Gill James's Blog, page 16

Author Anne Goodwin has a new book out

Today  I welcome Anne Goodwin to my blog. We have published Ann in Bridge House anthologies and have been in touch with her for sometime. Make sure you get a copy of her fabulous book released on 23 November and do join her online launch party (details below) . I'll be there!    

About my new book, its focus and inspirationAt the time of writing, I’ve published two novels and around eighty short stories, the latter in various anthologies (including a couple from Bridge House), and in online and print magazines. I’m now about to publish my first short story collection with micro-press Inspired Quill. As with my debut novel, Sugar and Snails, the unifying theme is identity, and particularly the process of developing, losing and reclaiming one’s identity encapsulated in the titleBecoming Someone.
Many writers are curious about identity. How do we become who we are and how that does that change across time and circumstance? How do we manage the gap between who we are and who we would like to be or who others feel we ought to be? How much control do we have over our identity and is it bestowed on us by others or something that arises from within? The way I’ve explored – and occasionally answered – these questions in my fiction is informed by my own identities, including my professional background as a clinical psychologist.
Like a satisfying story, the journey to selfhood often entails working through conflict. Sometimes, it’s only through opposition that we begin to discover what really matters to us. I also believe identity develops in the context of arelationship, even if only with oneself. Furthermore, we have multiple roles and identities, and the tensions between them can cause real-life difficulties – or a satisfying fictional narrative arc. Then there’s the conflict that ensues when someone close to us changes how they present themselves, forcing us to change too. Although none of the forty-two stories were written with a theme in mind, I could probably spin a tale to suggest I’d been working towards this collection since my first short-fiction publication over ten years ago.
Nevertheless, I found it challenging, in assembling the collection, to ensure the individual stories were sufficiently different, while the whole would be more than the sum of its parts. In an attempt to illustrate the process of becoming someone, we’ve arranged the stories in order of the central character’s increasing confidence with who they are. In the first section, a struggling teenage mother is followed by a man who identifies more with birds than people. At the end, a jaded wife finding a new impetus precedes a widow marking her husband’s passing in style. In between, there’s a Holocaust survivor, an amputee high on morphine, a sex tourist, an adoptee with a secret, an overworked doctor and a girl who can’t smile – although they probably wouldn’t choose to introduce themselves that way.
How can we get a copy? Becoming Someone is published in paperback and e-book formats on 23rd November, 2018, by Inspired Quill. Generally, my books are most easily accessed through online retailers, through my publisher’s website or at author events:Amazon author page viewauthor.at/AnneGoodwinAuthor page at Inspired Quill publishers http://www.inspired-quill.com/authors/anne-goodwin/Also, anyone subscribing to my author newsletter before 19th November, has the chance of winning a signed copy. https://annegoodwin.weebly.com/sign-up-for-my-newsletter.html
Do you have any events planned?For the first time, I’m hosting a Facebook launch party on publication day, 23rd November, 2018 (and found your post on how to go about it extremely useful, Gill). https://www.facebook.com/events/285314412085573/  My book is dedicated to a couple of online friends who have been especially supportive of my writing and I’m excited that they will be able to celebrate with me from Australia and the USA. I’m also using this event to support Book Aid: the more people participate, the more I’ll donate to this charity getting books into the hands of disadvantaged readers around the world. I’m also having a live launch along with a few other local writers at Nottingham Writers’ Studio on 9th December.

Secrets by Jacqueline Wilson

2014, fluent reader, Key Stage 2, ages 9-11
In Secrets we have the stories of Treasure and India via their diary entries. Secrets opens violently with Terry, Treasure’s step-father, taking off his belt to her and thrashing her. Just before he starts hitting her, he has torn pages from her diary; she had invented all sorts of elaborate torture methods for him. Terry’s violence has been ongoing for some time and not just towards Treasure. Even before Terry came on to the scene life with just Mum had not been good. Treasure’s mother had no time for her when she was little. Treasure generally has low self-esteem.         India’s father is different form Terry. He isn’t violent but is constantly under stress because of his work. He has little time for India. He also has affairs with the string of au pairs that come to look after India. He is plagued by constant money worries. Eventually he embezzles the company he works for. Her mum isn’t all that much of a mother, either. She is obsessed with dieting and puts pressure on India to lose weight. Perhaps the ultimate problem in the relationship between India and her children’s clothes designer mother is that she hates the clothes her mother designs. They are too small, bright and sparkly. Similarly, a friend of her mother’s has written a book about diets for intelligent children.  Her own intelligent son remains fat and refuses to go on the diet described in the book. It is likely also that India’s mum is anorexic. India is desperately lonely and has difficulty making friends. She envies Anne Frank who had a lot of friends before she went into hiding. India hides within the house for two hours and no one notices.        Wilson takes a risk in being explicit about the Holocaust. In an outburst when other class members are not taking a reading of “Anne Frank’s Diary” seriously India gives us a graphic description of what the concentration camps were like.The two girls live on separate estates. Treasure is on the very bleak and tough Latimer estate. India lives on the luxury complex of Parkfield Manor. The two groups of residents gaze at each other xenophobically. We have the beginnings of a dystopia. The girls’ first meeting is tentative.                There is some mitigation in that Treasure’s grandmother cares for her and even step-sister Bethany is kind when Treasure has to leave; she gives her a designer T-shirt that she had previously guarded jealously. Treasure finds a good family situation with her grandmother, child-aunt Patsy and her cousin Loretta’s baby, Britney. Life is comfortable with Nan, but she cannot quite forget the horrors of her life with Terry. However, her mother is adamant she should return; she needs help with the younger children. Eventually her mother and stepfather threaten them with social services; Nan’s partner Pete will be coming out of prison soon. However, Treasure eventually gets her wish and is allowed to live with her grandmother. But she is torn; she still loves her mother and will miss her.         When India and Treasure first meet, they are initially wary of each other but they have the courage to talk it out. They speak and listen to each other. Wilson thus gives her readers some hope that conflict can be resolved. In the end, India manages to stand up to her mother.    There is an ironic twist in this story that makes it even darker. “Mumbly Michael”, Nan’s neighbour with special needs is accused of murdering Treasure.As ever, Wilson skillfully gets rid of the grown-ups. 

