Laura Wilkinson's Blog
April 3, 2014
Imagine your audience naked and other advice
Today, I spoke on two radio shows about my coal and cake novel, Public Battles, Private Wars: on BBC Radio Leeds with Wes Butters and with Jeni Barnett on BBC Radio Sussex. Prior to this I had appeared on radio only once before to speak about my writing, and so despite chanting ‘I’m not nervous, I’m not’, I was. To quell the building heebies, I sent out a plea on Twitter and Facebook and true to form my wonderful friends, followers and supporters threw back a ruck of brilliant advice, which I’ll share here for any of you who might have to appear on radio or television to talk books. Most will apply to telly, though you might have to take more care about your appearance.
Before that I’d like to say, briefly, how much I enjoyed both interviews. I didn’t swear, I didn’t burp or make any totally stupid noises. I messed up a couple of times (you can find out how later if you fancy listening to the links below), but, you know what, it didn’t matter. The presenters were super lovely and skilled at putting me at my ease. Radio Sussex was easier. Perhaps because I had Leeds as a ‘warm up ‘ and perhaps because it was face to face with the gorgeous Jeni Barnett. Also, it was fab not having to worry about my slutty, chipped nail varnish and washed but unbrushed hair. I love the intimacy of radio, the feeling of a one-on-one chat. It’s a bit like a book in that way.
Anyway, here’s some of the best advice I received:
Imagine your audience are naked (Jess Davies)
Do the interview naked (Helen Wilkinson) - only recommended for telephone interviews from the comfort of your own home
Smile as you talk (Mark Radcliffe)
Don’t drink Coke or Tab or anything fizzy (Gill Hoffs)
Take your time when speaking (I forget – sorry)
Get a list of questions if you can (John Eliot)
Don’t focus too much on your book – engage with the conversation (Mark Radcliffe)
Relax (Mark Radcliffe)
And here are the listen again links:
Radio Leeds listen again – 1 hour, 34 seconds in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01td4dh
Radio Sussex listen again – 2 hours, 17 seconds in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01vqq25
Before that I’d like to say, briefly, how much I enjoyed both interviews. I didn’t swear, I didn’t burp or make any totally stupid noises. I messed up a couple of times (you can find out how later if you fancy listening to the links below), but, you know what, it didn’t matter. The presenters were super lovely and skilled at putting me at my ease. Radio Sussex was easier. Perhaps because I had Leeds as a ‘warm up ‘ and perhaps because it was face to face with the gorgeous Jeni Barnett. Also, it was fab not having to worry about my slutty, chipped nail varnish and washed but unbrushed hair. I love the intimacy of radio, the feeling of a one-on-one chat. It’s a bit like a book in that way.
Anyway, here’s some of the best advice I received:
Imagine your audience are naked (Jess Davies)
Do the interview naked (Helen Wilkinson) - only recommended for telephone interviews from the comfort of your own home
Smile as you talk (Mark Radcliffe)
Don’t drink Coke or Tab or anything fizzy (Gill Hoffs)
Take your time when speaking (I forget – sorry)
Get a list of questions if you can (John Eliot)
Don’t focus too much on your book – engage with the conversation (Mark Radcliffe)
Relax (Mark Radcliffe)
And here are the listen again links:
Radio Leeds listen again – 1 hour, 34 seconds in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01td4dh
Radio Sussex listen again – 2 hours, 17 seconds in: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01vqq25
March 17, 2014
Post Punk and beyond: 80s, the decade style forgot?
The 1980s … the era style bypassed … close your eyes and what do you see, hear, smell, feel?
Here’s my 80s smorgasbord. Many appear in Public Battles, Private Wars.
