Eye of the Tiger

Posted on March 18, 2013 | 28 comments

It’s Music Monday!

Today I’m shooting from the hip, in a manner of speaking. What I mean by that is that I have no specific reason for posting this song other than… well, I love it. There’s a surprise.

Frankly, I can’t believe I haven’t posted this before. I just love the song (and I don’t even like Rocky, other than in Rocky chocky bars). It was playing on the radio over the weekend and my kids and I rocked out in the kitchen together, headbanging, air guitar, drums and all. (They’re getting the right education here, evidently). You simply CANNOT beat the rush that comes from that so here goes… Get ready to sing along!

What’s your “I simply have to get up and rock” song?

28 Comments

Posted in Music Monday

Tagged Classic Rock, Eye of the Tiger, Get up and dance, Music Monday, Rocky, Survivor

This novel stinks!

Posted on March 15, 2013 | 22 comments

She was walking along quite happily when the acrid, tangy smell invaded her nostrils. Burning, hot, and somewhat sweet, the distinct odour of fresh tarmac being laid was unmistakable. Instantly and without warning, she was catapulted back into another summer, onto another road, and she saw herself strolling through carefully manicured front-gardens, their cherry trees in bloom but the sweet scent of spring flowers obliterated by the byproduct of road resurfacing. Images of friends and places left behind flooded her brain and she gave a deep sigh of longing.

“What’s the matter, mummy?” The cheerful voice of her son roused her from her nostalgia and she woke as though from a dream…

Instant olfactory transportation

Wouldn’t it be awesome if novels could smell? There’s nothing more powerful for stimulating both emotion and memory than the sense of smell, and the above vignette is taken from my own recent experience. Strange as it may seem, the strong smell of tarmac brought on the sweetest of memories from a different time in my life. I have other smells that transport me to different places, most of them good.

Tarmac dispenser - geograph.org.uk - 1182613

By Bill Nicholls [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)%5D, via Wikimedia Commons

For example, there’s a perfume that reminds me of a long-lost friend. Even today, if I get a whiff of this fragrance somewhere, I can hear my friend’s laughter and see his face in front of me. Likewise, my Mum’s perfume for special occasion takes me right back in time to being a little girl, when she and my father would go out at night and she would drop a little kiss on my head whilst I was (supposedly) fast asleep in bed.

: By Jim Champion [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/ licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

The sea has its own special smell that reminds me of childhood holidays. There’s nothing quite like that tang of algae and seaweed drying on the rocks when the tide is out… Hand in hand with that smell goes the memory of hot Frankfurter sausages in bread rolls served with chips and tomato ketchup. Oh, and sunscreen, always sunscreen.

Hot water smells. Have you noticed that? Turn on your shower on a nice hot setting on a really cold day, perhaps when the bathroom is still waiting to heat up in the morning, and you’ll notice that hot water has its own distinct signature smell. I kid you not.

And houses. Houses definitely smell, and the very act of opening the front door and inhaling that first whiff of home turns your house into your castle. I could go on and on an on…. See, smell is powerful stuff. It’s evocative. It puts you in touch with events and emotions that you’d long forgotten; and every day, it makes more memories for you to discover in the future. And yet… does it feature in books?

The forgotten sense?

Books are full of vivid descriptions, many of them of a sensual nature. As authors, we focus on what our characters feel (emotionally), see, hear, sometimes taste, and occasionally touch (feel). But what about smell?

I guess smell is a little harder to put on the page. As perception goes, it’s highly individual; what smells good to one person may not be so appealing to the next. (Although there are exceptions, of course. I say cake. And coffee!). Moreover, the memories bound with smell are highly individual. I mean, who would have thought that the smell of a new road surface would bring on such an avalanche of happy memories for me? This makes it hard for the writer to predict, harness and manage the effect of portrayed smell in the novel.

A great book in the making... but does it appeal to your sense of smell?

A great book in the making… but will it engage your sense of smell?

Last but not least, smell poses a bit of a technical problem. You can’t see it and you can’t touch it. It’s hard to describe in absolute terms other than in similes or analogies. It’s not exactly red, blue or green. It’s not exactly tall, thin or round. Although I suppose it could be sweet, tangy, cloying, airy, sharp, acrid…. Yes, there are lots of adjectives, come to think about it.

Putting olfactory oomph into writing

I went back through my own books and did a little search. Do I appeal to the olfactory sense in my work? Do my novels have some fragrant oomph? And to what purpose? Here are some of my favourite highlights:

CREATING MOOD

Describing an unpleasant reunion (from Sophie’s Turn)
“So anyway, he came back to bed, smelling of slug repellent and quite possibly dead slugs”—I gave an involuntary shudder—“and he tried to cuddle me.”

“Yeuch!” Rachel exclaimed.

Portraying attraction (from Sophie’s Turn)
But Dan laughed. “Easy now, there, tiger. You all right?” His arms were around me, and I could smell his aftershave. Yum. His chest exuded warmth, and his breath smelt of sweet apple. I could have happily taken a bite.

Portraying attraction (from Sophie’s Run)
He put his arms around me and we held each other in a long embrace, breathing deeply. He smelled good, like that first time I had caught his scent in the hospital. I hoped I smelled nice, too, not of illness anymore, but of me.

