Mother’s Day is rapidly approaching, which also means that my pre-order Regency novel, Silent Revenge, is about to go live on #Kindleunlimted and #Kindle. I am so excited to announce this as it has been a labour of love completing my #FriendandFoes trilogy.
Intelligence Officer, widower, Lord Oscar Farrington, returns to his family estate with mixed emotions. This is unsettling for the powerful, charismatic, and loyal officer who likes to be in control of his own feelings. With his overseas duties finally completed, there is talk of insurgence within the country, so he is still under orders to gather intelligence on his own countrymen, another cause for inner conflict as he has fought alongside his fellow soldiers and has some sympathy for the plight of the returnees.
Sworn never to remarry, he is devoted to his young, adopted daughter, Jessica, who he rescued with her mother in Betrayal. But Lord Farrington of all people should know ‘never to say never’, especially when Miss Jemima Parkes re-enters his life.
My other news is that the large print edition of The Baronet’s Prize is available for order directly form the publishers Ulverscroft or via Commonwealth libraries. The original short novel is also available on Kindle.
All my novels are set in the beautiful country of North Yorkshire, England. Littered amongst the actual places of Whitby, York, Harrogate and Northallerton are my fictitious market towns of Gorebeck, Beckton and Dibbledale, which are loosely based on the picturesque Helmsley, Guisborough and Hutton-le-Hole. Please share your favourite places to visit within the region.
Enjoy the coming of Spring and if it triggers the desire to start a new project, write your own adventure, then please check out my manuscript appraisal page. I have over twenty-five years of experience as a creative writing tutor and love to encourage new writers to explore this fascinating world of possibilities.
Welcome to my new monthly news update. I have had a lapse in posting, but not in writing, and am very excited to announce that Silent Revenge will soon be available for pre-order. This book is close to my heart as it is dedicated to a lifelong friend and supporter, Sue, who sadly died far too soon, and never managed to enjoy Lord Farrington’s last adventure.
Since 2003 I have enjoyed working as a Creative Writing Tutor allowing me to connect with many fellow writers, both published and unpublished, across the globe. Each student unique in their life experiences, yet all share that inner desire to create stories for others to enjoy. This I will continue to do independently, through this website.
After having written fifty short novels for the library large print market, I am delighted to announce that Discovering Ellie is now available directly from Amazon in traditional large print paperback format.
Large print is defined as 16-to-18-point font size, in a plain font style, which is even spaced, and is primarily targeted at the visually impaired or elderly. Although the font can be changed when reading an eBook, not everyone can manage, have access to or use this technology. Therefore, it is important that those who need or prefer a traditional large print book still have the option to buy one.
The process of turning physical pages is something that many, who have read physical books over many years, find their brains relate to and appreciate. Research is ongoing into this.
Screens emit blue light, this can affect the eyes, fatigue and may, in those who are sensitive to them, trigger headaches.
Other people who may also benefit from reading large print are those who are dyslexic or ADHD. So, from young to old the physical book with clearer larger print can aid more people to have an enjoyable read.
There is also the increased focus on the novel as there is no other distraction of social media, advertisements, or the temptation to check emails etc. also available on some devices. A physical book offers a focused and immersive experience, which for certain groups is beneficial.
After working on a computer or studying – or socialising on a device, tired eyes can also find the large print physical book a relaxing alternative. Reading large print when travelling can also be helpful, especially when being jostled around.
With the challenges facing libraries currently, not everyone can access the large print service where so many have enjoyed these valuable resources over many years. such as provided by F. A. Thorpe Publishing.
Whatever the reason for choosing or preferring a large print book, I hope you enjoy Discovering Ellie.
Choice is important, which is why Discovering Ellie will still be available in an eBook format on Kindle.
Fifty novellas ago, I began writing love stories each wrapped around an adventure, set against the rugged beauty of the North Riding of Yorkshire. These found their home in the Commonwealth library market and from this base a further six novels have evolved.
When To Love Honour and Obey published by Sapere Books, was reviewed by a fellow author, he described it as ‘Where Poldark meets Heathcliff’ – I was delighted.
I have always loved reading both fiction and non-fiction exploring the Regency period. I enjoy the romance whether written from the perspective of the rigid society of London’s ‘Ton’, so beautifully portrayed by Georgette Heyer and more recently Julia Quinn, or the melodrama of the darker more menacing shadows of Daphne du Maurier’s Jamaica Inn.
Basically, my tastes cross genres within the period, from Jane Austen’s and the Bronte’s classics to E.V. Thompson’s Cornish sagas, or Bernard Cornwell’s action and adventure series about the rifleman who rose from the ranks, Richard Sharpe.
I have worked as a creative writing tutor for years and one piece of advice commonly given to authors starting out, is to write about what you know. That does not mean that you must know everything first – no one can, especially where murder and mayhem is involved. Without a time-travel machine, a writer today cannot depict a bygone age with total accuracy capturing the language, attitude, beliefs, habits, understanding of people centuries ago when travel and knowledge were limited.
