Yay! Wedding and Giveaway

Second last day of the A to Z! And it's a big day here in London. To celebrate, I'll be giving away two copies of the wonderful novel, The Golden Prince.

First, though, a big thanks to everyone who commented yesterday and offered their help for my blog situation. You can see I'm still here, and I've no idea how long -- if ever -- my 'rightful' blog will be returned back to me. I'll keep everyone posted. I realise losing a blog isn't the end of the world, but I must admit I had a few tearful moments yesterday along with several bouts of rage! I've worked so hard to connect with people and maintain those connections, and then to have it all pulled away without any warning... or chance to direct people elsewhere... well, you can only imagine how I'm feeling. I'll write another post on the whole thing at a later date, but for now, can you please just keep your fingers crossed that Blogger/ Google give me back my blog?

Anyway! On to better things: The Golden Prince.

Edward VIII became notorious for abandoning the throne for Mrs Simpson, but in the summer of 1911 he was a prince straight from the pages of a fairy-tale. Raised by the harsh disciplinarian King George V and his unfeeling Queen Mary, the prince longed for the warmth that had been deprived of him.The high society Houghton girls' lives however, were full of fun, both at their magnificent family seat Snowberry, and at the whirlwind of glamorous parties which punctuated their lives. When a moment of serendipity brings Edward and Lily Houghton together, the pressures of a stuffy court are replaced with the lightness that Edward has dreamt of.

But a future monarch could not choose his own Queen, and even an enduring love might falter under the furious gaze of a King. Could the devotion of Edward and Lily triumph against him and the impending doom of World War I? Or would they bow to the inevitable and set in train events that could bring down the Crown, and change the course of history forever?

I'm not usually one for historical romances and such, but I really enjoyed this insight into the restrictive life of the monarchy and the oh-so-romantic love story. Mixing fact with fiction, the novel weaves history into the different characters' lives, and the effect is a cracking good tale.

Thanks to Harper, I have two copies to give away, anywhere in the world! Just leave a comment below.

And over at Chick Lit Love, my Top Tip Number Three is up. Pop over if you get a chance.

I'll see you tomorrow -- probably still here, sigh -- for the end of the A to Z!

XXXXXXXX!

Oh, hello. It's me, Talli! Why the different blog, you ask? Well, it's because sometime around six a.m., Blogger decided to remove my shiny lovely Talli blog, thinking it was SPAM. How insulting! Sure, I talk about wine (a lot). And coffee (a lot). But those are the finer things in life, not spam!

Anyway, I'm here until a) Blogger Support (who replied quite swiftly, so kudos) decide to give it back again; or b) Blogger Support decide not to give it back again, in which case... I don't even want to think about that right now. I've put hours and hours of hard work into that blog, and I can't face thinking otherwise at the moment!

This is an old blog I used to have before starting up my Talli one -- thank goodness I didn't delete it so it's around for emergencies like this one! And once I start a bl**dy challenge, I'm damned well going to finish it. So, X. XXXXXXXXXX! *insert swear word of choice there* Because that's exactly the frame of mind I'm in at the moment!

It's not too early for wine. It's NOT!

Bye Bye Blog

You may have noticed I've been posting here with decreasing frequency. The truth is, it's very hard to keep two blogs going on what are essentially the same topics: writing, life and London!

Can I urge you all to come join me at my Talli Roland blog, where I also talk about London and the foibles of an expat life? I'll also be providing news of everything related to my travel writing, along with my fiction. Also - added bonus - I actually return all comments on my Talli blog as opposed to here, where I'm too darn lazy.

I hope to see you there, and I'll still pop in here every once in awhile to say hello!

Thank You - And Web Splash Results!

What an amazing day Wednesday was for me -- and all down to the help and support of people on Twitter, blogs and Facebook. An enormous thanks to all who spread the word about my debut novel and what I was trying to accomplish. As a fellow blogger, I know posting something like yesterday's post often receives low comments -- and as a reader, I realise it can get quite tiresome seeing the same thing again and again. So... thank you!