People: Madonna, Princess Diana, Mrs Thatcher, Paula Yates, Debbie Harry, Reagan, Arthur Scargill, Bruce Kent, Tony Benn, Michael Foot, miners, steelworkers…
Fashion: pixie boots, frilly white shirts, huge shoulder pads, terrible perms, flicked fringes, men in make-up…
Sounds: Heaven 17, Human League, Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson, The The, Yazoo, The Specials, The Pretenders, Blondie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, B52s…
Places: Manchester, Corfu, Grantham, Yorkshire, Wales, Docklands, Dallas…
Smell and taste: Quiche Lorraine, Dubonnet, Grolsch, snakebites, Vol au Vents, Lasagne, Chilli, Prawn Cocktail, Arctic Roll, Pot Noodle, Findus crispy pancakes, Perrier, Revlon Charlie Red, Calvin Klein’s Obsession, Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium, Brut…
Film & Telly: Dance with a Stranger, Dallas, Back to the Future, Blade Runner, Trading Places, The Breakfast Club, The Tube, The Color of Money, Cagney and Lacey, The Love Boat, Tiswas, Worzel Gummidge, Grange Hill, Boys from the Blackstuff, Bread…
Here’s a picture of me in 1984, looking tanned (it was taken in Greece) and grumpy. Please feel free to share yours, and if you like Pinterest, I’ve an 80s board there too. Happy memories!
Here’s my 80s smorgasbord. Many appear in Public Battles, Private Wars.
People: Madonna, Princess Diana, Mrs Thatcher, Paula Yates, Debbie Harry, Reagan, Arthur Scargill, Bruce Kent, Tony Benn, Michael Foot, miners, steelworkers…
Fashion: pixie boots, frilly white shirts, huge shoulder pads, terrible perms, flicked fringes, men in make-up…
Sounds: Heaven 17, Human League, Bowie, Prince, Michael Jackson, The The, Yazoo, The Specials, The Pretenders, Blondie, Frankie Goes to Hollywood, B52s…
Places: Manchester, Corfu, Grantham, Yorkshire, Wales, Docklands, Dallas…
Smell and taste: Quiche Lorraine, Dubonnet, Grolsch, snakebites, Vol au Vents, Lasagne, Chilli, Prawn Cocktail, Arctic Roll, Pot Noodle, Findus crispy pancakes, Perrier, Revlon Charlie Red, Calvin Klein’s Obsession, Yves Saint Laurent’s Opium, Brut…
Film & Telly: Dance with a Stranger, Dallas, Back to the Future, Blade Runner, Trading Places, The Breakfast Club, The Tube, The Color of Money, Cagney and Lacey, The Love Boat, Tiswas, Worzel Gummidge, Grange Hill, Boys from the Blackstuff, Bread…
Here’s a picture of me in 1984, looking tanned (it was taken in Greece) and grumpy. Please feel free to share yours, and if you like Pinterest, I’ve an 80s board there too. Happy memories!
December 10, 2013
Blissemas Time, Mistletoe & Wine
I’m chuffed to bits to be part of the winter wonderful Blissemas promotion. To be in with a chance of winning an amazing prize of your choice – including an e-Reader - write a comment on the blogs you visit. They’re all worth a peep. Here’s the link to the Blissemas site: mylink text for the rules and the participating bloggers. And here's the link to mine if you'd like to take part in the Erotic Enchants party too: http://lcwilkinson.co.uk. If you’ve missed any of the blogs so far you can go back and visit. The winner will be announced on 21 Dec. Good Luck!
Here are some thoughts of mine on this special time of year…
Christmas is an intrinsically romantic time of year. Whose cockles aren’t warmed by the sight of glittering fairy lights, roaring fires, flushed-from-the-cold cheeks wrapped in fur hoods, stars in a midnight blue sky? And then there’s the mistletoe hanging from door frames and lampshades, olive green leaves slick, white berries close to bursting. The thought of it all is enough to set my pulse racing.
If pushed, I’d describe myself as a summer person; I love heat, sunshine on bare flesh, swimming in turquoise seas, the scent of coconut oil. But when December comes round I find myself swept away by the warmth and romanticism of the festive period. It’s a time of love in myriad forms. It’s a time of indulgence – and as a greedy person this comes easily to me – and an opportunity to treat all of our senses. Fake fur and feathers beneath fingertips, the scent of cinnamon, orange peel and cloves in the air, the sound of a choir, the sight of a loved one opening a gift on Christmas morning. It’s a time to keep warm sharing some body heat with a sexy lover(s), cocoon ourselves from the real world of work and bills and pressure.
