Excuse the title for this post but it was literally the first thing that popped into my head for some reason. Over the years I have realised that to question the things that pop into my head is a. pointless and b. a little too self-analytical. Indeed, often there turns out to be a strange serendipity going on which is not evident until much later...so now I try to go with the flow.
Today I am beginning a new book. I am so excited! This is a story I started a couple of years ago but had to abandon due to the pressure of continuing with The Owners books. Since I plan to start back on The Owners next year, I thought this would be a perfect time to complete Ascension. [I might have to change its name as I believe there has been a film of the same name brought out since I started this book.]
This is a very different type of book [yet again] to anything I have written before. It is darker than The Owners but has that same feeling of hidden malevolence to it, that sense that all is not how it at first seems, and indeed it isn't! The story comes under more of a fantasy genre than anything else and is about a girl who questions the way her world is.
Without giving too much away, there are continuous twists and turns and plot revelations that I hope will make the reader stop and think. This one is set to be a deep book with dark forces running through it and pinches of gothic-style horror.
So far this year I seem to be challenging myself to see how many different genres I can write in. It was never a conscious decision, however since Jan 2014 I have completed a dark young adult book [Split Decision - now with my publisher], another cross-over book set very much in the real world [The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons] and a chick-lit book [The Plan] ! PHEW!
And did you see what I just did there? :) I slipped in my biggest piece of news!
I now have a traditional publishing deal for Split Decision [I haven't shown them the other books yet] and negotiations are underway.
Up until now I have been self-published but whilst this is great in some ways, it makes things a lot harder in others, so I am pleased that I now have other people to help me produce and publicise my books.
Anyway better get cracking, hadn't I, or there won't be any new story! Look out for excerpts from Ascension as soon as I get into the flow.
Happy Reading.
Thursday, 20 November 2014
Sunday, 16 November 2014
What do you think of when you hear the words 'Pawn Broker'? What image comes to mind?
Is it of a cramped little shop, its walls lined with unpainted wooden shelves and festooned with cobwebbed and tarnished trinkets? Where the age-darkened oak lends itself to the gloom, festering a suffocating essence of decay which permeates the air, tainting the atmosphere with a sense of desperation and dreams long-dead until it is too oppressive to bear; an opaque varnish laden with its own particular burden of hopelessness and doom?
And of the proprietor? What images come to mind there?
Is it a bent over, huddled figure, spectacles perched on the very tip of his nose like some sort of modern-day Ebeneezer Scrooge? In your imagination does he run a finger up the bridge of his nose, settling those glasses before offering a toothless grin to the unwary customer? Shining some bauble on his tattered coat, fingering it with grimy hands and offering a pittance as the owner of the item is forced reluctantly to part with it in exchange for just enough money to purchase a stale crust of bread?
Up until this weekend that had certainly been my perception of pawnbrokers and their trade. But just how wrong I was became apparent this weekend when I was invited to Suttons and Robertsons' exclusive pre-Christmas event at their Birmingham branch.
Suttons and Robertsons style themselves as 'Pawnbrokers of Distinction' and on stepping through their doorway I had to agree with them. The interior of the shop resembles a collector's private viewing room more than it does an actual shop. Here there are no crowded displays where gaudy rings jostle with garish bangles or where brassy necklaces drape ten to a pad over faux-leather cushions.
No indeed! Suttons and Robersons are the real deal! Here glittering diamond necklaces that might once have adorned the neck of a Russian Tsarina are afforded the space and presentation they deserve. Dazzling bracelets which shine brighter than a thousand stars are showcased in refined dignity and exquisitely crafted rings are displayed individually, affording the eye and brain just enough time to wonder at the beauty of each piece before moving ceaselessly on, each remarkable item more stunning than the one before.
Each and every article in their store is not just a piece of jewellery, it is a work of art, a thing of beauty to behold. And each has its own story to tell. Because this is no ordinary shop and these are no ordinary pawnbrokers.
Once you step across their threshold it is almost as if you have entered another world. Chic modern décor and minimalistic furnishings lead the eye to the few display cabinets on show and there is a real feeling of understated grandeur, as if the quality and value of the items speak for themselves and need no further ostentation. And yet every cabinet is a masterpiece in itself, glistening with sumptuous gems and intricate gold, fashioned into flattering and unique designs.
But it is seldom just a place which makes such an impression, its the people who work there too, for these are the life-blood of any business. Suttons and Robertsons' staff are the best in their business, knowledgeable and business-like with a warmth of attitude which shines through. They are nothing like the bespectacled aforementioned figment of my imagination but neither are they stiff and unapproachable. What they do have is an almost mystical quality in that they can gauge the finer points of every stone within its setting, its precise worth and its world-wide exclusivity.
Because that was the thing that struck me most about my visit - how exclusive everything was, from my invitation to attend, right down to the private viewing rooms where 'pledges' as anything taken in exchange for money is called, is valued and accepted.
Looking a little like a private banking room I could only imagine what gems have in time flitted across the counters there.
