Author Archives: Lizzie Lamb
Wednesday Wing – #TwitterTip Part 3 Retweeting and Post Sharing #wwwblogs @TerryTyler4
Great Twitter advice from Terry Tyler on Rosie Amber’s fabulous blog. Read and inwardly digest, I did !
Welcome to our blog – SUE MOORCROFT
New Romantics Press welcome Sue Moorcroft onto their blog. Do have a look, there are lots of tips etc for new writers and news of Sue’s move to Avon Books UK.
New Romantics Press is thrilled to welcome successful author and fellow RNA member Sue Moorcroft to our blog. Lizzie has known Sue for quite a few years now (!) but thought some of our followers would like to learn more about Sue and her books.
Sue, tell us all about yourself –
I write women’s commercial fiction and my current contract is with Avon Books UK, part of HarperCollins. I also write short stories, columns, courses, serials and novellas, and I’m a creative writing tutor. I love being a full-time writer but in the past I worked for a bank, a digital prepress and Motor Cycle News.
What, for you would be a typical writing day?
I start about 7.30am and finish around 6.00pm, generally Monday to Friday but sometimes weekends. I usually take a couple of hours off for Zumba, FitStep, Yoga or piano. If I can…
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Three weeks on and still beaming with gratitude …
Let’s hear it for our lovely mate Jan Brigden and her book which made the Movers and Shaker list !! Woo Hoo.
Well, what a three weeks I’ve had.
I’d have blogged about it sooner if the dreaded lurgy hadn’t paid me a visit. And outstayed its welcome, I might add.
More of that later though …
On a much more positive note, three weeks ago – Easter Sunday to be precise – my debut novel As Weekends Go was selected for Amazon’s Kindle Daily Deal which meant that it was 99p to download for that day only. Mr B and I were at a family gathering at my parents for most of the day, and between all the laughter, chatter, games and chocolate-scoffing, we were keeping our beady eyes on its progress. I can’t tell you how excited and grateful I was to see it rise up the charts to a heady number 199.
Before I knew it, the Prosecco was cracked open and flowing. It was great to all celebrate…
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Guest post – Tamie Dearen
Let’s here it for our lovely friend Tamie Dearen who’s a guest on New Romantics Press today.
New Romantics Press would like to welcome a friend from across the pond onto their page. Drum roll – take it away, Tamie Dearen and welcome to the UK!
Secrets Behind The Best Girls Series
Blurb from Her Best Match, Book One of The Best Girls Series.
Feisty, stubborn, and bored with life in Texas, Anne Best is about to get more than she bargained for.
The lovely widow heads off to the Big Apple for a job interview, expecting no more than a few days adventure in New York City, only to find herself with a new job working for the most infuriating man she’s ever met.
Billionaire Steven Gherring is one of New York’s Most Eligible Bachelors, and he has every intention of staying that way. But Gram has other ideas. She’s on a not-so-secret campaign to find a wife for her grandson.
As fearless as she…
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The Exeter Novel Prize – and a fabulous birthday weekend
Many thanks to Isabella Tartaruga for making this collage. Isabella is one of my beta readers and helped me with the Italian in SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS, which reached the final of the Exeter Novel Prize. I named a character in the novel after her – hence the plaque in the top left hand corner.
Here’s my report of the Exeter Novel Prize
& fabulous birthday weekend
First up – The Exeter Novel Prize, organised by Creative Writing Matters. Check out their website if you are just starting out on your writing career. Their slogan is: WHAT’S YOUR STORY and you’ll find lots of advice to help you achieve those famous words at the bottom of your manuscript THE END!
Exeter Novel Prize the award ceremony was held in St Stephen’s Church, Exeter High Street. There were over 300 entries from all over the world and I was thrilled to be one of the six finalists. The prize is held in high esteem by writers and comes with the added bonus that the short list is commented upon by respected agent Broo Doherty.
Here’s what she said about SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS
The novel opens with Ishabel Stuart racing across a Scottish causeway to her aunt’s house seeking comfort and solace, having discovered her fiancée has been unfaithful. She has the added burden of her recently deceased father’s ashes in her car; he has requested that his ashes be scattered from a Munro and Ishabel is expected to know how to organise it.
Her aunt, Esme, a life long protester, runs a B&B on the island, and inevitably the hotel is full when Ishabel arrives. Not only full, but full of an unwanted American who is going to stay on in the hotel while Esmee heads down south with her ancient hippy dippy friends to protest about fracking in Manchester.
This is a lively and amusing opening to a romantic novel. The setting is authentic, the characters original and the stroppy parrot who has the perfect answer for every situation certainly raised a smile whenever he appeared.
Pershing – the parrot in the novel is based on our parrot, Jasper. Here he is with my award. Or should that be, his award ?!
Although I wasn’t overall winner, it was still a great day and a validation of me as a writer. Many thanks to Margaret James, Cathie Hartigan and Sophie Duffy for all their hard work. Now all I’ve got to do is write the next one. Simples.
If you’d like to see a full report and more pictures of the event, go to the website
Here are some snaps of what I DID NEXT
- Opened some birthday cards and had breakfast of croissants and bucks fizz in bed (!)