Good Christmases, like fantastic sex, are seared onto memory, to be enjoyed over and over. I will never forget a Christmas in Manhattan: skating at the Rockefeller centre with my lover, the joy of clutching onto one another for dear life as more proficient skaters whizzed by, kissing under the dazzling lights of Times Square, the view of the island from the helicopter at midnight. Or the bitterly cold Christmas in Northumberland when we walked along the beach beneath the shadow of Castle Bamburgh. Or the stroll through a deserted city of London to St Paul’s one Christmas eve, the obelisks of the financial centre huddled around us like monks.
Summertime may mean frolicking in the surf with barely anything on, but what’s not to like about the heat of a lover’s body protecting you from the chill? Or the brush of warm lips against a cold cheek, mouth, neck, ear? One of the most romantic weddings I went to was that of a friend who was married on a small Scottish island at Christmas. The ceremony took place at dusk and the bride made her way to a mistletoe decked church up a candle lit pathway wrapped in cream fur. Jeez, they were one sexy pair.
For the singletons Christmas is party season. It offers a chance to don a sparkly number, skyscraper heels and approach that hot bloke in marketing. Or vice-versa. A lingering snog by the photocopier might be the best present you give.
And though we enjoy few white Christmases in England the promise of one is also dreamy. Hell, snow itself is romantic – it transforms the ordinary, the everyday, into something magical and it is this transformative quality that it shares with love. When we’re in love we see the world in a new light – a world bathed in a honey-coloured glow. We are better people when we love. When we make love.
So, forget all the commercialism, the cheesy ads and the thought of the pounds that will need shedding in January and indulge.
Here’s to a very loving Christmas sex-pots!
L.C. x
Here are some thoughts of mine on this special time of year…
Christmas is an intrinsically romantic time of year. Whose cockles aren’t warmed by the sight of glittering fairy lights, roaring fires, flushed-from-the-cold cheeks wrapped in fur hoods, stars in a midnight blue sky? And then there’s the mistletoe hanging from door frames and lampshades, olive green leaves slick, white berries close to bursting. The thought of it all is enough to set my pulse racing.
If pushed, I’d describe myself as a summer person; I love heat, sunshine on bare flesh, swimming in turquoise seas, the scent of coconut oil. But when December comes round I find myself swept away by the warmth and romanticism of the festive period. It’s a time of love in myriad forms. It’s a time of indulgence – and as a greedy person this comes easily to me – and an opportunity to treat all of our senses. Fake fur and feathers beneath fingertips, the scent of cinnamon, orange peel and cloves in the air, the sound of a choir, the sight of a loved one opening a gift on Christmas morning. It’s a time to keep warm sharing some body heat with a sexy lover(s), cocoon ourselves from the real world of work and bills and pressure.
Good Christmases, like fantastic sex, are seared onto memory, to be enjoyed over and over. I will never forget a Christmas in Manhattan: skating at the Rockefeller centre with my lover, the joy of clutching onto one another for dear life as more proficient skaters whizzed by, kissing under the dazzling lights of Times Square, the view of the island from the helicopter at midnight. Or the bitterly cold Christmas in Northumberland when we walked along the beach beneath the shadow of Castle Bamburgh. Or the stroll through a deserted city of London to St Paul’s one Christmas eve, the obelisks of the financial centre huddled around us like monks.
Summertime may mean frolicking in the surf with barely anything on, but what’s not to like about the heat of a lover’s body protecting you from the chill? Or the brush of warm lips against a cold cheek, mouth, neck, ear? One of the most romantic weddings I went to was that of a friend who was married on a small Scottish island at Christmas. The ceremony took place at dusk and the bride made her way to a mistletoe decked church up a candle lit pathway wrapped in cream fur. Jeez, they were one sexy pair.
For the singletons Christmas is party season. It offers a chance to don a sparkly number, skyscraper heels and approach that hot bloke in marketing. Or vice-versa. A lingering snog by the photocopier might be the best present you give.
