Hi folks, things are too frantic to write a post right now so I'll leave you with this teaser...I have a really funny but true-life story to tell you when Christmas is over.

Until then Merry Christmas and Happy New Year !

And of course - Happy Reading as ever.

Carmen.

And you think my name is weird?

Take a look here - some of these are so funny I actually howled with laughter!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7909561.stm

In particular I LOVED Anna Sasin.

Merry Christmas all! x

Before I tell you about my adventures in Redditch last Saturday, when I was doing a book signing event, let me show you this.

It is an open letter to the readers and comes at the end of Volume VI. I think it adequately conveys how I feel.

A word from the author.

I am very sad to say that this volume sees an end to the story of Jack, Georgia, Seth, Laurie and all the others.

I have tried to give each and every one of them their time in the sun, a little space to tell their own stories and I think it has been the making of them…

More than a few tears have been shed by me in writing these books and I will miss the characters dearly – they have become a part of my everyday life. Their voices sound in my head, their images flit before my eyes and I’m sure that they will remain in my heart forever.

But I wonder if you are left uneasy that you do not know how things will ultimately work out for them?

So just in case you do, I would like to reassure you that they continue to face their tribulations in life, as indeed we all do but from the end of this volume, their road becomes a little smoother, a little less fraught and climactic!

Volume VII will see some new characters arrive, so I hope you will join me in welcoming them and wishing Bon Voyage to the old ones we loved so well…

Goodbye Jack, Georgia, Laurie, Seth, Parm, Delilah, Eden and all you others. X  

Carmen Capuano.

Now to tell you about Saturday! 

The shopping centre was busy and there was a lot of interest in my books. Sales were high and it was lovely to speak to readers of all ages.

 

But that's not what I wanted to tell you about. What I want to tell you is far, far stranger...

First of all I was approached by some old friends whom I haven't seen properly in a few years as they were originally friends of an old ex-partner from twenty years ago. We exchanged pleasantries and then promised to meet up at Christmas.

Some time later, I had a further revelation.

Stationed as I was by the side of a broken elevator, I was addressed by a stunning woman who initially turned to me to enquire how she could get to the upper floor.

But on turning around to answer her question, I triggered a recognition on her part.

"Carmen!" she exclaimed. "Don't you recognise me?"

Now the truth is that I speak to so many people and in so many different places that although I often remember a face, I cannot always put a name to it.

But there was something about her which was incredible familiar!

It turned out that she was my ex-sister-in-law from over twenty years ago, when that same ex as mentioned above, had been my current partner.  

We had both been young women at the time and although once she revealed her identity to me, it seemed ridiculous that I should not immediately identify her, as we had been in each others' lives for eight years, it also seemed a ridiculously long time ago.

We talked and caught up on how life had been for us in the intervening years and there was a warmth between us that I don't ever remember feeling away back then.

It seemed that life had mellowed us both and the former rivalry that I remember so well, had crumbled into the dust of time.

And it made me wonder why we had ever been rivals in the first place!

With a melancholy sadness in my heart I watched her depart. She was a part of my old life and had no place in my here-and-now but it was strange to hear about the family I had once been a part of and no longer was. [There's a book in there - just wait!]

But the day was to get even stranger.

Some time after she left, a very ordinary but well presented gentleman approached me.

"You have some clairvoyance in you," he declared, eyeing me with his head cocked to one side as if peering into my very soul.

I didn't know at first whether he was referring to the plots within my books and how they could so easily come to pass, or whether it was something deeper.

"Well..." I responded unsure what to say.

"I know you do, because I have some too!" he said.

And you know what I thought? I thought ok, crackpot alert!

But then he said some things about me and my life which really made me wonder, because they referred to things which had actually come to pass.

So between seeing long lost in-laws and this man, I had a rather strange day.

I made great sales and had a good time but there was also that sense of the Ghost Of Christmas Past, courtesy of all my visitors and I began to feel the whole thing was more than a little spooky...

So this Saturday, when I am doing signings in WHSmith in Birmingham, if you once brought a cat to the vet's I used to work in, or bought one of my old houses, perhaps it might be best NOT to tell me...I might just freak out entirely and run away screaming.

Because if the Ghost of Christmas past keeps turning up, I dread to think what the Ghost of Christmas Future is going to show me!

 

Merry Christmas folks and Happy New Year!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So sorry, I seem to have almost abandoned you dear readers but there has just been so much happening!

Tomorrow I am at The Kingfisher Shopping Centre in Redditch, signing copies of my books and chatting with readers.

It would be great to see you there but in the meantime here is a little bit I have just edited, taken from The Owners Volume 6.

