Devon Book Club discussion
Writer's and Booksellers Corner
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New from Devon Authors
Ian wrote: "Kate wrote: "Hi EveryoneMy crime novel Brand New Friend will be out on 5 June. This one's not set in Devon but draws on my student days in eighties Leeds - and the world today!
You can get it on..."
Thanks, Ian, will do.
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So I am delighted to share with you that one of our founder members, Lyn Ferrand ,recently released her latest novel "Jonty's Win".
Jonty Greer is an irresistible, impoverished jobbing actor catapulted into the fraught mindset of a rich man by a lottery win. Certain that money can deliver happiness, he strives to give his fortune a social conscience by funding what he views as life-changing theatre workshops, initially to the young people of a small English seaside town. As insecure as he was ten years ago when he worked for The People Train Community Theatre, he summons support from his old acting buddies, Edward D'Amato and Caroline Fenton, persuading them to join him on his altruistic quest to heal and inspire the disenfranchised youth of the town and possibly, the whole world.
Jonty is unprepared for the demands a vast amount of money put on him and the people around him, including the local council, the women in his life and an abused child attending the workshops.
Can money alone mend the loneliness, austerity, damaged relationships and homelessness that he unwittingly uncovers? Will Jonty's win make him a better person? Or will he and the people his money attracts, remain the same? Jonty's Win is a sequel to Lyn Ferrand's first novel Pretending and the second book in the 'Jonty' series.
Writer, Director and Filmmaker Lyn Ferrand is the founder of theatre company Turning Point and Buzzword Films. She made award winning theatre and film over a period of 14 years working in association with a variety of voluntary and statutory agencies. She also designed and presented training programmes. Clients included The Crown Prosecution Service, The Devon and Cornwall Police, Lancashire County Council, The Scottish Mental Health Association, Rethink UK and Carers UK.
Her film The Lost Child was Highly Commended at The Community Care Awards, Highly Commended at the Cumbria and Lancashire SHA Achievement Awards, Winner of The National Training Awards North West, Winner of The Skills for Care Training Accolade and was awarded 4 stars in Community Care Magazine.
You can read more about Lyn's work at www.lynferrand.com
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The Pretender is a modern-day adaptation of the Mark Twain classic 'The Prince and the Pauper' but, unlike the original,is set in France. The book imagines that the French throne was never abolished and is set in the present day.
As in the original, Sophia (the pauper) is from an abusive family and born on the same day as Isabella (Princess). She manages to escape her home life for 11 years when she is given a scholarship to a boarding school in Chartres. After returning home she is attacked again by her father and flees her home to the only place she ever felt safe, the Palace. At the same time, Isabella has begun to grow stifled and feels trapped by her royal life. She decides to run away. Meeting Sophia at the gates, she takes pity on her and, realising how alike they look, proposes that they switch places for one week so that she can go to Paris and live in anonymity.
Sophia agrees, relieved to be spared sleeping on the streets and to be away from her abusive home. Switching clothes, they are finalising their plans when they are interrupted by the King and Queen. Believing Isabella to be an imposter, she is thrown out of the palace and their plan is finally enacted.
However, it isn't long until their best - laid plans begin to crumble and they are both plunged into a whole lot of trouble. The Pretender follows their journey as they try find themselves despite being in the shoes of the other.
Katie is originally from Devon and grew up in a little village on the outskirts of Axminster. She completed a Btec in Media Studies and then won a place at her first choice university to study Journalism.
After graduating, Katie worked briefly in a local newspaper but realised that she really wanted to be an author. She moved to Dublin in 2004 where she wrote her first novel. After completing it, she took a course at the Irish Writer's Centre run by Irish Children's Author, Conor Kostic called "So...you've written a novel, now what?" It was here that she really developed her style and gained the confidence to believe in herself.
So when a competition on national Irish TV came up called "Do the Write Thing" run by Seioge and O'Shea (dubbed the Irish Richard and Judy) Katie submitted a short story 'Defying Gravity" that she had originally written when she was 14 for my GCSE coursework and was the only non-Irish author to have their story selected for inclusion in an anthology by the same name published by Poolbeg Press. As they announced the winners on the show, Katie's story was highlighted by the judges as "a good example of characterisation in a short story".
A few months later, Katie entered another competition run by Metro Eireann and judged by MAN Booker Prize winner Roddy Doyle, with an extract of her first novel. She was shortlisted for this competition and was fortunate enough to meet Roddy.
