Aimee Horton

Happy GIN Day!

Jun
11

What a gin day it has been, I may have had a glass of gin after my brunch this morning (Williams Chase GB Extra Dry in case you were wondering) and then after a fab night at Elton John last night, we went to collect the boys from my mum and then it was straight off to a party with Iron Man.

As an aside, why do we stand behind our children while they’re eating at birthday parties? I have never understood this, I just go along with the flow and stand behind my child as he ignores me, or tells me that he’s had enough and can he go and play.

Then I came home and dumped the boys are Matt so I could do one thing, and one thing only. FINISH DOTTIE.

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Technically I finished it yesterday, bar about 500 words, which at the time I wrote “BLAH BLAH BLAH fill in some crap here” but that’s not really good enough is it?

So I changed “some crap” for “something” and added “The End” and sent Mr Aimee into Sainsbogs for gin. Unfortunately he didn’t have any ID so they wouldn’t serve him, so I had to go in myself.

I had no such problem.

If truth be told this draft is a bit of a mess. Well, a lot of a mess. I spent a lot of time trying to be a grown up proper author and write a plot and an outline, and break it down by chapter etc. However, I should know by now that I just need to wing it with the first draft. Luckily by the time I got to the 30k mark (!) I realised that and the second half of the story came a lot more smoothly, and now I’m done, now I’ve written the majority of THE END I can start from the beginning and go back and make things right.

I’m actually rather excited.

So with that in mind, I’m raising a glass of my new gin Whitley Neill and enjoying the rest of the weekend before I crack on with the hard work.

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Because not only do I need to get cracking with making Dottie work for you guys, but I also need to get cracking with this lot.

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Yes, that’s right, that’s two baskets worth of laundry that needs ironing/putting away (this is why we all look like tramps right now). But it’s ok, that’s just what happens when you focus all your attention on writing a book.

ISN’T IT? TELL ME I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE!

Anyway. HAPPY GIN DAY! Enjoy the rest of your weekend, and I’ll see you on the other side of my second draft!

x

PS. If you’ve read and enjoyed any or all of my books and haven’t had chance to leave a review yet, I would really appreciate it if you clicked here for Amazon.com and here for Amazon.co.uk and just left a few words. Reviews could be the difference between somebody buying or not buying a book so I WOULD LOVE YOU FOREVER if you helped people decide to buy. x

 

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Five Reasons to Love Dottie Harris.

Oct
12

This week my publishers have released the NEW AND IMPROVED Mothers Ruined and I’m rather excited –just FYI you can get it HERE or HERE.

To celebrate, I thought I’d tell you why I feel very lucky to be writing about Dottie, and five reasons that could make you love her.

  1. She’s a ‘real’ mum.

When it comes to parenting Dottie’s just like you and me. She’s the mum that at times loves her children best when they’re asleep. She’s also the mum who loses her rag and then regrets it, finds dropping her kids off at school a reason to celebrate, and the mum who gets home only to realise that she’s left the lunch boxes in the hall next to the shoe pile.

  1. She Means Well

Dottie may have a knack for stumbling into the most chaotic of situations (green kids anyone?) but she does mean well. After Henry and the kids, her friends come first, and no matter how wrapped up in her own problems Dottie’s always there for her friends – usually with a bottle of wine and a few shots of gin in tow.

  1. She likes a drink… and her food.

Three kids, a husband that travels and on-going sleepless nights mean that Dottie copes the only way she knows how. With coffee, food, and of course, alcohol. She’s not afraid to admit she has no self-respect when it comes to a croissant or three. But most of all, she’s ready for ‘the bar to open’ as soon as the kids are in bed. She may have also been known to count down the hours. Oh, and of course, some of her best decisions are made when she’s had a gin or two.

  1. She loves her husband with all her heart – but he does her head in.

Dottie and Henry are perfect for each other. Initially you think it’s only Henry’s patience that’s commendable, however as with most marriages, he’s not perfect either. You see, Henry’s inability to see things on the bottom step of the stairs (IS IT INVISIBLE TO ANYBODY ELSE BUT HER?), and his knack for winding the kids up just before bed would infuriate even the best of us.

