ANNALISA CRAWFORD: WHY I DON'T CONSIDER MYSELF A PARANORMAL AUTHOR

Just a quick note: Annalisa will be my last guest this summer. I will be back in September with guests. Other than Monday Musings, I will be taking off July and August to focus on some personal issues. I will still be visiting here and there, just not as often. 

My guest is UK author, Annalisa Crawford. She likes to tantalize readers by writing intriguing stories that touch on the unexplained. 

The paranormal genre is hugely popular in today's writing and viewing market. Lines get a bit blurred with all the sub-genres. The bottom line is the paranormal genre encompass happenings beyond the normal human experience and can't yet be explained by science. 

Annalisa's topic is why she doesn't consider herself a true paranormal author but is compelled to add she does utilize elements of the paranormal. Fascinating.

What do you think of when you hear the word paranormal?

Personally, I think of demons, werewolves, zombies, vampires… especially vampires! More than that, I think of grave peril; whole towns in danger of being burnt to the ground by rampaging demons, or being sucked into a vortex.

I don’t write about any of these things, and yet I’m compelled to add the words with elements of paranormal, shades of paranormal, hints… to my chosen genre.

The term paranormal, to me, means there’s been a certain amount of world-building –a world where these characters are out in the open, and non-paranormal characters are aware of them. You could be walking down the street and meet a vampire. You might not be that concerned; you might even flirt or fall in love. You would not run away screaming; they would not be altogether hideous.

My paranormal tends to be more internal. You won’t meet a werewolf, but you might meet a man who thinks he is one. You might stand behind a woman, in a queue for the bus, who’s left the Devil back at home, in the form of her cat. You might share a coffee with your boss who’s listening more intently to the voice in her ear than you. And the voice will be very real.

In one of my short stories, a girl splits in two. It could be literal or a metaphor, and what I really like doing – what my mum really hates – is letting the reader decide for themselves. I always know what I believe, but I want readers to make up their own mind. After all, that’s what people do daily, isn't it? They choose whether to believe they’re looking at a picture of a ghost in the newspaper or not.

I think the power of the human brain is the most paranormal -the most unexplained - subject of them all. We have no idea what we are truly capable of, or what really exists outside our realm of consciousness. One of my favourite books when I was younger was a collection of unexplained stories: telekinesis, time slips, the Bermuda Triangle, spontaneous combustion. And I plan to write about all of them.

And if I can completely baffle my mother in the process, all the better!

I’d like to say a huge thank you to Sia for letting me blog here today.

                                                                                                                                                      

Three women. Three stories. One pub...

“The Boathouse collects misfits. Strange solitary creatures that yearn for contact with the outside world, but not too much. They sit, glass in hand, either staring at the table in front of them, or at some distant point on the horizon.”

… so says the narrator of Our Beautiful Child. And he’s been around long enough to know.

People end up in this town almost by accident. Ella is running away from her nightmares, Sally is running away from the memories of previous boyfriends and Rona is running away from university. Each of them seek sanctuary in the 18th century pub, The Boathouse; but in fact, that’s where their troubles begin.

Ella finds love, a moment too late; Rona discovers a beautiful ability which needs refining before she gets hurt; and Sally meets the captivating Murray, who threatens to ruin everything.

                                                                                                                    

I live in Cornwall UK, with a good supply of beaches and moorland right on my doorstep to keep me inspired. I live with my husband, two sons, a dog and a cat.

Despite my location, I neither surf nor sail, and have never had any inclination to try. I much prefer walking along a deserted beach and listening to the waves crashing over rocks. For this reason, I really love the beach in the winter!

Links:

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A GLASS OF WINE AND THE RING OF TRUTH

UK author, Isobel Rey, is my guest today. I enjoy hearing how writers get ideas to write their stories. Isobel's started with a glass of red wine and telling tales from work. 

Her topic is on the glitzy and glamorous life of the rich and the powerful and how hard it can be for women to navigate the high octane business world. She says that any workplace that draws big money and people with big egos and ambition attracts partying, champagne, and bed hopping. But regardless of your place in the social strata, everyone wants the same things in life.

