Devon Book Club discussion
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Book Shop, Library and Cake Crawl - Dartmouth 7th october 10.30AM - 1PM
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Damien is a former solicitor turned crime fiction writer, who I met for the first time at the Chudleigh Literary Festival in 2016. I was fascinated by his story of his writing career and am excited that he has agreed to join us at Dartmouth.
Drawing on extensive experience of criminal law as well as a spell in the Crown Prosecution Service, Damien writes fast paced crime thrillers featuring Detective Inspector Nick Dixon of Avon and Somerset Police.
Damien’s debut novel, As the Crow Flies, was released in April 2013 becoming an international Kindle #1 bestseller, with all six sequels reaching the Amazon top ten. Translated into German, French, Italian and Polish, the series has since gone on to sell over one million copies.
Chatting to Damien about this event, he told me
"that writing started out as a hobby for me and has grown into something beyond my wildest imaginings. Every day I am learning something new, either in the research or in the writing itself, but the best part for me is meeting and listening to readers of the series. And learning from them!"
So - a great opportunity for you to come and meet Damien. It really makes such a difference to the reading experience when you meet the author in person.
Damien's novels (in order) are
1. As The Crow Flies
2.Head In The Sand
3.Kickback
4.Swansong
5.Dead Level
6.Death Sentence
7.Heads or Tails (due 14 September 2017)
You can find more about him and his work on his website at
http://www.damienboyd.com/
The Dartmouth event sounds great fun, Ian - maybe we should try to locate a similar one in Budleigh one day. I'd love to come - however, my son's birthday ( it's a big one!) also coincides with that weekend so I am waiting to see what is organised for that. If nothing transpires on the Saturday I will hope to join you. Will confirm as soon as.
Mod
Great - and Budleigh sounds good - is there a bookshop there?
Hope the festival is going well this year
Ah! oops, you have spotted the gap in our High Street! No sadly not, so that wouldn't quite work would it? All going well with the festival - just heard Paula Byrne on Jane Austen, appropriate on the day the new £10 note comes out. A sell out session, as are a few of the others.
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All going well with the festival - just heard Paula Byrne on Jane Austen, appropriate on ..."
Sounds great. Where is the closest bookshop then - Sidmouth? Exmouth? - Been to Sidmouth so would quite like to do an Exmouth event
Mod
The answer - Jill Treseder and her wonderful book A Place of Safety, which I took on a cycle ride along the canal path at Tiverton - a lovely way to wile away a few hours. I was quickly gripped by the story (see below) and am eager to see how the story unfolds. If you want to find out more - join our event in Dartmouth, starting at the Library at 10.30 am where Jill will talk about her work alongside 5 other Devon authors.
The story: The year is 2008 and Alfie, a successful 50-something artist with a gallery in Exeter assists the suicide of his wife, Meg.
He takes work as a shepherd on Dartmoor, seeking the peace to come to terms with what he has done. Here he meets Esther who is working as a barmaid at the local pub.
Esther too is escaping a difficult past – a fractured childhood, the death of her grandmother, a broken relationship, to name but a few of her troubles.
Alfie sees in Esther the green-eyed girl his wife used to be and Esther sees in him the father she never had.
Both Alfie and Esther have their reasons for being less than honest about what has gone before, but the truth will out, usually in disastrous and uncomfortable ways.
Will Alfie go to prison? What of the age difference between them? Are their feelings for each other enough to overcome the obstacles? Are either of them ready to commit? Can they put their fears and guilt behind them and find a way forward?
Jill Twas born in Hampshire and lived all her childhood in sight of the sea on the Solent and in Devon, Cornwall and West Wales. She now lives with her husband in Devon overlooking the River Dart.
After graduating from Bristol with a degree in German, Jill followed careers in social work, management development and social research, obtaining a PhD from the School of Management at the University of Bath along the way.
Since 2006 she has focused on writing fiction. Her new novella (published by SilverWood sBooks), The Saturday Letters, is published in November. It is a companion story to The Hatmaker’s Secret. Jill says that she is delighted with the cover but that’s still under wraps – watch this space!
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Many of you will be familiar with L.E.'s wonderful debut novel Cross Killer, which I reviewed here some weeks ago. In early reviews Cross Killer has been described as 'Fast paced, quirky and entertainingly funny with a fantastic twist,' Cross Killer ignores the usual blood and gore associated with the genre in preference for the warts and all development of its (slightly) warped characters...
If you've not read it yet, I can certainly recommend it.
