Friday, May 30, 2014

HURRAH!

Hurrah! The rain seems to have stopped, and there's even a hint of sun peeping through the clouds. With this in mind I've decided on a therapeutic hour digging in some plants that have been sulking in the conservatory for a few weeks. Then - having spent a wild, madcap, reminiscing whirlwind-of-a-day of a day with Bridgette and Gill my pals from South Africa - will get back to the mother ship. My next book is really taking shape and the characters are already taking over, dictating to me what they want to do and where they want to go, in spite of me being in control of the steering wheel.

Bizarre, but that's the way it goes. Ask any writer.
Must go, get my wellies on and get those plants in.
Chow for now

Janey

PS By the way, sun's disappeared again...

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Rain Rain Go Away...

Enough now!

Honestly, this is ridiculous! We are now being swamped, and it's so grey we have had to put the lights on in our cottage otherwise we're bumping into each other (whites of the eyes the only means of recognition and navigation). The worst of it is: my friends Bridgette and Gill from South Africa are visiting today. Still I think they probably have enough sunshine banked up that they can put up with these incessant downpours.  That's me for today, am going to do an hour of book-crafting then am off to the train station in Stamford to pick them up. So excited...haven't seen Bridgette (who just happens to be my best and most dearest friend of all time) for years so lots of catching up and bleary eyes and ruby-tinged teeth in the morning from drinking loads of red wine!!
Bi for now ; )))
Janey

Monday, May 26, 2014

RUDE BITS!

Yesterday I took the day off. Instead of spending hours hunched over computer bruising my fingertips, Peter and I went to Letchworth to deliver a painting of 'yours truly' showing just the teeniest hint of rude bits. Calm down, calm down...honestly...
To elucidate: when we first met, Peter was a bit trigger happy with the camera, catching me in all sorts of slightly...uncompromising positions. Then over-enamoured by a handful of them, he decided to immortalize them in oil and/or pastel; stunningly  crafted they are too, but then why wouldn't they, Peter is an amazing artist! Hell though, sod's bloomin' law, the gallery where one of them was displayed in all its lacy glory a few months back and then removed from, had an inquiry about it. So back we had to track again. But it was all worth it since it gave me the opportunity to meet Collette Hoefkens, the lovely owner of http://www.nortonwaygallery.com a lady who is utterly passionate about what she does. A couple of hours flashed by drinking coffee and eating sticky-toffee-pudding-cake and chatting about art and books and life. Thank you for the lovely day Collette!

Anyway, here's a photo of the painting, mind you....on second thoughts...maybe not...  ; )

Well, back to the drawing board. I've still got to earn a crust and get my second book out, so overwhelmed have I been with people trampling over each other at the bookshops, and begging for a sequel to Walking on Marshmallows...I can't bear it; maybe I should now become a recluse...

Warm wishes and a big smiley face
Janey 

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Rapped knuckles!!

I got my poor, already aching and bleeding knuckles rapped very hard this morning by Peter.
'Darling,' he said. 'You are a writer, so at least make sure you edit your blog before you send the darned thing out!' I had a go at him, and told him he was a bloody-great-big-fat...(impossible since his trousers are only 30" waist) know-it-all...then shamefacedly realised I had to eat humble pie and concede since he was right.

Oh dear. Not only did I send it out with one, but three blindingly obvious errors. But I had an excuse: I was tired. I can't sleep! Us novelists have things on our minds, don't you know. Obviously the plot for my next book is crowding my head, as well as thoughts of how my current Walking on Marshmallow is fairing. Well, I can sleep a bit better tonight on that score, because people are downloading, and leaving amazing reviews! I can't believe it, and after my incredibly encouraging face-to-face-verbal review yesterday I'm going to draw a big fat line underneath the word "worry"...well, at least try ; ).

Must go, I'm on the hoof. On top of getting my book published and recently moving house, Peter and I are also in the throes of opening a gallery - Peter Barker Fine Art - (did I mention he is an incredibly talented professional artist...) so watch this space for more news on that too!!

Bye for now

Janey

PS just in case you feel a download coming on...here's the link to my book ; )
Walking on Marshmallows

Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Am so made up!!

It's so nice when this happens, and I've got to brag a little - every author deserves it.

