Surrey village people

Welcome to my blog if you’ve found it for the first time, after spotting my piece in the April issue of SURREY LIFE. This is the first of a new series on people who put life into villages and bring a small community together. Editor, Caroline Harrap, came up with the series title ‘Notes from a Small Village’– apologies to Bill Bryson!

I may have met you at one of 40 or so book signings over the years in various Surrey Waterstones bookshops. If so, hello again! Either way, if you have time, feel free to browse through my 'ramblings' – going strong since 2009! Just click through titles listed lower down in right-hand column. And, please send me a comment below if you want to make contact now!

Those who follow me on Twitter will know of other characters I have ‘discovered’. Take a look here:

LoveaHappyEnding Lifestyle magazine Real people, real unsung heroes and heroines.

My novels are, of course, filled with fictitious people who also do unusual things, but real life does rub off on my fiction. For one thing, I live smack bang in the middle of my imaginary Appley Green world, although my dreamed up village has less traffic than most real Surrey villages! I think a busy road cutting through many a village mars what would otherwise be perfection. Would you agree? More about my Appley Green books on Amazon – just click on book covers.

In my next post here I will be looking at how life experience and real people have helped me in the writing of my four novels.  I do like to mix fact with fiction so that the reader can not only escape but also grab hold of some social realism. Love story there may be, but romance comes with a twist.

I must say how lovely it is to be a columnist for SURREY LIFE, a magazine that always cheers me up and reminds me of what a beautiful county Surrey is, with so many things to do and see.  Who knows where I may end up next? It could be a village near you!

And not forgetting – my books have all been reviewed in SURREY LIFE! Juliette Foster met me briefly at the first Surrey Heath Book Festival and contacted me to review my first two books and the rest, as they say, is history!

Here are the links to Book Corner in SURREY LIFE digital archive:

March 2014, Page 130  Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served

November 2014, Page 70 Shades of Appley Green - a modern village novel

January 2016,  Page 72  Secrets in Appley Green - a 1960s village novel

Until next time! And look out in May SURREY LIFE for the next Surrey village and the next amazing person!

'So You Want to Write a Novel?'

UPDATE WRITTEN ON 16 SEPTEMBER:
The second workshop mentioned below in red was also a rewarding and enjoyable experience. I shall be doing another workshop on the same theme at the WestEndCentre, Aldershot, a really cool arts venue, in the evening on 16 November. Take a look: http://peo.hants.gov.uk/peo/default.asp


My first writing workshop ‘So You Want to Write a Novel?’ was at Camberley Theatre last night and went well. 

 

To be back to ‘normal’ is wonderful, and fulfilling something I was invited to do last year is a special landmark for me. An enthusiastic bunch of people came along and we had a thoroughly enjoyable evening. I can say that because everyone agreed as much at the end and wanted more! The range of writing experience spanned the full spectrum, from people who had written books already – one self-published children’s author; and another with 15 non-fiction books to her name; to those who had never written anything creative before but fancied the idea of having a go.

A year ago I had just produced my second grandchild! I was also in the middle of a course of aggressive chemo, following a major operation, all this prior to the second big operation in July. The ghostly memory seems like a lifetime ago and, forgive the play with words, but it never seemed to me as a time when life was uncertain.

The photos here capture a moment when my lovely 'class' were in deep concentration, heads down, writing – lost in thought. There were lighter moments, rest assured and much laughter.

Some comments at the end:

‘Hugely useful – time passed very quickly, an engaging lecturer.’ (I'm flattered!)

‘A very interesting and helpful course.’

‘A very interesting workshop that made me think about what is really involved in writing.’

 

 ‘Really enjoyed workshop, size of group was just right. Was managed for all levels. Would like to attend any further courses and understand later about publishing.’

 

‘Loved this – would like even more interactive activities please.’

 

Many thanks to everyone and to Camberley Theatre for providing the room and publicity.
 

Another workshop is planned for the morning of 16 June. Looking forward to this already.

http://www.camberleytheatre.biz/events/event.htm?mode=3&pk_events=5197 
 

My books are on display in Camberley's Waterstones, by the way, so a friend tells me, and of course available on Amazon.

Book Signings have Changed!

How quiet can quiet be?

