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The Romance Reviews party
Jan. 18th, 2016 08:04 pmThey're throwing another epic one in February with lots of stuff to be won, including a copy of All That Jazz from me.
Flash sale of MLR books at ARE
Dec. 10th, 2015 11:21 amToday only there's 25% off all my MLR titles (and other authors') at All Romance Ebooks. Fancy a cut price All that Jazz , Angel in the Window or any of the others? Then be quick.
New Year Kisses Party - Francis and Tommy
Jan. 1st, 2014 06:18 pmPlenty of chances to win over at the New Year's Kisses Party. My kiss featured today. Or should I say Francis and Tommy's, from All That Jazz?
I have discovered the cure for migraine!
Feb. 2nd, 2011 09:36 pmA great lump of metal through your tyre (your only just replaced a week ago tyre). Having to put your spare on by the side of the road. Cured the migraine but I'm not sure I want to repeat it. No sympathy, please - am being Dunkirk spirit about it.
In other news, some good results for GLBT review sites over at the Preditors and Editors poll, and both Lessons in Trust and All That Jazz ended up just outside the top ten in their category.
In other news, some good results for GLBT review sites over at the Preditors and Editors poll, and both Lessons in Trust and All That Jazz ended up just outside the top ten in their category.
All That Jazz now available in e-book
Dec. 5th, 2010 12:49 pmFrancis Yardley may be the high kicking - and cross-dressing - star of an all-male version of Chicago, but he "can't do it alone". Bitter and on the booze after the breakdown of a relationship, he thinks that the chance for true love has passed him by.
A handsome, shy rugby player called Tommy seems to be the answer to his problems, but Tommy doesn't like the lipstick and lace. Can they find a way forward and is there still a chance for happiness "nowadays"?
You can buy it here.
A handsome, shy rugby player called Tommy seems to be the answer to his problems, but Tommy doesn't like the lipstick and lace. Can they find a way forward and is there still a chance for happiness "nowadays"?
You can buy it here.
Newsletter twenty-one
Nov. 26th, 2010 01:19 pmSnow imminent. Probably we’ll get a centimetre (half an inch) and the whole of the south of England will grind to a halt. Last time we had a substantial fall (which froze over and did make life difficult) we got invaded by teenagers making snow angles and snow men, and had a ‘blind’ snowball fight with the neighbours over the laurel hedge. Do not shout out “Hey!” in these circumstances. Makes you easier to pinpoint…
News:
Advent calendars –
Speak Its Name will be repeating its successful calendar of last year. The same wonderful pot pourri of goodies will be lurking behind the doors this December, including some sort seasonal tales. (Inevitably, Jonty and Orlando insisted on getting in on the act!)
I’ll be doing my own posts for advent, a miscellany of seasonal prose and poetry (not mine, other people’s!), and other little doo-dads. This will be at my non-Charlie blog; if you want the link, let me know.
All That Jazz is up on the coming soon page at MLR. It’s definitely not Jonty and Orlando, but Francis and Tommy are just as much fun to write about.
Francis Yardley may be the high kicking - and cross-dressing - star of an all-male version of Chicago, but he "can't do it alone". Bitter and on the booze after the breakdown of a relationship, he thinks that the chance for true love has passed him by.
A handsome, shy rugby player called Tommy seems to be the answer to his problems, but Tommy doesn't like the lipstick and lace. Can they find a way forward and is there still a chance for happiness "nowadays"?
Excerpt:
“So, are you any good at rugby?”
“Fair to middling.” The grapes had been found and were being drowned under the cold tap before consumption. “Winger, but I think I told you that. I enjoy playing for fun. Couldn’t be a pro.”
Francis could think of a dozen dirty follow up remarks he could have made, would have made if they’d still been at the bar, but the mood had subtly changed. Change tack again. He’d been looking around for any clues about whether someone else shared this place, although none had turned up. He chanced it. “Just you living here?”
“Yeah. No lodger. No significant other. Tommy no mates.” Tommy grinned. It had been plain from the goodbyes he’d got at the bar that he had plenty of pals, several of whom looked like they’d have happily swopped places with him. There was a pin board in the kitchen covered in photos, too—team shots, action shots, holidays and family.
One picture in particular struck Francis. “That blond bloke looks like a mate.” He immediately knew he shouldn’t have said it. The look Tommy wore was the same he must have had plastered on his gob when people mentioned Mannering. After the break. “Sorry, think I put my foot in it.”
“I should take that picture down, but somehow every time I mean to I get cold feet. That’s Rickie.” The way the name was spoken made it full of a hundred different meanings and emotions. “He was a bloody great player—Premiership for a couple of seasons, now he’s Magners League.” Tommy’s voice couldn’t quite hide the pride that bubbled under the hurt. “That was two years ago, his sister took the picture.” He turned away from the pin board. “Come on, the lounge is more comfortable than sitting here.”
