Odds and Sods

by Anna Campbell

As most of you know (because so many of you very generously popped over to support me on my blog tour and various other promo efforts - thank you!), I've recently had a book out. MIDNIGHT'S WILD PASSION hit the stands on 26th April and I've been talking to readers all over via interviews, blogs and in person.

One question that often comes up is where do I get my ideas. And I always answer (because it's true) that I get ideas everywhere.

To give you an example, a couple of days ago I was reading the English National Trust magazine - I have a friend who very kindly sends them to me and they're a goldmine of quirky social history - and I came across the sort of thing that might well spark a story idea.

The National Trust has recently bought a wonderful early 18th century (well, I say wonderful but it sounds a bit creepy, frankly!) house in Northumberland in the north of England called Seaton Delaval Hall. It was designed by Sir John Vanbrugh who designed the cold but very impressive Blenheim Palace which formed the inspiration for much of Cranston Abbey in MY RECKLESS SURRENDER. By the way, Vanbrugh combined successful careers as architect and playwright - not a double that immediately comes to mind! He was also a spy and spent time in the Bastille.

Hmm, I can see a blog coming up on him too! See what I mean about ideas being everywhere? Anyway, back to my piece on Seaton Delaval Hall!

When I read about it, Seaton Delaval Hall struck me as an unlucky house. They had a huge fire in 1822 because jackdaws nested in the chimney shafts (bit more dramatic than "I went to bed with the bar heater on," huh?). The family line died out as a series of heirs fell off the perch (for example, the original builder, Admiral Delaval had no living son and his nephew inherited) much like jackdaws in a lit chimney. After the fire, the house wasn't inhabited until the 1980s. There's even a ghost - a white lady who apparently pines for a Delaval heir who couldn't marry her.

Here's a link to the National Trust site for the house: http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/w-seaton-delaval-hall

When I was reading this NT magazine, I came across a fascinating bit of history that really set my synapses firing. In the grounds there's an impressive mausoleum (pictured below) containing the remains of John Seaton who died at the age of twenty. Here's the quote:

"John, the heir of the Seatons, perished in 1775, having been kicked in a vital organ by a laundry maid to whom he was paying addresses. Thus died the last of the Delavals by the foot of a buxom slut. Over the broken remains of so much hope...his father raised a temple."

Oh, dear! Ouch!

Not the way you want your aristocratic line to come to an end (I'd say 'sticky end' but that might be gilding the lily!).

Now these few lines are interesting for a whole stack of reasons.

Did she kick him where we think she did? I suspect she might have!

What happened to the maid? I haven't been able to find out - I hope she wasn't charged although given the power structure of 18th century England, she probably was.

Then there's the very revealing language. Surely calling a lower-class girl defending herself against a predatory sprig of the aristocracy a 'slut' is a bit of a misnomer! Again, a sad indication of the position of women although I love the descriptive detail of 'buxom' - it gives you a vivid picture of her! More power to her left foot!

Was this action the tragic end of a long and loving relationship? Cue chance to put in a very nice picture of Robin Ellis and Angharad Rees in the POLDARK series.

Or was our heroic laundry maid like Verity/Soraya in CLAIMING THE COURTESAN before the start of her career as a courtesan? Preyed upon rather than preying upon?

More importantly, could our feisty washerwoman be the heroine of a romance novel?

You know, I think she's got potential!

Or could our wincing would-be rake be the hero? He'd need to be a bit more robust but I could definitely imagine a bit of sparky dialogue over the washing line if we wrote him as a sexy beast.

Could our laundry maid be a runaway aristocrat? Charis without having enlisted Gideon's help? Grace trying to make a living after they repossessed the farm? The laundry maid isn't that far away from previous heroines I've written and she shares the strength of character which I like to give my girls.

At this stage, I have no intention of writing MY RECKLESS WASHING MACHINE or CLAIMING THE CLOTHES PEGS but you can see how a quirky incident like this sparks ideas that go on to spark other ideas and so on until you've got the basis for a book.

So while I'm digging around looking for inspiration, I'm turning to you! Do you have any quirky bits of family history - hopefully not a randy great-uncle who was done in by one of his squeezes! - that strike you as funny or strange or romantic or scandalous? Any ghosts in the family? Any skeletons? Any feisty laundry maids? Come clean, as they say in the best laundry romances!

Surviving the Ups and Downs

Gerri Russell returns to the Lair today. She's an award-winning author known for her adventurous and emotionally intense novels set in 13th and 14th Century Scottish Highlands. Her most notable series to date is that of the Brotherhood of the Scottish Templars. She is a two-time recipient of the Romance Writers of America's Golden Heart award and winner of the American Title II competition sponsored by Dorchester Publishing and Romantic Times BookReviews Magazine.

