Robin Alexander Gregory's Blog, page 3

Praise for Fotherington-Tomas and the Christmas Crisis

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The mid-year writing review

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The Mid-Year Writing Review
… A lot has happened in six months…

Wow! It’s hard to believe that we’re fast approaching the middle of the year already. So much has happened in the last six months, that it feels like it was only yesterday that I was writing to you with a wrap up of everything that had happened in 2018.

Although I’ve been fairly quiet on the blogosphere since May, an awful lot has been going on here in the little prison-study that I call home. So, without further ado, let’s bring you up to speed with the Rob Gregory Mid-Year Writing Review 2019!

JANUARY. The start of 2019 saw me frantically working on the final edits to my epic revenge thriller ‘Yogol’s Gold’. Weighing in at just under 115,000 words, it was the longest piece of work that I’d produced to date and probably the one with the most difficult gestation. After scouring the Internet, looking for literary agents, I finally began sending out queries at the end of the month, in the hope of securing a traditional publishing deal. So far, the response has not been encouraging, but still, the year isn’t over yet, so I’m keeping my fingers crossed.

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Yogol’s Gold. Click here for a synopsis in rhyme!

 

FEBRUARY. This part of the mid-year writing review was dominated by all things related to The Lucius Chronicles, the compilation of the DATS Trilogy, which was my first offering to the literary world. Despite saying that I wasn’t going to bother much with self-publishing anymore, I found myself spending hours on Amazon and Smashwords, not to mention Facebook and Twitter, making sure that the book was formatted to perfection and given the best chance of making it. I even revised the front covers of the original books in the trilogy and made Death and the Schoolboy, the first instalment, FREE on Smashwords.

MARCH. The launch of The Lucius Chronicles. Despite applying just about everything that I had learned about self-publishing during the previous year, the response to the launch was more than underwhelming, despite masses of self-promotion and discounting on my part, in order to spike some interest among readers. Needless to say, I was left feeling rather deflated and began digging into the dark side of self-publishing. What I discovered there was truly appalling and has tainted my view of the industry forever. It will be the subject of a future blog, but if you’re interested, you can check out one very enlightening article about shady practices here.

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The Lucius Chronicles. Check it out, because it’s going to be a classic!

 

Despite the failure of The Lucius Chronicles to set the world alight, I did manage to begin work on a novella, set in Northern Thailand, provisionally called ‘Turning the Tide’. It was nice to get stuck into something a little different and more gritty than contemporary fantasy and it must have had some effect on me, because it was done, dusted and out for review by early April.

APRIL. At this point in the mid-year writing review, let me say that I’d reached something of a crossroads. With one novel out for query with literary agents, another doing very little on Amazon and Smashwords, and a 52,000 novella being tested by beta reviewers, what was I going to do? The answer turned out to be simple. Write another story! So, I set about creating a book of short, interlinked, fantasy tales, with a humorous twist, using some of the characters from my first novel, Drynwideon.

At the same time, I decided to make my Fotherington-Tomas series available on Amazon and Smashwords, under what is known as a rapid-release schedule, i.e. one story each month or thereabouts. For those of you who don’t know, Fotherington-Tomas is England’s greatest secret agent, super-detective, appointed by Her Majesty the Queen no less, to protect the good name of the monarchy and British Empire. A mixture of Sherlock Holmes and Harry Flashman, he’s an old school hero, dropped into the modern world, with highly amusing results.

Oh, and I also kicked off the first in my series of author interviews, focusing on the lovely Shauna McGuiness, from America.

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The first in the Fotherington-Tomas series. Now available at Amazon and Smashwords.

 

May. Lovely May. With summer just around the corner, I spent a fair bit of time editing the four books that comprise The Lost Tales of Landos, for their owner, British author, Chris Whyatt. It was one of those all-consuming tasks, made all the more pleasant by the fact that I enjoyed his writing immensely. In fact, I now understand that he’s in the middle of writing the fifth novel, so watch this space for details.

