Blog Archives
Helene Young Answers ‘Juliet’s Ten Awkward Author Questions’ (& Giveaway!)
In this new segment, authors will be subjected to a list of awkward questions that may reveal more about themselves than they really wish to share, and they will receive a score on the ‘Braveometer’. If they choose to answer only five questions, they are a ‘Brave Author’, if they answer 6 to 9 questions they are a ‘Mega-Brave Author’, and if they answer all 10 questions they are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!
Today I’d like to welcome romantic suspense author Helene Young, who has kindly offerred to give away a copy of Shattered Sky to one lucky commentor!
1. If only one of your books could have been / could be published, which one would you choose? (C’mon, I don’t want to hear ‘Oh, I love them all, there’s no way I could choose.’ Time to be ruthless, these are the Ten Awkward Questions after all!)
Oh no… that’s traitorous not awkward 🙂 Ok I’ve hardened up – Wings of Fear because it’s subject matter is so dear to my heart.
2. Okay, now which one of your children/family members would you… nah, just kidding! Which of the following words most accurately describes your best personality trait (you must pick only one!): Punctual. Good listener. Neat. Graceful. Generous. Cheerful.
Hmm… Can I add one of my own? You don’t have obsessive there! No? Ok I’ll go with punctual then because no one wants their pilot to be late 🙂
3. Which of the following words most accurately describes your worst most challenging personality trait (even if you’re perfect, you must pick one): Always late. Blabbermouth. Slob. Complete klutz. Scrooge. Grumpy pants.
Go with complete klutz… My husband used to call me Frank after Frank Spencer in Some Mothers do ‘Ave em…
4. Have you ever had a romantic crush on one of your characters? Who and why?
Oh yes, all of them are serious crushes but Ryan in Burning Lies is my most debilitating crush. I didn’t want his story to end.
5. When writing an important scene, do you act it out to allow you to better describe what’s happening?
No, but I read the dialogue aloud and I have been known to try kissing my husband in unusual embraces, normally to poor effect.
6. Do you talk to yourself when writing or coming up with plot ideas?
Yep, and I pull faces! Not good if I’m in a coffee shop or airport lounge… Probably look quite deranged.
7. Who would be ideal to play YOU in a movie of your life?
Can I have Judy Dench or or Helen Mirren?
8. If you could be any book character for one day, who would you be and why?
Lily from Phillipa Fioretti’s book The Book of Love. I’d get to wear vintage dresses, float around in a dreamy haze, eat luscious jam and have gorgeous men fall at my feet.
9. You’re about to be left on a deserted island for a year, and while your basic food and water needs will be met, you can only bring one extra thing from the following. Which would you choose?
a) A pen and notepad that never runs out
b) An unlimited supply of books
c) An unlimited supply of chocolate, coffee, or alcohol (your choice)
d) A gorgeous man/woman depending on your preference
Easy, a) Pen and notepad because then I can create the gorgeous man, write my own stories and be forceably weaned off my caffeine addiction.
10. If you had the attention of the whole world for two minutes what would you say?
Can you lot be a bit more tolerant of each other? If you don’t like someone then stay away from them. Don’t get in their face and starting shouting! Sharing is good. Spread the love. 🙂
Thanks Helene! Helene’s website is here.
WIN! To be in the running for a copy of Shattered Sky (must be in Australia), comment below and tell us who YOU think should play Helene in a movie of her life. Prize will be drawn on Monday 12th December.
If you’d like to buy a signed copy for a Christmas present, or just for yourself, contact Helene.
Helene’s books are now available on Kindle too! Check them out here.
And now for Helene’s award…(drumroll)… Helene, you are an ‘Ultra-Brave Author’!!
It was a dark and stormy night… (First Sentences)
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. That is how Jane Austen started her book, Pride and Prejudice in 1813, and made it into the top 100 best first lines from novels according to the American Book Review.
A knockout first sentence can immediately draw a reader in, and helps set the tone of the story, so I think it’s important to create the best first line possible. Having said that, a good first line means nothing if the rest of the book is terrible! So of course the second sentence, and the third, and right up till the end all matters too.
When I’m in a bookstore choosing a book, not only do I go by cover design, author name, and the blurb on the book jacket, I always read the first sentence, and often the whole first page to see if it grabs my interest. If a writer can come up with the goods on the first page I know they’re more likely to keep me interested throughout the whole book.
As a reader, how important is the first sentence to you? As a writer, how easy or difficult do you find it to come up with a winner of a first line?
I love writing first sentences. I usually write them first before working out a detailed plot, because I find if I just let the words flow it’s easier to get a feel for the story idea and the protagonist.
Here are a few of my first sentences from completed stories, short stories, and works in progress…
Some first sentences are short:
Birthdays suck. (The Big Four-O, short story)
And some first sentences are long:
For most people, the worst time to get an attack of the hiccups would be at the dentist just as the drill is approaching your mouth, or on a date, just as he leans in for The Kiss, but for me, the unfortunate diaphragmatic spasm came when Channel Four news crossed to my live broadcast at the Sydney Travel Show. (February or Forever, work-in-progress)
And others are somewhere in between:
Damn you Barbie! You and your size four figure, all over tan, and legs to the moon! (The Life Makeover Club)
Dr. Sylvia Greene had never done anything like this before in her life. (The January Wish)
‘Oops’ is not the word you ever want to hear from your hairdresser; scissors in one hand, a large section of hair in the other. (Untitled, work-in-progress)
And here are some great first sentences I’ve found from other authors:
If a road could look welcoming, then Summer Street had both arms out and the kettle boiling. (Past Secrets, Cathy Kelly)
Under normal circumstances, Faith and I should not be home when my mother calls and invites us to come see her brand-new coffin. (Keeping Faith, Jodi Picoult)
What would you do if you thought you were about to die? (Heaven Can Wait, Cally Taylor)
Of all the crap, crap, crappy nights I’ve ever had in the whole of my crap life. (Remember Me, Sophie Kinsella)
Why not comment and share a favourite first sentence or two, or maybe you’d like to share the first sentence of one of your novels, or a work-in-progress? I’d love to hear some more 🙂
Chick Lit – love it or hate it?
There’s a great post and discussion going on at Dianne Blacklock’s blog about the term ‘chick lit’, check it out here. What do you think, should we scrap it? Is women’s fiction better or just as bad?, and how can we better classify novels based on the ups and downs of women’s lives?
~ Juliet
The Battle Between Books And Their Movie Adaptations
I’m always curious to see movie adaptations of books I’ve read, and often seeing a movie based on a book will prompt me to check out the author’s books. It’s interesting to hear feedback on whether the book or movie was better, and more often than not it appears to be the book that’s more popular. This can be good news for the writer, although a bad movie adaptation could possibly deter some people from wanting to check out the author’s books.
I think the reason books are often more popular, is because their interpretation relies on the reader’s imagination, as everyone will perceive a story differently based on how the words evoke images in someone’s mind. On the other hand, a movie is very much a case of ‘what you see is what you get’, and either appeals to someone or not.
When looking at the two, I think it’s important to remember that each is a completely different art form created by different people, and an author’s work should not be ridiculed because of a poorly done movie adaptation. In the other case, when a movie adaptation seems far better than the book, it should be remembered that without the book there may have been no movie. What it comes down to is the telling of a good story, and there are many ways in which a story can be told.
I’m more likely to see a movie after reading the book than read the book after seeing the movie, however I will check out other books by the author. Some authors I’ve discovered after seeing movies based on their books are, Jodi Picoult (My Sister’s Keeper), and Cecilia Ahern (P.S. I Love You).
Some examples of popular movie adaptations include:
The Devil Wears Prada
Eat. Pray. Love.
Confessions of a Shopaholic
Something Borrowed
The Notebook
The Time Traveller’s Wife
The Lovely Bones
Bridget Jones’ Diary
And need I even mention Harry Potter, and Lord of The Rings!
Which movie adaptations have you enjoyed? Do you ever read a book after seeing its movie adaptation, or do you prefer to read the book before seeing the movie?
Reading In Bed – an extreme sport?
Yesterday, July 24th, saw the birth of the first ever ‘Global Read In Bed Day’, an initiative of mine to raise funds for literacy charities (and give participants an excuse to spend a relaxing day curled up with a good book!).
The GRIBD Facebook group has around fifty members so far, and I hope this will grow as word gets out, so the next time we have another ‘Read In Bed Day’, even more people can participate!
But what’s this about reading in bed being an extreme sport? Well, throughout the day, injuries, exhaustion, and obstacles were reported.
Injuries: I fell down the stairs on one of my ‘reading breaks’, resulting in a swollen wrist and aching leg muscles (I have been hobbling around today as though I’m ninety-five!).
Exhaustion: Some participants reported almost falling asleep, and one (yours truly) actually did.
Obstacles: Some participants had to navigate around work committments, taxi duties, parenting responsibilities, and the dreaded ‘that-which-must-not-be-named’ (aka: housework), in order to have a few minutes here and there of reading time. One participant even had the distraction of being in the beautiful South of France. Talk about difficult!
Who said Reading In Bed was easy? If you’re planning on participating in the next event, do so at your own risk!
Some of the books read by participants included:
Just Breathe, and Lakeshore Christmas, by Susan Wiggs.
Sushi For Beginners, by Marian Keyes.
Books by Agatha Christie and PD James.
The Bet, by Jennifer Crusie.
Nadia Knows Best, by Jill Mansell.
Alice Bliss, by Laura Harrington.
The Good Girl’s Guide To Getting Lost, by Rachel Friedman.
Something Borrowed, by Emily Giffin.
Even the Sunday newspapers and a writer’s work-in-progress got some love!
To join the Global Read In Bed Day Facebook group, click here and log into your Facebook account.
JULIET MADISON 