Huw Langridge's Blog, page 2
October 18, 2021
Spireclaw - Six Part Audiobook now on YouTube
A few years ago I recorded an audiobook of my novel SPIRECLAW. It came in at a hefty 5 hours and 18 minutes. This week I've been cleaning up the sound and uploading it in episodes onto my YouTube channel. All six parts are now uploaded. It's quite creepy in places. Don't be fooled by the sunny cover image. This is a very dark, fireside tale for these long autumnal nights.
You can find all six episodes here.
July 1, 2021
Musical inspiration for The Tolworth Beacon
For those of you who have read The Tolworth Beacon, you may understand why I found real inspiration from this DJ mix of music by Gregory Esayan. The first few minutes of this mix really helped me get into the right headspace for the subject of the novel, but I would often have the whole thing playing while I was writing it.
The link is here.
The link is here.
December 4, 2020
Three for FREE this weekend
Here's a link to my Amazon UK page because, as I am always on the lookout for new readers, I have made three of my books available for free on Kindle for free. So head on over here to pick up Schaefer's Integrity, The Axiom Few and The Train Set now.
August 3, 2020
The Tolworth Beacon is FREE on Kindle for a very limited time
For a very limited time, my newest novel The Tolworth Beacon is available for Free to download on Kindle.
Here's what people are saying about it...
"Very good book and well written, couple of intertwining themes and situations the protagonist is dealing with and that comes across very well to the reader. A gripping, suspenseful and clever book about odd and mundane goings on for a mild mannered retail worker. Perfect fiction for a couple of hours of escapism."
"Lots of great plot lines and an easy enjoyable read that becomes unputdownable. Highly recommended."
Here's what people are saying about it...
"Very good book and well written, couple of intertwining themes and situations the protagonist is dealing with and that comes across very well to the reader. A gripping, suspenseful and clever book about odd and mundane goings on for a mild mannered retail worker. Perfect fiction for a couple of hours of escapism."
"Lots of great plot lines and an easy enjoyable read that becomes unputdownable. Highly recommended."
July 15, 2020
Kindle UK Storyteller 2020 Award
Just a quick note to let you know that The Tolworth Beacon is one of the entries for the Kindle UK Storyteller 2020 Award. But in order to get to the shortlist it needs more reviews! Have you read the book? If you have, I would be so grateful if you could head over to Amazon UK and leave a review. Thank you!
May 23, 2020
The Tolworth Beacon out now in paperback
Well it's a seriously windy day here in Nortth Wales and I'm thrilled to announce that The Tolworth Beacon is now available on paperback to buy from Amazon. The first few copies were delivered to me today and you really cannot beat the wonderful sense of pride in holding this thing that you have created in your hands. I'm seriously proud of this novel. I think it brought out the best of my creativity and I'd be so chuffed if you indulged yourself and picked it up. Don't forget to write a review on Amazon if you do!https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B088VX7PB7/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
April 23, 2020
A short promo video for The Tolworth Beacon
I made a short promotional video for my book The Tolworth Beacon which is now available to pre-order. A few sound issues, but every day is a school day...
Click here to view on YouTube.
Click here to view on YouTube.
April 13, 2020
Pre-order my new book on Kindle from Friday
I hope everyone is maintaining their sanity during the lockdown. These are incredible times aren't they?
I've been spending my time at home finalising my book. On Friday my new novel The Tolworth Beacon will be going live for pre-order on Kindle.
I'm really excited about this story. I've put my total heart and soul into making it the best it can be, and I hope you enjoy it.
I've been spending my time at home finalising my book. On Friday my new novel The Tolworth Beacon will be going live for pre-order on Kindle.
I'm really excited about this story. I've put my total heart and soul into making it the best it can be, and I hope you enjoy it.
February 20, 2020
Extract Friday (3 of 3)
Three weeks in and 31,000 words written. The first draft is almost (but not quite) complete. As it's "Extract Friday", here's another chunk. This is the last extract I'll be posting. I have something else lined up for next week.
*
I was on the last push to get out of the office and pick up Freya from school. I cursed myself for leaving it so late but I was working on spreadsheets and was trying to cram in just a little more data entry. I had to pick up Freya at ten past three. It was five to, and the drive was ten minutes away. But then I remembered that I hadn't got the bloody food. I needed to find something not too nutritionally vacant. I ran onto the shop floor and over to the Italian ready meals aisle, panic-bought a lasagne for two, a bag of salad, and a garlic bread. I also got some apple juice and some ice-cream. My last stop was the toy aisle to pick up a Kyoot Spighdaz Blind Bag, a "collect them all" toy that comes in a foil wrapper meaning you don't know which one you'll get. I knew she loved them. After I paid for everything I retrieved the batteries which I had asked Amy on the tills to run through for me earlier.
I dropped the shopping onto the back seat of my car, next to Freya's car seat, which she would have to use until she was eleven (or one hundred and forty centimeters as the manual said, whichever came first). As she was only five I had a long time to wait. The sooner we got rid of that car seat the better. I drove as fast as I could through the busy afternoon town, which was only letting me do about ten miles per hour. Half the world appeared to be out running errands, or trying to get from one place to another. There seemed to be quite a few parents like me around, dashing across roads and hurrying back to big tank-like SUVs on the last push to get things done before the school run.
