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Tag: #HourglassEvents
Live Event Catch Up!!!!
Hi guys, so I decided today I would post a quick round up of the events I am signed up for over the next couple of years so far! Now I know with a few of these it might seem like they are so far away but people have to book time off work, save up and lets face it find the perfect dress for the evening do lol. Even if you cannot make it to an event then I highly recommend joining the FB groups, there are loads of cool things and giveaways going on in these groups so it is worth the time to pop in and visit them.
First before I start a couple of weeks ago I did the Thirty question challenge you can read my answers here but the wonderful #Darker author Joey Paul has taken up the gauntlet and you can read her answers to the question by clicking here.
So let’s begin and take the events in order…
The Darker Side of Fiction
Hosted by the wonderful Hourglass Events Ladies Jo & Rachel
There is a promotion running at the minute on remaining tickets…
***Summer Mayhem Competition ***
Do you want to win an Amazon Gift Card?!
This is our last offer before the Darker Side of Fiction Event on the 7th October!!
So we KNOW you love reading crime, horror, fantasy, thriller, sci-fi , paranormal and dystopian books which means you’ll want to win the £15 Amazon voucher we are giving away!!!
All you need to do is buy your Darker ticket before midnight on Tuesday 29th August and be entered into this fabulous prize draw.
You know there’s always room for a few more signed books 
😈
Just click the Ticket Link
https://thedarkersideoffiction2017.eventbrite.co.uk/
You can join the FB group here and I am going to be hosting a takeover there on Wednesday evening 19th July from 9pm BST
The End of Year Indie Masquerade Party
This one is not a signing but a party to celebrate all things Indie, it is open for readers, authors and bloggers and has been organised by the amazing C.A. Bell you can find out more here in the FB group and apply for tickets, I would say if you want to come book sooner rather than later it is being held in Birmingham on 25th November 2017
Leeds Author Event 2018
Again hosted by the lovely Hourglass Events ladies on Saturday, 3 March 2018 from 10:00 to 23:30
You can get tickets and find details of the evening event here
The FB group can be found here I will be doing a page takeover there this Thursday 20th July at 10pm
Shenanigans West Midlands Signing 2018
Hosted by the delightful Maria Lazarou This event will be held in Telford on 14th April 2018, tickets go on sale later this month and if you would like to find out more then the place to find out more is the FB group here
The Heart Of Sheffield Signing Event 2019
Hosted by the fabulous Yvonne and Helen this is a new new signing event and the first they have hosted though it is lining up to be a fantastic event. You can find out more booking details here and keep track of things at the FB group here and there is a prize draw running until the end of this month for people buying tickets
There maybe one or two more things in the pipeline that I cannot talk about yet and I prmoise to go into events in a lot more detail in weeks to come.
Thirty Questions – A Challenge to the #Darker Authors
I have decided that I need to get back to my schedule, Tuesdays are about live events, #Darker, and Leeds first, then, #HOSSE and others to follow.
I saw this over on Martha Reynolds page and decided what better way to get to know myself and hopefully some of the other Darker authors, so you can read Martha’s answers here, and if any of the other authors rise to the challenge I shall reblog them here.
What did you want to be when you were a kid? Well of course the first thing I wanted to be was the Doctor’s companion, then an athlete until I realised that I was never going to be as good as I wanted to be. I always knew I would write a book, and considered being an English teacher, but honestly I think it is tough expecting you to work out what you want to be when you are a kid.
Which Friends character do you relate to most? Why? I would be the genetic lovechild of Monic and Pheobe, I am a bit of a hippy and free spirit like Pheobe in many ways but there is an innner Monica that is a bit of a control freak, likes lists and plans.
Do you like your name? Why? No! I ended up with the name Paula by default, I was supposed to be a boy, my parents were so convinced that I was they only picked the boys name it was the midwife who suggested adding an extra ‘a’ when they couldn’t think of anything else on the spot.
Are you messy or neat? I would love to say neat but with kids and pets I fight a losing battle, however my desk is organised chaos whic maybe is a truer reflection of how I operate lol.
