Spring, Superhero movies and why your boss should be making you happy

Yesterday was Spring Day here in the southern hemisphere, and the kids celebrated at school today by planting seedlings and parading their spring hats.

With the new warmth in the air (not that I can complain, it's been a lovely, mild winter!) my brain is all over the place, so you're getting a blog post to match.

First up, I've been reading a lot of fascinating articles on the state of the movie business lately. From the dire box office revenues of the latest superhero movies, to the movie goers at my office lamenting decent movies to watch, I think I agree with Steven Spielberg's recent prediction that Hollywood is in imminent danger of imploding.

With Hollywood spending billions on a handful of superhero re-boots, is it any wonder that box office revenues are down? Is there any originality left in Hollywood?
The answer sadly might be 'no': Hollywood is in Deep Trouble.

So I'd like to conduct my own little poll:

• What was the last movie you saw at the cinema?
• How often do you go to the movies?
• If you don't go often, is it because of the price or because the movies just don't capture your enthusiasm?
• Finally, do you enjoy superhero movies? (and I'm not just talking about the eye candy here!)?

On a lighter note, here are a couple of links to some comic relief:

17 Reasons why chicks make better movie directors, and Why your boss should really be making you happy right now. (Actually, that last one has a really good argument!)

Author Spotlight - Carmel Harrington

Welcome Carmel, it's lovely to have you on the blog today :-)

                        Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.

First of all, my manners! Thank you for having me here with you lovely Minxes!  OK, what can I tell you about me?  I’m Irish, living in a beautiful rural village in Co. Wexford.  I live quite close to the sea, which I love, no matter the weather.  In fact I sometimes prefer walking on the beach when it’s cold, wet and blustery!  I’m married to Rog and we have two beautiful children, Amelia 3 and Nate who is almost 2.  In between being a stay at home Mum to my little smallies, I write.  

What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)

Beyond Graces Rainbow is my first book, but I do have a second book completed which is with my publisher, called Sleep of Dreams and I’ve started book 3which will be a sequel to Beyond Graces Rainbow.

 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?

The only shoe shopping I’ve been doing lately is for cute little pairs of converse for the children! Oh I remember those days of old where I would take off on a Saturday and spend the day shopping for me.  But to answer your question, there is no doubt about it I have to be very strict with myself to ensure I meet my writing targets.  I aim to write a minimum of 1000 words per day, but I find once I get lost in my WIP, I can’t stop and will write every spare second I can, so I’ve no problem meeting a target on those days! I actually write in my head when I’m not in front of the laptop too, framing the story and where it’s going next.  Does anyone else do that?

 What is your top promo tip for other authors?

First of all believe in yourself.  If you don’t believe in yourself no one else will.  Having said that, the promotion that I find most effective is  sharing of reviews given and of course sharing any important milestones that your book has achieved.  I switch off when authors tweet the same thing every day, buy my book, buy my book, buy my book!  That is one sure way to make sure that most won’t buy your book in my opinion!   

How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?

As a stay at home mother, writing has to fit around my children.  Now that I have signed my contract with HarperImpulse, it’s become more important to have some more structure around my writing.  My daughter Amelia starts preschool on 2^nd September 5 mornings a week and we have made the decision to send Nate into playschool also for 4 mornings a week, so that will mean I will be able to write during this time. 

I’m really looking forward to that, but I know I’ll also miss the children.  But it seems like the perfect combination for me - Author by morning, Mummy by afternoon.  Superauthormum!  (sorry got carried away there!)  I try to be organised at the weekends, blitzing the housework with my husband and planning dinners for the week. 

If you were to visit the H’s on a Saturday afternoon, it’s likely you will descend into clean house.  Swing by on a Friday and you may possibly think the house has been ransacked by burglars ;)

 Is there a book you haven't written yet that you're dying to? What genre?