I couldn't risk being late. Fifteen minutes or so after the designated pick up time, the school starts making phone calls, and inevitably Steph's mobile is the first on the list. Not only would there be the embarrassment of not being there on time to collect your child, who was supposed to be (and was) the most precious thing in your world, but then you had to deal with the fallout from the child itself, crying because she was the last one to be picked up after having suffered the mounting drama of watching the door to the classroom open twenty-five times, only to see that it wasn't them being collected. And if Steph got a call from the school while she was in Geneva on this conference I'd seriously be in the shit.
It didn't go as far as a phone call, which was a relief. The worst of it was a grim look from Mrs Hill. Freya ran to me when I appeared at the door. She gave me a huge hug around my legs which made my heart want to escape my chest. When she released me I walked over to her tiny table and loaded myself up with her lunchbox, coat, a painting of a summer scene and her cardigan. I consoled myself with the fact there was one other boy in the classroom waiting to be collected.
*
I was on the last push to get out of the office and pick up Freya from school. I cursed myself for leaving it so late but I was working on spreadsheets and was trying to cram in just a little more data entry. I had to pick up Freya at ten past three. It was five to, and the drive was ten minutes away. But then I remembered that I hadn't got the bloody food. I needed to find something not too nutritionally vacant. I ran onto the shop floor and over to the Italian ready meals aisle, panic-bought a lasagne for two, a bag of salad, and a garlic bread. I also got some apple juice and some ice-cream. My last stop was the toy aisle to pick up a Kyoot Spighdaz Blind Bag, a "collect them all" toy that comes in a foil wrapper meaning you don't know which one you'll get. I knew she loved them. After I paid for everything I retrieved the batteries which I had asked Amy on the tills to run through for me earlier.
I dropped the shopping onto the back seat of my car, next to Freya's car seat, which she would have to use until she was eleven (or one hundred and forty centimeters as the manual said, whichever came first). As she was only five I had a long time to wait. The sooner we got rid of that car seat the better. I drove as fast as I could through the busy afternoon town, which was only letting me do about ten miles per hour. Half the world appeared to be out running errands, or trying to get from one place to another. There seemed to be quite a few parents like me around, dashing across roads and hurrying back to big tank-like SUVs on the last push to get things done before the school run.
I couldn't risk being late. Fifteen minutes or so after the designated pick up time, the school starts making phone calls, and inevitably Steph's mobile is the first on the list. Not only would there be the embarrassment of not being there on time to collect your child, who was supposed to be (and was) the most precious thing in your world, but then you had to deal with the fallout from the child itself, crying because she was the last one to be picked up after having suffered the mounting drama of watching the door to the classroom open twenty-five times, only to see that it wasn't them being collected. And if Steph got a call from the school while she was in Geneva on this conference I'd seriously be in the shit.
It didn't go as far as a phone call, which was a relief. The worst of it was a grim look from Mrs Hill. Freya ran to me when I appeared at the door. She gave me a huge hug around my legs which made my heart want to escape my chest. When she released me I walked over to her tiny table and loaded myself up with her lunchbox, coat, a painting of a summer scene and her cardigan. I consoled myself with the fact there was one other boy in the classroom waiting to be collected.
February 13, 2020
Extract Friday (2 of 3)
Another extract from The Tolworth Beacon...
A lady appeared, crossing the road, briefly illuminated by the headlights of the police car. She was probably in her thirties. Bleach blonde with dark roots, very short hair. Arms folded, cigarette between her fingers. She was wearing a sky-blue onesie.
There was only one thing for it. I'd earlier folded my white t-shirt and jeans on the chest of drawers, so I put them on and went down the hallway, past the front door, into the living room via the kitchen to find my shoes. I was pretty sure I'd kicked them off by the coffee table when I sat down to do the jigsaw earlier. I flicked the wall light switch and regretted it's cold brightness immediately as it forced my eyes closed. I switched it off again and moved over to a smaller free standing lamp in the corner near the television. With a warmer light on I caught sight of the puzzle. Partially completed. Five-hundred pieces. It was practically all white, except for a few black marks which I had yet to slot into the middle (I always started with the edges). I was a fanatic, but this one was definitely among the oddest out of all the jigsaws I had done.
A lady appeared, crossing the road, briefly illuminated by the headlights of the police car. She was probably in her thirties. Bleach blonde with dark roots, very short hair. Arms folded, cigarette between her fingers. She was wearing a sky-blue onesie.
There was only one thing for it. I'd earlier folded my white t-shirt and jeans on the chest of drawers, so I put them on and went down the hallway, past the front door, into the living room via the kitchen to find my shoes. I was pretty sure I'd kicked them off by the coffee table when I sat down to do the jigsaw earlier. I flicked the wall light switch and regretted it's cold brightness immediately as it forced my eyes closed. I switched it off again and moved over to a smaller free standing lamp in the corner near the television. With a warmer light on I caught sight of the puzzle. Partially completed. Five-hundred pieces. It was practically all white, except for a few black marks which I had yet to slot into the middle (I always started with the edges). I was a fanatic, but this one was definitely among the oddest out of all the jigsaws I had done.
