Women writing women is a blend of genres. That’s what you’ll get in the Ouside The Box Anthology!

Come on in and discover some books and meet some authors. You may recognize some and find some new ones.

And don’t forget to enter the amazing giveaway!

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(publication date February 21)

 
Seven authors, all with impeccable writing credentials, present their anthology called OUTSIDE THE BOX: Women Writing Women.

We’ve each proved our worth with awards, fellowships, teaching posts and commercial success. We’ve all self-published to keep our hard-earned independence and our artistic identity. Now we’re teaming up for an ebook collection of our full-length fiction featuring a diverse collection of unlikely heroines. There’s no one genre. Each novel is a character-led page-turner.

We want to prove that fine, original writers are creating work of value and quality. And we want to entertain you.

The anthology will be available for 90 days from February 21, 2015.

Follow the tour every day to read what each of these great writers has to say about writing and so much more.

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BLUE MERCY by Orna Ross

The book: Mercy stands accused of killing her elderly and tyrannical father. Now, at the end of her life, she needs Star, the daughter she fought to protect, to know what really happened that fateful night in 1989.

The author: Orna Ross writes novels, poems and the Go Creative! book series. The Bookseller calls her “one of the 100 most influential people in publishing” for her work with The Alliance of Independent Authors.

*****

CRAZY FOR TRYING by Joni Rodgers

The book: A regional bestseller short-listed for the Barnes & Noble Discover Award. In the 1970s, a troubled young woman heads west to create a new identity and shake off the burden of her mother’s radical past, but love and loneliness take her life in an unexpected direction.

The author: Joni Rogers hit the New York Times bestseller list with her cancer memoir Bald in the Land of Big Hair. She is also ghost-writer of numerous other bestsellers and founder of the League of Extraordinary Authors. Joni lives in Houston, Texas.

*****

MY MEMORIES OF A FUTURE LIFE by Roz Morris

The book: In this work of literary fiction, a brilliant pianist’s career is ended by injury. She turns to a mysterious healer and faces the possibility that her life is someone else’s past incarnation.

The author: Roz Morris earned her spurs as a ghost-writer, selling more than four million books writing the novels of other people. She is a writers’ mentor and a radio show host, and she teaches writing masterclasses for The Guardian newspaper.

*****

THE CENTAURESS by Kathleen Jones

The book: Bereaved biographer Alex Forbes goes to war-ravaged Croatia to research the life of a celebrity artist and finds herself at the centre of a family conflict after she uncovers a mutilated photograph, stolen letters and a story of indeterminate gender, passion and betrayal.

The author: Kathleen Jones lives in Italy and is a Royal Literary Fund Fellow.  She is best known for her award-winning biographies, and has also written extensively for the BBC.

*****

AN UNCHOREOGRAPHED LIFE by Jane Davis

The book: Alison gave up the chance to be a prima ballerina when she became pregnant and turned to prostitution to provide for her child, but the tempting hope of a better life may come at a terrible price.

The author: Jane Davis won the Daily Mail Award for her first novel, which secured her a publishing contract. She has now gone on to self-publish four other novels and isn’t afraid to tackle the trickiest of subjects.

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ONE NIGHT AT THE JACARANDA by Carol Cooper

The book: Diagnosed with cancer, Sanjay has no time to waste. Laure is a successful lawyer, Harriet is a struggling freelance writer, and Karen is a single mother of four. Before they can find a soul-mate, they each need to confront who they really are.

The author: Carol Cooper is a London-based journalist and award-winning non-fiction author. Her debut novel was a finalist in the Indie Excellence Awards 2014. In her spare time she’s a doctor.

*****

WHITE LADY by Jessica Bell

The book: Sonia, unfaithful wife of a Melbourne drug lord, yearns for sharp objects and blood. But now that she’s rehabilitating herself as a “normal” mother and maths teacher, it’s time to stop dreaming about slicing people’s throats. Easier said than done.

The author: Jessica Bell is an Australian novelist, poet, singer/ songwriter /guitarist who lives in Athens, Greece. She is Publishing Editor of Vine Leaves Literary Journal and author of the bestselling Writing in a Nutshell series.

