Seduced by series

No - not necessarily series romance, but instead a group of linked stories. I've always been a great fan of stories that have a common thread through them, most especially in the crime genre. I love the Nora Roberts In Death series, the Patricia Cornwell stories about Scarpetta, and heck, I even loved the Secret Seven...

But what I'm talking about are romance series. I've recently been reading the Bad Blood series from Mills and Boon, featuring the seven Wolfe brothers, and one Wolfe sister. I'm glad to say I've only touched on this series (2 books) which leaves lots more Wolfe's to be discovered, and I intend picking up the rest from the Mills and Boon site before they disappear forever. Written by a group that includes some of my favourite Mills and Boon authors, I love the fact that they have a shared horrible childhood, all of which has affected them in different ways, due to their ages and position in the family ranking order. I started with Heartless Rebel, by Lynn Raye Harris, which is Jack's story, which I picked off the shelf in the supermarket and loved so much that I accidently bought it twice... The mention of Annabelle, Jack's only sister, was so compelling the moment I saw her book, Forgotten Daughter by Jennie Lucas I shoved my way through the crowd at Tesco to snaffoo the last one. I wasn't disappointed, Forgotten Daughter is one of the best Mills and Boon's I've read for ages, really angsty and steamy, with a hero to die for (although, I don't think I'm guilty of spoilers by saying no-one does, actually die for him that is).

My next book is a series of sorts, in that it is part of a series set within a small town in California. But I find myself as a writer more and more seduced by the idea of writing a series of books featuring a group of people who are either related, or very close friends or colleagues. Once a world has been created-it seems only right to hang around there for a while, experience it more than once, and explore the characters within in more details.

So what do you think? Anyone else out there seduced by series?

Movie Review: The Adjustment Bureau

I sum up this movie in one word: “INCREDIBLE”

As a die-hard movie buff, I tend to get totally anal and do a bit of research before I watch any movie to see if it’s worth my time. This carefully honed craft (aka procrastination) means I can usually tell within three minutes of starting any movie if I’m going to love it or hate it. Yes, call me a movie diva!

With The Adjustment Bureau, although I’d seen posters for it, nothing really pulled me to research it. All I knew was that it starred Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. To be honest, I don’t even physically remember requesting this movie, so when I came across it, I just shrugged with a “why not” attitude.

It started off a bit dull – a young, charismatic front-runner in an election campaign, effing up at the last minute due to something he’d done back in his even younger and stupid days. How many times have I seen that in a movie? But then I started wondering why Matt’s character (David Norris) was being portrayed as so young? What was it about him that had made so many people want to vote for him?

Heh, I soon found out his political career had nothing to do with the move! Well, it did in a way…but…read on…

**Spoiler alert**

This was more, so much more than a political movie. At the heart of it was a gut-wrenching love
story. Cue my writer’s happy-ever-after-loving wheeeeeee! Basically, the powers that be - “the adjusters” or angels in men in black suits, had been tasked with keeping David Norris's career on track no matter what.

His destiny, laid out on some funky moving paper tracker thingy, was supposed to be “adjusted” so that it absolutely did not collide with Elise's (Emily Blunt’s character) for the simple reason that their love would impede his intended meteoric rise to become President of the United States.

So he was given a choice – lose the love of his life or watch her lose the one thing she yearned for most – to be the incredibly amazing dancer she was.

At first he arrogantly believes he can have his cake and eat it and boy, does he try hard to! But when the very thing she cares about it threatened, he makes the hard choice.

He gives her up. For a while. But fate being what it was, she crosses his path again. And the fireworks really kicks off when his “guardian angel” tells him that Elise is about to marry someone else.

My heart was in my throat the whole time he was evading the “the adjusters” in order to get to his true love. I cried when he got his girl. And cried even harder when the big boss, “The Chairman”, finally agreed to let him keep her because…well…their love was just too damn strong.

I defy any romance reader or writer to watch this movie and not be moved or inspired to let your fingers fly over your keyboard after your very own happy ever after.

It was awesome, awesome, awesome! Ten out of ten and definitely a keeper for me.

Author Spotlight: Lucy King

This week we're delighted to welcome Riva author Lucy King to the blog and to hear all about her latest release "The Crown Affair".

• What is your writing process?

Haphazard, but hopefully getting less so the more books I write. I’d like to be able to claim that the characters and the story pop fully formed into my head overnight, but I can’t. When I first started writing, I’d open up a document without a hint of an idea and hit the ground running. While initially quite liberating, I’d find myself speeding off in completely the wrong direction and continually having to go back and rewrite, which was very inefficient and extremely frustrating. Now I spend at least a week mulling over ideas and characters and making copious notes about them (although while I might have some idea of a plot it’s only ever very vague). Then, once I’ve made a start I send my editor as much as she can stand – usually the first chapter followed by Chapters One to Three – and she gives me feedback. If I could, I’d send her the lot paragraph by paragraph!

