BBC Radio & Books

Last Sunday - 5 February - I was invited to chat to Charlie McArdle on his BBC Radio Jersey show about my live, writing and my books. 

I had a great time talking about my four published Jersey Scene books and telling the listeners a little about A Jersey Sundae, book 5 in the series, and A Jersey Christmas, my first Christmas novel out this December.

I was also chatting about my WW1 historical romance, Broken Faces and why I write under my own name, Deborah Carr, and my pseudonym, Georgina Troy and also why I chose my pseudonym.

There was great feed back from the listeners when I mentioned that I was looking for suggestions of settings for A Jersey Sundae. I had a great time and looking forward to going back on the show again at some point.

If you want to hear me waffle on chat to Charlie, here's the link - I'm about 2hrs 18mins into the show. Happy listening!

Local History Fayre

I was delighted to be asked to give a talk as part of the programme for this year's two day Local History Fayre being held on 27/28 January at the town library here in Jersey. My talk was called, Nowhere to Hide and was about my book Broken Faces and my research behind the book, especially the character who was facially disfigured and became the 'broken face.

The talk went well and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know some of the attendees and answering the questions they put to me. I also enjoyed chatting to some of the librarians who were telling me about a couple of my Georgina Troy books being read for a book club and discussing a couple of local points in the books. It was great fun and I look forward to giving another talk again there soon.

Local History Fayre - Jersey Library

I'm taking a quick break from working on the slides for my talk this coming Friday (27 January) at the town library here in Jersey. 

There are four talks on the Friday and a further five on the Saturday. Among other speakers, there will be 93 year old Ken Trent DFC, who I heard speaking on the radio a few months ago just before our Battle of Britain display. He was fascinating to listen to and I loved hearing him reminisce about WW2 and his part in it. Ian Ronayne, a writer and historian, will also be taking part. I've attended a few of his talks about WW1 history and wish I knew a tenth of what he does about that period in our island's history.

My talk is going to be based on my book, Broken Faces and will be about my 'broken face' in the story, Freddie. It's called, Nowhere to Hide, and I was delighted to be asked to take part. 

I'll be giving my talk on the Friday at 2.30pm and will be the last speaker that day. I can't wait, although no doubt I'll be nervous on the day. 

Right, I'd better get back to preparing my slides and hope that I'm not the only one who turns up at that time. Here's a picture of the piece in the Jersey Evening Post about the History Fayre.

You can get a copy Broken Faces here. 

Broken Faces Makes Being Anne's Books of the Year List 2016

Some days you wake up to incredible news and a couple of days ago I woke to find that I was tagged in an author friend’s Facebook post and discovered that my book, Broken Faces, had been chosen, as well as hers – she’s Nell Peters and her brilliant book is Hostile Witness – to be included in Being Anne’s Books of the Year List for 2016!

Anne is a Top 500 reviewer on Amazon and I was truly honoured and delighted to be in such excellent company, being chosen with 17 others. Here are some of the books below:

In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings

This Must Be The Place by Maggie O’Farrell

The Ballroom by Anna Hope

The Last Days of Leda Grey – Essie Fox

Invisible by Barbara Copperthwaite

Life Class by Gilli Allan

Redemption Song by Laura Wilkinson


What a perfect lead up to the Christmas festivities!

(Thanks to Gary Walker at Look4books for the fabulous festive banner for Broken Faces).

Chatting at Chill with a Book

I was delighted a few weeks ago when Broken Faces was awarded a Chill with a Book Award and today I'm over at the site talking about the story and my inspiration behind my WW1 historical romance, Broken Faces.

Here's the link if you want to visit the site and read all about it.

Pseudonyms and Genres

Sometimes I wish I could stick with writing one genre, and under only one name. However, I'm passionate about the Great War and stories, both heartbreaking and uplifting, from that era, so feel compelled to write historical romances where I can lose myself in the lives of my characters - like Broken Faces, written in my own name, Deborah Carr.

That said, I also enjoy writing contemporary romances, under the pseudonym, Georgina Troy. With both, I love pitching heroes and heroines against each other, coming up with conflicts to make them work hard to eventually have the life they want for themselves, and that I hope will also appeal to the reader. 

Deciding where to set scenes either here in Jersey or in the other location that I've chosen for that particular book is always fun, too, as well as coming up with careers for my hero and heroine that are different and interesting to research for the Jersey Scene books.

