Category Archives: Life & Style

THE BUSINESS OF BOOKS: TRAVELS WITH MY BOOK

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Jane Cable shares her experience of a blog tour

It sometimes surprises me when other writers ask me what a blog tour is – but then maybe it shouldn’t, because when I started out I didn’t even know book bloggers existed.

So, for the uninitiated – what is a blog tour? Put simply, your book does the travelling. From one book blog to another, over a short space of time, with reviews, guest posts and giveaways. A brief burst of promotion designed to boost its visibility.

It is perfectly possible to arrange a blog tour yourself, especially if you’re hot on social media and have been meeting bloggers online and looking after them. But many publishing houses now include blog tours as a matter of course for launch activity which means bloggers are very busy and if you’re a debut or indie author it can be hard to get your foot in the door.

From my point of view most of the bloggers I know reviewed The Cheesemaker’s House when it first came out so arranging a celebration tour for its fifth birthday was always going to be a big ask. I needed help, so I decided to enlist the services of a paid expert, Rachel Gilbey of Rachel’s Random Resources. A book blogger herself, Rachel has set up a business to help authors promote their books and she’d received good results for authors I know so I decided to give it a whirl.

From the outset Rachel was super-professional and she had the tour filled in less than eighteen hours. I was flabbergasted – this wasn’t even a new book. And all but Anne Williams of Being Anne (who I couldn’t do any tour without) were people who hadn’t reviewed the book before. Rachel had their requirements impeccably organised and communicated to me in good time – whether they wanted paperback or ebook review copies, a guest blog, a Q&A, pictures… all set out in one easy to follow email.

I’ve written in detail about planning the tour before so let’s skip to the big day – August 1st – with a blitz of seven bloggers primed and ready to go. Actually, they weren’t. One blog never appeared and another, where I’d prepared an excerpt and lengthy Q&A, caught up only a few days later by just bunging the blurb on her blog.

It was actually just as well because the others came to the party in spades – on Twitter especially – and I had so many notifications in my feed from the bloggers and their street teams I found it hard to keep pace with thank yous and retweets. A hint here – it’s actually quicker to do this on an ipad or phone because it takes you back to the right place in your feed and not to the top where you have to scroll down to find where you were again.

For the rest of the tour, most of the other bloggers delivered. Some just put up the blurb but perhaps they didn’t like the book and at the end of the day that’s their prerogative. But in the main the reviews were really positive – glowing, in fact – and I really felt its visibility improved over the week of the tour.

My author profile was definitely raised too. A cannily organised giveaway increased my Facebook page likes and the general activity on Twitter tipped my followers over the 2,000 mark. I met new readers and bloggers online too – and I know that when I have a new book out there will be more open doors to push on for reviews.

So what of sales? Yes – there was an increase – definitely. I won’t know until I get my royalty statement whether it was enough to pay for the tour, but that wasn’t the point. In terms of profile it worked – in spades. And I would certainly use Rachel’s Random Resources again.

Find out more about Rachel’s services at https://www.rachelsrandomresources.com/

A COFFEE LOVER’S DREAM…

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Did you know that approximately 95million cups of coffee are consumed a day in the UK? Especially for you eager beaners out there, we’ve pulled together our coffee collectables which are absolutely worth your investment and will help you feed your fix of the good stuff!

THE MULTI-CCINO MUG

If pricey coffee machines or tricky filters isn’t your thing, there’s a super simple, genius measuring mug which will help you perfect seven different types of coffee. Designed as a collaboration between the Museum of Modern Art and the School of Visual Arts in New York, this mug allows you to customise the proportions of espresso, milk and water using the handy indicators printed on the outside of the glass. Serves include espresso, macchiato, cortado, café au lait, Americano, flat white and cappuccino.

RRP: £16.99

 

ZOKU ICED COFFEE MAKER

Let’s face it, in the summer all we want is our coffee to be taken down a Celsius or two. The Zoku Iced coffee maker allows you to have a refreshing iced coffee without pesky ice cubes diluting the flavour. All you need to do is pop your Zoku in the freezer before pouring. It’s spill resistant and has a sipping straw – bonus!

RRP: £23.32

 

KRUPPS MILK FROTHER

Frothy milk is essential to any great latte or ‘cchino so it’s important you have a faithful frother to hand. We’d recommend Krupps – an easy-to-use frother with three functions for barista-quality results at home.

