Janet Pywell's Blog

Book Launch - Someone Else's Truth

A story of misunderstanding, kindness and reconciliation (Westbay Romance Series Book 3)

With the launch of my new book Someone Else’s Truth looming on the horizon (7th November) I’m putting together all the marketing building blocks. This is as well as moving home, painting the new house, having new carpets and guests visiting from Germany…

and one thing is for sure…. I need a holiday!

But, truth be told, I love it. I work better under pressure. I thrive on excitement. It makes a change from solitary writing, endless revisions, rewrites and edits before nervously working with my friend and photographer Tim Hinchliffe to find the best image for the book cover.

Not only must it be suitable for the book but it’s essential that it fits in with the branding of the Westbay Romance Series.

Each book focuses on different characters living in Westbay and ends with a resolution at Christmas time.

Which brings me to my book cover designer who (thankfully) is brilliant. Of course, with three books in one series comes added complications — publishing book 3 is an opportunity to relaunch books 1 and 2. So, I guess you could say, in theory — that marketing becomes three-times as challenging.

Creating graphics to post on social media becomes a fun past-time and making a book trailer is really exciting. And apart from all of that….


… this year, for the first time, I am hosting a “Book Launch and Bellinis” in The Bears — a local coffee shop.

To say I’m excited is not only a cliché but also an understatement. I have so much local support — all my friends vowing to be there — that it’s overwhelming and I feel extremely fortunate.

And, as I stand in front of my readers and my friends, I’ll have the opportunity to talk about Jane and Tommy. They are the main characters in this book who bring Harbour Street in Westbay to life. Their dreams, hopes and worries will become real, albeit only for a while, as we’re magically transported into our own imaginations, understanding their lives and struggles while secretly hoping for a happy resolution where they may find love… and happiness.
In our sad world today, we all need to know there’s hope for reconciliation and forgiveness. Where trust can be built to provide a safe and positive future.

Thanks for reading my blog. Please feel free to like and share ;-))

Get your copy of Someone Else’s Truth today.

Janet lives in Whitstable on the SE coast of England.

Click here to read more about Janet’s books —Janet’s Amazon page

Buy Someone Else’s Dream here.

Buy Someone Else’s Child here.

Buy Someone Else’s truth here.

Janet Pywell’s non-fiction book: Ten Simple Steps for Writing Your Book

Click here to subscribe to her crime newsletter.

Click here to subscribe to her romance newsletter.

Social Media Links

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.pywell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanPywellAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetpywell...

Janet can also be found on Goodreads, Bookbub and TikTok.

From Crime Thrillers to Contemporary Romance…

It’s all in a day’s work: writing, editing, formatting, designing, branding, book launch, marketing, social media promotion and finally —celebrating.

Regardless of genre, writing a new book is a daunting process. Apart from having the creative idea and pulling the whole thing together, then to actually publish on a specific date, is nothing short of a military operation: wall calendars, desk diary, iPhone notes — it’s not for the faint-hearted.

My biggest challenge was switching genres from crime thrillers to contemporary romance. Having spent nine years building up a large number of crime readers and followers mostly in the USA, UK, Canada and Australia — I then had an epiphany (aka daft idea) I decided to change genres. This meant I had to find a a new following of readers who love romance.

Lockdown was a depressing time for so many people, including me. I needed to feel uplifted, to feel good, positive and optimistic.

So, what better genre is there than Contemporary Romance?

My first book in The Westbay Romance Series — Someone Else’s Dream focuses on the shop owners in Harbour Street, in Westbay, a pretty coastal town on the east coast of England. It’s a heart-warming, uplifting, feel-good novel about courage, integrity and friendship that comes together just in time for Christmas…

After so much positive feedback from my ‘new romance readers’ which included some of my crime thriller readers — I have spent the past six months writing, rewriting and editing the second book in The Westbay Romance Series — Someone Else’s Child.

Published on the 22nd November 2022 — it’s available to preorder now.

It’s a story of friendship, fostering and family.

Here’s the book blurb:

Femi is a part-time nurse and paramedic who in her spare time volunteers for the RNLI. She is also determined to be the best foster parent she can be, but when she’s asked to look after Ahmed, a refugee from Syria, the dynamics in her home change dramatically.