I was a little humbled by the natural beauty that was on show, diamonds that had been formed by nature over millennia and crafted by skilled hands...and to be completely honest I wondered why I had been extended the invitation. All was to become clear when I asked my next question - who uses such upmarket pawnbrokers?
The answer was as simple as it was profound. Anyone it seems can use the service if they have something suitable to serve as a pledge.
The item brought in to be pawned ALWAYS remains the property of the client! So even if they do not come back to claim it at the end of the term, it remains in effect theirs, so much so, that when the item is sold at auction, if it then makes a profit over the amount of the original loan and interest value, Suttons and Robertsons send a letter to the client, informing them of this and request that they come in to collect the surplus value.
Many clients are well known stars of stage and screen and/or household names. They are neither down at the heel nor shady, they are simply utilising their assets in a whole different way, sparing themselves the time which they would otherwise have to spend liquidising assets and redistributing them, to cover a short-term period. Because that's the true beauty of the pawnbroker I discovered - no credit checks, no expansive forms to be filled in triplicate, no need for collateral other than the item on offer. Less fuss, less hassle.
And then, when the term is over, or sooner if the client wishes as items can be returned at any time within the set term, the client merely repays the loan plus interest and their item is back in their possession with no need to be switching funds from one Swiss bank account to the other.
So now that I have got to here you are wondering where I come into this picture aren't you. Well here it is - are you ready?
Suttons and Robertsons are planning a social event for their extensive client base and they have asked that I provide an author talk and book signing at the event! Of course I immediately said yes...now I'm wondering if I should have held out for a diamond tiara to wear during the evening ;)
And all that talk of Swiss bank accounts has made me think of a little holiday chateau in the French Alps for a week or two. If only I had the money...oh now there's a thought! Did anyone see where I put that old engagement ring of mine? ;)
Happy reading folks!
Suttons and Robertson also buy, mend and value jewellery. For more on their services see
https://www.suttonsandrobertsons.com/Index.aspx
Is it of a cramped little shop, its walls lined with unpainted wooden shelves and festooned with cobwebbed and tarnished trinkets? Where the age-darkened oak lends itself to the gloom, festering a suffocating essence of decay which permeates the air, tainting the atmosphere with a sense of desperation and dreams long-dead until it is too oppressive to bear; an opaque varnish laden with its own particular burden of hopelessness and doom?
And of the proprietor? What images come to mind there?
Is it a bent over, huddled figure, spectacles perched on the very tip of his nose like some sort of modern-day Ebeneezer Scrooge? In your imagination does he run a finger up the bridge of his nose, settling those glasses before offering a toothless grin to the unwary customer? Shining some bauble on his tattered coat, fingering it with grimy hands and offering a pittance as the owner of the item is forced reluctantly to part with it in exchange for just enough money to purchase a stale crust of bread?
Up until this weekend that had certainly been my perception of pawnbrokers and their trade. But just how wrong I was became apparent this weekend when I was invited to Suttons and Robertsons' exclusive pre-Christmas event at their Birmingham branch.
Suttons and Robertsons style themselves as 'Pawnbrokers of Distinction' and on stepping through their doorway I had to agree with them. The interior of the shop resembles a collector's private viewing room more than it does an actual shop. Here there are no crowded displays where gaudy rings jostle with garish bangles or where brassy necklaces drape ten to a pad over faux-leather cushions.
No indeed! Suttons and Robersons are the real deal! Here glittering diamond necklaces that might once have adorned the neck of a Russian Tsarina are afforded the space and presentation they deserve. Dazzling bracelets which shine brighter than a thousand stars are showcased in refined dignity and exquisitely crafted rings are displayed individually, affording the eye and brain just enough time to wonder at the beauty of each piece before moving ceaselessly on, each remarkable item more stunning than the one before.
Each and every article in their store is not just a piece of jewellery, it is a work of art, a thing of beauty to behold. And each has its own story to tell. Because this is no ordinary shop and these are no ordinary pawnbrokers.
Once you step across their threshold it is almost as if you have entered another world. Chic modern décor and minimalistic furnishings lead the eye to the few display cabinets on show and there is a real feeling of understated grandeur, as if the quality and value of the items speak for themselves and need no further ostentation. And yet every cabinet is a masterpiece in itself, glistening with sumptuous gems and intricate gold, fashioned into flattering and unique designs.
But it is seldom just a place which makes such an impression, its the people who work there too, for these are the life-blood of any business. Suttons and Robertsons' staff are the best in their business, knowledgeable and business-like with a warmth of attitude which shines through. They are nothing like the bespectacled aforementioned figment of my imagination but neither are they stiff and unapproachable. What they do have is an almost mystical quality in that they can gauge the finer points of every stone within its setting, its precise worth and its world-wide exclusivity.
Because that was the thing that struck me most about my visit - how exclusive everything was, from my invitation to attend, right down to the private viewing rooms where 'pledges' as anything taken in exchange for money is called, is valued and accepted.