There’s non-stick coating for easy cleaning around those irritating milk stains, plus quantity markings for each function. Pricey, but worth it.

RRP: £109.99

 

MAIYADUO COFFEE SCOOP HYBRID

There’s nothing worse than finding your perfect bag of ground coffee and noticing the flavour’s escaped quicker than your milk has frothed. With built-in bag clip, these nifty scoop hybrids keep coffee fresh and tasting great by sealing the bag straight after use.

They also measure coffee quantities for cafetiere, filters and percolators so you’re covered. There are plenty of these on the market but we love the jazzy colours of the

RRP: £7.99

 

MINIPRESSO PORTABLE ESPRESSO MAKER

If you’re on the go and craving a cuppa, this ‘minispresso’ machine is the perfect sidekick. You can fill it with coffee grounds or capsules and just add hot water ahead of a simple pump.

It’s travel size, lightweight and super easy to use. A few squeezes and the pressure inside the Minipresso reaches a 116psi – the same as a traditional espresso machine – forcing full-bodied espresso coffee out of the spout and into your cup. Ahhh, perfect!

RRP: £49.99

Poem for all parents of A level students whose results show they are off to uni. Milly Adams

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With the A level results just in, a poem to enlighten, or perhaps warn, all  ‘packhorses’ (and indeed lecturers) as they help deliver their off-spring to their halls or residence: by Milly Adams, author of The Waterway Girls series (Arrow)

In the Corridor of a College Lodgings by Milly Adams

 

‘Who’s this?’ the lecturer asked my daughter.

She said, all bare midriff with tattoo peeping,

‘Only Mum. She’s carrying my plants,

Helping to move me in.’

‘Hello, Mum,’ he said, not looking, just

Brushing

The leaves of the ornamental fig as he passed.

A plant, my daughter felt, would make her room

Look familiar, lived in. ‘Like you,’ she’d joked.

At her doorway I placed it in her arms,

But it was his bustling back I watched

As he turned this way and that

Distributing greetings to other beasts of

Burden.

Not waiting for their replies, either.

I called, too loud perhaps, ‘My name is

Rosemary.

I usually wear stiletto shoes, and pink jackets.

When not camouflaged as a removal man

I have cycled the Alps for charity. If you’d

Looked

You’d have seen highlights in my hair.

I belly dance and have a name.

My name, again, is Rosemary.’

 

‘Way to go, Mum,’ my daughter whooped,

And up and down the corridor’s length and

Breadth

Plants. laptops and kindles were handed

Over.

Students were kissed with love. And left.

‘Yes, we have names,’ we all said.

As thoughts of achievements big and small

Lent wings to trainers. ‘And places to go. And

Lives to live.

Fashion statements to make, and parameters

To break.’

 

Goodbye, Lecturer,’ we smiled, as we passed by.

 

Hope on the Waterways, the final in the Waterway Girls series, is published on 20th September.

The Waterway Girls, and Love on the Waterways are available now. 

 

Success for Oliver Eade, WforW award winner, in the Segora one-act play competition 2018

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Frost Magazine’s has learned with great pleasure that the Words for the Wounded’s recent winner of the Young Adult Fiction Georgina Hawtrey-Woore Award, Oliver Eade (with The Kelpie’s Eyes) has done it again. He has won the Segora one-act Play Competition 2018 with The Other Cat.

Fiona Frazer was placed second with Gloop.

The judge, Gordon Simms says: It has been such a pleasure to read this year’s entries, including as they did a wide range of themes and styles. Radio and television plays as well as some that would lend themselves to film came in alongside stage plays to make an intriguing mix.

Gordon Simms has been a Head of English, Head of Performing Arts and a Drama Advisor. He has written several full-length and one-act plays. His ten-minute play Zero Contract was presented in August 2017 at theCharroux Literary Festival where he led a workshop on writing ten-minute plays. He goes on to say:  I was struck by the quality of dialogue in many entries. If substance was a little short in some examples, at least the dialogue was entertaining and convincing.

Four very different pieces made up the short-list. Previous winner Doc Watson offers a typically energetic, even frenetic, tussle between two self-important musicians, where it transpires the third member of the trio is the real villain. Anthony Powers’ play begins with exciting action which leads to a definite result, then leaves us with a delicate situation hanging over two friends – a situation which may be resolved in the future. What is unsaid between them creates a poignant finale.

