Robin Williams

I wasn't intending to write a post about the recent death of Robin Williams...much has already been said about the man, his life, his work and his recent death...but I find myself unable to rid my mind of such thoughts. And as so often in my life, I find that writing is a cathartic process which perhaps does not heal a wound but at least lets the pus drain away.


I cannot claim to have known or even ever to have met the man but I do know of his work. I remember him best as the madcap Mork from Mork and Mindy, the fast and furious speech, the wide grin and the endearing behaviour. But most of all I remember sitting watching it, perched on the end of my parents' bed with my dad laughing uproariously and occasionally explaining the finer points to me - I guess I was about seven then.


I remember too, watching Mrs Doubtfire with my own children, my heart wrenched at his character's obvious love for his family despite his flaws.


Robin Williams was the very essence of a comic genius who could wring sentiment from even the coldest of hearts. I have no idea how this affected him in his personal life or whether he was afflicted with the neuroses that seem too often to accompany genius...all I know is that he left a family who loved him and a world that [to echo his daughter] will be a little darker with his passing.


For me personally this news comes at a strange time, for I am undergoing a small grieving process of my own. I seem to have come to a crossroads in life, I can see the many roads of the past which led me to where I now stand. Some of those roads are now careworn and covered with a thin veil of dust - the passage of time and the losses it wreaks on our souls serve to decay and rot the surface of such trails but other roads are yet fresh and beckon towards me with a strange eerie call. To go down those roads previously well trodden would be dangerous but the appeal is there nonetheless.


The future is less clear. And I guess that is true for all of us. We can only ever see to the very edge of where the light shines forth, beyond that is a darkness as thick and impenetrable as Sleeping Beauty's forest.


I don't know where the future leads, where its path will be smooth and where I might stumble upon the way...but I am nevertheless driven forward. Sometimes I wish I were not 'blessed' with the dark disposition that occasionally comes upon me but then again, it is this darkness that fuels my novels I am sure.


So to the family of Robin Williams, I would say this : venture down that path ahead as far as you feel you can and when the darkness gets too much, cast your eye back to the blazing trail your father left behind him. What that may have cost him I would not like to speculate but I hope that the knowledge that he made one little Glaswegian and her dad very happy, may light the darkness, even just a tiny bit.


Rest In Peace Mr Williams. x

Hello again! It seems like a long time since I posted anything here but I have been away to Lanzarote for a week and now I am home it is going to take a few days to catch up with things.


In the meantime my interview by The Common Writer is up and running here https://thecommonwriter.squarespace.com/author-interviews/2014/8/11/carmen-capuano-owners-series


Come back here in a day or so and I might just tell you a little bit about my travels.


Until then, happy reading!

OH YES!

Do you have any idea how valuable my books are? No, well I didn't either until I saw one listed for sale on Amazon for the not-inconsiderable sum of £4084.48!


If you don't believe me take a look here http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Owners-Volume-Dark-Side/dp/1780355718/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1407087385&sr=8-5&keywords=carmen+capuano


;)


Very Happy Reading! x

READ ALL ABOUT IT!

For my latest interview scroll down to where it says PAGES on the right hand column and click on Interviews with authors and other interesting people.


My most recent interview is with the founders of Willows Rescue Centre, focusing not just on the great work these people do but on their motivations and personal lives too...


It is so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of our lives that we rarely take time out to appreciate the natural world around us, the world that will continue to revolve long after we have turned to dust and the work on which we pride ourselves is shown to have had no more lasting value than a dollar bill in a rainstorm.


That's what makes me so glad that people like this exist in the world; people who protect the creatures that most of us overlook even when we are feeling our most benevolent. Because - and I am asking you to be truthful here - what animal came to mind when you read the word 'rescue'? Was is a cat or a dog? Or even a horse or donkey? Well in this instance you would be wrong because Willows is a hedgehog rescue centre...


But before you prejudge these little critters, do me the honour of reading the interview...then make up your mind.


I think [and believe it or not, I know a little about my readers] you will be pleasantly surprised.


Happy Reading!

I continue to be surprised by the content and the characters in The Owners books. Even though it is I myself who writes them, there are elements of surprise in every twist and turn.

Do you remember me telling you about one of the characters who I had only just realised was a dangerously bad man? Well it turned out today that he met his match in a character who up until now was not a main player but rather a supporting one. Seems she was just biding her time, I guess.