Looking a little like a private banking room I could only imagine what gems have in time flitted across the counters there.
I was a little humbled by the natural beauty that was on show, diamonds that had been formed by nature over millennia and crafted by skilled hands...and to be completely honest I wondered why I had been extended the invitation. All was to become clear when I asked my next question - who uses such upmarket pawnbrokers?
The answer was as simple as it was profound. Anyone it seems can use the service if they have something suitable to serve as a pledge.
The item brought in to be pawned ALWAYS remains the property of the client! So even if they do not come back to claim it at the end of the term, it remains in effect theirs, so much so, that when the item is sold at auction, if it then makes a profit over the amount of the original loan and interest value, Suttons and Robertsons send a letter to the client, informing them of this and request that they come in to collect the surplus value.
Many clients are well known stars of stage and screen and/or household names. They are neither down at the heel nor shady, they are simply utilising their assets in a whole different way, sparing themselves the time which they would otherwise have to spend liquidising assets and redistributing them, to cover a short-term period. Because that's the true beauty of the pawnbroker I discovered - no credit checks, no expansive forms to be filled in triplicate, no need for collateral other than the item on offer. Less fuss, less hassle.
And then, when the term is over, or sooner if the client wishes as items can be returned at any time within the set term, the client merely repays the loan plus interest and their item is back in their possession with no need to be switching funds from one Swiss bank account to the other.
So now that I have got to here you are wondering where I come into this picture aren't you. Well here it is - are you ready?
Suttons and Robertsons are planning a social event for their extensive client base and they have asked that I provide an author talk and book signing at the event! Of course I immediately said yes...now I'm wondering if I should have held out for a diamond tiara to wear during the evening ;)
And all that talk of Swiss bank accounts has made me think of a little holiday chateau in the French Alps for a week or two. If only I had the money...oh now there's a thought! Did anyone see where I put that old engagement ring of mine? ;)
Happy reading folks!
Suttons and Robertson also buy, mend and value jewellery. For more on their services see
https://www.suttonsandrobertsons.com/Index.aspx
Thursday, 13 November 2014
I try to write Monday to Friday. I don't always manage it but I try nonetheless. As Meatloaf says in his song, "some days it don't come easy, and some days it don't come hard..." Today I am fully in my flow.
Here is the paragraph I have just written:-
Here is the paragraph I have just written:-
She
walked briskly, not really seeing the scenery or noticing the people who passed
her on the path, their polite hellos not denting her thoughts. For so long her
life had been average – perhaps less than that even. It had been mundane. She
had slept and risen, cooked and cleaned, worked and relaxed to the singular
beat of a lethargic drum.
Now
it seemed as if some fiend had snared the instrument and beat instead on it
with manic glee, thrashing a new rhythm out with wild abandon, building to a crescendo,
a symphony of notes cascading from on high and being propelled back upwards by
the sheer force of the tempo.
And
she was being hauled alongside it.
If you would like to know more about how and why I write, then why not come along to one of my author talks? I will be posting details of the next venue shortly. As always you can contact me on carmen.capuano@ymail.com if you would like to arrange a talk for a school or group you are involved with.
Until then - Happy Reading!
Wednesday, 12 November 2014
The Plan?
Today I am working on The Plan. It's turning out to be quite a tale and as usual there are elements contained within it that I never envisaged from the start.
It originated from a short story I wrote some years ago and may yet have a change in title before I am done but essentially its about a woman and her struggle to re-establish a life for herself after the demise of her marriage.
Here is a little excerpt where the main character ,Suzie, is forced to tell her children that their dad has just become engaged to someone else :-
It originated from a short story I wrote some years ago and may yet have a change in title before I am done but essentially its about a woman and her struggle to re-establish a life for herself after the demise of her marriage.
Here is a little excerpt where the main character ,Suzie, is forced to tell her children that their dad has just become engaged to someone else :-
“Well
I wondered how you felt about it?”
Forrest admitted, refusing to meet her eyes. “I mean he was your husband
first.”
Yes
and of course technically he still was, although she omitted to give them that piece of information.
How did she feel? Betrayed? Relieved?
Sad? Like one door had closed but another had opened?
To
avoid the question for a moment she fetched a large bag of popcorn and tipped
it into a bowl. Watching the bowl fill up she knew suddenly how she could
explain herself.
“You
see all this popcorn?” she placed the bowl on the table. “it all looks alike,
doesn’t it?” she picked out two individual pieces. “But in fact every single
bit is different to every other bit, the way it pops, the angles and particular
shape it makes…so that finding two bits that can fit together is really hard.
Sometimes you can jam them together and the salt grains or toffee will make
them stick and other times it won't.”
She
watched Ellie select two bits and push them together.
“Well
people are like that too. Sometimes they can stick together and sometimes they
can’t. Your dad and I just were the type that couldn’t…” something caught her
eye and she dipped her hand into the bowl, plucking it out and curling her fist
around it.
