Authors Electric

Sorry, Folks - I am suffering from run-up-to-Christmas fever. I was just about to shut down the pc tonight when I saw it was 19th. Here I am without a coherent thought in my head, so I'm cutting and pasting a Christmas story for children. Please don't drum me out of AE - I promise to do better in the New Year! The Christmas Presents      The December moon swung high over Ghyllside Farm, bright as a promise and round as pudding.   The first snow of winter lay crisp and white over the fields.   The farm folk were all abed, snuggled down and fast asleep, dreaming of plumcake and presents.   Down in the kitchen by the fire, Hob and Miss Minkin were toasting their toes.   There was a smell of pine-needles in the air from the sparkling tree in the corner, and there were two large stockings hanging from the mantelpiece.   The stockings belonged to the farm children, and had their names pinned on them: Ben and Susan.   The children...

This month I thought I would tempt you with something from the Authors Electric recipe book Cooking the Books . as you can see it's a mix of the ridiculous and the helpful. You may find a recipe to suit you within the pages, or you may prefer just to have a laugh with us as we tackle this alien enterprise. After all, we are writers, not celebrity cooks.! Excerpt from Cooking the Books Cooking – definition – an unpleasant occupation but something you have to do to ensure continued life. It requires a well stocked cupboard, fridge and freezer. An aptitude to combine any ingredients found into something palatable. And a burning desire to take part in Ready, Steady, Cook! Are you sitting comfortably? We shall begin. TAKE STOCK Contents of Detective Sergeant Bill Murphy’s fridge – a prehistoric egg, bacon with white wriggly things on it, cheese that is green and furry, and something indistinguishable (Bill can’t remember what it was!). Contents of Chris’...

The Amber Heart on Kindle - Polish & Christmassy When I was wondering whether to do a Christmas 'special offer' on one of my books and also wondering which one to choose, I found myself trying to decide between a couple of suitable books. But really, when it came down to choices, it was a no-brainer. It had to be the Amber Heart . Even the cover seems kind of Christmassy and in my heart, when I think about this book, I think about Poland at Christmas. It is a big doorstop of a book but then it's a big story. Epic. Romantic. Heart rending. When one of my previous agents sent it out, she relayed a letter from an acquisitions editor who said that she had stayed up all night reading it and weeping. They didn't acquire it though. Poland was a non starter as a setting. Now if it had been Russia ... No point at all in telling them that Eastern European borders have been so fluid and so deadly, in consequence, that this novel, set firmly in that part of mid-ninete...

The Scattered Authors Society – yes, the other SAS  – recently had a get-together at Folly Farm in Somerset. This is a group of mainly traditionally-published children’s writers, and although this is obviously not open to all, beginners can get similar benefits from joining a creative writing class. Writers frequently live very isolated lives, beavering away at home on their computers and, at this time of year, rarely acknowledging the light of day unless they need to do some shopping. This was the fifth get-together I’ve attended since 2004, and each one has been thoroughly worthwhile, from the topics we’ve tackled to making new friends. Mixing with other writers is a delight, and the opportunity to do so in such lovely surroundings is fantastic. Friends and relatives, however well-meaning, simply don’t understand the frustrations, moments of euphoria and plain hard grind of an author’s life. Sharing this with others in the same position is brilliant. Of course, it’s not all...

I have had a great time today as I have been on a day trip to York. This was a round trip of nine hours by train and I loved every minute of it. With my trusty laptop in hand I was able to spend several uninterrupted hours writing. This got me thinking about where do writers actually write and what might be the most unusual place any writer has spent time writing? Today I wrote in number of places the train being one of them. I also wrote at the station in a cafe, whilst listening to a steel band. Now I'm not sure if I should actually admit to this in a blog, but I actually quickly whipped out a piece of paper and pen and wrote something down whilst in the toilet on the train. One confession too many maybe. The train gave me many different thoughts and scenarios for future books. This meant I had to interrupt writing my current WIP in order to jot down the ideas for the future. All great stuff though. As I write murder mysteries I will leave it up to you to decide what I hav...

I get very jealous when I read all you other writers’ blogs. You all seem so effortlessly serious in your choice of subject and the erudition and application you so generously put in. And here am I, pushing the monthly deadline to its outer limit (not for the first time, or the second, or the third). Look at Dennis. Spends half his life zooming around the planet enjoying himself, and still has time to produce a wonderful new volume, and make me dribble with longing for his buckshee television. And then a spiffing blog on top. As you can see, deadline or not, I haven't got a thought in my head as to what to write. My brain is wrecked. I'm seven-eighths of the way through revising a big thriller, I've just spent a week doing a final polish on the second of my nautical novellas about Charlie (Craven) Raven, and in the interstices (try saying that to a voice recognition programme!) I've hammered out an outline and pitching document for a novel about Napoleon. Fasc...