Friday 30 November 2012

The Next Big Thing: Authors Tagging Authors!



 THE NEXT BIG THING: AUTHORS TAGGING AUTHORS!

I am really pleased to be taking part in The Next Big Thing: Authors Tagging Authors!
I was tagged by my really good friend, author Judith Arnopp and it's my pleasure to keep this going.

So, what I do is answer the questions below, tag a new set of authors, then they answer, tag authors, etc.

I’m answering questions about my novel, Come, Dance with Me which is available from FeedaRead in paperback and is also on Amazon Kindle.

What is the working title of your book?
The title Come, Dance With Me, occurred to me quite quickly. It is a well-known phrase and tells the reader what the book is about.

Where did the idea come from for the book?
Come, Dance With Me is very obviously inspired by the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. I love the show and never miss it. When you watch the couples dancing the chemistry is so strong that it’s easy to imagine ‘something’ between them. I am not suggesting that there is, of course, my book is fiction but the close contact and the passion of the dances provides perfect scope for the romance author’s imagination.

 What genre does your book fall under?
Romance, romance all the way. It is sexy but all in the best possible taste, a wonderful story of love finding a way. All my books are about love and finding that perfect partner.

What is the one sentence synopsis for the book?

When Sasha Johnson is partnered with Andrei Kovalevsky in a television celebrity dancing show she does all in her power to stop him from blowing her world apart; but can she diffuse a bomb that is already ticking?

How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?
I wrote the first draft in a month, taking part in the nail a novel in a month thing but the edits and rewrites took much longer.

Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition?
Karen Gillan would make a great Sasha Johnson
Ooh, now there’s a question. Sasha is tall, feisty and auburn haired. If Karen Gillan who plays Emily Pond in Dr Who can dance she would be perfect. For Andrei, Orlando Bloom would be nice – for a number of reasons, if only to take the author out for lunch. And for Sasha’s best friend, Lisa, I would like Dani Harmer of Tracey Beaker fame. Funnily enough she is doing very well on this seasons Strictly Come Dancing – maybe she should play Sasha!

 What other books would you compare this story to, in your genre?
Come, Dance With Me is a typical romance, feisty females, smouldering alpha males, lots of fun and quite sexy.


What else about the book might pique the readers’ interest?
Orlando Bloom would be my idea Andrei

Come, Dance With Me has truck-loads of romance, ballroom and latin dancing, sparkling costumes, sexy interludes, and a whole heap of emotional trouble for the couple to untangle. It is all about love overcoming obstacles.

Come, Dance with me is available on Amazon Kindle and in paperback via the publisher FeedaRead.com

And for the authors I have tagged: Andrea Cefalo, author of The Fairytale Keeper and Avis Exley, author of Lovers in Law and Love Notes.







Wednesday 28 November 2012

Catching up with the News

It is a long time since I have blogged but I don't suppose you've missed me. I have not been idle though. Since writing and publishing Where the West Wind Blows I've been taking a little holiday to recharge my batteries and decide where to go from here.

2012 has been a busy year for me. I have all my novels and a collection of short stories available on Kindle and have enjoyed making new friends and contacts during the marketing process. I do hope I haven't bored everyone to death with my promotions. It isn't really in my nature to be so forward but, if you want to sell books, you have to pretend to be a bit pushy.  The Kindle sales are going very well. The favourite still seems to be Vittorio's Virgin despite a rather scathing review of it on Amazon. 'Unmittigated drivel' the reviewer tagged it - and then proceeded to mention all the unrealistic aspects  - all of which are found in romance novels the world over. That is the thing with romance, it isn't like real life, nor is it meant to be. The reviewer, who picked the novel up as a freebie, is obviously not a fan of the romance genre and should perhaps stick to reviewing other genres. And despite her best efforts Vittorio continues to please and is swiftly followed by the delectably handsome Johnathan Barberis-Jones from The Greek Tycoon's Secret Daughter.  

Come Dance With Me took a while to take off but people are beginning to notice it now and sales increasing now that Strictly Come Dancing and Dance with the Stars are now on our television screens once more. 
As the year draws to a close I can relax, apply  myself to marketing again and dream up a new romantic interest to warm you in 2013.

Due to the success of my e-books and the requests I've had for paperbacks, Vittorio's Virgin, The Greek Tycoon's Secret Daughter, Come, Dance With Me, Where the West Wind Blows and For One Night Only are now available in paperback from my publisher. Please click the Link below to purchase.