Stars in my eyes...

I bet you didn't realise that all the biggest stars are now reading my book, did you?

Here are just two of them, Neil Diamond

 

and Rod Stewart.

 

 

 

Don't you think they both look really pleased?

 

;) Happy Reading!

Me and Dean Koontz on the beach.

Would you like to see a picture of me and Dean Koontz on the beach together? You would? Yes, I thought so.

Here it is...

 

 

 

Joking aside, when I am going on holiday, it is always one of his books I choose and since my very first paperback of Split Decision had just arrived, I took that too, so you see Dean and I really were on the beach together ;)

Back home now, I am working on a post to tell you all about my adventures, so keep your eyes peeled.

Happy Reading!

Thanks y'all!

Thanks to my publisher P'kaboo and my agent Paul Thompson; to all my friends and lovely book buyers. Split Decision is now out as an ebook. The paperback is coming soon. I'll keep you posted.


Sorry if I have driven you half mad with my fretting and constant talking about my engrossing characters but now you have the chance to see what all the fuss was about.

I would like to say that the time has come to relax but you know me, there's another book in the offing now, so if I were you, I'd reinsert those earplugs fast!

Happy Reading.

Read all about it!

My newest book, is now out. Follow the link to take a look at it.

 http://www.pkaboo.net/splitdecision.html

Happy Reading!

Coming to a Kindle near you...

Tomorrow is the launch of Split Decision as an ebook [the paperback will follow shortly]. I am so excited!


You will LOVE this book!


Happy Reading!

Help!

Most people have tried to help with this but the site will often not let them, hence the low numbers.

You have to click on the link then press the share on Facebook or Twitter.

Then you can read all about my latest book.

To everyone who has helped, you have my warmest thanks!

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/28256-launch-of-ya-split-decision

Carmen. x

Onwards and upwards...

Now that Split Decision is about to launch, for the next few weeks I will be turning my attention to previous books, bringing them up to standard and ready for publication.

Ascension will be first on my list and I can't wait to discover the feisty Jessica Stone all over again. I wonder what new bits I will add...I'll let you know how it goes.

Happy Reading!

What a week!

Having officially taken over my duties as Copy Editor of GEM magazine on Monday, there followed a whole week of functions and events I was required to take part in.

So I have spent the entire week in the style of a Gadabout, of a Woman Around Town. To be honest it was mostly work, getting to know my fellow workers at GEM magazine, making contacts, meeting the people who are the city's movers and shakers, but that's not to say I didn't have fun too. In fact there was almost a common theme to the events...there was a drawing together of the past and the future in a way that made me really reflect.

The events began with an invitation  to attend  The Walk of Heroes and Walk of Stars hosted by Westside BID [Business Improvement District]. Moving speeches delivered by The Mayor of Birmingham and Professor Carl Chinn, commemorated four soldiers from the Birmingham area who had stepped beyond the bravery shown by every member of our armed forces, to something truly unique, displaying a valour in the midst of battle that went above and beyond the call of duty.

The soldiers had served in wars as varied as the Anglo-Zulu War and World War I and yet there was a commonality to their valour, a desire to help others at the sake of their own lives. I can only imagine the terror of their individual situations and I hope that the world does not keep having to sacrifice such brave and noble individuals to the folly of battle!

But there was a lighter side too, with the presentation by Jasper Carrott of a granite star for actor Ian Lavender,  for his accomplishments on screen during his illustrious career.  I laughed alongside Jasper and Ian as they talked about Mr Lavender's recollections of his childhood in Birmingham. Both men were funny, witty and erudite and displayed manners which have been all but lost in the mists of time. So just in case you missed it before, here is my picture with Jasper [who I have to say, didn't look a day over fifty!].

 





My next function to attend was the Super Sonic car event, hosted by business accountancy firm Moore Stephens. Here I met Richard Noble and learned about the World Land Speed Record, looking at vintage films of previous attempts and successes.

Now I have to admit to being ignorant about all things motorised... but I was fascinated! The idea that a car can go from 0 to 1000 mph in less than a minute - well that takes your breath away, doesn't it?

I was almost thinking that if they could just make one with enough room for me, my kids, dogs and luggage then the annual trip to Glasgow wouldn't be so bad after all... Joking aside, this project may seem impractical when you look at our roads and current driving conditions, but what is going on here is the forerunner of future transport. Richard and his team are not pushing the boundaries of what is possible, they are breaking them into splinters, smashing them to smithereens and rebuilding them in their own image.