June. And so, we arrive at the here and now, which is also the end of the mid-year writing review. A few days ago, I finished the first draft of the fantasy short stories I’ve been working on and will shortly begin the editing process. Then, that will go out for beta review. If anyone is interested, then drop me a line at info@rob-gregory.com

Following that, I’ll be finalising Turning the Tide, in readiness for another round of agent querying, before starting work on yet another book. I’m not sure at this stage, whether it will be my much-anticipated comedy Sci-Fi novel or another Thailand book, but whatever, you can bet that it’s going to be good.

So, there you have it. Not a bad effort for six months of work if I say so myself. Let’s just hope that it starts to pay off in the closing half of the year!

Thank you, as always, for your continued support and check out my books, especially the Fotherington-Tomas series, if you haven’t done so already!

 

THANK YOU!

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An Interview with Chris Whyatt

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An Interview with Chris Whyatt

Welcome back to my, hopefully, regular author interview series, in which, I rather unsurprisingly interview up and coming authors that I’ve met on my various travels around the Internet. This month, we have Chris Whyatt, from the United Kingdom (pre/post-Brexit, I’m not sure), author of the most excellent Lost Tales of Landos. So, without further ado, let’s meet Chris Whyatt!

 

So, tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you? Where did you spring from? What part of the world do you call home and what is your biggest love/pet hate?

Chris Whyatt, grubby little street urchin in the ‘artful dodger’ mould. Born in 1967, in Hackney, London. And no, this does not mean that I’m a posh banker or City trader. We lived there at a time of communal street parties and little money. It was a place everybody wanted to escape from and move to ‘the country’, which my parents managed to do somehow. In hindsight, it was the best quality of life decision, but also the biggest mistake they ever made!

Home is where the sun is! I love travelling to hot places, but that lesser spotted ball of flame is not synonymous with the fair isle of Britain, so I can see my wife and I spending more and more time away from England. We have three grown up lads, with grandchildren all over the place, so that’s even more reason to be away!

Biggest love? I’m not gonna be ultra-creepy and say my wife, but I just did. Okay, a different kind of love, Indian food. Pet hate? Restaurants overseas who ‘think’ they are authentic Indian… don’t get me started!

 

What, if anything, do you bring to your writing from your real life?

I can honestly say, I don’t bring anything! I mainly write fantasy and my working life was almost exclusively in construction, which is anything but fantastic. Saying that, maybe a couple of semi-disguised characters have crept in there on occasion. I have also written a short observational rant, which is my real life and a bit like a stand-up comedy in book form.

 

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Chris Whyatt’s rant. Apparently, not available on Amazon, unfortunately.

 

What’s the biggest buzz you’ve had from your writing so far?

The annoying one in my ear that keeps me awake at night, reminding me of all my shortcomings as a novice writer. I don’t think anybody can deny that actually holding your first book in print is a thing of beauty. Even with all of the mistakes!

 

Have you always aspired to be a writer, or did the idea just spring into your mind later in life?

I used to love writing long stories, poems and believe it or not, limericks, of all things, as a kid, but it eased off as real-life kicked in. I think it has always been there (the go on, you could do that voice in my head), but the decades slipped by. Eighteen months ago, I simply came home one day and started writing… and didn’t stop.

 

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A book by Chris Whyatt, which is available on Amazon!

 

What is the hardest thing you find about writing?

I think you know the answer to this one Rob! Formatting, punctuation and maybe grammar. Y’know, all the technical, boring stuff! On a serious note, English was the only academic subject I was good at in my school days. It’s amazing what you forget after a thirty-seven-year gap!

 

What are your top three books/stories of all time and why do you love them so much?

Can’t do three books! Will go with series instead, sorry…

It was my first foray into fantasy and I don’t think many, if any, fantasy fans, wouldn’t mention The Lord Of The Rings. No explanation needed!

I always lean towards humour and it was great that certain authors combined the two, so anything by Terry Pratchett, but with a definite edge towards The Watch, and the Wizards books. I also love Sci-Fi, but again, lean towards humour. Although I was probably way too young to read them, I used to love ‘The Stainless Steel Rat’ books by Harry Harrison. Pure genius.

