Rosalie Reviews

Reviewing today on 'Awfully Big Reviews'

2012-02-27T10:46:00.002Z

I just posted my review of Sue Barrow's wonderful Keeping Secrets on Awfully Big Reviews.

More on Rosalie Reviews soon!

Launch of my book editing and proofreading service

2012-02-22T13:41:00.031Z

Added on 23rd Feb:
I've just introduced a little jumping frog called Eddit onto my editing site... see
http://sheilaglasbeybookediting.weebly.com/the-fun-page---eddit-the-frog.html

Hi there!

Some of you may know me in another life as Sheila Glasbey, who is sort of the same person as Rosalie Warren and sort of different. We share a number of relatives and friends and a love of chocolate, books, sea-swimming and gigantic cups of tea. She writes... I pick her up on plot inconsistencies, spelling mistakes, typos, bad grammar, etc - and I sometimes make her cross. Mostly, though, we get on... which is probably just as well.

Anyway, as Sheila, I have just launched a service to help authors edit and proofread their books. The kind of thing you might need before you publish your eBook on Amazon Kindle, on Smashwords, etc, etc. Or perhaps a final check, once you're sure your story is working well, before you send your precious work to an agent or a publisher. Because no one, after all, wants to spoil the ship for a ha'porth of tar, as my nan used to say.

You can see my brand new editing and proofreading website at

http://sheilaglasbeybookediting.weebly.com

There's also a link to it from the right hand column of the blog you're currently reading... if you see what I mean.

I'm happy to edit right across the range, from children's picture books (the words, not the pictures!), through short stories and novels for all ages, to non fiction and technical work. I've had a fair bit of experience in all these fields. I'm qualified to PhD level as a scientist and have spent many years correcting technical reports, journal articles and dissertations - both my own and those of students, colleagues and so on. So if your work is a treatise on relativity or solar energy: don't worry, I might well be impressed, but I won't be fazed.

And you cosmologists out there - I love cosmology. And neuroscience. And philosophy...

I've also edited many stories, novels and so on, for children and adults.

I'm happy to work either with a printed version or online, whichever you prefer.

My prices are reasonable, and will remain so, but now is a good time to approach me. Once I have my proofreading qualification from the Publishing Training Centre, my prices may go up a little. But my aim will always be to provide a friendly, flexible, professional and speedy service that does not charge over the odds.

If you think we might be able to work together to get your work on top form, contact me in the comments below. (Rosalie will pass them on to me :-) ). Or contact me through the website at:

http://sheilaglasbeybookediting.weebly.com

(There's an easy-to-use contact form.)

And yes, I do know the difference beyween hyphens and en-dashes! An awful lot of authors don't, and getting them right can make all the difference to how professional your manuscript looks in electronic format or in print.

Hope to hear from you soon!

Sheila Glasbey
aka Ros Warren

Things I knew when I started writing that I wish I knew now...

2012-02-19T16:13:00.022Z

You read that right. I didn't say it the wrong way round...

But isn't it meant to be the other way round? Don't writers, a few years down the line, dispense the advice they wish they'd had when they started out, as in 'Things I wish I'd known when I started writing'?

Of course they do. And I have some of these too, of course. One of these days, if you bear with me, I may even post them on my blog.

But today is not that day. Today is a day for looking back with nostalgia on those early days of innocence, back in 2006 or so, when I first started taking my writing seriously and sat outside on my swingseat, day after day in that warm summer, scribbling away in a notebook, page after page after scrawly page.

I made tons of mistakes, of course (still do). But what I had, back then, was focus. Yes, I had a computer with a broadband connection - 2006 is not that long ago. But I didn't have Twitter or Facebook, and I knew nothing about 'author platforms' and the like. Oh, long lost, glorious, halcyon days...

Don't get me wrong. I'm pleased to have had several novels published in the years since then, and more on the way. I love my work and enjoy the publicity side of things, most of the time. I certainly enjoy hobnobbing with fellow writers, on and offline, and I wouldn't be without my social media now.

But having said all that - here's my list of things I knew then that I wish I still knew today:

1. The actual writing is what counts.

2. Reading is one of my chief pleasures. Not reading with an eye to the market. Not studying how other authors achieve the things they do. Not reading my own stuff, struggling to find a good title. Not reading in fear - has this person stumbled upon the same plotline as me and got there first? Not reading with envy or scorn or anything else. Just reading with sheer delight, because that's what books are for.

3. Anything is possible. I know nothing, in 2006, about the requirements of agents or editors. I have faith in myself. Yes, I need to learn, but I have confidence that I can learn.

4. I'm still young! Well, not exactly young, but six years younger than I'll be in six years' time...

5. I am very lucky to have been able to retire from a stress-filled job into a blissful existence where I have the time and energy to write.

6. Just to repeat... The actual writing is what counts.

OK, younger self, I'm listening. I know a fair number of things now that I didn't know back then, and some of them are worth knowing. I wouldn't really want to go back.

But you had some things right, and it's time I got them right again.

Review of 'How Not to Write a Novel' by Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark

2012-02-08T08:00:00.021Z

This book is seriously funny - meaning that it will help you write a better book, if you don't die laughing first.

How Not to Write a Novel has become my bedside Bible - not so much for its religious content, which, it has to be said, is minimal, but in the same way that Bridget Jones's Diary held that place for many years, and before that, Douglas Adams's Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and Sue Townsend's Adrian Mole. Common factor - all are reliably and comfortingly funny, however many times you've already read them and especially if you wake up in the middle of the night.

Mittelmark is an editor of many years' standing and Newman is a well-respected author. Between them, they have put together some of the mistakes and gaffes that new (and maybe even older) writers make, both in their novels and in the process of submitting to them agents and publishers. But Newman and Mittelmark brilliantly turn the process on its head. As suggested by the title, this book, if you heed its advice, will make sure you never, ever get published.

Should you by any chance have come up with a good plot, Mittelmark and Newman are on hand to help you slow it down and mess it up. Just make sure, they advise, that nothing of any significance happens before Chapter 5. Stick your character in front of a mirror and let her describe herself as brown-haired, of medium height, with medium-sized breasts. Or, give your male protagonist eyes of cobalt blue. Before your hero's story begins, introduce us at length to every member of his extended family and all their cutely-named pets.

And if your hero gets stuck in an underwater cave, suddenly announce to your readers that it's OK - he trained as a pearl-diver in his youth. Begin your novel with philosophical musings on the nature of humanity and, just to make sure your reader gets the idea, reprise your thesis at the end.

And should you be brave enough to attempt a sex scene - well, the examples in this book will delight and inspire you to climactic heights.

And, er... never visit the same launderette twice. In your novel, that is, not in real life. (I fell foul of this myself.)

One word of caution - this book isn't really for completely novice writers. It could scare them off for life. But if you've been writing for a while, and especially if you've begun to engage in the submission game (no, not a form of bondage recommended for your prospective Mills and Boon...), then you'll understand what they're talking about and quite possibly end up having a good laugh at yourself. But you'll also learn a lot - I did - and next time you're tempted to write one of those unintelligible prologues, you'll just possibly give it a miss and cut to the chase.

My copy of How Not to Write a Novel is tattered, chocolate-spattered, wine-drenched and bubblebath-wrinkled. What greater recommendation can I make?

How Not to Write a Novel: 200 mistakes to avoid at all costs if you ever want to get published
Authors: Sandra Newman and Howard Mittelmark
Paperback: 272 pages
Penguin Books, 29th Jan 2009
ISBN-10: 0141038543
ISBN-13: 978-0141038544

Review by Rosalie Warren, 5/2/2012
Follow me on Twitter: @Ros_Warren
My website

Hurray for National Libraries Day!

