KAREN CHARLTON
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'My Last Duchess' by Daisy Goodwin

22/7/2011

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My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin

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I've been building up quite a large pile of unread books over the last few months.  Last night I decided it was time to start indulging in a little light summer reading, so I reached for My Last Duchess by Daisy Goodwin.  I was pretty tired and thought that this would be the easiest read on my pile.  It was an easy read - and a quite engrossing one at that - I was at page 103 before I knew it. 

I was originally attracted by the title because of the Robert Browning poem.  He remains one of my all time favourite poets.  Skilled at his craft, the man could also tell a damned good story and really bring characters to life.  However, I was alarmed to read on the blurb that the rich, American heroine was  called Cora.  Here we go again, I thought:  'Downton Abbey' all over again.  In fact, ever since Jenny Jerome married Sir Randolph Churchill and produced our greatest wartime leader, Sir Winston, the theme  of rich American gals nabbing our impoverished aristos seems to have become very popular in fiction and drama.

However, to give Daisy Goodwin her due,  I was actually quite impressed.  Within the limitations of her genre, she has produced an enigmatic hero, a feisty heroine, and a brave but terrifyingly ambitious, social-climbing  mother. (I'd take Jane Austen's Mrs. Bennett any day over Mrs. Cash.)  Cora is rather two dimensional: spoilt, rich, thoughtless and rebelling against her mother. However, the scene were she asked her maid to teach her how to 'kiss' was startlingly original and very well written.   The storyline  is also enriched with some lovely prose:  'The first thing she saw were the branches arching over her like a ribcage.' 

On top of that, the novel also makes more than a passing nod at classical literary fiction.  Cora is reading 'Emma' when we first meet her and, like Jane Eyre, she meets the hero through a horse riding accident. I am currently at the point were  the impoverished Duke is about to show her around Lulworth, the family pile.  Could this be Mandelay all over again, I wonder?  Or has the secretive Duke got a mad woman stashed in the attic?  There has been no demonic laughter in the middle of the night, or psychotic  housekeepers to frighten Cora during the day.  But despite the lack of Gothic elements, I am convinced that the course of their true love will not run smooth....and I'm looking forward to going back for more tonight.  :)

* * * * *
1st August 2011
Finally, finished My Last Duchess and it was pure Romantic fiction through and through; not a Gothic element in sight.  By the end of the novel, the lovely Cora is a changed woman and eventually finds true love with her Duke, who of course, just like Mr. Rochester, does not really deserve his loving wife.  However, he is not the monster of Browning's poem and quite frankly, the title of this book is misleading.  He hasn't been married before and although cold to his own mother (the previous Duchess of Wareham) he is not a guy with 'mummy issues.'  Quite simply, this is not the story of 'My Last Duchess.'

But all in all, Daisy Goodwin wrote a good piece of Romantic fiction - and used an excellent marketing strategy with the title - it made me buy it. I shall be passing my copy onto my own mother, who will adore it.     7/10
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'Carry on' Photography...

17/7/2011

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'Carry on' Photography...

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Photo by Iain Wolstencroft
What a carry on!

A few weeks ago, Dana Robinson asked me to provide a decent photograph of myself for the Knox Robinson Website.

Not an unusual request, nor a particularly difficult one to fulfil - for most people.  Unfortunately, I am the most unphotogenic person on the planet.  Even as a child I always came out looking 'odd.'  For the past seventeen years I have hidden behind my children on family photos and made sure I wore big sunglasses.

Now I had to have a decent photograph or two, which would be posted on T'internet for the whole world to see. The whole thing threw me into a frenzied panic.

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Photograph by Iain Wolstencroft
Fortunately, our friend, Iain, who has the patience of a saint, came to the rescue with his camera.  The poor fellow had a hard time with me.   I couldn't decide what to wear and I didn't know whether I wanted the hair up or the hair down.  It was hot and I kept rushing off to powder my nose (literally) to reduce the shine.  To make matters worse, I couldn't keep still and chatted non-stop.

'Will you try to relax?' Iain pleaded.

When I received the disc containing the 368 finished photographs, I was appalled.  Not with Iain's admirable efforts, but at myself.  I really am the woman with 1001 expressions - and most of them were quite frightening.   I had my eyes closed on the majority of the photos, and heaven knows what my mouth was trying to do in the rest.

