What these authors would LOVE a second chance at…

My newly published ‘Amelia Henley’ debut ‘The Life We Almost Had’ is all about the unimaginable leap Anna takes to have a second chance at first love with Adam. This isn’t a typical love story but I really wanted to explore how far we’d go, given the chance, to go back and change the past. In my story Anna has the opportunity to do just this but it comes with potential heartbreaking and life changing consequences. I shared what I’d like a second chance at in my last post which you can read here.

So many brilliant books published on the same day as ‘The Life We Almost Had’ and I asked some of the authors I shared a publication day with what they’d like a second chance at. The answers were both moving and relatable.

Natasha Randall – Author of “Love Orange’ – 

“I wish I had a second chance at my twenties. I would have been calmer, gone deeper. Those years passed with breathlessness, I think I was whirling, spraying sweat in all directions. I was looking for something and I still don’t know what — a place to belong? I think I moved 15 times in ten years. I should have stopped a little, tried to belong a little to something good but with stillness.”

You can find ‘Love Orange’ at Waterstones here.

Kia Abdullah – Author of ‘Truth Be Told’

“I would like a second chance to say goodbye to my father. We didn’t speak for six months before he passed away for several complicated reasons, mainly because I had walked out of an arranged marriage and felt too guilty to face my family. My father suffered from ill health – part of the reason why I agreed to an arranged marriage in the first place – and was hospitalised one April day. I received a call from my sister and I remember looking at the wall clock and trying to decide whether or not to rush to the hospital. It was 8.10pm and visiting hours ended at 8.30. In the end, I decided I would visit tomorrow. In the early hours, my father passed away. 

I would like a second chance at saying goodbye to him; at telling him I loved him; at saying I forgave him; and asking for forgiveness too. 

I’ve managed to process much of my pain through fiction. I’ve channelled my experiences into Zara Kaleel, the protagonist of Take It Back and now Truth Be Told. Her relationship with her family is based on my own and writing about that has been deeply cathartic.”

You can order ‘Truth Be Told’ via Amazon here

Jane Johnson – Author of ‘The Sea Gate’

“I’d love a second chance to sit down with my mother and talk to her about her early life. She spent her youth in Cornwall during the War, and although we managed to talk about her experiences just before she died in 2017, I wish we’d had more time and been able to get into greater detail on the tea dances in the hotels on the Penzance promenade and her worldlywise cousins and how they got her drunk for the first time in her life, and how she traded her food ration for lipstick and cigarettes; and about all the family secrets that started to bubble to the surface when she knew her time was running out. THE SEA GATE is something of an homage to her and her generation: I wish she’d had a chance to read it.”

You can order ‘The Sea Gate’ via Waterstones here.

Elizabeth Baines, Author of ‘Astral Travel’

“Once I got a chance to go to London and work for an advertising agency. But guess what, I had fallen in love with a man who was based in Scotland. What to do? I’d aways promised myself i would never do what my mother had done – give up the chance of a career for a man – and the thought of London and working in that kind of environment had always seemed so exciting…  But all of a sudden the idea didn’t seem so glittery: I knew I’d be miserable there, missing my man. So I chose my man, went to Scotland and trained to be a teacher. Do I regret my decision? No, i found I loved teaching, and how could I regret the two children we had, who have been among the best things in my life? But sometimes I wonder: what turns would my life have taken if I’d chosen differently? Would I have become a different kind of person? As a writer you are always dealing with What Ifs, and sometimes I think I would love to get into a time machine and take that different path, just to find out…”

You can buy ‘Astral Travel’ from Waterstones here or direct from Salt Publishing here.

If you want to read about the unimaginable lengths Anna has to go to in order to have a second chance at first love with Adam my debut love story ‘The Life We Almost Had‘ is currently 99p across all digital platforms. Download it from Amazon, iBooks, Kobo or Google. It is NOT a typical love story.

As well as on Amazon, you can find the paperback in Tesco, or Waterstones or support your local bookstore. Book stores are always happy to order in a title they don’t have in stock.

Is there anything you wish you could have a second chance at? Do let me know!

The BEST publication day present EVER & the launch party!

 

Yesterday was paperback and audio book publication day for my 5th psychological thriller ‘The Family’ and you can read the background of where the story came from in my earlier post, here.

I was incredibly excited from the second I woke. It’s been over a year since I was last published and the delicious feeling of gratitude, pride and relief all threaded with nerves, never gets any less intense.

The day kicked off with deliveries of gorgeous flowers from my mum, my husband and my publisher and so many cards the postman wished me happy birthday!

My sister’s homemade publication day gifts are legendary and she really upped her game again with this gem for The Family. The scene is taken from page 56 of the book, where Laura and Tilly first approach the commune, which will become their dream home and then their worst nightmare. Below is the passage

We’d been driving for forty-five minutes when, almost too late, I noticed the opening in-between the trees. I swung a hard left, bumping down a rutted track that tapered until hanging twigs scraped against my paintwork. I thought I must have taken a wrong turn. Slowly, I edged forward, looking for a place to turn around. The track widened again. A weatherworn sign speared the ground, a crow perched atop so still at first I thought he was a statue. ‘Tresmasers yn Ofalus’ in black peeling letters and then almost as an afterthought, the English translation, ‘Trespassers Beware’. A second sign shouted ‘Ffens Trydan’, ‘Electric Fence’, and a third, newer sign, ‘Oak Leaf Organics’. I’d found it. Gorphwysfa. Resting place.

Publication day wouldn’t be publication day without seeing my book on the shelves so my friend and I went to Tesco and it was so overwhelming to realise that my story is actually really out there I shed a little tear in the supermarket. Not embarrassing at all…

The evening was ALL about the launch (and a lot about the cake!) On the way to Waterstones I felt incredibly anxious – I’ve always been open about my mental health battles and despite it being a happy day it was the worst I had felt for a long time. I could barely speak, felt faint and there was such a strong desire to run away I almost, almost considered it. But then the people I love most in the world began to arrive with hugs and good wishes and I realised that everyone had come to support me and then I was so grateful for the people in my life I had to have a minute alone to compose myself.

My editor Manpreet Grewal, and my agent, Rory Scarfe had both travelled up from London and it really meant a lot to me to have them both there.

As well as my family and close friends there were people I hadn’t seen for years but had reconnected with via Facebook: Mark who I went to school with 30 years ago; Paul, one of my teenage best friends; Suzi who I met when I’d had a baby 13 years ago. It was wonderful to catch up with everyone.

One of the best parts about being published is the new friends I have made online, who have turned into real friends offline, some of whom came to celebrate include the inspirational Madeleine Black, Darren O’Sullivan and Jane Isaac.

The Fiction Café Facebook Book Group is run by the lovely Wendy Clarke and she and her members are always so supportive it was fantastic to have some of them at the launch.

Adam Chappell the magician came to entertain us all with close up magic. I’d really recommend him for events, his tricks were amazing (although I was better at making cake disappear…)

And then came the speech (drops head into hands with despair).

At the launch for my debut, The Sister, I was too nervous to say anything coherent. I stood and gushingly thanked a random person who’d wandered in off of the street to see what was going on and completely failed to mention my children. Last night I was determined to nail it. I bullet pointed the things I wanted to say and I felt confident talking about my book and acknowledgements. Afterwards I was super relieved it had gone so well until my friend whispered in my ear “that was great, but you thanked everyone except your husband…”

Next time I’ll get it right!

HUGE thanks to everyone who supported The Family yesterday, both online and at the launch. It’s available now at Tesco, Sainsbury’s & all good bookshops and will be stocked in Asda nearer to Christmas. For a limited time only the digital version is just 99p across all digital platforms. You can find it on Amazon here.

Harrogate 2019 – What’s Theakston Crime Festival REALLY like?

Harrogate is a festival I’ve always avoided, along with all the other festivals, partly because I’m such an introvert that the thought of walking into a throng of people & joining in random conversations is SO daunting, and partly because I have a chronic health condition and while I’m more mobile than I have been in years, standing is more painful than moving & not knowing if there are chairs available is always a worry.

Everything in my head is always a worry.

This year my new publisher HQ Stories, Harper Collins, invited me along to sign proof copies of my forthcoming psychological thriller, The Family.  Before the automatic ‘no’ sprung from my lips I hesitated. Each year I see everyone’s happy Harrogate posts and photos online and wish I’d have gone. Always promising myself that the next year I would, knowing that when it came around again I’d once more be at home regretting not taking the plunge.

My husband offered to drive me, knowing that I tire easily, particularly if I have to stand. Super blogger Emma Mitchell promised to look after me.

I said yes.

Emma met me at the entrance (once she’d peeled herself off the floor).

I met Emma after she’d read my debut, The Sister, and contacted me and she’s become one of my closest friends and definitely one of the best things to come out of being published. We speak most days, meet when we can despite the distance between us and the second I saw her I relaxed, knowing I’d have a good time.

And I did.

The first thing to know about Harrogate, particularly if you have limited mobility is that it is SMALL. Crowded, yes, but SMALL. Everything is based in, and around the grounds of, The Old Swan Hotel (the place where Agatha Christie disappeared in 1926). Inside there’s a bar area with sofas and chairs. A tuck shop with table and chairs, hot and cold drinks and food (sandwiches, salads, jacket potatoes – all reasonably priced). Outside is a larger bar, picnic tables and chairs, all undercover and various deckchairs and outdoor seating. There are also multiple tents with (surprise!) bookish things happening and giveaways.

The second thing to know, particularly if you have social anxiety, is that it’s friendly, and if you’re on social media you probably know more people than you think. It was great being with Emma, but plenty of people go alone and EVERYBODY is happy to chat. There’s a really chilled out, relaxed vibe.

The third thing to know is don’t rock up without tickets to the bigger events expecting to buy them there. You won’t. And with speakers like James Patterson, Harlan Coben, and Ian Rankin it’s no surprise everything sells out beforehand. That said, there are plenty of people who purely go to hang out and chat and don’t want to attend any talks or workshops and that’s perfectly okay. You don’t need a ticket to go.

Much to Granger’s delight dogs are very welcome in the grounds.

It was great to catch up with Kim Nash – the Head of Publicity – for Bookouture who did such a fabulous job with my first 4 titles. She was with Miranda Dickinson. I first met Miranda when I went to a blogger/author event before I was published. She came and sat next to me with a pile of her books that someone had asked her to sign. I had sat there, heart racing, palms sweaty – just say hello and tell her you’re a fan – playing over and over again in my head. I was too nervous to speak but now, as we share an editor,  I managed to squeak out an ‘I love your books!’ and after Miranda gave me a pep talk on confidence and being your own biggest cheerleader I now love her too.

It was lovely to finally meet Louise Beech who I’ve long been a fan of and she was just as lovely in person as she is online. It was great to say a ‘thank you’ in person to super bestseller Linda Green. I messaged Linda on Twitter a couple of years ago asking her advice relating to the industry and she immediately sent me her phone number and spent a long time chatting through my options and (many) concerns. (Refer to earlier – the writing community is SO friendly).

Meeting the book bloggers I haven’t met before was a definite highlight. I was a blogger long before I was an author so I think we rock… Emma Welton, along with Emma Mitchell, has been a great support since the beginning of my career, always kicking off my blog tours and it was a surprise to chat and find out it was the first time we had actually met – I felt like I knew her so well.

And of course meeting readers. Chris came all the way from Belgium with the Dutch editions of my books for me to sign.

The proof party was crazy. We ran out of copies within eight minutes. I was grateful to all the people who turned up and sorry that not everyone got to go home with a book.

I’m so pleased I went to Harrogate for the first time – it won’t be the last time. If you, like me, have ever sat at home, scrolling through photos, but finding the thought of going too daunting, give it a go. I think you’ll be pleased you did. Granger and I will be there in 2020 – see you next year!

The Harper Collins Summer Party 2019!

The gorgeous V & A museum gardens

Last night was the annual HarperCollins summer party, the first one I have been to as one of their authors. It was held in the gorgeous garden of the V & A museum. Before I went I had vowed to take lots of photos but as it turned out I was having such a good time my camera stayed mainly in my bag.

It seemed the sensible thing to line our stomachs before the evening so first stop was lunch at the oh so glamorous Pizza Express. Writing can be so isolating – it’s always a pleasure to meet with other authors and talk about the highs and the lows, the challenges we are facing with our current WIP and of course what we are reading.

Mel Goulding, Louise Jensen, Roz Watkins, Phaedra Patrick, Vicky Newham, Louise Mangos, Mandy Rothbotham

After a long lunch there was little time to get ready but I was so excited to see that my hotel room had a whirlpool bath I couldn’t resist donning the complimentary shower cap and diving in.