“And
then sometimes - if you are really lucky - you find this,” she uncurled her fingers
to reveal two kernels of corn which had somehow in the popping process fused
together.
I hope to be posting some exciting news soon.
Until then - Happy Reading!
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
This Sunday you will find me at the Bromsgrove Holiday Inn where I shall be talking to readers and selling signed copies of my books.
If you have already purchased one of my books from somewhere else you can still come along and have it personalised. And we can have a good old natter!
I will inform you of other events and author talks nearer the dates.
To change the topic slightly - no, I still can't tell you my big news. I have been receiving messages from all sorts of places, enquiring what the secret is but I'm afraid you will have to wait just a little longer...
What I will tell you though is that a wonderful idea came to me for a sequel to Split Decision. However since I am still finishing The Plan and have yet to edit The Boy Who rescues Pigeons, I can't see me getting to it until next year.
That said, next year since I was planning on writing The Owners Volume VII, editing The Trouble with Mellillia [children's tale], finishing Ascension and writing another book for which I have yet to find a name, its going to be a squeeze to fit it in. Then again, I always did love a challenge... ;)
Happy Reading!
If you have already purchased one of my books from somewhere else you can still come along and have it personalised. And we can have a good old natter!
I will inform you of other events and author talks nearer the dates.
To change the topic slightly - no, I still can't tell you my big news. I have been receiving messages from all sorts of places, enquiring what the secret is but I'm afraid you will have to wait just a little longer...
What I will tell you though is that a wonderful idea came to me for a sequel to Split Decision. However since I am still finishing The Plan and have yet to edit The Boy Who rescues Pigeons, I can't see me getting to it until next year.
That said, next year since I was planning on writing The Owners Volume VII, editing The Trouble with Mellillia [children's tale], finishing Ascension and writing another book for which I have yet to find a name, its going to be a squeeze to fit it in. Then again, I always did love a challenge... ;)
Happy Reading!
Saturday, 1 November 2014
As you know I don't often paste things that have external links but today I found myself thinking once more about this extraordinary image. For that reason I decided to post it here and now.
This made me cry. It is so beautiful and so infinitely sad... we are all of us in transition, every minute of every day. Only the ending is ever clear but its the middle bit that stumps me every time...
http://watchthis.net/live-painting-shows-stunning-transformation-of-a-woman-from-birth-to-old-age/#YqVq8rfcB3QU6JsJ.01
Happy Reading folks and have a spectacular All Hallows Eve and Bonfire Night.
This made me cry. It is so beautiful and so infinitely sad... we are all of us in transition, every minute of every day. Only the ending is ever clear but its the middle bit that stumps me every time...
http://watchthis.net/live-painting-shows-stunning-transformation-of-a-woman-from-birth-to-old-age/#YqVq8rfcB3QU6JsJ.01
Happy Reading folks and have a spectacular All Hallows Eve and Bonfire Night.
Wednesday, 29 October 2014
Oh I have a secret...or maybe even two...and I can't tell...and it's killing me!
Now those of you who know me personally will know how bursting with news I can get and this is such a biggie for me! But at the moment I am sworn to secrecy, so you will just have to wait.
What I can tell you about is the four whole days of decorating I have just done - six hours a day for four days on one staircase. Yes you read that right - ONE staircase! That said, it is an incredibly long staircase with fiddly spindles all the way along and it didn't help that on the very first day I stuck my paintbrush into my giant coffee mug instead of the paint pot!
Still it could have been worse, I could have lifted the paint to my lips and poured it all down myself - I guess if I had done that I wouldn't be needing the Halloween makeup :)
Thanks also to everyone who sent me birthday wishes via Facebook. They were much appreciated.
Happy Halloween Reading x
Now those of you who know me personally will know how bursting with news I can get and this is such a biggie for me! But at the moment I am sworn to secrecy, so you will just have to wait.
What I can tell you about is the four whole days of decorating I have just done - six hours a day for four days on one staircase. Yes you read that right - ONE staircase! That said, it is an incredibly long staircase with fiddly spindles all the way along and it didn't help that on the very first day I stuck my paintbrush into my giant coffee mug instead of the paint pot!
Still it could have been worse, I could have lifted the paint to my lips and poured it all down myself - I guess if I had done that I wouldn't be needing the Halloween makeup :)
Thanks also to everyone who sent me birthday wishes via Facebook. They were much appreciated.
Happy Halloween Reading x
Monday, 27 October 2014
What have I been up to? Funny you should ask that...
On Saturday I had a lovely night with fellow author and Bromsgrovian, the glamorous and very gorgeous Cat Weatherill. We consumed a bottle of wine and put all of mankind to rights [we didn't include womenkind as we think they are generally ok ;)] It's always a pleasure to catch up with this vibrant woman.
If you haven't yet read my interview with her, why not take a look now.
Last night I went Blues dancing. Yes you read that right...blues. As you know my latest book centres around my dance experiences [and a few others - ahem!] and I thought I ought to widen my experience.