Stories of the First World War by Jim Eldridge

  
2014, fluent reader, Key Stage 2, ages 9-11, junior school

This is neither an easy nor comfortable read.  It includes twelve short stories about the Great War. Each one is told from the point of view of a young person.  Most of them are to do with combat and many feature death. A couple of civilian stories are also quite grim. One involves a bombing, anxious parents and the rescue of a friend and a dog. The other is about a much-changed young man who at first cannot face going home; he was one of only seven of the Accrington Pals who survived. He is different now also because he has been a prisoner of war.         Jim Eldrige writes a few of the stories from a German point of view.  The British and the German experiences are very similar. He even tackles the conscientious objector – the “conchie” and invites the young reader not to see this just in black and white. 
The stories are in chronological order and there are sections between them that give historical contexts.    
This would be an extremely useful book for teachers or parents wanting to study the Great War with   children. The child probably needs some adult guidance.  

The Enchanted Wood by Enid Blyton

Key Stage 2, fluent reader, ages 7-9, primary school  
This is the first story in Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree series. We are introduced to the main characters and the world of the Faraway Tree.  Each chapter contains a separate adventure. Joe, Beth and Frannie (formerly Fanny) climb the magical tree several times and each time are taken to a different world. Some of the worlds are less pleasant. The lands move to and from the tree and the children must return before the land moves on. Getting stuck in a land is unpleasant and frightening. The children experience genuine xenophobia which after all is a real fear. Arguably this presents a balanced view of our interaction with other cultures. The tree is full of quirky characters - including Dame Slap, a corporal punishment enthusiast. In recent versions of the story she has been replaced by Dame Snap who has been softened somewhat. Joe throughout takes charge. He is always bossing the girls around. However, he is the oldest child so perhaps he would be in charge anyway. Even in newer versions some old-fashioned language exists. “I say!” “Do let’s.” This language is also decidedly middle class. Yet father is poor and “could not afford to do anything but walk there” (2). The cottage was five miles from the station. Beth makes the toffee for Moon-face. Females are domesticated(43).Neither Blyton  nor her characters deal well with those who are different.  The clattering of the Saucepan Man’s saucepans make him somewhat deaf and he becomes a figure of fun (94-121).     Comfort is as usual provided in the form of food. “They were so tired they could do nothing but tumble into their roughly-made beds” (3). Their big adventure starts when their mother sends them off with a picnic as a reward for all the help they have given 8). A later picnic is also described: “Mother cut sandwiches and put them in a bag with three cakes each. She sent Joe to pick some plums form the garden and told Beth to take two bottles of lemonade” (17). When they eventually find Joe, after his adventure with the Snowman, safe and sound in the cottage with Goldilocks and the three bears Goldilocks says “Come into the kitchen and we’ll all have some hot porridge and milk” (75). The actual feast she offers in the end is more lavish. Once the children and the inhabitants of the Faraway Tree get rid of the goblins Moon-Face declares: “We’ve got them all safe. My word I am hungry. What about having a  good meal?” (173).  Perhaps more disturbingly the children are sent off on their own - a common trait in Blyton’s books - and immediately engage with strangers - in the form of elves and a goblin (12). Fantasy offers some distance and perhaps ironically when this book was first written in 1939, when World War II was imminent, “stranger danger” was not so much of an issue. Surprisingly their mother does not object to them going for tea with the strange Saucepan Man (102).                                                     The story is loaded with fantasy. The children are warned early on that the forest is enchanted and there is even a hint that it might be dangerous (6). They meet the elves and the goblin the first time they go there. The second time they meet a talking rabbit (20). Fantasy also provides an escape but it may not always be welcome when the reality of being in a strange place kicks in. They cross the first threshold and then Beth refuses the call. “’What I’m worried about is getting home,’ said Beth. ‘Mother will be anxious if we’re not back before long. What shall we do Joe?’” (32) Tension mounts as they establish that the Faraway Tree is not quite touching the new land, Roundabout Land.    The children soon learn about basic economics bordering on bribery: Moon-face will only let them use his special slide to get down the tree if they pay him in toffee (38-39). They also have to face the realities of war. The girls are brought into a conflict when they try to rescue Joe from the Snowman. “After all, if people are fighting you, you can’t do much but defend yourself” (67). Perhaps another reference to the conflict that is happening in Europe at the time that the story was first written comes as father bear comments: ”The white bears are cousins of ours, and have always been friendly - now they seem to be enemies” (76). They rob the old lady in Rocking Land admittedly accidentally but show little remorse:  Moon-Face says “ we can’t possibly give them back to that cross old woman in Rocking Land so we may as well put them to good use here” (115). They become greedy when they visit the land of Take-What-You-Want (114-137). At times they confront danger and take risks. Their second adventure engages them with a land covered in snow and the dangerous Snowman (50-57). Later, the inhabitants of the Faraway tree are surrounded by goblins. The children have to get into the tree by going up the slippery-slip (161-65). There is some mitigation here. however. Moon-Face has not escaped via the slippery-slip because he does not want to leave his friends in danger.  This first Faraway Tree story ends with a glorious birthday party for Beth. For a short while things go wrong and they are whisked away into a forbidding land. They get back to the Land of Birthdays and eventually to the Faraway Tree and home. The adventures have ended for the time being but the reader is left with hope: “Perhaps they will have more adventures one day” (210).                                          

