Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers discussion
This topic is about
Void
Archive - Group Reads
>
Void - April 2017 (self-published)
Thank you, Chava, it's an honour to be your first self published group read. Thank you to all who voted for Void. Hopefully those who didn't, will still grab a copy and join in.I'm happy to take part in the discussion, so any questions etc., please ask away.
As Chava points out, PM me your email (kindle email, if you have one) and preferred format for me to send you a copy. The giveaway is restricted to 100 e-copies, with the expectation of a review and hopefully taking part in discussions on this thread.
Void is also available for free loan via Amazon Kindle Unlimited and Prime membership if anyone would rather take that option.
Congratulations David.How do we PM you?
Thank you, Karen. If you click on my name or avatar, that will take you to my profile page. Below my picture on there you will see a small downward pointing V. If you click your cursor on that you will see a few options, one of which is to send a personal message.
I know it's early days, but only 8 people have requested so far. As this is a free book, I know cost isn't a contributing factor. This leads to one of two conclusions: Either the book does not have enough appeal (although it has enjoyed a rather successful group read in the past https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...). Or people are put off by the expectation of a review. If it is the latter, please don't be concerned about leaving a review, it is not imperative. Reviews and, more importantly, word-of-mouth do make a big difference to self published authors who don't have the advertising clout of conventionally published authors, but a rating will suffice. I know some readers don't feel confident when it comes to reviews, but really they don't need to be extensive; just your opinion is all that is required, even if it's only a word or two.
I also appreciate that the book will not suit everyone's taste in reading. We are all different and all like different things, and I for one embrace that difference.
I would LOVE to read your book, however I don't know how to download onto my Kindle. I have to ask my little 8 year old friend to show me.
Message me your email address, Marion, and we'll take it from there :~)
Hi Marion. I have sent you a copy of Void by email.
I hope you all enjoy this book as much as I did. David's other book Imperfect Strangers I enjoyed even more. Still waiting for a new book from David!
Thanks Kirsten. Blame the dog for my lack of new books, he is like a time vacuum :-)
Aren't puppies fun? My dog will be 18 next month so she's much easier to deal with.
Kirsten *Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again!" wrote: "Aren't puppies fun? My dog will be 18 next month so she's much easier to deal with."Our lab just turned twelve months, so we are getting there. He just never stops; boundless energy.
Loved "Void" David. Thanks again for the copy. I'll be writing a review shortly. Going to have to look into your other novels.
Kat wrote: "Loved "Void" David. Thanks again for the copy. I'll be writing a review shortly. Going to have to look into your other novels."Definitely try Imperfect Strangers!
"Void" was in my top 10 of last year! And i really still think of it occasionally!It was a very interesting story, made even better when i followed your advice David and listened to the music mentioned all along.
Kat wrote: "Loved "Void" David. Thanks again for the copy. I'll be writing a review shortly. Going to have to look into your other novels."Thank you Kat. I look forward to your review. If you have any questions about the book, or my writing in general, please ask away.
Hopefully some discussion might develop among readers when more have finished reading.
Kirsten *Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again!" wrote: "Kat wrote: "Loved "Void" David. Thanks again for the copy. I'll be writing a review shortly. Going to have to look into your other novels."Definitely try Imperfect Strangers!"
Thanks for the recommendation of my other thriller, Kirsten. Much appreciated.
Faouzia wrote: ""Void" was in my top 10 of last year! And i really still think of it occasionally!It was a very interesting story, made even better when i followed your advice David and listened to the music ment..."
Thanks, Faouzia. A few readers have commented that it enhanced the story for them. I felt it was a bit of a risk asking people to stop reading and listen to music at certain points, but it kind of reflected what I did while writing. My reason for doing so was to put myself into the character's mindset. Glad it worked for you :~)
Too bad you didn't provide a link to a playlist, David....
Kirsten *Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again!" wrote: "Too bad you didn't provide a link to a playlist, David...."I did consider that, Kirsten, but I wasn't sure if there'd be copyright issues.
David wrote: "Faouzia wrote: ""Void" was in my top 10 of last year! And i really still think of it occasionally!It was a very interesting story, made even better when i followed your advice David and listened t..."
Yes! it worked well for me.
The funny thing that it was not the kind of music i usually enjoy and yet i had really good time listening to it :)
I hope you don't mind, Kat, but I thought I'd post a link to your review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
One reviewer of Void has just stated that they don't normally like romantic mysteries, but they enjoyed this one. To be honest, it never occurred to me that it was a romantic mystery, but I can see how it could be viewed in that light.