There are so many ideas that I have, I honestly think I could write a book every year for the rest of my life and not run out of ideas.  But I do have this children’s book buzzing around my head, for the 7-10 year old age bracket I think and I have written the opening chapter.  It’s called The Black Car.  One day, I’d love to try finish that.  Maybe before my own children get to that age, so that gives me 5 years or so more!

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

I was going to ignore this question, hanging my head in shame.  I am a terrible woman for making promises to herself to get fit and not fulfilling them.  Does running around after two sometimes wild and extremely fast toddlers count?  If so, I exercise every day for hours! 

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

It is everything and more than I thought it would be.  The team at HarperImpulse and my fellow authors there have become friends already.  The welcome and support has been incredible.  Seeing my cover being revealed was an emotional moment for me, one that I won’t forget for a long time.  I thought that when the news was out that HarperCollins digital romance imprint HarperImpulse had signed me, it might interest a few, but the past few weeks have truly surpassed any of my expectations, as I’ve been doing interviews both on the radio and for newspapers.  I am even booked for an interview for an Irish TV chat show on 30^th August – yes Me!!!!  It’s a dream come true seeing Beyond Graces Rainbow getting noticed at last and I am so happy. 

Could you be friends with any of your heroines?

Absolutely.  Grace, Tara and Abby in Beyond Graces Rainbow are the kind of girlfriends I could very easily have a night out with.  They are strong, loyal, fun and very real women and like me enjoy the odd cocktail ;) 

Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?

Well, here’s what you need to sort out a story roadblock – take a spoonful of sugar and a pinch of salt and walk backwards over a broomstick singing I Will Survive as loudly as you can, throwing salt and sugar over your shoulder, as you bust a few moves and all of a sudden, bam, story is fixed!   Works every time, but failing that, I would suggest walking away from the story and leaving it for a day or two.  I always find that when I go back to it, the obvious answer is staring me in the face and whatever it was that was causing me so much angst is no longer is a problem!

P.s. I take no responsibility for any authors who trip and fall in their attempts at my first tip! Maybe safer to take option 2 and sleep on it ;)

About Beyond Grace’s Rainbow :-

A must for fans of Cecelia Ahern.

Beyond Grace’s Rainbow is a poignant story about a young mother’s battle with cancer.  Single mother Grace Devlin faces what will be the biggest fight of her life and the stakes are high.  She cannot contemplate leaving her adorable little boy Jack all alone in the world.  Unfortunately for Grace her best chance of survival is to receive a bone marrow transplant, so she embarks on a heart breaking search for her biological parents, as she was adopted when a small baby.  This search will unravel a web of lies and deceit that has spanned over thirty years.

And just when she thinks life can get no more complicated, Jack’s father Liam is back in town full of remorse and he’s made it clear that he’s not leaving until he’s won her back.   Liam was the love of Grace’s life but can she trust him ever again? Helping Grace muddle her way through her cancer treatment and complicated love life are her friends – Tara, Sean, Abby, Tom and Gerry.  Tara is Grace’s cousin and is happily married to Sean but they are desperate for a baby of their own; Abby, Grace and Tara’s friend from college is single and looking for her one true love  which is proving difficult, whilst Tom would be happy if  his boyfriend Gerry for once didn’t max out their credit card!   Beyond Grace’s Rainbow will bring the reader into Graces world where friendship, courage, loyalty, laughter and above all love are abundant.   The story will bring you on an emotional journey with Grace and her friends that will have the reader both laughing and crying at the turn of a page.

Beyond Graces Rainbow is available for pre-order with Amazon.co.uk

& Amazon.com, the publish date 12^th September.

For more on Carmel :

Find her here www.carmelharrington.com

Follow her here https://twitter.com/happymrsh

Like her here www.facebook.com/happymrsh

Competition Addict

My name is Catherine and I'm a hopeless competition addict...