They moved into the living room, the bottle coming to keep them company. An old fashioned sofa, one that looked like it had recently been re-covered, was side on to the fireplace, where the original hearth now housed one of those gas open-effect fires which usually produced more effect than heat. Francis was pleased to find that this one, once lit, took the edge off what was becoming a chilly night. “Were you happy with him? Your Rickie?” It sounded such a bloody stupid question once it was out.
Tommy had snuggled into the corner of the settee, kicking his shoes off like a little boy. “I want to say they were happy days but I’m not sure that’s true. Sometimes, that’s all.”
Talk about a mirror on his own world. This was too painful for Francis to make light of or joke about. “Play for the same team?”
“No, he was always much better than I was. We met through a mate who’d been in a young players’ development squad with him. I never worked out whether this mate knew about both of us. I mean, he knew I was gay, but Rickie…” he shrugged. “If he had guessed, he never let on. Rickie would have killed him. Even further in the closet than Mr. Tumnus.”
Inspiration:
Snow. My garden. Turns me into a five year old every time.
News:
Advent calendars –
Speak Its Name will be repeating its successful calendar of last year. The same wonderful pot pourri of goodies will be lurking behind the doors this December, including some sort seasonal tales. (Inevitably, Jonty and Orlando insisted on getting in on the act!)
I’ll be doing my own posts for advent, a miscellany of seasonal prose and poetry (not mine, other people’s!), and other little doo-dads. This will be at my non-Charlie blog; if you want the link, let me know.
All That Jazz is up on the coming soon page at MLR. It’s definitely not Jonty and Orlando, but Francis and Tommy are just as much fun to write about.
Francis Yardley may be the high kicking - and cross-dressing - star of an all-male version of Chicago, but he "can't do it alone". Bitter and on the booze after the breakdown of a relationship, he thinks that the chance for true love has passed him by.
A handsome, shy rugby player called Tommy seems to be the answer to his problems, but Tommy doesn't like the lipstick and lace. Can they find a way forward and is there still a chance for happiness "nowadays"?
Excerpt:
“So, are you any good at rugby?”
“Fair to middling.” The grapes had been found and were being drowned under the cold tap before consumption. “Winger, but I think I told you that. I enjoy playing for fun. Couldn’t be a pro.”
Francis could think of a dozen dirty follow up remarks he could have made, would have made if they’d still been at the bar, but the mood had subtly changed. Change tack again. He’d been looking around for any clues about whether someone else shared this place, although none had turned up. He chanced it. “Just you living here?”
“Yeah. No lodger. No significant other. Tommy no mates.” Tommy grinned. It had been plain from the goodbyes he’d got at the bar that he had plenty of pals, several of whom looked like they’d have happily swopped places with him. There was a pin board in the kitchen covered in photos, too—team shots, action shots, holidays and family.
One picture in particular struck Francis. “That blond bloke looks like a mate.” He immediately knew he shouldn’t have said it. The look Tommy wore was the same he must have had plastered on his gob when people mentioned Mannering. After the break. “Sorry, think I put my foot in it.”
“I should take that picture down, but somehow every time I mean to I get cold feet. That’s Rickie.” The way the name was spoken made it full of a hundred different meanings and emotions. “He was a bloody great player—Premiership for a couple of seasons, now he’s Magners League.” Tommy’s voice couldn’t quite hide the pride that bubbled under the hurt. “That was two years ago, his sister took the picture.” He turned away from the pin board. “Come on, the lounge is more comfortable than sitting here.”
They moved into the living room, the bottle coming to keep them company. An old fashioned sofa, one that looked like it had recently been re-covered, was side on to the fireplace, where the original hearth now housed one of those gas open-effect fires which usually produced more effect than heat. Francis was pleased to find that this one, once lit, took the edge off what was becoming a chilly night. “Were you happy with him? Your Rickie?” It sounded such a bloody stupid question once it was out.
Tommy had snuggled into the corner of the settee, kicking his shoes off like a little boy. “I want to say they were happy days but I’m not sure that’s true. Sometimes, that’s all.”
Talk about a mirror on his own world. This was too painful for Francis to make light of or joke about. “Play for the same team?”
“No, he was always much better than I was. We met through a mate who’d been in a young players’ development squad with him. I never worked out whether this mate knew about both of us. I mean, he knew I was gay, but Rickie…” he shrugged. “If he had guessed, he never let on. Rickie would have killed him. Even further in the closet than Mr. Tumnus.”
