Unbearable excitement!

I am sitting bolt upright, laptop open on my knees...

Chapter 16 awaits and it is a high adrenaline point in the book. Here is where I left off at the end of the previous chapter and therefore my starting point for this new one:-

A lone owl hooted, its tone melancholy and cautionary, giving a solitary answer to his inner thoughts. Taylor shivered in apprehension.

In the distance the unsearched forest waited. Taylor stepped forward.

 

My fingers are eager to get on with the tale.

 

For the first few books in the series, follow the link to Amazon on the right.

 

Happy Reading!

 

Carmen.

 

It's a love/hate thing!

I'm working on The Owners Volume VII at the moment and have just introduced a brand new character. Her name is Matilda and it looks like she's going to be a star player. Already I can tell that you will love her and then maybe grow to hate her with some empathising thrown in along the way.


You see poor Matilda is caught in a situation where her perception of reality becomes slewed. Like all of us, she is after all only human, and comes with pre-conceived ideas and notions about the world around her. It is these very notions which are going to devastate her life and the lives of all she touches.


The Owners Volume VII :Hunter's Moon


You have been warned!


Carmen. x

News Flash.

I have had a frantic March. I know it's not over yet but this week at least things are quieter.

As you may know I am now working on The Owners Volume VII and loving every moment of it.

Split Decision will be out soon. The Plan, The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons, Saving Grace, The Trouble With Mellillia and Ascension will all follow shortly after Split Decision. Bear with me, I really am going as fast as I can...

Oh and to the fan who came up to me on Friday at the event I attended- thank you so much for your kind comments. I am so glad you are enjoying the series.

Happy Reading!

Fools rush in...

I have a final chapter to write for The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons and then I have to begin the editing process. I have talked about editing before and explained that I don't enjoy it as much as the actual composing of a story, although it is actually much easier.

However something else has cropped up. Whilst getting showered and dressed this morning some characters came into my head and refused to leave until they had made their point. No, I'm not mad and this is neither uncommon for me or for various other writers. But it can be an inconvenience.

I had planned to finish my current book and then move onto one which is about half finished, leaving me free to work on Volume VII of The Owners by around Feb 2015. However the characters who appeared this morning were desperate for their story to be told and it is an unusual one, I admit...

So now I have a dilemma - do I continue on as I had planned? Or do I finish The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons and move on to the new story?

I think I am going to have to think about that for a while.

In the meantime, happy reading!

I SALUTE YOU!

Good morning! May I help you?


For the last two days I have been helping out in the office of a friend as the company's secretary has gone off on holiday [ a cruise I believe - lucky lady!]


And what a lark I have had...I got dressed up  in proper office attire, styled my hair and applied both perfume and makeup. I honestly looked like a different person - the kids almost didn't recognise me when I walked through the door!


But it's made me realise something. As a mom who is home all day writing, my kids NEVER have to fend for themselves. They don't put their dirty plates in the sink, they don't help out with chores and they wouldn't even be able to make a slice of toast for themselves if they had to.


Therefore these last two days have been an eye-opener for us all. Because I had to leave home before the kids, my eldest had to lock up and then let them all back in again at the end of the day. The kids learned to wait for their tea and accept that I was truly going as fast as I could.


Most importantly of all, in my opinion, they saw what other kids lives are like - and so did I. The constant organising at the start and end of the day to ensure that the house and its occupants ran smoothly whilst I was out working...and the sense of having to pull together to achieve the best end result for all.


The lists of instructions to make sure the lights were off, the doors locked etc...


The walking of dogs at 7am so that they were not neglected....


The cooking of the evening meal in high heels and a tight skirt because the kids would have expired if I had taken five minutes out to change...


These were all things that were strange for me and yet familiar to many other women worldwide I am sure.


So Ladies [and Gentlemen as I am aware some of you men hold down this demanding home/work balance] I take my hat off to you!


For all the times you went without milk in your morning coffee because to have used it meant there would be none for the kids cornflakes...


For the legions of you who slam the dinner in the oven, still wearing your business clothes of the day...


For those of you who perform a whirling dervish of spins with every activity, holding so many balls in the air at once that if they fell, the weight of them descending on you would crush you into the asphalt beneath your feet...


I salute you!


Because fun as this was, it was also exhausting and draining. So tomorrow I'll be back in my jeans and t-shirt and back to my beloved writing! See you there!


Carmen x

GLAD TIDINGS!


Good news! Volume IV is now showing as available on Amazon as an ebook [the paperbacks apparently take up to a month to show up - I have no idea why] and is priced at £2.00.


My other good news is that sales figures have just come in for Volume II and Volume III. Sales show that people who have bought and read Vol I are coming back for the follow on volumes, so happy reading all round!


As a writer its so lovely to know that you are enjoying the tales, journeying through the intertwined lives of the characters and empathising with them.


I think that is the real beauty of a good read...we all want to get lost in it but we want to find ourselves through it too and I hope that my stories provide at least some measure of that.


I will be at the wonderful Bleakhouse Library, [0121 422 2798]West Midlands, giving a talk on writing and my books on March 25th. The staff at the library are also taking pre-orders of signed copies of Volume III and will be happy to take your booking.


