P. Wish's Blog

Good afternoon. I'm writing to announce some exciting news. The Ghost of Robert Brown is now available for free download on Story Cartel to interested reviewers and readers. Click here to download your copy

The Ghost of Robert Brown is now available for pre-order on amazon. You can also read an excerpt of the book on my Books page. Both are linked below for your reference.
The Ghost of Robert Brown releases next Thursday (26th January 2017). 
Until then, enjoy this short excerpt.  Excerpt Pre-order

Hello everyone. The book trailer for The Ghost of Robert Brown is finally live! Check it out below.
The book excerpts and pre-order links will be available shortly. The Ghost of Robert Brown releases on 26th January 2017 so mark your calendars. 
Here goes....
​

It's 1:02 AM in the morning and I decided to write to update my blog after a month and a half long absence. As you all know, I've been working on The Ghost of Robert Brown, my latest mystery novel. The editor is finally done and I got the manuscript back last weekend. I've been working on it (albeit infrequently). So, you can all expect a late-December or early-January release, depending on how it goes. 
I must say, I really enjoyed writing this book. That is not something that's easy to do when you've got so many words and drafts to write. I feel writing this book has set me free in a strange sort of way. There were a lot of scenes which I felt, helped me express feelings about the subject matter, that were always at the back of my mind but never written down.  It has also helped me relax into writing without pressurising myself to write a certain number of words over a certain period of time. I wrote the first draft of this book in January but it didn't feel right so I sat on it. I finally re-wrote it in September. I needed the eight months to be able to come the full circle. The book is still far from done. I have a lot of changes to make. 
So, I hope you all enjoy reading this book. 
I listened to a lot of songs during the writing process. During the first draft, I listened to a lot of U2. I'm a big fan of U2 and I'm totally in love with their Songs of Innocence album. I especially recommend Every Breaking Wave and Iris from the album. U2's With or Without You is also a classic song that never gets old and I've been listening to that one to push my editing process along. 
Other than that I listened to Jessie Ware's Wildest Moments, Champagne Kisses, Say You Love me and the Snow Patrol classic Chasing Cars. As you all know I'm partial to British music.
I also enjoyed eating a lot of salted caramel cookies (though my waistline didn't enjoy it as much!).  With the holiday season around the corner, there is much to celebrate. It also brings me to a wistful realization that this year is about to end. Last year was a rough one, and I wrote about that. But this year was a bud in the barren ground after winter- it was hope. I'll go on about that when I write my concluding post for the year. 
​See you soon! 

Hi. 
It's been a long time since I wrote about a book. It''s been a long time since I wrote anything, actually. I've been working on The Ghost of Robert Brown, an emotional mystery novel set in Tenterden, Kent. I've been busy rewriting the novel this month and am almost done with the rewrites. It's going to be a while before it's published because it needs to go through an intensive editing process but I'm glad I'm nearing the light at the end of the tunnel.
I will put the publication date and trailer up on the website once I'm done with the edits. 
So much has happened in these past months. I decided to take a break after The Doppelgänger because I burned out after finishing it. However, I've managed to regain my strength and motivation and am working to finish The Ghost of Robert Brown. If you saw on my 'Books' page, I'm also working another thriller title, Soulmate, which will release sometime next year.
I've also been working on improving The Doppelgänger. Many readers pointed out the typos and proofreading errors in the manuscript. I'm working to get rid of them and will probably re-publish The Doppelgänger sometime late in October.  
I know I haven't been very regular with writing on my blog but I'll try to do at least one post a month starting November. I'm going to be taking the Nanowrimo challenge in November so that I can get 'Soulmate' down on paper.
Other than that, I'm enjoying Fall. I've been reading some interesting books, watching a lot of Netflix, eating chocolates and trying to get work done. With the holiday season around the corner, the temptation to relax is more than ever. 
That's all for today. I will write next month to keep you posted on the progress of the manuscript. 
I'm trying to enjoy the beautiful fall days while they last. 
See you soon. 