At seventeen, Ricky is Femi’s oldest foster child. He has a quick temper and wants independence. Thirteen-year-old Albert is quiet and shy and when he’s given the opportunity to be reunited with his birth father he becomes both confused and excited.

When Lawrence, the new neighbour arrives, and befriends Ahmed, Femi begins to realise they are all united in tackling the heartbreak and demons from their pasts.

Each one of them must take risks to pursue their own dreams but the outcomes in life are never as you expect.
Will Femi have the perfect Christmas she desires?

This is a story of love, friendship, growth and discovery that will leave you tingling with emotion.

So, after writing, editing, formatting, designing, branding, organising my book launch, marketing and social media promotion — it’s finally time to CELEBRATE.

Some of the early reviews are in and I’m excited and thrilled.

“Set in the fictional seaside town of Westbay, Kent, the book is both absorbing and addictive as it draws the reader in to the lives and minds of three teenage boys from diverse backgrounds and the bond that develops between them and their amazing foster mother.”

“I loved the relationships between Femi and all her children. The potential love between Femi and Lawrence, and not knowing how it was going to turn out, kept me turning the pages. I am loving this series.”


The Westbay Romance Series — cover photos by photographer, Tim Hinchliffe.
So, I’m off to open the fizz and celebrate with friends.

Have a happy day. Cheers to you, Janet.

Buy Someone Else’s Dream here. (FREE to download between 21/11–25/11)

Buy Someone Else’s Child here. (Prelaunch price 99p / 99c)

Read the first chapter of Someone Else’s Child here.

Janet Pywell’s non-fiction book: Ten Simple Steps for Writing Your Book

Click here to subscribe to her newsletter.

Click here for more information on The Novel Mentor

The Links

Main website: https://janetpywellauthor.wordpress.com/

For all Janet’s books — Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/www.jan...

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/janet.pywell/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/JanPywellAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janetpywell...

Janet can also be found on Goodreads, Bookbub and TikTok.

If You Were Confident…. Would You Steal To Get What You Want - or is that just fiction?

If you could get away with it - would you?

When I began writing my Mikky dos Santos thriller series, I developed an idea that my strong, female protagonist would be an artist, art forger and thief. Her aim is to steal a valuable, stolen painting. She believes that it will change her life forever. More importantly it will give her what she needs - freedom and money.

I didn't want a pretty, "girl next door" type of heroine but more of a tough, "kick-arse" woman. Her body is an elaborate canvas of inked artwork. She covers her sensitive soul with a tough, no-nonsense attitude, while she looks for the one thing she craves- Love.

The six books in the series are all stand-alone thrillers and set in different locations around the world. Mikky finds herself confronting unscrupulous narcissists, violent criminal gangs, as well as drug and human traffickers while uncovering the whereabouts of priceless looted artefacts. 

As an author, it was essential that the cultural and valuable items were worth Mikky risking her life.

Each book in the series features important, cultural items that are meaningful in different countries, religions and sects around the world.

In Masterpiece, book 1, Mikky is about to steal Vermeer's The Concert - the world's most expensive stolen painting, taken from the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in 1990. It has been valued at $200 million and - to this date - has never been recovered. 

Now, that would sort out your financial problems - wouldn't it?

Perhaps it's not a case of confidence. Maybe you'd find it morally repulsive to steal something, afterall, it's one of the seven deadly sins and against most religious teachings in the world. 

Balancing right from wrong and the sense of injustice are strong themes in all my books.

So, in order to weigh the scales of justice honestly and favourably, I have created Mikky dos Santos who finds out the truth; the perpetrators of the crime and provides suitable punishment or revenge. Nothing is ever worse than the criminals original crime but a high price is finally paid - in the world of fiction at least!

And, does Mikky find love?

Mikky finds herself through various friends, lovers and experiences. Stay reading until Broken Windows, book 6, to see if she becomes the woman she is meant to be.

If you enjoy reading exiting, gripping page-turners then start with Masterpiece, book 1, in the Mikky dos Santos thriller series.

Masterpiece is FREE between 13th - 17th April to download here.

