tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53456320468481847102024-03-18T03:03:50.772+00:00Evonne on WednesdayEvonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.comBlogger769125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-90587567826977085542024-03-13T08:00:00.002+00:002024-03-13T12:08:31.106+00:00Food Glorious Food<p> I have been noticing lately in my reading some distinct trends in what characters in books have to eat. </p><p>Eating is a basic human requirement so it is not unexpected that it should happen in books. It is also often linked to social activity - meeting friends, going on dates, business meetings ... so double reason for food to make an appearance. </p><p>So - what are the most popular foodstuffs for fictional characters? Based on my own reading?</p><p>Pizza</p><p>Donuts</p><p>Other sugary items such as cinnamon buns </p><p>Eggs - often but not exclusively as breakfast items, often paired with toast or with sausage. </p><p>Burgers </p><p>You can probably guess that my reading tends towards the criminal side of the spectrum and police and law enforcement all over the world seems to run on dough and sugar - pizza and donuts. </p><p>All washed down by oceans of coffee . </p><p>I must admit to having been guilty of feeding my character pizza on occasions, but I would never offer donuts as I don't eat them myself. I don't drink coffee either, but recognise its popularity.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyXCbLBI9a-RqmUvhD2xuFnyMyMb3RSkvPi9Zh9bSGYORTfgER14uFZuuam22pSc3XfPoheVWq0ZlaDTJEW-J3hZR8rAH23eCOZzT_w_-I5IZk5JZxFzTMkKvU2eNtsA-YE3DRuum6t80aE8kVQipJ5WSPPNDY_Dt0nK0nLjh_xf2mvLY8dkPK8U_NgM/s3072/100_1861.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyXCbLBI9a-RqmUvhD2xuFnyMyMb3RSkvPi9Zh9bSGYORTfgER14uFZuuam22pSc3XfPoheVWq0ZlaDTJEW-J3hZR8rAH23eCOZzT_w_-I5IZk5JZxFzTMkKvU2eNtsA-YE3DRuum6t80aE8kVQipJ5WSPPNDY_Dt0nK0nLjh_xf2mvLY8dkPK8U_NgM/s320/100_1861.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />When my mum was still with us she always said how much she enjoyed reading about what people in books had to eat. In her memory I always try and include some meals and give descriptions. And I find it fun. Meals in the 'Riviera' series involve a bit of research to find out what local specialities would be applicable to the location. There is a scene in <i>Masquerade on the Riviera</i> that has hero and heroine having dinner on the terrace, and I had a lot of enjoyment from creating both the setting and atmosphere and the food. That book also has a full scale afternoon tea in it - also fun. And I broke the mould on the coffee by giving Elliott a partiality to Oolong tea. <p></p><p>I was going to say that I haven't managed a meal yet in the WIP, but then I realised that I have, but not in the way that you might expect. That's all I'm saying for the moment. We'll all have to hope that the book makes it into print and everyone will understand. </p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-91845772926207703242024-03-06T08:00:00.016+00:002024-03-06T08:00:00.230+00:00Families <p> I mentioned this in a previous post. Friends and families are quite a thing in novels at the moment - especially found families - the ones you make, not the ones you are born to.</p><p>And that actually opens a whole can of worms. You have a 'new' family - what happens to the old one?</p><p>I've had several occasions when I've scratched my head over what to do with the protagonists' parents. You can deal with siblings by not giving them any, but I had very supportive parents who would never have let me flounder around in the trouble I have dropped my hero or heroine into. This might be the reason that this bothers me when writing. I can't just ignore the parents. So, sorry, but they have to go. Divorce and loosing touch is an option, but then they are still THERE. The obvious thing is kill them off - heartless but convenient - but there are only so many fatal car crashes you can stage - and I know I wince a bit when I am reading and come across yet another one. It's a dangerous business having kids in fiction. Emigration is a possibility and I have used that for a sibling that I carelessly allowed my hero to acquire. Other than that - I've made the parents older - to allow for natural causes, I've staged a fire, a drive by shooting, an accident on an archeological dig ...</p><p>Or you can keep them around and make them a problem in themselves. I must say I have a bit of a weakness for books where the family is trying to coerce the protagonist into something and there is an on-going battle. Always good to be able to cheer for the protagonist. </p><p>And if all else fails, there's always that fatal car crash ... </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-54218573198136133252024-02-28T08:00:00.002+00:002024-02-28T08:00:00.255+00:00Nowhere you would know <p> Setting - we have all read those reviews that say that the setting is almost a character in the book, but sometimes using real places is problematical. If you are writing fantasy, the place doesn't exist, if you are writing crime, residents might not take kindly to the idea of a succession of serial killers in their midst, or you might need to alter the geography a bit for reasons of plot - put a house where no house exists, or something bigger - a beach, an office block. That's where authors start messing with the landscape. It has a posh title - world building. Completely necessary in the case of fantasy writers. The rest of us - well, it's useful. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltZAlb-dZP4S3J_NZAfAGWqpMkXKkM8D9yyPcri_gDVnKf1ja1j224zRyVByFjaCFyxbjFwfNeHkFrbm93FvYZ3OVPHKjE2u1hLw0CZcwOcmT-96pbQL62tz8yE6Vo5ARC6mIFVVE6frgHrhFqRIo08QDwG9VyBEk87nK0LLYFBpA6eDwcOENTqFn01s/s3072/100_0367.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjltZAlb-dZP4S3J_NZAfAGWqpMkXKkM8D9yyPcri_gDVnKf1ja1j224zRyVByFjaCFyxbjFwfNeHkFrbm93FvYZ3OVPHKjE2u1hLw0CZcwOcmT-96pbQL62tz8yE6Vo5ARC6mIFVVE6frgHrhFqRIo08QDwG9VyBEk87nK0LLYFBpA6eDwcOENTqFn01s/s320/100_0367.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The sea and the shoreline will be in the WIP<br />but not quite where it is now. </td></tr></tbody></table><p><br />It's in my mind because I'm doing that in the WIP. The geography is very loosely based on where I live, but there were lots of features I wanted that I have to add - and it's fun. It also occurred to me how many of my friends and fellow authors do the same thing. A setting that is real, but invented, if that makes sense. </p><p>I've read reviews that have taken a very hard line with writers who interfere with real geography - I remember one, a long time ago, pointing out that a particular stretch of highway did not have a shopping centre alongside it. I think that, sadly, the book only got one star as a result. Although most readers are a little more forgiving - suspension of disbelief - anything that pulls a reader out of the story is a bad thing, which is why authors take refuge in "I made it up." </p><p>And as I said. It is fun. It can also involve a lot of displacement activity - like the afternoon I spent drawing plans of the location of a house and garden that does not exist. And you know about authors and displacement activity ...