Monday 31 October 2011

The Famous Five Plus......!





Today you will find me over at the launch party of the Famous Five Plus, stroll over to find out what is going on, I believe bubbly is being served! See you there.









The Fabby Balloon picture came from:
http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/Other_Holidays_and_E_g321-Alcoholic_Bottle_With_Bubbles_p51933.html

Saturday 29 October 2011

Fall Back It's Change the Clocks!

It's that horrible time of the year when we have to turn the clocks back one hour and that happens tonight! I don't know about you, but I hate having to do this.....! So let's instead think about positive things, perhaps a holiday in a luxury villa, the sound of corks popping from champagne bottles, a sparkling swimming pool, hot sunshine and a blue cloudless sky......now that sounds fabby! But you don't have to dream because Sometimes It Happens... can transport your to this luxury paradise to meet some amazing and unforgettable peeps and all via your Kindle..... get those shades on and I'll see you at the side of the pool!

Download from Amazon.co.uk £1.72
or
Amazon.com $3.25

P.S. Don't forget to change your clocks back one hour!

Thursday 27 October 2011

More Fab Reads!

As part of my year of reading books by new authors, some of them Indie authors, here is my update on what I've recently enjoyed on my Kindle..... everyone a fab read!



The Silver Locket by Margaret James, I loved this book and I am now reading the sequel, The Golden Chain


Watching Willow Watts by Talli Roland, if you enjoy YA you will love this book with a wonderful "I got ya back" feeling!


1923: A Memoir by Harry Leslie Smith, this is a true story set in the north of the UK during the great depression of the 1920s and through to the end of the Second World War. A beautiful book.



Widow's Tale by Maureen Miller, having thoroughly enjoyed Maureen's Endless Night, this book did not disappoint, a great read.



Craving Perfect by Liz Fichera, if you have watched the film, Sliding Doors, you will love this book.



Meant to Be by Butler Warhaftig, a mid life crisis for Judith McCoy or is it? A great funny and sunny read.

So what are you reading now?

Oh yes, please don't forget I can personally sign, with love, any or all of my books on Kindle via Kindle Graph!

Monday 24 October 2011

The Biggest Shop Window!

Before I launch into my idea of the biggest shop window on the planet, I would like to share with you those precious moments when I can think and work out new concepts. Every morning at first light we take our two little doggies for a long walk along the seafront. It is the most beautiful part of the day and few people are about as we make our way along the long wide pathway watching the sunrise brighten our island. The dogs run along sniffing at odours that only they can detect, OH and I chatter to each other and some mornings we just enjoy the peacefulness of the hour. It was on one of these morning that I thought about how to create more awareness of not only my three published books, but other published books too and here they are.
One: I would like to offer authors an opportunity to have their book cover on my Blog for one month in return they have one of my book covers on their Blog for the same period. No cost for either parties, but a little more exposure for each author.

To give you an idea of how it will work, take a peek at the top of my side panel. The very first thing you will see is this months sponsors, this is a free test to show you what it will look like.
Also at the change over of book covers, I will do a new Blog about the authors and adding a link to their Blog or web site

Two: 1st sentence. I trialed this with earlier Blogs and have now added this special feature to my side bar. So if you would like to feature there and also add this feature to your Blog, we can talk. So please take a peek and see what you think.

If we can work together to help each other widen the net of awareness of our books, we can all look to sell more copies of our beautiful stories.

If you are interested please leave a message in the comment box or visit my web home page for my contact address and email me.

Let us work together to make our shop window the biggest on the planet!

Friday 21 October 2011

And The Winners Are......

A big thank you to everyone who visited my Blog and left a comment to win a Kindle copy of Magnolia House, signed with love via Kindle Graph and the winners are.......drum roll please, party poppers at the ready.... whoa big shout cheers!

Lesley Holdway
Debs Carr

The winners will be receiving their Amazon voucher so they can download Magnolia House to their Kindle, then snuggle down and find out why Jane Leonard had to sell her home. Warning: tissues required.

Once again thank you to everyone and I hope you will still want to read Magnolia House which has 12 five star reviews and is available in paperback and Kindle and I can always sign a copy with love via Kindle Graph for you!

Wednesday 19 October 2011

Magnolia House Give Away!!!

With the republishing of my first novel Magnolia House after being professional edited by the gifted Jo Field, and now resplendent with its beautiful new cover, by Avalon Graphics, I am giving two Kindle copies away! But before I go into all the fabby detail, here is the first sentence.... Take it away Helen!


