Well, today they are releasing a new book, and I’m part of their street team. I’m handing the blog over to them so they can tell you about their Writer’s Showcase event, new book, and a great freebie to check out. Read on!
Certain details can reveal a lot about a character, such as their goals, desires, and backstory wounds. But did you know there’s another detail that can tie your character’s arc to the plot, provide intense, multi-layered conflict, AND shorten the “get to know the character” curve for readers?
It’s true. Your character’s occupation is a GOLD MINE of storytelling potential.
Think about it: how much time do you spend on the job? Does it fulfill you or frustrate you? Can you separate work from home? Is it causing you challenges, creating obstacles…or bringing you joy and helping you live your truth?
Just like us, most characters will have a job, and the work they do will impact their life.
The ups and downs can serve us well in the story.
Maybe you haven’t thought much about jobs in the past and how they act as a window into your character’s personality, interests, and skills.
You can win some great prizes, including gift certificates that can be spent on writing services within our Writer’s Showcase.
Stop by to enter!
Resource Alert: A List of Additional Jobs Profiles for Your Characters
Some of the amazing writers in our community have put together additional career profiles for you, based on jobs they have done in the past.
What a great way to get accurate information so you can better describe the roles and responsibilities that go with a specific job, right? To access this list, GO HERE.
Happy writing to all!
And as A STREET MEMBER, I was given early access to this fantastic resource… I am making sure the order is in for the hard copy, to add to my Thesaurii collection!
Having purchased all the other Thesaurus books in this fantastic set of resources, I jumped at the chance to be able to read an ARC of the Occupation Thesaurus. If all we wrote about, was what we know, then our characters would be a bunch of people with not very diverse backgrounds and jobs, but lo and behold, we now have a resource that will help us to find the perfect job for our characters, and a list of responsibilities, situations, characteristics required, personality traits, etc. to help us delve into a career we may have no previous knowledge of. Knowing an occupation, in detail, can really enhance your character, within a story. The place they work, and the job they do can affect them emotionally, and mentally, so having this new thesaurus to help piece together information to flesh out your character’s background is priceless, and can even give you catalysts for behaviours and incidents in your story. I can’t wait for the hard copy to be available to order, because I’ll be putting my order in straight away on the 20th July! Updated – It’s arrived!!!
I am absolutely thrilled today, to be a part of the blog tour for my absolute favourite author, Amanda Prowse, and her latest release, The Day She Came Back.
If you’ve followed my blog, you’ll know what a huge fan I am of her books, and I can, hand on heart, say that she not only writes the most amazing books, but is the most wonderful individual too. A couple of months ago, we were supposed to meet, for a radio interview, but then the COVID thing happened, but I hope to still get a chance to fan-girl face to face soon enough!
Enough of that, and back to the book in question.
From the bestselling author of The Girl in the Corner comes a story that asks: how do you forgive the family that lied to you, and love the mum you never had?
When her loving, free-spirited grandmother Primrose passes away, Victoria is bereft, yet resilient—she has survived tragedy before. But even her strength is tested when a mysterious woman attends Prim’s funeral and claims to be the mother Victoria thought was dead.
As the two women get to know each other and Victoria begins to learn more about her past, it becomes clear that her beloved grandmother had been keeping life-changing secrets from her. Desperate for answers, she still struggles to trust anyone to tell her the truth.
To live a full and happy life, Victoria knows she must not only uncover the truth, but find a way to forgive her family. But after so many years, is trusting them even possible?
And here is my review:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ star!