</p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-83616598343434064192024-02-21T08:00:00.001+00:002024-02-21T08:00:00.240+00:00It's all in the background<p> If you read romance - or crime for that matter - your main focus is, of course, on the story and the development of the characters. But what about the other things that add to the enjoyment of a book - what you might call texture? I've been making a list from some of the romance books I have read recently.</p><p>Gardens seem to be a perennial favourite (See what I did there?) Often derelict, or with history.</p><p>Houses/buildings - inherited, falling down, haunted </p><p>Animals - dogs and cats are the top players, but really anything with four legs will probably work, preferably cute and fluffy. </p><p>Landscape - not location, which is a bigger thing, but those touches that tell you about the surroundings - the bleakness of the moor, the slickness of the New York apartment.</p><p>Food - we all need to eat and books that heavily involve the preparation and consumption of delectable eats are a thing. A restaurant or bakery, or coffee shop or even just baked goods of some sort. Afternoon tea - a favourite of mine. </p><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia1YNSVH4ZM-IaiQlTJ_3ulPhfUgyWpGCnMqZ3X63JJWIfqoNbQXIK6c1fpv56jsTDNe1o2AUdliZfnKFd9nTPnPVwlo2Rz7Zi8EOLB0r3exCMS8xby6k1W30PaV20vMIKZTUsZyhCIhsxdTFJhibQ9iIot4mi9HT_kuoSNp6avq9STgKp-DjzRViRvA/s2048/100_1696.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjia1YNSVH4ZM-IaiQlTJ_3ulPhfUgyWpGCnMqZ3X63JJWIfqoNbQXIK6c1fpv56jsTDNe1o2AUdliZfnKFd9nTPnPVwlo2Rz7Zi8EOLB0r3exCMS8xby6k1W30PaV20vMIKZTUsZyhCIhsxdTFJhibQ9iIot4mi9HT_kuoSNp6avq9STgKp-DjzRViRvA/s320/100_1696.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Costume - knowing what a character is wearing can tell you a lot about the personality - the aging hippie, the buttoned up business man. </p><p>Weather - I recently came across the term pathetic fallacy - which I haven't heard since studying poetry in Uni. It's attributing emotions to inanimate things - sadness and rain, sunshine and happiness. </p><p>Family and friends - sometime found family. A source of support, or aggravation. More of this in a later post. </p><p>Events - the village show, the opening of a museum, an ominous anniversary. </p><p>All these - and you can probably add a lot more - pull the book together. They also tend to be the kind of things that need a bit of research. And you know all about authors and research ....</p><p>But that is completely another story. </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-69289273620224530242024-02-14T08:00:00.005+00:002024-02-14T08:00:00.128+00:00Memorable days!<p> <br />Of course you know that today is Valentine's Day. The most romantic day of the year - or so the card shops and florists would have us believe. It's a day of red hearts and red roses. Also jewelry, sexy underwear, sweets and chocolates, cuddly toys, donuts, even a pork pie! Basically anything really that can have a heart fixed on it, be produced in red, or in a heart shape. It is of course predictable that the cynics amongst us will mutter about consumerism but everyone else is just getting on with enjoying it, although it can, of course, be a sad occasion if you don't have anyone to celebrate with, for whatever reason. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxjew3nvTQjcnM2ZCiV2524e6eslCscSY2fHVlO0k5HPPOGPd4SVeeUWvO5zUjeFj9_UASbW9npiNjvDPBuwEHCFDSAVz9QVI_y7m2qMYgjmlET1dCJMBhCOBZC502W4icrF9vtBVxTMaxJdScv20DkyisSqv4iTJahaH1ByQFCP03gYW1agPJFz-Pyg/s2048/100_1330.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXxjew3nvTQjcnM2ZCiV2524e6eslCscSY2fHVlO0k5HPPOGPd4SVeeUWvO5zUjeFj9_UASbW9npiNjvDPBuwEHCFDSAVz9QVI_y7m2qMYgjmlET1dCJMBhCOBZC502W4icrF9vtBVxTMaxJdScv20DkyisSqv4iTJahaH1ByQFCP03gYW1agPJFz-Pyg/s320/100_1330.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p>It's not the only 'romantic' date that happens in January and February though - the cold wet grey months of the year. This year is leap year - traditionally a time when women can propose. For those of us in Wales there was St Dwynwen's Day, the Welsh Valentine - rapidly catching up - Marks and Spencer was offering St Dwynwen's Day roses this year. Then in January there's the Eve of St Agnes - traditionally a time when girls might dream of their lovers, and the subject of poem by Keats and several Pre-Raphaelite paintings, telling the story of lovers Madeleine and Porphryro. If you are into the significant dates of the pagan year, at the beginning of February Imbolc is the start of the gradual unfolding of spring, the midpoint between the winter solstice and the vernal equinox. And St Brigid's Day, now a Bank Holiday in Ireland, celebrates the goddess of home and spring.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCickpvtTVvBENbj-PuN9iiuetVHjaYhJ_m6wqOrWY1fLDwhtrdS0tX2srqLBFbtlUJI_0y-j30LbXUBUdFCFqC3jOZLeXpwb500_3xW0tAXQ051NF62NfRwaeLmUXwim6a6m6u3d4fevL_Rz_vYEk3s_bvm9ivs5pTl9nhga3-9y_B29Wi4kLI-mIXLM/s2048/100_1775.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1978" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCickpvtTVvBENbj-PuN9iiuetVHjaYhJ_m6wqOrWY1fLDwhtrdS0tX2srqLBFbtlUJI_0y-j30LbXUBUdFCFqC3jOZLeXpwb500_3xW0tAXQ051NF62NfRwaeLmUXwim6a6m6u3d4fevL_Rz_vYEk3s_bvm9ivs5pTl9nhga3-9y_B29Wi4kLI-mIXLM/w193-h200/100_1775.jpg" width="193" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>It is gradually getting lighter in the mornings and evenings, even if the weather may not be anything special. It's a time for hope, that spring and summer are not that far away.</p><p><br /></p><p>Happy Valentine's Day. </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-58085616036628958742024-02-11T16:36:00.001+00:002024-02-11T16:36:26.605+00:00Stop press<p>Just an up date to say that my multi award winning debut romantic suspense NEVER COMING HOME as been re-issued with a new title and a new cover. It's still the same story. </p><p>IF YOU ALREADY OWN IT, PLEASE DON'T BUY IT AGAIN! </p><p>I hate to disappoint readers. </p><p>If you haven't read it you can get it now on Kindle Unlimited. </p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpfiVBTl6EP6BtG_tltL_5u1Dddy0hztJh5iJKW-VDAv1J0hpfAxElmUrXGaVC2w3xPXMhUBoTq0fkUqQsg0r_I7hnqIS6eGg5flyaHTdez84G5TtQSBE6-sNCL3Rh1f3NnZgEFKlEjy0m66458aCRp1OG626SXQ77LwFhAdexZ3VD-44Xn99rENUe1M/s287/Never_Coming_Home__new1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="184" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpfiVBTl6EP6BtG_tltL_5u1Dddy0hztJh5iJKW-VDAv1J0hpfAxElmUrXGaVC2w3xPXMhUBoTq0fkUqQsg0r_I7hnqIS6eGg5flyaHTdez84G5TtQSBE6-sNCL3Rh1f3NnZgEFKlEjy0m66458aCRp1OG626SXQ77LwFhAdexZ3VD-44Xn99rENUe1M/w205-h320/Never_Coming_Home__new1.jpg" width="205" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How it was.</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRABaTbcV4Rb0TMptjfFPhnhiCMqtDpkI7olee16JXYg7YcmhU4mD4WS5XXybfPD86KE5SdSRlYNXGSLSz0eRJYQGEz_2fsWRLziydPebEgfKi4fgDg7SbLfFC31YhyCn4sRibkm57FxWSxxeJ_uC_y4qCd2zBV_1LameVP8VRsaPb1hb-aR6HJ4tE9A/s1080/Author%20assets%20(4)%20(1).png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTRABaTbcV4Rb0TMptjfFPhnhiCMqtDpkI7olee16JXYg7YcmhU4mD4WS5XXybfPD86KE5SdSRlYNXGSLSz0eRJYQGEz_2fsWRLziydPebEgfKi4fgDg7SbLfFC31YhyCn4sRibkm57FxWSxxeJ_uC_y4qCd2zBV_1LameVP8VRsaPb1hb-aR6HJ4tE9A/w320-h320/Author%20assets%20(4)%20(1).png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How it is now.