An authors journey

February word count.

/ lizziechantree / 1 Comment

Hello everyone. I haven’t posted here for a while. How are you all? I’ve been working on the second book in the Cherry Blossom Lane series and have just received the first edits back from my editor. The book is called, The One That He Wants and is the second book in the series to My Perfect Ex. It’s always exciting and nerve wracking to open that email to see what she says! Luckily she loves the story and is looking forward to book three. Phew! Here are some gorgeous reviews from book 1: ‘Loved it!’ ‘A wonderful read.’ ‘Beautifully written and thoroughly enjoyed.’

I’m trying to be more organised this year, so I bought myself two huge wall planners for my office and home and I’m using it as a visual prompt to get on with book promotion and stop procrastinating. I’ve held a couple of writing buddy sessions that I run with fellow romance author, Chris Penhall, recently and the daytime session was fully booked, which was exciting. It warms my heart to hear about the different ways people write, what they are working on and also that writing buddies might help them to get words onto paper in some way. We hire the top floor of a gorgeous coffee shop and encourage people to write with two 30 minute writing sprints, a coffee break to network and a chat at the end about how people are. There are no word count pressures and we don’t check anyone’s work, it is purely to write alongside other creatives for a couple of hours. We have people writing books, comedy, short stories, poetry, articles and more. The weather has been dreary, so it’s always a mad dash to keep our computers and manuscripts dry if we are going to the coffee shop. I tend to write by hand at first, so I always have pages and pages of paper with me.

I’ve been chatting to people on social media a lot recently and I’m enjoying hearing about what everyone is reading. I’ve just started reading a lovely book called Patches through time by Sian Turner, who is a member of my book group, Lizzie’s Book Group, on Facebook. I’ve also just finished a book by Sue Moorcroft, called An Italian Island Summer, which is a beautiful read.

Have a great week everyone! From Lizzie. x

 

The Mindful Writer.

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My guest on today’s blog is Deborah Klée. Deborah is such a warm and friendly person and she offers great support to other writers. I’ve recently been a guest on her podcast. She asks really interesting questions and makes you feel right at home. I’ve also been a speaker at one of Deborah’s Friday Salon Zoom meetings where I met so many amazing writers. Deborah manages to bring together people from all over the world and is a very inspirational woman.

Thank you for inviting me to your website to talk about two resources I host for other writers: Friday Salon and The Mindful Writer Podcast.

Both of these projects have brought some amazing people into my life, including you, Lizzie. They have enabled me to network with writers from all over the world and to learn from them as we share resources, wisdom, and expertise.

Friday Salon

Friday Salon started as a bit of an experiment. I had heard of tweet-chats but had little experience of them. I was new to Twitter and the writing community. I started out inviting writers to join me on Friday using the hashtag #FriSalon. Three writer friends from my local writing group turned up to support me and I was delighted that several other writers did too. I chose the name Friday Salon as I described the tweet-chat as a place where creatives could meet just as the Victorians did in the Salons of old.

Friday Salon started in October 2020. Encouraged by the success of the first tweet-chat I hosted one the following Friday and planned to continue until Xmas 2020. We grew in number and the tweet-chats became a popular place for writers to meet on Twitter each Friday at 4 pm BST (GMT) 11 am EDT (EST). I continued hosting until October 2021. In that first year, I invited at least one expert guest each month. I transcribed all of the tweets and posted them in a document the following morning.

By October 2021 I was running out of ideas and had other projects I wanted to invest my time in. Rather than discontinue Friday Salon I invited regular participants to share the role of host. The shared hosting arrangement is wonderful. We all own Friday Salon. It has just grown and grown. Everyone is welcome to pop into the chat. It is a great way of making meaningful connections with other writers. Friday Salon participants have supported one another by beta-reading, buying one another’s books, reviewing, and helping to promote new publications.

Now that I no longer host every week, I have been able to invest time in facilitating a virtual writing retreat three times a year. This was something that came about following a tweet-chat on writing retreats. Several participants said they would love to have a writing retreat with Friday Salon friends. As we come from across the world the best way to achieve this was by meeting on Zoom. We have had two writing retreats now, each with a guest speaker. There is no cost to participate.

