A little catch-up.

I can't believe how quickly this year has flown, and continues to fly by. In many ways it has been a landmark year - I received my first ever speeding ticket [who would have thought either me or my car would have been capable of that?] doing 36 in a 30 mph section of road, I moved house after sixteen years of being in one place and I turned fifty. I attended three funerals and spent many hours looking at the past, as one tends to do in these circumstances. I saw my eldest child turn sixteen and leave school for the new boundaries of college and my youngest start her final year of middle school. In short it has been a year of change.

And during all of this, I did what I always do, I wrote books and renovated my house and looked after the kids and dogs. Because it is these things which are the fundamentals of my life, the lynchpins of my sanity.

During this time new people have come into my life and shared their stories with me, as they so often do. Some are tales of horror, of injustices done and cruelties perpetrated, others are uplifting and life-affirming and others are just plain funny. And yes, I won't deny it, some of those stories, either in part or in their entirety, will find their way into my books, of course they will.

At the moment I am coming toward the final part of my current book. This is always hard. I want to race ahead with the story, but doing so will mean saying goodbye to characters I love. But I know they will be safe with you, for you will love them as much as I do.

Soon, Ascension will be released and you will get to meet Jessica Stone, the girl who will change her world. As always happens, she was a character who came to me and told me how dire her need was, how desperate her situation. I couldn't refuse to write it down. And the more I wrote about her - the more I got to know her - I realised how human she was, how beyond all her bravery and her quest for truth and justice, she had flaws just like we all do.

But in the book, there is one character who was moulded from a very real person. Grandma Emily was based upon my own late grandmother, her strange wisdom and her hope. This last year, through all the changes above, it has been my grandmother I have thought of time and time again. And in every moment of doubt I've had, every middle-of-the-night awakening I've had, scared and alone, it's her voice I have heard. How she would have laughed if she'd known what is going on in my life right now. Then again, what's to say she doesn't?

Happy Reading! x

Future Perfect is coming soon!

I'm so afraid for these characters. Wish I could step into the book and help them.

The following excerpt is taken from Future Perfect [coming soon].

Chapter 14

A laser beam slashes a small aperture in Simone Mewdleys’ abdomen. Layers of skin and fat are cut through to produce an opening which is deeper than its width. Even so, the foetus can be clearly seen nestling within the sack of the womb.

It’s so small. So infinitely vulnerable that I feel tears prick the corners of my eyes. Almost fully grown, it is curled up around itself, which only serves to make it seem both less and more human at the same time. Curled up like a cat, it is hairless and covered in a greasy white slick, little arms curved into its chest, little hands curled into fists.

“Don’t hurt it!” I whisper. Even though I know ELSA can’t hear me, saying it out loud is more than a plea, it’s an invocation, an entreaty to something beyond our world within the Dome. To God, if such a thing exists.

Happy Reading!

A little bit of poetry to soothe the soul...

Every so often you come across someone who strikes a chord with you. This poet/author is one such person.

With his permission I have posted his lovely poem here.

This has come from a great writer friend of mine from 'across the pond'. It's about October - the magical month of my birth [of course it is]. Enjoy. xx

My Quarrel With October
Look up from the rich, black soil....
Fatigue never felt so good to me.
Look up from blinkered garden toil:

There is beauty and wonder in all I see.

Feel the soft warmth of the autumn sun.
Breathe in the crisp chill of October’s air.
Number life’s virtues when day is all done.


The majesty of October reigns everywhere.
Clouds sail past in a feathery sky.
The chill foreshadows the coming cold.
The woods serve up a feast for the eyes:


A leafy mantle of crimson, scarlet and gold.
The flowers of summer all bow their heads
To the mums, now crowned in purple and gold.
Spikes of royal lavender stand up in their stead.


The rhythms of autumn never seem to grow old.
See the blood red flush of the burning bush,
Twilight colors the sky violet and shades of red.
The palette of autumn has come on with a rush.


