In praise of Crooked Cat Books

A year ago I was following the bandwagon of self-publishing on the Kindle, and you couldn’t let a publisher, indie, traditional or vanity, within shouting distance of me. I was doing all right on my own, ta very much.

Then along came Crooked Cat, and by January this year, I’d changed my mind. There were a number of factors including the feeling that the ebook bubble had burst, or at the very least, found its level. The big hitters, writers who went from unknowns to megasellers would not be seen again.

But the biggest, most persuasive point was Crooked Cat itself. I’d known husband and wife team, Laurence and Steph Patterson for a year or five. Not well, but well enough to know that they were professional. I knew that I would not throwing my lot in with a bunch of hacks who will simply accept anything sent them on the grounds that it will make a few bob no matter how bad it is.

And so it has turned out. It’s 9 months since I submitted The Filey Connection to them. In that time, Crooked Cat have turned out many novels from largely unknown writers, in genres which range from contemporary and historical romance, to chick-lit, to humour, to crime and thrillers both cosy and hard-hitting. And every title has the hallmark of class that is rapidly becoming synonymous with Crooked Cat.

The first two Sanford 3rd Age Cub Mysteries in front of the machine upon which they were created.

From a personal point of view, my Sanford 3rd Age Club Mysteries have seen one other title, The I-Spy Murders launched in both ebook and paperback, and though you can’t see it from the photo above, the paperbacks match the quality of anything you’ll find in your local bookstore. I also published my sci-fi/psycho-horror thriller, Voices with them.

This Friday, the list grows by one more, when A Halloween Homicide, a previously self-published Sanford 3rd Age Club Mystery, passes to Crooked Cat.

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A month or so from now, we should have A Murder for Christmas, another previously self-published Sanford 3rd Age Club Mystery, with them, and by the time we’re nearing the end of the year, the fifth title starring the middle-aged rockers of the Sanford 3rd Age Club, Murder at the Murder Mystery Weekend should be on the virtual bookshelves.

At my age, a year doesn’t seem like a long time, but this year, however short it seems, has been magical mystery tour for me, largely thanks to my involvement with Crooked Cat. I’ve made many new friends from all over the world, taken on new ideas from other writers, and offered my own ideas for them to ponder, and I’ve had plenty of chuckles along the way.

Are you a writer? Check out their submissions page, but be advised, I know they’re busy so you could have quite a wait?

Are you a reader? Check out the Crooked Cat bookstore. Trust me you’ll find something to enjoy.