James Farner's Blog, page 4

James Farner and the 30/30 Challenge

An acquaintance of mine spoke to me on Facebook and mentioned the prospect of completing a 30/30 challenge for the month of April. Intrigued by the whole idea, I looked into it and decided to give it a try.

Now for those of you who don’t know what the 30/30 challenge is, let me introduce you to it. The 30/30 challenge comes in a lot of forms. If you type it into Google you might find this version of the 30/30 writing challenge. In this case, they’re raising money for charity and the goal is to write for 30 minutes per day.

But that’s not much of a challenge for me (totally arrogant) because I already do that. And my acquaintance felt that was the case for the writers in our little group too. Instead, this is based around short stories.

We will aim to create a single short story every day. We’re aiming to have them reach a minimum of 3k words. Again, I do this anyway, so personally I’m going to be doing that and working on my novels. That’s a real challenge for me because it’s consistent writing at a level I’ve never attempted before.

So what am I going to be writing?

Coming up with 30 short story ideas isn’t an easy thing to do. I still have a Made in Yorkshire short story to write, so that’s going to be my priority.

After that I think I’m going to go back to a period of history I fell in love with years ago. Renaissance Italy in the city of Fiorenza (Florence) inspires me both for its political, economic, and artistic tributes. The way art drives forward this powerful republic is something rarely seen throughout human history. For once, it’s about colour and stone, rather than gold mined from the earth.

That’s going to cover about ten short stories. Eventually I’ll release them one-by-one, before throwing them into a boxset. I want to make them as standalone as possible, whilst creating links between them. It’s a difficult project to get right, but I hope it turns out well.

I’m updating my progress here a couple of times, along with daily updates on Twitter at @farnerauthor and on my Facebook page, so join me there and see how I get on!

Until next time…

James Farner

A Deep Dark Place – 1976 (Made in Yorkshire Book 5)

1976 (Made in Yorkshire Book 5) is out now and Richard is languishing in borstal. Following a fall from grace and the total victory of corrupt police officer Robert Hardy, we come to perhaps the lowest point in Richard’s life so far.
Read on to find out more.
Twenty-Three and Out
Richard is now 23-years-old and half way through a five-year sentence. He’s wasting away in the confines of HMP Pentonville in London. The effects of the events previously have left their mark upon him and he’s a bitter, angry human being. Feeling as if the world has abandoned him, he’s left with nothing.
Find out where Richard goes from here and buy the book now from Amazon (other stores available on the 1976 page): Amazon UK/Amazon US.
The Coming of Book Six
With the end of book five, we’re only two books away from the culmination of the series. It’s both an exciting and a sad time for me. As the first series I have ever put out for the general public, in terms of novels, I’m excited to move onto my next project.
I’m not ready to reveal what I’m doing next, but fear not for I am sticking to the same genre. Historical is my thing and I hope to stay with it for…well as long as history continues, which should be a rather long time.
1981 (Made in Yorkshire Book 6) is due out for release on April 15th, so look out for it. Better yet, sign up for my newsletter and get the direct scoop, as well as access to my anthology of short stories Made in Yorkshire – Between the Years.
Until next time…
James Farner

Family and Career – 1973 (Made in Yorkshire Book 4) Out Now

One month on and it’s time to release 1973. The fourth instalment of the Made in Yorkshire series marks the first time we have passed the half way mark. In this book, Richard turns twenty, so we’ve reached the half way point in the series and the half way point of the part of Richard’s life we’re covering.
Let’s roll onto what you can expect from book four.
Career Moves
When we last left Richard, we left him in the midst of his rise up the ranks of professional journalism in the northern English city of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. We continue to follow his adventures as he attempts to grow in influence and stature.
But let’s not dwell under the illusions of his editor Shane Richardson and the rest of his colleagues. Richard has had more than his fair share of help through the nefarious dealings of police officer Robert Hardy.
Find out how far Richard is willing to take this toxic relationship now.
Love and Family
Like in all our lives, family and those closest to us have a habit of either getting in the way or becoming a massive help. Richard soon learns about this when he returns home to Ledder Bridge for the first time in two-and-a-half years. The long-awaited reunion with his parents and the denizens of the village includes welcoming Richard’s girlfriend Jessica Deakins into the mix.
Will his parents be able to accept his relationship, and if they don’t, what then?
Buy it now on Amazon (other book stores are available on the main 1973 page):
Amazon UK/Amazon US
What Happens Next?
This isn’t the end of Richard’s story. This is only the beginning. If he thought he was going to make it to the top and gain whatever he wanted, before a healthy retirement at twenty-five, he has another thing coming.
The fifth instalment is 1976 (Made in Yorkshire Book 5). Unlike my other books, I’m not providing a public preview for it. If I told you what happened next, it would spoil book four. But let’s just say it’s a transition into a place nobody expected.
All I will say is that it comes out on Monday March the 16th.
On a side note, be on the lookout for a new set of covers. I’m completely redesigning the cover art for all the previous books too!
Until next time…
James Farner