The Douglas Adams series, of course, but actually swaying more towards ‘Dirk Gently’. Such a shame that came later and he was cut down in his prime.

Look, this is cheating Rob (count ’em), but I’ve also got to say ‘The Bible’. I’m not at all religious, but I don’t see how anybody can make even the thought of a decision either way, without at least reading it. It got me interested but didn’t sway me. A fascinating read when I was younger, nonetheless. I think I’m also right in saying, it is still the second-best selling book in the world, just behind The Fifth Horseman!

 

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The Fifth Horseman, the fourth book in the Lost Tales of Landos series.

 

Have you ever started to write a story and then completely given up on it? If so, what were the reasons behind your decision?

I started writing a Sci-Fi novel in my teens and it was turning into a monster. I made the covers, illustrated it myself throughout — I was a bit of an artist too in those days — and it just kept growing and growing, until one day… football, beer and girls, probably in that order, too! I don’t even remember what happened to it, but I would dearly love to see it again.

 

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The author himself, Chris Whyatt. What a happy, smiling chap!

 

You’re a bit of a demon on Twitter, I’ve noticed. How much time do you spend on social media each day and it is a happy balance for you, relative to all the other things that you are doing?

Demon? Me? I hated social media, until I started writing, as most are just soap boxes for so called families and friends to snipe at each other. I must admit that I found Twitter to be different. Yes, I do have fun on there, I wind people up and hopefully make most of them laugh. Not everybody shares my strange sense of humour though, which is fair enough, so I try not to overstep the mark. I tend to go back and forth to it, rather than invest huge chunks of time and I usually have plenty of time anyway, hence how the writing started.

What did you expect when you joined Twitter’s amazing writing community? Has it lived up to your expectations?

Now this I could write a book about! Didn’t know what to expect, as I did not have a clue what I was doing. I started following some famous people I liked, as you do and somehow, I inadvertently managed to insult one of the authors that I respected the most. I put out what I thought was a general tweet, but I had unwittingly sent it directly to him! He replied in person and was quite cool about it, but unfortunately his thousands of fans were not! I received about five hundred ‘death tweets’ in my first few days on Twitter! Beat that! Seriously, it had a massively negative effect on my novel, which I went on there, primarily to promote! My book never recovered, but since my return, I have found that the writing community are a wonderful family and an invaluable help.

 

Are you working on anything at the moment and if so, when and where can we expect to see it?

This all depends on the novels I have out there now. I am trying to ascertain whether people like the stories and characters enough for me to actually press forward, get it professionally edited and republished and add more in the future. I know it Is probably the wrong way to do it, but I was a complete novice, who just simply started writing. I looked online and there was Amazon: ‘Upload it, and we’ll publish it’, which I did and so they did, to be fair to them. Obviously, it was nowhere near ready, but I wasn’t to know that.

 

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The Lost Tales of Landos. Now available separately (see below)

 

Finally, do you have a message for your fans out there and also any sage words of advice for aspiring authors?

My ‘fan’ already knows my message; ‘next time, get lots of opinions and advice, if that feedback looks good, go for professional editing and only then upload or query. You live and learn. Might just have a second fan on the horizon though, eh Rob? No?

*****

Rob’s Note: Since Chris Whyatt provided this interview, I have had a go at helping him with some of the technical, boring stuff on his novels. Consequently, he has released them separately, which is great. Click on the imgaes below to go straight to the books!

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*****

Now that you’ve got this far, why not check out my other blogs and books? I’m sure you’ll find something there to make you smile!

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Another bubble for Bitcoin?

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Another bubble for Bitcoin?

Over the last forty-eight hours, Bitcoin has hit the headlines once again, this time due to a huge increase in its price.

At the time of writing, according to CoinMarketCap, Bitcoin (BTC) was trading at just under US$7900.00, with almost all of the top twenty crypto assets by market cap, posting positive gains, following a renewed interest in cryptocurrency. Ethereum (ETH), Ripple (XRP) and third-generation blockchain, Tezos (XTZ) have all done particularly well and crypto-commentators have been quick to declare a bull market, with many predicting that Bitcoin will surpass its previous high of US$20,000 in the coming upswing.