I love telling stories and I love listening to other people’s stories. So I guess it was inevitable that one day I’d end up writing.   I fell into this genre almost by accident. I was out with a friend one evening and she introduced me to a publisher friend of hers.   The three of us ended up having dinner and a lot of wine, and I mean a LOT of wine!   I was talking about some of the crazy worlds that I get a window into from my job and all the politics and sexual tension that go with them.   I work in advertising in London and I've worked with clients from all kinds of industries, some of them pretty glitzy and glamorous.  And what I've learned is, it doesn't matter who you are, what you do, where you are from, how much bling you wear or how much money you earn, everyone wants the same things in life and everyone worries about the same things.  

Several more glasses of wine into the conversation the publisher asked me to tell her some of the stories of the things I’d seen and heard.  Well the stories came tumbling out didn't they?!   There’s a scene in Substitute involving a one way mirror, three guys, two girls and a hidden audience,  and many people have asked me how I made that up, and they’re astonished when I explain that I didn't.  And no, before you ask, I wasn't there,  but the story was told to me by someone who was.   Even though the book is in the Erotic Romance genre, I think you still have to have a ring of truth in your stories!

I told the publisher how  hard  it can be for women to navigate the high octane worlds some of our advertising clients live in, when they are looking for love.  There are a lot of very good looking, charming guys out there, but they’re usually ambitious and ruthless and don’t want to get tied down. 

So the publisher encouraged me to try my hand at capturing one of these worlds in a novel.  I already had experience of writing advertising copy and I've been writing short stories for years but never done anything with them.   I wrote three sample chapters and she loved them.   So Isobel the novelist was born, almost overnight!   I can’t believe how lucky I am, I guess it was fate having dinner with her that night.

I was worried that I’d find the process difficult, but once I started writing I couldn't stop and the book almost wrote itself.    I’d sit down after work with a very large glass of red wine and start writing and then suddenly find it was 2 o’clock in the morning.   Alexia, my main character took over my life!   I went to work one morning hardly able to keep my eyes open, and my very sweet boss, Mary, asked me what I’d been doing all night, winking.  I said nothing, but Alexia has!   Mary still doesn't know what that means…….

Now I am planning my second novel,  and I've got quite a few ideas boiling away.    I've had a great response since the book was published in the UK and I’m really excited to know how readers the other side of the Atlantic will find it!   It’s set in London which can be a pretty amazing city to live in, fast and glitzy.  So let me know North American readers, I’d love to hear from you!   Right……..I’m off for a large glass of red wine……..

• Does where you work ever spawned incidents in your writing?
• As a reader, do you like stories that put you in a high octane world?

                                                                                                                                                  

She's driven by his desire...

It took all of Alexia's courage to leave her abusive boyfriend and strike out on her own. When she lands a job at a glamorous sports agency, she thinks she finally has it made. But shy, blonde and beautiful, Alexia is totally unprepared for the fast sexual politics of rich men and ambitious women that is waiting for her. Most of all, she is totally unprepared for her dazzling but damaged new boss, Nathan Fallon.

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, BAM, INDIEBOUND, INDIGO

"If you enjoyed Fifty Shades of Grey, you will enjoy this "

                                                                                                                                                   

Isobel Rey is a Cambridge graduate. After interning at a stage/film talent agency, Isobel now works at a London advertising agency. This is her debut novel. Originally from Surrey, Isobel lives in London with her partner and a one-eared rescue cat called Thumper.

BUILDING YOUR AUDIENCE—ELIZABETH CHADWICK

Today, I have the pleasure of having one of my favorite historical fiction authors, Elizabeth Chadwick, as my guest. I love her her stories and have read many of them. What draws me to Elizabeth's books is her love of history. To write good historical fiction one must first know the era well. It's the only way an author can truly open the door to the past and make it alive. It's not just a matter of knowing the clothes or hairstyles someone wore, or who was King or the barons of the land. It's knowing the characteristic features of everyday existence shared by people in a particular time or place— the customary beliefs, social forms, and material traits. Elizabeth does it very well. Her characters live and breathe and it's a joy to read such a story.J 

Today's authors are very much involved with promoting their work. We tend to think of promotion in terms of online presence and, of course, that is one facet of promotion. Elizabeth shares another form—public speaking. Meeting with audiences and readers can be quite daunting and she shares how she goes about it. 

One of the things I really enjoy doing as an author and that allows me to unfasten my chain from  from my desk, is talking to audiences and meeting and chatting to my readers over tea and biscuits or a glass of wine.  I've had some great days out and experiences – and I hope the readers have enjoyed the experience too.