It's been a long time since I wrote a blog post. 
It's the national romance month this August and love is in the air. With warm weather still persisting, it's a good time to get in all those romance novels you've been missing. I know I've been reading up on all the great romantic reads I missed. 
I received an e-mail from Taylor of Proflowers today telling about a new blog post to commemorate this month. I had fun reading 52 of the most romantic quotes for film, literature and pop culture. If you want to check it out, you can find it here. 
Let me know what your favorite books are so that I can give them a try. 
See you soon! 

I know I've been gone for over a month but I'm back now. Today, I have some important news for you all. I've decided to take an indefinite break from writing. I've completed the first draft of my mystery novel 'The Ghost of Robert Brown' but I have no plans for its publication yet.
I will also not be posting any content on my social media accounts and youtube page during my hiatus. 
Other than that, I have nothing planned in the foreseeable future. I will try to post at least one blog post every month on writing, reading or just general life updates. 
Hope you all have a good day. 

Woohoo!!
It's been a year since I started this blog and my career as a self-published writer. I almost forgot about it until I received a LinkedIn notification reminding me about the anniversary.
My Life in 3 Colors, my debut picture book was published on 2nd May, 2015. It was only a year ago but it feels like an eternity. Back then, I had no clue what I was doing. The world of blogging, writing and self-publishing was new to me.
This year has been nothing but transformational. I've learnt so much about writing, editing, formatting, self-publishing, pricing and blogging. I've grown as a writer, an entrepreneur and a human being. 
Each of the three books I've written over the past year hold a special place in my heart and always will. Those books were mega learning experiences packed into a few pages. I have discovered things about myself I never knew. I've stretched my boundaries and limitations. A year ago, I never thought I'd consistently produce a book a year. I've already written two full-length novels this year and published one. 
The year has gone by so fast that I've had no time to pause and think. Looking back, I'm glad I decided to follow my childhood dream and be a self-published writer. This journey has been a roller coaster ride so far and I'm pretty sure lots of thrills await in the future. 
I want to thank all the wonderful writers, bloggers, readers and reviewers I interacted with this year for making my year extra special. You all have helped me navigate the world of publishing. Your comments, reviews, support, interviews and tips have helped me become a better writer and person. 
So, that's it for today. 
I must remind you that my debut full-length novel, The Doppelgänger is now available for free download on Story Cartel. 
My next post will be about the first draft of my upcoming novel, The Ghost of Robert Brown so, stay tuned for that. 
See you all next week.
Have a great weekend! 

Today we have Australian thriller writer Dan Hayes here on my blog. Despite being a self-professed 'late bloomer', he has won numerous awards for his books and has been featured in on television as well as major publications. Today, he shares his life, his writing schedule and his upcoming novel, The Recipient with us. 

Describe yourself in five words.
 
Stubborn, OCD, Tenacious, Disorganized, A Writer.
 
Has staring your writing career at a later age had an impact on your craft? Do you think it is more mature and developed than it would have been if you started younger?
 
It has – a positive one. I only really got my act together as a writer in my middle thirties. Prior to that, I’d had a number of abortive attempts at writing and they’d failed. I put that down to a lack of maturity on my part, an inability to bring a story together because I was unable to see the necessary elements clearly. Also, my life at that stage was pretty chaotic with work and family life and these things aren’t conducive to good writing. When I finally did sit down to write what became my first novel (The Hambledown Dream, 2010, Central Avenue Publishing), I’d finally gotten myself into the right headspace where I could see a story through to its conclusion. I was a lot calmer in my mind and more reflective.  
 
I interviewed author Robert Krenzel last year and he said that having children has had a huge impact on his writing. How has being a father changed you as a writer?
 
That’s hard to answer because I have written all of my books to date whilst being a father. The Hambledown Dream was written while my wife was pregnant with my daughter Lucy and we had a then 3 year old son, Xavier. So I haven’t really known what it is like to write without children. I will say that it has gotten easier in a sense because, now that my children are both school aged and I have the house to myself on Monday’s and Tuesday’s, I’m in the ideal position to be able use that time effectively – not that I always do of course. I said earlier that maturity has afforded me a greater ability to reflect – but it’s also allowed me to procrastinate like a BOSS. 
 
