A snippet

Exciting news coming soon... [sorry, I know you all hate it when I do this :) but hey I'm a suspense author, what do you expect???]

In the meantime would you like a little sneak peek at the book I am currently writing?

Here it is:-

I have never seen him without his clothes before. Naked, his body is lean and muscular with a pure beauty that takes my breath away once more. My eyes roam over him and I know beyond any shadow of doubt that he can be the only man for me. The only love I will ever have in my life.

I feel my cheeks redden at my forwardness but I do not shy away from the picture he presents. He strides towards me and I am simultaneously eager and afraid of his embrace.

If he feels the coldness of the water, he gives no indication. But he stops short before he reaches me. I want to speak, want him to speak and yet I don’t want the beauty of the moment shattered. Don’t want either of us to say or do something that will mar the perfection of this time and place.

And then suddenly I am soaked as he brings his hands up and throws a cascading fountain of water at me. Streams of water run down my hair and over my face as I throw back my head and laugh. Far from ruining the moment, he has taken the edge from it and kept it safe, kept me safe.

Despite the part you have read this isn't that sort of book, but the characters  are in love. I hope you enjoyed it.

Happy reading, x

Destiny Calling!

Do you believe in fate, destiny, preordination? Or do you think its all hogwash, hokum of the worst kind?

I can't say that I believe everything happens for a reason but I do think that some things are pointers to the way ahead...

When the children go back to school I will immediately move onto two separate things. One is to write a novel that has been waiting a long time to be set down on the screen, and the other thing is to edit Ascension, so that the courageous Jess Stone can have her story presented to an audience.

And it was Jess and her tale which was on my mind this morning as I awoke. So imagine my surprise when I saw the name of my newest twitter follower...Alek Cole.

Alex Cole [ok so it is slightly different I grant you] is a key character in Ascension. He is the man whose motives are unknown.
Is the finger of fate pointing? Damn right it is...

Happy Reading!

Faster, faster, faster!

I can't believe the speed at which I am working on my newest book - believe it or not I am writing two chapters a day!

It is such a darkly twisting plot that the words are flowing out of me almost faster than I can commit them to the screen. Not much of it is printable here though, as I am aware that children and adults alike read my blog and this particular book is suitable for the over fifteens only.

Here however is a little snippet :-

“What’s happening to you is wrong,” my mother placed her hand on the wooden door but did not attempt to push it open. “Through us you might manage to make sure that the same thing doesn’t happen to another girl.”

 

I will post a list soon for venues where I will be conducting book signings and author talks.

 

Until then - Happy Reading!

Just me!

Here is an interview I did just before Split Decision was signed to a publisher.


Featured Interview With Carmen Capuano
 
Tell us a little about yourself. Where were you raised? Where do you live now?



I was born in Glasgow but have lived in England since the age of eighteen. I have a wandering soul and would love to live in lots of different places but having children in school has tied me to one spot.


My ancestry is Italian and Spanish so maybe that’s where the wander-lust comes from.


Although I have many friends my days are rather solitary and I can always be found snuggled hobbit-like on the sofa with my trusty laptop on my knees, bashing away at yet another chapter and having conversations with my characters. It can be lonely being an author but it’s a job I adore.


At what age did you realize your fascination with books? When did you start writing?



I never really thought of myself that way growing up. I think it’s different now because children have more choice over their leisure time but when I was young [oh so long ago ;)] all we could really do was play out or read and I never was much of a fan of the Scottish weather so I spent lots of time indoors reading.


I only began to seriously write a few years ago but now I have so many book ideas that I shall have to live to at least 120 to get them all written!


I write Monday to Friday, term times, when the children are in school. I know other writers write in the evenings but I am whacked by then! To be honest I am a terrible typist but I persevere. I once tried to dictate my books to the computer but because of my Scottish dialect it came out as gobbledy-gook! So now I rely on spell check and proof-readers!


Who are your favorite authors to read? What is your favorite genre to read. Who Inspires you in your writings?



I like most genres but I love science fiction, especially post-apocalyptic and dystopian novels. I will read space operas too but only if they are very character driven.


As a child I loved Dickens and Shakespeare but nowadays I read Dean Koontz or Stephen King for pleasure. As for inspiration, I think I take a little bit from them all, crazy as that seems.


What’s important for me as an author is that my readers see the characters as I do, that they see their faults and frailties – their humanity and sometimes inhumanities. For me the story is only half the goal – I want the writing to be beautiful for its own sake, so I blend style with content.


Tell us a little about your latest book?



I have just completed a YA/crossover novel which is currently with my agent. I’ll let you know how that goes.


My most recently published book is The Owners, Volume IV: A New Epoch. It was an emotionally hard book to write, as has been the two volumes which follow on from it which are not yet published.


My characters had already been through so much and there I was pushing them into more conflict; even more dangerous situations. My stomach was churning with anxiety as I wrote every word of those books! And yet it was a thrilling ride!


The Owners is an unusual series in that it starts in the very distant future with ‘The Owners, Volume I: Alone’, where humans are kept as pets by creatures called Eyons. The explanation for how this situation arose is never fully given in Volume I, however Volume II starts in our very near future and gives more, tiny little clues which are picked up and elaborated on in Volume III so that the reader gets to play detective so to speak.


