Tempus Fugit.

Time does indeed fly!  I've just noticed how long it has been since I posted on here! Heck!  I last posted two weeks ago!
But then there hasn't been much to tell really, I've had no more writing talks booked lately. My Kindle book 'Saint or Sinner' is selling, slowly, but it's going, just need more people to want to read a rootin' tootin' Western! Any ideas how I can drive more folks to buy? Do let me know.

Meantime, my dear friend, actress and author Madalyn Morgan had a 'virtual launch' party for her first self-published book, 'Foxden Acres' (she has another three in the series to finish writing) the party went well, she organised a raffle, with prizes of books, donated by writerly friends, and some real life friends actually turned up to help her celebrate with flowers and wine!  How lovely.

Here is a picture of the book, on a shelf along with my two, and others by more of our writer friends. 'Foxden Acres' isthe tall one in the centre, sandwhiched between Jane Wenham-Jones' 'Wanna be a Writer we've Heard of', and my (Amos Carr's) two Westerns. Thanks for the picture Maddie! It feels great to be seen alongside such good company!!

                               

                 Madalyn's  blog adress is-   madalynmorgansfiction@blogspot.com

Also, another writer friend of ours, Pauline Connoly, who lives in Australia, has her first book out now, it is called 'The Water Doctor's Daughters' and is about the doctor who declared that the waters of Malvern were a cure for all sorts of ills. She spent a very long time researching it, and has followed it, almost immediately, with another one entitled 'All Along The River' which is about the River Thames, and the connections with certain parts of the river to specific foodstuffs or dishes.  I have her first one on order, eagerly awaiting the arrival, then I can tell you more about it!  It should be here this week.
She too, has a very interesting web site. Go to -  http://paulineconolly.com. And she even has her own in-house editor, a little Teddy Bear named Desmond! He's cute!

 Pauline is actually in the UK right now, promoting her first book, by doing signings in some of the places mentioned in the book. I'm a foodiemyself, so I am looking forward to the next one coming out Pauline!!

Do please take a look at these blogs, and buy my friend's books won't you?

New workshop piccie!

 

Hi, just adding another, better, picture of the workshop at the Oswaldtwistle Library last week. It's a good one. And I'm the one with the long skirt, and long hair, at the centre! One had left early for an appointment, the other was taking the photo!

Writing now, and on Friday, I attended a new writing group which has been set up at our local library, small attendance, but enthusiastic. Set for every fortnight now, so we will see who carries on coming. Our subject to write about for the next meet was INHERITANCE, in 1000 words.

I wrote two pieces that same evening! One fiction, one memoir. So it is a good way to give the writing a push in different directions.  I'll keep you posted.

Library talks.

Howdy folks! I have been giving workshops and talks this last couple of weeks, to Libraries in the area. The attendance has been ragged, to say the least, 2 at one venue, 12 at another!

I am going to attempt to put a picture in here from the last workshop which was at Oswaldtwistle Library, where 11 people turned up. One has had a POD book published, others had some pieces in magazines, and there were two complete beginners, so it was a nicely mixed bag. It was a very good afternoon, and everyone reacted enthusiastically to the excercises I set them. I even got asked back. And I thought I was a hard task master! I do believe in giving real 'constructive criticism' but wouldn't say anything to scare away complete beginners, honest!

OK, here goes, if this picture won't come on for whatever reason, and you'd like to see it, or just to find out a little more about me, my life, and my writing, please take a peek at my website, and don't forget to leave a comment! Thanks.  Go to -  -  www.womanwholeads.webs.com

 

 

 

Talk to Ladies Group.

Howdy. Last night, (Monday 28th January) I had the pleasure of giving a talk to the Business and Professional Women's Guild, aka Red Rose Ladies Social Group.What a nice lot of ladies they were! Having been told to expect between 12 and 20, imagine my surprise, as I watched nearer 50 roll in! It went really well, with a talk, and Q and A session, and I was told at the end, that they had never had such good interaction with a speaker before.
I read a short section from my first book, 'The Ghosts of Poynter' and you could hear a pin drop.One or two said they'd never read Westerns before, but would certainly give it a try now. Success!!! I was able to tell them about my getting the world wide large print rights for 'Ghosts', and the fact that the National Library of Wales, has two copies of both of my books in!
I enjoy public speaking, although my main enjoyment comes from teaching workshops. These ladies all have connections with other groups and organizations, and by the end of the night, they had all but cleaned me out of flyers and cards, so I'm hoping for more engagements to come from this.
I do have a couple of Library writing groups to attend this week also, but watch this space for what might come my way after this
See ya'all soon!