*****

Some of the authors have answered a few questions

Does music play a big part in your fiction?

Carol Cooper:

Music has a lot to do with how I began writing. When I was at university, I wrote music reviews, which meant I got into some of the best gigs. I wish I’d kept some of those amazing 70s posters! These days music isn’t always playing while I write, but I sometimes need it to get into the right frame of mind to face a blank page. For me, The Beatles are creative Viagra.

Excerpt from One Night at the Jacaranda by Carol Cooper

Simon used to read her articles with interest. Back then she’d also jot down the humorous things he said, sometimes weaving them into her features. Until she realized they weren’t witty epigrams but actually snide comments at someone else’s expense. At what point had he stopped being just a music critic and branched out into criticising everything?

Tonight they ended up having sex because he wanted it. She was curious to know if it was as good as it used to be, which was stupid, because that was impossible. It never would be again.

Years ago, Harriet would go with him on the foreign jaunts he made to discover new music and find old instruments. These were trips when they couldn’t wait to get back to their hotel room, lift, wherever. She would sit waiting for him in some dusty café under a wide-brimmed hat, pretending to write as she sipped an over-priced Fanta. In reality she was rewinding the last tape of their love-making in all its knee-trembling, pelvic-clenching glory, complete with the after-burn in her lower belly that would last hours but was totally worth it.

Tonight, she also hoped that sex might put him in a good mood. But all that was a lot to ask of a simple and, to be honest, wholly perfunctory fuck. She moved her hips for a couple of minutes, building up to a crescendo when she half-heartedly faked a climax. It did at least make him roll off and fall asleep. Even Simon found it hard being supercilious during slow-wave sleep.

Harriet got up to brush her teeth. Two and a half years. That was all. No love could last beyond two and a half years. It was a scientific fact. She had read it somewhere. That was because the phenomenon called love was just a hormone storm. It took two and a half years to pass. Afterwards there might be calm, acceptance, affection, or maybe indifference. Then again, it could leave massive damage. Like Hurricane Katrina.

Jessica Bell

Music and writing definitely feed off one another. There is a slight boundary separating the two, however, regarding my own emotional satisfaction when writing music vs. literature. I’ve always said that writing is my oxygen and music is my carbon dioxide. I need them both in the air I breathe, but with music, I’m happy to breathe it out again. Once I get my fix, I can manage without it for weeks. But with writing, I need it all the time to feel emotionally fulfilled. I think this is because writing gives me a high, but music, for some reason, makes me feel quite melancholic. I don’t consider that melancholy as negative energy, though, as I’m usually inspired by it to write!

Excerpt from White Lady by Jessica Bell (about 140 words)

The road is cold and rough against my left cheek—the white reflection of the moon ripples in the pool of blood between me and Dad.

I blink, wince at a sharp pain in my thigh. I touch it with my right hand. It’s wet, warm—a moist memory.

“Dad?” I whisper.

His eyelids flutter.

“Nash.” I whisper a little louder, hoping he’ll respond to his name instead. He remains still, silent, skeletal. I try to reach for him, but my left arm won’t move. I’m not sure if I can even feel it.

Behind me, slow movement shifts the air. Someone curses under their breath and kicks a rock. It tumbles, rolls to a halt in the distance.

Gentle footsteps approach from behind. Someone sniffs, groans, and clears their throat; another voice whimpers.

A switchblade flicks open. The sound hovers in the air …

OUTSIDE THE BOX: Women Writing Women (February 20, 2015 for 90 days) £7.99/$9.99 from Amazon, Nook, iBooks, Kobo and more. More information on www.womenwritewomen.com.

https://www.facebook.com/womenwritewomen

AMAZON UK / AMAZON.COM

FOLLOW THE PROGRESS OF THE TOUR TO READ SOME FANTASTIC POSTS BY THIS SUPER GROUP OF WRITERS

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1st Prize: Brand new Kindle pre-loaded with the book

10 runners up prizes: A Digital swag bag

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