Category Archives: Lizzie’s Scribbles
Author Interview with Luciana Cavallaro
Although not my genre, a great blog post in any case 🙂
A few weeks ago, I had the privilege to be interviewed by Luciana Cavallaro on her great website, Eternal Atlantis. And now, as I write this in my little corner of Vermont, as the summer season shows its first, subtle hints of ripening into a New England autumn, it is my pleasure to return the favor.
I have been a fan of Luciana’s website for quite some time, and really enjoy her work. I’m sure you will, too. She was kind enough to answer a few of my questions recently . . .
1. On your fantastic website, you mention that you love both Greece and Italy. What is it, specifically, that you enjoy so much about these two countries and cultures?
As a teenager I was drawn to Greece, the history and the magnificent historical sites. There’s a mystical quality to the country which fascinated me and still…
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Beautiful Heroines? Bah! Humbug!
I must admit that my heroines need to have something ‘beautfiul’ about them – but it can be a wit, a great sense of humour of a sense of self.
At 13, when I started getting interested in boys, all the heroines in romances seemed to be head-turning, heart-stopping beauties, with bee-stung mouths. Long hair tumbled to their shoulders or was worn in a carefully tousled chignon, like Brigitte Bardot.
One look, one flutter of those eyelashes, and the hero would be smitten.
I’d already suspected that this was how things worked, because my best friend was beautiful, like a young Elizabeth Taylor.
When we started Grammar School, cool fifth-formers with Elvis quiffs would pass her crooning, ‘Wh-a-a-at is luurve, five foot of Heaven and a pony-tail.’ (The song goes on, ‘the cutest pony-tail, that sways with a wiggle when she walks.’ )
I, on the other hand, was more Beryl-the-Peril – small, sturdy, self-conscious, blessed with hair that frizzed in damp weather and a tendency to flush easily.
How could I ever inspire love?
Because this was how…
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Letter T on The A to Z April Challenge 2014
Another great blog from Rosie Amber’s A-Z -my writing buddy June Kearns this time.
Getting Down With the Kids – World Book Day
My mate Adrienne and fellow New Romantic 4 telling the kids how important reading is. . . someone tell Michael Gove.
I’d been thinking about doing something for World Book Day as it drew closer, remembering that last year it came upon me suddenly and being my first World Book Day as an author, I felt obliged to play some small part. I’d planned a busy ‘three centre’ day, which included collecting train tickets from Market Harborough, a business meeting in Birmingham and a nip to Lutterworth for emergency supplies. So having recently published my debut novel, I did no more than throw a few copies in a bag, vaguely hoping an opportunity would present itself.
I quickly realised dragging a bagful of hefty tomes around with me was folly, so made a swift decision to dole them out to the mismatched selection of females I was to encounter that day. This included the woman behind the glass at the station, a marketing director in a smart city hotel, a Waitrose…
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April A to Z Challenge Round-up of Letters A-E
Rosie has put in a lot of effort to set up this blog, so give her your support. I am day 2 – B for Boot Camp Bride. Go Rosy
Irish Twins **
November 4th – IT’S LIZZIE’S PUBLICATION DAY
When I published Tall, Dark and Kilted in October 2012, I had it in mind to publish a second novel within a year. With Boot Camp Bride (published October 2013), I’ve managed just that! I went from a standing start of 13k words in December 2012 to the finished length of 114k words by July 2013. I spent all of August and most of September editing, cutting, proof reading and finding the perfect cover. I’ve loved writing both novels and I am pleased with how Boot Camp Bride has turned out. I hope you will feel the same way should you purchase a paperback or download the kindle version. Here’s to my Irish Twins . . .
Boot Camp Bride – the blurb
Charlee Montague is an up-for-anything rookie reporter desperate for her big break. She dreams of something, anything, which will take her away from the daily grind at celebrity-driven magazine What’cha! When she is sent undercover to a boot camp for brides on the windswept Norfolk marshes, it seems as if all her Christmases have come at once. Posing as a blushing bride-to-be, Charlee is sent to get the skinny on supermodel Anastasia Markova and her oligarch Russian boyfriend. However, every rookie needs a more experienced partner and Charlee is no exception. At her side (posing as her fiancé), is award winning photographer Rafael Ffinch. World-weary Rafa has recently survived a kidnap attempt in Colombia and is no mood to cut inexperienced Charlee any slack. He makes it plain at the outset of their assignment that there is no room for love in his life. Once the investigation is over, their partnership and fake engagement will be terminated.
