Another 5-star review for No Wings Attached

Since I don't know if I'm allowed to copy and paste it, here's the link to the site that reviewed the book:

 Paranormal Romance Guild

If you are a book reviewer and would like to review one of my books, or do an interview with me, please get in touch. You will find my e-mail address to the right under 'About me'.

Are your scenes believable?

For most of us who write fiction it's plain fun; you can create a world, a story, characters and scenes, anything you would like to do or anyone you would like to be or meet. It's fantastic, isn't it?

So far, so good. But since we're not writing from memory, meaning something that happened to us, we rely on imagination. A lot. Especially in genres like Fantasy or Science Fiction we have to make sure that it's believable, realistic and logical. In a world that doesn't exist, the reader wants to be convinced that everything that's happening could be reality. Let's take my novel No Wings Attached as an example. My character Celia hears a voice, she turns around and looks at different people, anyone could have said something, as it always happens in public places, either in the supermarket, in the park or in the pub. If she would have been at home and hear voices, it would take the suspense away, make it unrealistic. Well, maybe not entirely, but then she'd be a case for the straight jacket.

Recently, I edited a friend's manuscript; he had a character in need to get out of a dangerous situation and the possibility to do so via a device, but my friend let his character hesitate for ten seconds, which would have been enough to be killed, so I recommended him to let him hesitate for only two seconds, which would be enough to shout a command and escape. Try counting slowly till ten, it's a long time.
Little things like that let readers stumble.

If you have a character that can jump (beam) from place to place and it's not wise to let him or her appear in a public place and walk around as if nothing happened. I bet you would be rather surprised, if not shocked if someone appears out of thin air in front of you. So check on how you would react and transfer it into your scene. Screaming, kids pointing at the person, fainting, running away in panic, people taking pictures, etc.
Think Superman, who always appears in an empty street. 

Same goes for books like romance or crime, thriller.
In case you  have a murder, what would happen in reality? How would the procedure be?
When an airplane drops out of the sky after one engine exploded and it's torn into half, what would the scenario be like? Would the air-hostess really make an announcement that they're about to die and everyone needs to remain calm? Try to imagine how naked  panic creeps up the passengers and crew, try to hear them screaming, crying, reaching for their safety kits.

The husband has a stroke in the shower, the wife comes in and finds him on the floor bleeding heavily because he's hit his head hard. Instead of calling an ambulance, she's trying to wake him up, cries and strokes his face.
Would you behave like that? Of course not, you would do it the other way round: first call the ambulance, then attend to the person.

If you try to feel and think like your character, then you should be able to make your scenes real, meaning fiction turns into reality for the reader, and that's what he or she asks for.

Breathe life into your characters and make them 3-dimensional

We often have difficulties to connect with a character; we can't put our fingers on it, but something is missing. In many cases it's the description or interaction with others. Real people have many sides to them, they are happy, they are sad, they are grumpy or even angry at times. Think about your friends; they have traits we love and traits you probably could do without, but all together, they make them complete - real.
Like the Rubik Cube to the left, we see them from different angles. The goal is to get them walking and talking like in a movie. Describing scenes is important, but so are our characters.

Looks are only one thing and I've already explained how to do it best here. But this is only one dimension. What about their behaviour? Is your MC a calm person, polite, reserved, moody, loud, withdrawn, laughs a lot, cries easily? You get the picture. It's important and very handy to have a good think about how your character should be and stay, if possible. Consistency is key, unless they go off the rails and begin to change.
The reason being is that especially in writing, you need the reader to sympathise with your character - good or bad - so every move is understandable and acceptable. The second your reader thinks: why would s/he do that? That's absolutely stupid! you've dragged your reader out of the story and most likely lost him or her.

I use my character's thoughts to get across their reasons for doing things, or I let them mutter, I let them call their friends and either rant or seek advice. I let them meet and judge each other.

For example. Celia is a very good friend to Emily, Tom witnesses it and really appreciates the trait of hers.

