Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 12. One Last Sleep …
I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone at the launch tomorrow.
Thank you for your wonderful support, and I hope you enjoy Follow Me, Follow You.
See you on Chesil Beach.
Tag: Choc_Lit
Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 10. The Book Launch Goodies
Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 10. The Book Launch Goodies.
On Saturday, 6th September 2014, at the Chesil Beach Centre, Portland, I’ll be hosting my first-ever book launch. There will be copies of Follow Me, Follow You available for purchase and signing (indulge me – I’ve been practising my signature), and I’ve had the James household working hard on making a few small giveaways.
The week will be supported by a virtual book tour and guest posts and interviews with wonderful book bloggers on social media, organised by Choc Lit, and Brook Cottage Books.
On the 17th September, my publisher Choc Lit will be releasing a special Choc Lit Treat – an original short story so fresh, I’ve still 700 words to write … Please see the Choc Lit site for details as to how to sign up for the Treat.
So, as you can imagine, it’s all go here, with just three more sleeps.
To be honest, with the adrenalin and excitement whooshing through my bloodstream, that will probably turn out to equate to one sleep, but you get my drift.
More tomorrow …
Laura x
Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 9. The Book Launch and Littoralis.
Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 9. The Book Launch and Littoralis.
Follow Me, Follow You is my first paperback, so I thought I would celebrate with a book launch and an author afternoon.
Meet Littoralis, four local authors inspired by or writing about the Jurassic coastline, in particular, Weymouth and Portland.
I first met Kathy Sharp at my local writing group, Off The Cuff, a mutual friend introduced me to Kate Kelly, who then introduced Kathy and me to Carol Hunt. We all write within different genres. Between us we cover fantasy, young adult, contemporary romance and children’s books, and we will all be at the book launch and author afternoon, for chat, readings and signings.
And we would love to see you there.
Laura x
Follow Me, Follow You: Trailers and Teasers Day 1
Follow Me, Follow You: Trailers and Teasers. Day 1
It’s all go in the James household as we gear up for the paperback release of my second Choc Lit novel, Follow Me, Follow You.
I’ve been writing guest posts to accompany the upcoming book tour, putting together a short about Chris and Victoria’s early love affair, sorting out bookmarks, and preparing for the actual book launch itself, to be held in Dorset on the 6th September.
From now until that day, I shall be posting images connected to Follow Me, Follow You – photos used for the trailer, images of inspiration, research pictures – anything that’s contributed to the creating, writing and promotion of the novel.
Today, I’m introducing the trailer to you, as a teaser for the next couple of weeks.
This is the first time I’ve filmed a trailer. Over the last few months, I’ve taken several trips to Chesil Beach and captured many images of the area on my camera. Thanks to a wonderful app called Waterlogue, I was able to turn those photos into water colour paintings.
This trailer is the result of many hours of me having fun with nature and technology. You won’t need 3D glasses to view, and it’s probably too short a film for you to make and enjoy a bucket of popcorn, but if you have your cup of tea and a Hobnob to hand, settle back and find out a little more about Victoria Noble and Chris Frampton.
Laura x
Follow Me Follow You: The Arrival of The Box
Follow Me Follow You: The Arrival of The Box
It was one of those Red Letter Days over the weekend. Having very kindly sent me an advance copy of my first-ever paperback, my lovely publisher, Choc Lit, then sent The Box to my house.
This is what was inside.
What an incredible moment. I took out the first copy and passed it to Gajitman, with the next two copies going to our children – not that they’re old enough to read Follow Me Follow You yet – it is an adult contemporary romance after all. Their copies will remain on the bookshelf for a while. They are not too young to ask for signed copies, however, and so their wish was my command.
‘How shall I sign it?’ I asked. ‘I’m your mum. I can’t sign it L E James …’
‘Put Mum and L E James,’ my daughter said.
So I did. My first-ever paperback, with my first-ever signature: Mum. L E James. I’m not intending on doing that in all of them … 🙂
I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has helped make my dream come true. I consider myself very lucky to be doing what I love, surrounded by the people I love, in a place that I love.
I look forward to meeting you at the book launch and author afternoon in September.
Have a great week.
Take care.
Laura x
Follow Me, Follow You on the Virtual Shelves
Follow Me, Follow You on the Virtual Shelves.
Huge excitement in the James household as my second novel for Choc Lit, Follow Me, Follow You hits the virtual shelves. It’s available on all major digital platforms, with the paperback to #follow early September.
There is a dedicated page here for the book.
I spent three days last week preparing for the release, including writing blogs in celebration. In the Choc Lit Corner I asked: what defines a first love?
Along with first loves, Follow Me, Follow You is about healing and recovery – not just for the characters, but for me as the writer.
