FUNKY FRIDAY with reviewer Donna Trinder

Today I welcome to my sofa for coffee, cake, chocolates and wine (yes, we like them all!) one of my oldest Twitter buddies and a very supportive reader of my books, Donna Trinder.  I've been secretly jealous of Donna for a LONG time - she has her own reading and writing shed - she is one lucky lady!

So Donna, as an avid reader and reviewer, I know you are currently working on your first novel.  Can you tell us a bit about it and how it's going?

I love writing - I love it so much I have two different manuscripts on the go. One I have changed so much it is on its third incarnation, that started out as a YA, now I’m not sure it needs a label (because I’m not sure what that label would be any longer!) but it’s about a group of people, ‘watchers’, protectors of an old sector of witches. That WIP is my baby, my true love, but I’ve complicated it so much I’ve basically written everyone into tight corners and I think another overhaul is needed. That’s when I get bogged down and pick up my chick-lit WIP. All about a posh ex-boarding school girl out for revenge on the tormentors that made her life miserable and learns a lot about her life on the way. I feel that one will be finished way before the first!

I have to say, as the creator of Mummy Misfit, I love the sound of the posh girl chicklit!  Can you tell us how you sweeten the pill if you hate a book that you are reviewing?

Gah - that’s the worst! I give it as long as I possibly can, sometimes that will mean finishing it (to see if it gets better, and sometimes it can pay off!) and sometimes it means the second or third chapter and I can realise it really is not for me.

If I have to admit defeat I would always contact the author/PR and just explain that I can’t go any further, but be polite and just explain *kindly* why. It normally falls down to either far too much bad language/content or the genre.

How do you think you'll cope IF you get a bad review for your debut novel - sulker or shrugger?

I’m very conscious that some reviewers on Amazon clearly don’t know what they’re doing! I’ve read awful 1* reviews that stated delivery was slow, or the book wasn’t their genre (why buy it???), so those kind of reviews would undoubtedly irk me but it would be water off a duck’s back - but real readers that disliked it, well, I think I would be devastated! I don’t think I’d sulk but I’m sure I would feel quite crestfallen! As long as there was enough good to outweigh the bad I’m sure I’d cope!

Dream time. Ultimate dinner party? You can have anyone dead or alive there - who would you have and why?

This is a subject my husband and I often talk about, mainly on long journeys - it passes the time!

Right, firstly it would have to be David Beckham. As well as being incomprehensibly gorgeous, I think he would just be a kind and interesting person to talk to. I’d have to make sure there were adequate napkins to contain the drool. There would be no plus one extended there...

Sarah Millican would be a definite! She makes me laugh like no other and I also think she’s a really lovely person. We could watch cute cat videos on YouTube and probably talk about cake.

JK Rowling. I need to interrogate her on why, oh why, did she have to kill Sirius Black. Also, Remus and Tonks ... they didn’t need to die. That was a travesty.

My old English teacher and Senior Girls Mistress back in the days of my grammar school life, Mrs Valerie Dobbs. The woman was a legend in the true sense of the word, anyone who went to my school throughout The Dobbs Years has some kind of story to tell about her, not all of them positive, but still ... I read that she had passed away last year and I felt so upset. She helped me through an extremely difficult time when I lost my father at thirteen and she really was the most inspirational and knowledgeable woman I could imagine. I’d love to see her now and have to opportunity for her to look over my work!

I think lastly I would have to invite The Great British Bake Off team of Hollywood and Berry (under no circumstances must Mel and Sue tag along - they annoy me immensely). My husband, who of course needs no invitation, would love to chat to Paul Hollywood - also Mary Berry I would imagine - and I think myself and Millican would also be keen to talk cake and baked goods with them.

Killing two birds with one stone it would also be pudding sorted!

Big Brother have invited you on their new show (humour me, it involves books, readers, writers etc) Would you accept?

My gut instinct was unequivocally NO. But thinking about it, if it was just sitting round reading and writing with my favourite authors and other readers it might not be so terrible. If all the tasks were writing and book related and there was unlimited food. And cake, lots and lots of cake. Also probably family visits and wi-fi. Although I think I might be mistaking the Big Brother house for a writing retreat?

