The kindness of friends.

I wanted to share some photographs with you, that show the kindness of friends.

My book, All in the Leaves, was published as an e-book (here) 
One of my friends, who makes gorgeous creations in clay, decided that she would make me a physical copy of my very first novel.

This is it - and what a wonderful gift it is.

All in the Leaves - a copy I can pick up, courtesy of Sara Mandel.

Thank you, Sara, for such a beautiful, thoughtful gift.

Win a copy of All in the Leaves!

Today, I am a guest author on Erin's Choice Blog.

You can read all about my writing - and there is a Giveaway too.

A chance to win one of two copies of All in the Leaves.

This giveaway is open internationally...

Here's the link - and GOOD LUCK



http://erins-choice.blogspot.co.uk/

An afternoon off, a walk in the woods - and meeting the Borrowers.

Yesterday I had an afternoon off from looking after my ailing hubby - and I decided to spend it taking a walk in the local woods.

It was a gorgeous day, so mild I never needed to keep my coat on over my jumper. It was so liberating not to wear a coat!
I took a few pics, so you could enjoy my ramble with me.

Carving at entry to wood walk

approaching the wigwam

artistic shot of reflections in a puddle

sitting by the pond, just relaxing

Someone's been building a shelter (woodcraft day)

the only flowering tree I saw

The children's adventure wigwam up close

I spent a couple of hours, simply walking. I felt totally recharged, just from this little break. Freedom from cares and being in nature have that effect  - and I'm grateful for it.
After my walk, I popped into the visitor centre - and there they have a library of donated books, which helps to fund the care of the woods. I found one book I'd never read as a child - and now I have the Omnibus of four books.
Meet the Borrowers!

My visitor centre find

So I had three hours in total away from home, and had a break that felt as good as any two week holiday to me! Walking in woods - what a tonic. I heartily recommend it, especially when there's a book at the end :)

All in the Leaves is OUT for sale!

Here we are, All in the Leaves is out for sale.

The first store to list it is Apple's iTunes! Well done Apple :)

and this is the link!

HERE

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/book/all-in-the-leaves/id751048942?mt=11&uo=4

as soon as it appears in Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Sony, Waterstones - I will let you know!

STOP PRESS! Now on Amazon UK and Amazon US .. direct links on my website http://www.patelliott.co.uk
The live links will be added there, so please, keep checking!

 All in the Leaves

A tea-leaf reading.
A prediction of a fabulous life to come.
Can your future really be told in a cup?

Anna is feeling down in the dumps. She's nearly thirty, painfully shy and has no boyfriend. She's still living at home and has a boring job. Can this really be all there is?

A chance bout of tears leads to a tea leaf reading which predicts a wonderful future for her.
A future which promises a new career, a new home and a husband. All by the following Christmas.

Join Anna as opportunities arise, calamity strikes and the battle for happiness begins.

All in the Leaves Launch Party

My novel 'All in the Leaves' has been distributed to all the ebook stores, by the fabulous ebook partnership. Now it is a matter of waiting for catalogues to be updated and show the book for sale!

I've been told that this can take anywhere up to 4 weeks.
Some places are quicker than others. As soon as I see it in an online store, I will post the links here. If you see it before I do, please send me a note!

To celebrate the fact that 'All in the Leaves' will soon be out, I decided to have a book launch party.
Because the book deals with a tea leaf reading, it will be an afternoon tea party.
With cake. Lots of cake. Biscuits and crisps too.

I'm truly blessed that a good friend at Sparkling Jewellery has given me some goody bags for all attendees. There will be a piece of jewellery, discount vouchers and more!
She's also donated a two coin necklace to help raise some funds for Battersea Dogs Home on the day .

When I know more about the book, it'll be on here - and when we have the party at the end of November, I'll take some pictures to share.

  All in the Leaves

A tea-leaf reading.
A prediction of a fabulous life to come.
Can your future really be told in a cup?

Anna is feeling down in the dumps. She's nearly thirty, painfully shy and has no boyfriend. She's still living at home and has a boring job. Can this really be all there is?

A chance bout of tears leads to a tea leaf reading which predicts a wonderful future for her.
A future which promises a new career, a new home and a husband. All by the following Christmas.

Join Anna as opportunities arise, calamity strikes and the battle for happiness begins.

Presenting.... the cover of my book.

Good morning Friends,

I'd like to present to you.... the cover of my book!

It was designed and illustrated by the wonderful Teresa Palomar Lois - whose website is HERE

Do you like it? If you saw it in an online catalogue, would you click on it to read more? Please leave a comment and tell me your thoughts....

A professional book cover.

I am jumping with excitement!
I've seen a rough copy of my book cover. The illustrator is doing a wonderful job. I wanted to share it, but was advised to wait until the colour version is ready... and guess what, I actually listened to the advice!