I'm hoping it's not just me. But I'll admit I find it very hard to resist the lure of competitions. Even when I know I don't have anything suitable, I'll spend way too long thinking about new stories simply to fit the guidelines.

So You Think You Can Write is coming up. Several of my lovely friends (including Minx Sri) were noticed in this competition and their entries went on to be their debut books *waves madly at Amalie, Jen & Jen*.

Of course, I only need to look at the wonderful Minxes to see most of them sold without competitions--if we hadn't all been competition entrants at one point we never would've met. Back before SYTYCW and even New Voices we all met online and have stayed together ever since. We crit for each other, support each other and rarely a day goes by where we don't speak via the email loop we have set up.

I noticed in the Green Room over at eharlequin that they have a poll set up asking writers what they are most looking forward to in this year's SYTYCW. The option I would've chosen, had it been there, would be "holding hands with other writers via twitter". I did that LOTS last year and I must say I had the best time bonding together, rather than competing against, other writers. I don't think there can be many competitions where you cheer as much for your fellow writers as you hope for your own success.  Which is why I love the romance community so very much!

I do have an idea for this year's SYTYCW but I have a full to finish that was requested following the Medical Fast Track earlier this year. I also need to resist the lure of a new story idea I had while driving through Italy on our holidays this year. I need to write FASTER!

And if SYTYCW is not for you, Harper Impulse are also having a competition--the prize being a 3 book contract!! Details for that competition are here. And, of course, I have a Christmas themed story that wasn't quite medical enough for Mills & Boon that I just *have* to enter. I've heard fabulous things about Harper Impulse from the Minxes that are published with them as well as other friends.

The only problem I see me having is containing my over-excited bouncing throughout the next few months. Who's with me? Tell me in the comments which competition you're entering and title if you have it so we can cheer each other on!

Author Spotlight - Lorna Peel

Today's spotlight author is Lorna Peel, who writes contemporary romance for Entranced Publishing.
Welcome, Lorna.

1. Tell our readers a little bit about yourself.
I was born in England and brought up in Wales and Ireland. I live in the Irish countryside where, sadly, it rains a bit too much! I’ve always had an lively imagination and I started writing when I was nineteen. A few years later I did a creative writing course which concentrated on short stories. I enjoyed it, and I was lucky enough to have one published, but it made me realise that I prefer to write novels so I decided to see if I could get one of the novels I’d written published.

2. What number book is this? First? 100th? 200th?(Nora only!)
Only You is my first published novel but I’ve written quite a few novels over the years. Some I’m very proud of and some will never see the light of day!

3. 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 try and write something every day, or, if inspiration doesn’t strike, I’ll edit some work. I just try to do something constructive every day and I reward myself every now and again with some books and DVD box sets. I’m not really a shoe person!

4. What is your top promo tip for other authors?
Have a website and/or blog, with information on you, your book(s), and where it/they can be bought. The information has to be clear and easy to find because if the visitor can’t find what they’re looking for in under a minute then they’ll leave and they won’t come back.
Be on as much social media as you can, and interact with people. Link everything if you haven’t the time to keep up with them all individually.

5. How does writing fit into your day? Or does your day fit in around your writing?
I can do other types of writing – answering e-mails and updating my blog or website – at some point during the day, but I need the peace and quiet of late night for writing novels so it doesn’t really get in the way of anything, apart from sleep!

6. Is there a book you haven't written yet that you're dying to? What genre?
I’d love to write an historical novel set in medieval Ireland/England/Wales. It would need an enormous amount of research but I hope I’ll be able to do it someday. Probably when I’m retired!

7. Keeping fit: Do you have an exercise regime to counterbalance all those hours sitting at a computer?
No, I don’t have an exercise regime and I don’t go to the gym but I do have a large garden where I grow as much fruit and vegetables as I can. I also walk quite a bit and all that keeps me reasonably fit.

8. Could you be friends with any of your heroines?
Yes, definitely. My heroines have to be someone who I and readers would want to spend time with. If they aren’t likeable then readers won’t want to go on their journey with them.

