. There cannot be a writer out there who does not love books, but I am open to comments if you can prove me wrong. Anyway, my point is that I love books. I have always loved books. As a child, my mother taught me to read, and would take me to our local library every Saturday morning. I would step into that small one storey building full of excitement and happiness, and spend a few hours searching the shelves in the tiny children's fiction section, picking out my allocated allowance of six books. I would then read them all within a few days, return the following weekend, and do the whole thing again. I loved it!

Now that I am officially a published author, I feel on top of the world. I have just finished writing my third book, and I immediately started writing a fourth. The words flowed effortlessly, the stories are buzzing round my head, and I am both excited and overwhelmed with it all. But that is only half of my situation. I have an enormous pile of books to be read. That is just the paperbacks, and a couple of hardbacks. On my new Kindle I have something like sixty books or more, including samples. And somehow I ended up back in our local library the other day, and came home with another five books to read. Talk about a sucker for punishment!

This obsessive behavior got me thinking. Perhaps I am addicted to books. I have to touch them, to feel the texture of their covers and smell the familiar library smell of the ones I borrow. Even on my Kindle, I like the sharp definition of text, and the neatly ordered electronic pages. I feel such excitement every time I pick up a book, whether it be fiction or non-fiction. The point is I will learn something from each story, and I will experience new people, new places, and new adventures. I love books. I am a bookaholic. Who's with me?

Author Interview with C. A. Lofton

Here is an interview with C. A. Lofton, the author of non-fiction book African-American Guide to Prosperity:

http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com/2012/02/interview-c-a-lofton-author-of-african-american-guide-to-prosperity.html

This book represents something a little bit different, a guide to spiritual and practical prosperity using cultural traditions and mindsets.

Love Hurts Book Review

I am very excited to share with you my latest review of Love Hurts on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R2HRB8H472W20P/ref=cm_cr_dp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B005AXVDZS&nodeID=341677031&tag=&linkCode=

Romancing the Book: Interview & Contest: Catherine Green

Romancing the Book: Interview & Contest: Catherine Green: Jen: Today we welcome debut author Catherine Green to Romancing the Book. Catherine, will you please share a short bio with us? Catherine:...

Author Interview with S. G. Norris

Here is an interview with British author S. G. Norris about his new book A Very English Revolution:

 http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com/2012/01/author-interview-s-g-norris.html

 This is an intriguing story of the UK political system and its current issue with immigration. There are elements of the crime, thriller and mystery genres all rolled into one exciting book!

Author Interview with Matt T Schott

 Take a look at the interview with Matt T Schott, author of Lord Skyler and The Earth Defense Force

 http://www.livinglearninglovinglife.com/2012/01/author-interview-matt-t-schott.html

If you enjoy Sci-Fi and you want something new, you will enjoy this author!

The Thrill of being a Writer

I have just finished writing an intense cliffhanger of an ending to my second Redcliffe novel Love Kills. It was amazing! Having finished editing a separate manuscript, I was thinking about what needed to be done on my current WIP. I had written the first draft of Love Kills, but was unhappy with the way I had finished it.  There had to be more.

Well it seems that my muse agreed, and all day today, while doing my menial household chores, the story has unfolded in my head. As soon as my daughter was in bed, I had to get on the computer. Two and a half hours later, and the result is one finished first draft manuscript, and one very excited author! I do love this job.

The crazy thing is, I am actually physically shaking from the exertion of writing that particular part of my novel. The adrenaline is pumping through me, and I'm on a high. Who needs drugs? Just write! I could happily write all night now, but I know that I need a break, and my muse needs to rest. The only downside is I don't have any wine in the house to celebrate with. Never mind. Once my book is published and people are enjoying it, my current task will be complete. And by that time I will be on book 3, which promises to be even more exciting and intense...

For the Love of Books

I have finally embraced the digital revolution, and have acquired a Kindle. I love it. I was resistant at first, because I am of the old school generation where we believe there is nothing better than curling up with a good book. I realise now that it doesn’t have to be one or the other. I can enjoy both, and each has their own merits and advantages.

