In an endeavour to be more visible I've decided to do a post toward the beginning of the month (yes I know we're already a week in but I only decided to so this two days ago) laying out my objectives for the month.
As many of you know, I'm a snail pace slow writer (made even slower at the moment by the fact that I'm trying to cram Arrow Season 2 before Season 3 gets too far ahead and I get spoiled) so many of these posts will just read
Continue working on *insert working title of current manuscript here*.
Hopefully, I will be able to come up with something more exciting than that on a monthly basis but if not at least you'll know I'm still writing.
So, on to my plans for November.
Continue working on my novella tentatively titled New Lease of Life. It currently stands at 43K, so I think it has passed the realms of novella and is firmly burrowed into novel territory. With at least four more key scenes and a possible epilogue to write I can see that heading up to 70K quite easily which puts finishing the first draft deep into December.
Write at least five blog posts for blog stops to get the word out about When Love Flue In. I have four blogs already agreed for stops, three with dates attached.
Get some reading in.
Contact Chris at Stumbling over Chaos to do a giveaway.
If by a miracle the first draft of NLoL gets finished; start research into Astrochelys yniphora. Sounds impressive, hey?
Next month I'll let you know how I got on :)
Oh, and I nearly forgot the notification.
When Love Flue In is available for early download from today.
Author of gay romance. Happy Endings guaranteed. Eventually.
Friday, 7 November 2014
Tuesday, 4 November 2014
I suck
I suck at a fundamental part of being an author in the 21st century. Honestly, I do.
I totally suck at social media.
My blog has the most famous attribute of a London bus--you wait forever for a post and then three come along at once.
I tweet sporadically.
And I wouldn't touch facebook with somebody else's rusty pole.
Why, when I am obviously so eloquent *rolls eyes* do I find keeping up with social media such a challenge.
Firstly, and probably the main reason, is that I have a very limited time set aside to actually write. And that includes blog posts. I'm sacrificing a day's work on my latest manuscript* to write and upload this post. There is a key word in that last sentence. Sacrificing. I see social media as a necessary evil which keeps me from the part of the job that I love, the act of story telling.
Secondly, much of social media boils down to authors waving their arms around and screaming 'hey, look at me'. It's hard to be heard amongst the shifting tide of other authors or the latest tropes and the louder and more often you shout the more likely someone will take a look at what you are offering. (Of course, go too far on that path and start forcing your way into conversations or your wares on unsuspecting readers and you will do more harm than good.) Unfortunately, as I've said before somewhere on this blog, I'm really not very good at blowing my own trumpet *insert lewd joke and Frankie Howerd's eyebrows here*.
That said I'm well aware that some changes need to be made. I will attempt to ensure there is at least one post a week here at the blog. Sometimes it won't amount to much more than what my plans and goals are for the coming month or it could even be as little as one of my own photos to brighten up your day, but I will attempt to be more visible.
Now, if I could just get some more traffic at my blog I'd know I wasn't just shouting into the ether.
*intended to be a short story for the Dreamspinner Random Act of Kindness submission, the story has escaped the confines of the 11k word count and is now racing through novella territory and heading toward novel length. Something else I suck at...
I totally suck at social media.
My blog has the most famous attribute of a London bus--you wait forever for a post and then three come along at once.
I tweet sporadically.
And I wouldn't touch facebook with somebody else's rusty pole.
Why, when I am obviously so eloquent *rolls eyes* do I find keeping up with social media such a challenge.
Firstly, and probably the main reason, is that I have a very limited time set aside to actually write. And that includes blog posts. I'm sacrificing a day's work on my latest manuscript* to write and upload this post. There is a key word in that last sentence. Sacrificing. I see social media as a necessary evil which keeps me from the part of the job that I love, the act of story telling.
Secondly, much of social media boils down to authors waving their arms around and screaming 'hey, look at me'. It's hard to be heard amongst the shifting tide of other authors or the latest tropes and the louder and more often you shout the more likely someone will take a look at what you are offering. (Of course, go too far on that path and start forcing your way into conversations or your wares on unsuspecting readers and you will do more harm than good.) Unfortunately, as I've said before somewhere on this blog, I'm really not very good at blowing my own trumpet *insert lewd joke and Frankie Howerd's eyebrows here*.
That said I'm well aware that some changes need to be made. I will attempt to ensure there is at least one post a week here at the blog. Sometimes it won't amount to much more than what my plans and goals are for the coming month or it could even be as little as one of my own photos to brighten up your day, but I will attempt to be more visible.
Now, if I could just get some more traffic at my blog I'd know I wasn't just shouting into the ether.
