David Roy's Blog, page 2
March 30, 2023
Today
Today I did not go to Longridge Civic Hall to sell books because it was raining. For a small fee I could have set up my stall with my homemade bookshelves, arranged my wares and promotional materials in the most eye-catching way and then sat for four hours getting colder and colder, watching as people slipped past me without making eye contact.
But, I didn't do that because few people come to Longridge Civic Hall when it rains and those that do don't want to buy a book.
If the sun is shining next week I might go back. If it's not, I will probably not bother.
Once I was so filled with hope...
But, I didn't do that because few people come to Longridge Civic Hall when it rains and those that do don't want to buy a book.
If the sun is shining next week I might go back. If it's not, I will probably not bother.
Once I was so filled with hope...
March 27, 2023
Dear Diary
This has become more of a diary entry than a blog post simply because no one reads it. Each of these words is carefully chosen and together they are crafted into fine sentences which may one day be truly appreciated by scholars.
It's two years since I gave up teaching to work on Hobart Books full-time and yet I still wake up with a sense of dread. I wonder if that feeling will ever go.
My ideal day would start with a coffee and a bit of writing, then a quick visit to the gym, more writing, then reading and watching Netflix whilst eating chocolate. Instead I spend my mornings trying to find new ways to connect books to readers. Or is it the other way round?
What I have discovered is that it's not enough to have great books written by great writers. Trying to claim our market share is the biggest difficulty. Everything seems to work against the publisher.
However there is no option but to keep going. When we started sales were slow but I didn't expect that to remain the case two years later.
It's two years since I gave up teaching to work on Hobart Books full-time and yet I still wake up with a sense of dread. I wonder if that feeling will ever go.
My ideal day would start with a coffee and a bit of writing, then a quick visit to the gym, more writing, then reading and watching Netflix whilst eating chocolate. Instead I spend my mornings trying to find new ways to connect books to readers. Or is it the other way round?
What I have discovered is that it's not enough to have great books written by great writers. Trying to claim our market share is the biggest difficulty. Everything seems to work against the publisher.
However there is no option but to keep going. When we started sales were slow but I didn't expect that to remain the case two years later.
March 25, 2023
Harsh Reality
Last Thursday I took up station in Longridge Civic Hall and for the first time sold nothing. It didn't help that the weather was terrible but it is clear that I don't have the ideal audience for selling books to. With that in mind I am trying to spread my wings further but finding venues for book sales is much more difficult that you might think.
Just getting the books delivered cost Hobart Books £144 which is quite a big outlay for a company which sells books in tiny numbers.
As with many things the market can accommodate the big players but not the little ones.
The only thing I can do is keep going.
Hmmm.
Just getting the books delivered cost Hobart Books £144 which is quite a big outlay for a company which sells books in tiny numbers.
As with many things the market can accommodate the big players but not the little ones.
The only thing I can do is keep going.
Hmmm.
March 11, 2023
The Front Line
I hate the militarisation of everyday life so when I say I am at the 'Front Line' of publishing it is with my tongue in my cheek. So, what do I mean by that?
Well, I am an author, a publisher and now, for the last few weeks, I am a bookseller. Hobart Books now has a Thursday stall in the Civic Hall in Longridge, Lancashire, with more venues in the pipeline. Sales are patchy even with various promotions on offer including a Mother's Day gift box, with a book, cosmetics and chocolate.
It's just hard to sell anything. That office suite in the Chrysler Building will have to wait.
Well, I am an author, a publisher and now, for the last few weeks, I am a bookseller. Hobart Books now has a Thursday stall in the Civic Hall in Longridge, Lancashire, with more venues in the pipeline. Sales are patchy even with various promotions on offer including a Mother's Day gift box, with a book, cosmetics and chocolate.
It's just hard to sell anything. That office suite in the Chrysler Building will have to wait.
February 28, 2023
Review
SNIFF THEM OUT, BROWNLOW!
by Judy Upton
● Price: £9.99 paperback.
● Published by: Hobart Books.
● Available from: All book shops or online retailers; also available as an e-book on Kindle.