I'm thrilled to tell you that I made the Amazon Kindle Bestseller Top 100! More than that, actually -- I made it into the top 25! My best rank was number 24. Amazon.com (which I reckon has many more books and therefore more competition) came in at number 460 on the Kindle list, a number I'm ecstatic about, too.



One of the craziest moments of the day was when my publisher sent me an email with a link to the Amazon Movers and Shakers -- I was at number 1, ahead of Dickens (!) and Sophie Kinsella!

I'm not ashamed to admit at several points, I actually welled up at how many people were supporting me. If you followed the hashtag #TheHatingGame, you could see friends and complete strangers buying, retweeting, tweeting --- even one amazing tweeter @PamReader live tweeting as she read my novel!

And then when I hit the blogs! I was so chuffed to read all the wonderful comments and posts about my novel. I tried to make it around to everyone (and I'm still trying; please bear with me!), but by the end of the day, I felt like I'd run a marathon trying to keep up with everything and around midnight I collapsed, stuffed full of celebratory cake (courtesy of my husband) and pizza (courtesy of the local takeaway). Big thanks also to my parents who organised a wonderful bouquet of flowers to be delivered!

A few people have asked me if my Web Splash met my expectations. The answer? No. It didn't. It was so much better than I'd anticipated. Without a doubt, it was one of the most exciting days ever, and quite honestly I couldn't think of a better way -- or better people -- to spend my novel's birthday with.

Thank You.

The Hating Game - Web Splash!

Hard to believe the day has finally come! I am so excited -- and so grateful for everyone's support. Please drop by Twitter (hash tag #TheHatingGame) to keep an eye on the Amazon stats and to get your virtual champers and assorted munchies!

UPDATE - As of 1 p.m., The Hating Game was number 32 on Amazon UK Kindle and number 25 in Fiction! I'm into the Top 100! Starting to move on Amazon.com, too. I can't say thank you enough!

15:35 GMT - Now number 25 on Amazon UK and in the 1700s on Amazon.com! Wooo!

Thank you a trillion and one times for helping me with this! It sounds cheesy but I really feel like you're all behind me, and it's a fantastic feeling.So without further ado, I bring you THE SPLASH!Help my debut novel THE HATING GAME hit the Kindle bestseller list at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk by spreading the word today. Even a few sales in a short period of time on Amazon helps push the book up the rankings, making it more visible to other readers.

Amazon.co.uk: http://amzn.to/hNBkJk
Amazon.com: http://amzn.to/hX2ieD

No Kindle?

Download a free app at Amazon for Mac, iPhone, PC, Android and more.

Coming soon in paperback. Keep up with the latest at http://www.talliroland.com/.

About THE HATING GAME:

When man-eater Mattie Johns agrees to star on a dating game show to save her ailing recruitment business, she's confident she'll sail through to the end without letting down the perma-guard she's perfected from years of her love 'em and leave 'em dating strategy. After all, what can go wrong with dating a few losers and hanging out long enough to pick up a juicy £200,000 prize? Plenty, Mattie discovers, when it's revealed that the contestants are four of her very unhappy exes. Can Mattie confront her past to get the prize money she so desperately needs, or will her exes finally wreak their long-awaited revenge? And what about the ambitious TV producer whose career depends on stopping her from making it to the end?

Exciting Things!

It's almost December, and the weather is certainly obliging -- as I type this, my fingers are freezing, thanks the chilly air drifting in through our ancient sash windows. I've been rather neglectful of this blog recently, mostly down to exciting events with my alter ago, Talli Roland.

My first novel, The Hating Game, is due out this Wednesday, December 1, as an ebook ahead of its paperback launch next year! I've organised a Take On Amazon Web Splash, with almost 450 bloggers, Facebookers and Tweeters helping to spread the word about my quest to get as high as I can in the Amazon sales rank.

I often take for granted people know what sales rank is and why it's important. If you look on any book listing on Amazon, you'll see the book has a number beside the words 'sales rank'. The more copies people buy, the higher (or lower, depending on how you look at it) the bestseller list the book climbs. If you manage to get into the top 100, it can make a massive difference to your sales. The book is more visible and being labelled a bestseller gives it validation. Not only that, good sales figures for an ebook can also generate pre-orders for the paperback and hopefully make it easier for the hard copy to get into bookstores.

