Wheel of Time

Getting older is no picnic.

For one thing, maintenance becomes a full time job. All that effort to look young again – the pruning, tweezing, plucking, dying, (of the hair, not physically expiring. Though come to think of it, the latter is also happening.)

In my head, I’m still twenty-something; the youngest person in the newsroom, happy to be referred to as a ‘girl’ and not find it condescending, capable of working 24/7 and function on all cylinders. Now I’m one of the older presenters on screen and a mentor to some of the younger staff. If I don’t get seven hours of sleep a night I’m more grouchy than a grizzly bear. And if anyone calls me a ‘girl’ it’s because they’re short-sighted or being ironic.

I think the hardest part is the knowledge that I am no longer cool.

I used to be cool. I was a war reporter and the Home Affairs Editor for a national news network. As a young journalist, I fearlessly blagged my way into Serbian territory in Kosovo. I once got made an honorary member of the RAF when I flew refuelling missions with them in the Balkans. I launched Aljazeera – the first face on a network that now gets viewed regularly in hundreds of millions of homes. And I did it with the eyes of the world on me, not to mention the Qatari royal family. I’ve interviewed world leaders, terrorists and celebrities.

Fast forward twenty years. I am still a TV presenter, I still interview powerful people and I still hold a position of authority. And yet, somehow,  I am not cool anymore.

I can pinpoint the exact moment It happened. It was when my daughter became a teenager. It is a commonly known fact among teenagers that their mothers are never, ever, under any circumstances, ever, cool.

My daughter cringes with embarrassment when I meet her friends. I’m not allowed to talk to them lest I use my ‘journalist’ voice. “What’s my journalist voice?” I ask, puzzled. “The one you use to ask questions,” she replies darkly. So that‘s it then. I’m not even allowed to ask how they are.

I am also a Young Adult author, and some of her friends have read my book, Daughter of Kali Awakening. They seemed to enjoy it. The school even asked me to go in and do an author talk for the girls. My daughter is mortified by this. Obviously, appearing at school will reveal how deeply uncool her mother is.

I’m curious to know whether this phenomenon holds true for people in really cool professions. Did Neil Armstrong’s kids roll their eyes when dad started talking about the  moon landing again? Do Michelle Obama’s girls forbid their mum from talking to their friends in case she uses her ‘First Lady’ voice?

But I suppose I had it coming. When I was a teenager,  I considered my own parents to be old-fashioned stuck-in-the-muds. I loathed it when they tried to make well-meaning conversation with my friends, cringing when they made jovial jokes and tried to be matey with them. Three decades later, I finally know how they feel. What goes around comes around.

Now you must excuse me. Those grey hairs won’t tint themselves.

Skin Deep

Is there a word that means to be grateful for something you really shouldn’t have to be grateful for?

I was trying to think of it the other day, as I read about Hollywood actor Liam Neeson. Let me explain.

The recent admission by Neeson, that he once went out looking for a black man to murder because his friend had been raped by one, will have shocked many. As it rightly should. To be fair, I believe he told the story because he acknowledges the wrongness of it. But it doesn’t deflect from the truth. A truth mirrored by the rise in race hate crime in the UK, and the disproportionate police killings of black people in the US.

Skin colour matters.

I’ve known this from an early age. From the name-calling at school, or being told to ‘go back where I came from’ (always a puzzler; I was born in Leeds.) And then, when I got into journalism, to have others openly question if I’d got the job because I ticked the right diversity boxes.

Thankfully, these instances were few and far between. By and large, the vast majority of my life has been free of racism. Most of the people I know judge others on their actions and personalities rather than something as random and uncontrollable as skin colour.  I’m lucky to work in a multi-cultural environment with people from a plethora of nations. And I'm good at my job, regardless of my melanin count.

But I‘m not naïve. I know it’s an issue. And I also know that we people of colour – especially women of colour – often have to work harder, and be better, just to be treated the same.

So I am thankful this is one burden my daughter will not have. Because she’s white. Looking at her, you would never know she has a grandfather who is an Indian immigrant and a mother who is brown. Her features are more English suburban than Asian subcontinent. She will never face racial prejudice.

She has grown up in a multi-ethnic household. She has a rainbow heart, and an inclusive soul. She herself is colour-blind when it comes to people.

But how sad it is that I’m glad she inherited her skin tone from her English dad, not her half-Indian mum.

And that’s why I think there should be a word, one that means being grateful for something you shouldn’t have to be grateful for. If anyone knows of it, please tell me.

