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Right. Gather round because I’m going to tell you a story. Oh, it’s all right, it’s not like one of the ones I tell on my blog where I just go on and on and on and…oh. Right. Get to the point. Yes.
I had five children in seven years. Well, to be accurate I’ve still got them, but you know what I mean. Five. Good grief. Anyway. When my first child was born I tried to do absolutely everything right, he only watched TV for an hour a day (not as a newborn, obviously, but later), ate only home-cooked food, drank only water - no squash or processed foods for him! I devoted many hours a day to reading with him, playing with him, stimulating his development…
And, over time, with each new arrival, my dedication to being A Perfect Mother declined. By the time my youngest child was born I would quite cheerfully sit her in front of the washing machine for ages in lieu of entertainment (I’ll have you know that my washing machine is extremely stimulating to watch). She ate whatever I could find that came in a tin, drank anything that the others were drinking. She was probably weaned on Jammy Dodgers, now I come to think of it.
And my point? She is exactly as intelligent, clever, funny, attractive and creative as her eldest brother. In fact, all the kids are (well, obviously, they’re MY children after all). So. Stop worrying about being perfect. If you’re writing, stop leaving your manuscript for four months while you seek the perfect synonym for ‘damp’. Just get on with things, do your best, and everything will turn out all right in the end.
That’s my motto. ‘Do Your Best and don’t beat yourself up’. That and ‘I’m Next for Johnny Depp’. Actually, now I come to think of it, I’ve got lots of mottos. Remind me to tell you about them some time….
I love it when somebody says to me, ‘I see your name everywhere.’ Because that’s the plan.
 This is how I always write, of course - on the patio in the sunshine in my best dress! (It was for a magazine.) In these days of social networking and instant communication, all it takes is a computer connected to the Internet - and time. And I make time.
I promote myself as a writer and also promote any individual book. Book reviews are fabulous, such as this lovely one, as is guest blogging, maintaining my own blog and building up followings on Twitter and Facebook. I also send out a newsletter whenever I have a reasonable amount of good news to impart (you can read my newsletter by going to http://www.suemoorcroft.com/contact.html and clicking ‘download here’ if you want to see what kind of thing I talk about, or you can fill in the form to subscribe). And I think my own website is a must. I’ve also created my Amazon Author’s Page (for free) and an email sign off that appears every time I send somebody a message.
Although some don’t see the appeal, both Twitter and Facebook have brought me not just new readers but journalist and radio presenter contacts. It takes a while to build up a following but not that much time every day to post updates. And if anybody reading this would like to follow me on Twitter or befriend me on Facebook, please do!
I get my name in the major writing magazines as often and as obviously as possible. I write my own columns but am also quoted in the columns of friends and professional contacts, and I never turn down an opportunity to give such a quote. Whatever and wherever I write, I try and get my books and/or website mentioned - although sometimes I have to work on editors for this free perk!
Yes, it’s all time consuming - all promo is, whether on-line or more traditional, such as a book signings, attending conferences etc.
And you’ll all have noticed how I’ve used this post as an opportunity to get people clicking on my various online presences, because I’m a working writer and like nothing more than to make something out of nothing, I’ve posted this mail on my blog, too …
 By the way, Starting Over has been nominated at ‘An Unmissable Read‘ at The Truth About Books. So now they want to know which is the readers’ choice. You can vote for it here. Please do!
Thanks!
 I have to admit I never used to read many books written by men either. If given the choice, obviously I’d pick a romantic novel any time. And let’s face it – men don’t often write romance or even include it much in their novels. But why not?
During the last couple of years, I’ve started reading adventure thrillers in the genre sparked off by Dan Brown’s Da Vinci Code. All that stuff about Templars, historical mysteries and lost treasure really resonated with me and I was hooked. Some of my favourite authors of this type of novel are Steve Berry, David Gibbins, James Twining and Raymond Khoury, to name but a few. I love the combination of suspense and history they create, providing fictional answers to mysteries that have baffled mankind for centuries, sometimes millennia. But there is one thing sadly lacking in most of these stories – real romance.