Everyone is welcome to join in the Friday Salon tweet-chat and the virtual writing retreats. If you are new to the writing community and/or want to make meaningful connections with other writers then this is a great way to find your tribe.

To find out more about Friday Salon see:

https://abrakdeborah.wordpress.com/friday-salon/

  Here is the link if you’d like to listen to our Mindful Writer chat.

The Mindful Writer Podcast

The Mindful Writer Podcast is a resource to help writers cope with the emotional highs and lows of being a writer. There are lots of resources to assist writers with the business of writing, publication, and marketing but not so much on managing the inner journey.

In 2019 I was struggling with the lack of control and uncertainty I was experiencing as a writer as I waited for agents and publishers to respond to submissions. At that time, I had an agent and my debut was out on submission. I knew that my emotional state was affecting my relationships and well-being. So, for Lent that year I decided to meditate each day. Forty days turned into a year, and then four. Daily meditation became part of my life. Today, I practice yoga and meditate every day. These practices alongside regular journaling have given me insight. I have developed a strong sense of self-belief, and compassion for myself. I have learnt to let go and trust the journey. As I went through this transformation, I shared my reflections and learning in a weekly blog.

 I loved writing my blog and from the feedback, I have received I know it has helped others. However, I wanted to talk to other writers to learn from their wisdom. The idea for the Mindful Writer Podcast came to me many months before I dared to give it a go. It was scary, but it is only when we step outside of our comfort zone that we learn new things and grow.

Each week I chat with a guest exploring the psychological, emotional, and spiritual journey they have experienced as a writer, the lessons they have learnt – and are continuing to learn.

As I talk to other writers and reflect on my own experience, I am discovering how we might find abundance in our creative pursuits, achieving our goals the mindful way.

All of my guests have been amazing. Their words of wisdom lifted my spirit first during the live interview and again on editing the interview. It’s wonderful because I get a high each time I listen. This is what I wanted for other writers. So many of us struggle with feelings of disappointment, wanting something so much it hurts, imposter syndrome, comparisonitis, fear of failure, elation and despair. I hope that by listening to these podcasts writers will feel that they are not alone, that they will be inspired, and find emotional courage.

I transcribe the interviews so that they can be read:

https://abrakdeborah.wordpress.com/category/the-mindful-writer/

or listened to as a podcast:

https://themindfulwriter.buzzsprout.com/

You can check out Deborah’s novels here:

 

Writer’s room. Behind the scenes.

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Hi everyone. How are you? I added a post to my book group about providing a “behind the scenes look” for readers to our blogs, once or twice a month and it has made me think that it’s been a while since I added some photos about my own writing routine!

As you might already know, I write from a small office at home in the evenings and a studio in a nearby town, during the day.  My writing buddy, Pepper, is usually asleep by my feet, or creating unusual hairstyles by rolling around in the mud outside.  I thought I’d show you some photos of Pepper today. She is twelve now, but everyone we bump into, thinks she’s a puppy. She’s gradually slowing down, but still has a spring in her step. When I’m writing, her favourite place to be is snuggled on my lap with her nose on my keyboard, which isn’t that helpful at all, so I usually pull up a chair and put her dog bed onto that, so she can keep a paw on my knee.  Occasionally she’ll see a squirrel out of the window and dashes across the field, but she slows down before she gets near, to let them get away.  Then that wears her out, so she lays down and snores for a couple more hours to replenish her energy!

Coffee is also a usual companion to my desk and looking at my photo reel makes me realise how often my snaps of my writing in progress have a coffee cup beside them. I found a photo of the children’s activity books and phonics cards that I designed with my mum, who is also a writer, so thought you might like to see them too. We have written stories about a magical little dragon called Sydney and his family. My mum used to tell my sister and I these stories as children and Mum and I worked on them together, over time, to create a range of products. We are hoping to publish the children’s stories that are part of this range, in the next year.

Have an amazing week! From Lizzie.

 

David P Perlmutter. Top Author Of The Week.

