Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award Part 2

Posted on June 13, 2015 by Margaret Graham

As I said last week, The Independent Author Book Award has been a revelation. There are just so many good writers out there, which made our task hugely enjoyable, if difficult. At last we decided on commended, highly commended, and then – the winners. In the end, our decision was unanimous. Great books all three of them. Thank you all so much for entering – rest assured that 100% of the entry fees go to the wounded.

Last week we highlighted First Place achieved by Jane Cable with The Cheesemaker’s House, in the recent competition. Today we have the second place winner, Janet O’Kane.

Thank you, Palamedes PR for sponsoring a professional press release for the winner, and the opportunity of a discounted press release for 2^nd and 3^rd. Thank you Frost Magazine for publishing a review of the top three.

The great good news is that Felicity Trew, of the highly respected Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, is now representing the winner, Jane Cable.

We’re totally delighted to reveal that Felicity Trew will also be our final judge for the 2015 Independent Author Book Award. The WforW team is so excited.

2^nd Place.

No Stranger to Death by Janet O’Kane

Zoe Moreland is a GP who stumbles upon a corpse. Set in the Scottish Borders, her own life experience is revealed, alongside the unfolding crime story.

No Stranger to Death Janet O’Kane

Judges’ comments. A crime novel must grab you from the first sentence. This one does: “Zoe Moreland saw her first dead body at the age of twelve … “ You also need a reason for the person to be consulted or somehow involved with a dead body, especially if you want to keep open the possibility of a series. Tick number two: she’s a GP. This sets everything up well for a crime novel and the other necessities for any novel, including interesting setting described with a vivid sense of place (the Scottish Borders) and rounded characters with distinctive personalities and back stories which appear gradually, are all here. Tick, tick, tick. We particularly liked the way Janet O’Kane lets facts and personalities emerge naturally, by incremental details rather than through the dreaded information download. She credits the reader with the ability to put details together. This crime novel has a well-constructed plot with interesting characters and we look forward to reading the next one in the series. Well done.

When Janet O’Kane outgrew Enid Blyton’s books she moved on to what her Mum liked reading: crime novels. And despite occasional dalliances with other types of fiction, that’s where she has happily stayed.

Her career before turning to writing full-time included selling underpants to Roger Moore in Harrods of Knightsbridge and marketing nappies for Boots the Chemist. It was when she helped run a GP surgery that she decided a doctor would make an excellent main character for a series of crime novels.

Janet lives in the Scottish Borders with her stonemason husband, a cat, two dogs and far too many chickens. She is now writing the sequel to No Stranger to Death and learning to tap-dance. She’s delighted to have been placed second in a competition which raises money for such a good cause.

Words for the Wounded Fiction/Memoir/Poetry Prize Results

Posted on June 9, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Words for the Wounded Fiction/Memoir/Poetry Prize Results by Margaret Graham

Words for the Wounded have had a wonderful time reading all the entries for the Fiction/Memoir/Poetry Prize – 400 word maximum 2015.

It was a tough call because as always the entries were many and varied. In the end our decision was unanimous, and we thank everyone who entered, as every penny raised goes to where it should because the organisers absorb all the costs of the charity.

1st: Next of Kin. Sue Hawkins
2nd Worms Hannah Froggatt
3rd A Soldier’s dream of glory. G. Mortensen

Highly Commended

The Call of the Merman. F. Colville
The Factory Machine J. Elford
Heart’s-ease. C. Elstow
Adeline on Tuesday Morning C. Givern
Colour K. Hood
The Undressing J. Moran Neil
Piano Legs and Loose Knickers. M.Rowan.
Lost and Found. A. Taplin
One Day D. Waite.
The Solicitor’s Letter M. Wright

Commended

Under the Hen’s Bottom W. Breckon
Clipped Wings A. Campbell Kearsley
Ephraim Climbs Mount Kilimanjaro P. Heath
Two little faces C. Hewitt
Mr Percy Flint T. Loader
No Secrets T. Oswick
Pickled Turnips M. Pieris
Ronald Dawe J. Pollinger
The Beatles: My part in their rise to fame C. Tolson

The great good news is that Felicity Trew, of the highly respected Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, is now representing the winner of WforW Independent Author Book Award Jane Cable run at the same time.

