It’s reached that time of year when, despite the restrictions of our Covid infested society, we are dominated by To Do lists as we prepare for the festive season.
I’ve lists of gifts that I’ve bought, gifts to buy, gifts still in transit and food shopping. I’ve also my creative To Do list as I am knee-deep in proofreading and editing Book Baby 6 aka Long Shadows.
It’s list city around here!
When I announced the release date for Long Shadows, the 14th February 2021 seemed a very long way off. Now, it seems scarily close and I’ve a million things left on that To Do list! (Ok- slight exaggeration but its still a lengthy list! This book baby still has a bare bum!)
I had hoped to have the pre-order set up before Christmas (it’s on the list) but that’s now looking more likely for early January so please be patient with me. Life’s busy!
While you are impatiently waiting, I thought I’d treat you to a little sneak peek at Jake and Lori’s Christmas Day.
Happy reading.
Wrapping paper and ribbons littered the sunroom floor as Jake and Lori sat back watching the kids open their Christmas gifts. From the shrieks of delight, “Santa” had delivered everything on the kids’ wish lists. Almost against Lori’s better judgement, he’d even brought Jesse a drumkit.
“We’re going to live to regret this, aren’t we?” whispered Jake as Jesse begged for it to be set up.
Giggling, Lori nodded then swiftly said, “Jess, it would be better set up down in the basement beside Uncle Paul’s kit. That way he can give you lessons.”
“Yes!” screamed the over excited three-year-old.
“Quick thinking,” said Jake with a grin. “But I’ll leave you to tell Paul about those lessons.”
Once the kids had opened all of their gifts, Jake reached under the tree and retrieved a large flat box and two gift bags.
“Merry Christmas, li’l lady,” he said, kissing Lori on the forehead.
Looking almost as excited as the kids, Lori tore the gold shiny paper from the box.
“Wow!” she gasped. “I guess Santa was listening to me too.”
“What is it?” asked Jesse, coming over to inspect his mother’s gift.
“A new laptop. Just what I need. Thank you!”
“Open the box,” suggested Jake with a knowing smile.
Carefully, Lori opened the box and slipped the sleek laptop from the protective sleeve. Engraved into the surface of the computer was the Silver Lake Celtic knot.
“That’s perfect,” sighed Lori as she ran her fingers over the intricate design. “Seems like a million years ago since I first drew that for you.”
“The first gift you ever gave me,” recalled Jake, feeling a warm wave of nostalgia wash through him.
“Melody,” called out Lori from her seat on the couch. “Can you reach those two blue bags and the flat silver gift, please?”
“Did Santa leave those for Daddy?” quizzed the curious little girl reading the labels.
“Only the blue ones,” replied Lori, trying to think what she’d written on the gift tags. “The silver one is from me.”
Accepting the presents from Melody, Jake opened the silver one first. Inside was a framed drawing.
“That’s….” began Jake, lost for words. “It’s…”
“You like it?” asked Lori shyly. “I thought you needed a proper logo for your solo shows and, who knows, you might even do a solo record one day.”
“I love it, Mz Hyde,” declared Jake, gazing at the detail in the design. It was a gnarled twisted tree and woven into the exposed roots was his name. “It’s awesome,” Jake paused then added, “But who said there would ever be a solo record?”
“Never say never,” giggled Lori.
“I guess,” said Jake quietly, a small voice in his head saying, “You know she’s right, don’t you?”
“Part two of the gift will be revealed when Garrett’s tour starts,” began Lori, resting her hand on her twitching baby bump. “I’ve arranged for that to be your backdrop and for shirts to be made up with that on the front.”
“I don’t know what to say,” said Jake lost for words again. “Thank you doesn’t seem enough.”
While the adults chatted, Becky used the kid’s entertainment pack to keep herself amused. After a time, Lori noticed that the little girl was quieter than usual.
“What are you drawing?” she asked softly, leaning over to take a look.
“Daddy and my Silver Lake uncles,” replied the little girl seriously. “But I can’t draw the music.”
With a flash of inspiration, Lori showed the little girl how to draw a variety of music notes. Soon the page and several napkins were covered in their doodles.