Everything is there – all the answers – they just need to be discovered and I think that is partly the appeal of the series. But more than anything else its the fact that it is a really good story which keeps my readers coming back for more.


Happy Reading.

The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons.

Sometimes I wonder what you glean from all these little bits of storyline I post. Do you try to piece the story together? Does it whet your appetite for more? Does it give you an indication of how the characters are progressing? Feel free to write in and share your thoughts.

Here is the bit I have just written ten minutes ago:-

 

Lucas thought for a moment. The scene all around him was so beautiful, the few boats on the water quaintly painted with flowers and names embellished in flowing script. Here and there a few ducks swam serenely on top of the water, or dived momentarily beneath the still, glassy surface, their movements causing little ripples all around; ripples which grew wider and wider before fading to nothing once more.

Across from the towpath were fields of the lushest green grass where cows grazed sedately and gazed at him as if he were the oddest looking thing they had ever seen. Set against a blue sky which held only a hint of the darkness which would later descend, it was a surreal scene and he felt as if he were not witnessing it for real, through his own eyes but instead through the medium of oil on canvas.

It was somehow too perfect to be real.

 

 

Poor, poor Lucas is trapped in a situation that is not of his making. I hope he finds his way out!

 

Happy Reading x

Up and coming events!

When I get a spare moment I will give you a more extensive list of my forthcoming events. Bookings are still being taken for the few remaining slots this year, however I am also now confirming dates for 2015 author talks and signing events.

If you would like to schedule one with me you can contact me at carmencapuano@ymail.com to request details and to book.

In the meantime, here is one of my events you might like to attend. http://eventful.com/events/book-club-presents-carmen-capuano-/E0-001-074855726-1

Here is what has been written about the books :-

THE BOOK CLUB IS BACK!
We are kicking off a new chapter and a new season with sci-fi/fantasy author Carmen Cupuano. Self-published, self accomplished Capuano has created a new world for the sci-fi/fantasy genre in a set of books set in an post-apocalyptic world... but let's not give too much away.
We invite you to join us and hear more about Carmen, her illustrious books, why she writes in her genre and the chance to grab yourself a few signed copies.

Volumes 1&2 by Carmen Capuano

THE Owners is the debut series by Bromsgrove author Carmen Capuano the first two volumes of which are Alone and Storm Clouds (Fast Print Publishing - Paperback £10.99 and £8.99)

Aimed at teenagers and young adults, as well as a mature audience, this science fiction fantasy imagines that humans are kept as pets, originally unknown to them, and then flickers of consciousness about their situation emerge . . .

Borrowing elements from Andrew Nichol's The Truman Show and Thomas More's Utopia, Capuano develops a good idea well with scope for several more instalments. The time, location, and place are uncertain, but the thematic ambition is bold, an exploration of what humanity is, and as the plot unfolds, what it is not, in a 21st century morality tale.

Pet humans are kept by the Eyons, in a playful twist on the late 20th century Tamagotchi toy craze in which young children rushed to buy the Japanese hand held computer virtual pet, and nurture it.

The second volume, Storm Clouds is self-contained and opens with cataclysmic storms threatening to engulf the West Coast of America, leaving twelve year old Dan Ryan no choice but to be evacuated to New York and into the care of his Uncle Jack.

Both volumes are pacy, easy reads, with a fast developing plot that addresses moral questions without being overtly moralising. Storm Clouds has the more conventional narrative, Alone is the more thought provoking with an alien language which borrows from Orwell's 1984.

The familiar terrestrial setting of America is a more secure setting for the author although having Jack Ryan as a significant protagonist, a name popularised by Tom Clancy in his spy series,+ may be a little distracting Stateside.

As a writing debut it is a strong start, and volume three should be following soon. Capuano feels that there is the potential to add several more to the series , and I think she is right. Young readers will be attracted to the page turning storytelling, whilst older readers will enjoy the time honoured philosophical and moral dimension which the author revels in tackling.

The Owners series is available from Amazon, published by Fast print Publishing, signed copies are available direct from the author at: carmen.capuano@ymail.com

Happy Reading!

Here is the latest snippet from The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons.
 
Lucas is growing closer to his rescue every day. But the bird is growing stronger and soon he will have to face that bittersweet moment all rescuers do - he will have to let the bird go back to the wild.
 
I know fellow resucers will all know that feeling well, the hope and the dread mixed together, it is a heavy feeling in your heart, like treacle seeping through it. Here Lucas is just beginning to feel it :-

 
The pigeon was coming along well and every day took more of an interest in the world outside the window. She would turn her head to watch other birds fly past but now, instead of trying to press herself through the glass as she had done the first morning he had placed her there, she would watch for a while and then turn to him as if to say, ‘that will be me one day, won’t it? You will set me free, won’t you?’


He always replied verbally to her look. “Yes Brighteyes, that will be you too one day.” His mouth said the words even as his heart tried to retract them. He could no longer imagine being in his room without his little feathered friend to keep him company. The pigeon was growing more and more comfortable with him every day and there was a feeling of teamwork between them, as if it was actively helping in its own rehabilitation
 
This book is now about 2/3 complete. I will let you know how I get on. In the meantime if you want to look at my other work just scroll down or click on one of the links.


And as ever - Happy Reading!