Would you like to know a little more about the illustrator?
Her name is Teresa and she lives in Spain.
Not only does she illustrate, but she produces the most divine watercolours.
She has a website HERE and a blog HERE

I'm the proud owner of this painting of hers, which I absolutely adore.

Of course, that's nothing like my book cover, but you'll love it when you see it.

You might ask why aren't I doing the cover myself, given that I paint?
When I was writing the book, I became very engrossed in it. So much so that it was difficult for me to see it objectively. When I ran the different colour teacups past you all, it was the only image I could conceive of, but yet, there was a nagging doubt that it didn't do my book justice.

So I spoke to Teresa and asked for her help. She took a sample of the book, looked at the genre I was writing in and went away to think.
Then she came up with seventeen options, all drawn out. Seventeen! These we whittled down to three. The more we looked and discussed, the more one stood out from the others. From that line drawing, she developed the idea until it became a cover image to be proud of.

Yet, she doesn't want it shared, because the work is not yet complete. Colour has to be added and type too. Teresa knows, as I do really, that the choice of colours and typeface can make or break an excellent drawing.
The amount of work she's put in to this cover is nothing short of phenomenal, so in respect to her professionality, I'll hold off until you get to see the finished article.

Every blog I follow on writing says  "good book covers sell books."
That was another reason for going with a professional. The people who know me would buy my book whatever it was covered with. The people who don't know me will be entranced by this beautiful cover, I hope!
Not long now..  All in the Leaves will be out, definitely before Christmas, this year. Thanks to you all, for cheering me on.

Publishing for beginners - a few easy steps.

1. Write a book.
    This is the easy part. You may think I'm off my trolley, but I'm not. The hours spent slaving over getting the perfect plot, the perfect characters and a wonderful ending are just the beginning.

2. Google 'Getting a novel Published.'
    You thought you spent hours on your book? This is where you really spend hours as you find out the difference between agents, publishing houses and self publishing.

3. Decide to be traditionally published.
     So you Google traditional publishing. You spend hours finding out that agents are angels, spawn of the devil, benign beings looking for the best home for your novel or people who keep you on hold for months and months, as you wait for a reply. Depending on which links you clicked. Believing the truth is out there somewhere, you click a few more links. Goalposts move. A few more hours pass as you re-establish the goalposts. Its ok, you can write the time off as research when you finally do get published and sell enough to be paying tax. That goalpost also moves with every Budget.

4. Wonder what would it be like to self publish?
     Yes, you've guessed it, our friend Google comes into play once more. Spend many hours searching again. Find 'how to' posts that tell you its possible to do it all, if only you know how to format, how to market, how to edit,how to illustrate and design, how to upload, how to deal with different countries' tax laws. Find other articles which say we'll do all that for you, at a cost. Decide it might be nice to be in total control of your book's future.

5. Decide to self publish.
    If some people have done it all, it can't be that hard, can it? Google formatting your book, marketing, editing and uploading. For a little side interest, Google how many books an average self publisher can expect to sell on a first time book. Cry at the hideously low figure. To cheer yourself up, Google successful self publishers and the obscene amount of wealth they've accrued. Cry a little bit more. Buck yourself up and Google the need for editors and cover designers. Read that although you can do it all, you shouldn't! Because it will show - and you'll be sorry when your amateur efforts result in so few sales. Laugh maniacally.

6. Take some time out.
    Sit on a chair and rock. Think of anything but books. Don't even read your own one. Not yet! No, put it down, you fool! Realise you can't stop thinking about books. Breathe deeply so your head doesn't go 'splat' with all the information sloshing around inside it. Go out with a writing buddy, eat cake, make plans and be optimistic.

7. Rise of the Optimist.
    Decide that no matter what, you will try to get your book out there! Enough with Google, already. Buy a copy of Writers Yearbook to find an agent, or decide to go it alone, with outside help if your pocket can afford it. We'll DO this thing! 
After all, writing was the hardest part, wasn't it? 

 

All in the Leaves - review two!

Here's another review from one of my early readers.
Its been so wonderful to know that others have enjoyed the story I've created.
Once the book has been edited properly, and the cover design settled, it will be going on sale, as an ebook. Later this year.

Review by Benzmum

All in the Leaves - Pat Elliott

Just wanted to say I have now finished reading the copy of It's All in The leaves that Pat has been sending me Chapter by Chapter  -  what a compelling read it is!
It makes you want to know more and more. It is wonderful its a story of love, of passion, of adversity, of heart ache, of joy, of friendship and of course there is a dog in the mix too along with a kitten friend.
I have already emailed to ask for book number 2!!
VERY WELL DONE Pat, I wish you every success publishing this as an e-book (do you publish e-books!??) xx

                                      *****************

All in the Leaves - a review.

