Robin Crumby's Blog
October 11, 2018
New Audiobook of ‘Hurst’ book one now available
Drum roll please…
Thrilled to announce that the new audiobook version of ‘Hurst’, book one in the series, is now live and available to buy from Amazon/Audible. Read by the amazingly talented Bethan Dixon Bate. This is Bethan’s first audiobook (you’d never know though) but she’s done lots of voice-overs for radio, as well as video games and TV – see list below. Her professional bio rightly says that her voice is “Smooth, rich and warm with a gorgeous smokey quality”.
Bethan’s credits include:
SkyTV Ad
Pampers Ad
Haagen Dazs Ad
NSPCC Ad
P&O Ad
Megamix Ad
Fred Olson Ad
Good Earth Ad
Hope you like it. You can download the audiobook now by visiting the following sites:
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October 3, 2018
Hurst: Book One Giveaway – free to download until Oct 6th
Spread the word!
Book one in The Hurst Chronicles series is FREE to download on Amazon until Oct 6th.
About Hurst: book one
What would you do to survive during an outbreak? Where would you go? Where would you be safe?
At the end of the world, surrounded by the tidal waters of the Solent, the survivors of a pandemic flu virus hide behind the high walls of a Tudor fortress. Scraping a living far away from the smoking ruins of the cities, they wait in hope.
Hurst Castle stands alone. Its seventy-four occupants united in a struggle for survival against all the odds. The Millennial Virus is the least of their concerns.
When the arrival of outsiders threatens to tip the balance of power, the people of Hurst are faced with a desperate choice: set aside their differences and join an alliance that promises new hope or unite against the newcomers and their plans for reconstruction. Who can be trusted? Only time will tell.
The battle for Hurst has begun.
“An action-packed, disturbing and thought-provoking story of an all-too-possible dystopian future.” – The Book Reviewers
“One of the most original and just flat out interesting and intelligently profound dystopian novels I’ve ever read.” – Indie Book Reviewers
If you enjoy fast-paced, post-apocalyptic stories such as The Day of the Triffids, The Road, Station Eleven, The Stand, and The Atlantis Plague, you’ll love The Hurst Chronicles series.
About the Author
Robin Crumby is the author of The Hurst Chronicles, a post-apocalyptic series set on the south coast of England in the aftermath of a flu pandemic. Since reading John Wyndham’s Day of the Triffids as a child, Robin became fascinated by end of the world dystopian literature and was inspired to start writing by Cormac McCarthy’s The Road and Emily St. John Mandel’s Station Eleven. Why? Because post-apocalyptic fiction fires the imagination like nothing else. Pondering what comes next, who would survive, what would life look like? Much of the best fiction in this popular genre focuses on brain-eating zombies or events unfolding in the USA so Robin determined to write a story set in the UK. His Eureka moment came wandering the shingle beach at Milford-on-sea, inspired by the beauty and rich history of the Solent. Where better to survive the end of the world than a medieval castle surrounded by water? Robin spent much of his childhood messing about in boats, exploring the many waterways, ports and military forts of the Isle of Wight, where The Hurst Chronicles are set.
#bookgiveaway #kdpfree #PostApocalyptic #pandemic #outbreak #spanishflu #virus #vaccine #survivor
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September 25, 2018
Wildfire reviewed in The Lymington Times
Yay! – ‘Wildfire’ was reviewed in this week’s Lymington Times Book Review section (okay it’s not quite THE Times but it ain’t bad!) Thanks New Milton Advertiser & Lymington Times
Want to know more about Wildfire?
An unstoppable virus. Humanity’s last stand has failed.
“Mad Max meets Day of the Triffids”, “Terrifyingly realistic”, “A perfect blend of science fiction, history and social commentary.”
In the aftermath of a devastating flu pandemic, a military-led relief effort is evacuating UK survivors to a mass quarantine zone on the Isle of Wight. In the political and moral vacuum that follows, refugees trade their freedom for food and a fresh start.
Riley and the others from Hurst Castle have relocated to a hotel on the clifftops of Freshwater Bay. To keep her promise she must leave the relative safety of their new home to search for Zed’s daughter on the other side of the island, witnessing first-hand the at-times brutal repression of the civilian population.
Colonel Abrahams’ investigation into the causes of the pandemic leads Zed back to the bio-weapons research facility at Porton Down to interview Ephesus, the archivist with detailed knowledge of Porton’s century-long experiments with chemical and biological agents.