On Twitter, @BitcoinBirch cited ‘fear of missing out’ (FOMO) as one reason that Bitcoin will surpass US$20,000, while @danheld pointed to the fact that since 2017, a number of mainstream Apps and services, not to mention major institutional investors, have arrived on the scene, giving a greater legitimacy to cryptocurrency than was previously the case. Others have pointed to Bitcoin’s potential to act as a ‘safe haven’ because of its distributed and global nature, something that is particularly pertinent given current tensions between the US and China.

Although US$20,000 is still a long way off, this has not stopped some from proclaiming that Bitcoin won’t stop until it reaches US$80,000 or even higher. Ethereum World News reported on 15 May, that, according to Josh Rager (@Josh_Rager), if Bitcoin followed the law of diminishing returns, then a rally of some 2,400% could be in order, which would see Bitcoin sitting at $78,500. Not wanting to be outdone, in the same article, Galaxy (@galaxyBTC), predicted that if the current bull run followed the same pattern as that in 2018, then we could expect to see Bitcoin valued at over US$330,000 by the end of 2021.

That is all well and good, and it’s great to be positive about crypto after the long winter of 2018, but are these claims accurate, or just hype that is intended to help lift the market, so that those holding large Bitcoin balances can finally offload them at a profit, to the next batch of new entrants to wander in with their eyes wide shut?

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The future’s bright… but how bright?

 

There is no doubt in my mind that blockchain technology and cryptocurrency will play a major role in shaping the future of financial and technological markets, and that we have come a long way since those heady weeks in late 2017 when everyone thought that Bitcoin was the best thing since spray-on tan. But a repeat of 2017’s unbelievable performance? Come on, really?

I’m quite prepared to say that 2017 was a bubble and yes, that bubble burst, with an extraordinarily loud pop. The same thing happened in the 1990s with the tech bubble. And that’s the thing about bubbles, they don’t tend to pop twice, because people are far more wary the second time around and so the bubble doesn’t form. So, while it’s great that Bitcoin is making a welcome return to prominence, I for one, can’t see any reason why we will get a repeat of 2017’s madness. Fear of missing out. Missing out on what? A massive increase in price, followed by an equally massive drop? If that’s the case, then Bitcoin is nothing more than a tool for speculation, which is a shame, because it could be so much more, including that much touted ‘safe haven’ from political and financial instability.

One more comment on bubbles. Shapeshift’s CEO, Erik Voorhees, recently told Cointelegraph that bubbles are an ‘essential part of the industry’s growth’. I disagree. In just about every case where there has been a speculative bubble, including the original tulip mania of the early seventeenth century, people have got hurt financially when the bubble burst, but the underlying industry or market remained relatively unharmed. In fact, in many cases, it forced new innovation that ultimately strengthened it, without the need for another bubble. Just look at the fallout from the dot-com bubble. Millions, if not trillions wiped off the value of tech shares and companies going out of business left, right and centre. But from the ashes rose the global behemoths that we have today, including Amazon and Google, to name but two of the monsters. And if you want a more physical, and prettier, illustration of life post-bubble and the resilience of the underlying industry, just look at the thriving global tulip market that exists today.

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Tulips. Still not doing too badly, despite the bubble bursting.

 

Ah, but what about those technical indicators, I hear you say. The candles never lie and besides, it’s all calculated mathematically, so it must be true. Yes, it’s all math, that much is true, but it’s all based on historical data and WATCHWORD ONE of investing is: ‘The value of your asset may go down as well as up. Past gains are not a guarantee of future success’. As for the $80K and $330K claims that are being made for Bitcoin, make sure that you take heed of the most important word in those predictions, which is: IF.