A new Amanda Prowse book? Yes, please! There are those authors who you know, that even without reading the blurb of a book, you are going to enjoy, to matter what, and for me, Amanda Prowse’s books are just that, Due to the craziness of COVID-19, I hadn’t heard as much about this particular release, and when the opportunity came to read, I didn’t hesitate to volunteer to read. And I wasn’t disappointed – at all. In fact, I stayed up until the wee hours to read it, and had to force myself to put it down, to finish in the morning, because I was that immersed in the story. The Day She Came Back tells the story of three women, interconnected forever, but apart for reasons beyond their control. Victoria is an eighteen-year-old girl, brought up by her wonderfully eclectic grandma, Prim. Her mother, Sarah, passed away when she was a baby. Suddenly, she is left all alone after the sudden death of her only living family member, Prim. Victoria is a character filled with confusion, and her journey through her grief is heart-wrenching. Prim was a feisty woman, but her real inner strength is revealed as the story progresses. Sarah, a woman who never got to see her child grow up, has a story equally heartbreaking. The other characters in this book, like Daksha, Victoria’s best friend, Gerald, Prim’s ‘gun-toting’ beau, and Flynn, that crush that materialises, but crushes in a different way, flavour the whole story in a unique manner. Despite being set in Epsom, Surrey, Victoria’s flights to Oslo add another beautiful layer to the story, with Amanda’s descriptions giving you hints of her own love of Norway. I shan’t discuss the plot here, because you really need to read it yourself, but Amanda has tackled, with great sensitivity, loss, grief, addiction and reconciliation. Many thanks to NetGalley and Amazon Publishing for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review.
Amanda Prowse is one of the UK’s most prolific and loved storytellers with global sales of 8 million copies and legions of loyal readers. Based in the West Country, Amanda is the author of 25 novels and 7 novellas with books sold in 22 countries and translated into 12 languages– no mean feat when you consider her first novel was only published in 2012!
A passionate reader since her first visit to the local library aged 6, Amanda would read everything and anything and – armed with her precious library ticket – would spend hours reading loved Enid Blyton, Anna Sewell, Judi Blume, Nina Bawden while scribbling short stories of her own. As time passed, she moved onto the more risqué delights of Lace, The Thorn Birds and A Woman of Substance; gritty, emotional stories that would inform her writing.
A powerful storyteller and a master of the addictive plot, Amanda’s rich imagination and prolific writing talent has seen her write over 20 bestsellers with millions of copies sold across the world. She often writes for 15 hours a day and sees her plots like movies in her mind that she’s compelled to get down on paper. These heartfelt human stories have made her one of the most successful female writers of contemporary fiction today and she has become a regular interviewee on TV and radio as well as a successful journalistic writer.
Amanda’s ambition has always been to create stories that keep people from turning the bedside lamp off at night; great characters that stay with you and stories that inhabit your mind so you can’t possibly read another book until the memory fades. She is also a passionate supporter of military charities and those that support women’s causes and holds regular ‘Evenings with Amanda’ events as fundraisers for her chosen charities.
The month of May! Aaaah, the spring evenings seguing into summer. Lazy weekends filled with barbeques and drinks in the garden, or catching up with friends…
Or maybe not.
Coronagate is still with us, at the moment, so the meeting friends bit, well, that’s not gonna happen in the same way as before. But I hope the weather was good for you, and the added time allowed you to read plenty too!
I am steadily working my way through Tess’s Cliffside Bay series and this was a little novella to slip into the stream of love stories. We finally get to see the wedding of Raphael and Lisa, but not without a few dramas along the way. I enjoy how these extra snippets of stories add another layer to the relationship that us readers are building with all the characters in the series, and the fact that it is set in Emerson Pass, after reading the first book in Tess’s newest series, well, that was another pleasant surprise! Onwards to the next book.
Book 8 of the Cliffside Bay series, but the tenth I’ve read, counting the novellas. I love that I kinda know what is going to be the conclusion, but knowing how Tess’s stories evolve, I am aware that it won’t be a straight path. Scarred is the story of the pairing together of Autumn, the scarred sister of Wolf, Stone, and Trey, one of the Wolves pack. Again, plenty of loose threads from previous books are tied up, but there are a good few left dangling, so you know the next book has some work to do!
Boy, am I enjoying steaming through this series! I almost don’t want to have to wait for June for the last book! Jilted gives us the story of the fourth Wolf, Nico, and his blossoming love story with Dog Sane’s half-sister, Sophie. Both souls with feelings of abandonment, but totally different life situations, they go from pushing each other away to drawing close like two opposite ends of a magnet. I enjoyed this next instalment, and can’t wait for David and Sara’s story. Thank goodness I still have a couple of novellas to read!
Another short novella to tie up some loose ends in Tess Thompson’s Cliffside Bay series. This time we jumped to the seniors who now live there, and follow the blossoming romance between Rapahel’s mother, Rosa (Mama) Soto and Lisa’s Uncle Dominic. A lovely, magical, light read to make your heart feel good.
