For The Love of Books

Spring is here and, gosh, these months are flying by, aren’t they?

That sentence appears to be the main stay in most of my blogs and newsletters*. But the sentiment stands.

Although time is a human constraint, and we all enjoy the same twenty-four hours, days do seem to rush by. Perhaps it is how we fill them that makes them seem that way, and by ‘we’ I mean me. I confess, I tend to fill my days to the brim, but then I’m goal and deadline oriented. I find they focus the mind and leave no time for that dreaded procrastination (although some days it finds me and holds me captive. I’m not perfect.)

Since February, I’ve been utterly focused on writing another book. This time it’s for a traditional publisher. It’s been quite the ride so far. I have a host of independently published books under my belt, so writing one for a traditional publisher is an interesting move. My usual writing process has been reinforced somewhat because I signed a contract (ooh, serious stuff!), so I feel compelled to sit at my desk until it is complete. I’m almost there. I’m quite happy with my output.

So, my question is…how do you fill your days? Would you benefit from a bit of motivation to start or finish your book? If you like the idea of working with a writing coach, there are a few programmes on my site that give you finer details of what to expect along the way. Why not take a look? And if a monthly, less intense programme seems more you, I’m starting the Monthly Coaching Group again soon too. Just get in touch and we can discuss your specific needs.

Lastly, some of you may notice through a Facebook post that Season 9 of my podcast, The Versatile Writer, will be delayed until nearer the summer. Until then, there are eight seasons to revisit, all free of charge.

Until next month, I wish you many hours of productive writing,

Sjb😊

*Why not sign up to my free monthly newsletter? It’s filled with insider information, exclusive offers, and the odd free gift, just email sarah@loveofbooks.co.uk or sign up via www.loveofbooks.co.uk You can unsubscribe any time (with no hard feelings)

Welcome to March’s business blog.

Well, what can I tell you about For The Love of Books this month?

Behind the scenes, I’ve been working on getting a new edition of an old but loved book back out there in the world. Second editions non-fiction books are tricky little blighters. You want to include new information, but at the same time existing text still earns its place. It’s a matter of what to include. Also, times are a-changing because what suited us a decade ago won’t suit our needs now. Fortunately, there is still plenty of excitement within its pages. More on this in the coming weeks and months.

This coming weekend Saturday 4th March from midday we see another online session of Writers of Essex (kindly supported by Society of Authors) with speaker Author Julia Stone. If you want to join in but are not a SoA member, you still can. I invite those who write for fun or write professionally, but you do need strong links to Essex, UK, or live/work here. If you’d like a Zoom link, please message me or email sarah@loveofbooks.co.uk

Lastly, I want to give a big thanks to Ruth Loten et al from Brightlingsea Literary Festival for inviting me to not only write the Foreword of the BrightWords Writing Group anthology, but also for inviting me to be one of the 4 speakers last weekend. Thank you to everyone who attended.

Until next month, I wish you many hours of productive writing.

Sjb

Welcome to the first business blog of the new year.

While it’s probably a bit late to wish you a Happy New Year, I don’t think it’s too late to wish you a productive and successful ’23.

Generally, this is the time of year that engenders a fresh start. A line drawn in the sand. Many of us need it, too. The manic lead up to Christmas somehow begins in September, then fast forwards through several international holidays before we see January, by which time we begin all over again. A veritable whirlwind of ‘stuff’.

You can see how we need that line drawn in the sand now, can’t you?

January has extended its paws and pounced, making us ask, ‘So, what’s in store this year?’ A fair amount if I’m honest. But I can’t share it all because…well, that’s not very sporting, is it? I’ve got to leave some surprises for the coming months.

I will share this though. It’s a possible discussion prompt about which I’d love to hear your thoughts.

On my travels through social media, countless newsletters, and plenty of articles from business owners throughout January, I learned two things that have left me with a boggled business mind. They are:

Books by Experts are now considered business cards.
This blew my mind. Did I miss something?
In case you don’t know, this is a service usually offered by ghost writers – me included. I’ve highlighted this often. At its essence it is a book about you, your business backstory, your products/services, your awards, and your intentions for the future. All this wrapped up in the shape of a book means you can give/sell it to prospective clients so they learn a bit more about you before they sign on the dotted line.

However, I’ve never considered it a ‘business card’. You can imagine that, to fill a book, there’s a fair chunk of content included (not to mention pictures). Less summary, more intricate detail. I wouldn’t want to try tucking that in my wallet. Surely this is a topsy-turvy way of looking at things? I realise it’s a metaphor, but really…?

Okay, moving on…

Wearing pyjamas on video calls is okay.
Call me traditional, but if you’re having a business meeting via Zoom (or any other video platform), surely getting dressed is the most basic of requirements?

Many of us have worked from home since lockdown (some of us long before), and one thing that has always stood out from the perspective of a creative business owner is that how you dress – that is how you present yourself and your business - makes a difference to the impression you give a potential new client, even an existing one.

Creative business owners have been pulled up in the past for wearing clothing too bright, too colourful, with too much this, too much that, and ultimately not being taken seriously. I was one of those creative business owners that fought against that kind of attitude a decade ago. But, unless the meeting is about a PJ sales company and you’re wearing them to show the product, I cannot imagine why anyone would want to show up to work in their PJs. Isn’t that like combining a sleepover with a business call? Or being too lazy to get dressed but driving to the shops anyway?

Well, now you know my thoughts, I’d love to hear yours.

On that note, please check out my books and services. Micro and small businesses need your support now more than ever. (I’ll be dressed too).

Until the next blog,

Sjb

What a year 2022 has been. And it’s not over yet! That said, after a stressful year both personally and professionally, I’ll be winding down a bit now on the lead up to Christmas.

It’s natural this time of year to start reflecting over the previous months and see where we stand now and that’s what this blog post represents. In 2022 For the Love of Books brought you:

. a selection of new coaching services
. discounts for 999/military staff
. more seasons of The Versatile Writer podcast (free to download)
. community sessions of Writers of Essex ‘in real life’ & online (kindly supported by Society of Authors)
. a month of highlighting other authors’ books during August including James Batchelor, Lynda Taylor, Siobhan Collier and Philippa Hawley
. details of an upcoming new novel
. exclusive offers through the monthly newsletter (free to subscribe)

I’d say that was pretty good going for a micro business 😊

Lastly, Writers of Essex’s December meeting will be via Zoom on 3 Dec from 12-2pm with JonJon Jones speaking, and Season 8 of The Versatile Writer will be available from 8 December. It’s packed full with another 8 episodes of help and support for like-minded writers. There will be a break between episodes 3 and 4 for Christmas, but will resume on 9 Jan.

Thank you for your support this year. I wish you a Merry Christmas. See you in 2023.

Sjb 😊

Welcome.

