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!!"

 

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!

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 :-

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!

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!

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!

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!

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!

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..."

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!

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.

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!

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!

Scottish Independence... Scotland The Brave or United Britain?

On the question of Scottish independence... as someone who was born and raised in Scotland, I have been asked over and over by my friends how I would have voted if I still lived in there and also how I ultimately think the vote tomorrow will turn out.


So here it is. I think it will be a 'yes' vote and indeed that is what I would have voted if I still resided there. But please let me explain. I love England. I have lived here for over twenty years and consider it my home; indeed I have no desire to return to Scotland at all.


However it cannot be denied that the English have had something that has been long denied to the Scottish - a sense that they are masters of their own political destiny; purveyors of their own fate. 


From the moment that devolution took place I think the writing was on the wall that Scotland, having had a small taste of political independence would hanker after the whole hog...


And so it has come to this. Will it be a divided Britain? Not necessarily. The intertwining of nations that is modern Europe will ensure that should the vote be 'yes' there will not be closed borders reminiscent of 'cold-war' Russia. What there just might be is a raised morale in Scotland with the Scottish no longer feeling the underdogs to the English.


And if it is a mistake, as so many predict it will be? Then at least it will be Scotland's own mistake, made by themselves, about themselves.


Either way, the fate of a nation is in it's people's hands and I for one am watching with baited breath.


On a lighter note:- a van with the slogan "Wrekin Removals" passed me on the road today. Honestly, would you entrust your furniture to a company with such an unfortunate name?


Happy Reading.

The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons.

Sometimes I wonder what you glean from all these little bits of storyline I post. Do you try to piece the story together? Does it whet your appetite for more? Does it give you an indication of how the characters are progressing? Feel free to write in and share your thoughts.

Here is the bit I have just written ten minutes ago:-

 

Lucas thought for a moment. The scene all around him was so beautiful, the few boats on the water quaintly painted with flowers and names embellished in flowing script. Here and there a few ducks swam serenely on top of the water, or dived momentarily beneath the still, glassy surface, their movements causing little ripples all around; ripples which grew wider and wider before fading to nothing once more.

Across from the towpath were fields of the lushest green grass where cows grazed sedately and gazed at him as if he were the oddest looking thing they had ever seen. Set against a blue sky which held only a hint of the darkness which would later descend, it was a surreal scene and he felt as if he were not witnessing it for real, through his own eyes but instead through the medium of oil on canvas.

It was somehow too perfect to be real.

 

 

Poor, poor Lucas is trapped in a situation that is not of his making. I hope he finds his way out!

 

Happy Reading x

Hot off my laptop screen here is today's excerpt from the chapter I am currently writing:-

Molly snorted. “I never said it would make you more popular, what I said was that I could help you be more normal.” She waved her hands in the air as if needing their help to explain her point. “I can’t make people like you Lucas, though I can’t see any reason why they wouldn’t once they get to know you. Under all that moodiness and stuff I mean.”

“Gee thanks!”

She laughed again. “Don’t take everything so personally,” she said.

“I’m sorry but you have spent the entire conversation insulting me and I’m not supposed to take it personally?” she really did take the biscuit, he thought.

“Exactly! It’s just a seeing thing, a whatdoyoumacaall it, a thingy…”

Lucas thought hard. The conversation was going off track and he was losing the thread rapidly.

“When you watch something and you see it!” she was getting annoyed with herself that she couldn’t remember the word.

“An observation?” he supplied.

“That’s it! That’s the thing I meant – an obstication! That’s what it was!” she was almost skipping with excitement now.

“Observation,” he supplied again.

“Whatever,” she waved the word off with her hands. “The point is that you have to let them get to know you before they can like you.”

 

 

Molly is turning out to be a more central character than I had anticipated but from the moment she bounced into the story I knew she had some important things to say...I wonder what she will do next?

 

Happy Reading!

Up and coming events!

When I get a spare moment I will give you a more extensive list of my forthcoming events. Bookings are still being taken for the few remaining slots this year, however I am also now confirming dates for 2015 author talks and signing events.

If you would like to schedule one with me you can contact me at carmencapuano@ymail.com to request details and to book.

In the meantime, here is one of my events you might like to attend. http://eventful.com/events/book-club-presents-carmen-capuano-/E0-001-074855726-1

Here is what has been written about the books :-

THE BOOK CLUB IS BACK!
We are kicking off a new chapter and a new season with sci-fi/fantasy author Carmen Cupuano. Self-published, self accomplished Capuano has created a new world for the sci-fi/fantasy genre in a set of books set in an post-apocalyptic world... but let's not give too much away.
We invite you to join us and hear more about Carmen, her illustrious books, why she writes in her genre and the chance to grab yourself a few signed copies.

Volumes 1&2 by Carmen Capuano

THE Owners is the debut series by Bromsgrove author Carmen Capuano the first two volumes of which are Alone and Storm Clouds (Fast Print Publishing - Paperback £10.99 and £8.99)

Aimed at teenagers and young adults, as well as a mature audience, this science fiction fantasy imagines that humans are kept as pets, originally unknown to them, and then flickers of consciousness about their situation emerge . . .