And though we enjoy few white Christmases in England the promise of one is also dreamy. Hell, snow itself is romantic – it transforms the ordinary, the everyday, into something magical and it is this transformative quality that it shares with love. When we’re in love we see the world in a new light – a world bathed in a honey-coloured glow. We are better people when we love. When we make love.
So, forget all the commercialism, the cheesy ads and the thought of the pounds that will need shedding in January and indulge.
Here’s to a very loving Christmas sex-pots!
L.C. x
October 31, 2013
My First Erotica
Yesterday I was in Tobacco Dock, London for my very first Erotica Show, and while I didn’t sell a shed load of books (none, in fact) I did have a brilliant time. I met lots of wonderful fellow erotica and erotic romance authors; there were plenty of stalls and performances and demonstrations to keep me amused and excited, and most importantly I learnt a valuable lesson.
The book stall was set up and principally run (with help from lots of authors) by the ever-entrepreneurial Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse, and hats off to them both for getting this together. I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to thank them for this, because without it we won’t have had the opportunity to meet our audience, read to them and chat with them. Big, fat thanks, ladies.
What was the lesson I learnt? That I should trust my hunches and that I understand more about this market than I thought. My first erotic romance, All of Me, is precisely that: erotic romance, the soft end of the market, if you’ll pardon the awful pun (my mum laughed like a drain when I said this to her) and as such not the sort of book the bulk of the Erotica audience were looking for. There’s plenty of sex in it, but it doesn’t touch on kinky territory – there’s a bit of that in the sequel that I’m writing at the moment! I say to potential readers that if they’ve enjoyed Grace Marshall’s Executive Decisions or Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street then they might enjoy mine. The most popular books were those involving a strong element of BDSM, like those by the fabulous Kay Jaybee and Kristina Lloyd, and series seemed to do well too, like the Executive Decisions trilogy by the equally fab Grace Marshall, aka KD Grace. All in all there were plenty of books sold, just not mine.
Any regrets? None at all. For the price of a train ticket to London (less than £20) I had a fantastic day out, gave out lots of postcards (so I guess there’s a chance some may buy later…) and had some inspirational chats with some gorgeous women. A bargain!
Here are links to some of the other authors’ present sites:
Ashe Barker
Aoife Brennan
Toni Sands
All Of Me
The book stall was set up and principally run (with help from lots of authors) by the ever-entrepreneurial Lucy Felthouse and Victoria Blisse, and hats off to them both for getting this together. I’m sure I’m not alone in wanting to thank them for this, because without it we won’t have had the opportunity to meet our audience, read to them and chat with them. Big, fat thanks, ladies.
What was the lesson I learnt? That I should trust my hunches and that I understand more about this market than I thought. My first erotic romance, All of Me, is precisely that: erotic romance, the soft end of the market, if you’ll pardon the awful pun (my mum laughed like a drain when I said this to her) and as such not the sort of book the bulk of the Erotica audience were looking for. There’s plenty of sex in it, but it doesn’t touch on kinky territory – there’s a bit of that in the sequel that I’m writing at the moment! I say to potential readers that if they’ve enjoyed Grace Marshall’s Executive Decisions or Samantha Young’s On Dublin Street then they might enjoy mine. The most popular books were those involving a strong element of BDSM, like those by the fabulous Kay Jaybee and Kristina Lloyd, and series seemed to do well too, like the Executive Decisions trilogy by the equally fab Grace Marshall, aka KD Grace. All in all there were plenty of books sold, just not mine.
Any regrets? None at all. For the price of a train ticket to London (less than £20) I had a fantastic day out, gave out lots of postcards (so I guess there’s a chance some may buy later…) and had some inspirational chats with some gorgeous women. A bargain!
Here are links to some of the other authors’ present sites:
Ashe Barker
Aoife Brennan
Toni Sands
All Of Me
September 22, 2013
100th Sunday Snog
As a newbie to the erotic romance genre, I’m thrilled to be taking part in Victoria Blisse’s biggest ever Sunday Snog. It’s the 100th anniversary and so 100 authors are sharing a fabulous snog on their blog, encouraging readers to donate to fantastic charity Médecins Sans Frontières and have a stab at winning a prize. What’s not to like!