Nature’s beauty has made me drunk in the head.
Listen closely and one will hear
A wedge of wild geese on the wing,
And the serenade of the lark so near.


Have you ever heard a more beautiful thing?
The early crickets have come out to sing.
They rub their limbs to ward off the cold.
They long again for the warmth of spring.


No one told them the year had grown old.
Hear the rustle of the tasseled corn,
As restless and wavy as the open sea.
The wind gently sighs of winters forlorn.


All the while, autumn whispers goodbye to me.
I wipe rich, black earth from my hands.
The day has grown old at a quarter to five.
Autumn work draws forth the joys of a man.


Sweet October makes it feel good to be alive.
I stack a cord of wood from the pile.
The apple tree blushes red with her fruit:
There’ll be supper and apple pie in a while.


First I’ll light the fire and kick off my boots.
Thoughts of winter make a man sober:
I’d invite October to stay on, if I could.
Let this be my only quarrel with October:


There’s too little of her to last us for good.
There is beauty and splendor in all I see.
The senses reveal what mere words cannot say:
The splendor of autumn is far too lovely for me.

Has the world ever given us a more beautiful day?

Richard Merli
Copyright Richard Merli

As ever - Happy Reading! xx

Choices...

Often in life there are hard choices to be made. Prudence Smith is facing one such choice. Taken from "Future Perfect".

“I hear you went to round to see Helena earlier. Does this mean that you’ve changed you mind?”

I pick up on the hope in Mitch’s voice and am ashamed. I should have explained to him what I was doing before I went – now I have given him false reason for optimism.

“I needed to find out where we should head when we leave here. Which direction I mean.” My voice is tight. I’m so scared. Scared that he will refuse to leave when the time comes. Scared that I will have to make a choice between him and safety for our child. I’m scared to look at him, to see the hurt and sadness in his face, to let him see the fear and anguish in mine.

And yet deep down in the deepest, primal part of me, I know what I will do if that time comes. I will protect my child, our child – and if that means leaving Mitch, then that is what I will do too.

Happy Reading!

Here's what I have just written today. Taken from Future Perfect. [Cross-genre dystopian science fiction.]

I almost can’t wait until Mitch gets home. Almost have to lock myself in our apartment to stop myself from running down to his work station and demanding that he listen to me. But there’s a reason I don’t.

In order for him to listen properly to me, for him to agree to what I ask, I will have to sound rational. I can’t afford to look or sound hysterical, to be thought of as irrational, crazy or unreasonable.

Words, thoughts and emotions run unchecked through my brain. I try to sort them into some semblance of order, some logical progression of an idea that I can argue my point with. But they refuse to be sifted and polished, seeming to prefer instead to stay coarse and unrefined, too raw and crude to enable me to sway him by words alone.

Love.

Love is my best weapon, I realise. He loves me and it’s for that reason if no other that he will listen.

Will he listen to her? I hope so!

Happy Reading.

ELSA will not be challenged!

ELSA will not be challenged. Taken from Future Perfect.

I don’t give them a chance to answer. The guns are in position and ready.


There are seventeen people directly in the weapons’ lines of sight - eight women, three men and six children.


All guns fire simultaneously. Smoke billows into the air and bodies fall soundlessly to the ground, holes torn in their soft human flesh. One woman twists as she falls, probably dead before she hits the ground. But in perhaps that last moment of life, of awareness, she pulls a young child against her, shields his body with her own. She topples on top of him, saving his life with the sacrifice of her own. It’s to be in vain.

I roll the assignment vehicle over the dead and the dying, unable to hear the crush of bones, the wet squelching of ruptured organs, under its weight, but satisfied of the outcome nonetheless. This sector decided its fate the moment it did not comply with my demands. There will be no mercy. There cannot be.

It's war!

Working on Future Perfect today and it looks as if there's a war brewing...

It is more important than ever that the world these children are born into, is as stable and as bountiful as it can be.

In another part of the Dome, I roll open the shutter doors and send the modified assignment vehicle through.