Research is the key! Whatever the genre; romance, crime, thriller, horror, fantasy or any other preferred, the author must accrue enough knowledge beforehand to write their story and make it credible and believable to today’s readership. Jane Austen was of course writing in her own time; about the world she knew.
Research can be all encompassing when it is focussed on a topic you are enthusiastic about. In first drafts ‘info-dumps’ can creep into a manuscript, slowing the pace of the story. Which is where an editor’s skills are needed to take out the non-essential information, as the author will always know more that the reader needs to about their created ‘world’.
When I began writing I thought about the ‘write about what you know’ advice and started exploring my home area. The North Yorkshire Moors and the bay towns from Whitby to Saltburn provided a dramatic backdrop for many of my stories.
Saltburn-by-the-Sea had its own infamous ‘King of Smugglers’ John Andrew, who in 1780 was landlord of the unique Ship Inn, which nestles to this day under the shadow of the 110m high Huntcliff. My fictitious Ebton is based on Saltburn, my Coble Inn nestles in the shadow of Stangcliffe, the headland based on Huntcliff.
“We’re on Stangcliffe, the headland!” Joshua exclaimed, as realisation hit him harder than the force of the wind. He was inches away from a sheer drop to the sea below where sharp-edged rocks hid under each of the crashing waves…
This Jurassic coastline encompasses rugged high cliffs and sweeping flat sandy bays. The wild moor inland would have been crossed by locals along small tracks for centuries by the Regency period. The dales, areas of fertile farmland and woodland, dropped down from the moors, with ancient abbeys and small villages of stone-built cottages nestled within – but cottage industries were being replaced as manufacturing developed in the growing towns causing population shifts, consequently impacting livelihoods, Secrets, due to the Industrial Revolution, a theme resonated in To Have and To Hold, Sapere Books.
Unrest was growing nationally, the Luddite movement triggered fear in Parliament that revolution would happen in England as it had in France. In Phoebe’s Challenge, brother and sister are hunted as machine-breakers – punishment was anything from a fine, to hanging or transportation to Australia.
Friends & Foes Book 2
My books are not dark, but touch on the darker side of human-nature and society, Betrayal, ultimately showing that love and justice will win the day. In real life things may not always work out that way, but in fiction – which is a form of escape from reality – in my stories at least, things do.
The world of Valerie Holmes has the tagline ‘Love the adventure’ – a sentiment that I hope my readers will share.
Beyond the book cover, plot and protagonist, which has a greater influence on your choice as a reader: the physical setting or the period in which it is set?
Please share your thoughts and preferences.
If you are interested in writing, and want to create your own fiction, but need some professional guidance or support, please contact me via my manuscript appraisal page.
I am delighted to announce that Discovering Ellie is now available in Large Print Paperback for those who cannot manage an eReader – just click here
At the moment I have two projects in the pipeline. A follow-on novel to my novella, The Funeral Birds, a tale about a failing detective agency run by Dave Cavendish and his side kick, a sixteenth century witch called Granny Wenlock who’s his ancestor.
The follow –on novel, As the Crow Flies I’ll be exploring more of Granny’s background as well as giving the characters a new case to solve. The novel allows me to bring together two interesting timelines. My problem at the moment is how to make the flow of the plot work as the timelines shift.
My second project is a 7k short story for Black Hare Press Alice 13. It is thirteen different stories, in thirteen different genres all featuring Alice from Wonderland. I’ve written the plot idea, a synopsis and the first four pages. The deadline is allowing me plenty of time to think about it.
As my new novel is flowing nicely I want to focus on that for a little while before finishing my Alice story.
That sounds fascinating! Your work crosses different genres. Which came first?
I’ve always loved a good mystery. I think my love of mysteries comes from my love of history. At school I loved learning about ancient history. We can only imagine how different the world must have been to our ancient ancestors. We know how most things work as science has shown us the key to all life, but to the people in the past it was a real mystery.
A mystery in fiction can cover a wide range of genre from romance to crime novels. I don’t write romance, but I do enjoy writing a wide range of genre from gothic ghost stories to Sci-fi tales.
Do you switch from one project to another to stay fresh?
All the time. When one deadline appears on the horizon I will stop and focus on that one and complete it. It gives you the break you need to see any typos, plot failures or weaknesses as well as sparking fresh ideas. When I return to a project I re-read the whole of it before writing more.
Do you plan out a story first with a detailed synopsis or work organically, allowing the plot to develop on the page.
A bit of both really. I normally have an idea of the beginning and the ending, so it’s a case of getting from A to B in the most interesting way. With books, I tend to create a paragraph of the overall plot and work out who is the best person to tell the story. My synopsis is written once I’m half way through writing the first draft. You can’t know your full plot until you’ve written the first draft because everything is very fluid when you initially start.
Do you begin with an idea of the plot, a character, a setting or does it vary depending upon genre?
