A quick change of shirt and I started the tour of the gay village. We started by the canal, where men used to cruise many years ago, went via a HIV Time For Action memorial. Arrived at the crowning of Miss Sparkle 2013 the transgendered event which happened to coincide with the UK Meet. We took a picture of Alan Turin who helped crack the code the Nazis were using, hence ending the war about 3 years early.

On the walk, I chatted to KC Wells and RJ Scott, two authors I’d not met before. When he told us about the young man who jumped off a car park as he was being chased by homophobic bullies, I looked at the multi storey car park a few hundred yards away, asked if it was that one. It was, and I felt shivers up my spine. That young man was Albert Kennedy, after which they named the trust.

We went to Gaydio, where we heard stories from gay people who grew up when it was illegal to be a gay man, and also those who noticed how Channel 4’s Queer as Folk affected Manchester’s Canal Street. The stories can be heard on the gaydio website: www.gaydio.co.uk/yourstory

The walk ended at the Richmond Tea Rooms, which was just like stepping through the looking glass into Alice’s world. The food was delicious, I had ten of the little dumplings and countless prawns, and even managed to snaffle some cakes at the end. The heat and champagne soon meant I was leaning strategically in a sofa, only to be a bit terrified when the burlesque dancers appeared. A burlesque virgin, I didn’t know they weren’t going to do the full strip, so all through their very entertaining performances, I worried they’d go the full monty, and that wasn’t something I wanted to see. Mercifully they spared me that and I carried on drinking wine with a lovely group of readers, including @abbymarks @janeewilkinson and their two friends whose names I can’t remember, sorry. They told me how they’d met through Twitter and were all voracious readers, 4-5 books a week some of them!

Charlie Cochrane left and asked them to look after me. They were lovely, and I remember staggering down Canal Street with Jo Myles, smoking a cigarette (which means I must have been drunk) and soon reaching the hotel. A brief chat to Clare London and compatriots in the bar and I went to bed, before midnight.

Not before being propositioned in the lift by a straight man! Yes, that’s right: once we were alone, he lurched from side to side, smiled and invited me to his room on the sixth floor for a drink, ‘Quick as my girlfriend’s in the lobby.’ I politely declined and wished him a good night. In fairness he could have been just inviting me for a drink, thinking I was straight *rolls eyes widely* but I’d be very doubtful he was in any doubt of my persuasion. Have you seen me?

Judicious use of paracetmol and enough water to sink a battleship meant that, contrary to my and everyone else’s opinions, I woke without a hangover. Shocked, I was.

What did you get up to on the Saturday night of the UK Meet? Were you floored by a hangover the size of a small European country?

Until next time

Liam x

I have a short story, just under 17,000 words, which I really need some willing beta readers to look over. The timescale is tight, I will give it to you Friday 26 July and would need your comments back by Monday 29 July 9am GMT.

I already have some of my usual beta readers, and one new volunteer, thanks (you know who you are J) but I really wanted to widen the net this time.

If you’re interested and can fit with the timescale, could you comment below, and include your email address in the right box please? I’ll drop you an email afterwards.

Thanks so much everyone.

There’s more of my reflections on UK Meet later this week...

Liam xx

Saturday morning, it was very interesting to hear Jo Myles’ bumpy ride to her first book cover, as it went through four drafts. Then we had the debate which is the elephant in the room: man tits. Now, I like a good man’s chest as much as the next person, but personally I’m not attracted to books with them poking out at me on full beam. A nice shoulder, some good stubble on an attractive face - all good, but for me too much of the man tits and I’m less interested.

However, the publishers said these covers sell. So it seems the old maxim of ‘sex sells’ is still true.

• The panel discussed the importance of the cover representing the book you’ve written, so you don’t mislead the reader.
• The importance of how the cover displays as a 1” square image on a computer screen.
• Sometimes the cover the author likes, won’t be the right one to sell the book. It’s that old chestnut of art versus marketing.
• The reader has to first actually pick up the book (or click on it) before they read the blurb. A bad cover will prevent them doing so.

The panel on social media was a huge eye opener for me. Susan Lee explained, in the USA 18-40 year olds spend between 1-4hrs a day on social media on their phones, and that doesn’t include email.

The main points for me were how it’s important to think about how much time and effort I want to put into social media. It’s better to have two well used social media accounts, than 5-6 which are mainly dead.

The importance of thinking about the messages you want to send through social media. Is it all about pictures of hot men, or all just cats, or your holiday pictures, or stuff about writing, or a mix of them all.

How Good Reads was described didn’t encourage me to dive in: Susan gave an example of a writer who’d jumped into a group criticising his/her book, to make the whole thing worse.

Elin Gregory made a very good point that if you’re uncomfortable on social media, it shows. Constant streams of ‘buy my book’ on social media are annoying. It’s important to stick to what you’re comfortable with. I use Twitter and my blog. My blog feels like my own party, I’m in control of it more than, say facebook, where it’s their party. If you want to go to the FB party, that’s fine, crack on, but me, I’m sticking with my little party over here.

Beau Schemery explained he prefers pictures, to blogging. He said, ‘Who cares what I say, if I blog? Beau explained the importance of having a focussed social media voice, (so what’s your main focus of the blog?) as this increases reach as followers retweet or repost your posts.

The 50 Shades of Grey panel was surprisingly well attended. When I found out it was in the main room, I grabbed Anna Martin and had a minor panic. Only a minor one though. We talked about whether other authors would want the fame of E L James, where you’re interviewed all the time, your name is in all papers. Ok, so it’s pressure, but I suppose she’s crying all the way to the bank.

The Perfect Blog session was very useful, particularly since I’m all about my blog. Kay Berrisford explained her blog’s a book blog, all about her books, which seems fair enough. I liked how she described having a guest to your blog, ‘Like they’re coming to my house, so I do everything and make them feel comfy.’ I’ll remember that if anyone asks to guest on my blog.

RJ Scott has her blog and website together – some people do, some people have them separate. Mine are together, because I can’t be faffed to ‘do’ two websites. She talked about what she blogs about: news round up for each week; reviews of books she likes; launches of her own books. Staying positive and inspirational stuck with me, who wants to read a blog which is only moaning and whingeing about things? I get enough of that elsewhere without having to read it! And importantly to be you, on your blog. I think I’m already me, anyone who’s actually spoken to me often says I write like I speak, so hopefully I’m me here.

Augusta Li showed her beautiful pictures on her blog, which get many more hits than only words. Not receiving comments isn’t necessarily a bad thing, many people just lurk and read and don’t comment. That’s you, I’m talking to, yes you!

In the Leave my OU alone session it soon became clear there’s a balance between retaining a Britishness to the writing, and confusing the reader so much they find themselves leaving the book to quickly google something. Although you don’t have to crank up the steam punk internet machine in the garden, it does still take you away from the world of the book, and that’s a bad thing.

Elisa Rolle ended the day with a great talk about how she got into MM fiction. She stumbled across it by reading Maurice, a beautiful love story, which was written in 1913. I’ve watched the film, but haven’t yet read the book. I know, a poor substitute, I will read it, I promise. She also said that it’s important to be open to new types of books to read as you can like a variety of things.

Tune in next time to hear about Saturday night, and the panels on Sunday.

How was your Saturday of the UK Meet? Did you go to different panels? Or maybe you couldn't attend, and this has whetted your appetite for 2014, I'd love to hear from you.

Liam x

This is the first in a series of posts about the UK Meet 2013 in Manchester. It’s quite a meandering journey, but with all stories, it’s not about the destination, it’s about the journey, otherwise who’d have watched Titanic, we all know how it ends, right? As one of my a bit too very for his own good, youth group leaders always told me, ‘Life is a journey.’

Last year was my first UK Meet, in Brighton, and it marked the start of my journey to being a published writer. Somehow at the end of that UK Meet, I agreed to help plan and deliver the UK Meet 2013.

Fast forward 10 months and I’m also on one of the panels, on how to write the next 50 Shades of Grey (if you’d want to). I’m not quite sure how that happened either, but anyway, it was all such tremendous fun, I’d do it all again tomorrow. Well, actually can I have a few weeks off and then I’d do it again!

Friday afternoon I meandered my way by train, optimistically taking my laptop to do some editing of the WIP. Instead I ploughed my way through Auto Express, (yes I’m into cars, some gays are car gays too, I like to mix it up a bit with the stereotypes) Attitude, and a very frothy and fun book called ‘Can We Still Be Friends’ by Alexandra Shulman (the editor of British Vogue, where the Boyfriend works, so I’ve got a signed copy.) I thought I’d better give it a go and read it since she gave it to me, and I’m pleased with what I’m finding. So far there’s a lesbian lover, a gay colleague with a dodgy boyfriend.

I arrived at the MacDonald Manchester Hotel, and was pleasantly surprised by the fact it looked like a huge cruise liner, sweeping majestically along the road. I was also pleased they’d upgraded me to a ‘city view’ room from a normal double. Oh the glamour! It was a lovely big room and huge double bed, which made it a shame the Boyfriend couldn’t come. He had a family anniversary to attend in London (his aunt’s 50 years of hairdressing, he was baking cakes and being a waiter for the day. And if that’s not as camp as bunting, I don’t know what is.)