There is some, or at least what passes for romance to male authors (I think?), but for the most part I would have liked more. The female characters are often an afterthought and in some cases they are killed off with little ceremony to make way for a new love interest in the next instalment. Why? A proper, all-consuming love, albeit as a side product of the main story about the hunt for treasure, would raise these books to a whole other level for me. But then I admit I’m an incurable romantic and I guess the books were written mainly for a male audience.
I asked my other half whether he’d noticed the lack of romance in the thrillers he reads and whether he thought it a shame the women were so often killed off to make way for the next pneumatic secret agent or whatever. “No, who cares?” was the reply. So I guess it’s just me then …
I’d love to know what other men think – would they like more romance or don’t they even think about it? Would they read romantic suspense written by women, which is just as thrilling, but has a much higher romance content? Please ask your other halves for me and let me know!
Please come back on Friday, when Sue will be posting
I must admit that I don’t read many novels written by men. Or at least, I don’t read the testosterone-fuelled stuff about blokes stomping off into the jungle and discovering ancient civilisations, or gunning down their enemies with every weapon known to mortal man.
But one novel that’s been riding high in the charts ever since it was published, and has a huge following of both male and female readers, is David Nicholls’s wonderful One Day, and it richly deserves its success. It’s the story of working class, clever Emma and middle class, not quite so clever Dexter, who meet on the day of their graduation, and whose lives are entwined from then on.
The story is told from both Emma’s and Dexter’s points of view, and both of them come across as more real than real. As I read, I felt I knew these two people. I understood (and empathised with) Dexter’s neediness, and the self-destructive tendencies that caused him to make a total idiot of himself. I understood Emma’s insecurities that led her to embark on an unsuitable affair, and to marry the wrong man. I won’t spoil the ending for anyone who hasn’t yet read this novel, but I must warn you - have your Kleenex ready!
I’ve mentioned in a previous post how songs weave their way into the fabric of my novels, but I never know quite what’s going to surface, so this is a first post in an occasional series about how music and writing.
Today’s track is Groove Armada’s ‘Shameless’ featuring Bryan Ferry from their album, ‘Black Light’. I’m currently training for the Cardiff Half Marathon in October and I’d loaded this album on to my MP3 player in a conscious effort to slow the pace on my long runs (I tend to go like a bat out of hell to hardcore most of the time – tragic but true). Anyway, everything was ticking along nicely when Bryan Ferry started singing and threw me right off course. I’ve always had a bit of soft spot for Bryan, there’s a reference to one of his album covers in Turning the Tide, but I also like the way his voice has matured. This is his him at his most seductive and I’ve a feeling it’s going to help certain scenes in my work in progress no end!
Put the cigarette down, Bryan!
 … or ten or eleven or … yes, that’s where I am this morning because the advance copies of Trade Winds just arrived! Don’t they look gorgeous? The photo doesn’t really do the cover justice as the title and swirly bits around the edge are all shiny and beautiful. I can’t tell you how excited I am or how thrilled to finally be holding a copy of something I’ve been waiting for such a long time! Forgive me for the overuse of exclamation marks, but today I really think they’re justified!
It’s something that affects both published and yet-to-be-published novelists - and we don’t mean lack of money, we mean lack of motivation. We’re sure almost all writers know the feeling - sometimes, even polishing coal or mucking out a teenager’s bedroom seem infinitely more appealing and worthwhile than getting on with your novel.
We feel it’s important to know yourself and what kind of novel you ought to be writing. We Choc Lit authors are a bunch of unashamed romantics, we all know that romantic fiction is right for us, and that’s what we’re happy to write. But we’re well aware that other writers would be much happier to sit there working out who killed whom, rather than who gave whom a deliciously romantic kiss!
Christina finds that having writing buddies keeps her on the straight and narrow, encouraging her when she feels down, and cheering when she gets it right. ‘When I was still working towards publication, the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s New Writers’ Scheme gave me feedback that assured me I was improving all the time,’ says Christina, who also won the Katie Fforde Bursary back in 2006 - which was a huge vote of confidence from a bestselling romantic novelist who has always encouraged and supported her fellow authors.
