M.J. Webb's Blog, page 5
October 17, 2022
I Need You
Hi,
If you're a book reviewer interested in helping indie authors by providing a free and honest evaluation/review, you are gold dust and very much in demand. Your inbox must be permanently full?
Why is that? Well, it's mainly because indie authors have no publicity machine behind them. No, or limited, access to mainstream or social media. No agent, publisher or campaign team, advertising budget...They therefore rely almost exclusively on word of mouth recommendations and the goodwill of the general public/readers on sites such as this (Godsend). They hope (in many cases pray) that you will enjoy their work and out of sheer kindness and your generosity of spirit, will be gracious enough to publicise any deserving novels for them. Share your experience on their behalf. That your reputation and words will excite those you associate with and enhance interest/sales.
It is a huge ask. Massive. They know it. And that is why you are so valued and appreciated by the author. Be in no doubt of that fact.
I'm an indie author of sorts, for my sins. Though by no means prolific, I have penned four novels to date and have been lucky enough to receive some great reviews. Also, some not so great ones. They are ALL immensely valuable and wondrous gifts. I cannot tell you how great it is to receive the help, confidence boost, critique, encouragement, advice... you provide. I know most of my fellow writers feel the same.
It is so desperately hard to approach a reviewer you do not know. Becoming harder each year. Without help, it is nigh-on impossible. That is just the way of things and it is nobody's fault. It's an increasingly competitive market. I suppose Covid impacted there.
Consequently, building up a fan base is extremely difficult. You/I just have to keep posting and hope that some kind soul makes that initial choice to give it a try. Makes contact. Picks out your title in amongst the thousands of others...
If you think you could be that person, please pms me for a free review copy (electronic), safe in the knowledge that you have just put the cherry on my icing and my cream bun is finally complete. Added the chocolaty bits to my trifle. Put the marshmallows in...
I'll stop now.
Thanks.
If you're a book reviewer interested in helping indie authors by providing a free and honest evaluation/review, you are gold dust and very much in demand. Your inbox must be permanently full?
Why is that? Well, it's mainly because indie authors have no publicity machine behind them. No, or limited, access to mainstream or social media. No agent, publisher or campaign team, advertising budget...They therefore rely almost exclusively on word of mouth recommendations and the goodwill of the general public/readers on sites such as this (Godsend). They hope (in many cases pray) that you will enjoy their work and out of sheer kindness and your generosity of spirit, will be gracious enough to publicise any deserving novels for them. Share your experience on their behalf. That your reputation and words will excite those you associate with and enhance interest/sales.
It is a huge ask. Massive. They know it. And that is why you are so valued and appreciated by the author. Be in no doubt of that fact.
I'm an indie author of sorts, for my sins. Though by no means prolific, I have penned four novels to date and have been lucky enough to receive some great reviews. Also, some not so great ones. They are ALL immensely valuable and wondrous gifts. I cannot tell you how great it is to receive the help, confidence boost, critique, encouragement, advice... you provide. I know most of my fellow writers feel the same.
It is so desperately hard to approach a reviewer you do not know. Becoming harder each year. Without help, it is nigh-on impossible. That is just the way of things and it is nobody's fault. It's an increasingly competitive market. I suppose Covid impacted there.
Consequently, building up a fan base is extremely difficult. You/I just have to keep posting and hope that some kind soul makes that initial choice to give it a try. Makes contact. Picks out your title in amongst the thousands of others...
If you think you could be that person, please pms me for a free review copy (electronic), safe in the knowledge that you have just put the cherry on my icing and my cream bun is finally complete. Added the chocolaty bits to my trifle. Put the marshmallows in...
I'll stop now.
Thanks.
October 14, 2022
New Book Page
I am loving the layout of the new book page on this site. As an author you want something which is visually striking but also contains all the necessary information and links. I think they have the balance just right.
Well done to the site administrators, moderators, librarians etc.
Well done to the site administrators, moderators, librarians etc.