After returning to Devon, Katie took time out from writing whilst completing her Graduate Diploma in Law,to gain a training contract with the Crown Prosecution Service. However, as a result of the 2008 recession, the Crown Prosecution Service withdrew their training programme for five years and by the time it resumed Katie had returned to writing and decided that this was the avenue she wanted to pursue.
And so, The Pretender was born. Katie is self-publishing the book, which will be launched in September. Our congratulations to Katie and we wish her every success with the book.
Katie now lives just outside Exeter.
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On 24/9 Elizabeth Ducie, one of our founder members and a very active contributor to the network, launches Corruption , the final instalment in her Suzanne Jones Trilogy, a fast paced thriller set in the "murky world of the pharmaceutical industry".
I hope you enjoy the video.
You can find out more about Elizabeth and her work here:
http://elizabethducieauthor.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=29HsB...
I published my first novel 'Crucial Evidence' in January 2014. I had bought a publishing package because I was very nervous about doing it all myself. It worked reasonably well but I always felt the price was too high for a debut author self publishing so in February of this year I took back the rights to the book and today, minutes ago, I published a second edition with a new cover under the imprint of Scribbling Advocate. The cover is of the Undercroft of Lincoln's Inn, London, which I think better represents the content which is a courtroom drama/thriller. It did get 4 and 5 star reviews first time round. It should be available at the weekend.
Margaret wrote: "I published my first novel 'Crucial Evidence' in January 2014. I had bought a publishing package because I was very nervous about doing it all myself. It worked reasonably well but I always felt th..."This sounds like my kind of book, Margaret, and I can't wait to read it! Well done on taking back control and good luck with the relaunch :)
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"They call it mother's intuition but can you ever fully know your own child? And just how far would you got to defend them?"
"A twisty and unnerving thriller about the price of love and the unthinkable things we do to protect our children"
You can find out more about Sam here http://samcarrington.blogspot.com
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Pearls Before Poppies is the story of how the Red Cross raised money by selling necklaces from singe pearls donated by society women in memory of fallen brothers, husbands and sons during WW1
Inspired by Lady Northcliffe, whose husband owned The Times and The Daily Mail, the original idea was to make one necklace for auction. In fact 4,000 pearls poured in from across the world, enough to create 41 strings and raised £100,000.
100 Years later, in July this year, another auction took place at the Savoy which raised £275,000 for the Red Cross.
Rachel's book tells the touching story of a generation of women who gave what they had to aid the war effort and to commemorate their losses.
Rachel lives in Torquay and went to Torquay Girls' Grammar School. For a time she was education correspondent on Westcountry Television. Her first book, Mistress of the Arts, a biography of Georgina, Duchess of Bedford, was inspired by the cottage ornee she created at Endsleigh near Tavistock.
Pearls Before Poppies , was inspired by a visit to Port Eliot Festival, just across the Tamar, where a line in their World War One Exhibition encouraged Rachel to look into the Red Cross Pearls Appeal. One of her chapters entitled Patriotic Pearls focuses on the story of a Devon Family, the Kekewichs, who lost three sons in the war.
Rachel's latest book, published earlier this month is called Before Wallis and is about the other women in Edward VIII’s life before Mrs Simpson.
When she is not writing Rachel is involved with Torquay Community Larder which is a food bank in Torquay run at the Salvation Army.
I published my first novel in 2014. It is called ‘Crucial Evidence’ and it begins where most crime novels finish with the arrest of the offender. But have they arrested the right person? ‘Crucial Evidence’ follows the trial of a young man accused of murder through the trial process. The reviews on Amazon gave it 4 or 5 stars. It has been described as being ‘both emotionally and intellectually stretching. The economy of the writing still allows empathy with the characters, and the insight into law practice in Britain leads to some uncomfortable recognition.’
And ‘A very believable and compulsive account of the trial and an insight into the inner workings at The Old Bailey in the pursuit of Justice.’
And finally ‘The author draws on her experience in the practice of law to create a realistically vivid portrayal of London's legal system. The intricate detail of the various actors and roles provides a necessary solid (factual) foundation for the fictional account with the real-time, verbatim court proceedings stations the reader in the gallery of this tensely mesmerising drama.’
In my second novel ‘Reluctant Consent,’ Barrister Cassie Hardman is being stalked by an unknown male. She doesn’t know why but there is some connection to the defendant Paul Sadler, who faced trial for rape.