Last night...wait for it, drum roll ...a real live (not virtual) person came up to me out of the blue and said that she was so in love with my book she could not put it down! She said she lived, ate and breathed it for six solid days and is now mourning its departure because it's finished; she made me there and then promise to do a sequel! I don't think, for a debut novel,  it gets better than that, do you?

So come on, if you've been contemplating, or simply fart-arsing around with the intention, get onto Amazon now, I promise, you won't regret it, truly.

Walking on Marshmallows




Monday, May 19, 2014

Stress Levels off the Richter Scale

This writing/publishing/marketing malarkey is so hideously stressful that I've decided to take a tip from my daughter and have a drink of warm water and lemon every morning. Quote "whether you're a mom, a coach, a writer, a small business owner blah blah..." unquote. Take a look here at the link below.
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-4769/Why-You-Should-Drink-Warm-Water-Lemon.html

Interesting to see how long it lasts; )
....I can't live without caffeine....

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Overnight success

I'm excited to announce that my book has become an overnight success!
...well, not quite. but it's sort of ticking along, so again thank you to those wonderful people buying it. Today my lovely talented daughter, Olive, created lots of incredible marketing brochures and business cards and I thought I should share them with you. So have a look here.



Aren't they brilliant! A little business card for me to thrust into unsuspecting people's hands, and advertising flyers. So, if you see us limping in and around Rutland looking none the better for wear, spare us a thought and offer us a nice refreshing beverage.
I'm going to sit down now and watch the BAFTA's - can't resist a bit of Graham Norton.


Saturday, May 17, 2014

WALKING ON MARSHMALLOWS

Today is a very special day for yours truly: first and foremost it is the third birthday of the youngest man in my life - happy birthday Remi! Secondly, I saw for the first time my actual (not virtual) novel in book form, all blue and pink and fluffy, just like it's title. Truly lump-in-the-throat stuff...

Now, I have to sell a gazillion copies! Not a bad start so far - I've had a steady stream of sales over the last ten days, and a few really encouraging comments on Amazon, even from as far flung as America!

In light of that, a huge thank you to all those of you who have bought a copy, and I hope you are enjoying the dizzying antics of Angie and co; if so please post a comment in Amazon's review section:  Walking on Marshmallows  Click on reviews next to the star rating and then click in the little box that says "create your own review" - easy peasy!). A positive review to a novelist, believe me, is like being told you've won the lottery.

Bi for now, and I shall be back with more news soon!

Janey

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

WALKING ON MARSHMALLOWS - A NOVEL BY JANEY EDKINS

HURRAH...AT LAST!

My novel has now been published on Amazon, and for all the thousands upon thousands of you out there, eagerly awaiting yours truly's much anticipated masterly crafted tome, click on this link: Walking on Marshmallows but please, please not all at once, we don't want the Amazon website to crash!

A few finger-clicks away, and it's available to download on Kindle. Or for those of you still loathe to ditch your brick-sized mobiles, transistor radios and mother-ship computers it's also available in ...(pause for X-factor-type drum roll)...actual, solid YES....SOLID PAPERBACK FORMAT!

So there you have it!

Here's the blurb to give you a little taster, and they also let you have a sneak preview before buying.
A word of caution though, it is not recommended for the faint-hearted, therefore I suggest you read the warning sign clearly posted at the start of the book, just after the "Acknowledgements" page ; ) 
 
“She’s always making a total arse of herself.”
If Angie’s heard this once, she’s heard it a thousand times. But does she care? LIKE HELL, and why should she? Life is bliss! She has a delicious new husband, a gorgeous little Victorian “doer-upper” and the opportunity of becoming rich beyond her wildest dreams.

Alas, the same can’t be said for grumpy sister, Hazel who’s not only lost her job, house, libido and waistline, but the will to live.

Poor Hazel, darling Hazel; it’s eating away at Angie and she simply has to do something about it.

Oh dear, famous last words…

In typical “Angie” fashion, she devises a cleverly-crafted plan. But like the back end of a dragster racing car, her Good Samaritan act horribly backfires leaving her not only floundering in a murky pool of malicious accusations and misunderstandings, but trying desperately to hold onto her perfect life.