After her kidnap from Osbourne House, Terra remains embedded with Briggs and the rebel group, helpless to stop their attempts to disrupt Allied reconstruction efforts. As more locals rally to the rebel cause, the prospect of civil war seems unavoidable.
If you enjoy fast-paced, post-apocalyptic stories like The Day of the Triffids, The Road, Station Eleven, The Stand, and The Atlantis Gene, you’ll love The Hurst Chronicles series.
Praise for The Hurst Chronicles
“Simply unputdownable! Sentinel is the type of book that draws you in. A fast-paced and thrilling read. Highly recommended.” – Mary’s Bookcase.
“An action-packed, disturbing and thought-provoking story of an all-too-possible dystopian future.” – The Book Reviewers
“One of the most original and just flat out interesting and intelligently profound dystopian novels I’ve ever read.” – Indie Book Reviewers
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September 10, 2018
Wildfire: post-apocalyptic pandemic survivor story
If you enjoy fast-paced, post-apocalyptic survivor stories like The Day of the Triffids, The Road, Station Eleven, The Stand, and The Atlantis Gene, you’ll love The Hurst Chronicles series.
I wanted you to be the first to know that…Wildfire – book three in The Hurst Chronicles series is now exclusively available on Amazon for the soft launch price of $2.99 in the US and £1.99 in the UK. This offer lasts until September 30th, so grab your copy today.
I had a blast writing Wildfire. If it’s half as much fun to read as it was to write, then it’s worth all the effort. Thank you for all the comments from advance readers. Book three is immeasurably better as a result of your suggestions. (Just wait till you hear what Briggs and his band of ex-cons have done this time…)
Early reviews said the following:
“Best book in the series so far… the multiple story lines keep you on your toes”, “more action and intrigue”, “a can’t put down page turner with fast-paced action, twists and turns”, “probably my favourite so far”.
So what can I tell you about Wildfire?
An unstoppable virus. Humanity’s last stand has failed.
“Mad Max meets The Day of the Triffids” “Terrifyingly realistic.” “A perfect blend of science fiction, history and social commentary.”
In the aftermath of a devastating flu pandemic, a military-led relief effort is evacuating UK survivors to a mass quarantine zone on the Isle of Wight. In the political and moral vacuum that follows, refugees trade their freedom for food and a fresh start.
Riley and the others from Hurst Castle have relocated to a hotel on the clifftops of Freshwater Bay. To keep her promise she must leave the relative safety of their new home to search for Zed’s daughter on the other side of the island, witnessing first-hand the at-times brutal repression of the civilian population.
Colonel Abrahams’ investigation into the causes of the pandemic leads Zed back to the bio-weapons research facility at Porton Down to interview Ephesus, the archivist with detailed knowledge of Porton’s century-long experiments with chemical and biological agents.
After her kidnap from Osbourne House, Terra remains embedded with Briggs and the rebel group, helpless to stop their attempts to disrupt Allied reconstruction efforts. As more locals rally to the rebel cause, the prospect of civil war seems unavoidable.
Look forward to hearing what you make of book three.
Happy reading. Grab your copy now for just $2.99 in the US or £1.99 in the UK before September 30th.
Robin.
P.S. If you haven’t already, I’d be really grateful if you can leave an honest review for books one and two on Amazon US or Amazon UK or Goodreads.
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July 14, 2018
July 6, 2017
Sentinel review by Mary Anne Yarde
Big thank you to fellow author Mary Anne Yarde for taking the time to read and review Sentinel.
What did I think of book two in The Hurst Chronicles series?
The Millennial Virus has devastated the world. Governments have fallen, and those who have survived find themselves in an uncertain world, where criminals become leaders and only the strong survive.
The Isle of Wight is virus free, and this has encouraged a tide of refugees who are desperate to reach a place of safety. But the authorities are at breaking point, for they have not the resources for such an influx of displaced people.
If only there was a vaccine. But in the search for one, questions are raised as to how the virus came about in the first place.
Robin Crumby has done it again. I was really looking forward to reading the second in the Hurst Chronicles series and book two did not disappoint. Crumby has created an apocalyptic world that was easy to visualise and incredibly believable. The attention to detail has to be commended. It is very clear that Mr Crumby has done his research and this makes for a realistic read. I also loved the fact that this series is set in the UK when usually such fiction is set in America, this makes for a refreshing change.
Sentinel: A Post-Apocalyptic Thriller (The Hurst Chronicles Book 2) is the type of book that draws you in. There is a compelling cast of characters in this book, and each has their role to play in this fast-paced and thrilling read. It was simply unputadownable.