*intended to be a short story for the Dreamspinner Random Act of Kindness submission, the story has escaped the confines of the 11k word count and is now racing through novella territory and heading toward novel length. Something else I suck at...
Thursday, 30 October 2014
Site wide sale
From today through to Sunday 2nd November JMS Books have a site wide sale. All ebooks will be 35% off. Take this opportunity to grab stories by some of my favourite authors: J L Merrow, Clare London, Liam Livings. Or the UK Meet anthologies.
Of course while you're there you could pick up my short story Waiting for a Spark.
Talking of Waiting for a Spark, I found a great review here at MM Good Book Reviews. I know certain author's would find a 3.5 heart rating an insult but it's all about the content of the review for me. Several points made me smile especially the first line of the review.
This review could be summed up with the following three words. Sigh, Smile, Happy!
That is how I want my readers to feel when they finish one of my stories.
Another line made me preen, because--and my crit partners will back me up here--I struggle to write a short story and keep it short.
This is a short story that illustrates with textbook accuracy exactly how a short story should be written.
The rest of the review goes on to point out exactly what I'd done right. Preen? I was giddy with delight.
How I have never stumbled on this review before (it was written just after the book's release in Sept 2013) I don't know, but I'm pleased to have found it now.
Of course while you're there you could pick up my short story Waiting for a Spark.
Talking of Waiting for a Spark, I found a great review here at MM Good Book Reviews. I know certain author's would find a 3.5 heart rating an insult but it's all about the content of the review for me. Several points made me smile especially the first line of the review.
This review could be summed up with the following three words. Sigh, Smile, Happy!
That is how I want my readers to feel when they finish one of my stories.
Another line made me preen, because--and my crit partners will back me up here--I struggle to write a short story and keep it short.
This is a short story that illustrates with textbook accuracy exactly how a short story should be written.
The rest of the review goes on to point out exactly what I'd done right. Preen? I was giddy with delight.
How I have never stumbled on this review before (it was written just after the book's release in Sept 2013) I don't know, but I'm pleased to have found it now.
Friday, 24 October 2014
When Love Flue In
You may remember earlier in the year I announced that When Love Flue In had found a new home at Totally Bound. It had seemed months away at the time but now Christmas is coming up fast and the first of the important dates are upon us.
From today When Love Flue In is available to preorder over at the Totally Bound website and it will be available for early download from 7th November.
Sexy Snax, indeed.
Time for a cover reveal.
From today When Love Flue In is available to preorder over at the Totally Bound website and it will be available for early download from 7th November.
Sexy Snax, indeed.
Time for a cover reveal.
Friday, 26 September 2014
Tick tock
Thought it was about time I updated my works in progress page.
http://lillianfrancis.blogspot.co.uk/p/work-in-progress.html
http://lillianfrancis.blogspot.co.uk/p/work-in-progress.html
Wednesday, 24 September 2014
Another day to celebrate
Happy Bisexual Pride Day!
Yes, today is Bisexual Visibility day.
I had just intended to send you guys to a couple of links over to articles at Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-berg/22-reasons-why-bisexuals-_b_5851458.html
&
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/23/celebrate-bisexuality-day_n_5863320.html
And I still want you to go there. In fact I'll pause while you pop off to read, especially the second link because that is important to this post.
I said go and read. At least look at the slideshow...
Thanks. On with the post then. Where was I?
I had just intended to send you guys to a couple of links over to articles at Huffington Post but while I was appreciating the fact that Amber Heard was on that last list (and maybe lingering slightly longer on her picture) I realised something. Twenty-three of the twenty-eight celebrities on that list are women. That is 82%. Wow! Is it really more socially acceptable for women to be bisexual than men?
I think the answer to that is obviously yes.
The reason?
I could say that women are stronger in spirit than men, but that is bollocks, gender has nothing to do with strength of spirit and would be underlining gender stereotypes that I don't actually believe in. It could be surmised that when women get to a certain age, rather than reaching for the hair dye and a sports car or motor bike, many women throw their hands up in the air and say Fuck it, this is who I am, suck it up or jog on. Except just as many women reach for the make up, ridiculously high heels, and the nearest 20something greek waiter.
Possibly (hell, probably) the acceptance of female bisexuality has more to do with the 'girl on girl action' fantasies perpetuated by porn* for straight men.
Food for thought?
Meh, it came to me over breakfast (Nutella on crumpets, if anyone is interested) so maybe.
In the meantime, let's just celebrate the diversity of love.
Right, I'm off to ogle that photo of Amber Heard again.
(*Not that I'm blaming porn, far from it, porn only caters to the needs of the people who watch it.)
