Everyone loves a party!

I'm delighted to take part today in Janice Horton's party to celebrate the launch of her new novella - a real Halloween treat.
Don't miss the opportunity to download this for free today from Amazon.co.uk or from Amazon.com. You won't be disappointed.
As part of this fun event, Janice asked us to conjure up a spell. Given the problems this morning, mine should have been one to make sure the internet didn't crash! And I did think of stealing an Anglo Saxon spell or charm - they seemed to have one for every occasion.
In the end, I decided some serious help was required with all the tasks looming between now and Christmas (not least because I've signed up for the 'Write a Novel in a Month' event in November).
So here's my spell for a Christmas pudding - to save me the bother of making one.If it works I'll let you know!
Take
a flurry of snow
a symphony of spices
a crunch of sugar
three clouds of flour
a candy box of peel
a wealth of juicy sultanas and currants
a pinch of love
a blink of sunshine

Mix well with three kisses and a handful of dreams and bake in a warm oven until ready. Eat sparingly, unless it's Christmas Day.

                            A cold Christmas  Day on the Isle of Bute

Cosy or Cozy crime?

Is the notion of specific genres beginning to blur at the edges? For example, crime writing seems to offer so many possibilities these days and a number of books I've read lately seem to build on a mix of at least two kinds.
Readers appear to be divided on this. Some relish the cross genre plots( scifi and crime provide a particulary interesting combination), while others are more than a little upset if the book they have chosen doesn't keep to the advertised genre.
Yet in the end all novels deal with human emotions: no one life is curtailed by a single set of actions. Criminals and spies can have romance, lovers can be involved in crime (even murder), historical novels provide a fertile ground for crime, passion and intrigue at the highest levels and even in the future surely the human race will continue to suffer and enjoy the same passions as we do.
Perhaps there is an issue about the balance in novels. In a crime novel, readers don't want the bulk of the action to focus on romance: in romance readers won't be happy if the lovers seldom meet because the hero spends most of the time pursuing criminals.
I write cosy (or, as it's called in the U.S., cozy) crime set on the island of Bute where the emphasis is on the mystery and have learned it's very important readers of crime novels know what to expect. There's an excellent description on the website of an American blogger, Danna, (www.Cozy-Mystery.com) and I've found the guidance there a great help.
As a reader I find the huge choice available to be one of the best aspects of the 'publishing revolution.'
In the end it probably all comes down to a good story and engaging characters, no matter what the genre!

                      Last days of summer on the isle of Bute

Books,books everywhere...

If I was following this take on Samuel Taylor Coleridge's poem, it should read 'Books, books everywhere, nor any one to read...' but that's far from the case.
I have to reach a decision soon about what to do with the many books crammed in to every available space in the house: teetering bookcases, boxes in cupboards, on the shelves in the airing cupboard, on top of wardrobes.
Part of the problem is that when Iwas growing up, books were something of a luxury and, once acquired, were to be loved and cherished for ever.
Now, though I really enjoy having a Kindle, it's not quite the same as having something you can touch, can smell, can flick through. It's a bit like the difference between a love affair and a marriage : which are worth reading, keeping for a while and then discarding and which are those you want to keep forever?
Least you think this blog is a way of procrastinating about this yet again, be assured serious attempts have already been made. But am I the right person to decide? Who needs a copy of Advanced Accounts (published 1926) or Pelmanism (whatever that might be) in six volumes. Then there's that encyclopedia set (no longer needed with the internet easily available).
How did these books get on to my shelves? Do they breed in the night?Surely they can go? But wait a minute...1926 was just before the Big Crash - perhaps there's some historical value here? And Pelmanisim might be the way to solve any future problems, if only there was time to investigate.
And so it goes on. I'd love to be as disciplined as a friend who works on the principle of one in,one out, but alas that is not what happens.
Has anyone any suggestions?
In the meantime I'm off to Ikea to buy some more bookcases.

The value of reviews?

