World Book Night

During the last year, my life has changed dramatically thanks to the people I've met and the books I've read. So when I had the opportunity to be part of World Book Night as a distributor, I was delighted.

Yes, I know it was almost a month ago now, but hear me out.

The Reading Agency's World Book Night took place on 23rd April this year. Their drive was to reach out to people in the UK who do not normally read for pleasure - and therefore 187,500 copies of 15 specially printed books - including titles from Ann Cleeves, Amanda Prowse and Sarah Hilary, to name a few - were distributed by reading enthusiasts. That included me.

Sometime last year, I filled out an online registration form as to why I wanted to be involved, how I would distribute the books and choose the title I would like to receive. I didn't actually think I'd get chosen, but I did. I was given 16 copies of Ann Cleeves' short story, Too Good To Be True. It wasn't the book I had requested, but I was pleased, because what better way to ease a non-reader in than with a short story.

Now, I know what some of you must be thinking: why the hell am I distributing books that I haven't written? Or perhaps, because I'm an indie author, should I be promoting this? And honestly, I got involved with World Book Night because I'm a reader myself first and foremost. It was my passion for books that put me on the path to writing my own! So the idea of reaching out to people who do not usually read for pleasure was something I really wanted to be a part of.

For me, it was actually a good ice-breaker. The recipients of the books I gifted would ask me why was I doing this, or what was I reading etc. And it meant I could promote my own books and writing journey to them freely, without feeling like I was forcing it on them. Not only was I encouraging them to read with a free book, but I was able to have a free-flowing, non-computer type chat with them.

My nan and her free book

I started small this year. I gave the books to friends, relatives and neighbours - some of them didn't own a paperback/hardback book. Two of those people included my nan (pictured) and her dear old neighbour. They were delighted to have been given a gift, a real book in their hands to hold and - for my nan's neighbour - a bit of company and conversation. A friend of mine was delighted to have the book in her bag as she was stuck in a hospital waiting for hours and devoured it. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed reading, she told me after. Next year, if I get accepted again, I'd like to go bigger with distributing the books - perhaps even hand out some personal promotional material too. I'll put my thinking cap on.

So, I wasn't delivering copies of my own books this World Book Night, but isn't just encouraging people to read in general a great stepping stone? I hope so.

March book reviews: The Reaper and The Prodigal

It's becoming a habit of mine to start these posts with something along the lines of, 'I've been so busy' or 'I haven't read much this month.' I know it's because I'm used to reading at least four or five books a month and lately that figure has dropped to two or three. But, I've decided I'll stop apologising for that because I'm still reading - regardless of my hectic personal life and writing/editing my own books - and that's what's important.

It's great that I'm reading some fab books too! When you don't have a lot of time to read, it makes it worthwhile that the ones you do can, keep you interested. So, here are my March reads:

The Reaper by Steven Dunne 

A series that has been recommended to me over and over again. And with book six being published in May, I thought it was time to see what all the fuss was about. I'm glad I did. I thoroughly enjoyed The Reaper - and at one point I really did want to hide behind my cushion! It's a very clever read and I loved the mention of locations I know. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy The Reaper on Amazon.

The Prodigal (Valley Park series #1) by Nicky Black

This felt like quite a refreshing change to the crime genre. The Prodigal is gritty but there's also a story of love mixed in there two. It's very character driven and I enjoyed getting to know more about each character and what made them tick. Look forward to 'Heads' the second book from Nicky Black coming soon.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy The Prodigal on Amazon.

Keeping you in the loop - The Caller and Authors Electric

I'm quickly ducking in during the wee small hours to say hello while I have a very quick break from editing. Sorry I haven't posted anything in the last month, but I've been full on busy, and getting very excited, with my current work in process.

A NEW BOOK, I HEAR YOU CRY:

Well, yes the rumours are true! Myself and Mel Comley are putting the finishing touches to our first book in a new crime series - The Caller. It's available to pre-order on Amazon now for just 99p/99c - click the link below to find out more, and of course order if it takes your fancy - and it will be published on June 16th. I will be updating my website in the next few weeks to give you more of a taster about The Organised Crime Series.

Click here to order The Caller


WHAT ELSE IS NEW?

I'm also thrilled to announce that I've joined a team of indie authors on their blogger website - Authors Electric. The group is made up of 29 authors who come together on the site to explore the exciting world of eBooks, gossip, laugh and share tips on writing and independent publishing. I've already posted my first blog - and will continue to do so on the 18th of each month. Thank you to everyone who has made me feel so welcome and planted the seed for some interesting projects in the near future. Do drop by and say hello!

Click here to check out Authors Electric

World Book Day: The book Vs the comic

My little Captain Leo on World Book Day 2016

For many years, on this day, my Facebook timeline would be filled with cute children dressed in an array of costumes. I'd make the usual "ah" sound and hit the like button, maybe even write a little comment. Then I'd move on. However, this year I'm involved: my son has reached school-age and is, as I type, taking part in his first World Book Day.

I was only told last week that the children would be invited to dress up, so didn't have much time to let the creative juices flow. But fear not, the supermarkets were filled with costumes to take care of that problem. Or were they?