I visited this library about eighteen months ago when my first novel was published and the staff and customers are an exceptionally friendly bunch so do pop along.


I look forward to meeting you.

Forget what I said earlier about staying put...I desperately want to move!


You know I can almost see the men amongst you raising your eyebrows at my about-turn but the truth is that the heart wants what it wants...and mine desperately needs to move.


I have seen a house that I have irrevocably fallen in love with. It is a house with soul and a beating heart and it calls my name every time I pass it. You can think me crazy if you wish but this house is calling to me, pulling me in and nurturing me with images of how my life could be if only I could call this particular place home...


And I am listening with heart as well as ears, with a breathless anticipation of what could be if fate and fortune really do favour the brave and the earnest.


The neighbours to this property are lovely and there is a good feeling to the place...its like coming home after a long absence when no-one berates you for how long you have been gone or how distant you have had to be.


It just feels right.


I am a great believer in gut instinct. But even more than that, I believe in listening to my heart.


And my heart is shouting out this house's address.


Wish me luck readers - I hope I am about to embark on a whole new chapter!

COMING SOON!

A snippet from my latest book The decision.


This book is very different to The Owners series both in content and in writing style. In particular it will appeal to fans of Stephenie Meyer, as it has a strong love interest theme which blends and interacts with the plotline. Here is a little taster:-


“Oh!” I was unaccountably sad, as though he was leaving me already. I had no hold over him, no right to ask him to stay and yet I felt crushed at the thought that he was prepared to leave me at some future date.  


Funnily enough, I started this book years ago but had to abandon it to pursue something else. Only now that I have come back to it can I see so much more clearly where the story is going. It is hard hitting and reflects the world we live in today...not an easy thing to do in many ways.


I will keep you posted as to how it's getting on.


In the meantime I hope that The Owners Volume IV will be out in less than two weeks! Exciting times!

Here is the very latest from The Owners Volume VI : Blood Sky

Perhaps because of the rapid beating of her heart and the icy fingers of dread which no doubt worked their way down her spine, her features seemed more defined, more entrancing.

Pity he would have to kill her in the end.

 

 

If only...

Ahhh...back to the trusty laptop for another chapter of The Owners, Volume VI : Blood Sky.

Last week I was too busy to get any writing done, having spent one whole day at a lovely school teaching creative writing to years 3-6 and another day doing book signings at the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards Ceremony.

I had a fabulous time at both events and was lucky enough to meet some wonderful people and fantastic children. I was also amused to hear one little girl say to another when they were queuing up for my autograph, "my mum has all her books and she loves them."

The rejoinder to that was a swiftly delivered, "well so does my dad. He has all of them too!"

What made me laugh was the blatant fibbing going on. Now don't get me wrong, I am honoured that many people come back to me to tell me how much they enjoy my books but I am aware that I do not yet have the status or universal recognition of the likes of Ms. Rowling, for example. So the idea that both of these little girls' parents had my collection of books was ridiculous, if rather flattering.

Anyway onwards and upwards!

I will fill you in on how Volume VI is going throughout the week. In the meantime if you wish to drop me a line, well you know where I am.

Hope to see you at my next scheduled event, at the Dr Who/sci-fi event, where I shall be selling signed copies of my books and holding a creative writing workshop...be there if you dare ;)

The Owners, Volume VI : Blood Sky

Now that she was approaching the crux of the matter, she didn’t really know where to begin. Here where she was at with her own personal knowledge? Or further back so that they could all get the wider picture.

This volume is flying along and I am already on chapter 7.

Don't forget you can find me at the Andromeda One sci-fi convention at The Custard Factory on Saturday, along with a whole host of other authors.

I will be selling my books at a discounted rate for the occasion and will sign them for you too!

Have a great weekend, whatever you are getting up to!

Why Blood Sky is Blood Sky!

Well its 11am and I have just finished another chapter of The Owners, Volume VI. This one explained the title choice.

I still think it's strange how I write...how the words just come to me seemingly out of nowhere. But it works and I am grateful for that.

Sometimes I have to dash to find a little scrap of paper just to jot down a line a character has said in my head. When that happens [and it happens a lot] it is always meaningful and I always use the line.

I know that some authors work in the same way and others are more methodical in their approach, writing beginning, middle and end and sometimes not only a synopsis but a breakdown of each and every chapter before they begin. Each to their own is my motto, although I think I would get very bored if I had to write in that way.

Must dash...have to find another little bit of paper... :)

A little bit of Sci-Fi does you good.

If you still have not got a signed copy of my books, you will be able to get one at the Andromeda One Sci-Fi convention in Birmingham on Sat 21st September! I'll be looking out for you :)

There will be lots to see and do so don't miss out. Book your ticket now!

Time gentlemen please!

I Started writing at half seven this morning. [It is now 2:30 pm] Finished one chapter of book 6. Spell checked the entire book 5, wrote a blog, answered emails and now going to walk the dogs. That's enough for one day don't you think?