You almost made Big Brother sound like somewhere I'd like to go!  OK, if someone offered you big money to write their plot for them, could you do it?

Integrity aside, I honestly don’t know. My purse is feeling abused and delicate today as after the very expensive school uniform shop was completed (or so I thought) Junior decided to ambush me for more football boots, shin pads and all manner of different sports accessories. So on days like today, and if the price was right, I might possibly just say yes. After all, principles don’t keep the roof over your head and your children in school!

No, Donna they don't - and don't I know it?!

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Planner or Winger?

Without doubt, Winger.

Night or Morning?

Morning.

Doer or procrastinator?

Procrastinator. I’m world class.

Writing/first draft or editing?

Editing. Love it.

Tea or coffee?

Coffee.

Thanks for joining me, Donna.  It's been great to chat ... and eat ... and drink.  So glad that your husband made all those yummy cakes for us.

You can find out more about Donna by reading her blog or viewing her Facebook / Twitter pages

* * * NEWSFLASH * * *

My latest full length novel 'TABBY & KAT'  is doing well sales-wise and I'd like to thank you all for your support.  Please don't forget to leave reviews on Amazon if you've enjoyed it.  Tonight I'll be wetting my new baby's head.  I raise my glass to you all - I couldn't do it without you.

Last week I had a sexy footballer on my sofa - check out the interview with Shane Henderson from Jamie Dougan's 'Offside!' here.

My FIRST EVER Twitter/Indie buddy celebrated joining Harper Impulse and I am SO proud of her.  You can buy her Christmas novella here.

I hope to write a Christmas blog post before the big day but time is running away with me.  In case I don't have a chance, I wish you all a peaceful and happy festive break and hope the fat guy brings you all you wish for.

FUNKY FRIDAY - with author Kimberly Menozzi

This week we welcome to the stage Kimberly Menozzi.  We settled with a cool Italian cocktail and had a chat. 

Kimberly, can you describe yourself as a writer in five words. 

Heartfelt, detailed, wordy, realistically romantic. 

As a writer of affairs of the heart, what do you do to motivate yourself on a day you're just not feeling it? 

If I'm really struggling, I'll set the scene aside and come back to it later. If at all possible, I'll sit and listen to music – often the music which inspired the scene in the first place – and that will get me through it. If there's just no hope at all, I might even take a full-on break from writing for the day. Unless I'm on a deadline, of course. When I have a deadline, I power through the scene and fix it ASAP. 

Tell us about your ideal writing day. 

I wake up after a fully refreshing sleep to find the day is cool and a little cloudy. I have my breakfast and after a short period checking my email, I ride my exercise bike (or go for a ride outside), shower, dress, prepare the ingredients for dinner in the slow cooker, and then sit down to write. I work for roughly six to eight hours, with only short pauses for lunch and/or to give the cat some attention. Ideally, I continue writing until the hubby calls to say he's on his way home from work. I finish up the scene I'm working on and conclude it, wrapping up as the hubby arrives home. On days like this, I can get through an entire chapter and work out the bones for the next one, too.

Unfortunately, those days don't happen very often. 

Dream time.  Ultimate dinner party? You can have anyone dead or alive there - who would you have and why? 

To be honest, I'm crap at dinner parties. At best, I'd like an evening hanging out having snacks with Stephen King and John Irving. I bet they have great stories to share. 

If you were offered a squillion pounds to never write again, would you take it? 

If that meant never publishing again, maybe. I could never stop writing, though. The only periods in my life when I didn't write were miserable. I couldn't do that again. 

What's your ultimate writing goal? 

I would love to be able to simply make a living with my writing. By which I mean earning enough money to stand on my own two feet financially with the income from book sales. I'd also like to be respected as a writer, which isn't easy as an Indie. 

I couldn't agree more, Kimberly - but we keep on keeping on, don't we? 

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Planner or Winger? 
Mostly, I'm a winger. 