“Little babies grow up Eve. It’s wrong and it’s immoral but it’s not the first time the human race has considered genocide and infanticide as a solution to what they perceive to be a problem,” Jack said sadly.

I will catch up with you next week and tell you all my news!

Until then - have a great weekend.

Carmen.

Aeons and Eyons!

Just had a funny moment...was checking my emails with "Four in a Bed" on in the background on my enormous new tv, when one of the contestants on it said, "it will take aeons for her to..."

And you KNOW what I thought...! I thought MY EYONS are on the tv lol!!!

A moment of madness or presentiment? I know which one I believe it was!

I'm so sorry that I have somewhat abandoned you these last couple of weeks but I have been so incredibly busy editing volumes IV-VI.

But should you wish to get a signed copy of my books you will find me in the Kingfisher Centre on 7th Dec.

Then on the 14th I will be in WHSmith in Birmingham, doing it all over again.

I will also be making appearances in Thimblemill Library and Bleakhouse Library very soon, as well as some local schools.

So if you miss me in one place, you can be sure to catch up with me in another...

Have a great weekend folks and remember that the Eyons are coming to a bookstore near you...

;)

An Australian Fan!

Well blow my socks off!
 
A few days ago I received a Facebook friend request which I confirmed after looking at the person's profile and seeing that it was respectable and decent.
 
As usual, a little 'hello' went backwards and forwards between the two of us. But then I got a big surprise when I read this :-
 
"Thank you Carmen for your add and pleasure to meet you as well. Would like to say that I have actually read your first book of The Owners here in Australia after my partner read it and it was quiet enjoyable and I like the way you bring all the characters into their own form and existence...Sorry haven't had much time on my hands to go and read the other 2 as yet but I'm sure I'll find time."
 
The reason I was so surprised was because it was a response from Australia, that land so far away, which my great-great-grandmother emigrated to on the £10 assisted passage way back in the 60s.
 
Australia is a land I have always dreamed of visiting, with it's warm climate and white clean beaches, vast outdoor spaces and almost daily barbeques. And maybe...just maybe...if my book can reach those warm Antipodean shores, maybe I will manage it someday too!
 
Keep that surf going Australia....I'll get there yet!

Did I actually tell you what my books were like? Somehow in all the madness, I'm not sure I ever really did. So here it is:-

The Owners series is a blend of Avatar and 2012 ... where dystopia meets utopia, with a tiny fraction of The Waking Dead thrown in for good measure.

Of course it's not really like any of the above in their entirety but it does have elements of them all. It is set in a world where the relationships between the characters are similar to those in Avatar - there is a mutual bond of love and respect, there is a life/world changing event which creates mayhem and upheaval as in 2012 and then there is the struggle for life after this event, hence The Walking Dead.

If you can't picture the blend of these three things, read The Owners...it will set your imagination on fire!


You are in for a real treat.

We're of to see the Wizard
the wonderful Wizard of Oz,
because, because, because, because,
because of the wonderful things he does!

Getting ready for my day of book signings at Avoncroft Museum. If you haven't already got my books [REALLY??? AND WHY NOT???] you have no idea what you are missing...

Scroll down and take a look at some of my reviews or even better yet, visit Amazon and read the reviews there.

Next week is a busy one again...is it ever any different I wonder? But I hope to be able to post a little just to keep you all in the loop.

There are also a variety of events planned but I don't have all the dates lined up yet. As soon as I do, I will post them here.

Have a great weekend folks! :)

Another review:-

 "Just wanted to follow up our conversation from yesterday and tell you how much I enjoyed the 1st book in The Owners series. It surprised me and kept me interested throughout. I enjoyed getting to know the characters. You are left desperately wanting to know how this bizarre owner/pet situation came to be... what the heck are the adult Eyons up to ....and how can the situation be resolved if at all!! Can't wait to read the next and find out more."

So what more can I say? If you haven't yet read The Owners series how are you going to be able to discuss it with friends?

Don't be left in the dark - get your copy today!

Today I heard back from another of my readers. She raved about The Owners and openly admitted that when she had first heard about it, she had thought that it would not be her "sort of thing".

But upon reading Volume I, she had become fully captivated by the story, the characters and the situations they found themselves in, so much so that she was desperate to get her hands on a copy of Volume II.

Wonderful as this story was to my ears it was also rather familiar. So many people have said the more or less exact same thing to me. Indeed the appeal of the story has been likened to that of the Harry Potter books where people of all walks of life and ages have become entranced by the story.