Mightier Than The Sword

I am a short hop, skip and a jump away from bringing out book 2 in my Daughter of Kali trilogy. The first, Awakening, was published in May 2018.  I started writing the sequel in August. So it's taken me, let's see, five months to complete a 78,000-word novel, edit it, polish it, change the ending, and get it to the point where my agent is happy.

I didn't think that was overly long, but I have recently discovered there are a whole school of writers out there who put out a book a month. A book a month! It takes me that long to decide how my tale will start and finish.

At least I have more knowledge about the publishing process this time round.  It's not easy to sell books -  the Twitter writing community is jammed full of people trying to finish manuscripts, find agents or publishers, or publicise their finished product. Selling books is a brutal business, even though there are many, many immensely talented people out there.  My first Young Adult book has relatively few sales compared to the effort I've put in, and I'm someone with a fairly high-profile platform to begin with. I'm hoping it's a slow-burn thing, and that all of a sudden it will take off. (In case you haven't guessed, I've always been an optimist.)

The actual writing of the book was the most fun part. The marketing, not so much. It's a crowded playing field, especially the urban fantasy genre I write. But I have learned some valuable lessons, so for the benefit of any aspiring authors out there, here are some tips.

1) Start marketing even before your book is published. Put ads on Facebook, Instagram and Amazon. Send out advance copies to bookbloggers and ask if they'll review it. Join Facebook groups and become a Goodreads author. Upload copies to the likes of Netgalley or run promotions on Bookbub.

Bear in mind, nearly all of this costs you money. And even if you are lucky enough to have a supportive agent and publisher like me, you still have to do a lot of your own marketing. Unless you're JK Rowling, that is. I guess she can relax.

2) Covers are all important. You know that saying, don't judge a book by its cover? Well, people do. Immediately and harshly. I left the cover of Awakening to my publisher, and although it's perfectly fine, it's not the image I had in my head. I took a step back because I was a new, first time author and I didn't know better. This time round, with book 2, I'm a bit more possessive about it.

There are websites devoted to cover designs, as well as sites like Pixabay and Shutterstock where you can buy images to use (and many are free).

Sadly, there does seem to be a lack of 'diverse' faces among them. My main character Kaz is a brown-skinned half Indian girl and I'm struggling to find the right image. It's astonishing how many of the faces featured are Caucasian. A quick trawl of pictures logged under the heading 'Indian Girl' brings up either a bunch of wholesome, intellectual-types, or women wearing Bengali dancing clothes. (Or, in a lovely touch of ambiguity, a Native American girl in a feathered headdress.)


3) Don't give up. If you feel you have a book to write, then write it. I have found it's a discipline - not a chore exactly, but you do have to treat it like a job, where you make yourself sit down and write whether you're in the mood or not.

As a TV presenter, I have set work patterns so I tend to write on my days off - usually for six or seven hours straight. Other people write in the hour before they go to work or when the kids are at school. Yet others use their lunch breaks or set aside time at the weekend. One person I know writes between midnight and 2am because that's when she can concentrate the best.

It's totally your choice how you go about writing. But if you're the kind of person who says "I always wanted to write, I just never had time," then my best advice to you is this: make a start. Write the first chapter. Then just keep adding to it. Even writing 500 words is an achievement.

As best-selling author Jodi Picoult says: You may not write well every day, but you can always edit a bad page. You can't edit a blank page. 

So, the next chapter of Kaz Deva's adventures will begin soon. If you like feisty heroines, magical quests and exciting adventures (and don't mind a few scary scenes) then you'll love this.

No release date yet, but I will be choosing some lucky people to receive a free copy to read and review.

If you'd like to receive an advance review copy, add your email address to the comments below and I will be in touch.

New Year, New Goals

The last mince pie has disappeared and the turkey leftovers have finally run out. Christmas is over, the festivities are done, we're well into 2019, and staring down the barrel of another year.

So naturally, this is the time when we decide we're going to be different. We're going to shed those pounds, join the gym, write that book, ask for that pay-rise. In short, we're going to seize life and make new goals.

What is it with New Year Resolutions? Why New Year? Are we incapable of making a goal in, say, April? But I digress.

It will surprise no-one that the top three New Year Resolutions are almost always about physical improvements: exercise more, lose weight, and eat more healthily. In fact, you probably made the same pledges last year. 

But what's interesting is how many goals are about mental well-being. Last year, according to a YouGov poll, 24% of us focused on self-care (by getting more sleep, for example); 15% of us decided to learn a new skill; 15% wanted to make new friends, and 18% wanted to read more. This bodes well, as health experts urge us to take more notice of our inner happiness, and do more to address mental health issues.