If you’re a fan of cosy crime thrillers, this could be the book for you.
Highly topical, it introduces the reader to Sophie Gorrage and her trained sniffer dog, Brownlow, who work as pet detectives, tracking down lost animals and returning them to their grateful owners.
However, when the dogs of a reality TV star are snatched from a Sussex common, and then a chart-topping rapper reveals his dog has been taken after a carjacking in east London, it looks like Sophie and Brownlow are on the trail of a serial dognapper and the stakes are raised.
Sophie needs all her deductive skills and Brownlow his first-class nose as they attempt to discover who is stealing the dogs, where they are taking them, and why.
As the story races along at a brisk pace, the danger intensifies until the lives of both human and dog are put at risk.
Although light-hearted in tone (and no animals come to any harm), the book does make serious points about responsible ownership and the inadequate response of the legal system to dog theft.
Following the successful launch of the book, there is a sequel in the pipeline.
In the meantime, ‘Sniff them out, Brownlow!’ is one to enjoy curled up on the sofa with your dog beside you.
by Judy Upton
● Price: £9.99 paperback.
● Published by: Hobart Books.
● Available from: All book shops or online retailers; also available as an e-book on Kindle.
If you’re a fan of cosy crime thrillers, this could be the book for you.
Highly topical, it introduces the reader to Sophie Gorrage and her trained sniffer dog, Brownlow, who work as pet detectives, tracking down lost animals and returning them to their grateful owners.
However, when the dogs of a reality TV star are snatched from a Sussex common, and then a chart-topping rapper reveals his dog has been taken after a carjacking in east London, it looks like Sophie and Brownlow are on the trail of a serial dognapper and the stakes are raised.
Sophie needs all her deductive skills and Brownlow his first-class nose as they attempt to discover who is stealing the dogs, where they are taking them, and why.
As the story races along at a brisk pace, the danger intensifies until the lives of both human and dog are put at risk.
Although light-hearted in tone (and no animals come to any harm), the book does make serious points about responsible ownership and the inadequate response of the legal system to dog theft.
Following the successful launch of the book, there is a sequel in the pipeline.
In the meantime, ‘Sniff them out, Brownlow!’ is one to enjoy curled up on the sofa with your dog beside you.
February 27, 2023
First To Last Interview
The Lost Man by David Roy, was published by Hobart Books on 24 May 2021.
David kindly answered a few of my questions.
1. Tell us a little about The Lost Man.
The Lost Man is a soldier from Belfast called Ted Dexter who finds himself left behind in France after the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. With the help of two friends he has made on his journey to the coast, he makes a daring escape to Britain where he comes to the attention of the PM. Impressed by Ted’s exploits, he decides that he will be his personal agent, hitting back at the Germans.
2. What inspired the book?
I started out with the name and created a character around that. I didn’t know that Ted Dexter was actually a famous cricketeer. Equipped with the name, I put him in the Army and packed him off to France in 1939. As I began writing I had no idea how his story would end.
3. Are you a plan, plan, plan writer or do you sit down and see where the words take you?
Definitely the latter. When I started writing many, many years ago, I would try to plan but the story always got away from the plan and I realised that this method didn’t work for me. Often, I have only a very vague idea of how the story will develop but I don’t suffer from writer’s block and I always end up with a story.
4. Is there anything about the publishing process that still surprises you?
I think what surprises me is the sheer number of aspiring authors out there. It is a crowded market. There are literally millions of books on Amazon Kindle for instance. The advent of the personal computer and the ability to endlessly edit has spurred on a surge in writing. Also when I began writing it was still possible to send your manuscript directly to the publisher. The role of the literary agent is much greater now.
5. What do you do when you aren’t writing? What do you do to relax and get away from it all?
I run or go to the gym. If I didn’t have to write and edit etc. I would just read all day long. I also have two teenaged children to nag endlessly about everything. In the evening I watch Netflix, especially crime dramas with subtitles. I wish these detectives would crack a smile now and again.
6. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life which book would it be?
That’s the toughest question but I have an answer; The Magic Army by Leslie Thomas. It’s funny, engaging and tragic all in one. He’s a great writer.