Prior to arriving, I had thought that it would be simply a slower version of Ceroc and in a way it was. But it was also far more than this, with elements of Argentinian Tango and other Latin influences mixed in.
Unused to dancing so slowly and sensually, I struggled at first. But by the tenth dance or so I literally found my feet. [Yes they were at the ends of my legs - who knew ;) ]
What I mean by that is that I stopped fumbling along the dance floor looking like a zombie on a day out and started to 'feel' the dance. There is a slow beauty to Blues I see now, an elegance not unlike that of ballet, where the moves are so slow as to be almost entrancing...
So shall I go back? Yes I think so! And to the man who stood on my toe - you are forgiven, after all who could have known that my foot would be there, at the end of my leg? ;)
A very Happy Reading to you all.
Carmen.
On Saturday I had a lovely night with fellow author and Bromsgrovian, the glamorous and very gorgeous Cat Weatherill. We consumed a bottle of wine and put all of mankind to rights [we didn't include womenkind as we think they are generally ok ;)] It's always a pleasure to catch up with this vibrant woman.
If you haven't yet read my interview with her, why not take a look now.
Last night I went Blues dancing. Yes you read that right...blues. As you know my latest book centres around my dance experiences [and a few others - ahem!] and I thought I ought to widen my experience.
Prior to arriving, I had thought that it would be simply a slower version of Ceroc and in a way it was. But it was also far more than this, with elements of Argentinian Tango and other Latin influences mixed in.
Unused to dancing so slowly and sensually, I struggled at first. But by the tenth dance or so I literally found my feet. [Yes they were at the ends of my legs - who knew ;) ]
What I mean by that is that I stopped fumbling along the dance floor looking like a zombie on a day out and started to 'feel' the dance. There is a slow beauty to Blues I see now, an elegance not unlike that of ballet, where the moves are so slow as to be almost entrancing...
So shall I go back? Yes I think so! And to the man who stood on my toe - you are forgiven, after all who could have known that my foot would be there, at the end of my leg? ;)
A very Happy Reading to you all.
Carmen.
Thursday, 23 October 2014
Last night by exclusive invitation courtesy of Gem Media who were promoting the event, I attended the launch party of the Belle Vue Bar and grill on Icknield Port Road, Birmingham.
The wine was smooth and the conversation more so. I spoke to numerous interesting people including the four times World Kick Boxing Champion, 'Kash The Flash' and the esteemed Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Shafique Shah.
The atmosphere in the chic modern bar was absolutely electric! Laughter and excited conversation flitted over the soft music as the sumptuous food just kept on coming forth from the open kitchens; huge steaming plates of fiery samosas, spring rolls and succulent chicken curries to name but a few. The air was redolent with the smells of exotic foreign destinations and tinkled with the sound of wine and champagne glasses being refilled.
But me of course being me there was [as ever] a humorous situation yet to unfold.
A very glamorous Asian lady had placed herself close to me. Chatting in different groups we had yet to actually speak to one another. But when a young attractive man approached me and began to converse, this lady sidled over and asked "Is this your husband?"
Rather flattered that she could even think this could be the case [the man was at least fifteen years younger than me] I simply said that no, he wasn't. The lady moved back to her original position, flanking my right side within her 'own' group.
The man went off to mingle elsewhere and another man came over to discuss life, jobs and the event we were attending.
"Is this your husband?" a little voice at the side of me enquired. Yet again I said that no, the man was not my spouse. She nodded and left me to it.
Guess what? I ended that conversation, only for another man to come over. This time I talked about being an author and how I loved my job as he listened politely.
And I was almost ready for her when the comment came. Almost but not quite. "So is this your husband?" she asked. At that point, giggling stupidly, I had to admit that I don't have a husband. [God only knows what the poor man talking to me at the time made of THAT comment - suffice it to say he wandered off pretty quickly!]
She nodded [rather sympathetically I thought] and moved back to her own position once more.
Finally another man came to talk. He was a doctor, an anaesthetist to be precise and we had an interesting discussion about medicine and patients' perceptions of operations due to programmes such as Holby City and Casualty.
Something about his body language clicked in my head and I knew he was married to the lady on my left. So stifling the laughter which threatened to bubble up and overwhelm me I said to her. "Is this your husband?"
And do you know what she did? To her credit she beamed me the brightest smile I have seen in a long time. So maybe for some, marriage works. Maybe I'll get to find out about that one day. Maybe I'll even be back at the Belle Vue and will see that same lovely lady and I will say, "look, finally THIS is my husband!"
In the meantime - Happy Reading.
Pictures will be posted as soon as I am able.
For more information about what Gem Media can do for you contact events@gemmedia.co.uk
Special thanks to http://www.gemmedia.co.uk and
The Belle Vue Bar and Grill. Chic, modern, friendly and with free parking.
The wine was smooth and the conversation more so. I spoke to numerous interesting people including the four times World Kick Boxing Champion, 'Kash The Flash' and the esteemed Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Shafique Shah.