Writing a contemporary romance as opposed to an historical novel is quicker for me because I need far less time to research the details I wish to include in the book. Again, though I love the research I've carried out for Broken Faces - how lives were changed dramatically for those young people caught up in the fighting and saving of those around them and the medical advances brought about by enterprising surgeons who wanted to give those with serious facial injuries a chance to move on to a future where they could mix with others without being stared at our feared. Now it's back to the Edwardian era for me as I work on the first draft for the prequel, Beautiful Faces.

Much research can be done online of course, but I also like finding old books in charity sales that I wouldn't otherwise be able to buy that might tell me more about the Edwardian times, for example, or people's thinking about various ways of life. 

I've also written a YA novel, that will probably never see publication and two psychological thrillers that I'm hoping will be published at some point soon. 

Maybe one day I'll stick to writing in only one genre, but I doubt it. After all, I love reading different genre so why not enjoy writing in them too? How about you?

Coming Soon - Beautiful Faces, a Novella

This winter I'll be putting the final touches on to my prequel to Broken Faces, Beautiful Faces.

This novella is the story of the lives leading up to the start of the Great War, it shows a brief insight into Lexi's love for Freddie, while Freddie hides his secret adoration of his best friend Charles's fiance, Lexi. You'll discover their hopes and plans for a future that is cruelly shattered by the war from which none of them will escape unscathed.

The cover is a picture of my paternal grandmother, Mary, who was born in Meerut, India where she lived while her father, one of the 17th 21st Lancers were stationed there. I based Freddie on my great-grandfather, a blonde, handsome cavalryman who went on to fight in the Great War where the lives of cavalrymen was very different to any other battles they'd experienced before. 

I hope you like the novella and hope to publish it in January 2017.

Jersey's WW1 PoW Camp

To celebrate the Jersey Festival of Word - Jersey's second Literary Festival - from Thursday, 29 September to Sunday, 2 October, as well as the end of what turned out to be a pretty decent summer after all, Broken Faces has been reduced to 99p / 99c until 4 October.

Buy here at Amazon

Thank you to everyone who's bought a copy of Broken Faces. If you've already read your copy and enjoyed the book, please could you spare the time to post a quick review on Amazon? Thank you!

Broken Faces is set in WW1 in both Jersey, Shropshire, France and Belgium. It's the story of the hallowed privilege who believed life was always going to be golden. It's also the story of two young men in love with the same woman and of thousands of broken men who returned from the Front with masks over their faces to hide the irreparable damage. These men were expected to live a “normal” life. 

Spanning the 1914-18 war it is ultimately a story of how love can triumph over adversity in the most unexpected of ways.


Here's a picture of the book in front of Jersey's PoW camp from WW1, Les Blanches Blanques and here's a link to discover more and see a few pictures of the camp.

Chill with a Book Award

It's Saturday and apart from meeting up with fab author and person, Karen Clarke at the Waterfront this morning for a writerly catch-up over tea/latte, the only thing I intended doing this weekend was spend as much time as possible with my daughter before she returns to the mainland to enroll at her new uni and get started on her Masters.

You can imagine my delight when I received an email from Pauline Barclay of Chill with a Book site to let me know that readers had read Broken Faces and had given it an award. 

Writing is a long, lonely business spending time in a room focusing on a screen while your fingers tap out the story. Although it has to be said that a lot of the time is spent thinking up conversations with your fictional characters and sometimes chatting to them out-loud and even arguing with them... or is that just me?

To wake up to an award therefore is very special and I have to admit that this Chill with a Book Award made the perfect start to my weekend. 


Broken Faces

Cover Reveal: The Wendy House by Pauline Barclay

I'm delighted to be taking part today in the cover reveal for The Wendy House written by lovely person and wonderful author, Pauline Barclay. Here's more...

When Nicola changes overnight from a bright, happy young child into a sullen, rebellious girl, ceasing to show interest in anything or anyone around her, her parents struggle to understand why. As she develops into a difficult, troubled, hostile teenager they put it down to hormones, believing it will pass. Yet Nicola goes from bad to worse and no matter how much her mother tries to reach out to her, it seems she is hell bent on self-destruction. When she leaves home at seventeen, rushing into the arms of a man ten years her senior and quickly becoming pregnant, her despairing mother almost gives up on her. A decade later, the events that stole Nicola’s childhood and changed the course of her life threaten finally to destroy her. She knows if she is to cling on to her sanity she must tell her mother the dreadful secret she has carried all these years, but her fear that she will be met with disbelief, hostility and branded an evil liar drives her to the edge.

A heart-rending story of betrayal, secrets and gripping fear.