Night or Morning? 
Night. 

Doer or procrastinator? 
Procrastinator. 

Writing/first draft or editing? 
Writing. 

Tea or coffee? 
Tea.

You can follow Kimberly on Twitter (@KMenozzi), Facebook or on her Blog.

Her books can be found on Amazon / (Amazon UK), Barnes & Noble, kobo and Apple.

Thank you for joining me Kimberly - it was great to chat and I wish you well in the future.

NEWSFLASH

My full length novel has been edited and is now with my test readers - release date is looking to be on 12th December and I can't wait to reveal the cover and 1st chapter - watch this space.

My fellow Indie and good friend, Michelle Betham won a competition run by Harper Impulse and I am so, so proud of her.  You can currently buy her books here. 

The sequel to 'Trouble at Toff Towers' by Anne Ullah has been released - if it's as funny as the first, I can't wait to have time to read it. Buy it here.

FUNKY FRIDAY - With Author Michelle Betham

Happy FUNKY FRIDAY once again!  This week I welcome my good friend and fellow Indie, Michelle Betham.

Michelle and I started on this journey at exactly the same time and we've supported one another through the highs and the lows.  We settled with a nice, chilled glass of bubbles and had a giggle. This is what I asked her:

Big Brother are doing an Indie Writers Special!  Would you go in the house?

Against my better judgement, yes, I probably would! But I really would try and be a very well-behaved housemate... I've seen the show, I know the pitfalls... Mind you, it all depends on who's in the house with me, doesn't it?

Wow!  You're braver than me - I'd say a definite NO!  OK, now you're going on a chat show - whose would it be and why? 

Alan Carr's 'Chatty Man', because he just makes me laugh, sometimes without even saying anything. I think it would make for a very interesting interview, don't you?

I think it would be hilarious.  He'd be my first choice too - in fact, I blogged about it here. Onto crushes now ... we all know you have a bit of a thing for Bradley Cooper!  He's found out and wants you to interview him!  Where would you go, what would you wear, what would you ask him and would you come home?! 

Oh, this is such a perfect question for me... Now, let me see, where would we go? I think we'd have to go to Las Vegas! Yeah, I'd love to interview Mr. Cooper in Vegas, because that's where The Hangover movies - and my crush on the man himself - all began. So that would be the perfect setting. What would I wear? I think I'd have to stick to my own style here and wear the skinny jeans, the biker boots and a Foo Fighters t-shirt. If I was interviewing someone as gorgeous as Bradley I'd have to feel comfortable, and that's what I feel comfortable in. You never know, he might go for the whole "rock chick" thing!

What would I ask him? I'd ask him if he liked the whole "rock chick" thing!!! No, seriously, I think I'd ask him questions about his own reading habits, what kind of books he likes reading, and whether he'd ever venture into writing himself, be that movies or books. And then I'd ask him if he was free for dinner...

Would I come home? Err, no!

You really let your imagination run away with that one, didn't you?  So now you've been given a day away from the desk and a blank cheque.  What would you do? 

I'd book myself a spa day. I've never had one but I've always wanted one. I'd make sure I got a wonderful massage, manicure, pedicure, the works, then I would just sit and chill poolside sipping fruit juices and listening to Pink Floyd. Perfect! I might do a bit of shopping on the way home, mind... You did say a blank cheque, didn't you...?

I'd definitely join you for that!  OK, back to the desk.  What's the best thing and the worst thing about writing for you? 

The best thing about writing for me is to be able to bring to life all those characters that have lived inside my head for a long, long time. To create them, and their stories, is dream-come-true for me. And when somebody tells you how much they've enjoyed one of your books, that makes it all worthwhile. That's the best feeling.

The worst thing? The loneliness. Writing can be a very solitary thing sometimes, and there are days when I feel really alone. But those days never last for long.

Mills & Boon offer you squillions of pounds to write for them!  Could you (and would you) tame your writing down? 

No, I don't think I could. Not even for all that money! I love writing what I write, and I'm not sure I could, or would, ever compromise that.