2012-02-05T08:10:00.007Z

... and to everyone - readers, writers, librarians, teachers, parents, children, council workers... and all the others who took part.

From what I heard, there was enthusiastic support for events held all over the country. Which all backs up the case of how important our libraries are to us (anyone listening, Mr Cameron?)

I had a wonderful time on my two library visits yesterday. Bell Green and Tile Hill libraries in Coventry both made me and fellow author Ann Evans very welcome. They publicised our events, put up posters and displays of our books, gave us refreshments and made us feel at home. I love libraries!

In spite of temperatures of minus 3, a good number of people turned up. We spoke about our experiences, good and bad, of writing, submitting and getting published. There were some great questions and we shared a fair few laughs. As always at these events, I was impressed to see keen writers there, especially young ones.But what shone out from the audiences was their love of books.

Highlights of my day:

(1) The librarian who told me about the problem kid who had to be banned from the library for 18 months but is now back - and reading.

(2) The lovely woman who picked up the library's copy of my Low Tide, Lunan Bay and took it to the counter to borrow it, saying she couldn't wait to read it. (Hope she likes it!)

It was a tiring day and we somehow didn't get time to eat our lunch, but not to worry. It convinced me, if ever I needed convincing, that libraries are a vital part of our culture. The libraries we visited were in areas of the city where many people are currently struggling to get by. These libraries are oases of warmth, entertainment and sanity, in contrast to an outside world that's often harsh, competitive and unwelcoming.

We let libraries go at our peril. People in power, please take note.

Attempting to storm the pearly gates of Agent Heaven

2012-02-02T07:24:00.004Z

See my post today on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure.

I'm casting a few light-hearted aspersions on some of the techniques recommended to writers for appeasing agents...

National Libraries Day

2012-02-01T12:21:00.012Z

Feeling so guilty that I haven't posted on here since January 8th (hangs head in shame).

Excuses... blah blah blah... contributing to other blogs... arguing with my bank who have managed to lose a big chunk of my money and are taking 18 working days to restore it growl growl growl... writing (not as much as I should have been), discussing a contract for an exciting new series (yeah! More soon..) and, er... not quite sure what else.

But I'm pleased to announce that on Saturday 4th Feb it's National Libraries Day, and if ever anything needed a 'day', our national libraries do!

I'm going to be at two Coventry libraries, Bell Green and Tile Hill, giving talks on 'How to Write' with my friend and fellow writer, Ann Evans.

(The picture above shows an event in Coventry Central Library that Ann and I did, with the help of some enthusiastic pupils from King Henry VIII School, Coventry, last summer.)

The Bell Green event is 11am-12pm and the Tile Hill one is 1.30-3.30pm. There will be refreshments at the Tile Hill one, which is longer.

More details can be seen on the Coventry Council website.

If you are in the area, please do come along and take part. Ann and I will be speaking about our varied experiences in the world of writing and being published, and having several friendly arguments about the need to plan our stories and how to find time to write. There'll be plenty of time for questions and we'd love to hear about your writing experiences, too.

Hope to see you there.

Finally, I promise there'll be more reviews on here soon. And I need to tell you about my new series for 7-9s, and exciting developments with Charity's Child.

Happy reading, writing and everything else

Best wishes,

Rosalie

My website
One of my characters blogging - Brought Up By Ghosts

Reviewing today on 'Awfully Big Reviews'

2012-01-08T10:49:00.006Z

Just to say that I have a review published today on Phil Earle's wonderful YA novel, Being Billy. It's over at Awfully Big Reviews, which is a very popular site where authors (mainly children's and YA) review other people's books.

Please drop by and say hello.

I'll be posting again here on my own blog, soon.

Introducing Marie T Ghost

2012-01-05T14:44:00.007Z

Just a quick post to introduce a new character of mine called Marie T. She had a rather strange childhood, which she is blogging about here

If you'd like to join her there and read about why she is starting to believe she was brought up by ghosts, Marie would be very pleased to welcome you. She is also tweeting, at @MarieTGhost.

Stop press: Marie T has just posted her second instalment, 8/1/12

More Rosalie Reviews coming soon!

Book Review - 'Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?' by Jeanette Winterson

2012-01-02T13:56:00.027Z

I've been a fan of Jeanette Winterson's books for many years, starting with the wonderful Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit (1985), a novel based on Winterson's own childhood in 1960s Lancashire. Actually, my introduction to Oranges came through the BBC adaptation in 1990, which I watched with surprise and delight. Since then I have particularly enjoyed Sexing the Cherry (2009) and Lighthousekeeping (2005). One of the things I love about Winterson's work is that every one of her novels is completely different from the rest. You never quite know what you're in for, and that's part of the power and charm.

In spite of my admiration for this writer, I was not prepared for Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?, which is actually a memoir of Winterson's early years, followed by a break, followed by the resumption of the story over 20 years later when she decides to try to trace her birth mother. I'd heard snatches on Radio 4 and enjoyed what I heard, but I'm never at my most attentive when clearing up the breakfast dishes or washing the floor, and reading the book hit me hard.

Why Be Happy? is the kind of book that makes you rethink your life. It reminded me why I write and why I read. Winterson describes how her love of poetry rescued her from a childhood that was impossible in so many ways. Poetry and fiction are not an option for the educated middle classes - they are, or can be, ways of surviving life. I paraphrase, but that, for me, was the gist. And it's so true. And it's such a good reminder of why children (and adults, but especially children) NEED LIBRARIES. Yes, I'm shouting. Forgive me, but I am, and I trust Ms Winterson approves.

I don't want to give away too much, but Jeanette was adopted at a very young age and became the daughter of Mr and Mrs Winterson of Accrington. Her childhood was in some ways similar to my own - northern, 1960s, lacking in many material comforts and so on. But hers was unusual in that the Wintersons - especially Jeanette's adoptive mother - were a very religious family, belonging to an extreme evangelical Christian church. This meant that many ordinary pleasures were denied to the young Jeanette. It also meant that when she fell in love with a girl, sparks flew and she had to leave home.

One of the things that impressed me was the trouble Winterson takes to be fair to the long-dead Mrs Winterson, to try to understand her and account for her odd and often cruel behaviour. This is not a bitter book. It is, however, an honest one.

Jeanette's attempts to find her birth mother are unlike any other superficially similar story I've read. There is not a trace of sentiment. She is searingly candid about her feelings, including the period of depression that preceded her search. We are left with many questions at the end, as Jeanette herself is left with them.

I finished this memoir wanting to say thank you to the author. As I said above, she reminded me why I love books, both reading and writing them. It's a great way to start the New Year.

I hope you'll read it and enjoy it too.

Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal?
by Jeanette Winterson
Publisher: Jonathan Cape (27 Oct 2011)
ISBN-10: 0224093452
ISBN-13: 978-0224093453
View on Amazon

Happy New Reading (and Writing)

2011-12-30T16:37:00.012Z

Thanks to all who have downloaded our Coventry Tales and Christmas Tales. Hope you found plenty there to enjoy. Just to add that if you wish to download Christmas Tales for free, you can do so at Smashwords, here, and that if you wish to read it online, you can turn the pages neatly at issuu, here.

This post is mostly by way of apology for the lack of recent communications. Christmas has kind of got in the way. But here's a promise...

I have just read Jeanette Winterson's superb Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? Superlatives fail me - it was stupendous. Review coming soon....

Meanwhile I'm off to make a few resolutions... one of which is to put a review at least once a week on this site and make it live up to its new name, Rosalie Reviews. I usually read 2-3 books a week so I should be able to manage that. Hope you'll drop by to take a look and let me know whether or not you agree with my judgment.