Further: Felicity Trew will be judging next year’s Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award – open for entries on 11th November 2015.

www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk to read the short prize entries and judges’ comments.

Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award By WforW Founder Margaret Graham

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Margaret Graham

The Independent Author Book Award has been a revelation. There are just so many good writers out there, which made our task hugely enjoyable, if difficult. At last we decided on commended, highly commended, and then – the three winners. In the end, our decision was unanimous. Great books all three winners. Thank you all so much for entering – rest assured that 100% of the entry fees go to the wounded.

Roll of drums for the list of winners, highly commended and commended.

1^st The Cheesemaker’s House. Jane Cable

2^nd No Stranger to Death Janet O’Kane

3^rd Man, Dog, Stroke Eric Sinclair

Highly Commended

Alphabetical order

The Grown-ups Wouldn’t Like it. Diane Kay

Callum Fox and the Mousehole Ghost. A. C. Hatter

Commended

Alphabetical order

The Roman Citizens from Class 6B Kevin Brooke

Run fast, keep low Eleanor Broaders

Ruby’s New Coat Jane Carling

Chasing the Dark Clouds Courtney Hulbert (Guy Mortenson)

Brandy Row Shelagh Mazey

Orange Juice and Codliver Oil. Peter Morley

Pegasus to Paradise Michael Tappenden

The Unorthodox Arrival of Pumplin Allan Susie Twine

The Labyrinth Year Clare Weiner

The great good news is that Felicity Trew, of the highly respected Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency, is now representing the winner, Jane Cable.

Also we are honoured to announce that Felicity Trew will be our final judge for the 2015 Independent Author Book Award.

Let’s have a closer look at our winner, Jane Cable, with The Cheesemakers’ House that achieved First Place in the inaugural WforW Independent Author Book Award. Congratulations!

First Place: The Cheesemaker’s House by Jane Cable.

Alice Hart’s husband runs off with his secretary, she runs off with his dog to lick

her wounds in a North Yorkshire village. Soon she decides to start renovating the barn next to her house and opens a whole can o’ worms.

Judges’ comments: The Cheesemakers’ House by Jane Cable was the only possible winner. The clarity, structure and story line was immediately inviting, the characters interesting. They weave, twist and develop towards the denouement, always keeping us with them. Cable is adept at peeling back the layers; the writing is snappy, the tension implicit. She holds back, and you have to keep turning the pages unable to work things out until she wants you too.

There is a paranormal flicker, which can be clumsy, but in this case we found it believable, and in keeping with the book. Alice is the main character, a survivor of a marital breakup, but unembittered. Owen is the secondary character and is complicated; infuriating, almost fey. All this set against a rural village setting, which Cable ‘gets’ perfectly.

The Cheesemaker’s House is Jane Cables’ first published novel, but it is the work of an experienced writer. Has she many discarded novels in a drawer? Or has she worked with writing groups and really learned her craft? We do wish this is the case with more writers, because until clarity, organization and structure is achieved, fiction won’t work. It is only then that characters haul you into their world.

Jane Cable’s biog.

I have lost count of the number of stories I have started over the years but my first breakthrough came when I actually finished one. It was a romance about cricket and completely unpublishable. But it made me a much better writer. A few more followed, before I started The Cheesemaker’s House. I changed to writing in the first person and it felt different – it felt as though I had found my voice.

In May 2011 The Alan Titchmarsh Show announced a competition to find a new author – a People’s Novelist – and my mother persuaded me to enter The Cheesemaker’s House. I did and was shortlisted, and then made it through to the final. Though I didn’t win, it gave me confidence.

Mainstream publishing was becoming so risk-averse it was harder than ever to get a contract unless you were already famous and this was making many very talented writers go it alone. I had already come across Matador at a self publishing conference organised by The Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook. I like them because they are selective about the books they take and very, very professional.

