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Books · Life · Self-publishing

New Release – Girls and Boys by M B Feeney

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It’s LIVE!!!

 

 

 

Girls and Boys, the 90s based coming of age New Adult novel by M. B. Feeney is now live on Amazon and in KU.

 

Grab your copy now!

 

 

 

 

Jack Robinson and Andy Stone are best friends, navigating their way through life in 90s London with a soundtrack of Britpop. Jack’s in his final year at university and still has no idea about what he wants to do with his life, while Andy’s a mechanic by day, a bit of a man-whore the rest of the time.

Adapting to a new place to live in a big city isn’t easy, especially when girls, alcohol, and hard work get in the way, but having your best friend with you every step of the way makes it that much easier… well, when you’re not ignoring each other.

Filled with laughter and heartache, Jack and Andy’s story is for everyone. A hint of romance, a solid friendship, and plenty of stupid mistakes. But, will they learn from them?

 

Check out the Britpop playlist on Spotify

Facebook Post:
Girls and Boys, the 90s based coming of age New Adult novel by M. B. Feeney is now live on Amazon and in KU.
Only Available on Amazon and KU: http://mybook.to/GirlsandBoys
The Blurb:
Jack Robinson and Andy Stone are best friends, navigating their way through life in 90s London with a soundtrack of Britpop. Jack’s in his final year at university and still has no idea about what he wants to do with his life, while Andy’s a mechanic by day, a bit of a man-whore the rest of the time.
Adapting to a new place to live in a big city isn’t easy, especially when girls, alcohol, and hard work get in the way, but having your best friend with you every step of the way makes it that much easier… well, when you’re not ignoring each other.
Filled with laughter and heartache, Jack and Andy’s story is for everyone. A hint of romance, a solid friendship, and plenty of stupid mistakes. But, will they learn from them?
Check out the Britpop playlist on Spotify: http://spoti.fi/2symLhU

Books · Life · Self-publishing · Uncategorized

Gentle-spirited People

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Gentle people.png

This month’s blog is going to take a quick look at those people who have an inner beauty or gentleness of spirit. It is a rare quality and when you find someone with this trait they should be appreciated and cherished.

Other people will often view these folk as weak and are quick to take advantage of their good nature but the opposite is often the case. They have an underlying inner strength which they are either unaware of or choose not to shout out to the world. They are not boastful and in their gentle, consistent manner they go about their business. Yet when they need to they display strength and courage that should be appreciated and respected, when the chips are down and you need support it is these people who are often the first to offer it. Perceptive people will recognise their qualities but others will try to bulldoze them. I chose this subject today because I have such a character in my book “A Boy from the Streets.”

This journal is the property of Daniel Cortez latterly known as DC. I declare myself to be of sound mind and body, though many on the streets may not concur.-3

Christina is a loving Wife and Mother who allows her dominant husband to have his own way mainly because it is easier to do so, not because she is in fear of him because despite his disposition his bark is worse than his bite. She does it to please the man she loves. The one biggest regret she has is that she didn’t assert herself when her husband makes her choose between twin babies despite her protestations that she can look after both. She has lived with this regret her whole life and when the time comes to make amends twelves years later she shows her assertive side and her strength shines forth. Over the years she makes many more decisions in a more self-assured way which doesn’t deter from her beautiful spirit.

If you want to learn more about Christina you can do so here:

Amazon Link: myBook.to/BoyfromStreets

 

Remember everyone is different and your perception of them is often based on your life experiences which colours your view. As always be nice you don’t know their journey in life.

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Books · Life · Self-publishing · Uncategorized
gibbsdreamLeave a comment

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Each week I will be doing a round up of the week which will be a piece of global news, London news, my own week and what I have been up to as an author. It may be news/information you already know or it may be something you haven’t heard – either way I hope you like these little posts. I look forward to hearing your thoughts and any news you would like to share in return.

World: Online retail giant Amazon is buying Whole Foods in a £10.7bn deal ($13.7bn). Whole Foods has more than 460 stores in the US, Canada and the UK employing 87,000 people.

It would seem that Amazon are taking over the retail industry in the way that supermarkets took over from the local shop.

London: This week has seen the tragic events unfold at the Grenfell Tower in West London. This twenty-four storey tower block burnt down leaving an empty shell, the latest numbers suggest 58 people dead or missing, leaving a community homeless and devastated.