“Having fun, girls?” enquired Rich, lifting one of the napkins.
Lori laughed, “Yes. Do you want to keep that one?”
“A Lori original,” he teased grinning mischievously. “Will you autograph this original artwork please?”
Without realising what she’d done, Lori signed her flamboyant Mz Hyde signature and passed it back. Rich looked at it, then at her then at Jake.
“Mz Hyde?” he asked, eyes wide. “THE Mz Hyde?”
Lori smiled and nodded slowly.
“Jesus!” cried Rich. “You did our album artwork!”
“Yes,” replied Lori. “I did. That’s what you do to help out a friend or to say thank you or both.”
“I paid a fortune for a signed print of your last album artwork!”
“Well, you better take good care of that napkin, then, Rich,” said Lori softly, mischief twinkling in her blue eyes. “It’s an original.”
If you want to read more then check out the Silver Lake series today
Nicole, however, has been a busy lady and, since our first catch up, has published not one but two novels.
So, I’d like to welcome her back to my blog to talk about what she’s been up to creatively this year.
I first “interviewed” you back in March, so how has life treated you so far in this crazy world that is 2020?
Wow! I don’t think either of us predicted how this year was going to pan out. What incredibly strange times we’re living in. I’ve been incredibly fortunate in that none of my loved ones have been badly affected by the virus itself. My 20 year old daughter thought she had the virus back in April, she had heart surgery as a baby so I always worry about her health, but she was fine. I own a cafe, so of course I had to close the business. I was closed for a couple of weeks, but then customers started contacting me and asking for afternoon tea. I ended up delivering afternoon teas and homemade scones all over Widnes. It’s been difficult from the point of view of my business. Not knowing if the business will survive and trying to decide what to do in the longer term is tough. Since we reopened though my customers have been amazingly supportive. The good will i have received has been heart-warming. I live in the North West and case numbers are high again. I’m waiting to find out over the next few days if we are going to be told to close again, but it’s simply a case of waiting and hoping we can weather the storm. Whatever happens I have lots to be thankful for. Lockdown gave me a little time to stop and think. I had been writing Chasing Butterflies for years. Lockdown gave me the chance to pull it all together and edit it before self-publishing. I also managed to start The China Doll before I reopened the business. Your debut novel Chasing Butterflies was published in May this year.
Your debut novel Chasing Butterflies was published in May this year. How did it feel holding your “book baby” in your hands and seeing your name on the cover?
Holding my own book was a dream come true. I have always dreamed of being an author. I have written bits and bobs all my life but completing Chasing Butterflies gave me an enormous sense of satisfaction.
Has Chasing Butterflies been well received? I see it currently has 5 stars on Amazon. Well done!
I have had some really great feedback for Chasing Butterflies. As with most creative people, I really lack self-confidence and I’m my own worst critic. My heart thumped in my chest as I read every word of every review, but i was really pleased with the feedback I got. Readers seemed to really engage with Hope’s story and rooted for her throughout the book.
Without giving any spoilers, what made you want to tell Helen’s story in The China Doll?
After I finished Chasing Butterflies, Helen was still in my thoughts. As a mother myself I felt for her. I really felt that there was more of her story to tell. She was such a damaged character, it seemed a disservice to her not to tell her story and explain how she became so fragile.
Tell me a bit about your approach to your writing. Are you a meticulous planner or do you tend towards letting your characters go with the flow?
My approach to Chasing Butterflies was very different to my approach to The China Doll. I wrote Chasing Butterflies over the course of 5 years. I wrote, rewrote, changed and edited along the way. I wrote scenes as they came to me and didn’t have so much of a plan. With The China Doll, I had a much more linear approach. I set myself word counts for each week and tried to stick to my plan as much as possible. I did deviate in places, but the story was more evolved in my mind before I started to write.
Where’s your favourite place to write?