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-482740186085200532024-02-07T08:00:00.001+00:002024-02-07T08:00:00.145+00:00Dual time lines <p> Books with dual time lines - a thread set in the present - or near present - and one set in the past, are popular with readers. Two stories that link together, where the past has consequences in the present. Juggling two narratives can be complicated, but very satisfying to achieve. And as I said. readers like them. There is one issue though that always comes up when a group of authors who write this kind of book get together - how to make the connection. </p><p>The classic is the discovery of an old diary. Or a cache of letters. A photo album might work, and possibly a portrait or a painting - but that is more likely to be used in a time slip or time travel when the protagonist ends up physically in another time.</p><p>The problem with classic is that it can feel like cliche. And no author likes to feel that they are offering their audience cliches. A lot of discussion goes into trying to think up something new, but it is hard, maybe impossible.</p><p>And really, does it matter? </p><p>Readers are happy to find books that offer their favourite tropes. Enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience and so on. It is a positive choice. So if you read dual time line are the letters or the diary simply part of the 'trope' of the genre? Are they even part of what makes the style attractive to a reader? Are writers worrying too much about feeling cliched?</p><p>I'm currently debating the question because the book I am working on, while not strictly a dual time line does have an element of the past influencing the present and I have to make the connection. I have found a way, I'm not saying any more, because spoilers but it still depends on a paper record - not that far away from the letters and the diary. But I really can't think of a way around that. </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-31073728180396875332024-01-31T08:00:00.013+00:002024-01-31T08:00:00.134+00:00Just a bit spooky? <p> I don't know if you've noticed, but there seems to be a lot of this about at the moment, several in the form of podcasts that have morphed and expanded. </p><p>The<i> Battersea Poltergeist </i>began that way and a play (event?) asking <i>Do You Believe in Ghosts? </i>has been visiting theatres for several months. </p><p>The idea attracted my attention as there are no less that three spooky presentations listed in the current programme for the New Theatre in Cardiff.<i> Uncanny - I Know What I Saw,</i> which is a live version of Danny Robins podcast of the same name, <i>Most Haunted Live </i> ditto for the TV series. A play 2.22, which is Danny Robins again, was on last week. He seems to be a thing at the moment as <i>The Battersea Poltergeist</i> was down to him too. </p><p>People seem to enjoy being scared. You note I say people. Not me. When <i>The Uncanny</i> shows up on my radio late on Saturday nights I have to turn it off, or sleep with the light on. Just the theme tune, from <i>Lanterns on the Lake,</i> creeps me out! </p><p>There have always been plays with creepy themes - <i>The Woman in Black </i>is a classic and there are a couple of thrillers doing the rounds <i>And Then There Were None</i> and <i>Murder in the Dark,</i> both also coming to Cardiff, that will probably chill a few spines. The exploration of 'real life' spooky stuff is new though.</p><p>And it has made me wonder - as you do. Traditionally publishers are said to dislike supernatural elements in books - although it never did any harm to the likes of Shakespeare - I'm not sure why this is. Maybe because it's not 'real' or not supposed to be? </p><p>As there seems to be more interest, I'm wondering what I can do with this. It won't be really scary stuff - but I would like to include some Welsh folklore in future books, and some of that can be classed as supernatural. Then there are things like Tarot Cards, Standing Stones, Hedge Witchery that might also find their way in. </p><p>I can only see where the thought takes me. </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-72373527253630350942024-01-24T08:00:00.001+00:002024-01-24T08:00:00.140+00:00Where to Begin?<p> The opening of a book is important - has to be in the right place. I'm pondering this at the moment for the WIP, </p><p>It has three time lines - the heroine's, which is more or less contemporary with some back story. The historical mystery that folds around the whole thing, which begins just after World War Two. I have that one covered, as all is not revealed until the last third of the book. At the moment hero and heroine both start in the present but Nathan's story really begins six years ago, with a life changing event that has long repercussions. </p><p>I'm now wondering if I should begin there, which raises the issue of writing a prologue. </p><p>Prologues seem to be like Marmite, loved and hated in equal measure. I have read comments from readers who say they will not read them, and agents and publishers are said to hate them. The main argument against them seems to be that they are an information dump, loading the reader with backstory that would be better - and shorter - told as part of the main story. Prologue as tell, not show? </p><p><i>Am</i> I just info dumping? </p><p>I've opened a book three times with events that take place before the main action, and it seems to have worked. I suspect that the new WIP will be the same as I seem to have got caught up in the idea, and it really is where Nathan begins. Actually, I suspect that it won't really be a prologue, it will be chapter one, because I can see it working out over a longer space than a prologue and introducing some major characters who feature later in the book - and it will be much better, I think, to introduce them in person now than have to explain them later. </p><p>So I will write it. This is the first draft, after all. We'll see if it works. </p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-52442291893353024342024-01-17T08:00:00.001+00:002024-01-17T08:00:00.260+00:00Crime tropes?<p> Last week I was musing about romance tropes - the scenarios that let readers know what they will be getting when they pick up a book. It's a topic often discussed. </p><p>Crime tropes - not discussed so much, but I think they do exist, </p><p>I've had a go at a list. </p><p>Death/murder - there can be books with other crimes. but let's face it we do like a dead body, or five. </p><p>Troubled protagonist - addiction, marriage problems, loner</p><p>Unidentified victim - need to determine who your dead body is before you can find out who killed them. A classic on this one is Agatha Christie's <i>Body in the Library</i>. Where the hapless Colonel and Mrs Bantry have no idea who the dead girl is. Enter Miss Marple, stage right ...</p><p>Mysterious poison - more of a Golden Age motif as forensics advance</p><p>Lost heir - Josephine Tey's <i>Brat Farrar</i> is a classic. Can only be historical now, with the arrival of DNA testing. </p><p>Forced proximity - this one can be a romance trope too - in the crime case it is a group of people cut off from the outside world - snow, floods, And you know what will happen - <i>And Then There Were None </i>...