S.C. Skillman's Blog, page 51

The Joy of Honest,Thoughtful Book Reviews

One of the joys of this New Year for me has been reading the reviews of A Passionate Spirit that are starting to come in via Net Galley.

“A Passionate Spirit” by SC Skillman

It has reaffirmed for me that although a review may not carry a 5 star rating, nevertheless an honest review from a reader who seriously engaged with the novel is of great value.

Charlie G says this:  “I was pulled in, hook, line and sinker, picking up my kindle at every opportunity to find out what happened next and the end was not disappointing.

I would absolutely recommend this book to anyone interested in cults, the supernatural and thrillers in general.

What I especially loved were the author’s notes at the end, talking about her inspirations for the novel, including the Australian cult, The Family, which sent me scurrying off to the google for an hour after I’d finished the book. A great read.”

Maxine (Booklover Catlady) says this on Amazon: “The book tackles the dark side of cults and cult-thinking as well as introducing some spiritual elements, not all that are in the light so to speak either. Who are these people and what is the hold they seem to have on the house? Why are weird paranormal events happening all around? Zoe and her husband and loyal friend Alice are tested, and it’s not easy.

I enjoyed the book very much towards the end as the reveals began and things began to slot into place….  The ending is really good and I liked the fact the pace really picked up and I could feel some thrills at last….. If you like books with some paranormal twists and focus in it you may well enjoy A Passionate Spirit.”

Thank you both to Charlie G and to Maxine.

 

Filed under: book reviews, Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, literature, paranormal thriller fiction, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, Writing Tagged: author, book reviews, Net Galley, passionate spirit, reader, SC Skillman author, supernatural

2015 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2015 annual report for this blog.

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Here’s an excerpt:

A New York City subway train holds 1,200 people. This blog was viewed about 7,900 times in 2015. If it were a NYC subway train, it would take about 7 trips to carry that many people.

Click here to see the complete report.

Filed under: British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, SC Skillman

Refugee Family Saved by the Gold of the Magi

At the beautiful candlelit carol service at St Mark’s Church Leamington Spa last night, Sunday 20 December 2015, the Bishop of Coventry spoke to a packed church of 600 people about refugee families.

Speaking about the current crisis across Europe he drew a parallel between these refugees and the family of Jesus.

Jesus was born into poverty in an occupied nation in a region in conflict – then, as now. A couple of years after his birth his family took him and fled from a brutal tyrant into a foreign land – Egypt.

The Bishop spoke of those refugees who have arrived at their destination with nothing – all their money has been taken from them by people smugglers.

Then he put forward this notion.

“Did Joseph and Mary have to use their gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to pay people smugglers?”

Was that how the gifts of the Magi were used?

It may well be.

At the very least the gold they received may have saved their lives. For how do you flee across borders and gain safety and security in another country until the tyranny in your own country has passed – unless you have significant financial resources?

Or another kind of gold entirely – the kindness, compassion and good will of the host countries.

 

Filed under: faith, inspiration, life, musings, people of inspiration, religion, SC Skillman, spirituality, thoughts Tagged: Bishop of Coventry, carol service, Europe, gifts of the magi, gold, Jesus, people smugglers, refugee crisis, refugee families, St Marks Church Leamington Spa

A Passionate Spirit Now on Net Galley

If you’re a member of Net Galley and enjoy paranormal thrillers A Passionate Spirit is now available there for you to request your free download.

 

If you do request it I hope you enjoy it; and I look forward to your review!

 

Filed under: book reviews, Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, literature, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, Writing Tagged: free download, Get Galley, paranormal thriller, passionate spirit, review, SC Skillman, SC Skillman author

Christmas: Time for Joy, Time for Mourning

Christmas arouses so many emotions.

Magical in childhood, often much more of a challenge in adulthood – which of us are “Ding Dong Merrily On High”, and which of us are “Bah Humbug”?

