Writing Compelling "About The Author" Bios - and a review of Highland Pursuits by Emmanuelle de Maupassant

You know how you casually say you'll do something, not realising that you're letting yourself in for a total rethink?  Like offering to help the neighbour paint her garden wall and realising your own living room needs a new coat? And then ending up doing the kitchen, the loo, the stairs - and the whole dratted house?

I did end up repainting the house after helping out a pal, and when I started reading Emmanuelle de Maupassant's novella, Highland Pursuits, the first thing that struck me was her author bio.

This may sound funny but I can write a glowing intro for other people, but when it comes to writing about myself I want to hide behind the sofa.

Silly, right?  Face to face I've no problem selling myself. I was in sales when I first started work and on top of that I've years of freelance writing work behind me. To get those jobs, you need to be hard nosed about self promotion. I find I'm great at talking myself up, but not writing myself up.

So I read Emmanuelle's cheery bio and suffered every shade of envy and jealousy there is. See how fun and attractive she is?

Emmanuelle writes the glitteringly erotic, the Gothic, the comedic and the wry.

She lives with her husband (maker of tea and fruit cake) and her little haggis pudding terrier (connoisseur of bacon treats and squeaky toys).

Her bio is simple, cheery and attractive. My author bio was just totally blah. I was bored reading it!

I knew there was nothing for it, I had to do a rewrite.

Author bios should help you connect with readers. Ideally, you let them know what kind of a person you are, as well as the kind of books you write. But as people don't have a lot of time, you need to keep it really short.

Then you add on a little marketing, but again, short and sweet.

It's an elevator pitch but in text. It's not easy!

This took me all day and I'm still not sure if it works, so if you have feedback, I'd really appreciate it.

Ellen Whyte married her best friend and moved to the tropics where they are living their own Happily Ever After. She believes writing is not so much a passion as an obsession.

She writes sweet romance novels with strong women and very hunky men as Ellen Whyte, and twisted stories of love, mayhem, and murder as AJ Adams.

When she’s not writing, she’s cooking and gossiping with her friends. She is also personal maid to rescue cats Target, Guido and Swooner.

Come and chat with her on FB at www.facebook.com/ewhyte

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To sign up, visit her blog at sweethotsexy.blogspot.com. 

Does it sound like me? And if you didn't know me, would it make you want to look at my books? Do please come and tell me.

And now, Review of Highland Pursuits by Emmanuelle de Maupassant

Rich, clever and sexy, Lady Ophelia is looking for Love.  At the start of the novel she turns down a rather wet peer (no pun intended) and is sent Up North by her very disappointed family. Once there, she meets a host of new people, and is faced with some difficult choices regarding her future.

I was expecting a novel filled with high society parties laced with witty and sharp one-liners, like The Thin Man films or the Mrs Bradley books.  While there are lords and ladies, they're mostly obsessed with sex.

I had to laugh because I've always thought that too much money and leisure means the super rich tend to focus on getting their end away rather than anything else. According to Highland Pursuits, I was right!

Highland Pursuits is a romance romp with a very independent heroine. It's a fun story, with tonnes of bonking, and I liked Hamish, the man Ophelia loses her heart to. In short, a sizzling read.

I'd recommend it, and I'd like to see more of Ophelia. But in the spirit of the Thin Man and Mrs Bradley, if there could be a murder in the next one, that would be even more awesome.

Buy Highland Pursuits here
Visit Emmanuelle de Maupassant on Goodreads
Visit Emmanuelle de Maupassant's web site

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