I can’t resist free toiletries…

Pre-drink drinks came next. Our fearless HQ leader Lisa Milton, made an inspiring speech.

Lisa Milton, Abigail Fenton

The champagne flowed, and then we were ushered over to the museum for the party,

Phoebe Morgan, Lisa Hall, Louise Jensen, Darren O’Sullivan

It felt surreal being handed a name badge with author printed on it. Three years on and it still feels like a – albeit a really good – dream. Darren O’Sullivan clearly felt the same!

There was a mixture of people at the party from employees of HarperCollins, to the authors, to literary agents. It was great to catch up with old friends and meet some new.

Darren O’Sullivan, Louise Jensen, Roz Watkins

It was an amazing night. The sold-out Dior exhibition which I longed to see was opened especially for us and that was a real highlight of my evening, along with meeting Sam Carrington. Sam & I met on Twitter before we had published & we’ve messaged each other, often multiple times a day, for three & a half years, and had never actually met in person until last night.

Sam Carrington & Louise Jensen

We drank champagne, the buffet included King prawn stirfry, duck salad, tuna and avocado although I still ended up having a veggie burger from room service when I got back!

I can’t wait to do it all again next year.

Inside the home of Literary Nobel Peace Prize recipient – Jose Saramago

 

Lanzarote is one of my most favourite places on earth, coming second only to my dining table when all my family are seated around it. Partly because it’s home to one of my hero’s – Cesar Manrique – but more about him in a forthcoming blog; today’s post is all about literary Nobel Peace Prize recipient Jose Saramago (1922-2010) whose house I visited last week.

There’s something very special about standing in the places other authors once stood. Jose’s home is beautiful. A world away from the cramped space where I write my thrillers.

If you’re not familiar with him, Jose Saramago was a Portuguese writer, once described by Harold Bloom as ‘the most gifted novelist in the world’. Over two million copies of his novels have been sold and he’s been translated into twenty-five languages. When the Portugues government ordered the removal of his novel ‘The Gospel According to Jesus Christ’ from the Aristeion Prize shortlist – claiming the work was religiously offensive – Jose moved to Lanzarote where he resided until his death.

Inspiringly, although Jose supported himself through journalism, his career as an author didn’t take off until the publication of his fourth book when he was sixty. I wasn’t published until I was in my 40’s and I thought I’d changed career quite late in life. There’s hope for all aspiring writers out there!

This is his study inside of the house, although it isn’t where he wrote his books.

And not surprising with this fabulous view to distract him…

But there was a fine collection of pens.

And of course, a Nobel Peace Prize displayed on the wall.

A super tidy desk, the legs of which were covered in teeth marks where his dogs had chewed them.

The whole house had a cosy, lived in feel. The lounge was just as he’d left it. His current reads on the coffee table. The walls covered with paintings based on his books which made me long for a painting based on one of my books!

My heart melted when I learned all the clocks in the house were stopped at four o’clock because that was the time he met his wife.

Jose’s library was jaw-droppingly impressive. There are 15,000 books in his collection. He insisted that people were extremely careful with books stating there were pieces of the author on each and every page. His wife insisted that female authors had their own section as she very strongly felt women deserved better than for their novels to stand side by side with male authors many of whom didn’t respect women or their work.

This is where Jose wrote.

Apparently, every morning he would rearrange his desk and reread what he’d written the day before. Then he’d begin to write, never stopping to edit.

After lunch every day he’d swim in his indoor pool.

Before spending each afternoon sitting in his favourite garden chair, gazing out to sea, meditating and thinking of his wip. Jose formed the words in his head he would write the following day and rarely had to redraft the way that most writers **me** seem to. There was a big lesson here that to spend a few hours writing without distraction is far more productive than a day spent at a desk hopping on and off social media as I do.

After the tour we were given a cup of Portuguese coffee to take into the garden, although Jose’s cat had claimed the best chair.

You can find out more about Jose Saramago and how to visit his home here.

Love your libraries – authors campaign against closures #amreading

I’ve banded together with other local authors to voice our distress at the planned closure of potentially 21 libraries in our county. The letter (featured below) has featured in this evening’s paper ((you can read the full article here) and the fabulous Sue Bentley spoke out at the recent meeting discussing these cuts. Support Option 4 here – Save our Libraries. Every voice counts. 