A number of sales over a short period of time (say, one day) has the power to get the book even higher up, since the sales rank algorithm takes into account not just the sales but the period over which the sales were made.

So! All this to say, fingers crossed for December 1! If you'd like to take part in the Web Splash, all the information you need to post (just copy and paste onto your blog on Dec 1) is here! And if you'd like to buy a copy of the book on that day, that would be fantastic, too! Just click the link for Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk. If you don't have a Kindle, you can download the app for PC, Android, Mac, iPad and more. And if you're using Amazon.com, you can even buy Kindle ebooks for others as gifts now.

Sales pitch over! I'll be back on Wednesday with the Splash! Until then, have a great week.

Book Birthdays and More!

Every time November rolls around, I always shake my head in disbelief that the year's almost finished. This time more than ever -- it's been one year since 24 Hours London was published! You can read about my year in review over on my Talli Roland blog.

With everything that's been happening, time has certainly flown. Electronic proof copies for The Hating Game are ready, and things are gearing up for the Dec 1 e-book release! I've now got over 400 people signed up for my Web Splash; big thank you to those participating!

And now, I leave you with this little gem. Ah, The Daily Mail...

Remember, Remember

Remember remember the fifth of November

Gunpowder, treason and plot.

I see no reason why gunpowder, treason

Should ever be forgot...

While it's not quite yet the fifth of November and time to 'celebrate' the infamous Guy Fawkes' attempt to overthrow Parliament, a balmy Saturday night before Hallowe'en provided a great excuse to head over to Notting Hill for a bonfire with friends -- and a few hundred of their closest neighbours.

Me in red, standing by the hottest bonfire ever! My face was burning (or maybe that was from the mulled wine...).

A fireworks show went on for a good ten minutes or more.

Happy early Bonfire Night!

Hidden London: Lamb's Conduit Street

As the nights draw in and the days get colder, I confess I find it harder and harder to budge from the cozy confines of my flat. But yesterday, the chapter meeting of the Romantic Novelists' Association motivated me to move from my sofa and head down the Central Line to Bloomsbury -- to The Lamb pub on Lamb's Conduit, to be precise.

Although I've been to Russell Square countless times, I'd never been down this small stretch. Partly pedestrianized and lined with independent shops and galleries, it's a feast for retail-hungry eyes. The street is named after William Lambe to recognize the donation he gave to rebuild a nearby conduit in 1564 (source: Wikipedia).

At the end of the street, The Lamb (photo: Wikipedia) is chock full of charm. Built in the 1720s, Charles Dickens is said to have been a frequent punter. What better place, then, to hold a literary lunch?

Take a stroll through the street with Monocle.

Book Review: Mrs P's Journey

Embroiled in the final edits for my novel The Hating Game (out as an e-book December 1; sign up for my web splash here), I've been shying away from fiction and towards non-fiction. As such, I turned to Mrs P's Journey which, shamefully, I've had for almost a year.

Here's the blurb (from Amazon):

Disproving the theory that women can't read maps, this is the story of Phyllis Pearsall, the eccentric British artist who single-handedly mapped London's A-Z and created a publishing phenomenon. Born Phyllis Isobella Gross, her lifelong nickname was PIG. The artist daughter of a flamboyant Hungarian Jewish immigrant, and an Irish Italian mother, her bizarre and often traumatic childhood did not restrain her from becoming one of Britain's most intriguing entrepreneurs and self-made millionaires. After an unsatisfactory marriage, Phyllis, a 30-year-old divorcee, had to support herself and so became a portrait painter. It is doing this job and trying to find her patron's houses that Phyllis became increasingly frustrated at the lack of proper maps of London. Instead of just cursing the fact as many fellow Londoners probably did, Phyllis decided to do something about it. Without hesitation she covered London's 23,000 streets on foot during the course of one year, often leaving her Horseferry Road bedsit at dawn to do so. To publish the map, and in light of its enormous success, she set up her own company, The Geographer's Trust, which still publishes the London A-Z and that of every major British city.

Most Londoners are familiar with the trusty A-Z map. In my first weeks here, it proved invaluable as I shunted from one side of London to the other in my daily supply teaching duties. I have no idea how I ever would have tracked down some of the hidden-away schools I voyaged to without it!