And the question that arises from this is : why if the book is so good, am I not seeing the meteoric rise of the novels that the esteemed Ms Rowling did? Is it luck? Am I missing some vital link in the chain? Have I not yet encountered the right people in my journey? I have no idea.

So dear reader if you have any words of wisdom on how to get more publicity for this clearly great series...pass 'em on to me.

I remain ready and waiting for all your sage advice.

Carmen.

Last night I watched The Green Mile. It is a film I saw only once before and that was around twenty years ago but my reaction to the fantastic action and the storyline was exactly the same as I remembered it. What was different this time was that I watched it with my children.

Now I know that it is rated 18 and many of you will be squirming in your chairs as your read this but I believed there were many valuable lessons to be learned from the film and as a very level-headed mother, who better than me to judge what my children can and cannot see?

I let them watch all but the electrocution and death scenes, where I ushered them into the kitchen until the film had moved on. What they got from the film was exactly what I had hoped they would get. They picked up on the dignity of both the character Tom Hanks plays and that of the very special prisoner in his care.

And do you know what? I learned something too. I have always been a believer in an eye for an eye, a staunch supporter of harsh treatment for perpetrators but I saw a different aspect of that last night, conveyed to me by the very understated acting. I saw that justice can be done in a quiet dignified manner and that the job of the executioner is one of grace, dignity and compassion. I have to say I had never looked at it like that before.

As for the more obvious themes within the film - that all the characters got their just desserts in the end, that good triumphed on the whole over evil and that extraordinary longevity is a curse more than a blessing...these were all mulled over by the teenager and preteen who sat red eyed and weeping with me by the end of the film.

A really beautiful film and so movingly portrayed.

If you missed it first time round, catch it on DVD. If you don't you will never know what you are missing.

As you know I have been incredibly busy writing Volume VI of the Owners series. But now that I'm more than half-way through, I think it's time to finish editing my series for children aged 8-10 and finally get them out on the shelves.

The Mellillia books are funny and quirky and are very different to The Owners books. But that is only part of the appeal. Writing books for children requires a certain mind-set - a way of looking at things differently from how we normally view them. It's a refreshing take on our lives as adults and I find myself smiling even as I write.

With The Owners, the writing is more intense, more frenetic and I barely have time to breathe as the words hurtle themselves out of me and onto the screen.


And then there is my adult book which still requires me to sit down and get on with it. This is very different again from either of the two series I have previously mentioned but is just as intense as The Owners but in a very different way.

Finally, there are the other eighty odd stories I still have to write. By my calculation that means I will have to live to about 120 just to get them all out there...

Now where did I put those multi-vitamins again? And why did I just make coffee with cold water...guess the brain won't hold up to 120 after all ;)

I'm coming to the close of Volume VI : Blood Sky and am feeling a little uneasy. Perhaps I should explain.

As you already know, Volumes I-III have already been released but Volumes IV -VI have been deliberately held back. This is because they were all so closely linked, so tied-in together, that I wanted to release them all at once...to give the reader the fullest experience of the journey the characters must undertake.

But that journey has now reached its final destination and this part of the epic tale that is The Owners, is done.  

I have birthed these characters, given life to them through my own blood, sweat and tears and now it is almost time to say goodbye to them and my heart quivers with fear and grief. I will miss them dearly - the sounds of their voices in my head, their easy way with one another and their solidarity in times of trouble. But most of all I will miss their willingness to share their story with me, the eagerness with which they jumped into every plot and how they filled every line with their vitality.

But it is time to bring forth the new blood...the characters who will strut their stuff in Volume VII and inhabit my thoughts and dreams as much as Jack, Georgia and all the others always have.

And of course, there, right at the end of the path, Little, Loni and San are waiting for me, waiting eagerly to come back and finish their part of the saga...and how can I deny them?

The Owners Volumes I-X

Nothing will ever be quite the same again!

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.

If you would like to have a chat with me about books, writing or indeed anything else, you can find me at the Science Fiction Family Fun Day at Avoncroft Museum on Sat. 16th November where I will be selling signed copies of the books and holding a creative writing workshop.

Toodle-pip!


http://www.avoncroft.org.uk/visiting-whats-on/events-programme/

Here is the very latest from The Owners Volume VI : Blood Sky

Perhaps because of the rapid beating of her heart and the icy fingers of dread which no doubt worked their way down her spine, her features seemed more defined, more entrancing.

Pity he would have to kill her in the end.

 

 

If only...

Ahhh...back to the trusty laptop for another chapter of The Owners, Volume VI : Blood Sky.

Last week I was too busy to get any writing done, having spent one whole day at a lovely school teaching creative writing to years 3-6 and another day doing book signings at the Women of the Year Luncheon and Awards Ceremony.