The Enchanted Wood by Eind Blyton

Key Stage 2, fluent reader, ages 7-9, primary school  
This is the first story in Enid Blyton’s Faraway Tree series. We are introduced to the main characters and the world of the Faraway Tree.  Each chapter contains a separate adventure. Joe, Beth and Frannie (formerly Fanny) climb the magical tree several times and each time are taken to a different world. Some of the worlds are less pleasant. The lands move to and from the tree and the children must return before the land moves on. Getting stuck in a land is unpleasant and frightening. The children experience genuine xenophobia which after all is a real fear. Arguably this presents a balanced view of our interaction with other cultures. The tree is full of quirky characters - including Dame Slap, a corporal punishment enthusiast. In recent versions of the story she has been replaced by Dame Snap who has been softened somewhat. Joe throughout takes charge. He is always bossing the girls around. However, he is the oldest child so perhaps he would be in charge anyway. Even in newer versions some old-fashioned language exists. “I say!” “Do let’s.” This language is also decidedly middle class. Yet father is poor and “could not afford to do anything but walk there” (2). The cottage was five miles from the station. Beth makes the toffee for Moon-face. Females are domesticated(43).Neither Blyton  nor her characters deal well with those who are different.  The clattering of the Saucepan Man’s saucepans make him somewhat deaf and he becomes a figure of fun (94-121).     Comfort is as usual provided in the form of food. “They were so tired they could do nothing but tumble into their roughly-made beds” (3). Their big adventure starts when their mother sends them off with a picnic as a reward for all the help they have given 8). A later picnic is also described: “Mother cut sandwiches and put them in a bag with three cakes each. She sent Joe to pick some plums form the garden and told Beth to take two bottles of lemonade” (17). When they eventually find Joe, after his adventure with the Snowman, safe and sound in the cottage with Goldilocks and the three bears Goldilocks says “Come into the kitchen and we’ll all have some hot porridge and milk” (75). The actual feast she offers in the end is more lavish. Once the children and the inhabitants of the Faraway Tree get rid of the goblins Moon-Face declares: “We’ve got them all safe. My word I am hungry. What about having a  good meal?” (173).  Perhaps more disturbingly the children are sent off on their own - a common trait in Blyton’s books - and immediately engage with strangers - in the form of elves and a goblin (12). Fantasy offers some distance and perhaps ironically when this book was first written in 1939, when World War II was imminent, “stranger danger” was not so much of an issue. Surprisingly their mother does not object to them going for tea with the strange Saucepan Man (102).                                                     The story is loaded with fantasy. The children are warned early on that the forest is enchanted and there is even a hint that it might be dangerous (6). They meet the elves and the goblin the first time they go there. The second time they meet a talking rabbit (20). Fantasy also provides an escape but it may not always be welcome when the reality of being in a strange place kicks in. They cross the first threshold and then Beth refuses the call. “’What I’m worried about is getting home,’ said Beth. ‘Mother will be anxious if we’re not back before long. What shall we do Joe?’” (32) Tension mounts as they establish that the Faraway Tree is not quite touching the new land, Roundabout Land.    The children soon learn about basic economics bordering on bribery: Moon-face will only let them use his special slide to get down the tree if they pay him in toffee (38-39). They also have to face the realities of war. The girls are brought into a conflict when they try to rescue Joe from the Snowman. “After all, if people are fighting you, you can’t do much but defend yourself” (67). Perhaps another reference to the conflict that is happening in Europe at the time that the story was first written comes as father bear comments: ”The white bears are cousins of ours, and have always been friendly - now they seem to be enemies” (76). They rob the old lady in Rocking Land admittedly accidentally but show little remorse:  Moon-Face says “ we can’t possibly give them back to that cross old woman in Rocking Land so we may as well put them to good use here” (115). They become greedy when they visit the land of Take-What-You-Want (114-137). At times they confront danger and take risks. Their second adventure engages them with a land covered in snow and the dangerous Snowman (50-57). Later, the inhabitants of the Faraway tree are surrounded by goblins. The children have to get into the tree by going up the slippery-slip (161-65). There is some mitigation here. however. Moon-Face has not escaped via the slippery-slip because he does not want to leave his friends in danger.  This first Faraway Tree story ends with a glorious birthday party for Beth. For a short while things go wrong and they are whisked away into a forbidding land. They get back to the Land of Birthdays and eventually to the Faraway Tree and home. The adventures have ended for the time being but the reader is left with hope: “Perhaps they will have more adventures one day” (210).                                          