 

To Northants County Council

Re: The proposed closures of Northamptonshire libraries

We are all authors who live in Northamptonshire. We decided to get together and write to you with our thoughts about the proposed cuts to the library service in our county.

We all oppose any cuts to the service. We grew up using libraries. The free access to books was pivotal in our formative years and we collectively believe it was instrumental in our careers – the love of the written word, formed in our childhoods, shaped us as people and as the writers we all went on to become. Some of us are from impoverished backgrounds: Louise Walters remembers using the mobile library when it visited her remote Northamptonshire village. Louise rarely bought books, and those she did buy were usually from jumble sales, so the library was essential. Rhian Ivory grew up in a village in Wales, too small for a library, so she and her family relied on the mobile library service, and it was a positive and unique experience. As author Sue Moorcroft points out, we should never take it for granted that people are able to buy books, even second hand. In this era of “austerity” any book purchases are out of the question for many. The library is for some their ONLY way of accessing books.

From a wider perspective, times have changed, and these days libraries are much more than shelves of books. They have become a vital hub in their communities. From the Sure Start centres, to IT training, to rhyme time, to reading groups, to information about all kinds of services – our Northamptonshire communities benefit in so many ways from having in their midst functioning, local authority run libraries. As Jane Isaac points out, libraries bring people together, and that is particularly important in remote areas where bus services have been cut or are non-existent. Mark West asks, what happens to the kid who has to do his homework online (because that’s how the teacher has set it) and yet has no access to the internet at home? What about the person who needs to fill in an online application form in the same circumstance? What about older people, perhaps afraid or unsure of modern
technology, who want to keep up with their families online?

Those of us with children all cite the library as a welcome resource, somewhere to take the children, to meet other parents, and to tap into services such as the Sure Start centres. Louise Jensen says that going to the library with her sons was often the only time she got to interact with other adults and meet other parents. The educational opportunities found in a library are valuable, and adults and children alike use libraries not only for entertainment, but also for research and discovery, and for help with projects and homework. Louise Walters home educates her children and the local library is an essential resource for home educators, who have no access to school libraries.

We as a group cannot support any of the three “options” proffered by the Council. They all involve the closure of at least twenty-one small libraries and the withdrawal of the mobile library. As Sue Bentley says, public libraries are a vital part of our cultural heritage, a rich resource for everyone. They are also, of course, that rare and precious thing – a public space where people can spend time without the expectation of also spending money. The closure of its library would be a severe blow to any community, impoverishing the whole area in so many ways.

We therefore support “Option 4”, which is to keep all of Northamptonshire’s existing libraries fully operational and fully funded, and all to remain the responsibility of the Council.

Yours sincerely,

Sue Bentley – http://www.suebentley.co.uk: Sue Bentley is Northampton born and bred. She is the worldwide best-selling author of over 70 books for children, YA and adults.

Jane Isaac – http://www.janeisaac.co.uk: Bestselling author of the DI Will Jackman series.

Rhian Ivory – https://twitter.com/Rhian_Ivory: Carnegie nominated author of The Boy who Drew the Future, bestselling YA novel, Hope and regular user of Towcester library and lifelong supporter of libraries.

Louise Jensen – http://www.louisejensen.co.uk: International No. 1 bestselling author of psychological thrillers The Sister, The Gift and The Surrogate. Lover of libraries.

Sue Moorcroft – http://www.suemoorcroft.com: Sunday Times and UK Kindle bestselling author; published by HarperCollins and major publishers around the world. Supporter of libraries.

Louise Walters – http://www.louisewaltersbooks.co.uk: Author of Mrs Sinclair’s Suitcase, published in 15 languages. Independent publisher. Regular user of the mobile, Brackley and Middleton Cheney libraries.

Mark West –www.markwest.org.uk: Award-nominated horror and thriller writer. Lifelong supporter of the library.

My visit to the Bronte Parsonage (aka my husband was right…)

I was overcome with a sense of awe as I stepped into the Bronte Parsonage for the very first time. My husband had sensibly ambled off the nearest coffee shop in search of scones as he thought I’d be hours. ‘It’s not that big, I won’t be long,’ I’d replied. But he was right. I was hours.

