Maria Savva's Blog - Posts Tagged "audrey-niffenegger"
The Literary Consultancy's Conference 2013: Writing in a Digital Age
I have just come back from a two-day conference at the Free Word Centre.The conference was organised by The Literary Consultancy, in partnership with The Times Literary Supplement.
I am very grateful to my fellow indie author, Laxmi Hariharan, for telling me about the conference and arranging a press pass for me so that I could attend the event.
I enjoyed the conference and learned a few things that I am sure will help in my ongoing publishing adventure. Highlights for me were:
1. The keynote speech by Audrey Niffenegger (author of The Time Traveler's Wife). I picked up a signed copy of her novel, Her Fearful Symmetry, which I am very much looking forward to reading.
2. Steve Bohme's statistics about book sales (Bowker Market Research).
3. The speech by Robert McCrum, an associate editor of The Observer, about his perspective on the change in the contemporary book world.
4. Audience Storytime, where we heard from some independently published authors about their experiences with self-publishing.
5. Canon Tales: Stories Behind the Book, where we heard from various industry professionals about their love of literature and their hopes for the future of literature.
I'm going to be reporting back on what I learned at the conference in a short series on my blog in the coming weeks. There was a lot of information about how the book world has changed with the digital revolution. There were discussions about self-publishing, editing, what works best for marketing both traditionally published and self-published books.
It was well worth attending the conference. I met a few fellow writers who I will be keeping in touch with too. All in all, it was an enjoyable experience, and an informative and entertaining couple of days.
I have taken some comprehensive notes of all the speeches and discussions and will be writing about those soon.
Notes from The Literary Consultancy's conference 2013 - Writing in a Digital Age: Audrey Niffenegger
I attended The Literary Consultancy's conference at the weekend and really enjoyed it.
In the coming weeks I am going to be sharing some of the highlights of the conference with you, and also my thoughts on the event.
I'm hoping the series of blogs will be useful to writers and readers.
*******************************************************************************************
The first speaker at the event was Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife.
I found her speech interesting and inspirational.
Audrey is a visual artist as well as a writer. She said most people's reactions in the publishing industry to the way the digital age is developing is "jumpy and alarmed".
The backdrop for her speech were various slides based on the history of typography and how the letters of the alphabet developed over the years and in different languages. I think she said the pictures were from Meggs' History of Graphic Design.
Audrey Niffenegger was trained as a visual artist and she said that the way she thinks of a book is in terms of putting images and words together. She was 40 when she wrote her first novel.
When she trained as an artist, she said it was all about expressing ideas, not going with the flow, not following trends, breaking new ground. She was inspired by Aubrey Beardley.
In Niffenegger's last two years at art school she wrote a book that was mostly pictures with a bit of text, The Adventuress. When she graduated she tried to get it published but it was rejected because it was too original and different. She went on to show it at an art gallery and sold a few copies.
14 years later she wrote another illustrated book, The Three Incestuous Sisters and sold only a few copies. In the process of doing that, she got involved with other people doing conceptual books. She and a group of other book artists, papermakers, and designers founded a new book arts centre, the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts. The idea was to tie in art with computer, sound, film, video, interdisciplinary arts.
Tn 1994 they started offering classes and a couple of years later graduate dregrees (MFAs Master of Fine Arts). Many of the students were graphic designers. The idea behind the book art centre was to allow students to do what they want.
While working there as an assistant director, she was in charge of writing the catalogues describing the classes and she wanted to find ways of making the descriptions of the classes more interesting, so she started writing them more creatively and this made her mind think differently. It was around that time she started writing The Time Traveler's Wife.
The idea behind that novel, for her, developed by asking questions. She began to find that her own reality worked its way into the fiction, for example one of the characters in the book is a paper-making artist.
When she sent the manuscript out, it was rejected more than thirty times. Then an independent press picked it up and published it. At the time, that independent press MacAdam/Cage only had 14 employees. The novel has since sold 7 million copies and has been translated into many different languages, and of course there is now a film.
She found that the success of that book allowed her the freedom to experiment with other publishing. Her first book picture book, that had been initially rejected, was then picked up by Abrams and has sold well.