9. Writing snacks – what are your favourites?
Call me weird, but I never eat and write at the same time! When I’m surfing the net, yes, but never when I’m writing. It’s usually something which won’t crumble or drip onto the keyboard!

10. Do you have any tips, tricks or sacrificial rituals you do when you hit a story roadblock?
I’m a news junkie and I usually have a news channel on in the background during the day instead of the radio. I also read a lot of news online (Twitter is great for the weird stuff!) and it’s amazing how inspiration will strike when you’re either reading or listening to a news item.

Blurb:
Jane Hollinger is single, divorced, and the wrong side of thirty – as she puts it. Her friends are pressuring her to dive back into London’s dating pool, but she’s content with her quiet life as a genealogy teacher.

Robert Armstrong is every woman’s fantasy: handsome, charming, rich and famous. When he asks her to meet him, she convinces herself it’s because he needs her help with a mystery in his family tree. Soon she realizes he’s interested in more than her genealogical expertise. Now the paparazzi want a piece of Jane too.

Can Jane handle living — and loving — in the spotlight?

Only You is available from Amazon, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords, All Romance eBooks and WH Smith (UK only).

You can find Lorna on her website, Facebook, Twitter and on Pinterest.

Piatkus Entice Needs You!

Today we have a guest on the Minxes. Anna Boatman of Piatkus is here to tell us all about Piatkus Entice and their current competition.....Thank you for being here today, Anna!

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Hello everyone! My name is Anna Boatman, and the lovely Minxes of Romance have allowed me to take over today, to tell you all about our upcoming Piatkus Entice competition. We are looking for the next digital romance superstar – could it be you?

First off, let me tell you a little bit about Piatkus Entice...
Piatkus Entice was launched on Valentine's Day 2012, and is our digital-first romance imprint. Romance is the fastest growing digital genre – the convenience and lower prices of ebooks are a perfect match for the romance reader; we tend to read loads of books a month and are always keen to discover new genres and new authors, as well as return again and again to series and characters we love. For me, the great thing about a digital-first line is that as an editor it gives you the freedom to try something a little different – the retail market is increasingly restrictive and conservative, but online you can put huge amounts of support behind a debut author writing something totally fresh.

On Entice we pick the very best of romance in all its genres, from Regency romps to ghost stories. We offer a mix of the e-editions of romance superstars such as Sarah MacLean and Eloisa James, to newer voices such as self-publishing success Tim O'Rourke. We're always looking for new authors, but usually accept only agented authors. However, for a limited time that's about to change, as we're offering the chance to win a two-book publication contract with Piatkus Entice...

Our Entice competition is on now! – we're looking for instantly gripping, page-turning romance, in any genre. However, Entice being an ebook imprint, we're also looking for writers who are great at connecting with their fans online and who really enjoy building up a digital profile. So, how are we going to find them? Go to http://www.piatkusentice.co.uk/feature/could-you-be-our-next-romance-writing-star/ to see the full terms and conditions, but the main stages are...

Round One: Enter two chapters and a short, enticing synopsis (something you think would convince readers to pick it out) by the 2^nd of September, 2013.
Round Two: We will pick the three strongest entries by the 1st of October, 2013 and then we'll be posting them on our website, where readers will be able to vote for their favourite!
Round Three: Voting closes on the 14th of October, 2013 and we'll ask the two entrants with the highest number of votes to send us in their third chapter.

The winner will then be announced on November 9th, 2013, at the Romance Festival Gala dinner!

Every single submission will be carefully considered, and so although there can only be one winner, this is a fantastic opportunity to get your work seen by an experienced editorial team – if you love romance fiction and have always wanted to write, this is your chance...

If you have any questions, feel free to email piatkus.entice@littlebrown.co.uk, and in the meantime I wish you all the very best of luck – and the happiest of endings!