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this engaging story of Phyllis and her family. Her determination and ambition -- despite a pretty terrible childhood -- are incredible. The book reads like a work of fiction (and the author has taken certain liberties, of which she warns us) but it's a fascinating biography of talented, driven woman.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The Anish Kapoor sculpture in Kensington Gardens.

To all Canadians near and far... Happy Thanksgiving! I actually forgot it was this weekend until a blogging buddy (thanks, Jemi!) reminded me yesterday. To that end, The Man and I took a wonderful jaunt through Kensington Gardens in the Indian-summer air, then over to the local Tesco's to buy a bird. Despite trying to explain what 'traditional' turkey means (i.e., plain) The Man still insisted on stuffing the fowl with cracked wheat -- but I'm not complaining, at least he's doing the cooking!

Have a great gratitude-filled weekend!

Home Again, Home Again

I'm back! The vacation was glorious, but it's good to be in my other home -- London. We flew in early Friday morning and after paying a £600 fine and picking up the car at the Chelsea pound (don't ask), we settled back in to our London life!

It was great fun touring around the Maritimes (Nova Scotia and PEI, anyway) and everywhere we went, The Man kept exclaiming: 'It's like a different country!' The last time he went to Canada, it was covered in snow and -40 C, so fair enough!

There's something very endearing about showing your partner from a completely different culture the customs of your homeland. From ceilidhs and run-drinking to lobster-eating and sea shanties, I can definitely say The Man now fully appreciates Maritime culture. I'll leave kissing the cod and Newfoundland for another visit!

In Websplash news (I've changed it from Blogsplash since I want to also incorporate Facebook and Twitter), I'm now up to 298 people participating! With two months remaining, I might just makes my goal of 1000. You can join the Facebook Event Page here, read the recent Websplash email, or sign up if you haven't already. All you need is a blog, a Facebook page or a Twitter account!

And now, a couple more photos...

Gone Canoeing

As an expat, the concept of 'home' can be a difficult one. I feel London is my home, but Canada will always be home too -- no matter where I am or how long I've been away.

I'm going home tomorrow for two weeks and after two years away, I really can't wait. I won't be blogging again until after October 1, but I'll drop in from time to time on Twitter!

Thank you to everyone who has signed up to my Take On Amazon Blogsplash -- I'm up to 160 people now. Have a great few weeks and I'll see you on the other side!

Regents Canal Cruise

A few weeks ago now, The Man and I -- along with my step-daughter -- took a lovely cruise along Regents Canal. It was quiet and peaceful and in some places you've never actually believe you were in London at all! Until you get to Camden Market, that is..

Starting out in Little Venice.

Passing canal-side mansions.

One of the many boats on our way.

Shops in Camden Market.

Fishy pedicure. Yuck!

Interesting seating arrangement in Camden Market!

Help Me Take On Amazon!

Happy Friday all! Apologies to those who follow my Talli Roland blog, but I wanted to spread the word on this blog as well!

On December 1, The Hating Game will be released as an e-book, ahead of its UK hard-copy launch in early 2011. I can't wait! I'm excited because anyone, anywhere in the world can buy a copy of the e-book version on Amazon. You don't even need to have a Kindle to read it -- you can download the Kindle software to your computer and read it that way. Plus, it will be very reasonably priced (likely well under a fiver in the US and the UK).

Here's where you come in. It's amazing how few copies it takes to rocket your sales rank on Amazon. Wouldn't it be incredible if people bought copies of The Hating Game ebook -- all on Dec 1 --- and brought it up the charts? If for one brief moment in time (or maybe more), The Hating Game was an Amazon Kindle bestseller?

So on December 1, I'm hoping you can all join me in a Blogsplash to help spread the word. If you sign up, all I ask is that on Dec 1 you post a short paragraph about what I'm trying to accomplish and The Hating Game blurb. I'll send you all the content so you just have to cut and paste! I am aiming to have one thousand bloggers take part (I know, I know -- but it might happen! I'm thinking big!) so anything you can do to spread the word would be FANTASTIC.