Publication Date: Saturday 3rd September
Genre: Women’s Fiction / Family-Noir

The Wendy House is available in Kindle for pre-order on all Amazon sites including

Amazon co uk

Amazon com

A little about Pauline

I am from Yorkshire, but have lived in several different locations including, Suffolk, Surrey and Holland.  Today, I live on one of the beautiful volcanic islands of the Canary Isles with my husband and our two gorgeous rescue doggies.

Years ago I gained a BA (Hons) degree from the Open University, today I spend my time writing fiction. I have five books published, plus a 20 minute short festive story. 

My passion is to write about events that happen in life and change everything for those involved as well as those caught up in the maelstrom. I want my characters to sit at your side, steal your attention and sweep you up in their story. Stories that will bring tears to your eyes, have you laughing out loud and sometimes, what they share with you, will stay  in your hearts for a very long time.

www.paulinebarclay.co.uk
http://paulinembarclay.blogspot.com
Facebook
Twitter: @paulinembarclay
Instagram: @paulinebarclay

Broken Faces Out in Paperback

The paperback copies of Broken Faces are now available to buy from Amazon and will soon be from Waterstones in Jersey as well as other outlets - to be confirmed soon.

I said that very calmly didn't I? Okay, so you can't hear me, but I typed it calmly despite me being incredibly excited to finally hold a copy of this book in my hand.

When Broken Faces was runner up in the Good Housekeeping Novel Writing Competition several years ago I thought that it would soon be published and 'out there'. That was before I knew better, but now, after a few false starts I can finally cuddle hold my book and smile.

#Happyhappyauthor

An Author's Apprenticeship

I've now written nine books, five of which are published. Out of all of them the one closest to my heart is Broken Faces. As I've mentioned before this book did well in a competition and was the reason my agent signed me. It has culminated in four years of ups (a few) and downs (too many to recall) but that seems to be part of the apprenticeship of being an author. 

Now, though, Broken Faces has been published as an ebook - it will be out in paper back this autumn. It's been given a new cover because the previous one, though historically accurate, didn't show the hope in the book, only the dispair. 

I'm learning about writing, promotion and all things book related as I go along and sometimes, when I spend entire weekends facing a computer screen, I do wonder why I'm not outside enjoying my free time. But when it comes to writing there is no free time. I'm either physically typing at a keyboard, checking information for research, or promoting (which is what I find most difficult). If I'm not doing any of those things then I'm working through plot points in my head. Writing a book seems to take up an awful lot of time each day. Thankfully, for the most part, it's something I thoroughly enjoy doing.

Apart from a reader buying and enjoying a book, the most exciting thing is when they take the time to review it. Today I discovered another five star review for Broken Faces on Amazon US. (The reviews on Amazon UK and Amazon US are not automatically linked). 

This morning I've been designing new postcards to be handed out. Later today I'll go out with my family for a meal where the chatter will be about many things and very little of it book related. 

I've also been updating my www.deborahcarr.org website

Tomorrow I'll sit back down in front of my computer screen and carry on with the next book, a sequel to Broken Faces based during the Occupation of Jersey in WW2.

The Somme - 100 Years Ago Today

100 years ago today at 7.30am it was zero hour.

Tens of thousands of men lost their lives, were permanently maimed and if they survived they not only lost many of their friends who'd fought bravely by their sides but they'd witnessed a carnage that we can only imagine today. The sights, sounds and smells of that day and those that followed is something we're lucky enough never to experience.

Whenever the Great War is commemorated in any way, or when I research that terrible time, I can't help being moved by the thought of those young men and what they went through. 

We will never forget these men.

My research has mainly been with the cavalry as my great-grandfather, Charles Wood, was in the Lancers during the Great War. He survived only to die in 1922 just before Christmas. He'd been in the forces since the turn of the century, so was used to a battle fought on horseback. He fought in the Boer War and India, where my grandmother was born. I don't have a picture of him because when he died my great-grandmother burned them all because he'd left her.

Broken Faces - New Cover

I'm quietly sharing the new cover for Broken Faces. It isn't up on Amazon yet, but will be later today.

Although the original cover for Broken Faces (below) was historically accurate it looked too bleak, there was no colour and it didn’t indicate the romance within the novel.

It’s difficult to create a cover that shows the love, hope and heartbreak within a book based in WW1. This book is ultimately a love story but within that romance there’s a life-changing injury that four friends have to learn to deal with.

WW1 was a dark, difficult time. It changed, as well as ended, many, many lives. I haven’t held back from depicting the horror that some people experienced nor the endurance they needed to survive.

I hope it encapsulates the book better than the previous one did.

Please let me know what you think.