!! NEWS FLASH !!

Following on from my publishing my latest Western Romance  "SAINT OR SINNER"  on Kindle. 

Today, Wednesday 23/1/13, Robert Hale, who have published my other two 'regular' Westerns, in hard back format, sent me a letter saying they had managed to get the world wide, large print rights for my first book 'The Ghost Of Poynter"  Who's had the cream today then?
I'm hoping they will be able to get the same for the second one also now.

Kindle Book finally done!

Howdy All!.  Well, at last My promised Western Romance - 'SAINT OR SINNER?' is on Kindle.

It took me absolutely ages to sort out all the formatting and such, so if you do read it please forgive me, it's a first attempt. Any others I do will be done slightly differently. But what a palaver! When you have finished uploading the book, and it shows as being finally 'published' if you see a mistake and want to alter it, that also takes hours to do. But I couldn't get that to work, no way, so I'm sorry but the few mistakes which are there will have to stay.

So, if you do have a Kindle, please go and take a look. At least it's a fair bit cheaper than the Black Horse hard backs! And if you do read it, please tell me what you think, good or bad, won't you?

Thanks a lot friends. Catch you later!.

New Year, New Book!

Hello again all.

Been a bit quiet here lately, due to old man being in hospital with pneumonia (again). As he's had two strokes, he has various problems with his health, and swallowing etc, so sometimes he gets chest infections, which can easily turn into other problems. I had to wait with him in the hospital for 11 hours whilst they sorted out a bad for him!!  11 hours! Can you believe it? I was just about ready for a bed next to him after that long on a hospital chair I can tell you! And because they were so short staffed, they'd had to bring in theatre staff to do the booking in of patients, and other work which, one of the theatre staff said she hadn't done for over 5 years! Chaos, complete and utter. That's the NHS for you. But hey, at least we have one, in other countries we'd have to pay through the nose for the treatment. (Which, because of that, would probably be better. Hey ho!)

Right, off the soapbox now! Not long now until I go to do my talks, and workshops, for the libraries and groups around here. Robert Hale are sending me some nice big publicity posters, with stands, to put on a table, so, as I used to be a window dresser, there should be some nice displays for people to look at when they tire of me yapping on!

Johnny Depp hasn't contacted me yet about starring in a film of my book! Never mind, there's time.

My third book will be on Kindle in the next few weeks. It's another Western, which was rejected by Hale, as not having enough 'action', but I've bumped up the Romance a fair bit. I finished designing the cover this week, and am now tidying up the last couple of chapters (for about the third time, I have three alternative endings, and can't decide which way to go). Once that's done, I will be putting it on. I will let you all know as soon as I start, and keep you posted on the progress and how easy (or hard) it is to do, especially for a non-techie like myself! And as soon as I can figure out how to bring my new cover pic into this blog I will post it for you all to see.
Oh. Well at least I've managed to add the picture to the side of the page, so please check it out. And while you are at it, why not come and join my page? It's free!


Bye for now, keep warm.
'Till next time. X

Talks to Libraries.

A little in advance, but I want to wish everyone a Happy Christmas and New Year!

Talking of the New Year, I have a fair few talks to Library groups and even to business groups. Fingers crossed that they all go well!  I hope you all have a good New Year also, and good luck in all you do.

Talking to audiences

Well folks, I have some dates for the New Year, to talk to writing groups at various Libraries in the area, as well as to a group of business and professional ladies. A bit nervous, but I guess I shouldn't be, I used to be a tutor at the local College, teaching Creative Writing, among other things, so standing up and talking in front of rooms full of people really doesn't worry me. I just hope they don't heckle me!  My second book 'Crazy Man Cade' is doing well and getting good reviews on Amazon. I am going to put my third Western straight on to Kindle next year. I am also working on another for Robert Hale, and my Romance is coming along well. Maybe next year will be even better than this!!
Here's hoping eh? See you all soon. X

Me and Johnny Depp!!!

Hey! Remember I told you I was in Writing Magazine this month? Well, just go and look a few pages further in, and you'll see my biggest hero, Johnny Depp! I'm in the same magazine as my hero!! YAY! Be better if I was in the same room.  I'm hoping that he'll get a copy of the mag, see that I write Westerns, and ask me for permission to turn one of my books into a fim for him to star in! He'd be a great leading man for my second one, 'Crazy Man Cade'. A girl's allowed a dream or two isn't she? Wouldn't you? I'm going to keep everything crossed for a while! X.