How tall are you? I’ve always said 5ft 5 but recently I got measured during a medical appointment and they said 5ft 6, I did wonder if it was due to the spinal surgeries, maybe they made stand up straighter?
How tall were you when you were ten? I would take a guess at about 5ft 2, I grew in height really quickly for a while and until I was about 14 was taller than most of my friends and classmates, then I seemed to stop growing and they all went past me.
What is your guilty pleasure? I am not sure I I have one, don’t get me wrong, plenty of pleasures but none I feel guilty about unless maybe it is buying more books when I still have loads waiting to be read.
What are you saving money for now? Darker of course, I know there are a few books I want and I need to spend an afternoon with the pre-order list choosing which books I want.
How many Pringles can you eat at once? What flavour lol but seriously if you are asking in one sitting about half a tube if I do not restrain myself, I only put one in my mouth at a time though but you know how it goes, you are watching a good film not paying attention to the tube and before you know it half are gone.
Tea or coffee? Coffee in the morning, then pop or water for most of the day unless I am editing in which case more coffee is required.
Are you an introvert or extrovert? By nature probably an extrovert, I have always been fairly confident loved dancing, can chat to anyone, however there are times when because I have gained a lot of weight I can be quite self concious and introverted.
What will be your Hallowe’en costume this year? I have brought a dress for Darker which will double as am amazing vampire or witch outfit, I love dressing up and am lucky enough to have a day job that lets me occasionally.
Sweet or salty? A bit of both, preferably in the form of salted caramel!
Favourite social media? Facebook for keeping in touch with people, though I have to say I love Instagram for all the pretty pictures without the other political stuff you have on FB.
Who is the last person you kissed? My son, that counts surely? Romantically? Last summer I kissed a guy I went on a couple of dates with, it didn’t work out but damn those kisses were good.
What is your favourite breakfast? It depends, I am not a big eater first thing on a morning so normally it is breakfast biscuits dunked in coffee, but if I can take my time or if I am at a hotel then I do like a full english, the only time I make it at home is Christmas day, I do bacon butties sometimes on a Sunday morning.
When is your birthday? September, I am a Libra and yes I do have the traits.
When did you start your blog? I first started a blog on my birthday 2011 over on eblogger but it was a few months after that I moved here to WP and have never looked back.
What is your opinion on the Kardashians? Not really spent a lot of time thinking about them, I guess savvy business women with lousy taste in men, attention seeking but I do like the fact that Kim does not fit the stereotype size zero.
How would you describe your style? Casual, don’t get me wrong I love to get dressed up and I love a lot of the steampunk clothes but at the size I am now I am very self concious about what looks okay, plus with my spinal issues comfort is also something I consider for everyday dressing, plus I have to wear a uniform at work so I love lounging in yoga pants and baggy t-shirts at home.
What colour is your hair? Purple!
What colour socks are you wearing? No socks at the minute, the ones I had on this morning got soaked on the school run so I took them off, will put on more later.
What is your dream job? I want to be able to quit the day job and make my living from writing, I see author friends travelling the country doing signings and while I might never be an international best seller (though of course I live in hope) I want to be able to make writing my career.
Dogs or cats? We have both, two cats one dog, technically I am a dog person but I am also a sucker for sob stories which is what both my cats are, one Molly mog is a stray that came to live with us and we have no idea how old she is but we know she is not young, the other two pets I expect to have for at least another ten years.
What makes you weird? Me weird? Probably, what makes me weird, I am a geek, I watch very little TV and spend half my life with characters inside my head, occasionally my thoughts can only be described as sick and twisted.
Celebrity crush? Jason Mamoa is the current crush, there have been a couple of WWE wrestlers at different times and John Taylor is my life long crush from being a teenager.
Opinion on cigarettes? Oh dear, Hands up I am an ex-smoker, I will have been smoke free 5 years on Halloween, the last cigarette I smoked was the morning of my last spinal surgery, I have come close to breaking twice, once when my gran died and the second last week when I was under stress due to my son’s issues.