Cassie struggles with the unwanted invasion into her life as she works on a murder trial – her most important case to date. Each communication forces her to relive her role in the Sadler trial. Again, the workings of the criminal justice system is in the spotlight. In particular the role of a woman like Cassie defending a man accused of rape?
Although both novels are set in London, not in Devon, I hope this will not prevent readers in Devon from reading my novels.
They are both available as an ebook and a paperback on Amazon
Margaret wrote: "I published my first novel in 2014. It is called ‘Crucial Evidence’ and it begins where most crime novels finish with the arrest of the offender. But have they arrested the right person? ‘Crucial E..."These sound really interesting, Margaret! I'm off to Amazon to take a look :)
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Both are on my tbr pile but I spend so much time talking about books these days that I don't have enough time to read everything I want to! There's an irony for you
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Originally from Sweden, she moved to Uffculme a couple of years ago with her British husband and three young children. She is a researcher by profession, working on topics around good governance in international aid.
Linnea published her first book last year. It is called I Spy with My Little Eye- A Journey Through the Moral Landscape of Britain. In it, she looks at, and questions, many of the values our society appears to be promoting, including the pursuit of fame and celebrity, the quest for wealth, and political short-termism.
The book encourages a greater societal discussion about the direction in which we want our society and our aspirations to head and Linnea hopes that the 14 stand-alone chapters will be used as springboards for initiating lively discussions in classrooms, pubs and book clubs.
The book is available in kindle format and softcover on Amazon (where a taster chapter is also available).
In her next book, which has the working title The Elusive Quest for Integrity, Linnea takes a look at society's evaporated trust in politics, business, and international institutions. She asks, through a series of case studies, what brought about the loss of trust, what are the consequences of losing trust, and what can be done to regain trust?
Linnea is very interested in ideas and concepts and would like to get in touch with likeminded people in Devon
Christmas reimagined. Twelve Takes of Christmas by Jane Jago. I call this little book festive fables old and new. Both ebook and tree book formatsmyBook.to/12tales
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myBook.to/12tales"
Thanks Jane - sorry to be tardy replying - had a mad fortnight at work
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I am always in awe of people who follow their dream to write a book and so I am delighted to introduce both Daisy and "Sensible" to you. Described as a rollercoaster ride for the reader, including betrayal, a hurricane and a stalker, I hope you enjoy it. I know that Daisy would love to get your feedback.
"It's 1995, and Jessica Munroe is 27. Newly-separated, she's always been known as Sensible Jess, but that's all about to change. Everything is possible for the new, reckless Jess now that she's discovered this new thing called the internet. She's looking for adventure and goes on a journey of discovery - of the world, of sex, of pain and of herself. If only she knew just how much she's going to face in the coming year - passion, travel and excitement are not necessarily all they're cracked up to be".
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The launch event for Ginny's book is at 7PM tomorrow at Waterstones in Exeter. If anyone is able to go you are more than welcome.
PS Apologies for the occasional sound interference on the recording. Not sue why that happened but I couldn't find a way to fix it. I'm still learning 🙃.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9uzT...
Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with
which was published just 3 months ago. In celebration of this the ebook is now on special offer at 99p in the UK (usually £3.99) for a limited time only. This offer is available across all major platforms but ends May 15th. Take advantage now! https://books2read.com/u/3Jy0PJIf you do read it, I would really appreciate it if you could leave a review both on GR and the purchase platform of your choice. Thank you so much. :-)
Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with [bookcover:The Silence Bef..."This was on my Wishlist, so thank you very much Kathy, I've bought it and will, of course, review it. Can't wait to start it! :)
P.R. wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with [bookcover:T..."Thank you! I do hope you enjoy it! :-)
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Thanks Kathy - I've downloaded it - look forward to reading. Sorry to be so late coming back but have been away as my mother has been ill and I'm only just catching up with myself.
Ian wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with [bookcover:T..."Thank you, Ian. I know how busy you always are. And so sorry to hear your mum has been poorly.
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Thanks - she's on the mend thankfully x
P.R. wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with [bookcover:T..."Thank you, Prue, for the lovely review! Much appreciated. So glad you enjoyed it. :-)
Kathy wrote: "P.R. wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with..."My pleasure Kathy - I loved it. Devon, gripping plot, great characters... what's not to love? :)))
Congratulations, Kathy! Good luck for the next stage.
