JAN 30: Charlie is our darling...

[clarelondon]

Today my visitor is the lovely Charlie Cochrane, historical author and creator of the Cambridge Fellows mystery series, published by Linden Bay Press.

Comments

[charliecochrane]

Hey Clare

Thanks for letting me come and chat. I had 'hwyl' in mind more in the way it gets used for rugby players, but then I always have rugby players on the brain. And talking of things on the brain, now I keep hummin 'The Young Chevalier...'

Cheers

Charlie

[mzcalypso]

I thought you were referring to Hwyl the Shakespearean dwarf Terry Pratchett's Wyrd Sisters...

[charliecochrane]

I confess it now. Never read Pratchett. *hides*

[chrissymunder]

Don't mind me...I came to comment and somehow got stuck on the rugby icon. Uhm...yes...well.

What can I say? It certainly beats the view at my work. LOL.

I had a fine chuckle over your quite entertaining post (breathe...push...breathe...push) and can only say I agree this is never-ending learning process. Gives us a bit to look forward to.

[charliecochrane]

That rugby picture is so delightful. Have you seen these, BTW? *ends digression*

I don't mind the learning; keeps the brain agile. And I guess the process is not quite as awful as childbirth. Not quite.

[jenre]

Until I started reading author blogs I'd no idea how much time and effort an author puts into pimping their books. I just assumed that a book was released and the author then sat back and watched the sales roll in whilst planning the next book.

I'm a bit wrong about this, aren't I?

I'm amazed you have time to do any writing at all inbetween real life and cyberlife! Also I can't work out how these yahoo groups and such like work. Do you have to sit about all day (and possibly night) waiting for people to post questions for you?

Crazy stuff!

[charliecochrane]

You are only as wrong about it as I was a year ago.

Time for writing? *groan* tell me about it. Some form of sod's law seems to operate that when you have an idea you have no time to write it. When you have the time, you have no ideas and end up playing Spider.

I wish yahoo groups did work like that. Sometimes they're very busy, other times it's like shouting into a tunnel, and then there's the rare one where the balance is perfect. I always have something else to do (like watch the rugby on TV) when a chat's going on.

[jenre]

Ah, Spider. The world-wide time waster!

[charliecochrane]

The very same. I pretend that playing it will help stave off senility. :)

[erastes]

It was a privilege to work with you, Charlie, to be honest, and never was one of your questions silly--compared with some I've been asked! I'd do another trilogy with you anytime.

I wish that all new authors had other authors holding their hands though - there should be some kind of mentor programme. I had to learn it all myself (not that I know much, even now) and make the most stupid mistakes, so that's what drives me to help newbies.

I am sure that the Lessons series will be a huge success and will only become more so the more of them that come out. I'll have all of them on my shelf, that's for sure.

[charliecochrane]

Mentoring would be great; taking someone you like, and whose writing you like, under your wing is a rewarding experience. (Thus spake the blind leading the blind.)

You're such a star, thank you!

[lee_rowan]

Inane questions? I don't remember any. I can't tell you how happy it makes me to see your books up and doing well. The only thing I'm wondering is how one would go about convincing the BBC that they should do a series on the Cambridge Fellows...

[charliecochrane]

Don't you? I think I've saved some of them somewhere. :)

Another confession - it makes me happy too. Yes, I know, years of saying 'No Way' and now I'm a convert.

Big daughter has the last bit all planned. She insists we fire off copies to Russell T Davies, David Tennant, etc. I'm still saying 'No Way' to that.

[lee_rowan]

Register them with the Screen Writers Guild. I'm not joking. They would make a WONDERFUL miniseries.

[charliecochrane]

I dread the day you and 'her' meet up. :)

I'll think about it - give me a year or so to get used to the idea. :)