But making a promise is very different to keeping it. A UK survey a couple of years back found around half of us don't think we'll stick to our promises. Psychologists say the key is setting yourself small, achievable goals. Don't say "I want to be thinner." Instead, say "I want to lose five kilos before my birthday." 

Baby steps. 

So, here are my three resolutions for 2019:

1. Stop being so impatient, especially with stupid people. (Also, stop calling them stupid)

2. Remember that just because it contains nuts, it's not healthy (i.e. lay off the peanut butter)

3. Start doing more fun things with your daughter, because it won't be long before she's off on her own life-journey (and stop angsting about the state of her room, you can clean it up when she's gone)

What are your resolutions? Whatever you hope to achieve, here's to a successful 2019.

Deck The Halls

‘Tis the season to be jolly – or so they say. But looking back over the year, there seem to be very few things to be jolly about.

It’s doom and gloom in the Ghosh household over the looming uncertainty of Brexit. The husband and I voted Remain – and the prospect of leaving the EU fills me with dismay. I do understand the reasons why people voted Leave – but I can’t believe they envisaged the chaos we’re facing now, with a government in disarray, a withdrawal agreement no-one can agree on, a very real possibility of crashing out of the bloc with no deal at all, and a bleak economic future as the impact hits us all in the pocket.

Other standout events of 2018 are equally depressing; earthquakes, hurricanes, wildfires, school shootings, terror attacks, global warming, the ongoing loss of life in Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan…. The list goes on. And on top of all that, we lost Aretha Franklin.

We journalists tend to see tragedy and crises on a day-to-day basis. But that’s not the whole picture of course, and Christmas is the perfect time to remind ourselves of that.

So with a nod to festive cheer and goodwill to all men, here are five happier news stories from 2018 to look back on.

1. Thai cave rescue

For eighteen days, the world watched and waited as divers tried to rescue twelve boys and their football coach from a flooded cave in Thailand. That they were alive in the first place was astonishing; that they were all eventually brought out, relatively unscathed, was almost miraculous. 

2. Football World Cup 

A great tournament, with exciting games, and some unexpected giant-killing as Germany and Argentina went out. France may have won it, but for England fans it was a chance to believe again as their squad got into the semi-finals for the first time since 1990.  

3. Royal wedding   

 Okay, some people could care less about the royals. But I’m including this as a feel-good story because Harry managed to buck tradition and snag himself a gorgeous mixed-race actress.The last time a member of the royal family fell in love with an American divorcee, it caused a constitutional crisis and an abdication. Look how far we've come, people! Plus, I loved her in Suits.

4. Mars exploration 

      You can't beat a good space story. This month, for the first time ever,  a scientific instrument was placed on the surface of the Red Planet. NASA’s Insight Lander put a seismometer on Martian soil to help collect data on the planet’s core. This will help us understand how planets were formed four billion years ago. Also in 2018, they discovered an underground lake on the planet. Geeky, yes, but super-amazing.  

5. It's Not Me  

Take a bow David Schwimmer – the Friends actor was forced to deny he was the man caught on camera stealing from a restaurant. He did so by posting a similar image – and using the time honoured phrase, ‘It wasn’t me, guv.”

What feel-good stories would you include? Comment below.

Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, I wish you a very happy 2019.

A Deadly Profession

I didn’t know Jamal Khashoggi. I never met him. But he was a journalist, one of the brothers and sisters of the media who have chosen to speak out for others. Which is why journalists have increasingly become targets.

Jamal Khashoggi didn’t describe himself as a dissident; he just wanted more freedom and fairness for his people in Saudi Arabia.

In an article published in the Washington Post last year, he wrote: "I have left my home, my family and my job, and I am raising my voice. To do otherwise would betray those who languish in prison. I can speak when so many cannot. I want you to know that Saudi Arabia has not always been as it is now. We Saudis deserve better."

Free media is a cornerstone of democracy. It is the voice which demands accountability. And as the Saudis are finding to their cost, those who would forcibly silence that voice can end up unleashing a global outrage more powerful than they ever bargained for.

It is why, when Aljazeera journalists were wrongly imprisoned in Egypt in 2013, the rest of the world’s media banded together to demand their release.

It is why, when Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya was gunned down in Moscow in 2006, the international outcry forced the case all the way to the European Court of Human Rights.

It is why, after repeatedly targeting journalists and members of the press as well as other unarmed people during protests in Gaza,  Israel is facing an independent UN Commission of Inquiry.

The campaign group Reporters Without Borders says since January 2018, 60 journalists have been killed. In 2017, it was 65. You can see more figures on their website here.