As the mixed weather of October touches the frosty fingers of November, it’s time to reflect on what’s been happening in the world of For The Love of Books, and what’s intended.

More of the (2nd edition) non-fiction book has been done, which I hope to publish next year. I’ve also created half the podcast episodes for Season 8 of The Versatile Writer due in December. (These things truly take their time to create too!). I’ve also published daily business posts on social media. The engagement has been good, and I’m thankful to everyone who shows interest. I would urge you, though, to sign up soon as some discounts end in December.

I've added discounts to help, so please return that favour by supporting micro and small businesses like mine. Big thanks in advance :)

Here's what’s available:

Coaching: 24-week program, 12-week program, and a monthly coaching group
Courses: 6 different courses for beginners, and for experienced writers to recap
*Remember - professional and personal development ought never be too far from our minds*
Ghost writing, editing, and proofreading
A range of fiction and non-fiction books
Plus, a heap of freebies! Gift vouchers are available too.

In the coming weeks, I’m looking forwards to sharing some extra positive news as we wind down to the end of the year.

Until then, please check out my site www.loveofbooks.co.uk
Sarah 😊

Welcome to October's blog.

I hope your September was good to you. Ours was ridiculously busy with our daughter moving into her own place. It's natural. It's just sad not to have that extra spirit around the house. However, that's what life is about. Progression.

It's the same with creative writing. If we don't embrace progress, we don't get anywhere. In fact, just this morning I saw three crows fighting over an apple in the road. What does this have to do with writing I hear you ask. Well, for me, the three crows represent characters each after the same thing but from different perspectives. The apple represents the prize they each want, their individual motivations, and the issues each crow experiences. And, finally, the road represents the potential danger of them getting to that apple.

From the snapshot of driving by these crows who were way more interested in the apple than in the road (hence the potential danger), it instantly struck me how everybody (crows included) is driven to get what they want in life. It's progress. The crows want the apple, my daughter wants her own place, and my husband and myself want a good 'next chapter' of life now we are empty-nesters. (That bird theme just won't budge!)

So, progress appears to be the aim here. Whether progress looks like getting on with your novel/business book, signing up to a creative writing course, signing up to a coaching group etc, or even just getting out of bed each day, know that I'm here to help...(unless it is getting out of bed, in which case you might have to do it on your own!)

Lastly this month, let me remind you that until the end of the year, I'm offering a discount to military personnel (serving or retired), and 999 staff (serving or retired), so my suggestion is to jump on this discount as soon as you can.

As the nights draw in and the air is crisp, the trees change colour and animals begin hibernation, why not give some thought to your own annual progress? You'll be glad you did.

Until next month,
sjb :)

Wow, what a month it’s been both personally and professionally.

August was jam-packed! I shared with you four different Q&As in August with authors you might not have already known about, all writing is such different genres. Also, there’s a discount on the home page which lasts until the end of the year for 999 staff and military personnel (serving and retired). Season 7 of my podcast is now available with 8 episodes free to download, and I shared a surprise in my monthly newsletter. If you’ve not already subscribed, why not do it now?

I’ll keep things short this month because I’ll be taking a couple of weeks away from the desk. In the meantime, please check out my services to see if any appeal to you or someone special now autumn is on our doorstep. That lead up to the festive season tends to organize our minds somewhat so if you want to purchase a gift voucher for any of my services, NOW is the time to do it.

Until next month,

Sjb 😊

Throughout August, I’ve handed my blog over to five authors to showcase their books. This is the final week and where I interview Lynda Taylor, author of The Clouds Dance.

Lynda and I would love you to share the blog on your own social channels tagging us in. For everyone who shares and tags us both and includes my site name www.loveofbooks.co.uk, I'll send you a little 'thank you' gift, wherever you are in the world*.
*postal address will be required but, in line with UK GDPR regs, not kept. One gift per household.

Socials: Twitter: @sjbwrites
Facebook: For The Love of Books or Sarah Banham or Lynda Taylor
Linked In: Sarah Banham BA (Hons)
Instagram: @s.j.banham

1. What was it that drove you to write this story?

Before writing ‘The Clouds Dance’ (the first book in this series) I heard the minister for education suggesting that Art and Music should be dropped from the curriculum to allow more time for Maths and Science. I understood the concern about the need for more medical staff etc, but consigning these subjects to after school activities would limit those who would be able to stay after school (for example: because of transport issues) and may also lead to these being paid for by parents. This would incur costs that many would not be able to afford, leading to creative activities becoming for the elite only. I felt that the next thing to go might well be literature. Language would perhaps be seen as a functional, factual necessity with no thought for the importance of imagination. From there I had to find a reason for the banning of books. The idea that in a pandemic they may be seen as carriers of disease gave me the way in for the Authorities to use the removal of them as the beginning of a way to control what the population see, read and ultimately think/believe.

This book, ‘First the Rain Must Fall’, follows the characters from the first book, and some new ones, as they strive to free the country from the harsh rule of the Authorities.

2. How did you cope with so many characters?

I had no problem in general, but had to keep my eye on the names. Making sure I had the right character in the right group was a constant focus of attention. It was necessary to use so many because my two main characters from ‘The Clouds Dance’ are living in different parts of the country meaning they have a range of new friends. I also made the decision to use third person in this book, as I wanted to show events from more than just Matt and Sophie’s points of view.

3. Tell me about your daily writing process.

What writing daily process?! I have to admit that I am an erratic writer. I think more than I write and often forget to make notes of things that come to me. Consequently I’m sure I lose a lot of useful ideas. I always intend to be more organised.

4. What is it about MG/YA that draws you to write about it?

I read quite a lot of YA fiction and also enjoy films in that genre. Perhaps having worked as a teacher of 11-18 students kept me rooted in the kind of things we talked about and the books they enjoyed.

5. What parallels did you intend to make with the first and second books?

Really the difficulties of simply surviving: finding food and water; evading capture – remain in the sequel. I wanted to show the separate groups facing similar problems and aims that were seen in book 1.

6. What parallels were intended with your story and COVID19?

Well, both ‘The Clouds Dance’ and its sequel ‘First the Rain Must Fall’ were imagined and largely written prior to the Covid 19 events. ‘The Clouds Dance’ was published in 2019 and a 60,000-word draft of ‘First the Rain Must Fall’ was the result of NaNoWriMo in November of 2019. Any apparent parallels in the first book are purely coincidental. ‘First the Rain Must Fall’ wasn’t completed until 2021. Inevitably what was happening to us all will have had some impact on my writing, but the plan was already in place. I had an historical awareness of other pandemics and book burnings, along with many works of fiction as my guides.