“Penny for your thoughts,” Steve cut into my musings.

I giggled. “I was thinking that you smell nice, and that your chest is very toned,” I confessed.

DESCRIBING A PLACE

Evoking newness (from Sophie’s Run)
The smell of fresh paint and new carpets greeted me as I unlocked the front door. Oh, lovely. It reeked of newness and a fresh start, and I knew that everything was all right.

Experiencing a new environment (from Sophie’s Turn)
I had never been in a stretch limo before, and I breathed in the heady scent of polished leather and wooden interiors—the smell of the rich.

MOOD/PLACE CROSSOVER

Entering a coffee shop (from Sophie’s Run)
The door closed behind me, jauntily jingling the little bell attached to the top of the door jamb. I was instantly enveloped by the fragrant smell of strong, sweet tea and gulped greedily; I was gasping for a cuppa.

PROMOTING DRAMATIC TENSION

Signalling change (from Sophie’s Run)
The house was quiet. It smelled of furniture polish, fresh laundry, and Dan’s aftershave. Feeling like an unlawful intruder, I ambled through the downstairs first but Dan was not there.

Signalling a discovery (from Sophie’s Run)
Immediately he noticed that something was wrong. The flat smelled wrong; it didn’t smell of Sophie, or her perfume, or her things.

MY NOVELS… DON’T STINK! BUT THEY CERTAINLY TRY TO CAPTURE YOU BY WAY OF OLFACTORY ASSOCIATION.

So… wow. Yes, I’m impressed. I tried. I knew I was working on incorporating my character’s responses to certain smells, for I remember writing these scenes and the emotions the described smell provoked in me. Some of these examples may be more powerful than others, but I had no idea I had put so much smell in my novels. I like it. I hope my readers like it, too. And I think I might well explore this stylistic means a little further going forward.

Your turn to stick your nose in! What’s your favourite smell?

Readers ~ do you notice ‘smell’ in the books you read? Does it ‘do’ something for you?

Authors ~ What do you make of the smelly novel? Does your work smell? Have you any hot tips for creating the fragrant page?

22 Comments

Posted in Miscellaneous, Writing Thoughts

Tagged Dramatic Tension, Mood, Olfactory association, Olfactory sense, Oomph, Place, Smell, Smell in writing, Stylistic means

CentreStage with Harvey Black: Cover Reveal for The Red Effect @black_author

Posted on March 12, 2013 | 19 comments

Welcome to CentreStage!

Today, it is my great pleasure to host fellow Loveahapyending.com Lifestyle author, the one and only Harvey Black. Harvey shares with us the cover reveal for his upcoming novel, The Red Effect, and tells us a little about his writing… Take it away, Harvey!

Cover Reveal – The Red Effect

“Today, West German imperialism is United States’ chief ally in Europe in aggravating world tension. West Germany is increasingly becoming the seat of the war danger, where revenge-seeking passions are running high… The policy pursued by the Federal Republic of Germany is being increasingly determined by the same monopolies that brought Hitler to power.

The Rhineland politicians fancy that once they get the atomic bomb, frontier posts will topple and they will be able to achieve their cherished desire of carving up the map of Europe again and taking revenge for defeat in the second world war.

One of the most ominous factors endangering peace is the bilateral military alliance that is taking shape between the ruling circles of the United States and the Federal Republic of Germany. This factor remains an objective of unflagging attention.”

Leonid Brezhnev
23rd Party Congress
March 1966

The Cold War and Nitroglycerin had one thing in common; both were stable when circumstances allowed. But, when something rocks the boat, or events are overtaken by Incidents that get out of control, the status quo is lost. The consequence is an eruption that is both violent and lethal.

The Cold War trilogy will trace the Cold War as it simmers, overheats and eventually turns East against West. The outcome? Start with ‘The Red Effect’ out in April, followed by ‘The Black Effect’ and ‘The Blue Effect’.

And here it is, the star of the day:
The Red Effect

1983: The Cold War has been in existence since the end of World War Two. Although tensions have always been fraught between the Western nations and the members of the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact, common sense prevailed.

Until, as a consequence of the Cuban missile crisis in 1962, the shooting down of a Korean passenger aircraft in 1983, and the relentless build up of Soviet military strength, everything is about to change.

In a panoramic novel, readers travel from centres of power to the front lines – a war is brewing and events are happening at every angle. Is the Cold War about to turn hot? Can NATO forces endure a mass strike by thousands of Soviet tanks? Can the West survive?

Follow the series of gripping events that culminated in ‘The Red Effect’, in the first instalment of Harvey Black’s Cold War trilogy.

The Harvey Black Interview

Harvey, tell us… What started you writing?

I have wanted to write a novel since I was a teenager. Enthralled by Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, E.E. Doc Smith’s Lensmen series and Edgar Rice Burroughs, I felt sure my first would be of the SF genre.

Joining the army changed all of that and my passion now is for military history. ‘Devils with Wings’, a military thriller, based around the adventures of two young Fallschirmjäger paratroopers during the early part of World War II, is a fictionalised adventure based on the famous assault on the impregnable Belgian fortress, Eben Emael.

What makes your books so special?

I try to visit the locations in person. For Devils with Wings: Silk Drop, I walked the routes, up to 18 miles, in Crete, during the hottest part of the day, where my characters would have marched. Most of the descriptions in the novel, of what they can see, was written in situ.