I track every metre of its progress back to the renegade sector. Through the artificial eyes of the satellites I see it roll steadily across the grass and wasteland, keeping to as straight a line as possible to decrease distance.

Seen in this way, a single object moving in an otherwise still frame, there is an inherent beauty to it, a line of symmetry, a form of both grace and refinement that I have not previously noticed. It is as if I am seeing it for the very first time.

Happy Reading!

Back to work!

Here is the latest on the current book:-

Mitchell’s right, she’s enormous. From the look of her, you’d think she was at least six months pregnant. Yet she is barely more than six weeks.

“You’ve grown so much!” I can’t stop myself from exclaiming.

“I know!” She laughs. “Goodness knows the size I’ll be by the end!” Her words cause an involuntary shiver up my spine. What else will she be by the end, I wonder. Dead?

The thought comes from out of nowhere, attacks my conscience with its vivid  imagery – Helena, grotesquely swollen, her stomach torn asunder as if the foetuses have exploded from there in a shower of gore and carnage. Bile rises in my throat. I swallow it back down and hold it there by force of will.  

Happy Reading!

Wait and see

I'm actually intrigued to see who will become the next American President. Will it be the misogynist with 'the hair', or the 'cool' cat with the tomcat husband?

I guess I'll just have to wait and see, although I know who my money would be on...

Last night I met with a group of Birmingham writers called New Street Authors. All independently published and publishing, they were astute, knowledgeable and witty. They were also so much better at the technical side of things than I am [formatting etc.].

We talked for a long time about my self-published series, which went to press before I was signed up by traditional publishers for other books, and whether in future I would again tread the self-pub route to fame and fortune, or remain on the traditional publishing path.

The answer is that right now, there is no answer. Both have their merits. And big money can be made in both camps if you go about it the right way.

I love the autonomy that self-publishing gives, but there is a lot to be said too for having someone else fighting your corner side-by-side with you, their interest in seeing you succeed, as vested as your own. That said, the group were a pretty tight bunch, and I could see how they genuinely worked hard to help one another... and I wanted to be a part of that.

So for now readers I am waiting and watching.

Happy Reading!

A Milestone!

Today I am taking a little time out from writing to reflect on life and relationships, because next week, I will be fifty.

I have been calm and crazy about this idea in turns. I admit that being fifty is better than being dead, but that's about as much as can be said for it. Let's be honest, unless I can reach at least 100, then I am already more than half way through my life. I almost want to stay up until 3am every night and rise again at 6, just so that I can squeeze every last drop of living from every day. But if I actually did that, I wouldn't be around for very long...

Yes, it's a milestone, an achievement. There are plenty of poor souls who never get this far in life. And it's wonderful to see my three, lovely children growing up, becoming daily more independent. I just hope that as the years pass, I will continue to have a place in their increasingly busy lives.

My life is good. I have a job that I adore and because there is time left at the end of my working day, I now have another job, doing social media for some very well-known places and faces [don't ask because I can't tell]. And that too is fun. So it's all good.

As for the house - well it's coming along. Still slowly and still with one step forwards and at times two backwards. That was certainly the case the other day, when my outside tap burst and there was literally water everywhere. But I guess that too is part and parcel of trying to do up a dilapidated wreck of a place.

But I started this post to talk about relationships. Recently it has become very clear to me that things need to change, so I have set things in motion. I have joined a friendship group, not for romance but to meet men and women who actually enjoy doing the things I do - so much better than dragging a reluctant partner along to things they don't want to attend.

So if when you are out and about, you see a crazy woman dancing  like a loon and having a ball with a big group of people, come and say hello - for it will most likely be me.

Happy Reading!

Praza Princess!

How often do you get to feel like a film star? Like a Goddess who graces everyone with her presence? Not often I'm guessing. Me neither!

But that is exactly what's on offer at Praza in Edgbaston. With it's sumptuous interior design, high-backed velvet armchairs which resemble thrones more than anything else, and its exquisite food, it's impossible to feel anything less.