When I first set out on this published author lark in 1990, I was a stay at home mother to two small boys.  I  had never done any public speaking  in my life and was terrified at the thought of doing so. I finally found my courage down to financial incentive!   My local arts council was running a series of talks and wanted to do an author discussion panel, where three writers would discuss their experience of publishing for about 15 minutes each, followed by a question and answer session. I was invited to be on the panel as a newly published author.  I was so tempted to hide my head in the sand and say no, but they were offering a fee of £80  ($120)  which was a pretty decent sum in 1990 for a 15 minute talk and a few words on the Q&A.   So I screwed up my courage and spent the next several weeks trying out things to say, practicing like crazy and biting my nails.

 

On the big day I was fine, I didn't fluff my lines or embarrass myself, but I was terrified before going up on that stage and if ever I was a candidate for a heart attack, that moment was it.  I don’t think my pulse rate has ever been so high! It wasn't even fight or flight, it was rabbit stuck in the headlights. For anyone, public speaking for the first time is a huge mountain to get over.

 

Once I had done the deed, there was that huge sense of relief that while it hadn't been a thing of polished beauty, neither was it a flop and I’d survived.  Nevertheless, I then had to face the fact that this wasn't the end of it and a career as an author meant that I’d have to go out and do more on a regular basis.  The local library asked me to do a talk on my own to a reading group, so that was the next hurdle to get over.  Again, I was terrified, and again I scrabbled through without mishap.  And on to the next and the next.  Somewhere along the line I lost my fear and it actually began to become enjoyable.  These days I can go out and give a talk off the cuff and be barely nervous at all.

There is no secret.  In my case familiarity bred an ability to take it as a norm and deal with it.  I also found that doing detailed preparation beforehand and knowing what I was going to talk about helped tremendously.  Doing that donkeywork meant I was ready.  I still have occasions when my brain just steps out of the room for a moment, and that is unnerving, but so far, if I pause for a drink of water,  it comes back in and I can pick up the thread.  It’s like anything; the more you do something, the less daunting it becomes.  Coping strategies of deep breathing and pretending you’re talking to one or two close friends also helps.  Also beforehand, visualizing the talk in a positive way will put you in a positive frame of mind.  Dressing to suit the occasion and to feel positive helps too.  I usually turn up in smart casual clothes with perhaps a statement piece of jewelry, and I usually get my hair done.  I do confess though to putting my nail varnish on in the car en route (I’m being driven!).  There’s an art to it…

Most authors will give readings from their work but I prefer not to and just tell the audience about the background to creating my novels – how I came to write them, and the research entailed.  I bring a case of items with me including examples of research works and replica items from my re-enactment resources, including replicas of a 12^thc sword, shield and helmet from the 12^th century!  I feel that the strategy of not giving a reading allows me more time to talk to readers about novel writing processes and about history, and they can read the books for themselves.  My aim is to whet their appetites and it certainly seems to work.  I know many authors do like to give readings, but my point is that it is not the only way, and that when giving a talk, a writer should do whatever feels the most comfortable for them.

            

After I've finished my talk, I make sure I’m available not only to sign books, but to hang around and speak to people and let them look at the things I've brought along.  Many readers enjoy staying to chat a little longer and it’s a great opportunity to exchange more stories and information. It’s another way too of building an audience.

                                                   
                                                                                                                                                                                                                           

Nothing worthwhile is easy. Not becoming a knight. Not when you don't fit in anywhere.

Brunin Fitzwarin knows this better than anyone. Lost in his own home, he's now a knight-in-training to the Lord of Ludlow—and still utterly alone. That is, until the youngest daughter of the house befriends him.

But England is in turmoil, and Brunin must fight with his lord to support King Stephen for the English crown.

As the war rages on and his particularly close to home, Brunin must defeat the shadows of his childhood and take on the mantle of knight, confronting the future head on.

A rich tale of coming of age in a world where chivalry is a luxury few can afford. Shadows and Strongholds is a tale of earning your place and finding your way home. Excerpt

                                                                                                          

Elizabeth Chadwick lives in a 200 year old beamed cottage in the English countryside not far from Nottingham with her husband and their three terriers.   She has been telling stories since she was little and went from an ordinary life stacking supermarket shelves to help make ends meet, to having her first novel win an award that was presented to her by HRH Prince Charles.  Many of her other historical novels are award nominees and winners too.  She is currently engaged in writing a trilogy about Eleanor of Aquitaine.

Did you know that Elizabeth creates musical soundtracks of popular songs when she writes? I didn't either--but they do fit the story.