Finally! I got to see (read) Pepper and Stone’s wedding! Tess Thompson delivers a short side tale to her Cliffside Bay series, whisking the readers away to France to witness the dream marriage, that has its fair share of ups and downs, even in such a short book! I could have carried on reading more!
Retired elementary school teacher, Pete Springer, uses his experience and knowledge to create a wonderful book that is as much memoir as it is a handy tool to have as a teacher about to embark upon the best job in the world (I’m a teacher, maybe I’m biased), and just as useful for a parent to read, so they can understand a little more about the role the teacher plays in their children’s lives. Peppered with anecdotes from his teaching career, as well as the story detailing how he ended up becoming a teacher, the book gives a personal account of the life of aa teacher, as well as many handy hints for setting up and running a successful classroom of your own.
Imagine being that child who can see and hear awful things being done to your mother, then, when you try and raise an alarm, you get shot down? This is the true story of Sharon, who, from a young age, witnessed her mother suffer from mental and physical abuse from her father, and eventually had to deal with fatal consequences. The harsh truth is that there is still stigma attached to families who are vocal about abuse or wrongdoings in families in many Indian communities, even now. So much so, that it is easier to ignore the reality, or cover it up, rather than seek help and face the repercussions. Well done to Sharon for bravely writing about this awful situation, with the hope it will give other young people the courage to come forward and speak out for members of their family in similar situations, who feel unable to themselves. Domestic violence, physical, mental and emotional abuse is NEVER right.
A young woman; single, plump, and totally unconfident in her appearance. That’s Molly. But she’s a great florist, and a good friend, though she can be a bit self-absorbed sometimes. But let’s be honest, who can honestly say, hand on heart that they never think about themselves, and only others? And that’s why many readers will identify with Molly. As I read her story, trying to find love, and acceptance for herself, as well as that elusive ideal weight, I found myself comparing certain parts of her life with mine. I totally got her with the dieting, and ‘life-changing’ health plans. I’ve been up and down my whole life, and though many who know me, would say I’ve never been ‘big’, I know I have, compared to my previous, svelte self. That hating what you see in the mirror? Yup. Been there, done that. I read about her dating mishaps with intrigue, probably because I never went through all that online dating malarkey, myself. She had her ups and downs, but Molly learns how to accept herself, and build changes into her life so she really does end up loving herself – and, no spoilers here, but she might just find someone else who loves her too! There’s a lesson in the story for us all. Self-care, and self-love is as important as getting acceptance from the outside. I’m just glad Molly stopped apologising for herself by the end!
Pixy by Linda g. Hill My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I always enjoy the book sof Linda’s that I have read, and this short story, a free treat from Linda, was no different.
We are introduced to the world of Pixies, and meet Merryn, who has been transported to the human world as a joke, but there he meets Ivy, a widow, and they start a romance that develops in a flash, in human years, but takes much time, in pixy years! A cute love story with a twist!
I just love Flash Fiction and I feel blessed to have got to know the crew over at the Carrot Ranch, with Charli, the head buccaneer! I’ve had this anthology to read for a long while, but time, and so many books… you know. But finally, thanks to Lockdown, I got to savour the wonderful bite-sized morsels that 99-word fiction can provide. I enjoy crafting the stories to go with Charli’s weekly prompts, and I am also eager to read how someone else interprets the same prompt. The first half of this book is filled with these, kind of like appetisers. Then the second half has slightly longer pieces, like your main course, but selected Ranchers, and finishes with a dessert of essays from memoirists. A wonderful collection to savour over time, or devour in one sitting!