October 5, 2022
New Author website
Hi all,
Just wanted to share this news with you all. After many years in the wilderness, I have finally arrived. I now have a website, which I have created myself. Please drop by and let me know what you think. Here's the link;
https://www.mjwebbbooks.com/
Thank you.
Just wanted to share this news with you all. After many years in the wilderness, I have finally arrived. I now have a website, which I have created myself. Please drop by and let me know what you think. Here's the link;
https://www.mjwebbbooks.com/
Thank you.
October 3, 2022
Paperback Giveaway
I wanted to share the chance to win a paperback copy of A Child of Szabo with the Goodreads community so.....
If you are in the UK and on Facebook, why not try and win one of two copies of my new book?
Just open the link below (you may have to paste it into your browser), hit public, Like and Share. Simples.
If you like Lee Child and Reacher, you'll love this novel (hopefully).
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=5...
Sorry to those in the U.S. and elsewhere but postage costs are prohibitive. However, I will send out electronic files to the first 10 say who request it instead?
Thanks
If you are in the UK and on Facebook, why not try and win one of two copies of my new book?
Just open the link below (you may have to paste it into your browser), hit public, Like and Share. Simples.
If you like Lee Child and Reacher, you'll love this novel (hopefully).
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=5...
Sorry to those in the U.S. and elsewhere but postage costs are prohibitive. However, I will send out electronic files to the first 10 say who request it instead?
Thanks
October 1, 2022
Amazon reviews
Sometimes you wish everyone was a member of Goodreads. And why wouldn't you when they leave great comments/reviews on other sites such as this;
"An absolutely fabulous read - I was looking for an action thriller book for my husband as a gift. He is a huge fan of Lee Child so I wanted something similar to the Jack Reacher novels. I saw the reviews for this book and thought I'd give it a try. My husband loved it and couldn't put it down and finished it in three days. He enjoyed it so much I decided to read it and also loved it. It's a brilliant action thriller. Looking forward to the sequel......"
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Child-Szabo-...
"An absolutely fabulous read - I was looking for an action thriller book for my husband as a gift. He is a huge fan of Lee Child so I wanted something similar to the Jack Reacher novels. I saw the reviews for this book and thought I'd give it a try. My husband loved it and couldn't put it down and finished it in three days. He enjoyed it so much I decided to read it and also loved it. It's a brilliant action thriller. Looking forward to the sequel......"
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Child-Szabo-...
September 29, 2022
Happy Birthday
Happy birthday to me,
Happy birthday to me,
Ain't it great to be ali-ive,
Happy birthday to me.
I had a great day, topped off with a nice family meal and came home to this interview link from Awesome Book Promotions;
https://awesomebookpromotion.com/?p=3...
Hopefully some reviews will top off a great few weeks.
Happy birthday to me,
Ain't it great to be ali-ive,
Happy birthday to me.
I had a great day, topped off with a nice family meal and came home to this interview link from Awesome Book Promotions;
https://awesomebookpromotion.com/?p=3...
Hopefully some reviews will top off a great few weeks.
September 24, 2022
Sadie's Spotlight
Hi all,
With the release of my new novel, 'A Child of Szabo', I was delighted to be guest author on this well-respected blog today. Check out the interview and some wonderful books.
http://sadiesspotlight.com/a-child-of...
With the release of my new novel, 'A Child of Szabo', I was delighted to be guest author on this well-respected blog today. Check out the interview and some wonderful books.
http://sadiesspotlight.com/a-child-of...
September 21, 2022
About myself and my books
I thought I would share this brief summary of my life/writing career so far;
Well, I'm M.J. Webb and I live in the heart of England. I lived away in Norwich for over three years but moved back to buy a house just yards away from the one I was born in.
I suppose that just about sums me up.
