Spring is in the Air

Most of my writing is done during the long, cold, wet winter when I can only rely upon memories of springtimes past to infuse a little warmth onto my page. There are, of course, those lovely firelit romantic interludes but I prefer the sun lit alfresco ones.

Spring is traditionally the time of love. When the birds indulge in a cliche of  twittering as they build nests and squabble over the mates. The daffodils nod in the light breeze and the sunshine beams down, thawing the winter chill, urging me to remove my thermals and show off some skin.
There is something about the time of year that makes me want to wander along leafy lanes, hand in hand with the one I love, talking of nothing, laughing at silliness. But where is the time for that?

Modern life, for all its labour saving devices and speedy methods of transport, seems to be very short on quality time. Too much to do, too many places to visit, too much money to be made, deadlines to be met, leaving, 'no time to stand and stare.'
Sometimes, I feel really stretched and just want to  lay it all down, laze all day in the garden with a good book (somebody else's not mine) and let the day pass slowly and uneventfully.  This rarely happens now. I gave all that up when I decided to write full time.

When the children were small and I was a stay at home mum, there was bags of time. Time for playing, time for reading to them, time for showing them small, wonderful things. I had no computer then and my stories were scribbled onto notepads to be laboriously typed up at some hazy time in the future. No pressure, no worries, just fun and lots of runny noses to wipe.

I suppose it's just a case of the past being rosier and I am happy to be a novelist. After all it's what I always dreamed of, sitting at a lovely desk, tapping out fabulous novels, earning a crust and a reputation as a writer. But, now I have all that, how I would love to take a month off, to enjoy the garden without feeling I should be at my desk; to set out a picnic lunch under the trees in the garden, fill a pool with water and listen to their happy voices while I slumber in the sun. The children are all grown up now and I, somehow, have become middle aged and the future that I always looked forward to is here, making me look wistfully backward.

But I live my past in my stories, not in the wildly passionate romances, there weren't too many of those, just a few that counted ... and mattered. But, every instance of my life, my  thoughts, feelings, memories; they all show up from time to time and colour my work just as surely as they colour my future.

Have a good spring season everyone.

Time To Put My Feet Up? I Should Cocoa!

Come, Dance With Me - Mary Middleton Available now
You might be forgiven for thinking that, having finally published Come, Dance With Me to Kindle yesterday (already copies going very well) I should now be able to enjoy a bit of relaxation, a bit of ME time but you'd be wrong. Creating a novel, crafting it as finely as you can, that's the easy bit. The most difficult bit of all is the marketing.
Many authors, like me, live solitary lives and are very shy. I often wonder if I chose to be a writer because I feel safer and more comfortable with long lonely hours than dealing with the hubbub and chaos of business. As a self employed author I call the shots, decide when its coffee time or if I deserve a day off. The decisions are mine, the nitty gritty of plot detail and book covers, mine alone and that suits me. The only time I wish I wasn't so alone is when it's time to wave the flag and blow the trumpet when, what I'd really like to do is hide beneath the desk.
When marketing your novel you tread a fine line. If you sit quietly and whisper 'I've written this nice little story and I think you might quite like it,' then you will have zero sales but, on the other hand, if you stand on the desk and blow a trumpet shouting about your fabulous novel that knocks the spots off everything else out there, you will alienate people and also get yourself zero sales.  So, if you can't leave it to luck and you can't spam the pants off everybody, what can you do?
I don't pretend to have the answers, I know about writing not about selling but I can tell you how I go about it and only hope that my methods aren't too irritating. The internet is a Godsend to authors, we can sit at home and blog and advertise about our work, join writers websites, flood Facebook with awareness, follow other people's blogs, go on blog tours, etc. etc. etc. And while we do all this we hope against hope that a few people will notice, buy our books and tell their friends about it.
I promote a lot of authors on my Facebook page and anything I post is transferred to Twitter and I like to think that they do likewise for me. You scratch my back, I will scratch yours.  I think it is a good way of doing things.  You are less likely to upset people if you are not banging on about your own stuff all the time and, fingers crossed, if sales are anything to go by, it is beginning to work.
That is why, instead of having a day at the shops or lunch with friends I will instead be on here blogging and raising awareness in the nicest way possible - through friendship.  So, should you find me a little in your face over the next few days, please don't think me mercenary or self-obsessed. I am just a writer, trying to find my path through the madness that is out there.
Have a nice day :)

January - Janus Looking Back to 2011 and Forward to 2012

January is named for the Roman god Janus, a god of doorways, portals, transistions and new beginnings. He is usually depicted with two faces, one looking back and one forward.  That is what I am doing right now. Looking back  to 2011 and forward to 2012.

2011 was  hard, although there were many sunny days, it also held disappointments, sickness and sadness. Luckily I had my best friend with me and we had some good times among the hard. I am fortunate that my best friend is also  my husband. 

This year though we hope will be better. We are both looking forward to some big changes in both home and working life.  We are putting our house on the market, downsizing to something more manageable, seeking pastures new. This will give  me time to write without feeling guilty about the lank lawn and weed choked flower beds or the dust that is collecting in the sitting room.  A smaller house will give us both the financial space to take life easier - have more fun.

One good thing that happened in 2011 was that I finally became published as a Romance author. With the advent of Kindle I was able to publish in quick succession For One Night Only, a gently erotic romance set within a tired marriage, Vittorio's Virgin, a more complex story about a man's struggle to come to terms with his traumatic upbringing and first marriage and find love and trust with the honest but sharp tongued, Jennifer Trent. Then came The Greek Tycoon's Secret Daughter, which examines the complex relationship between Charlotte Martin and billionaire playboy, Nicholas Barberis Jones.