Audrey stated that the reach she now has, due to the success of that one book, has created opportunity. Her current project is a fairy tale that has been made into a ballet, Raven Girl.
The whole nature of publishing has changed since she first published The Time Traveller's Wife. She explained how when she signed the contract, the concept of e-book rights wasn't even considered, so she found she still owned all the rights. She didn't publish it in e-book for quite a while, wanting to wait for the right moment.
A great influence on Audrey has been her agent, Joe Regal. In 2011, he started a company called Zola Books, named for the writer Émile Zola. Audrey helped Joe set up the company. The idea behind it is that e-books could and should be better. The idea is also to bring the community together through social networking and partnering with independent bookshops and authors.
For The Time Traveller's Wife e-book, she is writing a sequel to go with it.
Audrey says that things that succeed are: "Useful, beautiful, friendly, and make themselves available to you." These are the ideas behind book production on Zola Books. She mentioned that there is an idea to make e-books available on 5 devices so that you can register on the site and move your e-book to any of your reading devices.
She believes that distribution is the most important thing when it comes to e-books.
She recommended a book, "The Gift" which is a study of creativity.
She says that she believes creativity has to be somewhere people can interact with it. She pointed at fan fiction as one of the most active ways this is happening lately, with readers becoming writers and back again.
In her book that is now a ballet, she has an idea to include sound and animation that would be an extension of the text. Although, she did say that she finds it distracting to listen to music with lyrics when she's writing. I do too. I know that there are some writers that can write and listen to songs at the same time, though.
Audrey's experience in the publishing industry is a good example of how much has changed, and at quite a rapid rate, over the past twenty years or so. What Audrey's students were once doing in the paper arts centre is now being done on computers and in digital form for e-books. Despite all the changes, she says that in the publishing world everyone depends on everyone else, and she doesn't see e-books as a challenge to paperbacks.
Audrey's speech affirmed to me some things that I already knew about the publishing world and writers in general, but it was good to hear it from a multi-million bestselling author. She has her feet firmly on the ground even after all her success, and I believe that is because she had to work hard to become successful and didn't quit.
**************************************************************************************
In the coming weeks I am going to be sharing some of the highlights of the conference with you, and also my thoughts on the event.
I'm hoping the series of blogs will be useful to writers and readers.
*******************************************************************************************
The first speaker at the event was Audrey Niffenegger, author of The Time Traveler's Wife.
I found her speech interesting and inspirational.
Audrey is a visual artist as well as a writer. She said most people's reactions in the publishing industry to the way the digital age is developing is "jumpy and alarmed".
The backdrop for her speech were various slides based on the history of typography and how the letters of the alphabet developed over the years and in different languages. I think she said the pictures were from Meggs' History of Graphic Design.
Audrey Niffenegger was trained as a visual artist and she said that the way she thinks of a book is in terms of putting images and words together. She was 40 when she wrote her first novel.
When she trained as an artist, she said it was all about expressing ideas, not going with the flow, not following trends, breaking new ground. She was inspired by Aubrey Beardley.
In Niffenegger's last two years at art school she wrote a book that was mostly pictures with a bit of text, The Adventuress. When she graduated she tried to get it published but it was rejected because it was too original and different. She went on to show it at an art gallery and sold a few copies.
14 years later she wrote another illustrated book, The Three Incestuous Sisters and sold only a few copies. In the process of doing that, she got involved with other people doing conceptual books. She and a group of other book artists, papermakers, and designers founded a new book arts centre, the Columbia College Chicago Center for Book and Paper Arts. The idea was to tie in art with computer, sound, film, video, interdisciplinary arts.
Tn 1994 they started offering classes and a couple of years later graduate dregrees (MFAs Master of Fine Arts). Many of the students were graphic designers. The idea behind the book art centre was to allow students to do what they want.
While working there as an assistant director, she was in charge of writing the catalogues describing the classes and she wanted to find ways of making the descriptions of the classes more interesting, so she started writing them more creatively and this made her mind think differently. It was around that time she started writing The Time Traveler's Wife.