7. I like to end my Q&As with the same question so here we go. During all the Q&As and interviews you’ve done what question have you not been asked that you wish had been asked – and what’s the answer?
‘What made you become a writer?’ I attended university straight after leaving the Army and I had a yearning to write about my experiences in the First Gulf War. With university behind me, I wrote Sun, Sand and the Sergeant-major. It was terrible but it got me started!
About the Book
France 1940
The war is not going well and the Allies are in full retreat. The Belgians have been vanquished and the French fight rearguard action after rearguard action. Amongst this, the British have assembled the fleet of Little Ships to extract their exhausted army. Separated from his unit, one man heads for the coast to join the evacuation and get home. But it’s a troubled road: on the way he picks up a downed RAF pilot and a lone soldier who’s survived the massacre of his platoon.
They reach Dunkirk a day late.
Everyone has gone.
All is lost…
…or is it?
David kindly answered a few of my questions.
1. Tell us a little about The Lost Man.
The Lost Man is a soldier from Belfast called Ted Dexter who finds himself left behind in France after the Dunkirk evacuation in 1940. With the help of two friends he has made on his journey to the coast, he makes a daring escape to Britain where he comes to the attention of the PM. Impressed by Ted’s exploits, he decides that he will be his personal agent, hitting back at the Germans.
2. What inspired the book?
I started out with the name and created a character around that. I didn’t know that Ted Dexter was actually a famous cricketeer. Equipped with the name, I put him in the Army and packed him off to France in 1939. As I began writing I had no idea how his story would end.
3. Are you a plan, plan, plan writer or do you sit down and see where the words take you?
Definitely the latter. When I started writing many, many years ago, I would try to plan but the story always got away from the plan and I realised that this method didn’t work for me. Often, I have only a very vague idea of how the story will develop but I don’t suffer from writer’s block and I always end up with a story.
4. Is there anything about the publishing process that still surprises you?
I think what surprises me is the sheer number of aspiring authors out there. It is a crowded market. There are literally millions of books on Amazon Kindle for instance. The advent of the personal computer and the ability to endlessly edit has spurred on a surge in writing. Also when I began writing it was still possible to send your manuscript directly to the publisher. The role of the literary agent is much greater now.
5. What do you do when you aren’t writing? What do you do to relax and get away from it all?
I run or go to the gym. If I didn’t have to write and edit etc. I would just read all day long. I also have two teenaged children to nag endlessly about everything. In the evening I watch Netflix, especially crime dramas with subtitles. I wish these detectives would crack a smile now and again.
6. If you could only read one book for the rest of your life which book would it be?
That’s the toughest question but I have an answer; The Magic Army by Leslie Thomas. It’s funny, engaging and tragic all in one. He’s a great writer.
7. I like to end my Q&As with the same question so here we go. During all the Q&As and interviews you’ve done what question have you not been asked that you wish had been asked – and what’s the answer?
‘What made you become a writer?’ I attended university straight after leaving the Army and I had a yearning to write about my experiences in the First Gulf War. With university behind me, I wrote Sun, Sand and the Sergeant-major. It was terrible but it got me started!
About the Book
France 1940
The war is not going well and the Allies are in full retreat. The Belgians have been vanquished and the French fight rearguard action after rearguard action. Amongst this, the British have assembled the fleet of Little Ships to extract their exhausted army. Separated from his unit, one man heads for the coast to join the evacuation and get home. But it’s a troubled road: on the way he picks up a downed RAF pilot and a lone soldier who’s survived the massacre of his platoon.
They reach Dunkirk a day late.
Everyone has gone.
All is lost…
…or is it?
February 13, 2023
Best review
I only put Accidental Victim on Amazon as an ARC but already It had yielded my best ever review!
Paul555
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2023
Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved this book. Shame it was only 300+ pages...I would have happily devoured 3000 pages. Totally engrossing, brilliant style. Fair play sir, you have this writing malarky sorted.
It doesn't get much better than that. Hopefully we'll get it proofread and published in the next couple of months.