Wishing everyone a very Happy New Year, full of stories of the happiest and most fulfilling kind.

'Christmas Tales'

2011-12-14T08:02:00.011Z

Hot on the heels of Coventry Writers' Group's Coventry Tales, we have a new book out in time for Christmas, called, appropriately enough, Christmas Tales.

Once again, it's an interesting brew of stories and poems, some serious and reflective, others light and funny, and all on a Christmassy theme. Perfect reading matter for those times when you collapse exhausted onto the sofa with a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie, after a heavy day at work, putting the kids to bed and then decorating the tree.

I have a story in it called 'Carol: a Ghost Story for Christmas 2012'. The year is not a misprint - you'll see why. Has a banker in it, too.

It's available to download as an eBook, currently on Amazon Kindle at £1.72. Over at Smashwords it's available in a range of formats, free! So hurry over and download your copy here

You can download the book from Amazon here

Book Review - 'Are We Nearly There Yet?' by Ben Hatch

2011-12-11T10:17:00.035Z

I'm hoping, in the New Year, to post regular book reviews on this blog. Here's the first, of a book I've just finished and absolutely loved, Are We Nearly There Yet? by Ben Hatch.

‘Only a man can pack a boot.’

That’s one of the early lines from Ben Hatch’s Are We Nearly There Yet? and it sets the scene for what turns out to be a side-splittingly funny 8000 mile journey around the UK’s ‘family-centred attractions’, undertaken by Ben Hatch, his wife Dinah and their two young children, Phoebe and Charlie.

‘We have a natural feel for space,’ Ben goes on, speaking proudly of his sex and how they are programmed by evolution to know exactly how many packs of Pampers will fit in the gap behind the wheel arch. Sadly, having packed the boot in alpha-male fashion, it turns out he’s forgotten the double-buggy and the big green suitcase...

The six-month trip is Ben’s research for a book commissioned by Frommers – a guidebook on family-friendly attractions in Britain. Hotels are providing them with one-night stays in return for a possible, not necessarily complimentary, write-up. The journey is carefully thought-out (reminding me of Paul’s Simon’s ‘Every stop is neatly planned’ line from Homeward Bound, and indeed the family end up singing that song at the end of the trip as they re-enter Brighton and real life). But first...

I love funny books but they rarely make me laugh out loud and I suspect this is true of most people, in spite of what they write in reviews. But this one really, truly did. It’s difficult to pick out particular incidents because there are so many – the book is jammed with them, and that’s a deliberate pun on the state of the Hatches’ car and, very often, the roads they drove along. But yes – this book was one of the funniest I've read for a long time. I simply have to mention the agency who required them, before they let their home, to provide egg cups in the precise ration of 0.75 to 1, together with jelly moulds, tea cosies and non-slip bathmats. And the liveried porter at an expensive hotel, who carried their plastic Tesco carrier bags ‘with an embarrassing degree of reverence’. And Ben’s wife’s Dinah’s fear of tortoises and turtles, which necessitates phoning ahead to zoos etc to check that no such creatures will be appearing in talks, and precipitates the reaction at one point: ‘You bastard. You said they were hibernating.’

As someone who is afraid of the little plastic tags that attach price labels to clothing, all my sympathies are with Dinah here, as they are with her dread of ‘merging’ onto motorways, especially with a nagging/cajoling husband at her side.

And anyone who has travelled with small children will recognise the way the car starts to smell vile as a result of decaying food in various inaccessible places, not to mention the inevitable vomit episodes. And – another side-splitter – the spreading of butter with the sharpened end of a carrot because they forgot the knife. Oh yes, we’ve been there, but we’ve never heard it told so well.

The children steal the show, of course, as is only right. Toddler Charlie, when he gets hungry, finds other children of similar height to himself and scratches them in the face. Actually, quoting just this one thing about Charlie makes him sound like a little terror, but believe me, he’s not. Well, not all the time. He’s charming too, as is big sister Phoebe, who draws maimed rabbits (‘What happened to its leg, Phoebe?’ ‘Bitten off.’) after watching a DVD of Watership Down. And the family’s quest to buy her a toy rabbit for her birthday that meets her exact specifications (not only pink, fluffy and making the required noises but, trickiest of all, ‘medium sized’) proves at least as challenging as Frodo and Sam’s trip to Mordor. Though funnier, it has to be said.

Not all is humour. The story is woven through with the deterioration in Ben’s father’s health and his eventual death from cancer of the liver. It’s movingly told, with what comes across as deep honesty and enhanced by many wonderful tales of Ben’s own childhood and his delightful, though at times rather competitive, Dad. David Hatch, we discover, was controller of Radio 4 (yeah!) and responsible for Week Ending, Just a Minute (which would have been taken off after one series if Mr Hatch hadn't threatened to resign) and The News Quiz. He was a member of the Cambridge Footlights and in the 60s took part in Radio 4’s I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again, alongside John Cleese and other soon-to-be big names in comedy. It all makes perfect sense – now I know where Ben’s sharp and quirky but ultimately ‘humane’ sense of humour comes from, or one root of it, at least.

Another Phoebe thing – or rather her father’s wonderful way of describing it. This is in Blackpool. ‘She wants to go on everything, even things that aren’t things to go on.’ Yes!

This guy has captured parenting. He outsmarts Outnumbered, and that’s saying quite a lot. Please, someone, give him his own comedy series to write, quick.

Ostrich World – an attraction somewhere in Britain (the Hatches cover a lot of ground) – is, says Ben, like calling their own car ‘Banana Skin World’ because there happen to be a couple of banana skins lurking in the depths of it.

And the snooty swans on Windermere who refuse supermarket sliced bread because they’ve come to expect something better – focaccia or almond sourdough, perhaps – from their usual well-heeled visitors.

The image of the poo-streaked bat in the loo may, I fear, remain with me for life. As will the story of the 900 year-old castle and its 'settling ghost'.

There are troubling moments, too. Ben visits his father at intervals and is shocked by the rate of his decline. The family Vauxhall Astra is involved in a nasty accident and they almost give up the trip – it’s Ben’s father who insists they carry on. Ben ends up in Jimmy’s hospital in Leeds with a very nasty toothbrush-induced condition to a private region, which perhaps shouldn't be funny but is. Finally, after many months in this strange, slightly surreal alternative Britain, peopled by kind strangers and (in some cases) rulebound hotel staff, they roll home to Brighton, singing their own words to the aforementioned Paul Simon song and are shocked to discover that the pensioners they believed were renting their house have trashed it. (Stains, not only on the tea cosies but on the bedroom floor...)

Several years ago I read a novel called The Lawnmower Celebrity. I remembered the book, which was funny, poignant and original, but forgot the author’s name. So I was surprised to discover, on searching for more writing by Ben Hatch, that he was the author of that book and another novel, The International Gooseberry, which I haven't yet read but very soon will. He had spent the intervening years looking after his children while his wife went out to work, and was the first one to be bitten by his children’s emerging teeth. Hurray for Ben, and well done to his wonderful family for not only surviving this trip but for making it available to the rest of us. I finished the book with one predominant feeling – if I ever get the chance to be reborn, I'd like Ben and Dinah Hatch to be my parents, please, or a couple very like them. Not saying I don't love and appreciate my own parents, but I can't imagine a better start in life. They are funny, at times ridiculous, quirky (yes, I already used that word but it deserves a second outing), sensitive, honest and kind.

Can’t wait for the next one – there’s a hint at the end that they may be going to France...

Does the sun always shine in Matlock, Derbyshire?

2011-11-20T21:06:00.004Z

I ask this question because I seem to spend a fair bit of my life driving up and down the M1, visiting my father, who lives in Yorkshire. Today I drove home to Coventry through unremitting fog. Unremitting, that is, except for a brief respite as the M1 passed close to Matlock, Derbyshire - and the cloud and mist broke up for a minute or so to reveal brilliant sunshine.