Londoners and people from surroundings communities have come together in an amazing show of unity to provide practical supplies, giving of their time and money. People from across the globe have started raising funds to help those affected. People from all walks of life have come together in support to show what a great community we have when we work together. My heart goes out to everyone affected.

My World: A fairly normal week for me, work, writing and visits to the gym to try to shift the excess weight that has crept up on me and is clinging like an octopus and refusing to leave. Friday night I combined a social visit with my friend Shirley, we’ve been friends since about the age of ten years old, with a visit to her gym, a swim and jacuzzi. Felt very pampered and chilled afterwards, the perfect way to start the weekend. A relaxing day of sunbathing on Saturday combined with some writing, oh and I was also able to pick the first batch of my homegrown spinach. Today, Sunday, is Father’s Day and very shortly I will be meeting my parents and my sister at a local restaurant. So a nice family day to round off my week.

My Word: I haven’t written very much this week as I’ve been focusing my attention on editing. The first novel I wrote is finally approaching the stage where it will be given to my editor.

I started writing it approximately fifteen years ago and it has gone through numerous edits and lost about 80,000 words in an attempt to make it a tighter, readable book. I put it aside for a number of years as I worked on other books, including the three novelettes and one novel that I’ve published already. I also have a backlog of forty something WIPs (Work in Progresses) in various stages of completion. But I digress, and now you can see why I had to purge 80,000 odd words, LOL.
Anyway I have about 2700 more that I need to remove to get it to 80,000 words and then I will hand it over with trepidation to a new editor and hold my breath (not literally of course) until I receive the red-marked pages back.

I have also taken the plunge and set up an email sign up on my website so that I can email out a monthly newsletter. If you would like to hear from me occasionally then please add your details to the pop up and then check your junk mail as they often get sent there.

What can you expect from me by signing up? 

I’ll keep you informed of any new releases from me, some you might like/love and others you won’t as I can’t stick to writing in one genre, I write anything that is in my head and needs to be released. A sometimes scary prospect. 🙂

Giveaway: Once a month I am planning on doing an author slot from the Indie authors I love which will include one free kindle copy of one of their books going to one of my readers who will be picked at random. More details to follow.

Little snippets of information that I think you might find interesting – forgive me if I get that wrong sometimes – please let me know what you like and what you don’t like and what you’d like to see more of.

As this is new to me it will grow organically and hopefully you will look forward to finding my newsletters once a month in your inbox.

Maria x
Books · Life · Self-publishing · Uncategorized

Jealousy & Envy

gibbsdream4 Comments

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I had decided on this blog thinking I was writing about jealousy only with envy being a synonym but after doing some research I discovered something I hadn’t known which is that jealousy and envy are considered to  be different.

Dictionary definitions:

Jealousy: feeling or showing an envious resentment of someone or their achievements, possessions, or perceived advantages.

Envy: a feeling of discontented or resentful longing aroused by someone else’s possessions, qualities, or luck.

The dictionary would suggest that both these emotions are the same but some psychologists differentiate between the two emotions:

Jealousy is relationship based and involves a third person. It’s an emotion that makes a person fear for their relationship with another – partner, parent, friend etc… The person sees a threat to their relationship which could be real or perceived.

Example: Your husband has a female friend and you see that friendship in a different light. It could be a simply platonic relationship but it could also be an affair which threatens the fabric of your marriage. Jealously has its roots firmly in both the logical and illogical camps.

Jealousy can be healthy, in that it produces that fear which makes you work at protecting your relationship but equally it can be a destructive force eating away at you from the inside and ruining your relationship.
Finding the right balance is the key.

Envy however is an emotion that is caused between two people only.

Example: You are envious of what your friend has, possessions or life.

Again this emotion can be put to good or bad use. If you use this to better yourself and achieve the goals you have then this has been for the force of good, however if you allow this envy to fester you can become dissatisfied with your lot in life and your friendship will suffer as you become resentful.
Finding the right balance is again key.

I try to avoid the extremes of both of these emotions as they can be so destructive, you should allow them to drive you not to overwhelm you.

