Historic House Short Story Writing Competition

Today I'm sharing details of a short story writing competition...

Historic House Short Story competition Max 2,500 word story inspired by or set in a historic house (real or imagined). Run by Corazon Books in partnership with the Historic Houses Association (HHA). Free entry. First prize: £150, private tour and afternoon tea with owners of Levens Hall, Cumbria. Double Friends Membership to the HHA. Two runners-up prizes of Double Friends Membership to the HHA. Deadline: September 26th 2014. Full details and entry at: www.catherinegaskin.com

Full details:

Historic House Short Story Competition

Publisher Corazon Books has partnered with the Historic Houses Association to launch a special short story competition with fantastic prizes. Writers are invited to submit a short story which is either inspired by or set in a historic house.

Ian Skillicorn, publisher of Corazon Books, says: "We are looking for a compelling tale with lots of atmosphere. It can take place in the past or present, in either a real or fictional setting, so writers can let their imaginations take them, and us, whenever and wherever they wish!"

The competition is being run to celebrate the publication of The Property of a Gentleman by Catherine Gaskin. This modern classic by the bestselling "Queen of Storytellers" has recently been reissued by Corazon Books in ebook format, in time to celebrate its 40th anniversary. It is the first of Gaskin's novels to be published digitally. The Property of a Gentleman is a tale of intrigue, mystery and romance, set in a fictional earl's ancestral home, in the dramatic landscape of England's Lake District.

The competition's unique prizes are in keeping with its theme. The winning writer and a guest will be treated to a private tour and afternoon tea with the owners of Levens Hall in Cumbria. The winner will also receive a cash prize of £150, and a double Friends membership for the Historic Houses Association. Two runners up will each receive a double Friends membership to the Historic Houses Association. Corazon Books also plans to publish an ebook anthology of the best entries, with each writer receiving royalties for their published story.

Richard Compton, President of the HHA, says: "A HHA Member property will offer great inspiration for budding writers and will make a fantastic setting for a short story. We look forward to partnering with Corazon Books and reading the entries in this unique competition."

Catherine Gaskin

Susie Bagot of Levens Hall says: “The Bagot family is very pleased to be associated with the Historic House Short Story Competition and looks forward to welcoming the winner to Levens Hall and telling them the story of this fascinating ancient house and garden.”

The competition will run from March 10th to September 26th 2014, and the winner will be announced during National Short Story Week (17th to 23rd November 2014). There is no fee to enter the competition.

Enter the competition at: www.catherinegaskin.com

Blog Anniversary & Big Book Giveaway!

It's hard to believe but the blog is three years young and has also recently passed the 250,000 views mark, so I'm having a giveaway to celebrate both of these things! 

An enormous, heartfelt thank you to all the authors who have so generously and kindly offered a prize to be won in the giveaway, there are so many absolutely lovely books on offer so do have a look below, many of them are signed and being offered by the authors, a few are contributed by myself. Just leave a comment to enter.

Blogging has had to take a back seat a bit recently, in particular for health reasons. I still post something new when I can, especially sharing author guest posts and spreading the word about books. I don't know if i'll get back up to my previous amount of reading and review writing one day or not. I still want to have more of a go at writing fiction myself, but confidence is still an issue. It's nice to see so many other book blogs that I've followed for a few years still going, the community is always growing at the moment with lots of variety and I read about more books than ever, even though my to be read pile is already crazy, it's hard not to add more to it, or at least to the wishlist. 