The Cheesemaker’s House was really well received by book bloggers and readers and at the time of writing has sold around a 1,000 copies. I am absolutely thrilled to have won the Words for the Wounded Independent Author Book Award (such a good cause) and a professional press release from Palamedes, and publicity in Frost Magazine. My next novel, The Faerie Tree is now finished. Life is good.

French House Party, Carcassonne – How it Began By Owner Moira Martingale

Posted on May 12, 2015 by Margaret Graham

By Margaret Graham with news of an exciting offer exclusive to Frost readers.

** A very special offer for Frost readers: sign up for the House Party Creative Writing Retreat in June at this great venue, and save £150. Just email Moira Martingale quoting the code: ‘Frost’. This is a rare opportunity to find time to finish that manuscript or short story in the company of others. A professional will be on hand to help when needed. There will be great food, wine, a swimming pool, sunshine… Read more to find out the where, what and why.

‘So,’ owner Moira Martingale ponders, ‘where did the idea of French House Party come from in the first place?’

One sultry August evening, sitting around the table in Carcassonne with friends, it turned out that all of us had read Yann Martel‘s Booker-winning ‘Life of Pi’ and everyone had a view about it. The book-talk went on for ages, punctuated only by the uncorking of further bottles of the lovely local wines from this region of southern France, which is Languedoc-Roussillon.

We were all arty folk: a successful ceramicist, an early-retired theatre director, teachers, artists and writers, one of the latter being myself. A journalist-turned-author, I also had a teaching qualification and a doctorate in English literature.

Suddenly it dawned on me: why not set up holiday courses for people to come and do precisely what we were doing: discussing books with each other during a holiday in the sun with lovely food and wine laid on.

At that time there were five en suite bedrooms in this 200-year-old farmhouse, so in theory there was room for ten people. My friends were all skilled and enthusiastic artists and within minutes I had my Ceramics, Arts and Creative Writing tutors with a planned Books and Drama course run jointly by myself and my theatre director friend, Chris. It was as easy as that.

Or was it? Marketing? Promotion? Advertising? Annual accounts? Business plans? What did I know about forecasts and profits and losses? I found I knew nothing the moment the website went up. Because NOTHING happened. The enquiries@frenchhouseparty mailbox was empty.

Slowly I learned, and things picked up. My break-even point was five people per course and at six I was in profit, although I was clearly in no danger of being named in the Sunday Times Rich List. Frequently we had three or four people booked onto a course and I still ran it. Ruthless businesswoman I was not.

Eventually I made all the arts courses groups-only, other than Sarah Hymas’s Creative Writing, which was regularly over-subscribed. In 2009 I extended the house to eight bedrooms. Things were cooking, literally, because French House Party offered additional courses which individuals could join – various cookery breaks tutored by first-class French chefs and our Summer Songwriting course run by the respected singer-songwriter and 1970s/80s chart-topper Dean Friedman.

Along with Creative Writing, these remain the most popular, and are effortlessly filled year after year. Other arts courses continue to operate and the demand is, in fact, increasing, but now these are on a groups-only or privately-booked tailor-made basis.

Dedicated writers have an additional option now. Sarah Hymas, who is a professional mentor at her publishing company, is for the first time, offering a Writing Retreat for authors whose work is either complete or in progress. There will be no formal lessons, but individual one-to-one sessions for manuscript inspection, advice, help and ideas-input from someone with a pedigree in such expertise and who is fearless when it comes to sharing it.

This course – ‘Pen & Think’ starts on 15 June and ends on 20 June. The all-inclusive price is £895. As with all our courses, we provide free airport transfers and include extras such as a couple of dinners, including wine, out at lovely restaurants. (See our French house Party offer above)

In the years since that first inspirational nudge from ‘Life of Pi’, French House Party has been named one of the top ten learning retreats in a National Geographic book ‘The 100 Best Worldwide Vacations to Enrich Your Life’ and we have a Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, reflecting customer satisfaction. This year the Daily Telegraph named us as one of the top ten cookery holidays in France.

You see, it might have taken eight years, but finally I’m starting to sound like a businesswoman, aren’t I?

Moira Martingale

The French House Party, Carcassonne.