The atmosphere in the chic modern bar was absolutely electric! Laughter and excited conversation flitted over the soft music as the sumptuous food just kept on coming forth from the open kitchens; huge steaming plates of fiery samosas, spring rolls and succulent chicken curries to name but a few. The air was redolent with the smells of exotic foreign destinations and tinkled with the sound of wine and champagne glasses being refilled.
But me of course being me there was [as ever] a humorous situation yet to unfold.
A very glamorous Asian lady had placed herself close to me. Chatting in different groups we had yet to actually speak to one another. But when a young attractive man approached me and began to converse, this lady sidled over and asked "Is this your husband?"
Rather flattered that she could even think this could be the case [the man was at least fifteen years younger than me] I simply said that no, he wasn't. The lady moved back to her original position, flanking my right side within her 'own' group.
The man went off to mingle elsewhere and another man came over to discuss life, jobs and the event we were attending.
"Is this your husband?" a little voice at the side of me enquired. Yet again I said that no, the man was not my spouse. She nodded and left me to it.
Guess what? I ended that conversation, only for another man to come over. This time I talked about being an author and how I loved my job as he listened politely.
And I was almost ready for her when the comment came. Almost but not quite. "So is this your husband?" she asked. At that point, giggling stupidly, I had to admit that I don't have a husband. [God only knows what the poor man talking to me at the time made of THAT comment - suffice it to say he wandered off pretty quickly!]
She nodded [rather sympathetically I thought] and moved back to her own position once more.
Finally another man came to talk. He was a doctor, an anaesthetist to be precise and we had an interesting discussion about medicine and patients' perceptions of operations due to programmes such as Holby City and Casualty.
Something about his body language clicked in my head and I knew he was married to the lady on my left. So stifling the laughter which threatened to bubble up and overwhelm me I said to her. "Is this your husband?"
And do you know what she did? To her credit she beamed me the brightest smile I have seen in a long time. So maybe for some, marriage works. Maybe I'll get to find out about that one day. Maybe I'll even be back at the Belle Vue and will see that same lovely lady and I will say, "look, finally THIS is my husband!"
In the meantime - Happy Reading.
Pictures will be posted as soon as I am able.
For more information about what Gem Media can do for you contact events@gemmedia.co.uk
Special thanks to http://www.gemmedia.co.uk and
The Belle Vue Bar and Grill. Chic, modern, friendly and with free parking.
Now in between all this frantic running around [see previous post below] I am actually trying to get some writing done.
Here is a snippet I literally just committed to the white screen. It is taken from my chick-lit book which will be finished mid November. I know, I know! I told you that it would be finished by the end of October but in my defence I have been rather busy!
I hope you like it :-
Here is a snippet I literally just committed to the white screen. It is taken from my chick-lit book which will be finished mid November. I know, I know! I told you that it would be finished by the end of October but in my defence I have been rather busy!
I hope you like it :-
“Is
there a problem here?” Clipped tones preceded a woman of indeterminate age down
a sweeping staircase to arrive in front of their little triangle. “Who are…”
the woman began and then stopped abruptly, eyes widening slightly in surprise.
The skin around her eyelids seemed unable to fully support the manoeuvre she
was trying to make, Botox or perhaps surgery holding it as taut and
unlined as a teenager’s. Instead her neck displayed a sudden rigidity, chords
and sinews sticking up through the skin as if skewered there.
“You!”
Julia expelled on a breath as if Indie had arisen from the dead.
“That should have been my line!” Indie said rancorously.
“Seems to me like you stole it. Just like you stole my mother’s place in my
father’s bed!”
Happy reading! x
Coming up...
Things have been frantic over the last couple of weeks...so much so that I find myself running from one place to another, one book signing or event to another so fast that I barely have time to catch breath...
Last night I was invited to a wonderful exclusive event. I really want to tell you all about it but I am awaiting photographs of the evening to be emailed to me. So until then my lips are sealed.
Please check back later to hear all about it!
Last night I was invited to a wonderful exclusive event. I really want to tell you all about it but I am awaiting photographs of the evening to be emailed to me. So until then my lips are sealed.
Please check back later to hear all about it!
Friday, 10 October 2014
It's all about the girl...
Last night I conducted an author talk and book signing for a lovely group of people. As a speaker it can be hard to gauge an audience - believe it or not some audiences can be hard work but last night was an exceptionally good one!
So it was that I arrived home full of good cheer and very contented.
Here is a comment from one of the ladies which was posted on The Book Club's Facebook page.
"So here are my preconceptions of the Book Club Birmingham - we would be sitting around tables with a copy of the book under discussion!!
"My word how wrong I was!! It was an inspiring refreshingly honest evening with the girlish Carmen Capuano (loved that quality) she took us into another world. Loved the evening feel vibrant & excited!!"
So it was that I arrived home full of good cheer and very contented.
Here is a comment from one of the ladies which was posted on The Book Club's Facebook page.
"So here are my preconceptions of the Book Club Birmingham - we would be sitting around tables with a copy of the book under discussion!!