Add to that the polite and courteous staff, who clearly take their lead from the charismatic proprietor of this high class Indian dining establishment, and it's more than just a step away from the ordinary dining experience.

There's such a lot to love about Praza because it really has it all. Great location [with free car parking] fabulous food and an amazing ambiance.

So imagine how thrilled I was to attend a VIP event last night where they were showcasing Bombay Sapphire gin. Now you know me readers, I come from Glasgow and am from Italian and Spanish descent, so I like my alcohol. In particular I love champagne and gin.

So when I was given the chance to sample Bombay Sapphire at this select event, I jumped at the chance.

I've never had this particular brand before and must admit that I thought there would be no difference to my usual brand. I was wrong. It's much, much smoother with a subtlety I haven't experienced before. In fact I demanded to read the list of ingredients in a bid to find out why it was so different and was persuaded to try another - in the cause of science of course!

So many thanks to Bombay Sapphire and to Praza for a great night and a fantastic memory!

Danger alert!

Oh! Things are starting to get dangerous for Prudence Smith...

But in both of these scenarios it would be my life and that of my family which would be the most affected. Either Helena’s child would be looked upon with fear and mistrust, reviled and cast out from society, or I would, for my truthfulness. Whatever the outcome, my family would be ostracised. So I continue to keep my mouth shut.

Don't forget to click on the link to see my published books.

Happy reading! x

Latest paragraph

This current book is coming along at a rate of knots, even though for the last few weeks I have been tied up with other things, and haven't been able to devote much time to writing. I am now roughly quarter of the way through writing the book, and the revelations are coming thick and fast.

Dystopian in nature, the book is very character driven and focuses just as much on their motivations as it does their actions.

Here is the latest paragraph:-

You are eight weeks and one day pregnant, Prudence Smith. Congratulations to you, and to your husband, Mitchell Smith. There’s a sour taste in my mouth as I read ELSA’s words.

“That was the day we got married!” Mitchell whirls me round to face him. “We made a child that night Pru!” His face is rapturously happy and I don’t have it in me to crush him with my fears.

We had been careless that night. Just married and drunk on love and happiness, we had fallen into bed. We had never been intimate before. Never spent the night together, never explored each other’s bodies, each other’s uncovered souls.

That night we did.

It never even entered my head that I could get pregnant. It was one night, after all. Now I see how naïve I have been.

Happy Reading, x.

Cancelled!

I'm afraid I won't be at the Hive tonight, as I've had to cancel due to some frightening events which have taken place in my house.

Rest assured there will be many other things and people there to entertain you, and you will still have a wonderful time without me.

If you were hoping to purchase a signed copy of one of my books tonight, I do apologise. Please email me on Carmen.capuano@ymail.com and I'll see what I can do.

Happy Reading.

Business as usual

If you have ever been to one of my talks, you will know how I write books - its an almost unconscious streaming of words and ideas - therefore plots can often take me by surprise.

That's exactly what's happening with this current book. I thought I knew everything there was to know about the main character's situation, but now she has completely taken me by surprise. In a good way, of course.

Then again that is exactly how real life is, isn't it? We amble along, thinking we know where we're going until something happens and we realise that we were deluded in thinking that we were in control in the first place...

Speaking of which, I have been working some more on my wayward house. I swear this house has a personality all of its own and that it is trying to confound my attempts to do it up. Just when I thought things were improving, we have developed a leak in the outside tap, another in a radiator and the patio has begun to disintegrate.

But I have managed to create a more homely feel, by applying paint ever more liberally to the walls, the dogs, myself and even in some cases, the furniture, as well as hanging pictures. One day it might resemble a finished project. Until then, dear readers,

Happy Reading!

Character in distress

As you may know, I have been writing a new book, based on real life. The characters are strong and the storyline is flowing well, however last night something happened that will change my work schedule over the next few months.