</p><p>Courtroom dramas - a trope or a setting? </p><p>Unreliable narrator There is a classic on this - Dame Agatha again, but I won't risk a spoiler.</p><p>Amateur sleuth beloved in 'Cosy' mysteries. These days they often have lifestyles/hobbies that add to the layering - dog walker, gardener, baker. </p><p>Falsely accused who has to be exonerated. </p><p>The Too Stupid to Live Victim. The one who goes into the creepy empty house when there is a serial killer on the loose. </p><p>A villain who taunts the police</p><p>A key witness who lets it be known they have information but delays to allow enough time for them to become the next corpse. (I really hate that one!) </p><p>I'm sure there are more, but that's not a bad start! </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-91814481511365754872024-01-10T18:27:00.001+00:002024-01-10T18:27:54.815+00:00Tropes?<p> When any group of romance writers get together the topic of romance tropes often comes up - a shorthand tag that lets readers know what they will be getting inside the covers. I've had several conversations on these lines lately, which inspired a list - some of them are classic, some new, some a bit saucy, I know some readers chose their reading solely on the basis of their favourite scenarios, What you see is what you get! Are your favourites here?</p><p><br /></p><p>Marriage of convenience - classic, tends to be historical but not always. Morphed in contemporaries into fake relationship? </p><p>Secret baby - also classic</p><p>Grumpy/sunshine - this seems to be a newish one</p><p>Only one bed - now we're getting towards saucy. </p><p>Falling for the boss - This used to be CEO/secretary or doctor/nurse - perhaps a little old fashioned now?</p><p>Forced proximity - can include the two above, but any scenario where the protagonists can't avoid each other works</p><p>Second chance romance - a nice one to write as there is HISTORY! </p><p>May/December - maybe not so popular these days?</p><p>Friends to lovers - this has lots of possibilities. Likely to be small town with interesting supporting characters?</p><p>An embarrassing one night stand that has repercussions - maybe linked to secret baby???</p><p>Enemies to lovers. Maybe me, but I don't seem to have come across so many of these lately. Maybe my reading habits have changed. </p><p>Fairy tales - Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella being the most popular. </p><p>Reverse harerem - now that IS saucy! </p><p>I've seen a few lists that include sports romance, amnesia, billionaires, blind dates, royalty - but they seem to me to be more towards plot/setting than trope.</p><p>I'm sure I have missed a few, but it is fun to try and remember them! </p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-44858651886574168952024-01-03T08:00:00.038+00:002024-01-03T08:00:00.128+00:00Welcoming the New Year<p> Traditionally New Year is the time for change and resolutions. So- what about this new one then?</p><p>I can't say that 2023 was a memorable year. Several nagging health issues sapped my strength and will power, so there has been little writing and no progress on the programme of renovating the house. The whole twelve months seems to have evaporated. I am hoping for better for 2024. There <i>was</i> a new book in March and I did have some good times with friends at writing events. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiojbDIm9bXavLFGUvXR1f2HV-yz51kRKM4A1uUOD2hhTbCdKpbAjaw7mkyt83nIRx11H53rnhAkClOilIv49aJFcwnlR_wElllPwbm3q8lWmsT3PKtrOi3WDGR7lBjTH1h_OQZ03BUce3QKyCJgXNkldXD8b2oPqzvLtS9fnZgfWDadxl7ChxQ3Javs/s1170/thumbnail_MASQUERADE%20ON%20THE%20RIVIERA%20by%20Evonne%20Wareham.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1170" data-original-width="762" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGiojbDIm9bXavLFGUvXR1f2HV-yz51kRKM4A1uUOD2hhTbCdKpbAjaw7mkyt83nIRx11H53rnhAkClOilIv49aJFcwnlR_wElllPwbm3q8lWmsT3PKtrOi3WDGR7lBjTH1h_OQZ03BUce3QKyCJgXNkldXD8b2oPqzvLtS9fnZgfWDadxl7ChxQ3Javs/s320/thumbnail_MASQUERADE%20ON%20THE%20RIVIERA%20by%20Evonne%20Wareham.jpg" width="208" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 4th Riviera</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Attending IndieLove in November was a high spot that I very much enjoyed. <div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga07e-bN5vo-4ScKY7_DJ6BL-JYE1zsuI-g-ag2mkUf_WtZxdZz8QBv_JEQ6bydR9JqWCzcS-DTf17nzaFs8S5SO1tSXcErGIJqvzqIUZZXyaskuCOGmzPO2X2I4mJ9wvgxgW3-lDfGZgIDcqlHBbvOa8nBYCMGUQk5sHmluvbLVphJQwCjiLyT0yTkEU/s3072/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga07e-bN5vo-4ScKY7_DJ6BL-JYE1zsuI-g-ag2mkUf_WtZxdZz8QBv_JEQ6bydR9JqWCzcS-DTf17nzaFs8S5SO1tSXcErGIJqvzqIUZZXyaskuCOGmzPO2X2I4mJ9wvgxgW3-lDfGZgIDcqlHBbvOa8nBYCMGUQk5sHmluvbLVphJQwCjiLyT0yTkEU/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blurry!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><p>There were re-issues of vintage books, but very little new writing took place, except for this blog. There have been a <i>few</i> green shoots as I tried out a new idea on a workshop of fellow writers in October and got a good reaction and the kind of comments I was hoping for. I've researched garden history - yes, it will have an historic garden - and I'm excited about the concept, if I can summon the stamina. I have a new consultant so I am also hoping that medical tests at the end of 2023 will result in a diagnosis and a better outlook. </p><p>So 2024 has a New Year's Resolution. Very simple.</p><p><b>Write a new book! </b></p><p>Alongside that, fingers crossed that the house renovations will be starting again. </p><p>I doubt if any new work will be let out into the world until 2025, but I'll do my best to keep at it and keep you up to date! </p></div></div>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-71101404236776873362024-01-01T08:00:00.003+00:002024-01-01T08:00:00.127+00:00Happy New Year!<p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;"> </span><span style="color: #a64d79;">Best wishes for a fabulous twelve months to come.</span></b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0LL_R_DlEDrCAt8i-JzosfKxhlT1yYhPw9oIdUOJaAmF_a6rPGXGHmpJJA8W3sl17gTUGv8Dkm2JgEnm6GW1a0m1YjRwRC03GqkklCB5585RzRPD6OabPT8eK6adYWP8XThRj7Y3eYmheD295R4J72FdjTBO1J8k94zw9GWYOgKKIvAv9FWRbpJcodg/s2048/100_0695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0LL_R_DlEDrCAt8i-JzosfKxhlT1yYhPw9oIdUOJaAmF_a6rPGXGHmpJJA8W3sl17gTUGv8Dkm2JgEnm6GW1a0m1YjRwRC03GqkklCB5585RzRPD6OabPT8eK6adYWP8XThRj7Y3eYmheD295R4J72FdjTBO1J8k94zw9GWYOgKKIvAv9FWRbpJcodg/s320/100_0695.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br /><span style="color: red; font-family: Dancing Script; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-50655728570844056562023-12-27T08:30:00.002+00:002023-12-27T14:36:22.659+00:00My first two books<p> My first two titles for Choc-lit are now being re-released by Joffe books. Both were written for a huge reality contest run in the US by the Romantic Times magazine and Dorchester Publishing - both sadly no more. And both books made the final! As you can imagine, that was a huge boost to an unpublished author, even though I didn't come anywhere near winning. Even so, it took a while to find a publisher here in the UK. Romantic suspense is not a well known genre, but then Choc-lit took a chance...