I have just finished the first of my Cold War trilogy of novels, The Red Effect. Having spent a number of years in British Army Intelligence during the Cold War years, I have a deep insight into the undercurrents and flashpoints that occurred between the Soviet Union and the West.

What authors inspire you?

I have number of authors I follow, ranging from Stephen Leather, Simon Scarrow, Bernard Corwall, Gerald Seymor to Ian Rankin. Since I have been writing my own novels, I have played a close interest in newer authors, such as S.J.A.Turney and Stephen England. I am currently reading ‘Marias’ Mules’ IV.

Reading as well as writing, you are one busy man. What are your plans going forward?

There will be ten books in the ‘Devils with Wings’ series, Book 4, will be published towards the end of the year. The Red Effect now finished, I will focus on Book 2, The Black Effect, where the confrontation between East and West continues.

Any thoughts on what you might do differently next time?

More structure to my chapters in advance, focus on my characterisation and improving my dialogue, key to keeping the story moving.

Would you share your lessons learnt so far?

Edit, edit, edit! Even when you have your editing done professionally, you still need to check your manuscript again and again.

Wow, thank you for sharing your thoughts on your writing experience, Harvey, it’s been a real pleasure having you on CentreStage today.

Out in April – The Red Effect.

Find Harvey and his work: Devils with Wings ~ Devils with Wings Silk: Drop ~ Devils with Wings: Frozen Sun

19 Comments

Posted in CentreStage

Tagged CentreStage, Cold war, cover reveal, Harvey Black, Loveahapyending Lifestyle, The Red Effect

Tough Love

Posted on March 11, 2013 | 15 comments

It’s Music Monday!

Oh, and it’s a very special Music Monday indeed. On Saturday, I received this gem in the post:

I cannot tell you how excited I am. Yes, this is ROCKVILLE ~ the brand new offering by one of my all-time favourite bands, UK rockers FM. And, I note gleefully, it’s a signed copy too. Of course, nothing else would do!!

As soft spots go, I have a massive one for this band. I’ve followed them for nearly all my adult life, ever since I first saw them in Bielefeld, Germany. I might have bumped into them on the odd occasion here or there, just once or twice. I adore their music and have all their albums. Indiscreet is probably my all-time favourite album, like, ever. (I know that’s two all-time favourites in one post; very bad form, stylistically speaking, but it can’t be helped!) And Tough It Out has seen me through just about everything exciting, challenging or changing in my life, not least moving to England in the first place.

So here we have it, the latest work of musical art from these genius rockers. The line-up features:

The Voice ~ Steve Overland
Bass ~ Merv Goldsworthy
Drums ~ Pete Jupp
Keyboards ~ Jem Davis
Guitars ~ Jim Kirkpatrick

This is the feature promo song for ROCKVILLE:

And this is one of my favourite songs from Indiscreet:

Do you get the idea that I really like FM? I’m going to see them, VIP package and all, in twelve short days and you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll hear all about that!

Thank you for tuning in today and I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you reckon of today’s offering?

15 Comments

Posted in Music Monday

Tagged Album Release, FM, FM Official, Indiscreet, Love Lies Dying, Music Monday, Nicky Wells, Pete Jupp, Rock Band, Rockville, Soft Spot, Steve Overland, Tough Love

Sophie’s Encore, First Draft… Done-Done-Done!

Posted on March 8, 2013 | 32 comments

In this post: how I improved my writing process; and what’s next for Nicky Wells, author

I finished!

It’s done! Oh yes, the first draft of Sophie’s Encore is finished. It came in at just over 105,000 words and I am pleased with it. It made me laugh, and cry, and bite my nails.

Done-done-done!!

It was quite a different writing experience…

Unlike Sophie’s Turn and Sophie’s Run, which were both written in a mad, continuous and single-minded frenzy, Sophie’s Encore was written in small, deliberate instalments. If you added all the time together, you’d find that it probably took me about twelve weeks to write this third book. However, the twelve weeks were spread out over almost five months because there were several other authorly activities that required my attention.

First and foremost, the beginning of writing Sophie’s Encore overlapped with the book launch for Sophie’s Turn, book 1. I spent a significant amount of time promoting my first baby and keeping up with the book tour.

Next, writing Sophie’s Encore also clashed with the editing process for Sophie’s Run. I had a three-week break from writing in November while I took care of publisher edits for book 2; and then another two-week break in December for proofing and final formatting of ditto. Add to that the Christmas festivities, and you won’t be surprised that I didn’t touch the manuscript for Sophie’s Encore at all in December.

And lastly, of course, there was the launch of Sophie’s Run which coincided with the very end of the writing process of Sophie’s Encore. Talk about multi-tasking!

And yet, Sophie’s Encore got done, and ahead of my own personal schedule too. How so?

Two reasons, I think. One is that the frequent breaks and smaller writing instalments actually made for better writing, or at the very least for a better writing experience. I came back refreshed and eager to the manuscript every day; and after the longer breaks, I took the time to re-read the entire work before continuing it, pressure-testing it ‘real-time’. This meant that I had a much greater confidence in what I had already produced, and also afforded me the opportunity of doing a little bit of pre-editing here or there.