There are more free books - Chills & Thrills at the end of this blog.

Happy Easter.

Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel writing mentoring service: https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...

Masterpiece - You will be instantly hooked!
★★★★★ "A very apt title! This book offers so much - mystery, thrills, culture and entertainment. A real page-turner! Despite her flaws, you find yourself rooting for the heroine from the beginning."
★★★★★ "Highly Recommend this book & this series. Relatable characters that are also complex & very human. There are enough plot twists to keep you turning the pages without stopping. The author has a great talent for describing the locales & setting the scenes ….it's as if you are right there with the characters."
★★★★★ "The intro of the new characters is well done and keeps you guessing. The series is unique and reminds me of the same twists and turns as another author's series The girl with the dragon tattoo."
★★★★★ "I loved the intrigue and histories that surrounded each character and the twists and turns and journeys that the book took you on."
For some more FREE books simply chick here.

“Age is just a number. It’s totally irrelevant unless, of course, you happen to be a bottle of wine.” ― Joan Collins

Read the full blog at: https://medium.com/@JanPywellAuthor/a...


When I read that “Dr. Conti” (Rudy Kurniawan)sold $35 million bottles of fake wine between 2004 and 2012 at only two auctions —through one of the biggest auction houses— I was impressed.

The downside was that Kurniawan got caught and served seven years for his crime. Happily, it provided me with the gem of an idea for a new book.

Wine also complemented the menus in my Ronda George thrillers, named after my kickboxing and Masterchef champion and unique protagonist. I researched wine fraud further, then wrote and published the third book in the series: The Manipulators.

How relevant is wine fraud?

With the cost of living soaring; OUR ELECTRICITY, GAS AND PETROL PRICES RISING — would wine investment impress you?

Although fraud of expensive wines hits headlines, wine fraud isn’t just a case of switching labels. It’s become far more sophisticated than that.

Even wines like Rioja or Jacob’s Creek that retail for under $15 are swapped for cheaper, more inferior wines and sold wholesale through bars, pubs and clubs.
“Accept what life offers you and try to drink from every cup. All wines should be tasted; some should only be sipped, but with others, drink the whole bottle.” ― Paulo Coelho
Through the internet and via websites like Ebay, fake investors and other wine distributors make it easier for wine blends, origins or varieties to be misrepresented. The restrictions of Covid have also meant that checks of imported / exported wines were perhaps not as thorough as they had been. Due diligence has seemingly been neglected.

Wine fraud has left an estimated $3 billion hole in the industry.

So, when you’re browsing the shelves of your local supermarket or wine shop, how will you know the wine you buy isn’t fake?

Well, you could learn the difference between printed label qualities, check ink colours, paper styles and watermarks. You could also smell the stained labels to make sure they’re not reeking of coffee, tea or even tobacco, and you may consider using a UV flashlight to detect adhesive and paper fibres in the label. It’s all in the details!

If you think you’ve been affected by wine fraud then see the links at the end of this blog. If, like me, you’re only interested in enjoying a glass of wine while reading a good book, then check out The Manipulators.

So, I’m off to sniff the label on my wine bottle and raise a glass to the less expensive pursuit of reading. Check out the blurb of The Manipulators below:

Masterchef and kickboxing champion, Ronda George, agrees to be the ‘eyes and ears’ for Inspector Joachin García Abascal from Europol, whilst catering for an international convention of ‘Religious, Spiritual Minds and Bodies’.
At a remote monastery in Wales, the conference is thrown into disarray when tragedy strikes and a body is washed up on the beach. But Ronda believes this is all a cover-up for a more serious crime — a sophisticated wine fraud.

As the truth is revealed Ronda must act quickly. She must use all her military training to succeed. But is she strong enough to stop an illegal and profitable crime when there’s so much to lose?

Cheers my friends and Happy Reading ;-))
Janet

Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel mentoring service:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...
The Concealers — book 1
The Influencers— book 2
The Manipulators — book 3
Chai Consulting
Winefraud.com,

Are social influencers all they’re hyped up to be?

