New weekly blog is up! This week it’s guest-starring Alice Oseman burrito-ing herself in a blanket, dog ball catching talent and my driving (because I gotta show off my hard earned skills somehow 💪).

The pink font here was 100% inspired by Sofia Coppola, because we went to see The Beguiled and it was EXCELLENT.

I’m very excited to announce a project I’ve been working on for a while now – I’m going to be offering editorial services.

I’ve been doing this for years for my friends and I really enjoy it and want to do more!

If you have a story you’re working on, and would like some VERY friendly and kind feedback, then get in touch.
There’s no pressure & I’ll be very nice. My experience, testimonials & packages are on my website.

This is an introductory rate which will increase when I’ve been running for a while. So if this is something you’re interested in but aren’t quite ready, let me know and we can book you in for a few months off!

More information here: https://laurenejames.co.uk/editorial-services/

So who would like to see more of Clove and Ella? What about Clove and Ella pulling off a heist? And revealing why Ella was really in Carlisle? THEN I’VE GOT SOME GOOD NEWS 4 U BUDDIES.

As of right now, you can read a free novella by me on Amazon Kindle, or any other eBook retailer, which includes not just one but ALL OF THOSE THINGS.

Kate and Matt got their own short story in Another Together, so I had to give Clove and Ella one too! It’s about Clove and Ella pulling off a heist in 1745. It’s pretty fun.

Here’s some more information. Enjoy!

A short story set in the world of Lauren James’ Next Together series.

Featuring the much-loved protagonists Clove and Ella, Another Beginning is a companion story to The Last Beginning, set during the siege of Carlisle in 1745.

“Elenore Walker, ancient literature thief. It makes an odd sort of sense, actually,” Clove said.

Clove is working as a maid in the Finchley household while she spies on Katherine Finchley and Matthew Galloway. But her mission is briefly interrupted when fellow maid Ella persuades her to help steal a valuable historical document from the main defence in the city – the castle. The two girls embark on a risky adventure involving scaling castle walls and hiding in the most unlikely of places!

A fast-paced and fun read, perfect for Lauren James’s existing fans, and readers who enjoy historical fiction and romance.

Includes the first chapter of Lauren James’s third novel, The Loneliest Girl in the Universe.

Goodreads | Amazon Kindle | First chapter

Subscribe to my newsletter to find out about other bonus content about my characters.

Tumblr tag

Moodboard:

I’ve also been obsessed with assembling the best space-themed outfit I can, ready for my events about The Loneliest Girl in the Universe. Here’s what I’ve got so far:

My video of my June reading just went live:

Books mentioned (all links to Amazon UK):

Wilde like me* | Girlhood* | Other Minds | The Power | The Accidental Life of Jessie Jefferson* | False Lights* | Truth or Dare| The Pearl Thief* | The Book of Dust | Days of Grace*

*books provided by publisher in exchange for an honest review

I’m in the middle of writing a first draft, and to say I’m finding it difficult is an understatement. One of the main reasons is that I find it so hard to actually sit down and write. Here are some tips I’ve learnt for making writing easier, even if you’re not feeling in the right mood.

1. Don’t prioritise admin

At the start of each day, it’s tempting to answer your emails first, which are often easier and quicker than writing. But this puts your brain in a different mindset than the creative zone you need to be in to write. It’ll be harder to switch over when you need to start writing. Often, admin is less urgent than writing anyway. It can wait.

2. Avoid social media

Delete your apps. Log out of your accounts. Don’t let yourself check any social media at all until you’ve achieved your daily work counts. The internet these days can be such a negative space, it’s hard to stay upbeat and write. You have to shut out the rest of the world to get things done, however difficult it is at first.

The only exception for this is probably myWriteClub, which allows you to update your writing total, and follow your friends who are doing the same.

3. Give yourself an outlet for breaks

Whether it’s a walk around the garden, a colouring book by your desk, or just waiting for the kettle to boil for tea, give yourself something to do that takes a set amount of time when you need a break.

I use newsletters for this. When I need a break, I pick one from my inbox and read it. I prefer these to social media because they’re usually a lot more upbeat, contain lots of interesting links, and are a finite length – there’s no way to get sucked into mindless scrolling.

Here are some of my favourite writing-related newsletters:

Misfits & Daydreamers | Snacks in the stacks | Dog Ear Half A Dozen 

Getting Clever | Witty Title Here | Zan Romanoff | The Black Cardigan 

I subscribe to a lot of these, so if this is your thing, check out my own blog over the next few weeks – I’m going to be posting a full list of my favourites.

4. Trick your brain into entering the writing mood

I use music, essential oils and candles to give ‘signals’ to my brain that now is the time to work. I also try to restrict recreational time online to my ipad, so whenever I sit at my desk, I know that it’s time to work.

5. Sometimes, you just can’t write.

If you’re not in the mood, you can’t force it. Answer your unanswered emails instead, or file your taxes, or write some blog posts or make some playlists or moodboards to inspire you and share with readers.

Don’t beat yourself up for not writing, because being an author has other responsibilities too.

Good luck with your writing – if I can do it, you can too!

I’m really into email newsletters at the minute. I love that they’re a great way to take a break from writing, and get a social media fix, without getting sucked into mindless scrolling. They always contain lots of interesting links to things that get me thinking.

As I’ve become a bit of a connoisseur of them, I thought I’d share some of my favourites. All links go to the latest entry, where possible, and you can also subscribe at the link. My favourites have *** next to them.

Books & Writing: ***Misfits & Daydreamers | ***Snacks in the stacks | Dog Ear Half A Dozen | Getting Clever | Witty Title Here | Zan Romanoff | The Black Cardigan 

Fandom: ***door | *** The Rec Center | Better than words

News & politics: ***The Ann Friedman weekly | Above the Bottom Line | Proceed Until Apprehended | Goodnewsletter | #awesomewomen | Women aren’t funny

Beauty: The Iris Letter | ***Girls’ Night In

Pop Culture: ***Bravo & Buchanan | ***This Week’s Work | Deez Links | Pop Warrior | Read Look Think | Emma Gannon Weekly

Introspection: The Sunday Letters | Grief Bacon

If that isn’t enough newsletters for you, you can also subscribe to my own here – it updates once a quarter, and I’m really enjoying writing them.

I’ve been experimenting with a new style of reviewing over on my youtube channel, where I combine garden tours with book round ups! I’m going to do this every month, so if that’s your thing, you can subscribe. Here’s the latest video:

Books mentioned (all links to Amazon UK):

Ramona Blue by Julie Murphy | Arrival by Ted Chiang | Shades of Milk and Honey by Mary Robinette Kowal | Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi | The Hare With Amber Eyes by Edmund de Waal | Enter Title Here by Rahul Kanakia | A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers  | Strong Poison: Lord Peter Wimsey by Dorothy L Sayers | Homo Deus by Yuval Noah Harari | The Watchmaker of Filigree Street by Natasha Pulley | The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley