When Sue Moorcroft Ran Away

Here's Sue's story....

I was five and deeply fed up with my mother's rules, so threatened to run away. She took me upstairs, helped me pack, saw me across the road and waved me goodbye. I burst into tears and ran back into her arms! Not the most successful running away venture in history ...



















Sue's latest book is  Dream A Little Dream and you can find it here.

Liza Reece has a dream. Working as a reflexologist for a troubled holistic centre isn’t enough. When the opportunity arises to take over the Centre she jumps at it. Problem is, she needs funds, and fast, as she’s not the only one interested.

Dominic Christy has dreams of his own. Diagnosed as suffering from a rare sleep disorder, disillusioned with his live-in girlfriend and discharged from the job he adored as an Air Traffic Controller, he’s single-minded in his aims. He has money, and plans for the Centre that don’t include Liza and her team. 

But dreams have a way of shifting and changing and Dominic’s growing fascination with Liza threatens to reshape his. And then it’s time to wake up to the truth ...



You can find out more about Sue on suemoorcroft.wordpress.com.

When Lucy Dillon Ran Away....

Here's Lucy's story....

In October last year, I needed to get away. I was completely stuck, writing the worst part of a complicated book that just wouldn't come out of my head, thanks to the constant disruption of builders, other deadlines, my dogs, and my own seemingly limitless ability to distract myself on the internet. I couldn't concentrate. I hated what I'd written so far. So I ran away. I ran away so far that I ended up back in 1992. 

By 1992, I of course mean, 'my parents' house' on the west coast of Cumbria, where time moves on in some respects (there is now Sky, and my mother is 'online') and yet stands still in others (the kitchen light switches still don't work, and that Sky dish is used to watch editions of 321 and Bullseye from the early 90s). My parents were both there to meet me at the station and within seconds, Mum accused me of not eating properly, and demanded to know if I'd lost a lot of weight. I hadn't. I'm endlessly haunted by how fat I am in their imaginations. My dad insisted on carrying my laptop and book bags, and pretended to stagger under the weight of them as he used to with my school bags. As I loaded my stuff into the car, the sea breeze blew ozone into my face and I had the sudden rush of relief that I might just get this book finished.

And I did, more or less. It was partly down to the cups of coffee my dad brought me on the hour, as he did during my A-level revision. Partly down to the warm-blanket feeling I got from watching repeats of The Crystal Maze I must have watched in exactly the same place, with exactly the same observations about the useless contestant, twenty years ago. Partly from a daily walk along a deserted beach that looked different every single afternoon, the skies changing from flawless blue to cloud-speckled slate in minutes, with sunsets streaking the Irish Sea with colours almost too pink and violet and gold to be real. Living in the middle of sleepy Midlands countryside, surrounded by apple orchards, I'd forgotten how much I missed the sea, with its constant shifting and sighing in the background, a reminder that ideas come and go, that there's always something interesting at your feet, or on the horizon.

But a lot of my new energy, I think, came from leaving behind all the petty niggles of my day-to-day routine, the minor concerns that chip away at your confidence and attention span, and going back to a place where I'd once sat as a moody teenager, wondering where my life was going to go. When I settled down to work at the desk where I'd revised Chaucer, and opened my own notebook, ready to start a chapter of my own book, it struck me properly for the first time in years: I was a writer. This was my job! My actual job! If I'd done a Marty McFly and met the 1992 Lucy, she would have flat out refused to believe me/her. My dream job wasn't even something I'd dared to hope for then, and yet - amazingly - it was where I'd ended up. That, and the coffee, was the swift kick I needed to get on with things. I handed in the first draft at the end of that month, and came back to 2012, rather sadly, but with a priceless stack of vintage Smash Hits in my bag.

©lucydillon

When story-lover Anna takes over Longhampton's bookshop, it's her dream come true. And not just because it gets her away from her three rowdy stepchildren and their hyperactive Dalmatian.

Unpacking boxes filled with childhood classics, Anna can't shake the feeling that maybe her own fairytale ending isn't all that she'd hoped for. But, as the stories of love, adventure, secret gardens, lost dogs, wicked witches and giant peaches breathe new life into the neglected shop, Anna and her customers get swept up in the magic too.

Even Anna's best friend Michelle - who categorically doesn't believe in true love and handsome princes - isn't immune.

But when secrets from Michelle's own childhood come back to haunt her, and disaster threatens Anna's home, will the wisdom and charm of the stories in the bookshop help the two friends - and those they love - find their own happy ever afters?

You can find out more about Lucy here.

When Paige Toon Ran Away...

The first in the series of runaway stories...Paige Toon shares hers .....

When I was about six years old, my parents took my brother and I to Mexico for a holiday. I don’t remember much about the country, but I do remember the brightly coloured straw sombrero they bought me at a market, along with a little yellow guitar. One evening, we were all in our hotel room and, I can’t recall the reason why, but I was very put-out about something. My mum, dad and brother didn’t take me seriously at all. They laughed at me, which made me even more cross, so I decided to teach them all a lesson and run away. I knew I wouldn’t go far – I was thinking just out into the corridor and behind the Coke machine would do. I’d pop out again when I knew they were truly sorry for cruelly mocking me. So I told them I was off, and, not forgetting to pick up my little yellow guitar and don my sombrero, I stormed to the door and pushed down the handle. But the door was locked – I pulled and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge – and this made my family completely fall about with hilarity at the situation. The truth was, I was a bit scared about running away, so it didn’t take me more than a few moments to see the funny side. I’ve never thought about running away again since.

Paige, her guitar and her brother!

Paige's latest book The Longest Holiday is available here.

'Don't wait for the storm to pass; learn to dance in the rain…'
Laura has been married to the man of her dreams for seven months. But a week before the wedding, Matthew made a terrible mistake. Escaping the humiliation that is now her marriage, Laura is whisked off to Florida's Key West by her best friend Marty. A carefree holiday full of cocktails and fun, surrounded by gorgeous, tanned men, is exactly what the doctor ordered. Distraction comes in the form of sexy Cuban scuba diver Leo. Laura's instant attraction to him knocks her flying, and she falls hard. As the end of the holiday approaches, Laura doesn't want to go home. Is it time to face the music? Or is there more to Key West than a holiday romance?

To find out more about Paige and her books, visit her website www.paigetoon.com

It's May - Launch Month For A Cornish Affair

I can't believe how quickly this has come around but A CORNISH AFFAIR is out on the 23rd of May. The book is close to my heart for many reasons, but one of the biggest is that it's about running away...in fact the tag line is 'Sometimes running away is the answer...'

Running out on your wedding day never goes down well. When the pressure of her forthcoming marriage becomes too much, Jude bolts from the church, leaving a good man at the altar, her mother in a fury, and the guests with enough gossip to last a year.

Guilty and ashamed, Jude flees to Pengarrock, a crumbling cliff-top mansion in Cornwall, where she takes a job cataloguing the Trevillion family's extensive library. The house is a welcome escape for Jude, full of history and secrets, but when its new owner arrives, it's clear that Pengarrock is not beloved by everyone.

As Jude falls under the spell of the house, she learns of a family riddle stemming from a terrible tragedy centuries before, hinting at a lost treasure. And when Pengarrock is put up for sale, it seems that time is running out for the house and for Jude.

I have run away three times in my life and I'll tell you more about that later in the month but beginning tomorrow some fabulous novelists will be sharing their stories of running away... whether it was with a teddy and two sandwiches or some more recent...

So tomorrow the wonderful Paige Toon talks about the time she ran away. 

Snowy's Writing Day...

 Yesterday I had a writing companion...Snowy. Here's his writing day

I think I'd like to be a cat...

PS...there are still a few days left to leave a comment here to win a BOOKS ARE MY BAG bag and inside there will be a copy of The Cornish House, Sue Guinney's A CLASH OF INNOCENTS and Cally Taylor's HOME FOR CHRISTMAS (and any other authors who'd like to add their book are most welcome!)

London Book Fair 2013...an author's point of view

The Emirates Airline Literary Festival Team

This morning I am relaxing, just a little. The past two days I have been enjoying the madness that is London Book Fair. On Monday I was there just to soak up the atmosphere...but of course I immediately bumped into friends.

Immogen Howsen and Lynne Connolly at the Samhain stand

I wandered around bumping into friends and I was lucky enough to catch Patrick Brown of Goodreads talking in the AuthorLounge his presentation is here. There is so much to learn. While in the author lounge I bumped into Sue Fortin and Linn B Halton.

Carole Blake ready for the second day of London Book Fair to begin

Day two had a plan. I was meeting spending the morning meeting my editors from Germany, Holland, Portugal and Norway. I was given a table just behind my agent Carole Blake to share with Peter James (yes, esteemed company except that Pater ending up holding his meeting in the The Ivy Club!)

Pater James and Carole Blake

It was fabulous to met my editors and find out how the sales are going and if there was anything I could do to help sales. It's very frustrating to not be able to help...However the good news was that The Cornish House aka Sterne Uber Cornwall, A Casa Dos Sonhos, Sterren Boven Cornwall and Stjerner over Cornwall is doing very well!

Meetings over I set out into the fair and bumped into two agents...Jane Judd and Broo Doherty then caught up with Julia Williams and her twin sister Virginia and a relaxed lunch before braving the fair again.

Saying farewell to them I found the Choc Lit stand and shared a chocolate with Sue Moorcroft and Pia Christina Courtenay. Then the amazing Victoria Lamb appeared...she had left her coat in The Ivy Club so while collecting it with her we had a glass of champagne...

While exploring the Orion stand I bumped into Kate Mosse and the Emirates Airlines Literary Festival Team plus Rose Prince...just love name dropping...then fortunately I saw Annabel Kantaria from Dubai who won the Montegrappa First Fiction competition at the Emirates Airlines Literary Festival. I tagged along and found myself in The Ivy Club again...