I've noticed this on my journeys before now. The rest of the 110 miles may be full of rain, mist, fog, hail, sleet, snow - but I can't remember a single trip where the sun wasn't shining on the Matlock junction.

Can anyone shed light on this? Wonderful Matlock sunlight, perhaps, to relieve the November gloom?

Thursday 17th November - performance and launch party!

2011-11-16T11:39:00.016Z

Just a quick post, this one...

On Thursday 17th Nov, I'll be joining my fellow writers from the Coventry Writers' Group in an event at Coventry Central Library - open to all, from 6 - 7:30pm. We'll be launching Coventry Tales, reading and performing our various pieces. There'll be nibbles, wine, soft drinks, quizzes with prizes... and the opportunity to chat with the authors (15 of us), buy copies and have them signed.

I'm also told there'll be some surprise visitors - your guess is as good as mine!

Hope to see you there. If not, our book is available through Amazon, both in Kindle form (£3.82) and as a paperback (£4.99), here

Nov 18th: Just to add that it all went really well - many thanks to everyone who came along and supported us!

Wartime memories, ghost walks, hangings, paranormal detectives, past lives, poetry, quantum theory of the Coventry Ring Road - just for a start!

2011-11-11T10:20:00.020Z

No, no, folks - I'm honestly not trying to score hits on Google. The above is an accurate description of just some of the contents of Coventry Tales - the anthology produced by the Coventry Writers' Group, which has now hit Kindle with a bang.

And this coming Saturday, 12th Nov, you have your chance to meet the authors, purchase a signed copy of the paperback edition, claim your free Coventry Tales pen and hear various authors speak about their writerly joys and angst.

Click here for Coventry Tales on Amazon - in paperback or Kindle form.

And click here for the Coventry Tales clip 'Inspired by You' on YouTube!

It's all in Waterstones, Smithford Way, Coventry City Centre, this coming Saturday (12th Nov) from 10:30am until about 12:30pm. And let me tell you, Waterstones are great hosts for events like these. When I did my signing there for Coping with Chloe back in May, they were wonderful - I was well supplied with coffee throughout and there was lots of traffic through the store.

On Saturday, with half a dozen authors present or even more, there should be a real buzz. And if anyone local is interested in joining the Coventry Writers' group, there'll be information on hand and lots of folk to make you feel welcome.

The book - well, whatever your interests, there should be something there for you. Every piece was inspired by our wonderful city in some way. There is fun, humour, thought-provoking stuff written by young and (relatively) old. The book has been professionally produced and copy-edited (I'll be personally answerable for any typos that have crept in) - and the heartfelt thanks of the Coventry Writers' group go to Mike Boxwell of Greenstream Publishing, who took the initiative, whipped us into line and made actual a project we'd been talking about for years.

So, many thanks Mike and everyone else who contributed - and hope to see Waterstones thronging on Saturday. (By the way - if you know any exiled Coventrians - this would be the perfect Christmas gift for them.)

Click here for Coventry Tales on Amazon - in paperback or Kindle form.

Mental health-y stuff

2011-10-17T21:43:00.010+01:00

You know how it is...

Well, if you've ever had mental health problems, you probably do. When you're feeling well, it's the last thing you want to think about. When you're feeling ill, it's the last thing you want to write about. Result: it's quite rare for me to blog about my depressions.

But I'm in an in-between state at present, so here goes. It's been a week of alarms - sudden hospital admission for my OH, who, thankfully, now seems to be fine. I seem able to cope when I have to, but then go into meltdown afterwards, when things are OK again. I know I'm not alone in this.

I'm very thankful for my anti-depressant medication, which most of the time I'm taking on a low dose, or else I'm temporarily off it but have it on standby. Perhaps part of the effect is psychological, who knows? But of course it's psychological - it's a psychological problem. Sort of. Or maybe my brain just runs out of serotonin, for reasons known only to itself. Whatever the reason, my tablets always seem to sort me out. I know there are a lot of different views around on medication for depression - and I'm a great believer in counselling, too - but for me it really does seem to be a chemical thing that responds well to the pharmaceutical approach.

I'm comforted by the fact that lots of writers, past and present, seem to suffer from mental illness in one form or another. I suspect we are often people who 'think too much' - though why that should be is another question. I do get the feeling it's deeply endemic in me. I've always been a worrier, as long as I can remember. Throughout my life I've been told by the people who care about me to 'stop worrying; it may never happen', but I've never found the magic switch.

I'm currently trying, for the first time, to write directly about a character with depression, in my latest novel. Thrilling stuff (or possibly not). Though I hope to keep a good balance - there's a lot of other things going on, too - including some intelligent robots, who have problems of their own.

I'd love to hear from you if you're a fellow sufferer or if you have any thoughts on the subject of mental health - in fiction, in life, or anywhere else. And believe me, though the tone of this post is light, I appreciate that it is no laughing matter. Except that, just occasionally and when I'm feeling well, I can smile at myself and my slightly ridiculous brain...

I'm so proud to belong to the Coventry Writers' Group

2011-10-05T12:28:00.017+01:00

They're a wonderful bunch of people - that's the first reason. Inspiring, quirky, independent-minded, crazy (well, some of them), creative, funny and very talented folk. All ages, nationalities, occupations, life-experiences. Well, not quite all, but you know what I mean. That's reason one...

Reason two is that they - we - have just produced our very own anthology - called Coventry Tales. I saw the review copies for the first time last night and they look absolutely wonderful. Many, many thanks to Mike Boxwell, who has been the driving force behind all this. And to all the group members who contributed competition entries back in June this year, those who read them aloud and those who did the 'judging'. Some big surprises there, when we discovered later who had written what.

Anyway, our book is now almost ready to go. It's already available for pre-order on Amazon, and it'll be stocked in a range of bookshops, supermarkets and other retail outlests in and around Coventry, and more widely across the West Midlands. Publication date is Nov 7th and launch events have been arranged in Waterstones and Coventry Central Library soon after that (further details soon).

We have a Facebook page, which it would be great if you could visit, please, and 'like'. Some of us will be on the radio in the weeks to come, and there'll be a video on youTube soon. TV and newspapers, we hope, will take us up. It's all great fun and very exciting, especially for those of our group who have never been published before.

Coventry Tales contains short stories, poems, memories, historical tales, and even instructions (of a kind) for navigating our notorious ringroad system, using the principles of quantum physics, sort of. Its strapline is 'Inspired by You' - the 'you' being our beloved city - and we hope to have done justice, in our efforts, to the fascinating place where we live.

PS As a writing group we are open to all who love writing of all kinds - fiction, journalism, poetry, etc - and whether you're a beginner, an experienced writer, or somewhere in between. Contact me below if you are interested in joining us and I'll give you details of when and where we meet.

The great YA gay characters debate

2011-09-27T15:49:00.018+01:00

There's a lot of discussion around at the moment on the issue of gay characters in YA and children's books.

See, for example, James Dawson's brilliant post on Tracy Baines' website Tall Tales and Short Stories, Lucy Coats' excellent post on An Awfully Big Blog Adventure and the many Twitter posts at #YesGayYA.

I'm very much in favour of having gay protagonists in children's and YA books and it's good to see this issue being aired. But as an author who happens to be straight, I came across one or two comments when I brought out my Charity's Child, suggesting that perhaps straight authors should steer clear of writing gay characters or, at least, ones that occupy central roles in the story.