IF Bitcoin does this, then that will happen. IF the market does exactly this, then we can expect that to occur. But, hang on a Stellar-sucking moment. We’re dealing with the most volatile asset class ever unleashed on planet Earth. An asset class that can easily appreciate or depreciate by more than twenty to thirty percent in a day. An asset class so sensitive to rumour and sentiment that it makes traditional markets look absolutely stoic in comparison. Now, I don’t want to gainsay commentators who know far more than I do about how particular indicators work, but I do find it a bit hard to believe that a market as volatile as cryptocurrency will play nicely and conform to traditional measures. I’m more inclined to believe that it will duck and dive like a bucking bronco and we’ll end up somewhere around the US$15,000 mark, if we’re lucky. Call it intuition or OTTOMH analysis (Off The Top Of My Head), but then I saw what happened in 2017 and can’t help but think that the world has moved on since then.

So, what does all of this mean? Well, I’m happy that Bitcoin is moving in the right direction and I’m happy that it’s carrying other cryptocurrencies with it. I’m also really pleased to see the likes of Ripple get a well-deserved moment in the sun and I take it as a sign that cryptocurrency and blockchain technology is starting to mature. My only concern is that overexuberance on the part of commentators and the media are going to trigger another bubble, with disastrous results for the nascent industry. There are some fantastic people out there, developing products that will fundamentally change the way we live in the future and I would hate to see their efforts fail, as a result of greed and speculation.

In short, the hype’s all right, but let’s tone it down a bit and let the market speak for itself.

*****

Rob Gregory is someone who writes books that have nothing to do with cryptocurrency or blockchain technology, but does find the subject absolutely fascinating and has done since early 2017 when a friend told him about it over a beer one evening.

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Praise for The Untimely Demise of Fotherington-Tomas

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Praise for April Story

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CP name change shocker!

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CP name change shocker!
… Thai food giant, CP, changes name in surprise announcement…

In an emotional press conference, held outside its first ever Sleven-Eleven store on Patpong Road, Bangkok, a tearful Supali Chariariariot, CEO of Thai food giant, Charred Pophand (CP) stunned investors and customers alike, with the shock announcement of a new name for the beleaguered company.

Over the last few years, CP has been accused of a series of less than ethical business practices, including high-sea slavery and its less glamorous cousin, on-land slavery, which involves forcing Thai farmers into crippling debt, which they cannot escape from. More recently, it has also been implicated as a major contributor to severe air pollution in Northern Thailand, during the annual (and highly illegal) burn-off of crops after harvesting.

Obviously, all of this bad press has taken its toll, because Chariariariot, surrounded by a throng of inquisitive ladyboys, bar-girls and masseuses from the surrounding red-light district, not to mention our own intrepid reporter, Arjan Falangies-Hoojenflicker, dressed only in a mini-skirt and high-heels, broke down at one point during the announcement, saying:

“It’s just not fair! The way that we’ve been demonised by the world’s media, you would think that it was wrong to buy fishmeal from slave ships. I mean, we pass the savings onto our customers, so it’s not like we’re hurting anyone important. To be honest, these allegations have upset me deeply. I’ve only been able to buy myself four new Mercedes so far this year and none of them has made me very happy, which is why, after much thought, I’ve decided to change the name of CP and the way that we work forever.”

It is believed that CP sought the services of major US marketing powerhouse, Big Sticky Balls, to help them come up with the new name and brand identity. The company has an impressive record, having previously worked with President Donald Duck to turn him from an offensive, uneducated moron, into a fun-loving guy, whose witty one-liners have the world in stitches, not to mention turning failed table-dancer and male escort, Jean-Claude Con-Domme, into a Hollywood B-list celebrity (albeit only for a short time).

Speaking about the partnership, Chariariariot said: “With Big Sticky Balls behind us, we can do anything, and I am confident that our new name will be a success and one that the public and consumers alike will gladly swallow without really questioning it.”

And the new name? Well, in a stroke of marketing genius that could only come from Big Sticky Balls and a one-billion-baht paycheck, the company will now be known as PC, which makes everything alright.

“With a name like PC and our new mission to be ‘The soup-kitchen of the world,’ people are going to love us, and all of our previous naughtiness will be quickly forgotten. Being PC is absolutely wonderful and I’m proud to be a part of it,” said Chariariariot. “Besides, if we’re PC in public, then that alone will help draw attention away from what we’re really doing in private,” he added under his breath.