I'd have to agree with you on that one - I couldn't write about heaving bosoms and throbbing members! 

QUICK FIRE ROUND

Planner or Winger? 

Winger.

Night or Morning?

Morning.

Doer or procrastinator?

Oh, procrastinator, definitely!

Writing/first draft or editing?

Writing/first draft.

Tea or coffee?

Tea, always!

Thank you so much for joining me, Michelle.  It's been great fun, as always.

You can buy Michelle's books at Amazon for Kindle or at the Kobo site.

STRIKER - the first in the trilogy

EXTRA TIME - book two in the series

Available to download this weekend and official

launch day Tuesday 24th September.

Follow her on Twitter @michellebetham and join her on her Facebook page.

Next week I welcome Catriona Merryweather from the Fabulous Book Fiend blog and we'll be talking reading and reviewing.

NEWSFLASH

The joint edit on my Christmas novella is complete and has gone to my 'Fenella' for a read through. It should hit the shelves around mid October.

I am currently mid way through a solo edit of my December novel but progress is slow as my Mum is in hospital with a fractured pelvis. Thank you all for your kind messages.

FUNKY FRIDAY with Carol Wright from Dizzy C's Little Book Blog

Happy FUNKY FRIDAY to you all - today I'm delighted to welcome an avid reader, reviewer and huge supporter of writers, Carol Wright:

We settled with coffee and a huge cake and had a chat.

Carol, what made you decide to start a book review blog? 

I was looking for book suggestions to read and came across a book blog. I didn't even know what a blog was until that moment. I started following a few and decided I too wanted to share my love of books with others. So began the "little" book blog.  I thought it would just be reviews and a bit of family news.

What type of book keeps you turning the pages and up all night? 

Funny novels, like your novels Amanda, (ooh, I didn't even pay her to say that!) and well researched and written historical fiction/romance.  I like a book that homes in on my kind of humour and can make me laugh out loud.  I also like a book that can transport me back in time and teach me more about history.

As an avid reader and reviewer, would you ever put pen to paper yourself? 

I would love to write my own novel. Historical romance or chicklit.  I am a big history fan and would love to spend days, weeks, months researching for an historical novel.  I have ideas for stories.  My chicklit would be chicklit 40+, but if I draw on my own experiences it may be too much like those true life weepies LOL!

What type of books make you want to chuck them at the wall? 

Celebrity books of any kind, autobiographies, biographies, ghost written novels.

I couldn't agree more - I'm sick to the teeth of every Tom, Dick and Harry 'writing' a book and nailing a publishing deal just because of who they are.  Where do they end up?  In the bargain bucket, where they belong!  Bitter?  Me?  Yep!

So how do you tactfully say you hated a book?  Or do you say it as it is? 

If I don't like a book, I won't review it online anywhere. I don't believe in picking holes in an author's work. It may appeal to other folks. If it was a book sent to me for review I will let the author or publisher know why I didn't personally like it.

That's the sort of reviewer us writers love!  Our books are our babies, try to treat us and them kindly - and as you say, it may not be the book for you but plenty of others may love it.

It's been great to have a reader/reviewer on the blog today - check Carol out on Twitter @DizzyCLBB and on her FaceBook page.  Why not also check out her blog and take a look at the books she's read and what she thinks of them?

Next week I welcome my good friend and fellow Indie MICHELLE BETHAM and we have quite a giggle together as we nip off to fantasy land! 

***** NEWSFLASH ***** 

I'm about to start on the joint edit of my Christmas novella which is due for release at the end of October.  I'm also completing re-writes for my next full length novel which will hit the virtual shelves mid-December. 

MICHELLE BETHAM is on her final read-through of 'Extra Time', the sequel to 'Striker', and it should be available to download any time soon.

GILLI ALLAN has released her latest novel 'FLY OR FALL': “Will the allure of the unknown ever overcome the fear of stepping away from solid ground?”  Now on Kindle at Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.  Check out her author page to find out more about her other books.  Gilli will be chatting with me here at FUNKY FRIDAY 28th March.