Oh, what an emotional ride! Imagine having a gift that could give so much joy, but at the same time, suck the joy of living from you? This was what life was like for Joel, and what stopped him from fully living his own life. And Callie? A simple, loveable woman, who isn’t quite sure where here future lies, until she meets Joel. Add in Murphy, Callie’s dog, and you have a beautiful bittersweet love story, with an ending you didn;t expect… or did you? I absolutely loved this story of Joel and Callie, and their forever love, that just wasn’t meant to be. Descriptive, emotive writing that kept me reading all day, so I could finish the book, all the while not wanting it to end. Many thanks to NetGalley and Hodder and Stoughton for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I picked this book to read when it was still registered as Death and other Happy Endings. The title piqued my interest, and the blurb confirmed I would be up for reading. Upon reading the book, I think the new title Life and other Happy Endings, is much better suited! I was fully prepared for a swing of emotions, knowing I was going to be reading about a woman counting down to the end of her life, writing letters to three people who were so important in her life, and I wasn’t wrong there. But the swing of emotions included laughter and smiles, as well as the sadness and dread that I had expected. I loved the twist to the story in the middle, and the extra U-Turn at the end. Nope. Don’t ask for details. You need to read to find out! Great book! Many thanks to NetGalley and Random House for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A wonderfully whimsical, romantic read, perfect for a sunny holiday read, or even a read when there is no holiday sun around, as the vivid descriptions of Greek islands will whisk you away anyway! I loved meeting Sarah, the woman who has sworn off men, taking a trip away to get away from all that romantic nonsense, then ends up with not one, but two suitors, and all with the backdrop of this beautiful greek scenery! I really enjoyed this debut from Sandy Barker, and am already excited to dive into book two!
What? So, I finished book one yesterday, and today, I’m here reviewing book two. Think that is a clue in itself as to how readable Sandy Barker’s books are becoming to me. I thoroughly enjoyed Sarah’s story in book one, One Summer in Santorini, and it was great to pick up on the story, interlinked, but on its own journey, about Catherine, Sarah’s sister. Not only do you get a whistlestop tour of some of Europe’s most famous cities, complete with descriptions that make you feel like you are standing in the middle of said cities, but there is the huge dollop of ‘will she/won’t she’ romance added to keep you turning pages. Cat’s been hurt before. She’s sworn off relationships and men, until a mistaken (bit more than a ) fumble with her flatmate. Disasterous enough to make her book a hasty coach tour around Europe, to get away from the atmosphere she’s created, by trying to stay away from her newly love-lorn flatmate. On the tour, she visits amazing places, cements life long friendships with her ‘bus buddies’, and ends up bumping into her teen pen pal, Jean Luc, in Paris. And he’s no longer that cute, gawky teen whose features haven’t quite grown into adulthood at the same time. No. Now he is all kinds of hot, good looking – like model good looking, tall, with a to die for physique… and he seems to actually ‘like’ like Cat. I don’t want to tell you what happens, but wills he be able to stick to her ‘no relationships’ stance, or will a holiday fling be enough? And what about that flatmate? Book three – I am diving in, right now!!
Having devoured the first two books in Sandy’ Barker’s series, I was eager to get to this concluding title to see what happened. And I wasn’t disappointed. Sarah went on a trip to the Greek islands, sworn off men, and ended up coming home with the possibility of two relationships at the end of the first book. In this third episode detailing the lusts, losses and loves of Sarah, along with plenty of wine and alcohol, we hoped to come to some conclusion. And it didn’t disappoint! Sandy Barker has a great way of describing the places visited, so you feel as if you are there with the characters, so I feel like I can say I’ve visited Maui, Sydney and parts of New Zealand! Aside from the travel, the ‘who will she choose?’ scenario kept me on my toes the whole book. Would it be cute, young American dude, Josh, or older, more experienced, extremely attractive, and rather rich, James? Of course, I’m not going to tell you… you’ll have to get the book to find out!
Many thanks to NetGalley. Harper Collings and One More Chapter for an ARC, in exchange for an honest review. Releasing on 3rd July, 2020
Okay, so this is a definite ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, but I’m saving the review for the Blog Tour of which I’ll be a part.
This is my first Nicola Marsh book, and I had great fun delving into the very familiar world of India, Bollywood and cross-cultural East-West mixes. I loved the doses of masala as we saw met Shari, the MC, thrown into a duplicitous situation, where she had to pretend to be her best friend Amrita, to break up an arranged marriage engagement. What she didn’t count on, was hot Bollywood Dudes, stalkers, soothsayers, superstar opportunities and a new aunty who was eager to fatten her up and get her married off. A fun read full of vibrancy.