As I peered through the selection I was amazed, and slightly disappointed, that what was on offer was characters from The Avengers, Star Wars, Minions and Frozen. Now while I completely understand children like to dress up and have fun, I can't remember reading about any of these characters in a book! They are comic and film characters first and foremost. So while there may be some books featuring them as a merchandise ploy, I feel it's a bit of a cheat... there I said it.

Parents will roll their eyes at my view and kids will call me the boring mum (poor Leo!), but it's how I feel. There are so many wonderful books to choose from, why choose a comic?

So, what did Leo dress up as? Although the picture gives it away somewhat, I'll explain anyway.

Leo's favourite character has always been Peter Rabbit, so I took it for granted he would choose that. No, of course he said he wanted to be the Hulk (who doesn't, right?). And it dawned on me; while I may be a book lover (and I hope as he grows Leo will be too), right now three year-olds want fun and colour and excitement. For them, the likes of Peter Rabbit and Oliver Twists just 'ain't cutting it.

Therefore, we reached a compromise. Leo dressed up as a pirate, and he believes it's because he likes the book Pirates Love Underpants and that swashbuckling show on CBeebies, (but I chose to ignore that). For me, Leo went to school as Captain Hook - Peter Pan's arch-enemy. Now, while I know the story has been on stage, TV and made into a film (or three!), the character is ultimately from an enchanting classic book about a boy who didn't want to grow up.

My February book reviews...

February has been a whirlwind month for me. In the Shadows was returned from my editor, proofreader and beta readers. I also set up a blog tour (more news on that coming soon), which I'm really excited about.

And between all that, I'm pleased to say I still managed to read three fab books - and started a fourth. However, as I've not finished that one, you'll just have to wait until March's round-up for the review.

So, without further ado, here are my February reads:

The Girl You Lost by Kathryn Croft 

This was the first Kathryn Croft novel for me, and my first 5 star review of 2016. I can't remember reading a book where, at some stage, I doubted every single character. It's an awesome psychological thriller that will keep you thinking, keep you guessing and keep you reading.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy The Girl you Lost on Amazon.




The Girl in the Ice by Robert Bryndza 

I loved the gritty nature of the main character, DI Erika Foster and I look forward to reading more about her. She has a background story that I'm sure will be delved into much more. I felt The Girl in the Ice was a bit repetitive at times, which sometimes slowed it down for me, but the characters definitely held my attention.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy The Girl in the Ice on Amazon.



CXVI Desperate Measures by Angie Smith 

This was a bitter-sweet read for me. Having thoroughly enjoyed the CXVI trilogy, I knew no matter what the ending of Desperate Measures was - it was saying goodbye. The author does this impeccably and wraps everything up in her usually clever and thoughtful way.

You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to pre-order CXVI Desperate Measures on Amazon.

My debut novel on pre-order

It's been a roller-coaster of a day. One of excitement and anxiety, achievement and nervousness, joy and worry. All those emotions occurring in a few short hours could be attributed to many things, but for me it was creating a pre-order for my debut novel.

In the Shadows now has a place on Amazon, waiting for you supportive readers to one-click and give an eBook a home. It's real to me now - you may well choose to pre-order my novel (and I would be eternally grateful) - and in a few short weeks will be privy to a story I have kept close to my chest for nearly a year.

My characters, words, thoughts and imagination are all being prepared to be shared with you. At least I hope they will be, and not cast into the virtual shadows, never chosen. And there, in a short paragraph you can see how my mind flickers from one train of thought to the other in an instant. What will become of In the Shadows? I'd like to think it will become a firm favourite for many of you - and in case you need a little tempting...

In the Shadows blurb:

Detective Inspector Denis Hamilton is tasked with apprehending a brutal murderer stalking the streets of London—and leaving not a shred of DNA evidence. As the suspect list mounts, his frustration and pressure from his superiors intensify.

Grace Murphy, who is dealing with the recent loss of her beloved grandfather, falls deeper into despair when her friends’ bodies are discovered. Fearing she may be the killer’s next target, she begins to question if her horrifying nightmares are the key to unravelling the murderer’s identity.

How far would you go to uncover the truth? Would you venture into the shadows to unmask a killer?

To pre-order In the Shadows for 99p/99c click the link to take you straight to Amazon

My January book reviews: Lost Girls and 24 Hours

The first month of 2016 was consumed with editing In The Shadows, so I'm chuffed that I still managed to squeeze in two books from my humongous to be read list.

Lost Girls by Angela Marsons

I'm a huge DI Kim Stone fan and devoured the first two in the series, so was really looking forward to the latest on offer. It wasn't my favourite of the three, mainly because I felt there was too many voice, but it was full of suspense and kept me guessing until the end.
You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy Lost Girls on Amazon.

24 Hours by Claire Seeber

Although it wasn't as fast-paced as I was expecting, 24 Hours is a very clever and interesting read. It flits between the past, where you really get an insight into the characters, and the present, the window of time Laurie is battling with to reach her goal. It's what I call a "thinking book" because you need to be on the ball and concentrating to enjoy it.
You can read my full review on Goodreads.

Click here to buy 24 Hours on Amazon.