Critics were quick to, well… criticise, the announcement, calling it a white-wash and mere public relations trickery, to which Chariariariot responded: “If you think that I give a crap about what a bunch of long-haired, unwashed vegans and drug-addicts think, then you’re talking to the wrong man. I’ve got their names and they will be dealt with extremely harshly,” before correcting himself and saying, “I feel very sorry for those poor, misguided people. Obviously, they don’t understand all of the good work that we are doing here. We are the good guys. After all, we’re PC.”

So, there you have it. Hot off the press from our very own cross-dressing South East Asian correspondent, Arjan Falangies-Hoojenflicker, CP becomes PC, in one of the biggest shock announcements we’ve ever revealed on this site. Will the new name stick, or will we find yet another human finger in tomorrow’s fishmeal? We’ll bring you the truth… just as soon as we’ve worked out what it is!

*****

While you’re here, why not check out some of my other Thailand blogs?

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An Interview with Shauna McGuiness

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An Interview with Shauna McGuiness

In the two-and-a-bit years since I’ve been writing full-time, I’ve had the opportunity to meet many fantastic writers and creative folks and the time has come to give them a bit of time in the spotlight of my blog. First up is American playwright and author, Shauna McGuiness, who, in between looking after her husband and two teenage children, is producing works of fiction like a woman possessed. So, in the first of what, I hope, will become a regular feature, let’s meet Shauna McGuiness!

 

So, tell us a little bit about yourself. Who are you? Where did you spring from? What part of the world do you call home these days and what is your biggest love?

My name is Shauna McGuiness. I’m from California, but I’m not a typical California girl. I live right smack in the middle of Silicon Valley. For real, I’m not kidding. I’ve walked to Yahoo! and I can see the Google Cloud building rising up from my neighbourhood. Biggest love? Along with all the sunshine, I love the diversity around here.

 

What, if anything, do you bring to your writing from your real life?

I think there’s a little of real life in all my writing. My brain is constantly recording things for future use. So, watch out!

 

What’s the biggest buzz you’ve had from your writing so far?

I started out as a playwright and have penned hundreds of theatrical pieces for all ages. I also served as resident playwright for various Bay Area schools and there is no buzz quite like seeing your words performed live and in character!

 

If you had the choice, what would you prefer to do, publish traditionally or self-publish?

I self-published a Young Adult (YA) novel, Frankie in Paris, in 2012. I loved writing it and wasn’t sure what would happen. I published it using Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP). One of my best friends is an editor and edited it for me. Another did the cover art. Through sales, and giveaways it’s been downloaded over 12,000 times and even spent a week as the number one selling YA book on Amazon. I feel really good about the experience, but part of me wants the validation of being traditionally published, (Pick me! Pick me!) so I’m querying a project, now.

 

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Frankie in Paris, a novel by Shauna McGuiness

 

How did you find working with friends on Frankie in Paris? Were there times when the relationships got difficult or was it a completely enjoyable experience?

I was really lucky. My friends were patient with me. Also, they knew me well and were able to help in a way they knew I’d like. I’m super grateful.

 

Have you always aspired to be a writer, or did the idea just spring into your mind later in life?

I’ve wanted to write, since first grade. Swear to god. I still have a couple of my ‘books’.

 

Can you remember the first book that really had an impact on you? What was it and how old were you?

I read my first Stephen King novel, in fifth grade. It may have been, IT.

 

Have you ever started to write a story and then completely given up on it? If so, what were the reasons behind your decision?

My stories become all-encompassing, pretty quick. I’m basically a ‘pantser’ but my brain plots away without me. I’m not sure I’d be able to drop an idea forever. I just picked up a story again that I’d shelved a couple of years ago.

 

What’s the most uncomfortable thing that you’ve had to do as an author?

I am 43 years old, and I still cringe at any sex, profanity, or drug use, being read by people I know in real life.