You may know there are new rules for book signings in Waterstones.  Basically, your slot is limited to two hours and authors must not ‘approach’ customers in the shop but wait politely, mute, like Victorian children, until they are spoken to first! In place for a few months now, book signings are, unsurprisingly, fewer than they have been in recent years.  It can be daunting for an author who is not famous, and it gives the impression that CEO James Daunt is really wanting only celebrity names that will attract queues of ‘fans’.

After more than 35 signings over the years, this was my first signing event under these regulations and it was so quiet I was preparing for an early bath.  I sat for a while in peaceful, reflective mood; after all, what else could I do? Contemplating the Mothers’ Day display, with its Baking Moulds and Janet and John fridge magnets, and the table with an assortment of Kindles, I was inwardly sighing at how things were not what they used to be. What lovely conversations I used to have!

Then I left my post in order to purchase a book upstairs (you’re curious perhaps; it was ‘Wedding Etiquette’ to assist me and my family in getting it right on my daughter’s special day). As I returned, there was a lady looking through my books. It was @CamObserved who had spotted me on Twitter! It turned out our children went to the same school and we had a mutual friend … This delightful person bought Shades of Appley Green and I decided to stay a little longer, still behaving immaculately – apart from my sign, which was a tad wicked I suppose.

'THIS AUTHOR DOES NOT BITE! - PLEASE APPROACH!!'

I ended up signing almost as many books as I might have done by chatting in the old way to likely and unlikely suspects alike. (If charity mugging is chugging, what is book mugging?) A lady came up to me very excited to see Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served  –  her adult daughter always said she would like to try the Gypsy lifestyle for a while, so both books were bought for her daughter’s upcoming birthday. I had a lovely chat with a man who used to work with Travellers in Southwark and then a man from Aldershot considered my books thoughtfully and, after I had filled him in with a little background on each one, he bought all three.  It would have been unseemly to hug him and splash wet kisses upon his cheeks and, fortunately, I managed to stop myself in time.

All in all, I did not go home hoarse from talking for maybe four hours to customers who had come into the shop either with a precise purpose or to browse. I was surprised, but maybe this is the way to go after all!

I am not so daunted by Daunt as I was.

PS Big thank you to all in Camberley Waterstones!

The Changing Face of Waterstones

For years Waterstones has been very supportive of its local authors. What is happening now?

There are changes going on! Waterstones is selling Kindle e-readers to its customers, with the idea of customers browsing  books in their shops – the touchy feely version, as normal – and then if they want an ebook version they can download it on the premises. How this will work for them, as a profitable venture will remain to be seen. I guess they feel people are doing this anyway, and if they can be part of the experience so much the better. In other words, if you can’t beat them, join them!

More to the point here, Waterstones shops are cutting back on their author signing events. All the booksellers I have spoken to about this across a number of branches, are pretty upset by this initiative from their newish CEO James Daunt but feel helpless to express their opinion. For a variety of reasons, they see author visits as good for business.  As I understand it, the focus will be on very well-known authors (including celebrities who happen to have brought out a book) giving talks ‘out of hours’ in the evening.  The hope is for queues of people lining the pavements, as in days of old. This idea will make it more difficult for new writers to become ‘established’. Come on bookshops! Surely you can’t expect publishers and authors to do all the promotional work for you!!

Waterstones launch book signing
 of first novel, Gypsies Stop tHere 2008

I have done 3 book launches and over 30 book signings in Waterstones since 2008, when I first launched Gypsies Stop tHere (as well as Borders and events).

They can be hard work, but I thoroughly enjoy doing them (not all authors do), have met people from all walks of life and had stimulating discussions at my little table of books. People have waved goodbye smilingly as they went out of the shop with a signed copy of my book(s), like old friends.

In The Author, the Society of Authors quarterly magazine, I read:  “In August, The Bookseller reported that Waterstones might be getting cold feet about hosting author events in its stores. The root of the problem seems to be some individual writers, uninvited, over-zealously promoting their books to customers in Waterstones shops …"  It would seem that “inappapropiate activities of a few” have spoilt it for the rest of us  - who do not appear to have overcooked things. Indeed I have heard of one writer who is particularly forthcoming – the culprit shall remain anonymous; very diplomatically, booksellers can never recall his name, but from the descriptions I am sure he is the same one. I completely  understand that customers do not want to be accosted; there is a gentle way of doing things, but simple guidelines could be suggested and the situation easily ‘policed’ by the booksellers.