I love many things about Christmas:

 The anticipation through Advent – Advent candles
Christmas carols – many of them have the most beautiful words which I find deeply moving;
Lights – I love fairy lights, candles, Christmas grottoes outside  houses
The Christmas tree with its lights and stars and shining baubles and tinsel is like a warm, friendly presence in the room. For many Christmas starts when the lights on the tree are switched on.
The story of Christ’s birth surely the most powerful among the world’s stories; full of spiritual resonance, reaching to the heart of the human condition, always relevant to our lives, especially right now, chillingly parallelled by world events today as refugee families flee tyranny and terror
The words of the prophet Isaiah, who I hold as one of the world’s greatest writers, as did Handel when he chose to set those words to music in “The Messiah“: The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death  and For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,

The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace and He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm,

and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
Meaningful rituals and happy remembrance: mince pies, mulled wine, Christmas concerts in country churches; Christmas wreaths on doors; Ghost stories by candlelight; Decorating the Christmas tree; Inviting neighbours in for drinks
Christmas music of all types – the popular Christmas songs and the Christmas songs written for choirs by John Rutter;  O Holy Night, Hope Finds a Way by Jonathan Roberts, Britten’s Ceremony of Carols, O Magnum Mysterium by Marten Lauridsen, Charpentiere’s Messe de Minuit… Many composers have been inspired by the mystery of the Incarnation, to write their most sublime music.
Trips to Santa grottoes with your children, and the Special Christmas Treat – whether that be to a Winter Wonderland, or to see a special show, or a wonderful pantomime
Magical memories of when as a child I awoke on Christmas morning and was filled with wonder and awe because, magically, a favourite doll had been dressed as a fairy in a sparkling dress
Every year, building special memories for your children – the particular times when you always  exchange gifts, what you always do on Christmas Eve, the moment when, for you, Christmas really begins; the photo you always take of the children with their lighted Christingles in front of the Christmas tree; the sherry, and mince pie left out for Santa on Christmas Eve together with the carrot for Rudolph
Charles Dickens’ story A Christmas Carol. Of all his stories I believe this is the most powerful. This story of reflection, repentance and redemption never loses its impact.  We have several DVDs of different dramatic version of A Christmas Carol, both live action and animated, and we watch them again and again each year.

Things I mourn for about Christmas:

the focus on excessive eating and the obsession of weight loss classes with how you will “manage” Christmas and the “damage limitation” you are going to do either before or afterwards

the burden of work and giving which falls on certain individuals – or which they choose to take upon themselves – while others seem blessed by the role of always being able to relax and receive

broken and dysfunctional relationships which are thrown into sharp relief by the false expectations thrown up by the advertising industry’s manipulation of society’s attitude to Christmas

the grief caused to people when they perceive themselves as having failed to meet others’ “expectations”

the consumer society seizing the opportunity to make as much money as possible

the pressure that is put on people in a mania to achieve “the perfect Christmas”

the way charities “use” Christmas as a time to ask for more money

The bittersweet remembrance of Christmasses past, spent with the people who have scattered – through death, divorce, marriage, moving on to create new lives of their own, moving far away.

 

 

 

Filed under: inspiration, life, musings, SC Skillman, thoughts Tagged: Christmas, joy, light, love, magical, SC Skillman, SC Skillman author, spiritual

A Passionate Spirit and Mystical Circles: Give Books for Christmas

Waterstones’ current slogan is Give books for Christmas. And I must admit I could find no better message to give those passing by my stall at the Clapham Terrace School Christmas Fair on Friday – unless of course it be Roald Dahl’s observation in “Matilda”: If you are going to get anywhere in life you have to read a lot of books.

Once again I had some interesting conversations with potential readers and discovered that they enjoy many different genres and have eclectic reading tastes. One of them noted that the central theme of both my novels is that of spirituality, and I was happy to have raised my profile slightly as an author, giving out free bookmarks and gaining new interest for my social media platforms and in particular my Facebook Page.

Along with “Mystical Circles, “A Passionate Spirit” is available now to buy online either as a paperback or as en ebook, although the main marketing and publicity will begin in January.  And do check out my page on the publisher’s website if you enjoy paranormal thrillers – or, indeed, if you are, like some of those at the Christmas Fair, eclectic readers who love to  read across the genres…

Filed under: Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, literature, psychological suspense fiction, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, spirituality, UK, Writing Tagged: a passionate spirit, books, give books for Christmas, love, mystical circles, paranormal thriller, Roald Dahl, SC Skillman, spirituality, Waterstones

Out at the Christmas Fairs Meeting Prospective Readers

One of the joys of selling books at local Christmas Fairs is that you get a chance to introduce yourself to possible new readers and to chat to them about their reading tastes.