I own a cafe where we have a book exchange. Following the pandemic we put in bookcases to separate tables. During quiet times I can be found sat at a table in the corner, hiding behind a bookcase and typing away. At home I sit in the lounge on my sofa with a chaise lounge. I put my laptop on my knee and become immersed in the story I am creating. My husband Sean sits with me, often practicing his guitar playing while I’m working.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
I guess the best advice I have been given would be that you can’t edit a blank page. I was terrible when writing Chasing Butterflies for revisiting the same scene again and again to edit it. It really slowed my writing down.
What advice would you give to other aspiring authors out there?
Set yourself weekly word count targets. Keep your targets realistic. Don’t compromise on quality over the quantity of words.
So, what’s next creatively? Are you working on anything else just now?
I’ve started my next project. It’s a stand alone book and not part of the Secrets and Lies series, although I do plan to return to those characters in the future. My next book “My Friend Bill” is the story of Jack. His parents were killed in a car accident when he was a baby and he was brought up by his somewhat resentful grandmother. Feeling unloved and unwanted, Jack develops an unlikely friendship with Bill. But who is Bill and why is he drawn to Jack?
Thanks, Nicole. Can’t wait to meet Bill and Jack!
I was fortunate enough to be given an ARC copy of The China Doll by Nicole Thorne and I loved every word of it.
The prequel to Chasing Butterflies, The China Doll tells the back story of Hope’s mother, Helen. Without giving any spoilers away, if you’ve read Chasing Butterflies, it answers a lot of the unasked questions and makes sense of the past.
If you’ve not read Chasing Butterflies then you’ve time to read book one in this Secrets and Lies series before The China Doll is published on 14 November 2020.
Nicole’s writing is vivid as she paints the scenes in this second book in the series. You can hear the seagulls and smell the salt in the Cornish air. Like the sea itself, this story draws you in and leaves the reader captivated by its beauty. There’s a fragility to this tale but also a huge amount of inner strength to the characters. Both books are making we want to travel to Cornwall and remind myself of its rugged beauty.
Great read! Well done, Nicole.
And if you missed my review of Nicole’s debut novel Chasing Butterflies..
I was drawn into Hope’s story right from the start and my heart immediately went out to her as her world falls apart around her. Chasing Butterflies is well written and, in some respects, flits about like a butterfly as the reader is drawn into Hope’s present and gradually enlightened about her past. No spoilers but I loved how past and present eventually entwine.
When she came out of the restaurant a few minutes later, Jake was standing waiting for her beside the truck. He was smiling and looked every inch the rock star with his tight black jeans, loose black shirt and long blonde hair. Everything about him was the polar opposite to her previous boyfriends. Well, it was time she had a bit of fun she guessed, as she reached the truck. As he lifted her up onto the seat, he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the forehead. She lifted her face and brushed a gentle kiss onto his cheek.
“Thanks for dinner.”
“Pleasure,” said Jake, closing the door gently.
Lori noticed the half full bottle of wine was sitting in the centre console storage box. She also caught sight of a guitar case behind the driver’s seat.
If you want to read more then check out the Silver Lake series today
Entering the dragon’s lair on his own on Saturday afternoon, while Garrett was working upstairs in the store, felt surreal to Jake. With only six days to go until the album launch, he knew time was running out to pull his solo set together. Still wondering how he’d let himself get talked into this, Jake opened his leather-bound journal and grabbed a pen with the intention of writing out a list of ten songs. A piece of folded paper fell at his feet. Picking it up, he unfolded it. Immediately a lump filled his throat and his eyes filled with tears. He had no idea how long that piece of paper had lain hidden in his lyric book. It had obviously been there for a while. Written across the page was the message “I love you, Daddy. Melody xx” and in one corner she had drawn a bright yellow sun.
The urge to hold his daughter in his arms tore at his heart as he smiled down at the
through a veil of tears.
If you want to read more then check out the Silver Lake series today
This came up in my Facebook memories earlier today…… it was a timely reminder.
My primary creative focus these days is Book Baby 6. I have a date in mind that I would like the first draft completed by and it’s going to take all my self-discipline to meet that deadline. It doesn’t get any easier with each passing book, trust me!
Want a sneak peek? No…. stop reading here. Yes….keep reading.