Anyway, thank you very much to everyone who has supported the blog in any way, and please celebrate with me with a slice of cake and a cuppa.

~~~~~

Books on offer in the big book giveaway...

First prize - the first winner drawn from the hat will win 10 books, selected at random 

Runner-up prizes - three runner-up prizes of 5 books each, selected at random

Late addition - a copy of House of Silence by Linda Gillard also to be won!


A-Z by author, the prize books are:

Beautiful Day by Kate Anthony, signed by the author!

The Secrets Women Keep by Fanny Blake, signed by the author!

The Mistress's Revenge by Tammy Cohen, signed by the author!

Just What Kind of Mother Are You? by Paula Daly, signed by the author!

A Place Called Perfect by Helena Duggan, signed by the author plus a poster designed by the author!

Fearsome Dreamer by Laure Eve, signed by the author!

The Cornish House, and A Cornish Affair by Liz Fenwick, signed by the author!

Kept by Elle Field, signed by the author!

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, a brand new copy of the recent film tie-in edition.

House of Silence by Linda Gillard, signed by the author!

Into the Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes, signed and personalised by the author!

Goodness Grace and Me by Julie Houston, signed by the author!

When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit by Judith Kerr, a preloved copy in nice condition.

Don't Stand So Close by Luana Lewis, signed by the author!

The Visitors by Rebecca Mascull, signed by the author!

Casting the Net by Julie McDowall, signed by the author!

Spirit of Lost Angels by Liza Perrat, signed by the author!

Secrets of the Tides and The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell, signed by the author!

Amity and Sorrow by Peggy Riley, signed by the author!

Brighton Belle by Sara Sheridan, signed by the author!

A Woman's Choice by Annie Thomas, Kindle copy!

Black Roses and The Winter Garden by Jane Thynne, both signed by the author!

The Pimlico Kid by Barry Walsh, signed by the author!

Into the Trees by Robert Williams, signed by the author, with a dedication if preferred!

Revolutionary Road by Richard Yates, a preloved copy in nice condition.
This is one of my all-time favourite novels so it's one I'd love to share the love of!

One Apple Tasted by Josa Young, signed by the author!

~~~~~

How to enter:

Please leave a comment below to enter. 

A HUGE THANK YOU FOR ALL THE ENTRIES. THE GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THE WINNERS WILL BE DRAWN AND CONTACTED ASAP.

UPDATE - CONGRATULATIONS TO WINNERS TERESA M, VICKY T, SAM B and TRACY T!


If you'd like to, please mention which book you'd most like to win. If you are drawn as a winner, although the books will be selected for each winner at random, I will try and allocate you your favourite if possible!

Please note, where an author has offered two books, they are counted as one book for the prize, so if you do win, you could end up with more than 5 or more than 10 books! 

(No need to leave contact details if I already have a way of contacting you - whether twitter, facebook, email, via your blog. Otherwise please let me know a way of contacting you.)

The giveaway ends on Wednesday 2nd April 2014. Winners will be picked at random and contacted, if they don't reply within 48 hours with their choice of prize, a new winner or winners may be selected. The giveaway is open to entrants based in the UK.

Thanks and good luck!

Sophie King - Second Time Lucky - Guest post & Writing competition

Today I am pleased to share an author guest blog post by writer Sophie King, plus news of a romantic fiction short story writing competition!

Guest blog post by Sophie King

AM I THE ONLY ONE to have secrets from my children? I do hope not.....

The other day, my newish husband (who knew me as a friend for thirty years before we married), let slip that I had smoked during my university days.

The effect on my three children was electrifying.

'But you've always told us not to,' spluttered my youngest.

'You said you'd be furious if we tried it,' said the middle one, her eyes narrowing with suspicion at me.

'Why didn't you tell us?' demanded the eldest.

All three nodded vigorously. 'Why didn't you tell us?', they chorused with crestfallen faces.

In vain, did I try to explain that I only smoked for six months and that I haven't had so much of a whiff since (apart from sniffing my eldest son's jacket when he's been out for the evening).

No. It was the fact that I had omitted to tell them that I had done something which I've spent years advising them not to.

Their faith in me had been dented and I felt gutted...