 

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Shauna McGuiness – Author and playwright

 

Are you working on anything at the moment and if so, when and where can we expect to see it?

YES! I’m queuing a YA Contemporary Fiction, Necromancer’s Garden, wish me luck! I’m also working on the second draft of an adult fiction, In Passing, and am furiously working to finish the first draft of another YA book, Will Travel!

 

Finally, do you have a message for your fans out there and also any sage words of advice for aspiring authors?

Lots of people have advice. There are loads of writing rules. Instead of following them, find authors you look up to and see how they do their art. Most of the real greats weren’t rule followers, at all.

 

In addition to doing all of that writing, Shauna McGuiness has also just launched a blog called Tweep Tattler, which showcases writers from the vibrant Twitter writing community. And what is more, I’m going to be on it! Check it out here.

You can find out more about Shauna McGuiness on her personal blog and Amazon Author Page and don’t forget to have a look at Frankie in Paris!

****

While you’re here, why not give some of my other blogs a go? I’m sure that you’d love them!

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Fotherington-Tomas and the Unexpected Move

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Fotherington-Tomas and the Unexpected Move
… FT makes the big jump to Amazon and Smashwords…

Fotherington-Tomas and Maxwell were sitting in the Middle Drawing Room of Haggrid’s, enjoying the fusty smell of antiquity that surrounded them and a quick glass of Chablis, before the butler announced the day’s luncheon.

While Maxwell was busy scanning the tightly-packed columns of the Financial Times, to see how his cryptocurrency portfolio was performing, Fotherington-Tomas had his sizable nose buried in a brand new ebook reader.

“You know, Maxwell. This really is the way of the future. I’ve got a dozen books on this magical thingamajig and its barely the size of my palm. I’m carrying around a library in my hand, don’t you know? It’s like having the whole of the Bodleian at your fingertips. Wonderful, when you think about it,” said Fotherington-Tomas.

Maxwell paused in his search and sipped on his wine, before answering.

“Indeed, FT. In fact, I was just reading about this Amazon doohickey. It’s big business or so the article says. A bit like Harrods, but everything on it is electronic. They’ve even got books for sale.”

“Really? I think that I’m going to have to have a look at that. I could do with getting a few more tomes on this thing. A well-read gentleman can never have too many books, isn’t that right, Maxwell?” said Fotherington-Tomas.

“Absolutely, FT. And do you know something else? Apparently, Amazon and most other ebook platforms prioritise those who release books on a regular basis, over traditional publishers, who only put out one or two books a year,” said Maxwell.

Fotherington-Tomas looked up from his e-reader and gave Maxwell a thoughtful stare.

“So, let me get this right? It’s a quantity over quality thing, yes? Which means, if I were to publish some of our daring adventures, in the form of very short stories, on this Amazon place, then I could become even more well-known than I am now?”

“That’s about the size of it,” replied Maxwell.

“Well, in that case, let’s do it!” said Maxwell, his booming voice ringing off the thick oak panels. “No more blogging about our exploits for me! I’m going to ebook land, instead!”

And with that, Fotherington-Tomas, jumped up from his seat, an avaricious glint in his eye and shot out of Haggrid’s, all thoughts of his lunch forgotten, leaving Maxwell sitting in his chair, with a most perplexed look on his face.

*****

 

So, there you have it. From now on, Fotherington-Tomas will be moving to Amazon, Smashwords and all good ebook retailers. I hope that you’ll join me, as his adventures continue to grow on this new and exciting platform.
Thank you!

The post Fotherington-Tomas and the Unexpected Move appeared first on Rob Gregory | Author.

Yogol’s Gold – A Novel in Rhyme

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Yogol’s Gold – A Novel in Rhyme
… Or what I did after several literary agent rejections…

After receiving a few literary agent rejections concerning my recent novel, Yogol’s Gold, which I am currently trying to get traditionally published, I decided to try something a little different, as much to raise my own dejected spirits, as anything else.

Below, is the entire hundred-thousand plus word novel, condensed into a rhyme, just four-hundred and forty words long. I hope that you enjoy it!

