Book Launch: Becoming Clementine by Jennifer Niven

A spellbinding story of a secret mission and dangerous passion in World War II Paris:

After delivering a B-17 Flying Fortress to Britain, an American volunteers to copilot a plane carrying special agents to their drop spot over Normandy. Her personal mission: to find her brother, who is missing in action. Their plane is shot down, and only she and five agents survive. Now they are on the run for their lives.

As they head to Paris, the beautiful aviatrix Velva Jean Hart becomes Clementine Roux, a daring woman on an epic adventure with her team to capture an operative known only as "Swan." Once settled on Rue de la Néva, Clementine works as a spy with the Resistance and finds herself falling in love with her fellow agent, Émile, a handsome and mysterious Frenchman with secrets of his own. When Clementine ends up in the most brutal prison in Paris, trying to help Émile and the team rescue Swan, she discovers the depths of human cruelty, the triumph of her own spirit, and the bravery of her team, who will stop at nothing to carry out their mission.

Readers of 22 Britannia Road, The Postmistress, and Suite Francaise will cherish Becoming Clementine—a romantic World War II adventure told from the perspective of a courageous and beautiful heroine.

Becoming Clementine by Jennifer Niven on Amazon

Jennifer Niven is the also the author of the popular Velva Jean novels, including Velva Jean Learns to Drive and Velva Jean Learns to Fly. Follow Jennifer Niven on Twitter and visit http://www.jenniferniven.com/

Book Review: Stephen King: On Writing – A Memoir of the Craft

Stephen King’s ‘On Writing’ is a useful read for anyone who writes – or would like to.  I grew up on Stephen King’s thrillers without really knowing anything about the man who wrote them.  I read ‘On Writing’ when it was first published but have written several books since then, so it was interesting to see if it was still as good.

It was better.  Ten years have done nothing to diminish the power of the story telling that runs through this book.  There are also some great quotes that passed me by on the original reading (or perhaps slipped into my subconscious)  such as ‘the editor is always right’ and ‘2^nd draft = 1^st draft – 10%.’  It’s easy to see how King has drawn on his childhood experiences in character development.  Growing up in poverty was an adventure - and no TV seems to have been a distinct advantage.  Undaunted by his growing pile of rejection slips, Stephen King just knew he was meant to write and nothing was going to stop him.

I really liked his description of the moment he had his first big advance  (for Carrie).  The early draft had been rescued from the waste bin by his wife. (She smoothed out all the crumpled balls of paper and said she wanted to hear the rest of the story.  The film version made $33.8 million in the U.S. alone).

Although there are plenty of useful tips for writers throughout, the most thought provoking part of this book is the final section, ‘On Living: A Postscript.’  King explains, ‘Writing is not life, but I think that it can be a way back to life.  That was something I found out in the summer of 1999, when a man driving a blue van almost killed me.’  You have to read it.

Special Guest Post: Heather Dugan on her new book 'Pickup in Aisle Twelve'

Once upon a time, my aspirations to write were far greater than the material available to me. This stemmed partly from family taboos that sidelined the most worthy stuff, but mainly, it was due to my fairly ordinary and predictable life.  Normal ups, normal downs and a lot of straight-down-the-middle living... Picture a twelve-year old in knee socks and pig tails writing sad yet hopeful stories about life as a street urchin before slipping downstairs to meatloaf surprise and a Disney movie.  

My stories lacked credibility, a critical ingredient.

And then life started for real. Death, disease, divorce, despair… The only thing lacking was perhaps a melancholy sound track to accompany my trips to hospitals, funeral homes and divorce court. A dozen crises later, I had a light bulb moment in which I realized I’d suddenly been “gifted” with an unusual amount of material. And as tragedies continued to pile on, I began wriggling my way out from under via humor. Finding the funny became a survival skill as critical to my well being as chocolate and red wine on a bad day.

What’s funny about midlife dating? Well, in my mind, stumbling back into the awkwardness of our youth with the skepticism of a forty-something is either pathetic or humorous, and my long-term view is that the latter leads to better wrinkles. And somewhere along the way, as friends laughed at my wry observations, I began writing them down.

“Freshness dates” took on a whole new meaning when a would-be suitor followed me from the bread aisle to a Walmart checkout a few years ago. His earnest attempt to “connect” as my groceries paraded past the scanner was touching but odd. I did the only reasonable thing I could do: I wrote about it.

This chance encounter led to “Pickup in Aisle Twelve:”

After a would-be suitor tails her to a grocery store checkout, Angie Wharton confronts the grim realities of her post-divorce dating options. Niggling guilt, a fickle resolve and easy access to her sister's dinner table have kept her on the sidelines, but her brother-in-law's patience --and supplies of cabernet are running low.

Pressed into posting an online dating profile, Angie decides to take the offense before love passes her by. But navigating this borderless world of blurred photos and lonely hearts will require her to create both a virtual roadmap and a new understanding of herself.

Lipstick? Check. Eye contact? More or less. Awkward moments? Uh huh. Love...?

Curious? I'd love to hear your comments! Please look for the free chapter of "Pickup in Aisle Twelve" on Amazon, and follow me —Heather Dugan— and Angie Wharton on Twitter! Next up in the trilogy? “Profile on Page Nine," of course!