The idea behind that novel, for her, developed by asking questions. She began to find that her own reality worked its way into the fiction, for example one of the characters in the book is a paper-making artist.
When she sent the manuscript out, it was rejected more than thirty times. Then an independent press picked it up and published it. At the time, that independent press MacAdam/Cage only had 14 employees. The novel has since sold 7 million copies and has been translated into many different languages, and of course there is now a film.
She found that the success of that book allowed her the freedom to experiment with other publishing. Her first book picture book, that had been initially rejected, was then picked up by Abrams and has sold well.
Audrey stated that the reach she now has, due to the success of that one book, has created opportunity. Her current project is a fairy tale that has been made into a ballet, Raven Girl.
The whole nature of publishing has changed since she first published The Time Traveller's Wife. She explained how when she signed the contract, the concept of e-book rights wasn't even considered, so she found she still owned all the rights. She didn't publish it in e-book for quite a while, wanting to wait for the right moment.
A great influence on Audrey has been her agent, Joe Regal. In 2011, he started a company called Zola Books, named for the writer Émile Zola. Audrey helped Joe set up the company. The idea behind it is that e-books could and should be better. The idea is also to bring the community together through social networking and partnering with independent bookshops and authors.
For The Time Traveller's Wife e-book, she is writing a sequel to go with it.
Audrey says that things that succeed are: "Useful, beautiful, friendly, and make themselves available to you." These are the ideas behind book production on Zola Books. She mentioned that there is an idea to make e-books available on 5 devices so that you can register on the site and move your e-book to any of your reading devices.
She believes that distribution is the most important thing when it comes to e-books.
She recommended a book, "The Gift" which is a study of creativity.
She says that she believes creativity has to be somewhere people can interact with it. She pointed at fan fiction as one of the most active ways this is happening lately, with readers becoming writers and back again.
In her book that is now a ballet, she has an idea to include sound and animation that would be an extension of the text. Although, she did say that she finds it distracting to listen to music with lyrics when she's writing. I do too. I know that there are some writers that can write and listen to songs at the same time, though.
Audrey's experience in the publishing industry is a good example of how much has changed, and at quite a rapid rate, over the past twenty years or so. What Audrey's students were once doing in the paper arts centre is now being done on computers and in digital form for e-books. Despite all the changes, she says that in the publishing world everyone depends on everyone else, and she doesn't see e-books as a challenge to paperbacks.
Audrey's speech affirmed to me some things that I already knew about the publishing world and writers in general, but it was good to hear it from a multi-million bestselling author. She has her feet firmly on the ground even after all her success, and I believe that is because she had to work hard to become successful and didn't quit.
**************************************************************************************
Halloween Reads
It's nearly Halloween.
I've always loved a good ghost story. It might have something to do with the fact that I grew up in a haunted house. Many of my novels and stories have some elements of paranormal in them, probably for the same reason.
Open Culture posted a blog today about horror author H.P. Lovecraft's books. You can get his complete works free, either as an e-book or audiobook. Follow the link to find our more: http://www.openculture.com/2014/10/h-...
Reading that blog got me thinking about what books I could recommend as Halloween reads.
Here are a few suggestions:
Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger.
From the bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved absolutely everything about this book. It's definitely spooky, and there are ghosts in it. I'd say this is a more or less perfect Halloween read. It's great for those who don't really like gory books. It's also quite light-hearted in parts even though the theme is dark and disturbing.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...
Legend of the Pumpkin King by J. Michael Radcliffe.
If you like fantasy tales, J. Michael Radcliffe is a master of the genre; this is a nice little story. It's part fantasy and part horror. It will definitely get you in the mood for Halloween.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Pumpkin-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Pumpki...
Dying Embers, by M.R. Cosby.
This is a book of dark and strange tales with ghosts that turn up often as memories from the past. It's an ideal read to put you in the frame of mind for the spooky goings-on at Halloween. The characters will lead you down very dark and ghostly paths.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Embers-M-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dying-Embers-...
The Other Room and
Falling Over by James Everington.
I couldn't decide between James Everington's two brilliant collections. These contain horror, paranormal, and all things twisted. He has some other books that are also dark and highly recommended. These stories definitely challenge our perception of reality and are just right for this spine-chilling season.