And that's one of the things I love most about this series - every volume picks out the people it needs to tell that part of the story, so that in effect, we get to meet all of the characters at different stages in their lives.

I guess it is a bit like looking at our own lives, slicing out little periods discrete in time and examining who was important in our lives then and why. If like me, you have changed jobs several times, moved home, been married and divorced, you will see that your world was inhabited not with one set of friends or family but a multitude of different ones who all played their own parts.

If like many of my friends, you are fortunate enough to have been in a long-term stable relationship, perhaps you will be able to see how the dynamics of this has changed over time...

'Cos that's life - there is always change, even if you can't see it clearly at the time.


Happy Reading!

Like a black Jesus, Denzel appeared to be waiting to welcome his lambs back into the fold; to be offering redemption.

But deliverance from sin was not an option, nor was it Denzel’s to offer.

Taken from The Owners Volume VI: Blood Sky.

This is the volume where everything turns and twists around once more, where what you thought was happening is not what actually happens...

Humans are complex characters and that is something I have tried very hard to get across in my books. Sometimes you think you know the very soul of a person, only to be proved wrong at the worst possible time.

My poor characters are finding that truth out...I hope that they have the strength of character to endure what will come to pass.

Happy reading. 

Breast issues!

Apparently if a woman wears a bra for 12 hours or more her chances of developing breast cancer are greatly increased.


The reason for this is that the lymph nodes in the breast require natural body movement to allow them to be emptied of their accumulated toxic waste. Bras however are designed to keep breast movement to a minimum, thus hampering the effective drainage of the lymph nodes and leading to a build up.


A doctor in Florida [Dr. Gregory Heigh] has reputedly  observed up to a 90% reversal of fibrocystic breast disorders in women who have sought to reduce the time they are restricted in bras or resolved not to wear them at all.


But what does this mean for the average lady, because lets be honest and upfront about our breasts [pardon the pun]. We are not going to let it all hang out like an advert for life au natural in the Tropical Rainforest, are we?


In this day and age where young girls are having implants in their bottoms and eyebrows tattooed to their faces, we are not going to easily see a return to simpler, less restrictive undergarments. If anything, the trend is going the other way with bras becoming more rigid and far less natural.


But I forgot... are we not the same species who managed to create skyscrapers such as the [now gone] Twin Towers, the Tower of Pisa [if somewhat leaning] and majestic structures such as Golden Gate Bridge?


Can we really create suspension bridges to carry cars over  wide-bodies of rivers, yet still not find a way to safely support two sacs of flesh on the female body? Really? I doubt that very much indeed!


Or is it that a solution already exists but it is one which is too unattractive to appeal to most men and not lucrative enough for greedy bra manufacturers, who would rather churn out nylon tat with a smattering of lace than finer, more malleable garments manufactured in more natural materials?


So girls my message is this - don't burn your bra, just demand a more natural one! And then in the words stolen from Star Trek, hopefully you really will 'live long and prosper'.


http://www.naturalnews.com/045366_breast_cancer_bras_lymph_nodes.html


Happy Reading!

Unfortunately I have been having a bit of a 'blond' moment...


For a few weeks I have been having trouble logging into this blog to post new information and articles and I genuinely thought that the root of the problem lay with whoever actually runs Blogger.


Then the night before last, having tried to log in all day, I pulled the blog up on my old laptop and was able to immediately access it. The problem did not lie with Blogger at all! The reality which hit me like a sledgehammer was that the browser installed on my new laptop will not allow access to Blogger.


So now I just have to figure out 2 things:- 


1. what is the actual browser AND
2. how do I change it?


Luckily I am now more white than blond, so hopefully the above will not prove too taxing for my brain! ;)


Happy Reading.

I hope you like the new look to my blog...I have spent ages creating several different pages and loading things onto them. Please take a moment to check them out!


What I haven't yet done is create an EVENTS page to list where you will see me popping up for author talks and book signings, so I guess my work is not yet done!


In the meantime I will tell you this - I have lots of events planned over the next six months but still have room for a couple more, so if you are a book club organiser, school teacher or librarian, feel free to message me on Carmen.capuano@ymail.com for further details.


Until my next post...


Happy Reading!