The project is not only about revolutionising future transport, it is about revolutionising our economy and our education system and our future workers, for without engineers of the future, no further progress will be made! That's why Richard's team is working closely with schools, to encourage young people into this field.

My next two events were more social. Praza on the Hagley Road is divine, take it from me. I had never been there before, so was a little unprepared for the gorgeous food [I actually had seconds!] and the great atmosphere. As I was driving, I can't attest to the cocktails but the people around me were all 'oohing' and 'ahhing' over them, so I assume they were as exquisite as the food.

And the Burlington - goodness me how I love this building and its staff. I was treated to an indoor barbeque, with little mini burgers and mouth-watering salads and desserts and games on the 'lawn'. This time I took the train and thoroughly enjoyed myself!

But lest you think its all play and no work, I must tell you that I spent the whole of Saturday hacking down the triffids in my new garden. My legs, hands and arms are sliced up like I have been in battle with the alien from Predator and the garden looks worse if that's even possible, with huge piles of cut vegetation that I have no idea how I am going to dispose of!

So for now, folks that's it! Don't forget Split Decision launches on the 4th of July and you can still help Thunderclap it [see previous post]. More to follow on the paperback launch.

N.B. The tickets for my first talk at Lord Morton's Tea Rooms are now sold out, but a further date has been agreed.

Happy Reading!

Carmen.

I hear thunder!

If you would like to support my Thunderclap campaign, then just click on this link and when prompted, share to your Facebook or Twitter. It costs nothing and you can keep the message private.

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/28256-launch-of-ya-split-decision

Many thanks,

Carmen. x

Come and get it...

How would you like to attend the online ebook launch of my latest release, Split Decision? I hope you are leaping up and down in excitement [if you're not, why not?] and drooling at the idea of finally getting your hands on this fast-paced story...


All you have to do is click on the invite on my Facebook page and you will be all set. I look forward to hearing from you.


Happy Reading! x

Faster than the speed of ...

Today I have been cordially invited to view a super sonic car, courtesy of my post as columnist and copy editor at GEM magazine. But I have to wonder exactly what they will think when I drive up in my Postman Pat van?

You see I'm not really one for ostentation, unless it fits the occasion and mostly I am sitting in jeans writing or charging through fields with my dogs and/or kids. Therefore the idea of me and a super sonic car is rather hilarious, due to my own driving abilities and lifestyle.

That said, as a science fiction/fantasy writer, the car appeals in a variety of ways. I mean, what couldn't you do with a super sonic car at your command... goodness me, I feel another book coming on. ;)

Keep your eyes peeled for my post on the lovely Jasper Carrott and Ian Lavender and the connection between the two.

Happy Reading!

Post to follow shortly....

Me with Jasper Carrott today.

Volume VII: Hunter's Moon

This weekend I finished the seventh volume of the Owners series. I am both sad and elated.


For a very long time I have suspected that it was not going to  be a particularly good ending for some of the main characters and I was right. In real life sometimes there are events which change everything or which alter how things are perceived...so it is with my characters and books. Regardless of how badly I wanted them to be ok, writing in an all-encompassing happy ending would have been both unrealistic and tacky. And they deserve better treatment than that.


Like all of my characters I will miss them dearly but they will remain in my heart. However with the finishing of this volume comes a little joy, for Volume VIII will see the story returning to one of the very first characters to show how things became how they were. It will be lovely to deal with already known and loved characters - its rather like meeting up with an old friend in a warm pub on a stormy night - exciting, long-anticpated and more than a little curious. Are you wondering which character? Well I'm afraid I won't be revealing that just yet, so hunker down for the wait.

In the meantime, there are lots of other things happening. I have been working hard on my editing job and am very busy attending functions on the magazine's behalf. I have also been busy organising the launch of Split Decision which will be out next month [date to be announced].

Meanwhile my new house is coming along nicely and I have now chosen a new fire to go where the old one was. It's a super, duper thing! In fact I think the whole house will look quite good when its finished [courtesy of my fab builder - details to follow on how to book him later].

So if you see a smiling but frantic looking woman buzzing around in an old battered light blue Citroen Berlingo,  not knowing where she is going or what she is doing, give her a wave, 'cos it will be me!


Happy Reading!

The wait is over!

I have kept you in suspense for long enough. I know. Actually I never intended to keep you in suspense at all, but several things needed to be done in the right order and this was just one of them.

Last week I was called into a meeting with the lovely owner of GEM magazine. I had thought that perhaps I was going to be asked to write an article about something, but never in my wildest dreams did I expect her to offer me the posts of columnist and Copy Editor to the magazine!