At first things were quiet, sales were slow, but soon some nice comments and emails began to arrive. 'I've read them all now and want to know when the 'next one' will be out.'
Since I hadn't even begun to write it I published a small booklet of short stories to give myself some time. Something for the Journey is also now being well recieved.

I cannot stress how much these reader's comments mean to me. They really help. The don't just provide a much needed boost to my creative ego but help me discover what my readers really love ... and what they don't.  By using a mix of their praise and criticism I am now able to move forward with Come, Dance with Me with more confidence than ever before.

Writers are babies (or is it just me?) In order for them to continue writing they need to know that their work is appreciated.  An email, a short comment on a blog or an Amazon review or Facebook of 'I loved it' or 'I told all my friends about it,' can make all the difference.  So, if you read a book and love it, let the author know, if you hate it also let her know but gently, please, she is a sensative soul and only wants to please you.  I write a lot of reviews but tend to avoid being less than positive. Constructive criticism is the key to helping an author improve.  We appreciate that - thank you.

As I said, Come, Dance with Me is coming along nicely.  It is set within the world of ballroom dancing competition, a growing interest and armchair sport in both the UK and America.  It is a world that I find fascinating and repelling. WRiting in this genre also means that I can sit with a clear conscience and watch re-runs of the hit dancing show, Strictly Come Dancing, all in the name of research.

When Sasha finds herself drawn into the glizty, glamorous world of ballroom and is swept off her feet by the beautiful Russian heart throb, Andrei Kovalevsky, at first she can scarcely believe her luck. But, as ever in the world of romance, the path to true love is not an easy one. When the curtain falls,will they live to dance again?

 All four of my current Kindle books can be found on Amazon Kindle, please download a free sample and see if you like them too.

Mary Middleton on Kindle

More details about me and my work can be found on my web page

Tips and Advice for New Writers

I have read a lot of blogs lately providing invaluable advice on how to get a novel down on paper and infront of a publisher. There are, it seems, reams of important rules you must follow, things you must never do, cliches you must never ever use. It is a tough world with millions of talented writers all fighting for the spotlight. Only the best will succeed. So, I thought I'd add my little bit of wisdom to the pot.

My advice would be this: Have fun with your writing. If you don't enjoy every stage of the process then find another job/hobby. There is no point in becoming an author if  you don't love the solitude, the frustration, the failure, the criticism and the very small pay cheque.

Never listen to people who say you are doing it 'wrong.' We all have different methods and if you want to develop a writing style that is unique, which is I presume something we are all striving for, you are not going to suceed if you tie yourself in knots trying to write just like your favourite author. Your story must be yours and your voice unique and to stand out from the crowd you sometimes have to break rules!

Stressing about rules at this stage will stifle your creativity.  Every writer's first draft, whether they admit it or not, is full of cliches, typo's, over writing, errors in continuity etc. etc. etc.  These things are easily ironed out  later on in the writing process.  If you develop a unique writing style and a strong voice, it can make even a rubbish plot sound good. So relax, pour a glass of wine, open some chocolate and have a good time with it, let your imagination run away with you. If an author enjoys writing the book then it will invariably be an entertaining read.

When you have a completed manuscript, put it away and don't look at it for at least a month; write something else, begin your next novel, write some shorts or do some blogging. If you think your novel is ready to send off to a publisher or agent, then it probably isn't ... yet.
Once the month is up re-read your work and smooth out the gaffs that will by now be very apparent.  Then, get a friend to read it and highlight anything they notice, act on any improvements they may suggest. My husband is invaluable for this task and has learned not to tell me that everything I write is 'wonderful.'  He has developed an objective, critical eye and I cannot thank him enough for that.
After making those corrections, leave it another couple of weeks before going through the whole editing process again. I stress that you cannot edit enough, it is a process that crafts your rough diamond into a flawless jewel.

Overwriting is the worst mistake a would-be writer makes, long flowery passages of description that take up space on the page, detract from the plot and bore your poor reader to death. Be concise, be punchy and above all, be interesting.
Just because your friends love your story doesn't mean it is any good. Think youself lucky to have such loving and supportive friends  but don't let their praise go to your head; every writer in the world needs outside help. Get yourelf a critique partner, someone who you haven't known since infant school is preferable. Show it to a stranger, post it on a writers' website and ask for critiques, then brace yourself for the onslaught.
Even constructive criticism hurts like hell but it is usually correct. Read the comments objectively and take on board anything you agree with (it may take a week or so to see that the reader is actually right). Once you know what changes to make, you will find that good editing improves your piece no end.
If you don't agree (and be honest with yourself, now) then ignore the advice, the story is yours, you should write to please yourself and you will not, and cannot, please everybody.
I read alot of amateur work and talent is always visible, even in the early stages when I have to trawl through oceans of misplaced commas and flowery phrases. Formatting problems are common too but computer skills are necessary to an author and are easily learnt. So, if formatting is your weakness, book yourself a course and learn to do it properly.
The things I cannot tolerate (and not just in the work of  newbies) is bad grammar and incorrect spelling and that is because both of those errors are avoidable. I had one manuscript that persistently used the symbol & instead of 'and.' I had to stop reading it; it was unacceptable. Every reader should check and re-check their work, hire an editor if need be, although small errors will still slip through. If all else fails use your spell checker.

Every one of us is learning to be the best that we can. I am not the best, most intellectual writer in the world and neither am I in the best seller lists but I am a reader who has read widely and I do know good work when I see it and, in my experience, the independent and unpublished writers usually knock the socks off many of the big names. The shame is that mainstream publishers don't seem to be able to see us, probably because they all have their heads somewhere where it is very, very dark.