July 1, 2009 | Uncategorized

It’s the hottest day of the year. The Met Office have issued a heatwave warning.

And, for some mysterious reason, my water’s been shut off.

Nice one.

Edit, an hour later: It’s back on. Apparently they’re doing work on the house down the road and the plumber was trying to turn off their water, and turned ours off instead. Currently, he’s wandering around the road trying to work off which stop cock goes to that house.

Edit: Heh heh heh heh. I said “cock”.

June 30, 2009 | writing

2009 is a big anniversary year for me, because it’s five years ago this spring and summer that my life changed forever.

I was working full time as a teacher. The spring of 2004 started off with a lot of excitement, because in March, I finalled in the Golden Heart with a book (then) called Deja Vu. Finalling in the Golden Heart was quite an amazing experience. For one thing, the book was already with the senior editor at Harlequin, and I was able to tell her about my final—which got the book brought closer to the top of the pile. For the first time in my life, editors and agents seemed interested in me. I got to put something quite impressive on my query letters, too.

Meanwhile, I’d been working on a book I was really quite enjoying, a single title stand-alone book rather than a category romance, and in May I thought I’d start querying agents with it. I hadn’t finished the book yet—I was about 10,000 words from the end, and not exactly sure what was going to happen. But I figured I’d start out querying my dream agents, who were bound to reject me anyway, and then I could finish the book and query some more agents.

So I sent out my queries to, I think, three agents. Within a few weeks, two had called to ask for the whole thing. I hadn’t finished, of course, so I had chats with them and thought long and hard about who would be best for my career, and in the end I finished the book and sent it off and the woman who would become MY agent rang to say she wanted to represent me.

This was June, 2004. I was utterly out of my mind with shock and joy. And worry.

It was a really scary decision to make, signing with an agent. For one thing, it was a risk on both of our parts—she thought my stuff was good enough to sell, and I hoped it was, but the actual selling part is more tricky. For me, it was a totally new experience. I’d been targeting Harlequin/Mills & Boon for three years, and I knew that model quite well from researching it, but the world of having an agent representing your work was completely different. I’d never really met an agent, not to chat with. In real life, most agents are extremely charming, but I didn’t know that yet. To me, they were distant, frightening, powerful people and I wasn’t sure how to work with them or what their day-to-day lives were like or what my new agent expected me to do, exactly.

Five years later, I know it was totally the best decision I could have made. My agent is my most powerful advocate for my work and for my career. Sometimes she tells me things I might not want to hear, but she is always honest and it’s always coming from her well-informed perspective. And when she tells me I’ve done something right, I know she is absolutely telling me the truth. She’s had faith in me, that I could develop and change my writing from producing short focused category romances to longer, more ambitious commercial women’s fiction—and she’s got me the book deals because of that faith. She gives me tips for dealing with my publisher and with the media, she’s a source of incredible advice, and, especially over the writing of my last two manuscripts where I’ve had some struggles, she’s been a constant encouragement.

The choice of an agent is an individual one for each author. Authors are always comparing and contrasting them, talking about different business relationships and how they work. Mine has always made sure I kept my eyes on what I wanted to achieve, on my dreams and ambitions—and for someone who tends to get caught up in daily struggles, that’s a great help. I didn’t know this when I signed with her. I was taking her on her reputation, and the few conversations we’d had; she was taking me for her belief that I had some promise.

I’ve been very fortunate. It’s been a great five years. I’m glad I took the plunge.

June 28, 2009 | parenthood

As I’m getting him his yogurt for dessert, Fecklet tells me, “I put a pea in my nose.” And promptly starts sticking his finger up there to get it out.

I grab a torch and look. Yup, a pea. (If it makes me seem a better parent, allow me to mention that it’s a fresh pea, not frozen, shelled by myself and Fecklet earlier.) “Get it out, Mummy,” he says.