My first novel is written and is currently undergoing editing, to polish it to perfection - I hope!
It should be on sale later in the year.

In the meantime, I thought you might like to read a review from one of my early readers. I was so excited to read this, that I had to share it with you!

Review by Marie Burkhardt

All in the Leaves by Pat Elliott

As you read the story of Anna, you are reminded that life with all its hardships and pain is worth the effort; that to love, lose, and love again is possible; and that if we can recognize when doors are opening to us, and if we will walk through them to the other side, our lives can be fuller, richer, more exciting and meaningful.

Anna's life is safe, but prosaic.  She lives with doting parents and pals around with best friend Chloe, who has her own issues, especially with men. Anna would love to have a man of her own and it seems that is all her life needs, but when her mother puts her in touch with the gentle but wise Barb, Anna learns from a tea cup reading that along with someone to love, she needs purpose.  

Barb instructs her to say yes to opportunities, so Anna agrees to do just that, promising to say yes for the next year to everything presented to her by life, as long as no harm or danger is involved.   As the pages turn, you will find Anna learning new job skills, travelling with Chloe in search of locations for a new business venture, and meeting wonderful new friends.

Brace yourself for some sharp twists and turns as more than one man weaves in and out of Anna's life.  Watch for some delightful moments as Anna's parents stand by her through trying times, happy times and emotional growth.  And don't be surprised if, as you cheer Anna on, you find yourself looking around the corner for your own opportunities.  Anna reminds us that they might be there just waiting!

Fab book!

Over the weekend, I finished reading 'Pedigree Mum'.
The cover was a light-hearted frothy affair showing a slim young mum trying to control a bearded collie type dog, whilst in the background three mums on podiums looked on, with their perfect pooches behaving.

From this and the blurb on the back of the book, you'd be forgiven for thinking this book is all about dogs. It isn't.
Yes, there's a dog in it and a few times he does run off, but then he's never been taught recall.
The main thrust of the book is the story of Kerry and Rob, two people who were happily married and looking forward to moving from London to the coast.
Rob stays behind in the London flat to sell it, gets madly drunk on his 40th and does something incredibly stupid. What happens to Kerry and Rob next comprises the main body of the book. There are many other elements. Buddy the dog is just one of those elements. Children, clowns, lighthouses, piano lessons, posh mums, the magazine industry and posh eateries are more elements.

Fiona Gibson writes beautifully in an easy to read style. If you think from the cover that it will all be light and fluffy, you'd be so very wrong.
Maestros in any art form make their craft look easy - and that's what Fiona does here. Because the book was so easy to read, you could easily miss the great depth of understanding there is for each of the characters. It would have been easy to write one of these characters as a villain, instead of which, for those who read mindfully, we read of the turmoil underneath the surface. The possible villain is shown to be someone who is only too human, with all the capabilities humans have for mistakes, contrition, denial and valiant effort.
I shan't give away the ending of the book, in case some of you decide to read it, but it was a good ending, a realistic ending.

Picking up this book, I expected no more than an escapist bit of fun, which most times I thoroughly enjoy reading. Pedigree mum, despite its cover - gave me so much more!

Beautifully written by Fiona. Highly recommended by me.

Pedigree Mum

Over on Twitter, I follow a few authors.
Only the ones whose books I've read and enjoyed.

One of those authors, Fiona Gibson, held a competition to win a copy of her latest book, Pedigree Mum.
We had to name our favourite fictional dog and explain why.

You all know me and dogs - so that was an easy choice for me. I entered the competition by picking Bolt. He's very recent, so that might be a strange choice for someone of my many years - but he so reminded me of my first dog Spotty - and the film was fun!

Anyway, I won the competition!
Yesterday my book arrived and with it a few extra pampering presents.
This weekend, I'll be reading the book - I'll let you know what I think when I've done.

Here's a pic

Thank you so much Fiona, for sending me a signed copy, too :) xx

A little bit excited...

I'm a little excited..... my novel is finished!

Here on my desk is a completed novel - one hundred thousand words.

The writing of it has consumed me over the last few months, but every moment has been a pleasure and a revelation.

Creating a world populated with people who you've brought to life is a feeling like no other. I can see why people would write series, or sagas. Who would want to let go of these wonderful people, let them sail off to reader land, never to be seen again?

I'm so enamoured of the process, I've started on book two!

Book one will sit until after the selection of the Future Stars (see post below).
If I'm lucky enough to be chosen from the many entries, then I'm hoping the guidance received will help me edit and improve Book One.
If I'm not chosen, then I will look again at what needs to be done.

Until that moment, I'm enjoying the fact that I can see in front of me, twenty folders, each containing a chapter of my book.

It feels like quite an achievement.