I can sort of understand the reasoning behind this. Maybe there's a 'you can't possibly understand what it's like to be gay' feeling. And I suppose they're right - up to a point. But writing is all about imagining yourself to be someone else. That's why we do it, some of us. That's the fun of it - casting yourself in unfamiliar roles and trying out new personalities. I have a theory that quite a few writers are failed actors - failed in the sense of never having got properly started, in my case!

And I do know what it's like to feel different and excluded - I spent most of my school years feeling that way, for reasons other than sexual orientation.

Anyway, I'd love to know what readers - gay, straight and bi - think of Charity's Child, which is coming out as an e-book very soon. It was originally aimed at the adult market but my publisher, Circaidy Gregory Press, felt it had YA/adult crossover potential, so we are aiming it this time at older teens (14+)/adults. Watch this space!

I've finished all my tasks - what now?

2011-09-21T14:56:00.010+01:00

What do you do when you've finished all the stuff you had to do and finally have time to do the things you want to do?

Silly question. You do the things you want to do, of course. Like being creative, working on the drafts of the two books you're currently writing.

Except it's not that easy. Since getting back from holidays on Saturday, I've been working non-stop - catching up on washing, housework, ironing, answering mail, then doing a big proofread, then working on the edits for the e-edition of one of my books.

And, finally, I mowed the lawn and tidied the flower beds.

Now I can get down to my new writing. Except, of course, I can't, because my mind is buzzing with all these other things. I'm weary and I can't seem to settle to anything. All I want to do is nibble sweet things, and I can't do that because I'm dieting.

Maybe I'll try and write just a bit, and hope the muse will warm up ready for tomorrow!

Nuneaton is FAB!!!

2011-08-24T13:43:00.010+01:00

Well, of course it is - it's a lovely Warwickshire town, as you'll know if you've ever been there.

But this Sunday (Aug 28th) it's going to be FABber than ever, with a special Fiction Author Books event happening at Tysall's Photography Studio in Croft Road.

Children's author Ann Evans (who wrote the Beast trilogy, among many other books), will be playing host to several other children's authors, who will be offering advice on writing, reading, etc. The authors will be signing their books, doing readings if requested, and also happy just to chat.

For more information, see here.

There will be FAB cakes and other yummy things to eat and drink.

So please turn up and say hello, anytime between 11:30am and 3pm.

Hope to see you there! Adults and children welcome - there are some grown-up books too.

Apologies - and review!

2011-08-12T09:00:00.007+01:00

My apologies - it's far too long since I posted on my blog. I can only plead busy-ness - have been caring for my sick father and, this past week, painting our living room!

And I've recently posted on a couple of other blogs. You can see my piece on writing, on the Girls Heart Books blog

And I posted a review today of Miriam Halahmy's brilliant YA novel Hidden, at Awfully Big Reviews

Normally service soon, I promise!

Talking Books! Coventry Central Library Event

2011-07-05T14:13:00.008+01:00

Thursday evening, our library launch event, was fabulous! The young people performed wonderfully, lots of people came, cakes and other things were eaten, wine and soft drinks were drunk, we chatted and introduced our books.

And a pair of young twins showed me a wonderful series of books they had written and produced themselves. Very professional and some great writing!

And finally, huge thanks to Coventry Central Library and their wonderful staff, for hosting the event, their wonderful displays and excellent publicity.

Talking Books!

2011-06-25T20:51:00.009+01:00

I had a familiar nightmare last night - the one where I'm about to go on stage and perform in a play and I suddenly realise I haven't learnt my lines.

When you think that I haven't acted on stage since I was at school, which must be... er, let's say well over 30 years ago now... that must say something about the human brain (perhaps that it's pretty stupid, at least in my case!)

But the thing is - I am about to perform and I do need to learn my lines - help help help! Because on Thursday 30th June I'm taking part in an event hosted by Coventry Central Library, called Talking Books! Ann Evans, another Coventry author who has had many books published both for children and adults, and I will be giving short presentations about our new books.

Hers, a Children's History of Coventry, is a wonderful book about the city's past, and it's being enjoyed by adults as well as children.

Mine, Coping with Chloe, is aimed at age 11+ and it, too, seems to be going down well both with the target age group and with somewhat older folk.

The thing that really thrills me, though, is that four students from King Henry VIII school in Coventry are going to read extracts (in costume!) and perform excerpts from our books. For me, to hear my words brought to life by young actors is an amazing experience. These are four very talented youngsters and I'm sure they will do very well. We're also having food and wine - and there may be one or two surprise visitors.

So all that remains for me to do is learn my lines and make sure my nightmare doesn't come true.

If anyone reading this would like to come to the event, please let me know. Tickets are available, free, from the library or from myself or Ann. The event is from 6-8pm on Thursday 30th June at Coventry Central Library, in the balcony area.

My post on GirlsHeartBooks

2011-06-22T13:48:00.005+01:00

This week has been a little bit hectic and I apologise for not posting here for a while.

But you can read my today's blog post on GirlsHeartBooks, the popular new blog for girl readers aged 8-14(ish)...

I was quite pleased with myself for managing to find a link between two of my favourite things, Wimbledon and writing!

I'm officially a bot!

2011-06-10T21:16:00.007+01:00

I always suspected I would fail the Turing test and now it's official - according to my Twitter ratio, I'm a bot.

I've been reliably informed that if your ratio of following to followed is substantially less than one (i.e. you follow a lot more people than follow you) - then you're either a bit of a sad, unpopular, friendless creature or else you are a bot. And since the former is definitely not true, I must be a bot. QED.

I'm currently following 630 people and about 240 people follow me. I'm very happy with that. I love all my followers, bless their little cotton socks (and their long greasy overalls) and I believe that quality, not quantity, is what counts

And I'd like to think I'm someone who is very interested in the world around me and follows lots of scientific and technical sites, loves looking at Nasa pictures of Saturn's moons and listening in to all kinds of philosophical and scientific debates that don't really concern me either on a professional or a personal level.

I'd like to think so. But then again, it might be simpler just to accept my bot-dom. If it's anything like my bot-tom, there's not much I can do about it anyway.

Would love to know what teachers (and others) think....

2011-06-09T11:50:00.014+01:00

I've just had a review on the Armadillo website of my young teens' novel, Coping with Chloe.

It's a lovely review and I'm not complaining. See
http://sites.google.com/site/armadillomagazine/teenage2#TOC-Coping-with-Chloe

But the reviewer makes a very worrying comment about teachers. I've already discussed this with a young relative of mine who is a teaching assistant. She was surprised, and said she would hope to be this kind of teacher (the Miss Tough kind), one day. The kind, that is, who gets on her students' wavelength and cares about them enough to give them appropriate and kindly support, as Miss Tough did in the book.

What happens in Coping with Chloe is that Anna, aged 12, believes her twin is still alive and living inside her head. But no one believes her - the rest of the world thinks Chloe died in an accident months ago. Miss Tough appears to take Anna at her word and becomes the only grown-up who 'understands' - while at the same time keeping a firm grip on reality and alerting Anna's parents and the like. I.e. she does all the sensible things but shows an imaginative response to Anna's predicament, too.

Now I was half expecting objections that perhaps Miss Tough went too far in pretending to go along with Anna's delusions. Perhaps she did - I can't quite make up my mind. In the book, Miss Tough's intervention helped, but maybe in real life it wouldn't have.

But the reviewer's point was a different one. She said that, sadly, teachers nowadays would not respond the way Miss Tough did because of the way they are trained, and that however naturally compassionate a teacher was, it 'strains credulity' that any teacher could understand Anna in the way my fictional teacher did.

If you're a teacher, a parent, or otherwise interested - I'd love to know what you think.

Elderly people in hospital - luvvy, dearie and darling!