“We live in the age of entitlement, as opposed to enlightenment.” Bill Bailey

With the growth of social media platforms such as Instagram, YouTube and TikTok a new generation of influencers has created millions of followers who hang on their every word. The meteoric rise of reality TV has created a wave of celebrities who have been madeover, glammed-up, and rehashed to be sexy, provocative, entertaining and knowledgeable about all things known to man.

Stars who have graced the TV screens in programmes such as Love Island, Celebrity Big Brother and The Only Way is Essex have the hottest ‘go-to’ sites where a variety of products and brands are touted by these mega influencers.

Between 2019, the influencer market DOUBLED from $6.5bn to $13.8bn in 2021.

Yes — that’s a whopping £10.3bn — smackeroonies.

Many influencers have also launched their careers by promoting fashion brands such as BooHoo and Pretty Little Things. UK’s FashionInflux (Lydia Rose) is a fashion creator with over 2.7 million Instagram followers. What she says goes. Her opinion has clout — and, it was too good an opportunity NOT to use these types of influencers in my crime novel, book 2 in my Ronda George thrillers, The Influencers.

The book centres on a business fronted by celebrities, influencers and enablers who are recruited to promote the scheme through social media. Ronda George is a masterchef and kickboxing champion who is employed to cater for a small private gathering and recruited by Europol to be their ‘eyes and ears’…

The influencers are invited to a secret meeting by James Frampton a software developer who’s launching a new bitcoin currency. He’s also Ronda’s ex.
Have you ever wondered who social media influencers are?
Here are the eight wealthy, social influencers that I’ve created in my book who will take the Internet by storm…

Philanthropist — Aiden Moore
A Sultan’s son — Prince Abdul
Canadian singer — Gloria
Spanish journalist — Enrique Suárez
Reality TV star— Nina King
UK politician —Lord Michael Bonner
Indian entrepreneur— Prakash Khan

The key to the power of influencers is the number of ‘likes’ they receive.
It’s every businesses dream to have a product endorsed by a celebrity. Being an author, writing a book not exempt from this process.

Testimonials / reviews / other author endorsements help increase sales and this in turn increases the social media algorithms and allows other readers find your novels on the internet.
In a world of entitlement, the enlightenment from reading a good book, holds no bigger value than the enjoyment and entertainment of that novel. It’s that moment when you are lost in another world, in the lives of others, living another person’s dream that reality can take a backseat.
Reading a book allows you to lead a thousand different lives but you can influence none of the personalities.

Happy reading ;-))

Janet is a tutor at CCCU. She writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here. She also provides an elite one-to-one novel mentoring service:
https://www.subscribepage.com/the_nov...
The Influencers is the 2nd book in the Ronda George Thrillers, click here.


The Influencers





Read the full blog on Medium:
https://medium.com/@JanPywellAuthor/a...

Investment, Scam or Entertainment?

“An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” — Benjamin Franklin.

When I wrote the The Influencers, bitcoins were on the increase due to the marketing and popularity of Dr Ruja Ignatova who in 2016, had even appeared at Wembley Arena in front of her adoring fans. She was attractive, well dressed and very convincing. She influenced people in 175 countries and took 4 billion in the most incredible scam before disappearing.

It’s a mind-blowing tale and who knows if she’s even alive now? The idea hooked me in as a plotline….

The word Bitcoin has been bandied about in the banking world for sometime now. For most ordinary mortals who have little cash to invest it’s of little interest but occasionally it makes headlines when people like Elon Musk endorse it for the purchase of his Tesla cars.

That’s when consumers sit up and take notice, only to become more confused a few months later when he then withdraws his support. The reason quoted was “rapidly increasing use of fossil fuels for bitcoin mining.” (CNBC).

In November 2021, Bitcoins reached their peak of popularity at almost $68,000. Now it’s spiralling lower and lower each day.

Even Mark Zuckerberg isn’t willing to take on the banking giants of Wall Street or political opponents on Capitol Hill, and as a result the Meta Platform (Facebook) owner isn’t pursuing the launch of his own cryptocurrency Diem.


This roller coaster of a love affair with cryptocurrencies is in quite a pickle.

And, it’s for this reason that I chose topics like these, important and interesting changes in our developing world, as plot ideas for my books.