I had a fabulous time at both events and was lucky enough to meet some wonderful people and fantastic children. I was also amused to hear one little girl say to another when they were queuing up for my autograph, "my mum has all her books and she loves them."

The rejoinder to that was a swiftly delivered, "well so does my dad. He has all of them too!"

What made me laugh was the blatant fibbing going on. Now don't get me wrong, I am honoured that many people come back to me to tell me how much they enjoy my books but I am aware that I do not yet have the status or universal recognition of the likes of Ms. Rowling, for example. So the idea that both of these little girls' parents had my collection of books was ridiculous, if rather flattering.

Anyway onwards and upwards!

I will fill you in on how Volume VI is going throughout the week. In the meantime if you wish to drop me a line, well you know where I am.

Hope to see you at my next scheduled event, at the Dr Who/sci-fi event, where I shall be selling signed copies of my books and holding a creative writing workshop...be there if you dare ;)

WARNING!

Probably no writing today folks !

Got lots of housework and admin type things to occupy me instead but to be honest I' m kind of glad of the break. The chapter I wrote yesterday was so harrowing it almost carved out its number in my very soul.

This guy is a bad one - a real bad one and I hope to God that none of you ever meet the likes of him in real life.

The Owners Volumes I-VI read them if you dare!

Pigeon Post!

I have been feeling rather ambivalent the last few days. Last Thursday I took the wood pigeon we have been looking after for the last six months to a permanent rescue centre.

It was hard to hand him over but as he had lost the very tips of one wing and seemed unable to grow back his flight feathers, it seemed the kindest thing to do.

In a terrible state when I brought him here after being savaged by a cat, it was very touch and go whether or not he would actually live. But he did and he coped well, eating until he was a huge barrel of a bird and eying up the dogs with no fear whatsoever....

But he was alone with no other pigeon company and so I took the decision to put him in a rescue centre where he would have the company of his own kind. Rightly or wrongly, it is my belief that this is important.

So whilst we were pleased for him, we also knew that we would feel his absence deeply.

We miss you Mr Fluffy but hope that you live a long and happy life with all your new pigeon friends . xxx

Sorry!

Sorry readers...I feel I have neglected you a little but I have been so busy writing Volume VI and taking bookings for my talks/ creative writing sessions, that I have not had any time to blog!

In fact I have spent a large part of today booking in schools and exhibitions etc. who want me to conduct talks/ creative writing sessions and so on. So here is the schedule for the next couple of weeks.

I will be at a school in Sandwell doing author talks next week, followed by the Women of the Year Luncheon Awards on 11th October and I will also be holding talks about writing sci-fi and conducting writing workshops at Avoncroft Museum on November 16th.

In between these times I may be coming to a library or school near you...just when you thought you were safe...!

I hope to see you at one of these events. But if you can't make them you can still contact me at Carmen.capuano@ymail.com

Happy reading!

Carmen.

Karma! [I hope]

Yesterday, after enjoying a lovely day out in Birmingham city centre, I returned to the car park to find that my spare wheel had been stolen from my car.
 
As you know I have rather a bad temper but I do believe in fate and in Karma. So this is my Facebook status today.
 

To the bleep who stole my spare wheel from under my car yesterday, I have this to say..."May your luck, like my wheel, circle onwards into darkness, may your happiness spin always away from you and may you go round and round in life, never achieving your dreams!"

Now Karma - go get that swine! ;)

A reminder

Just to remind you about my book trailer videos.

Here is the very first one,

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrCQumMKD0s

Busy...

Busy, busy me!

I had a fab time at The Custard Factory on Saturday, chatting to sci-fi fans about my books and selling signed copies.

Now for those of you who aren't from Birmingham, I guess I need to explain that the site was formerly a custard factory [gee, really?] but is now a collection of very chic and stylish shops and meeting venues.

Not only did  meet new sci-fi fans but I also had a chat with some I had met previously when they bought books from me at other venues. It was great to catch up with these people and to hear back from them how they had enjoyed the books.

In just over a week I will be doing the same thing again, this time at the prestigious Women of the Year Luncheon Awards. http://www.womenoftheyear.org.uk/index.html

I'm especially thrilled about this because I was personally extended an invitation to attend by the organisers.

It's gonna be a good 'un folks!

I'll let you know how it goes :)

About time to write my review about About Time

I went to the cinema yesterday. Now I state that as a bald fact to ensure that you understand what an occasion that is for me, to go to the cinema to see anything!

A friend of mine had gone to see the exact same film at the sitting directly before mine and had texted me to say that it was slow to begin with. This was also the view held by my viewing partner, who thought that the opening scenes and first third of the film dragged.

