Inspiring Women

Between juggling a full time day job and writing and everything that life throws at me, sometimes I just want to go back to bed and stay under the duvet for a long stretch.

But that's not an option and of course I don't really want to pack it all in, which is why I love reading inspiring stories, books and articles about women who are getting things done. I recently read Sheryl Sandberg's Lean In. I enjoyed it a lot and in particular one quote stuck with me "done is better than perfect." I keep reminding myself to just get started. Just get it done.

With that in mind, I was hugely inspired by this Victoria Beckham article. It's well worth a read, whether or not you're a Spice Girls fan from back in the day! I'm a huge admirer of anyone who works this hard and has managed to reinvent herself and keep believing in herself in the face of a Great British public who, too often, tend to try to cut people down to size.

So cheers Victoria Beckham... exactly the Monday morning motivation that I needed.

Giveaway Klaxon

Here in London it feels very much like summer is over... but what a summer it's been for me. Over the summer Carina UK released two of my novels Black Diamond and Remember My Name.

It's been so great getting feedback, reviews and such lovely comments from readers.

To celebrate the release of both of my books and to say thank you to all my readers, I'm doing a Giveaway via my Facebook page.

I love plotting my stories the old fashioned way - with pen and paper and one of my biggest indulgences are Smythson notebooks. When it comes to notebooks Smythson really are the gold standard! So, I'll be giving away a Smythson Notebook to two lucky Facebook followers.

To be in with a chance of winning, simply head over to my Facebook page - HERE
Then make sure to LIKE my page AND also post a comment just to say hi.

I'll pick the winners on Saturday 13th September, so get entering and spread the word.

Good Luck!!

To be in with a chance of winning, you must:
1. Like my page Here and
2. Make a comment on my Facebook page...

Thanks again to all the readers who've read and supported Black Diamond and Remember My Name.

Happy Friday!!

Havana.
xox

Girl Meets Boy - A New Series

Too often lately, I've found myself sitting through a supposedly romantic movie and groaning through the cliches and thinking: Why? How? Who are these people that exist only in romantic movie land? Who are these women who trip over their toes every five minutes and can't seem to hold a thought for half a second. What is this weird misogyny masquerading as a plot point? What is this crappy, implausible meet-cute and why oh why don't these actors have any chemistry together? As I sat through another insulting romance on TV the other day, I decided I'd start blogging, not about the bad, infuriating, patronising ones but about all the romantic movies that I've loved and what I loved about them. And also about the upcoming romantic movies that I hope might be worth the trip to the cinema and the cost of the popcorn.

According to Hollywood it's Boy Meets Girl, Boy Loses Girl, Boy Gets Girl Back. This paradigm has become the dominant form of so many Hollywood Romantic comedies for decades but in the last few years it's started to feel as though the paradigm has been tested to its limits, that the rom-com is broken. Growing up on films like Sleepless in Seattle, Four Weddings and a Funeral, Pretty Woman, Love and Basketball, Working Girl and When Harry Met Sally, I've always loved a good romantic film and for me romance encompasses a broader umbrella than just the increasingly creaky rom-com form. I love romantic dramas, romantic thrillers (Unfaithful, anyone?), bittersweet romances and all the category defying romantic stories in between. Though they have been few and far between lately there have also been a few recent romantic films that I've loved. Friends With Benefits (the one with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis - NOT the other one with the similar title) was a totally unexpected treat, Something New was a much needed fresh perspective and Ruby Sparks was a sharp, inspiring, Indie, feminist and tricky romantic, anti-romantic eye-opener (just watch it!). At the moment I'm anticipating Before Midnight so much that I probably need to give myself a stern talking to so my expectations don't ruin it for me.

As a writer of romantic fiction, it's safe to say that romantic films and of course books have had a pretty big hand in my development. From my slight over-investment in Jo and Professor Bhaer's relationship in Little Women to my obsessive suppert of Eric/Sookie in both the Sookie Stackhouse Books and True Blood Series, to the fact that I've watched Notting Hill a disturbing number of times, I have learned a lot from and been inspired by good romantic books and films. It's safe to say that these books and films have uplifted me, given me hope when I felt I'd have train-tracks on my teeth till I died and acne forever. They've probably also massively distorted my expectations of my romantic life... but that's another story. 