Which leads me to the second reason. Having had the benefit of two extensive editing processes through Sapphire Star Publishing also improved the writing process for Sophie’s Encore. Let me remind you that the first draft of my second book, Sophie’s Run, came in at nearly 150,000 words ~ requiring a good 45,000 words to be chopped by me personally before publisher edits and eventual publication. I learned my lesson, but I didn’t notice until I started writing book 3.

Everything I chopped out of book 2 (and book 1 before that) involved amusing episodes or back story that I enjoyed writing but that, in hindsight, didn’t advance the plot. What’s more, I probably knew that even while I was writing them because I got a kind of…impatient buzz from them. A kind of, move-on-and-hurry-up buzz, only I didn’t know what it meant at the time.

With Sophie’s Encore, I did. The first time I found myself writing something that gave me that kind of…nice-but-not-relevant feeling, I stopped. I re-read. I listened to my heart. I thought of the editing process. And I chopped the section out right away.

It’s incredibly hard to gauge this but I think I figured it out. When I re-read the manuscript after my breaks, I whizzed through it with barely an itch for the red pen. My famous ‘Queen of Hearts’ internal editor remained silent.

Of course I’m not deluded enough to believe I have produced the perfect manuscript. In fact, I am quite certain that it’ll require some significant polishing to bring you the very best I have to offer. But I do think it’s the best first draft I have yet produced. Surely that counts! 🙂

What happens now?

Well, right now, I am spring cleaning! I kid you not. I have given myself a couple of weeks off writing, or thinking about writing, while I let my mind come to a rest and give myself distance from the manuscript. To me, that’s a critical part of the process.

LOL, you know me ~ I don’t do anything by halves!

And when I’m done with spring cleaning, I’ll get planning book 4. Of course. You didn’t think you’d heard the last of me after Sophie’s Encore, did you? Book 4 will be an entirely new story with new characters and I’ll tell you more about that…nearer the time.

In April, I will take Sophie’s Encore through a first round of author edits, incorporating the feedback of my beta-readers who are busy reading as I write this blog post. I love you, ladies, and I trust you with my baby! Over the summer, Sophie’s Encore will undergo publisher edits and then….before you know it… It will be launch day. 5 September!

See that small pile on the left? That's Sophie's Encore. By the time Sapphire and I are done with the editing, the pile will probably be as big as the one next to it which...yes, you guessed it, is the complete round of edits and proofs for Sophie's Run. Who says us writers aren't busy??

See that small pile on the left? That’s Sophie’s Encore today. By the time Sapphire and I are done with the editing, the pile will probably be as big as the one next to it which…yes, you guessed it, is the complete round of edits and proofs for Sophie’s Run. Who says us writers aren’t busy?

When can I tell you more about Sophie’s Encore?

Patience, my friends, patience. I will keep you posted, I promise. Sophie’s RUN is only just out ~ let me share the joy of book 2 with the world before I move onto shouting about book 3. I promise you’ll be the first to know. There’ll be a cover reveal at some point, and I’ll post a synopsis and who knows… I’ll probably share an excerpt ahead of time too. Watch this space!

🙂 Rock on!

32 Comments

Posted in Progress Updates, Rock Star Romance, Part 3: Sophie's Encore

Tagged Finished Draft, internal editor, Lessons learnt, Multi-Tasking, publishing, rock star, Romance, Sapphire Star Publishing, Sophie's Encore, Upcoming release

Hall of Fame party: @CarrieAButler launches STRENGTH!

Posted on March 7, 2013 | 14 comments

Roll out the red carpet!
Open the champagne!
It’s time to enter the Hall of Fame!

It’s launch day over at Sapphire Star Publishing, and today, it is my great pleasure to help my publishing sister, Carrie Butler, celebrate the launch of her first novel, STRENGTH!

Let’s hear about… STRENGTH, a new adult paranormal romance

When college student Rena Collins finds herself nose-to-chest with the campus outcast, her rumor-laced notions are shattered. Handsome, considerate, and seemingly sane, Wallace Blake doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, screaming and banging on the walls of his dorm room. Hell, he doesn’t look like he spends his nights alone, period.

Too curious for her own good, Rena vows to uncover the truth behind Wallace’s madman reputation—and how two seconds of contact had left her with bruises. Of course, there are a few setbacks along the way: guilt, admiration, feelings of the warm and fuzzy variety…

Not to mention the unwanted attention of Wallace’s powerful, supernaturally-gifted family.

They’re a bloodline divided by opposing ideals, two soon-to-be warring factions that live in secret among us. When Rena ends up caught in their crossfire, Wallace has no choice but to save her by using his powers. Now they’re really in trouble. With war on the horizon and Rena’s life in the balance, he needs to put some distance between them. But Rena won’t let go. If fighting is what it takes to prove her own strength and keep Wallace in her life, then that’s what she’ll do—even if it means risking a whole lot more than her heart.

Strength is available here:

They’re here! Carrie, Rena and best friend Gabby have come for a chat!

Thank you for having me over, Nicky! I’m thrilled to be here. 🙂

In fact, to celebrate this momentous occasion, I’ve brought an “interview” from my MC, Rena, and her best friend/roommate, Gabby…

—————-

*Gabby falls onto her bed with an exaggerated sigh.*

*Rena looks up, dismisses the distraction, and goes back to studying.*

*Gabby sighs even louder, rustling the pages of her magazine.*

*Rena* Problem?