Jesamiah Acorne, four and twenty years old, Captain of the Sea Witch, sat with his hands cradled around an almost empty tankard of rum, staring blankly at the drips of candle-wax that had hardened into intricate patterns down the sides of the green glass bottle  Bring It Close by Helen Hollick

 
 
When Jane Leonard gave half of her house to her only son, little did she realise that within twelve months, she would be forced to sell the home she had lived in for nearly five decades.

The choice for this action was not hers, but the events that led up to her handing over fifty percent of Magnolia House paled by comparison to what happened after the ink had dried on the documents that named the new owners.

As Magnolia House is put on the market for sale, love and betrayal, hopes and dreams and ultimately family loyalty will affect the lives of all of those who become involved.

If you would like the chance to win a Kindle copy, with a personal message, with love of course, from moi via Kindle Graph, then leave a comment telling me why and adding I want it!

Monday 17 October 2011

My Fabby Guest is Talli Roland!

My lovely guest sitting around my pool this week, is the one and only Miss Talli Roland. As you know Talli has 2 books published and is about to launch her 3rd book, herself..... but before I say more, here is the first sentence.


 

Dylan didn’t believe in spirits, vampires or zombies, but if the undead were stalking the planet, they couldn’t feel any worse than he did right now.
Dead Silent by Shirley Wells






 
Now before we get going, who is going to control the pouring of the wine.... laugh!

"Controlling? Moi? Why, Yes!

 Who doesn’t like a little bit of control? There’s nothing more heady than having the power to make your own choices; steer your destiny. Many writers I know (myself included) are Type A personalities. And that’s what makes the publishing industry so difficult to handle. So much is out of the author’s control – the editor you’re assigned, the cover design, the amount of sales and marketing your book receives. And that’s just if you’ve made it to the publishing stage! Let’s not forget the query-go-round, being on submission, the endless waiting . . . it’s all enough to drive a writer to drink (more).
So, when I decided to self-publish my next novel, Build a Man, I felt like a massive weight had been lifted off my shoulders. Now I had control of my novel’s destiny – well, as much control as one can have when it comes to selling to the public. I could hire an editor I respected, ensure it had the cover I wanted, and use my skills to promote the book to the best of my ability. Not only that, but if I self-publish in the future, I can control my timeline and output. If I want to release three novels a year, the only thing stopping me is me.

 The control freak inside couldn’t be happier! Is striking out on my own after having two novels traditionally published a risk? Sure, but any new venture in business is risky, and I’m confident I have the skills and knowledge now to create a quality product. That doesn’t mean I’m doing everything alone – just like my previous novels, I’ve had a bevy of beta readers, an editor, a cover designer . . . it’s still a collaborative effort, but it’s one that I’m directing.

I’m excited about holding my future in my hands. It’s a brave new world out there for authors, and I can’t wait to get started!"


Talli Roland has three loves in her life: chick lit, coffee and wine. Born and raised in Canada, Talli now lives in London, where she savours the great cultural life (coffee and wine). Despite training as a journalist, Talli soon found she preferred making up her own stories – complete with happy endings. Her first novel, The Hating Game, was an Amazon UK best-seller and was shortlisted for Best Romantic Read at the UK’s Festival of Romance awards.






Talli has just released her second novel, Watching Willow Watts. Her next novel, Build a Man, will be out in December. Talli blogs here and can be found on Twitter here.



Thursday 13 October 2011

You Can Now Download my Sunshine!

I am always harping on about how fabby the weather is down here on our little pebble in the ocean, and it nearly always is, so I want to share a little bit of it with you, but before I tell you how I intend to do this, here is the first sentence.... !

  


"You’re hiding from me, Margaret."
ENDLESS NIGHT by Maureen Miller









Our winters are normally still pretty hot / warm. We can expect daytime temperatures, in December and January to be around 23c. Remember that is in the shade... phew! The sun is still pretty fierce despite the time of year, but as we are only around 70 miles off the Moroccan coast we are semi tropical!

My third book, Sometimes It Happens... is set in a tropical location and the book cover reflects this with its totally blue sky and inviting ocean. How I love that sky! And that is how the sky looks down here most of the time.... honestly!

So I'm thinking how can I share my little piece of sunshine paradise with you and voila! I came up with an idea. So instead of looking up at your grey cloudy sky, you can feast your gaze on a beautiful sunny day!

The amazing Cathy Helms from Avalon Graphics has designed me two fabby screen savers. Just look at these. You can not help but feel uplifted.





So here is the deal, if you would like one or both, just let me know. Yep there are free!

Tell your family and friends and they too can have a copy..... tell the world, let us share this fabby sunny scene and make everyone's winter just a tad warmer, bubbling over with sunshine.