7. Is MG/YA where your writing naturally sits? Why?

It seems to be where my imagination takes me most often. I would say a reluctance to properly ‘grow up’ along with a lifelong interest in survival plans keep me rooted there. I can remember being in school, I guess around 12 years old, and having to listen to a talk by some army people about what we should do if the three-minute warning came. I also enjoy ‘coming-of-age’ novels such as ‘Catcher in the Rye’. I like the idea that around the age of fifteen we become aware of what really happens in the adult world and know that we must join that world before too long.

8. Do you think you’d ever write a novel in a completely different genre? What might it be?

My first novel ‘The Sea Child’ is based on the selkie myths and is very different from my other books. Though the coming-of-age bit is still central. I would like to try other genres for a novel, but have no plans at the moment.

9. What else can we expect from you?

For the next few months I plan to work on short stories. Perhaps an idea for a novel will emerge on the way.

10. What part of the writing and publishing process do you find the most challenging and why?

The actual writing is a struggle until I am fully engaged with the plot. I write loads of notes, most of which are discarded. The publishing process is my worst nightmare though. The technology is meant to make it easy to upload the manuscript and cover, but inevitably I have to play around with layout etc..

You can find Lynda's book on Amazon. Click on this link to go to Lynda's book

Throughout August, I've turned my blog over to five authors who write in completely genres different. Each Monday, you'll read a Q&A about their latest book and writing processes.

The author and I would love you to share the blog on your own social channels and PLEASE tag us in. For everyone who shares and tags us both and includes my site name www.loveofbooks.co.uk, I'll send you a little 'thank you' gift, wherever you are in the world*.
*postal address will be required but, in line with UK GDPR regs, not kept. One gift per household.

Socials: Twitter: @sjbwrites
Facebook: For The Love of Books or Sarah Banham or Siobhan Collier
Linked In: Sarah Banham BA (Hons)
Instagram: @s.j.banham @flutterby_cupcake26

This week, the blog is with Siobhan Collier, a debut author of 'How I Got Here'.

1. Tell me why you chose Chicago as the setting.

I didn’t actually set the story in Chicago at first. Originally, the American characters lived near Las Vegas because I wanted a huge distance from England and I wanted it to feel different for Kayleigh, so she would truly be a fish out of water. But then I researched things I needed for the story and I considered the themes of the story, I knew a connection to Las Vegas wasn’t tenable. So I talked to a couple of friends who are stateside, and some of their friends, and explained the way I saw certain things within the storyline - the housing, the mix of ethnicities, certain laws that would have an undertone without being part of the story - and the Mid-West was the ideal location.

Chicago worked well because it has a similarity to London in the way it’s laid out, so instead of it being too different to what Kayleigh is used to, it has enough similarities that she can settle, but enough differences for her to note them, to jar her when she starts to feel settled.

2. Talk me through your decision to use both US English and UK English within the narrative

Because Kayleigh is fifteen, she’s still learning, and one of the things that will come up in her new lessons would be spelling and word meanings, so I wanted her progression in language to reflect that a little. I have a lot of American friends and consume a lot of their movies and shows so switching between the nuances isn’t always a conscious decision for me, and I did have some previous readers pointing out when she Americanised too early. Also my computer seemed stuck on American English so that made it easier to fight or agree with the spell check! But I think it’s a nice way to show her acceptance of her new world, and how she's making changes in her life.

3. How natural is it for you to write in the YA genre?

Fairly natural, especially when it's almost stream-of-consciousness in the narrative voice. I do believe in the adage "write what you know" but for me that doesn't necessarily mean what I've experienced in life, it's more about what you consume, and I read a lot of Becky Albertalli, Sarah Dessen, Sarah Crossan, Holly Smale, Simon James Green, David Levithan, Judy Blume, Paula Danziger, Sophie Gonzales, Katherine McGee, Patrice Lawrence, people like that.

I love YA for the depth of topics approached in the different styles - whether you're writing high fantasy, dystopian, romance, horror, the approach is always to take on those themes teenagers are just beginning to think about in an analytical way. There are so many POC, LGBT+, political, disability, socio-economic narratives within YA.

I'm always excited by a book with a fresh approach, which is what teenage readers respond to as well. As a YA author, it's just as exciting to tackle these kinds of themes as well, to consider why this character might not agree with a scene, why that character acted the way they did in their scene, how that has its impact on the narrative and the way teenagers and young adults think as a whole.

For instance, in How I Got Here, the main area Kayleigh is tackling is consent and sexualisation of a minor, and she avoids the topic for a long time before realising that maybe her perspective before was lacking the information she really needed before making the decisions she did, and how that has had an impact on her, how she can progress going forward.

4.Which characters became your favourites and why?

My favourite character is Carter, hands down. He's very forthright and confident in his perspective, but he's not cruel though he might seem that way at first. He's very vocal in my head as well, and will change a scene I've planned out, with a very cool "just trust me" after an argument with me. And strangely, when I let him lead a scene, it does work out. I quite like the dichotomy of the twins, where one comes across as kind and friendly but is actually fairly selfish, and the other is hard to crack but is kind and thoughtful behind that shell. But Carter does stand out compared to Curtis for me, and there have been drafts where I alternated between his and Kayleigh's narratives. I stripped that back to get back to the core of the story, but Carter isn't done with me yet!

I also like Becki, much like Kayleigh does. Becki was a character who I based on a couple of people I know, which isn't my usual MO. Back in my high school, there was a group of three girls, all very kind, sweet, intelligent girls. They were my acquaintances, and each others friends, but when I was coming up with the story, I really liked the idea of that constancy the girls had being a positive influence in Kayleigh's life when she had so much turmoil with friendships before. I also think it's an important theme especially in teen and YA books to have positive female friendships, and when I first drafted the story I had thought Kayleigh would end up closer to Fearn, but I could see quickly why Kayleigh gravitated more to Becki as a close female friend.

And of course I love Kayleigh. Years ago, I wrote a fanfic and had a character called Louise interacting with the ... I think it was a band? But Louise was very much the blueprint for Kayleigh. I feel like her protective older sister in a strange way, even though I am also technically the cause of her pain too. Louise had different issues, but she had the same approach as Kayleigh to handling them, and like Louise, Kayleigh finds her strength and comfort in her friends.

5. Which did you like the least and why?

I don't know if I dislike my characters. I remember sitting down, when I had Kayleigh's cousin Fiona playing a much bigger role in the story than just being someone she mentioned occasionally, and I was thinking about Fiona's motives for exploiting her younger cousin. And I got thinking about people's motivations in general, and how our perspectives of whether someone is acting in a good or bad way is linked to how their choices affect ourselves or others. No one is just good or evil, they're working to their own agendas and sometimes that makes them seem nasty, sometimes it makes them seem wonderful. But in the end, everyone is human. So saying I dislike a character almost feels like I don't understand them well, and that would make me feel like I failed them. In that perspective though, I would probably say I don't like the choices that Alex (Carter and Curtis' dad) makes, the archaic pressures he places on his sons, the way he is on the road so much but tries to dictate the way the household should be when he comes back home. I can see why each son reacts the way they do to their father, and why they might seem to come up short in his eyes, and I know there are parents like that, but he is not the parent I would want to be.