Then I got thinking. How much should we tell our children about our previous lives? Isn't it, after all, our own affair? Not long after the smoking bust-up, I read a problem page letter (don't you just love them?) in which the writer, a grandmother, was deeply distressed because her ten year old grandson had found some revealing pictures of her from her teenage years, hidden in an old shoebox at the back of her wardrobe.

'He'll never see me in the same light again,' she'd wailed. I could almost hear her pain through the page. 'What should I do?'

It was one of those problem pages where readers are invited to write in with their solutions for the next issue so I don't know what was suggested. But I nearly wrote in myself to point out that actually it wasn't the grandson's business. If his gran had had a bit of a wild life in the past, good on her. In fact, if she hadn't, maybe the grandson wouldn't be there now...

Personally, I think we're entitled to some secrets, no matter how old we are. I wouldn't dream of checking anyone's text messages in our family. That, in my book, is as bad as reading your daughter's diary - something that my own mother did when I was 17. As a result, she insisted that I broke up with my then boyfriend. I was made to feel shameful, even though I was, by today's standards, extremely conventional.

Still, it's all good material for my novels. In fact, secrets play a big part in SECOND TIME LUCKY. And no - I can't reveal what they are or they wouldn't be secrets!

What's the biggest secret you've hidden from your children and why? Write to me at sophie@sophieking.info and you could win a prize. Look forward to hearing from you!

Look out for more AM I THE ONLY ONE posts on my blog at http://blog.sophieking.info

About the novel

Second Time Lucky by Sophie King

Second Time Lucky: Another engaging tale of love and life from Sophie King, the bestselling author of The School Run. Meet the residents of Bridgewater House, once a grand stately home, but now converted into apartments which house a host of colourful characters, each with their own desires and secrets.

Louise thought she had everything, then suddenly finds herself as a single mum with an uncertain future. Can she build a new life for her and her children? And has real happiness been right under her nose all along?

Roddy was once the heir to Bridgewater House, but now he's a drunken lord who's fallen on hard times. Can he prove to his ex-wife that he has cleaned up his act, or is he about to risk everything in a desperate scheme to show how much he loves his kids?

Molly is a famous actress, coming to terms with retirement and the recent death of her actor husband Gideon. But dare she tell anyone that Gideon still comes to visit her? And how will she react to some unexpected messages from beyond the grave?

American Marcie always fantasised about marrying an English gentleman, just like one of her Jane Austen heroines. But will two resentful stepchildren, and failed attempts to have a baby of her own, get in the way of her dream happy ending? And what would her husband David make of her secret shame from the past?

As each of these neighbours faces their own challenges, their lives are about to become entwined in ways they never could have expected.

Second Time Lucky – doesn't everyone deserve a second chance? 

Romantic fiction short story competition! 

The Sophie King Prize

This romantic fiction short story competition aims to discover a great new romance short story. The winning story will be chosen by best-selling novelist and short story writer Sophie King.

The competition is free to enter, and is open to both published and unpublished writers worldwide. The winning story will be recorded by a professional actor, and broadcast from a dedicated online audio player. The winner will also receive a pair of Silver-Plated Life Long Champagne Chalices and £50 (approx $79) gift voucher courtesy of www.handpickedcollection.com. One runner up will receive a £25 (approx $39) gift Handpicked Collection voucher.

The Sophie King Prize is now open for entries. Entrants must submit a short story of between 1,500 to 2,500 words with a romantic theme. The submissions deadline is January 10th 2014 and the winner will be announced on February 14th 2014. To enter, go to: www.thesophiekingprize.com

Book Giveaway - Red Winter by Dan Smith

Book news

Red Winter is the new novel from author Dan Smith. It sounds a really good story to me. It is released in the UK on 18th July 2013 and the publisher, Orion Books, has kindly offered 10 copies to giveaway to readers of my blog. Find out more about the book and the writer below, as well as details of how to enter the giveaway and win yourself a copy! 