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Today’s top author of the week is an author you probably already know well. His books are so popular that they regularly sit at the top of the bestseller lists. David P. Perlmutter is also working on a book to movie project at the moment which means we will see his work as a movie sometime soon!

 

About David:

I have a led a very colourful life, with some episodes so noteworthy that so far they have produced three thrilling true stories, with more to follow.

Away from writing and along with my girlfriend, who is also my editor, I am a volunteer Cancer Campaigns Ambassador for Cancer Research UK, and have done many charity book signing events, to raise money for a cause that is very close to my heart.

I have four children and a grandson and I’m very close to my large family who feature in each of my books.

I started to write my first book when I lived in Portugal in 2013. I now live in London. The book, WRONG PLACE WRONG TIME, has been a #1 BESTSELLER on Amazon around the world, with many hundreds of 4 and 5* reviews. The story is based on true events that happened to me when I visited Marbella in 1991 and ended up wrongly arrested for arson and manslaughter.

I’m very excited to say that the book is currently being turned into a screenplay with a view to it becoming a movie in the very near future, which is every author’s dream and something I could never have imagined when I began writing.

Another of my true stories is called FIVE WEEKS, about a trip I made to Pennsylvania, America for five weeks of training for a new job. I won’t give too much away, apart from saying that I was nearly left for dead in a Pennsylvania wood, and that’s after having a gun in my back in London.

My most recent book, also a true story, follows my escapades as a 21 year old, seeking fame and fortune in America. Entitled 24 HOURS IN NEW YORK, the clue is in the name as to the duration of my stay.

Away from writing true stories, I also write self-help books for indie authors. There are eight books in the MY WAY series, the majority being guides to self publishing and book marketing, the others featuring authors from around the world in various different genres.

All details of my books can be found on my website: www.davidpperlmutter.com 

You can also follow me on Twitter at @davepperlmutter

Check out David’s books here!

BookLove.

/ lizziechantree / 15 Comments

There has been so much in the news recently about reviews, if they are genuine, if they are necessary, if they are too time consuming to bother with! From the point of view of an avid reader and author, I love reviews. As a reader, I check reviews out to see what others have thought of a book before I buy it. As an author, if someone takes the time to tell me that they love my work and that my words have made them feel such emotion that they have either laughed so much that they almost forgot to put their baby to bed, or cried as they were touched by what a character has gone through, then that brings tears of happiness to my eyes and makes the hard work of bringing a book to publication worth all of the effort involved.

Here are some of my favourite reads from my kindle at the moment. I have read and reviewed all of them. Click the book covers to go to their Amazon pages.

Forest Dancer - Susan Roebuck  The Alternative BOOK COVER PERFECT AND READY TO GO.  23795601_10155733805585761_2671210338236614755_n

Microsoft Word - Natalie Ducey..docx  Awen 2  All This Time by Kim Cox

 

Here are a few of the reviews for my books recently:

If you love me, I’m yours.

‘Nobody writes like Lizzie Chantree. If You Love Me, I’m Yours is another total triumph. The author effortlessly pulls together a colourful, eclectic and unforgettable cast, frames them in the exciting world of art, and weaves another wonderful story. A brilliant example of contemporary romance packed with depth, edge – and life lessons.’

—–

‘I was attracted to the book by the description of three friends with issues to address and the pretty cover – and I’m not a lover of the colour pink normally!

What a lovely, well-written, funny, romantic tale about the life-changing decisions each character needs to make to bring happiness and fulfilment. Reading about Maud’s parents lack of encouragement for what she really wanted to do in life, struck a chord with me. I felt rather sad for her, as she must have been crushed as a child, and continued to be controlled by her mother, who dictated everything from how she must dress to what type of man she should date, and who was still constantly disappointed that Maud was not ‘perfect’. Is it any wonder she has low self-esteem and does not believe in her own ability?

I loved the quirky Dot, whose need to fit in with her own family, makes her present herself in an over-the-top, ridiculous way. The polar opposite of Maud. These two needed each other’s friendship to instil confidence and find balance, in order to reveal their true selves. And of course a little romance doesn’t hurt. Bring on the men, who also have issues to overcome before they can be truly happy.’