</p><p>Although I would class all my books as romantic suspense, these two books are very different from the Riviera series that I have been writing lately. Those books are lighter, escapist holiday reading. <i>Never Coming Home </i>and <i>Out of Sight Out of Mind</i> are still romances but much darker - and not just because they are both partially set in Wales, not on the Mediterranean! And I have to say that much as I love the Riviera books and love writing them, I have been hankering to return to my 'roots' for some time. The WIP is much more in that mould - and it's set in Wales. </p><p>Since the books were first issued trends have changed. Now psychological thrillers are very much on trend and these two books are being marketed with that designation. I have to confess that this bothers me a little. They<i> are</i> thrillers, there are twists and turns, there is uncertainty, there is violence, there is bad language, they are scary and creepy in places, their heroes have dark pasts and the heroines have tragedy in theirs, but they are still romances. </p><p>Not sure how purist crime fans will view them. I'm braced for the reviews that mention Mills and Boon. I hope that there will be some new readers who will like a new view on the genre and a positive ending. </p><p>Fingers crossed. </p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-30546892462060187742023-12-25T08:00:00.001+00:002023-12-25T08:00:00.127+00:00Happy Christmas! <p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Have a fabulous day. </span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqmmDFmVIaVtvINZgDsJATeLNIX0eTGSzsTz9UPdnxxh1ZQF2LUCDhTgHZRVnEKwWzGhn221lGazYezEm95Me3EtKeEENxbq7xCWO2fezqMoGHT8aRDQzu2MOTlHWqnK2r31qdugS3FLhI_D0q0SEqL-mKGVCqOkFUbddvmdZ7XM6JDiH7xi0YBBSqLE/s3072/100_1824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPqmmDFmVIaVtvINZgDsJATeLNIX0eTGSzsTz9UPdnxxh1ZQF2LUCDhTgHZRVnEKwWzGhn221lGazYezEm95Me3EtKeEENxbq7xCWO2fezqMoGHT8aRDQzu2MOTlHWqnK2r31qdugS3FLhI_D0q0SEqL-mKGVCqOkFUbddvmdZ7XM6JDiH7xi0YBBSqLE/s320/100_1824.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></div><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><p></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-43640518376044115152023-12-20T07:00:00.001+00:002023-12-20T07:00:00.130+00:00Out of Sight Out of Mind - re-release. <p> As trailed last week - Joffe is re-releasing my first two published titles. </p><p>IF YOU ALREADY HAVE THEM, PLEASE DON'T BUY THEM AGAIN! </p><p><i>Out of Sight Out of Mind </i>is already out there. <i>Never Coming Home </i>will follow, before Xmas or soon after. </p><p><i>Out of Sight Out of Mind </i>only has a new cover - very modern and on trend. <i>Never Coming Home</i> has had some updating. Both stories remain the same. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fqJx0KPWnbIWJoka1txhvWcGuvt3tAR6YRWkEQ2b99axbUXkOnOJWFA9gR8wbZPxSqOH1GIvdwvzBhyphenhyphenjxiSBKGd0GJ6J4NnxfrUwGljpHi6V6dTnzwC4klWxk4w4Ic27oyK5bFU3mJbEaptFwDgUukDLFOpPE2xiiaeY6oefJ-J2IwL2DX0gPXao8Hs/s500/51ycBKsNUXL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="326" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8fqJx0KPWnbIWJoka1txhvWcGuvt3tAR6YRWkEQ2b99axbUXkOnOJWFA9gR8wbZPxSqOH1GIvdwvzBhyphenhyphenjxiSBKGd0GJ6J4NnxfrUwGljpHi6V6dTnzwC4klWxk4w4Ic27oyK5bFU3mJbEaptFwDgUukDLFOpPE2xiiaeY6oefJ-J2IwL2DX0gPXao8Hs/s320/51ycBKsNUXL.jpg" width="209" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How it looked</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>While it is great that these two books are getting a second time around - I'm still very proud of them and both were award winners/nominees - I do get worried that people will think they are new. They are not - and they are very different from the Riviera books. Much grittier - not so escapist. They are both over a decade old. </p><p><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwqw7ccrS9ZU9y4ndyKbWn7ALddmeYnDhwKgHvWZI8hu4dNH-amr69m9v9FH6KDyS-psGESs8x9cyziC8Kr6DrNIKCP6c7WeXmBrerI5KWv-kf0E7uOz3ZwhJyteAAHtvAhfWidABCoHTv5eNnh7xP542m5hGYhgePoZ4P0XmgLgslib77enC2wK2tt0/s1080/Author%20assets%20(4).png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwqw7ccrS9ZU9y4ndyKbWn7ALddmeYnDhwKgHvWZI8hu4dNH-amr69m9v9FH6KDyS-psGESs8x9cyziC8Kr6DrNIKCP6c7WeXmBrerI5KWv-kf0E7uOz3ZwhJyteAAHtvAhfWidABCoHTv5eNnh7xP542m5hGYhgePoZ4P0XmgLgslib77enC2wK2tt0/s320/Author%20assets%20(4).png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">How it looks now</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div>I was reading the Liberta blog at the weekend and Sophie Weston was writing about a category author Leigh Michaels has coined - the Accidental Historical - when a book that was contemporary is re-issued and becomes historical in the process. <div><br /></div><div>That's what these two books are. </div><div><br /></div><div>If you want to read the Librta post in full, you can find it <a href="https://libertabooks.com/blog/">HERE</a></div></div>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-1694616489830000492023-12-13T08:00:00.001+00:002023-12-13T08:00:00.139+00:00Coming around again.<p><br /></p><p>My new publisher, Joffe Books, who have taken over the former Choc-Lit titles make something of a speciality of backlists and re-issues. It was only a matter of time before they re-discovered my older titles to give them a second time around, and now it's happening. </p><p>Multi Award winning <i>Never Coming Home</i> and award nominee<i> Out of Sight Out of Mind </i>will be released soon with brand new covers. </p><p>Both books are a decade or so old, written as competition entries for a big US reality contest where they both made the final, and are very different from what I have been writing lately. They are very much in the romantic <i>thriller</i> mode, rather than romantic mystery. More gritty, more violent, more bad language! (Sorry if that is not your thing.) They still have independent heroines and red hot heroes, although the latter are a bit more ambiguous than the leading men in the Riviera series. </p><p>Although I love the Riviera books and completely enjoy writing them I've been wanting for a while to get back to style of the books that began my career, so I am quite excited over the re-issue of these two. </p><p>I have a new idea currently in research and development that lends itself to that style that will also take me back to locations in my native Wales, so I am looking forward to working on it.</p><p>I have done some re-editing for <i>Never Coming Home,</i> and have seen the new updated cover for <i>Out of</i> <i>Sight Out of Mind</i> - which is very different and very on-trend, so it won't be long before I am able to share them with readers. Those who already have the books won't need to buy them again - unless you want to - but maybe there will be new readers out there who will be inspired to take a look. I hope so.</p><p>Working with those books I know that getting back to that style is going to be a challenge, but the new idea is one I have wanted to work on for some time. It will be a journey. I hope readers will come with me as I make it. </p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-80808887963042983392023-12-08T11:54:00.000+00:002023-12-08T11:54:01.952+00:00For one day onlyToday Friday 8th I am the Joffe free book!