From the moment she sets foot in the boot camp Charlee senses that there is more to the simple ‘dish-the-dirt-on-the-A-list model’ story she’s been sent to cover. Journalistic antennae twitching, Charlee decides to carry out an investigation of her own. What’s the real reason behind Ffinch’s interest in the boot camp, super model Anastasia and her shady Russian fiancé? How is it connected to Rafa’s kidnap in Colombia?
In setting out to uncover the truth, Charlee uncovers yet more secrets and puts herself in danger. And, as the investigation draws to a close, Charlee is faced with a dilemma – will she be able to keep her promise, hand back the engagement ring and walk away from gorgeous Rafa’s without a backward glance?
*****
Throughout November, I’ll be hosting four book launches with the other three members of the New Romantics 4. If you attend the Festival of Romance at Bedford on November 9th you’ll see me there and at the Gala Dinner – I’ve been shortlisted for The New Talent Award for Boot Camp Bride. Fingers crossed, eh?
As for Irish Twins – it remains to see if they become triplets as I embark on rom com #3 in December 2013. Being as I return to the magical Highlands of Scotland for SCOTCH ON THE ROCKS, maybe I should change the name to this blog post to Celtic Twins !!
Links to Boot Camp Bride:
**The term Irish Twins is used to describe two children born to the same mother in the same calendar year or within twelve months of each other. In modern use, the term is not intended as an insult, but rather a description of siblings born close together . . . just like my two novels, in fact !!
What A Difference A Year Makes
a rookie writer looks back over 12 months
I’m about to publish my second Romantic Comedy: Boot Camp Bride – romance and intrigue on the Norfolk Marshes. The manuscript has been copyedited, is with a formatter, the cover is ready and I’m raring to go. Rather than sit twiddling my thumbs, I thought I’d clear the decks – I’m aiming for a paper free office! – continue publicising Tall, Dark and Kilted and start getting word about Boot Camp Bride. This entailed a clean sweep of my office, resulting in four bin liners filled with scribbled-on draft manuscripts, numerous self-help sheets and posts downloaded off writers’ blogs. And it suddenly hit home just how much work I’d put into launching myself as an indie writer.
This time last year, I’d just sent off my ITIN to the US Inland Revenue so Amazon.com wouldn’t without 30% of my earnings. They did anyway, but that’s another story. I thought a W8-BEN was something to do with: Been there, seen it, got the T-shirt and worn it out. (sorry) I’d also spent over £100 buying ISBN numbers from Nielsen and registering on PUBWEB. I spent hours searching through royalty free photos to find an image of a man in a kilt that wouldn’t put me off my haggis, neeps and tatties. I finally found one it on Dreamstime. I found the photo for my second cover via Google image and then sourced it back to ‘dreamstime’.
I had to set up a PAYPAL account to buy credits on the website and now use it to pay my website designer, proof reader and formatter. (I may have bought one or two non-writing purchases, but let’s not go there!) I didn’t fully appreciate what was involved in formatting a manuscript for kindle and Create Space but managed it anyway, using crib sheets provided by RNA members Freda Lightfoot and Amanda Grange. This time I’m paying someone to copy edit and format my manuscript – nuff said!
I enjoyed designing my front cover and writing the blurb but had to learn all about categories and tags on Amazon and didn’t realise how important they were. I’m better prepared this time, too, regarding having the shipment of my novels but wish that Create Space would print in the UK and save me postage.
On the run up to publication, I organised a tweetathon/giveaway to publicise my book. I replied to so many tweets in a two hour period that I was put in twitter ‘prison’ and had to continue on my ‘event page’ on Facebook. Since then I have become an avid tweeter and re-tweeter, which I think has really helped to sell my novel outside of the UK. I now sell more downloads on amazon.com than any other site. Re-tweeting can be tedious, but through it I have gained many lovely readers who are waiting patiently for number two. I’m fast becoming expert on #hashtags #favourites, tiny/urls and how to use them to my advantage.
I had a profile on Facebook before I became a writer and established quite a community of friends there. Many Facebook friends have downloaded and my books and supported me this year and I can’t thank them enough. Please ‘friend’ me if we aren’t already friends. I now have a Facebook Author page but most of my readers like to ‘friend’ me on my main page as I talk about non-writerly matters there. I now realise the importance of amazon reviews and how they affect the algorithm that determines my place in the rankings.