Your upcoming book, The Recipient has an intriguing plot. What inspired you to write this book? 
 
The kernel for The Recipient actually came out of an intense and vivid nightmare I had. I was witnessing a really violent attack at night but at some point, the nightmare shifted and I couldn’t work out if I was witnessing the attack or whether I was actually the one being attacked. When I woke from that nightmare, I had a notebook beside my bed and I madly began scribbling down as much as I could remember about it. It really disturbed me. I went to work that day and I remember attending a lecture about organ transplantation and it was, quite literally, one of those lightning moments. Instead of writing down notes about the lecture material, I began writing down ideas on how I could connect the nightmare to organ transplant surgery. Very quickly, the basic outline for The Recipient was born.

How do you achieve work-life balance? 
 
I mentioned earlier that I have Monday’s and Tuesday’s to myself. So, those are the days that I endeavour to devote wholly and solely to writing. Throughout the rest of the week, I am an Intensive Care Nurse at a busy private hospital here in Adelaide. However, my notebook is never too far from my side and I am able to achieve quite a bit in terms of a work in progress. You’ll often find me reviewing what I have written on my writing days, adding to that with notes and ideas and I’ll plan for the next Monday and Tuesday. I try hard to remove myself from writing completely on the weekends because, obviously, family time is important to me. It’s not a perfect system but, on the whole, it works well.
 
What is the best part about being a writer? What is the worst?
 
The best part is getting a run on where you’re madly writing something that is working really well. Those moments aren’t a regular thing but, when they happen, it’s hugely satisfying for me. I also really enjoy the editing process which I’m told is quite strange but it’s true. I love refining a story and seeing it come together. I’m not afraid of jettisoning things that don’t work or moving things around if I can see that they’ll work better in another part of the story. The worst part? Well, I’m neck deep in the marketing and promotion for The Recipient right now and I’ll admit, it’s a slog. My publisher Central Avenue is really supportive and we work well together but finding and tapping into avenues for promotion – be it the mainstream media or new and emerging media is really tough. I don’t hate marketing because I see it as an important part of the writing process but I’m not afraid to admit that it’s not my favourite part.
 
What advice would you give aspiring writers?
 
Refine your powers of observation and be willing to go out into the world and observe life insitu. Take a notebook with you and write down what you see. Observe and document everything. It could be the most minute thing. Watch how people converse with one another. Watch how shadows fall across a building. How leaves blow across a path. Observe colours and shapes. There’s a story in everything you see and your powers of observation will serve you well when it comes to conceiving a story.
 
Any message for your fans?
 
My fans are really important to me and I try to interact with them as much as possible. There have been a number of really supportive people who have been in my corner since the beginning and that means a lot to me. I write because I love story telling but I also love the feedback I get from fans. It really spurs me on and makes me feel as though all this has been worth the effort. So to them, I say a sincere thank you.

Follow Dean on Social Media:
https://www.facebook.com/Dean-Mayes-The-Hambledown-Dreamer-263088081779/

https://twitter.com/Hambledown_Road

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3337737.Dean_Mayes Visit Dean's Website Buy The Recipient on Amazon Buy The Recipient on Book Depository

I have some very exciting news to share with you all.
The Doppelgänger is available for free on Amazon Kindle for five days starting today. What're you waiting for? Download your copy here. 
The title will be available for free download between 1st and 5th April 2016. 

The Doppelgänger is also available on NetGalley now. To request/ download a review copy, visit: https://s2.netgalley.com/catalog/book...

Hope you have a fun-filled exciting weekend with your free copy of The Doppelgänger. Don't forget to let me know what you thought of it by submitting a review on Amazon or Goodreads. 

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Happy weekend!  Take me to Kindle Store