There was such a sense of history seeped into the rooms of this house that still feels very much a home with its rich and warm atmosphere. Here lived the writers whose books I had grown up reading, who moved me with their words, who made me fall in love with their characters, whose stories I felt a sense of loss from when I’d finished. The Bronte family came to live at Haworth Parsonage in 1820 when Patrick Bronte was appointed Perpetual Curate of Haworth Church. Tragically Mrs Bronte and the two elder children, Maria and Elizabeth, died within five years.

First off is Mr Bronte’s study. The children had their lessons here and the cabinet piano was played by Emily and Anne. Much of the furniture and possessions in the parsonage did belong to the Brontes and it has been decorated as closely to the original as it can be. In each room are costumes from the BBC ‘To Walk Invisible’ biopic, which, if you haven’t seen I’d highly recommend.

 

In the dining room is the table Jane Eyre and Wuthering Heights were written at. Visitors aren’t allowed to touch it (oh how I longed to) but it was stained with ink blots and there’s a small letter ‘e’ carved into its surface. I could almost picture the siblings gathered around the table bouncing around plot ideas.

Mr Nicholas Study – Charlotte converted this room into a study for her husband-to-be in 1854.

 

Kitchen – I believe this is the only room that was structurally altered after the Brontes no longer lived here.

Each evening at 9 Mr Bronte would lock the front door and on his way to bed he’d wind up this Grandfather Clock

Children’s Room – this was a study for the children while they were young and it was here the siblings wrote their early stories and poems.

Father’s Room – It was in this room that Branwell died in 1848.

Branwell’s Room – full of chaos and pieces of writing.

Upstairs, there is an exhibition with displays of manuscripts, first editions and lots of information boards to read. Including letters from Charlotte, firstly submitting her manuscript after 6 rejections “I beg to submit to your consideration the accompanying Manuscript” and later, to her publisher “hoping the public may think pretty well” of Jane Eyre and, later writing “we did not like to declare ourselves women, because we had a vague impression that authoresses were liable to be looked on with prejudice”.

I had such a lovely time and learned such a lot I was loath to leave but on my way out I spotted the children’s craft table and although I didn’t have my kids with me the staff kindly let me join them and I spent a happy half hour making these spoon people who now sit on the shelf above my desk watching (judging) me as I write more books of my own.

I also got the chance to do something really cool while I was at the parsonage, yes even cooler than spoon people, but I’ll share that in another blog very soon.

 

Fear of Public Speaking, Hypnosis & Me #AnxietySlayer

I’ve always had a huge phobia of public speaking and have previously blogged tips from Graeme Cumming, an author and member of a Speaker’s Club (you can read that post here) but despite the excellent advice I still never felt brave enough to try.

Last week I wrote the post I never thought I would. I spoke at my first literary festival – Althorp no less, hurrah – and you can read that post and see the photos here. Prior to taking the plunge I had a course of three hypnotherapy appointments with the fabulous Carmen Wilson of Inspired to Change and although I still had a degree of nerves afterwards, it was I think, a normal amount of nerves. Before I’d have been a sobbing mess rocking in the corner, and when I cry it isn’t movie crying, with a single tear streaking down a perfectly made up cheek, there’d have been streaming snot, a blotchy face, the works.

I am absolutely delighted Carmen has joined me over on my YouTube channel for a ten minute chat about why so many of us have fears, and how hypnotherapy works, and we both share our tips for speaking at events if you’re not in a position to have a course of treatment.

You can view the conversation here.

There’s lots of fabulous content coming up on my YouTube channel so if you’re interested in writing tips and hearing from authors, editors, publishers and agents please do subscribe here.

Until next time.

Louise x

 

 

Make your next book purchase count!

Today is the publication date of Dark Minds, the charity anthology compiled by the fabulous Betsy Reavley of Bloodhound Books.

Firstly, the important stuff. All proceeds of  the sales of this book will be donated to Sophie’s Appeal and Hospice UK.

Sophie’s Appeal was founded in memory of Sophie Louise Barringer and supports the social, emotional and educational welfare of children, their families, nursing and support staff and provide a caring and supporting environment in both local hospitals and in the community. There are many ways the Trust provide support to parents, carers and schools who find themselves suddenly faced with the reality of cancer.