The Other Room:
Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/Other-Room-Jame...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Room-Ja...
Falling Over:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Over-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Over-...
While we're on the subject of horror, you could try 13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell, if you want to be shocked and scared. This is a perfectly crafted horror story that will send shivers down your spine.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/13-Julie-Elizab...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-Julie-Eliz...
If you want ghosts in your Halloween read, but would prefer a book that will also make you laugh, you should check out Into The Light, by Darcia Helle and Horse Latitudes, by Quentin R. Bufogle.
Into The Light is the story of a ghost who is trying to help to solve his own murder. It will definitely add an element of fun to your Halloween.
Horse Latitudes features a ghost who helps the main character make an important decision. It's a book that will definitely make you laugh out loud.
--------------------------
I've seen lots authors promoting special Halloween stories or posting on Twitter about their books that would make great Halloween reads, so below is a list I have compiled from those promotions. I haven't read any of the books listed below, but they all sound great and will be added to my never-ending TBR list!
Shadow the Ghost Dog by J T Therrien
(Children' fiction)
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Ghost-Do...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Ghost-...
Sad I Am, by Regina Puckett
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N99F1K8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N99F1K8/
Dark Before Dawn, by Stacy Juba
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Before-Daw...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Before-D...
-----------------------
Talented author, Justin Bog has been posting chapters from his current work in progress since May this year, on his blog. It's a horror story called The Play (The Queen’s Idle Fancy). Having read both of Justin's published works I know this must be good. I haven't found time to read any of it yet! Seems like the ideal time of year to start. The first part is here: http://justinbog.com/new-horror-ficti... and you can follow the story on his blog.
-------------------------------
As I mentioned at the start of this post, some of my novels and stories have elements of paranormal in them. The Dream and Haunted both feature ghosts. There are also ghost stories included in my short story collections Fusion and 3.
The new novel I'm working on also features a ghost, but probably won't be released until Halloween next year!
Haunted:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Maria-S...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunted-Maria...
"3":
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/3-Maria-Savva-e...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-Maria-Savva...
The Dream:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Maria-Sav...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Maria-S...
Fusion:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fusion-Maria-Sa...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fusion-Maria-...
-----------------------------------
I hope you find something from the above suggestions to help make your Halloween more spooky! Whatever you're planning, have fun and stay safe!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
I've always loved a good ghost story. It might have something to do with the fact that I grew up in a haunted house. Many of my novels and stories have some elements of paranormal in them, probably for the same reason.
Open Culture posted a blog today about horror author H.P. Lovecraft's books. You can get his complete works free, either as an e-book or audiobook. Follow the link to find our more: http://www.openculture.com/2014/10/h-...
Reading that blog got me thinking about what books I could recommend as Halloween reads.
Here are a few suggestions:
Her Fearful Symmetry, by Audrey Niffenegger.
From the bestselling author of The Time Traveler's Wife. I loved absolutely everything about this book. It's definitely spooky, and there are ghosts in it. I'd say this is a more or less perfect Halloween read. It's great for those who don't really like gory books. It's also quite light-hearted in parts even though the theme is dark and disturbing.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...
Legend of the Pumpkin King by J. Michael Radcliffe.
If you like fantasy tales, J. Michael Radcliffe is a master of the genre; this is a nice little story. It's part fantasy and part horror. It will definitely get you in the mood for Halloween.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Legend-Pumpkin-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Legend-Pumpki...
Dying Embers, by M.R. Cosby.
This is a book of dark and strange tales with ghosts that turn up often as memories from the past. It's an ideal read to put you in the frame of mind for the spooky goings-on at Halloween. The characters will lead you down very dark and ghostly paths.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dying-Embers-M-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dying-Embers-...
The Other Room and
Falling Over by James Everington.
I couldn't decide between James Everington's two brilliant collections. These contain horror, paranormal, and all things twisted. He has some other books that are also dark and highly recommended. These stories definitely challenge our perception of reality and are just right for this spine-chilling season.