My Shed in the Writers' Forum Mag

Apart from my fabulous day on Saturday attending Rachel Abbott's workshop, last week had been a bit of a draining one. On Friday the assessor confirmed that my car was a write-off - it wasn't new, but I'd only had it three months. On Saturday the dishwasher died and the cooker followed suit on Sunday.

So! It was hugely cheering to discover that my interview about my shed on Phil Barrington's, Where I Write feature in the Writers' Forum magazine had been published in July's edition.

I'm chatting about my book, Broken Faces - soon to be given a new cover, my research and my writing shed.

Needless to say several copies of the magazine have been brought and I've been showing off about this exciting occurrence to all and sundry and probably driving everyone completely barmy with my shares.

It might be Monday, but it's a very happy one for me!

Rachel Abbott's Workshop

On Saturday I was lucky enough to be able to attend a Self-Publishing workshop given by the massively successful author, Rachel Abbott. I've been to a talk with Rachel before and I also love her books, so was very excited to be able to spend 7.5 hours listening to her wisdom about publishing and marketing and have not only written pages and pages of notes that I'll hopefully decipher and type up soon, but have been inspired by everything that she said.

Attending the workshop, arranged by fellow author and past Chair of the Jersey Writers Association, Gwyn Garfield-Bennett, were a range of people. Some had written books and were self-published, or, like me, hybrid authors, others were in the process of writing books, but we all had a great time and learnt a lot.

So, if you ever get a chance to attend one of Rachel's brilliantly informative talks do go along, you'll be glad you did. I know I was. I'm not off to read her new book, Kill Me Again!

When Only Cupcakes Will Do - Cover Reveal

When life gives you lemons, make lemon drizzle cupcakes...

Lucie thought that proposing to her boyfriend in Tiffany’s would be the best day of her life. Until he said no. In just a few seconds, her whole world is turned upside-down! And when she accidentally switches cocoa powder for chilli powder at work, she finds herself out of a job, too…

Baking has always made life better in the past, but can Lucie really bake her way to happiness? Starting her own company, selling cupcakes out of an old ice cream van might just be the second chance that Lucie needs!

Of course, she never expected to find love along the way…

Publication Date: 4 August 2016

To pre-order: amazon.co.uk

Liberation Day & Writing the Sequel

This weekend the Channel Islands celebrate 71 years of freedom from Nazi rule, with Jersey's celebrations being on Monday, 9 May. 

It's a perfect atmosphere for me work on the sequel to Broken Faces, Splintered Lives. This is a story set in Jersey, Shropshire and Paris during the Occupation (Jersey), Battle of Britain (England) and discovering what happened to the protagonists after the war (Paris).

This story is a standalone (as my Jersey Series books are) and is about Freddie, Charles, Lexi and Meri from Broken Faces and how their lives have developed since the Great War and the terrible experiences they had to endure during and after that time. 

It'll also be a year since the Jersey Writers launched their anthology, Once Upon An Island - my story is 'V for Victory'. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Over the weekend and especially on Monday we'll be raising the flags, celebrating at fairs and contemplating what those trapped in Jersey suffered during the Occupation from 30 June 1940 - 9 May 1945.

Right, enough waffling, now I'd better get out to that shed and get editing this WIP. 

Updating the Website

Happy May Day and here's to a sunny *crosses fingers* and fun month of May!

I've been updating my website and adding a little bit about my news - being in Writing Magazine - and adding my writing tips. 

I'm going to be adding more about my research - mainly in Paris - for Broken Faces, which will soon be receiving a new cover, but more about that soon and talking about the discoveries I made in my research, some of which were so surreal I can still hardly believe they happened.

Having a blog and a website and Facebook and Twitter, oh, and Pinterest and Instagram, it's a little difficult to know what to put where and what to repeat, but it's all good fun, most of the time.

Here's the link to my website to one of the pages in case you wish to have a quick visit:  https://deborahcarrblog.wordpress.com/inspiration-behind-the-characters/

Hope you have a wonderful Bank Holiday weekend!

Writing Magazine

Some of you might know that although I write in my own name, Deborah Carr (or D M Carr) and I also write a contemporary romance series, The Jersey Scene, for Accent Press as Georgina Troy . 

I'm delighted to have been interviewed as me (Deborah Carr) for the May edition of Writing Magazine for a new column, 'I Wish I'd Known...'

I'll be talking about my fear and a little about my historical romance, (as Deborah Carr), Broken Faces, as well as writing for Accent Press as Georgina Troy for my Jersey Scene Series - A Jersey Dreamboat (book 3 is out now) and A Jersey Bombshell (book 4) is being edited for publication in June/July.

If you subscribe to the magazine and read the piece please let me know what you think.