On a day to day basis, I have a spreadsheet with dates and word count targets and days blocked off when I know I’m not going to be able to write, which keeps me more or less in line. The days I delete more than I write I ignore.

• Everyone who writes knows it's not easy - what methods do you use to keep at it on days when it would be so much easier to go shoe shopping?

I live in Spain, a country where my feet are practically double the average size, so shoe shopping is isn’t something that tempts me away from the keyboard. Plenty of other things do, though, and when it gets really bad, I have been known to iron bedsheets. But as I’ve found that the longer I stay away from my wip, the more difficult it is to get back into it, I try to keep going and write through the pain. Having said that, when I do step away I often find that I’m refreshed from not having looked at it for a while so (depending on where I am deadline-wise) I try not to beat myself up about skiving!

• Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?

Keeping fit? What’s that?

• Do you believe in writer's block?

I believe it exists, but haven’t suffered from it yet. Thank goodness.

• Have you ever used an incident from real life in a book? If so, did it get you into trouble?

Hmm. Good question. Several of my books have an initial spark that comes from a real life story. My first book came about after as a result of watching a Top Gear interview on TV. Say It With Diamonds, which is out in January 2012, was inspired by a newspaper article I read online about the history behind a jewellery collection.

My current release, The Crown Affair, opens with the heroine ogling the hero with a pair of binoculars, which is a very liberal adaptation of something I’d heard had happened in real life. And apparently the village in which the story starts, whose name I thought I’d made up, actually exists and is very close to where my parents live, which I think was a bit of a surprise.

So far nothing has got me into trouble but it’s early days!

• In what way is being a published writer different to how you thought it would be?

In pretty much every way. As I’d never imagined being published I had no idea what to expect. While in many ways it’s fabulous (here I’m thinking of the lunches, the fan-mail and the email that tells you your book has sold) for me, there’s also the issue of meeting expectations – deadlines, revisions, delivering a book the editor and readers will love. I live in constant fear of not meeting those expectations!

• Promotion is no longer a dirty word. In what ways do you strive to reach more readers?

I’m on Facebook and Twitter, I blog and I try to keep my website updated. I’m sure, though, I could be doing more (any tips very welcome...)

• What is your top promo tip for other authors?

I suspect I’m the last person who should be giving promo tips! (see above)

• What did you learn while writing this book?

To get to know the characters inside out before starting and to make sure that what they do is consistent with their personalities. And to focus on the romance, which you might think was obvious! But the first draft of this book had characters who did nothing but bicker all the time and was littered with plot devices. There was a broken leg (not very conducive to nookie), a kidnapping (because I wanted one) and sub-plot involving stolen public money. What was I thinking?!

• What was the most fun part of writing this book?

Finishing it. Honestly, this was a tough one. I sent in the manuscript a few weeks before my son was born and received revisions just afterwards. When I say revisions, it was actually a complete rewrite, and sorting it all out while dealing with a new-born (my first) was quite a … um... challenge. Having said that, once I got on the right track, it was a joy to (re)write. I reread it when I received my author’s copies, and loved it - I hope others do too!

• And just for fun: what would your hero’s honeymoon destination of choice be?

My hero’s the ruler of an isolated Mediterranean island. As he’s young, hot and royal, he’s a target for the paparazzi, so it would have to be somewhere where there are no reporters and no photographers. His manor house in the Cotswolds would be perfect.

• What have the changes to the current Harlequin lines and branding meant to you? Have they affected your writing process?

I think the different covers and the more interesting titles in both the Modern and the Riva lines are fantastic, although I will admit to having a tiny weeny soft spot for ‘the clinch’, and both reflect both the content a lot better. The re-branding hasn’t changed the way I write – I just carry on writing stories with characters I love. In fact, my January 2012 book, Say It With Diamonds, is actually being released as a Modern (a marketing decision), although being very Riva.

• What do you think makes a Riva book Riva?

I think it’s really hard to define, as there isn’t any one thing that identifies a book as a Riva. There’s a contemporariness to a lot of them and humour and wit in many, but mainly I think it’s the voice of the author. The heroes and heroines in the Rivas I’ve read are people I could imagine hanging out with.

Thank you so much for having me on the Minxy blog. It’s been great to be here (and sorry if I’ve gone on a bit!)

Not at all Lucy, thanks for a fab interview :-)

"The Crown Affair"

Close encounters of the Royal kind!