So the aim of my new series of posts GIRL MEETS BOY will be to blog about those romantic films and also TV romances or romantic arcs in TV shows that have moved, excited and challenged me.

I hope you'll join the conversation too, in the comments below and also on Twitter and on Facebook. What are your favaourite romantic movies and why? I'm eager to grow my must-watch list of good 'uns. 

And check back next week where I shall be blogging, without shame about my love of Hugh Grant in most things but specifically in Notting Hill. Drop me a comment if there are any other romantic films, which you think I should check out. 

Havana. 

xox. 

Author Q & A - Ember Casey - HIS WICKED GAMES

Writing can be a pretty solitary business, which is why getting to know the online writing community is so great. I've been lucky to connect with fellow debut author Ember Casey who, like me, is releasing her steamy romance HIS WICKED GAMES in June.

Ember and I have been talking everything from worst fictional boyfriends to favourite hotties in Game of Thrones and I've been salivating over the teasers she's posted on her blog, so I'm excited to have her stop by on my blog and talk about her debut novel, her writing style and what makes a good love story.

Some men play to win...

Lily would do anything to save the Frazer Center for the Arts—even take on the infamous billionaire Calder Cunningham.

The Cunninghams have long held a reputation for being eccentric—and secretive. When Lily breaks onto their estate, she only wants to find and reason with Calder. The Cunningham family was the Frazer Center’s largest benefactor for years—until Calder took over the family funds and broke the pledge contract without warning. Now the Center is on the brink of closing, and she’s desperate to save the institution her father founded.

But Calder turns out to be more than she bargained for. He’s willing to consider her pleas—but for a price. Lily must indulge his whims, play along with his games—all while confined to his mysterious mansion—or she’ll never get the funds to save the Center. She must decide: play the mouse to his cat, or lose the organization she and her father spent their blood, sweat, and tears to build.

Hey Ember, Thanks for stopping by. So tell us about His Wicked Games. How did the idea first come to you? 

I started His Wicked Games when I was agonizing over rewrites of a YA novel. In the YA, I was struggling with the romantic relationship (or lack thereof) between the two main characters. I just couldn’t make it work. His Wicked Gamesbegan as a side project, an exercise in building sexual tension, but it just took off—before long, I’d pushed the YA novel aside to dive full force into the story of Lily and Calder. I love stories where the heroine starts off with a negative opinion of the hero (you can blame Pride and Prejudice for that), and I wanted to explore the passion of a love/hate relationship.

What drew you to writing sexy, romantic fiction? And what tips do you have on writing a hot sex scene. What makes a good romantic/ sexy novel?

Who doesn’t love a good love story? I think the key to a great romance novel is tension.  Sexual tension, of course, but also just the good old-fashioned conflict you get between two characters with fire and passion to spare.  I personally believe that the hottest sex scenes are a culmination (and explosion!) of the emotional, physical, and situational tension between two characters. They might signal an awakening, a shift of power, or something else, but they should change the dynamic of the relationship in some way or another, even if it’s only the subtlest of emotional shifts.

What books/ authors inspire you?  What/ Who are you reading at the moment? 

I read a bunch of genres—romance, of course, but I also love YA, historical fiction, and fantasy (I’m currently obsessed with the Song of Ice and Fire series). I’ve also been reading a lot of NA recently—I’m currently in the middle of Arranged by Sara Wolf, which I’m really loving—and I’m excited to see where this relatively new genre is heading.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing most of my life (cliché, I know…)  I still have copies of the stories they made us write in elementary school.  The oldest is from first grade—it’s called “The Candy Princess,” and it’s about a princess who lives in a world of candy. (Genius, right?) I started writing with the intent to publish a few years ago, but the first couple of novels I wrote were honestly pretty bad (and will never, ever see the light of day). I feel like some of us have to spit out a couple of crappy “starter” novels before we figure out who we are as a writer (or maybe that’s just me, haha).

Tell us about your writing process? 

If I’m being honest, it goes something like this: write a little, putz around on Twitter, write a little more, watch some videos on YouTube, write a little more, check email/Facebook/Reddit… You get where this is going.  As far as my long-term process is concerned, I’m a major re-writer. It usually takes me half a draft to figure out the core of the story I’m trying to write, and then I have to go back to the beginning and rework everything again. I usually put my work through several drafts before I let anyone else see it.