Heather Dugan is a writer/advice columnist and voiceover/video talent who specializes in spotlighting the inspiring, and often humorous, elements of family, business and travel. Her articles, voiceovers and videos can be found on various business and travel sites and via links at http://www.heatherdugan.com.

She resides in Central Ohio with her children and a wayward chocolate lab, is slightly addicted to outdoor activities and would never let her passport expire. In between deodorizing shin guards, power grocery shopping and explaining proper application of lawn care products in corporate videos; her passion for travel and the great outdoors takes her off the map (oops) and all over the world. She considers humor to be her best accessory.

George Bernard Shaw's Rotating Writing Hut

Shaw Corner

It was fascinating to visit George Bernard Shaw’s Edwardian villa, ‘Shaw Corner’ in the tiny Hertfordshire village of Ayot St Lawrence, where he lived for over 40 years from 1906 and wrote some of his most famous plays.  Born in Dublin, on 26 July 1856, George Bernard Shaw is the only person to have been awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature and an Oscar (for his contributions to literature and the film My Fair Lady, based on his play 'Pygmalion'.)  A passionate Socialist, Shaw used his fame to campaign for improvements to social injustice and equality.

Shaw Corner has been preserved by The National Trust much as he left it, so there is a real sense of how it must have been to live and work there.  I was particularly interested in his study, where his writing desk faces the window looking out across the lawns and gardens.  Shaw wrote fifty-two plays and five novels in his lifetime and always aimed to write at least five pages every day, regardless of whatever else was going on in his life. 

George Bernard Shaw's study

The Remington typewriter on his desk was apparently reserved for correspondence, however, as much of his writing was done in a shed at the bottom of his garden. Still in good condition, Shaw’s hut is famous for a special design feature that meant it could be easily rotated to make best use of the available light. (Shaw called his writing hut ‘London’ so that unwanted visitors could be told he was ‘visiting the capital’.)  A report in the 1932 Modern Mechanix  magazine  said "Mr. Shaw has a plan to keep the sun shining on him constantly while he works. He has constructed a small hut on his grounds that is built on a turntable. When the morning sun shifts, he merely places his shoulder against the side of the hut and gives it a push so that the warming beams fall through his window at the correct angle.  Mr. Shaw’s plan to keep the sun shining on him is a simple health measure, and not a wanton eccentricity.  The author has spent most of his life out of doors, but when he moved to London he didn’t get as much sun as he thought he needed.  Hence the hut."

Shaw's Rotating Writing Hut

George Bernard Shaw's writing hut also featured in The Guardian's Writers' Rooms series, where his biographer Michael Holroyd points out that this was also where Shaw went to hide from people. As well as the turntable technology, Shaw’s writing hut included “an electric heater, a typewriter, a bunk for Napoleonic naps and a telephone to the house which could be used for emergencies such as lunch: surely everything a writer could need."  

Book Launch Guest Post - Botanicaust by Tam Linsey

I write dystopia. Adult dystopia. For some reason, many readers assume dystopia is synonymous with YA. 

My 14-year-old niece took Botanicaust to school because she was excited her aunt wrote a book, and planned on doing a book report with it. (My sister allowed it – that whole, “It’s dystopia so it must be YA thing.”) The teacher called and asked my sister if she knew what her daughter was reading. “The cover is a little... saucy.”

Uh, yeah! This is a book for adults. Look at my cover. That is the first thing a reader sees – it’s a promise about what they are going to get inside. Does my cover say YA to you? The image is a woman, not a youth. And she’s naked. I’d guess there may be adult themes in the book. So, why do people assume it’s YA? Because it is dystopia. (If you’re unfamiliar with the term dystopia, I wrote a short article on it a while back, which you can read here.)

Many adults are reading and enjoying YA these days. There is even a group on Goodreads called Our Guilty Little Secret for adults who enjoy YA. I’m writing for those people, who appreciate the deep thinking themes and fast pace of YA dystopia, but might want a protagonist who’s over sixteen. Dystopia fans of the world, unite!

To finish the story about my niece, my sister went ahead and allowed her to read the book because the two sex scenes are very vanilla. What I would call rated ‘R.’ She and her daughter have a very good relationship when it comes to being open and talking. But I will forever be (jokingly) called the “slutty aunt who writes porn.”   Welcome to adult dystopia!

Tam Linsey lives in Alaska with her husband and two children. In spite of the rigors of the High North, she grows, hunts, or fishes for much of her family’s food. During the long Alaskan winters she writes speculative fiction.  You can find her books on Amazon and other online retailers, or visit her website at www.tamlinsey.com and follow @TamLinsey on twitter.

Book Launch Guest Post - Phases of the Moon by Louise Hastings

I never knew I wanted to be a writer and only took up the pen after suffering a severe bout of anxiety and depression a couple of years ago, and that was initially just to scribble something down in a journal every day. In the process of that scribbling, I discovered a joy for wordplay and poetry. There's something about allowing my thoughts and emotions to breathe through the power of the medium that has been profoundly healing for me. 

