Jenny Worstall's Blog, page 4
May 2, 2020
Check your Author Page! A warning to Amazon Authors.
Amazon changed the price of ALL my books to free yesterday, for reasons best known to themselves.
I only found out about this by chance when I was scrolling through Amazon in an idle moment (yes, a lot of those at the moment). My eye was drawn to the cover of one of my novels with £0.00 written underneath, which led me to check my author page and find to my amazement everything was completely free (not just for Kindle Unlimited as usual, but everything). I didn’t mind about the short stories as I often put those on free download as part of a KDP promotion, hoping to draw readers to my novels (there are some short titles intentionally free at the moment), but I was somewhat agitated to see there had been multiple free downloads of my Sing with the Choir novels. Previously, they had only been free on a very few occasions, for example, Three Hundred Bridesmaids was free for a few days at the start of lock-down because I wanted to do something positive and cheery.
I am always happy, of course, to be discovered by new readers (and there’s the slight chance I might get a few reviews from Amazon’s mistake), but the feeling of powerlessness as I watched the books slipping away yesterday evening was tricky to deal with.
One of the problems with KDP is that you can only contact Amazon by email. They still haven’t replied (beyond an automated reply saying my email will receive a response in 1 to 2 days) but the books have now been priced correctly. Whether this is because I emailed in, or possibly some mighty bot picked up on the error, I don’t know (yet). Hopefully there will be some light shed on the subject later today or tomorrow.
In the meantime, if you feel moved to check out my Amazon Author Page (after hearing my tale of woe!), please be my guest.
April 21, 2020
Doesn’t he know there’s a war on?! Reblogged from Clare Cooper’s ‘Hampton Caught’ Blog
This daily dose of sanity in a mad world is highly recommended!
Update from my friend in the Midlands supermarket: things are relatively calm, there, for now, but apparently their stocks of air fresheners and scented candles are flying off the shelves as soon as they arrive, along with toilet cleaners and unblockers. (My apologies if you are reading this while eating. Bon appetit!) I think we can all do the maths for that one. I wonder what the next big thing will be…
In fact, I think I already know the answer (waves hand in air). Earplugs. The days are warmer and one’s delightful neighbours are using their outside space a lot more. (Ours are outside with their children for most of every day now. I pray for rain so that I can get out there and enjoy our garden in peace… oh, wait.)
Thanks to a friend’s recommendation, I’m trying out new earplugs. I already use small foam ones that…
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April 6, 2020
Spring Clean!
It’s spring and it’s time to keep busy!
My books all have brand new covers and I can’t wait to show them off.
The first to be changed was the recently published novel, Three Hundred Bridesmaids. It now has a picture of Shaston School where Rosie Peach and David Hart work. They first meet on the drive, when David offers Rosie a lift…
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My first two novels, Make a Joyful Noise and The Funny Business of Life now have covers that highlight their musical settings. They are available as paperbacks and ebooks.
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My three novels make up the Sing with the Choir collection. They aren’t a series in the way Harry Potter is (the second and third books aren’t sequels to the first), but they are grouped together because they all feature choral music and choirs. Oh, and I do believe there is a certain Tristan Proudfoot, a conductor, who pops up in all three books to a varying degree and at different ages.
Make a Joyful Noise (Sing with the Choir Book 1)
The Funny Business of Life (Sing with the Choir Book 2)
Three Hundred Bridesmaids (Sing with the Choir Book 3)
My shorter works have also been treated to a spring clean and you can see all the covers on my Amazon Author site here, or perhaps here if you live on the other side of the pond.
March 9, 2020
What to do next with your Pocket Novel?
I am a guest today on Patsy Collins’ wonderful Womag Blog, talking about what you can do with your Pocket Novel after it has been published. Please see here for the guest post.
It is an absolute pleasure to appear on Patsy’s blog; she works selflessly to provide an up-to-date resource for writers of fiction for the women’s magazine market and her work is much appreciated and often commented on. See here for her appearance as Writer of the Week on The People’s Friend website.
Patsy has her own site too showcasing her published romantic novels and short story collections along with many other interesting articles and features. It’s well worth a visit! Please take a look here.
March 1, 2020
#Throwback Thursday #BookReview Make a Joyful Noise by Jenny Worstall @JennyWorstall
For several years I wrote a book blog and accumulated comments on a wealth of really good reads.
I saw on Twitter that Renee at It’s Book Talk started using the #ThrowbackThursday meme as a way to share books that are old favourites or have been waiting to be read for a long time.
I decided to visit my old book reviews and re-post my favourites here on 3sixtyfiveblog for #ThrowbackThursday.
So far I’ve included
An Englishwoman’s Guide to the Cowboy by June Kearns
Kings and Queens by TerryTyler
and
This week it’s Make a Joyful Noise by Jenny Worstall, a romantic comedy with some unusual twists.
From the Amazon book description:
‘Make a Joyful Noise’ (Sing with the Choir Book 1), is the sparkling tale of a choir preparing for a very special Christmas performance of “Belshazzar’s Feast”.
We meet a host of characters who…
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August 14, 2019
Arabella Sheen’s Blog and Chit-Chat
I am absolutely thrilled to be interviewed today on fellow RNA member Arabella Sheen’s blog. See here for the full interview and chit-chat.
If you haven’t discovered her books yet, take a look at Arabella’s impressive Amazon page.
July 19, 2019
Three Hundred Bridesmaids, Love And Lies, and the Joan Hessayon Award 2019
It’s here! Three Hundred Bridesmaids can now be downloaded from all Amazon sites, for free if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited.
The novel was previously published by D C Thomson in an edited form as ‘Love And Lies’: People’s Friend Pocket Novel Number 883. I am absolutely thrilled (and totally amazed!) to be able to announce that ‘Love And Lies’ is a contender for the Romantic Novelists’ Association Joan Hessayon Award 2019. Best of luck to all!