Yes, today is Bisexual Visibility day.
I had just intended to send you guys to a couple of links over to articles at Huffington Post
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alex-berg/22-reasons-why-bisexuals-_b_5851458.html
&
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/23/celebrate-bisexuality-day_n_5863320.html
And I still want you to go there. In fact I'll pause while you pop off to read, especially the second link because that is important to this post.
I said go and read. At least look at the slideshow...
Thanks. On with the post then. Where was I?
I had just intended to send you guys to a couple of links over to articles at Huffington Post but while I was appreciating the fact that Amber Heard was on that last list (and maybe lingering slightly longer on her picture) I realised something. Twenty-three of the twenty-eight celebrities on that list are women. That is 82%. Wow! Is it really more socially acceptable for women to be bisexual than men?
I think the answer to that is obviously yes.
The reason?
I could say that women are stronger in spirit than men, but that is bollocks, gender has nothing to do with strength of spirit and would be underlining gender stereotypes that I don't actually believe in. It could be surmised that when women get to a certain age, rather than reaching for the hair dye and a sports car or motor bike, many women throw their hands up in the air and say Fuck it, this is who I am, suck it up or jog on. Except just as many women reach for the make up, ridiculously high heels, and the nearest 20something greek waiter.
Possibly (hell, probably) the acceptance of female bisexuality has more to do with the 'girl on girl action' fantasies perpetuated by porn* for straight men.
Food for thought?
Meh, it came to me over breakfast (Nutella on crumpets, if anyone is interested) so maybe.
In the meantime, let's just celebrate the diversity of love.
Right, I'm off to ogle that photo of Amber Heard again.
(*Not that I'm blaming porn, far from it, porn only caters to the needs of the people who watch it.)
Tuesday, 23 September 2014
There's a chill in the air
Yes, the temperature is dropping and, for the first time in forever, I tugged on a pair of long trousers yesterday.
Do you know what that means?
I've been able to wear my Converse for the first time since threading my rainbow laces.
Funky, eh? And a great match with my Converse.
But more importantly Rainbow Laces have been designed the raise awareness of homophobia in football (soccer). While other sportsmen and women have found the courage to be open about their sexuality, there are still no openly gay or bisexual professional players in the Football League in Britain.
That's a tragedy because footballers, for whatever reason, are seen by many young boys in this country as heroes. People to look up to and admire. To emulate. Haircuts, fashion, attitudes. Every time a footballer waits until they retire to come out they send a message to our young people. Unfortunately that message is not 'Yes there are gay players in the game and their sexuality doesn't affect how they play football' but 'I had to hide who I was to fit in'.
I'm not knocking anyone who decides to take that leap. Coming out is a courageous thing for anyone to do, whenever they choose to do it--at fifteen or fifty--and on whatever scale--to a few close friends and family or the world's press.
However, I fear that footballers who wait until their career is over before taking a stand send a jumbled signal to the youngsters that hero worship them, one that breeds an atmosphere of confusion and shame. And so the sorry cycle begins again.
If you want to learn more about the campaign to fight homophobia in football try the Stonewall website (worth it for the Arsenal Team's video supporting the campaign) or take to Twitter #RAINBOWLACES.
Do you know what that means?
I've been able to wear my Converse for the first time since threading my rainbow laces.
 |
| Okay, freaky angle to take your own photo, it makes my feet look tiny. But I could hardly ask somebody else to take a picture of my shoes. Most people IRL already think I'm slightly mad. |
But more importantly Rainbow Laces have been designed the raise awareness of homophobia in football (soccer). While other sportsmen and women have found the courage to be open about their sexuality, there are still no openly gay or bisexual professional players in the Football League in Britain.
That's a tragedy because footballers, for whatever reason, are seen by many young boys in this country as heroes. People to look up to and admire. To emulate. Haircuts, fashion, attitudes. Every time a footballer waits until they retire to come out they send a message to our young people. Unfortunately that message is not 'Yes there are gay players in the game and their sexuality doesn't affect how they play football' but 'I had to hide who I was to fit in'.
I'm not knocking anyone who decides to take that leap. Coming out is a courageous thing for anyone to do, whenever they choose to do it--at fifteen or fifty--and on whatever scale--to a few close friends and family or the world's press.
However, I fear that footballers who wait until their career is over before taking a stand send a jumbled signal to the youngsters that hero worship them, one that breeds an atmosphere of confusion and shame. And so the sorry cycle begins again.
If you want to learn more about the campaign to fight homophobia in football try the Stonewall website (worth it for the Arsenal Team's video supporting the campaign) or take to Twitter #RAINBOWLACES.
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