The Other Room:
Amazon US:http://www.amazon.com/Other-Room-Jame...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Other-Room-Ja...
Falling Over:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Falling-Over-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Falling-Over-...
While we're on the subject of horror, you could try 13, by Julie Elizabeth Powell, if you want to be shocked and scared. This is a perfectly crafted horror story that will send shivers down your spine.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/13-Julie-Elizab...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/13-Julie-Eliz...
If you want ghosts in your Halloween read, but would prefer a book that will also make you laugh, you should check out Into The Light, by Darcia Helle and Horse Latitudes, by Quentin R. Bufogle.
Into The Light is the story of a ghost who is trying to help to solve his own murder. It will definitely add an element of fun to your Halloween.
Horse Latitudes features a ghost who helps the main character make an important decision. It's a book that will definitely make you laugh out loud.
--------------------------
I've seen lots authors promoting special Halloween stories or posting on Twitter about their books that would make great Halloween reads, so below is a list I have compiled from those promotions. I haven't read any of the books listed below, but they all sound great and will be added to my never-ending TBR list!
Shadow the Ghost Dog by J T Therrien
(Children' fiction)
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Shadow-Ghost-Do...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shadow-Ghost-...
Sad I Am, by Regina Puckett
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00N99F1K8/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00N99F1K8/
Dark Before Dawn, by Stacy Juba
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dark-Before-Daw...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Before-D...
-----------------------
Talented author, Justin Bog has been posting chapters from his current work in progress since May this year, on his blog. It's a horror story called The Play (The Queen’s Idle Fancy). Having read both of Justin's published works I know this must be good. I haven't found time to read any of it yet! Seems like the ideal time of year to start. The first part is here: http://justinbog.com/new-horror-ficti... and you can follow the story on his blog.
-------------------------------
As I mentioned at the start of this post, some of my novels and stories have elements of paranormal in them. The Dream and Haunted both feature ghosts. There are also ghost stories included in my short story collections Fusion and 3.
The new novel I'm working on also features a ghost, but probably won't be released until Halloween next year!
Haunted:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Maria-S...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Haunted-Maria...
"3":
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/3-Maria-Savva-e...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/3-Maria-Savva...
The Dream:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dream-Maria-Sav...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dream-Maria-S...
Fusion:
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fusion-Maria-Sa...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fusion-Maria-...
-----------------------------------
I hope you find something from the above suggestions to help make your Halloween more spooky! Whatever you're planning, have fun and stay safe!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
My Top Ten Reads of 2014
It's the time of year when we reflect on the past 12 months. I've read lots of great books this year, so I thought I'd choose my top ten. It wasn't easy to pick just ten!
Here they are, in no particular order:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
A wonderful fantasy tale, with lots of great imagery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-at-End-La...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ocean-at-End-...
#######
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
A chilling and entertaining ghost story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...
#######
Welsh Love Story by Clive Pearce
A hilarious love story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Flew-Over-Dodos...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flew-Over-Dod...
#######
Mystical High by Lisette Brodey
An intriguing paranormal mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MYSTICAL-HIGH...
#######
Playmates by Jess C. Scott
A wonderfully edgy psychological thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Playmates-Wilde...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playmates-Wil...
#######
Love & The Goddess by Mary E. Coen
An inspirational, captivating read.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Goddess-Ma...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Goddess-...
#######
Doppelganger by Geoffrey David West
An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Doppelganger-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doppelganger-...
#######
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale by Jay Finn
An engrossing fantasy adventure.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fastian-Edgewei...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fastian-Edgew...
#######
Dirty Business by Julie Elizabeth Powell
A dark and intriguing murder mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Business-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Busines...
#######
The Silence of Juliet Mann by Joanne Phillips
A heartwarming story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Silence-Juliet-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silence-Julie...
Here they are, in no particular order:
The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
A wonderful fantasy tale, with lots of great imagery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Ocean-at-End-La...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ocean-at-End-...
#######
Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger
A chilling and entertaining ghost story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Fearful-S...
#######
Welsh Love Story by Clive Pearce
A hilarious love story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Flew-Over-Dodos...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Flew-Over-Dod...