I sashayed around the shops for a while, shocked by how unbelievably hot it was. I can’t remember another time I’ve ever come to Manchester when it hasn’t rained solidly the whole time. I even brought an umbrella and hoodie in preparation. They didn’t leave my suitcase.

I ate in the food court of the Arndale Centre (Taco Bell, a fail as I had to wait 15 mins and it was all a bit lacklustre). I don’t see the point of fast food if you have to wait for it, or is that me being a bit prissy?

Manchester evidently has the largest H&M on earth, literally, it’s much bigger than any of the London shops. I spent a fairly unproductive few hours looking around the shops. American Retro disappointed me very deeply: bright coloured fabrics (tick) made from cotton and polyester mix (fail). I particularly enjoyed two topless and very buff men (straight, but I can still look) handing out flyers to some club night. I stood back from afar (not too far, but enough so I didn’t get arrested) and admired them for a while. Where’s the picture, I know you’re saying, I did think that would be a step too far. So I didn’t take it.

Back to the hotel, I met Elin Gregory, who I’d only spoken to by email before, and who’d been kind enough to let me guest blog on her site. I also met Jessie Landel, whose website I’d perused too.

I said hi to Jay Rookwood and Bruin Fisher, who I’d met at the UK Meet 2012, as well as Charlie Cochrane, Jo Myles and J L Merrow, my fellow Spice Girls organisers.

Eventually a journey worn Clare London arrived, so I got her a drink, for medicinal purposes of course, and helped unload her car of bags and swag. I carried a huge box of books, and wish someone had taken a photo, it was, without doubt the butchest thing I’ve done all year. And there’s no photographic evidence. Shame.

I resisted the guided walk of the gay village, proclaiming, ‘I don’t do walks, unless it’s to shops.’ However I spoke to other delegates at the evening meal at Taurus, I was convinced it was A Good Idea to join.

The meal at Taurus was great: despite my optimism that we definitely wouldn’t have any, ‘I didn’t order that,’ or ‘I can’t remember what I ordered,’ we had that in spades. Clare and I paraded up and down with a list of who’d ordered what, and I was grateful as I remembered I’d forgotten what I’d ordered.

I spoke to Anne Brooke, who I met for the first time at the UK Meet 2012, we had a great time, putting the world to rights on grammatical errors, and wondering what we’d talk about in the author one to one I’d booked with her on Sunday morning (and what state we’d be in after Saturday night).

Sensible Baby Spice that I am, I was in tucked up in bed, with an episode of Gilmore Girls (my latest boxset purchase now I’ve finally, sadly, reached the end of Dawson’s Creek). And so to sleep.

How was your UK Meet 2013? Did you get to bed sensibly early Friday night? Or did you arrive Saturday morning?

Until next time

Liam x

Last weekend was UK Meet, and I will do a post (or two) about that, but we have the front and back lawns being ‘landscaped’ at the moment, so I’m having to deal with that, and finding myself upping my Cockney accent when I speak to them. One’s pretty cute actually, and he seems to enjoy walking around with his T shirt off, so I’m not complaining. So anyway, I will do a more composed, coherent post about UK Meet soon.

Just to keep your whistles whetted, I've sprinkled some pix from the weekend in this post. Just remember, patience is a virtiue, virtue is a grace... (five points if you can tell me the end of the saying).

So, back to the point, book covers!

I went to the Romantic Novelists Association (RNA) London chapter (can you see what they did there, I did smile when I found that out, and even now it makes me giggle a bit) and the very lovely JD Smith talked through the importance of a good book cover. Here’s a few pointers from her very informative talk.

Readers it seems, are a fickle lot, they do judge books by their covers. They look at a bad cover (something the writer may have knocked up on Powerpoint with a smart phone and a spare hour or so – some were truly awful I can tell you!) and they think, ‘bad cover, bad writing,’ and don’t buy the book. Just like that, they click on and don’t buy it. Harsh I know, but life’s like that sometimes.

There’s no reason why you can’t use the same cover for an e-book and a paper book, although some do chose to differentiate. (I don’t see why you’d double your work, but that’s just me)

With e-books it’s important to think about how the cover displays when it’s about an inch square, so often any small text isn’t viewable. Here readers are scanning for author names they’re familiar with, so they know what they’re getting, or a picture which clearly shows what they’re getting even if it’s from an author they don’t know. Chick lit, lots of flowers and hearts; crime thrillers, dark backgrounds; historicals, twirley typeface and someone in a bodice...you get my point.

So, what makes a good book cover you’re probably asking?