I had some interesting chats at the Princethorpe College Christmas Fair on Sunday afternoon whilst promoting and selling signed copies of my two novels Mystical Circles and A Passionate Spirit.

One lady, seeing that my new novel is a paranormal thriller, asked: “Is it based upon a real life story?”

At first her question surprised me, for of course I wouldn’t expect the target audience of a paranormal thriller to even ask that.

But I realised it was a very interesting question. “Yes,” I replied. “Not only do I get my inspiration from my own experience and from the many people I have met and known; but also this novel is based upon several true stories, from different people.”

The true stories that I draw upon in my novel A Passionate Spirit, have been told by my sister Julia; by a retired clergyman called John Alderman; and by a selection of writers upon the paranormal, including Peter Ackroyd, Paul Adams, Eddie Brazil and Peter Underwood.

Whilst chatting to another lady about the fact that both my novels were set in the Cotswolds, I was asked another curious question:  “But do paranormal things happen in the Cotswolds?”

My reply to that was, yes, they certainly do – in my novel at least!

Then I realised it produced quite a good slogan: “Creepy things happen in the Cotswolds”. Though, in reality of course, they can happen anywhere and everywhere.

Decide for yourself by downloading the ebook here or by ordering the paperback direct from the publisher here.

 

 

 

 

Filed under: book reviews, Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, inspiration, life, literature, psychological suspense fiction, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, UK, Writing Tagged: a passionate spirit, books, inspiration, mystical circles, paranormal thriller, readers, real life story, SC Skillman author, target audience

From the Launch of A Passionate Spirit to the Writing of the Next Novel

Only four days now until publication day for “A Passionate Spirit“.

“A Passionate Spirit” by SC Skillman

Instead of a bookshop party I shall be “launching” this novel with visits to  three local Christmas fairs in Warwickshire this year, and then starting in February, I plan to do a series of signings, one in Kenilworth Books, one in Waterstone’s Leamington Spa, and a possible “ghostly” book event with other local authors organised by  Warwick Books in the atmospheric Great Hall in Lord Leycester Hospital in Warwick.

My first event will be the Christmas Fair at Princethorpe College, Rugby, on the day after publication day – Sunday 29th November 2015, from 2.00-4.30pm.  If any of you are local to that area, and have some free time then, do drop in to the fair where I’m sure there will be many wonderful Christmas gift ideas. I’ll have signed copies of the new novel for sale, alongside copies of my debut novel “Mystical Circles. I’d be delighted to see you there!

Meanwhile in the next few days Matador will send me their mailing list for me to check, listing all those who’ll receive my Press Release, and I hope that there will soon be some exciting media coverage to report here, on my website and on my Matador page.

The ebook will also be available for purchase from all online stores from 28th November, and for six weeks it will be possible to download a copy free from Net Galley for review.

And then… back to the next novel. Several chapters have already been written, and in the last few days I’ve been noting down some fresh inspiration!

 

 

 

Filed under: book reviews, Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, literature, SC Skillman, SC Skillman Author, Writing Tagged: a passionate spirit, book review, ebook, launch, Net Galley, new novel, publication, review, SC Skillman

A Passionate Spirit Hot Off the Press

I was excited today to receive a delivery of 50 copies of my new novel “A Passionate Spirit”.

“A Passionate Spirit” by SC Skillman

Although I’ve seen and approved the cover design and read through the typeset proofs several times, nevertheless, to hold the freshly-printed book is a thrilling moment, worthy of celebration. At last it’s a reality!

Now I can offer signed copies for sale via my website. Publication date is 28th November, when the novel will be available to buy through all online retailers, and in bricks-and-mortar bookshops. It can be pre-ordered now from the Troubador website. In addition it will be available as an ebook.

