Sarah Painter's Blog, page 3

New Book: THE LOST GIRLS

My new novel, THE LOST GIRLS, is out now!
Meep!
The Lost Girls is available in ebook and paperback.
And, for a limited time it is FREE to read on Kindle Unlimited.

BUY ON AMAZON

I embraced my ‘dark side’ for this supernatural thriller and I can’t wait for you to meet Rose and Mal…

Thank you so much to those who have already bought the book – you launched The Lost Girls into the ‘hot new releases’ on Amazon – THANK YOU!

And, here’s the blurb:

Around the world girls are being hunted… 
Rose must solve the puzzle of her impossible life – before it’s too late.

Edinburgh student, Rose MacLeod, has been losing time for as long as she can remember. Days and weeks disappear, leaving terrifying gaps in her memory. Now she is seeing horrifying visions; waking nightmares of violence and death. Around the world young women like her are being killed and Rose has a ringside seat. 

Mal Fergusson was raised to hunt demons in the cities and mountains of Scotland. With his father dead and his brother in a coma, he no longer believes in the grand battle between good and evil. Instead, he scrapes a living as an investigator and occasional hitman for the supernatural Mafia of Edinburgh and tells himself that as long as he doesn’t kill humans, he isn’t truly lost.

Tensions are rising in Scotland’s capital and Mal must capture Rose to keep his demonic boss sweet – but is he really willing to harm an innocent to do so?

However, there is more to Rose than meets the eye…

The Lost Girls is a dark and twisty supernatural thriller, perfect for fans of Stephen King and Neil Gaiman.

DISCOVER THIS EXCITING EDINBURGH-BASED URBAN FANTASY TODAY!

The post New Book: THE LOST GIRLS appeared first on Sarah Painter.

NEW BOOK: NEW SERIES! THE NIGHT RAVEN

Yes, I used all-caps in that title. Yes, I am a little bit giddy. And it’s possible that I may have had too much tea and chocolate, too! *buzzes gently*

I’m very excited (some would say over-excited) to announce that my new novel, The Night Raven, will land in shops on 23rd October. Yes, that’s very soon. I’m afraid I have rather neglected this website in favour of my newsletter (sign up HERE!) and social media.

It’s the first book in Crow Investigations, a new paranormal mystery series set in London and featuring private investigator, Lydia Crow.

The Night Raven has had some lovely early feedback, including this fabulous review from UK fantasy author, Stephanie Burgis, author of Snowspelled and Masks and Shadows:

‘My favourite new urban fantasy series, clever and twisty and deliciously magical, with a shivery sense of wonder that feels utterly grounded in its London setting. Perfect for fans of Ben Aaronovitch, Genevieve Cogman or Robert Galbraith!’

Meep!

PRE-ORDER AVAILABLE NOW

You can pre-order The Night Raven on iBooks (Kobo and GooglePlay following soon) and it will be available on all retailers in print and ebook on publication day.

Here’s the blurb:

Meet Lydia Crow…

Lydia has always known she has no power, especially next to her infamous and more-than-slightly dodgy family. Which is why she carved her own life as a private investigator far away from London.

When a professional snafu forces her home, the head of the family calls in a favour, and Lydia finds herself investigating the disappearance of her cousin, Maddie.

Soon, Lydia is neck-deep in problems: her new flatmate is a homicidal ghost, the intriguing, but forbidden, DCI Fleet is acting in a distinctly unprofessional manner, and tensions between the old magical families are rising.

The Crows used to rule the roost and rumours claim they are still the strongest.

The Silvers have a facility for lying and they run the finest law firm in London.

The Pearl family were costermongers and everybody knows that a Pearlie can sell feathers to a bird.

The Fox family… Well. The less said about the Fox family the better.

For seventy-five years, a truce between the four families has held strong, but could the disappearance of Maddie Crow be the thing to break it?

‘Clever and charming and funny – and a bit creepy!’

Keris Stainton, author of If You Could See Me Now and Counting Stars

Beneath The Water is out!

As I intimated earlier, this blog is now moribund. I have changed the name from ‘blog’ to ‘news’ to reflect the sporadic nature of my updates.

If you want to keep up with my new releases, get behind-the-scenes information, and exclusive giveaways, I would love it if you joined my mailing list.

I usually send out an email once a month and it’s definitely the best way to connect with me these days.

Even when I take a little social media break to get some intensive writing done, I still read and reply to my emails!

Plus, you get a free Harper family short story, The Art of Giving.

 

Sign up here:

Email address:

So, onto my news update…

Beneath The Water is finally here! Huzzah!

Beneath The Water is set in both Arisaig on the west coast of Scotland in the present day and amidst the medical community of Edinburgh in 1847.

Stella Jackson is broken-hearted after her fiancé leaves and she runs away to Scotland. Initially she stays with her best friend, but ends up working for the mysterious Jamie Munro in the beautiful, but remote, Munro House. It’s a Gothic love story set in a stunning part of the world with a historical strand which explores the background to some of the medical breakthroughs we take for granted today such as obstetric anaesthesia.