6. Will there be more from you about Kayleigh’s life going forwards?

It's definitely something I've always wanted to do! I am working on something from the universe at the moment, but it's not from Kayleigh's perspective. It's a dual narrative from the twins in the summer between the end of high school and the start (perhaps) of university. I can see at least the core characters as adults, and I don't know what those stories will look like as a defined narrative yet, but I don't think I could make this story a stand alone. I've drafted other stories, that need a lot of work still, but as I said - this world isn't done with me yet!

7. How did you cope with so many characters?

I probably did better than readers, though I hope its not too bad as a reader experience! In the earliest drafts there were a lot more characters, and a lot of subplots I gave a lot of time to, but that meant that the entire point of the story - Kayleigh coming to terms slowly with her actions of the previous couple of years - was watered down and not given the depth I wanted for it. For instance, she once had a younger brother, who I realised wouldn't work out in the story (I loved him, but he was too angry at her and wouldn't resolve those issues and I felt that stunted her growth), and as I said before, Fiona had a bigger role in previous drafts.

I felt like having a lot of characters worked for the story though, because we do come across a lot of people in different pockets of our lives, and when you're feeling overwhelmed, you do feel like there are a lot of people to deal with, to keep track of. It's a way of connecting the reader to some of what Kayleigh is feeling herself.

For me to keep track of them, I would think of them in terms of importance, when it came to the point of the story. Kayleigh's parents, her new friends, they were the important people for her to interact with. Characters like Skylar and Stacey, or Ashley, were characters I love who I wanted to support those important characters, who just weren't as relevant to what Kayleigh was experiencing as others were. And then there are characters like Curtis' other friends who were on the periphery so were people Kayleigh would have a low level of interaction with. I don't know if I explained that well, but thinking of the point of the story and the relationships between the characters helped me work out how to juggle that. I have a notebook where there are just lists of people and their connections to each other in the story, and I think that more than anything helped me get those levels of importance structured in my head.

8. One family has 6 boys, did you base them on anyone specific?

Yes, and no. I'm from a large family - the 6th of 7 - and whenever I see large families in books or on TV, they're always portrayed as harmonious and helpful with each other. It never felt realistic to me, to see these large, happy families, living on top of each other and having no issues. My own experience of a large family is that your friends and enemies can change within the family dynamic in moments. I think the way Cole interacts with his younger brothers is most similar to what I've experienced with my brothers and sisters. The twins are based both on my cousins, who used to fight when they were younger (they're fraternal/unidentical twins) and on myself and my older sister. We used to share a room, just like Carter and Curtis, and fought from being in too close quarters with each other frequently. We get along great now, but back then we were worse than Carter and Curtis!

Large families can bring a lot of differences to the forefront too, and that's what I wanted to do with the Fennigans, show that you can have big personalities like Carter, and quieter people like Callum, all come from the same place, but have very different experiences and approaches to life. But having said that, none of the brothers are based on anyone specific in terms of their personalities. They developed based on the circumstances I gave them.

9. Have you ever met anyone like Kayleigh who has moved countries?

Yes, and they're my initial inspiration for this story! When I was in year three, the local Ford plant expanded and brought over some staff from Michigan, and their kids needed a school to attend while they were in England. Two girls ended up in my class, Ashley and Lisa. I wasn't close with Ashley who was there for a year, but Lisa was one of my best friends and she stayed for three years. I remember that it was the first time I'd heard of immigrating, and I had a lot of questions. Lisa had a really strong accent too, but she was patient with me asking her to repeat things. I wanted to immigrate as well, but my parents were less enthused about that idea. It's something I wouldn't be able to do now, but my characters still can.

10. Has your son read it and if so what did he think?

He has a copy and he's read some of it, but he's just done his first couple of GCSE's and is working hard at animation projects. He likes Carter so far. My eldest niece is about the same age and has a copy, but like Noah she's been given a few GCSE's this year so has been preoccupied as well. Another, younger niece has decided she wants to be an author so we've talked about my book and her plans for her books. She's seven, so not old enough to read it yet!

You can buy Siobhan's novel via Amazon. Click this link to go to Siobhan's book

This month I'm turning the blog over to five different authors who write in genres different from the next. Each Monday, you'll read a Q&A I did with them about their latest book and their writing process. You'll also see a link to their book should you wish you purchase it.

The author and I would love you to share the blog on your own social channels and PLEASE tag us in. For everyone who shares and tags us both and includes my site name www.loveofbooks.co.uk, I'll send you a little 'thank you' gift, wherever you are in the world*.
*postal address will be required but, in line with UK GDPR regs, not kept. One gift per household.

Socials: Twitter: @sjbwrites @Philippa_Hawley
Facebook: For The Love of Books or Sarah Banham or Philippa Hawley
Linked In: Sarah Banham BA (Hons)
Instagram: @s.j.banham @apwivenhoe

This week, the blog is with Philippa Hawley, author of To Be Frank.

1. Why did Frank inspire you?

I wanted to create a new character who would challenge and add substance to the characters I’d become very fond of in my novel ‘Lawn House Blues’. I realised I wasn’t quite ready to let them go but needed to give them some extra intrigue and action in what became a family saga.
I’d already had an idea about an unusual will, after someone I knew was affected by an unusual inheritance conundrum in their family. When I talked to other friends about the subject of odd wills, I was amazed at how many families have had to negotiate the outcomes of such issues and so I decided to put that into Frank’s story. I hasten to add that Frank’s story is his own and not that of any of my friends! Incidentally you don’t have to have read ‘Lawn House Blues’ to enjoy ‘To Be Frank’.

2. Why later life love?

Why not? The character of Frank needed a better social and a love life as his confidence developed within the story. He started off as a lonely soul but had a lot of love to give with his increasing self-esteem. Perhaps I wanted to show that people never stop growing, learning and loving and that hope for the future can continue at any age. As a writer in my 60s, it seemed right to find an interesting partner for Frank to team up with to add a bit of spark to the story, although inevitably they had ups and downs along the way.