1971 – Backpacking with the Past Available Now

Eyup, and we’re less than two weeks away from the release of 1973 (Made in Yorkshire Book 4). As I’ve said before, I enjoy this series and that’s why I want to take any opportunity I can to keep on writing within it. Of course, I know I can’t add novel after novel to cover every single year of Richard Warren’s life. I’d run out of things to write about. Besides, not every year is particularly interesting. We all have those times in our lives where the years pass with nothing incredible happening.
I realise that in many of my books, like life, I leave some questions unanswered. They aren’t necessarily the great life-changing questions, but the little things from Richard’s life. And human curiosity demands that we answer them.
Back to Ripon
Fresh out of the year 1969 and Richard’s trip to London, we zoom forward two years later to Yorkshire again. This time we’re in the little city of Ripon. Despite the fact we’re talking about a place with less than a hundred thousand people, this is indeed a city. My American readers have to understand that in the UK a city was created by the presence of a cathedral, as opposed to the size of the population.
The picture attached to this blog post is Ripon Cathedral.
A Friend from Anarchy
The premise of this story is Richard’s meeting with an anarchist from the Black Liberation Division. It’s a short reunion that revisits much of the chaos brought on by Richard’s presence within the movement. Although his time as an anarchist has long since ended, news from London reveals the decline of the movement and the ultimate fate of Richard’s former comrades.
Exclusive to Newsletter Subscribers

As with 1967 – A Friend from Liverpool, 1971 – Backpacking with the Past is exclusive to subscribers of the newsletter. I want to make sure that my most loyal readers are getting something worth their while for sticking with me.
I’ve decided to compile an anthology of short stories, which I will add to each time I release a new one. It will be known as Made in Yorkshire – Between the Years and I’m already working on a page dedicated to it.
If you want access to these short stories, signup with your email address on the form to the right of this page.
Finally, remember that 1973 (Made in Yorkshire Book 4) will be available on all major platforms on February 15th.
Until next time…
James Farner

Getting Closer to Disco Dave – What, Book 3 Already?

The disco era and Saturday Night Fever in Britain didn’t hit until the latter part of the 1970s, but we’re gradually getting closer to it as 1972 hits. Despite being the third book in the series, I have no intention of letting Richard undergo a disco phase. Sorry, but massive hair, sunglasses, and suits that are just a little too tight are just too much for me.
Book 3 Already
Yes, it’s true. On January 12th, or it seems more like January 13th due to Amazon delays, 1972 (Made in Yorkshire Book 3) hit the shelves to cap off what has been an extremely successful month for the Made in Yorkshire series. I’m quite frankly amazed at how people have taken to it. As of this writing, we’re on 20 reviews across Amazon US and Amazon UK, with mainly four and five-star reviews coming in. I never expected to see it garner such popularity in such a short space of time.
That also means we’re already on book three and close to being half way through the entire series.
Links to the new book here: Amazon UK and Amazon US
The Next Book
Already I’ve received personal messages about the book after book three. I have previously let on that the entire series has been completed, but the releases are being staggered. That’s just the way I work. I prefer to complete a series, rather than attempt to complete and release as I go along. It gives me better peace of mind, and also takes the pressure away from my editor.
So, yes, 1973 (Made in Yorkshire Book 4) will appear on February 15th of this year. I have no problems saying this is one of my most favourite books. Of course, I like them all, but this is probably my favourite. It’s tied with 1981 (Made in Yorkshire Book 6), which you will discover why I love so much at a later date. No spoilers here!
The Short Stories
Anyone who has signed up to my newsletter will have received the short story 1967 – A Friend from Liverpool. This short story takes place between the first and second books. The setting is Ledder Bridge and tells the story of when Richard makes a friend with a wandering boy on his holidays. Whilst short, it gives you an insight into how Richard changes as he enters his troublesome teenage years. You’ll also see some of Richard’s bravado that starts to evolve as he grows up and becomes more confident in himself.
Whilst there’s only one short story for now, I fully intend on writing more. I do have ideas for little adventures that can take place between the books. As for when I write another, I’m not yet sure. For now, I’m thinking about putting a short story between books two and three. If they go down well with my subscribers, I want to make a habit of writing at least one short story that takes place between every book.
In the end, I may even consider throwing them together in a grand anthology. With seven books and seven potential short stories, assuming I don’t write more, that could offer a whole novella’s worth of stories all just for signing up to my newsletter.
Remember, the newsletter signup is at the side of this page, and on every page of my website, so do it now!
Finally, if you do pick up any of my books and happen to like them, please don’t hesitate to write me a review. It really does help and it encourages more to start reading.
Until next time…
James Farner