I was literally stunned into a moment of silence and believe me that doesn't happen a lot. If ever!

So there it was, the offer of a lifetime. And what do you think my response was? I was almost dancing on the table with excitement, especially when I was given full autonomy over what I chose to write about. Now my first column is written and the first articles I have to edit, are sitting in my inbox.

I am like a nervous fourteen-year-old all over again... excited, apprehensive, eager and terrified at what the big bad world might throw at me, whilst at the same time eagerly donning my heels and throwing back my head with abandon, ready for the ride of a lifetime.

What will they think of me, the GEM readers? Will they like my quirky style, my references to what's happening in my life, the little bits about whatever book I am writing? I hope so!

If you would like to find out more about GEM magazine, here is the link. I'm sure you will enjoy it.

http://www.gemmedia.co.uk


Happy Reading!

Opportunity knocks...

It seems opportunities are like buses, you wait ages for one and then several come along at once...


Time is in short supply for me over the next couple of days and I really don't mean to keep you in suspense, but I haven't got the luxury of creating a full blog post right at this very minute, so please check back in a few days and get the scoop!


You know what to do until then - Happy Reading x

Wakey, wakey!

There are not enough hours in the day for me at the moment, so for the last three weeks I have been going to bed at midnight and getting up at four am in order to get everything done. Before you feel sorry for me, I must point out that this is entirely my own fault. I have stupidly co-ordinated events so that everything has now come to fruition at the same time!


This is not a problem however, as I am currently so filled with nervous energy that I could light up the whole of Bromsgrove if they wired me to the grid. But like an athlete after the competition, or a rock star after a tour, I know that very soon, when the need for all this activity is over, I will slump, exhausted and wiped out, for at least two days.  Right now that seems a small price to pay.

 
So what is the cause of all this hyperactivity? Partly my decision to move home. As you may be aware, I have been longing to do this for some time. So I bought a new house. But not just any old house, oh no, not me! I bought a house where the doors do not actually close in the door frames [to my shame I did not realise this, having actually not tried to close any of the doors], where each and every door lock was broken, where there was no door to the en suite bathroom [I know!], where there was a smallish kitchen but a large utility... and an endless list of other strange things.


Yet I LOVE the new house. It is full of potential and possibilities that have been all but exhausted in my present house. So I set a team of builders to work on it. And they are really cracking on. So much so, that I have been forced to speedily decorate my current house and put it on the market, with a view to possibly moving to the new house once it is completed.


But as we all know, with a new house comes even more running around, setting up things, so between all this, life has been popping up its funny little head, reminding me that I have other commitments too - a family birthday party to organise, a holiday to book, five chapters left in the current book to write, other work commitments and, dare I suggest it, a social life! On top of all that, I have also been informed of details of the book launch for Split Decision, which of course coincides with all of this.


Maybe one of the most difficult things I am doing at this moment though, is wrestling with the moral conumdrums and issues which have presented themselves in The Owners, Volume VII: Hunter's Moon. God help me, I have always been an eye for an eye sort of person. I have striven to rise above this my whole life, for I truly believe that train of thought is detrimental to the soul, but being a female born under the astrological sign of scorpio, of short statue, and raised in Glasgow, it was always going to require a lot of effort to be ambivalent let alone magnanimous when I felt wronged.


And  I see a couple of this book's characters having the same problem. What has happened with the story has shattered their world so completely, that they are finding it difficult to stem the tide of hatred that wants to flow from them. And with every word I write, I feel their pain. They want me to set them loose, to allow them to wreak havoc upon others, as it has been wreaked upon them... so here is the latest snippet:-

There was the bigger picture to think of too though. There was the thought that one day, when she was a grown woman, questions about this night would arise and he would be forced to say that he had stood back and let whatever happened, happen.


I would love to tell you that this book has a happy ending, but I fear I would by lying. All I can say [and I am as much in the dark about the book's conclusion as you are,] is that it is sure to be exciting!


So for now, happy reading and I'll catch up with you soon.


Carmen.

It is not often I repost something but in the run up to preparing my house for sale, I thought about this once more, so here it is... [originally posted 2013]

 There are rooms in my house that are as foreign to me as another country. I enter them occasionally and am immediately transfixed by the sheer volume of rubbish in them.

It is then that I am driven to wonder where all the contents that are strewn across the bed, the floor and even the window sills, have come from. Because as sure as night follows day, I didn’t put them there.

But before you jump to conclusions, let me explain. I have three children. Now logically you may think three children = three children’s bedrooms [messy perhaps but containable]. Believe me the reality is far, far different.