- Had lunch at the Oxenham Arms, South Zeal, touched the lucky standing stone – and sat in the VERY place where David Bowie ate lunch.
- Met up with friends Sharyn Farnaby and Lin Tredgold
- Returned to Exeter, had coffee in Patisserie Valerie and went on a birthday shopping spree
- went home to find a lovely shout out from Amazon for SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading my latest blog. If you don’t already subscribe to my newsletter, please sign up here. I’m giving away a free paperback copy of Tall, Dark and Kilted to one lucky subscriber this month.
Exeter Novel Prize – here comes Lizzie
Just leaving for Devon where the Exeter Novel Prize ceremony will take place on Saturday 12th March – the day after my birthday. I’m a finalist for the award and have beaten hundreds of other writers to get here. I’m the only indie author to have made the final. Even better, the short list has been drawn up by fabulous agent Broo Doherty. Woo hoo. Go me! The novel which has been short listed is my #1 best seller – Scotch on the Rocks. If you want to find out more about that novel, read this blog. I’ll report back next week, hopefully clutching one of the prizes.
Lovely blogger and huge supporter of indie authors – Rose Amber – reads her review of SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS
If you’d like to read about the locations I use in my novels – then check out this fabulous blog post by Barb Taub
And finally . . . a heart warming review by Sharon Booth
My favourite bit? This . . .
“Romance? The best kind. It starts off with mistrust and doubt, sparks fly, passion ignites and then…Well, some romances are forever. There’s nothing so romantic as a hero who vows never to hurt the heroine, never to leave her, and to love her forever. Especially when you just know he’s speaking the truth.”
PROMOTION COMMOTION – RNA CONFERENCE REPORT by Mags Cullingford
Some great tips in this blog by Mags Cullingford
I love writing but confess when it comes to marketing and promoting the two novels I’ve published so far . . . This post about Hazel Gaynor’s excellent talk at last year’s RNA Conference is very much a case of ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’
HAZEL GAYNOR began with the lesson of E.L. James’s runaway success. ALL publicity is good publicity. What followed was effervescent.
As a reader Hazel needed to be told three things:
- Tell me the book exists
- Give me a reason to care
- Convince me to buy it
She showed how to go about doing this by quoting from the Bookseller Marketing and Publicity Conference using the link #mpconf15, reminding us the author knows their book the best, and is, therefore, the ideal publicist.
All that followed made perfect sense. Hazel emphasised be nice to everyone, engage rather than sell, keep engaging and…
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Tuesday Book Blog
Many thanks to Luccia Gray for interviewing me on her fabulous blog and for reviewing Scotch on the Rocks. Since then, Scotch on the Rocks has been shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize The first novel by an indie author to reach the final six . . .
Here is a link to Luccia’post . . .
I am really getting stuck in with my new novel – working title, This Highland Magic and love meeting my new characters and writing about them. Here’s the blurb. Doubtless it will change through the course of the novel being finished! Those characters have a way of ‘taking over’. Here’s my up-to-date word count, too . . .
Dr Henriette Bruar travels to Wester Ross to catalogue the library of an ancient castle set in the middle of a remote Highland loch. The laird, Sir Malcolm MacKenzie, of that Ilk, is pressed for cash and is selling off the estate’s assets, including the library to subsidise his extravagant life style. This doesn’t please his son, Keir, who fears there will be nothing of the estate left to inherit. To all outward appearances, Henriette seems like any run of the mill academic, unremarkable even. However, in her heart of hearts, she sees herself as a cross between Indiana Jones and the Relic Hunter and dreams of someday finding a precious manuscript, a hidden treasure or unlocking family secrets. At Castle Treamannair, she sets out to do just that. By the end of the novel, Henri learns that treasure comes in many guises and, sometimes, family secrets are best left undisturbed.
My spring newsletter will be coming out in March and I’ll be giving away a paperback copy of Tall, Dark and Kilted and other prizes. If you haven’t already subscribed, sign up here – and join in the fun . . .
Bye for now,
Lizzie x
#Author Spotlight @Lizzie_Lamb and #BookReview Scotch on the Rocks for #RBRT
Many thanks to Luccia Grey for writing such a wonderful blog post from my scribbled notes!
In the spotlight this week is Lizzie Lamb, author of Scotch on the Rocks which has just been shortlisted for the Exeter Novel Prize, this year.
Good luck Lizzie, because you’ve written a wonderful novel, which deserves all the praise and attention it’s getting from readers and reviewers!
Blurb Scotch on the Rocks 5-Stars!
ISHABEL STUART is at the crossroads of her life.
Her wealthy industrialist father has died unexpectedly, leaving her a half-share in a ruined whisky distillery and the task of scattering his ashes on a Munro. After discovering her fiancé playing away from home, she cancels their lavish Christmas wedding at St Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh and heads for the only place she feels safe – Eilean na Sgairbh, a windswept island on Scotland’s west coast – where the cormorants outnumber the inhabitants, ten to one.
When she arrives at her family home – now a…
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Rosie’s #BookReview Team #RBRT SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS by @lizzie_lamb #TuesdayBookBlog
Many thanks to Rosie Amber for posting this review of Scotch on the Rocks on her book review page.
Lizzie Lamb - author 