WENDY HOLDEN ON INSPIRATION FROM THE ROYAL WEDDING

My guest, international bestseller, Wendy Holden. She writes juicy romantic comedy with a lovely edge of the satirical and biting wit. You can't help but laugh and shake your head over her lively, well drawn characters. 

Today she talks about her research into creating her characters and the fun she had in writing her anti-heroine, Alexa.  

Current events inspire most of my books. The one that inspired my latest novel, Marrying Up, was the recent Royal Wedding in Britain because I’m fascinated with Kate Middleton’s social trajectory. One thing’s for sure, it didn’t come about by accident. That girl worked her ass off to get that guy.

What I’m most interested in is how people move between social classes, or try to. For a comic writer like me, the trying is the where all the best comic material is and in Britain we have a very long tradition at laughing at people who try to ‘better themselves’ as it’s known. It’s a strange contrast to the United States, where no one thinks it’s odd to try and improve one’s circumstances and it’s the American Dream to move up in the world. In the UK, we try to keep people in their place, although, of course, people have no intention of staying in their places, and why should they? I didn’t keep in my place, that’s for sure (see my website if you want to know more, www.wendyholden.net) 

The British class system looks rigid and impenetrable from the outside but in actual fact it is extremely flexible. You can get all the way up, just like Kate Middleton did, despite having a mother who was an airhostess. Although of course being an airhostess has in itself bagged other women men with titles – Queen Noor, for example, met King Hussein on a transatlantic flight. You see what I mean? I’m very interested in all that, in the loopholes and rear doors that allow people with ambition to move from humble circumstances to more exalted states. 

In Marrying Up, my anti-heroine, Alexa, is a sort of disaster version of Kate Middleton. She’s desperate to bag herself a titled husband. She’s no aristocrat herself, but she works the system as best she can. Her first effort is to get a job on a society magazine so she can get invited to smart parties and meet smart people. That doesn’t work so she tries hanging out at posh funerals and picking up men there. She’s incorrigible and pretty immoral, but I admire her spirit and her guts. I actually like her better than the book’s real heroine. Wicked characters are much more fun to write than good ones! Perhaps because they’re closer to real life. 

Marrying Up is partly set in a glamorous Mediterranean kingdom a bit like Monaco, so it allowed me to use one of my favourite settings. I’ve loved the South of France for 25 years but of course things change so much so I simply have to go back every single year and make sure it’s all still the same! I’m so glad I write glam romantic comedies instead of inner-city slasher novels, as the research wouldn’t be half so much fun. My subject area also requires that I read enormous numbers of glossy magazines and celebrity lifestyle publications. Funnily enough, many of these – British Hello and OK especially - have some quite subversive writers on them who use the unthreatening context to ask their famous (and usually pretty dumb) interview subjects some pretty subtle questions. I get a lot of inspiration from this sort of thing, although I’m not interested in sleazy celebs, just the very rich ones. Their route upwards is always fascinating and gives me ideas for future characters in the Alexa vein. Anyway, I hope you enjoy Marrying Up, it was a blast to write and I’ve been lucky enough to get some great reviews for it in America. This is thrilling to me, an obscure foreigner, to make any sort of an impact in your great and glorious country. I feel extremely fortunate and completely amazed.

BUY: AMAZON, B&N, INDIEBOUND

MARRYING UP: A RIGHT ROMANTIC COMEDY 

Beautiful but broke student Polly and scheming social climber Alexa may have grown up in the same place, but they couldn't be more different. Polly's just fallen for Max, a handsome country vet. But Alexa can't be bothered with love—any guy with a pedigree will do, mind you, as long as he comes with a title, a mansion, and a family tiara.

Alexa wiggles her way into friendship with Florrie, a clueless aristocrat who could support entire countries with her spare change. Suddenly the grandest doors swing open for Alexa, and a new life is so close she can taste it. Polly could care less about Max's money, but his mysterious habit of disappearing scares her. What's he hiding?

Razor sharp in its wit, and as fresh as newlywed royals, Marrying Up reveals how sometimes a rags–to–riches story can rip a girl to shreds—and how sometimes the rewards of love aren't always what you expect. EXCERPT

Wendy Holden was a journalist on The Sunday Times, Tatler and The Mail on Sunday before becoming a full-time author. She has written nine novels, all Sunday Times Top Ten bestsellers. She is married and has two children.