#######
Mystical High by Lisette Brodey
An intriguing paranormal mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/MYSTICAL-HIGH-D...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/MYSTICAL-HIGH...
#######
Playmates by Jess C. Scott
A wonderfully edgy psychological thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Playmates-Wilde...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Playmates-Wil...
#######
Love & The Goddess by Mary E. Coen
An inspirational, captivating read.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Goddess-Ma...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Love-Goddess-...
#######
Doppelganger by Geoffrey David West
An edge-of-your-seat crime thriller.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Doppelganger-Ja...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Doppelganger-...
#######
Fastian: An Edgeweir Tale by Jay Finn
An engrossing fantasy adventure.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Fastian-Edgewei...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fastian-Edgew...
#######
Dirty Business by Julie Elizabeth Powell
A dark and intriguing murder mystery.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Dirty-Business-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dirty-Busines...
#######
The Silence of Juliet Mann by Joanne Phillips
A heartwarming story.
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Silence-Juliet-...
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Silence-Julie...
Recommended Reads for 2015
I've seen lots of blog posts lately about people setting reading challenges for themselves, and people making lists of books they want to read in 2015.
I don't tend to plan ahead with my reading, my choices are more random. It can be anything from seeing a book that catches my eye and downloading it onto my Kindle (impulse reading!), to my favourite author releasing their next book. I also do a lot of beta reading for my author friends and get to read many great books in advance (one of the perks of the job).
I don't have my own list of books that I want to read in 2015; that will happen spontaneously, as and when I come across books released throughout the year.
For those of you who are more organised and like to plan, I thought it would be nice to make a list of some books I would suggest you read in 2015. These are all books that I have enjoyed reading and would recommend to everyone!
Rock'n'Roll Suicide
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/RocknRoll-Suici...
The whole of the Jack Lockwood Mystery series by Geoffrey David West is highly recommended. You should start with the first book in the series, and I'm sure you'll want to read the rest of them!
You Wish...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/You-Wish-Terry-...
Any book by Terry Tyler is worth reading, if the ones I've read are anything to go by, but I'm recommending "You Wish" because it was the first one of her books I read and I fell in love with it. If I have any plans for reading at all this year it's to try to find time to read more of her books.
The Cutting Edge
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-Da...
I've read most of Darcia Helle's books and they are all fantastic. It's hard to pick just one to recommend, but I'm going to choose "The Cutting Edge" because it's definitely one of my favourites.
The Guardian's Apprentice
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Appre...
The whole of the Beyond the Veil series by J. Michael Radcliffe is brilliant. You should start with book 1, "The Guardian's Apprentice". A real treat for fantasy fans.
Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity Missive One
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Henry-Dar...
Julie Elizabeth Powell is another one of my favourite authors. I always enjoy her books. I'm recommending her latest book, which is only a short story, but it is a fabulous example of how imaginative Julie Elizabeth Powell is as a writer. Also, she's writing more books in this series, so that's something to look forward to!
Northern Whispers
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Whispe...
I'd recommend Helle Gade's books to you whether you're a fan of poetry or not. Before reading her work, I wasn't really interested in reading poetry. Helle Gade's poetry is full of passion and heartfelt imagery. It really makes you think and evokes a myriad of emotions. She's also a talented photographer and her books include photos that accompany each of the verses.
Love & The Goddess
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Goddess-Ma...
This is a wonderfully inspirational story that many will be able to relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed it.Mary Elizabeth Coen is definitely an author to look out for.
Horse Latitudes
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Latitudes...
I had to recommend this book because it's one of my all time favourites, full of laugh out loud humour and insightful observations. I also wanted to list it here because I've just had the pleasure of beta reading Quentin R. Bufogle's new novel, which is excellent. I'm not sure when the new novel will be out, but you should keep your eyes peeled because you won't want to miss it!
Her Fearful Symmetry
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
This was a book that I read and didn't want it to end. I really loved the quirky characters and the twists and turns in the story.
Squalor, New Mexico
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/SQUALOR-NEW-MEX...