Cover Story - featuring Michelle Betham

Today I'm handing over to my friend and fellow Indie, Michelle Betham, as she'd like to tell us all about an exciting new development on her writing journey.

Michelle writes "books for the beach - pure escapism, total fantasy; mainly (very!) sexy, but sometimes humorous, contemporary romance." 

If you haven't tried her books yet, why not?  Some are girlie, fluffy, funny chicklit and some are pretty hot and steamy - all of them have given me many hours of entertainment and they come highly recommended.

So ... over to Michelle.

"Striker re-launches with a brand new cover!

To mark the imminent release of Extra Time, book two in my sexy soccer trilogy, I’ve decided to re-launch Striker – book one in the series – but this time, with a brand new cover! Why? Well, I have my reasons… Let me explain…

Book covers – an important part of the whole writing process? You bet it is! And when I first started out on this writing journey of mine I don’t think I realised just how important they really are. They’re the first thing a person sees when they’re looking for something new to read, and if that cover doesn’t catch their eye then it’s probably highly unlikely that they’ll stop to check out the blurb. How many potential readers could you lose if the cover of your book doesn’t make them sit up and take notice?

Is this the reason why I decided to change the cover for Striker, my steamy soccer romance? In a way. But it wasn’t actually my idea. I was quite happy with the original cover, you see. I liked it. It reminded me of those Jilly Cooper books I’ve read and loved – you know the ones, Riders, Rivals, Polo… But then my ever-sensitive husband kindly (I use that word loosely, in this case) pointed out that I’m no Jilly Cooper (I kind of knew that already) and that it didn’t really matter what she put on the covers of her books, they’d sell anyway. I don’t have that luxury. My name alone doesn’t sell books, so I need to be able to grab readers’ attention in other ways. And an eye catching cover is one of them. I thought I had one in the original cover for Striker, but, after listening to my husband’s reasons as to why he thought I should change it, I realised he had a point.

The first thing that hit you in the face with the original cover was the image of a football/soccer ball. And if you’re someone who really dislikes football – and, let’s face it, there are many women out there who really dislike the sport, and my books are, predominantly, aimed at women – then that image of a football could, potentially, make people discard the book without even giving the blurb a second look. It could be giving people the complete wrong impression of what the book is actually about. I just didn’t realise that at first.

The original cover

 

Okay – the book is set against the backdrop of professional football, and the main characters are a footballer, a sports reporter, and a football manager. But – and this is a BIG but – the story is not about the sport itself. If you’re looking for a book about football, then you’re going to be disappointed because Striker is most definitely more about the sex than the soccer. I may be a football fan, but I still couldn’t tell you what the offside rule is, so this story really has very little to do with the sport. It’s a romance – a very sexy, sometimes very steamy romance, but a romance nonetheless. It’s more Footballers’ Wives than Match of the Day, and that’s what I needed to get across on the cover. Was the old one doing that for me? In hindsight, no, I don't think it was. Not really. Am I happy with the new cover? Definitely! I think it gets the feel of the story across a whole lot more, and I think, just from looking at the new cover, you know just what kind of book you’re getting. I’ve playfully dubbed this trilogy “Fifty Shades of Football”,  so that tells you something about the content right there.

Never judge a book by its cover? I’m one who agrees with that old adage, yes. But, in the literal sense, that’s exactly what people do. They judge books by their covers, whether we like that idea or not. And I’m learning, with each new book that I write, just how important a good, eye catching cover can be. Only time will tell whether I’ve made the right choice second time around with Striker."

The brand new, sexy cover.

You can find all of Michelle's books on Amazon or Kobo.
You can follow her on Twitter @michellebetham and read her blog here.

Getting Steamy With Michelle Betham

Today I welcome to the blog my good friend and fellow Indie writer, Michelle Betham. To quote from Michelle's blog:

"I write books for the beach - pure escapism, total fantasy; mainly sexy, but sometimes humorous, contemporary romance. And sometimes with more than a nod to my northern English roots."