In my Ronda George thriller The Influencers, published April 2021, charismatic TV personality Daniel Clarkson employs Ronda George to cater at an exclusive function in his well-known Kent country pub.

She’s shocked to find her ex, James Frampton, who stole her savings, is launching a new cryptocurrency. With the help of eight wealthy, social influencers it will take the Internet by storm…

“Know what you own, and know why you own it.” — Peter Lynch

Often famous celebrities, social media influencers gather on the bandwagon to embrace new ways to make money. By endorsing products and sometimes by selling in a pyramid scheme (which is illegal) most people end up losing money.

In The Influencers, Ronda discovers that the business deal is a scam. James and his business partners will stop at nothing to launch the venture — even if it means silencing her forever.
Ronda’s intuition and instincts kick in and she calls on her army and martial arts skills in order to survive and get back what’s rightfully hers.

Personally, I think financial investment is best left to the risk-takers and the experts — and in the meantime I’ll stick to my writing.

Investment, scam or entertainment?
I prefer the rollercoaster of emotions in writing an exciting novel. And, afterall, the only investment a reader makes is a few dollars but this type of entertainment is priceless.

“The biggest risk of all is not taking one.” — Mellody Hobson

Happy reading ;-))

Janet writes crime thrillers and contemporary romance. For more information about her books click here.
To purchase The Influencers, click here.

Ronda George Thrillers
References:
https://www.auctiontechnologygroup.com/
https://www.cnbc.com/2021/05/12/elon-...
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p07n...
#amreading #amwriting #bitcoins #RujaIgnatova #Tesla #Diem #MarkZuckerberg #TheInfluencers #Moneyscams #creativewriting #crimethrillers #thrillers #cryptocurrency #scams #money #entertainment

Someone Else's Dream

Great News!

Someone Else's Dream is now available to preorder as an ebook on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, Tolono, Thalia, Indigo, Angus & Robertson, Mondadori and Vivlio...

The book cover photo of Harbour Street in Whitstable was taken by my lovely friend and local photographer Tim Hinchliffe.

This novel is set in a fictional town called Westbay!

It is a positive, heart-warming and feel-good novel that will lift your spirits....

Here's the blurb:

High-flying London lawyer Amber Hendrix has put everything into her relationship, including investing in a café in a small town on the Kent coast. But when things change between her and her girlfriend, Amber is forced to rethink her whole plan.

Pub landlady and entrepreneur Jackie Johnson (JJ) wants to convert an empty travel agency into an amusement arcade but Harbour Street shop owners are divided.

Local gallery owner moody Ben Taylor not only struggles to keep a rein on his temper but also holds past grievances, and flower shop owner Eva is coming to terms with her new status.

Faced with hostility and financial problems, Amber must turn the café into a successful business that she can sell. In the meantime, she has to draw on her inner resources and creativity to resolve conflicts and help bring unity.

During her struggle she makes some unexpected friendships and alliances – ones that will change her life forever.

A heart-warming, uplifting, feel-good novel about courage, integrity and friendship....

Exciting times - a radio drama

Hi there,

During lockdown the local theatre as me to help out. They asked me to write them a radio drama.

Exciting times.

So, this is a link to the radio play, Aqua Tofana, directed by Amanda Gerrard, acted by The Lindley Players in Whitstable and, submitted to the Kent Drama Association Festival.

The actors are incredible and I'm humbled by the professionalism of their performances.

So, settle back with a coffee or glass of vino - it's 30 minutes long (the link is on Youtube) close your eyes and let your imagination soar.
Prepare to be entertained with murder in the theatre...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUWSo...

Narcissists are great characters in fiction — but never marry one…

As an author, when you create a strong and interesting protagonist you need an equally strong and interesting anti-hero — an antagonist who constantly works against the main character and the central goals to the story and final denouement.

The narcissist wants to be King — worshipped and respected.

NPD — “Narcissistic personality disorder involves a pattern of self-centered, arrogant thinking and behaviour, a lack of empathy and consideration for other people, and an excessive need for admiration.”