About the book:

It is 1920, central Russia. The Red Terror tightens its hold. Kolya has deserted his Red Army unit and returns home to bury his brother and reunite with his wife and sons. But he finds the village silent and empty. The men have been massacred in the forest. The women and children have disappeared.

In this remote, rural Russian community the folk tales mothers tell their children by candlelight take on powerful significance and the terrifying legend of Koschei, The Deathless One, begins to feel very real. Kolya sets out on a journey through dense, haunting forests and across vast plains as bitter winter sets in, in the desperate hope he will find his wife and two boys, and find them alive. But there are very dark things in Kolya's past. And, as he strives to find his family, there's someone or something on his trail...

The chilling and sophisticated new thriller from the acclaimed writer of THE CHILD THIEF.

About the author:

Growing up, Dan Smith led three lives. In one he survived the day-to-day humdrum of boarding school, while in another he travelled the world, finding adventure in the padi fields of Asia and the jungles of Brazil. But the third life he lived in a world of his own, making up stories . . . Which is where some people say he still lives most of the time.

Now settled in Newcastle with his wife and two children, Dan writes books to share with both adults and children.

Visit the author's website here and follow him on twitter here @DanSmithAuthor

Giveaway!

There are 10 copies of Red Winter to be won!

To enter, please simply leave a comment below this post, ensuring that I have a way of contacting you if you win (whether that is via twitter, or through your blog, or via email...)

For extra entries:

- follow @LinsHealy on twitter 

- follow @DanSmithAuthor on twitter

- follow this blog via GFC or Bloglovin'

(please let me know in your comment if you follow via any of these ways.)

Also let me know if you would be interested in possibly writing a guest review of this novel for my blog should you win a copy.

Winners will be chosen at random and contacted when the giveaway has closed. Please reply within 48 hours or other winner(s) will be chosen.

This is a giveaway for readers at UK addresses only please.

*****THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED. THANK YOU FOR TAKING PART. WINNERS TO BE ANNOUNCED SOON.*****

Good luck!

Kerry Hudson Blog Tour - Author Guest Post & Competition

I am delighted to welcome author Kerry Hudson to the blog today!

Kerry's debut novel, Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma, was shortlisted for The Guardian First Book Award 2012 and is now published in paperback on July 4th and she is celebrating with a #TonyHoganTour - below is a guest post from Kerry about the amazing past year of her life since publication! There's also a great competition, plus you can read my review of this novel and find out where Kerry is off to next on the tour.

A year after publication, by Kerry Hudson

This time last year I was up until 3am baking 75 cupcakes. They were for the launch of my first novel Tony Hogan Bought Me an Ice-cream Float Before He Stole My Ma. The next day I took those cakes, and my sleep-deprived self, to my local bookshop to read my entire book aloud in one day with the help of friends, family, actors and brave passers by. That evening (it took us eight hours in total, by the end I sounded like Marlon Brando) on my way to a celebratory to dinner in Soho I went into Foyles, saw my book on the shelf and burst into tears. I had no idea what to expect from having a novel published, particularly such a personal one, but seeing it on a shelf in a shop was dream come true enough. 

I genuinely didn't have any expectations but I did have hopes. I hoped people would read it, I didn't expect a lot to, but I hoped at least a few would. I hoped people would understand the characters actions, that they'd see how hard I worked to bring both laughter and honesty to the story. I hoped mothers would pass it to their daughters and vice versa. I hoped I might get to see a review of it in a paper; a nice one so I could show the people who'd supported me. 

In the last twelve months I've travelled to Poland, France, Scotland and umpteen other places to read my work. I have written articles for national newspapers and magazines. I travelled to back Vietnam (where I first wrote Tony Hogan) to finish my second novel and while out there discovered I'd been shortlisted for the Guardian First Book Prize, Green Carnation Prize and Southbank Sky Arts Award and so I got to put on a nice dress and drink some free cocktails at some ceremonies. Tony Hogan was sold to Editions Phillipe Rey in France and then to Penguin in the US. People did buy the book, all sorts of people, and they sent messages saying they laughed and cried, that the book had touched them in some way, that they'd passed it to their sister/mother/daughter/great-grandmother. I got good, thoughtful reviews and got to show them to people who'd been so kind and supportive to me before I'd ever written a line. Best of all, I met incredible, smart, decent, interesting, kind people; I've never met so many lovely people as I have this year.    