Everyone who comments on this blog will have their name added to the hat from which I’ll draw a winner on Friday 27th. The prize is a copy – e-book or paperback – of my debut erotic romance, All of Me. Good luck, and enjoy the kisses. Here’s mine from All of Me. My leads, Flick, an actress nudging 40 (38), and Orlando, a 23-year-old businessman, have met for the second time; at the after-show party of a play that Orlando’s father is directing and Flick is starring in. This is a tease; things get hotter and hotter thereafter!
We were alone, the other drinkers had left, gone inside, finding the night air too cool for comfort. Orlando stood. We faced each other. The temperature of my blood rose another degree or four. Without taking my eyes from his, I stepped forward so that our bodies almost touched and said, ‘You’ve done this before, haven’t you? Tried to seduce an older woman.’
His brows arched, a lopsided smile formed. ‘As it happens, I haven’t. You’re my first.’
‘I could be your mother. Almost.’
‘You’re nothing like my mother.’
We were so close I could feel the heat of his body, smell his sweet breath, the nutty scent of his skin. Every muscle in my body tensed, my lips quivered, my breathing grew shallow.
‘You’re very… tall,’ I whispered.
‘So are you.’ He tipped forward; our noses touched, an Inuit kiss. ‘I hardly have to bend at all.’ And his lips brushed mine as he formed the words. ‘To kiss you.’ And with that he pressed his mouth onto my parted, wetted lips.
To donate to Médecins Sans Frontières please click here.
To read some more hot kisses click here.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a worldwide movement. They deliver medical aid to the people who need it most, wherever they are. We’re hoping to make at least 100 pounds to contribute to their work. Here’s to many snogs and many donations which will help to make this world a better place.
All Of Me
Everyone who comments on this blog will have their name added to the hat from which I’ll draw a winner on Friday 27th. The prize is a copy – e-book or paperback – of my debut erotic romance, All of Me. Good luck, and enjoy the kisses. Here’s mine from All of Me. My leads, Flick, an actress nudging 40 (38), and Orlando, a 23-year-old businessman, have met for the second time; at the after-show party of a play that Orlando’s father is directing and Flick is starring in. This is a tease; things get hotter and hotter thereafter!
We were alone, the other drinkers had left, gone inside, finding the night air too cool for comfort. Orlando stood. We faced each other. The temperature of my blood rose another degree or four. Without taking my eyes from his, I stepped forward so that our bodies almost touched and said, ‘You’ve done this before, haven’t you? Tried to seduce an older woman.’
His brows arched, a lopsided smile formed. ‘As it happens, I haven’t. You’re my first.’
‘I could be your mother. Almost.’
‘You’re nothing like my mother.’
We were so close I could feel the heat of his body, smell his sweet breath, the nutty scent of his skin. Every muscle in my body tensed, my lips quivered, my breathing grew shallow.
‘You’re very… tall,’ I whispered.
‘So are you.’ He tipped forward; our noses touched, an Inuit kiss. ‘I hardly have to bend at all.’ And his lips brushed mine as he formed the words. ‘To kiss you.’ And with that he pressed his mouth onto my parted, wetted lips.
To donate to Médecins Sans Frontières please click here.
To read some more hot kisses click here.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is a worldwide movement. They deliver medical aid to the people who need it most, wherever they are. We’re hoping to make at least 100 pounds to contribute to their work. Here’s to many snogs and many donations which will help to make this world a better place.
All Of Me
August 30, 2013
Blog Hop
Over two weeks, beginning on Monday, I’ll be popping up on blogs all over the place talking about my erotic novel, All of Me, writing, reading and other likes and dislikes. Do come along for the ride; it should be fun. Many thanks to the generous and supportive hosts for having me.
Here’s the tour schedule:
Monday 2nd September Book Reviews and More by Kathy
Tuesday 3rd September Annabeth Leong
Wednesday 4th September Romance in the Highlands
Thursday 5th September Reader’s Edyn
Friday 6th September Adriana Kraft
Monday 9th September K D Grace blog
Tuesday 10th September Elizabeth Coldwell
Wednesday 11th September Xcite Books
Thursday 12th September Kay Jaybee
See you there - hopefully!