I am in full-time employment and have worked for the same organisation for over thirty years. Writing is a passion started and fuelled by my love of reading books. The feel of that page turning is something wondrous. I read fantasy, thrillers and historical fiction mainly, though I like to mix it up from time to time by throwing in a curve ball; a book from any genre recommended by friends/members on sites such as Goodreads. Often these novels are by self-published authors and I have found several gems over the years that way. Though my favourite authors are John Gwynne, Stieg Larson, Lee Child and Conn Iggulden. I love that those names highlight the diversity in my library.
I am in my mid-fifties now and married to a wonderful lady who has given me two fantastic children. They are the light of my life. So much so, that when they were young, I decided one morning that I wanted to do something for them. Give them a little piece of me they could always hold on to. Hopefully, something which would inspire them in times of need, comfort them in times of sorrow and enthuse them as they navigate their way through adolescence and adulthood.
I’m not sure I succeeded but The Jake West Trilogy was the result.
Jake West shares the same initials as my son and a central character is Princess Zephany, whose name closely resembles that of my own daughter, Sophie.
I launched into the first novel, ‘Jake West - The Keeper of the Stones’, without thinking it through correctly and the original concept just grew and grew. I intended to pen just one novel, maybe two (one for each child) but in the end, the tale simply took on a life of its own and evolved into a real epic. There are wizards, dragons, an army of the living dead, different species of warriors, spirits, Gods….
I found that I had a relatively successful trilogy on my hands. So, why did it take me ten years therefore to write again?
Part of it was work. It is a HUGE commitment writing a novel when you work full time and have a family/other interests. It was also a sense that I did not want to write for writing’s sake. I was waiting for an idea which really enthused me. A project I believed in and couldn’t wait to explore. Something different, you know?
I found it one day in my new job. I had been encouraged to write again by fans of Jake West and friends of my own. I was kicking an idea around in my head for some time and then I verbalised my thoughts to another good friend. His enthusiasm was infectious. Before I knew it, I had penned six or seven decent chapters and it was full steam ahead.
A Child of Szabo is an adult thriller. Please be aware that it is not suitable for under 18’s.
It's a novel about an orphan on the edge of the abyss. She is offered one final chance of redemption and recruited into a secret organisation begun by Winston Churchill just after the war. Her life story/missions/fight to bring down a leviathan, an organisation of aristocrats who control the world, killed her parents and are now trying to kill her, are told in alternate chapters. It is exciting, thought-provoking and realistic. Consequently, there are the occasional swear words (especially when she undergoes SAS E and E training, firefights, torture.....).
I hope and believe that fans of Lee Child, Duncan Falconer, Mark Greaney etc. will like this book. It has an immensely tough female anti-hero and she pulls no punches.
The whole process of writing has been an immensely pleasurable one. I’m not sure what the future holds but I’m looking forward to seeing what people make of this story. My last novels were penned for my children. They have been enjoyed by families around the world. That is something I will always be grateful for and proud of. This one however, is all mine. Indulgence, pure and simple.
I would love reviews and would be open to providing review copies, though it is available for free on Kindle Unlimited.
Well, I'm M.J. Webb and I live in the heart of England. I lived away in Norwich for over three years but moved back to buy a house just yards away from the one I was born in.
I suppose that just about sums me up.
I am in full-time employment and have worked for the same organisation for over thirty years. Writing is a passion started and fuelled by my love of reading books. The feel of that page turning is something wondrous. I read fantasy, thrillers and historical fiction mainly, though I like to mix it up from time to time by throwing in a curve ball; a book from any genre recommended by friends/members on sites such as Goodreads. Often these novels are by self-published authors and I have found several gems over the years that way. Though my favourite authors are John Gwynne, Stieg Larson, Lee Child and Conn Iggulden. I love that those names highlight the diversity in my library.
I am in my mid-fifties now and married to a wonderful lady who has given me two fantastic children. They are the light of my life. So much so, that when they were young, I decided one morning that I wanted to do something for them. Give them a little piece of me they could always hold on to. Hopefully, something which would inspire them in times of need, comfort them in times of sorrow and enthuse them as they navigate their way through adolescence and adulthood.