*Gabby bolts into a sitting position.* Oh, good! You’re taking a break. Wanna do this quiz?

*Rena* I’m not taking a br—

*Gabby* Okay, first question. Describe the last man you met in three words.

*Rena spins around in her desk chair.* Wallace?

*Gabby nods, gesturing for her to continue.*

*Rena* I don’t know. We barely spoke to each other. It was more of an awkward, sorry-I-ran-into-you thing.

*Gabby* Uh huh. Well, if I ran into the Madman, I think it’d be a little more memorable than that.

*Rena rolls her eyes* Fine. He was big, okay? Bigger than I thought he’d be.

*Gabby leans in, scandal written all over her features.* Where?

*Rena* Where what?

*Gabby* You know… where was he big?

*Rena reaches back and throws a wad of paper at her roommate.* Everywhere! He was a big guy—you know, tall and muscular. For cryin’ out loud, Gabby, you’re ridiculous.

*Gabby deflects the paper with her magazine, cackling.* Okay, gimme two more words.

*Rena shakes her head.* I can’t believe I’m doing this. How about intense?

*Gabby* What do you mean?

*Rena* His expression, his stare…

*Gabby* A creeper stare?

*Rena’s cheeks show the slightest tinge of pink.* No, it wasn’t bad. It was just kind of heavy… like he could see into my soul or something.

*Gabby* Right. Soul-stare. What else?

*Rena* Why are we doing this, again?

*Gabby* Because this magazine cost me $5.99, and we’re going to partake in all it has to offer.

*Rena* Since when do you care about money?

*Gabby* Since now.

*Rena* Why?

*Gabby purses her lips.* Ree, so help me, just answer the damn question!

*Rena* Fine! Wallace was… surprising, okay? It’s an adjective. He wasn’t what I expected. Are you happy?

*Gabby leans back.* As happy as I’m gonna be, I guess.

*Rena* Good. So, what’s the next question?

*Gabby* Huh? Oh, there wasn’t actually a quiz. I just wanted to hear more about the Madman.

*Rena’s eye twitches.* If you want to run, I’ll give you a five second head start.

*Gabby* Aww, c’mon. I just wanted to dish ab—

*Rena* Five.

*Gabby* You’re not seriously going to chase me.

*Rena* Four.

*Gabby* Girl, your face is turning an unsettling shade of red.

*Rena* Three.

*Gabby pouts.* Are you really that mad?

*Rena* Two.

*Gabby* I wasn’t even being that nos—

*Rena stands up.* One.

*Gabby throws the magazine down and bolts for the door.* Aiden! She’s losin’ it again!

*Rena slumps into her chair with a smile.* Every time…

———

Wow, awesome! And even more awesome, check out this praise for STRENGTH:

“I love that Carrie took so much time in building the relationship between them. Yay for no instalove!” – Read It, Reviewed It

“I freaking loved every last word on every page.” – Scelest’s Journal

“I’d definitely recommend this to anyone who’s interested in reading a bloody good book. :)” – The Life of a Total Book Nerd
“I devoured this book in two days – staying up until the early hours because I didn’t want to stop reading!” – Kyra Lennon, author of Game On

Find out more about the woman behind STRENGTH, Carrie Butler:

Carrie daydreamed her way through college—until they thrust a marketing degree into her hands, slapped a summa cum laude seal on the corner, and booted her out into a less-than-stellar job market. Instead of panicking at the prospect of unemployment, she used her Midwestern logic to steer into the skid and point her life in the direction she really wanted to go: writing out those daydreams.

The Big STRENGTH GIVEAWAY

Enter here: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Well, what else is there to say apart from… HUGE congrats, Carrie, and Rock On!

Wishing you every success on launch day ~ I can’t wait to get reading! xxx 🙂

14 Comments

Posted in Hall of Fame

Tagged Author, book launch, Carrie Butler, Hall of Fame, Sapphire Star Publishing, STRENGTH

CentreStage with @SherylBrowne: Just A Little Bit of Madness!

Posted on March 5, 2013 | 22 comments

Welcome to CentreStage!

CentreStage features fantastic authors from around the world. These authors might tell you about their writing, their lives, hobbies, adventures or sleepless nights. Or about a litle bit of madness here and there! Today, it is my enormous pleasure to welcome the lovely, quirky and quite outstanding Sheryl Browne.

I have had the pleasure of meeting Sheryl in person on several occasions, and I can tell you, there’s no one chattier, warmer, more welcoming and more entertaining. Sheryl, it’s an honour to have you here today and I’ll hand the floor over to you now… Take it away!

Celebrating Sheryl’s
FOURRTH Book Launch

Hi Nicky!

Thank you so much for inviting me along today and helping me launch A Little Bit of Madness, my fourth book published by Safkhet Publishing!

Rather than waffle on – as I tend to, with Nicky’s kind permission, I’ve included a blurb and brief excerpt below. I do hope you enjoy!

A Little Bit of Madness

No rest for the wicked
Saving Charlton hall will burrow into your heart.