2011-06-06T17:46:00.009+01:00

Luvvy, deary and darling are just some of the names my 88 year old father was called during his recent stay in hospital.

I've no complaints about the standard of care he received. It was reasonable - not perfect, but OK. I understand that the ward was busy and understaffed and that the staff were doing their best.

But what's all this name-calling? My dad, as I've mentioned on here before, was a rear gunner during WW2. He's a serious man who shows respect to others and expects it back from them. Especially from people a couple of generations younger than himself.

Would it really be such a strain on the resources of the NHS if nursing and care staff were to call patients 'Mr Smith' (or whatever), instead of 'Freddy, love' - at least until they'd been acquainted for a while? Or if they could go easy on the 'luvvies' and 'darlings', or the 'Ooh, we are ready for a shave, aren't we, Freddy?', or 'Is it the waterworks again, me dear?'

Maybe some elderly people don't mind being addressed that way. Maybe some like it. My father doesn't. Would a little respect cost so very much?

Sorry for the prolonged absence...

2011-06-02T18:22:00.005+01:00

My father is currently ill up in Yorkshire and I am spending a lot of time with him, and on the M1 somewhere between there and home. In fact have only been at home for 3 days in total in the last 2 weeks. The laptop I have up there does not have a good internet connection (don't get me on to all of that!) so posting on my blog is impossible.

That's my excuses made. Hope to resume normal service soon, but am not sure when. Meanwhile, preparations are afoot for an exciting library event with my writing colleague Ann Evans. We will both be launching (again!) our new children's books, with help from young readers who will bring some of the scenes alive.

More soon. I will also be saying things about care of the elderly in hospital, at home, etc. (Bad language alert...)

Chloe launch pictures

2011-05-21T20:25:00.008+01:00

Well and truly launched

2011-05-21T19:30:00.009+01:00

Whew! Launch of Coping with Chloe this morning in Waterstones, Coventry, was fantastic, and I'd really like to thank the wonderful staff there and everyone who came along or otherwise helped, sent good wishes, etc.

I must admit I was pretty scared. I did a book signing for one of my previous books and managed to sell -1 (that's minus one) book - in other words, I bought it myself to avoid utter and complete humiliation in the eyes of the bookshop involved. But that was then...

I'm a bit more clued up these days, and had a great team of family and friends including other-half Paul, son Dan and step-daughter Hannah, as well as expert publicist Andrea from Phoenix Yard and book distributor Sheila, plus friends from Coventry Writers' Group and Writers' Talkback, etc, etc. A fair few members of the public stopped to chat and some of them bought books. Maybe the free 'Chloe' pens and the edibles on offer helped, who knows?

All I can say is, it was a lovely experience and the number of books sold was up in the twenties, at least. I did two short readings from the book, which I enjoyed, at least. The people who didn't run away came over to see what was going on!

But the best moments were when two young girls, one ten (I think) and the other fifteen, told me that they are keen writers themselves. One has had a story published and the other is working on a novel. That was so thrilling to hear and I can't wait to see their work on the shelves in future years.

So, big thanks again to everyone, including the youngsters who very kindly took part in the photo shoot. Pictures will be coming soon!

Coventry Tales

2011-05-04T12:02:00.009+01:00

Had a wonderful time at my local writers' group last night... the Coventry Writers' Group - see our forum at coventrywritersgroup.myfastforum.org/

We ran our own competition - the idea being that each of us write something (poem, short story, flash fiction) that could be called a Coventry tale. We put our entries (all anonymous) into a pile on the table and volunteers read each piece aloud. We then awarded marks out of ten to each (giving a ten to ourselves to eliminate cheating!) and the mathematical minds among us went away to count the votes.

It was great fun trying to guess who had written which piece. One or two were fairly obvious to me, though no less enjoyable for that. On the whole though, I guessed wrong, and was astonished when the authors were revealed.

And no, we didn't use AV to decide on the winners. I'm not sure quite how the eventual system worked, but everyone seemed happy with the results and, I'm very pleased to say, neither Nick Clegg's nor David Cameron's entries won! And yours truly got third place and a book token and so was very chuffed.

Look out for the book - we're thinking of publishing and marketing it as Coventry Tales.

Writing about depression

2011-05-03T09:49:00.010+01:00

For much of my adult life I have suffered from recurrent episodes of depression. I'm very lucky, though - with the help of my GP I've found a medication that seems to work. Mind you, every time I begin to feel myself going down, I have a flash of fear that it won't work this time. Up to now, I'm glad to say, it always has, though it can take time.

Although I've been writing seriously now for over 5 years, I still haven't tackled the subject of depression head on in any of my novels. In Alexa's Song (not yet published) I wrote about a character who is bipolar, but I never really described his depressive epsiodes. Perhaps there are good reasons for that. Depression is notoriously difficult to write about. And it's not something you necessarily want to think about while you're feeling well.

I'm now writing a science fiction novel and, oddly enough, depression has crept up on me, not in life, but in my writing. I'm describing the experience of... well, let's just say a disembodied brain... and as I write, I realise just what it is I'm writing about. Perhaps...

This is a first draft and I don't like to talk too much about my first drafts in case they melt away like dreams. So I'll stop now.

I'll be interested if anyone reading this has managed to write about depression - please comment, if you have. Or if you've read any novels that you feel capture it well.

New blog for 8-14 year old girl readers - Girls Heart Books!

2011-05-01T17:14:00.006+01:00

I'm part of a wonderful new blog aimed at girl readers aged 8 to mid-teens - and I'm so thrilled! I had no idea when I asked to join that I'd be in the company of so many well-known and wonderful writers (or I'd never have dared to ask). Just take a look at some of the names, under 'Authors':

http://girlsheartbooks.com/

There will be a new post every day and we'll all be taking our turn. I'll be doing mine sometime towards the end of May and I'm sure by then there'll be some hard acts to follow. All our books are featured too, and there'll be competitions and other exciting stuff going on.

So if you have a daughter of that age or know anyone else who might be interested, please pass the message on. Our aim is to encourage girls who already love books and get some new ones reading, too.

My dad is 88 - and he needs cheques!

2011-04-19T14:54:00.006+01:00

No, I don't mean he's short of money, though I'm sure if anyone felt like sending him a cheque he wouldn't say no!

What I mean is, he needs cheques in order to pay his bills. And, with his characteristic generosity, to remember his relatives' birthdays. To conduct his everyday financial affairs, in other words. He can barely leave the house and finds it difficult to get to the bank. He doesn't have a credit card, or a debit card, and doesn't want one. His mind is as sharp as ever and he reads books on everything from cosmology to the internet, but he doesn't see why he should have to get to grips with new technology. He doesn't have a computer and doesn't want one.

He's going to be seriously inconvenienced and not at all happy if the government gets rid of cheques.

One last thing about my dad. He was a rear gunner in the RAF in WW2. Joined up in 1942 when he was 18. Flew on over 130 missions. It's thanks to brave young men (and women) like my dad that we live in a free country, and a free Europe, today.

Is this how we repay people like him? Many of them already suffer poor health and some live in poverty. And now we are going to make their lives that bit harder by denying them the convenience of paying by cheque.

If we wait another 10 or 15 years, people like my dad will (sadly) all be dead. Then we can get rid of our cheques - and enjoy the freedom (?) it gives us.

Dear Ms Sue Doe Nym

2011-04-12T18:48:00.005+01:00

Just received an invitation to an event for writers, addressed as follows:

Dear Dr Glasbey and Ms Warren

We would like to invite both of you to.....

I should explain that both of these people are me - I am Sheila Glasbey in real life and Rosalie Warren is my pen-name (can't remember why I decided to use one - would have been an awful lot simpler just to stick to my real name!)