It's also good let them have a habit, like blowing a lock out of the face, biting fingernails, running fingers through the hair, rocking back and forth, wrinkling the forehead a specific way, make funny noises when nervous or excited. Those are all things that are noticed by others and makes the character more alive.
Let them interact differently with your other characters. You won't be the same with your boss as you would be with your best mate. Let them have a particular phrase they use and let others react to it.
Has the person a pet? A love for being colour co-ordinated, is the person a neat-freak or messy, there's so much to play around with. Just look at your friends and see how different they are, that's a great way to start with building real characteres that grab your hand and tow you with them through the book.

Musings of a Londoner about the recent riots

I love London, loved it the very first time I was here 1996 and I feel a strong connection to my new home since I move here almost five years ago. It's vibrant, it's exciting, it has lots to offer and it's a beautiful city with great architechture. I've felt safe at any given time, by day and night. Even when I was on a bus after work, in the middle of the night, witnissing a robbery. The gang of kids have stopped the bus, opened the back doors, grabbed a person's bag and ran off. It all happened within seconds and left me speechless. I wonder if their parents knew what their 12-year-old kids are doing at 4am in the streets of London. I also wonder why they didn't do anything about it if they knew. I see all sorts of things that bother me; the youths doesn't know what respect is - not all of them, of course. Recently, a young young held the door open for me, I was so perplexed I had to say how much I appreciate this polite behaviour, because you don't get this often.

Londoners are shaken by the riots, the other day I was on the market in a nearby affected area and people who don't know each other part with the words, "Stay safe, luv." One can cut the tension with a knife, shop-owners are in front of their properties to react quickly, people seem to be look around much more. London's relaxed atmosphere has changed for the time being, at least in those areas. I personally have difficulties to sleep since I live above a shop and you never know when and where it could kick off again. Now I'm not usually an easy unsettled person, but I had a bag with my passport, memory sticks, bank card and a bag for the iguana at the ready. My heart rate goes up every time when black heavy armed police vans race past my house and I worry about those who are hit this time. It's not only the shop owners with often their live's work at stake, it's also the families who live in that area, who have to evacuate their homes, not knowing if they will return to an intact flat or if it's going to burn down.
The picutes and videos of the riots shocked me, how can a person stoop so low to steal from a heavy bleeding boy who's very obviously scared to death when they approach him? And this guy walks off as if he's just won a match with a heavy weight, I don't think there's any chance to get this guy back on track. He's a lost cause.

I'm also fed up with excuses like: these kids are poor and don't have anything. Well, they have a roof over their head, they have something to eat, to wear and hot and cold water coming from a tap. I would suggest they'd go and pay the really poor countries a visit where people starve on a daily basis, where people lack the basics and don't have a chance of an education. I blame bad parenting and nothing else. Those kids don't have respect for others or even for themselves. 

Last week, I had a conversation with a very young plumber, he might be nineteen and he told me he's left his parents' house at age thirteen and lived in social homes ever since, he said he's not into drugs or alcohol and he loves his job. He's a real gem and the proof that a bad background doesn't mean you need to go off the rails. It might be an explanation, but not an excuse and I hear it far too often.

Good education begins in your own home, kids need love and bounderies, blaming the system for their behaviour, I find, is not quite right. What I blame the system for is that those kids get away with anything they're doing, the ramifikations should be worse, plus I think those who have been charged should clean up their mess instead of the volunteers who do it for them.

Third donation for Japan made

Hello, lovely readers

I've now made the third donation. A total of £150 to make a round sum. It was equally divided between the British Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders as gift aid.

Here's the e-mail I've received from BRC:



Dear Stella Deleuze
 
Thank you for your donation to the British Red Cross - Japan Tsunami Appeal. Japanese Red Cross workers are treating the injured, providing psychological support and distributing relief items in the aftermath of a massive earthquake which hit Japan on 11 March.