Celia Summers, intrepid mother of two, is too cuddly for sweatpants, she suspects. But then, her class at The Harbour Rest Home are similarly clad. Celia loves her work as an art therapist. She’s proud that she gives her elderly independents something to look forward to, even if her partner, Martin, disapproves of her efforts. He also has other things on his mind – telling complicated lies to Celia so he can sell Charlton Hall, his mum’s house, to pay off his debts.

Meanwhile, Celia fights to secure gallery space for her geriatric charges’ artwork, and to keep The Harbour from being closed. She’s even ready to abseil from a church steeple to bring attention to the plight of her old people, no matter that she might fall and end up splattered all over the flagstones. When she does fall, however, it’s much more painful – in love with PC Alex Burrows. Will he be her white-knight-in-blue and ride to her rescue?

A Little Bit of a Mad Excerpt….

‘I wasn’t talking about the Porsche owner.’ Celia glanced at the driver, who, competing with an idling bus in the next lane, revved his engine even louder. ‘I was talking about PC Plod. What’s he doing?’

‘His duty, I believe,’ Eleanor informed her. ‘He’s just told Annie White he’ll have to charge her with causing an obstruction.’

‘Jobs-worth,’ Celia huffed. He could look as exasperated as he liked, she wasn’t about to sympathise with someone who’d sided with the enemy.

‘Whoops-a-daisy. Now he’s looking a bit put out. The colonel has just told him he’s not orf duty either and plonked himself down,’ Eleanor observed.

Uh, oh. Celia snuck a peek.

‘Da-ad.’ Alex pushed his cap back, exasperated. ‘Would you please stop this, before I’m in it up to my neck?’

‘No can do, lad. Sorry. Can’t let the chaps down. Wouldn’t be cricket.’

‘Christ, Dad, this isn’t cricket! It stopping traffic and it’s against the law.’

‘So should making people homeless be, m’boy. Can’t move, lad. Principle at stake, y’see?‘

‘And so is my bloody job! I have to move you on, Dad. Please?’

The colonel notched his chin up and stayed put.

‘Right,’ Alex sighed, running his hand over his neck and motioning to his partner. ‘Sorry, Dad,’ he said, as they heaved the colonel cross-legged from the road. ‘It’s my duty and all that.’

‘Damned outrage! Contravention of civil liberties!’ Colonel Burrows blustered.

‘No Dad, I think you’ll find preventing people from going about their business is a contravention of civil liberties.’ Alex gave Celia a disparaging glance as he “escorted” his father to a waiting police van.

Celia reciprocated and turned away, but quickly turned back as she heard Alex mutter, ‘Ouch! Shit! May, for Christ’s sake!’

‘Unhand him,’ said May, beating Alex about the head with one removed trainer, whilst someone else did banner duty. ‘Put him down, I say, sir, or I shall … ’

Celia blinked astonished as May, having failed to deter Alex from removing the colonel with her lethal weapon, resorted to the use of another. ‘Oh, God, she’s going to bite him.’

‘Gum him, you mean.’ Eleanor placed a hand over her eyes.

Celia placed one over her mouth. Don’t let him drop the colonel, she prayed as May, in the absence of teeth, pinched Alex instead.

‘Jesus.’ Alex winced. So did Celia and Eleanor. ‘That had to hurt,’ said Celia.

‘Definitely,’ said Eleanor. ‘Delicate area, that.’

‘I’ve had just about enough of this,’ Alex growled as he returned from depositing his protesting father in the police van. ‘May, that was below the belt!’ May, who’d trotted over to join Eleanor and Celia, flushed from her cheeks to her now bare feet. ‘Assaulting an officer of the law is—’

‘Against the law,’ Eleanor suggested helpfully.

Alex glared at her. ‘A criminal offence.’

‘Ooh, smouldering eyes,’ Eleanor swooned. ‘Doesn’t he look gorgeous when he’s angry?’

Alex ignored her and turned to May. ‘Patrol car, May.’ He nodded her towards his car. ‘Sit in it, and stay in it.’

‘Oh, lovely.’ May trotted off, happy as a lark. ‘I do love flashing lights,’ she said, climbing into the patrol car—then neatly out the other side.

‘God give me strength!’ Alex threw his cap on the ground, then raced after her. Winifred Bailey though, had other ideas. ‘Gotcha,’ she smiled triumphantly, sticking Alex with her knitting needle. ‘That should teach you to pick on someone your own size.’ She went back to her knitting, as Alex fell over clutching his thigh.

‘Oh my God!’ Celia made to leap up.

‘Stay,’ Eleanor instructed her. ‘He’s all right. He’s up on all fours.’

Celia looked at her, appalled. ‘Eleanor, how can you be so heartless? He might be bleeding to death. He might have tetanus.’

‘Years of practice,’ said Eleanor. ‘He’s not bleeding to death. He’s up and limping and he can get a shot for the latter.’

‘I’m sure he’ll feel much better for knowing it,’ Celia muttered, and snuck another glance at him. Oh Lord, poor Alex. ‘He is limping quite badly, Eleanor,’ she said, chewing on her lower lip.

‘Tough. He shouldn’t have entered the fray, should he? In any case, Alex and his uniformed chums started the fray, so I wouldn’t waste too much energy feeling sorry for him, if I were you.’