Email: enquiries@frenchhouseparty.co.uk or moiramartingale@me.com

Website: www.frenchhouseparty.eu

UK Mobile: 07900 322791

UK Landline: 01299 896819

Tedium or Inspiration? By L.J. Brown

Posted on May 11, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Have you ever read a book where the plot was so dreadful, you couldn’t even bring yourself to finish it? As an avid book consumer, with over 700 books in my e-library, I can definitely say I have.

After reading over 80% of one particular book (which shall remain unnamed) and wishing a sudden explosion would kill off the entire dreary cast; I put the book down, never to be picked up again and decided to see if I could write my own.

The only problem was finding the time. With a small family and a full time job, writing a novel was challenging but, not one to be deterred, I found a solution. Instead of taking a walk, browsing the internet or picking up my latest fiction during my lunch breaks; I opened a word document and began typing, lifting my head occasionally to walk and admire the tranquillity of the countryside. Two years later and after many lunch breaks ignoring my colleagues, I had my first draft.

Proud of my accomplishment, I handed my manuscript to my family for their unbiased opinion but what family member would tell you something you had worked so hard on was terrible? Obviously they wouldn’t and to show their support, my dad entered and won a charity silent auction through the Octagon Theatre in Yeovil on behalf of Words for the Wounded which was for Margaret Graham to critique the first three chapters of my novel. Margaret, who is not only a best-selling author but an editor and tutor, gave knowledgeable and experienced advice and her suggestions were invaluable. I can safely say that that kind of assistance and commendation is priceless and I would recommend every new and hopeful writer finds a professional opinion for their works. With Margaret’s feedback and the mind-set to succeed I re-edited, reworked and pulled in a couple of contacts to get the cover designed. Finally Scarred Soul was complete and just waiting for my courage to put it out there for the world to see.

Deciding to go the route of self-publishing I took the plunge and in January 15 sent my book into the Ethernet and by March, although slow, was seeing my book sell with good feedback from people avidly awaiting the sequel.

And so I would like to thank the unnamed writer. Although your work was not to my taste I will be forever grateful to you for inspiring me to do as you did and put fingers to the keyboard. No matter how my book is received, I am proud of the accomplishment of completing it as I hope you are with yours and, as I plan to do, hope that you continue writing and enjoying the freedom and inspiration writing can give.

www.smashwords.com/books/view/519378

Margaret River’s Readers’ and Writers’ Festival Poetry Competition Results

Posted on May 10, 2015 by Margaret Graham

Frost Magazine and Margaret River’s (WA) Readers’ and Writers’ Festival Poetry Competition, Seasons, has been an absolute pleasure to judge. There has been a plethora of entries of extraordinarily high standard. Our decision, though, was unanimous and we are delighted to announce that Melanie O’Nions is the winner with Magic Winter.

Melanie O’Nions graduated from the University of Sydney in 2009 with a double degree in Education and Arts, before returning to complete a Master of Educational Management. She is a full time English teacher in a Catholic Secondary school in regional New South Wales, and lives with her husband and six young children. She writes often as a way of finding peace and sanctity in everyday life and to be a positive role model to the students that she teaches.

Magic Winter

Even now, after age has gnarled my veins and they have grown knotted,

As my eyes have grown heavy with cataracts and my hair looks like spun grey fairy-floss,

And I can barely remember the great love stories of my past, I can still recall that magic winter.

The frost dripped lazily each morning off the leaves of the fir-trees which lined the streets and our

Breaths smoked O-Rings of inquisitiveness in front of us as we walked to school, our mother’s Hand-Woven gloves soon discarded to eat pungent toffee apples and share a suck of lemon.

It was the winter of my first love, and I can still close my eyes and see him, clear as day

Waiting for me at the mailbox of his gate for me to walk past in the morning and the anticipation

In his eyes as he hungered, not for the tuck-shop sweets, but for me.

Of course it didn’t last. They never do. By the time that Spring was in the air, and the newborn foals

Frolicked by the fields once again, he had forgotten me. The bark we had studiously carved our names into grew over, and the burst of new life meant the death of our love.

Magic Winter stood out from all the wonderful poetry that Frost Magazine and the Margaret River Arts Festival received during the course of its competition.