The Kindle, for example, is like a portable library. I had great fun one evening browsing the top 100 free bestsellers (I’m a penniless writer, there you go!). Anyway, my husband was greatly amused as I sat giggling away to myself, and proceeded to download somewhere in the region of 50 eBooks. Add to that a couple of PDFs that I had acquired, and my reading list is now looking extremely busy.

My Kindle is perfect for reading one-handed, for example while I am propping my daughter up as she learns to walk. Or I can stand in the kitchen with it while I am cooking dinner. And I have a very handy reading light so I don’t disturb my husband while I’m sitting up in bed at night. Oh, and I can comfortably recline in bed with the Kindle, something I struggled to do with my books before.


I was also very excited when I searched for my novel Love Hurts on the Kindle and found it second in the list of books with that name. It means my sales are doing well and I'm getting some exposure. Thank you my adoring fans! And for those who haven't yet read it, why not? It is even on special offer now until 5th January, so snap up a bargain while you can.

Do not despair my precious books! I still love you just as much. There is nothing quite like picking up a nice shiny new paperback, opening it for the first time, and inhaling that special smell of excitement and adventure. Every book is different. I love smoothing my fingers over the covers, and feeling the texture and shape. I love seeing the crisp, white pages of print just waiting to be explored. And I love walking past my bookshelves, and glancing at rows of beautiful, delightful, tomes of imagination.

So I have deduced that the Kindle, or indeed any other eReader tablet, is a great gadget for an easy to handle, quick to access book, and also a means of storing various books, magazines and newspapers. This is perfect for a frequent traveller, and saves lots of bag space for a young family with a modest car. But the good old-fashioned paperback, or hardback book, is a sacred and beloved text. It is to be treasured, revered, and will never be cast aside or forgotten, at least not in my world.

The Indie Writer does NaNoWriMo

November is National Novel Writing Month, or NaNoWriMo to everybody involved or aware of it.  This is an international competition, which has no prizes and no entry fees.  Participants are simply expected to write a novel with a word total of 50,000 during the month.  It is a wonderfully simple way of motivating yourself to finally write that story that has been festering in your head for all these months or years.

I have entered this competition.  Having published my debut paranormal romance novel, Love Hurts, in July this year, I now need to write the sequel.  Indeed I need to write the whole Redcliffe series, but this is my starting point.  I decided that NaNoWriMo would be the ideal opportunity.  It would motivate me to actually finish another piece of work, instead of procrastinating and avoiding the inevitable.

My sequel is called Love Kills and picks up the story of Cornish bookshop owner Jessica Stone as she recovers from her life threatening injuries sustained from a werewolf attack.  She is settling back into normal life, but struggling to deal with the reality of having a vampire boyfriend, and werewolf friends.  She is also working through the revelations that she is a witch, and deciding whether she wants to pursue her training and unlock her powers and abilities.

Finally, Jessica’s best friend and business partner has just given birth.  The new baby will throw up all sorts of challenges between the friends, and also between Jessica and her lover Jack Mason.  That is where my story stands at the moment.  As of today (Monday 7^th November), my word total is 19,148, and I am very pleased with that.  It was easy to start my novel because the story was already in my head.  Indeed, I had begun the story while I was finishing writing Love Hurts, but I had to separate the novels out, and make time to write Love Kills. 

That is why NaNoWriMo is important to me.  I have informed all of my close friends and family about the competition, and warned them that I will become a social hermit while I get my novel finished.  My plan is to complete the 50,000 words, and hopefully even write more than that as quickly as possible.  I certainly have the story; I just need to find time to write it around my duties of motherhood and housework.  But now that I have told people, they will expect me to complete this challenge, and that is my motivation.  NaNoWriMo, I will succeed!

The Indie Author Book Signing Event

Last weekend I attended my second book signing event to promote my paranormal romance novel Love Hurts. The event took place at Waterstones Bookseller in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent, UK. This was my home town so I was very excited. I have spent many years wandering around this book shop, dreaming about the day when I might see my own work on the shelves. And now that day has come!

The lovely staff welcomed me to their store, gave me a mug of coffee, and showed me to my special table in the centre of the ground floor retail space. I was facing the main entrance, in a nice open place, with the tills adjacent. The perfect location to see all the customers and for them to see me.

