Here I am at my latest book signing event. Wish I hadn't slouched!

Photo courtesy of Gem Media.

Saving Grace

There's a soundtrack that's running through my head. It goes a little like this...

"Where do I begin
To tell the story of how great a love can be?
The true love story
That is true of you and me?...

Where do I start?"

Do you recognise it? It is the theme from the film Love Story. Perhaps the words are a little wrong but the sentiment isn't.

And yet the story I'm working on isn't a love story - it's the exact opposite in fact. It's a story about how one little girl is striving to cope with the breakdown of her parents' marriage. But the sentiment of that song is what is bursting forth from her heart and it has impaled me, as her creator, with its hurt.

Poor Grace is utterly, emotionally lost. I only hope she can find her way out of the wilderness and into the light...

COMING EVENTS

Hi all.

I have been asked on numerous occasions to add an events page to the blog. I haven't done this in the past, as many of my speaking events were closed to the public, such as the recent talk I gave for the clients/ associates of Suttons and Robertsons.

However, since this year I am also involved in many events which are open to the public, I have set up an events page which you will now find listed under the PAGES section to the right of this main part of the blog.

For your convenience, I have also this time listed it here :-

EVENTS

Here is a list of my coming events.

There are more than I have listed but these are 'closed events' where unless you are a member you cannot attend. For this reason I have not included these here.

Where possible I have included the details of the relevant person to contact should you wish to attend.

6th March  I will be attending a networking event where copies of my books are included in the raffle prize. Please contact Gem Media for tickets. UPDATE - NOW SOLD OUT.

19th March I will be at The Hive in Worcester, taking part in their Space Day, exhibiting my books and signing copies 5-8pm. For more details see http://www.thehiveworcester.org/family-events.html

20th March I will be at the Literary Festival in Bleakhouse Library, giving a short talk on my books and signing copies. Please contact Ian Grey on 0121 422 2798 for details.

21st March I will be found in Droitwich Library for the Space Day Extravaganza. This will be a brilliant event and an opportunity to learn about space and rockets and everything astronomical. I will be propping up a table laden with my books - come talk to me. This is an open event so you can just come along.

17th April I am presenting trophies to the winners of the Book Quiz at Bleakhouse Library. Please contact the library on 0121 422 2798 if you wish to attend.

TBA I will be conducting a talk and book signing at Lord Morton's Tea Rooms. Details will be posted when date is confirmed.

September I will be at the Salt Festival in Droitwich

24th & 25th October I will be giving a talk and signing books at the brand new Lickey Poetry Festival. Details to follow on how to gain admission.

This Twitter comment made me smile :-


Sajid Javid MP ‏@sajidjavid 8h8 hours ago

Enjoyed this Valentines's Day short story by #Bromsgrove author @carmencapuano http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/2015/02/14/entertainment-Valentines-Day-story-127005.html … @BromStandard

Details

Here is the link again as requested.


http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/2015/02/14/entertainment-Valentines-Day-story-127005.html

I am putting a link on here for no other reason than I liked it. I'm sure you will too...

It's uniquely Irish and is about 50 Shades of Tea :)


Here it is http://www.irishexaminer.com/examviral/fun-times/watch-a-uniquely-irish-version-of-fifty-shades-of-grey-311786.html#.VNp4YuAf8WQ.facebook

Saving Grace

Here is a little excerpt from Saving Grace that I have just written.

“But I want them to stay together!” Grace wailed, feeling herself start to tremble with fear.

“Sometimes we can’t always have what we want,” Benito said kindly. “And when people love us we have a responsibility to them.”

“Don’t you mean that the other way around? That if they love us they have a responsibility to us?” Grace queried.

Benito shook his head. “Being loved is the greatest honour anyone can bestow upon you. So you have to measure up to it. You have to put aside your own fears and desires and think about what is best for them.”

 

Saving Grace is a book for children which blends reality and fiction in a way that helps them come to terms  with the concepts of divorce and separation.  Darkly humorous, it is insightful and thought provoking.

 

You can hear me talk about Saving Grace, Split Decision, The Owners and all of my soon-to-be-released books at one of my forthcoming talks. Details to follow shortly.

 

Happy Reading. 

I must apologise for the lack of blogging over the last few days, but things have been frantic and there is just so much going on.

Please bear with me as I have a whole list of events to post. Next week things should be calmer and I will get up-to-date with you all.

Until then - Happy Reading!

What an honour!

I have been very honoured. The Bromsgrove Standard very kindly asked me to write a special short story for them on the lead up to Valentine's day.