I thoroughly enjoyed Laura Jane Williams first foray into fiction, One Stop, and was excited to get the opportunity to read her second offering, The Love Square. A story about Love, of all sorts. Penny is a cancer survivor, burned by her last serious relationship. She is a business owner, with a thirst for success with her cafe, but a huge amount of family loyalty too. And most of all, she wants love. And it comes, from many directions, from her friends, her uncles and sister, and from three very different men. Caught in a love square, Penny has to make decisions that could hurt, but could equally give her the best future ever. I loved Penny. She’s a strong woman, who doesn’t actually know her own strength. Sometimes the need for approval of others overtakes the fact that she needs to be happy in herself, and love herself first. Her three choices: Francesco, the Italian chef with a passion for food to rival hers, and the promise of falling in friendship. Thomas, the happy go lucky playboy with a huge heart. Priyush, the mature, wave and sophisticated older man who is ready to offer a life of elegance and romance. I loved the story and the characters. An easy to read tale with a deeper meaning that the cover may let on. Many thanks to Netgalley and Avon Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Finally finished The Sugar Queen of Emerson Pass and I LOVED it! Tess Thompson’s signature style of concentrating on a couple, within a group of close-knit friends, worked brilliantly, along with tying into the first book of the series The Schol Mistress Of Emerson Pass, even though it is set in a totally different timeline. And I was overjoyed to get all the connections to the Cliffside Bay residents too! A true story of second chance romance, with two childhood sweethearts torn apart in the midst of young love, and then thrown back together years later in very different circumstances, but in the same setting. The story tore at my heart, with loss and confusion, misplaced loyalties and rediscovered romance. Oh and the build-up to the next romance. Loved it, truly! Can’t wait for the next one, Tess. 💜
Love’s Child by Lizzie Chantree My rating: 4 of 5 stars I’m not sure what I was expecting with this first Lizzie Chantree novel, but it wasn’t the interesting twists within this delicious novel. David is the product of a loveless marriage, and left with his degenerate father, he learns, the hard way, how to get through life. In adulthood, he’s found a way to channel all the negativity into a project to benefit the community, and turned his bad experiences into something positive. Finally, life is going great, with his girlfriend Tilly, pregnant, and happy, then things start to go wrong. Love’s Child takes you on a journey of mysterious twists, exploring certain family dynamics, and ultimately, LOVE.
It’s no secret. Amanda Prowse is one of my favourite authors, and when she announced her novella, Mr Portobello’s Morning Paper, it sped its way onto my Kindle and raced to the top of my TBR pile. Her books always do. I’m not apologising! Mr Portobello’s Morning Paper was a beautifully crafted novella and it hit many notes for me for several reasons. Sophie is my age. Sophia is (was) a teacher. Like me. Disillusioned with the way teaching is going – been there, done that. Sophia loves books. Yup, me again. That’s where the similarities end. But the story. Oh, the story. Sophia leaves her job to open a book emporium filled with the old books from her parents’ house. She develops. friendship with the eighty-year-old Mr Portobello, who was the previous tenant of her shop. He pops in at 10 am every morning, on his way to get his morning paper, and slowly they build a relationship that leaves Sophia beginning to think long and hard about how she’s been living her life. Mr Portobello’s Morning Paper is a bittersweet story which will tug at your heartstrings.
Stigmas are something many of us have to live with, and there are different stigmas attached to different diasporas. Chaya is a Sri Lankan girl trusted to leave her family and study in the far away, yet prestigious university of Oxford. Love is the last thing on her mind, or shouldn’t be. Gimhana is another Sri Lankan displaced in the UK. He’s hoping to get his qualifications and become that successful lawyer, as well as be able to be the real himself – a self that loves men, not women. In a clever way, Jeevani Charika weaves chapters laying foundations and dripping clues as to what the past knew that hindered the progression of both individuals. Fast forward to a time where both are being hounded by their families to get married. In a strange twist of fate, they meet, and end up in a marriage of convenience, for them both. No expectations from each other, a friendship, and no secrets… but are there? I really enjoyed reading this story, especially as a fellow South Asian, and knowing so many of these expectations that are hung around our necks as youngsters, weights that can hinder rather than help our lives. There is a shift now, in the way many of the issues raised are thought of now, but not big enough. An enjoyable read, and a cultural education for many, I believe.