After being made redundant and finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman, Laura's decided it's time to take charge of her life! However, the last thing she expects is the new Laura to end up having wild, naked fun with the gorgeous guy next door…

Okay, she virtually runs away afterwards in shame—but so what? She soon gets a new job—on the Mediterranean island of Sassania, no less! But the island has a new king—aka Laura's guy-next-door! Now they're both in trouble, for King Matt should be focussing on affairs of the state, not be intent on re-igniting a hot affair of his own…

Buy the book:

Mills & Boon:http://www.millsandboon.co.uk/books/riva/the-crown-affair.htm

Harlequin:http://www.eharlequin.com/storeitem.html?iid=24361

Amazon UK:http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crown-Affair-Mills-Boon-RIVA/dp/0263883906/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1311863904&sr=8-5

Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/Crown-Affair-Harlequin-Presents-Extra/dp/0373528329/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1311863958&sr=8-1

The Book Depository:http://www.bookdepository.com/Crown-Affair-Lucy-King/9780263883909

iBooks:http://itunes.apple.com/us/book/the-crown-affair/id447725593?mt=11

Short Story Writing

Disclaimer: I'm not an expert. There are a frightening number of others who have sold many, many more short stories than I could ever dream of. But, I have sold some. And I've done a lot of research. So I'm going to see if I can convince any of you to have a go.

The link between Minxes of Romance and short stories isn't as tenuous as it might seem. I'm not the only Minx to have been published in this form and (stating the obvious here) some short stories can also be romances.


I write short stories for lots of reasons:

• Quick turnaround - you can write a short story in an afternoon and a sale can quickly follow. The fastest acceptance I've ever had was just two days from date of submission.
• Fast payments - some magazines can pay within days of an acceptance.
• They're lots of fun to write and they're the ideal outlet for all those ideas that keep me awake at night.

 And, because they're quick to write:

• It's possible to write and submit lots of them in a way that would be hard to do with longer work. And, of course, if you have lots 'out there' the chances of a sale are greatly increased. It also means that if an R arrives, it's not the end of the world because there's always more work under consideration.
• They give a sense of satisfaction for completing a project - and that doesn't happen as often with longer work.
• Because less time and emotional energy is invested, it's easy to try lots of different styles and genres.

And there are other positives, too:

• Magazines will pay.
• Details of published short stories are great for the writing cv and for including in query letters to agents and publishers.
• The buzz of seeing your name in print is hard to beat.
• Womag writers are a friendly bunch and eager to help each other and I'd defy anyone not to make friends within this community.

But there is a downside (you knew there would be, didn't you?).

• The markets for short stories in women's magazines is shrinking daily.
• Competition is fierce and the number of short story writers is scary. Amanda Brittany has compiled a list on her blog - if you're feeling brave have a look here. 
• Because of the first two points, you have to be prepared for rejections. Lots of them. On the upside, the experience will desensitise you to the dreaded R - I've had so many they barely sting these days.

So what's the best way to break into this satisfying market? Preparation is all if you want to avoid all the wasted attempts I made. Before you start writing, there are things you should do to make sure you're targetting your work correctly.

• First stop should be Womagwriter's blog as she's done most of the research for you (how I wish she'd been around when I first started writing). On this blog you'll find details of magazines currently accepting fiction, word counts and where to send your work. Really, if you're planning to write short stories, the best advice I can give you is to follow this blog. The information you'll find is invaluable and everyone reads it - established writers, fiction editors as well as beginners.
• When you've identified the magazine you want to write for, read lots of issues all the way through. Womagwriter has done a lot of the hard work for you, but nothing beats first hand knowledge and you'll need to learn who the readers are - who you would be writing for.
• You'll then need to analyse the stories. Who are the main characters? What jobs do they do? What kind of situations do they find themselves in? This will give you and idea of who your own characters should be.
• Join a critique group. There's nothing like contact with other writers to encourage and provide support. I'm a member of an online private group and we post every two weeks. This has concentrated my mind like nothing else and my output has increased considerably. I don't manage to post every time, but I do try to write at least one new short story every month and that's a lot more than I used to manage.

And now you're ready to begin writing your story...

August Hotties Poll: the heroes of F1

While Jo C is the rugby fan among the Minxes, Maya and I share a passion for F1. Since I had to miss the last two races due to work, I'm going to make up for it by getting my fix here on the Minxes blog. All month long you'll have an excuse to view some of the eye candy currently lighting up the motor racing circuit, but please don't forget to stop drooling long enough to vote.

Since the hottest drivers (IMO) are also the front-runners in this year's championship, I'm featuring the top six here in their current championship ordes - with one back-runner thrown in for luck.

Leading the current season is Sebastian Vettel. The boy next door, though from where I'm standing, he's a tad on the young side.

Next up is more my style ... Mark Webber. And it's not just an age thing!

In third place is Brit Lewis Hamilton, sadly without a hope in hell of challenging the German for a championship win this year.

A few years ago Fernando Alonso was the pretty boy of F1. He's maturing rather nicely, don't you think?

Jenson Button burst onto the scene in his debut year, and I'm so pleased that he's still hanging in there and hasn't disappeared into obscurity like a certain Canadian who was the F1 pin-up at the time.

In sixth place is the second Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa.

And finally, since the Italians have contributed so much to F1, here's the Italian contender for hottie of the month: Jarno Trulli, now also a wine-maker in the Abruzzo region. Now tell me that isn't the stuff heroes are made of ...



PS: Winner of the July Jane Austen heroes poll was Daniel Gillies, from the Bollywood movie, Bride & Prejudice.