A lot of Sense and some Sensibility Too! How to choose the title of your novel

There are many informative articles and blog posts on the subject of naming novels, but I must confess I hadn't read any before choosing Angel heart, the title of my debut historical romance. It came to me one day, in the early stages of researching the story. I liked it because it was short. I found it catchy and easy to remember, and I liked the fact it related both to the name of my heroin and to the plot, so I stuck with it and never considered changing it.

It was the same for my second historical romance, The Lion's Embrace, which once again just popped into my mind. It immediately felt right because it related to the main character - the hero this time - and the North African setting. As for the two romances I recently completed, Dancing for the Devil, and The Lady of Bellefontaine, and which will both be published by Áccent Press in the next few months, I found the titles before I even worked all out the details of the plot!

Now I have researched the topic I realise I got it all wrong and I should have taken more time and experimented with different ideas - even if I still love all my titles and would probably keep them anyway.

First and foremost, I should have 'Googled' them to make sure they didn't already exist or weren't too similar to others out there. The most important function of a title is indeed to identify your novel among the hundreds of thousands of books on the market, and a good title should be unique and make your book stand out. This makes so much sense I can't believe I didn't think of it.

Secondly, I should have waited until the end of the writing process before deciding on the name. This is because the original title you may have fallen in love with when you started writing your story may not reflect the plot, characters or style of the final manuscript and may therefore mislead or confuse potential readers. This is something else I didn't do, but then again I feel it would be too much like leaving the choice of a baby's name until after the birth, and I'm not sure I could wait that long.  

Of course, there are other factors to consider when choosing a title. Should you go for an obvious title that reflects the genre, style and content of the novel so that readers know exactly what they are buying, or choose a more intriguing title, one with different layers of meaning?

Many romance novels are often easily identifiable from their title. Anything with the words 'heart', 'passion', 'temptation', 'wedding' and of course 'love' and 'heart' (I am guilty here!) could point to a romance. Add an aristocratic title - 'Viscount', 'Marquess' or 'Duke' - and you fall into the sub genre of historical romances. Further references to a geographical or historical setting will immediately appeal to a specific market. For example any mention of the Highlands or Highlanders evokes Scottish lairds, clan wars or Jacobite plots, and of course men in kilts... 

Some romances have very long titles which look like mini-blurbs and give away most of the plot. There can be no doubt in the reader's mind about who the hero and heroin are, and what the conflict is going to be. 

Even without being too obvious some book titles give you an instant feel for the mood of the novel. I doubt anyone picking up Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls, Victor Hugo's Les Miserables or Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath would expect a cheerful read with a happy ending, even if they knew nothing of the story.

But what about the element of surprise? Is it a good idea to have a title so obscure readers have absolutely no idea about the story and they feel compelled to pick up the book and look at the blurb? Or is there a danger that they might feel let down, or even a little cheated, if the novel turns out to be somewhat less original and enchanting than the title suggested?

There are of course many great novels with great titles around. Successful French novelist Katherine Pancol has a few of those, such as The Yellow Eyes of Crocodiles, Cruel Men aren't so Easy to Find, or again The Squirrels in Central Park are Sad on Mondays (my own translation since the book is not yet available in English). And what about The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Devil Wears Prada, by Lauren Weisberger, One Hundred Years of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, or Madam, Will you Talk by Mary Stewart?  I wish I could come up with one of those. 

So what can you do if you are stuck and can't think of a title for your story? Using the name of the main character, or of the place or period where the novel is set is a good idea. So is referring to key words, concepts or images recurrent in the story and contrasting them (War and Peace is a classic example). Play on words or the use of alliteration will help make your title memorable (Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility), and so will rhyme (The Cat in the Hat by Dr Seuss). 

     

If you are planning a series, it makes sense to have catchy titles that follow on from one another or have the same style. Sue Grafton takes letters from the alphabet - A is for Alibi, B is for Burglar, C is for Corpse. Sophie Kinsella uses the same word in her Shopaholic series, and so does Kathy Reichs for her thrillers, Bones Are Forever, Devil Bones, Break No Bones. I very much like the titles fellow MuseitUp Publishing author Anne Stenhouse chose for her historical romances, Mariah's Marriage, Bella's Betrothal and her forthcoming novel Daisy's Dilemna. This is definitely something I wish I had considered for my own romantic novels, since Angel Heart, The Lion's Embrace and Dancing for the Devil are part of a trilogy. 