I've had poetry published in various anthologies and Phases of the Moon is my first poetry collection, published by Winter Goose Publishing. In the book, I write about what moves me, the connections between the human psyche and our natural world. I found there was so much beauty in the world if only I had stopped long enough to notice it. Through mindful awareness, I have experienced a spiritual awakening of sorts that has carried and sustained me throughout my poetic journey. To be honest, everything you need to know about me can be found in my poetry.

Kiss

If this country were my lips
cells dividing, splitting
Fingers, brittle, cracking,
I am my country, the distant hills
and this city
stained with blood and money
were my brain and bones,
I would be the river flowing,
my bloodstream thick with it,

cells dividing, splitting
into one more tortured poet
stood helpless against the tides,
against the process of decay.

Fingers, brittle, cracking,
cling like a fragile bird,
a world away
from the booted city girls,
blushed and powdered faces
striding past the glitter in the shops.

I am my country, the distant hills the spine that holds me upright.
I kiss the earth and sky,
the love that lies beside me
in the prism of the rainbow spray.

I am a poet and writer living on a wing and a prayer and the author of a 1^st collection of poetry, Phases of the Moon published by Winter Goose Publishing.

I like to allow my thoughts and emotions to breathe through the power of artistic expression and can be found on my Website, Twitter and Facebook. 

Phases of the Moon is now available through Amazon.com and Amazon UK as well as Barnes & Noble.   Also look out for a giveaway soon on Goodreads!

Louise Hastings

 

Guest Post: Morgen Bailey's 10 Tips For new Writers

In my experience too many novice writers worry about finding their ‘voice’ and understanding their ‘craft’ early on. It can be a long journey but providing you write regularly you’ll get there… and here are a few basics to help you on your way:

1. Probably the most used phrase when teaching writing is ‘show don’t tell’. If you have a character who is angry for some reason, saying ‘Andy was angry’ is a classic example of ‘tell’. Simply put, you’re not showing us how. If you wrote ‘Andy slammed his fist onto the table’ you are.
2. Dialogue tags – it’s recommended that you can only go up to six pieces of dialogue (between no more than two people) without attributing it to someone. And there’s nothing wrong with ‘said’. Don’t be tempted to look at your thesaurus and say ‘Andy postulated’. You could also avoid tags by another character saying “Oh Andy, that’s…” or in the description; ‘Andy laughed. “That’s…”
3. Character names are important as we often get a sense of their personality by what they’re called. A Mavis is likely to be older than a Britney and would, usually, act differently. Avoid having names starting with the same letter; if you have a Todd talking to a Ted, the reader can easily get confused. Bill and Ted would be fine and as we know, they had a wonderful time back in the late 1980s.
4. I’m a big fan of repetition… of not doing it. Unless it’s ‘the’, ‘and’ etc, a word should only be repeated if the second instance is to emphasise or clarify the first. For example, ‘Andy sat in the car. He beeped the horn of the car.’ You don’t need ‘of the car’ because we already know he’s in the car. If you said ‘Andy sat in the car. He beeped the horn and the car shook’ that would be fine because you’re clarifying that it’s the car and not the horn (because it’s the last object you mentioned) that’s shaking.
5. Stephen King’s writing guide / autobiography ‘On writing’ has been the most suggested book in the interviews I’ve conducted. Amongst other things he’s notoriously against adverbs (‘ly’) and fair enough – in ‘completely dead’ you wouldn’t need the completely because dead says it all, and a character doesn’t need to be ‘sighing wearily’ because the sighing tells us enough, but adverbs are necessary in the right context. Again it’s all about clarification and fine-tuning.
6. Every word has to count; does it move the story along or tell us about your characters? If not, the chances are it can be chopped.
7. If you’re having trouble with a passage move on or leave it and return later with ‘fresh eyes’.
8. Read. It doesn’t matter whether it’s your genre or not (one of my Monday nighters writes amazing sci-fi but has never read a word of it) but reading will help you see how a story is structured and balanced between dialogue and description; short sentences speed the pace, long passages slow it down.
9. Join a writing group, get your work critiqued. Read your work out loud. It’s amazing what you’ll pick up when you hear it outside your head.
10. Subscribe to writing magazines, go to workshops, literary festivals. If you really want to write immerse yourself in all things literary.

About Morgen Bailey

Host of the fortnightly Bailey’s Writing Tips audio podcast, she also belongs to three in-person writing groups (based in Northamptonshire, England) and is Chair of another which runs the annual HE Bates Short Story Competition.

You can read / download her eBooks (some free) at Smashwords, Sony Reader Store, Barnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore, Kobo and Amazon, with her novels to follow. Being an advocate of second-person viewpoint, she also recently had a quirky story published in the charity anthology Telling Tales.

She has a writing-related forum and you can follow her on Twitter, friend on Facebook, like her Facebook Author Page, connect on LinkedIn, find onTumblr, look at her photos on Flickr and join her every Sunday (8pm UK time) on Radio Litopia where she is a regular contributor.

Her blog aims to cover everything writing-related  - and she loves hearing from other writers and readers, who can contact her via her website’s Contact me page or email her.