 

Yogol’s Gold, a tale of old,

But who knows how it will unfold?

The book starts out with two young friends,

Who hate each other when it ends.

 

A war in Europe, long since past,

Is where we first do meet our cast.

Brave young Yogol, fearless Smetnee,

Heroes of the military.

 

A cache of gold, which Yogol found,

Is placed to rest in earthy ground.

But Smetnee wants it for himself,

And leaves poor Yogol on the shelf.

 

We meet Yogol, some years later,

Working as a humble baker.

He spots Smetnee with an heiress,

Due to marry under duress.

 

A crafty plan, which Yogol hatches,

Yields Smetnee’s wealth, which Yogol catches.

With fireworks and a wedding cake,

A huge distraction Yogol makes.

 

The safe is blown, the gold is gone,

And Yogol flees, his heart in song.

Smetnee faces the Duke’s ire,

For him a life of hell and fire.

 

Lindhaven in thirty-eight,

Sees Yogol with a better fate.

Now a wealthy plutocrat,

The coming war will change all that.

 

Attacked by Smetnee, now a Red,

Sees Yogol beaten, almost dead.

Fleeing in the wintry night,

He meets Penske, who sees him right.

 

Smetnee now can have it all,

But his ambitions hit a wall.

The Leader’s death, his own at stake,

Which desperate path will Smetnee take?

 

Defection seems the simplest way,

But Yogol makes old Smetnee pay.

A daring heist on his foe’s soil,

And all of Smetnee’s plans are foiled.

 

The Yanks they take him in the end,

But to their will, Smetnee must bend.

Slaving daily with a frown,

While Yogol wears an oilman’s crown.

 

The years they pass, when Smetnee stumbles,

On Yogol’s name in newsprint’s mumbles.

A courtroom drama then ensues,

Which poor old Yogol’s bound to lose.

 

In sixty-five, a second chance,

On keyboard glyphs, his fingers dance.

For Yogol is now helping NASA,

But on his mind, a different matter.

 

With eyes on space, we hold our breath,

As Yogol does computer theft.

The Secret Service is not pleased,

And from his job, Smetnee is squeezed.

 

The year of punk in USA,

Sees Smetnee slowly fade away.

But Yogol, now a billionaire,

Shows the world he still can care.

 

Forgiving Smetnee for his crimes,

Yogol offers better times.

But Smetnee’s heart, it cannot take,

The kindly offer Yogol makes.

 

Standing there when Smetnee dies,

Brings fear and pain to Yogol’s eyes.

His heart it stops against his will,

For Smetnee’s death has made him ill.

 

Yogol lives to eighty-three,

Far more years than you or me.

His life was rich but often cold,

And that’s the tale of Yogol’s Gold.

 

*****

 

So, there you have it. Yogol’s Gold, in four-hundred and forty words. Hopefully, I’ve piqued your interest and at the very least, put a smile on your face!

For those of you that are interested in finding out more, the story is a revenge thriller, spanning seventy years of the last century. It follows two friends, Yogol and Smetnee on an adventure that takes them across Eastern and Northern Europe and then onto the United States. It was inspired, in part, by Ridley Scott’s excellent 1977 debut, The Duellists, starring Keith Carradine and Harvey Keitel, which I first saw over twenty years ago, and which has stayed with me ever since. However, rather than involving pistols at dawn, Yogol’s Gold instead focuses on a series of heists, with the gold of the title moving from one protagonist to the other in more and more elaborate ways, culminating in the world’s first internet robbery.

If you like a good action and adventure novel, which parodies major events of the twentieth century and fancy giving me your honest opinion on the version that I’ve sent out to literary agents, then why not drop me a line at info@rob-gregory.com

Finally, I’d love to hear whether or not you think that I should include the poem as part of my agent query package? Maybe, with your help, I’ll not get so many literary agent rejections in the future and find myself one step closer to traditional publication?

Thank you!

 

While you’re here, why not check out my other blogs, as well as my books?

 

 

 

The post Yogol’s Gold – A Novel in Rhyme appeared first on Rob Gregory | Author.