Isobel Abulhoul, Luigi Bonomi, Annabel Kantaria and Yvette Judge

And who did we find in The Ivy Club...

Luigi Bonomi, Peter James, Isobel Abulhoul and Liz Fenwick

After catching up it was a mad dash to attend the launch of the campaign to save bookstores BOOKS ARE MY BAG. Lord Saatchi opened the launch...

Lord Saatchi

The simplicity of the campaign was explained...Everyone can carry the poster BOOKS ARE MY BAG...the campaign officially begins on September 14th but the bags were the most coveted item of the London Book Fair...

I have mine but I also have a spare...so leave a comment here by May 2nd and I'll send you the BOOKS ARE MY BAG bag and a signed copy of The Cornish House to go into it.... Do any of my writer friends want to add there book to the bag for the winner?

NOTE: The bag now contains more books... A Clash of Innocents by Sue Guinney and Home for Christmas by Cally Taylor

Finally here's the link to my radio chat about books on Sunday the 15th of April with Geordie Bird on Dubai 92 here. The book discussion begins about four minutes in...I discuss the charts and what in my to be read pile...

A Big Week...I Reach a Certain Age and The Cornish House Comes Out In Paperback

This is a big week for me...I turn fifty and on Thursday The Cornish House comes out in paperback. In many ways I feel they are connected...Two years ago today marks the two book deal with Orion and that was a major event. It was the realisation of dream.

The paperback of The Cornish House available here

Now with The Cornish House coming out in paperback I hope to spy copies in more shops and maybe even see someone other than friends and family reading it...although I had a big thrill this weekend when my eldest spent the weekend with his nose stuck into it. I was delighted to see his expression change as a grin would appear or a frown. I knew The Cornish House wouldn't normally his choice of book but he said he loved it and I know he meant it because he's a terrible liar! Of course DD read it and loved it before him...

The other lovely thing about the paperback is what included...so many readers told me they had fallen in love with the house, Trevenen. So for the extra material at the back of the paperback there is the history of Trevenen including floor plans.

In honour of this major milestone week I'm giving away three signed copies of the paperback of The Cornish House. Just leave a comment...

In The Mind's Eye

Sorry for the absence....I've been traveling and now have the kids here for Easter holidays...

But this morning while I was working on book three I was aware of what people frequently ask me about...how do I write about Cornwall when I'm not there...

This morning I was writing looking out at this view... (we are away in the desert on a special long weekend)

But I was writing about Frenchman's Creek...

Both stunning but so different...

I see a scene like a movie in front me no mater how beautiful and distracting the actual view...maybe someday when i don't live in the desert i will write about its beauty...

Wow What A Festival...but it's over

I am suffering from withdrawal symptoms from the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature and facing the overflowing inbox and piles of laundry....

But I will hold onto the magic of the festival for a long time or at least until next next year...and I made the front page of the Gulf News...well I'm pictured there with HH Sheikh Mohammed. The evening of poetry under the stars was magic enough, but then to have HH arrive well, that made it sparkle a bit more. I have been close royalty before. I have tread in divots at Smith's Lawn with HH Queen Elizabeth II but somehow listening to poetry in the desert with a sheikh is far more interesting...here's the link to the picture here.

So of course the best thing to help with my withdrawal symptoms is...another festival...Chipping Norton Festival Literary Festival is in April. I'll be able to listen to many great author tell their stories and share their skills and I'll be able to share what I've learned this week.

Throughout the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature, I chatted to so many authors and one thing became clear...many are either scared of or don't see the point in Social Media....My session with Dubai Abulhoul on Thursday evening was about how Social Media is vital in today's book publishing world.

Liz Fenwick and Dubai Abulhoul at the book signing at Emirates Festival of Literature

So many interesting things came out of that session...one of the most important was how different regions use Social Media. I'll be sharing these insights and plenty more that I have learned on my journey from unpublished writer to published one at the Chipping Norton Literary Festival on Saturday the  20th of April 2013....for more details go here.

So I need to bide my time, begin another book and plan my workshop until I can live in a literary world again...

Day Three at the Emirates Airline Festival of Literature

Yesterday was amazing and because today is so full on I don't have time to say much but I'll post a few pictures....

Liz Fenwick and Dubai Abulhoul

My session with the most amazing sixteen year old I have ever met, Dubai Abulhoul was fabulous...and not because of me...it was the electric atmosphere in the room filled with Dubai's friends. The room was packed and our moderator Hisham Wyne was superb as always. I can't recall ever having quite so much fun while being in the spot light. A huge thank you to all who bought The Cornish House and came for a chat after the session!

Sitting next to me at the signing table was the delicious (for there is no other word except maybe wonderful) for Antonio Carluccio...and we chatted about how glorious Cornwall is...the picture below is me with him in a total fan girl moment!

Antonio Carluccio and Liz Fenwick

There are more pictures on Facebook here