Inspiration:
Snow. My garden. Turns me into a five year old every time.
Newsletter twenty
Nov. 12th, 2010 12:15 pmWinter is here and I feel like curling up in Cochrane Towers with a bottle of Advocaat and a copy of Rugby World. That would get me out of doing any Christmas shopping…
News:
The big news is having a release date for All Lessons Learned (Cambridge Fellows book eight) – February 2011. I realise the title is sending some people into a panic, but I’m working on book nine so this isn’t as final as it sounds.
Also imminent is the release of All That Jazz as a stand alone e-book novella from MLR press. This is one of my modern day stories: Francis Yardley is the high kicking star of an all-male version of Chicago who thinks that the chance for true love has passed him by. A handsome, shy rugby player called Tommy proves that there's still a chance for happiness 'nowadays'.
Alex Beecroft and I are list mums today at Samhain Café from 3 to 7 pm ET, which is 8pm to midnight in pounds, shillings and pence. Do come along and induce Jonty into being indiscreet (it takes very little).
Don’t forget to drop in here on Monday 15th for the Cambridge lads’ anniversary ficlet, of which this is a snippet:
Cambridge, 1909
Jonty wandered along the Madingley Road, breathing in the scents of wet leaves, bonfires and early November. He loved the autumn; season of mists and mellow fruitfulness indeed, the trees a patchwork quilt of warm colours and the sky piercingly blue.
“Like your eyes.” Orlando always swore the sky was only ever this colour in spring or autumn, some prosaic combination of the angle of the sun’s rays and the dust in the earth’s atmosphere producing a shade that was so beautiful it could almost bring a man to tears.
Jonty would never settle, of course, for the commonplace facts about light refracting off motes of dust. The bright banner from horizon to horizon was God’s gift, and he’d blessed this time of year royally. Late autumn would always be special for them, anyway—time of that fatal first meeting over a particular chair. How could they not cherish November and all the memories it held?
Now their fourth anniversary was looming large, hull up on the horizon and not a present bought. Not by Jonty, anyway—no doubt ‘himself’ had been down to the sweet shop and found some fabulous confection, or been more commonplace and raided the tailors for a well-cut tie, either or both to be wrapped in tissue and ribbon and left on Jonty’s desk. Their reciprocal had been thought about but wasn’t yet in evidence. What to buy the man who seemed to have all he wanted?
Review:
I was delighted to see Lessons in Love featured in the November reviews at the Historical Novel Society
“…sparkling, intelligent series, not to be missed.”
Inspiration:
I do not live by rugby players and cetaceans lone. I find stimulation in all sorts of things, including the glories of our local church flower festival:
Just lovely.
News:
The big news is having a release date for All Lessons Learned (Cambridge Fellows book eight) – February 2011. I realise the title is sending some people into a panic, but I’m working on book nine so this isn’t as final as it sounds.
Also imminent is the release of All That Jazz as a stand alone e-book novella from MLR press. This is one of my modern day stories: Francis Yardley is the high kicking star of an all-male version of Chicago who thinks that the chance for true love has passed him by. A handsome, shy rugby player called Tommy proves that there's still a chance for happiness 'nowadays'.
Alex Beecroft and I are list mums today at Samhain Café from 3 to 7 pm ET, which is 8pm to midnight in pounds, shillings and pence. Do come along and induce Jonty into being indiscreet (it takes very little).
Don’t forget to drop in here on Monday 15th for the Cambridge lads’ anniversary ficlet, of which this is a snippet:
Cambridge, 1909
Jonty wandered along the Madingley Road, breathing in the scents of wet leaves, bonfires and early November. He loved the autumn; season of mists and mellow fruitfulness indeed, the trees a patchwork quilt of warm colours and the sky piercingly blue.
“Like your eyes.” Orlando always swore the sky was only ever this colour in spring or autumn, some prosaic combination of the angle of the sun’s rays and the dust in the earth’s atmosphere producing a shade that was so beautiful it could almost bring a man to tears.
Jonty would never settle, of course, for the commonplace facts about light refracting off motes of dust. The bright banner from horizon to horizon was God’s gift, and he’d blessed this time of year royally. Late autumn would always be special for them, anyway—time of that fatal first meeting over a particular chair. How could they not cherish November and all the memories it held?
Now their fourth anniversary was looming large, hull up on the horizon and not a present bought. Not by Jonty, anyway—no doubt ‘himself’ had been down to the sweet shop and found some fabulous confection, or been more commonplace and raided the tailors for a well-cut tie, either or both to be wrapped in tissue and ribbon and left on Jonty’s desk. Their reciprocal had been thought about but wasn’t yet in evidence. What to buy the man who seemed to have all he wanted?
Review:
I was delighted to see Lessons in Love featured in the November reviews at the Historical Novel Society
“…sparkling, intelligent series, not to be missed.”
Inspiration:
I do not live by rugby players and cetaceans lone. I find stimulation in all sorts of things, including the glories of our local church flower festival:
Just lovely.
Lovely review for Encore Encore at michelenjeff-reviews.
"All That Jazz is the story in this piece that elevated the book from a really good to a great read for me."
Now, some little known facts about me.
"All That Jazz is the story in this piece that elevated the book from a really good to a great read for me."
Now, some little known facts about me.
Ten Top Trivia Tips about Charlie Cochrane!
- Over 2000 people have now climbed Charlie Cochrane, with roughly ten percent dying on the way down!
- Lightning strikes Charlie Cochrane over seven times every hour!
- US gold coins used to say 'In Charlie Cochrane we trust'.
- The colour of Charlie Cochrane is no indication of her spiciness, but size usually is.
- Cats use their Charlie Cochrane to test whether a space is large enough for them to fit through!
- The Charlie Cochrane-fighting market in the Philippines is huge - several thousand Charlie Cochrane-fights take place there every day.
- Charlie Cochrane can jump up to sixteen times her own height!
- Charlie Cochraneolatry is the mindless worship of Charlie Cochrane.
- If you lace Charlie Cochrane from the inside to the outside, the fit will be snugger around your big toe.
- Without Charlie Cochrane, we would have to pollinate apple trees by hand.
News and fanfic
Mar. 3rd, 2010 12:50 pm![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif){kind=small}
mylodon has been fanficcing the St Bride's boys again. Bad mylodon, no jelly babies for you.Both Encore Encore and I DO Two are now available in print.
News update and the like
Feb. 24th, 2010 11:31 amEncore Encore had its first review by Jenre, cross posted at reviews by Jessewave. "...I liked the greater complexity of Charlie Cochrane’s story so much." I really like it when reviewers see things in my stories I didn't consciously put there.
Also a good review at the same sit for Lessons in Seduction. "Charlie Cochrane has once again given us a fabulous read in Lessons in Seduction..."
Last, but by no means least, All Romance ebooks will be ARe will be running another '25% rebate on Samhain titles' promotion through the entire month of March. Spiffing!
Also a good review at the same sit for Lessons in Seduction. "Charlie Cochrane has once again given us a fabulous read in Lessons in Seduction..."
Last, but by no means least, All Romance ebooks will be ARe will be running another '25% rebate on Samhain titles' promotion through the entire month of March. Spiffing!
Encore Encore - out any moment now
Feb. 9th, 2010 12:31 pmThis is the cover art for Encore Encore, a trilogy of stories from MLR.
From London's West End to a New York drag bar and onto the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, three couples rediscover the passion that once burned as brightly as the stage lights. My story centres around an all male version of Chicago; in case everyone faints at the thought, it does also feature a rugby player so Charlie hasn't strayed that far...
Here's the cover - will post the buy link (and an excerpt) once I have it.
From London's West End to a New York drag bar and onto the glitz and glamour of Hollywood, three couples rediscover the passion that once burned as brightly as the stage lights. My story centres around an all male version of Chicago; in case everyone faints at the thought, it does also feature a rugby player so Charlie hasn't strayed that far...
Here's the cover - will post the buy link (and an excerpt) once I have it.
Research - the easy way.
Jan. 27th, 2010 03:25 pmSo I'm trying to put together a story set in 1918 (but reflecting on WWI) in the world of St. Bride's. My knowledge of this era is minimal apart from reading lots of stuff written by soldiers of the time. Big on details/atmosphere, short on facts. So, where do I turn? To the redoubtable rigby22 who, for a couple of quid, can send me answers to all sorts of key questions like 'When did Spanish flu first appear in Europe?' and 'Would Jonty and Orlando have been too old to sign up?'.
If anyone needs an easy source of reference on matters 1900-1945 or related to classical civilisations/literature, contact her agent. (Me.)
In other news, the anthology Encore, Encore is listed on the upcoming page at MLR. (April 2010.) My contribution is All That Jazz - me writing modern day stuff, who'd a thought it?
rigby22 who, for a couple of quid, can send me answers to all sorts of key questions like 'When did Spanish flu first appear in Europe?' and 'Would Jonty and Orlando have been too old to sign up?'. If anyone needs an easy source of reference on matters 1900-1945 or related to classical civilisations/literature, contact her agent. (Me.)
In other news, the anthology Encore, Encore is listed on the upcoming page at MLR. (April 2010.) My contribution is All That Jazz - me writing modern day stuff, who'd a thought it?