Tweezers are not a good idea so I try to get him to blow. He can’t, or not hard enough. I make him sniff pepper so he’ll sneeze. No luck. Finally, with visions of 5 hours in A&E in my future, I get my toddler first aid book out and it advises getting them to blow something like a feather of your hand so they’ll blow hard. I don’t have a feather, but I have little bits of paper and I show him how to do it. He thinks it’s funny, blows, blows again, and the pea is out.

In the aftermath, I have called or emailed lots of people about this. They all think it is funny. I will probably think so too, in about 15 years.

Fecklet didn’t seem bothered at all. Then he decided he was a mouse and said nothing but squeaks for about half an hour.

Life is weird.

Anyway, I’ll be on BBC Radio Scotland today at about 11.20 am talking about holiday romances.

June 28, 2009 | Uncategorized

Don’t blame it on the sunshine.
Don’t blame it on the moonlight.
Don’t blame it on the good times.

Blame it on the boogie.

June 27, 2009 | Uncategorized

So I’ve been asked to go on BBC Radio Scotland again on Monday morning, this time to be a guest along with agony aunt Irma Kurtz, to talk about holiday romances—why we fantasize about going somewhere exotic and meeting the love of our life.

I’ve got some ideas about why this is so (and some of them tie in with why romantic novels are so popular, too, ideas of escape and trying on new identities), but I want some good examples to cite.

What are some good films about holiday romances? Some best-selling books?

Have you ever had a great or disastrous holiday romance?

June 25, 2009 | Uncategorized

Hey, thanks to everyone who responded to my Ten Commandments post below, both here and on Facebook. It’s good to know it resonates with other authors.

It’s also given me a great idea for some posts in future, about good answers to stupid questions.

But today I actually want to talk about my local writing group, partly because I mentioned them in commandment 3, and partly because I spent yesterday evening with them.

I am really lucky to have a fantastic local writing group (it’s called Reading Writers, if you’re interested—mostly because we’re in Reading, but it’s a nice little pun for a group who often end up talking about books we’ve read as passionately as things we’re writing). I found out about it almost by accident. I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association, and the then-Membership Secretary, Betty O’Rourke, wrote to me when she sent me my RNA pack that she happened to be the secretary of a group in Reading, too—and that they met just down the road from where I lived.

So I went along. I wasn’t sure what to expect. I was unpublished and inexperienced. But the group, made up of writers of all ages and backgrounds, made me feel immediately welcome. They critiqued my work sensitively and, most importantly, we all shared our struggles and our victories. I couldn’t believe what a relief it was to meet people who cared as much about writing as I do.

That was—my word—eight and a half years ago! Wow. And since then, they’ve been a constant support. Members of Reading Writers come to all my book launches and book signings, they recommend my books, they are quick to offer compliments and encouragement and help to me and every member of the group. Every member really is equal and is given respect. They’ve been an enthusiastic and helpful testing ground for every workshop I’ve designed. They’re a very important part of my life now, and I’m really grateful for them.

Thanks, guys. And I’m totally not just saying this because you gave me a bottle of wine for winning a contest with a scandalous article about Mickey Mouse.

So, blog buddies, what support networks have been helpful to you?

June 23, 2009 | writing

Well, there were nine, but I’ve been thinking, and I ended up adding one more.

To give a little background: I gave a talk at Wokingham library this weekend, to the creative writing group which they’re forming there. Not all of the writers there wanted to be published, and some of them were published already. But I brought along these commandments (except there were only nine of them, then), to give a structure for my talk, and they ended up sparking some really good discussion, questions and answers within the group.

So I’m posting them here, not because they’re anything new—they really aren’t, and you know this stuff already—but because sometimes restating the obvious is really useful, and might spark off something for you, too.

1. Write.
This really should go without saying, but I do meet so, so many people who say, “I’d like to write, but…” If you want to be a writer, the only “but” that exists is the one you’ve got to force to sit in your chair every day so you can write.

2. Read.
“The more you read, the less apt you are to make a fool of yourself with your pen or word processor.” —Stephen King

3. Get yourself a support network.
The professional organisations I belong to, the Romantic Novelists’ Association, the Romance Writers of America, undoubtably helped me to get published in so many ways. But so did my local writing group, and the eHarlequin community online, and my very, very dear writing friends. Only fellow writers can understand what it’s like to slave away at something that’s most likely to be rejected. Or to help you shoot down the crows (see 9).

