Musical Interlude: I Like It Like That

Lollipop

Yeah, you know you've got an earworm goin' on right now.

Got let loose on a bubblegum lollipop.

What a fun couple of days. Finally got that interview done with Ghostwoods. Here's me waffling on about me book:

Live on Air

I'm such an ummm-er. Need to work on that.

So, hell, cripes - got a massive grin on my face. 

If you haven't been following on Facebook or Twitter, Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran debuted at #6 on Amazon UK's Fantasy/Historical best sellers list. 

(click to enlarge)

It's just totes amazeballs really. Wasn't expecting anything like that. Need to push it harder in the US now. Busy writing guest blogs between power-outs. Had some incredible thunderstormes in Kigali recently. They don't call this the lightning capital of the world for nawt. 

Anyway - happiness. 

Dad & Marilyn at home in the UK
with a box full of books

A Game of Thrones

I inhaled this book through my eyes.

I've been wanting to read it for a really long time. My mad mate Paul introduced me to it yonks ago. I went to stay with him for a few months, went walking in the Scottish hills and catching up on old times.

In between hangovers, he kept disappearing off to his room to watch something, and all I'd hear were gasps and growls and the occasional swear word.

"What you watchin'?" I asked, popping my head round the door, relieved to see he had clothes on.

"Game of Thrones," he replied.

"What of what, now?"

From that moment on I was hooked. Back to back from the beginning to the end of series two or three. Loved every minute of it, amazed out of my conk that something that good was on telly.

I've been watching along like most people, yet my fingers have been itching to turn the cover of the books - or press the kindle forward button. Partly because one of my great pleasures in life is reading a book after I've seen the movie. Some think that's a strange way round, but I like to get the abridged version first, then see what really happened. It feels like being let in on a secret that others haven't been told. You can't be disappointed when you do it that way round. Dexter, Chronicles of Riddick, even Pride & Prejudice - I read them all after watching the films.

Secondly, it's professional curiosity. I'd been writing a fantasy trilogy when this came out. Took one look at it, realised R. R. Martin had nailed every subgenre in that category, and wondered what was left to write. Relegated my MS to the bottom drawer.

Naturally, I wanted to see how he'd written it. How it was constructed.

I was not in the least bit disappointed. Anything that gets recommended by Janny Wurts can't go amiss.

Books like this and Dexter fascinate me. They are just so perfectly written for film. You know this, because, when they do get adapted, barely anything changes. The dialogue's the same, the opening scene - in fact, with GoT, almost every scene. It's so good, it doesn't need alterations. 

I read some really odd reviews a while back, when I was asking how the book measured up to the TV series. Some people who loved the series completely dissed the book, mostly saying there were too many characters and perspectives - it was confusing. 

Amber style - Whatever.

Absolutely romping read. Loved every minute of it. Though I have to hold my hands up and admit, watching the TV series did make me imaginatively lazy. I transposed the cast wholesale and I probably would have puzzled over a few things had I not had such a clear image already.

Haven't read a book that length that fast in quite some time.

Looking forward to the next instalment. My goal is to catch up with the series at least before the last one comes out, if it ever does. I'd be happy if it just went on forever.

Anyway. For variety I do have to intersperse it with other reads. I have the whole of Diana Wynne Jones' Chrestomanci series to get through, plus a couple of books on how to write. Having written a few novels now, I sort of feel like maybe it's time to learn...? Currently On Writing with Stephen King. It takes a lot to be that entertaining when discussing the pitfalls of passive voice.

Anyway - yes, Game of Thrones. Love it in all its forms. Really very little difference between film and book, so if you're just going to sit and watch a re-run, you may as well read it this time round. 

Historical Fantasy #18

What a mad 24 hours it's been.

Yesterday, Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran, which I first started blogging about back in May 2013, finally hit the shelves.

I was due to do a Skype interview with my publisher, but it started hailing hard just as I was about to call. I have tin rooves so it sounded like artillary, drowning out any chance of a conversation.

My publisher is based in London, but my editor, who was conducting the interview, is in Spain at the moment. I'm GMT + 2, she's GMT + 1, and by the time we'd finished our interview (20 minutes of Q&A, another 45 minutes of general gassing) the first reviews were starting to roll in from America.

"Have you seen this?" Salomé asked. "You've already got five reviews!"

"Have you seen the UK site?" I replied. "There's nine!"

We watched as they started to rise...

I can't even begin to describe this (which is odd for a writer, usually we can describe everything in between 500-100,000 words). When I first started this post it said Historical Fantasy #56, because it was ranked 56th in Amazon UK's Fantasy/Historical catagory.

I refreshed and I'd climbed to 18!