Paul555
5.0 out of 5 stars Best book I've read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 February 2023
Verified Purchase
I absolutely loved this book. Shame it was only 300+ pages...I would have happily devoured 3000 pages. Totally engrossing, brilliant style. Fair play sir, you have this writing malarky sorted.
It doesn't get much better than that. Hopefully we'll get it proofread and published in the next couple of months.
February 2, 2023
A Writer's Life
I'm sure I've said this before, but I'm nothing if not repetitive, my life as a writer isn't panning out as I expected. I should be holed up in a Parisian garret, staring out across the roof tops at the distant Eiffel Tower, seeking inspiration as a Gitane smoulders in an ashtray and listening to Edith Piaf.
Or perhaps I should be drinking endless cappuccinos at a waterfront cafe in some Italian fishing village at the foot of the mountains, listening to the sound of flying fish as they leap from the water. A distant ferry carries tourists to the next village, its wake a dull scar on the glistening waters of the Med.
Maybe I should be seeking out adventure in the manner of Ernest Hemmingway or living in the manner of Ian Fleming at Goldeneye, his Jamaican home.
However, I'm not doing any of those things. I am sitting on a sofa in my house near the English city of Preston. It's raining and the dog is snoring gently. It'll do for now.
Or perhaps I should be drinking endless cappuccinos at a waterfront cafe in some Italian fishing village at the foot of the mountains, listening to the sound of flying fish as they leap from the water. A distant ferry carries tourists to the next village, its wake a dull scar on the glistening waters of the Med.
Maybe I should be seeking out adventure in the manner of Ernest Hemmingway or living in the manner of Ian Fleming at Goldeneye, his Jamaican home.
However, I'm not doing any of those things. I am sitting on a sofa in my house near the English city of Preston. It's raining and the dog is snoring gently. It'll do for now.
January 30, 2023
Flohmarkt
Yesterday I took the Hobart Books World Tour Roadshow Extravaganza to the exotic North Yorkshire city of Gargrave.
Nestling amongst the skyscrapers sat the Village Hall hosting an event which, when I arrived, I discovered was billed as a flea market.
I had not brought any fleas, only books, and it was clear that these were sub-optimum conditions for a sales tsunami.
Despite that I sold three books which offset my costs and I gained confidence in my card reader which worked flawlessly.
I will look out for book fairs from now on.
Two years in, this isn't what I had pictured myself doing but if we have to take it down a notch and build up from there then so be it.
Nestling amongst the skyscrapers sat the Village Hall hosting an event which, when I arrived, I discovered was billed as a flea market.
I had not brought any fleas, only books, and it was clear that these were sub-optimum conditions for a sales tsunami.
Despite that I sold three books which offset my costs and I gained confidence in my card reader which worked flawlessly.
I will look out for book fairs from now on.
Two years in, this isn't what I had pictured myself doing but if we have to take it down a notch and build up from there then so be it.
January 26, 2023
Review for Sniff Them Out, Brownlow
Published by Hobart Books Ltd,
28 August 2022.
ISBN: 978-1-914322-13-6 (PB)
Sophie Gorrage works as a pet detective on the south coast of England. She uses the amazing skills of her sniffer dog, Brownlow, and her own experience and expertise, to track down a variety of pets who are lost, stolen or strayed. Most of the pets that Sophie and Brownlow are employed to find have just wandered away and, because Sophie cares passionately about the animals she is seeking, she and Brownlow often work for people who can offer little in the way of monetary rewards for the recovery of their pets.
Sophie is excited when she hears that reality television star, Rouki Bennett, has had two of her dogs stolen after her dog walker was attacked and injured. While feeling worried about the dogs and sorry for the injured man, Sophie sees this as an opportunity to raise the profile of their firm, Brownlow And Gorrage, although she will always prioritise the safety of Brownlow and the animals she hopes to rescue and restore to their owner. Despite being warned off by PC Gemma Carmichael, a rural crimes officer, who Sophie thinks of as her nemesis, Sophie decides to offer her services to hunt for Rouki’s missing Cocker Spaniels. Unfortunately, when Sophie contacts Rouki, that shallow, publicity-obsessed young woman doesn’t recognise that their firm is very different to the other ‘experts’ she is consulting, such as a ‘pet clairvoyant’ and ‘pet whisperer’. Although Rouki may care about her missing dogs, she is so addicted to publicising her every move that she will not listen to expert advice and has misguidedly posted an enormous reward, unaware or indifferent to the fact that that this may endanger her dogs and may encourage the kidnapping of other celebrity pets.