As you know, the summer holidays are upon us. For that reason I am spending quite a lot of my time giving interviews as well as interviewing other authors or interesting people I have met along the way.


Coming soon will be interviews with Mary and Lynne of The Boutique Bakehouse, cake makers and decorators extraordinaire, who were commissioned to bake a cake for members of the Royal Family as well as a lovely gentleman who runs a hedgehog rescue centre.


Perhaps you may think my choice of interview subjects is rather eclectic and to some extent you would be right. But I view life as a rich tapestry and the threads that are woven there are bound by the experiences we have and the people we come into contact with as much as they are by ourselves.


Anyway enough of my philosophising...


Happy Reading! 

Click on this link http://awesomegang.com/carmen-capuano/ to see the interview I have given about my writing and books.


It may also help you to find other authors you would enjoy reading.

New interview!

Look out for my new interview with John-James of New Salsa-Salsa. You can find it by simply scrolling down this page to where it reads PAGES on the left hand side column. Click on INTERVIEWS.

I was reading about some research done recently http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130806091817.htm 
which apparently did not necessarily prove the truth of the old saying that a tidy desk/house equalled a tidy mind. 


Really? Someone really got paid zillions of pounds just to study that concept? I could have told them that for free!


Tidiness is all very well but personally I think you can get so carried away with it that you leave little time for anything else in your life. Of course that's just my opinion but I will stick to my annual thorough clean and just muddle through the rest of the year. After all a few cobwebs and the odd bit of dust never hurt the Bronte sisters or Tolkien, now did it? ;)


Happy Reading!

Check out my second interview on my interview page. It is with author Hayley J. Lawson. I'm sure you will join me in wishing her the greatest success!


I have another couple of very interesting interviews coming up soon, so keep checking back with me!


In addition to the above I have reviews, exciting news and general things to post but in between looking after the kids who are now on holiday, walking the dogs and spring [ok, summer then!] cleaning my entire house, I'm a bit pushed for time so please bear with me!


Until then  - HAPPY READING!

What do I think? Well, listen then...

You may remember that I was recently asked to contribute to the question raised by The Society For Curious Though of what makes a fair society.


It is something that I would like to expound upon later when I have a little more time but for now I will leave you with this :-


http://thesocietyforcuriousthought.com/a-fair-society/carmen-capuano/


I am going to be completely honest with you - I was intending to leave this brief post above and come back to it at a later date. I even went so far as to publish it in that form. But I could not leave it at that and had to log back in. You see this is something I know a little about.


What I wrote in the link above was this:-


"A fair society is one where each and every voice carries equal weight; each opinion is considered as carefully as the next; every consideration is extended impartially to every citizen and where neither creed, colour, affluence, influence or intelligence dictate a divide."


Sounds great, doesn't it? Sounds like Utopia I think. But it is certainly not a reflection of the world we live in!


Believe me when I say that I am no politician - their endless streams of words which say a lot but mean nothing, tie me up in knots and bamboozle me. Nor am I a true anthropologist - my study of humans is for one reason  only, to feed the nature of humanity and the human condition into my characters and books. But I know people. And I know that what I have stated above is as likely to happen as mankind landing upon the sun.


Human beings have a built in competitive streak, it is that which makes us mean and nasty but also makes us brilliant and unique. In the animal kingdom wild animals [and even domesticated ones] prowl and mark their territory, defining the boundaries so that no other cat/dog/ lion/ tiger impinges upon their stomping ground.  


But us humans, what do we do? We plant shaped privet hedges, install fancy curved walls or high trellis fencing which we then bedeck with hanging baskets and the like. That's not a demarcation of a boundary, it's the shrill clarion call of a challenge, an invitation to 'look at me. Isn't my wall/fence/ house/ garden/ life better than yours?'


And me? Well I am exactly the same as everyone else!


But imagine for one moment life without that competitiveness? Who would strive to implement new procedures, invent new technologies, develop new medicine, win races and medals? Who would strive to be the best, the very best at their game? No-one.


So we need a competitive streak. But does this necessitate the suppression of others? I think not. And that was the point I was trying to make above.


You see if we had a fairer society where opportunities were accessible for all, the cream would still surely rise to the top and by that I mean the most able for every occupation and profession, not those with the most money or social standing or pushy parents behind them. Indeed, I have seen children who were in my opinion intelligent enough to have gone to University unable to do so, due to the crippling tuition fees.