So what about you? How do you choose the title of your novels?  And which titles do you wish you had thought of first?

My Life in a Nutshell by Tanya J. Peterson

Today I am delighted to talk to Tanya J. Peterson about her latest novel. 

My Life in a Nutshell: A Novel is the story of one man's struggles with debilitating anxiety. Brian Cunningham has isolated himself to such a degree that his human contact is barely more than an hour a day. While lonely, he feels powerless to change his life. Unexpectedly, his safe little world is invaded by one Abigail Harris, a seven-year-old girl who, for the last five years, has bounced from foster home to foster home. She has come to live with an aunt and uncle she has never known. Unsure if she can trust her new environment, she turns to Brian. Neither one quite knows how to live in the world. Can they possibly help each other?

Hello Tanya and thank you so much for coming on the blog today to talk about yourself and your writing.First of all, can you tell us a little about you?
Hmmm. I’m thinking about this, and I keep coming back to one word: strange! I have a blue beta fish that no one in my house would name, so I named him RedFish. I love the show Phineas and Ferb because I’m pretty sure that Dr. Doofenschmirtz is my soul mate. I tend to get myself into trouble by going against the grain and speaking up for the underdog. I love to camp and hike and kayak. Family time is amazing. I mask social anxiety by talking too much, and then I worry about it for days afterward. I’ve been a teacher, a counselor, a support group facilitator for the National Alliance on Mental Illness (US). I have bipolar 1 disorder. I’m a proud mom of two wonderful adolescents and a happy wife of my husband.

Well, you may call yourself strange, but I think you sound fascinating and it's no wonder that you became a writer. What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to write? 

I’ve always loved writing! But after one person scoffed at a story I was writing about forest animals when I was in second grade, my creative writing days were over (yeah, I was a bit too sensitive, I think). I’ve also always wanted to help people and to make a difference in the world. For the longest time, I wanted to be a doctor. For different reasons, I became a teacher. But I really wanted to be a counselor, so I became one. Then I ended up spending some time in a behavioural health hospital (after a traumatic brain injury in a car accident) and receiving a (very accurate) diagnosis of bipolar 1 disorder. So many passions and experiences of mine have come together into novel writing, and I feel like I’m finally doing what I’ve wanted to do my whole life: write and do something to help people.

You definitely sound very brave and determined, and very passionate about your work and your writing. Where do you get your ideas for your stories, and for My Life in a Nutshell more specifically?

My novels always address certain themes or concepts around mental illness/mental health. I want to use characters that people bond with to show what certain aspects of mental illness are truly like (as opposed to what is stereotyped on the news, in films, etc.). With each book, I pick something specific, create a character (and then the other characters) to reach out to readers, and then I build the story. With My Life in a Nutshell, I wanted to show what certain anxiety disorders are like because anxiety is so common and so misunderstood. I wanted to put people inside the mind of someone who lives with debilitating anxiety.

Do you have a writing routine?

Sort of. I write or do some writing-related tasks every day. I think I’m the most creative in the mornings, so I try to do actual writing then. However, that’s a bit hard when my youngest child doesn’t go to school until 9:00. Additionally, I’m also a columnist for a mental health website (healthyplace.com), so I have to work on my articles in addition to my novels. It doesn’t work for me to have a rigid schedule. As long as I start my day with coffee, drink tea, water, and Sobe LifeWater throughout the day, I’m good.

What is the one thing you absolutely need to write?

Quiet! (And no distractions)

So do I! Unfortunately I don't get enough of it. Can you describe your writing space?

I actually don’t have a single space. I move about the house to various places that feel inspiring (and that varies from day to day). Part of that is indeed for inspiration. Part of that, though, is because my actual space (my desk in my office) can be described thus: Captain ADHD meets the Tasmanian Devil.

I wish I had a special writing space with a lovely and inspiring view, or even a 'writing shed' in my tiny garden...

In three words - What kind of man is Brain Cunningham , your hero?

Caring, sensitive, anxious

And finally, what are you working on at the moment?
 I’m nearly 200 pages into my latest novel, which of course is mental-health-themed! It’s about a man and his family who are struggling to adjust to his new diagnosis of…

Thank you so much Marie! I’ve enjoyed your interview, and I’m happy that you and your readers have taken the time to get to know me and my writing!

It was a pleasure talking to you Tanya. Thank you for coming on the blog.

Tanya J. Peterson holds a Bachelor of Science in secondary education, Master of Science in counseling, and is a Nationally Certified Counselor. She has been a teacher and a counselor in various settings, including a traditional high school and an alternative school for homeless and runaway adolescents, and she has volunteered her services in both schools and communities. Peterson is an active volunteer with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), and she is a regular columnist for the Anxiety-Schmanxiety blog on HealthyPlace.com.

She draws on her education, experience, and personal background with bipolar 1 disorder and anxiety to write stories about the psychological aspect of the human condition, specifically mental illness and the impact it has on human beings. Her goal is to change the way the world thinks about mental illness and the people who live with it. 

Peterson believes that fiction is a powerful vehicle for teaching fact. Further, she knows that people empathize with characters in novels, and commonly they transfer their empathy to real-life human beings. To that end, she has published Leave of Absence, My Life in a Nutshell, and the YA novel Losing Elizabeth.  Additionally, she has published Challenge!, a short story about a person who finds the confidence to overcome criticism and achieve a goal, and a book review of Linley and Joseph’s Positive Therapy: A Meta-Theory for Positive Psychological Practice that appeared in Counseling Today, the national publication of the American Counseling Association.

Peterson has also been interviewed on numerous radio shows, given presentations on mental illness and book readings nationwide, spoken on mental illness at the 2013 national conference of the Mothers of Incarcerated Sons Society, Inc., and has been quoted in various articles about mental health and mental illness.

BUY LINKS AND AUTHOR LINKS

Tanya J. Peterson, MS, NCC
Mental Health Novelist, Writer, & Speaker

www.tanyajpeterson.com

FACEBOOK - https://www.facebook.com/TanyaJPeterson
Twitter - https://twitter.com/tanyajpeterson1
 AMAZON UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/My-Life-Nutshell-Tanya-Peterson-ebook/dp/B00KOEXTKK/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1402155632&sr=8-4&keywords=tANYA+J+PETERSON
AMAZON.COM - http://www.amazon.com/My-Life-Nutshell-Tanya-Peterson-ebook/dp/B00KOEXTKK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1402155716&sr=8-1&keywords=TANYA+J+PETERSON

 Barnes & Noble - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/my-life-in-a-nutshell-tanya-j-peterson/1119633899?ean=2940149500956

THE SECOND TIME I SAW YOU by Pippa Croft

Publishing 22nd May 2014 Penguin

It's the beginning of a new term at Wyckham College, Oxford, and a fresh start for Lauren Cusack. Her fingers were badly burnt when a whirlwind romance with gorgeous English aristocrat, Alexander Hunt, became too hot to handle - and now she's determined to keep her distance.
Her resolve is shaken when Alexander appears on her doorstep - he's been completely torn apart by some devastating news. Lauren knows that she should stay away, but their chemistry is undeniable and she soon finds herself back in Alexander's arms.
Can Lauren handle the drama that comes with Alexander Hunt? Or will she have to sacrifice the most exhilarating passion she's ever known . . .
(THE SECOND TIME I SAW YOU you is the 2nd book in the Oxford Blue Series.)

About the Author

I am delighted to welcome Pippa Croft on the blog today to talk about her writing and her novel.

Hello Pippa. It is a pleasure to meet you today. Can you tell us a little about you?
I’m the daughter of a miner, the wife of an engineer and the mum of doctor... my daughter has just graduated as a PhD in May so I’m feeling very proud of her. I live in a small village in Staffordshire and I like reading, walking, swimming, body boarding and shopping.

What did you want to be when you were a child? Did you always know you wanted to write? 
I didn’t know or want to be a novelist until I was about 42, which is mad really, because from as early as I can remember, I used to write. However, I didn’t write ‘stories’, I used to make up little brochures and booklets about places I’d been and facts I’d read and illustrate them. After I left Oxford, where I read English Lit, I worked as a copywriter and journalist until I finally decided to write my first piece of fan fiction, which was inspired by a TV drama called North and South.

Where do you get your ideas for your stories?
Everywhere. Inspiration can strike at any moment and rarely when I’m looking for it. Once you start writing fiction, you seem to unlock the gates of your subconscious to likely ideas and characters. The problem is, the gates can never be shut again.

I know the feeling! I sometimes think it's lucky nobody can see what goes on in my mind. When and where do you write? Do you have a special 'writing' time?
I try to keep office hours, which may be anytime from seven am to eight pm, and I work on Sundays quite often. I write in various rooms of the house so I don’t get bored or stuck in one chair.

What comes to you first, the characters or the plot?
Usually both, they tend to grow organically alongside each other.

What kind of man is Alexander, your hero?
Alexander is a darkly sexy and wealthy aristocrat, who is also a member of UK special forces – he’s been given a sabbatical from his unit to do a master’s at Oxford but that doesn’t stop him from disappearing off on ops from time to time! He seems to have it all, but under all the bravado, he’s a very troubled soul though he hates showing his feelings which causes anguish with his family and Lauren.

He sounds absolutely fascinating. What kind of woman is Lauren, your heroine?
Lauren is an American senator’s daughter. She’s smart and sassy, and adamant she won’t take any flak from anyone, least of all a bunch of snobby Brits. However, underneath it all, she feels like a fish out of water at Oxford and she’s also nursing a broken heart at the start of the series. She’s determined to enjoy her year in Europe and avoid any entanglements, especially not with someone as dangerous as Alexander!

So, what did Alexander think the first time he saw Lauren?
He’s intrigued, annoyed, maddened and completely bowled over by his response to her. She’s sexy, feisty and very different to the type of woman he’s gone for before. When she refuses to fall into his arms – or bed – he can’t resist the challenge. What Alexander wants, Alexander gets... but he has no idea what he’s getting himself into!

And what did Lauren think the first time she saw Alexander? 
Her physical reaction is instant and overwhelming – in fact, the sexual chemistry between them is so powerful, it terrifies her. She also thinks he’s arrogant, emotionally repressed, and to be avoided at all costs, but fending off Alexander is like trying to stop the tide.

THE SECOND TIME I SAW YOU is the second book in a series. How many books are you planning to write in this series and why did you choose to write a series of novels?
Three are planned so far – but you never know! The series has been inspired by my own student days at Oxford, and also by hearing all the stories my daughter shared me from her time there.  I love writing passionate steamy stories about dark brooding alpha heroes and feisty women and I’ve been dying to write a book set at Oxford. This is my dream project!

Thank you so much Pippa for coming on the blog today, and good luck with THE SECOND TIME I SAW YOU! You can meet Pippa on

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The First Time We Met is the first novel in the sizzling new Oxford Blue romance series from Pippa Croft.  When US Senator’s daughter Lauren Cusack arrives at the enchanting Wyckham College of Oxford University, she hopes to mend her broken heart by throwing herself into her studies.
But then English aristocrat Alexander Hunt walks into her life and everything changes. Handsome, brooding, and with his own dark past to escape, Alexander is exactly what Lauren doesn’t need – but she finds herself helplessly drawn towards him.
Both Alexander and Lauren know that they should stay away from each other . . . but sometimes desire is so powerful that it conquers all else.

'Meet My Main Character' Blog Tour - THE LADY OF BELLEFONTAINE

Thank you very much Diane M Denton for tagging me and suggesting I take part in this fun blog tour. I have just signed a publishing contract with Áccent Press for my contemporary romantic suspense THE LADY OF BELLEFONTAINE so this is the novel I will be talking about today.

1. What is the name of your character? Is she a fictional person?

My heroin is called Amy Carter and she is totally fictional.

2. Where is the story set?

THE LADY OF BELLEFONTAINE is set in a hill top village in the beautiful Lubéron region of Provence, in the South of France. This part of France is absolutely breathtaking, with golden stone farmhouses - 'bastides'- villages and little towns surrounded by orchards, vineyards and forests. And of course, lovely old fountains, which were the inspiration for the story.

3. What should we know about your heroine?

After being made redundant from the UK bank where she used to work as a translator, Amy decides to follow her dream and start a new life. She buys a very old 'bastide' called Bellefontaine she plans to turn into a guesthouse.

4. What is the main conflict?

After a series of unsettling and downright scary incidents, Amy realises that her arrival at Bellefontaine isn't welcome by everybody in the village. 

The romantic conflict of the novel is her stormy relationship with Fabien Coste, the aristocratic owner of nearby luxury hotel Manoir Coste. Despite finding an ancient love spell that binds the ladies of Bellefontaine to the ducs de Coste, Amy has no intention of falling in love with Fabien...But how long will she resist his dark, enigmatic charm?

5. What is the personal goal of the character?

Although she knows nothing of the hospitality industry, Amy is determined to set up and run a successful guest house. She is a fast learner and a hard worker, and isn't easily discouraged even if Fabien mocks her naive and at times 'hippyish' ideas. This is her big chance, her dream come true. When she discovers that Bellefontaine has a sinister past and that it was for centuries linked to the bloodthirsty cult of a local Gallic goddess, she doesn't run away but resolves to find out more and unmask those who put her life in danger.

6. Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?

The working title is THE LADY OF BELLEFONTAINE. I can only at this very early stage post the provisional blurb for the novel. Here is it below.

'The spell flows with the spring, binding hearts together until death tears them apart.' This is what a Latin inscription says on an ancient stone Amy Carter finds in the overgrown garden of the farmhouse she just moved into. If Amy has big plans for Bellefontaine and her new life in Provence, none of them involves falling in love - least of all with Fabien Coste, the handsome but arrogant owner of nearby Manoir Coste, the ancestral family chateau he turned into a luxury hotel.

Yet local legends talk about past romantic entanglements between the ladies of Bellefontaine and the ducs de Coste, and despite herself Amy soon finds herself falling in love with Fabien. As springtime turns Bellefontaine into the paradise she always dreamt of, Amy discovers that her home is at the centre of a mystery involving the evil cult of an ancient Gallic goddess, and that it isn't only her heart which is in terrible danger, but her life too. Can she trust Fabien to help solve Bellefontaine's dark mystery? Is he genuinely attracted to her or does he have his own motives for wanting to keep her close? And will the love spell between them turn out to be a deadly curse?

 7. When can we expect the book to be published?

I only just signed the contract with Áccent Press, so I cannot at this stage say when the book will be published.

Thank you again Diane for tagging me. I hope you found the interview interesting and would love to read comments and answer questions!

Diane Denton can be found at http://bardessdmdenton.wordpress.com/2014/04/09/it-happened-quite-by-chance/

Promo Blitz: The Other Side of Morning by Jo Lambert

Today it is my pleasure to host Jo Lambert and her latest novel The Other Side of Morning.

Born and raised in rural Wiltshire, Jo Lambert grew up with a love of books and a vivid imagination.  As a child she enjoyed creating her own adventure stories similar to Enid Blyton’s Famous Five.  Writing always stayed with her, but college, work and eventually marriage found it kept very much in the background as a hobby.  In 2009 everything changed when she decided to self-publish a novel she had completed. After When Tomorrow Comes, three other books - Love Lies and Promises, The Ghost of You and Me and Between Today and Yesterday followed.  In 2013 she decided to give up full time work to concentrate fully on her writing.  Her fifth novel The Other Side of Morning was accepted by ThornBerry Publishing UK and is now available in e-book form with a paperback version to follow shortly.

Jo is married and lives in a village on the eastern edge of Bath, Somerset with one small grey feline called Mollie. She shares her husband with his ‘other woman’ Bridget - a 48 year old white MG Midget who keeps him occupied while she is busy writing.

Book Blurb
Charlotte Kendrick’s ill-fated relationship with rock star Christian Rosetti still haunts her. The new man in her life, handsome, rich Italian restaurateur Marco D’Alesandro, is everything she wants. But when beautiful heiress Rossana Caravello arrives to spend time with his family as their house guest she wonders whether history is about to repeat itself. Marco insists he loves her and that he has no interest in their guest, but how can Charlotte believe him when everything about his behaviour around Rossana indicates he is lying? Giving him the benefit of the doubt, Charlotte wonders whether his ruthless stepmother Thérèse may be involved, and decides to find out more about the young heiress. However, far from putting her mind at rest, what she discovers leaves her feeling more unsettled than ever about her future with Marco…

From rural West Somerset to the glorious rolling landscape of Tuscany and the Italian lakes THE OTHER SIDE OF MORNING is a story of love, betrayal, deception and ultimate sacrifice.

My Review

In THE OTHER SIDE OF Morning, Jo Lambert takes the story of the evil step-mother to new heights. Wealthy, glamorous Thérèse is determined to put an end to the budding relationship between her stepson Marco and kind, clever and unassuming Charlotte Kendrick, and it seems will stop at nothing to push naive Italian heiress Rossana into his arms and his bed. The love story between Marco, who owns of one of London's most exclusive restaurants, and Charlotte - still recovering from her failed love affair with rockstar Christian Rosetti -  seems doomed from the start.

As we follow them from beautiful rural Somerset to glamorous London or again Tuscany and France through a series of incidents and sometimes frustrating misunderstandings, we can only hope evil Thérèse gets her comeuppance and love prevails in the end.

Jo Lambert also creates an impressive cast of characters who develop throughout the story, the most memorable for me being tormented rock star Christian Rosetti and dangerously unhinged Kayte.

Altogether I found THE OTHER SIDE OF MORNING a very enjoyable read.

You can find it here:    
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Other-Side-Morning-Lambert-ebook/dp/B00IWZ678E

A recipe for the 'Mouna', a traditional Easter brioche from North Africa

My mother was born and brought up near Algiers in North Africa, where Easter Monday was celebrated with a family picnic and the sharing of the 'Mouna', a traditional Easter brioche. Even long after leaving Algeria, she still baked a Mouna for our family and the smell of the brioche baking in the oven - a blend of citrus fruit and aniseed - was absolutely divine.

Where does the name Mouna come from? Nobody really knows. Some claim that is originates from Spain where a similar brioche called 'Mona de Pascua' is baked for Easter Monday. Others associate it with Fort Lamoune near the Algerian town of Oran. The fort was built by the Spanish in the seventeenth century and called Fort Lamoune (or Castillo de la Mona) because lots of monkeys lived in the area, and in Spanish, monkey is 'mona'. The families of the men imprisoned in Fort Lamoune could only visit them once a year, on Easter Monday, and used to bring them sweet bread loaves. Another explanation is that the Mimouna is the last day of the Jewish Easter and that it was traditional on that day for Jewish families from Algiers and other North-African towns to spend the day outside, in parks and forests - and have a picnic.  

Whatever its origins, the Mouna is delicious, if a little denser than other brioches.

Ingredients for 4 small Mounas. (You would traditionally bake four Mounas, one for you and your family, one for relatives, the others for friends and neighbours.)

1 kg flour

300 g sugar

75 g butter

5 eggs

1 sachet yeast

6 large spoonfuls of oil

the zest of one lemon

the zest of one orange

the juice of one orange

a few aniseeds (optional)

Preparation

30 minutes - 2 to 3 hours for the dough to rise - 30 minutes to bake

1. Pre-heat the oven at 100°C (th.3/4).

2. Mix the sugar, eggs, lemon and orange zests until the mixture is pale and fluffy. Add the melted butter and the oil and mix well. If you have aniseeds, you can add them to the mixture now.

3. Now mix in the sachet of yeast into the flour, and add bit by bit to the rest of the mixture, working the dough until you can roll it into a soft ball. Cover with a tea towel.

4. Switch the oven off and put the dough (covered with the tea towel) inside for 2 to 3 hours.

6. Take the dough out of the oven, and knead it until it's soft and does not stick.

7. Make 4 balls. With a sharp knife cut a few lines on top of each ball, then brush egg yolk on top and sprinkle sugar (traditionally you crush sugar lumps or cubes but you can't really find them in England). Leave for 15 min before putting in the oven.

8. Bake for 20 min at 210°C (th.7) then switch the oven off and leave for a further 10 minutes.

My family was truly multicultural. Just before biting into my mother North-African Mouna for breakfast, we would be submitted to the Polish 'dyngus' by my father! For those who don't know, it's the tradition to throw water at people on Easter Monday (which can vary from a weak sprinkling to a thorough soaking).

Joyeuses Pâques! 

Liebster Blog Award

Author Katie L. Carroll nominated me, and several other fellow authors, for a Liebster Blog Award. I must confess I had never heard of it before but it sounds like a really great idea.

 The Liebster Blog Award translates to “the beloved” or “the dearest.” The award is given as a way to celebrate smaller blogs. (Only blogs with under 200 followers can be awarded.) Before you accept the award, there are a certain set of tasks you must complete. The first is to reveal 11 facts about you, answer the 11 questions asked by the blogger who nominated you, and then create 11 questions for the bloggers you nominate to answer on their own blog.

So here are my 11 facts:
1.  Napoleon stopped over in my village near Lyon on his way back from his exile on Elba during what is known as 'The 100 days'. I always wanted to go inside never dared ask.

Château de Saint-Genis-Laval

2. My first dog was a horrible, smelly stray. I was six years old and named him 'Peanut Bottle of Rum' (Cacahuète Bouteille de Rhum in French). I don't remember why. I never liked peanuts and I had of course never drunk a drop of rum!
3. We were three girls (still are) in my family. I wanted an older brother so badly I made one up and kept the pretence for over two years in my primary school. I had named him Stanislas (which was my Polish grandfather's name).
4. In fact, I was always one for making up stories and inventing people. My best friend Nathalie and I invented an imaginary friend, Josephine, and were so convincing people still ask about her to this day.
5. I must have a touch of OCD because I can't stand it when things aren't straight or symmetrical. My students at school are very good about it and always make sure desks and chairs are straight before I even need to say anything!
6. I've had the same vivid, recurring dream about a haunted chateau and its inhabitants since I was a little girl. There is this dark room I am not to go in. After all these years of dreaming about the place, I still haven't plucked up the courage to open the door. It looks something like this...

7. I stammer when I'm tired, which is pretty much all the time these days.
8. I used to have a fantastic photographic memory and got through four years of law school by memorising pages and pages of legal documents, dates, numbers and facts and regurgitating them the day of the exam. I always felt like a fraud because of it. 
9. I could happily live on goat cheese, crusty bread, cake...and black coffee.

10. I went to my first Romantic Novelist Association conference last July. During the train journey to Sheffield, I chatted to a very interesting guy and for the first time ever I introduced myself as a writer. It felt incredible.
11. I love the process of finding my characters' name. En vrac, the heroins of my next four novels will be called Celeste, Venetia, Gisèle and Prudence.

And now, here are the questions Katie asked me to answer.
1. What do you like best about your personality?
I'm not sure there is anything to like, really. I'm a perfectionist, and very hard working!
2. What is the best piece of advice you ever received?
A French saying: Qui ne tente rien n'a rien. (Who dares not, gets nothing...would that be right?)
3. What does it take for a book to stay with you long after reading it?
The characters must be true, feel real and create strong emotions inside me.
4. If you could tell an author that you admire one thing, what would it be?
That their book made me laugh, and cry, and dream, and I wanted to magically sneak into it! 
5. Who is the one person who always makes you happy? (I have to change this to 'persons')
My three children - two boys and a girl. They are infuriating, fun, adorable, thoughtful and a bit loopy!
6. What was the best birthday you ever had?
Every single birthday is lovely and special.
7. What drives you to share your thoughts about books on social media?
I like writing about the books I enjoyed reading, and I love exchanging ideas and tips with fellow authors.
8. What is the best thing an author ever said to you?
To write and rewrite, and then rewrite again. 
9. What do you consider the ideal length for a book in terms of the number of pages?
I'm not sure there is an ideal length. It all depends on the story and the characters. Some take longer to develop, I suppose.
10. What fictional character do you most resemble?
Marie-Ange, from my debut historical romance ANGEL HEART.
11. If you could give the person who reads this an uplifting message, what would it be?
There is joy and love and wonder everywhere around you. Just open your eyes and your heart.

The time has come to nominate another blogger for the Liebster Blog Award. If you would like to take part, please leave a comment! I will reply and tell you what to do to enter.
It was the talented Katie L. Carroll who nominated me. You can find her and her great books at http://www.katielcarroll.com/the-liebster-award-take-two/#comments