3. Tell me about your daily writing process?

I try to write regularly, maybe not every day, but realistically 4-5 days most weeks. It may be simply to tweak a short story I’m working on (sometime a poem) or to jot ideas for future stories. My writing group sets a prompt for a short story on a monthly basis and I am ridiculously conscientious about keeping to the deadline for online submission to the group, after which we all reply with comments on each other’s work, often encouraging submissions to competitions.
If I’m in the middle of writing a novel and on a creative roll I will write daily in blocks of 2 or 3 hours at a time. I usually do my chores, address emails and attend to other business in the mornings and then write in my study after lunch. I find it hard to write anywhere else. My study is upstairs in the house I share with my husband but this room is my space alone. From the side window of my room I have a wonderful view of our garden and the trees beyond, which I find both comfortable and inspiring.
I’ve also done NaNoWriMo twice, and FlashWriMo once, and have loved the drive of doing that, but maybe not every year. It can be a good way to kick start a novel.

4. Experiences of publishing independently or with a publishing house?

My first three books were self-published, admittedly with the support of designers and professionals to help format. I paid for editing, cover design, formatting and printing which all added up and planned my own book launches alongside Wivenhoe Bookshop. I was a real beginner with the first novels, ‘There’s No Sea in Salford’ in 2013, and ‘How They Met Themselves’ 18 months later. I learned a great deal over the following years – mainly not to rush, and also to concentrate more on structure and point of view and to edit until you could edit no more.
I enjoyed the more professional approach of working with Spiffing Covers to produce my third book ‘Lawn House Blues’. The clarity of their payment per item of service procedure worked well for me and in the end I paid a little more for a more professional product.
The problem with self-publishing was the lack of help with ongoing publicity and marketing. I always wanted to support, and have the support of, indie bookshops but found it hard to get my books out to them if they were not situated locally. It was hard to extend the sales market beyond just family and friends. Inevitably I had to rely on Amazon to maintain some ticking over of sales. As quite a private person it was hard to get reviews onto Amazon and to make the most of social media, which seems to be another requirement for sales.
I tried to get an agent for Lawn House Blues and To Be Frank, hoping to be able to access a traditional publishing route. It was hard work to send out endless submissions, each with a personalised letter and different requirements. The rejection notes were mostly kind though a few didn’t even bother to reply which seemed rude at the time, even though I understood how great the competition was and how busy agents are.
Then a writing friend pointed out some of the perhaps smaller or hybrid publishing houses who now accept unsolicited submissions. These are not part of the vanity publishing scene who demand large sums of money to publish your book, they offer a traditional contract with royalties if your manuscript is accepted. It is therefore much less costly but one does lose a little bit of control when it comes to style and timing of publication for instance.
Blossom Spring Publishing published To Be Frank and I am pleased with the outcome. They do however do their printing and online sales via Amazon so perhaps that’s not so very different after all. As for marketing and publicity, BSP have helped somewhat with a lot of social media posts but I’m not sure that’s made much different in sales yet – it’s early days and one still has to do a lot of self-publicity eg. press releases, blogs, authors' talks, encouraging people to do reviews and doing social media posts oneself etc which isn’t always easy. I wonder how different it would be with an agent and a full-blown publishing house behind you?

5. Which character gave you the most challenges?

Most of the characters developed themselves as I went along. It was at times difficult to maintain continuity of personality in some of the characters of Lawn House Blues who popped up again. I think Tricia was the hardest and the most complex, with her mental health needs and complex personality, but my editor seemed to want her presence to be built up (either that or cut out completely). Feeding her back story in for those who hadn’t met her before was tricky but I hope she became an intriguing addition to the tale. Who knows she might get a book to herself one day but no promises!

6. Which character would you most like to meet?

It has to be Mirabelle. I tried to make her sound quirky and interesting, funny and clever. I think she’d make a great friend and with her Welsh connections she could take me on lovely trips to Wales where she could paint and I could enjoy the scenery and write.

Check out Philippa’s book. Click this link to see Philippa's book. Don't forget to share it, tagging in Philippa, me, and a link to this site to earn your free gift.

This month I'm turning the blog over to five different authors who write in genres different from the next.

Each Monday, you'll read a Q&A I did with them about their latest book and their writing process. You'll also see a link to their book should you wish you purchase it.

The author and I would love you to share the blog on your own social channels and PLEASE tag us in. For everyone who shares and tags us both and includes my site name www.loveofbooks.co.uk, I'll send you a little 'thank you' gift, wherever you are in the world*.
*postal address will be required but, in line with UK GDPR regs, not kept. One gift per household.

Socials: Twitter: @sjbwrites @James_Batchelor
Facebook: For The Love of Books or Sarah Banham or James Batchelor
Linked In: Sarah Banham BA (Hons)
Instagram: @s.j.banham @jbatchelorwrites

This week, the blog is with James Batchelor, author of Blow The House Down.

1.Tell me about the inspiration behind this story

This book is a weird mix of separate ideas I had. The biggest one came after seeing Snow White and The Huntsman, which is awful but does do a good job of turning that classic fairy tale into an almost Tolkien-esque epic fantasy. Like so many writers, I was cocky enough to think ‘Pfft, I could do that better’ and started plotting my own epic fantasy take on a fairy tale. I liked the simplicity of The Three Little Pigs and started imagining three knights or three kingdoms raising an army against an evil Lord Wolfe. Not sure what happened next, but I somehow decided to explore the idea of flipping that on its head, pitting the noble Sir Wolfe against the Three Pigs, a trio of greedy kings.

At the time, I was part of a writers' group in Chelmsford and we would do a little writing exercise each week with a prompt given by another member. I used to like to use these to come up with the start of a new story or a new world, and one particularly grabbed me. The prompt was something like ‘You find something strange at the side of the road,’ and for some reason my brain turned that into a crime scene investigation where a magic addict has spontaneously combusted after taking a counterfeit spell (taken like you would a drug), leaving only a charred shoe behind. It was all set in the modern day and I loved the idea of a police force tracking down black market spells and their dealers.

The final piece came when my wife (then girlfriend) and my sister (still sister) were watching Once Upon A Time, a series about fairy tale characters thrown into our modern world. I loved the premise but I found myself wanting a version with a bit more action. The above ideas combined and the result (eventually) was Blow The House Down.

2. Tell me how you built the character of Tony Wolfe

With great difficulty, and I’m still not 100% sure I’ve nailed it yet but I’m hoping people enjoy him anyway. Wolfe was tricky because I wanted him to be an anti-hero, a villain (or rather villain’s muscle) who’s not necessarily fighting for what’s right but is fighting for himself and his family, and that happens to put him on the same side(ish) and the ‘good guys.’ I wanted him to be ruthless, but not a psychopath. Charming, but not your typical Han Solo-style rogue. Deadly and powerful, but still up against something he’s unlikely to win against. I shared the early chapters with friends, both fellow writers and just avid readers. Each one kept asking me questions or offering suggestions that really helped hone Wolfe into the sort of character I was aiming for.

For example, Wolfe’s first chapter originally had him shooting the fingers off someone who had been stealing from the Three Pigs as a warning, but a friend pointed out that’s too violent an act given that we’re supposed to be rooting for this character. Clearly I’d been trying too hard to make him ruthless, so the scene was toned down and I was much happier with it afterwards.