I chose this as a subject matter as some of the characters in my books show these emotions which makes for great reading.  I have three examples from two of my books – please read on:

A Lifetime or a Season

Amazon link: http://mybook.to/A-lifetime

Diana

Diana is envious of her young daughter Athena, who is pretty and has her whole life ahead of her. Diana is a beautiful, superficial, selfish woman who has men flocking around her and has no shortage of admirers but she knows that the passage of time is upon her so she callously puts down and undermines her daughter so that Athena sees herself as plain. Diana tries to stamp out Athena’s spark of independence wanting her daughter to fawn over her rather than live her own life.

Check out Athena’s short story to see whether Diana was successful or not.

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A Boy from the Streets has two examples of jealousy.

Amazon Link: myBook.to/BoyfromStreets

Teo

Teo is a lovely, loyal man who is eaten up with jealousy. He is devoted to his friend Leandro but Leandro has a closer bond with Daniel. Even years of separation doesn’t dim this friendship but as the year go by Teo’s jealousy develops to the point where he places himself and others in danger. Will his jealousy lead him to commit the ultimate betrayal?

STOPTHINKIT MAY NOT BEAS YOU THINK-8

Pedro

Pedro is a young boy who is abandoned to the streets of Brasil at the age of one year. His life is harrowing and filled with the horrors that life on the streets brings including being used by the corrupt police force who should be there to protect him.

At the age of twelve he discovers that he has a twin, Jose was adopted into a life of luxury.

Pedro experiences both jealousy and envy during the coming months but despite his life and the trials and tribulations he stays grounded. His own caring nature allows him to rise above these emotions – but when he is pushed to the ultimate level will he be able to keep his head or will it overwhelm him?

 

STOPTHINKIT MAY NOT BEAS YOU THINK-7

If you want to discover how any of my characters cope with these emotions and what the future holds for them you can find out by clicking the links and reading their stories.

I look forward to hearing back from you.

 

Books · Life · Self-publishing

Support needed for this baby whose mum has cancer

gibbsdream2 Comments

This is a post requesting help but its not asking for a donation for a random stranger with no returns. This is an author asking you to buy his book in order that the proceeds go to fund the cancer treatment that his friend needs.

I’ve bought my copy, hope you do too. Let us see if we as a community can ensure this little baby gets to keep him mum.

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This post has been taken from a group I’m in on Facebook by Mark Dawson

Emma Johns is the wife of my son’s godfather and has been battling with breast cancer for five years. In the middle of her gruelling treatment she found out that she was pregnant (the chemotherapy was supposed to make her infertile but, to her surprise, it didn’t).

And then, in December, she gave birth to her own little miracle: baby Phoenix.

Emma’s condition is worsening but there is hope: a trial immunotherapy drug called Pembrolizumab has shown amazing results for women with incurable triple negative breast cancer (like her). But, due to her pregnancy, Emma missed out on being eligible for the only trial available for this drug. Her best option now is to pay for it privately for the eye-watering sum of £40,000.

I’ve written a short story in my John Milton and Beatrix Rose universe – called PHOENIX – and I will be giving all of the proceeds to her and her family. The book is available for preorder right now. For every $2.99 purchase of Phoenix, Emma and her family will receive $2. That might not sound like a lot, but you are one of 65,000 authors on the SPF mailing list.

If even a quarter of the list buys the book, we could fund Emma’s treatment for a whole year.

PHOENIX is available for preorder at the links below.

And if you think your readers might like it, a share to your mailing list or social media page would be even more amazing. If you are able to send a message to your readers, please forward a copy to mark@selfpublishingformula.com.

We’ll pick one at random to receive both our 101 and Ads for Authors courses (worth more than $1000).

Amazon: myBook.to/BeatrixPhoenix
Apple: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/gb/book/phoenix/id1232396011…
Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/phoenix-70
Google: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=X8vKDgAAQBAJ
Nook: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/phoenix-mark-da…/1126333708…

Books · Life · Self-publishing

Price Increase

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I have decided to increase the kindle price for all my novelettes this weekend from £0.99/$0.99 to £1.99/£$1.99