I'm gobsmacked. I'm up there with Bernard Cornwell, who wrote Sharpe, and an excellent article on writing historical fiction in the 2010 Artists' & Writers' Yearbook, which was hugely helpful in my own endevours. Also, right next to Elizabeth Kostova, whose book The Swan Thieves I recently read.

Amazon rankings are constantly changing, depending on how many sales and reviews you get in a short space of time. This may be the highest I get, but I've never been anywhere close to it before. I am simply over the moon.

I cannot thank my publisher and readers enough for all of their support over the past few months. It's been the best lead-in to launch I've had of any of my books, and the effort they've invested really paid off. I won't blubb into an Oscar speech. Just know that it is hugely appreciated, and that it makes me want to write even more.

Now I truly need to stop hitting refresh and get some sleep.

Tomorrow is another day.

My Funny Valentine

Happy Birthday Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran, on official release today.

Read yesterday's post for all the pre-release info and links.

First review already in. Savouring the brief moment as a five-starer before the rankings kick in:

I was enticed, bewitched and gripped, and couldn’t put it down. The evil minx who is the narrator of the story had my sympathies against my better nature. It’s not just the artful story telling and eloquent, atmospheric prose, or the fabulous, sensual descriptions steeped in the customs and history of the time, with majic and mystery thrown in. It’s also wholly original, unpredictable and gruesomely satisfying to the end – a wonderful read! One thing is certain – there will be blood!

Just happened to notice that three of my four novels are February releases. With the exception of Angorichina, published in June, the others run:

• Georg[i]e - 15th Feb 2012
• Lucid - 22nd Feb 2012
• Rosy Hours - 14th Feb 2015

Completely unintentional, and February is also my birthday.

Huzah!

Friday 13th

Well... That's it.

Tomorrow Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran goes on official release.

You can stay up-to-date on the Rosy Hours Facebook page run by Ghostwoods Books.

If you run a book blog, you can order a review copy of my work or any of Ghostwoods' publications.

There are also chances to win copies at the following blogs (I'll keep adding to the list until the TLC Book Tour ends on 25th February):

• Broken Teepee
• No More Grumpy Bookseller
• Peeking Between the Pages 
• Luxury Reading
• Pagan Writers Network (writing competition)
• Reading Reality

There's also a couple of guest blogs about the background (more to come, check back):

• Sweet Tooth: The Food of Mazandaran
• Dress Code: Costume Research
• The Day of Chaos: Significance of the No.13
• Marketing Rosy Hours - A Publisher's Dilemma
• Cover Story - How the Cover was Designed
• All the Fun of the Fair: Creating an 1800s Circus
• What's in a Name?: Choosing Character Names
• On That Note: The Music of Mazandaran
• Ghostwoods Skype Interview

Couple of interviews:

• Writing Magazine, December 2014 Issue
• Riffle Books
• Pagan Writers Network
• BRIT School Parents' Newsletter (They ordered a copy for their library!)

Also launched my own newsletter, and got reviewed by gnomes, of all things!

The blog tour seems to be going well so far. Only had one duff review from someone who didn't like the main character or reference to magic. All the rest have been really complimentary. 

Some of my favourite blogger quotes have included:

There are some books that in spite of reading synopses and promotional materials seem to defy all expectation. Those Rosy Hours at Mazandaran is one of those books. - No More Grumpy Bookseller 

I found myself at various times enchanted, revolted, horrified, relieved, exulted and most of all thankful that I’d read a book that challenged me as much as this one did. - Broken Teepee

I especially admired 5 Minutes for Books' review, in which the reviewer admitted that the book was a little dark for her tastes, but still found it in herself to says that it was:

[A] dark tale, fantastically written, sumptous and gorgeous but filled with blood and death... if you want to immerse yourself in a glittering, powerful court where cruelty runs in the veins, this is the book you’ll enjoy.

It takes a lot to see the merits in a book you wouldn't ordinarily read. 

However, my favourite review so far has come from an independent Phan (a Phantom of the Opera fan) on CheriePie's Book Reviews:

The writing was superb, written a bit like prose, yet fully descriptive and engaging at the same time. I truly immersed myself in this book, forgetting where I was and feeling myself walking through the sumptuous palace, the streets of Sari, or wherever else the author happened to be describing... This book will definitely be classified as one of my favorite reads.

I don't think I could possibly have done better than that.

Today is Friday 13th. 13 plays a huge part in Rosy Hours - there are thirteen chapters, and Afsar's birthday falls on the Day of Chaos, thirteen days after New Year. 

Tomorrow is Valentine's Day. Let's hope the planets align to make people fall in love with this book.

It's totally out of my hands now.

Good luck, little book.

I have loved you.

That Bites

Marion, why is your kindle cover in the freezer? 

Bedbugs. 

#expatproblems 

Wanna talk about it? 

No.