The world can wait

Maybe a little. Doing a radio interview this morning with Henry Kelly on BBC Radio Berkshire. Talking about nanowrimo with one of the other Berkshire Wrimos. Season For Miracles was a nano book - course then it was called All I want and contained a lot of rubbish which got cut out lol, but yeah.... I have to be there at 10 and the interview is sometime between 10-11.

Today I welcome author EA West. First I hand over to her for a guest post. After that I have an interview with her and a review of her new novel The Key to Charlotte which releases today. Keeping It Real Maintaining realism in fiction can be a challenge. Readers want realistic characters that they can identify with, but if the characters are too real, it will turn readers off. How can a character be too real, you ask? Let me give you an example. In The Key to Charlotte , the heroine is autistic. Now, my task as an author was to make her believably autistic without making readers wonder why on earth this young woman was the heroine in a romance. Autism is an interesting world with so many facets they could never be covered in one book, let alone one character. I had to pick and choose the ways autism affected Charlotte and make it believable, but I also had to find a balance between the autism of the character and the character herself. Confused yet? You’re not alone. I had no ...

I'm a #1 bestseller author on Amazon.co.uk (allows you a minute to take that in and re read it.) Yes a Number One Best seller Author on Amazon (sets off fireworks, does a snoopy dance, cartwheels...then drags out the current WIP) Yes Saving Christmas topped the amazon best seller lists in two places. Also available in the US and in other formats from pelican books Blurb Rather than do the expected thing, Christmas Daniels, pursued a high powered career in London, flying across the world, never being home long enough for anything. When her father is taken ill, she returns to Hollies Christmas Emporium, an all year round Christmas shop to run it in his absence. Matt Pringle, store artist and accountant, doesn't make a good impression on his new boss when he accuses her of stealing his parking space. Wanting to make up for it, he tries to impress her, but ends up falling for her instead. When the store is threatened with closure, Christmas, who insists on being called Chrissie s...

Review: Shadows: Book of Aleth, Part One by by Michael Duncan This debut novel by Michael Duncan is a fantasy novel far surpassing anything I've ever read. I read a lot of Tolkien and Le Guin and this is right up there with them. The characters spring to life off the page. Vivid descriptions pull you deep into the amazing world Rev. Duncan weaves on the pages. Sword fights, dwarves, elves, deamons and horras. A gripping tale of good and evil where you never know who the good guys are and when you think you know what’s happening, another twist takes you by surprise. My only complaint is having to wait for book two. If you only pick one fantasy novel to read this winter, it should be this one.

The winner of a PDF copy of Cassie's Wedding Dress is Courtney. Your email is en route :) Congrats. -------------- In other news its cold. Very cold. Any my heating doesn't work. It's actually warmer OUTSIDE in the SUNSHINE than in the house! Today - at some point - an engineer should come. Of course whether we can afford the repairs is another story all together. And speaking of stories.... I need to go type before my hands freeze....

Dan Wheldon 22/6/1978 - 16/11/2011 http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/motorsport/15330202.stm

Blurb for GOLD TRAP I simply wanted to step out of my ordinary life and find the Divine Appointment God had planned for me. I’d read about Mary Kinglsey, and it occurred to me that if I truly wanted to share an historical biography with my students, hers was it. So (with much trepidation) I booked the cheapest tour I could find to visit the Dark Continent of Africa. Who knew I’d meet a psychic named Vidalia (after the onion?) — not that I should have been surprised (after all, Bremen Tours specialized in “Voodoo relics of the Dark Continent,” or so it was emblazoned on their carry-alls, one of which I owned). But life got really strange when I met a mad (or was he drunk?) professor, a dashing prince (or possibly, the villain), a village headman (the warrior king? Or the prince of thieves?) and a witchdoctor who was neither witch nor doctor, but rather the sinister embodiment of a charlatan who preyed on tourists...and let’s not forget the man who started the whole mess—an embezzler-t...

Available from today from here Blurb: Steeplechase jockey Cassie Hinton's dream was to walk down the aisle in her medieval wedding gown to become Mrs. Jack Chambers. Injured in the Grand National, she returns home...only to find Jack is now the Pastor of her parent's church. Jack Chambers, now a widower and single parent, still has feelings for Cassie, but she sees him as nothing more than a Pastor. Even if he could change her mind, there is still his position to consider. With the Royal Wedding fast approaching, Cassie makes her dress, little dreaming of the consequences of doing so. Extract: “Everyone else has photos of the royal couple and ribbons, silver bells, hearts and balloons. I wanted something more sophisticated but this…” she gestured at the window, “…isn’t it.” “Maybe tie it in with what Danny sells. After all, the bakers did a wedding cake and the printers did invitations.” Cassie nodded, her mind whirling. “Yeah…thank you.” Jack glanced at his watch. “I’d best b...