• Good imagery -  appropriate to the type of book is very important – using stock photos from a library is no problem, but they have to be the right stock photos. The right length of hair for the time period, the right clothes, etc. Caution was urged about the overuse of stock photos, and a number of authors showed their book covers all with the same guy on them. Ok, so he was pretty cute, I’m not going to lie, but on about six different covers, in slightly different poses, I don’t think so.
• Good colour choice – which links to the type face and imagery which fits with what the book’s about.
• Good typeface – appropriate to the genre of the book – swirley and a bit fancy for a period book, and blocky and impactful for a thriller

I also learned what a QR code is.

Do you know what it is? If you do, you’ve beaten me. It’s that square that looks like a barcode which has been distorted in the wash. You scan it with a smart phone with a special little thingummy and it can take you to the ‘buy me’ page for the book. Handy.

So that was the RNA, they have monthly meetings, which I’m going to try and attend, they’re a great friendly bunch, and also because of the novelty of not only being the only man in the room, but a real live gay one too! Which they were all very friendly and welcoming about.

Have you been put off by a book cover? Or have you bought a book which had an iffy book cover, but which turnred out to be a great read anyway? I'd love to know.

Until next time

Liam xx

I think it’s so important to be able to laugh, even during the darkest times in life.

In one of her stand up shows, Joan Rivers told a story about how her husband’s suicide affected their daughter: she hadn’t spoken for days, and she didn’t make eye contact, only staring at the ground, peering through her fringe. One evening they were at dinner together, at a fancy restaurant, and as she looked at the menus, Joan said to her daughter, ‘If daddy hadn’t already killed himself, seeing these prices would have made him do it now!’ To which her daughter smiled and made eye contact for the first time since her father’s death.

At the Boyfriend’s granddad’s funeral, they were all sat in the car, approaching the crematorium and his dad started to quote a joke from Rodney Rude, his favourite Australian comedian: ‘Granddad got burned today,’ he began. The Boyfriend looked at his dad, who continued, ‘How badly?’ and he finished with, ‘Well they don’t f**k about at the crematorium.’
A friend was very ill for a month or so in hospital, being visited by an endless round of grapes toting, sideways head tilting and sympathetic simpering friends, until his best friend turned up, plonked herself in the seat, looked around the room and said, ‘You look like sh*t, when you getting out so we can have a drink? Where can I have a fag?’ It was the first time he’d smiled since being admitted to hospital.

I try to use this approach in my writing.

In Best Friends Perfect, Kieran comes out to his mum and she asks all those awkward and questions, which is hard for them both.  His mum changes the subject suddenly to a holiday in Scotland she’s planning, to which Kieran advised her she must end every phrase to Scottish people, with ‘Hoots mon.’ After listening to her rave about seeing Enya while she’s there he explains she’s unlikely to see her in Scotland since she’s Irish.

Do you have any examples of using humour in dark times? Or do you think it's totally inappropriate? I'd love to hear from you.

Until next time

Liam x

This is the first in a sporadic series (apparently I’m all about sporadically it seems, thanks to Clueless) of posts about books which made me cry. Not just the odd tear, I mean, proper tears streaming down the face, have to put the book to one side, sobbing. Just so that’s clear with everyone.

From the back cover Me Before You, Jojo Moyes
Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick. What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.

Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that. What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time.

When I read out the back cover blurb to some friends, they all nodded and said how predictable it would be, how they could it all coming miles off. And if that was how it ended, I would have been perfectly satisfied with some well written romance escapism.

But it is actually so much more than that, so much more satisfying than that.

It wasn’t a traditional romance between the two main characters, it was more clever than that. It was about them teaching each other new things about themselves: the girl, to try new things, to stretch herself, to not always go for the safe option; and the man to not just give up and  to give life a go, to try to recapture some of his spirit of adventure he had before the accident.

As the ending approached, I still hoped it would all end happily, like a fairy tale, ever the hopeful optimist me. However, as I yomped through the final few chapters, I gradually realised it may not end happily after all. It was like the first time I watched Steel Magnolias and couldn’t believe what happened to Julia Roberts. I mean, it’s Julia Roberts, you can’t do that to her!

The ending was far from a classic happily ever after, but it was so much more satisfying, more challenging, and emotional than what my friends or I predicted. The ending was realistic, contemporary and difficult, and for that, it was a much better book over all.

Surely that’s all we ever want to do when writing, to connect with readers, to make the reader care about the characters. Jo Jo Moyes certainly did that with me, as I soaked the pages about two fictional characters she’d created, and I think for a writer that’s as good as it gets.

One of my beta readers for Best Friends Perfect told me it made her cry, and I just couldn’t believe it! It sounds odd, but I was pleased it had affected her. Even if you write something which makes people angry, you’ve still affected the reader and that’s pretty powerful.  

What books have you read which have made you cry (remembering my definition of a proper cry)? Or are you one of those people who, no matter how hard they try, just can’t cry? I’d love to hear about your experiences.

Until next time

Liam xx