I asked L.E. about her life as a writer. She told me that:
"For as long as I can remember, I have suffered with an over-active imagination and the inexplicable need to make things up and write them down. Probably my earliest memory of exactly this, would be Scripture homework at school (aged seven). I can't remember the exact topic that I was supposed to be writing about... only that the teacher could barely speak through her tears of laughter as she subsequently read out my version of events to the whole class.
I like to think that things have progressed a little since then, but it is fair to say that I never made an active choice to be a writer – the urge simply chose me and before long, that need became a passion so strong, it developed into an extension of my soul.
Cross Killer is my first novel. It wasn't actually the novel that I intended to write, but when writer's block kicked in, it soon became my literary laxative. Nonetheless, I have truly loved the journey and sincerely hope that my readers do too.
I am very aware that without a reader, a writer cannot exist and so I am eternally grateful to anyone and everyone who is prepared to give me and my work that chance. Becoming a master (or indeed mistress) of our passion does however take time, patience, perseverance and above all confidence… so please do 'go gently' with me if you can. Thank you."
in Cross Killer, Eileen has always suspected that her husband is capable of murder - ever since that unfortunate incident when the pushchair mysteriously fell into the swimming pool with the child still strapped inside and Malcolm simply pulled out a chair and sat down to watch.
Malcolm on the other hand, is utterly convinced that his wife wants him dead - ever since he awoke one morning to find Eileen straddled on top of him with a pillow pressed down firmly against his face and suffocating the very life from him. Encouraged by the unlikely friendship he has forged with his new friend Rita, Malcolm knows what he must do.
Meanwhile, a lunatic is stalking the streets preying on innocent women - women who are all connected to Malcolm and whom he bears some form of known grudge. As the death toll rises and Malcolm's behaviour becomes more erratic, it doesn't take long for him to become the prime suspect... until a witness points the finger at Eileen.
Will Malcolm succeed in his quest to rid himself of his wife so he can start his new life with Rita? Will the Cross Killer be stopped before they have the chance to strike again?
Following the success of her first book L.E. is currently working on her next "The Bakers Dozen"
"Picture this: you are stuck in a traffic jam on Interstate 15 with someone threatening to jump from the pedestrian bridge up above and no one’s going nowhere ‘til the cops and their people can talk him down. Then, just when it’s starting to look like things can’t get any worse, your man on the bridge suddenly slips and loses his balance. No one can get to him in time and he plummets head first onto the asphalt below. You’re pleased right? At least now they can clear up the mess and you can be on your way. Well that was kind of how I felt the night of my father’s execution.
DI Jackson Brady gave up murder (or at least solving them) a couple of years ago ... around the same time that the cancer struck. But when a blast from his past turns up in his home town, much like the killer's victims, there is no escape. The rules are simple:
There will be 13 victims, 13 days ...
If Jackson can't stop him, he will strike again."
I'm really looking forward to hearing L.E. talk to us about her work on 7/10 and hope you'll be able to join us.
Mod
Both of these books have previously featured in Giveaways through Devon Book Club. They are beautifully written and illustrated and have been really popular with parents and children alike. I am thrilled to finally meet the person behind the books and am sure you will love chatting with Clare.
Clare lives in South Devon with her husband and two children. She teaches in a primary school and has over ten years experience in Early Years and Key Stage One. In 2014 she became a Specialist leader of Education, supporting local schools to achieve high standards in phonics, primary languages and the Early Years Foundation Stage.
She is also an active member of The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and recommends a SCBWI membership to any budding author and/or illustrator. In 2013 Clare joined the SCBWI-BI Celebrations Team and writes articles for the Words & Pictures Magazine, celebrating member achievements.
Clare loves adventure and says the greatest adventure of all is being able to write stories for children. She says that people tell her that her stories are hugely original, imaginative and about topics they could never think up. Her school colleagues say she never thinks small and when Clare says ‘I’ve got a good idea!’ …they usually run and hide!
In 2013, Clare won The Margaret Carey Scholarship for Picture Book Writers and she received Silver Medal at The Greenhouse Funny Prize 2014 for her picture book, Aerodynamics of Biscuits, which is due to be published by Maverick Arts Publishing in September 2015.
Clare is represented by Alice Williams of David Higham Associates.
You'll find more about Clare and her work at https://clarehelenwelsh.com/books/
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STEVENSON-OLDS
Author of The Water’s Edge, The Human Jigsaw and, having just completed the eighth draft of his third novel, The Land of i.
Epic reads that really stay with you.