Likewise I have seen people be deemed to be too educated/intelligent to do a job they were interested in doing. In both of these cases someone else decided the individual's fate and removed from them the opportunity which should have been theirs for the taking.


Ah but there is the paradox. Examine my words again if you please, especially this bit - where neither creed, colour, affluence, influence or intelligence dictate a divide. 


Wouldn't the implementation of such a society of equal opportunity create a society where intelligence created a divide? Is a divide inevitable?


Again, I don't think so. It comes down to the way we look at things. A brain surgeon is infinitely more respected that a toilet cleaner. Why is this?


Granted a brain surgeon saves lives by his skill. But 99.9% of us will require the services of a good public toilet cleaner far, far more than we ever will a brain surgeon. Indeed a clean public toilet is not just a nicety, it is the frontline in disease control!


Is the cleaner therefore, assuming that he or she completes their tasks to the very best of their abilities, not as worthy of our admiration as the surgeon? Of course she/he is ...or at least she/he should be.


And that is exactly what is wrong with our society. We place too much value on some things and occupations and not enough on others which should be of equal or greater value.


So to recap, what I am saying is this:- we cannot and should not strive to change human nature for it is what makes us, us. What we should do is seek to hold each other in high esteem, for the individual value we hold in society. For without the humble toilet cleaner, the brain surgeon would be laid up in bed with dysentery or cholera...







THIS POST HAS BEEN WRITTEN LIVE TO LET YOU SEE IT DEVELP AS YOU READ IT. 10.25 22/07/14


Watch out for my interview page where I shall be listing some very interesting interviews over the coming weeks.






Until then, happy summer holiday reading!

Dancing Queen? ME?

Have you ever wondered what it would feel like to be able to sashay across a dance floor in perfect synchronisation with your partner? To be able to rotate your hips and step out in time with the music? To feel that Latin beat ignite a fire in your soul?  I know I have!


If you are a keen reader of this blog you will know that I love to dance. But try as I might, I have never quite acquired that level of elegance that makes watching me gyrate even remotely bearable. Until a few days ago that is, when I attended a Ladies Only event in Birmingham and had a thoroughly good time learning to salsa dance.


One of the things that struck me about this sort of dancing was that it is a social leveller. It no longer mattered that the women ranged in age from early twenties to mid-fifties, or whether they were lawyers or cleaners...the music erased all of that and returned us to the state of simply being...just women enjoying themselves.


In the sway of a hip, it no longer mattered how many letters each woman had after her name; in the elongating of a thigh on a forward move, it didn't matter how big or small their incomes; and on the dizzying thrill of a spin, it didn't matter who drove the fastest car or sported the biggest diamond. Instead it was about the fire in our souls, the desire in our hearts and the passion of our spirits.


As an author [and therefore a sneaky observer of human nature] I took a moment out to look at my fellow women. Every one of them was smiling and laughing! The hard, glossy, professional exteriors were gone - and in their place were softer, kinder, truer expressions, as if the dancing had ripped off a protective veneer to expose the real women beneath.


The routine we were taught consisted of a basic Mambo which was then paired with a  variety of spins to achieve something that was so much more than the sum of its parts. This I think was a reflection of the Dance Instructor himself.


John-James  http://www.newsalsa-salsa.co.uk/classes.htm is a master of the dance and its instruction, making it all look so effortlessly easy.



A former cruise-ship entertainer, he is a showman through and through and recently won fourth place in a prestigious international dance competition at the world renowned Salsa Cafe in Havana. Moreover he has run salsa classes all over Cuba! What better recommendation could a dancer have?


But perhaps it wasn't just the hypnotic tempo of the music and the rhythmic forward and back movement which had performed a miracle after all.


For in addition to the above, John-James is also a practising mind magician, blending auto-suggestion and psychology to great effect. So maybe there was more going on to the enjoyment of the day than met the eye! ;)


But there is a serious side to the man and his talents too, I found. John-James is a qualified hypnotherapist, psychotherapist and a certified practitioner of neuro linguistic programming. He runs therapy sessions to help people to quit smoking or lose weight amongst other things and has a wealth of success stories behind him  http://thenewlifepractice.co.uk/default.html.