‘I really enjoyed this story about secrets in the past and present… A very compelling read.’ – Portobello Book Blog

‘A little bit historical, a little bit suspense, and a lot of great writing.’ – Five star Amazon.com review

Like the sound of this book?

Why not add it to your ‘want to read’ list on GoodReads?

Thanks so much!

Or, it’s available to buy now:

Amazon

In ebook or paperback.

Audible

The audiobook is read by the talented Fiona Hardingham who also narrated In The Light of What We See.

Beneath The Water Cover Reveal

Hello, my lovelies.

Well, it’s a been a while, hasn’t it? Blogging has rather fallen off my to-do list this year and, I’ll be quite honest, I’m not sure whether that situation will improve… I am thinking of renaming this section of the site ‘news’ or ‘what I’m working on at the moment’ to indicate the more sporadic nature of the updates.

If you miss hearing from me and want to keep up-to-date with my writing news, life stuff, reading (and tea!) recommendations, then the very best thing is to sign up to my Sarah Painter Books newsletter.

I promise I won’t inundate your inbox (I usually send an email once every 4-8 weeks) and you will be the first to hear my news, as well as getting access to exclusive content and giveaways.

My news today is that I have finally finished all of the rewrites and edits on my new book. It’s called Beneath The Water and I have a cover AND a release date – huzzah!

Ta-da! What do you think? I really hope you like it…

 

It’s out on 8th February 2018 in paperback, ebook and audio formats, and you can pre-order it right now:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

The blurb isn’t up yet (sign-up to my mailing list to be notified as soon as I have it!), but the book is set on the west coast of Scotland in the present day with a historical strand, set in Victorian Edinburgh.

In other news, I had a lovely summer and am now raring to go with my new writing projects.

I have just finished the rewrites on a supernatural thriller (darker and more violent than my usual fare) and am getting stuck into a new series idea… More on that as soon as I’m able to talk about it!

 

 

New Book Deal! Huzzah!

The contract is signed so I can finally reveal my news…

I have a new book deal with Lake Union (the publisher of In The Light of What We See) and I couldn’t be happier!

As I have mentioned before, the working title of the book is Beneath The Water and it is set in Arisaig on the west coast of Scotland. I am working on edits with the Lake Union team right now, and it will hopefully be out early next year.

In other news, my non fiction book, Stop Worrying; Start Writing is out this Friday (14th April). If you are a writer (or interested in becoming one) or just want an insight into the creative process, then do check it out.

It will be available in print and ebook on all major retailers, with an audio version coming later this year.

Finally, an explanation for the ‘huzzah’ in the title of this post. I spent last week with my lovely in-laws, including my delightful niece. She is twenty months old, has a fabulous vocabulary and picks words up brilliantly. If you thought there was anything cuter than a toddler shouting ‘huzzah’ while throwing her arms into the air with joy, then you would be wrong.

Huzzah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Garden of Magic Audio Book Cover Reveal!

My goodness – March, already!

I am blogging more infrequently than ever these days (sorry!) so if you want to keep up with the latest from me (and get the news before anybody else), please consider signing up for my mailing list. It really is the best way for us to stay in touch…

Email address:

In book news, the audio version of The Garden of Magic is out next month. I just received the cover from my talented designer and I’m really pleased… I hope you like it, too!

Also out next month is my first non-fiction title for writers. It’s called Stop Worrying: Start Writing and it reveals everything I have learned over the last decade about overcoming fear, self-doubt and procrastination in order to get books written.

In other news, I had a lovely research trip to London for a new series idea which I am incubating, and I woke up this morning with a completely new book idea which I’m really excited about…. So many ideas, so little time!

 

 

 

 

 

Yay – I Get To Be A Year Older! And Other Thoughts on Turning Forty

No, that header is not sarcastic. Those of a cynical disposition who would prefer not read a soppy post, please look away now…

I turn forty this month and I’m absolutely thrilled about it.

For various personal reasons, I have always been aware of how lucky I am to be alive. I mean, we’re all lucky to be alive, but I very nearly didn’t make it out of babyhood (having been born with a literal broken heart, I was saved by a wonderful NHS cardiology department) and, without wishing to be too vomit-inducing, I’m so happy and grateful for my life and that I still get to be living it.

Rather than worrying about ageing (let’s face it, there can be few less-productive things to fret over), I’m truly celebrating. I get to be forty: I’m so blinking lucky!

I adored my thirties and so many amazing things have happened to me in the last decade – both personally and professionally – that it is only natural to feel a little sad at waving it goodbye. However, I have every intention of making my forties just as enjoyable and fulfilling. More time with family and friends, more writing, more travel and fun and nice food and reading good books!

Perhaps I have an unfair advantage; I was the child who couldn’t wait to grow up, the teenager who always wanted to be older, the woman in her twenties who ran joyfully into the arms of marriage, mortgage and motherhood. I have, frankly. always been middle-aged (reading, radio four, comfortable shoes, saying ‘gosh’) so it’s quite nice to be at the ‘right’ stage for my natural inclinations.

Hooray!

 

 

 

Happy December!