You can find the story here, http://www.bromsgrovestandard.co.uk/paper/ on page 12 of the newspaper. I hope you enjoy it.

I remember the very first time I ever read the Standard. I was house-hunting in Bromsgrove and it seemed like a good idea to read the local newspaper to get a flavour of what life could be like here. It was also the first time I had encountered a local newspaper, since none of the cities I had lived in before [Glasgow, London, Birmingham] had published anything so closely linked to the lives of its inhabitants.

The distinction between a national newspaper and a local one, is more than just a difference in the types of articles they cover, for the disparity lies not just in scale but in proximity. The Standard knows its readers ['demographics' to other newspapers] better than just by their bank balances and the size of their homes - it knows their hearts, the things that make them tick, their whims and their foibles and it knows this because the people who write for it are local too. 

I can't claim to know you all so intimately, but over the past two years I have had the pleasure of conducting a number of talks around the area, so I hope you will enjoy my little offering.

Happy Reading.

Thank you!

Many thanks to the Stroke Association who hosted one of my talks today. Talking about my books never fails to excite me and it is always lovely to have such an appreciative audience.   


Writing stories is both the hardest and the easiest thing I have ever done. It is hard because it requires you to bare your soul and to commit yourself entirely to the story, but it is also the easiest, because for me writing is not a choice, it is a compulsion.


The one question I am always asked at any of these events is how do I find the time to do everything. The truth is that I don't. Like all of us, there are times when I am forced to make a choice between what I want to do and what I have to do. Mostly I am sensible with my time - but not always!


My point here is that I will notice if I haven't written a chapter that day, but the kids will never notice if I failed to vacuum. Life is short. And sometimes it's hard. Live it how your heart dictates.


Carmen x.

New book on the horizon...

Hello again!

If you have heard any of my talks, you will know that I am compelled to write according to which characters shout the loudest to attract my attention. That's why I am now working on a new book entitled Saving Grace.

Grace is a young girl who is torn between her parents as the adults struggle to cope with their disintegrating marriage. The story is told from her perspective and is darkly comical. I think you are going to like her a lot.

Here is the very first page of Saving Grace. If you enjoy it please take a look at my other books.

N.B. Split Decision will be out in March.

The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons, The Plan and Ascension will follow shortly.

Chapter 1

 

 

The rain slashed at the window pane, thick tears of anger streaming down the glass before running off the window sill to puddle on the ground outside. Grace turned her face away from the crying window and closed her ears to its wet misery.

“Well maybe it isn’t YOUR fault but it isn’t MINE either you know!” The shrieking voice had a quiver at the end which tugged painfully at Grace’s heart.

A momentary silence followed, during which the continual cry of the rain seemed to become deafening. “No it’s never your fault, is it? That would just be ridiculous.”

Even heard through the closed toilet door she could hear his strident tones, full of sarcasm.  It was a funny word – sarcasm. She had learned it only last week during an English lesson. What had struck her at the time, was that she had always been able to recognise it in his voice, she simply hadn’t had a name for it. Now she did.

It was a shame to use such a pretty sounding word for such a vile meaning. Perhaps that particular tone of voice could have been called ‘I’m being nasty but pretending it’s funny’ instead, or inpif for short. His voice was hard and brittle, his sentences so sharp and cutting, she almost couldn’t remember the soft tones and rounded words of so long ago.

Grace stood rooted to the spot, hands outstretched in the bathroom sink. As if hypnotised, she watched the water swirling over her soapy fingers, washing away the suds and the dirt together, making no distinction between one or the other, rinsing her free of anything and everything.

Sometimes she wished she could do that with her whole life… just rinse it clean away. Gurgling, the water swirled away and down the drain, the sound so much like laughter it made her wince. It was a sound which lived only in her memory.

The end!

I have just typed the final words of my latest book. My heart is pumping hard with adrenaline and my head is exploding - the last few chapters were a real crescendo of action and revelations. I thrilled along with the characters, worried for them and held my breath. Now it is done and I am both elated and saddened.

Jessica was a great character to work with, strong and forceful she was everything I hope I would be [but fear I wouldn't be] in a crisis and I will miss her immensely. 

I still think I may have to change the title of the book as there was a short lived tv-series by the same name, so I will have to think about that at some point. However since this book will not be out until after Split Decision it's not something I have to worry about immediately. I'll let you know what I decide!

Happy Reading! 

A little snippet!

Here is the latest paragraph from my current book. I have about five chapters left to write and so am very near to the conclusion. I wonder how it will all turn out...