I was 60,000 words into the first draft when I lost my mum two years ago, and with the wind very much knocked out of my sails, progressing the journey of Victoria Noble and Chris Frampton became a struggle. But I never gave up on them. I set them ashore and kept them safe until the storm had passed.
When the seas grew calmer, Victoria and Chris continued on their way and in September 2013, they reached their final destination.
Typing ‘Ends’ was a significant and emotional moment. I’d done it. I’d finished the story I was compelled to complete, connecting together two ends of an intricate, complicated and personal circle – one tied to my mother, the other to the last book we ever discussed.
And a piece of me healed.
As a result, I’m very attached to Victoria and Chris, little Seth and Rick, lovely Frank and direct Olivia, and I wish them a long and healthy life on the virtual shelves, in the real world.
Then come September, I’ll be standing on Chesil Beach, saluting the clear, blue skies with the paperback in my hand, acknowledging the journey we’ve all taken.
Laura x
Animals: What’s Your Purr-fect Companion?
Animals: What’s Your Purr-fect Companion?
I know. It’s a corny title, but it suits this post.
As I passed SplatCat Rascal on the landing today, and having only moments before finished reading Shani Struther’s The Haunting of Highdown Hall, I got to thinking about the use of animals and pets in novels.
In Shani’s story, I met Jed, a dog. He is a wonderful companion to the heroine, Ruby, and I confess, I formed an attachment to him from the off. As writers, we know everything we put into a novel must have a purpose – to move the story forward, give insight into our characters, cause and/or resolve conflict, set the scene – and Jed has a purpose. You’ll have to read the wonderful book to find out what, but he’s not there for his cuteness alone.
Declan, my hero in Truth or Dare?, has a cat called Toto. As much as Toto would have loved a major role, he was written in for three small, but significant
reasons: to show the hero’s caring nature, to illustrate to the reader Declan possesses the ability to form attachments, and to act as Declan’s confidant. Declan talks to Toto and shares with him his innermost thoughts. I do it all the time with Daisy and Rascal …
In my work-in-progress, What Doesn’t Kill You, Griff Hendry, the male protagonist, has an old English sheepdog. Why have I written a dog into the story? My hero is a man who needs a dog. Without Ozzy, Griff feels incomplete. They’ve been together for a few years and they are best buds. Sometimes Ozzy is the only one who responds to Griff. Sometimes Ozzy is the only member of the family Griff totally understands. Ozzy never criticises, never moans and is always happy to see his master, but the old English sheepdog is the one who, albeit unwittingly, compels Griff to give serious consideration to his strongly-held beliefs.
What have animals brought to your novel? What’s your favourite book where the animal is the main character?
And yes, before you ask, Black Beauty made me cry.
Follow Me, Follow You, my new paperback with Choc Lit, has no animals … wait a minute … Did I hear a baa?
Take care.
Laura x
For more photos of SplatCat Rascal and friends, please follow me on Pinterest. The Board is called Mad Cats and Englishmen.
Follow Me, Follow You: Preparing to Launch
Follow Me, Follow You: Preparing to Launch
It’s been an exciting few days as I’m now in a position to start putting together the invitation for the book launch of my first paperback, Follow Me, Follow You, published by Choc Lit , out September 2014.
Together with three local Weymouth writers, Kathy Sharp, Kate Kelly and Carol Hunt, I am hosting an author afternoon and launch at the Chesil Beach Centre, run by the fabulous Dorset Wildlife Trust. It is the perfect location, as Chesil Beach plays a major role in Follow Me, Follow You, and it also features in my debut novel, Truth or Dare?. My current work-in-progress also uses Chesil, Portland, Abbotsbury and surrounding areas as the backdrop, so I am thrilled to have the opportunity to show friends and family why I love writing with Dorset as the setting. Perhaps I should call the books The Chesil Series.
I’m in the process of creating the invitations, but here are the details as they stand:
Saturday September 6th
14:00 – 16:00
Chesil Beach Centre, Ferrybridge.
There is a plenty of parking (pay and display) and a café attached to the centre. With the pebbly beach and sea either side, it is a beautiful spot. I would like to thank Dorset Wildlife Trust for the wonderful support.
We would love to see you there – there will be giveaways and the opportunity to chat with the local authors, buy the books, and if you would like, have them signed.
And so you know, I’ve been diligently practising my signature … 🙂
I look forward to seeing you there.
Take care.
Laura x
A Day to Remember. Meeting Jill Mansell.
A Day to Remember. Meeting Jill Mansell.
The 1st of July 2014.
It was what my mum would have called a Red Letter Day, and one we’d have loved to have spent together.
It was an emotional, poignant and exciting day which completed a circle in my writing life.