Anyway, question is, do I pretend to be two people and take advantage of two lots of nibbles and wine? We could even be identical twins (oh no!)

Identity theft? It's officially OK with Twitter (allegedly)!

2011-04-06T09:38:00.011+01:00

I'd begun to think I was making too much of the fact that someone has stolen my profile on Twitter. Well, copied it, to be precise, into her profile, to make it look as though she has written my book, owns my blog, etc.

Or perhaps she hasn't. Maybe it was a mistake, on her part or Twitter's. That's why I haven't named her - I'm not interested in making any unwarranted accusations. I've tweeted her politely several times and asked her to desist. And I sent a formal complaint to Twitter several days ago.

Now Twitter have replied - and apparently it's fine to nick someone's profile and pretend you have written their books, own their website, etc. For her to claim to be me, in fact, intentional or not. I just need to 'keep an eye on things' and report back if they get 'any worse'.

Hmm. So now all I have to do is to get it confirmed in writing from Twitter that I'm allowed to claim I wrote 'Harry Potter'. Or Ulysses, perhaps. No, I'll go for Madame Bovary. Or Revolutionary Road. Or Room...

Dicey, you'd think. I don't really want to pay a huge fine or go to gaol. But given what they said to me, I don't see how they can object.

Of course, someone else might. There is such a thing as identity theft. Anyone know any lawyers?

Lyra and the Adventure of the Flying Fish - a book review

2011-04-05T11:30:00.003+01:00

Lyra and W Rabbit have just joined my list of favourite characters of all time. They are up there with Just William and the Moomins, as far as I'm concerned, and I can't say more than that.

This book is utterly delightful. It was inspired, we are told, by a premature baby girl called Lyra whose companion from birth is a cuddly white rabbit called, appropriately enough, W Rabbit. Disaster strikes when W Rabbit is carried off by a schol of flying fish. But with the help of various aquatic companions, including an aristocratic turtle called Timothy, Lyra manages to track him down. W Rabbit is top of the class at the flying school, but he happily gives up his career to rejoin his beloved Lyra.

At the end, we see the real Lyra, now big enough no longer to need the special breathing apparatus that looked like a snorkel and inspired the story.

The language is delightful; the illustrations are out of this world. Together they make magical music.

Young, old or somewhere in-between, you'll love this book.

Book details:

Lyra and the Adventure of the Flying Fish

Author: Peter Emina
Illustrator: Alice Ridley
Published by Phoenix Yard Books, London
Age: 7-9
RRP: £11.99
ISBN: 978-1-907912-01-6
Publication Date: 28-03-2011

See on the publishers' website at:
http://www.phoenixyardbooks.com/view_book.php?id=13

Buy on Amazon at:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/1907912010/ref=cm_cr_mts_prod_img

Seriously weird - I have a twitter ghost

2011-04-03T14:40:00.006+01:00

OK, so Coping with Chloe is about a girl whose identity is being threatened by her (dead) twin sister.

Would you believe that my Twitter identity is now being threatened by a ghostly Tweeter who has copied some of my tweets, stolen my profile and is thus claiming to have written 'Chloe'?

No, I wouldn't have believed it either. Truth is stranger than fiction and all that.

It's worrying, as well as funny and apt. If she starts sending out her own tweets in my name, things could get serious. I've already tweeted to her several times, asking her politely to remove my profile from her name. It could be a simple mistake after all, on her part or Twitter's. I've also reported it to twitter.com.

I'm told I should feel flattered! It would be nice to think she has singled me out as a celebrity author (ha!), but I doubt it somehow. She probably chose my profile at random or it was done by one of her friends as a silly joke. Or perhaps Twitter has messed up...

Anyway - since there are now two of me I have just eaten enough Mother's Day chocolates for both of us, at least :)

Flabbersmacked and gobbergasted...

2011-03-28T21:14:00.026+01:00

... and really, really chuffed!

Some lovely reviews of Coping with Chloe so far, plus interviews:

Kay Green, Circaidy Gregory Review

hackwriters.com

the bookbag

tall tales and short stories (scroll down)

Lou Treleaven, Writer

Louise Wise: Wise Words (scroll down)

Scottish Book Trust

Joanne Fox: A zigzag road

So pleased that people seem to be liking my book. Thanks to everyone who has read, commented and reviewed. Hoping for some reactions from younger readers, very soon!

How many books do you read or write at once?

2011-03-28T17:03:00.005+01:00

As an academic I got used to dipping and delving into books. Even those I read from cover to cover, I would rarely read "in series" - I nearly always had 5 or 6 on the go at the same time. The same is true of fiction - I'm often reading a YA novel, something vaguely literary, something unashamedly popular and something else (often a 'William' or a 'Moomin' book that I first read 40 years ago but it never fails to delight me, however many times I return).

This seems to work quite well. Clearly my brain knows how to divide itself up into handling lots of different books at the same time (I wish it would apply the same techniques and learn to multi-task. I still haven't learned to converse with any degree of coherence while eating a meal, and I certainly can't walk and talk at the same time - never could, never will...)

And now it seems I'm writing lots of books at the same time, too. A couple of years ago I had 3 or 4 on the go - all at different stages. Now, if I stop to count, it's more like 6 or 7. I find this slightly worrying: (a) because it suggests I'm starting a lot more than I finish and (b) because, well, I hate to admit it but I occasionally get confused. And I object to stopping in the middle of a sentence to go and check something, so I often find I'm suffering from character creep - where Mr A from Book 1 suddenly turns up and starts engaging in dialogues (or perhaps more raunchy activities) with Mrs B from Book 2.

You get the idea. It's a bit like those big parties where suddenly the friends from one bit of your life meet up with the friends (or relations) from another bit and you think - help! They all know different versions of me. What if they stop to compare and discover discrepancies? (Not that they ever seem to. I assume it's because they find more interesting things to talk about than me - let's hope so, anyway.)

So I'm interested to know whether other readers and writers find themselves tangled up in lots of different books, or whether you are sufficiently restrained and organised to manage to stick to one (or perhaps no more than three) at a time? If so, please tell me how you do it.

I can never remember the plots of books once I've finished reading them, either - probably because my poor overloaded brain is so relieved when it can knock one finished novel out of its working memory that it hurriedly destroys all records, without trace. All I remember is that I liked the book or I didn't - and they rarely fall between.

All geared up for publication day - or not?

2011-03-20T13:35:00.007Z

Tomorrow is publication day for Coping with Chloe and I'm excited - sort of. Except I'm not, because this is my third publication day (the first two were for my novels for adults) and I've learnt from bitter experience...

You wake up thinking it's going to be every childhood Christmas and birthday rolled into one, plus the day of your first Brownie pack holiday, plus the day you left home for university...

Actually, my publication days so far have been a bit like those latter two things - dire disappointments! No one's fault - certainly not my lovely publishers or my loyal fans (hey there, both of you :) ) or my beloved family and friends... just me for getting over-excited about something that turns out to be a bit of a non-event.

Not sure what I expected, exactly. Being woken by a call to be interviewed by James Naughtie on Radio 4's Today? Reporters hammering at the door, cameras in tow? Heat magazine offering me large sums of the money for the lowdown on my steamy love life? (hey, turn off the bathroom tap someone, please...)

None of those things happened the last two times and I'm pretty sure they won't this time, either. If I'm lucky, the 'Pre-order' icon on the Amazon page will change to 'Add to shopping basket'. Perhaps, if I stay awake till midnight, I will even see it change! (No, that's ridiculously sad.) With luck, some reviews will appear...

But Monday 21st March will be an ordinary day, and for that, I know, I should be grateful. There are terrible things going on in the world that put book publication well and truly in its place, and I should be thankful for a safe, warm, well-fed, unthreatened life for myself and my loved ones (touch wood, as my grandma used to say).