Just a little taste of things to come in early 2021……
Gazing out towards the empty stage, Jake took stock. A stool, a table and his four guitars were all in position. There were bottles of water on the table. A row of picks was slotted into the mic stand.
The houselights dimmed and the near sell-out crowd let out a loud cheer. Taking a deep breath, Jake watched for his cue then loped casually out on stage to a wall of cheers from the fans. Flashing a Power smile at them and at the assembled photographers, Jake lifted his guitar, checked the tuning and opened his support slot with an acoustic rendition of Silver Lake’s Dragon Song. In front of him, the fans along the rail were hanging on his every word.
“Good evening, Philly,” he said at the end of the first song.
A huge cheer surged back at him.
“Who’s excited to see Garrett Court tonight?”
Another huge roar hit the stage.
“This next song is another one from the Silver Lake vault. This is Depths.”
A few minutes later as he began Lady Butterfly, Jake saw Riley in the wings standing beside his brother waiting for her cue. He smiled at the height difference between them then noticed that Melody was standing beside Riley, holding her hand. So lost in thought was he that he almost messed up the final verse. Only a few die-hard Silver Lakers in the front row noticed his faux pas. He laughed and felt himself blush.
“Philly, I’d like you to welcome out on stage a very special, very talented, young lady now. Allow me to introduce you to the incredible Miss Riley Johnston!”
Confidently, Riley ran out to meet him, her freshly dyed green hair shining under the spotlights. Several of the fans along the rail had been at the Gramercy Theater show and, recognising Riley, cheered wildly for the young vocalist.
“Folks, this is Miles From Home,” called out Jake.
A second stool had been brought out along with a second mic stand. Nimbly, Riley hopped up on the stool and lifted the microphone from the stand. With a glance at Jake for reassurance, she prepared for their duet. The familiar intro to the Weigh Station classic rang out over the crowd. Keeping her voice low and husky, Riley began the first verse. By the time she reached the chorus, the fans were hanging on her every word. Just as they’d rehearsed, they traded verse and chorus then came together for the final verse.
“Sing this last chorus with us, Philly!” called out Riley, her confidence soaring.
It warmed Jake’s heart to hear the fans respond to the teenager’s request and he could see she was smiling beside him.
“Philadelphia!” roared Jake when the song ended, “Give it up for the awesome, Miss Riley Johnston!”
Jumping down from the stool, Riley took a bow then darted off stage amid thunderous cheers.
The stage lights dimmed long enough for one of the crew to remove the stool and mic stand.
“Folks, that girl’s the future,” said Jake as he slipped the Martin’s guitar strap over his head.
To be continued in Book 5 of the Silver Lake series.
Missed the first four? Plenty of time to catch up. Here’s the Amazon links to help you:
“It’s fine, Rocky,” said Ellen, praying she sounded calmer than she felt. “Luke, I’ll make a deal with you. One error and I’m gone. One from you and the result’s the same. You go.”
His inbox was crammed full of unread mails – most of which were advertising junk. Before this infuriated him further, he tweaked his junk mail filters, then returned to his inbox. There was one email from Maddy that caught his attention. The subject heading was “Silver Lake album and merchandising artwork.” He opened the message, scanning the details about a band meeting scheduled for Friday to discuss the attachments. Jake opened the first of four attachments to reveal the three draft designs for the album cover, each significantly different. Instantly his eyes were drawn to the distinctive signature on the drawings. He opened the other three attachments and found a variety of other designs tagged as t-shirt proposals and miscellaneous. One proposed album design caught his eye – a dragon, with its wings spread out nestled inside an intricate Celtic knot. The twist of its tail reminded him of the Celtic trinity that was in the band’s logo. When had Lori found time to complete this portfolio? Why hadn’t she told him? Suddenly, he desperately wanted to talk to her, but it was four o’clock in the morning. Smiling for the first time since Monday, Jake reached for his phone and turned it on. A barrage of text alerts pinged through – he ignored them for now. Quickly he typed, “Love the designs. Love the Celtic dragon knot. Love you. J x”. He hit send.
(extract from Stronger Within, book 1 in the Silver Lake series)
If you want to read more then check out the Silver Lake series today
Coral McCallum 