Your donations make a real difference.
Thank you.
Your donation amount is: £75
Your reference number is: INC01355030

And Doctors Without Borders:

Dear Stella Thank you for your donation of £75.00 to Médecins Sans Frontières UK. The reference for this donation is W0008675

Your gift is of huge value both to our field teams and our patients. Donations such as yours make our work possible as they allow us to remain independent from political, religious and economic interests, thereby ensuring our freedom to provide medical assistance whenever and wherever it is needed. Your support enables us to negotiate armed checkpoints and borders, to reach those most forgotten and at risk. It also means we can offer treatment for infectious diseases, to people who struggle to get even the most basic medical care, due to conflict, exclusion, or poverty. If you have any questions about your donation or the work that it is helping to fund, please feel free to get in touch on 020 7404 6600 or email uk.fundraising@london.msf.org.

Again, huge thank you to each and everyone who bought the book, recommended it, commented on it and helped to spread the word. I wouldn't have been able to donate over £200 for Japan and I'm really really glad I could.

No Wings Attached e-book give away!

Yes, you read right, if you have been eyeing with my romantic comedy with a twist, you now have the chance to get your greedy little fingers on a copy of the e-book. I'm totally chuffed and honoured to be a guest blogger on 
Chick Lit Central, who run the contest.

How it works?
It's really easy, just leave a comment with your e-mail address on their site, share the contest on twitter or facebook or follow their site and let them know. So many options.
Of course you can always send me some Chardonnay and chocolate, that will not get you an advantage, but make me immensely happy. :-)

Here's the blurb to see what you can expect from this novel:
What if you find out that the man you love has got secrets and you are not who you think you are?
Life couldn't get any worse for 32-year-old Celia: single again and working in two jobs she hates; the last thing she needs is falling for gorgeous, out-of-her-league, arrogant Tom.
Being a wish-consultant, Tom has to make up for a failed case and is sent to make her wishes come true without his usual skills. Not easy when she's reluctant to talk to him. In order to help her become happy, he needs to win her trust and unexpectedly develops feelings he shouldn't have. When finally everything seems to fall into place for Celia, she receives a phone call that turns her world upside down once again.

This is a light-hearted romantic comedy a la Bridget Jones meets Charmed; no vampires, no werewolves, only the odd human with some supernatural powers. Suitable for readers who usually don't like paranormal.
 
And the latest review from a UK reader:

Couldn't put the book down. I started this book and honestly couldn't stop. I loved the plot, fell in love with the characters and can't wait for the next one. This is going in my favourites folder so I can read over and over again. If you want a book that catches you right from start to finish - this is the book for you. 


Is your interest piqued? Then hop over to Chick Lit Central and enter the contest. It's free and their site has always something interesting to read, too.

Good luck, everyone.

Dear Royal Mail...

... was it really necessary that I had to receive an e-mail from one very lovely reader, who, after patiently waiting for Lulu to deliver one little book to me, so that I could sign it and send it to her, has now been waiting for three weeks for said little book, which I have sent on the 15th of July at 14.46 from my local post office after paying for recorded delivery; so lovingly and securely wrapped, after I signed my name and wrote a personal note, with a --  special for those occasions -- received as present, fountain pen, telling me that the item still hasn't arrive yet?
The book I'm talking about is the paperback version of my short stories, the one with the iguana in a sock on the cover, the one that got excellent reviews, which prompted the previously mentioned wonderful reader to write me an e-mail to ask if there would be a possibility to order the physical version, so that she could enjoy it on the couch, maybe smile about the signature and personal note first, before leafing through the pages in anticipation of an amusing evening.
Now, Royal Mail, I would like to know why you would want to deny the lady that very event, who, after having had such a bad experience, would probably, due to the trouble getting her hands on a copy, which she certainly less expected than the item itself, have difficulties to be excited should it eventually arrive.

Why, Royal Mail, do you have to lose this one letter I post in a year, forcing me to give up very precious time to fill in a complaint form that would make any other person with little time more than nervous, to claim back the money I've spent, not only one book, but also on postage, which, quite frankly, I find outrageous, wondering why the recorded delivery delivers a recording that doesn't deliver.

I, dear, Royal Mail, am not amused.

If you ever find that lost letter, you know where to send it to.

Yours (un)faithfully,

Stella Deleuze