Like large messy magpies, my children seem to adore collecting the obscure and [in my opinion] needless junk that masquerades as interesting souvenirs. Bits of ripped paper, used train tickets and a fragment of a box that once contained a watch, are prime examples of this.

I know this because I have spent the last two hours wading through all this paraphernalia, trying to make sense of it all. But in the midst of all the dusting and removing of grime, a memory surfaced.

Once there was a little metal tin. Inside the little metal tin was a little metal hairslide, a little metal brooch and some other odds and ends. I know this because the little metal tin and its contents belonged to the eight year-old me.

And I treasured that tin. Not because the contents belonged to me but because they had once belonged to someone who had been very important to my father. They had belonged to his mother.

My father had a very difficult childhood, fraught with family secrets and skeletons in the cupboard but he had loved his mother, who had died relatively young. And he had kept this little box for many years, only passing it on to me, his step-daughter, when he realised that I too was the sort of person who would understand why he kept the box.

Now if you were to ask him why he had kept it, I guess he would say that it was a memento. And it was.        

But it was also so much more than that. It was a gateway into the memories of his childhood, the smell of his mother’s hair and the feel of her lips on his cheek as she kissed him goodnight. It was the sound of her voice and the taste of cool lemonade on a hot summer’s day.

It was all the things he would want to remember of his childhood and some of the things he would not but which came as a package nonetheless.

And the tin still exists. It no longer takes pride of place in my bedroom but it has not been forgotten. It has become by the importance vested in it, not only a part of my father’s life and childhood, but my own too.

In these days of throwaway items, tvs that are cheaper to re-purchase than to repair and washing machines that seem to be designed to break down as soon as the warranty expires, I wonder what we will leave as mementos for future generations.

Our houses are filled with expensive rubbish made of plastic and chipboard. We now live in a throwaway society and it is this very mindset which is becoming entrenched not only in our decorating choices but in our moral standards and values too.

So, if like me, you are spring cleaning a little over this Easter period, be careful what you throw away…because you might just throw away something worthless which is absolutely priceless…

Happy Reading!

 

The Owners Volume VII: Hunter's Moon

I spoke to a lovely lady who sat next to me on the train into Birmingham the other day. The journey takes about half an hour from where I live but she had got on before me and was nicely ensconced in her seat before I came to sit by her.

I don't normally strike up conversations with strangers - perhaps she doesn't either - but on this occasion for some reason we began to talk. She told me she was visiting a female friend who lived in Stirchley and whom she had known for forty years and then she told me about how her husband had died and the male friend who had helped her through those difficult times.

The conversation was particularly apt for me not only professionally as I soak all these things up for later use in my characters but also in my personal life. But one of the things she said that struck a chord with me was that this friend had been a lecturer in literature and had written a paper about Tess of the d'Urbervilles. Not specifically about Tess either, but about the boots she wore!

It hit me then that people pay attention to what we as writers say, think and believe - even if it is contrary to a reader's own set of beliefs and opinions.  That gives writers a responsibility to portray things in a correct light. And it is for that reason that I am writing this post.

Split Decisions will be out very soon. Unlike The Owners series I have written, Split Decision is not suitable reading material for the under fifteens as it contains graphic material. I am being very specific here, not only because I have children of my own but because yes, I did write Split Decision to make a specific point. It contains some violence and some swearing because it is true to life but I think and I hope that it will make people think about the state of our society.

But not every page I write has a deeper significance and some things are just a tiny little detail which means nothing either way. I wonder if the esteemed Mr Hardy ever intended that a paper be written about his character's boots...or were they just the things she put on her feet? Whatever the case, writing, like any art becomes the possessor's property to display and to discuss at the point of sale. What the creator of the project meant [if anything] is sometimes lost in the wind.

So here for your delectation is a little snippet from the book I am currently working on, Volume VII of The Owners: Hunter's Moon.

Breathing furiously, lungs labouring like bellows, Taylor and Breaker were forced to pause for breath. With hammering hearts they turned back towards the forest and the flames which rose there. The woods had become a conflagration, an inferno from which they could already feel the heat sear them with its intensity. Still they didn’t dare speak or even look at one another lest their emotions betrayed their resolve.

Preparing to gather Matilda up once more, Taylor was surprised when the woman seemed to pull herself together, managing to plant her feet firmly on the forest floor and bear her own weight.

She looked at him with eyes that seemed too large for the rest of her features and too old for her face. “I did the wrong thing!” she said, as huge tears dropped from those liquid orbs.