I don’t know what to do. I don’t know how to do it. But I know it has to be done. Give me the strength to bring about the right outcome, to save these girls and others like them…give me the courage to stand up to whatever lies ahead and the wisdom to know what to do and when to do it, I prayed.

I felt the words with every atom of my being; sensed the syllables and the syntax form from the particles of my soul, fusing themselves together through not just desperation, but a sense of wonder at how little of the world and its intricacies I really understood.

Happy Reading!

A warm welcome from the WI!

Many thanks to Finstall Cross WI. Last night a large crowd turned out for their first meeting of the year and to hear me talk about my books and the way I write. An enthusiastic audience, they listened intently and asked intelligent questions.


Although I do quite a lot of author talks and books signings in various places, I never lose that enthusiasm I have when talking about my books and the characters within them...they are like old friends, even the nasty ones!


This was only my second foray into the world of WI and I found this particular group to be very different from my previous experience. These ladies were lively, feisty and had a very, very active social life...something I must admit to being a little in awe of.


With so many available groups offering a variety of activities to their members, I had to wonder why so many women isolate themselves as they get older.


Many, many years ago, when I was around 22, I dated a young man who had lost his father at an early age. His mother had remarried soon after, to a very kind, gentle bear of a man called John.
 Unfortunately at the age of 46 [if memory serves] John had a fatal heart attack and died, leaving my boyfriend's mother twice widowed by the age of 45.


I remember the shock and the sense of loss I felt that the world had lost such a lovely man. I can't, even now, get fully to grips with how his wife must have felt, having had to bury two men she adored within the short span of her lifetime.


At the time, 45 had seemed moderately old - having now passed that age myself and also watched the world reassign the concept of 'middle-age' to a yet slightly distant decade, as people strive to stay younger for longer - I had thought that her life was effectively over.


With her role as wife effectively swept away in one cruel stroke and her role as mother diminishing with her brood finding life partners and moving out to homes of their own, I feared for what the future held for this indomitable lady. I wish I had known about the WI then, as I would certainly have steered her in their direction.


But it was another age. People in their teens and early twenties now are used to seeing people in their forties, fifties and even sixties wearing the same clothes as them, frequenting the same pubs and even using modern technology such as android phones and IPods.


Back then there was more of a distinction between generations. People in their sixties did not wear jeans; women over a certain age did not wear high heels or any clothing which did not include a high fibre count in polyester and anyone over the age of thirty-something could not properly understand or work a video recorder.


So when did this change take place? I honestly don't know. It must have been gradual I guess but it was certainly sweeping. I wonder too what prompted the change. Did we all as a nation, nay species, decide that we were going to live more until we died? Or was it something about my own generation, some refusal to let time catch them in it's grip without giving it at least a good run for its money? Perhaps you have your own theory.


All I know is this - I'm glad of the change and in particular I was heartened by the vivaciousness of last night's WI group. So watch out ladies - one day I might just join you!


Until then, Happy Reading!

A little bit of me...

Not every possession in life tells a story, but some certainly do. One such item is a gold bangle which bears my name and which I designed and had made for me in rose, yellow, and white gold, almost twenty years ago.

I had just graduated from university and felt that life had perhaps begun to open doors previously closed to me. Old gold from single earrings where the other in the pair was lost, broken necklaces and other odds and ends were smelted down and within a few weeks my creation was born.

Designed so that it could be worn permanently, night and day, my bangle was there with me through thick and thin.  It was on my wrist when my ex-husband proposed, when we married and when our children were born.

Insentient, it did not see, it did not record, but like a beloved teddy, my heart assigned it emotions nonetheless. It witnessed my tears, the sad breakdown of my marriage and my eventual journey into the minefield of dating...and then perhaps echoing me a little bit, it broke.

It slipped from my wrist like a forlorn lover, parting from me with regret and sorrowful backward glances.

For so long it languished on my dressing table waiting to be fixed. And every time I glanced in its direction I promised myself that I would attend to it soon...and yet I did nothing.

Until today. Chastened and ashamed by the fact that daily I mourned its absence and yet did nothing to change the status quo, I  took a trip to the Jewellery Quarter in Birmingham. A couple of years ago the catch that had originally closed the bracelet had broken and I had taken it to a wonderful repair shop called A and A.

There they had listened to the problem and designed an ingenious pin system to fix it. The repair was made and the charge was reasonable. So today I took it back there. I explained that the pin had unfortunately come loose and that I wanted the whole thing soldered shut.

A very nice man listened intently, disappeared with my bracelet and reappeared five minutes later with it repaired and sparkling clean.