  1. She’s as confused as you and me.

Should she go back to work or stay at home with the kids? Why do fish fingers taste so amazing when cold and coated in bean juice and ketchup. How do men manage to sleep through the loudest of cries, and most of all – when will her children stop second guessing when her bum hits the toilet seat?

I could go on,  for example she makes me feel like less of a nightmare, and her hair is about as untameable as her toddler, but why don’t you check her out and let me know what makes you love Dottie the most?

Mothers Ruined is the fourth book in The Survival Series, and the first full. It follows the hugely successful novella Survival of the Ginnest, the much loved short story Survival of the Christmas Spirit, and Lush in Translation.

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What I’m Writing: Self Promotion

Jun
10

I have a book now, dontcha know? I think I might have mentioned it a few times. In fact, I think I might have mentioned that I think I might have mentioned it. The problem is, and this may come as a bit of a surprise, I’m shit at promoting it.

Yes I KNOW I have put it on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Oh, and I may have even given Larry’s pre-school teacher a copy. But do you know what I feel like every time I tell somebody to buy/read/review/post a picture of my book?

 I feel like a dick.

That’s right. Every time I look at you with those puppy dog eyes willing you to buy into the concept that my book might actually be readable, I die a little bit inside. Or worse, when somebody I know in real actual life says they’ve bought it. That’s when I want the ground to open wide and swallow me up, because you see, I don’t like drawing attention to myself.

Sounds silly doesn’t it? Somebody who photographs most moments of their life. Somebody who tweets about their fake tan routine, and somebody who admits to being such a glut that she orders so much tapas it can’t fit on the table, doesn’t like to draw attention to themselves that much. But you know what, I don’t think I’m the only one. I think self-promotion is particularly difficult, especially for writers. You see, the process of publishing a book – whatever route you go down – is painful. In fact, it’s like taking a beating. But it’s worth it in the end. After all look – here I am holding my VERY OWN REAL LIFE BOOK.

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Slightly over-excited-in-my-scruffs-but-these-are-my-books #selfie

And other people are too. The photos of you guys on Instagram and Facebook, they fill me with 99% elation 1% fear. WHAT IF YOU HATE IT?

But you know what, the point of writing a book, is kinda so people read it. So I really need to pull my finger out and get over myself.

That’s why, right now, I’m standing in the swirl of social media. Social media, which feels like I’m standing in the middle of Piccadilly circus. I’m jumping up and down shouting ME ME ME, and feeling like a twat, because I’m not the only one. In fact, I see so many other people, and think “BORING”, that I begin to retreat into myself and as I do I watch my rankings plummet.

How are people going to read my stuff, if I don’t tell them about it?

Obviously that’s when I think BUT IT’S SO EMBARASSING.

But then, today in fact, one of my favourite writers (cohost of this linky actually) announced how scary it was that she’d put ‘writer’ as her occupation – linking to her actual real life blog.

I was so proud. She was terrified, I told her to be proud. After all, she’s amazing. She’s clever, funny, intelligent, and real. And no, I’m not sucking up just because she did a wonderful author interview when I self-published Mothers Ruined last year before my publishers took a chance on The Survival Series. She really is. I started to get cross, tell her to believe in herself…then I realized it was a bit pot-calling-the-kettle-black.

So here I am, starting again at the beginning of my self-promotion journey. As I pre-load tweets (YES I DO THAT! If I don’t when am I going to fit the next blooming book in? Only the reviews and extracts though, I promise) I am determined to feel proud.

So if I ask you to take a photo when you’ve downloaded my book, or the paperback has arrived, it’s not because I’m a twat – it’s because it gives me confidence, and if I look at you with (virtual) puppy dog eyes and ask you to leave a review (on amazon.com and amazon.co.uk) please don’t think I’m being an egotistical moo. I’m just trying to use your comments to promote myself.

*salutes*

Over and out amazing writers, believe in yourself and pass the gin.

Writing Bubble
 
This is me joining in with the amazing #WhatImWriting linky
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