I now have a website with a blog and have purchased a domain name. I’m on my second website as I wasn’t happy with the first one; however, I need to spend some time launching it this autumn along with Boot Camp Bride (www.lizzielamb.co.uk) I am in the process of having a quarterly newsletter designed, too. I have appeared on many blogs but now need to start repaying the favour. I have also established a presence on GoodReads, after other writer friends advised me to. Jury’s still out on that one!
Along with three other writers, I formed The New Romantics 4 and held book launches in pubs, clubs and hotels. We’re about to start Round Two and hope to hold a launch in London this year.
Finally, last December I offered my book as a free download and although I had a great sales spike afterwards I don’t think I’d do it again. My reason – well, that’s for another blog post. Instead, I keep altering my price as I find if you leave things to simmer, Amazon doesn’t seem promote my novel as much. I have stayed on KDP select as the latest self-publishing seminar I attended said that amazon has 95% of the market, Apple 5% and the other outlets 5%. But I might consider KOBO when the three month deal ends.
That’s my retrospective. Is it getting any easier? Debatable. It’s certainly not for the faint hearted. It seems that as one climbs one peak, there’s another one to be conquered – and another book to be written. And if anyone tells me indie writers have it easy, I might forget I’m a lady.
Lizzie’s Links
Tall Dark and Kilted: http://t.co/jKpB4WMM4F
Goodreads http://tinyurl.com/cbla48d
All the Little Birdies go: “Tweet, tweet, tweet.”
My social networking regime . . .
Recently, I attended a Self Publishing Conference at Leicester University where having a social networking presence was stressed. A number of attendees protested that they didn’t want to join Facebook or Twitter, the reply was blunt and to the point: no online presence = fewer book sales. Does tweeting, Facebook etc actually sell books? Is it worth the effort? The smart money says it is, but who knows.
Here’s my social networking regime and how it works for me.
First thing, I go through my iPhone, read and delete hotmail messages. After breakfast I migrate over to Facebook and post a personal status – with a photo if possible as I find that gets the most response. Then I go over to News Feed, check who’s on, leave a few comments and “share” any posts/ blog links I find interesting. Over the course of the day/week I check into the various Facebook groups I belong to: Write On Girls, Writers on the Same Page, Chick Lit Goddesses, Famous Five – join in conversations and leave a comment if possible.
Later it’s over to TWITTER where I follow back new followers, retweet those who’ve retweeted me and go into my ‘hashtag’ groups and retweet there – FFP, ASMSG, BYNR and so on. Next, I put up three posts about my book which other tweeps can find and retweet easily. I usually leave a status about my writing or what I’m doing that day to give it a personal touch, using hashtags such as #romance #amwriting #amreading #debutnovel #fridayreads etc. It’s important to have those posts at the ‘top’ of one’s profile, otherwise tweeps lwill RT the first message they find and that might not be about me, or #Tall,DarkandKilted.
After lunch I return to Facebook where I put a brief message on my author page and reply to anyone who’s commented on my status. Every couple of days I do the same on the New Romantic 4’s author page – again, with a photo if possible. And in the evenings I check on @newromantics4 twitter page on my iPhone or iPad and respond whilst watching TV.
The New Romantics 4 have recently had a blog created for by Nettie Thomson (nettie@meldrummedia.com). It’s the responsibility of each member to keep their author page updated and, once a month, to post a blog about their writing. That makes it manageable. Nettie is also building a website for me which links into the NR4 blog; it includes a personal blog which will enable me to take part in events like THE GREAT BRITISH BLOG / NEXT BIG READ etc.
Last, but not least, I generally go over to Pinterest in the evenings and add photos to my various boards; other pinners follow and re-pin my photos. That means that they see my ‘writing boards’ which contain pictures and other themes relating to Tall, Dark and Kilted and my WIP.
And that’s it. It might not work for you but it works for me. The secret I think is to have a clear routine and ‘bit and bob’ as the day goes round. I usually write in the very early morning, meet friends for lunch or coffee and then back to it in the afternoons. Having a smart phone (and a stock of photos on it) and an iPad makes all this so much easier as I can leave them set up for social networking while my WIP stays on the PC.
Lizzie Lamb - author 