At Exeter Central Library, I met three intelligent, witty, talented authors – Sheila O’Flanagan, Veronica Henry and Jill Mansell.
My mum, who was an avid reader and booklover, introduced me to Jill Mansell’s and Sheila O’Flanagan’s books a number of years ago. It was in Jill’s Good At Games, which I read first and enjoyed so much I devoured from cover-to-cover, where I first came across the Romantic Novelists’ Association. Jill wrote so enthusiastically about the organisation, I was compelled to investigate its website. I was thrilled to discover some of my favourite authors were members, and there was a scheme for new writers. As someone who believes there’s a novel in everyone, and as a person who’s penned poems, songs, comics and plays from a young age, I’d hit gold.
I was inspired and motivated to take action.
Four months later I joined the RNA on the New Writers’ Scheme.
In 2013, my debut novel, Truth or Dare? was released and published as an eBook by Choc Lit.
In September this year, my second novel, Follow Me, Follow You will be released digitally and as a paperback. A dream come true.
The evening of chat at the library was entertaining, informative and engaging, with the three ladies sharing their experiences and knowledge about novel writing. For me as a writer, their advice was invaluable, and as a reader I cannot wait to get started on their new books.
This truly was a RLD.
I am so pleased I was finally able to thank Jill in person for the inspiration she provided and for shining the light in the right direction.
And I’m so glad my mum had an excellent taste in authors.
Take care.
Laura x
Jill Mansell – The Unpredictable Consequences of Love
Sheila O’Flanagan – If You Were Me
Veronica Henry – The Beach Hut Next Door
It’s National Chocolate Day!
It’s National Chocolate Day!
I say that like I need an excuse to enjoy chocolate, but it’s not an excuse, it’s a reason.
My dependency on chocolate goes in phases. Believe it or not, there are times when I don’t fancy it.
Sorry. I should have warned you to sit down before I made that confession. I tend to go for savoury more than sweet – salted, buttery popcorn, cashews, black olives. I wonder if chocolate-covered black olives would be palatable …
But fear not, I’m experiencing a long phase of chocolism at the moment. I’m wondering if it’s my age, or if it’s because I’m a writer. Or perhaps my body is in desperate need of trace elements contained in a Galaxy bar.
I do enjoy a hot chocolate in those chilly, icy months. I had one last week at my son’s school sport’s day. Yes, I know it was June, but I was blue with cold. And I have a frozen shoulder.
You think me doth protest too much?
Hot chocolate is a soothing drink and was used as a form of medicine way back when. It’s feeding and comforting and smooth.
As I was thinking about this post, I realised both Truth or Dare? and Follow Me, Follow You have hot chocolate mentions and scenes, and all for different reasons.
In Truth or Dare? Declan makes the drink for Elle as a peace offering and an invitation to talk:
He pushed himself up, approached the kettle and prepared two hot chocolates. Two minutes later, he was on the landing, outside Elle’s bedroom, tapping on her door. ‘Elle?’ He gave her a moment to reply, but was met with a silence that was becoming too familiar. ‘I’ve made us hot chocolates.’ He heard rustling and shuffling, two floorboards creek and a nose blow, indicators Elle had been lying in bed crying; another familiar scenario. Yesterday, Elle propped Declan up, supplying cups of tea and plates of toast. Today, it was his turn to be strong. It wasn’t a conscious decision to alternate, but thank goodness they didn’t sink to the bottom together. They were a source of support for each other, and for that, Declan was grateful. The door opened.
In Follow Me, Follow You, out September 2014, Victoria remembers her dad supplying mugs of hot chocolate in times of upset and sadness. It provides her with strength. It’s her go-to drink when she needs bolstering.
A waitress, wearing regulation black, and sporting a Santa’s elf hat, placed one hot chocolate and one lemonade on the table. Victoria smiled her thanks, and reclined. The bench, though dressed with cushions, was uncomfortable, but its style was in keeping with the rest of the interior; dark mahogany beams across the ceiling, white wooden sash windows, and porthole lights. Christmas decorations hanging overhead like jungle vines brought colour, but it was the heat and glow from the central log burner that gave the room its warmth. The place had character. More than Victoria remembered. Not that she’d paid much notice to it in her youth, her eyes and mind being all about Chris.
And on this day, it seems appropriate to add I’m published by the wonderful Choc Lit.
My short story, Bitter Sweet, published in the RNA anthology, Truly, Madly, Deeply, is about a chocolate sculptor, and in Melt, a story appearing in Romaniac Shorts, Carissima Sweet owns a café called The 
Chocolate Bar.
I’m beginning to see a theme …
One last thing. Do you like your chocolate straight from the fridge or eaten at room temperature?
Happy National Chocolate Day!
Take care.
Laura x