Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 5. Introducing the Great Oak.
The Great Oak
All heroes need to find solutions to their problems, and Chris Frampton, however exceptional he is in other areas, is no different. He likes to talk through a problem, which is what I do when I have a plot issue. We like to put the words ‘out there’, and watch them take shape.
So we need a confidant. One who, or in this case, that listens and lets us work things out for ourselves.
Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 4. Chris Frampton’s Playground.
Chris Frampton is a Hollywood action hero. He’s a good-looking, leather-clad, instinctive all-rounder – that’s why he’s been so successful – but his speciality is bikes.
He spent many hours in his youth thrashing his BMX around the undulating grounds of Hope Cove Castle, honing his skills, before trying his hand at infinitely more dangerous surfaces.
I struggle to grip the handlebars of a cycle these days, so sitting on the saddle is enough danger for me.
Follow Me, Follow You Teasers: Day 3. The Real Images Behind the Trailer.
In yesterday’s teaser, I showed you a photograph of my son standing on Chesil Beach. He was aged four at the time of the photograph.
When I was searching for images to use in the book trailer, Gajitman remembered he had this photo, and when he showed me, I knew it was a perfect representation of Seth Noble, Victoria’s four-year-old lad in Follow Me, Follow You.
Perfect apart from the lack of curly hair.
After a little technical ‘hair’ wizardry, and use of the wonderful Waterlogue app, I converted the photo into what Gajitman and I think is a beautiful image. But then, we are programmed to be biased.
Seth, aged 4, on Chesil BeachOur son, at the age of four, on Chesil.
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.
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 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.
Chesil Beach
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.
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.
I am here for 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.
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:
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 … 🙂
Lisa Eveleigh, Gillian Green, Lyn Vernham and Matt Bates: The role of booksellers, publishers & agents in a new book buying age.
It was fabulous – a concoction of workshops, discussion panels, friends, food and wine. I never fail to learn at these events. My friend and fellow Romaniac, Sue Fortin has posted a wonderful round-up of the weekend here. The RNA has a great post here.
At one point of the proceedings, there was an interesting, unscheduled chat about how comfortable we feel saying we write romantic fiction.
In my early days … okay, two years ago … I was slightly ill at ease telling people I was a writer. It had nothing to do with the genre – I am incredibly happy to be reading and writing romantic fiction – it was more that I had nothing solid to show for my efforts. In April 2012, when my 1500 word story, Bitter Sweet, achieved the runner-up position in Choc Lit’s short story competition, I had my first writing credit, and it was a little easier to speak the words, albeit it quietly, ‘I am a writer.’
Penrith 2012
Later that year, at the RNA conference in Penrith, the lovely Miranda Dickinson presented a workshop and everything I’d experienced, she too had been through, but she was a writer, and the more she said it, the easier it became to repeat and believe.
I left that presentation motivated and inspired, and still have the postcards Miranda gave out that day, asserting ‘I write, therefore I am a writer.’
Things have progressed for me since then, with Bitter Sweet finding a home in the RNA’s Truly, Madly, Deeplyanthology, stories in Romaniac Shorts, publication in Choc Lit’s Love Match, with a second anthology from them out soon, my debut novel, Truth or Dare? digitally published last October and my first paperback, Follow Me, Follow Youdue out this September. All my stories are romantic fiction.
I’m hoping you’re reading this and picturing me talking about it to you, my eyes wide with excitement, my speech a little too fast for clarity, because I love what I do. I love writing.
And I love writing romantic fiction.
I believe in self-fulfilling prophecies and affirmations. I believe that by saying something often enough, that dream, that hope, will happen. Whether caught up in the enthusiasm or reacting to the broken record, others start to believe too, and things happen.
Yes, we make our own luck, seek out the opportunities, put ourselves forward, but we need to believe in ourselves and in what we do to have the energy to pursue the dream. And that energy and belief will draw people in.
Negative energy will repel.
My name is Laura James, and I write romantic fiction.
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.
Jill Mansell showing an example of her novel planning.
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 Youwill be released digitally and as a paperback. A dream come true.
Exeter Library
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.