3. Why does the meld of fairy tales and crime interest you?

Fairy tales fascinate me in general, how these quintessential stories of magic and morality, good vs evil, cruelty vs justice and so on have endured for hundreds and hundreds of years. Even more fascinating is unpicking the elements we all know from Disney and the elements that are actually from the source, the original tales. And over the years, we’ve seen so many different takes on these tales that are each unique and yet share enough similarities to be instantly familiar. Again, look at things like Once Upon A Time or Snow White and The Huntsman, or things like the Fables comics. I loved the idea of telling a story where the reader is both learning about my characters, but also figuring out the connections themselves as to who they represent (with a few exceptions, I don’t overtly introduce characters as ‘She is Snow White’).
As for the crime element, it’s less about the crime and more about the action thriller. I love fast-paced stories where protagonists are trying to outwit a multitude of antagonists, where the advantages of modern living are both working for them and against them. I love the mix of fantasy and modern, because I don’t think it’s explored enough, so I wanted to have a go at creating something that feels like both a contemporary thriller and a classic fantasy. Hopefully, I’ve got the balance right.

4. Where, in the real world, did you imagine this story was set?

London. Blow The House Down is set in a fictional city with a fantastical element, in a world separate from our own (so not an alternative Earth, but a completely different world)… but that city was modelled on London. This is for a few reasons. Firstly, it’s my favourite city in the world. I’ve been lucky enough to travel to some amazing places around the globe, but none have the history, character and surprises that London offers. Secondly, it’s familiar to me so was easy to draw on for inspiration (readers can tell when you’re writing about a city you’ve never visited). And lastly, I feel like the vast majority of modern stories, even urban fantasy, are set in America or have a very American flavour. I wanted to write something that felt distinctly British (hence my leaning towards the more British swearwords in the story’s more heated moments).


5. How did you cope with/and keep track of so many characters?

Lots of notes, but most importantly timelines. I’m somewhere between a discovery writer and a plotter: I tend to write about one third, maybe half a story, and once I’ve an idea of where it’s going and how it’s going end, I pause and plot out the rest of the book. I still allow new ideas to come to me as I go – towards the end, connections between characters were coming to me that I hadn’t even thought of at the start but made perfect sense.
Then, once I’m in the editing/second draft stage, I make notes as I read, jotting down any details about characters or world-building elements as I come across them. This is partly to check for consistency, but it also means I’m preparing a story bible I can consult if I want to change things. (I should probably have done that from the beginning, but we learn these things the hard way).

6. How did you make clear each character’s personality?

It helps in this case that all my characters are modelled on established ones from fairy tales. There’s an archetype for each to either stick to, or veer away from. What also helps was ‘casting’ my characters in my head: if (pipe dream alert!) this were made into a Hollywood film, which actors would play each role? Tony Wolfe, for example, I imagined as Jason Statham while (staying on the Snatch theme) the narrator that introduces each chapter and is revealed later in the book would have been brilliantly played by Alan Ford (aka Bricktop). Doing this gives the character a clear voice in my head, and I have a much better idea of not only what they would say but how they would say it. Voice and dialogue is such a great expression of personality, it’s a big part of how we get to understand the personalities of people we speak to, and apparently it works when you’re making people up as well.

7. Will you return to this story? How?

Absolutely. I originally planned this as a standalone because I wanted to go back to the fantasy series I was writing. But I was having so much fun with it, and sowing seeds for things I could follow up on later that I’m definitely going to come back to the world of Tony Wolfe. There are so many fairy tales to riff off, so many different takes on characters to explore; there’s a whole universe I can build here.

8. How old will your children be when you allow them to read it?

There’s a lot of swearing in this book (it’s never gratuitous - just some very angry characters who don't take kindly to people trying to kill them). Once my kids are teenagers and I’ve given up trying to stop them from swearing, then it’ll be time to lend them a copy.

Check out James' book. Click Here to go to James' book on Amazon. Don't forget to share it, tagging in James, me, and a link to this site to earn your free gift.

Crazy how fast time seems to go. Scary, in fact.

June was a busy old month. Let's recall what happened: I finished up the last of Season 6 of my podcast, then there was the Jubilee extended weekend, after which I received a great response from my editor about my next novel. Then we had the quarterly Writers of Essex Summer event – in real life this time. Ooh, get us! Big thanks to Essex Libraries and Society of Authors too. And lastly I continued promoting the newest service from For the Love of Books: Personal Writing Coach. Do check out the site for details on this.

Phew! Makes you want to sit down to catch your breath, doesn’t it?

So, what does July have in store? Well, I’m glad you asked. 😉 July looks quite studious from here. I’ll be forcing my fingers to the keyboard to get on with the continued rewrite of my non-fiction book. I’ll be organising the cover for my next novel, and towards the end of August, Season 7 of The Versatile will return too.

Also this month, I've been preparing something a little special for you. As August is my birthday month, I've organised a book showcase for you. This means that instead of just one blog at the start of the month like I usually do, there'll be five - one on each Monday throughout all of August. Each blog will contain a Q&A with the author, a synopsis of their book and, of course, the links to buy it. Each book is quite different from the last, so there’s plenty to interest everyone.

That all seems like plenty to be getting on with.

Before I go, I want to remind you that in addition to the new service, I also run a monthly coaching group whereby writers submit work for coaching then meet up via zoom in a group format at the end of the month to discuss it. It's a friendly and supportive environment and spaces are available. Details of which are on www.loveofbooks.co.uk

If any or all of this interests you and you’d like to discuss it further over Zoom, just get in touch and let me know.

Enjoy the summer, see you in August 😊

Sjb 😊

Welcome to this month’s business blog.

In the UK, we’re entering a period of festivities.

For many people, the first few days of June will be about celebrating 75 years of HRH Queen Elizabeth being on the throne. As I type, bunting is hanging in the village where I live, street parties are planned, communities are pulling together, and events have been organised. It feels a little like the excitement and anticipation of when a book is launched – but on a much grander scale.

Afterwards, decorations are taken down, people go home, and memories have been made. And the newspaper and online news platforms will be dining out on it for months. But those memories!

One of the services I offer within For The Love of Books is ghost writing. I write the books that you, for whatever reason, cannot. Largely based upon memories, life stories are a terrific project to work on and are a brilliant way to pass your stories down to your family…a wonderful way for them to remember you by.

Did you help line the streets at the Coronation? What was the atmosphere like? Who were you with? How old were you, and how did you live your life afterwards? Those and countless other questions are answered within a memoir along with your most treasured photographs.

If hiring a ghost writer sounds like your next step, why not get in touch?

In the meantime, enjoy the celebrations 😊

Sarah

Welcome to this month’s business blog.