And believe me, I am thankful. I've got plans to meet up with a friend tomorrow, someone I've not seen for 5 or more years. That will be wonderful. And I shall be getting down to a few household tasks and to my daily writing stint, and tuning into The Archers at 7pm. Life is rich and exciting and I'm very lucky to have been published at all.

But hey... if anyone out there is listening... if Stephen Fry needs someone new for QI, I'm here with my hand up! Stephen, James, Mariella Frostrup - coooeeee!!!!

The future of eBooks - writing as well as reading them

2011-03-08T13:35:00.010Z

There's a big debate going on about eBooks and whether they will ever replace the paper kind. Personally, I hope not. I believe both have their place, but for me, nothing can ever match the feel, smell and taste (yes, I chew their corners sometimes...) of a new book.

But that's not my subject for today. I'm a writer as well as a reader, and the writer in me leaps with excitement at the opportunities that eBooks afford. For example - there's no reason I can't write a book that works a bit like one of those computer games where the player decides which path to go down next. The book could change depending on what choices the reader makes. Or not... it could stay exactly the same, but be designed so that the reader will have a different experience depending on which route she takes through it. Now this doesn't have to be restricted to children's books or even 'fun' books for adults - it could apply to serious works of literature and even - let me just pause to bate my breath - to literary fiction.

There's a precedent for this. Back in the 1960s, a British author called B. S. Johnson - a respected writer of his day - experimented with a novel, The Unfortunates, that was published as a bundle of chapters in a box. Chapter 1 was to be read first, but after that it was entirely up to the reader which order to take. In at least one of Johnson's other novels, holes were placed in the pages to allow later bits of text to show through. At the time, he was regarded as somewhat eccentric and his ideas didn't really take off. He was in some ways, I suppose, ahead of his time. It's a pity, because his writing is exceptionally good and he deserves to be better known today.

But perhaps his day has come. If Bryan Johnson were writing now, I'd like to think he'd be excited by this new technology that would allow him to experiment with literary form (though perhaps he'd be way ahead of us again, despising anything that others are already doing?)

I'm not trying to compare myself to B. S. Johnson (I wish!), but I'm currently working on my first science fiction novel for adults. Without talking away the story, I'll just say that it has two strands, one in 2031 and one in 2222, and my aim is for the two strands to intertwine in any way the reader wishes. To some extent this captures the themes of the book, which touches on the nature of time, consciousness and the nature of reality (I know, a bit ambitious, but these are pet obsessions of mine...). The challenge now is to write it so that it makes sense whatever way the strands are interwined - a different sense in each case.

Will I succeed? Who knows, but it's exciting to try, and what joy to live in an age where eReaders make such things possible. New technology is opening up possibilities for authors that were undreamed of 40 years ago. And if a conventional publisher isn't interested, I can always go ahead and produce my own eBooks.

I haven't touched on all the other opportunities, such as apps, web-based enhancements in various media such as music, video and pictures, and interaction with the reader. The obvious application is for kids, but one day perhaps the Martin Amises of this world (or their descendants) will be working this way, too. After all, Martin Amis wrote a book, Time's Arrow, that happened backwards, and so he in his way is another pioneer of the kind of thing I'm suggesting.

No one has to do things this way, of course. There will always be a place, I believe, for the conventional novel - traditional in both content and form. And perhaps we will try the new stuff, reject it and return to the way of telling stories that has been ours for millennia. Who knows?

Writers and readers - what do you think?

(For more information and a fascinating biography of B. S. Johnson, see Jonathan Coe's Like a Fiery Elephant, 2004, Picador.)

The smell of new books

2011-03-04T12:19:00.005Z

There's nothing like that wonderful smell of fresh new paper. That sense of being the first reader ever to open this particular new book. The way the spine gives, just a little, however carefully you handle it. The smoothness of the cover under your fingers. And, I've discovered - it's even better when the book is one you wrote yourself.

The postman woke me at 7:30 this morning with a parcel - and yes! it contained twelve paperback copies of 'Coping with Chloe', beautifully produced, no typos that I can see, an enticing blurb, and all in the most gorgeous blue, white and and gold covers.

Yes, I know, I'm biased. But I really do think that my publishers, Phoenix Yard Books, have done an excellent job, as have the copy-editor, the printers, the cover designer and everyone else involved. It's been a pleasure to work with Emma Langley and her team at the Yard, and I can't wait to meet more of them at the launch party in April.

Thanks too to all my writing friends, including the Earlyworks and Writers Talkback people, who have kept me afloat through the various disappointments and disasters in my writing life so far.

It's tempting to take the day off and spend it fondling and sniffing my new books, but no. Time to press on with the latest, which is looking as though it may have to be an e-book, for various reasons I will explain next time...

Show and/or tell?

2011-02-25T17:01:00.005Z

If I read another how-to-write article telling me to show not tell, I will explode.

Yes, I know there is some sense in it. I know some novice writers need to be encouraged to bring their work alive by involving all the senses, etc. Or to use more dialogue - to let us see a character for ourselves rather than be told what she is like. And I am as prone as anyone else to write dull early drafts that need livening up when I revisit them.

But please, please, please! Stop telling me never to tell. Stephen King, much as I admire him, has a lot to answer for (and he tells, anyway, more often than you might think). Everyone tells. I just read Moby-Dick and there's tons of (wonderful) tell, as well as tons of (wonderful) show. Melville knew when to do which.

That's what we all need to know - when to do which. We all get it wrong at times. New writers need to learn when to show and when to tell. But that's it. Stop telling them never to tell, because that's wrong... I'm telling you.

I could show you, but I don't have time and I'm sure you don't, either.

Being a children's writer - scary stuff!

2011-02-22T14:30:00.015Z

Writing the book was fun. The main character, Anna, turned up inside my head one day and started talking to me (a bit like Anna's sister Chloe turns up inside her head, but for a very different reason...)

Anyway, yes. Writing it felt like giving Anna free rein, discovering who this 12-year-old was and why she was obsessed with her twin sister being inside her head - or 'sharing her body', as Anna puts it.

Being accepted for publication was thrilling too. Phoenix Yard Books, a new children's publisher, liked it and so, they assured me, did the children they tried it out on. Wonderful. I'm eternally grateful and they are doing a great job for me. I'll have a copy of Coping with Chloe in my hands any day now and I can't wait.

But what terrifies me is all the other things that go along with writing for children. It seems that many children's authors visit schools to talk about their books. I haven't been inside a school since my last parent-teacher meeting (as a parent) in about 1998. I've heard some horror stories about what (some) schools are like nowadays. Though I'm sure that most of the teachers and students are wonderful people, I'm shaking, nonetheless.

I've done signings in bookshops for my previous two books, which are for adults. They were fun occasions, with friends dropping by to chat and the occasional member of the public being inveigled into accepting a bookmark. I've given talks at universities and in libraries. I've given presentations, come to that, at academic conferences with dozens of people in the audience.

But there's something scary about kids. Maybe, as a writer, I'm scared they'll see through me. See what? I'm not pretending to be anything I'm not...

Or am I? To write for kids, I think you have to pretend to be one. Pretend to yourself, that is. Or remember what it was like. Get back in touch with the child inside you (mine is never very far away).

That's what I'm scared of, then. I'm scared that the kids will see the kid inside me and not like her. That I'll get bullied in the playground all over again.

Yes, that's it. Well, I know what I'm afraid of now. Just have to face my demons. At least I've got a few adult defences to help me, this time round.

Coping with Chloe by Rosalie Warren. Published March 21st 2011, by Phoenix Yard Books.

See Chloe on Amazon