Here’s the tour schedule:
Monday 2nd September Book Reviews and More by Kathy
Tuesday 3rd September Annabeth Leong
Wednesday 4th September Romance in the Highlands
Thursday 5th September Reader’s Edyn
Friday 6th September Adriana Kraft
Monday 9th September K D Grace blog
Tuesday 10th September Elizabeth Coldwell
Wednesday 11th September Xcite Books
Thursday 12th September Kay Jaybee
See you there - hopefully!
July 26, 2013
Guest blogging
To celebrate the publication of All of Me - and to spread the word - over the coming month and a bit I’ll be popping up in all sorts of writerly:readerly places.
I’m starting today over on the blog of the powerhouse that is Lucy Felthouse. If you’ve not read any of Lucy’s works I recommend that you do, and do take a peek at her blog and subscribe to the feed. There are all sorts of fascinating and illuminating articles there, and I’m not just talking about my piece.
Here’s the link: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/guest-blog...
Do come over and chat.
All Of Me
I’m starting today over on the blog of the powerhouse that is Lucy Felthouse. If you’ve not read any of Lucy’s works I recommend that you do, and do take a peek at her blog and subscribe to the feed. There are all sorts of fascinating and illuminating articles there, and I’m not just talking about my piece.
Here’s the link: http://lucyfelthouse.co.uk/guest-blog...
Do come over and chat.
All Of Me
July 18, 2013
Publication Day!
The champagne is on ice (it’s a bit early, even for me) ready for a small gathering of friends and family this evening. Why? Because it’s official publication day for my erotic romance, All of Me, today.
It is my first romance for Xcite, though not my first publication, and I am thrilled and nervous. Thrilled because I’m proud of it and absolutely delighted to join such a fabulous group of authors in the Xcite house, and nervous because, well, we always are, aren’t we, when we send our loved ones out there into the big wide world?
Flick and Orlando are still very close to me and I hope that people fall in love with them and their story. But it’s time for me to let go and for readers to take ownership. As is so often the case the e-book has been available for about a week and the paperback has been available to pre-order for longer, but as of now it’s well and truly out there. Good luck, Flick and Orlando. And it’s arrivederci not goodbye… I start work on a sequel soon.
Here’s a little bit about the book:
Actress Flick Burrow’s career is in the doldrums. Dumped by long-term boyfriend at the altar and nudging forty she escapes to Italy touring with a theatrical company. Orlando Locatelli is a successful businessman. He’s rich, clever and drop-dead gorgeous. When the two meet, the attraction is instant. But Orlando is 15 years Flick’s junior; he’s the controlling director’s son; his stepmother is possessive and destructive. He’s trouble and he’s determined to have her. Sparks fly when a tour romance turns into something altogether more dangerous, threatening to reveal pasts, and desires, both lovers are keen to bury.
All Of Me
It is my first romance for Xcite, though not my first publication, and I am thrilled and nervous. Thrilled because I’m proud of it and absolutely delighted to join such a fabulous group of authors in the Xcite house, and nervous because, well, we always are, aren’t we, when we send our loved ones out there into the big wide world?
Flick and Orlando are still very close to me and I hope that people fall in love with them and their story. But it’s time for me to let go and for readers to take ownership. As is so often the case the e-book has been available for about a week and the paperback has been available to pre-order for longer, but as of now it’s well and truly out there. Good luck, Flick and Orlando. And it’s arrivederci not goodbye… I start work on a sequel soon.
Here’s a little bit about the book:
Actress Flick Burrow’s career is in the doldrums. Dumped by long-term boyfriend at the altar and nudging forty she escapes to Italy touring with a theatrical company. Orlando Locatelli is a successful businessman. He’s rich, clever and drop-dead gorgeous. When the two meet, the attraction is instant. But Orlando is 15 years Flick’s junior; he’s the controlling director’s son; his stepmother is possessive and destructive. He’s trouble and he’s determined to have her. Sparks fly when a tour romance turns into something altogether more dangerous, threatening to reveal pasts, and desires, both lovers are keen to bury.
All Of Me