However, Gorrage and Brownlow do find employment when a second celebrity dog is stolen. The chart-topping rapper, Medalsum, was assaulted during a violent car-jacking and Sasha, his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was stolen. Sophie’s good friend, Quinn, who runs the animal sanctuary from which she had adopted Brownlow, contacts Medalsum and recommends Sophie’s services. Although Medalsum has had to go to Europe on tour, it is obvious that the whole family adores Sasha.
Sophie is convinced that the kidnapping of Rouki’s dogs and Medalsum’s Sasha are connected. Medalsum’s young son and daughter are eager to do anything they can to help, and Sophie soon finds yet more allies in Rouki’s dog walker, and his husband. More dogs are stolen, all of whom are owned by celebrities or are famous in their own right and the situation becomes even more urgent when a small dog with a heart condition is taken. Despite being distracted when a friend invites her to join a protest about animal rights, Sophie starts to make progress in the investigation, while at the same time trying to avoid enraging Gemma Carmichael. The nearer she comes to the solution, the more dangerous the investigation becomes, not only for herself and her human helpers, but also for her beloved Brownlow.
Sniff Them Out, Brownlow is the first book featuring Sophie Gorrage and her dog, Brownlow. The plot is complex and clever, and the descriptions of celebrity culture are filled with cunning humour. Sophie and Brownlow are an engaging duo, with a wonderful relationship, and many of the other characters are very likeable, as are the canine protagonists. The author’s greatest strength is her success in making the reader care passionately about the fate of the missing dogs, as well as wanting Sophie and Brownlow to succeed and continue their loving partnership. This is a page turner, which I recommend, especially for those readers who love animals.
------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
Judy Upton is an award-winning writer of plays for the Royal Court, National Theatre and BBC Radio 4. She has won The George Devine Award for stage play ‘Ashes and Sand’, Verity Bargate Award for ‘Bruises’ and Croydon Warehouse International Playwriting Award 2016 for Once Around The Sun. Plays include: ‘Ashes and Sand’, Royal Court; ‘Bruises’, Royal Court; ‘Sliding With Suzanne’, Royal Court; ‘Team Spirit’, National Theatre; ‘Sunspots’, The Red Room; ‘Noctropia’, Hampstead Theatre. She has had seven plays on BBC Radio 4, including 2019 Drama Of The Week, ‘The Bulbul Was Singing’. As a screenwriter Judy’s feature films are Brighton-set ‘Ashes and Sand’, produced by Open Road Films and Matador Pictures; and ‘My Imprisoned Heart’ produced by Sci-Fi London. A TV drama ‘All In The Mind’ was shown on BBC1, and her short films are ‘Exposed’, ‘Milk’ and ‘Blame It On The Boogie’. Judy's novella, ‘Maisie and Mrs Webster’ was published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson in 2018, and in 2021 Methuen published a second volume of her plays ‘Judy Upton Plays Two’, which includes some of her 2020/21 series of short lockdown plays. Jud's first novel, Out Of The Frying Pan was published by Hobart in 2021.
www.judyupton.co.uk
28 August 2022.
ISBN: 978-1-914322-13-6 (PB)
Sophie Gorrage works as a pet detective on the south coast of England. She uses the amazing skills of her sniffer dog, Brownlow, and her own experience and expertise, to track down a variety of pets who are lost, stolen or strayed. Most of the pets that Sophie and Brownlow are employed to find have just wandered away and, because Sophie cares passionately about the animals she is seeking, she and Brownlow often work for people who can offer little in the way of monetary rewards for the recovery of their pets.