Wheear Av Ah Bin – A November 2014 Update

So it’s been a long time since I’ve last written a blog on this website. You see, I’m not a fan of writing blogs unless they actually have a point. One thing I don’t want to do is publish lots of worthless content for ‘SEO’ reasons. Plus, it gives me more time to actually write my novels, and so there we are.
Anyway, on with the post…
Where Have I Been?
Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of this blog, I’ve been writing away since February of this year to complete the Made in Yorkshire series. Now I can release the full list of novels, and they are:
-          1964
-          1969
-          1972
-          1973
-          1976
-          1981
-          1984
As I’ve said before, these seven books will chart the course of Richard Warren’s life from the age of ten in the sunny fields of God’s own county of Yorkshire to the gritty reality of Thatcher’s Britain in 1984.
Originally, the series was going to take place entirely in Yorkshire, but I soon found that didn’t work. It was far more exciting to travel around the country. Made in Yorkshire now applies to the characters and their Yorkshire heritage, as opposed to where the story takes place. I prefer to follow the best course of my characters, rather than sticking to some arbitrary rules.
Through these seven novels, we will visit London and Newcastle outside of Yorkshire. Within Yorkshire we will go through the cities of Ripon and Leeds, along with Richard’s hometown, the fictional village of Ledder Bridge in North Yorkshire; although not all at once.
Imagine a Release Date…
One thing that I haven’t done so far is give any indication as to the release date of 1964 and the subsequent novels.
This is because I’m the sort of writer who prefers to have everything in order before committing to anything. It’s better to remain vague than set a date only to disappoint people, at least that’s my philosophy.
At the moment, I’m now looking at a release date of sometime in early December. I’m planning a two-book release option. In other words, I will release 1964 and 1969 at the same time. The subsequent books I’m looking at releasing with a three of four-week gap between each other.
A Short Story
If you look at the sidebar here on this website, you will see that you can signup to my newsletter for a book alert. It’s not a marketing email and you’ll only ever hear from me when I have something new. So you’re always guaranteed something worthwhile when you get a message from me.
At the moment, I’m looking at creating a special short story during the five years between books one and two. I’ve yet to begin this short story, but I hope to make it an exclusive piece of content before early December.
Of course, the short story will be entirely free. Wink wink nudge nudge…
James Farner

Where are we Now?

I’ve had this site running for a few weeks now, and only now have I gotten around to writing the first blog for it. I’m not much of a blogger. Everyone has a different writing style and mine is, unfortunately, one of the more boring ones.
I get up. I write. I usually write exactly the same amount each day. I end the day.
It’s quite difficult to glean an interesting blog out of that. So, let me introduce you to the Made in Yorkshire series instead.
As you already know from reading the rest of my website, Made in Yorkshire begins in 1953, for about a paragraph, and drives on into 1964. The first book is 1964, but I’ve already completed the sequel and am working on the third edition of my book. Over the next few weeks and months, you will travel through sixties Britain and into the seventies.
Currently, Richard Warren is busy in 1972. In his world it’s Christmas, so he’ll soon be crossing over into 1973. I can’t say what he’s been up to yet, but you’ll find out in good time.
My plans for this series are thus:


I’m going to keep going until it reaches the present day.


That’s pretty much it. Made in Yorkshire is designed to explore the concept of growing up from childhood to adulthood to death. I don’t know how many books it will take to get to the end, but I do have plans for when it finally ends.
Richard had ancestors and a lot of interesting things happened prior to 1953. In the future, I might consider even going backwards as part of a new saga. There’s a whole family tree to explore!
I’m not going to get ahead of myself, though. We’re only up to the seventies and Richard is still in the prime of his life. Get ready for 1964, coming soon.
Until next time, keep reading.
James Farner