This Mortal Coil by Emily Suvada

Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5, YA, ages 14-17,



This is a fast-paced novel where the stakes and the tension remain high. The young people, and in particular protagonist Catarina Agatta, take huge risks. They face pain and violence. Certainly here we come across Christopher Vogler’s ‘trials, allies and enemies’ or Joseph Campbell’s ‘road of ‘trials’ in their respective story theories.   

Emily Suvada presents us with a thoughtfully conceived world.  The story takes place as the planet is swept by a dangerous virus. Some people are secured in bunkers but this comes at a cost. 

People are coded and programmed like computers. Even DNA can be altered by the cleverest of the programmers such as Catarina’s father Lachlan Agatta. It’s difficult to understand this technology but Suvada herself has checked out her facts and indeed I’ve also run them past a scientist. A world like this can exist and probably will in the future. We’re heading that way already. That alone makes this book very readable. 

There is some sexual tension as well as Cat operates with three young men. This is not the main thrust of the story, however.

We can read this book on two levels. It can be taken at face value as a dystopian thriller or we can see the plague itself, its side effects and the way it is tackled as symbolic of society, even of our current society.  

A riddle is solved by the end of the book but we are straight away presented with another. Suvada leaves the way nicely open for the sequel.      
               

News 2 November 2018

We’re into that time of year again. Story time. With the cold weather and the long evenings we could do worse than read a good book - or even write one. The autumn colours have been glorious near us. I think because of the dry summer the leaves have actually changed colour before they’ve dropped. Beautiful reds, browns yellows pinks and even blues everywhere. Now that we’ve put the clocks back it gets dark really early.  But doesn’t that make the late afternoon and evening cosy?       News about my writing I'm concentrating on Peace Child 4 at the moment and my book about the dark side of children's literature – which is making me read a lot and also reread several works I’ve read before. I’ve put Schellberg 5 on hold for the moment. Peace Child 4 is still proving tricky but it’s getting there. I’m about half way through the first rewrite. The trouble is, as I rewrite I find more things wrong with it. Oh hum.     Paying for submissions We’re definitely not planning to charge you for submitting to of our imprints. However, I have raised it on one of the writers’ forums that I run. We all agree: whilst we accept a reasonable payment for a competition entry as it adds to the prize money and pays for the judges we don’t think we should ask writers to pay for ordinary submissions. I note on my opportunities list that some opportunities that were free are now charging.  I suspect this is because they are using Submittable, a very clever piece of software that easily keeps track of submissions both for publishes and writers. However it is expensive. So we won’t be using it just yet. We’ll only start using it when we don’t need to pass the cost on to writers. I’m gradually pulling off the list the publishers who charge. If you come across one on the list that is charging, and it offends you, please let me know.               Catalogue of books for children I’ve added several titles to this over the last. It is growing apace.  You can find it here.  Do take a look if you’re into children’s books. Useful links for writersMy list of links for writers is also growing steadily. Find it  here.  1940s Group Just a reminder: this is a Facebook group for all people who write about the 1940s. Fiction and non-fiction, for young and old. Topics might then be: the Holocaust, World War II, Civilian Experience (all sides) and the battle front. We can exchange ideas about research and marketing. We may promote books and stories, - the last day of every month and on launch / release day. If you feel that is you, do join us: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2026868870924138/    Of course, with my Schellberg Cycle I'm constantly in that world.       Dreamteam I’ve added Grant Boreham in as a proof-reader.   Find Grant and other members here.     This is a personal recommendation. Initially I intend to use my Dream Team a lot myself but gradually I would add in people that friends and friends of friends have recommended. What happens? You sign up to a mailing list and every time a request comes in we mail it out to you or the enquirer contacts you directly via my web site. The conversation then carries on between you and the person making the request. You may also have a page set up on my blog and you may update that once a year.  Interested? You may sign up for more than one category.  Beta readers sign up here.Reviewers sign up here. Editors sign up here.Illustrators sign up here.Designers sign up here.Proof-readers sing up here.    DO REMEMBER THAT AT ANY TIME YOU’RE APPROACHED AND YOU’RE BUSY IT’S PERFECTLY FINE TO SAY NO.   News from all of our writersMary Bevan reports that she won second prize in the Henshaw Short Story comp. The story will be published in their anthology next year. Also, one of her prose poems was chosen for inclusion in SOUTH 58, the poetry magazine of the Southern Counties. Alison Faye reports that she is proud that her 6000 word short story, 'Mr Dandy' set in 1920's Birmingham (Yes, 'Peaky Blinders' terrain) is out to buy on amazon as a download or as a paperback. - please support independent presses like The Infernal Clock- and consider buying a copy and if you do please leave a review- as reviews matter so much to us writers.
Do keep sending news like this and remember to supply a link to where reader can buy the book. 
           Bridge House Crackers is out with authors for proofing now. The book trailer is almost finished. Exciting  times.  We’re still getting plenty of interest in our single-author collections. These are now only for authors we’ve published before and they may include stories we’ve already published, ones they’ve had published elsewhere and new ones. The description for this is now on the web site. http://www.bridgehousepublishing.co.uk/index.php/single-author-collectionsYou may recycle stories we’ve already included in another anthology, and you may reedit these if you wish. You may also add in new stories. We’re aiming at a total word count of between 30,000 and 70,000 words. Your work will go through three stages of editing, and will be proof-read twice in-house. We design the book and the cover. We hook it up to all the distributing channels and we complete first-level marketing. We are risking all of this on you as well as the set-up costs and the copies to the British Library and legal deposit agency.   