Summer in San Remo is all yours for zero pence. It's the first in the Riviera Series. More of a rom-com with only a hint of crime/mystery, it was fun to write. The series gets much heavier on the suspense after that. <div><br /></div><div><a href="https://shorturl.at/uyCY0">Get it here</a><br /></div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2urmVceneQllT6Bu-0KgvQ48cRt_WhgvGyapC2FIAtP9TK4vZXbnyz-2LTbGkyq3KW7998rsnsj34wv81CUPWFxZql-T-RvXLIJGPVsNZXHsdUltVgyvoeikx8bYkvt-bA-5McbjJAQoPXQS-1zdyML8480_bxAoi7Kw1OV7IVczzoAUEiuSrAqzZo48/s1080/17.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2urmVceneQllT6Bu-0KgvQ48cRt_WhgvGyapC2FIAtP9TK4vZXbnyz-2LTbGkyq3KW7998rsnsj34wv81CUPWFxZql-T-RvXLIJGPVsNZXHsdUltVgyvoeikx8bYkvt-bA-5McbjJAQoPXQS-1zdyML8480_bxAoi7Kw1OV7IVczzoAUEiuSrAqzZo48/s320/17.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-8732872227985081082023-12-06T21:41:00.003+00:002023-12-06T21:45:07.809+00:00Gadding about<p> I'm a bit late posting this week as I have been out having fun. London at the weekend - a longer trip than intended as I got caught out by an unexpected train strike and had to stay over an extra day, not coming back until Monday. Then yesterday I was out at Xmas lunch with some friends, and my last morning lecture today for the gardens course so it has been rather hectic</p><p>London was fun, as usual. Sang my first carols at a festive music concert at St Martin's in the Fields and ate my first mince pie - on the train coming home! </p><p>The big event was the Romantic Novelists' Association London and South East Chapter Xmas lunch. I had a lovely time, met friends, ate nice food and got my picture taken with Santa, We were encouraged to take a book for the pic and to donate to prison literacy projects, which I was happy to do. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVasCA1j28ggqQzTwDbX9v_EArGrwm5KbRysrE9DNhvIN9PJCZgJPfk8vUHQH4MmBghhn4cWbtG1gyp3WpXfPXu-OKSOIKcuy-Jx4ES3l15OpRZiZgmt6FDpW9nEyfeq0YaTl_aiTAYoBZVBunoZK5Ps7rrmNs2huLOykS0Nl0UN5Oa4x6xrcvbVokuMg/s3072/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVasCA1j28ggqQzTwDbX9v_EArGrwm5KbRysrE9DNhvIN9PJCZgJPfk8vUHQH4MmBghhn4cWbtG1gyp3WpXfPXu-OKSOIKcuy-Jx4ES3l15OpRZiZgmt6FDpW9nEyfeq0YaTl_aiTAYoBZVBunoZK5Ps7rrmNs2huLOykS0Nl0UN5Oa4x6xrcvbVokuMg/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p> I spent some time on one of my favourite things, wandering around London. Did some window shopping and some not window shopping, very indulgent and more so because I had the extra time to investigate the Glossier shop, in Covent Garden, which on weekends has long queues outside it but was much quieter on Monday! The windows at Selfridges are always worth a visit and this year was no exception. And I found a pop up shop in one of the back streets on the Portman Estate where you could send letters to Santa complete with golden pillar box.</p><p>I took some pictures and generally enjoyed myself </p><p><br /></p><p><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nB7EMW4sGsG1zsPLSANgUZmDeyTBUgMepou-flg_4HZQs7a3iUfaVd14y3GYQ5ohQEfHi2iCGoZcoh52_Ioe8_NSNnsyTGagapRy9o1LrbXNA1JEuOxhubZh0gymyCK8p_5jbUu1TcFE2eAbpxrwgiqsq0JJdD97p199JXgUAGFzujNh5rogifO8pNo/s3072/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7nB7EMW4sGsG1zsPLSANgUZmDeyTBUgMepou-flg_4HZQs7a3iUfaVd14y3GYQ5ohQEfHi2iCGoZcoh52_Ioe8_NSNnsyTGagapRy9o1LrbXNA1JEuOxhubZh0gymyCK8p_5jbUu1TcFE2eAbpxrwgiqsq0JJdD97p199JXgUAGFzujNh5rogifO8pNo/s320/004.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sending letters to Santa</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCKmYwe0wF1kOp8STTH5nt7ICDr_eaaZBAODLUies-Y_jTjdURSm3YM7zsH4Zv1nWQKfsIevvzVGBNfaJSMrl4SvsDh-9rEcqUkUhumeKSi0ssvs_-IUoiTM9tDHBRoMr3FQVteYy6BYvBYz3-cd-9sY3n4yGOw8Vg7s9c9O-YN82kCb-ETzjLirz11w/s3072/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdCKmYwe0wF1kOp8STTH5nt7ICDr_eaaZBAODLUies-Y_jTjdURSm3YM7zsH4Zv1nWQKfsIevvzVGBNfaJSMrl4SvsDh-9rEcqUkUhumeKSi0ssvs_-IUoiTM9tDHBRoMr3FQVteYy6BYvBYz3-cd-9sY3n4yGOw8Vg7s9c9O-YN82kCb-ETzjLirz11w/s320/009.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Candy cane man, There is a face and body<br /> in there somewhere. </td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9vxl8g1UPPeyHAMCZx8sWo5CItRzVOObNMvuTtVXDOepcbXc-GRd-voGpwpviislSWNeuvZ574Px87PzPsaQ4Jet7LrdHafJY_hzyErXaGikfxTbfNaHioj5wIQm-QTWevsJqPdJ6mqgPLcNNAZ24LqiUH-_0E1yvizMRdRWUIKjN5XDkAXT1ZyA_-s/s3072/005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja9vxl8g1UPPeyHAMCZx8sWo5CItRzVOObNMvuTtVXDOepcbXc-GRd-voGpwpviislSWNeuvZ574Px87PzPsaQ4Jet7LrdHafJY_hzyErXaGikfxTbfNaHioj5wIQm-QTWevsJqPdJ6mqgPLcNNAZ24LqiUH-_0E1yvizMRdRWUIKjN5XDkAXT1ZyA_-s/s320/005.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I thought the masks on these three angels <br />were just a little bit spooky. <br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Fce-sA655KpXIEDHX7X6gohcBL8hXm3uCM9TMm5LaasSEk-nS2aMIsfY76u6eyRVsu5uclWN0CaJh9WO0reYCdPhdxRJzPdjZ8bEO6eEHgd4QQzpzTINQ5VuxLI9rQcM3b7LNsgQ78qhT7yGalhZ3ll4d0iHNdzrhJR0pef12w9IvL_OvEGEFG5aQn8/s3072/010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Fce-sA655KpXIEDHX7X6gohcBL8hXm3uCM9TMm5LaasSEk-nS2aMIsfY76u6eyRVsu5uclWN0CaJh9WO0reYCdPhdxRJzPdjZ8bEO6eEHgd4QQzpzTINQ5VuxLI9rQcM3b7LNsgQ78qhT7yGalhZ3ll4d0iHNdzrhJR0pef12w9IvL_OvEGEFG5aQn8/s320/010.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Self indulgent shopping <br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-11259629097256433702023-11-29T08:00:00.002+00:002023-11-29T08:00:00.135+00:00Deep dive research <p> At the moment I am researching. Yes, really. Lots of reading and a course on gardens with Cardiff university, which is fun and also very useful. Learning things that may go in this book, or the next, or maybe just stay in my head. Research is like that. </p><p>When I was studying for the PhD I recall a panel discussion of some of the senior academics from the faculty, talking about that topic. One mentioned that your thesis would probably not contain half of what you know. One of his colleagues admitted that in his case it was more like seven eighths. Like an iceberg, most of it is never seen.</p><p>I happen to believe that in-depth research adds richness to the finished product, even if the reader doesn't see it directly. Well - that's my story and I'm sticking to it, and don't anyone mention procrastination!