I normally write a rough plot idea down, and then work out who my main character will be, along with the setting, timeline whether it is a short story or novel. Once I have the opening paragraph then I’m up and running. As the plot line develops so I add new characters and write up their background. I keep adding important information to a file like the type of car my main character is driving, hair and eye colour etc. I don’t spend time writing a detailed background sheet before starting because none of it may be of relevance to my storyline. Do I really need to know what school my serial killer went to in my 5k word short story before writing it unless it is relevant to the plot?
What is your work schedule like when you’re writing?
My best time for writing is just after I’ve woken up. My mind is fresh and sharp and I can get quite a bit written. New ideas flow easier and I can pick up typos too. My husband is normally up early for work, so I’m at my keyboard at 4.00 in the morning.
That is really impressive! Do you ever write real life experiences into your work?
All writers do through their emotions. No experience whether good or bad is wasted as it all feeds into our writing whether we like it or not. For our characters to be three dimensional we need to use all of our life experiences, which have made us rounded people to create them.
What was your hardest scene to write?
I wrote a short story calledThe Meetings which tells of two people meeting in a park. The narrator is the park keeper. Through him we learn about the couple, but there’s a twist. It touched a real nerve with me as I wrote it not long after my father passed away.
The story was rejected by People’s Friend Magazine but went on to become an overall winner in a writing competition.
How long on average does it take you to write a book or novella?
Oh goodness, how long is a piece of string? Too long in some cases, right? I have eight novels sitting on my computer in various stages of completion. Since I have been writing over 18 years and have only had three books published I’m not 100% sure how long each novel has taken to write. Stone Angels took me six years in total and then another eight months of editing. In those six years, I lost my mum and life got a little crappy too. My novella took a week to write but sat on my computer for a long time until the right submission call out came along.
How have you coped with life in the pandemic?
Quite well. I was already in self-isolation as I was busy editing. So I’ve just continued doing what I was doing. My husband and I are missing travelling to Whitby for the Goth Festivals and I didn’t get my book launch I always dreamt of doing. Unfortunately, I lost two dear friends last year which dampened my excitement at seeing my work published.
I so miss travelling in North Yorkshire and Whitby in particular. I wish you every success, Paula, with all of your projects and look forward to learning of your next publishing deal.
The world is a very different place since we last chatted, Cindy. How have you been keeping mentally and physically fit during the pandemic and lockdown?
Both my youngest son and I have compromised immune systems, so we have had to be very careful. Both of my sons have autism, and just when I needed help the most, their services were taken away because of COVID-19. And to top off all that upset and commotion, we had several earthquakes here in Utah. I think that was the hardest for us.
Because of my health, lockdown seems fairly normal to me, and I have managed to get more writing done. I have also taken an intense class on advertising, and I’m currently trying to play catch up on all the new market trends.
I am so glad that you have all come through this so well. I cannot believe how quickly time has passed since you were my guest back in 2014!
Wow! I can’t believe it either. Obviously, my two sons and the additional help they require keeps me hopping. And now, I have three rescue dogs who require my attention. As you might remember, writing and a rescue dog helped me through some pretty big health challenges, so I feature dogs on my covers and donate to help abandoned and abused dogs from my proceeds.
What have you been publishing since we last chatted?
Well I’m pretty sure that around 2013-2014, my publisher closed their doors, and I decided to take on publication for myself. My company name is Dragonfly Spirit Books, and I have learned a lot as an Indie publisher of my own books. Editing and formatting is just crazy! I have a total of twenty published books but nine of those are novellas. That’s pretty much the length I enjoy and write these days.
What writing projects have you planned for the rest of 2020 and beyond?
I just released a novella called, Last Will and Lethal and have another one at my beta readers. I’m excited to say, I have a three-book contemporary cowboy series planned next! I love westerns, and I’m very excited about this project. I only have one other series and just had my book cover designer update all the covers for them. I am very excited to re-release them.
After that, who knows what idea will hit me, and I will be off on another adventure through my characters!
I wish you every success with this and your many adventures to come!
Here is Cindy’ s bio:
Bestselling author, Cindy A Christiansen, has combined her love of dogs with her joy of writing to create an award-winning combination. Her novels always include canine characters both in the pages and on the cover, an extension of the credit she gives to her extraordinary rescue dogs for their part in helping her overcome numerous challenges. In a reciprocal gesture for their love and devotion, a portion of the proceeds from her books are donated to assist abandoned and abused dogs.
She lives in Utah with her loving husband, two creative children with autism, and a pack of rambunctious dogs.
Here’s what her books give you:
A clean read with no bedroom scenes or offensive language.
A tantalizing, fast-paced plot.
A story without a lot of boring description.
Down-to-earth heroes and heroines with everyday jobs.
A rollercoaster ride of emotions you face right along with the characters.
A special dog to steal your heart.
A few added facts, a good message, and that important happily-ever-after ending.
Cornish sagas, or Bernard Cornwell’s action and adventure series about the rifleman who rose from the ranks, Richard Sharpe.
When I began writing I thought about the ‘write about what you know’ advice and started exploring my home area. The North Yorkshire Moors and the bay towns from Whitby to Saltburn provided a dramatic backdrop for many of my stories.
valerie holmes, author 