You’ll probably not get rich quick: anthologies by new authors do not sell in big numbers initially. Each month we post to a dropbox information about books’ performance. A link is sent with the monthly newsletter. See below for how to access this newsletter.          We have a huge backlog so please be patient. You can always check our progress at: http://apublishersperspective.blogspot.co.uk/p/work-flow.html
      CaféLit I’ve actually scheduled a couple of my own stories this month. One will appear in a few days’ time. The other is in the Christmas run. This rather reminds me of how I came to set up Bridge House in the first place. As an alternative to all of those letters that people sent out at Christmas, I started including short stories with the Christmas cards. I then had the idea that it might be nice to put them together into a book and make a kind of Advent Calendar. But that  would take me twenty-four years to complete.  So, I invited others in. Now Bridge House produces an annual anthology that contains twenty-four stories. Debz and I no longer contribute as writers.Story Goes Missing that will appear on CaféLit on 24 December may seem like a story for children at first and children will understand it at face value.  Adults will probably understand it in another way. Isn’t that after all how all good fairy / folk stories work? The story that’s appearing later this month is there because CaféLit came to the top of my list for places to submit work. Oh, yes, I still submit to other publishers though it may seem bizarre submitting to myself. Never mind. It works.                  Some delightful news about The Best of CafeLit 7. Paula Readman took a copy to her friend who is now in a nursing home and asked her if she would like to read the book.  Paula and another from their writing group have stories in the collection. Paula’s friend took a look at the book and said: “Yes, I will. The font is just the right size.” So pleased we’re getting this right.                Stories are now all being posted at 4.00 p.m. Afternoon Teatime, Kaffee and Kuchen time and it's also when the kids are home from school. Just the right time for a cuppa and a good story. In October we had stories from: Mehreen Ahmed, Alison Allen, Peppy Barlow, James Bates, Lynn Clement, David Deanshaw, Jo Dearden, Richard C Elder, Jacqueline Ewers, Iris Green, Jospeh Isaacs, Nerisha Kemraj, Dawn Knox, Mark Kodama, Keelan LaForge,  Kim Martins, Roger Noons, Hannah Retallick,  Bruce Rowe, Phyillis Souza, Allison Symes, Alun Williams and  Robin Wrigley. Highest performing posts were:Accentuate the Stubbleby Hannah Retallick 623 Rose's Lament by Mehreen Ahmed  250 Godby Mark Kodama  189 Superhero Worship 181 By Dawn Knox French Press 158 by Joseph IsaacsAlso over 100 are Alison Allen, Jo Dearden, Keelan LaFforge, Kim Martins, Allison Symes   and Alun Williams,  
Facebook no longer allows me to schedule posts. Hannah actually queried why I hadn’t posted her piece on the Facebook page.  I explained than now that I cannot schedule them there it often seems redundant if I see the story is already doing well. If when I go to my editor’s dashboard I see that a story has fewer than 20 hits, I put it on my own Twitter feed and the Facebook page.   I explained to Hannah how our stories are spread: 36 people have signed up to have the stories fed from the blog site  I tweet about the site from time to timesome members visit daily or when they have time  authors make efforts – blog, website, FB, email signature, word of mouthcasual readers come across the site      one story being read leads to another  It seems she took this on in spades. She is one of our all-time “best-sellers”. Maybe you could all share your ideas of how to make us more visible and tell us what you do? You can read all of the stories  here.
Here's a reminder of how we select stories: I open my inbox and I'll often see four or five submissions. I'll select the best of the bunch and schedule it for in a few days' time. I'll let you know. I may reject one or two but ones that are basically sound I'll keep forever or until they’re published.  Consequently if one you've submitted to us has not been rejected, and you find a home for it elsewhere, let us know the name of the story and the date you submitted and we'll remove it from the archive. Try to include the drink each time. Do put CaféLit in the subject line so we can identify your submission. Remember to include your bio (50-100 words including links for longer stories, just links for 100 words or less) each time. I haven't got time to look up an old one and in any case your bio is probably changing all the time. .           We're always open to submissions. Find out to submit here. Remember, this gives you some exposure, you can add in a short CV each time, and there's always the chance that your work might be accepted for the annual anthology.    
We have some seasonal opportunities coming up now:Autumn in generalGuy Fawkes11 November – end of World War I Winter ChristmasNew YearValentine's DaySpring So, get writing. On offer for CaféLit authors is a page on our web site. See examples here.  The list is growing. Click on the names to find out more about the authors and to access their work. If you're a CaféLit author and would like a web page, use the ones there to get ideas. You need to send me between 250 and 350 words about yourself, an attractive image, a list of up to six publications, up to six awards and up to six links. I then also link the page to your stories on CaféLit. Send to gill at cafelit dot co dot uk. 