And here is my daily horoscope :-

Not everything has to happen in a hurry. Not every need is urgent, not every promise is pressing. Sometimes we worry far too much about deadlines. We put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. Unless you now have cast iron proof that something won't wait, let it wait! Indeed, even if it won't wait, you may care to ask yourself how much it will matter if it is left unattended. Of the various priorities that need to be identified and honoured, the highest is surely your need to maintain a sense of perspective. Courtesy of Johnathon Cainer.

I guess I should have read that first!!!! ;)

Chapter I almost done!!!

The Owners, Volume VI

Another little bit :-

He needed to gather his thoughts. And he needed to put time and distance between where they were now and where they had been. The temptation to turn back and deal with the situation was just too great. And so was the probability of failure. He had to hold fast to that.

What's in a name?

I am the mistress of disguise. Or at lease that's what I have been telling myself recently as I looked back at a ton of old paperwork in various names.

Perhaps I should explain. I was born Carmen Capuano but changed my name to that of my stepfather's at around the age of ten, becoming Carmen Capuano McCammick.


Some years later I got married and became Carmen Capuano McCammick-Hughes but it was not long before this cumbersome name took its toll and was shortened to Carmen Capuano-Hughes [as I had always kept the Capuano as a middle name, it got somewhat upgraded there.]

Then, when I got divorced, it was back to Carmen Capuano. And it is in this name that I have written my series of books The Owners Volumes I-V [Volumes VI-X are still waiting to be written.]

Now as I start another genre of book, one which is more adult themed, I find that once more I need a name change. The Owners books are carefully written and suitable for even pre-teens to read. Not so this new book. And the moral part of me finds that the new title will not sit well in my head alongside my other titles.

In other words, I would not wish anyone looking up The Owners on Amazon to innocently come upon this other book. And I am not even talking a 50 shades sort of book here. This is a book about adult relationships and one woman's journey through them...so the content will of course at times be risqué.

And my new name? Well that would be telling now wouldn't it? ;)

Hello!!!!!

I am pleased to say that I have just finished writing the very first chapter of my newest book.

I have made the decision to write a different style of book whilst also continuing on with the Owners series.

Now this may seem like  a strange decision to make, however it is not done lightly. I have been asked time and time again for a certain kind of book...so much so, that I cannot ignore its rise in popularity.

I can't tell you much about this book, other than it will ring true with most women I have ever encountered. It is a tale of one woman's journey through relationships, minus the hearts and flowers. But it will be a story full of true-to-life characters and realistic situations.

Due to the adult content however, I will not be publishing it under my real name so I will let you guess when the time comes.

As for the  blog, well I will continue to post snippets from The Owners here and talk about anything that takes my fancy.

As ever, you can contact me on facebook or through Carmen.capuano@ymail.com

Ok, here is a review of my first book, warts and all.

One thing I will state openly is that book 1 did go to print with typos and I have been pulled up about this before...I am sorry about that and have endeavoured to learn from my mistakes and the reprinted versions which are now available should contain no typos. But the bit I am focusing on is where he says that for all that,
he loved it! So I guess I must be doing something right...

 So here it is.
...
I’ll start with this: on a technical level, this book is utterly horrendous. From the very beginning it is filled with misplaced commas, excessive exclamation marks and ropy formatting. Various words are capitalized which probably shouldn’t be, most notably “Pet” and “Eyon”. In general, this book gave me the impression of an author with much raw talent but with little care for the editing process.

And yet, for much of the time reading it, I absolutely loved it.

The book’s concept is certainly a novel one. In Alone, humanity is dominated a race of avian humanoids called eyons. The creatures frequently take in human children to live as pets and servants; Loni and San, the book’s protagonists, are two such pets. Their owners, like most other eyons, spend most of their lives hooked up to mysterious “work machines” and are consequently oblivious to the world around them. Loni, however, is different in that she spends most of her time with her owner’s hatchling, who she calls Little. When Little’s work machine arrive, the two flee in order to keep Little from becoming like the others. San, meanwhile, leaves without prompting in order to discover the truth behind humanity’s place in the world.

Chapters alternate between Loni’s and San’s perspectives, with the final chapter incorporating both points of view at once. Of the two, I must admit that I preferred Loni’s sections by a fairly long way. I could genuinely feel the bond between Loni and Little as I read about them, making them very easy to emphasize with. There is a real sense of progression in Loni’s chapters, as both she and Little learn about the world around them and vow to change it for the better. San’s chapters were hardly bad, but their events felt quite random at times and I didn’t feel that he developed as much as he could have done.

My only major criticism of this book is the ending, which leaves almost all of the book’s plot threads open and seems intended solely to set up a series. This is compounded by the fact that all other “Owners” books have been prequels so far, which leaves me to wonder if the author will ever go back to Loni, Little and San. I really hope that she does, as it would be a shame to end their tale where it currently is. Here’s hoping it happens.


Found on http://theparasiteguy.wordpress.com/2013/06/25/tpg-reviews-alone-by-carmen-capuano/

The Owners, Volume V : Eyon Rising

Oh I know it's the summer holidays but much as I'm enjoying the sun and the leisure time, I'm itching to get back to editing Volume V of my debut series and then to begin Volume VI. You see I know what is about to happen...