Hospice UK are the national charity for hospice care, supporting over 200 hospices in the UK. Their aim is to make sure that everyone with a life limiting or terminal condition rightly get the very best care, and hospices are critical to achieving this.

Two hugely worthwhile causes, so how can you help? Buy the book! It is packed full of short stories by some of the best crime writers around. I’m immensely proud to be included in this collection. My story, ‘The Shoes Maketh The Man’ is about Bill, a widower who lives alone since the passing of his wife, Maureen. Bill is anxious as he watches the news report of yet another attack on the elderly and when he hears disturbing noises coming from his friend Ethel’s flat above him he is faced with a choice. Should he investigate? Would you?

You can read this, and other stories, including authors such as Lisa Hall, L.J. Ross and Steven Ross in the digital or paperback version of the book, or listen to it on audio if you’re brave enough.

Think you know Dark Minds? Think again…

Dark Minds is available from Amazon UK and Amazon US.

 

Editing tips from Best-Selling Authors

 

Editing my debut novel, ‘The Sister,’ I took the ‘read through a million times and keep my fingers crossed’ approach. I hadn’t a clue what I was doing, but with no time restraints it didn’t seem to matter I didn’t have any sort of ‘system’ in place.

With ‘The Gift’ the pressure is on. There’s a timeline from my publishers pinned above my desk documenting not only when my editor expects it, but also the copy editor, the proof-reader and the typesetter.

Knowing I have to make the most of every second I have left to work on my manuscript I’ve turned to some best-selling authors for their favourite editing tips and they have helped me enormously. I do hope you find these useful too.

 

“It’s my favourite part of the writing process. First drafts are precarious, but once I have a first draft, I can work on it to my hearts content! I tend to go through my work many times, making changes as they occur to me, saving each draft new once I’ve made substantial changes. I usually end up at about 20 drafts in this way. I don’t look at specifics with each read through, but tend to look at each sentence and look for where it could be improved or cut. It’s a lengthy process lasting weeks or months (even years). I’m less keen on the proof reading stage though… that’s when it becomes tedious for me.” Louise Walters

 

“I always print out the structural edits and work on the small stuff first. It is very satisfying to start putting lines through things while your mind continues to work on the bigger stuff. Anything after that, I work on the document itself. I always have a full read through after making changes. It is amazing to me what can still be missed. Blood Lines had been read by me, Julie, Keshini, copy editor and it wasn’t until I was finishing off the copy edits that I realised I’d named two different children in the book Tommy. Also, how can editing use up the same amount of calories as writing when it is much harder work?” Angela Marsons

 

“My editing goes through several stages, the first is to read through looking for over use of certain words, phrase repetition and clunky or lazy sentences. After that I’ll read through again several times, fine tuning it. I find it really helps to have a few days break between the read throughs, otherwise you stop seeing what you’ve actually written and see what you think you’ve written, which can often be two different things.” Sue Fortin

 

 

“I edit as I go, which means I take forever to get a first draft down! Then when I type ‘the end’ I wait a few days/weeks (depending on time – won’t have THAT luxury with this next one!!) and read through from the beginning. That first read through/edit usually involves me picking up the spelling/grammar errors (that are noticeable to me!) Also on the first edit I’ll write notes as I go for bigger things that I’ll need to go back and alter. That might be continuity errors or a chapter needing to be swapped for novel to read more smoothly. I might highlight chunks of text too if there’s something that needs to be fact-checked or if it needs extra description adding in later. The second edit will be sorting the issues the first read-through picked up! Then I’m likely to send the MS to two of my trusty writer friends to read and they will use track changes to highlight anything that doesn’t make sense to them (they might suggest a better way of saying something), and they highlight any grammatical errors/typos I’ve missed. They also comment as they read with questions/thoughts about the story, which helps me to see where further work may be needed. So, I’ll work on that feedback during the third edit – then send to my agent. I’ll relax for a while before she sends back all of her feedback and line edits! And then the editing begins again…” Sam Carrington

 