I really enjoyed reading this book, and would highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys a contemporary romance.’

 

Ninja School Mum:

‘Lizzie Chantree’s books are like fine wines – they just keep on getting better! As always the main characters fizz and entrance, with underdogs and divas, harassed hunks and devilishly attractive but flawed rogues… The espionage aspect helps the seemingly workaday schoolyard environment along famously with catty cliques and beastly little brats, as well as adorable, yet still edgy kids.
If you haven’t had the pleasure of reading one of Lizzie’s books yet – treat yourself! She gives Jilly Cooper a run for your money in the racey stakes, coupled with the knowing charm of Jane Austen, in hilarious settings with characters that show contemporary chick-lit romances can hold their own when it comes to ballsy, brash behaviour!’

—–

‘Now I will fully admit I don’t usually read a book unless it contains a vampire, shifter or the fay. Well I loved this book it is beautifully written and you really feel an insight into the lives of these women. It is well paced and a great read xxx loved it xx’

—–

‘I LOVED this book!!

It was brilliant, so well written and heaps of fun! The plot is great and I nearly woke the baby up laughing when I was reading it in bed – such a brilliant pick me up for when you are feeing down. Skye is a brilliant character!

It has ups and downs and takes you through a wide range of emotions to give an excellent all round story – no hesitation in giving it 5 stars!!’

 

 

 

 

 

Costa Del Churros.

/ lizziechantree / 3 Comments

Introducing, COSTA DEL CHURROS by Isabella May.

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Isabella May lives in (mostly) sunny Andalucia, Spain with her husband, daughter and son, creatively inspired by the sea and the mountains. Having grown up on Glastonbury’s ley lines however, she’s unable to completely shake off her spiritual inner child, and is a Law of Attraction fanatic.

Cake, cocktail, and travel obsessed, she also loves nothing more than to (quietly) break life’s ‘rules’.

Costa del Churros is her third novel.

Muchas gracias for hosting me on your blog today to talk about my brand new novel with Crooked Cat Books! COSTA DEL CHURROS will launch on September 19th and is another romantic comedy which fuses all things foodie, travel and spirituality. I’m keeping my fingers (and paws!) crossed that it’ll have as good a reception as its predecessors…

 

Why write about Spain?

My first two books, Oh! What a Pavlova and The Cocktail Bar centred much of their activity around the quirky and mystical town of Glastonbury, UK.  But in actual fact I live in Spain nowadays and much as I relished the opportunity to write about the place where I spent my childhood through to late twenties, it was high time for a change of scene – as well as to prove to myself that I am not a One Trick Pony. Or should that be Cat?

 

Is Costa del Churros based on a fictional or real part of Spain?

Yes, Costa del Churros refers to the Costa del Sol, here in the gigantic province of Andalusia, where I live. I have traveled all over the country, but nowhere seems to make, eat or embrace churros (fried donut strips, often eaten dipped in a thick, velvety chocolate sauce and/or sprinkled liberally with sugar) with the aplomb of the people in this region. The churros play a central role throughout the book, used as a code word that brings four – very different – women together for flamenco lessons with their highly exuberant teacher, Carmen.

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Here’s the blurb:

The rain in Spain doesn’t mainly fall on the plain…

Brits abroad Belinda, Julia, Laura and Georgina need more than the sweetness of churros with chocolate dipping sauce to save them from their unsavoury states of affairs.

Cue Carmen Maria Abril de la Fuente Ferrera, the town’s flamboyant flamenco teacher! But can she really be the answer to their prayers?

One thing’s for sure: the Costa del Sol will never be the same again.

 

Are these four women based on people you know?