I hope that the bookshops I have visited and many more will stock copies for you to buy.

Maybe one of these bookshops is local to you. Here is  a list of the shops where you should be able to find “A Passionate Spirit” in stock after 28th November:

“A Passionate Spirit” (paranormal thriller) by SC Skillman

Blackwell’s, Oxford; The Borzoi Bookshop, Stow-on-the-Wold; Jaffe and Neale, Chipping Norton; The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop, Tetbury; Warwick Books, Warwick; Kenilworth Books, Kenilworth;  Mostly Books, Abingdon; The Woodstock Bookshop Woodstock; Madhatters Bookshop, Burford; and Waterstone’s in Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon, Cheltenham, Cirencester, Banbury and Gloucester.

Filed under: Books, British, British psychological suspense writer, creative writing Tagged: new novel, paperback, passionate spirit, SC Skillman author

The Power of Personal Stories, for Remembrance, for Empathy and to Ignite a Passionate Spirit for Change

The love of story telling which I learned as a young child, through reading adventure stories, grew into a passion to write stories myself.

Stories Are Powerful

Writing and reading stories is all about our ability to enter other hearts and minds and worlds, and to exercise and develop our powers of empathy. I hope that is what my story of A Passionate Spirit will do. How vital it is that we tell stories – not only fiction, but the stories of our own experience. We’ve seen that clearly over the last few days of remembrance.

On the day before Remembrance Sunday I sang with the Spires Philharmonic Choir in a concert called Sing Us Your Dreams at Earlsdon Methodist Church, Coventry. The Earlsdon Research Group had gathered together many personal stories from people who remember their grandfathers, their fathers and their uncles who fought in World War I and returned. We’ll repeat the concert with more World War I-related memories, on Saturday 14th November at Lancaster Priory.

During the concert we sang some very moving pieces: newly-written poetry by Avril Newey set to lovely and poignant music by one of our own choir members, Michael Torbe, including The Unknown Warrior and Reveille Rise Now, and These Thankful Fields, plus some famous wartime songs. In between our musical pieces, a narrator recounted to a packed church some of the stories that had been gathered from local people in Coventry, as part of the Sing Us Your Dreams project.  These were the stories of those who had returned – “the lucky ones”. Many were very powerful and moving. And those with stories to tell can still contribute at the Sing Us Your Dreams website.

We heard of returned soldiers haunted by images of having to shoot sick horses and throw them overboard off transport vessels; men so traumatised they never spoke of what they’d experienced – one whose granddaughter remembers being mystified and slightly frightened of him as he sat silent in the corner at Christmas parties.

We heard of a serviceman who was shot in the hand, refused to have his arm amputated, and came home with a black hand, which he showed to a woman who was about to give him a white feather on a bus.  We learned of a mother whose 15 year old son joined up in the raw excitement of recruitment posters proclaiming Your Country Needs You. He was killed and every Remembrance Day for the rest of her long life (she lived to 95) she laid a wreath on his grave and wept for the loss of her young son.  We heard of a boy who memorised the sight chart so he could convince recruiting sergeants he had good eye sight. We heard of a woman for whom, though her husband returned to her, it was never possible to recover their former life together, because, as she later reported, “in his heart he never really left the army.”

I thought of my own teenage son.  If we had been there, in 1915, I as a mother may have seen him, perhaps, as young as 14, so excited by the propaganda that he was prepared to falsify his birth certificate to join up and go to the front line.

We heard of those who were “lucky” – yet the devastation of war not only kills people, it destroys countless other lives for decades through the damaged minds and bodies and spirits of those who return.

All personal stories which transported me back to the reality of life, at that time, then opened it up with vivid freshness.

I feel I can understand those who were silenced by their terrible experiences. And yet thank God for those who have been able to tell their stories, so they might be passed down, for our compassion and empathy, which may strengthen in us another passionate spirit… a powerful resolve to do what it takes to change the future.

Filed under: British psychological suspense writer, creative writing, culture Tagged: dreams, experience, fiction, lives, passion, passionate spirit, personal stories, remembrance, SC Skillman author, story telling, unknown warror, World War 1