Does this make me a badass?

I've had an enormously productive day. I have written several new scenes into my current screenplay, answered emails, done research and generally got on with things.

Now you're wondering why this is news, aren't you? Well the reason is that lately I have taken to networking events like the proverbial fish to water. 

For a while I felt a bit isolated [as writers often do] and decided to get out and about a bit more and network. But it's so time consuming, not to mention draining. How can it not be when we are all so smiley and welcoming to complete strangers? 

In fact it was an absolute breath of fresh air to hear another person comment that networking exhausted them. 

So although I am indeed off to another event tomorrow, I shall be taking a totally different approach. I intend to stand like a star of the silver screen, welcoming yet slightly aloof, alone by choice, and to let the rest of the mob circulate around me like orbiting planets... 

I'll let you know how that works out. In the meantime if you have any tricks or knacks for networking, feel free to post a comment.

Happy reading! x 

A little music.

Last night I had something of a revelation. I had spent the afternoon at the wonderfully lush Park Regis Hotel in Birmingham, networking and chatting to a variety of people about my recently released book,  Ascension, so I was tired but also a little revved up by the evening.

I was looking forward to a night out in a local pub which has live music. But my two most local pubs were doing the type of music I don't enjoy, so I was forced to look a little further afield.

A few miles from my home, a pub was hosting an Irish musician called Brendan O'Brian. Now even though I was raised in Scotland, I don't have  a particular penchant for Celtic music but it seemed the best option. Needless to say that when I arrived I was expecting a lot of hookity-tewekity music as my grandmother would have called it, and a fair sprinkling of the ilk of Donal where's yer troosers?

But that's not what was on offer. When I arrived, Mr O'Brian was already a little into his show and his audience was clearly lapping it up. Playing a soft rhythmical Irish lilt, I watched him pluck delicately at strings whilst crooning with a good strong voice.

But when he finished the song he changed instruments, tempo and  musical genre and this was a theme he continued all evening, switching effortlessly from guitar to piccolo, electric guitar to drum. Indeed the breadth and range of his musical accomplishments was breath-taking as was the variety of music he produced on them, from Irish Folk songs, through Country, Popular and even Rock, singing songs as varied as traditional Celtic songs of the sort sung in Irish pubs I imagine, to Brown Eyed Girl and I'm A Believer.

And to top it off, he had a wicked sense of humour which he worked on the audience during the lulls when he changed instruments.

So if you're ever in the vicinity of one of the places which has booked this amazing musician, make sure you go - It'll be a night out and a half!

For more information about Brendan contact him on Brendan.sharon@hotmail.co.uk and tell him the Scottish author, Carmen, sent you, and you're sure to get a warm welcome.

Until then, happy reading! x

Must be funny, in a rich man's world!

To quote Abba:-


"Ah-ha-a-a-a-a! All the things I could do...If I had a little money! It's a rich man's world!"


Joking aside, it's that time of the year again folks, when I have to assess what's coming in and what's going out...


So with the sales figures hot in my sweaty little hands, I have to say thank you from the very bottom of my heart! Sales of The Owners Volume I are continuing to increase and the figures show that my readers are still coming back for the subsequent volumes!


Thank you so much! It is such a validation for an author to see that people enjoy their work. It's almost more important than the royalties [ok, that might be spreading it a bit thin but it is important].


Today I conducted an author talk at a businesswoman's networking event, organised by the lovely Siann of Poppleton and Appleby http://www.poppletonandappleby.co.uk/.


I must admit I find these things illuminating. In general, women are much more reticent than their male counterparts in putting themselves forward and so having something else to focus on and chat about, can really help them to open up and break the ice.


I was especially honoured to be able to present the winner of the raffle, Eleanor Potter,  with the first two volumes of The Owners series...I hope she enjoys them!


Watch out for my list of forthcoming speaking engagements/author talks.

Until then - Happy Reading!

Carmen :)