And no, he didn't hypnotise me into writing this blog post...I though of it all my myself, honest! ;)


John-James is available for private and corporate event bookings and I would personally recommend him. What more can you ask for?


Happy reading!


Carmen. 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 :)


 

Update.

My link to Amazon is now up and running however BlogSpot is still having issues logging on posts. Please bear with me.


What I would like to talk to you about today is something I feel very strongly about and something which I know you do too. I want to talk about the Rolf Harris situation and people who are like him.


But this blog post is not just for the adults, indeed I am aware that a large number of children read my posts and so today, this is exclusively for them.


My younger readers.


Summer is here and its warm outside and the nights are lighter for longer and you want to be out with your friends...I get that, my children are exactly the same. So when your mum or dad tells you to be home by a certain time, it can seem like they just want you to be bored at home and not out having fun!


And anyway you are safe, right? You are with your friends and there are lots of you and besides you are nearly 10 or 11 or...


Let's get one thing straight - your age doesn't matter. You are still a child. And your parents DO know best!


We live in an increasingly dangerous world. It is not the world that I, or your parents, or many other people would wish it to be but it is the real world. Your parents know and understand this and that's why they want you home at a certain time. It's not because they are evil and want you to be as bored as them, it's because they are worried for your safety.


When I was your age I was always warned to watch out for 'bad men'. Well I am telling you now there are bad women too! And they come in all shapes and sizes, all colours and nationalities and most importantly, all ages!


Don't just think that its younger adults who might pose a threat to you...some of them could be older than your grandparents. Evil young people don't disappear in a puff of smoke before they get older. They age just like everyone else. So just because its an old man who suggests you walk up the road with him, don't think this is safe to do!


TELL YOUR PARENTS!


And one more thing kids - don't grow up too fast! I know the world has moved on since I was a child but its a universal fact that kids can't wait to be older.


[It's funny too 'cos once you are older you will spend all your time trying to stay young :)]


Whilst you are a child, play like a child, talk like a child and this comes from the heart, dress like a child. Leave the little tops and the short skirts for when you are much older and don't fight with your parents when they stop you trying to wear clothes that are too old for you.


You only get one shot at being a kid, so enjoy it!


Here is the number of Childline, a helpful organisation 0800 1111


 http://www.childline.org.uk/Pages/Home.aspx


If you are in America you should call  1-800-4ACHILD.

AARGH!

I have spent the last two days TRYING to update this blog! I now have a review page and a BUY IT HERE section, although this will not format correctly at the moment due to an internal server problem with BlogSpot. So please bear with me and I will rectify it asap.




In the meantime, if you want to purchase my books you can use the VIEW AND BUY link listed under my pages.


Many thanks!

Hello again folks!
Just a quick post to let you know that The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons is now half-written. [Working Title]


 This is where Lucas is just about to rescue his first bird. I hope you like it.
Carmen x

It was an almost eerie experience, walking home along familiar roads whilst everyone else was still in school. With no reason to rush, he walked at his usual pace.

Had the streets been filled with other children he might not have seen it. Had he walked this particular path just an hour later, it might have been too late.

At first he thought it was a piece of rubbish on the road – a discarded crumpled up newspaper or chip wrapper – but as he approached it moved away, cowering from him, drawing its injured body inwards to shield its already broken and battered wings from further harm. A bright red crescent of blood bloomed around its neck and across the area between its wings where feathers and skin had been ripped away to expose the fine muscles beneath.
  
Terrified, it huddled into the side of the kerb as he towered over it, too terrified to drag itself away, too terrified not too. He saw the indecision flicker under its brightly beaded eye. But more than what he saw, it was what he felt that crushed his heart.

This bird had been beaten and savaged by life – just as he had been. It didn’t much matter who or what the perpetrator had been, a car, a cat or even another, bigger bird…what mattered was that life had dealt this creature such an unkind blow and left it abandoned here to die like a piece of trash, discarded and disposable.

With no awareness of what he was about to do, Lucas carefully scooped the pigeon into his arms, trying to avoid touching it where it was wounded. It tried to flutter away from him, chest heaving in frenzied gasps, beak wide open in a soundless scream. Inside his head Lucas heard its cry. It was a strangely human sound, full of sorrow and misery and desolation.

Only as he brought the bird to his chest, resting it against the beating of his own heart did he recognise the source of the scream. It was his own.