Borrowing elements from Andrew Nichol's The Truman Show and Thomas More's Utopia, Capuano develops a good idea well with scope for several more instalments. The time, location, and place are uncertain, but the thematic ambition is bold, an exploration of what humanity is, and as the plot unfolds, what it is not, in a 21st century morality tale.

Pet humans are kept by the Eyons, in a playful twist on the late 20th century Tamagotchi toy craze in which young children rushed to buy the Japanese hand held computer virtual pet, and nurture it.

The second volume, Storm Clouds is self-contained and opens with cataclysmic storms threatening to engulf the West Coast of America, leaving twelve year old Dan Ryan no choice but to be evacuated to New York and into the care of his Uncle Jack.

Both volumes are pacy, easy reads, with a fast developing plot that addresses moral questions without being overtly moralising. Storm Clouds has the more conventional narrative, Alone is the more thought provoking with an alien language which borrows from Orwell's 1984.

The familiar terrestrial setting of America is a more secure setting for the author although having Jack Ryan as a significant protagonist, a name popularised by Tom Clancy in his spy series,+ may be a little distracting Stateside.

As a writing debut it is a strong start, and volume three should be following soon. Capuano feels that there is the potential to add several more to the series , and I think she is right. Young readers will be attracted to the page turning storytelling, whilst older readers will enjoy the time honoured philosophical and moral dimension which the author revels in tackling.

The Owners series is available from Amazon, published by Fast print Publishing, signed copies are available direct from the author at: carmen.capuano@ymail.com

Happy Reading!

Here is the latest snippet from The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons.
 
Lucas is growing closer to his rescue every day. But the bird is growing stronger and soon he will have to face that bittersweet moment all rescuers do - he will have to let the bird go back to the wild.
 
I know fellow resucers will all know that feeling well, the hope and the dread mixed together, it is a heavy feeling in your heart, like treacle seeping through it. Here Lucas is just beginning to feel it :-

 
The pigeon was coming along well and every day took more of an interest in the world outside the window. She would turn her head to watch other birds fly past but now, instead of trying to press herself through the glass as she had done the first morning he had placed her there, she would watch for a while and then turn to him as if to say, ‘that will be me one day, won’t it? You will set me free, won’t you?’


He always replied verbally to her look. “Yes Brighteyes, that will be you too one day.” His mouth said the words even as his heart tried to retract them. He could no longer imagine being in his room without his little feathered friend to keep him company. The pigeon was growing more and more comfortable with him every day and there was a feeling of teamwork between them, as if it was actively helping in its own rehabilitation
 
This book is now about 2/3 complete. I will let you know how I get on. In the meantime if you want to look at my other work just scroll down or click on one of the links.


And as ever - Happy Reading!

A new interview!

Click onto the section on the right hand side of this page to read about my latest interview with storyteller and author, Cat Weatherill.


Cat has travelled around the world, honing and displaying her craft and it was a real pleasure to interview her.


Next week I will be working hard to bring you the latest snippets of my chapters and keeping you generally up to date with my progress.


Until then - Happy Reading!

Moving on!

Hip-hip-hooray! Back to writing today! [It even rhymes! :)] Here is a snippet from today's chapter.

“Well Lucas, I am no vet. But I am a scientist first and foremost. Have you ever heard of something called Chaos Theory?”

“No.” Lucas hoped that the conversation wasn’t descending into one of Mr Levy’s lectures about scientific principles.

“Well Chaos Theory is a particular field of study in mathematics which has implications in the scientific world. Perhaps you have heard of The Butterfly Effect?”

Lucas shook his head.

The teacher looked crestfallen. “It’s of no matter. But the Chaos Theory teaches us to always expect the unexpected and that one small, insignificant change can, over time and space lead to a monumental shift in circumstances somewhere else.”

“I’m sorry Mr Levy but I don’t think I’m following you,” Lucas sighed.

“Your racing pigeon…”

Lucas interrupted to stave off further confusion. “It’s not a racing pigeon. It’s a normal one I found in the street. It had been injured by a car I think.”

The teacher clapped his hands delightedly. “How wonderful! How perfectly wonderful Lucas for this serves to explain the theory even better!”

Lucas didn’t see how that was possible but he kept his mouth shut.

“Let’s assume that the bird would have died were it not for your intervention. That after all would have been the most likely outcome. But now you have intervened. The bird may die or it may not but ripples have been formed by your actions – ripples that might have far reaching consequences!”

Lucas still didn’t know how this helped him in any way. “But what do I do?”

That’s the whole point. You do nothing now other than carry on looking after the bird – whatever happens next is down to Chaos Theory – or fate if you would like to call it that!”

Lucas backed out of the room leaving the chortling teacher behind. No-one could help him and no-one but him could help the bird. He really was alone against the world.


It's incredible the things I have to research in order to write...one day if I'm lucky I might just get clever!