So what's next? Are you already working on Book 2? Will it be a sequel or a new story? 

Though His Wicked Games could stand alone, I wanted to continue Lily and Calder’s story. The next installment will be a novella, and it should be released at the end of June (so readers won’t have to wait long!). I’ll be releasing more details about it in the coming month. J

Where can readers connect with you?

They can check out my blog: http://embercasey.blogspot.com.
I’m also on Twitter www.twitter.com/embercasey
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/EmberCasey

When is His Wicked Games released? 

It will be released on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords on June 11, 2013. In the meantime you can find it on Goodreads - His Wicked Games


Thanks for stopping by Ember.

I hope you guys enjoyed reading this Q & A with Ember. Don't forget to add His Wicked Games to your shelf on Goodreads.

Also right now, Ember is running a giveaway over on her Blog so for a chance to win an Amazon giftcard and also e-ARCs of both His Wicked Games and my debut The Modeliser, head on over to Ember's Blog and get entering.

Next week I'll be hosting a new teaser from His Wicked Games, so do check back.

Happy Weekend!

Havana.
xox

The Modeliser - Teaser 1

As a thank you to everyone who has started following me on Twitter and has added the book to their shelf on Goodreads here's a small snippet from The Modeliser. 


"Tamara Fearson was coming down from a blissful orgasm. 
An all-consuming, earth shattering, lose all sense of time and place kind of orgasm; the kind she’d never been able to reach with any man. 

Once, there’d been a man who’d been able to push her buttons, push her close to the edge, almost make her forget who she was, but that was a long time ago and the less Tamara thought about him, the better."

Enjoy! And do check back for more snippets coming soon. 

Also head on over to my Facebook page. When I hit 100 likes, I'll be giving away an advance review copy of The Modeliser, so get liking away!

Havana.

xox

The Big Cover Reveal

Hey Guys,
I am so excited to finally be able to reveal the cover for my debut novel THE MODELISER. I love the cover and I think it really captures the glamorous and sexy spirit of the book.

When Hollywood bad-boy and legendary womanizer Alex Golden’s beloved grandfather dies he returns to London, and is thrown into the path of the women from his past. There is ex-lover Tamara, a super-bitch actress who never lets anything get in her way: until she falls head over heels in love with a powerful billionaire, that is. Then we have Alex’s sister, Helena, who dreams of stepping out from her family’s shadow and carving out a career as a photographer. And finally there is Talia, Helena’s best friend, whose hopes for a career writing for the big screen are dashed when she is unfairly fired from her job in the script department on a successful soap.

Alex’s fate is caught up with these three women as ambition, lust and love collide against the drama-fuelled backdrop of the film world. . .

The Modeliser will be available from June 1st.

Don't forget to add it to your shelf on Goodreads and come on over to Facebook or Twitter to connect and say hello.

I hope you love the cover as much as I do. And please do check back on the blog as I'll be treating you to some sexy snippets and excerpts later this week.

Havana.
xox

Decisions, Decisions.

Happy Thursday Guys!

Hopefully you've got a fun and productive day ahead. And, if you're really lucky you are having a sunnier day than it is in grey London today.

For some crazy reason, I've agreed to do a 10km run with a bunch of my girlfriends next month and so yesterday saw me lacing up my sneakers and hitting the park for a run. I'm what the Nike website calls a "slow and steady" runner, which is to say every step feels a little bit like a descent into hell. And yet yesterday as I took my training programme up a notch and ran 5km that's just over 3 miles, for once I wasn't thinking about my screaming calves, burning knees or stinging thighs. I wasn't wondering if my lungs were about to explode. I wasn't plotting out my next novel, which is how I usually get through my runs. I wasn't even singing along to the Justin Timberlake album that I'd downloaded especially for my run. Nope. I was smiling to myself while I mentally ran through the cover art that I've been picking for my novel. Yes! I've been working with an artist and picking images, fonts... It's a BIG decision picking the cover of a book that I had sooooo much fun writing.

I should have the cover for you very soon. And then I can unleash the title and cover to you all at once. Let's just say the cover will be as scandalous as the novel!

Are you excited? I am.... Can't wait for the big reveal.

Stay tuned. And next time I might just let you in on the title...

Havana. xx