I have to say I disagreed. Whilst I did find the exposition of the concept a little heavy-handed at times [you almost felt that they explained it in such a painfully slow way that even a learning-impeded five year old would have understood it] it somehow fit in with the quaint Britishness of the film itself.

What I mean by this, is that it had neither the pace of the ideal American offering such as 24, The Bourne conspiracy films or even the speedily delivered witticisms of the average Big Bang Theory episode. But instead there was a sweet meandering to the plotline.

This was only enhanced by the simply brilliant acting of Bill Nighty and the gentle but inevitable fall of the character Kit-Kat, who I found mildly reminiscent of the character Mary Steenburgen played in the tv adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald's Tender Is The Night.

But I won't tell you more and risk spoiling your enjoyment. All I will say is if you like quirky British films you will like it. If you enjoy bitter-sweet ending you will love it and if you like your tales to have a moral at the end...well then, you will simply love it!

Either way...give it a try and let me know what you think.

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. 

The Owners, Volume VI : Blood Sky

Now that she was approaching the crux of the matter, she didn’t really know where to begin. Here where she was at with her own personal knowledge? Or further back so that they could all get the wider picture.

This volume is flying along and I am already on chapter 7.

Don't forget you can find me at the Andromeda One sci-fi convention at The Custard Factory on Saturday, along with a whole host of other authors.

I will be selling my books at a discounted rate for the occasion and will sign them for you too!

Have a great weekend, whatever you are getting up to!

Read all about it!

This is a real picture. The people trapped here were rescued alive fortunately but things might have turned out very differently indeed.

The world is becoming just like I predicted....The Owners Volume II : Storm Clouds.

If you haven't yet read it, you are missing out.

Why Blood Sky is Blood Sky!

Well its 11am and I have just finished another chapter of The Owners, Volume VI. This one explained the title choice.

I still think it's strange how I write...how the words just come to me seemingly out of nowhere. But it works and I am grateful for that.

Sometimes I have to dash to find a little scrap of paper just to jot down a line a character has said in my head. When that happens [and it happens a lot] it is always meaningful and I always use the line.

I know that some authors work in the same way and others are more methodical in their approach, writing beginning, middle and end and sometimes not only a synopsis but a breakdown of each and every chapter before they begin. Each to their own is my motto, although I think I would get very bored if I had to write in that way.

Must dash...have to find another little bit of paper... :)

A real honour!

I have had a special invitation extended to me...I have been asked to conduct a book signing at the Women of Year Luncheon and Awards Ceremony, at the Birmingham Hilton Metropole Hotel.

I am so thrilled and honoured to have been chosen, not least because I never put myself forward for this but was asked to be present.

Women from all over Britain will be attending and the A list status of the speakers alone, is enough to make your throat clench in excitement and anticipation!

And then there will be little 'ol me doing a book signing!

I'm sure the female readers amongst you can imagine what is going through my head, from what to wear to how many books to bring along. And this is on top of the sci-fi book signing I am attending next week!

It is brought a realisation to me however. We all have a tendency to think that what is currently going on in our lives is plain to see but the truth is so much deeper. Each of us is involved and intertwined  in infinitesimal ways with numerous other lives. So much so that we only ever see the very tip of the iceberg and that often just before we impact it.

I have learned that there is much going on behind the scenes that involves me but that I have yet to hear about and I believe that is a universal truth for all of us.

So if there is one thing that comes from all of this, it is that you don't know what lies ahead.

Just keep the faith. x

A little bit of The Owners.

Working hard on The Owners Volume VI :Blood Sky.

Here is another little bit.

Nothing is right about this situation, Eli thought. Nothing is just. And whatever happens from this day forward, nothing will ever be completely right again. It would have been easy to have dismissed such thoughts as after effects of what had so recently happened with Sam and the indelibly printed images which sprung so readily to his mind now. But the knowledge burned in his heart. Some things once done could never be undone.

A little bit of Sci-Fi does you good.

If you still have not got a signed copy of my books, you will be able to get one at the Andromeda One Sci-Fi convention in Birmingham on Sat 21st September! I'll be looking out for you :)

There will be lots to see and do so don't miss out. Book your ticket now!

Time gentlemen please!

I Started writing at half seven this morning. [It is now 2:30 pm] Finished one chapter of book 6. Spell checked the entire book 5, wrote a blog, answered emails and now going to walk the dogs. That's enough for one day don't you think?