A character came to me, so in distress and desperate that I tell her tale, that I am compelled to put aside the current book, to enable me to write this new story. This isn't a new phenomenon to me. Sometimes characters are so desperate to be heard that they will interrupt my sleep or my waking moments until I take heed of them. I could see from the off that Prudence was going to be one of those.

So what's she like? Well she's strong but surprisingly sweet of nature. And she's very much in love. But she's also in grave danger...

I'll keep you posted on her progress!

Happy Reading!

October 5th

Oops I was supposed to announce this before... [been a little distracted of late] so here it is:-

Wednesday 5th October I will be at The Hive in Worcester where they are having a Space Night, 5-8pm.

There are lots of great things happening and I will be there to talk about my books and sign copies.

Hope to see you there.

A read for those who are not faint-hearted

Goodness me this new book I'm writing is shaping up quickly! And it's certainly not one for the squeamish or faint-hearted.

Because of the sensitive nature of the book, I am unable to post the more adult sections so here is a little bit of where it's currently at:-

“I’ve done it Mum,” Sarah said into the phone.

“Does he know?”

“No. Not yet anyway. Unless John and Saranne have phoned him and told him.” It was a possibility, although she thought it unlikely that they would choose to be the ones to break the news.

“How did it go telling them?” Mary Sweeney asked. She had her eyes closed and scrunched up as she spoke. She could picture her daughter’s in-laws so clearly, and could imagine how shocked they would have been.

“Well it wasn’t nice, obviously. They have no idea what Colin is really like.”

Want to know what Colin is really like? Well you'll have to wait a little while until I finish writing it.

Until then, take a look at my other books, especially Split Decision.

Happy Reading! x

A more adult read

I think this book might be one of the hardest I have ever written in some ways. It's about what happens after a marriage breaks down and how the main character, Sarah, has to forge a new life for herself.

As I alluded to in my last blog, some of it is written from personal experience and some from the experiences others have shared with me. I have to thank you all for being so brutally honest and baring your souls to me. What you have told me has made me laugh and sometimes cry, but each and every time, it has informed my characters of how they would act, what they would think and what they would say.

So to all of you once again, thanks.

Because of the adult content of this book I will be unable to post as many snippets as I usually would, so here is just a little bit to tide you over.

“Shall we go see the new house then?” she said.

Neither of the girls answered. Perhaps young as they were, they realised there was really no choice in the matter.

Her hands shook on the steering wheel but she manoeuvred the car with care. “Here we are.” Her voice was falsely cheerful.

The girls looked unenthusiastically up at the low-rise block of flats.

“You said there wasn’t a garden, but there is,” Kaitlin accused, pointing at the narrow expanse of grass between the building and the car park.

“That’s not a garden honey. That’s just a strip of grass and it’s for everyone to use.”

“Everyone?” Ellie said, sounding confused.

Sarah looked at the building again. Not as she naturally perceived it, as a group of connected flats, but as her daughters saw it, a huge imposing residence.

“That isn’t one big house. It’s lots of little houses called flats, all put together in one place.”

As ever, if you are in need of a good read, take a look at my dystopian sci-fi series, The Owners or for young adult romance/thriller, Split Decision. Ascension will be out early next year. And many more to follow.

Happy Reading! x

I'm going to give you what you want.

For a long time, as long as I have been writing novels, there has been a story lodged at the back of my head.

I have wanted to write it and I know that lots of you have expressed a desire to read it - but up until now, I wasn't ready to commit it to the page. I am now.

Different to my other books, this one will be very hard-hitting and gritty. But I think there will be moments of mirth, of dark humour in amongst all the tragedy and pathos. And yes there will be elements within it, where some of you might recognise bits of your own lives, your own insecurities, your own worries.

Will you enjoy it? Of course you will. But don't think that it will be easy reading. It will make you think. Will it also make you view your life differently? Perhaps. I know that's something that seems to come through in most of my books, so I guess it might in this one too.

As ever I'll post snippets and keep you informed of progress.

Until then - Happy Reading!