“I am not very good or fond of editing. I’m dyslexic and have a poor relationship with grammar but none of that stops me from writing. Stephen King say that “The object of fiction isn’t grammatical correctness but to make the reader welcome and then tell a story.” I write because I love it and editing is a vital step in polishing your work. I read through a few times, after I’ve finished my first draft, and try to pick up on mistakes or strengthen the plot where I see gaps. But I rely on friends, family, other authors and my editor to guide me through the final stages. If you write from the heart then the rest of it should fall into place, with a little bit of help.” Betsy Reavley

 

 

“The best tip I was ever given was to go through and highlight words that you know you use a lot – it’s shocking when you see that one word sprinkled all over the page! Then I can go through and change it to other, more exciting words!” Lisa Hall

 

 

“If I’m doing a detailed review (i.e. after I’ve accepted the changes on the proofread, before the conversion/typesetting) I always print off a clean copy and go work on it somewhere other than my study. I find a change of scenery as well as working off paper instead of a screen helps me really focus on the detail. I highlight the error and put a sticky-note on it then once I’ve finished the whole thing I go back to the screen and make all the changes at once.” Kelly Rimmer

 

 

 

“I download my manuscript to my Kindle for a final read-through, and it’s surprising how many errors pop up, even though I’ll have already read it several (hundred) times. I’ve also been known to read out loud in an Aussie accent (the postman caught me doing it once and looked scared). All ways to fool the brain into seeing things I’ve missed before – and my brain is easily fooled.” Karen Clarke

 

“I like to read through it a few times and make notes, then I fix the document as far as I can. I then like to print the document out and stick colour coded post it notes on the errors I find. Whether it’s a pink post it note for dialogue change, a green post it note for plot points I need to check or an orange post it for punctuation. I find when I read it through on paper and I can scribble thoughts on it, it doesn’t take me out of the story and I see something different to when I stare at it on a computer screen. Even after all of that there will still be things that need changing but at least I will have done as much as I can. The biggest and most useful advice I can give is – don’t start editing until you have a complete first draft.” Katerina Diamond

 

 

“Make a list, read multiple times and hope for the best.” Renita D’Silva

 

 

 

 

“Always, always print out on paper. At very late stage, always find something potentially libellous, factually incorrect that sends me into a huge hot sweat and cannot believe that I have only just noticed it.” Kerry Fisher

 

 

 

“I always print it out. My thing is that I highlight in green parts I should’ve mentioned earlier and purple those that need to show up later in the book. Orange font for the stuff I’m not sure of. That was before Scrivener, of course! I read it several times, one for sp/ gr, one for consistency/ continuity and the finally time for the general FEEL of the story.” Nancy Barone

 

 

“I read through on Kindle, making notes for changes. I make those amendments … and rinse and repeat. When I feel reasonably ‘happy’ I print off and also get my husband (who is an eagle-eyed sub editor….handy!) to read through separately. I ALWAYS find things when reading on paper that I don’t spot on screen. Hubby and I are both journalists by background so it gets quite competitive (and funny) at final stage. ‘You spot anything?’ ‘Aaaaaaagh! HOW did I miss that?’ Even after the ‘final, final’ copyedit/line edit…I always do a quick extra read through on Kindle…and usually find something. Perfectionist? Moi? Er…trouble letting go?” Teresa Driscoll

 

 

 

I edit each chapter as I write it. I print it out, go through with a fine tooth comb for structural stuff as well as anything grammatical. Once I’ve got about six chapters together I send to my Kindle and go through it again, before doing the same for the next batch. I send the whole thing to the Kindle and that helps pick up any further nits, before it goes to my editor for ripping to pieces! Actually, there was very little grammatical stuff to edit when the first lot came back and she said how “clean” it was. But I had to add a few more scenes so that made it a bit out of plonk while I made certain dead people didn’t suddenly re-appear after burial. lol. I think I have editing OCD and wish I could just get on with writing the story! Pam Howes

 

 

I’ve printed and not printed. But either way it’s an endless slog of repetition really. I re-write/correct every day the stuff I did the day before. Then two days later I might re-write again. That’s probably why my word count is so incredibly slow these days! When the edits come back, I do the big structural stuff first, and then start to go through with a fine tooth comb. Even when I get the final, final version I still find mistakes. It’s one of life’s perennial unanswerable questions – why can we never see all the mistakes at one time? Debbie Rix

 

 

“I print, read, change, print, read, change, print, read RUN OUT OF TIME.” Claire Seeber