Sophie is excited when she hears that reality television star, Rouki Bennett, has had two of her dogs stolen after her dog walker was attacked and injured. While feeling worried about the dogs and sorry for the injured man, Sophie sees this as an opportunity to raise the profile of their firm, Brownlow And Gorrage, although she will always prioritise the safety of Brownlow and the animals she hopes to rescue and restore to their owner. Despite being warned off by PC Gemma Carmichael, a rural crimes officer, who Sophie thinks of as her nemesis, Sophie decides to offer her services to hunt for Rouki’s missing Cocker Spaniels. Unfortunately, when Sophie contacts Rouki, that shallow, publicity-obsessed young woman doesn’t recognise that their firm is very different to the other ‘experts’ she is consulting, such as a ‘pet clairvoyant’ and ‘pet whisperer’. Although Rouki may care about her missing dogs, she is so addicted to publicising her every move that she will not listen to expert advice and has misguidedly posted an enormous reward, unaware or indifferent to the fact that that this may endanger her dogs and may encourage the kidnapping of other celebrity pets.
However, Gorrage and Brownlow do find employment when a second celebrity dog is stolen. The chart-topping rapper, Medalsum, was assaulted during a violent car-jacking and Sasha, his Staffordshire Bull Terrier, was stolen. Sophie’s good friend, Quinn, who runs the animal sanctuary from which she had adopted Brownlow, contacts Medalsum and recommends Sophie’s services. Although Medalsum has had to go to Europe on tour, it is obvious that the whole family adores Sasha.
Sophie is convinced that the kidnapping of Rouki’s dogs and Medalsum’s Sasha are connected. Medalsum’s young son and daughter are eager to do anything they can to help, and Sophie soon finds yet more allies in Rouki’s dog walker, and his husband. More dogs are stolen, all of whom are owned by celebrities or are famous in their own right and the situation becomes even more urgent when a small dog with a heart condition is taken. Despite being distracted when a friend invites her to join a protest about animal rights, Sophie starts to make progress in the investigation, while at the same time trying to avoid enraging Gemma Carmichael. The nearer she comes to the solution, the more dangerous the investigation becomes, not only for herself and her human helpers, but also for her beloved Brownlow.
Sniff Them Out, Brownlow is the first book featuring Sophie Gorrage and her dog, Brownlow. The plot is complex and clever, and the descriptions of celebrity culture are filled with cunning humour. Sophie and Brownlow are an engaging duo, with a wonderful relationship, and many of the other characters are very likeable, as are the canine protagonists. The author’s greatest strength is her success in making the reader care passionately about the fate of the missing dogs, as well as wanting Sophie and Brownlow to succeed and continue their loving partnership. This is a page turner, which I recommend, especially for those readers who love animals.
------
Reviewer: Carol Westron
Judy Upton is an award-winning writer of plays for the Royal Court, National Theatre and BBC Radio 4. She has won The George Devine Award for stage play ‘Ashes and Sand’, Verity Bargate Award for ‘Bruises’ and Croydon Warehouse International Playwriting Award 2016 for Once Around The Sun. Plays include: ‘Ashes and Sand’, Royal Court; ‘Bruises’, Royal Court; ‘Sliding With Suzanne’, Royal Court; ‘Team Spirit’, National Theatre; ‘Sunspots’, The Red Room; ‘Noctropia’, Hampstead Theatre. She has had seven plays on BBC Radio 4, including 2019 Drama Of The Week, ‘The Bulbul Was Singing’. As a screenwriter Judy’s feature films are Brighton-set ‘Ashes and Sand’, produced by Open Road Films and Matador Pictures; and ‘My Imprisoned Heart’ produced by Sci-Fi London. A TV drama ‘All In The Mind’ was shown on BBC1, and her short films are ‘Exposed’, ‘Milk’ and ‘Blame It On The Boogie’. Judy's novella, ‘Maisie and Mrs Webster’ was published by Weidenfeld and Nicholson in 2018, and in 2021 Methuen published a second volume of her plays ‘Judy Upton Plays Two’, which includes some of her 2020/21 series of short lockdown plays. Jud's first novel, Out Of The Frying Pan was published by Hobart in 2021.
www.judyupton.co.uk