Until then - Happy Reading!

Taken from The Boy Who Rescues Pigeons.

Chapter 13

 

    It was a girl.

    Long, waist-length brown hair framed a face that was impish and open. Probably no more than ten years old, he was struck by the way she held herself in the open doorway; looking out without yet venturing out, as if curious about what the day held in store for her.

    She is part of the new family that’s moved into Josh’s house, Lucas thought. Except of course that it wasn’t Josh’s house at all any more, was it? He looked away, speeding up his pace, wanting to avoid having to acknowledge that things had moved so far on; that Josh had moved so far on…

    “I know who you are,” a voice at his side said brightly.

    Without even looking down, he knew it was her, the stranger from the house. Taller than most other girls her age, she also seemed to lack their customary shyness.

    “I don’t know you and I don’t want to know you. And you don’t know me either,” he put in for good measure.

    “Well maybe not know exactly,” she acceded, “but I have seen you.”

    “Seeing isn’t knowing,” he ramped up the pace once more, an image of Hugh Grant blazing across his inner vision like an incitement to war.

    “I’m Molly. Molly Hickling. What’s your name?”

    “Go away,” he hissed through clenched teeth.

    “Well that’s a dumb name, Go Away!” She managed to make it sound as if she really thought that was his name. It was only the smallest stifled giggle on the end of her words that gave the game away.


Molly is my newest character and I think she has some important things to say...


Happy Reading,


Carmen.

Competition Alert!

In doing a Google search I came across this competition which seems to be offering a chance to win $50 by posting a review of The Owners Volume I.


As I have literally just pasted it here, please check that the competition is still running. Oh and do me a favour by emailing me the review too...I can't offer you money but I will be forever grateful.


http://biblio.co.uk/book/owners-volume-i-capuano-carmen/d/737809472


Happy Reading.


Carmen.

Newest blog statistics/ sales figures.

A quick look at the statistics shows that I am currently big in Turkey whilst only a few weeks ago I was big in Lanzarote! Boom boom!


Jokes aside, I never did get a chance to tell you about my holiday in Lanzarote. Suffice it to say I came, I saw and I ate! Daily paella doesn't do any favour to the hips you know...


Anyway, I digress...this was just a little post to say thank you for buying the books and continuing to read the blog. It is very much appreciated! And if you are reading a translated version of this - good luck!


Happy Reading,


Carmen.  

Prisons and libraries.

Prisons and libraries - you may wonder what these two have in common, other than that you could say that one incarcerates people in cells and the other confines books to shelves. Well there is that - but there are other links too, such as the ban on books within prisons.


The reason I am blogging about this is two-fold:- firstly I am an author and therefore it is relevant to my trade and secondly, I have recently been asked to contribute to the people who seek to override this ruling.


If you have been reading this blog for some time you will be aware that I don't often sit on the fence. So here are my thoughts on the subject.


I believe that prison should be a deterrent against crime, that fear of going to prison should be so ingrained in society that most people will think twice before perpetrating a crime. However recently we have all come to view prisons as at times providing a better standard of living than the sometimes hard-up working people can do for themselves. Who hasn't heard of the recreation rooms and gyms and so forth that some prisons have within their walls? Is this fair or right? I think not!


Not that I am advocating a return to dark and dingy cells with slop on a plate but there does have to be some sense of punishment. Because when the idea of prison as a deterrent fails [as it always will with some individuals] then the reality of the prison environment has to deliver on its promise. A life sentence should mean exactly that and in my opinion all paedophiles, rapists and the like should automatically receive this.  


But even the 'lesser' criminals should get it a little tougher inside. It's all very well to say that a burglar hasn't killed anyone but the devastation they leave in their wake can often shatter lives and especially in the case of vulnerable victims, destroy their confidence for the rest of their lives.


So no there should not be luxuries on hand for these men and women...what there should be is proper facilities to allow them to rehabilitate. And by that I mean WORK. Teach them a trade, a skill which they can start a new life with when they come out. Something like gardening or bricklaying that is practical.


But banning books? Well that's a tricky one. The best books can be illuminating, they can set the imagination on fire and they can bring their characters to life. They can engender in their readers feelings of empathy and a deeper understanding of their own and others' humanity. Good books can make you question things, make you strive to understand something and even stir a desire to be a better person...


But not all books are like that. Some are salacious, sleezy and/or show women and children to be merely objects of desire that are both disposable and worthless. These books degrade us both as a society and individually.


Other books whilst not quite so bad are filled with gratuitous violence, sex or bad language. These whilst perfectly fine [if you REALLY have to] for the general public are not suitable for those in prison.


Believe me I am not a modern-day Mary Whitehouse but please lets have a bit of common sense here! Give the prisoners the uplifting, moral and thought-provoking books by all means. They can do no harm and may even do some good. But keep the other books away.


So now you are wondering what I am going to do about my own books and the request for them aren't you? Hmmm that's a good question. Why don't you read my books and get back to me with your opinion? :)


Happy Reading,


Carmen.