Do you want/have any children? Was never really fussed either way about kids, then I got pregnant and had my daughter, she was enough, then years later her brother came along and I started over again.
Three favourite boy’s names. Jack (my son), Michael, struggling to come up with a third, guess it is something I never really considered, maybe Baldrick, of course I would never call a child that but would love a horse called Baldrick.
Three favourite girl’s names. Samantha (my daughters name), Isabella, Ecaterina (After Ecaterina Szabo the gynmast)
Vlog Time #97 – Freebie Time
#leeds2018 – Live Ticket Launch!
I was going to do Tuesdays for #TheDarkerSideOfFiction2017 posts but as more events are added to my calendar it makes sense to pick Tuesdays as the day for all my posts about live events and signings. Darker is creeping up on me just ver 7 months to go but this week it is the #leeds2018 event which takes precedence and that is because this Friday 3rd March at 8pm tickets go on sale, and in a brilliant move the ladies from Hourglass Events are heading north and will be hosting the launch live on FB from the venue. Of course being just down the road in Huddersfield means it would be rude not to go join them for a beverage or two, (though not too many need to be on a train back at half ten as I have work next morning and next train is half one!)
So if you live in Leeds or in the surrounding areas why not come along and join us for a little tipple but if you can’t do not despair, instead grab you chosen beverage, get comfy on the sofa and join us live on line in this group, which you really should join anyway because there are some amazing authors in there, so click here to pop over and join up.
Give Away & Page Take Over
Join me tonight 9pm UK time as I take over the #Leeds2018 #HourglassEvents page click the link and join in advance http://ow.ly/McOi308JscK
Four years ago this incredibly brave little man lost his fight against cancer, he left an army of followers all heart broken by his loss and devastated for his family, I wrote Voices Across The Void to honour his memory and to raise awareness and funds for the charity set up in his name Cords4LifeUK, I said Iwould never give this book away free because of that but today and tomorrow to honour him and this family I am with the hope if you like it you will leave a review, spread the word and help make cord donation something offered to all new mums so they may help save a life or at the very least give those precious extra few months cells from a donated cord gave Charlie with his family. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Voices-Across-Void-Pa…/…/B01GZ5NFPU
269 Days To Darker
I am thrilled to announce that it became official this week that The Darker Side of Fiction will be an annual event to be held in Peterborough. While there is of course no guarantee I will be invited back each year I can see me attending on a regular basis even if only as a guest, I love the fact Hourglass not only were willing to take a chance on me personally but that they work tirelessly to support and promote independent authors and give them chances they would struggle to achieve on their own.
I have done small signing event in my friends shop, I have done an on-line book launch but proper signing events are very hard to organise, I believe it is possible to arrange to do them in your local Waterstones but like everything it costs, and of course so does this but here is the big difference. You publish your first couple of books but are still struggling to make your voice heard and get your books read, all those people that promised reviews somehow never quite got round for it so you and trapped in the undercurrent of Amazon’s logistics, so how do you make you voice hear, get your work seen, well in steps an angel or in this case a couple of angels.
Hourglass events is run by Jo and Rachel, and they decided to combine their events business with a love of reading and create first the Leeds event then the Darker event, this gives smaller authors like myself the chance to sign alongside others with established followings, it provides the possibility of reaching a wider audience, that someone looking at the next stall might pick up your book and decide it looks interesting and worth taking a chance on. Kindle give-aways are great for getting you book onto peoples kindles what they can’t do is get that person to actually read it and post a review if they enjoy it, someone picking up a print version and investing their own money is more likely to at least read it, the review well that can come down to numerous other factors but you do stand a higher chance if they loved it.
I would really encourage anyone who gets the chance to go along to one of these book signing events, they are a fairly cheap way to pass a few hours, and even if you don’t by a stack of books you get the chance to meet new authors, get their cards and follow them on social media so you can find out more about them and maybe buy the books at a later date, but more than anything give them the support to continue following their dreams in an industry where so often you can be left feeling like you have banged your head against a million walls.