If you’ve been meaning to pick up a copy and haven’t done so yet then you have the chance to do so before the increase.
The reason I have decided to do this is two-fold.
One is financial, I get very few sales on these and when I do I net a whopping £0.29 per sale and at this rate what I’ve paid for covers and editing has not been recouped, a situation that I know is shared by many fellow authors.
My first novelette As Dreams are Made on has sold 112 kindle copies and 28 print copies in the two years and four months since its release and I still have £29.86 to go to break even. At the rate of £0.29 per sale it will take at least another 100 sales for this to happen. By increasing the price to £1.99/$1.99 I get £0.58 per sale.
The other books:
A Lifetime or a Season, with 36 kindle and 15 print sales in 2 years and 2 months is in the red to the tune of £57.25
The Storm Creature, with 75 kindle and 24 print sales in just over a year needs £26.09 to break even.
The other reason is that while I thought £0.99/$0.99 was a figure that people would be happy to pay for an hour of entertainment/pleasure it would seem that I was wrong. So now I am going to experiment with the idea that people are happier to pay a higher price as they believe that cheap price equals low quality.
I will do a follow up on this in a few months to see whether I was able to attract more readers with the increased price point.
 
UK Amazon account: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maria-Gibbs/e/B00SDDJV1U/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0
 

My new novel will stay the same price which is £2.99 so far since its release a month ago I have sold 47 kindle and 16 print copies. The edit costs for this were significantly higher due to it being a much bigger book but I have approximately £120.00 to go before I break even on this one.

I am bursting at the seams with ideas for books to write and the only thing that stops me is sufficient time and money to pay the initial outlay. This has been my lifelong dream to become an author and I am determined to try anything that I can in order to achieve this at a level where I can support myself from my writing.

Will update anyone who is interested in my progress in a few months.

Books · Life · Self-publishing · Uncategorized

My Review of ‘An Accidental Murder: A Yellow Cottage Murder, Book One by J. New

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yellow

http://amzn.to/2lC2a9c 

This is the first book I have read by this author and found her writing although not my usual type of read to be very much to my taste. The flow of the book was evenly paced and the characters were well written and clearly defined. I have to say the book didn’t hold many surprises in the outcome but strangely that didn’t deter from my enjoyment in the slightest.
The cover is perfect for the story.
I look forward to reading the next book in Ella’s journey which luckily for me is already on my kindle.
West Midlands Attending Author: Scarlett Flame
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West Midlands Attending Author: Scarlett Flame

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1. Can we start with your name and where you’re from?
  I am the author Scarlett Flame and I am from Manchester, in the UK.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?         I love to read, especially Sci-Fi, paranormal romance, steampunk (of course!), thrillers. To be honest I love an eclectic selection of genre. Two of my favourites are Dean Koontz and Anne Rice.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?
 I write in a variety of genre. I mainly write erotica though. With main themes being BDSM, bondage, Dom/sub. I also have a Steampunk book that has elements of ménage, werewolves, dragons, magicians and any number of magical creatures featuring. I have two WIP’s at the moment and one has a Dominant, that is also a vampire featured and the other is once again a D/s but with MMF erotic scenes in it. These two new books are due to be published in Spring 2017.

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?
I think it would have to be the Vampire Lestat. Loved these books by Anne Rice and would love them to be my creation.

5.When did you first start writing?
I began writing in 2012, secretly.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?
I do a combination of the two really but, I always write the first draft longhand. The words just seem to flow better. I write words I want to use in the margins and go back through and edit before typing the draft up. I do use a timeline and storyboards too. In order to make sure that the work has a proper timeline.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)
My favourite character in my own books is one I am currently writing and it is Ellie, she is the main female in my upcoming book “A Gothic Romance: Vampires of Whitby Book 1”

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?
Hmmm now then a LOT of the scenes in my book relate to people, events and situations I have been in myself. But I would be telling tales out of school if I told you which ones.

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?      I am currently about ¾ of the way through two very different books. One has no title and the other is the book about the Whitby vampires.

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?
Get your media presence in place early, and establish yourself. Do your homework too and double check your work and get a good editor.

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?
I have six children, all boys, and five grandkids. I am also a committee member at the local mining museum, which is where my own book signing events take place in Manchester. I am also involved in several local projects, so never a spare moment just now

12.What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?
Finding the time to both write, edit, format, and then advertise your books. I am currently looking for a PA to help me out on that score to be perfectly honest.