Two plays presented me with a dilemma: totally different, one from another, yet having enough in common to demonstrate just how varied and versatile the craft of play-writing may be. I was torn between Oliver Eade’s fascinating exploration of quantam physics and Fiona Fraser’s treatment of contemporary issues in an historical setting. Both plays deal with time in unusual ways, both have a crime (or supposed crime) at their heart and both involve flights of fancy. But there the similarities end. Oliver Eade has written quick-firing dialogue in a fast-moving scenario, though whether we are invited to move forwards or backwards is not at first easy to know. Fiona Fraser uses a much more relaxed and seamless conversational style which includes, particularly as it is written for sound production, more observational narrative. However, her play for voices could be staged without difficulty. What a double-bill the pair of them would make – humour, intrigue and plenty to stir the imagination.

So close was my decision that I felt I could not ‘abandon’ either, so rather than share first prize I have introduced a second. This addition also reflects the largest number of entries yet received in this section of our competitions.
Once again the judging experience has been informative and uplifting, and I thank again all those who entered to make it so.

Oliver Eade: The Kelpie’s Eyes. 

Words for the Wounded

HIPCHIPS – RESTAURANT REVIEW

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Concept bars are always cropping up in London – whether it’s a loaded-fry focus (mmm), a cereal focus (mmmm) or, in this instance, a fresh crisp focus (mmmmm!)
Based in Soho, the ever hip ‘HipChips’ focusses on making beautifully crunchy, flavoursome crisps out five different potato types. To accompany this classic carb, HipChips offers a range of savoury and, wait for it, SWEET dips.
There is plenty of choice on both sides of the fence when it comes to the sides. Savoury? We’re talking Baba Ganoush, jerk chicken, Moroccan yogurt and the absolute classic, smokey cheese fondue.
If you’ve got more of a sweet tooth you can get your crisps dusted with cinnamon sugar and opt for chocolate mousse, peanut butter and jelly or even campfire s’mores as your dunking delights.
Prices are really reasonable too given the area is truly the heart of Central London. A large dish (with six generous portions of dip) will only set you back £12.95 and we defy you to try and finish it all in one sitting!
Check out the HipChips website for more details.

The Definition of Us By Sarah Harris | Book of The Week

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This is a heart-warming and endearing novel. A YA novel which can be read by any age. A wonderful book on mental illness that will not just entertain, but also could improve, and even save, some some young people’s lives. We need more books like this. Just stunning and so important.

NORMAL (definition)
(adj.) Conforming to a standard; regular, typical or expected
(urban) A word inapplicable to human beings
(Florence) Round, smooth and bumpy like a cobbled street

Florence doesn’t always see things the way other people do. She feels different.

When Florence meets Jasper, Andrew and Wilf she can’t imagine they’d have much in common – with at least five mental health conditions between them, they all have very different reasons for being referred to Manor Lane Therapy Centre.

It’s only when their therapist, Howard, goes missing that they find a common purpose. Worried by his disappearance and wanting answers, the four of them decide to track him down.

As they cross the country in a ‘borrowed’ van, asking each other Ultimate Questions and facing a series of challenges along the way, they start to reveal their true selves – and Florence realises there’s more to all of them than just a diagnosis . . .

Maybe they’re not so different after all?

Full of irreverent humour, witty dialogue and characters you can’t help but fall in love with, this timely novel is perfect for fans of John Green, Rainbow Rowell and Jennifer Niven.

‘This is without a doubt one of the best (if not THE best) YA book about mental health that I’ve read; Sarah Harris takes such a delicate subject, weaves humour and love and friendship, and creates such a beautiful book’ Beautiful Bookland

‘This endearing story does much to enlighten readers of all ages by dispelling myths surrounding mental health in a rollickingly entertaining manner . . . a heart-warming odyssey’ Peterborough Telegraph

‘I can honestly say that this is the best book about mental health that I’ve read to date. The representation, understanding, acceptance and ‘relatability’ of mental health portrayed in this book was, in my opinion, flawless. It’s juxtaposed with sweetness, humour, romance and friendship and I enjoyed every minute of it’ My Endless Shelf

‘Everything I love about contemporary YA . . . highly recommended’ Goodreads reviewer

The Definition of Us By Sarah Harris is available here.