Sadly, not my wreath. Or my door.

Hello, my lovelies!

As the more astute will have already noticed – it’s December. I know I say this every year, but I cannot believe how quickly the last twelve months have flown. It’s been a mix of a year (with plenty of bad stuff in the wider world, for sure), but there have been lots of positives, too, and I certainly have a lot to be thankful for. In fact, I am living a charmed life (something I hate saying as I imagine a giant axe falling to punish me for my happiness/good fortune/smugness) but it’s the truth; I am an exceedingly lucky woman and I am very, very grateful.

I was a wee bit stressed last month with a combination of parental responsibility and book deadline, but I’ve spent the last couple of weeks enjoying the absence of that stress and getting things sorted for Christmas. This has involved Leaving The House, which is most exciting. I’ve been to Edinburgh with my lovely husband for some art-appreciation, Christmas shopping, some beautiful walks and a fancy writerly lunch with the fabulous Clodagh Murphy.

I also enjoyed a family trip to the cinema to see Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them (so much fun!) with a bonus sighting of this Captain America kilt outfit.

Oh, how I love Scotland!

I’ve been working, too, of course, but now I’m going to ramp up and get as much done as possible before the holiday.

I’m taking a small break from fiction to write a book on writing. It’s a combination of everything I’ve learned over the last few years, with tips and advice from top authors I have interviewed on The Worried Writer podcast. Part of me worries ‘who cares what I think?’ but I do feel that I might be able to help other people. Basically, I want other writers who are anxious or filled with self-doubt to think ‘if she can do it, then I can, too!’.

[image error][image error]In reading news, I loved Elizabeth Buchan’s The New Mrs Clifton and I’m currently enjoying The Quarry by Iain Banks (it came out a couple of years ago but, as the author passed away and I knew it was the last book from him, I have been saving it).

 

 

 

 

Thank you for reading – and for your support and encouragement this year. I hope you have a wonderful Christmas/holiday and that you will join me again in 2017!

Don’t forget, you can keep in touch by signing up for my free readers club (plus, exclusive content and giveaways!).

 

Rewriting and Recovering

Hello, my lovelies.

After boasting that I had finished my latest book, rewrites appeared from my editor, and I had to re-open the document and get back to work. I was expecting edits, of course, but they coincided with a busy time personally (I help out with my the local youth theatre group and it’s been the lead-up to show week) and a teensy fainting episode which resulted in me bashing my head.

In case you missed it, I did a short ‘update’ episode of my podcast, The Worried Writer, at the beginning of the month: The Worried Writer #21: Deadlines and Mild Concussion

I have been off the internet and social media in an effort to focus on my book and get the rewrites done by the deadline and it’s been very helpful. Much as I love the internet (and I do, truly, love it!) it was good to take a step back and reduce the number of external voices in my head. Especially with the turbulent (and terrifying) political times of the last couple of weeks.

[image error][image error]I’ve also done lots of reading, which is always a good thing.

I will have to put together a ‘recommendations’ post soon, but for now I’m currently enjoying The Outrun by Amy Liptrot.

Also, a quick reminder that The Language of Spells is now available in audio format. If you don’t already have an Audible account, you can sign for up for a one-month free trial and get it completely gratis! (Or any other audiobook you fancy, of course).

The Language of Spells: Audible UK                      Audible US

Personally, I love audiobooks and if you have any recommendations, I’d love to hear them!

And, as always, thank you for visiting.

Why Writing A Book Is Like Making Gravy

Writing a book is like making gravy.

I was making gravy last night (not as a random event, I was cooking dinner) and as I had my usual ‘is it thick enough?’ panic in the last few minutes before dishing-up time, I realised how similar the process was to writing a book.

Bear with me.

You need to start with a good base. In the case of gravy, this means a decent stock. For a book, you need a solid story idea or character or setting or, ideally, all three.

You need to turn the heat up.

For book-writing this means you need to put your characters under pressure. Make things worse: Challenge them and force them into action and change and revelation. Dial up the emotion and let the whole thing simmer.

You need to be patient.

There’s a long stretch of gravy-making that is just stirring. This is also true of book-writing. (And by ‘stirring’, I mean ‘typing’.)

You need to hold your nerve.

Every single time I make gravy there is a point at which I panic. There is always a moment at which it’s probably too late to add any more cornflour (I run the risk of spoiling the flavour of the gravy or making it gloopy), but I’m convinced it’s too thin and tasteless and will be a roast dinner disaster. It’s missing the essential, smooth gravy-ness that I am aiming for and is barely clinging to the spoon when I test it.

However, if I hold my nerve, whack the heat up a bit more and stir, stir, stir, it – magically! – becomes smooth and thick and glossy.

I didn’t need to add anything else, I just had to keep on going and give it that last bit of care and attention.

I just realised that this is the point at which my analogy breaks down…

There is definitely a point at which a book goes from being a collection of ingredients to feeling like a living, breathing story, but even after I reach that stage, I am never fully satisfied with the finished product. It never measures up to the perfect thing I had in my mind.

My gravy, however, is pretty damn fantastic.