Today we meet Cassie Hinton, heroine of Cassie's Wedding Dress, which is published tomorrow! Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself? Hi. My name is Cassie Hinton. That’s short for Cassandra, but I only ever get called that when my mother is annoyed with me. Then it’s my full name. I used to be a jockey, but stopped riding after an accident at the Grand National. I came off my horse and got trampled. Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there? After the accident, I came back to Headley Cross to live with my parents. I couldn’t look after myself at first and to be honest its nice having them around. Even if it does mean obeying the house rules and putting up with my older brother Danny. What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know? I collect stupid postcards. Ones that are completely black and labelled Southampton at night. Or black with eyes on, labelled The new forest at night. A red one which is Cheddar at sunset. A...

IT HAS BEGUN!! Over the last year, there have been OVER FIFTY clashing author in twenty-four CLASHES, but only ONE can win the LAUREL AWARD. YOU decide which! In the process, we invite you to repeatedly enter to win THREE GIFTS A WEEK, including the GRAND PRIZE-- 15 NOVELS www.clashofthetitles.com PROMO VIDEO CREATED BY COTT ASSISTANT EDITOR, MICHELLE MASSARO

Yes I admit it. I'm a trekkie. So when I was in Asda looking at the coats - I needed a new one - and saw this ---- well, was there ever any doubt I'd end up getting it. I was self restrained. I did wait three days before going back for it. :D And the best bit...it's not even labeled Star Trek or costume! And they do a blue/black and gold/black too So today I'm wearing my new dress to work. With my black leggings and am soooo very tempted to put my combadge brooch on there too. Or is that taking it too far? Will add photo of me wearing it later. Maybe. :D

Michael's first book with Harbourlight - the mainstream Christian fiction side of Pelican Book Group - came out on October 1st. Shadows: Book of Aleth, Part One By: Michael Duncan “If history is written by the victorious, what if the victors lied?” A stolen text...When the Book of Aleth is stolen, Aaron, captain of the Royal Guard, is ordered by Emperor Therion to reclaim the ancient tome. The mission thrusts Aaron into a world he's never known--a world of elves and dwarves, races long thought extinct; a world where everything he has known and believed is a lie. A secret past... Forced to challenge his long-held beliefs, Aaron and his companions, two soldiers of the Royal Guard and two men of the Dwarvish kingdom of Brekken-Dahl, set out on a quest to recover the Book. Aaron resolves to discover the truth, and rescue the empire he is sworn to protect. About the Author: Michael has spent over 20 years preaching and teaching God...

Today we welcome author Catherine Bybee. My review: Wife by Wednesday – grabs you from the title and pulls you into a wonderful tale of an arranged marriage…well more of a business contract. Blake needs a wife to fulfil the terms of his father’s will and gain his inheritance. Sam agrees but neither of them expect keeping the contract to be as hard as it is. In this story, Ms. Bybee has brought to life two engaging characters, a conniving villain and a series of obstacles which leave you turning the pages with eager anticipation to find out what happens next. The first non-historical one I have read, it’s no less engaging than her time travel books. If you love those, then this one is not to be missed. You can pick up the book from here How did you come up with your premise? Is there a story behind your book? How did the story evolve? How did I come up with the book? Hmmm, I think of Wife by Wednesday as a modern day Cinderella. I love entitled rich men who think they have th...

Today we chat to Pastor Jack Chambers - the male lead from my upcoming release Cassie's Wedding Dress. Tell us your name and a little bit about yourself? I'm Pastor Jack Chambers. I'm co-pastor of Headley Baptist Church, a church of around 400 members. I'm a single parent. My daughter, Lara, is seven now. Her mum died a few hours after she was born. I've been in Headley Baptist for almost eight years. Before that I was pastor at a church in Cumbria. Tell us about where you live and why you choose to live there? I live in Headley Cross, Berkshire, England. I live here because that's where I was called to minister. It's a beautiful place, a small town, yet busy. What is a quirk of your personality that most people wouldn't know? You seriously expect me to answer that question? Good job your readers can't see me right now . (Jack shifts awkwardly on his chair, his fingers pressed together and resting under his chin.) Okay, but they have to promise not ...