Monday, July 27, 2015

GUEST POST - T. A. WILLIAMS

It's a Dog's Life
by Merlin 

Hi. In case you’re wondering, I’m a dog.

You may already know me, under one of my many aliases, from reading the books written by my patron, T A Williams, aka Trevor Williams, the man who writes books for women. You see, he and I go way back and he always puts me in his books.

I normally appear as a pedigree black Labrador (my true persona) although in The Room on the Second Floor I morphed into an enormous, but utterly charming mongrel (apart from an unfortunate habit of drinking out of the toilet bowl). Curiously, on the cover of What Happens in Tuscany, the artist transformed me into a long-haired retriever. 

Now, I have nothing against long hair. Indeed, some of my best friends are very hirsute, although my patron (“owner” sounds so very demeaning, don’t you think?) is very definitely not of the hirsute variety. In fact, take a look at any photograph of him and you’ll see light reflecting off his bald head.

Anyway, I digress…

My most recent incarnation is in What Happens in Cornwall as a young, very handsome (naturally) Labrador called Henry. I rather like that name. Henry has the great good fortune to live on an island with the famous film star, Ann Cartwright, described as “the most beautiful woman in the world”. There is no doubt that Henry has a good life, although having to travel to and from the USA in a crate is not my idea of fun. In this book, Henry plays a leading role, as it is he who makes an amazing archaeological discovery. I’d better not tell you too much.

Prior to Henry, I appeared in a charming cameo role as Dante, the Italian Labrador. In What Happens in Tuscany…, Dante is the undisputed capo di tutti i capi of a rather fine hillside overlooking Florence. He has style, manners and the remarkable ability, unusual in Labradors, to restrain himself from farting in the presence of refined company. Although he understands Italian, he is also fluent in English. No mean feat for a quadruped. Not as good as being able to type like me, but not bad at all…

His predecessor was called Danny. Danny is the eponymous hero of When Alice Met Danny. Now, it may surprise you to find that a Labrador knows the meaning of the word eponymous, but by now you’ve probably gathered that I’m a slightly unusual dog. In fairness Danny has a lot of competition in that book. You see, he’s not the only Danny. There’s a windsurfer, a baby, a writer, even the lord of the manor. In fact everywhere you turn, there are characters called Danny. But Danny, my alter ego, is the true hero of the book. And he gets the girl and keeps her, which is more than can be said for the rest of the cast.

The large mongrel incarnation of me in The Room on the Second Floor is called Jasper. Apart from his aforementioned idiosyncratic drinking habits, Jasper has an unfortunate habit of knocking things, and people, over. He manages to destroy a priceless grandfather clock, tip his mistress into a bush and chew up a perfectly good pair of shoes. On the plus side, he discovers a gold ring, is responsible for rescuing his master, and chases off a potential villain. I suppose you could think of him as a canine Schwarzenegger; not too hot on refinement, but a good friend to have beside you in a fight.

And last, or rather first, if you look at the chronology of the books, is Noah in Dirty Minds. Noah’s master, Tom, has had a tough time recently and Noah has been there all the way to offer canine company and support. He has a weakness for biscuits, an obsession with swimming. Although flatulence is a recurring problem, he’s probably the closest to me, the original and genuine canine inspiration for T A Williams, or the Old Man, as I like to call him.

Now, if you will excuse me, I can hear the postman at the gate. Woof, woof, woof… 

What Happens in Cornwall… is out on July 20th, 2015, published by Carina. Check out the other stops on Trevor's blog tour and be sure to enter his giveaway below:

 
Book Blurb

For a very British summer holiday…
 
When archaeologist Sam realises her relationship is as dead as the skeletons she’s exhuming, she knows it’s time to make a change. But with bills to pay her options are limited…until a discovery on Rock Island in Cornwall gives her a reason to escape… 

Head to the Cornish coast!

In Cornwall, questions are thrown up at every turn: who is the glamorous owner of Rock Island that the paparazzi are so interested in? How has the irresistible, but impossibly arrogant, history professor James Courtney managed to get so far under Sam’s skin? And will it ever stop raining so Sam can lose the cagoule and sip a cool drink in the sun? One thing’s for sure: there’s never been a holiday quite like this one! 

Enjoy a summer of surprises and romance with What Happens in Cornwall…, the perfect retreat for fans of Fern Britton.


Purchase What Happens in Cornwall



Author Bio

Firstly, my name isn't T A. It's Trevor. I write under the androgynous name T A Williams because 65% of books are read by women. In my first book, "Dirty Minds" one of the (female) characters suggests the imbalance is due to the fact that men spend too much time getting drunk and watching football. I couldn't possibly comment. Ask my wife...

I've written all sorts: thrillers, historical novels, short stories and now I'm enjoying myself hugely writing humour and romance. Romantic comedies are what we all need from time to time. Life isn’t always very fair. It isn’t always a lot of fun, but when it is, we need to embrace it. If my books can put a smile on your face and maybe give your heartstrings a tug, then I know I’ve done my job.

I‘ve lived all over Europe, but now I live in a little village in sleepy Devon, tucked away in south west England. I love the place. That’s why you’ll find leafy lanes and thatched cottages in most of my books. Oh, yes, and a black Labrador.

I've been writing since I was 14 and that is half a century ago. However, underneath this bald, wrinkly exterior, there beats the heart of a youngster. My wife is convinced I will never grow up. I hope she's right.

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Monday, July 13, 2015

GUEST POST - LAURA MCNEILL


Last summer, I made a huge transition in my career as an author. Since 2011, I’ve been writing novels set in the Deep South, beginning with my first book, Stay Tuned. I went on to publish three additional novels, all in the chick lit genre.

In early 2014, though, I acquired an agent who represents primarily drama and suspense. Fortunately, I’d written two such novels, but had kept them under wraps when my chick lit career started taking off.

After months of shopping around my suspense novel, Center of Gravity, my agent sold the novel to HarperCollins/Thomas Nelson in a two-book deal. Amidst the shock and celebration, I worried quite a bit about losing my readers. After all, chick lit readers are my people. Not only that, many of my author friends write chick lit too—what would they think?

To further confuse the issue, I’d been publishing under the pen name, Lauren Clark, but Thomas Nelson suggested I use my real name, Laura McNeill, to differentiate between the two genres.

In the end, I decided that these are all great problems to have. When I thought about it logically, domestic suspense isn’t all that far of a stretch from chick lit. Before you decide to stop reading, hear me out. 

Melissa Amster, the creator and a writer for Chick Lit Central says, "I define chick lit as modern women's literature featuring a female character ranging in age from 20-40, dealing with issues in the fields of career, romance and family (or even a mix of these items)."*

With this in mind, here are 5 reasons why the chick lit and domestic suspense genres are a bit like kissing cousins:


1. Life Issues - Chick lit plots usually consist of women experiencing usual life issues, such as love, marriage, dating, relationships, friendships, addiction, and much more. Center of Gravity? Gone Girl? Girl on the Train? Check, check, check.

2. Tone - Barbara Vey, in an article for Publisher's Weekly says, "Chick lit is told in a ... confiding, personal tone. It's like having a best friend tell you about her life. Or watching various characters go through things that you have gone through yourself." Ditto for domestic suspense. Center of Gravity is told mainly from three first-person perspectives - Ava Carson, 8-year-old Jack Carson, and attorney Graham Thomas.


3. Humor - Chick lit readers, in general, expect to be entertained with at least a few scenes that make them laugh or smile. Though this is not generally an element in domestic suspense, I did insert a scene to break the tension mid-way through Center of Gravity.

In the scene, attorney Graham Thomas stumbles on a conversation between Mitchell Carson and several school employees. At first, Graham eavesdrops behind a huge saltwater fish tank, but jumps into the fray and confronts Mitchell after hearing him spin outlandish lies about Ava. (It's a great sceneone of my favorites in the book.)

4. Platonic Relationships - In chick lit, the heroine's relationship with her family or friends is often just as important as her romantic relationship. The same goes for many domestic suspense novels. In Center of Gravity, Ava misses her relationships with the teachers she worked with as a school counselor, and the close friendship she enjoyed with coffee shop owner Marley Kennedy.

5. Romance - Though there aren't a lot of swoon-worthy scenes in Center of Gravity, there's a definite attraction between hottie attorney Graham Thomas and heroine Ava Carson. Thomas is a Harley-driving, rugged, and outspoken lawyer who joins Team Ava to fight the injustices she's experiencing.

So, there you have it—five ways chick lit and domestic suspense relate in theme, focus, and voice. I’d love to hear what you think. Do you read only chick lit and rom coms or do you occasionally venture off into other genres?

(Tomorrow, July 14th, marks my release day for Center of Gravity, and I want to thank my friend and fellow author Tracie Banister for hosting me on BBB.)

<Blogger's Note> Always a pleasure to have Laura on Books by Banister. She's one of my fave Chick Lit authors, and I'm sure her writing will translate beautifully to the Suspense genre. Wishing her all the best on her new creative endeavor! 

*PW Article: How do you define Chick Lit?



Book Blurb

The truth could cost her everything. 

Her whole life, Ava Carson has been sure of one thing: she doesn’t measure up to her mother’s expectations. So when Mitchell Carson sweeps into her life with his adorable son, the ready-made family seems like a dream come true. In the blink of an eye, she’s married, has a new baby, and life is wonderful.

Or is it?

When her picture-perfect marriage begins unraveling at the seams, Ava convinces herself she can fix it. It’s temporary. It’s the stress. It’s Mitchell’s tragic history of loss.

If only Ava could believe her own excuses.

Mitchell is no longer the charming, thoughtful man she married. He grows more controlling by the day, revealing a violent jealous streak. His behavior is recklessly erratic, and the unanswered questions about his past now hint at something far more sinister than Ava can stomach. Before she can fit the pieces together, Mitchell files for divorce and demands full custody of their boys.

Fueled by fierce love for her children and aided by Graham Thomas, a new attorney in town, Ava takes matters into her own hands, digging deep into the past. But will finding the truth be enough to beat Mitchell at his own game?

Center of Gravity weaves a chilling tale, revealing the unfailing and dangerous truth that things—and people—are not always what they seem.

Purchase Center of Gravity

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Author Bio  
 
Laura adores hot coffee, good manners, the color pink, and novels that keep her reading past midnight. She believes in the beauty of words, paying it forward, and that nerds rule the world. Laura is a fan of balmy summer nights, fireflies, and pristine mountain lakes. She lives in Mobile, Alabama with her two sons.
 
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