"My word how wrong I was!! It was an inspiring refreshingly honest evening with the girlish Carmen Capuano (loved that quality) she took us into another world. Loved the evening feel vibrant & excited!!"
I particularly liked the fact that she referred to me as 'girlish'. Oh dear why does the phrase 'woman, vanity is thy name!' ring such a loud bell? ;)
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, 7 October 2014
Listening to that little voice...
I have a tendency to listen to my inner voice - it rarely fails me I find.
Today, instead of beginning the editing of The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons I have decided to work on The Plan which is already half finished. For some reason I am not yet ready to edit the first book nor am I ready to move onto the new story that popped into my head when I was in the shower the other day...the main character is not yet fleshed out enough by my sub-conscience to allow me to fully capture her essence. By working on something else, I will give her time and space to evolve, just like a caterpillar evolves into a beautiful butterfly.
So in the meantime here is the first paragraph I have written today :-
Today, instead of beginning the editing of The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons I have decided to work on The Plan which is already half finished. For some reason I am not yet ready to edit the first book nor am I ready to move onto the new story that popped into my head when I was in the shower the other day...the main character is not yet fleshed out enough by my sub-conscience to allow me to fully capture her essence. By working on something else, I will give her time and space to evolve, just like a caterpillar evolves into a beautiful butterfly.
So in the meantime here is the first paragraph I have written today :-
The
dress wasn’t particularly comfortable to drive in; the beads dug into her
bottom and back like little chips of diamonds. If I was to take this dress off now, I would look like I had been lying
on a bed of nails, she thought. Little
indentations all over my skin…
She
pulled up at the house number Indie had said she lived at. It was a modest
terrace in a reasonable area but watching Indie step out of the front door and
close it behind herself was like watching Captain Picard of The Enterprise step
out of a burger van – nothing about the picture fit.
I am often asked if my characters are like me. In this particular book there is no character that I could really fully identify with, they are all very different to me. But the situations they find themselves in - well some of those stem from my real life [but my lips are sealed as to which ones they are...]
Happy reading!
Friday, 3 October 2014
This is a really quick post as I am on my way out - no not to an author talk or book signing but a proper night out with friends! I have almost forgotten what that's like!
Anyway thank you very much to Amazon who are currently sponsoring advertising across the internet of my books - as the Australians would say 'good on you mate!'
In addition to this, I have been invited to the launch party of The Belle Vue in Edgbaston, courtesy of Gem Media. I am really looking forward to this event! I might even dust off a fancy dress :)
Until then, happy reading!
Anyway thank you very much to Amazon who are currently sponsoring advertising across the internet of my books - as the Australians would say 'good on you mate!'
In addition to this, I have been invited to the launch party of The Belle Vue in Edgbaston, courtesy of Gem Media. I am really looking forward to this event! I might even dust off a fancy dress :)
Until then, happy reading!
Thursday, 2 October 2014
Hot off the screen here is my latest interview http://bookseekeragency.com/2014/10/02/an-interview-with-carmen-capuano-author-of-split-decision/
And as always...Happy Reading!
And as always...Happy Reading!
Events.
Many thanks to the Stroke Club in Northfield for inviting me to conduct an author talk for their members. Everyone was warm and welcoming and it was an absolute honour to speak with them after the event and listen to their personal stories.
Next week on Thursday 9th October I will be at the Java Lounge in Birmingham, talking about my writing, reading excepts of my books and conducting a book signing. I would love to see you there.
Nearer the time I will let you know of further future events.
Until then, Happy Reading!
Next week on Thursday 9th October I will be at the Java Lounge in Birmingham, talking about my writing, reading excepts of my books and conducting a book signing. I would love to see you there.
Nearer the time I will let you know of further future events.
Until then, Happy Reading!
Tuesday, 30 September 2014
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!
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!
Friday, 26 September 2014
Feed the birds!
People ask me all the time how I get my inspiration for stories. The truth is always much less exciting than what they probably think. Stories come to me like jokes come to comedians, I would imagine. They pop up in my head, sometimes fully fleshed out and sometimes requiring a little work to join the dots together. But the ones I choose to work on are the ones which have characters who are more than three-dimensional. In my head, these are living, breathing entities in their own right and in some ways I have no more control over them than an absent mother does of her children!
Therefore I didn't set out to write The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons for any other reason than it was a fantastic story idea and I thought the characters had something powerful to say. But at the beginning I wasn't sure what that would be. Now I do!
This book has been a painful journey for me and one which has been more personal than perhaps many of my other books. You see I was the little girl who fed the birds and I guess at heart I still am her, in all her frailties and foibles.
Life and time moves us all in different directions and sometimes that is far away from where we really ought to be. Slowly I am finding my way back to my rightful place - and will there be pigeons there? You can bet on it.
So introspection over, here is today's snippet, hot off my laptop.
Oh and to quote Mary Poppins, "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag..."
Happy Reading!