‘No. No, I won’t.’ Celia went back to reciting reasons why she shouldn’t feel sorry for him. He’d been horrible about Martin—again. There were a hundred reasons why she shouldn’t dash over to make sure he was all right.

Well, one anyway. He was a great strapping man. He wasn’t going to be felled by a knitting needle.

No, she wouldn’t go to him. Her loyalties lay here where she sat. Her chin jutted defiantly as she sat a bit firmer, and a bit colder.

‘Oh dear,’ Eleanor said, keeping her up to speed, ‘he’s looking embarrassed now. Annie White’s just told his partner if he’s intending to have it away with her, he’ll have to handcuff her first. Don’t look now, but I think our knight in tarnished armour is coming over to have it away with us, if you’ll excuse the expression. But of course, you’re not looking, are you?’ She noted the blush to Celia’s cheek. ‘Or talking? He’s obviously playing havoc with your emotions.’

‘I beg your … ’ Celia blushed scarlet. ‘He is not.’

‘Hmm? I beg to differ, Celia, but I think he must be.’ Eleanor sat up straighter as Alex got nearer.

‘I don’t have any feelings for Alex! Well, not those kind of feelings.’ Celia caught a glimpse of blue serge and sat up straight alongside Eleanor. ‘I just—’

‘Nor he for you by the look on his face. Miserable I’d call him, a man torn asunder by conflicting emotions. He’s in denial, of course. Could never admit, with his troubled past and you about to marry Martin, that he—’

‘Eleanor, shut up!’ Celia hissed as Alex cast a shadow over them.

Eleanor did as bid, eyeing Celia with some sort of private satisfaction. ‘Alex!’ she exclaimed, ‘how unlovely to see you. Is it our turn to be carried off by you?’

‘Must be your lucky day.’ Alex crouched in front of Celia, a smile playing about his mouth despite wounds to his body and pride. ‘Ladies, would you do you me the honour of allowing me to escort you to the pavement?’

‘Thank you, but no thank you.’ Celia growled. She folded her arms, adamant she wouldn’t be moved, emotionally or otherwise. ‘Bugger off, Alex.’

‘Your wish is my command,’ Alex sighed and stood up. ‘As soon as I’ve done my job. Celia, you either walk to the pavement or you get carried to the police van. It’s your call.’

‘Do you know something,’ she said, ignoring Alex in favour of talking to Eleanor, ‘I think he’s the limit.’ She nodded towards the guy in the Porsche who was now leaning on his horn. Probably got an ultra-important meeting to get to, she seethed quietly. Far more important to the future of the world than people who hadn’t got much of a future and would probably be better off dead anyway. ‘Right,’ she said, getting to her feet.

‘Good decision,’ Alex said, relieved.

‘I think it’s about time I showed the heckler-horn-blower my placard up close.’

‘Not.’ Alex tugged in a terse breath as Celia strode past him. ‘Jesus Christ! Celia, come back!’

About Sheryl Browne

Sheryl Browne grew up in Birmingham, UK, where she studied Art & Design. A partner in her own business, a mother and a foster parent to disabled dogs, Sheryl has also been writing for many years, the road along the way often bumpy. She was therefore thrilled beyond words when Safkhet Publishing loved her writing style and commissioned her to write her debut novel.

RECIPES FOR DISASTER – combining deliciously different and fun recipes with sexilicious romantic comedy, is garnering some fabulous reviews and was shortlisted for the Innovation in Romantic Fiction Festival of Romance Award. Sheryl has since been offered a further three-book contract under the Safkhet Publishing Soul imprint.

SOMEBODY TO LOVE, a romantic comedy centring around a single father’s search for love and his autistic little boy, launched July 1, 2012

WARRANT FOR LOVE, Blackmail, lies, adultery, entrapment – three couples in a twisting story that resolves perfectly – released August 1, 2012

A LITTLE BIT OF MADNESS –White Knight in Blue rescues the Harbour Rest Home – releases Valentine’s Day 2013.

LINKS: Sheryl’s Website ~ Safkhet Publishing ~ Amazon.co.uk ~ Amazon.com ~ Author Facebook ~ Romantic Novelists’ Association ~ Sheryl is a loveahappyending featured Author and Editor ~ Twitter: @sherylbrowne

Thank you, Sheryl, this is simply awesome. Dear reader, having read Shery’s previous books, I am totally looking forward to reading this latest masterpiece and I can guarantee you you’re in for a fabulous ride.

Celia and Alex ~ where do you see them going? And where does the madness come in? Share your thoughts…

22 Comments

Posted in CentreStage

Tagged A Little Bit of Madness, book launch, CentreStage, Safkhet Publishing, Sheryl Browne

Just Give Me A Reason

Posted on March 4, 2013 | 6 comments

It’s Music Monday!

Today I’m sharing a song that’s captivated me this past week. The lyrics are quite fascinating and seem to capture the essence of misunderstanding between woman and man. I totally love the juxtaposition of her and his viewpoint. Not to mention that the voices work beautifully together. Plus, of course, I’m a sucker for ballads that are heavy on the piano and feature strong, clear voices. Perfect song all round, as far as I’m concerned.

What’s your favourite duet?