I read and reviewed the Human Jigsaw on these pages some time back and loved it. I asked Stevenson-Olds about how he became a writer and about his work. He told me:
"Oh, the humble beginnings of being a writer - an imagination that would conjure the mundane into the magnificent and the ridiculous, from as young an age as I can remember… So, how could I resist the drive to at least attempt to write a novel? I left it late, forty years of age. And the truth is, at the very beginning of doing so, you doubt that you will finish, believing whole-heartedly that no-one is ever likely to read your ramblings, let alone demand that you self-publish. And, as for people queuing around the block to buy a copy - that is just a pipe-dream.
But, that is what happened to me, the launch of my debut a day that changed my life forever. I was able to give up the day job and move to where I had always longed to live, a house that overlooks the sea just a couple of miles outside beautiful Dartmouth. A dream - a dream that has allowed me to write book two and three, with book four and five already structured and raring to go.
The ramblings that become completed novels…
My debut, The Water’s Edge is wrapped around that age-old question; should you be offered the opportunity to go back to your younger years, knowing all that you know now, what would you do differently? I imagine that most have wondered, pondered such a scenario, I certainly know I have. In The Water’s Edge the protagonist gets the chance to do just that. Quite the journey, a powerful romance that messes with your heart and your mind.
The Human Jigsaw is a novel that pokes at vanity, set in the millennium year. Our protagonist is unable to consider anything other than taking his own life, when the chance of a life beyond his wildest dreams leads him to reconsider. Piece by piece a tale unfolds that will really mess with your heart and your mind.
Two novels that have received passionate reviews, on Amazon and other outlets, via book groups the length and breadth of the country, each and every opinion the lifeblood of all writers great and small. My aim is to go from strength to strength, constantly striving to hone my craft, and as a consequence, exciting times ahead. I will keep you posted. Look forward to seeing you all on the 7th October"
Coming soon: Revised version of The Human Jigsaw, available only on eBook (for now) - date to be announced
You will find more about Stevenson-Olds and his work here http://stevensonolds.com/
We are very much looking forward to hearing more on 7th October
Mod
We are starting at 10.30 am in the Library at the Flavel
6 Devon writers will talk about their work. They are:
Julie Archer
Damien Boyd
Stevenson Olds
Jill Treseder
Clare Helen Welsh
L.E.Willetts
See earlier posts for full details of each writer - they cover a range of genres and interests.
We will also hear the latest news from the library and visit both the two fantastic independent bookshops in the town - The Dartmouth Community Bookshop and the Dartmouth Bookseller (I shall be posting more about them over the weekend).
There will be "treasure hunt" with a prize, some book giveaways in a free raffle and cake.
We will finish around 1PM, leaving you plenty of time to enjoy the town and, if you're making a day of it, maybe to visit Agatha Christie's house
All book lovers are welcome - no tickets - just turn up (but it would be helpful to know if you are coming just to know how much cake to buy)
I am very much looking forward to meeting friends old and new and to an enjoyable tour around the literary hot spots of
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For those that have not been to one of these before - they are a fabulous opportunity to meet DBC Friends, hear from and chat with local writers, visit bookshops and libraries and eat cake. What's not to like!
Today I am going to begin to introduce the writers who will be joining us - First up is Julie Archer.
Julie grew up in Hampshire and lived in Reading before moving to the beautiful riverside town of Dartmouth in Devon. She tells me that she still feels like she’s on holiday.�
Julie trained as a journalist, then went into teaching (but kept meeting the sixth form students in the pub, awkward!). After that she ‘fell’ into recruitment, spending more years there than she cares to mention, where the most creative thing she did was to create a sexy top line for job adverts! She is currently moonlighting in the local bookshop...
What is special about these events is that we also get to know the person behind the books. In addition to her excellent writing credentials, Julie shows the good taste to support Spurs and also loves cats and Metal. Underneath her preppy exterior beats the heart of a rock chick (that's what Julie says anyway)
Julie has published three books: two novels and a collection of short stories (which I'm reading at the moment and thoroughly enjoying)
‘Cocktails, Rock Tales & Betrayals’ is the first book in the Blood Stone Riot rockstar romance series. If you like pure escapism with conflict and passion plus a bit of raunch, then you’ll love the opening track in Julie Archer’s page-turning series.
One Last Shot, Julies second book, continues the series
Off Track is an anthology of which Julie is a contributor. This anthology is for those who have, will, and want to travel by train. This collection hosts a little of everything: fantasy, science fiction, romance, contemporary. Climb aboard and enjoy literary morsels full of adventure, intrigue, and, most of all, trains.
Can't wait to hear from Julie about her work at our event.