Taylor felt his heart constrict in sorrow. “Now’s not the time Tilly. What’s done is done,” he reminded her.

She bit her lip and turned away from the blaze, the dead and the dying. “And can’t be undone,” she finished for him. “God help me. It can’t be undone.”

 

I wish I could lift the burden these characters have found themselves under. But it is their story, I am merely the teller of their tale...

Happy Reading.

Chocolate Alchemy!

Chocolate - thick, creamy, wickedly sensual - melting on the tongue until its solidity disappears, leaving only its lingering taste and a memory... Have I caught your attention?

Chocolate has been the mainstay of my adult life. Seriously, I kid you not. Men have come and gone but chocolate has remained my constant companion, always there when I needed a moment of comfort, a little bit of escapism. That was why I was intrigued when I attended a workshop on chocolate making last week.

Let me be perfectly honest, I eat chocolate every single day. I don't eat cakes [unless someone gives me one], I don't eat biscuits or sweets or desserts of any form. But chocolate, now that's a different matter.

Up until the workshop I consumed chocolate with abandon. Dark, milk, somewhere in between - all of it tasted good and the differences between them remained a mystery. Until Chocolate Alchemy and its knowledgeable chocolatier, Isaac, came into my world. Alchemy, the medieval forerunner of chemistry, was concerned with the transforming of matter, in particular with attempts to convert base metals into gold. It was half science, half wizardry. Perhaps because of that, it is a particularly apt name, for Isaac takes dull, bitter cocoa beans and almost magically transforms them into chocolate concoctions which have a depth of flavour I hadn't previously encountered.

Isaac educated me in the geography and history of chocolate, explaining where the different cocoa beans were grown and the distinct individual flavours they produced. He showed me cocoa pods the size of small coconuts and produced samples of chocolate made from single varieties of beans to try and then samples of chocolate from different combinations of beans. If you haven't tried this before you may be sceptical - chocolate is chocolate right? I can tell you now that the chocolate from some of the beans packed a real punch, whilst others were more subtle and they were all different.

But in watching Isaac, whose face lit up when he spoke of making chocolate, I realised something else too. Here was a young man who was passionate about what he did, who strove to create chocolate perfection which was not just delicious but aesthetically pleasing too. I saw in him what I feel every time I begin a new chapter, or introduce a new character into my books, that longing to create and blend and strive for my creation to be the best it can possibly be, the most enlivened, entertaining and downright engaging I can make it for its intended audience.

And that, I think, sums up the whole essence of Chocolate Alchemy. Perhaps it could be no other way due to the people who remain largely behind the scenes, ex-professional athletes and big names in the world of athletics. These are people who are intrinsically dedicated and determined, who are never, ever, satisfied with sitting on their laurels but who continue to push forward with relentless enthusiasm.

Having only recently taken over the company, its directors are now intent on expanding from the small original venue to a national scale. And they are achieving their goal! Not just rapidly but with a surefootedness that took my breath away. Able to produce bespoke creations in an eye blink, they are looking to bigger markets whilst also maintaining that individual quality which sets them apart. Their chocolate remains hand made, produced by the clever Isaac himself and whatever your preferred taste, it can be created for you. And they are not greedy either - it is not their intent to fleece you of your hard earned cash. Indeed their products are very reasonably priced, especially when you consider the care and quality of them. And you do know how I love a bargain!

I was lucky enough to be able to partake in the truffle making workshop and the very next day I sat down and wrote a new chapter as I nibbled on the truffles. Ok maybe there wasn't much nibbling going on, it was more of a devouring thing really, but what the heck, they were  great!

So if like me, chocolate is an enduring passion, here is their website.  www.chocolate-alchemy.co.uk

In the meantime I will keep you up to date with my writing and with all the various new things I get to experience in my research. How I love this job!

Until then,

Happy Reading!

New life!

Today is the start of my new life. I have bought a new house, got rid of some things, ended some other things and am looking to the future.

I have always had a thing about new starts. Generally speaking they are fresh, clean and bright. Even if you made mistakes in the past, a fresh start allows you to put these to good use, to learn from them and move forward in a different direction.

It's strange how this new start has coincided with me writing an author's note  to be published at the end of Split Decision, and how my thoughts today have mirrored the sentiment in that note. [And no I'm not going to tell you what I wrote, you will just have to read the book :)]

But the weather is not reflecting how I feel. Outside it is cold, wet, grey, and generally uninviting, with the rain thrashing itself off roofs and pavements. Maybe I can start my new life tomorrow instead? What do you think?

Happy Reading!