And here is my daily horoscope :-

Not everything has to happen in a hurry. Not every need is urgent, not every promise is pressing. Sometimes we worry far too much about deadlines. We put ourselves under unnecessary pressure. Unless you now have cast iron proof that something won't wait, let it wait! Indeed, even if it won't wait, you may care to ask yourself how much it will matter if it is left unattended. Of the various priorities that need to be identified and honoured, the highest is surely your need to maintain a sense of perspective. Courtesy of Johnathon Cainer.

I guess I should have read that first!!!! ;)

Chapter I almost done!!!

The Owners, Volume VI

Another little bit :-

He needed to gather his thoughts. And he needed to put time and distance between where they were now and where they had been. The temptation to turn back and deal with the situation was just too great. And so was the probability of failure. He had to hold fast to that.

First chapter of book 6!

The Owners, Volume VI : Blood Sky

Here is a little snippet of the brand new Chapter I

Perhaps he would never be the same again. Perhaps when he told his brother Noah and Dan and Aaron what he had seen and now knew to be true, none of them would ever be the same again.

He stumbled over the ground, eager to be back within the safe confines of his home, back in the bosom of his family. But he knew that even then this sickness in his soul would not be purged. Nor could he actually ever let it be. He had to hold fast to it, hold firm. He owed it to those poor, poor souls.

                        ****************

Ah ha...got you there, didn't I? You thought that just because I had started a new book, that I wouldn't also be moving on to Volume VI of the Owners.

Do you really think I have a choice? These characters bang around in my head, demanding a voice. There is only so long they can be ignored...

So don't worry I will keep you up to date on the saga.

Happy reading!

What's in a name?

I am the mistress of disguise. Or at lease that's what I have been telling myself recently as I looked back at a ton of old paperwork in various names.

Perhaps I should explain. I was born Carmen Capuano but changed my name to that of my stepfather's at around the age of ten, becoming Carmen Capuano McCammick.


Some years later I got married and became Carmen Capuano McCammick-Hughes but it was not long before this cumbersome name took its toll and was shortened to Carmen Capuano-Hughes [as I had always kept the Capuano as a middle name, it got somewhat upgraded there.]

Then, when I got divorced, it was back to Carmen Capuano. And it is in this name that I have written my series of books The Owners Volumes I-V [Volumes VI-X are still waiting to be written.]

Now as I start another genre of book, one which is more adult themed, I find that once more I need a name change. The Owners books are carefully written and suitable for even pre-teens to read. Not so this new book. And the moral part of me finds that the new title will not sit well in my head alongside my other titles.

In other words, I would not wish anyone looking up The Owners on Amazon to innocently come upon this other book. And I am not even talking a 50 shades sort of book here. This is a book about adult relationships and one woman's journey through them...so the content will of course at times be risqué.

And my new name? Well that would be telling now wouldn't it? ;)

Hello!!!!!

I am pleased to say that I have just finished writing the very first chapter of my newest book.

I have made the decision to write a different style of book whilst also continuing on with the Owners series.

Now this may seem like  a strange decision to make, however it is not done lightly. I have been asked time and time again for a certain kind of book...so much so, that I cannot ignore its rise in popularity.

I can't tell you much about this book, other than it will ring true with most women I have ever encountered. It is a tale of one woman's journey through relationships, minus the hearts and flowers. But it will be a story full of true-to-life characters and realistic situations.

Due to the adult content however, I will not be publishing it under my real name so I will let you guess when the time comes.

As for the  blog, well I will continue to post snippets from The Owners here and talk about anything that takes my fancy.

As ever, you can contact me on facebook or through Carmen.capuano@ymail.com

Hello again!

It has been so long since I typed anything of any length, I have almost slowed down to a crawl but I'm sure that by the end of Chapter 1 in Volume VI, my fingers will be flying across the keyboard as usual.

I have so much to tell you, I almost don't know where to start. But as I have already shown you the picture of me at one of the recent creative writing sessions I did for Sandwell Council, it seems logical to start there.

I cannot speak highly enough of both the library staff and the families who attended the sessions. The children were alert, bright and eager to participate and it was clear they were thoroughly enjoying story making.

The comment slips they handed back to library staff afterwards spoke for themselves, with one comment reading:-

"A fantastic invaluable experience for my children to experience today. An opportunity that will remain a fond memory for life."

I have to say that on reading that comment my eyes welled up a little. To have touched someone's life in a positive way, no matter how minor, is both an honour and a joy.

And it made me think about the people who touched my own life in minor ways but who collectively shaped me into the person I am today...the history teachers who showed me that without knowledge and understanding of our past, we can never fully comprehend our future. The substitute English teacher who taught me the symbolism of poetry and the foreign language teachers who taught me that words can both divide and unite.