This evocation of lost love, which warmed a winter many years ago – a magic winter – weaves subtle imagery, gentle pacing and empathetic imagining to create a particular season of youth. One which voyages through winter’s cold, never to be forgotten, though the bark ‘grew over, and the burst of new life meant the death of our love’.

It has such heart, such carefully worked rhythms, and worked at many levels to amply fulfil the brief of ‘Seasons’

Melanie will be sent free tickets for the Festival. Festival director, Helen Allan is looking forward to meeting her.

SEASONS is the theme for the seventh annual Readers and Writers Festival to be held in the beautiful Margaret River wine region in Western Australia over the May long weekend 29-31

Festival director Helen Allan said the annual festival has a huge line-up of famous authors to excite readers of all genres.

“We focus on the environment, nature and the seasons of our lives – the theme `Seasons’ encapsulates all of those things, and Autumn is such a beautiful time in Margaret River, we should celebrate that – when Keats wrote that Autumn was the ‘season of mists and mellow fruitfulness’ it almost seems like he wrote it for our region.”

Mrs Allan said the festival committee had lined up around 20 authors and the festival would, once again run over three days.

“From Tomorrow When The War Began author John Marsdon to science fiction author Isobelle Carmody, comedian and authors Sami Shah, Justin Heazelwood and Luke Ryan to romance author Fiona Palmer, Michelle de Kretser and food/nature author Sophie Zalokar, we have something for everyone,” she said.

www.wapoets.net.au/

Facebook : www.facebook.com/pages/Margaret-River-Readers-Writers-Festival/531293773636991

Web : www.artsmargaretriver.com

Tel: 08 97 587316 (Mondays and Fridays)

www.frostmagazine.com

THE FAERIE TREE: A Book In The Making | Beltane

Posted on May 1, 2015 by Jane Cable

Beltane: a season of fertility and fire, a time to welcome new life into the earth. A good time to contact spirits or interact with the Fae.

After the rigours of the last few weeks I am absolutely convinced that releasing a new book is akin to passing through fire. Or at very least, virtual fire. I seem to have spent most of my time tweeting, googling, goodreading, facebooking and linking in. Even my dreams – or nightmares – have been seen through the prism of my laptop or iPad screen.

Why? I have been chasing the writer’s holy grail: reviews. In a world where there are thousands of books, how else are readers to choose what to read? And without the right number of reviews (rumoured to be at least fifty) you are not going to kick on with those all important Amazon search algorithms.

Of course hunting down reviews is a potentially risky business because even when you ask… or suggest… that bloggers and other opinion formers review the book you cannot, quite rightly, influence what they say. With my first novel, The Cheesemaker’s House, I had my (only) one star review early on so I got it out of the way. With The Faerie Tree I’m still waiting. No fewer than three stars anywhere. Yet.

Of course there are reviews which are downright irritating and it just isn’t the done thing (again, quite rightly) to reply. Top of my list are the people who spell the main characters’ names wrong; I know reviewers are busy people but if they have skim-read a book they ought to admit to it. I subscribe to the Alliance of Independent Authors’ Ethical Author code (for more information see here: http://allianceindependentauthors.org/ethical-author/) and part of that is about being open and transparent when I review other people’s books. I would love all reviewers to do the same.

On the upside, there are reviewers you just want to pick up and hug. Like the one who completely got the fact that part of my reason for writing the book was to give people who suffer from depression a positive portrayal. Like the one on Goodreads who realised the book wasn’t really their thing but gave it three stars anyway because it was well written. Like the reviews that just make me laugh.

Some of that laughter could just be relief. Until a book is out there you never really know how it will be received. Overall, it’s doing really well; 4 ½ stars on Amazon and 4.1 on Goodreads. People are generally gripped by it – one reader in South Africa finished it by torchlight during a power cut. They are enjoying the characters, their relationships, their stories.

But I am learning, too. Of course it’s too late to change The Faerie Tree now but there is a significant minority who are finding one of the main characters irritating – have I got that wrong? And others feel the resolution of the mystery is too obscure… or even completely lacking. Should I have spelt it out a little more? All useful things to consider as I complete the first draft of my next offering and begin the editing process.