 ChapeltownWe’re very excited to have produced out first hardback highly-illustrated book Magical Christmas. We’re just waiting to get the proof back from the printer.  These are folk stories from around the world produced by brother and sister Karda Zenkő (artist) and Szabő Eniko (writer). To celebrate this I am offering, at my own expense, ten copies of this book in a beautiful package with other goodies. First come, first served. And of course, I hope you’ll give us a review.       Our Chapeltown authors continue to be very proactive in promoting their work. They have managed to get their books into shops and libraries. They are also buying lots of author copies and are getting on to blogs – mine included, of course. We’re still interested in producing flash collections but only by authors we’ve already published on CaféLit or in a Bridge House anthology or who already have a collection out with Chapeltown.     Creative CaféThe month I’ve added the Poetry Café in London. See it here. Some of you, especially the poets amongst you, are probably familiar with this establishment. It encapsulates exactly what the Creative Café project is about – and it’s been going for long before our project began.      Keep sending suggestions and review them if you can.  Café s might further support the project in the following ways.  I could provide you with flyers about The Creative Cafe Project and CafeLitYou could have the ezine up and running for people to browse and search – they should pick stories according to the drink they fancy!run an event on writing for Cafelithold an event for local writers published by CafeLit stock some of anthologies (they are available through normal distributors)host a Writer in Resident – see  http://www.creativecafeproject.org/search/label/writers%20in%20residence / http://www.creativecafeproject.org/search/label/Writer%20in%20Residence     host a readers’ event where readers all read the same anthology and then talk about two or three favourite stories       Do you have any further suggestions? I'm continuing my tour of creative cafés where I collect stories for an anthology. In some cases, writers may offer them and in others customers may tell me their story and I'll write it for them. Do you know of a café that might be interested in this? Let me know if you do.         Remember you can now buy merchandise for the Creative Café project. The profit on anything you buy here goes to the Creative Café Project. Check this out here.    We’re always looking for new cafés.  If you visit one of the cafés in the projectand would like to write a review of between 250 and 350 words – nice, too, to have a couple of pictures – send it to me here.Do the same if you find a new café.  The Red Telephone I have some books now lined up to read. I'm particularly interested in near-futures speculative YA fiction.     Facebook Group for the Imprints Scribblers Sans Frontières - Here you can:·         Discuss all technical issues re our books·         Exchange marketing ideas·         Advertise and report on your events·         Promote any of your titles or successes ·         Share good practice and ideas·         Get help with writing problems ·         Anything else appropriate The page URL is https://www.facebook.com/groups/185719828704485/Please come and join us if you're eligible. Or you can ask me to sign you up.  
School Visits I’m proactively promoting my school visits associated with The House on Schellberg Street project. I’ve now developed a whole workshop for this. It starts off with a board game, includes some role play and creative writing and ends with a discussion. It is now possible to purchase the kit to work on on your own. Find details here.Costs for my workshops = travel expenses plus £400 for a full day and £200 for a half day. This includes all materials and some freebies. Two schools near to each other might consider splitting the day and halving the travel expenses and fees. This is open to negotiation in any case.        I also offer a free half day visit, though you pay my travel expenses, if you allow me to promote my books.       I’m continuously adding materials for schools to the site that are different from the ones I use for the workshops. I’ve recently added in resources and books to do with the topic. See them here:       Query for a school visit here.I’m also happy to tailor a visit for your agreed donation. This can be for either a Schellberg Cycle visit or a creative writing workshop. Any monies raised this way will go specifically to a project I have for a non-fiction book about a journey that will follow the footsteps of Clara Lehrs. I’m hoping to do the whole journey by train, including departing via my nearest Metrolink station. It’s important to feel the rails beneath my feet.       I offer as well standard author visits which include readings from my books, Q & A sessions and creative writing exercises. Please remember, with these as well, I’m open to negotiation if you can’t afford the full price. Free listing for our writers If you are one of our writers and would like to offer school visits, please contact me. I'm offering a free listing on the imprint pages. State: age groups you are prepared to work with, a definition of your work, distances you are prepared to travel. Appropriate links. Please provide an image.           Upcoming eventsWaterloo Festival Writers’ Workshop If you’re already published by us you may not need this but you would still be welcome. On the same day as our celebration event we are running a workshop for people who want to enter the Waterloo Writing Competition. Debz and I will be running this together. You can find details here: https://www.waterloofestival.com/shortstory
London Event London event 1 December 2018 Just a few places left now. Places are free but must be booked: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/celebration-event-tickets-48762320413 This will follow our normal pattern of events. There will be: general minglingcash baran opportunity to buy books at an advantageous rate    “speed-dating”  where you get to speak to as many people as possible in the room i.e. promote yourself to readers, swap tips with other writersauthor readingslatest news from me  collection for the Mustard Seed charitybig book swap (bring one of your other titles and take something else home – hopefully all will be reviewed. If you bring a non-writing friend they can just bring a book they love)  Scribblers Celebration EventYOU DON'T NEED TO BE AVAILBALE ON 23 DECEMBER TO JOIN IN.  https://www.facebook.com/events/528939584193914/23 December 14.00 – 17.00 GMT. Do come even if you can't come at that time. Items will be added to before and after that time.This is for all those people who cannot attend the event on 1 December; perhaps you live too far away or you have something else on. You can attend outside of those times but it will be live then.    Take a look at my blog post about cyber events: http://apublishersperspective.blogspot.com/2017/12/the-on-line-launch.htmlThere is also a chapter about this in my book on marketing:  So Now You're Published, What Next? This gives you some idea about how this all works. In addition, I ask that everybody who attends offers a secret Santa. This could be a physical gift that you send to one other attendee. One of your books, a notebook with your book cover   or coffee mug. Or you could offer a one-off service such as a critique of a short story.  