6 Comments

Posted in Music Monday

Tagged Duet, Fun, Just Give Me A Reason, Misunderstanding, Music Monday, P!nk

Belly Laugh ~ because it’s Friday

Posted on March 1, 2013 | 11 comments

Happy Friday, everyone!

I was going to bring you a post about The Smelly Novel, but I’ll do that in a couple of weeks. Then I was going to bring you a post about finishing my third book, Sophie’s Encore… because yes, whoohoo, I have finished writing it!! But do you know what? My head is spinning and I am all written out. So I will bring you that post next week instead.

Today, I’m relaxing and I’d like you to have a laugh with me. Take a look at this brilliant little clip which I discovered via my lovely new Facebook friend, Inga Kupp-Silberg. Thank you Inga!

It’s an ad. But it’s not just any old ad; it’s an ad by a German language school promoting the need to learn foreign languages. The first few seconds are in German ~ you don’t need to understand this dialogue, it’s basically just the older chap reminding the younger chap what the equpiment is all about, with a special emphasis on the emergency squak box.

Sit back and…. let me know if you laughed! (And who says us Germans don’t have a sense of humour??)

Have a great weekend!

11 Comments

Posted in Miscellaneous

Tagged Belly Laugh, Berlitz, foreign languages, Friday, Humour, languages, Sophie's Encore, The Smelly Novel

CentreStage with Samantha March: author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all-round book lover

Posted on February 27, 2013 | 7 comments

Welcome to CentreStage!

CentreStage showcases amazing authors from around the world. These authors might share with you their dreams and hopes, stories about their lives and books, their inspiration, or their writing journey. Today, it is my great pleasure to welcome the amazing Samantha March.

Sam and I ‘met’ in the blogosphere when I first released Sophie’s Turn and we’ve been keeping in touch via Facebook, Twitter and blogs ever since. I was delighted when Sam published her first novel, and I am even more delighted to have her here today talking about her… yes, you guessed it: second novel. That was quick work if I ever saw it!

Congratulations on publishing The Green Ticket, Sam! Here’s a little bit of the story about your journey from book 1 to book 2…

Congratulations again on releasing your second book! How did that feel?

Releasing my second book was a very big deal to me. When I would tell people I was an author, it seemed their first question was always, “How many books do you have out?” When I would (proudly) answer, “One”, their interest would seem to wane. We are all familiar with one-hit wonders, and I started to wonder myself if that is what people thought of me. So to have a second novel on the virtual shelves felt pretty amazing. Now when people ask the question, I (proudly) answer “Two – and I’m currently writing the third.”

Way to go, Sam! I love your style. Was it different to be working on book 2 than working on book 1?

I actually did feel some pressure to get The Green Ticket published that I didn’t feel the first time around with Destined to Fail. It was strange and a bit surreal to get people commenting on my website or sending me an email asking when my second book would come out. That is such wonderful motivation to keep on writing and to feel appreciated within the industry.

Hear, hear. That’s an awesome feeling. What’s on the cards going forward?

Of course I feel that pressure and even a bit more with my third book, which I am currently writing – about a whopping 10K words as I write this post! I worked hard on the plot and characters, and extra research had to go into this one as the setting is in Maine – a state I have not yet had the chance to visit. I’m having a blast writing it and it will be very different from my first two books, so I hope my followers enjoy it!

I’m sure they will. I know I look forward to it. Let’s backtrack a little though and introduce The Green Ticket!

The Green Ticket

College junior Alex Abrams scores her dream job at the ripe age of twenty – manager to a successful salon and spa. Thrilled to finally have a real adult job, Alex enthusiastically jumps into the world of schedules, conference calls, and getting a massage when interviewing prospective employees. What she doesn’t expect are the very grown-up issues that comes with a demanding boss. Kevin Dohlman quickly becomes Alex’s worse nightmare – covering up his affairs, dealing with his enormous ego, and trying to protect her female staff from him becomes a full-time job in its own right. Alex has also befriended Kevin’s wife and co-owner, Dani, and is trying to keep Kevin’s secrets hidden from her. The situation only worsens when Kevin starts paying Alex off to make sure she keeps her insider knowledge to herself.

While struggling to keep her wits and stay happy with her new grown-up job, Alex is juggling college courses, a new love interest, and keeping up with her close group of girlfriends. When her roommate and best friend Lila gets offered an opportunity to move to Los Angeles and sign with an agent, Alex realizes her life truly is changing, and everyone around her – including herself – is growing up. Knowing she is faced with some hard decisions ahead, Alex struggles with keeping her job at Blissful. But does she really want to throw away what she dreamed of as a career – or will the secret-keeping for Kevin become too much to handle? The Green Ticket is a story about morals versus money, and how one young woman navigates the shaky line between the two.

About Samantha March

Samantha March is an author, editor, publisher, blogger, and all around book lover. She runs the popular book/women’s lifestyle blog ChickLitPlus, which keeps her bookshelf stocked with the latest reads and up to date on all things health, fitness, fashion, and celebrity related. In 2011 she launched her independent publishing company Marching Ink and her debut novel Destined to Fail. When she isn’t reading, writing, or blogging, you can find her cheering for the Green Bay Packers.

You can find Sam on her author’s website, http://www.samanthamarch.com/, as well as Facebook, Twitter and GoodReads. The Green Ticket and Destined To Fail are available on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk.