Summer Fun at Dizzy C's Little Book Blog

I'm so excited to be included with the amazing line up of writers in Dizzy C's Little Book Blog Summer Fun feature.

Each day for the next few weeks an article by a different author will be posted onto the blog, and as well as discovering more about each featured author there will be daily giveaways to look out for.

Here's the link telling you more about it and who will be taking part. Click on the highlighted authors at the top of the list to be taken directly to their post and giveaway. You'll find me there early next month!

Enjoy!

A Jersey Kiss - Cover Reveal

I'm happy - and not a little excited - to be able to show you the gorgeous cover image for A Jersey Kiss, designed by the talented team of Edward Jordan and Kirsty Greenwood.

A Jersey Kiss will be published in early August and I'll be posting snippets here on my blog, but until then, here's the beautiful cover displaying Christina Jones' fantastic quote and depicting so perfectly my lovely island where this romance is based...

Isn't it wonderful!

Here's the blurb.

Paragraph Planet - My Author Page

There are so many things going on in the Troy household at the moment that I can barely find time to draw breath, but this had me doing a happy dance - something you won't want to witness - my very own author page on the brilliant Paragraph Planet site - here!

I was introduced to the Paragraph Planet website by fellow writer/blogger, Anita Chapman, but if you're not already aware of Paragraph Planet, it's a flash fiction website run by author Richard Hearn. Writers are invited to submit a 75-word piece of flash fiction - no more, no less - and if you're lucky, which I have been *whispers* three times, then your piece will be posted on the site.

On the site you can read the submissions, find links to writing groups, visit other author pages as well as reading interviews by fantastic writers such as Judy Astley, Gabrielle Kimm, Julie Cohen, Emlyn Rees and others.

Excuse me while I have a quick peak at my author page, again.

An Award from Mama J

Thank you to Mama J for nominating me for the Liebster Award. I've got to answer the following eleven questions, so here goes...

1. Who is your favourite author?
I suppose the author whose books I keep going back to is Jane Austen, her stories seem to fit very different times in my life and are always so enjoyable.

2. And your favourite book?
Pride and Prejudice. I've read so many fantastic books from chicklit to thrillers, but I've read this book more than any other. Love it.

3. When and why did you start your blog?
I wanted to get to know other bloggers, let them get to know me and discover books that I might have otherwise missed.

4. If you could live in any time period, what would it be?
The Twenties. I love the thought of living for the moment, the excitement of believing the world is on the brink of enormous and exciting changes and being able to witness those changes. Although not WW2, I wouldn't have wanted to experience the devastation of war.

5. What is your favourite thing about summer?
Eating breakfast outside and spending the day lying in the sun reading a good book and having the occasional doze before getting up and enjoying an evening eating and drinking al fresco.

6. And your least favourite thing about summer?
That for the past two or three years, at least, the weather has been disappointing and there's only been the odd few days of complete sunshine.

7. Tea, coffee or none?
Tea, I rarely drink coffee, although I've been known to have the odd cappuccino or latte.

8. What is your favourite song?
No Church in the Wild by Kanye West, I love it and thought it so well suited as part of The Great Gatsby soundtrack.

9. What are your current favourite tv shows?
The Americans! Although it helps that Matthew Rhys stars in the show. I also loved Ripper Street and can't wait for the next series, but I suppose that's not exactly current!

10. Do you have a party trick?
If you can call continuous talking throughout a party, then maybe that's it, otherwise no, I don't have any clever drinking or acrobatic trick, which is probably a good thing because I'm horribly clumsy.

11. If you could have one wish, what would it be?
Obviously I'd wish for health for my family, but other than that I'd want to earn my living from my writing.

Thanks, Mama J!

I'm not sure who to nominate, so if you'd like to receive this award please let me know and I'll add your name to this post.

Getting Excited

I'll soon be seeing the cover of my debut novel, A Jersey Kiss, for the very first time and I can't wait.

No, really... Patience has never been a virtue of mine, so as soon as I possibly can I'll be posting a picture of the cover here, and on my website. Oh and on Twitter, Facebook, and anywhere else I can think of.

A Jersey Kiss will be published in August and I can't wait to tell you, and anyone willing to listen, or unable to run away quick enough, all about my book.

Exciting times.

Paragraph Planet - My Third Piece

I'm SO excited that Paragraph Planet have posted a third piece of flash fiction from me on their site today.

Here's the link to my submission and also where you'll also be able to submit your own piece.

Why not submit your own flash fiction to the site? It has to be exactly 75 words long, including the title, which will be the first five words of the paragraph, and it can be on any subject.

A different post is featured on the site every day.

You can follow them on Twitter too: @paragraphplanet

Books, Agents & Indie Publishers

It seems to me, as a writer and lover of chick lit novels, that most authors begin their writing experience with a dream of being signed up by one of the major publishers and going down the traditional route. However, thanks to the invention of e-books and the chance to be your own indie publisher, writers now have more choice about the route they take to publication than ever before. It seems that being an indie publisher can be lucrative, as well as fun. Well, that's what I'm hoping anyway.

Here are a couple of inspirational posts I've come across from bloggers who know a thing or two (or three...) about writing.

Kate Lord Brown, is a traditionally published author of two of my favourite books, The Perfume Garden and The Beauty Chorus. If you click on the link you can read her wonderful blog filled with useful and fun posts. You can also be in with a chance of winning an unabridged audio version of her latest book, The Perfume Garden.

Strictly Writing, an inspirational blog for writers. Their most recent post, Never Give Up, is certainly worth a read.

The Romaniacs, a group of writers giving useful advice and most recently posting about the Agent Hunter website.

The New Romantics, an inspirational and fun group of writers belonging to the Romantic Novelists' Association, New Writers' Scheme, who took their destiny into their own hands, published their own books and are going from strength to strength.

Just a few of the blogs I enjoy following.