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?
That people refer to erotic writing as porn. It is quite different. The use of words for example. You can write erotica and still be a wordsmith. People also assume you are sat in stockings and suspenders when you write. Which makes me laugh as quite often it is pj’s, dressing gown and slipper and of course the ubiquitous glass of red wine.

14.What is your idea of happiness?
To be loved, and to love. To be able to curl up, and read in peace with a nice cup of tea, to being with family and friends for a meal and a good natter. Or, maybe curled up with the one you love. All of the above, really.

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.
My ideal setting is sat on the settee, quietly, with no disturbance. Phone off, cuppa tea and some gingernuts to munch on.

16. What makes you laugh/cry?
Watching my children and grandchildren perform in school plays and the like. Kindness also makes me cry. I have cried when I shouldn’t really. I was a children’s nurse and I remember crying assisting to lay out a young man who has died when a student nurse. I got told by the nurse I was working alongside, that if that doesn’t move you to cry, leave the profession. Empathy is a huge part of nursing

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.
Oh, put me on the spot then as I have 6 kids and love them all to the stars and back!  But, if it was purely sexual hmmm. A handsome Dom would have to among them. Or maybe three gorgeous Doms that all wanted to take care of me.

18.What is your most annoying habit?
I procrastinate – a LOT!

19.Please tell me about your books? For each one please send a pic (kindle cover would be perfect)
This is some blurb about A Valentine’s Bind: Manchester Dominants and submissives Book

Winner in the #erotica category of Top 50 self-published

books of 2016 and 5th overall

Nominee in the erotica category Summer Indie Books 2016

 

Go on treat yourself it is a BARGAIN

 

and #FREE to read on KU too

 

★*´¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)

(¸.• ** #FREE to read with #KindleUnlimited

99c US 99p UK

Available in paperback

 

When University student Nicky Johnson decides to make an impromptu visit to a #BDSM club with friends she get more than she bargained for.

The alcohol fuelled evening finds her asleep on her sofa the next day, suffering from memory loss.

But who brought her home?

#Dominant Dariel Pearson shows her that #spanking and submission can be empowering.

Will this be a life changing experience for Nicky?

This New Adult contemporary romance is a steamy, sexy tale of love, dominance and #submission.    This is The Prophecy Unfolds: Dragon Queen book 1    ★*´¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)
(¸.• *#‎FREE‬ to read with Kindle Unlimited

#Steampunk #Werewolves #Dragons #Magicians

#ParanormalRomance #Erotica

#Shifter #Ménage

 

Life is not measured by the breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away – Anon.

 

For Alex, this was supposed to be a fresh start.

New job, new part of the country.

But she got much more than she bargained for.

As she travelled through the Snowdonian National park, with its remote villages and Wales’ highest mountains, she stops to eat a bite to eat.

There she is kidnapped by three strangers, and transported to the Dystopian, Steampunk world of Syros.

A world of dragons, magic and werewolves.

Where science fiction meets science fact.

This is only the beginning of an epic urban fantasy, and the fulfilment of a prophecy over 200 years old.

Will she survive on a planet where three factions battle for dominance?

 

Book One of the series Dragon Queen   Finally Bound for Passion: Erotic Love Stories. My debut book       

★*´¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨)¸.•´¸.•*´¨) ¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨)

(¸.• ** #FREE to read with #KindleUnlimited

Amazon Bestseller in #Paranormal Erotica

Available in paperback

#Ménage #ParanormalRomance #Erotica #BDSM

 

Newly updated and edited

 

When Vivienne sits inconsolable in the hospital chapel, the last encounter she expects is a fervent entanglement with an otherworldly being, as passions increase she learns for the first time in her life the true meaning of out of this world. In the second, Sarah meets a new lover after telling him all her intimate fantasies in an internet chat room. And, the final story concerns the journey a young woman takes, as a Dominant offers to show her the ropes, in exchange for her submission via BDSM. Individually these stories are hot, but together they are sizzling

 

 Remember to Turn up the AC!, June 4, 2016

By 

1DreamReader

Verified Purchase(What’s this?)

This review is from: Bound for Passion: Erotic Love Stories (Kindle Edition)

I have not read a lot of Erotica but enough to say that this Novella was enough to turn the heat up.
The first short story was a full-on excitement as a young women anticipates meeting her cyber lover in the flesh to live out her fantasy. Just the prelude to the meeting was a poetic foreplay of words. Let me tell you, I felt the heated anticipation with her every step of the way, as the author does not skimp on the juicy details. All three of the stories were well written and had good character descriptions. If you are looking to spice up your love life, then this book is a must for you!
Remember to turn up the AC!