Having read Tetting’s story about Zora, and loving it, I was happy to pick up her book, The Opposite of Huw. A quick read with an interesting premise, but I do feel it was rushed. The whole idea of the spreading of the main character’s aunt’s ashes in key places could have been stretched more, and though I liked the main character, Kay, and her feisty nature, the idea of her aunt just forcing marriage upon her, was unrealistic in the setting.
There are a plethora of writing craft books out there, and it is mind-boggling to work out which one is worth your hard earned money.
Today, I am so excited to share with you a book that is out today, and TOTALLY worth it!
Many of you know Sacha Black. She’s been on the blogging circuit for a long while, and was the head honcho for the Annual Bloggers Bash Awards too. She’s the proud author of two YA fiction books and has two fantastic non-fiction books out already, about developing your Villains and Heroes.
This time, Sacha has excelled herself with a book about creating perfect prose, in her own inimitable style.
Do your sentences fail to sound the way you want? Are they lackluster, with flat characters and settings? Is your prose full of bad habits and crutches? In The Anatomy of Prose, you’ll discover:
A step-by-step guide to creating descriptions that sing
The key to crafting character emotions that will hook a reader
How to harness all five senses to make your stories come alive, deepening your reader’s experience
Tips and tricks for balancing details at the sentence level
Methods for strengthening each sentence through strategic word choice, rhythm and flow
Dozens of literary devices, and how to utilize them to give your prose power
Tactics for differentiating characters in dialogue as well as making it punchy and unforgettable
A comprehensive prose-specific self-editing check list
How to embody your character’s personality at the sentence level
The most common pitfalls and mistakes to avoid
The Anatomy of Prose is a comprehensive writing guide that will help you create sensational sentences. Whether you’re just starting out or are a seasoned writer, this book will power up your prose, eliminate line-level distractions and help you find the perfect balance of show and tell. By the end of this book, you’ll know how to strengthen your sentences to give your story, prose and characters the extra sparkle they need to capture a reader’s heart. If you like dark humor, learning through examples and want to create perfect prose, then you’ll love Sacha Black’s guide to crafting sensational sentences. Read The Anatomy of Prose today and start creating kick-ass stories.
I was lucky enough to read and review an arc of this book, and I have to tell you, it is a little gem, I kid you not!
My Review
Why is it that whenever I read one of Sacha Black’s craft books, the urge to open up my manuscript, and purge it of stupid errors, is so strong?
Seriously, so many ‘Uh-oh’ moments and dawnings of ‘A-ha!’ realisations!
As I read some parts, they had me moving my head up and down like a nodding dog in the windscreen of an ever-stalling car! “Yes!” my writer’s brain was screaming. “I do that! But, I’d better just reread and double-check to make sure…”
Having read Black’s 13 Steps to Evil: How to Craft Superbad Villains, and 10 Steps to Hero: How to Craft Kickass Protagonists, as well as having devoured her two fiction novels, it was a no-brainer that I was going to read this one.
Don’t they all look amazing?
The name; The Anatomy of Prose: 12 steps to Sensational Sentences; just sounded like it was going to give me a huge helping of useful advice, liberally seasoned with Black’s wit (and colourful language!)
I write, yes, but I also doubt myself and my own skill. Black’s clear-cut words have really helped to hone my own writing.
From thinking about dialogue and descriptions to characterisation, and that biggie… show vs. tell (which I was especially interested in) there are a plethora of topics covered.
What I love about Black’s advice, is that she’s not saying her way is the right way, but one way to approach crafting words. After all, there is no ‘right’ way to write, is there?
But her (sometimes not-so) gentle nudges to make you reread your own work, and think whether you could, in fact, just word that section a little differently, push you onto a much stronger path of prose.
The Anatomy of Prose is like having your own little developmental editor by your side. It’s not going to tell you what to change, but its pearls of wisdom will make you start to reconsider how you string together your sentences, chapters, and novels, starting with those very gems that a book needs… words.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It will definitely be one of my more thumbed craft guides as I continue on my journey as a writer.
Thank you, Sacha!
And here is a little word from Sacha, herself.
If I were you, a writer with a passion to create perfect prose, I’d be clicking this link here, like, RIGHT AWAY!
But I Smile Anyway... 