For anyone who may be interested, the following link leads to a page on my website that has some images of where much of the story is located: http://www.davidstaniforth.co.uk/void...
Karen wrote: "Loved the pictures!"Thanks, Karen.
David,these pictures so clearly inspired your story 'Void'. I can relive the story again by simply looking at each one. Cheers!
Thanks, Mary. So glad you think so.
I still have a few copies to give away. Any takers?
Valentina wrote: "Hello David! Meee"Great to have you on board, Valentina.
I would love a copy of still available
Britney wrote: "I would love a copy of still available"Sure thing, Britney. If you could send me a personal message incorporating your email address and preferred format, I will send you a copy.
Are any copies still available? I'd love one if so!
Ninna wrote: "Are any copies still available? I'd love one if so!"No problem, Ninna. Message me your email etc., and I'll get a copy to you.
I hope everyone's enjoying it !
Kirsten *Make Margaret Atwood Fiction Again!" wrote: "I hope everyone's enjoying it !"All quiet, so far, Kirsten. Hopefully highly engrossed :-)
Ok, I'll try and get something moving here.Did the first person narration work for you?
Do you like first person generally, or do you prefer third person? Personally, I like both, and feel different stories suit one or the other.
Was there any particular part of the story that stood out to you, for good or bad reasons?
A pleasing excerpt from the most recent 5* review for Void "A little gem of a story! This book wasn't so much exciting as it was compelling. I HAD to keep reading."Full review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I really enjoyed Void. Thank you for the copy - review to come. I'm a writer as well as a reader and I know that a good resolution is a lot harder to write than a good set-up. Void had both. Well done. My only complaint is that I stayed up too late reading it.
What a great complaint!!!
Patricia wrote: "I really enjoyed Void. Thank you for the copy - review to come. I'm a writer as well as a reader and I know that a good resolution is a lot harder to write than a good set-up. Void had both. Well d..."Yay! It was getting kind of lonely in here :-)
Thank you Patricia. And yes, I agree, writing the solution is the hardest part of any book, so I really appreciate your comment. I actually had several endings in mind for Void, and was uncertain which I would go for until I got close to writing it.
Mary wrote: "What a great complaint!!!"The kind I can easily live with, Mary :-)
Hi David,I just posted my 5-star review of Void on Amazon and here on goodreads.
My congratulations. The premise fascinated me and your evolution of the story was spot-on. I found myself rooting for Tom from the get-go.
To answer your 'talking point' question, I think the first-person POV was perfect for Tom. I might have chosen to present the scenes between Penny and Kaitlyn in 3rd person, but that's just me.
I'm not far enough into it to really critique it. I don't mind 1st person narrative. In fact, it can be a good technique. But, I do not like it when the 1st person changes characters. That was my biggest problem with Gone Girl. I find it confusing. Especially when it first changes to the different character.But, if that's all that I have problems with a book, it's OK. Just not a preference of mine.
Fair comment, Ron, I guess it can get confusing. I tried to negate that by only changing characters when beginning a new chapter, and by attempting to make it obvious within the first paragraph which characters perspective was being represented. In light of that, I hope it isn't too confusing.It's a method I employed in my other thriller, Imperfect Strangers, where the two characters perspectives overlap the same event, allowing readers to see how each read the event in a different way. Those who enjoyed the book tell me this worked well, and was the major strength of the novel.
We each like different writing styles for differing reasons, and there's nothing wrong with that.
David wrote: "Fair comment, Ron, I guess it can get confusing. I tried to negate that by only changing characters when beginning a new chapter, and by attempting to make it obvious within the first paragraph whi..."I agree, it's all good. I just am not a big fan of 1st person when that 1st person keeps changing. I had the same problem with other books, notably, Gone Girl. It isn't that big of a problem that I won't finish the book. Or, even, that I won't like the book because of that. But, it is a perspective that I'm just not a big fan of.
Thanks for responding, though, David. That is appreciated.
Now May is here I guess my time is done, so I'd like to thank Chava and the group once again for allowing Void to have this book of the month slot. To the few that have commented on here, thank you, it is much appreciated. And to anyone still reading the book, I hope you find it an interesting and enjoyable read.Happy reading one and all :~)
Crime, Mysteries & Thrillers
Books mentioned in this topic
Void (other topics)Gone Girl (other topics)
Imperfect Strangers (other topics)
Gone Girl (other topics)
Void (other topics)
More...
Please contact the author for a copy by PM