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Lurking at the back in big sunglasses
 An expressive face is quite useful for amateur dramatic performances.  It also has its place in a classroom full of teenagers, whom you are hoping to intimidate into submission.  However, in middle age, an expressive rubbery face usually just leads to first prize in a gurning competition.  Hubby took one look at the photos and grunted.

'Hmmph, the bust of Barbara Windsor - but the face of Sid James,' he commented.

Fortunately, my daughter was more sympathetic. With her help I finally managed to whittle them down to half a dozen, which I hope  won't frighten away the readers.

I suppose, if all else fails, I can always apply for a part when they remake the 'Carry On' films.  ;)

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What's in a name?

15/7/2011

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What's in a name?

Well, everything really - especially where the marketing of a novel is concerned.

I spent hours worrying about whether, or not, to use my real name - Karen Charlton - when submitting this book to publishers.  I was unsure if indicating my family connection to the characters in Catching the Eagle would help or hinder my quest for publication.  I was terrified of appearing like a woman seeking justice for a wronged ancestor, rather than presenting myself as a serious novelist.

As it turned out, I was missing a trick.  The very first time I promoted the family connection behind Catching the Eagle, I landed a publishing deal.  I now realise that publishers want the author to provide a marketing platform to sell their novel.  The book has got to be different from all the rest. 

Fortunately, the story behind Catching the Eagle (the genealogical research) seems to be already attracting attention.  I have only put out a few tentative feelers concerning the marketing - but already my details are being sent to a 'leading Women's Magazine.'  Apparently, they are looking out for a story just like mine.  Of course, this may all come to nothing - but it is certainly a start.

A few weeks ago, I suggested to Dana Robinson, my publisher, that I would be happy to use my real name as the author of the novel and drop the pen name, 'Susanna Famelton.'

She instantly agreed:   'I don’t think you need it. Your given name has a much stronger appeal and the audience will immediately note that you share the same name as your hero.'   So began the demise of poor Susanna Famelton (who has proved to be fairly resistant when I have tried to eradicate her from the internet.)  Confessing I was a Charlton, did the trick when it came to getting the publishing deal.  Now it seems that using my real name on the book cover might help increase the sales.

Ironically, although I have no problem with my surname Charlton; I have always had a really big problem with, my first name.  'Karen' was hugely popular in the UK in the late fifties and sixties, and I was very dismayed to find myself sharing a class with four other 'Karens.'  For most of the time I attended that school, my fellow 'Karens' and I remained distinctive by using nicknames.  I answered to 'Kit' for five years and grimly resolved to do my best to make sure that my kids had more unusual names.

Apart from the fact that 'Karen' was so bloody common, I was also horrified to discover that I had been named after one of my Dad's ex-girlfriends.  I had big issues with this when I was younger - in fact, I think I'm still traumatised.   I was also completely baffled about why Mum was so cool about it.  But as my parents have just celebrated their Golden Wedding, I can only assume that it is another sign of the tolerance needed to make a successful marriage work.

Of course, I could have changed it by deed poll years ago, if I was really bothered, or asked Dana to keep the 'Susanna' part of my pen name.  But I didn't.  There's something about Dana's phrase 'given name' which sums up my reluctance to alter my identity. 

My name, Karen, was the first thing my parents ever gave to me when I arrived into this world on that snowy November day.  They must have spent time discussing it and considered it carefully; most young parents are quite excited about naming their first child.  Despite its weird origins, my name was their gift to me. Changing it would be like throwing my very first birthday present back in their faces.

Like it, or not, I am a Karen - and will be until the day I die. 

I take comfort in the fact that, although there were several girls named 'Gladys' in my Dad's circle of friends, fortunately he didn't get the hots for any of them. 

Yep.  It could have been a lot worse.  ;)

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Publishing Deal

6/7/2011

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Publishing Deal

Fantastic News!

The contracts have now been exchanged, and Catching the Eagle will be published by Knox Robinson Publishing later this year.  The skeleton will finally fall out of the family cupboard into full public glare, on December 8th, 2011.  The hardback version of the book will be out first (priced £19.99) and the paperback version and the eBook will follow a few months later.

Chris and I are absolutely delighted. 

I am looking forward to a very exciting time ahead working with Knox Robinson, and can still hardly believe that this is happening to me.
 
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