Stuart Bone's Blog

It’s published!

A new, updated edition of my first mystery novel,
Reflections is now published on Amazon as an eBook and a paperback.

Forty years since the disappearance of Daisy Burrows and Jimmy McGill. It's time to remember the truth.

REFLECTIONS update

In my last post I wrote that I was rewriting REFLECTIONS. I felt that the title didn’t match the book description and realised the book was falling between Mystery and Literary fiction.

So, rather than just changing the title I found myself coming up with new ideas and character changes.

Finally I’ve begun rewriting it and, eight chapters in, I’m really enjoying it. It is now called TIME TO REMEMBER and, while remaining in-depth, is a proper mystery novel.

I’ll post again when it’s nearing completion.

REFLECTIONS unavailable

I've decided to spend some time reworking my first mystery novel, REFLECTIONS. After writing my second mystery I now feel that the first needs a little adjusting to make it more mystery and less literary.

The storyline and characters will remain the same.

I am also working on a collection of short stories which will be published soon.

Kirkus Review

Hello

I've just had a review for REFLECTIONS published by Kirkus Reviews. (Their verdict - Buy it!)

Here is the link if you would like to read what they say: -

https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...

Thicker Than Water

Abigail Adams is shocked when she discovers a man looking for her late mother is claiming to be her son. The two join forces to uncover the truth so that Philip can gain closure and Abi can mourn the mother who is starting to become a stranger to her.

But will learning the truth bring sister and brother closer together or will it drive them apart?

Available for pre-order until 11 Dec 21 across all online book stores using this universal link: -

https://books2read.com/u/4NxoGW

Giveaway finished

Thank you to everyone who entered the giveaway for a copy of REFLECTIONS.
The giveaway has now finished and the ebooks delivered to the one hundred winners.
Congrats to them and I hope you enjoy the book.

eBook Giveaway

I'm giving away 100 ebook copies of my latest novel, REFLECTIONS to US members of Goodreads. You can enter via the link below: -

https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sh...

Available until 6th Feb.

Free download

Hello

For the next 3 days the eBook version of my first humorous novel, DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION is free to download on Amazon. Enjoy.

It Just Gets More Terrifying

I've just had a couple of weeks off after publishing my third novel, LONG SHADOWS, and am now back at my desk and working on book 4.

I have to say, I felt more nervous publishing the third novel than I did the previous two. At first I wasn't sure why. I'd redrafted and redrafted it until I was happy with the story but I still felt nervous as publication day approached.

I finally realised the reason. When I published the first two novels I was selling half a dozen books on average each month. In June, when I published LONG SHADOWS, I sold over 800.

In the last six months my sales have rocketed in the UK, mostly for first novel, DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION and many people seem to like it and have kindly added ratings/reviews onto Amazon and Goodreads.

Whilst this is wonderful and what I've always dreamed about; I realised that for the first time, I was publishing a novel into a world where a large group of people knew my books and would therefore have expectations about what the new one ought to be like; especially as it continued the story of several characters from DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION.

I felt a lot of pressure. In a recent interview that I did I was asked about which of my 3 books I thought was the better work. In my response I explained how personally, I don't like books by one author to become too 'samey' unless they're part of a series, and that I'm aware of that when I write. I've tried to be a bit different in each of my novels. While DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION was written in the first person, NOTHING VENTURED was four separate stories but all interlinked. With LONG SHADOWS there's more of a concentration on the burgeoning relationship between Derek and Angela where their pasts are still haunting them.

While each one maintains the humour and my writing style, I think they all have a different quality. But what if I'm the only person that wants that from a book? What if the majority of people like their books 'samey?' That's why I felt scared publishing my new novel. What if I'd got it wrong and people stopped reading my books?

I realised then that I was just allowing my insecurities to take over. I've written a novel that I think tells a good story, has plenty of twists and is still very funny. At the end of the day all I can do (what any writer can do) is write a book that I like and that I'm proud of. No one can please everyone. Some will love the new book, some will hate it; hopefully the majority will like it. It's been the same for my first two novels. I've received some bad ratings/reviews as well as good.

So it's onto number four and another 'different' book; a humorous crime story this time. I did some work on this last year and am really looking forward to getting on with it. Come publication day though I'll probably be terrified again!

It's Out!

Hello

Just a note to let you all know that my third novel LONG SHADOWS is now available as both an eBook and a paperback on all Amazon websites.

This continues the story of Derek & Angela from first novel DRIVEN TO DISTRACTION.

'When the past hasn't been settled right it can return to haunt you. Old sins cast long shadows.'