Today's visit, though, will be a little different, as Gerri will explain.

Welcome, Gerri!


No matter how successful fiction novelists are, they will always have ups and downs in their careers. Sometimes the downs come because of a changing market, a change in technology, or in my case lately, a change within my own publishing house. It’s no secret that Dorchester Publishing has been going through some difficult times, as have their authors. But being the “glass is half full” kind of person that I am, I’m choosing to look upon what’s happened to me and my books over the past year as an opportunity for change.

You will not find my book in any brick and mortar book store, and very soon you will not find them in electronic form either, because the rights for all of my books, five published and two yet-to-be-published works, will revert to me by the end of this month. Personally, it will be a moment of great celebration and the beginning of something new and wonderful.

I love being in the lair with the hackey hudjson. I’ve visited here before when I’ve had new releases and great things to share. But I wanted to slip into the lair today to share something else that I’ve learned over the past year, and that is how to ride the highs and lows of a writing career without losing balance or momentum. Whether you’re just getting started in your career, you’re an experienced writer in or out of a slump, or a reader who wonders why their favorite authors are not publishing new books at the moment, I hope the following tips will help.

1. Diversify your writing. Every writer, fiction or otherwise, must always look for new writing opportunities. This way, if you do stumble into a slump with one publisher or one specific genre, you’ll have another area to develop.

2. Maintain a blog or a website. Having a place to regularly write not only validates you as a writer, it’s a great place to explore your interests, allow for visiting “experts”, and allows you to grow as a writer in your own skills and in educating/entertaining your audience.

3. Do some sort of work that is not writing-related. Do something for yourself that either feeds your passion or your pocketbook. Finding ways to get away from your writing helps with the insecurities that come with our chosen profession by generating new ideas, writing inspiration, character developments, plot twists, etc. By leaving the writing behind, it truly helps keep the creative juices flowing, and sometimes helps deal with the financial droughts that come with the job as well.

4. Network with other writers and other professionals. Spend time with other writers in groups such as Romance Writers of America, Mystery Writers of America, etc. But also explore opportunities to be with other professionals as well. Find other organizations that cater to entrepreneurs where you can network and share ideas and energy with people who are building and maintaining their own businesses. Learn how they cope with the highs and lows of success.

5. Share your knowledge. Even if you are not publishing at the moment, you have a wealth of knowledge and experience that can be shared. You can keep your name out there in publishing circles by writing regular columns for magazines, guest blog on popular blogging sites, or write for trade publications that will still help you keep your writing skills sharp.

6. Never lose faith in yourself or your dreams. It always comes back to this. You decided to be a writer for some reason. You had something to say…a story to tell…a need to communicate with others. It’s a gift. Don’t take it lightly. Highs and lows are normal in any occupation. The trick is to learn how to ride them out, to keep your focus, and celebrate making it through the low times.

For more about Gerri and her work, visit her website.

Do you have any other tips to share? How have you made it through a difficult time in your life or your career?

Pet Peeves... and a Moment of Zen

by Christine Wells

Do you find yourself getting irritated for very little cause these days?

When I worked in a legal firm, I would often put in twelve hour days and work on the weekends, too. Life was fast-paced and stressful. And I found myself getting irritated at the least little thing in the world outside that went against me. I had so many pet peeves, I could have filled a zoo.

I've left that life now, but I still feel the stress of deadlines and balancing writing and family life. We're about to start a house renovation and won't that do a lot to improve my blood pressure?

Here are just some of my pet(ty) peeves:

*People who leave the toilet seat up, which is closely tied to people who refuse to replace an empty toilet paper roll

*People who assume that because I am at home with children my time is less valuable than theirs

*Litter in public places--how hard is it to find a bin/trash can?

*People who spend the entire train ride talking loudly on their cell phone

*Rudeness from people in the "hospitality" industry.

*Sultanas. I wish sultanas had never been invented. Nasty, squishy little surprises that creep in to all sorts of food that would otherwise be delicious... Uh, sorry. See what I mean? The more stressed we get the more petty our peeves become.

But I realized one day that I need to let go of these small irritations to become a more effective writer. When your head is preoccupied with little things, it's very hard to get the creative brain working to its full capacity.

How do you let go of stress? I've found some things that work--exercise, especially yoga, hypnosis, meditation. I imagine a session with the boxing gloves would help(though the only time I tried it I couldn't lift my arms without pain for a week!)

Sometimes, all it takes is reminding myself that this time next week I'll have forgotten all about this particular incident. Have a little tolerance, for goodness' sake!

OK, so tell me your day to day pet peeves... and now tell me how you decompress. I'd love to add some strategies to my list!