Cathie wrote: "Congratulations, Kathy! Good luck for the next stage."Thank you, Cathie! Honestly I'm just grateful to have been long listed!
Do you have a new book in the pipeline?
Yes, Notes from the Lost is being proofed right now. I'll be back with more news later in the year, no doubt. :-)
Cathie wrote: "Yes, Notes from the Lost is being proofed right now. I'll be back with more news later in the year, no doubt. :-)"Intriguing title! Look forward to hearing more about it. :-)
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Oooh - keep us in the loop Cathie :)
Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with [bookcover:The Silence Bef..."Many congratulations, Kathy! When is the prize decided? It must be hard for you, waiting while they deliberate. Good luck!
Carole / DrMama
DrMama wrote: "Kathy wrote: "Mystery and intrigue and a hint of romance - down by the sea! I'm thrilled and grateful to have been long listed for the DLF writing prize again this year, this time with [bookcover:T..."Thank you Carole! I believe the short list is going to be announced in June and the winner will be awarded in July at a 'thing'. But honestly, I have no expectation of winning so I'm not too stressed about it. Just grateful to have been long listed! Thank you for the thought though. :-)
Not sure which thread this should go in. I have a question for Devon readers and authors: do you prefer to read novels set in real places or fictitious locations? I'm currently working on another WWII murder mystery featuring grumpy, reluctant detective DS Bob Robbins. This time he is in Bideford - but I have been calling it Hubbaford (Hubba was there after all) because there are 2 fictional farms & a fictional guest house. But which do readers prefer: the real place with fictional events or the Agatha Christie version of the West Country with slightly adapted place names?
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That's an interesting question - which I will pose to the wider membership on Facebook and Twitter as well. I think it depends on the story and how important the place is as a character in its own right. So, for instance, it adds to the Hunchback of Notre Dame to be able to visualise the Cathedral and the city, or Oliver, which is brought alive by being set in London or Captain Corelli on whatever Greek Island was involved; but if the place is incidental or only of minor relevance it is less important.
Yes, that makes sense. If the location is only there as background, and the story is more universal in nature, then the actual place could be anywhere, I suppose. But if the place is fundamental to the story - Tower of London, Glamis castle - then it should be named.
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agree that
I enjoy real places - both as a reader and a writer. I think the knowledge that a place is real affects the reader's imagination differently, and I think it can be easier to imagine it if you know it exists, even if you haven't been there. I set my most recent books in Dungeness, but A Book of Scars is set mostly at a real farm near Kingsteignton.
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That's an interesting perspective - thank you
Knowledge of the area is fundamental, I agree - even if you are writing about the distant past it's necessary to give a 'flavour' of the place, sights, sounds etc. What do think about Thomas Hardy's version of Dorset, though? He used a real location and adjusted the names, but it's clear to anyone who knows southern England where the place is.
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Originally from Croydon, south London, Petrina moved to East Devon when she was a teenager, in the mid-nineties. She lives in a small village. She knows everyone and they all know her. She tells me that there’s a little stream at the bottom of the garden, more songbirds than she can name, countless flowers, and if it sounds lovely, she adds, that’s probably because it is.
She has been writing for as long as she can remember and still has her first short story, framed in her bathroom. This is it: “Once upon a time, there was a sheep who loved a cow. One day, he kissed her.”
Her writing style has matured since then and she was "chuffed to bits" when her first novel was described as ‘dark, poetic and delicious’. She published ’Sex, Death & Canapés’ last summer (2018), and it falls into the bracket of dark humorous fiction, lesbian fiction and noir crime.
Here’s the blurb:
When death, darkness, and danger ensues, it must be time for canapés...
Trapped in a loveless marriage, while harbouring a secret, Fiona Weaver-King is ready for something - someone - new.
Despite her success in the prestigious art world, Fiona lacks the confidence to forge a promising new path, due to the ridicule she has endured from Roland, her disappointing husband of two decades. However, there's no ignoring the fact that the only spark she's felt in years has been ignited by her beautiful and spirited neighbour, Jennifer Nugent.
When a dead body surfaces, the quaint Devonshire village of Amberleigh is filled with gossip and suspicion, and with so much thrust onto the back burner, the only solution is a dinner party. But could the killer be seated nearby, telling witty anecdotes and passing round the canapés?
I’m in the process of editing the fourth book in the series at the moment. I’m also compiling an oral history collection from the chaps at my local Royal British Legion, where I’ve been working, writing and drinking, for the last ten years.