I had actually been sat for a few minutes before I even saw the large display stand full of my books next to the table! My heart gave a little leap of excitement, and I peered round to have a better look. Yes, there they were. A whole collection of books, above which hung a large banner announcing that local author Catherine Green was in store to sign copies of her new book.

The staff had printed some leaflets and had distributed them amongst customers for a few weeks before my event. I found this very touching, and a lovely gesture, since I hadn’t actually been able to get some leaflets produced myself. I am still learning the ropes, so to speak. I had gotten some mentions in local newspapers and magazines, so I was hoping this would help. And of course, I had plastered my event all over the social networks for weeks in advance, and told people as I went along.

As it was, the shop was almost empty all day long. On this day, the 1^st October 2011, the sun shone on the UK. We had some of the hottest temperatures on record, and people were not in the mood to shop. I was most annoyed. Where is the rain when you need it? We should be wearing jeans and jumpers now, not shorts and t-shirts!

There was nothing else for it. I had to pluck up some courage, approach people, and coerce them into buying my book. The Paranormal Romance and Dark Fantasy sections were located near the main entrance, so I practically wore a path in the carpet every time somebody walked in and paused there. I would hurry over to them, trying not to look like a bird of prey swooping in for the kill. Fortunately most people were very polite, and agreed to take a look at my book.

By the end of my four-hour attendance, I had sold seven books. Not an impressive number, but very satisfactory under the circumstances. Aside from this I had spoken to a book reviewer for the local influential newspaper, and he said he will feature my book shortly. This just goes to show that you never know what contacts you might make if you creep out of your dark writer’s space, and mingle in the wider world, even for a short time.

Now, who shall I visit next? I shall consult the list given to me by the manager of the Hanley store. Watch this space for more events…

Stories in my Head

I am struggling at the moment, to find time to sit down and write all of the stories in my head.  I have a young baby, a family, and all the associated housework to deal with before I can focus on my writing.  Unfortunately the writing has to be a sideline to my role as Mother. But I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

           

Anyway, just because I can’t physically write up the stories, does not mean they don’t exist.  For example, I am currently attempting to write the sequel to my recently published paranormal romance novel Love Hurts.  I have actually written a rough draft of about the first five chapters of Love Kills.  In my head, I am probably on about chapter twelve, or possibly even further along.  It gets a little confusing.

My stories are a good source of escapism while I am stood before the kitchen sink, or cleaning out the turtle tank, or ironing, or hoovering, or any number of other boring household tasks.  I even formulate the stories while in the shower, or in bed, out walking, or even when I am out in the car.  My characters take on their own lives, and draw me in as a spectator.  It is my job to remember what they tell me, and commit it to paper (or computer) as soon as possible.

Sometimes it can be embarrassing, like the time I headbutted a neighbour’s hanging basket because I was engrossed in my personal fictional dialogue.  Other times people can be talking to me and I simply don’t hear them.  I sort of snap out of a daydream, and have to wake up to the reality around me.  I am sure this is not an isolated situation.  I must be one of a million writers in a similar position.

Maybe I should invest in a Dictaphone, and dictate my stories while I work.  Perhaps then I can at least have something to write up at a later date.  I find sometimes that when I actually get to the physical writing stage, my stories fly off on a tangent, totally different from what I had originally imagined.  Sometimes this works, sometimes not.  I must be away to bed soon as the night is moving on.  Who knows which story I will dip into, and where I will travel before sleep takes over…

My First Book Signing Event

I recently attended my very first book-signing event. It took place at Waterstones bookseller in Crewe, Cheshire in the North of England. I did not know what to expect so I was faintly nervous but approached it with an open mind. I would surely sell some books, even if no one came specifically to see me. I had been publicizing it widely in local newspapers and on the Internet so I was hopeful.

As it was, I sold 6 books. This may not sound like a lot, but for an unknown author with a new book, it was pretty damn good! I am very pleased with the result, and with the whole experience in general. It has filled me with renewed vigor and hope for my second book-signing event in two weeks. The people that I met were very supportive and the bookshop staff was really helpful and accommodating.