Lightning round
Tea or Coffee?                Tea (I am intolerant of coffee)
Cash or credit?                Cash
Cats or Dogs?                   Dogs
Beach or Mountain?           Mountains
Summer or Winter             Winter
Sweet or Savoury                    Savoury
Early riser or late riser?            Early riser
Morning or Night?             Night
Christmas Tree – real or fake?       real
Sex – Lights on or off?      Lights on

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
Please leave Facebook, Twitter, Website links so we can check you out further.

Books · Life · Self-publishing · Uncategorized

West Midlands Attending Author Interview: Catherine Green

gibbsdream2 Comments

 

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1. Can we start with your name and where you’re from?

My name is Catherine Green, aka SpookyMrsGreen: The Pagan Housewife, and I am from Cheshire, UK. Originally, I come from the Staffordshire Moorlands.

2. Most authors love reading, is this true for you and if so who was/is your inspiration?

Of course I love reading, always have done! My early inspiration came from authors including Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. As I grew older I discovered Judy Blume, LJ Smith and Anne Rice. More recently my inspiration comes from Laurell K. Hamilton and her Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter series.

3. What genre do you write in or do you cross over into many?

I write paranormal romance and contemporary English Gothic. My stories are primarily romance and stories about what happens when you fall in love, but my characters usually turn out to be supernatural or magical in some way. It just happens! I do have some humans in the stories as well…

4. If you could take any character from someone else’s book and make him/her your own creation who would it be and why?

I wouldn’t like to take on another author’s character, but I do admire Anita Blake from the author Laurell K. Hamilton. She is a heroine, but she has many flaws, and these are explored and even worked on throughout the series, which I think is important. I don’t like my book characters to be perfect, it gets boring that way!

5. When did you first start writing?

I have been writing since the first time I learned to form words. As a child I would copy out pages of prose from my favourite story books simply because I loved the act of writing, and the way my writing flowed across the page. As I grew older I wrote diaries (journals), and eventually I began to dabble in short stories and poems. My novel writing only began about eight years ago.

6. Do you plan every inch of your books or do you just let the words flow?

Oh no, I’m too impatient for that! I tried planning my first novel, Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel), and I still occasionally refer to my character notes and location details if I get confused with my current manuscript. But I am what we refer to as a “pantser” – I write by the seat of my pants, typing away furiously and seeing what happens. Then I tidy up the writing later.

7. Who is your favourite character and why? (your own character)

Hmm, that’s a tricky one because I love them all! Alright, I do secretly have a favourite: Marcus Scott. He appears in my very first novel, Love Hurts, and he was only supposed to be a minor support character. He is a vampire, friends with the Mason brothers, and he develops a fixation with my heroine, Jessica Stone (read the books to find out why!). Marcus Scott became very insistent while I was writing the first three Redcliffe novels, and eventually I gave in and wrote his story, which was published as The Darkness of Love. He became a vampire during the late 1800s, on the whim of his Lord and Master on an English country estate.

8. Was there an event in your life that triggered a particular book, or even a scene in a book? If so what was the book and what was the event?

My books are really a collection of memories and experiences with added supernatural twists. The main theme throughout all my stories is the entity of being in love, and what it means to love another person. I have a very passionate relationship with my husband and we have been together since we were teenagers. A lot of our personal drama has appeared in my novels in some guise or other, along with themes I have observed from my peers.

9. Are you working on anything at the moment? If so can you share any tasty morsels?

Oh yes, lots of things! Let me see… Well primarily I am working on the final three books in the Redcliffe novels series. Jessica Stone has transitioned fully into the person she was supposed to be, and now she and her spirit animal are learning their place in the Redcliffe werewolf pack.

In other news, I am working on a series of novels set in and around the North West of England featuring vampire hunters and their adventures. One is about a vampire hunter who lives on a narrowboat and takes on a hit that unravels some very deep, very dark and very surprising secrets about herself and her occasional work partner. If angels and demons are your thing, you might like to read this one…

I have a first draft of a novel about a retired vampire hunter who is married with young children when she is persuaded to return to her old job for one last target – the female vampire that almost killed her ten years previously. She must hide her previous identity from her husband in order to protect her family, but of course it never works out that way, does it?