I have been very, very lucky and I don't forget it for a moment, I'm still grateful every day. Most of my luck has come from the kindness of others; bloggers who let me talk to their readers (thank you Lindsay!), readers who championed the book and passed it on, an agent and editor who first found it and first loved it. I have been lucky thanks to others.

Almost exactly a year later I am about to make more cupcakes to deliver to hard-working booksellers to celebrate the Tony Hogan paperback. I have finished my second novel Thirst (it's out this time next year – so more baking to be done!) and am working on a one-woman play of Tony Hogan which I  hope to tour around the council estates featured in the book. Many things have changed for me but what hasn't is that every day I sit down all by myself and make things up and I hope to God that I'm writing something worth reading, that it is as good as it can possibly be....and, of course, that my luck holds for a wee while longer.  

Competition!

Want to win a signed copy of Tony Hogan? I'm  trying to put together a Tony Hogan soundtrack. Simply submit your song suggestion to me @kerryswindow on Twitter with the hashtag #tonyhogantune by the end of Monday 8th of July. If your song is one of the ten selected for the soundtrack (and you were the first to suggest it!) I'll send you a signed copy of Tony Hogan. 

Thanks to Kerry for her post and for the great competition!

Links

Amazon | Waterstones | Kerry's website | Kerry on twitter

Review - I reviewed this novel last year - here's a link if you'd like to read my thoughts (I thought it was very good!) 

Follow the #tonyhogantour - here are details of all the stops, the next one is at Writer's Little Helper tomorrow!

The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

The Literary Giveaway Blog Hop  is organised by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog.

The giveaway runs from June 22nd to June 26th 2013 and there are lots of book blogs taking part - check the list lower down this post!

My giveaway is open internationally to countries that The Book Depository delivers free to - check the list here.

The choice of books on offer in my giveaway are:

Journey Into The Past by Stefan Zweig
(read my review)

The Street Sweeper by Elliot Perlman
(read my review)

The Girl who Fell from the Sky by Simon Mawer

(read my review)

The Land of Decoration by Grace McCleen

(read my review)

THIS GIVEAWAY HAS NOW ENDED - please see 27th June post for the winner!

I'd love it if you'd like to leave a comment too, with which book you might like to win, or your thoughts if you've read any of these.

The winner will win their choice of one of the titles listed above, and will be drawn at random and contacted as soon as the giveaway ends. 

If I don't hear from the winner within 48 hours a new winner will be selected. 

Linky List:

Leeswammes Ciska's Book Chest The Book Garden Sam Still Reading Ephemeral Digest Curiosity Killed the Bookworm Rikki's Teleidoscope The Things You Can Read (US) Seaside Book Nook The Relentless Reader (US) Under a Gray Sky Blog Exurbanis Candle Beam Book Blog Booklover Book Reviews Books in the Burbs (US) Babyboomerwrites River City Reading (US) Lakeside Musing (N. America) Read Lately (US) The Book Diva's Reads A Place That Does Not Exist Escape With Dollycas Into A Good Book (US) A corner of the library Roof Beam Reader The Misfortune of Knowing Girl Vs Bookshelf

heavenali Love at First Book The Little Reader Library The Siren's Tale Musings and Ramblings The Readers Realm (US) Lost Generation Reader Readerbuzz Literary Meanderings Book Clutter Bay State Reader's Advisory Love, Laughter, and a Touch of Insanity Nose in a book Audios & More Laurie Here Mythical Books Books in the City