Not per se!
But Belinda, Julia, Laura and Georgina are definitely a beautiful fusion of some of the kaleidoscopically colourful characters I have met here over the past seven years. I wanted to paint a truthful picture of expat life in Spain (and quite possibly this will extend to other areas of The Mediterranean too). It’s all too easy to assume that a life in the sun is all soaking up its rays, sand, sea and sangria, but in actual fact, we take ourselves wherever we go! There’s absolutely no running away from your problems when you are home from home, be they romantic, financial, self-esteem based, or all of the above. Often, as soon as the novelty of the new lifestyle wears off, those issues are only exacerbated…
I thought it would make for an interesting (and comical) read to throw four women from four completely different backgrounds together, to add a little magic (a la Carmen) and to watch the fireworks – from a very safe distance.

 

Tell us a bit about Carmen Maria Abril de la Fuente Ferrera…

Well, she was a joy to write.
And I think all of us could do with a Carmen in our lives. Not only is she a talented flamenco teacher, but she has watched the way Franco’s repression of the female has gnawed away at her mother, and at the lives of countless women around her. So Carmen’s mission is one of empowerment. And she’s particularly passionate about encouraging women to have their cake and eat it. Truly, I’d love for nothing more than to click my fingers and magic her up every time I witness a female friend or family member declare in a café/restaurant/gelateria ‘Oh! I really shouldn’t indulge… I’ll start the diet again next week!’
For Carmen is the antidote to any and all of that prescribed female behaviour, an advocate for positive body image on beaches and sun-loungers the length of the coast. She’s a breath of fresh air injecting a much-needed confidence boost to all four of the main characters in the story.

If your tummy has started to rumble… here’s that all important Universal Amazon buying link: mybook.to/costadelchurros

You can find out about Isabella May’s other books, and follow her quirky cake and cocktail posts at these places:

www.isabellamayauthor.com

Twitter – @IsabellaMayBks

Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/IsabellaMayAuthor/

Instagram – @isabella_may_author

Do mentors matter?

/ lizziechantree / 6 Comments

I have been lucky enough to have had many mentors in my life and I think they are so important when you are discovering a new field of interest. When I was inventing my first product, Runaway Spray, which is a ‘ladder’ or ‘run’ stop spray for hosiery, I had great support from business mentors from The Prince’s Trust When I wrote my first book, I discovered an international book club full of writers (RRBC) and they have been amazing in helping me to find my way in my new career, as have my fellow authors at my new publishers. I  provide mentoring myself through my networking hour on Twitter (#CreativeBizHour) and have been able to support people with new creative ideas through being a judge for Shell LiveWire’s Grand Ideas Award, and having a Facebook group where I share creative ideas with fellow artists/designers/ businesses/writers (Lizzie’s Book Group)

If you are starting a new career, or looking to push forward with your current job or hobby, then you might be surprised to find out how many people and organisations there are out there to offer unbiased help and support. Facebook and Twitter are full of networking hours and groups, you just have to search for them in the search bar and then join. With these groups, it’s good to join in and support others too. It’s about teamwork. When you have found a mentor and learnt what you need to, perhaps you can in turn become a mentor for someone else and help them on their own journey?

CreativeBizHour Winners badge.jpg

In your opinion, do mentors matter and has one helped you in your life? It will be exciting to hear if anyone else has been nurtured and helped to blossom into the person they have always wanted to be.

Giveaway time!

/ lizziechantree / 9 Comments

Happy new week everyone. I am so excited to announce that I am running a giveaway with some fellow Crooked Cat Books authors and we are giving away a copy of our books to one winner each. That means six lucky winners of a book each. To enter, you just have to check out our Twitter feed, follow us on Twitter and RT the giveaway tweets, which will go out different times during the five days that the giveaway is running for. Good luck everyone! Check out what all the books are about or grab your copy today if you can’t wait to read them!

UPDATE: We have 6 winners!

Sandy Henry / @impulse26 has won a copy of The Wrong Side of Twenty Five. Congratulations!

Yasmin / @_BookThief_ has won a copy of Ninja School Mum. Congratulations!

Serena / @serenacooper4 has won a copy of Another Woman’s Man. Congratulations!

M J Mallon / @marjorie_mallon has won a copy of Foxtrot in Freshby. Congratulations!

Steph / @stephfunnell20 has won a copy of Oh! What a Pavlova. Congratulations!

Suzanne Cass / @SusieCass1 has won a copy of The SoulWeaver. Congratulations!