They are also, very often, extremely manipulative using superficial charm like carefully woven tarantula silk to engage and trap their partner into a relationship. Some people are drawn to men who appear confident and strong and who profess to be different and who strut their arrogance with pride.

More experienced people may see the NPD as someone who is cocky and manipulative. It can take time in a marriage until a wife realises she’s married to a patronising and demanding, spoilt child who will blame you and deny their cruelty and mistakes.

The complexities of a narcissist’s character is one of the appealing aspects of writing about them in a novel.

In my Mikky dos Santos Thrillers, some of my antagonists have an inflated sense of importance (check), delusions of grandeur (check), need praise and admiration (check), have a sense of entitlement (check) and they exploit others without shame (check).

In Stolen Script and Truthful Lies my antagonists are manipulative, clever and use exploitation as a means of power and control. Their blame and criticism knows no bounds — they see nothing wrong in their behaviour. They are perfect anti-heros.


However, they come in various shapes and sizes — it’s not ‘one size fits all’. You only need a few of the NPD’s attributes and you have the ideal “baddie” — the Panto “evildoer” — the person who upsets everyone and who upsets our protagonist and detracts them from their goal(s).
In real life they often demean, intimidate, bully, or belittle others…

But — a word of warning — to be successful you must use the character traits subtly. Weave their narcissistic tendencies through sleight actions, conversations, misunderstandings and most of all, allow your reader to be taken in by their natural charisma and confidence. So that when the tension escalates and their dysfunction is revealed your protagonist keeps a sense of worth and self value and has an escape— this is essential for a powerful and worthy ending to your novel.

And that’s fiction.

In real life it’s a different story. Once you’re trapped in a relationship or marriage, it’s hard to leave. Someone with NPD will lie, make crazy promises and, when they think you may leave them, will ‘love–bomb’ you with adoration and flattery. They also promise to change -– sadly, this is just another one of their lies.
Image for post

Emotional abuse can be subtle. It can affect you and often isolate you from your family. It can also have a detrimental long-term effect on your children.
The narcissist wants to be King — worshipped and respected — and when you can no longer do this – HELP IS AVAILABLE.

Freephone, 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline: 0808 2000 247

All Janet’s books are available on Amazon click here.

Visit Janet’s website: www,janetpywell.com

Subscribe to her newsletter for your free copy of the prequel to the Mikky dos Santos Thriller series – Golden Icon.

ONE EPIC FEMALE SLEUTH — so, when do you end a series?

[image error]

One of the tasks of an author is to decide when to end a series…

Broken Windows is book 6 – and the last novel – in the Mikky dos Santos Thrillers.

Europe’s most ingenious and thrilling protagonist — artist, art forger and photographer — Mikky dos Santos is a compelling heroine. She has a savvy mixture of emotion and intelligence and uses all her resources as she tracks down priceless antiquities and foils wicked plots. These rapid-paced novels have heroes to love and criminals to hate, and of course, mysteries to solve. She’s a kite surfer, a drone flyer, a surveillance expert and, she’s really good at telling lies but you can trust her.

So, how does the author know when to stop?

Mikky’s journey has been an incredible roller coaster of emotional development and without giving away too many plot lines she has foiled international drugs gangs, human trafficking and has chased criminals across the world to return stolen, valuable, cultural items.

For fans of female sleuths, Mikky’s a mixture of a female James Bond and Lisbeth Salander. My books are recommended for fans of David Baldacci, Lee Child’s Jack Reacher, and Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan.

I’ve taken a risk ending the series now. But isn’t it better to leave the readers wanting more?

As an author, there are so many books I want to write. I already have a new protagonist lined up, and an outline for the next three novels in a new and exciting series!

Definitely more unusual and intriguing and they’ll keep you on the edge of your seat with their colourful characters, original plots and interesting locations. It’s what keeps me as an author excited — the pleasure of writing and entertaining you.

The Mikky dos Santos Thrillers are hugely enjoyable and thrilling but all good things must come to an end …

Janet writes using her knowledge of foreign places gained through extensive travels. She draws on all her experiences of people and places to create exciting crime thrillers with great characters and all the plot twists and turns any reader could ask for.

All of Janet’s books can be found on your local Amazon site.

www.janetpywell.com