Or you may offer a file that I'll put into a dropbox and you could expect multiple downloads. This could be a mobi or PDF of one of your books, an audio file, an excerpt, or a tip sheet. Would you like to make a short video of you reading?     Current reading recommendation Most of this month I’ve been making my way through a huge book set in ancient Egypt and written in Spanish.  It is fiction but introduces us to a lot of fact about this era. It’s particularly interesting for me as I write historical fiction based on true facts - see my Schellberg cycle. I’m also currently reviewing a YA book in which the pace is so fast I feel dizzy. This just leaves one other, a book I read for my book club. Fortunately it was an excellent novel: A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles. Alexander Rostov is under house arrest and lives in the Metropol Hotel in Moscow. We get to know him well and see that he is indeed a gentleman. Russian history plays out in the background and he seems to live in a protective bubble. It gradually becomes clear, however, that he is far wiser than we at first believe. The text engages throughout. The ending is both upbeat and surprising. Give it a try.       Find it here.        Calling all writersI'm running an occasional series of interviews on my blog. If you would like to be on my blog just answer the questions below and send them with appropriate images to gill dot james at btinternet dot com. Please feel free to pick and choose which of these to answer.  1.      What do you write? Why this in particular?  2.      What got you started on writing in the first place?3.      Do you have a particular routine?  4.      Do you have a dedicated working space? 5.      When did you decide you could call yourself a writer? Do you do that in fact? 6.      How supportive are your friends and family? Do they understand what you're doing? 7.      What are you most proud of in your writing? 8.      How do you get on with editing and research?9.      Do you have any goals for the future? 10.  Which writers have inspired you?Please write as much or as little as you like for each section and supply as many pictures as you like. Also let me know your latest publication and supply me with a link if it's not on Amazon.  I 'm also happy to offer you a post whenever you have a new book come out, even if I'm not your publisher. In this case answer the following questions:Tell me about your book. Tell us about your research for this book. What inspired you to write this?What's next? How can we get a copy of the book?Do you have any events planned?Again write as much or as little as you please. Alter and add to the questions if you wish. Provide as many pictures as you wish. Send to: gill dot james at btinternet dot com Giveaway It’s that time of the year and I’m giving a lot away! Four opportunities in fact:  Last month’s giveaway is still accessible. Sign up to have this letter deliverd to your inbox (see below) to get the  link to the dropbox where you will also find: ·         An extract from Clara’s Story·         Some seminars for schools about The House on Schellberg Street·         Some fiction writing exercises·         The opening chapters from my manual for writing the young adult novel   At my own expense I’ll supply you with up to ten copies of Citizens of Nowhere. You might like to send one to your MP or you might want to sell a few to support an appropriate charity. Note: contributors will still get royalties.   See what I said under Chapeltown about Magical Christmas. A paperback copy of my language learning book: The Complete Guide to learning a Language.        Just email me if you’re interested in any of these offers.   Note, that normally my books and the books supplied by the imprints I manage sell for anything form £0.99 to £10.99, with most on Kindle being about £2.99 and the average price for paperback being £7.00. We have to allow our writers to make a living. But we’re offering these free samples so that you can try before you buy.   Naturally we welcome reviews. Some notes about my newsletters and blogsThey do overlap a little but here is a summary of what they all do.
Bridge House Authors For all those published by Bridge House or interested in being published by us. General news about the imprint. News for writers. Link to book performance. Sign up here.
CaféLit Writers For all those published by CaféLit. General news about the imprint. News for writers. Link to book performance. News about the Creative Café Project. Sign up here.
Chapeltown Authors For all those published by Chapeltown or interested in being published by us.  General news about the imprint. News for writers. Link to book performance. Sign up here.  
Chapeltown Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.
The Creative Café Project  News about the project and CaféLit – for the consumer rather than for the producer.  Sign up here.   
Gill’s News: News about my writing, general news about what the imprints are doing, news about other writers I know, news about the Creative Café  Project, a recommended read, a giveaway each month. Find it here.    
Opportunities List Remember I keep a full list of vetted opportunities on my writing blog. See them here. New ones are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I go through it and take out all of the out of date ones. At that point I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  
Pushing Boundaries, Flying Higher News about conferences and workshops to do with the young adult novel. (infrequent postings) Sign up here.  
Red Telephone Authors For all those published by The Red Telephone or interested in being published by us.  General news about the imprint. News for writers. Link to book performance. Sign up here.
Schellberg Cycle Workshop News Offers and news of events to do with Schellberg Cycle workshops. Sign up here.  
School Visits Offers and news of school visits. Sign up here.
Red Telephone Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.
A Publisher’s Perspective Here I blog as a publisher. Access this here.    
The Creative Café Project Listings and reviews of creative cafés. See them here.    
CaféLit Stories Find these here
Gill James Writer All about writing and about my books. View this here.
Gill’s Recommended Reads Find information here about books that have taken me out of my editor’s head.    
Gill’s Sample Fiction Read some of my fiction here.
The House on Schellberg Street All about my Schellberg project. Read it here. Writing Teacher All about teaching creative writing.  Some creative writing exercises. Access this here.        
Happy reading and writing.