4. Make writing a routine and a priority.
You don’t have to do it every day, but do it professionally. If you wait until inspiration strikes, you’ll never be able to meet a deadline one day when you have one. As far as you can, try to make sure your family knows how seriously you take your writing, and they know how they can support you. If you don’t have enough time in the day to write, you’ll have to give up something, I’m afraid—television, an hour or two of sleep, ironing.

5. Know the market, but don’t let it kill your creativity.
Easier said than done.

6. Finish a project whenever you can.
I think this is so important. Finish your novels. Even if you think they’re crap. Because you will think they’re crap. First drafts are supposed to be crap. It’s okay. Everyone feels this way. We all whine about it all the time. You can make it better. Anyway, you’ll never know unless you finish. And finishing a book changes it in your mind, so you can revise it better. Personally, I like to finish the first crap draft before I do any revision at all, if I can.

7. Revise ruthlessly, but without fear.
You need to do whatever it takes to make your book better, including killing your darlings—you know, all those lines and scenes and characters you love but which don’t really pull their weight. But you can’t be so frightened of failing that you revise the life out of it, or try to take every piece of conflicting critique you’ve received to heart.

8. Learn how to submit. And then do.
When you get a rejection (and you probably will), submit again. You can never get published unless you submit.

9. Prepare to do mighty battle with the crows of doubt.
In whatever way works for you. Me, I whine a lot. And ring up my friends. I have a post-it on my computer saying “You Have Sold 14 Books And Know What You Are Doing” and another that says “Write Crap!” (see 6) When all else fails, there is booze. And Romy and Michelle’s High School Reunion. Those will always make you feel better.

10. Always go back to Commandment 1.
No matter what. The difference between writers and everyone else is simple: writers write. That’s it.

June 22, 2009 | the web

I’m blogging at Writers At Play today, talking about the fun things I’ve done for research and giving away a free signed book! So come visit.

I’ve been informed that Girl from Mars is being reprinted (and had to be in its release week, wow!) so my copies should be on their way later in the week.

Meanwhile, this is the FIRST DAY IN TEN DAYS that Fecklet is with his child minder and I get to write!!! Hallelujah!

June 21, 2009 | Uncategorized

Lacey and Jessica have asked to see my Nine Commandments of Becoming A Published Writer, so I’m going to post those on Tuesday—not today, as I have to do a bit of explanation on them, and I’m already tired and have to do the washing up and write 500 words before I go to bed.

Girl from Mars has sold out on Amazon for the second or third time, and was still on the Saga bestseller list last time I checked, so that’s nice.

June 20, 2009 | Uncategorized

Girl from Mars is in the top 100 bestselling romance novels on Amazon.co.uk!

This hour, at least. It’s number 75. (For some reason, it’s number 34 in Sagas.) By 15.00, it will probably be number 101.

But hey, I can celebrate for another 55 minutes. This calls for a Mars bar!

June 20, 2009 | Uncategorized

I’m going to Wokingham library this morning to talk to their newly-formed Creative Writing group. It’s their first meeting, so I’m honoured to have been asked to start off proceedings.

I’ll be talking about how I got published, and sharing my Nine Commandments of Becoming a Published Writer.

Wokingham was the scene of my infamous day out with the baby Fecklet two years ago (which you can read, or reread, here and here), so I will no doubt be doing some happy reminiscing about bugs, boobs, poop and vans.

In other news, I’ve had several really lovely messages from people who are reading Girl from Mars. Now if I can only get hold of some copies so I can do a giveaway or two, I’ll be happy!

June 19, 2009 | Uncategorized

Hmm. I might have had a little bit too much sparkling wine last night to celebrate my win in the More Than Magic contest. I don’t seem to be able to do much today but drink tea, eat tortilla chips, and puzzle about the true meaning of the lyrics to “Tempted” by Squeeze.