Although I didn’t really expect my friends and family to drop everything and come and see me on their precious weekend day off, I must admit it was a little disappointing to see no familiar faces. Well, my father-in-law did turn up and he took some professional photographs (he is a photographer by trade, very useful!) to use on my websites. I did have a wonderful surprise when a great-Uncle and Aunt came to see me. I was really touched that even though they haven’t see me since I was a child, they took the time to come and show some support, and more importantly, bought some books.

When I first arrived there was a customer waiting for me, a lovely woman who supports local authors and wanted to read my book especially because of its Cornish setting. It was very amusing that every time I stood up to stretch my legs, customers would approach me to ask for assistance in the shop. Even though I wasn’t in uniform and had no name badge, apparently I looked like a member of staff! I suppose once you work in retail and customer service, you never really lose that professional, helpful stance and persona.

It was a useful learning experience. I had recently read a lot of negative stories in the media, saying that bookshops are in decline and people are no longer interested. Even in this small retail center, there were enough customers coming and going to fill me with confidence that the industry is still strong, and is still worth pursuing as a viable career. There were a lot of parents with young children, and many teenagers buying books. Not everyone has defected to the digital revolution just yet.

The Authors that shaped my Writing

A question that has popped up lately is that of the writers that have influenced me in my work. Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) is a paranormal romance novel. Immediately I imagine many people will associate it with the recent Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer. I don’t mind this association because I expect the readers of this series to move on and read my own Redcliffe novels series.

My own personal influences came from other writers, and many of them not even in the paranormal genre. When I was a young child I read Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. Any serious child reader has to experience the joys of these authors. They are amazing! I was a huge fan of the Mallory Towers series and The Famous Five. I also read a few Secret Seven books but these were never quite as magical. But they all fired up my imagination.

And then there was Matilda, The BFG and the Witches. These were my favourite Roald Dahl books, closely followed by Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and James and the Giant Peach. My husband has recently started reading Matilda to our daughter for her bedtime story, and once again I sit transfixed by the story. I adore the use of language, and Quentin Blake’s illustrations just finish the book brilliantly.

As I grew older I did find my way to the paranormal genre. It started with some Penguin classic ghost stories, Bram Stoker’s Dracula, and a couple of anthologies of vampire short stories. Then I discovered LJ Smith. I read the Nightworld series, and I was hooked. The books described pretty much exactly what was happening inside my head, but from an American perspective.

It was Nightworld that really fired up my imagination and put the first stirrings of Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) in my head. Back then I would invent the story of a man who was a vampire, and a human woman who discovered his secret. Sometimes the heroine was the vampire. Eventually I discovered the Mason brothers and Jessica Stone, and the rest is history. In fact, I am very surprised at the way my story evolved over the years. It is as though the characters wrote it themselves and I translated.

Finally I discovered Anne Rice and her Vampire Chronicles. These books showed me that I could be controversial, and that it was acceptable to write about what was really important to me. I didn’t have to disguise my vampires behind senseless violence just so they would be accepted. And now, during the last decade, I have been reading the Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series by Laurell K Hamilton. 

All of these amazing authors leave me with a lot to be desired. But hey, eventually they must retire, and maybe by that time I will be experienced and decent enough to take the reins in the paranormal world. A girl can dream …

Join my tribe today, and I will send you a fabulous FREE book to get you started… (be warned, my vampires do not sparkle, and my wolves will bite!) 

Love Hurts Surprise Book Reviews

I have been speaking to various people about my novel Love Hurts. Being a paranormal romance, it was more than likely going to fall into the category of Young Adult for audience appeal, but that was not my original intention. Indeed, the story content is very adult and I would not recommend it for anyone under the age of 18. I had intended the book for an adult market aged roughly between 18-35, although of course I would not begrudge anyone reading it.

I was greatly surprised to find that several older people have read and thoroughly enjoyed my book. Here is a classic example of my cultural and social conditioning rearing its face. I automatically assumed that any people over the age of 50 that read my book would think it far-fetched and probably ridiculous. This was not the case according to some recent word of mouth reviews I have received.

Two people in particular stand out. The first is my paternal grandfather. I have never known him to read a book that didn’t include photographs of classic cars and engines. He reads newspapers but that’s about it, and my grandmother agreed that she too had never seen him read a novel before. But he read mine, I thought just because I was his granddaughter. Actually he told me that it was really interesting, very descriptive, and he thoroughly enjoyed it, so much so that he read it within about two days!