Her latest novel is the first in the 'Striker' trilogy where the world of football is combined with glamour, romance and saucy sex!  Let's get comfy with Michelle and find out a little more about what makes her tick.

  

You tend to write novels on the steamy side.  Do you ever get days where you can write other scenes but the sex just isn't happening?  A 'headache day'!?

Yes! Definitely! In fact, as I’m writing this, I’m having one such day!

I know your husband is very supportive of your writing and helps with all the technical stuff but has he read any of your work and, if so, what does he think?

To my knowledge I don’t think he has read any of my work, even though he has copies of all my books on his computer, so if he wanted to he could read them without me actually knowing. They’re not really his kind of thing, though, which makes me slightly relieved in a way! He does, however, recommend me to his customers. Which is nice.

Where do you see yourself (in your dreams!) in five years time?

I’d like to see me still writing, still enjoying it, and still with lots more ideas and stories left to tell. In my dreams, I’d like to see me on the sofa opposite Lorraine Kelly telling everybody about my latest bestseller that’s just about to be made into a movie… starring Bradley Cooper…  Well, you did say “in your dreams…”

As your Striker trilogy is football related, have you ever had the desire to be a WAG?

God, no! I’d be the world’s worst WAG! I’m useless at shopping, have no desire to have a massive chandelier hanging from my hallway, and I can’t even walk in a pair of heels so I’ve failed before I’ve even begun! I’ll take the extraordinary amount of holidays they seem to go on, though…

I know I’m generalising a bit there, and I’m sure not all WAGs are quite so stereotypical as the high-profile ones we’re used to seeing, but watching ‘Footballers Wives’ really did put me off ever wanting to be one, believe me. I could never marry a footballer. Mind you, I did have a bit of a crush on Gary Lineker when he played for Everton back in the 80s, so I suppose if he’d asked me then I’d have been quite happy to be his WAG. Maybe… not so sure now…

I'm coming to your house for dinner and a gossip.  What will you cook me? 

Oh, now, let me see… I’d probably cook you something like salmon with garlic, chilli and ginger, some noodles and vegetables on the side, and a nice bottle (or two!) of something white and sparkling. I’m no Nigel Slater (I’m far prettier than he is, but his kitchen's nicer than mine!) but I think I could knock up a pretty decent dinner for us. But, if it all went wrong, and I have been known to have disasters in the kitchen, the Chinese take-away down the road is very good.

Money is no object.  What's your ideal day/night out?

Ooh, this is actually quite a hard one. I’ll have to think about this… I know! If money was no object I would love to fly over to Ibiza, hit the old town for the morning, and check out the shops and the market. Then it would be lunch by the beach and an afternoon lying by a poolside somewhere before pre-dinner drinks at Café del Mar watching the sun go down over the Mediterranean – that in particular is something I’ve always wanted to do. It would be the perfect end to a chilled-out day. I’d have to give clubbing a miss, though. Getting way too old for all that!

Tell me a really embarrassing story - one that makes you cringe to this day!

Falling on Simon le Bon. It was back in the early 80s when I was a teenage Duran Duran fan with a massive crush on Mr. le Bon, so when we heard he was coming to the North East for the opening of band mate Andy Taylor’s bar ‘Rios’ in Whitley Bay, we were there! I was front of the barriers (I was a very determined fan!) but when he and the other band members who’d turned up were walking up to the bar’s entrance I was pushed forward and just happened to fall on him, grabbing a handful of his hair in the process! He was very nice about it, and I got a lovely smile from him, but at the time I was mortified! I could have thought of much better ways to get me hands on my-then idol… Every time I see him now I still remember that night, and cringe just a little bit.

If you weren't a writer, what would your dream job be?

An actress. No doubt about it. It’s something I have always wanted to be, but never had the nerve to do. Even when I was on my Performing Arts course I chose to concentrate on working behind the scenes rather than out there on the stage or in front of the cameras because I’m just so shy! Believe it or not… 

Thanks for popping by, Michelle.  It's always good to chat to you - although on the phone we do tend to go on a bit!

'Striker' - Amazon link.

'Striker' - Kobo link.

 

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