So put on your sunglasses and let's all enjoy sunny days!

Tuesday 11 October 2011

Personally Signed with love!

Yesterday afternoon I spent time sorting out how to sign my Kindle books personally and I've done it! But before I grab pen to sign, let me give you the 1st sentence and then I can scribble away!

Sometimes Jake wondered if the screaming would ever stop, it hit him every time he ran on stage, like a physical assault on his senses. From Forbidden Love by Gilly Fraser




         You've probably heard that there is now Kindlegraph and through this, readers can request a personally signed message from the author, in this case moi!

It is so simple, the reader simply clicks on to your Kindlgraph link or goes to http://kindlegraph.com/ and searches for the author (s) they want to request a signature from. As an author, I send back a signed message.

So if you have a copy of one or more of my books, or are thinking about dowloading a copy, then please let me sign it for you.... with love!




Looking forward to seeing your request and opening my fountain pen and writing.....!

Monday 10 October 2011

My Guest, a Truly Positive Lady, Sue Johnson

As another week begins, the hot weather continues down here, today we can expect 30c in the shade, so my guest, this week sitting around my pool is going to fry! So before I introduce her, here is the first sentence!


''The roller coaster of life was gathering speed and I was getting itchy feet'' Chapter 1, Astral Travelling, The Avatar and Me by Richard Holmes

 
 
 
 
 
Now please welcome to my pool terrace the lovely Sue Johnson, a wonderful lady who puts the positive into positive ! Sue's first none fiction book, Creative Alchemy was published last week in a blaze of publicity. Despite it being a hectic time, Sue, still found time to lounge around my pool and tell me all about her writing. Go on Sue, finish your champas and then take it away.....
 
Thanks Pauline, it's nice to sit here in the hot sunshine and chill for a moment or two. August 2011 saw the launch of my first novel ‘Fable’s Fortune,’ published by Indigo Dreams Publishing. www.indigodreamsbookshop.com I am currently awaiting Indigo’s decision on novel number two!
 

Last week was launch day for my non-fiction book Creative Alchemy: 12 steps from inspiration to finished novel. My inspiration for writing this was because I read somewhere that for every 100 novels that are started only one is completed. Many prospective writers are deterred by destructive comments (often from friends and family) and negative messages from the past.

Since 2001, I have been running writing workshops – many of them for users of the mental health services. My biggest task has been to encourage students to ignore these negative voices, to believe in themselves and the story they wish to tell – and just go for it and not stop until they’ve achieved their writing dreams.
I am happy to report that I’ve witnessed many successes for which I can claim no credit – one of them being the lovely Sue Watson. All I have done is to provide exercises to kindle a spark and then offer support and encouragement when the creative fire starts.
This was my reason for writing Creative Alchemy – which has been described as a ‘course in a book’. I wanted as many people as possible to be able to achieve their writing ambitions. The book is pocket-size, non-scary, and contains advice and exercises to keep writers on track.

Creative Alchemy: 12 steps from inspiration to finished novel by Sue Johnson
is published by HotHive Books www.thehothive.com. Intro offer £6.99.

Saturday 8 October 2011

Packets of Sunshine!

It's a bright hot sunny day down here, and I know by saying this I will hear many groans from you because I am always saying this! But our weather is almost always fab! Well today, I am sharing it with you and sending it all your way! As my little packet of sunshine speeds towards you, before I chat further, I'd better introduce the First Sentence.


Silent night, holy night. All is calm, all is bright. It wasn’t Christmas and it’s not about religion, but whenever I think of that night, those words filter into my head. Kind of bizarre, I know, but that’s how thoughts are sometimes.
(click on the book & author name for more details)



It's the weekend, but I'm still busy working editing Satchfield Hall with my lovely editor Jo Field and it is all going really great. As well as this professional edit, Satchfield Hall will also have a brand new cover. And yes, you've guessed it, I will be keeping you updated on this too... so exciting!

Another little bit of excitement today is that the lovely Nikki Bywater is talking about Sometimes It Happens and how it effected her. Nikki is sitting in the Review Chair over at loveahappyending, so please feel free to meander over and find out what she is saying.
That's it, I'm away to edit and hopefully squeeze a little writing in on my book 4... wishing you all a fabby day!

Wednesday 5 October 2011

Magnolia House back on the Market!

It's been busy of late, but with so many wonderful things happening, I am not complaining. But I am getting ahead of myself, let me start with my special guest's 1st sentence, then I can tell you more. Yay!