Since I began For The Love of Books 11 years ago, I’ve been passionate about instilling confidence in writers to help them overcome challenges and achieve their goals. During that time, I’ve continued my own professional development while running courses for others. One thing that jumps up every time is that everyone absorbs information at a different pace. Because of this, I’ve been creating workable programs to excite and empower writers everywhere and I think I’ve hit all the right notes.

I’ve discovered there’s usually only a handful of reasons that stops the writing flowing freely. It might be a lack of confidence, no time, or motivation. And there’s often a bout of procrastination involved too. But what if I told you that by working together, we could conquer these issues to start/continue/complete your novel/book?

I’ve created 2 plans as a Personal Writing Coach: 1 x 12-week program and 1 x 24-week program. Ts&Cs Apply as well as time-sensitive exclusive offers. You can read the finer details here: www.loveofbooks.co.uk

Also, Season 6 of The Versatile Writer podcast airs today. Do subscribe and share it. There are 8 episodes packed full of writing information and remains one of the FREE services FTLOB brings you. This season includes some incredibly interesting facts about handwriting and a bit on story analysis so there’s bound to be something for every writer. You can download it via several platforms or click on the tab on my site.

Until June, I wish you a month of productive writing.

Sjb 😊

Hi, Welcome to this month's blog.

In the UK we’ve had quite a mixture of weather over the past couple of days: sun, wind, rain both slight and torrential, sleet, and snow. Last week we were walking around in T-shirts and today we’re back in scarves. But isn’t that the way with Spring?

It occurred to me this morning how the weather is such a good metaphor for writing. Words can fall out of us like a torrential downpour, or they can flutter through our fingers onto the screen like a snow flurry. They make us feel energised as though we’ve been injected with a blast of sunshine, or it can make us feel scattered-brained, as if the wind has blown away our prompt leaving us entirely foggy-minded. Even images of thunderstorms seem to aptly illustrate our relationship with words at times.

March saw a heap of personal celebrations within my family, so much so that it was a whirlwind of excitement. Now, at the start of April, I wonder what this month will bring?

One thing that’s certainly keeping my attention is my newest service, a little ray of sunshine that you’ll see it mentioned on my website. If you sign up to my monthly newsletter, you’ll get first dibs on the special offers attached to it. Either sign up via my website or email me sarah@loveofbooks.co.uk with SUBSCRIPTION in the header. I’ll talk more about it more in the next blog.

That’s probably enough weather-related excitement for one blog post. I hope the sun shines of you wherever you are, and your writing follows suit.

Until next time,

Sjb 😉

Are you like me?

What I mean by that is, do you get so involved with your work that you lose track of time? For instance, apparently, according to my calendar, it’s now March. Two minutes ago we were waiting for Christmas and now Spring is practically on our doorsteps.
But that’s the power of imagination when our creativity grabs hold.

You may recall last summer I revisited a story that needed a rewrite so I set about doing exactly that until I finished in November, editing it in December. I then used all of January and a week of February to sweep a final edit over it then shipped it off to my Beta Readers where it remains. In the interim, I’ve allowed my creative brain to rest and indulged in a bit of self-care. This has taken the shape of binge-watching TV shows and preparing myself for the Beta Reader responses. I had intended to read too but, while I’ve got two novels and an anthology lined up, I’ve somehow not delved in yet. I feel the reason why will be investigated in a future podcast…hmm, interesting!

I have, however, given my website a bit of a spring clean – a sort of digital declutter, and there’s a new service coming very soon, so keep your eyes peeled for that.

There’s news with each of my free services too. Firstly, this week’s episode of The Versatile Writer is called, rather aptly, Spring Cleaning and Self Care. It’s the final episode of Season 5, with Season 6 coming in May. If that sounds like a long way off, why not listen to some of the 3 years’ worth that have helped the podcast evolve into what it is today. The link is on the podcast tab. (For those of your reading on social media posts, details are on www.loveofbooks.co.uk). My free monthly newsletter now has a subscription link as well, so you can easily stay in the loop for news, events, and exclusive offers that appear nowhere else.

This coming Saturday 5th March sees another Writers of Essex online meeting, one of the community groups I lead. Our speaker, Bryan Lightbody, will talk us through ‘What Reality Brings to Fiction’.

Bryan has worked as a Royalty Close Protection Officer, Policeman, Tour Guide, and an Author so has plenty of advice to offer. Writers of Essex is kindly supported by Society of Authors and SoA members will already have received their email with the Zoom link. If you’re not a member but you’d like to attend this free talk, all you need is: write (for fun or be a professional writer), be from Essex, UK (or have strong links with the county), and be available between 12-2pm GMT this coming Saturday. Do email me asap sarah@loveofbooks.co.uk if you’d like the link. We're a quarterly group so after Saturday, our next meetings are June, September, and December.

Lastly, I wish you endless hours of productive creativity this month. Months move way too fast when we’re creating, but our destinations are incredibly entertaining.

See you in April!

Sjb 😊

Well, as long as January was, I cannot believe it’s over but I’m thankful it is. It wasn’t the friendliest of months, bringing with it negative news sometimes weekly, sometimes daily. Twin with it the dark mornings and evenings, it’s been quite a challenge. But on to the new.

As I write this, February looks sunny and breezy. The sunshine helps keep the nasties at bay so when I tell you a stack of notebooks are on my desk, you’ll understand why I need the Vit D shot. My plan is to go through the notebooks, page by page, to see what I can keep and what to discard. It’s an early Spring-clean if you will. I like to clear the decks as much as I can because clutter in all its forms can serve to bring us down when it feels like we’re wading through mud.

Along with the literary decluttering, quite the opposite in fact, I’ve been bulk-creating podcast episodes. The idea being if I create at least half a season’s worth in one go, I can focus my time on everything else.

I’ve been editing my current novel before it goes out to beta readers. Final edits can be seen as a declutter, so if that’s what you’ve got ahead of you but you’re struggling with it, why not send it this way?

There are two ways I can assist: you can join my monthly coaching group and submit 500 words each month for friendly criticism and suggestions, or I can perform a line edit, structural edit, and/or proofread on the entire manuscript. Whatever your literary needs, chances are you can find help through one of my services.

Finally, this week’s episode of The Versatile Writer is on the topic of Beta Readers, so if you have questions about using one or being one, you may well find the answer there. Here’s the link https://www.podbean.com/ew/pb-d5e2h-1191fa2 Please subscribe to it and share it on social media. It could be just what someone’s been waiting to hear. If you do, please tag me in: @sjbwrites on Twitter, Sarah Banham on Facebook, and s.j.banham on Instagram.

Until next month, here’s wishing you sunshine and productive writing,

Sjb 😊

Happy New Year!