I have read most of Lisette Brodey's books and really enjoyed them all. I could pick any one of them to recommend. I'm picking "Squalor, New Mexico" because it's a great example of the author's ability to create realistic characters that everyone can relate to.
The Bone Cradle
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Cradle-C-E...
This is written for children but it's one of those books that can be enjoyed by all ages. It's a real page-turner by a talented author. The sequel, Grey Amber, is just as wonderful as well.
I'm going to stop there, but if you want some more recommendations, take a look at my book list here on Goodreads and you'll see all the books I've read and reviewed.
Happy Reading!
I don't tend to plan ahead with my reading, my choices are more random. It can be anything from seeing a book that catches my eye and downloading it onto my Kindle (impulse reading!), to my favourite author releasing their next book. I also do a lot of beta reading for my author friends and get to read many great books in advance (one of the perks of the job).
I don't have my own list of books that I want to read in 2015; that will happen spontaneously, as and when I come across books released throughout the year.
For those of you who are more organised and like to plan, I thought it would be nice to make a list of some books I would suggest you read in 2015. These are all books that I have enjoyed reading and would recommend to everyone!
Rock'n'Roll Suicide
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/RocknRoll-Suici...
The whole of the Jack Lockwood Mystery series by Geoffrey David West is highly recommended. You should start with the first book in the series, and I'm sure you'll want to read the rest of them!
You Wish...
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/You-Wish-Terry-...
Any book by Terry Tyler is worth reading, if the ones I've read are anything to go by, but I'm recommending "You Wish" because it was the first one of her books I read and I fell in love with it. If I have any plans for reading at all this year it's to try to find time to read more of her books.
The Cutting Edge
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Cutting-Edge-Da...
I've read most of Darcia Helle's books and they are all fantastic. It's hard to pick just one to recommend, but I'm going to choose "The Cutting Edge" because it's definitely one of my favourites.
The Guardian's Apprentice
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Appre...
The whole of the Beyond the Veil series by J. Michael Radcliffe is brilliant. You should start with book 1, "The Guardian's Apprentice". A real treat for fantasy fans.
Weird: A Henry Ian Darling Oddity Missive One
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Weird-Henry-Dar...
Julie Elizabeth Powell is another one of my favourite authors. I always enjoy her books. I'm recommending her latest book, which is only a short story, but it is a fabulous example of how imaginative Julie Elizabeth Powell is as a writer. Also, she's writing more books in this series, so that's something to look forward to!
Northern Whispers
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Northern-Whispe...
I'd recommend Helle Gade's books to you whether you're a fan of poetry or not. Before reading her work, I wasn't really interested in reading poetry. Helle Gade's poetry is full of passion and heartfelt imagery. It really makes you think and evokes a myriad of emotions. She's also a talented photographer and her books include photos that accompany each of the verses.
Love & The Goddess
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Love-Goddess-Ma...
This is a wonderfully inspirational story that many will be able to relate to. I thoroughly enjoyed it.Mary Elizabeth Coen is definitely an author to look out for.
Horse Latitudes
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Horse-Latitudes...
I had to recommend this book because it's one of my all time favourites, full of laugh out loud humour and insightful observations. I also wanted to list it here because I've just had the pleasure of beta reading Quentin R. Bufogle's new novel, which is excellent. I'm not sure when the new novel will be out, but you should keep your eyes peeled because you won't want to miss it!
Her Fearful Symmetry
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Her-Fearful-Sym...
This was a book that I read and didn't want it to end. I really loved the quirky characters and the twists and turns in the story.
Squalor, New Mexico
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/SQUALOR-NEW-MEX...
I have read most of Lisette Brodey's books and really enjoyed them all. I could pick any one of them to recommend. I'm picking "Squalor, New Mexico" because it's a great example of the author's ability to create realistic characters that everyone can relate to.
The Bone Cradle
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Bone-Cradle-C-E...
This is written for children but it's one of those books that can be enjoyed by all ages. It's a real page-turner by a talented author. The sequel, Grey Amber, is just as wonderful as well.
I'm going to stop there, but if you want some more recommendations, take a look at my book list here on Goodreads and you'll see all the books I've read and reviewed.
Happy Reading!