My life began like a fairytale - I was born under a roof of stars in the plum orchard at the bottom of the garden. Chapter One, Fable's Fortune by Sue Johnson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
There are two special things happening today, firstly I am over at the fabby web site of NovelKicks talking about being part of loveahapppyending.com and writing. Laura is an amazing host, thank you.
 
Also today, my novel Magnolia House, after being re-edited and with its beautiful new cover is once again available. Today you can download a Kindle copy, the paperback version is due out next week. Magnolia House is a tear jerker, filled with sadness, compassion and hope. It has 12 x 5 star reviews on Amazon.....but I will stop here because as the author I do get carried away.... ! So if you would like to know more about Magnolia House, please read the review from Louise Graham. And if you like it, please would you think about downloading a copy? Thank you.

Monday 3 October 2011

My Gorgeous Guest - Stephen Richmond


As part of my special feature, here is the opening sentence from The Night Watcher, by Chris Longmuir
Chapter One - "Mist shrouded everything except for the Discovery’s skeletal masts pointing long bony fingers into the sky."







My gorgeous guest this week sitting around my pool is someone I have known for most of their life and what started of as a little boy’s love of tractors has turned into a professional passion.


Stephen Richmond and his business partner Jonathan Whitlam have written 6 books and produced 17 videos / DVDs on every aspect of farm machinery during the last one hundred years. Stephen and Jonathan regularly appear on local TV, local radio and in local newspapers as well as specialist magazines. These days they are regarded as experts on everything to do with farm machinery.
Come on Stephen it’s time for you to plough in and tell us more…..

“Thanks Pauline for having me sit round your pool today, though not quite sure I’ve got the right kit on, my chequered shirt, jeans and steel toe cap boots don’t quite fit the scene… *laughing* As you know, Jonathan and I both grew up in Suffolk near the most easterly point of the UK. Living in a small hamlet surrounded by arable farming, we watched 1970s farm equipment at work. From as long as I can remember, I was fascinated with tractors. Those early days were the beginning of an all-consuming passion for tractors that has grown into a small business -Tractor Barns Productions

“Our first book, Modern Tractors, was published in 1996 and was followed by 5 further books and several video productions. At the beginning of 2009 a decision was made to leave our agent and we launched Tractor Barns Productions. With our new company we now concentrate on producing our own high quality, interesting and informative DVD programmes.

“In 2010 we released our first DVD Working Tractors volume One followed by the first in the Farming Diaries series both of these have proved to be very popular. Our aim as tractor and farm machinery enthusiasts is to produce a full range of DVD programmes that celebrate vintage, classic and modern tractors along with the changes seen in farm equipment and machinery. Our latest DVD is due to be released later this year and is a fascinating look at the changes in how tractors have evolved since 1906. Titled, International Harvester Tractors: A Power on the Land1906-1985

“Last year we invested in a Showman’s Trailer. This is used to promote our books and DVDs and those of Old Pond Publishing - our official distributor - at various plough days, steam rallies, exhibitions and other events in the UK.

“Also in 2010 we achieved another important milestone with Tractor Barns Productions we became a fully fledged limited company.

“Still living in Suffolk we have now taken our passion of farming equipment further and now own a fleet of British built Fords, Marshall's and Leyland tractors dating from the 1970s, 80s and 90s.

“We have many ambitious plans for the future but these will take time to achieve, we both still have full time jobs, I have a young family of three, but our enthusiasm and commitment is full steam ahead and you can be certain there will be many more exciting productions coming in the future from Tractor Barns Productions.”



To find out more about all the books, videos and DVDs or buy any of these visit Tractors Barn Productions at http://www.tractorbarnproductions.com/

Or email tractorbarn@ymail.com

Sunday 2 October 2011

Tears & Hope!




Before I start with what I have to say, let me introduce the first sentence from Mandy Baggot's Excess All Areas. Chapter One - 'Auburn Blush' it had said on the packet.
If you would like to be included with your 1st sentences, please leave your email address in comment box below or visit my web site for the address.






Having just revealed the new cover for the re-publishing of Magnolia House, you can imagine how moved I was when I opened an email on Saturday morning and read this....

"Well what can I say ... Magnolia House is an amazing story. I don't think there has ever been a book that has touched me so much as this story did .. I've shed more tears this week than I can remember but for some reason, the story actually makes me feel better and gives me hope in my own life (if that makes sense) . Really beautiful."

"You write beautiful stories ... thank you so much. I'm a BIG fan!" Louise Graham
 
You can read Louise's full review by clicking here! Thank you!
 
Thank you Lou, thank you so much.
 
Magnolia House will be re-published in paperback and Kindle early October.