It’s been a tough few years for everyone, whether that’s health or business related, but this year let's put our best foot forward and go for it. Whatever 'it' means to you.

Over the Christmas period, as I do most years, I turn my mind to study and continue my professional development. This time I was awarded a diploma on ‘Editing and Proofreading’ with the online platform Centre of Excellence and another on ‘Self Publishing’. I’ve been self publishing since 2006 but it is a constantly moving beast so taking an online course to learn more about the ins and outs of it in a digital world was a good idea.

If you’ve been following the blog over the past few months, you’ll know that I spent the second half of last year rewriting a novel. I completed it as planned and now I’m giving it another edit before I send it out to beta readers. If you like reading romantic fiction and you’ve got a free schedule in February, why not get in touch? 'But what’s involved in beta reading?', you may be asking. Generally, I ask my beta readers to commit to the timeframe, look for any plot holes, and jot down any typos that jump out at you. Some people choose to offer their feedback on the story too. Either is fine providing I know from the start what your plans are.

I like to have a selection of readers (male or female) and of differing ages. This story is aimed at adult females but I’m aware that men read romantic fiction too, so please don’t be shy.

Do check out the website www.loveofbooks.co.uk and take a look at the courses available for 2022. Season 5 of The Versatile Writer podcast is available from 10th January, and a monthly newsletter is sent out to subscribers at the end of each month while this blog is published at the start of each month. All of it is to keep you informed of the world within For The Love of Books while offering support and encouragement to write. If you’d like to subscribe the the newsletter, just email me sarah@loveofbooks.co.uk and I’ll add you to the list. If you want to unsubscribe, just let me know. There’ll be no hard feelings and in line with UK GDPR rules, I won’t keep your details.

I hope you have a productive month writing in January, and I’ll see you next time. Bye 😊

Welcome to For The Love of Books’ website blog for December.

Through this blog, this year I’ve shared with you links to events, decisions surrounding my podcast, character interviews, a different approach to writing a novel, a decade in business, and I became increasingly aware of my own mortality. This part took the shape of motivating me to get my older works in progress completed.

Since June, I’ve been focussing on rewriting a novel I originally wrote around 2010. It’s now finished and before the Christmas break I’ll be contacting my group of beta readers to begin their read in January 2022. I expect to get the novel in front of readers next year.

But I’ve not only been rewriting, there’s lots of other exciting things happening too. My podcast, The Versatile Writer, has taken on a different format and Season 5 will commence in January. Before that on Christmas Eve there will be a special episode, a casual chat between me and a very special guest. I hope you tune in to listen to the hour-long episode.

Also, this year I self-narrated the sequel of the novel I narrated back in the first UK lockdown, so do subscribe if you’re into free audio entertainment 😊. You can download it from iTunes, Spotify, and wherever else you listen to podcasts.

New for 2022 is a month-long coaching course starting in January, so get in quickly. I’ll be focussing on your 1000 word submissions every week for a month, offering you friendly, professional, and constructive feedback, plus inviting you to a group Zoom chat at the end of each week to discuss it. There are several other add-ons to this course, as well as a separate advent offer too. All details are on www.loveofbooks.co.uk . If coaching is not your thing but courses are, please nip over to the ‘courses/events’ tab on the site as there’s half a dozen there now that might appeal to you.

Finally, I’ve enjoyed sharing my business life with you in 2021 and will continue to do so in 2022. If you’d like to be kept in the loop with it all, plus receive exclusive offers, why not subscribe to my newsletter? Just email me and I’ll set it up.

I wish you a peaceful festive period and a productive New Year.

Sjb 😊

Welcome to For The Love of Books’ November website blog.

Last month I told you about our 10th birthday, the podcast, and how I'd stepped away from my WiP. This month, I’m getting a bit more salesy! I know a lot of us don’t enjoy that aspect of running a business but, if you’ll allow, you’ll see I tend to do it in a more nurturing way rather than ramming it down your throat. 😊

First things first. While I stepped away from the complexities of my WiP, I reminded myself that breaking things down into smaller chunks makes the whole task easier to deal with. Therefore, as the story is, in fact, two complex tales merged together creating one simpler story, I managed to complete one half of it.

Small steps always progress into larger ones.

I’ll begin work on finishing the second half this week. I’d like to think that before we break for Christmas, that the whole thing will be ready for beta readers. I realise that is a big ask of myself, but I’m going to give it all I can to complete it. I have a group of betas who are of varying ages which, I believe, helps give a better and more-rounded opportunity for feedback. More on this another time.

Secondly, The Versatile Writer podcast finished Season 4 last week with the final instalment of Guardian Angel:The Journey Home. The Journey Home is an emotional and psychological rollercoaster ride set in Boston, MA, USA. This season of the podcast was self-narrated and is available free via iTunes, Spotify, etc. Do look on the tab above for the link, or just type The Versatile Writer into your usual podcast platform and subscribe, like, and share it as your social media friends and followers may well get something out of it too. I thank you in advance.

Season 5 will arrive in January, just after a Christmas Special: ‘An Informal Writerly Chat With…’. Subscribe to be kept in the loop when that will be, or join the podcast’s Facebook group (details on the tab above).

For our 10th year of trading under the For The Love of Books banner, we’ve organised a special birthday gift to anyone who purchases a book, signs up to monthly coaching, or purchases a course/service. There are three tiers of gifts which will be clear on the site pages in the coming days. I only ask that once you’ve received the item, you post a photo of yourself with it on social media and tag me in: Facebook: Sarah Banham or For The Love of Books, Twitter: @sjbwrites, Instagram: s.j.banham by way of sharing the excitement.

Lastly, (here comes the salesy part), our prices are changing soon! (Giving you the heads up makes your decision-making process easier). Clients may choose between the following services: monthly writing coach, proofreading, editing (line and/or structural), copywriting (for larger organisations), business blogging (for SMEs and the individual business-person), ghost writing (available for the individual as well as businesses), and courses. We currently offer a choice of six different courses that are designed for delivery to the individual or in a group*** setting (think school, library group, writing group, WI, U3A). Courses are generally delivered online via Zoom, but can be adapted to a physical venue** if required.

All details for each of the services can be found via the tabs above. Any details you need that aren’t there, please feel free to email sarah@loveofbooks.co.uk.

Testimonials are always available for any of the services whether on the respective service page or by request. Plus, it’s worth noting that For The Love of Books is available to fulfil online writing residencies, and with over 35 years’ experience in creative writing, both fiction and non-fiction, we’ll bring enthusiasm and our ability to nurture to the gig as well! Testimonials of past residency experiences available on request. 😊

So, that’s plenty to be getting on with. Until next month, I wish you a productive and peaceful November.

Sjb x

*Your postal address will be required.
**Will incur additional expenses.
***Gifts available to one person only within a group setting.