Link to Three Hundred Bridesmaids Amazon UK:
Link to Three Hundred Bridesmaids USA:
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July 6, 2019
Three Hundred Bridesmaids
Yes, it’s the wedding season and ‘Three Hundred Bridesmaids’ is arriving soon!
Three Hundred Bridesmaids is a short novel I originally wrote for The People’s Friend and which they were kind enough to publish as a Pocket novel, ‘Love and Lies’ earlier this year. Thank you People’s Friend! Truly a good friend to writers.
The time has come for me to self-publish the novel and Three Hundred Bridesmaids is available to pre-order on Amazon now, so please take a look!
This is from the book description on Amazon:
The opening scene of ‘Three Hundred Bridesmaids’ takes place on a remote Dorset hilltop in the middle of the blazing hot heatwave of 1976.
We travel back to 1975 and follow Rosie Peach as she starts her first job as a music teacher at Shaston Convent School. It is not long before she falls for the dashing David Hart, but he is haunted by his dark and troubled past and is unable to give her the love she craves.
Rosie’s friend and colleague, Grace Browning, cautions Rosie against David as a suitable partner, but what exactly are her motives and who is she intent on pursuing?
The situation is complicated by the arrival of Tristan Proudfoot, a conductor, who has romantic designs of his own.
A madcap trio of sixth form girls keep us entertained with their ludicrous antics while the drama unfolds and a cast of irrepressible nuns join forces with the redoubtable Miss Spiker to do their utmost to ensure the path of true love runs smoothly.
The final scene before we return to tender and touching events on the remote Dorset hilltop involves a plate of chocolate eclairs and iced buns, a fight on the Nuns’ Lawn and a denouement quite possibly even more complicated and far fetched than the silliest opera plot.
The conductor Tristan Proudfoot from my ‘Sing with the Choir’ novels pops up in Three Hundred Bridesmaids, but as a younger (and slightly better behaved) man.
The main setting of the story, a convent boarding school in Dorset in 1975/76, is entirely imaginary, and the fact that I attended a convent boarding school in Dorset in the 70s is, of course, pure coincidence.
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March 31, 2019
From Me To You – Love Sunday
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My short story From Me To You has been published today in Love Sunday magazine (comes with The Sunday People) and I am overjoyed!
It is set in the present day, and in the sixties, and has a musical theme (no surprise there). The theme is GRATITUDE which is very suitable for Mother’s Day.
The story began life as just the sixties section but after a couple of rejections and useful feedback, I decided to add the section in the present day, to give the story more purpose.
Hope you enjoy!
No blog on my website is complete without a plug for my novels, so here goes:
Make a Joyful Noise A musical romantic comedy
The Funny Business of Life Mozart, Messiah and Murder
Oh, and there’s a Pocket Novel out now, The People’s Friend number 883, full of romance, humour, mystery and music…just in case you’re interested!
February 17, 2019
‘Pardon My French’ – how it was published.
I am thrilled my story ‘Pardon My French’ has been published today in Love Sunday (the magazine that comes with The Sunday People). Thank you Love Sunday magazine!
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Quite a few people have asked me how this has come about, so I thought I would share the story’s journey.
It started life as a 2,000 word story, sent to The People’s Friend. They said this:
“Many thanks for letting us see your short story… I’m afraid we’re going to pass on it at this time as overall we felt it was just too over the top.”
Anyone who has worked with The PF before will know that their feedback in invaluable; most magazines don’t have the time (or inclination!) to give feedback, but PF is really keen to encourage and help writers. So, another thank you, this time to The People’s Friend, for making me think and for being so polite.
Pardon My French went off to Woman’s Weekly next, after indenting some paragraphs (PF prefer no formatting, Woman’s Weekly like some paragraphs). They said this:
“We enjoyed reading it, though I’m afraid we won’t be proceeding with a commission on this occasion.”
More useful feedback – they enjoyed reading it. Thank you Woman’s Weekly!
While I was trying to find another market for the story, which was tricky because so many magazines are closed to unsolicited submissions and prefer to work with writers all ready known to them (how do they expect anyone to get started?), I read an article on the fabulous Womag website. For those of you who don’t know, Patsy Collins runs the Womagwriter’s Blog, and it is an absolute mine of useful information about everything to do with Women’s magazines and a great place to hang out if you need cheering up after a rejection. Thank you Patsy!
The article that caught my attention was this:
Sharon Boothroyd on ‘Love Sunday’
Thank you, Sharon! Through you I discovered a new market for short stories and thought I would give it a go.
I cut down Pardon My French to 1,500 words and tweaked it a bit, then sent it off to Flavia Bertolini at Love Sunday (see Sharon’s article for all the details). Flavia acknowledged receipt by email the very next day, then accepted the story the next week. It was published eleven weeks later, that’s today. Thank you Flavia!
I am delighted with the illustration chosen and over-the-moon that ‘Love Sunday’ put a line about my People’s Friend Pocket Novel at the end of the story (did I mention the lovely PF are publishing my novel as PF Pocket Novel Number 883 on 21st March 2019?).
I have compared the story I sent to ‘Love Sunday’ with the one printed today and learnt a couple of things for next time which I am happy to share:
Love Sunday like single quotation marks.
Love Sunday use less semi-colons than I do (most people use less semi-colons than I do). They prefer the dash.
To end up, I thought I would take the chance to shamelessly promote my own two self-published novels, Make a Joyful Noise and The Funny Business of Life, because if you can’t do that on your own blog, where can you do it? Both the novels are half-price (99p) to download for your kindle at the moment; they are also available in paperback. I can guarantee they are quite ‘over the top’ but hopefully not too much and only in a good way!