So if you are looking for a repair to a beloved piece of jewellery, perhaps a piece that you hold dear to your heart and have been afraid up until now to let out of your sight, then I can say to you that I highly recommend A and A.

For caring and prompt service, for people who listen, for the skill to work and rework jewellery to the customer's satisfaction and for the sheer workmanship they bestow upon every job :-

A and A Jewellery Ltd  http://www.aajewellery.com/

2015

Have you had a merry Christmas and New Year readers? Have you eaten and drunk your fill, kissed your loved ones and revelled in the warmth around you? I hope so. Because the alternative is not good!

Don't worry, I'm not going to get all dark and brooding with you. Well ok, maybe just a little then. This is a difficult time of year for many people, a time when they feel lost or afraid, without comfort or solace in their lives. Believe me, I have known this from first hand experience, although I have always been lucky enough to have had more than a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel.

Recently, however, I was faced with someone who struck me as such an individual. Crippled by a severe mental condition and fed a diet of prescription drugs, he should have been a spaced out zombie but instead I found him to be articulate with a quiet grace. He radiated an ease and serenity that most people could never achieve with a lifetime's trying. In fact, he reminded me somewhat of Bubba's character from The Green Mile [heart-breaking film].

We are a strange species us humans and I think that had I not ended up being an author, I would have been well suited to anthropology, as watching people's reactions to things fascinates me. To understand what makes people tick, what motivates and defines their actions would be a fine thing indeed, although I suspect that the study would be infinite in its course.

Do not concern yourself unduly, for I am sliding into this frame of mind as I prepare to restart my latest novel from where it left off before Christmas. A dark, supernatural type fantasy, it delves into the human psyche deeper than even I thought it would.

As an author it is easy to become so immersed in your work that real life seems almost wishy-washy in comparison. Colours are never so bright as when they are described in minutiae on a pristine page, emotions never so heightened than when dissected by a pen. That's why this has been such a good break for me. But now it is almost time to begin to turn my mind back to the tales which jostle in my head, the characters who fight for my attention...

So one last thought before I let my mind be devoured by the darkness... 2015 is here already. It will only come once in your life, so make the most of every day, of every minute, to make those around you know how much you care.

Have a happy and joyous 2015 readers.

Carmen.

Almost Christmas!

Well Christmas is almost here, the trees are up and the kids are excited.  So maybe at this time of the year it is understandable that my thoughts have turned in the direction they have...but first let me explain a little.

I am not religious. I have friends who are deeply religious and others who are completely atheist. I am happy to let each be to their own. However, this current book is a very Dan Brown affair. I had known from the first that it was about religion, but hadn't counted on how intricate and twisting it would be, to call into question the very nature of our existence.

If you have attended one of my author talks, you will know that I seldom know how a plot will unfurl, so it came as rather a surprise. But I am enjoying each revelation!

Here is a little snippet where the local Preacher comes to a realisation.

“As for the help and the luck, well I guess that’s where I come in,” Isaac sighed. “Perhaps I could have been a happier man if I had never found out what I have discovered today, but that ignorance is now behind me. Yet I cannot walk into the future with the knowledge that I did nothing to help right a wrong, weighing heavily on my back…”

He slipped from his seat on the pew to a kneeling position on the floor. Facing his alter he made the sign of the cross and folded his hands in prayer.

      “Father I am but your servant. Your candle in a vast darkness that is of your making. I have no power to light the way ahead, nor to cast off the shadows which follow my every footstep. Yet I beg your help to aid these two good women in their search for what is right, for what is just; for what your will desires. Help me be strong so that I may in turn help them. Amen.”

Merry Christmas and Happy Reading x

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.

News flash!

Just a quick post to say a big thank you to my publisher. Split Decision will be out next year, hopefully early in the year. Details to follow.
 
Oh and I have thoroughly gotten into my latest book, The Ascension of Sarah Mallory - watch this space for updates and snippets.

Here is a little bit:-

I steeled myself for a bout of reminiscing. Normally I was more than happy to talk about my gran or my dad with him, but right then I had more pressing things on my mind.

“She told me a story once. I didn’t really believe it at the time – your Gran was prone to a little embellishment if she thought it livened up a dull tale – but later, much later, I saw that it was true. Well most of it anyway.”

Despite my urgency to help Sarah my interest was piqued. “What was it about?” I asked.

“Well you see that’s the funny thing. Because it was about your Great-Grandma, Emily’s mother, but it was also about you.”

“Me?”

“Yes Jess, you.” There was a note of such sadness in his voice that I almost wished he would come out with something ludicrous, something that would mark one of his rapid slides into dementia and I would be able to dismiss everything.