Passionate Blog

Authors for Japan auction tops £13,000

By Linda Jones

THE total raised in the Authors for Japan auction launched by Keris Stainton topped £13,000 (including Gift Aid.)

Out of that, I'm delighted to say that donations sent for training sessions or mentoring I was offering, added to money I pledged for two lots came to around £650.

Thank you to the kind people who paid money to the Red Cross for some of my services. I snapped up coffee and cake with literary agent turned author Alison Bond and all four Skate School books signed by Kay Woodward.

What a fantastic achievement by Keris. It was an honour to be part of it.  

Freelance mentoring, workshops and book proposal critique in Authors for Japan auction

By Linda Jones

 AUTHOR and freelance journalist Keris Stainton has pulled off an amazing feat.

Keris has, within 48 hours, brought together some of the UK's best known popular fiction talent, as well as some overseas writers, in an auction to raise funds for the Red Cross Japan Tsunami Appeal.

Authors taking part include:

• Jenny Colgan
• Dorothy Koomson
• Andrew Crofts
• Jill Mansell
• Adele Parks
• Sam Baker
• Caroline Smailes

Win a copy of Travelling with Children: A Parent's Guide

 
HAVE a lovely time contributor Catherine Cooper has a brilliant book out now, all about family holidays.

There are chapters on budget breaks, what to do when things go wrong, finding the right holiday for you, plus house swaps, essential information and plenty more. Contributions in this meticulously researched book come from all sorts of families about their experiences. 

To have a chance of winning a copy, head over to Have a Lovely Time and answer the question before February 28. 

Linda's blog nominated in awards scheme for authors

By Carol Garrington

PASSIONATE Media director Linda Jones has been nominated in the Author Blog Awards for her site at Got Your Hands Full.

Linda has worked hard to help parents of twins, triplets and more through this blog as well as offering advice for aspiring journalists and authors in her Write Away column.

So it would be great to see her efforts rewarded with a place on the shortlist in the Author Blog Awards.

The nominations process is open until 2 April. The author blogs with the most nominations will be put onto a shortlist and everyone who nominates that author will be eligible to win a prize. You have to go to the awards site, register and nominate. People can then vote on the shortlisted blogs. The blog with the most votes wins.

Thank you very much to anyone who can help by nominating Linda and Got Your Hands Full. Voting takes a couple of minutes. There's bound to be lots of interest in the awards from some 'big name' authors so it would be lovely to see Linda get some recognition by reaching the shortlist. 

Thanks Heidi - latest feedback on The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World

IT'S a while since we posted about feedback about Linda's modestly-titled book, The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World.

But this morning a message winged its way to us that we simply had to share!

Thank you to Heidi Scrimgeour for her kind words:

Just had to drop you a quick line to say thanks so much for my copy of your book. It arrived yesterday and I am bleary-eyed this morning due to my inability to put it down. Your no-nonsense approach is laugh-out-loud funny and refreshing, and I already feel galvanised into brushing up in all sorts of areas of my freelance life.
Thank you!
 

A Passionate contribution to new book out now: Tales of a Travelling Mum

A FANTASTIC new book shows that motherhood doesn't have to mean giving up on a sense of adventure.

Tales from a Travelling Mum: Navigating Europe with a Babe-in-Arms is Alice's story of venturing across Europe with her baby daughter.

Passionate Media director Linda Jones is one of writers who has contributed to travel writer Alice Griffin's new book.

Her contribution is about how much we love family holidays and breaks in the UK, what fun there is to be had and an explanation of why we wanted to set up our family travel site Have a Lovely Time.

The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World: Book, blog and training

THE Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World, by Passionate Media director Linda Jones, was published in November 2007 and can be bought in bookshops and from Amazon here.

See a selection of reviews, plus feedback from readers, here.

Listen to a podcast about The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World. A blog was set up to help publicise the book.

There's a round-up of around 20 posts with advice for writers here.

We also run training sessions for freelance journalists wanting to make more money. The following is feedback gained from a London session:

Great course. Up and at 'em now! Anne Marie Flanagan

Please buy our fantastic new collection of comedy writing - all for Comic Relief

Dave Spikey and Nat Coombs back Twitter-led charitable comedy collaboration

You can buy it here.

TwitterTitters, a new collection of comedy writing created through social networking site Twitter is set to tickle the nation’s funny bone in support of Red Nose Day with the publication of the TwitterTitters book, featuring comics Dave Spikey and Nat Coombs.

All proceeds from the book, which costs £4.99 to download or £9 in print, are to be donated to Red Nose Day by the creators of the project.

The TwitterTitters project, which was founded by Linda Jones and Louise Bolotin, set out to drive social change via Twitter, inviting comic writers to submit their work by using the social networking site to raise money for Comic Relief.

The finished book boasts exclusive new writing from Phoenix Nights co-creator Dave and a foreword from Nat whose comedy Chelsey: OMG! is an online phenomenon.

Dave has submitted a previously unseen story “The Best Medicine” for the collection which is an excerpt from his own upcoming book: “I gave him my kidney, then he stole my heart”.

Divorce and Separation: The Essential Guide: Press release from Forward Press

Divorce and Separation: The Essential Guide

SEPARATED parents are reported to have a lot to answer for – from ‘yob culture’ and binge drinking to dire predictions about a child’s future inability to hold down a relationship.

Although the UK divorce rate is falling, so-called “broken homes” are said to be at fault for many of the pressing concerns of today’s society. No wonder loving parents who face a split with their partner feel bewildered and scared about what is to become of their children – not to mention the trauma that split will bring.

Due out in July, Linda Jones’ positive and supportive book, Divorce and Separation - The Essential Guide, shows that it is not divorce that wreaks long term havoc on a family’s life, but the way it is handled. It helps tackle problems head on, showing parents, carers and those concerned about children’s wellbeing how to find solutions.

Latest five star Amazon review for The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World

HERE's the latest review for The Greatest Freelance Writing Tips in the World.

Just a snippet follows:

An excellent book about starting out in the world of freelance writing for newspapers, magazines and the internet as well as lots of great tips for commercial writing - catalogues, press releases etc....It will either increase your enthusiasm or convince you that this type of work is not for you.

So a big thank you to the reviewer for going to the trouble of posting that. I'm really chuffed.