It was with these thoughts in mind that I journeyed up to Scotland a few days later to meet up with family and friends. Dreading the journey as ever [it's a long way, you know!] I was buoyed by the thought of meeting up with these long established friends, some of whom I hadn't seen in over ten years.

We were all decades older then we had been at school and we had all had children. And during those years since school we had all created our life stories and in some cases fate had done a pretty good stepping in job, to wreak misery wherever it's little hand touched...but after all that, we were still the excitable, hopeful band of girls that we had been at school.

Linda - irrepressible and funny and probably the only person who can talk faster and louder than me!

Karen - loyal and steadfast and possessed of a quiet dignity which allows her to make her point in an almost regal manner.

Lesley - still cute as a button and almost bursting with life, her vitality and humour was truly wondrous.

[Shona - strong, supportive and caring was unfortunately unable to attend due to family illness ...and yet I felt her presence in every memory we mulled over.]

And me - just grateful that these fine women wanted me in their lives! We had not seen each other for so long and yet our bond was as fresh and strong as it had been all those years ago.

At the end of the night, fond farewells were said all around and promises were made that we would all keep in better touch. But in a very strange way, it doesn't really matter whether we do phone or email each other in the intervening time before my next visit. That friendship is there and will always be there, hibernating gently in the corner, awaiting it's wakening. And it will never be lost or forgotten, nor will it ever die.

So with a happy heart I continued with my stay in the country of my birth. We visited Loch Lomond, a place so beautiful I fear my words will not do it justice. So vast and so unspoiled it arrests the eye and heart in equal measures. Mountains meet lake and are reflected back upon the still waters and if you stand very quietly you can feel yourself transported back in time to a world which was less commercialised and much more real. Not keen on walks, the kids nonetheless love it there and the dogs are in their element.

Sadly we made the return journey to our caravan park but there were more treats in store. The Ayr site we were on was hosting a talent competition for children and I was astounded by the talent of the winners and so pleased to be able to award them signed copies of The Owners, Volume I, Alone.

Well done Morgan, Robyn and Jessica!

And Scotland, as Arnie would have put it, don't worry 'cos "I'll be back."

A new picture!!!

Here I am looking all authorish on the front page of a local Sandwell newspaper. I will fill you in on the details on my next blog post and also tell you about my recent trip to Scotland.

Now who said I wasn't the mistress of suspense...... ;)

 

 

 

 

Recommendations

The Guardian newspaper is asking for recommendations regarding good self-published authors. As I am already listed on their sales site I can only hope that some kind soul recommends me...not that I am suggesting that of course ;)

Here is the link should anyone feel inclined to make any recommendations :-

http://www.theguardian.com/books/2013/jun/20/self-published-author-series

All quiet on the western front.

Yes I have been a little quiet lately but bear with me...there are many projects on the back burner right  now but as soon as the kids have gone back to school, the heat will be turned RIGHT UP!

Volume V of the Owners cries out to be edited - I hear its calls in my sleep and Volume VI invades my every waking thought. These characters are desperate for their tales to be put down on paper and who am I to stand in their way?

The wait is almost over...The Owners, Volume IV is on its way to a Kindle near you! Make sure you are charged up and ready to go!

Sweating the small stuff.

Have you ever hear the saying 'don't sweat the small stuff'? It refers of course to panicking over the little things in life, rather than letting them pass over you in a gentle breeze.

Well today I want to take you on a tour of that small stuff, from a very different angle.

The reference to the 'small stuff' came in the form of a wedding reception I attended recently. As everyone who has ever been married knows, there is almost no end to the plans which need to be made, from the biggies such as where and when to get married, to the smaller stuff such as who sits where. And sometimes in the middle of all this, the detail can be lost. There is simply too much going on.

And I am sure that for this couple there were just as many headaches to account for, as with any other couple making wedding plans. But it was in the attention to the detail of the small stuff, that they elevated their reception beyond what was the norm, turning it into an almost magical event.

The ceremony was not a lavish affair nor was the venue for the reception afterwards but the couple's attention to detail was truly breathtaking.

The word 'buffet' did not do this sumptuous spread of food justice. It was a feast, a banquet of foods that both in volume and scale had required not four but a veritable army of ladies to set it out.

But even that is somewhat par for the course. What really set this fayre apart from all others, was that when the deserts were finally cleared away, the profiteroles, the cheesecakes and all the gateaux, the little army of helpers loaded the table once more...with £350 worth of pick-and-mix sweets for adults and children alike.

Little paper bags were provided, all labelled with stickers of the bride and groom's names and scoops were set across the table, encouraging the guests to fill their little bags to the very brim.

The atmosphere was no longer that of a wedding, formal and stuffy but was instead more like a fiesta or carnival. Everyone loosened up and joined in the fun.

All the tables had been decorated with confetti and glittering ornaments, balloons hung from every table leg and rafter and little filigree cardboard boxes filled with chocolate, adorned the table-tops.

And I can honestly say it was the best wedding reception I have ever attended [my own included].

And all because the bride had sweated the small stuff. She had paid minute attention to every detail. And it showed. 

So sometimes it pays to sweat the small stuff. So to Adele and Kevin, I can say this  in complete honesty:

Your reception was the absolute best EVER! And the fact that I got to dance, drink and be merry...well that was just the topping on my cake.

Congratulations and I wish you every luck for the future!

Another review.

Another review has just come to my attention. It's so nice to know that my books are providing enjoyment and I can't wait to get back to writing when the kids return to school.

In the meantime I am busy sorting school uniforms and shoes...a mother's work is never done!

Here is the link to the review http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/netmums-chat-clubs-795/netmums-book-club-reading-group-159/973572-owners-volume-i-alone-carmen-capuano.html#post9648361

And here is the review itself.

The Owners, Volume I : Alone by Carmen Capuano

The Owners, Volume I : Alone was recommended to me by a friend. I bought it thinking that it was not my usual type of book as it is classed as sci-fi.
However, once I started to read it, I found that it was really about the characters and how they get through the problems in their life and I really connected with it.
even if sci-fi is not your usual thing,
I would recommend this book. It is character driven and just enough different to keep you engrossed and keep you turning the pages.

Happy Reading

Miss Marple after all!

A little mystery has been solved.

I have been wondering why my blog viewing figures often reflected countries where English is not the native spoken language.

In particular, I wondered about Russia as it features prominently on my leader board of viewing statistics. But now the mystery has been solved. Well partly at least.

I have been placed on several internet sites around the globe [or at least my book trailers and books have] and this has led the readers/viewers to my blog.

So to carry the deduction forward [as per Miss Marple style] I can conclude that some kind soul liked my worldly offerings and chose to share them with their countrymen. Now isn't that a kind gesture!

On the negative side of humanity I have this sorry tale to report. A close friend of mine has had their workplace vandalised and robbed. Cash, computers and other equipment were stolen but worse than this, was the sheer pointless vandalising which also took place.

A new car was overturned and left spinning on its roof so that it crashed into everything around it, causing even more devastation and furniture and contents were strewn around, causing much work and mayhem for the people who had to clear it up.

Whilst the obvious result of this is much work to regain even a semblance of order, it is the underlying problems, the unseen issues which have directly arisen from the break-in which may eventually prove more devastating.

To date, four days have been wasted in trying to sort out the workplace as it should be and other work which should have been underway has had to be postponed. Without access to their computer system and its passwords, the staff will not be paid, invoices will not be sent out and bills will stack up.

What will be the inevitable end to this scenario? Another bankrupt company? Dear God, I hope not with all my heart!

And so I write this blog. And you read it. But you, my readers are not the vile and soulless sort of individuals who would perpetrate such a crime. So I ask myself why I am telling you when all you can do is shake your head and empathise.

The reason I am telling you is that sickened to the stomach, I  have to rail against these dregs of humanity. I cannot stand up and say 'oh well, that's life'. Never could, never will.

Because there is a part of me, deep inside, that thinks if ever I did that, if ever I just accepted such despicable behaviour, then I too would be a lesser person for it. I WANT to rage, I WANT to scream and shout, because it is my way of challenging this violation I guess.

So if you see me throwing back my head and baying to the moon, at least you will know why.

Almost effortless weight loss...

Ah ha! Here is a new business venture for me.

I have just weighed myself and I weigh EXACTLY 8 stone 8 pounds. If you would like to know how I achieved a few pounds weight loss over the course of 10 days here are my helpful tips.

1. Go for a tonsillectomy...it will hurt like hell and you won't be able to talk but on the plus side, you won't be able to eat either.
2. Blow your oven up. Now you have nothing to cook on, [even if you did work yourself up to be brave enough to try food once more after undergoing option 1 see above].

3. If you are tempted to eat outside of the home, just forget to bring the hospital-issued painkillers with you. That will soon put a stop to that idea.

4. Ensure that before embarking on steps 1-4 that you fill your freezer with foods that your children love but that you hate, so that cravings are reduced.

and finally

5. Should you get hungry at any time, console yourself with a large cool glass of orange juice, even though you know that your body does not react well to this and spend much of your free time in the toilet.

There now you too can lose a few pounds the Carmen way...