But, being Beltane, I have lifted my eyes from the screen and ventured out into sunshine in the natural world. Where better to go than the fairy tree wood in Hampshire where the story began? And to thank the faeries, elves and pixies who live there for their very large contribution to the success of their book.

The Faerie Tree is available as an ebook or paperback from Amazon, Kobo, Waterstones and to order from all major bookstores. Find out more at http://janecable.com/the-book/4588312168 .

The Words for the Wounded Litfest – Review by Pat Heath

Posted on April 27, 2015 by Margaret Graham

What a brilliant day at Downley Community Centre, 18^th April 2015.

This inaugural one-day opportunity for new and established writers, and for readers, did what it said on the packet. We laughed with, learned from, and mingled amongst, experts in the world of writing at the Words for the Wounded (WforW) LitFest. It was organised by the ‘Writing Grannies’ who run the charity.

To open the day, Matt Pain, Trustee, reminded us that the average age of wounded soldiers is 25 years old, which proved thought provoking.

Margaret Graham (‘writing grannie’) and Katie Fforde (WforW patron) opened the day with conversazione. These two bestselling authors covered key aspects of fiction writing, including sub-plots, the need to inhabit your characters and how to deal with a ‘soggy middle’. Something that troubles many of us – writers or not.

A massive amount of invaluable information was delivered with quick fire wit, during this hilarious and valuable session. Meg Cannell presented chocolates to Katie.

After book signing and coffee it was time for some murder and mayhem, with two ‘Midsomer Murders’ TV writers, Rachel Cuperman and Sally Griffiths. Rachel and Sally explained the practical aspects of TV play-writing, punctuated with their own amusing anecdotes.

Lunch followed, with wine and coffee, organised by Jan Speedie (‘writing grannie’), Margaret’s family and Josh Edwards. It was partially sponsored by Tesco, Morrison’s and Starbucks. A feast, it must be said, and the team did a fantastic job. Seamless.

Many authors choose the Independent Author publishing route and successful ‘Indie’ writers, Amanda Hatter and Catriona Troth, chaired by Penny Deacon, (writing grannie) described how to produce a high-quality self-published book,. This time Penny Deacon (writing grannie) chaired the session as Amanda gave many useful marketing tips, including how to penetrate large chains such as Waterstones, and Catriona explained the advantages of working as part of a writers’ collective, such as Triskele Books.

Felicity Trew, from Caroline Sheldon Literary Agency was introduced by Penny Deacon and gave a power-point presentation in which she explained the role of literary agents: negotiating publishing deals, making sure the contract protects current and future income opportunities, and chasing payments/royalties.

She also advised on how writers should approach agents, using amusing spoof emails to illustrate her points, and she reminded the audience to check agent’s submission instructions. Her agency’s website has a useful list of ‘pet hates’ including applicants omitting the requested information and obvious ‘carpet bombing’ applications.

Felicity was at the LitFest all day, and was enormously generous with her time.

Finally, Jan Speedie introduced Penny Deacon who talked about why she ‘turned her back on romance and took to murder’. She compared her experiences of writing Mills and Boon to that of crime fiction. This was a relaxed and amusing end to an inspirational, funny, information-packed day.

Prizes, donated by artist Sharon Bennett, Tesco, (Bollinger champagne) The Wellington, and Katie Fforde were raffled for WforW. Speakers were given boxes of chocolates, partially funded by Thornton’s and delegates were given books donated by Random House. Penny Gerrard made biscuits from heaven and Susan Atkins’ chocolate cake was seriously good.

One clever touch was the notepads and biros on every seat, for invaluable notetaking. Everything was so carefully thought out. It makes a difference.

Next year’s LitFest line up of speakers will include Elizabeth Buchan, bestselling author (patron of WforW) Jemima Hunt, Literary Agent, Catherine Balavage, e-magazine owner (Frost Magazine), and Tracy Baines, successful genre short story writer.

A total of £1,500 was raised by the inaugural LitFest for the rehabilitation of the wounded.

http://www.wordsforthewounded.co.uk

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