You can find out more about Petrina here https://petrinabinney.com/about/
and you can buy her book for 99p from here
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07FQDBGD...
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Catherine has had a varied background in physiotherapy, antiques and also running a bed and breakfast. But, she tells me, she has always had a book beside the bed and a love of poetry. Words, to her, have always had a sort of music if they were connected up in the right way!
Feeling compelled to write, her books feature her own beautiful part of Devon (the Dartmouth area), and weave together bit of fact and a bit of fantasy. She described them to me as The famous Five meets the Wind in the Willows!!....... adventure stories for all ages.
She has followers in Devon from five and a half to eighty seven years old. In Moonmirror the children invent a light powered by the moon and at a lunar eclipse are tumbled back in time to the English Civil War. In Moonglimmer, Dartmouth is threatened by an invasion from underwater creatures, and the children save the day. Finally to Moonlighter; after a daring jewel robbery on Christmas Day the children set out to solve the mystery, finding an underground tunnel which sets the scene for their own exciting adventure in which a little new sea creature leads them all to heart ache and happiness.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading Moonmirror and look forward to catching up with the second and third books in the trilogy. For those of you who know the Dartmouth area you will have the added pleasure of seeing the area you love coming to life in a new series of adventures.
Moonlighter launches later this month and we wish Catherine every success with the book and we look forward to hearing about what comes next.
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Daisy has had a busy writing year and has just published her second novel, Barefoot, parts of which are set in South Devon:
"It’s 1999, and Sallie Ford is finally blissfully happy in an idyllic life with her ageing rockstar boyfriend, Marsh. But they have no idea that when Sallie’s best friend, Jess Munroe, is rushed to hospital, that incident would set in motion a sequence of events that would spell disaster for Sallie... and for Marsh.
An emotionally charged, thrilling journey begins for Sallie as she faces betrayal, tragedy and heartbreak. She comes to realise that perhaps she can’t trust her own judgement about anything. Will she find her way through it, or continue to feel that she’s walking barefoot on broken glass?”
Daisy originally hails from Berkshire, but moved to south Devon 20 years ago. She now lives in a peaceful corner of south Devon with her husband and cat.
I am sure you will join me in wishing Daisy well with her new book,
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I have been chatting with Daniel Norman, an Exeter-based, writer whose debut novel, State of Mind, is published this week.
About State of Mind:
The book is about 18-year-old East-Londoner Adam Chambers. Adam is going nowhere fast. Being jobless, friendless and living with his dying Grandad is hard enough, but things are about to get much worse. When Adam is viciously mugged by the local gang, and informed that his apartment block is the next to be consumed by the creeping gentrification of the city, he decides it's time to find the inner-strength to fight back!
As his confidence grows, Adam embarks on a daunting journey to take on the powers that threaten his community. Learning hypnotism is a start, and with a little help from a colourful array of characters Adam learns that there are many ways to resist: but resistance brings consequences. As Adam's efforts to save his home and escape the gang raise the stakes to a deadly level, it becomes a race against time for him to overcome the demons in his mind.
But can he do it before the unforgiving London streets swallow him up for good?
This coming-of-age tale will appeal to young adults and not-so-young adults alike, exploring contemporary themes such as the nature of protest, mental health, gentrification, computer hacking and gang culture.
About Daniel:
Daniel cut his teeth penning sports articles for a number of online publications. A keen short story writer, Daniel has a day job working for a renowned global publishing house, but his heart lies in the discipline of fiction writing, specifically the novel format.
Having lived in Exeter for over 10 years, Daniel tells me ethat the "effervescent creativity of the city" has inspired him to pursue his writing talents. After graduating in Philosophy and History at Cardiff University, he spent a year living in Bethnal Green, London, which germinated the idea for the book State of Mind.
Daniel’s writing tackles contemporary topics, meaning the content can sometimes challenge readers own values. Focussing on the juncture where social problems, politics and technology coalesce, his aim is to stimulate discussion regarding contemporary Britain, and the world at large. Daniel’s second novel Another State of Mind is due for release in 2020.
Daniel is keen to get feedback on his book, which he will use to shape the sequel
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I loved Gail's pitch and recently caught up with her to see how things were going with the book. I was delighted to hear that The String Games was a Summer 2019 Finalist in The People’s Book Prize. There is another round of voting in March 2020 to select the winning novel. Good luck to Gail for 2020.