Friday Focus: THE REAL DEAL AROUND ROSEHIP OIL

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When details of a product which keeps Miranda Kerr and David Gandy looking fresh landed in our inbox, we took immediate attention (with a carefully placed level of scepticism, of course).
Rosehip oil has a tonne of benefits including soothing the effects of sunburn, reducing stretch marks and generally improving the quality of your skin.
According to the realm of Rosehip oil, the ‘elixir’ of sorts is extracted from Rosehip berry seeds without using heat, solvents or chemicals. Like any product, brands vary with creation / extraction techniques too.
Rosehip Plus, an organic cold pressed oil, is the only range to remove the flesh from the berry before pressing out the oil. This one of a kind technique means that the maximum level of nutrients are retained and your skin gets all the benefits – who knew!
So, next time your reach for the Aloe Vera as we approach the Indian summer, reach for the Rosehip oil instead and compare the effects for yourselves.
You can purchase Rosehip Plus at All About Beauty for as little as £10.

BUSINESS OF BOOKS: FIRST, LAST, EVERYTHING – ROMANCE AUTHOR CASSANDRA GRAFTON

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What was the first writing advice you were ever given?

If I think back to when I started to seriously consider writing full-length stories, the first piece of advice I recall was ‘just keep putting the words on the page’. After all, you can’t polish and edit a blank page, can you?

At the time, I’d only ever completed short stories, mostly co-written, for online communities. A solo writing project was a challenge in itself, but I didn’t really think of it as ‘writing a novel’ because of the serial nature of posting online.

It was the encouragement (and above advice) from those communities that helped me to get started, and it’s down to their on-going support and feedback that I managed to keep going, no matter what life threw at me. I just kept putting one word after the other, until eventually I’d finished telling the story I wanted to share.

 

Photo copyright is Adrea Scheidler Photography

What was the most recent writing advice you were given?

I follow a lot of writing blogs on Twitter, and many of them have wonderful snippets of advice, one of the most practical of which in recent months was about removing redundant words from your manuscript.

I discovered there were plenty of lists out there, once I’d put ‘redundant words in your novel’ into Google, and soon I was working my way through my extremely long manuscript and culling them (thank you, Word, for the Search and Replace function). In the end, nearly 10,000 redundant words sailed off into the blue yonder; not one of them was missed!

It turns out, however, that my biggest overuse of anything is not a specific word, but a punctuation mark. It was pointed out to me at a writing retreat last year that I need to ‘kill the exclamation mark.’ When I looked into it, I was appalled by how often I used them. I did, indeed, have a bit of a fetish going on. Hopefully, I’ve managed to keep them to a minimum in this blog post!

 

What is the piece of advice you’d most like to pass on?

There are variations on these words, but it boils down “don’t wait for your boat to come in; row out to meet it”.

It’s something I wish I’d taken on-board (if you’ll excuse the pun) earlier in my life. It can, of course, relate to all aspects of life, but with regard to my writing, it translates into this: Don’t let time slip away from you.

I’d wanted to write all my life, but always I made excuses: “no time, children to look after, piles of marking to get through, got to work late, too tired”. Even when the children were teenagers and didn’t need the same level of attention, even when I had an unexpected year of not having to work full time, always I seemed to have an excuse for actually sitting down and doing it.

I was 50 before the realisation struck that I needed to heed this advice – when it almost felt too late. I’d had a recent run-in with cancer, which led to a couple of rather unpleasant years, and as my milestone birthday approached, I started to re-evaluate my life. If I didn’t get my act together and produce a book sometime soon, perhaps I would never fulfil my lifelong dream?

It would be another year (2013) before I finally took the plunge into publishing my first novel. The story had been seven years in the making, for all the aforementioned reasons, but I did it.

It had still been a challenge. I was working full time, long hours, and any writing time was limited to weekends and holidays (thankfully I have a very patient and supportive husband, who would hoover around my chair at weekends as I sat at the computer, or read the paper in a pub when we were on holiday as I scribbled away at scenes in my notebook).

In more recent years, having moved to Switzerland and no longer having a day job, I have had the time to write, but still I procrastinate. My New Year’s Resolution this year was to treat my writing like a job, not a hobby, and I’m improving, but there’s a way to go yet.

So please don’t do as I do, do as I say: don’t let the time slip away from you!

 

Cassandra has published two historical romances and has co-written and published a contemporary cosy mystery/romance. She is currently working on a series of contemporary feel-good romances set in Cornwall. She loves traveling, reading, cats and dry wine and splits her time between Switzerland, where she lives with her husband, and England, where she lives with her characters.

 

https://cassandragrafton.com