The second surprise positive review came from the grandmother of my brother’s girlfriend. This was a review from someone who doesn’t know me, and I was really happy to be told that this lady thought my novel was really exciting. Apparently she enjoyed it, and is keen to see the sequel when I finally complete it.

After these, and several other positive word of mouth reviews, I am filled with renewed vigour for my writing. Now I have established that there is actually a whole new older audience, I cannot wait for them to read some more of my work. And my lesson for the week is to never underestimate what people are prepared to read.

Getting Down to Business

As mentioned previously, I have been so involved with networking and promoting my book recently that I have been rather lacking in actual writing. So tonight, after another busy day with the baby and various jobs, I forced myself to sit at the computer and not jump straight onto the internet.

I have actually managed to write another chapter of The Darkness of Love, and at the moment this book is drawing me back in. Marcus Scott is a hot character, I have to say, and this story is all about classic Victorian vampires. It is sultry, sexy and alive, despite the undead characters!

There is still a lot of work to do with this. Firstly I must persevere until all of the chapters are written in rough. The story has been buzzing round my head for months now, and I have to stop suppressing it. Then I can start at the beginning, read through, and amend the chapters as necessary.

Once that is completed, I will need to format it and find a publisher. Easy! 

Work in Progress

It is time to stand back for a moment, take a breath, and remember the true reason for my online presence and all the social networking. I am a writer. I write stories. Currently I am trying hard to access a wider audience for my newly published debut novel. But there are other works in the pipeline, and indeed I have two more novels in progress as we speak.

The first of these is naturally a sequel to Love Hurts. Tentatively entitled Love Kills, the story picks up when Jessica is recovering from her injuries and Elizabeth is about to give birth. This story will delve deeper into my characters' emotions and moral standing. It will challenge the reader to decide who are the 'good guys' and who are the 'bad guys.' Personally I believe that everyone has their flaws and we make our own judgements. I enjoy seeing the reactions of other people.

My second work in progress is a spin-off novel called The Darkness of Love. This is the story of how my Redcliffe character Marcus Scott came to be a vampire. He surprised me in Love Hurts, so I decided to give him his own novel. I think he deserves it because he is quite a forceful character, and I am most definitly attracted to him! The Darkness of Love was originally entered into a competition but was unsuccessful. I am determined to see it through, although I seem to blow hot and cold with this one. Some days I like it, some days I don't, but mostly I do.

And that is a brief update because it is late, I am tired, and I am determined to be in bed before midnight for once. Goodnight!

Highway to Hell by Alex Laybourne

Heaven and Hell, Angel and Demons, these things were once considered opposites, but now you will see that they are neighbors, allies…. friends.

Marcus, Becky, Richard, Helen, Sammy and Graham. All complete strangers, different ages, backgrounds and even countries, but they all have one major thing in common…They all must DIE.

Sentenced to offer their penance in the many chambers of Hell, their lives are nothing but a torturous experience. They are brought face to face with their past, their mistakes and the implications that had for others. Until one by one they are rescued and thrown together. Waking in a dying world, they are introduced to their rescuers who do anything but conform to their angelic stereotype.

Together, bonded by an unknown destiny the group is set on their quest; to find one individual buried deep within the many Hell worlds. Not only does the fate of their world rest on their shoulders, but that of existence itself.

Introducing Alex Laybourne Author

Horror writer Alex Laybourne was born in the UK but relocated to The Netherlands to be with his wife. Together they have three wonderful children who despite their young age are showing all the signs of following in their father’s creative footsteps. 

Alex’s debut novel Highway to Hell is a 96.000 word horror novel and the first in a trilogy that will take readers on a journey not just into hell, but through it.

Highway to Hell can be found on Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk, and Amazon.de, and for all non-kindle readers via Smashwords.com for just $2.99. You can also download a free sample of the novel at all of the above sites.

Alex is always interested in making new friends both readers and writers alike. You can find him at most hours of the waking day on Twitter under the name @vanplank or on his blog www.alexlaybourne.com