The book tells the story of four-year-old Josh, who is abducted and murdered during a family holiday in France, Nim, aged ten, becomes an only child. To cope with the tragedy, Nim reinvents herself but continues to carry a burden of unresolved grief. As an adult she returns to France determined to find out more about the circumstances of Josh’s death. How will she deal with this new information and what are the implications for her future?
Endorsement from JACQUELYN MITCHARD, bestselling author of THE DEEP END OF THE OCEAN
"Gail Aldwin’s The String Games takes hold of the reader and the juncture of the head and the heart and simply does not let go. With courage and tenderness, and an unblinking eye, Gail Aldwin explores the ways in which the loss of a child explodes a family. Treat yourself and read this one".
About Gail:
Settled in Dorset since 2006, Gail has lived in Australia, Papua New Guinea and Spain. Her published work includes a collection of short fiction, Paisley Shirt, which was longlisted in the Saboteur Awards 2018, adversaries/comrades a poetry pamphlet and The String Games, her debut novel. Gail also co-writes short plays and comedy sketches that have been staged in Bridport, Brighton and Salisbury. She appears at literary festivals and fringe festivals in the South West. You can find Gail on Twitter @gailaldwin, on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/gailaldwinwr... and on her blog The Writer is a Lonely Hunter.
I’ve a new paperback out in Feb and a new hardback in May - crime fiction - and though I am originally from Devon and have a place near Bishopsteignton I’ve never done any book events there. I do things all the time pretty much everywhere else in the UK but I’d love to do some stuff around those parts.Do any writers or readers have any suggestions of people or places I could give a nudge to?
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Hi William - I was away when you sent this message and somehow missed it on my return. Am just catching up with admin. Great to hear from you. If you want to drop me an e-mail with a short bio and a bit about your book, I'd be happy to share it across our network during January. If that would be helpful please message me. Kind Regards Ian
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events and how this impacts their lives.
"A woman’s disappearance from an isolated moorland community with a neighbour’s young son stirs up painful memories, suspicion and guilt. Besieged by journalists, two of her estranged children return to their rural roots to face the truth about themselves and the people they once knew. However, the veneer of good manners is as thin as the upland soil and, as tensions mount, their lives begin to unravel in unforeseen and devastating ways".
Anona is based on Dartmoor and has worked as a freelance writer and editor for many years mainly in the outdoor, environmental and alternative health fields. She has also worked for a number of different environmental organisations. She tells me that she has always wanted to write
fiction and I wish her well with her debut novel.
Under a working title The Light Between Trees was a prizewinner in the Writers' & Artists'Yearbook Novel Award, shortlisted for the Cinnamon Press First Novel Award and longlisted for the Bath Novel Award. Anona's short stories have also been shortlisted for several awards including the Fish Flash Fiction Prize.
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A few days ago I was delighted to receive a copy of by Natalie Trice. Natalie and I are meeting in a couple of weeks but, in the meantime, I wanted to introduce her and her book.
Natalie has more than 20 years experience in the PR industry and now teaches around the world. She is based in Devon.
PR school aims to help you "to get to grips with PR and self-promotion so that you can confidently tell your story so people know you are out there just waiting to meet them". It is also about telling your story with confidence, pride and belief.
I'm really looking forward to reading the book in detail and, even more, to meeting Natalie. More on that later in the month.
In the meantime, Natalie has a fabulous website (see below) which you might want to have a look at. I know that communicating your story is important for so many of you. I'm sure that you'll find this book and the tools on Natalie's website invaluable.
https://www.pr-school.co.uk/pr-school...
I know I've been quiet for a while, but my new crime novel, Still You Sleep, is out today. It's the first in a planned series featuring online journalist Tilda Green and crime reporter Freddie Stone. Details here: mybook.to/stillyousleep
Devon Book Club
Books mentioned in this topic
The Time Diary: A Barstewards Tale (other topics)The Stranger in Room Six (other topics)
Murder Under The Rock: The Markham Twins Investigate (other topics)
Dance A Fearful Jig (other topics)
By a Hand Unknown (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Lewis Grassic Gibbon (other topics)Natalie Trice (other topics)
Daisy Burton (other topics)
Jill Treseder (other topics)
My crime novel Brand New Friend will be out on 5 June. This one's not set in Devon but draws on my student days in eighties Leeds - and the world today!
You can get it on Kindle at a ..."
Hi Kate - you kept that one quiet! Send me a synopsis and I'll post on Facebook as well