 

 

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Twitter feeds:

 

Lizzie Chantree: @Lizzie_Chantree

Kate Armitage: @itskatearmitage

Awen Thornber: @awenthornber

Heidi Catherine: @HeidiCatherine

Isabella May: @IsabellaMayBks

Carrie-Ann Schless: @CarrieASchless

 

Check out these amazing books and discover your new favourite author! 

 

Ninja School Mum: Book link and blurb

The wrong side of twenty five: Book link and blurb

Foxtrot in Freshby: Book link and blurb

The Soulweaver: Book link and blurb

Oh! What a Pavlova: Book link and blurb

Another woman’s man: Book link and blurb

 

This is the Tweet you will see on Twitter:

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Book Giveaway Terms and Conditions

Terms & Conditions for the 6 Summer Reads book giveaway

  1. The promoters are Lizzie Chantree, Isabella May, Kate Armitage, Awen Thornber, Carrie-Ann Schless and Heidi Catherine whose registered office is Unit 1. SS6 8BB. U.K.
  2. The competition is open to residents of the United Kingdom and abroad, aged 18 years or over.
  3. There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary to enter this competition.
  4. By entering this competition, an entrant is indicating his/her agreement to be bound by these terms and conditions.
  5. Closing date for entry will be Friday 3rd August at 2pm. After this time and date the no further entries to the competition will be permitted.
  6. No responsibility can be accepted for entries not received for whatever reason.
  7. There is no cash alternative.

 

The rules of the competition and how to enter are as follows:

  1. To enter, simply RT the appropriate post on our Twitter page and follow the authors Twitter account.
  2. One RT will count as one entry, you do not need to enter more than once, but feel free to RT the competition posts as much as you like.
  3. 6 books will be given away for free including P&P. There will be 6 winners.
  4. Winners will be selected at random on the evening of Friday the 3rd August and announced that day.
  5. The winner will be contacted by Twitter private messaged by one of our page admins. Please check your message requests folder in your inbox. If we do not receive a reply within 24 hours we will choose another winner.

Have work, will travel.

/ lizziechantree / 3 Comments

It’s holiday season and I’ve been trying to be organised, as the term finishes for this school year. Fitting writing into family life can be great fun, but also a challenge. I write all of my books by hand in A4 green Tink notebooks and then transcribe them onto a computer. This means that I can easily pick my work up and carry it anywhere with me. This made me think about travel and holidays. I do like to relax on holiday, but also find it a great inspiration for my work. Different scenery and a change in temperature can make you feel more at ease and able to let the words flow. I particularly love to write in Spain and France as I enjoy looking at the countryside and the architecture. The U.K. inspires me with it’s history and eclectic styles too.

If you are stuck in any kind of writing rut, perhaps a change of scenery is all you need. I don’t mean two weeks in Cannes, but even working outside or moving rooms for a while with your laptop if you have one, or taking your notebooks and sitting on a beach nearby or somewhere with a good view, might be enough to change your mood and give you fresh ideas.

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Top tips for utilising the views nearby. 3 Quick Tips. 

  1. Plan a day where you can take your writing tools to a new location. Sit and take in the scenery and draw inspiration from your surroundings.
  2. If you are already on holiday, keep a notebook in your bag or pocket. You never know when you might see something interesting, or notice a location that could fit seamlessly into your latest book, blog or article.
  3. Take photos. These photos can become your own stock photography. Keep them in folders on your computer and instead of buying stock images for promotion, upload your own images into software like Canva to keep costs to a minimum for your own designs. These photos might also come in useful when you are writing about locations for descriptive reference.

Cover Wars!

/ lizziechantree / 3 Comments

Ninja School Mum is currently on Cover Wars. It’s already got quite a few votes and the competition runs until 8am on Sunday. The winner wins a week of promotion for their book, so it’s a great competition for authors. Every person who clicks their vote is seeing all of the lovely covers there.

You can vote once each day via iphone and once via computer or iPad. A big thank you to everyone who has voted so far or is still voting. #TeamNinja

To add you vote for Ninja School Mum click here: Cover Wars