And then we have Hunting the Hunted. This is almost ready for publication, and might even lend itself to a sequel, I haven’t decided yet. This one follows the story of a vampire called Frederick James who haunts the old tunnels beneath Manchester city centre. He is targeted by a group of hunters, but they struggle to capture him when he meets a witch who entraps him in a love affair before revealing the true nature of his intentions. This novel has strong homosexual themes and is a bit more experimental for me as a writer. I like it!

10. What one piece of advice would you give to someone starting out?

Always be positive. When you feel the urge to write, just do it, and don’t worry about the consequences. If you decide to share your work with the world then fabulous, but be prepared for a long and arduous journey on your quest for fame and fortune. Ultimately, we write because we have to. It is in our nature.

11. What do you do when you’re not writing?

Mostly I wrangle children! I have two daughters, one aged 6 and one aged 3, so they keep me busy. We also have a big soft dog and two pet turtles. When I’m not desperately trying to tidy my messy house, I like to indulge in hobby crafts, mainly card making. My current obsession is craft stamps, but I also enjoy decoupage. I am also a Tarot reader, and am doing a Tarot reading every day for my #365DaysofTarot challenge. I plan to compile a non-fiction book with the results when it is finished.

12. What is the hardest part of the whole writing, editing, marketing process for you?

Definitely marketing. It is such a complicated, huge and confusing task. Where do we start? Who do we advertise to? How do we advertise to them? I am still exploring this one, so I will get back to you with an answer eventually (I hope!)

13. We all have those friends or family members who make sweeping statements about our writing or the process, which is your particular bug bear?

I don’t really have a bug bear because truthfully my friends and family don’t discuss my writing all that much. We are often too busy being consumed by the demands of the children and whatever domestic crisis is taking centre stage. I sort of get on with it quietly in the background.

14. What is your idea of happiness?

Happiness to me is an equal partnership between myself and my husband, where our parental duties are shared and I am free to work on my craft without hurrying or having to stop for mealtimes and bedtime routines etc. You’ve probably guessed that I am still struggling to achieve that balance!

15. For this one I want you to showcase your creativity by painting me a picture, with words, of your ideal setting to write in.

My personal library is a room at the back of my house. It is average size, square, with French doors opening out onto a picturesque garden where colourful flowers bloom in the borders, and my children play happily on the lawn. I have a Victorian antique desk to the left of the French doors, on which sits my laptop, notebooks, printer and coffee mug. Two of the walls are lined with floor to ceiling bookshelves, and in front of the Victorian fireplace sits a small, velvet sofa on which I can rest and read when I need a break. The polished floorboards are covered with a soft rug, and the colour scheme is a mixture of muted purples and greens.

How does that sound?

Lovely (me)

16. What makes you laugh/cry?

My children, my husband and my dog mostly.

17. You’re stranded on a desert island and you can take three men/women who would they be and why? This can be practical or purely sexual in nature.

Ooh, I haven’t thought about that! I might say I will just take my husband for now, because at least then I would get some quality time with him.

18. What is your most annoying habit?

Impatience! I cannot wait for things to happen, I always try and hurry them along. It doesn’t always work, and I am trying to calm down a bit and let things happen naturally.

19. Please tell me about your books?

Love Hurts (A Redcliffe Novel) is about a young woman who runs a bookshop in Cornwall with her best friend. She falls in love with a local police detective and later discovers that he is a vampire, and that his identical twin brother is a werewolf. She is dragged into their complicated and dangerous lives, to her detriment, where secrets are told and lives are lost…

Love Kills (A Redcliffe Novel) is book 2 in the developing Redcliffe series. In the quiet Cornish seaside town of Redcliffe, Jessica Stone recovers from an horrific werewolf attack and comes to terms with revelations that her lover, Jack Mason, is a vampire, his brother, Danny, the werewolf pack leader, and her best friend, Simon, is a werewolf.  Add to that her discovery that she is a witch, and life is suddenly a whole lot harder than it used to be. Jessica has to fight for her own life and Jack’s when faced with his jealous vampire master who wants her old lover back. But things are never easy, and a vampire master is not so easy to defeat…

Love Redeems (A Redcliffe Novel) – Life has changed forever in Redcliffe, Cornwall. Jessica Stone used to be a normal, happy human. Now she is an angry, conflicted and confused witch. It all happened when she met Detective Jack Mason and his identical twin brother Danny. Jessica almost died twice, fell into a love triangle, and she became a murderer. Now she faces the ultimate challenge as she continues the fight to save the man she loves, while simultaneously struggling with her lust for his werewolf brother and their vampire friend. Can she survive, or will love finally end her life completely?