Writing Science Fiction

I’m currently working on Peace Child 4, The House of Clementine. This might be described as young adult, new adult, science fiction or science fantasy, or all of the above, and there’s even a suggestion that it’s really near future set in the distant future.
Write what you know we’re told, so it may be puzzling that any science fiction fantasy, science fantasy, paranormal fiction or even historical fiction gets written. 
The point is, I suppose, that we explore what we don’t yet know with what we do know. We use what we know to answer the “What if?” question. We use the colours we do know to help us invent the colours not yet seen. 
Science Fiction often describes a future situation. The original Peace Child trilogy looked at a world that had stopped communicating. It also found a way to deal with an ageing population. Now I’m looking at a world ravaged by right-wing politics. I wonder where I got that idea from. In a way, I’m using my science fiction to try to understand the world we’re in now. Thrusting it all into a different setting and into the future gives us some objectivity. 
Science fiction actually has not been very good at predicting the future. I can’t recall seeing email or even social media being predicted.  Blake’s 7 did have a crude form of the Internet and it was voice-activated. 1984 was nowhere near as dire as the book of the same name though possibly we’re living in that world now. 
I’m also currently just over half way through reading a book on which I am to write a review.  In this world humans are partly programmed like computers, mainly in order to control disease but disease is getting the upper hand.    
One thing is for sure: you need to plan your world as carefully as your story. The Prophecy, part one of the trilogy, was the novel I wrote for my PhD in Creative and Critical writing. I spent months and months before I started writing working on my world. I had to decide about:FoodClothingTransportHousingEducationPolitical set-upHistoryGeography EntertainmentReligionValuesCommunicationHealth BirthDeath
I often used time spent in cafés making notes. As I started writing other questions arose. The river may be allowed to flow backwards in fantasy and on different planets but there still has to be an inner logic. It’s quite a trick as well to get this setting over to your reader without resorting to blatant exposition.     

Under the Same Sky

Pre-school, ages 0-4  
Some of the concepts in this book may be difficult for the pre-school child: we live under the same sky, we feel the same love, and we dream the same dreams.  Others are much more concrete:  we play the same games, we sing the same songs, and we face the same storms.  The illustrations, of course, help and as usual in books for this readership, the pictures tell more of the story.     
The pictures are a little abstract yet we can easily recognise cats, lions, penguins and many other creatures looking up at the same sky.  The pictures have a charm that will appeal to the caring adult who reads the book to the child. They are concrete enough to hold the child’s attention.  
There are cut-outs on every other page which frame previous pictures and sometimes the words in another way.  
There are in fact very few words. There is every possibility that the child will “read” the text over and over and eventually know it by heart. The “message” may become clearer as the child grows –up. In many ways this book is conventional: wide portrait, twelve double spreads, serif font, difficult ‘a’s and ‘g’s.  
This was short-listed for the 2018 Kate Greenway medal.      

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2017, YA, Key Stage 4, Key Stage 5 ages 14-17
This tackles many themes that interest the target reader.  John Green presents us with death, cancer, depression, grief, family relationships, peer relationships and some mild peer pressure. Green also explores the notion of fiction, both in his notes within the book and in the character of Peter Van Houten, a drunk and an egoist who has at one time been a writer. 
Importantly, Green encourages us to look at those who suffer from cancer as whole people, not just as victims of a disease.  These need not necessarily be nice people. 
Nice or not, the characters are richly drawn. As we have come to expect from Green, the characters are rounded and believable. Hazel narrates the story and has been given a convincing and consistent voice.             The growth in protagonist Hazel is mild and somewhat negative though we also have plenty of positives:  love, romance, gentle sex and for some, survival.   
The book is some 316 pages long so has a respectable spine. The text s blocked and a serif font, with difficult  ‘a’s and ‘g’s is used.  A bordering on adult readership is further confirmed by quit demanding language and much abstract, philosophical thought.  This edition was published in 2017. The novel was first published in 2012.