ELISABETH MARRION

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Lizzy’s Summer Recipe: Rice Risi-Pisi

Stephanie Hopkins
I first came across this delicious summer dish on a camping holiday with our local church group, as a teenager, which took us to the former Yugoslavia. I have made it ever since. Recipe for 3-4 persons ½ Large Cucumber - Peeled and sliced ½ Large Onion                     - Sliced ½ Large Red Pepper           - Sliced ½ Large Green Pepper       - Sliced 4 Tomatoes                          - Sliced 200g of brown Rice 2 cans of Tuna Chunks 160g net weight 3 Serving Spoons of Olive Oil 2 Serving Spoon of Vinegar ½ a teaspoon of grainy mustard Pinch of sugar Salt Pepper Mixed herbs Squeeze of a lemon   Salad a) Mix the Oil, Vinegar, Mustard, Salt, Pepper, Sugar, b) Add the prepared Salad ingredients c) Lift and mix carefully d) Drain the opened tins of Tuna e) Add the tuna f) Rinse the tuna tins with a tiny bit of water and pour over the tuna now in the dish. This will dilute the Oil/Vinegar mix and add extra moisture. g) Lift and mix carefully Squeeze the Lemon liberally over the mixture. Cover the salad with Clingfilm and store in a cool place. Rice Boil the rice in the usual manner. Place…

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Authors' Chat ,

Reviews – Who needs them?

Stephanie Hopkins
We all do, of course. Or at least, we believe we do. It is the Amazon reviews we are really craving. After all, that is where we sell most of our books. We have also learned if you achieve fifty reviews on Amazon, the company begins to take you seriously, and you could be featured in their newsletter and/or other promotions. I do not know how true the statement is, but one of my books has achieved this target, and it is selling well. How can we get there? Maybe, like myself, you purchase products other than books on Amazon. Perhaps, you ordered a set of towels, for example, or a coffee maker? When your items arrive, you open the carton and begin using the contents, but did the thought of leaving a review ever cross your mind? Backing up a step, remember when you were searching for the product? Did the number of reviews influence your purchase? Did you read the review and, if so, did the negative reviews cause you to continue shopping? We could begin leaving reviews ourselves on all products purchased on the Amazon site. The number of reviews, especially, if they are helpful to others,…

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Minimise your Weaknesses, Maximise your Strength

Stephanie Hopkins
By Elisabeth Marrion  Finished your book? Ready to publish? Or published already?  Now what? You searched the internet for ways to promote your book without having to spend a lot of money. Maybe you are already subscribing to a writer’s magazine, which is full of really useful information for new and published writers. You check other authors websites, because you are about to create one yourself or have one up and running. You are joining, or are about to join, Twitter, Facebook, Linked-in, Google+ and even are starting a blog. You might consider becoming a member of a writer’s society. You name it, you do it. You devour all the information you can find on how to get your name out there. You might even have a publisher who provides you with an information sheet, what you should do. You contact your local papers, your local shops, libraries. They all have been waiting, just for you, Right? And you appeal to your family and friends for their support.  By now you have joined Goodreads, of course, because you were being told to do so. Although, maybe like me, you are totally mystified, but you offer giveaways, hoping the recipient will…

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There is a story around every corner

Geri Clouston
  By Elisabeth Marrion My head is spinning, I spot a story on every corner I turn. What shall I do? The first three instalments of my Unbroken Bonds series were an easy choice once I had started the first book. I knew their stories needed to be told. To be honest, I did not plan on writing a trilogy in four parts. You heard right. Four. Well, other writers have done it, so why not?  BUT the big question is will book four have the same impact as the first three since the narrative is set in a different time? It was not my idea. To be honest, it was my husband, David’s, who, sadly, is no longer with me. Upon finishing book three, Cuckoo Clock-New York, David casually asked, “what is happening to Thomas?” What is happening to Thomas, indeed? I started book four at that point, and we discussed the chapters I was writing. Unfortunately, the project was put on hold as David’s health deteriorated, and I have not picked it up again. Instead, I kept busy translating Liverpool Connection into German. Previously, I had written several short stories. One almost became a novella, and I am…

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Start at the beginning

Geri Clouston
ELISABETH MARRION The Night I danced with Rommel is my first book, and it was a long time coming. Over fifteen years, if I recall correctly. It was supposed to have a totally different title: 6 Married Children, don’t ask why. I actually started writing the story at that stage and thought it would be a good idea to contact Manfred Rommel, then the Mayor of Stuttgart, whether he still had the photographs my mother had sent him years ago, especially, the one of her dancing with Field Marshal Rommel. He searched his files, but I was out of luck on that one. I did receive, however, a private photograph of himself with his father and mother. I shelved the project for a while, fearing people might laugh about my idea to write a book. Eventually, I stopped worrying about that issue and joined a local writing group. Thank God I did. Otherwise, who knows what my writing would have been like? I destroyed my first draft and wrote a totally different novel. Which, to my amazement, wrote itself. I was totally clueless about the publishing world, believing publishers would queue for my story. Well, I soon learned the truth…

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