Launch of Shades of Appley Green 2012

I am not sure what the future holds for authors – one branch manager has already said that my visit was their last one of the ‘old signing events’ but  they hope to arrange something else with me soon; so I hope this indicates that all is not lost! Meanwhile, inevitably, much as I value the strong relationship I have built over the years with Waterstones, (with all my books stocked by their wholesaler so they get a discount on a par with mainstream publishers), perhaps I shall need to switch my focus to smaller booksellers and ebooks. Many other authors must be in the same boat and I would love to hear from you.

http://www.booksellers.org.uk/bookshopsearch   

I will keep you posted and if anyone has any further info or thoughts on the subject, please do leave a comment – as a writer, a reader, a bookshop or a Waterstones bookseller!


Will this be the last?

 

Media round-up!

Here is a swift round-up of media coverage for my new book Shades of Appley Green now a paperback as well a Kindle ebook, available on Amazon and in Waterstone's

I am proud to be one of 30 selected authors who belong to Love a Happy Ending They are holding an international book event, Summer Audience, in June that happens, by sheer coincidence, to be at my old school in the small town of Tetbury, Gloucestershire (very close to Prince Charles’ Highgrove).

More clear evidence that the  Mayor of Surrey Heath opened the fantastic Waterstone's launch party in Camberley on 14 March!

A surprise reporter also came along from Camberley People She is responsible for the lovely photos – just look at that display of books. Thanks Waterstone’s!

Another surprise reporter from the wonderful, culturally stimulating and informative Glow Magazine. It covers the Windsor area where I did a book signing.

Give your eyes a rest, you can listen to this one!! Surrey Heath Residents Blog podcast If you Search this blog with my name many previous appearances come up, related to Gypsies and Travellers, and my first two books Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served but as you all know, Shades of Appley Green is not about Gypsies.

Watch out for more ...

Waterstone's book launch party!

I’m not sure how many book launches happen these days, but I think it is a fantastic way to mark the occasion that you have produced a new book and Yay! it is now available to buy and read.

About 40 people came along, about the right number for the upper floor of the shop – a bigger crowd might have resulted in wine spillages and all manner of unruly behaviour!

Sophie from Camberley People was a lovely surprise guest and she stayed until the end, clearly taking mental notes as well as photographs. Camberley People   Cath, Camberley Waterstone’s manager, opened the evening and introduced The Mayor of Surrey Heath, Councillor Tim Dodds, who pioneered Surrey Heath’s first Literary Festival last summer.



At Camberley Literary Festival 2011

He spoke very kindly of my books and his blog post appeared promptly the next morning The Mayor's 'report' He also said how important it is to support bookshops in this age of the e-reader. The Mayor’s personal preference is for a book he can pick up and hold; indeed, he was very taken with my book cover. On the other hand, his wife, also at the party, now prefers her Kindle. Opinion is often divided in this way; meanwhile we authors and publishers need to offer our books in both formats, which reminds me I must get around to getting No Gypsies Served on Kindle …

I failed to speak briefly and probably went on for too long!! But I felt I must explain that this ‘modern village novel’, the first of a new series (did I hear ‘Oh no!’ from my husband), has nothing to do with Gypsies and Travellers this time, although it is set in the same place. The style of book cover indicates something new. 



Thanks to Camberley People for photos



As suggested by Cath, the manager at Camberley Waterstone’s, I did a reading and decided on the 'blurb', Prologue and opening of Chapter 1. Another, more random extract, will be appearing on another blog post on Wednesday, 21 March Love a Happy Ending

As someone also representing the local community - for this novel is very much to do with community life - Chris Pitt, Councillor for Frimley Green and Deepcut, also spoke about how he first met me at a Gypsy and Traveller Forum and later enjoyed my first two novels, Gypsies Stop tHere and No Gypsies Served. A lovely comment he once made in an email: ‘They are amazingly readable, and I tore through each within about 48 hours of purchasing them. Couldn’t put them down wanting to find out what happened.’ There are local plans for a Traveller site up the road from where I live, so these novels are even more topical and of greater local relevance than when first published.

It was all captured on my husband’s movie camera but I’m not sure if this film will ever be released for the general viewing public; something to show my grandchildren, perhaps, in years to come.

This is rather late as I have been frantically busy since last week. A big thank you to everyone there – friends, neighbours, old work colleagues, some people I have never met before. Your support is much appreciated.