We all like praise and feel downhearted when we receive criticism, but as a writer it's something you have to learn to cope with. It's a bit like having one of your children criticised (well, your novel/short story/poem is your baby in a sense).The immediate reaction is to be defensive, to come back with some response, witty or otherwise.
A good review can inspire you, a bad review make you vow never to write another word. But that is to mistake what many reviews are about (ignoring those which are merely spiteful). Most are a statement of what the reader thinks of your book, rather than a full blown critique and not everyone likes the same kind of novel. This is very fortunate. If they did, there would be no mid-list authors at all, no possibility of success in an increasingly crowded market.
What is important, if you use sites such as Kindle, is to make sure the 'tags' for you book help the reader decide if your genre is likely to appeal to them. If readers like scifi they are going to be less than thrilled if the novel turns out to be a romance, or if they like a gritty thriller to find they've bought a cosy crime novel set in an English village.
With an increasing number of cross genre novels being published and as many e books are very competitively priced, the good news is that readers may be more willing to take a chance on something new.
The current writing and publishing market is so fluid,so unpredictable, we are all learning as we go. All the writer can do is produce the best book he or she can, send it out and move on.
Having said all that, I have to confess I'm delighted to be able to report my latest novel  Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion has had a great review in this week's Buteman so a big thank you to Karen Keith...and back to writing!

The front of the Rothesay Pavilion - the only other Art Deco building of this type is in Bexhill-on-Sea and is often used in episodes of Poirot.

The joy of small bookshops

A big thank you to the Print Point book shop in Rothesay on Bute for organising the signing event for Last Dance at the Rothesay Pavilion.
It was good to meet readers, some of whom knew more about the books than I did!
The Print Point is one of those small bookshops that provide a focal point for writers and readers in a town, always willing to help and give a personal service so often missing in larger establishments.
And it's much more than a book shop, with a huge range of goods and an excellent coffee 'shop' with very comfy sofas!
As many writers (and readers) will agree it's so important that these small bookshops continue to flourish in an increasingly difficult economic climate.

                               Book signing at the Print Point

A Bute book event

Off again to Bute for a book signing at the Print Point in Rothesay on Saturday. It's always a pleasure to spend time on the island, especially when there's the opportunity to meet readers.
I debated a suitable time for this book signing and finally settled on 11-12.30. My choice last year of an earlier time was a little unusual, I suspect, for a Saturday on the island. After all, no one wants to rush at the weekend,do they?
Is there an optimum time/day for this kind of event? Does the season matter? Writers with more experience than I have may be able to offer some pointers. In the meantime here's hoping the sun shines, but with a few showers to tempt people indoors to the bookshop!

Summer Reading

Ah, the bliss of a rainy day with the excuse of staying indoors and reading some of the books in the large pile in the living room. As we've had plenty of rainy days lately I've had lots of opportunities to catch up.
I confess I like to read a variety of genres,though crime is my favourite and I've read two excellent debut crime novels so far this summer. Although both are set in Glasgow, each has an unusual slant on the usual 'police procedural'.
'Blackmail' by Bill Daly introduces DCI Charlie Anderson as the main character,but the crimes he deals with involve all strata of society.This is not so much a whodunnit or whydunnit as an exploration of the world of murder and drug dealing lurking beneath the shiny surface of the 'new' Glasgow. I'm already looking forward to his next novel 'The Key Question'.
'Blood Tears' by Michael J Malone is the first in series featuring DI Ray McBain, a man whose past underpins the events in the novel and the excitement lies in the gradual revelation of the reasons behind the dreams that haunt him. This is a gritty novel with a charged atmosphere, a format that bodes well for the follow up 'A Simple Power.'
A different genre, but with an underlying theme of crime, is '2312' by Kim Stanley Robinson. Billed as science ficton, it's much more than that - a thriller which gives us a bold vision of humanity's future.
And to round off this first set, I'm currently reading and loving 'The Etymologican',billed as ' a circular stroll through the hidden connections of the English language.' This is a delightful book, witty and erudite and a must for anyone interested in the derivations of words.
That's my choice to date...if the rain continues, I'll be able to start on the next pile.
What are you enjoying this summer?