Therefore I didn't set out to write The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons for any other reason than it was a fantastic story idea and I thought the characters had something powerful to say. But at the beginning I wasn't sure what that would be. Now I do!
This book has been a painful journey for me and one which has been more personal than perhaps many of my other books. You see I was the little girl who fed the birds and I guess at heart I still am her, in all her frailties and foibles.
Life and time moves us all in different directions and sometimes that is far away from where we really ought to be. Slowly I am finding my way back to my rightful place - and will there be pigeons there? You can bet on it.
So introspection over, here is today's snippet, hot off my laptop.
Oh and to quote Mary Poppins, "Feed the birds, tuppence a bag..."
Brighteyes’s empty box nearly broke his heart and
for a moment his mind played tricks on him, making him see what wasn’t there -
the little bobbing head, the iridescent sheen of feathers, the bright
inquisitive eyes.
His heart held on to the image, eager not to relinquish
it to the reality of the empty room, his empty life…
He flung open the window. It was just starting to
get dark outside although the hour was not late. No birds flew high in the sky
or overhead but he sprinkled the contents of the bag across the outside of the
ledge anyway. They would be there ready for the morning and that was for the
best anyway.
He ran a hand across the crumbs, evening them out
and breaking the bigger chunks into more manageable bite sized pieces. Maybe
the pie would attract all different types and sizes of birds, maybe only the
braver ones would alight there. Time would tell. But he knew that as long as
they were willing to come, he would be willing to feed them.
For more snippets of this or other books, take a look at my previous blog posts.
Happy Reading!
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
This morning I met with my 'coffee ladies'. We discussed whether it was indeed possible to put your mind to doing something and achieving it even if it was beyond your intelligence level.
For me the jury is still out on the subject, however my character Lucas is finding that school work has a new relevance for him now that he has a rescue pigeon in his care.
Here is today's snippet.
For me the jury is still out on the subject, however my character Lucas is finding that school work has a new relevance for him now that he has a rescue pigeon in his care.
Here is today's snippet.
He
had spent the Saturday morning doing his homework with Brighteyes watching him
from the window sill. For maths he had work in fractions and decimal points to
be done and he flew through the questions with ease, regardless of whether they
were purely numerical or worded ones, reshaping them in his mind to have
reference to the bird. Two and a half multiplied by 3.8 became two full adults
and a baby bird requiring 3.8 mls of medicine each. Five and seven eighths divided
by 2.9 became five adults and a teenage bird who had to share almost 3mls of
water between them…suddenly everything had a relevance, a purpose that he
understood.
Even
his English homework had a significance now that it hadn’t had previously. In
his freestyle assignment he chose to write an investigative report on how
pigeons were maligned by society, vilified because of the erroneous belief that
their faeces was harmful to humans. And to his surprise he loved every moment
of the work.
Happy Reading!
Monday, 22 September 2014
I am coming towards the end of The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons. I really feel for my character Lucas - I have been in his situation and it is hard on the heart at times. Here is the excerpt from today's chapter :-
Lucas felt a stab of guilt. Was he neglecting Brighteyes? He really didn’t intend to leave the bird alone for so long but then again was it in its best interests to make it too tame either? What would happen once it was released to the wild if it was too used to human company?
He worried about the rights and wrongs of the situation as he peddled to the park. Brighteyes seemed to be getting better, growing stronger every day. And that was a good thing – no, actually that was a great thing! But she also seemed to be becoming more accustomed to him every day, a little less afraid, a little more accepting of his sudden movements, less startled when he spoke… and sometimes recently he had noticed that she seemed to be paying more attention to him, almost as if she considered him to be part of her flock…
He was honoured by the bird’s acceptance but he was also more than a little worried. Would she pine for him when she was back in the wild? Would she feel betrayed? Abandoned? Alone? And him – how would he feel having to give her up to fate, not ever knowing if she was alright?
They say that if you love something you should let it go...I think that will be a hard lesson for Lucas. Keep your fingers crossed for me and for him.
Until my next post - Happy Reading!
Lucas felt a stab of guilt. Was he neglecting Brighteyes? He really didn’t intend to leave the bird alone for so long but then again was it in its best interests to make it too tame either? What would happen once it was released to the wild if it was too used to human company?
He worried about the rights and wrongs of the situation as he peddled to the park. Brighteyes seemed to be getting better, growing stronger every day. And that was a good thing – no, actually that was a great thing! But she also seemed to be becoming more accustomed to him every day, a little less afraid, a little more accepting of his sudden movements, less startled when he spoke… and sometimes recently he had noticed that she seemed to be paying more attention to him, almost as if she considered him to be part of her flock…
He was honoured by the bird’s acceptance but he was also more than a little worried. Would she pine for him when she was back in the wild? Would she feel betrayed? Abandoned? Alone? And him – how would he feel having to give her up to fate, not ever knowing if she was alright?
They say that if you love something you should let it go...I think that will be a hard lesson for Lucas. Keep your fingers crossed for me and for him.
Until my next post - Happy Reading!
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