All Over the Place – Page 3

The sound of our stories

People like music when they’re in love, but they don’t need it as much. You need music when you’re missing someone or you’re pining for someone or you’re forgetting someone or you’re trying to process what just happened.
~ Taylor Swift

Remember that love song you were addicted to when you were fourteen? You wrote the lyrics in the back of your notebook, and imagined he was singing about you.

What about the chart-topper you and your friends sang that crazy karaoke night, before you left for college, when you had the world—intoxicatingly, scarily—at your feet?

Or the song that played for your first dance with that guy who was, surely, your meant-to-be one true love? (Turned out he wasn’t…but that’s another song.)

Everyone has songs that resonate in their life—a soundtrack for your experiences, good and bad. And books can have soundtracks, or playlists, too. The songs for these playlists came in all kinds of ways: on the road listening to the car radio, a chance discovery online, reminiscing with friends. And there are songs from my own life, of course, that hint at where the story runs closer to truth than fiction. If you figure out a few of my secrets hidden here, don’t tell anyone! 😉

Just click on an image to go to the book’s page with the playlist…and enjoy!

June 23, 2014

Tom Petty was right

There’s a lot of waiting going on at the moment. Everyone here in New Zealand has been waiting for the long, hot summer holidays. The kids are waiting for Christmas Day, resisting the temptation of the presents under the tree. Some people are waiting for the fresh start that the new year brings. And me? I’m nervously waiting to see what the designer will come up with for the cover of my first ever book, All Over the Place. And, of course, I’m counting down to February 18 – release day!

Sometimes the waiting really is the hardest part.

The answer is to keep busy, and make the time go faster. So that’s what I’ve been doing, and the result is one amazing early Christmas present – this gorgeous website! Thanks to Lewis, my super-talented (and very patient) web expert, who has worked so hard to help me get it up and running.

Now that All Over the Place is so close to publication, I realise what an incredible amount I’ve learned so far. In years past, writers only had to do just that – write. There was no blogging, tweeting, Facebooking or worrying about search engine optimisation. No one had to teach themselves the ins and outs of Amazon, Draft2Digital, widgets and plugins. Anne Tyler (one of my favourite authors) had until recently only granted two interviews in the fifty-something years of her career.

So times have changed – but maybe for the good. If they’re able to embrace the new possibilities, authors have the power to shape a career on their own terms. ‘Hybrid’ authors like New York Times bestseller Nalini Singh, from here in New Zealand, are enjoying the best of all worlds, combining traditional publishing and self-publishing.

And the people! I’ve had so much fun meeting other writers and book addicts, both in person and online. And I’ve been amazed and heartened by the way other writers all over the world – published and unpublished – generously share support, advice and encouragement. Sue, Kristine, LaVerne, the RNA authors, Kristy, Nicole, Toni, Lisa, Kari, Cait, all the Ladies in Red, and so many others – I can’t wait to see what success you have next!

Merry Christmas everyone, and may you receive everything you’ve been waiting for in 2013.

December 22, 2012