Please leave a comment with your email or just email me at: marshawrites@gmail.com to take part.

And... of course if you could purchase a copy of the book on December 1, that would be fab as well. The closer together in time the sales are, the higher the book climbs in the ranking. I understand not everyone may be able to so no worries if not! There will be prizes for those who take part in the Blogsplash, there will be more prizes for those who buy, and there will be even more prizes for anyone who writes a review! I should clarify this is just for the ebook launch; the hard-copy launch will be coming in the New Year (you'll be sick of me, I'm sure).

Thank you all for reading this and for all the wonderful help and support you've given me so far! You rock!

Notting Hill Carnival!

Yes, I have been a very bad blogger. On this blog, anyway. I have some nice photos to post of a little jaunt down Regents Park Canal, but downloading them created multiple issues and I got tired of trying. Maybe next week!

It's the August Bank Holiday weekend -- the last holiday before Christmas! And every year at this time, almost a million people flock to the Notting Hill Carnival for music, food and the pinnacle of it all: the Parade, where hundreds of drummers pound out the beat as crowds line the streets.

Here's a few photos from last year's celebrations to get you in the mood.

Have a great long weekend!

On Author Nicola Morgan's Blog...

Happy Monday!

Today I'm over at author Nicola Morgan's blog talking about, well, blogs! Since I started my Talli Roland blog, I've seen a massive difference in the increase of followers over there versus here.

Why? Click to read more!

The Life of an Expat

I read this post by Kim in Dublin on expat frustrations and it just clicked with me. Living in a place long-term is far, far different than spending a week there. Real life -- miles from your family and everything you're used to -- is often hard work and, once the shiny glow wears off and routine descends, sometimes downright lonely.

It takes awhile to make your home in a brand new place and to build up a network of friends. One of the things I find most challenging is that London's a revolving door. Often the good friends I make leave to go up North, back to Canada or America or Australia or Spain or... you get the picture. I've been here for six years and in that time more friends have come and gone than I can shake a stick at (not that I can find a stick to shake in central London). Of course it's better to have loved and lost, but still!

Life in a new country is exciting and a wonderful experience. But that doesn't mean it's always going to be easy!

Boris Bikes

We didn't get off to a good start with the new Barclays Cycle Hire scheme (or Boris Bikes, as I like to call them). We registered, then waited and waited... and waited to get our keys in the post. I rang them up to ask where our keys were, only to be told they'd call back. Which, of course, they didn't. Then we got a notice in the post saying someone didn't pay the postage and we had to cough up £1.10 to get our letter.


And guess what? Surprise, surprise: Transport for London hadn't put the proper postage on our keys. Not a great beginning. But once we got on our bikes, it all changed. Sure, it was a bit difficult figuring out the logistics of the whole thing (redocking was a bit of a mystery -- there didn't seem to be any instructions but there were plenty of confused people around) but once we sorted it out, we had a great time flying through Hyde Park on our Boris Bikes. The bikes themselves are quite heavy and the handlebars very sensitive but they're comfortable enough for short journeys.

There's something very magical about moving around London on a bike. It makes you see how small the city actually is -- we went from Kensington to Leicester Square in about twenty minutes! I loved gliding under the trees, past Buckingham Palace and right into Trafalgar Square. Riding over Tower Bridge was another story (and not one I'd like to repeat anytime soon), but it was certainly an experience.

It's the second weekend the bikes are available and we felt a bit like stars as people pointed and stared. Many actually stopped to talk to us about the bikes and it was great to see Londoners chatting with each other -- something that never happens on the Tube!


I loved the bikes and despite my rather sore butt I'll definitely be out again soon!

One Year On

All week I've been meaning to post and all week I forgot! I've been busy working on edits for The Hating Game and my mind has been swamped with character arcs and plot points. Today I finished this round of edits and sent it off, breathing a big sigh of relief. I'm desperate to take some time away from it!

Then I got some great news from The Times' Travel Editor: my article 'Paris for Kids' came out today! If you subscribe to The Times, you can check it out here.

And... Sunday if my first wedding anniversary with The Man! For schmoopy photos, head over to my Talli Roland blog.

Happy weekend!