Christina and Margaret discuss motivation in the September edition of Writing Magazine, which is on sale today. We’re not insisting we’re always right, but what we do definitely works for us!
 Words with Jam I’ve been introduced to a free online magazine for readers and writers:
Words with Jam
As you can see, I am featured along with All That Mullarkey on the August 2010 cover. (What good taste - All That Mullarkey I mean, of course.)
Inside is my article about what I look for when judging competitions - and a whole load of excellent articles by other writers. AND, for you competition junkies, a short story competition with prizes of £300, £100 and £50! I’ll be selecting the winners from the shortlist so click here … and send in your entry by 31 August 2010.
All three winning entries will be published in Words with Jam in December.
 Fernando Alonso No, that’s not a typo in the heading of this post - this week we’ve decided to highlight some distinctly un-hero-like behaviour. At the risk of sounding like a bunch of petrol heads (ok, some of us are, but still …), there was more controversy on the Formula 1 circuit last weekend when the Ferrari team decided to implement so called “team orders”.
Fernando Alonso, their number one driver, won the race, despite the fact that his team mate Felipe Massa held onto the lead for most of it. Because Alonso was ahead in the championship stakes, the team asked Massa to move over and let Alonso past, thus giving him an even greater chance to win the championship. But let’s be clear about this – that is against the rules of F1.
Alonso may look like perfect hero material – he has the good looks, the chiselled chin, proud nose and flashing Spanish eyes – but that’s not how a hero behaves. Being a cheat must be one of the worst traits we, as novelists, could give our heroes. And even if we can understand the reasoning behind it and allow for the fact that he probably didn’t make the decision, he participated in this scam and played his part. He pretended to be happy about the win, whereas surely he must have felt bad about it?
As for Massa, we could have made him our hero of the week for
 Felipe Massa magnanimously allowing Alonso to win, for the good of the team as they all tried to stress afterwards. However, he was anything but gracious at the press conference and instead acted like a sulky schoolboy who’s had his arm twisted.
Yes, Formula 1 is big business, and it’s vital for a team to have their driver as the world champion, but should this really be at the cost of honour? At the cost of their drivers’ dignity? We don’t think so. Neither, it seems, does the FIA (the ruling body of F1) who have fined the Ferrari team Euro 100,000 for breaking the rules.
The whole incident leaves a bad taste and we hope it won’t happen again. We want heroes we can look up to, whose behaviour is beyond reproach. Come on boys, shape up!
 Andy Schleck The nomination for “hero of the week” goes to Andy Schleck, until yesterday the overall leader of this year’s Tour de France and wearer of the famous yellow jersey (maillot jaune).
The Tour de France is the most prestigious and well-known cycling race in the world, where the riders cover a staggering 3,642 kilometres (2,200 miles) in 21 stages with only two rest days along the way. It snakes through France and nearby countries and includes gruelling mountain climbs and hair-raising descents. The final stage is always along the Champs-Elysees in Paris and the winner can be assured of a place in cycling history.
To my mind, every single one of the riders who undertake this epic race ought to be considered heroes – the sheer grit and determination needed to cycle nearly 200 kilometres a day for three weeks is awe-inspiring. Some, like Lance Armstrong, who beat testicular cancer to come back and win an impressive seven times, are more heroic than others.
 This year though, it’s all about Andy Schleck and his main rival Alberto Contador. They’ve been involved in a controversy, which seems to have everyone rooting for Schleck, and since I’m all for fair play, I totally agree. On the 15 stage, Schleck was leading by 30 seconds when suddenly his chain dropped. A lot of people consider that there is an unwritten rule saying you don’t attack the yellow jersey holder when he’s run into bad luck in this way. Contador, however, ignored this and moved past, gaining the overall lead by 8 seconds, thus becoming the new “yellow jersey”.
At first, Contador claimed not to have known that Schleck was in trouble, but he has since back-tracked and apologised via YouTube. Is that enough? Some would say no, but either way, one can only hope that the whole episode has made Schleck so angry he’ll follow in Mark Webber’s footsteps and get even by outperforming Contador.
When the riders reach the finish line in Paris on 25 th July, I’ll certainly be hoping Schleck is the man to triumph!
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