We may never know exactly what happened to Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul on October 2^nd. We may never see those who gave the order for his murder pay the price. And ultimately, nothing may change in Saudi Arabia because of his death. But one thing is clear.

In the fight to highlight injustice, in the battle to hold those in charge to account, Jamal Khashoggi is just the latest fallen soldier.

Reviews and Debuts

I've had a busy week. Earlier in September I was moderating a conference in New York during the annual UN General Assembly, in front of audiences containing Princesses, Ministers and First Ladies.

Then I was hosting several  TV current affairs discussion shows for TRT World with guests talking about issues as disparate as GDP and High Seas Protection.

This month I was the Master of Ceremonies for a charity ball which raised more than £140,000 for schools in Uganda and Kenya.

But you know what made me most nervous? A talk to a class full of 14 and 15-year olds about my book. Ridiculous, I know - but I find it much easier to grill a world leader than to try to sound cool to a bunch of teenagers. Thankfully, the girls of the lovely Queen Mary's in Yorkshire were kind enough to buy several copies of book, and have promised to review it.

Reviews are another nerve-wracking experience. So far I have been lucky enough to glean four and five stars from proper critics (i.e. not just my family!) - bloggers and writers who review books on a daily basis. Here's the latest one, from The Return Cart which you can find by clicking here.  

It's always a relief when your book is praised. It would be very hard to be told it isn't any good. It's like being told your child is unattractive. And bad reviews spell poor sales.

All of which makes it really hard for debut authors like me. It's incredibly difficult to get your work noticed among the millions available on Amazon. 

So in the spirit of solidarity, here are five debut YA urban fantasy novels which have done incredibly well and get the kind of reviews we newbies dream of! If you like new worlds, dark destinies and powerful teens, these are for you.

Happy reading.

The Belles by Dhonielle Clayton

In the opulent world of Orléans, beauty is power. And only through a Belle's abilities can perfection be achieved . . . though the results always fade.

Camellia Beauregard wants to be the favourite Belle - the one chosen by the queen to tend to the royal family. But behind the gilded palace walls live dark secrets, and Camellia soon learns that her powers may be far greater - and far deadlier - than she ever imagined. 

Everless by Sara Holland

In the land of Sempera, the rich control everything - even time. Ever since the age of alchemy and sorcery, hours, days and years have been extracted from blood and bound to iron coins. The rich live for centuries; the poor bleed themselves dry.

Jules and her father are behind on their rent and low on hours. To stop him from draining himself to clear their debts, Jules takes a job at Everless, the grand estate of the cruel Gerling family.

There, Jules encounters danger and temptation in the guise of the Gerling heir, Roan, who is soon to be married. But the web of secrets at Everless stretches beyond her desire, and the truths Jules must uncover will change her life for ever.

 The Wren Hunt by Mary Watson

Every winter, Wren Silke is chased through the forest in a warped version of a childhood game. The boys who haunt her are judges, powerful and frightening pursuers, who know nothing of her true identity. If they knew she was an augur, their sworn enemy, the game would turn deadly. 

But Wren is on the hunt, too. Sent undercover as an intern to the Harkness Foundation – enemy headquarters – her family's survival rests on finding a secret meant to stay hidden.




Ink, Iron and Glass by Gwendolyn Clare

A certain pen, a certain book, and a certain person can craft entirely new worlds through a branch of science called scriptology. Elsa comes from one such world that was written into creation, where her mother—a noted scriptologist—constantly alters and expands their reality.

But when her home is attacked and her mother kidnapped, Elsa is forced to cross into the real world and use her own scriptology gifts to find her. In an alternative Victorian Italy, Elsa finds a secret society of young scientists with a gift for mechanics, alchemy, or scriptology—and meets Leo, a gorgeous mechanist with a smart mouth and tragic past.

                                         

 The Diminished by Kaitlyn Sage Patterson

A rare few are singleborn in each generation, and therefore given the right to rule by the gods and goddesses. Bo Trousillion is one of these few, born into the royal line and destined to rule. 

When one twin dies, the other usually follows, unable to face the world without their other half. Those who survive are considered diminished, doomed to succumb to the violent grief that inevitably destroys everyone whose twin has died. Such is the fate of Vi Abernathy, whose twin sister died in infancy. 

As their sixteenth birthdays approach, Bo and Vi face very different futures—one a life of luxury as the heir to the throne, the other years of backbreaking work as a temple servant. But a long-held secret and the fate of the empire are destined to bring them together in a way they never could have imagined.