I’m not sure I succeeded but The Jake West Trilogy was the result.
Jake West shares the same initials as my son and a central character is Princess Zephany, whose name closely resembles that of my own daughter, Sophie.
I launched into the first novel, ‘Jake West - The Keeper of the Stones’, without thinking it through correctly and the original concept just grew and grew. I intended to pen just one novel, maybe two (one for each child) but in the end, the tale simply took on a life of its own and evolved into a real epic. There are wizards, dragons, an army of the living dead, different species of warriors, spirits, Gods….
I found that I had a relatively successful trilogy on my hands. So, why did it take me ten years therefore to write again?
Part of it was work. It is a HUGE commitment writing a novel when you work full time and have a family/other interests. It was also a sense that I did not want to write for writing’s sake. I was waiting for an idea which really enthused me. A project I believed in and couldn’t wait to explore. Something different, you know?
I found it one day in my new job. I had been encouraged to write again by fans of Jake West and friends of my own. I was kicking an idea around in my head for some time and then I verbalised my thoughts to another good friend. His enthusiasm was infectious. Before I knew it, I had penned six or seven decent chapters and it was full steam ahead.
A Child of Szabo is an adult thriller. Please be aware that it is not suitable for under 18’s.
It's a novel about an orphan on the edge of the abyss. She is offered one final chance of redemption and recruited into a secret organisation begun by Winston Churchill just after the war. Her life story/missions/fight to bring down a leviathan, an organisation of aristocrats who control the world, killed her parents and are now trying to kill her, are told in alternate chapters. It is exciting, thought-provoking and realistic. Consequently, there are the occasional swear words (especially when she undergoes SAS E and E training, firefights, torture.....).
I hope and believe that fans of Lee Child, Duncan Falconer, Mark Greaney etc. will like this book. It has an immensely tough female anti-hero and she pulls no punches.
The whole process of writing has been an immensely pleasurable one. I’m not sure what the future holds but I’m looking forward to seeing what people make of this story. My last novels were penned for my children. They have been enjoyed by families around the world. That is something I will always be grateful for and proud of. This one however, is all mine. Indulgence, pure and simple.
I would love reviews and would be open to providing review copies, though it is available for free on Kindle Unlimited.
September 16, 2022
A Child of Szabo Release
Hi,
I have been really fortunate and today appear as guest author on a wonderful blog run by a Goodreads Librarian. I am so thrilled with the whole presentation and can't recommend this guy highly enough. He is so friendly and helpful and his love of books shines through. His blog justifiably has a great following so drop by and take a look.
Here's the link;
https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/20...
Thanks all,
Martin
I have been really fortunate and today appear as guest author on a wonderful blog run by a Goodreads Librarian. I am so thrilled with the whole presentation and can't recommend this guy highly enough. He is so friendly and helpful and his love of books shines through. His blog justifiably has a great following so drop by and take a look.
Here's the link;
https://thestoryreadingapeblog.com/20...
Thanks all,
Martin
September 1, 2022
A Child of Szabo
I'm delighted to announce the publication of my new novel, A Child of Szabo.
A teenage rebel with a tragic past is on the edge of the abyss. Offered one final chance of redemption by an enigmatic stranger, she is recruited into a secret society of assassins formed by Winston Churchill. She must battle for survival against unknown enemies in a do or die existence to become the best. Only then can she take out those who killed her family. Those who are now trying to kill her.
This novel is for adults and it is a thriller I hope you will enjoy.
Thanks.
A teenage rebel with a tragic past is on the edge of the abyss. Offered one final chance of redemption by an enigmatic stranger, she is recruited into a secret society of assassins formed by Winston Churchill. She must battle for survival against unknown enemies in a do or die existence to become the best. Only then can she take out those who killed her family. Those who are now trying to kill her.
This novel is for adults and it is a thriller I hope you will enjoy.
Thanks.