</p><p>That conversation between academics came into my mind at the weekend when I was scribbling down a time line and family tree for the people who built and owned the house and garden that are going to be the centre of the work that will eventually be in progress. I knew I had to get it done, as there was a hole in my plans that was keeping me from moving on. By the strange alchemy that happens in writer's brains, bits and pieces from the garden course, books I had read and what I needed for the story melded together and I ended up with a full history for the people who came before her in the house that my heroine inherits. Will it make it into the book? I doubt it, at least not more than a line or two. But now I know, And it's going to make the story of Whitchwood House that much easier to tell. </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-73039044109310699542023-11-22T08:30:00.001+00:002023-11-22T08:30:00.141+00:00Indie Love<p> The mass signing was on Saturday 18th and I had a great time. The Parkgate hotel is lovely, the event was fabulously organised by Alice and her team of terrific helpers and it all went much too fast. It was so good to talk to other authors and especially to readers. I have filed away lots of ideas of what romance readers might like to read in the future. It was a learning curve as I have not done one of these for years and then not in this country. The displays other authors had on their tables were amazing as were the give- aways and the books themselves. You can probably catch some pictures on Facebook - there are lots of them. </p><p>I was bitterly disappointed to find that the pictures I took of my table were blurry. Don't know if it is the camera or that my hands were shaking with excitement! I've put the best ones below, which gives you a rough idea. A small blot in an otherwise exciting day. </p><p>Hope I can do more in the future. </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcKJ27p7l4qsMQKHzgJf813gaKfQguHRq6GjyTrIb_jNrL_X4Pzqt42kt7IzpEUJajcIK6NW6NvCG5yugrrnkS3pag5Jc4ltWKEstdTE_LMpGr-6AVtJuvJRX7UMLdK7nj29RIsh6QFKDwYi12rpiLQQJZLUElvEJRYDZZA551ipRAVZD5q_tIhpLtHk/s3072/002.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFcKJ27p7l4qsMQKHzgJf813gaKfQguHRq6GjyTrIb_jNrL_X4Pzqt42kt7IzpEUJajcIK6NW6NvCG5yugrrnkS3pag5Jc4ltWKEstdTE_LMpGr-6AVtJuvJRX7UMLdK7nj29RIsh6QFKDwYi12rpiLQQJZLUElvEJRYDZZA551ipRAVZD5q_tIhpLtHk/s320/002.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Setting up</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWIQf5VBu9FNlah24rrvcBy_NtCm2XYM39H5AgEhKH8EHfeSNW5cNj2lhVdk_fyqkCznb1aasTA_vGYQIbAPhS29zCWJB_xUmMg270X85EYPIHSbRQ5RY5QEZdJR6-qb8ebfqEkBgqep3TgFH8XeFKjr3o3PzYdU8UX6mzU4OsgxvEq7o2UrzsXl9W9I/s3072/004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2304" data-original-width="3072" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWIQf5VBu9FNlah24rrvcBy_NtCm2XYM39H5AgEhKH8EHfeSNW5cNj2lhVdk_fyqkCznb1aasTA_vGYQIbAPhS29zCWJB_xUmMg270X85EYPIHSbRQ5RY5QEZdJR6-qb8ebfqEkBgqep3TgFH8XeFKjr3o3PzYdU8UX6mzU4OsgxvEq7o2UrzsXl9W9I/s320/004.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The finished table</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-83057758626964239662023-11-15T07:30:00.006+00:002023-11-15T07:30:00.141+00:00Indie Love: Cardiff <p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgFw7DGkaPvxF3huJK6WJPUA9Gkc05Y0M4W6pM7RuFor5MoAzmWMSxlsKnxsky_EdlUZIl0cUCAjJ9ws8w_v3_LSyC2B3xVCyl8p3ioqfaNfSBT4o-OUC8TznGBhSQwo_5JrT2MOYF79raB_sAmTz9fdd-Z4bHirBMhfpE4zxIaKkrZoqv7UIUZI-Jr0/s2015/400728455_179218471924755_4702374862120496306_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="2015" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIgFw7DGkaPvxF3huJK6WJPUA9Gkc05Y0M4W6pM7RuFor5MoAzmWMSxlsKnxsky_EdlUZIl0cUCAjJ9ws8w_v3_LSyC2B3xVCyl8p3ioqfaNfSBT4o-OUC8TznGBhSQwo_5JrT2MOYF79raB_sAmTz9fdd-Z4bHirBMhfpE4zxIaKkrZoqv7UIUZI-Jr0/w400-h190/400728455_179218471924755_4702374862120496306_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />On Saturday 18th - next Saturday - I'm doing something I haven't done in a long time, and never before in this country - I'm part of a big signing of romance authors that's taking place at the Parkgate Hotel in Cardiff. There will be lots of authors there, writing all different types of romance and out to have a very good time. There will be many tables hosting those authors, books, swag, raffles, face painting, glitter! I'm not aiming for the face paint and the glitter but I will be there for the fun. If you want to be there too and don't already have a ticket there are still a few tickets left, you can get in advance or buy on the day. <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQ2uKXCpmfqDub87ie1rhlsb-Re3J5QHiLVbRNQo5Ak2W4T9p5CNsbCuOgWDsGt1zdHJqDud0TBKXBZih7FMQQfFRHqVY4WmYAFPGLn2qkvWeiXnpEIDnFFviEvgpId1lJG3mOWsVJntXcW5lblBu7ARnlhRF2PFxGsvgHpoNb1sOilyLJ1LzpW7H3Uc/s3072/001.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3072" data-original-width="2304" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQ2uKXCpmfqDub87ie1rhlsb-Re3J5QHiLVbRNQo5Ak2W4T9p5CNsbCuOgWDsGt1zdHJqDud0TBKXBZih7FMQQfFRHqVY4WmYAFPGLn2qkvWeiXnpEIDnFFviEvgpId1lJG3mOWsVJntXcW5lblBu7ARnlhRF2PFxGsvgHpoNb1sOilyLJ1LzpW7H3Uc/s320/001.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>I have books - including a new box of my latest in the Riviera series, recently arrived from my publisher. I have chocolate and I hope to be able to pick up a few more small goodies before the day. I have to say I have seen some of the swag that other authors are bringing and I am in awe. That stuff is amazing. I can't match it, but I am there to learn. I'm looking forward to meeting readers and other authors and I'm really hoping to chat to people about what they want in their romance reading. Like I said, it's a learning curve. At the moment the Riviera series is on hold while I explore a new idea. It will be good to find out what readers might think of it. </p><p>If you are going to be there, I look forward to meeting you. I have a feeling it is going to be one crazy day! </p><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-83963357045172115002023-11-08T08:00:00.001+00:002023-11-08T08:00:00.141+00:00Wottcha reading?<p> And why?</p><p>My house if full of paper - reading matter of all kinds. Looking around over the weekend I got to thinking about the different categories my reading falls into. </p><p>Mostly it's relaxation, escapism. And increasingly that's electronic rather than paper - with the occasional burst of books from the library when I get the chance to browse. Usually romantic suspense, as it is my favourite genre, but I stray into rom com, historical, mystery and cosy crime on occasion. I have a weakness for Golden Age crime - the British Library imprints are always worth a look. I've read a lot of ECR Lorac and greatly enjoyed them. </p><p>At the moment I have a lot of coffee table books on gardens. They are a result of the University course I'm taking, both of which - books and course - are research for the Work-That-Is-Going-To-Be -In -Progress. It's still marinating, but I hope I will be actually writing by Christmas. At the moment health stuff is getting in the way, but I will get there. </p><p>What else? Apart for the backs of cereal packets and junk mail? Magazines? I'm not big on them, with the occasional dip into the house/lifestyle kind when I am looking for ideas for the revamping and renovations I am currently working my way through. Another thing that is keeping me away from the writing! </p><p>A lot of the organisations I belong to send magazines as part of the membership package - Royal Horticultural Society, Crime Writers' Association, Society of Authors - I try to read them to keep up with current events in my chosen world, and for pleasure too. Always ready to learn something new. </p><p>Brochures and catalogues are fun when they come with the junk mail. I have somehow got on to the mailing list for some very up-market dress shops in London - don't ask me how. Love to look, although the garments are usually out of my price range. Maybe not for my heroines? Is that how I got on the mailing list? Research? </p><p>Reading is a huge part of my life. I'm edgy and bereft if I don't have a book on the go. My mum was the same, and I suspect my grandmother too. I know where my love of reading came from, and I'm very grateful for it. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TiKFZyCfSgT1ZviYooLIzSWSf2-MbtfrmNQB1cDWuVUgL0SLwwZcGiW5IIR7GqvuhyphenhyphenOpZReEjni5MVuqoqxGx7O1kZO3sPazsmS4jMYn8zmvUiZL01VAOzFzKfrnoZbV2HVfiOuf_urTTvjXq0sProSWlNQhMgqOwjTuKHFDPcKH6j-e0O_9phGRtYM/s886/100_0943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="807" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TiKFZyCfSgT1ZviYooLIzSWSf2-MbtfrmNQB1cDWuVUgL0SLwwZcGiW5IIR7GqvuhyphenhyphenOpZReEjni5MVuqoqxGx7O1kZO3sPazsmS4jMYn8zmvUiZL01VAOzFzKfrnoZbV2HVfiOuf_urTTvjXq0sProSWlNQhMgqOwjTuKHFDPcKH6j-e0O_9phGRtYM/s320/100_0943.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-24841207325600253332023-11-01T08:30:00.001+00:002023-11-01T08:30:00.137+00:00The Christmas book<p> As you know my Christmas book, <i>What Happens at Christmas,</i> has just been re-issued with a brand new cover and blurb. The story is the same though, so don't go buying it twice! </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWw33iysV-_08B0K_y86s3fF2ZLmA9_2LM_RrWzToURqYDz8Io2jnBAWdp_ZNUpwNo_oXY6_4gCMBdqnRoUbpoqL0HhQWUH-0vZlDxgAE4Pv6vfktKz-Vce9F_7R5qqoX3_uwgmRnvcZY-gl5nJq5LRK59FKIHNevdRQ_N9OgFBUJI9mGvJpUbPGjJuQ/s2250/What%20Happens%20at%20Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2250" data-original-width="1410" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwWw33iysV-_08B0K_y86s3fF2ZLmA9_2LM_RrWzToURqYDz8Io2jnBAWdp_ZNUpwNo_oXY6_4gCMBdqnRoUbpoqL0HhQWUH-0vZlDxgAE4Pv6vfktKz-Vce9F_7R5qqoX3_uwgmRnvcZY-gl5nJq5LRK59FKIHNevdRQ_N9OgFBUJI9mGvJpUbPGjJuQ/s320/What%20Happens%20at%20Christmas.jpg" width="201" /></a></div><br /><p>There is a story behind how I came to write it. I'm not big on Christmas, although I like the traditional elements - carols, decorations and food. Especially food. Writing a Christmas romantic suspense novel - or any kind of Christmas novel - wasn’t on my
immediate ‘to do’ list. I had toyed with the idea, and had conversations with
friends over whether it was possible to do it. There are plenty of novels
involving crime that are set at the festive season, but romantic suspense makes
the crime so much a part of the love story - and then you need a touch of that
Christmas magic …</p><p>
</p><p><span style="color: black;">It was an interesting challenge,
something for the forward plan. Then, in the serendipitous way that books sometimes get hatched, I had Christmas lunch at a restaurant with
some writing friends, and the conversation naturally revolved around writing,
and somehow the topic of kidnapping came up – yes I know, but I did say these
people were writers. Lunch ended and we all went our separate ways, but the
talk about kidnapping stayed with me. By the time I got to my train home an
idea for a plot had begun to stir.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">I still wasn’t sure about actually doing
anything with it, but the suspense thread had really begun to unravel in my
head. Then a strong image of a hero and heroine began to form, and at that
point I was hooked. The book was written over the holidays – some of it on
Christmas day itself, which helped a lot with the Christmassy feeling! I really
enjoyed doing it, so it became a little Christmas present to myself.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">When the book opens neither Lori
nor Drew is planning on a conventional Christmas, but they’re in no way
anticipating the Christmas they actually get. Through an unexpected series of
events, Lori finds herself making a Christmas for her four year old niece, and
Drew finds himself involved in a TV kidnapping stunt for charity that has gone
horribly wrong …<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="color: black;">Add in a setting in the Brecon
Beacons, a strong minded cat, a guest appearance from Devlin, who was the hero
of my debut novel,<i> Never Coming Home</i>, a converted barn and a great deal of snow
– and that’s the book. It doesn’t end at Christmas – the story unfolds over a
year, until the following Christmas, but the core of the story – the part when
Drew and Lori begin to fall in love - is in those first few snow-bound days in
Brecon. I’ve tried to use the senses to create atmosphere, Christmas lights,
flickering scented candles, log fires, starry nights, carols playing on the
radio - and in the centre of it Lori and Drew - gradually becoming romantically
aware of each other, over a few hours of peace in the midst of tension. </span>Both Lori and Drew have their own back stories too – Drew in particular has very bad memories of Christmas past that he needs to deal with before he can move on.</p><p><span style="color: black;">Of course, there is tension, mystery, threat and danger and some characters come to unhappy ends – all the elements of romantic suspense. If you're looking for something edgy in your festive reading, you might like to try it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5345632046848184710.post-9904132043648427352023-10-27T21:23:00.001+01:002023-10-27T21:23:54.404+01:00Indie Love Event<p> Something big is happening in the romance world in Cardiff on 18th November. A day long event to meet authors, buy books, have them signed and generally have a good (romantic) time. Fifty plus attending authors, including me! All kinds of romance, including the very hot kind! This is your chance to be there, as tickets are on special offer this weekend. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGtLoRWdgt3MFErjWweQkJmpnR6vNQZu2-yBpP0R9c-6qtIA06Hl6MiiqZRk3OVaHHzNGdbXFK9LbNUMjb3WCk_Cts3Ud91pbbIIFDYHtcrGwQuxu3pye7kBKVcX4aqmAysgyyhyphenhyphenMmE3FGDzCrk55_LeynynRX8WTVPYlmsJA_giJVeucUhqh6B1Ayi4/s960/393362003_164380460075223_2901479319750944834_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="960" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizGtLoRWdgt3MFErjWweQkJmpnR6vNQZu2-yBpP0R9c-6qtIA06Hl6MiiqZRk3OVaHHzNGdbXFK9LbNUMjb3WCk_Cts3Ud91pbbIIFDYHtcrGwQuxu3pye7kBKVcX4aqmAysgyyhyphenhyphenMmE3FGDzCrk55_LeynynRX8WTVPYlmsJA_giJVeucUhqh6B1Ayi4/s320/393362003_164380460075223_2901479319750944834_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>You can find details and book </p><p><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://indielovecardiff23.eventbrite.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR2318H-y4ZDh63O0qNaxPRLhorcQdP0CWmsHnvXUuxXJokBp8syluToZAY" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; animation-name: none; background-color: white; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation; transition-property: none;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">HERE</a></p>Evonne Warehamhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04582038007207745024noreply@blogger.com0