The Darkness of Love – Lord Gregory Stockton is a powerful and respected businessman embracing the modern era of the Victorian industrial revolution. He has a grand and beautiful manor house complete with a repertoire of servants, and his young wife is charming, attractive, and the perfect lady to his gentleman. The only thing they lack is an heir to the family estate. Lord Gregory knows he can never produce a child, for he is a vampire, although his wife and servants know nothing of his secrets. There are other ways to provide heirs for his estate, however, and Lord Gregory has noticed the romantic attraction between his wife and the young stable hand Marcus Scott. He hatches a plan to bring the would-be lovers together, and then cruelly tear them apart as he continues to build his empire and secure his power base in the south of England. The humans are pawns in the vampire’s game of lust, love and control.

The Vampire of Blackpool – The vampire, the witch, and the hunter battle it out in a contemporary Gothic adventure in Northern England.

Meredith Hanson lives in Blackpool, the former Victorian holiday hotspot of Northern England. She masquerades as a reclusive author, feeding on the blood of unsuspecting tourists without remorse. Her life takes on new meaning when she meets a young witch in a local pub one evening. Despite Meredith’s cold demeanour, she finds herself oddly fascinated with Samantha Morris, and falls into an accidental relationship with the girl. It is at this time that a vampire hunter arrives in Blackpool. He is tough, he is determined, and his next target is an ancient vampire that has been spotted in the tourist town. He intends to bring her down and destroy her to save the lives of innocent humans.

Will he succeed? Or will the experienced vampire seductress be the cause of his undoing?

My Vampire Boyfriend: A Redcliffe Short Story Anthology – The pretty seaside town of Redcliffe in Cornwall is a popular location for holidaymakers during the summer season. It has good waves for surfing, good pubs for socialising, and a vibrant tourist industry. It is also home to a hidden werewolf pack, and several vampires and witches, who all live within human society, pretending to be just like the rest of us.

Bookshop owner Jessica Stone used to be one of those humans. Then she met Detective Jack Mason and his twin brother, Danny. They took her on a wild adventure that shows no sign of slowing down. Now she is deeply embedded with the vampires and werewolves, and learning the power of their lust, and a magnetic attraction that is just too hard to ignore. She is also learning about her own true heritage, and how to feed her desires and satisfy her powerful animal familiar that resides within.

This anthology contains adult themes, and scenes of a sexual nature.
20. Lightning round
Tea or Coffee? – Coffee
Cash or credit? – Cash
Cats or Dogs? – Dogs
Beach or Mountain? – Beach
Summer or Winter – Spring!
Sweet or Savoury – Sweet
Early riser or late riser? – Late riser
Morning or Night? – Night
Christmas Tree – real or fake? – Fake
Sex – Lights on or off? – Lights on!

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer these questions.
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Author of British paranormal romance series The Redcliffe Novels, Catherine Green was raised on books from a young age, and has happy memories of Saturday mornings spent in her small local library, devouring the contents of the shelves. Catherine has always been fascinated by the supernatural world, and it feels natural for her to write about vampires, werewolves, witches and other mystical creatures in her contemporary stories.

If you sign up to Catherine’s newsletter, she will send you a free copy of her Redcliffe short story, It’s Complicated, to introduce you to her fictional supernatural seaside town in Cornwall, England.

 

More recently, Catherine released her contemporary English Gothic novel, The Vampire of Blackpool. These novels will show you the darker, sexier side of our favourite British seaside resorts!

 

You can find Catherine in the following places:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SpookyMrsGreen

Author blog: http://www.catherinegreenauthor.blogspot.co.uk/

Twitter page: https://twitter.com/SpookyMrsGreen

The Pagan Housewife Blog: http://spookymrsgreen.com/