Gareth Williams's Blog, page 6

Rescuing Richard

Finally, I have sent off the third instalment of The Richard Davey Chronicles to my publisher - James Essinger at The Conrad Press. He read it and told me it was an 'almost flawless book'. He also agreed with my wife, Helen, that is the best in the series (so far). I was, of course, delighted.

I was also relieved because it has taken a long time to settle on a title for this one. I knew I wanted Richard in the title, as he develops a lot during the book. I also wanted to stick with my signature alliteration for the titles in this series. But I went through dozens of possibilities without feeling any of them really fitted.

And then it came to me. In the first book, he needs Napoleon to start living (albeit in the past). In the second book, he switches allegiances to serve Shaka (but Napoleon is also drawn into Shaka's court). So, what is the theme of the third book? Well, it sees Richard accepting 'when' he is living and embracing the opportunities on offer. To some extent he is rescuing himself, with the help of his changed circumstances.

If you want to know more, Rescuing Richard is scheduled for publication in September or October 2022.

Radio appearance coming Sunday 19th June!

I’m delighted to have been asked back on the Carole Horton Show on Radio Skye and I’m really looking forward to chatting with Carole this Sunday 19th June between 9-11am. I should be on about 9.30am. I’ll be talking about my second novel Serving Shaka, which is out now. I hope you will enjoy the music I have chosen!

Please tune in to 106.2 or 102.7 FM or listen online at http://www.radioskye.com.

The kindness of friends and strangers

Helen and I are just back from almost two weeks travelling around England. We met lots of people and got good use from our VW Campervan, Eric the Red.

There was live music from the 1980s, catching up with family, visiting National Trust properties, connecting with friends old and new. A lovely break, even if it does mean there has been no progress on my book (or blogs) for some time.

But what warmed me most over the trip, given my frustrations trying to market my books more widely, was hearing from people how much they had enjoyed reading Needing Napoleon.

So, I return to the Isle of Skye in a positive frame of mind. As one very long-standing friend reminded me, I write because I love it, not to sell books. The wisdom of those who have known us a long time!

I hope to have the third instalment of The Richard Davey Chronicles with my publisher before the end of the summer. As for my current work in progress, I am aiming to complete the first draft by the end of July. However, editing will be quite a process for this one!

Thanks to everyone who has shared an encouraging word at any point on my authorial journey. It really makes a difference. I hope everyone has a wonderful Jubilee Weekend. I am planning to climb some mountains if our good weather holds.

Blog tour sounded so exciting but...

I was really looking forward to the boost a blog tour was going to give sales of Needing Napoleon and Serving Shaka next month.

But sadly, my tour organiser has just informed me there is insufficient interest for it to go ahead!

I must confess to feeling quite down about this. It was only a couple of days ago that a friend told me how much she was enjoying my first book, and how fond she was becoming of the main character - Richard Davey.

It is so frustrating not being able to make more people aware of the book. I have tried everything I can think of, from Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to curating a list on shepherd.com. I have given interviews, appeared on local radio, contacted the local press, visited local shops, provided material to all the schools where I taught and the places I studied.

I have also continued to blog, send emails updating everyone I know of my progress and started giving talks. I am also investigating ways of my book having a profile at book fairs.

All in all, I am trying hard but I am not a marketing guru. So, I decided to pay for an expert, only to find they had no more luck than me!

I know many of you have enjoyed Needing Napoleon. Thank you so much for all your kind words, reviews and ratings. I hope you decide to buy Serving Shaka too.

I am just going to keep going. The third instalment WILL be out this year! Perhaps I'll try invoking magic to get the word out.

One thing leads to another...

Recently, I became aware of Simon Riddell, a talented photographer obsessed by a very old technology. He has built himself a wet plate collodion camera that's almost as big as an old Mini. He takes wonderfully atmospheric pictures and was kind enough to take my portrait. He is currently working on the Isle of Skye.

I suggested I write a fiction short story that in some way involved his photography. I released the result to my website subscribers last week and am now making it available to everyone.

You can access the story from the home page of my website or by clicking here: https://www.whatifalternatehistory.com/blank-page-6

I thoroughly recommend you check out Simon at www.srfilmphotography.co.uk

Here is a link to the scene of much of the story: www.sligachan.co.uk

Publication day for Serving Shaka

The second book in my Richard Davey Chronicles was released in paperback on 25 April and is now available from most online booksellers.

Set in the aftermath of Waterloo, it explores what happens when Napoleon Bonaparte meets Shaka Zulu.

Serving Shaka: 2 (The Richard Davey Chronicles): Amazon.co.uk: Williams, Gareth: 9781914913532: Books

My list of best books for getting inside Napoleon's head

I was invited to curate a list of books I rate for understanding Napoleon Bonaparte by a fantastic website called shepherd.com

They host lists put together by all kinds of authors for both fiction and non-fiction. It was good fun for me and a real opportunity to share some of the influences that went into writing Needing Napoleon.

My list is now live and you can get straight to it with this link -

,https://shepherd.com/best-books/getting-inside-napoleon-bonapartes-head

I have now been asked to put together a list of best books to get to grips with South African history. I am really looking forward to it. I have been drawn to the tip of the African continent ever since my family moved there when I was three years old. Although we only stayed three and a half years, I have never lost that connection.

I studied as much African history as I could whilst at Cambridge and kept up with writing on the subject. All of which equipped me for writing the second instalment of the Richard Davey Chronicles - Serving Shaka, which is due out on 25 April (although it can take a while to show up at online bookshops).

A recent feature on me in the SHSK Society magazine

Wonderful world of words

I have decided to add a page to my website for lovely words I stumble across. My hope is that we might smuggle some of them back into everyday writing and speech. Probably a forlorn hope but at least we get to revel in the richness of our vocabulary.

My first selections are:

Scantling Peduncle Liminal Needments

To find out more, just click on Words on the homepage of my website.

It would be wonderful if you suggested words I might include. Perhaps with a brief explanation as to why you think they should be resurrected or brought to a wider audience? Just use the Contact button on the homepage.

Exciting interview and more with Joanne Renaud

I really enjoyed being interviewed by Joanne Renaud from all the way across the Atlantic. She also persuaded me to put together a playlist which she is hosting on her YouTube channel. You can find all of this and more via the link below.

Joanne read Needing Napoleon as an ebook having stumbled across a post of mine on an alternate history website! She is a writer and illustrator who shares a fascination with the Napoleonic age. You can also check out her work via the link.

https://joannerenaud.tumblr.com/post/679255453402824704/march-2022-author-of-the-month-an-interview-with