Tag Archive | literary

All up for grabs

Oct24

Turn the music on

Shake your booty

Entertain the masses.

❧

Make more money than you know what to do with

Buy whatever you want

It’s all up for grabs

Others don’t matter

Your comfort comes first.

❧

Baby’s born

Give her a name to stand out

She’ll be proud

Blast, you were not inventive enough

Someone’s already using that name.

❧

No matter, you’re rich.

Trademark it baby, you’ve got to have it.

Sell products with your baby’s name

Everyone will want them, you’re a star.

❧

So what if someone had a company before you had a baby

The answer is no. Sometimes you lose

Star, or not

Welcome back to earth baby!

Lost in translation, or not

May7

The beauty of writing and reading in two languages

I’m English but I also speak French fluently. On many occasions, reading translated comments or subtitles on the television or at the cinema has provided a few laughs and/ or head-shaking.

I love the fact I can pick up any French book and read it without any problems. It does open the mind to read authors whose mother tongue is not the same as yours. I also find it influences my own writing at times as I might  find another turn of phrase as I think of an expression in another language.

I was very interested therefore to read the interview of an Italo-British author. It struck me how she explained how either language was best fitted for different purposes.

There are subjects I find easier to write in english and vice-versa. When a personal tragedy affected me, I found release by writing about it in French, which is how the French writing adventure all started. I had never written in French before, nor had I thought about it. It just poured out of me, taking me by surprise.

Here is a sample of this interview.

ITALO-BRITISH AUTHOR SIMONETTA HORNBY SPOKE WITH DW ABOUT WRITING HER LATEST BOOK IN HER ADOPTED TONGUE OF ENGLISH – AND TRANSLATING THE ITALIAN VERSION HERSELF.

She originally went to England at the age of 17 to study the language. There, she met and fell in love with an Englishman, whom she married at 21. Hornby has lived in England since 1969 and has worked as a children’s lawyer in London for the past 30 years. “There’s Nothing Wrong with Lucy” is the first novel she’s written in English, her second language.

Having completed the English manuscript, when it came to publishing the book in Italian, she decided to re-write it herself rather than have it translated.



There were bits of dialogue which didn’t fit in Italian so I stopped it. And descriptions were different. I remember I was describing the sky in St. James Park. In the English sky I was talking about the color of the sky. In Italian I had to talk about the clouds, not the color of the sky. It’s extraordinary. But when you think of it, logically, it’s right because language is harmony and some words are more harmonious than others in a language or in a particular sequence.

You just have to use different words. That is the richness of a language. A language is the soul of a nation, of people. The language is not just the way of identifying a shoe or a microphone or a finger, it’s just a way of expressing yourself.

Are there any things that you discovered about either of the languages in this process?

I think I discovered that each of them has its own beauties. And I discovered that I feel more at ease with English because it’s crisper, it’s shorter, it’s more to the point.

You can read the whole article here:
 

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,14797751,00.html

 


Lost in your time

Apr18

Rock star or husband – which would you choose?

Ah, the dangers of the internet! We’ve all been warned, but do we take notice?

When Natasha clicks on a link, her whole life is turned upside down. A flash from the past, a chance meeting with a gorgeous French rock star…A chance to start over and forget the pain and misery from the last two years.

“Whether our decisions in life end in delight, or even sometimes with regret, we have all been ‘one click away’ from making a choice in our lives that sets a course in motion. Elle Amberley has nailed it, and returns with her gripping characters and kaleidoscopic prose in her new novel, Lost in Your Time. Her talent to knit raw emotion, tears and even laughter, flows straight off the pages and into reader’s hearts. Elle is a gem of an author, and friend.” 
Jen Tucker, author (The Day I Wore my Panties Inside Out)

“Sexy with a Dose of Smiles. Even in the most dire of health conditions, Natasha finds a way to find humour, love and kindness. And in this latest chapter of her life, Matthieu, a sexy French rock star, takes notice. ‘Forever may not be long enough.’ he says and it’s the way I feel about this book. Why must your books end, Elle Amberley? Thank you for enchanting us with characters who feel real enough to touch… and to love.“
Ana Lewis, Founder of WomenontheVerge.net
Available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lost-in-Your-Time-ebook/dp/B007P6LANI/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1

 

http://www.amazon.com/Lost-in-Your-Time-ebook/dp/B007P6LANI/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2

 

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Nothing typical about this writer

Apr16

Typical? What’s typical?

I’m probably the most untypical type person around. I don’t have a routine and I’m not exactly predictable. I’m sort of bohemian and quite flexible. This does not mean I’m unreliable though.

I was asked in this new interview what my typical writing day was like. You can read all about here, and more.

http://www.novelkicks.co.uk/advice/author-interviews-new/item/980-elle-amberley

How about you, do you have a routine?

I have now joined Tumblr and loving it. It allows me to spread my posts throughout the day. Magic! That way, I’m sort of always there to bug you, without bugging you too much hopefully since the posts don’t all come out at once.

Check it out, you can also submit a post if you like. And no, you don’t need a Tumblr account, but if you can’t resist and sign up, let me know, so I can follow you.

Here it is:

http://elleamberley.tumblr.com/

 [author_info]Elle Amberley writes novels, the result of far too much imagination and the constant scenarios playing in her head. She also writes short stories and features when she can’t stop herself reacting to events and news. Since she’s a little bit mad, or creative, she now also writes in French.[/author_info]

Don’t forget, Lost in your time is now out. Check out the links for my books on the right-hand side :)

Thanks for reading me.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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What’s your news?

Apr10

Easter weekend brought a lovely new review from the fabulous people at Page Central. Not only that but they also interviewed me. You can read all about it here Page Central Interview 

I must say it was a real pleasure to answer their questions, some of these were put to them by their readers, and you know how much I like interacting with readers.

Please check it out and add them on Facebook, they’re lovely and friendly, perfect add to your group of friends.

So that was my news. Any news you’d like to share with me?

Have a great week!

Here’s their review of Lost in your time Page Central Review

[author_info]A prolific author, Elle Amberley writes Women’s Fiction, Literary (under a different pen name), poetry, short stories and features. If that wasn’t enough she recently started writing in French and a novel is due for publication next year. [/author_info]

Lost in your time

Ah, the dangers of the internet! We’ve all been warned, but do we take notice?
When Natasha clicks on a link, her whole life is turned upside down. A flash from the past, a chance meeting with a gorgeous French rock star…
A chance to start over and forget the pain and misery from the last two years.
But can Natasha let go? Will she accept this new twist in her life?

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