Although this is book 2 in the series I felt that it would work well as a standalone, however, do yourself a favour and start with book 1.
If you are looking for your next post-apocalyptic thriller that does not involve zombies, then I Highly Recommend, The Hurst Chronicles.
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This book review just made my day
This review of book one just made my day!
“Hurst is fast-paced. Relatable. Relevant. Riveting. The three R’s of an excellent read. 5 stars.” – The Reader’s Review.
First Impression: Dark days of a pandemic apocalypse – this should be good!
Characters: This is an action driven story in the aftermath of a plague, so the characters are appropriately world-weary with a twinge of hope. They are all distinct and unique in my head, which makes them believable.
World Building: Crumby has a knack for painting the scene. From the crumbling castle fortresses to deserted towns, the reader is transported to a bleak future Earth.
Writing Style: Relatable. Relevant. Riveting. The three R’s of an excellent read. From pop culture references to vivid descriptions, Robin Crumby quickly became one of my favorite authors.
What I Enjoyed: Hurst is fast-paced and sometimes even humorous. Levity in dark places is a perfect break for enjoyment. This book has something for everyone.
Deal Benders: It is rare that I can’t find much to improve upon, but honestly cannot think of anything I didn’t care for in Hurst.
Overall Rating: 5 stars, all the stars! Cannot wait to read Hurst Chronicles #2!
For Fans Of: Post-apocalyptic action, suspense, and a little mystery.
Thanks Hope!
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June 22, 2017
Book review: Shetland by Jack Spain
Book review – Shetland by Jack Spain
My rating: An enjoyable 3.5 stars out of 5
“Once upon a time in plague-infested Britain…”
The first sentence says it all. It’s a story seen through the eyes of Karen, a 14-year-old who has been forced to grow up fast following the death of her parents. It has been five years since the outbreak of a deadly plague known as The Loop, so called in that it leaves spiral patterns on its victim’s skin. Karen leads her two young siblings through the wastelands of England, heading north towards Scotland, trying to reach The Shetland Islands, some five hundred miles away.
Living off scraps and tinned food scavenged along the way, the three children are skeletal thin. It quickly becomes clear that this will not be an easy journey. Death is all around them. Danger is never far away. The plague must be eradicated, whatever the costs. The whole of Britain has been turned into a giant quarantine zone policed by helicopter gunships, scanning the ground with infrared technology hunting for the last remaining survivors. The children learn to evade capture and travel unseen, dodging rival survivor groups, mistrusting those they come into contact with.
In many ways, Shetland reminded me of The End of the World Running Club by Adrian J Walker. An apocalyptic event followed by an epic journey where the reader gets to glimpse what remains of a shattered world. There were some shocking moments along the way (no spoilers), perhaps to be expected in a world without rules. The first half slipped along enjoyably, but there were patches where the pace slowed, and it wasn’t clear where the story was heading. But the finale was in many ways unexpected and justified the time investment, leaving aside a few unanswered questions and suspension of disbelief in places. A few other reviews I read of Shetland fixated a lack of descriptive writing and one of two noticeable typos/errors, but if you like a good story and have a decent imagination, then you’ll enjoy this one.
My rating: An enjoyable 3.5 stars out of 5
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June 16, 2017
Author interview with Ellen Appelgren
Which movie stars would play your lead characters? What music inspires you to write? These were just some of the great questions asked by the amazing Ellen Appelgren at It’s Write Now, who does so much to promote indie authors and give them a leg up in building a readership. I first worked with Ellen in 2016 so providing an update on my progress with the launch of book two was great timing all round. You can read the full interview on Ellen’s website.
One of the joys of the author interviews is to see the growth of authors over time. Robin Crumby, who I last spoke to in July 2016 about his novel ‘Hurst’, has returned to chat about ‘Hurst’, how his writing has improved and the release of the second installment in the ‘Hurst Chronicles’. Robin thanks for returning today to share what’s happened on your journey as an author since we last talked.
For those readers who aren’t familiar with the first installment in the ‘Hurst’ series, can you take us back in time to what inspired the development of ‘Hurst’?
Hurst Castle was the inspiration for the book. It’s a beautiful setting, opposite the Needles Rocks and the Isle of Wight, reachable by boat or along a mile of shingle beach. Originally built by King Henry VIII, it’s been updated and modernized over the course of the last five hundred years.
I’m very glad to hear that the place has been modernized over the last five hundred years. Some of those recent inventions like electricity and indoor plumbing really do make a place nice, and I’m sure Henry would have approved. Other than the boon of modern technology, what did you pick to take away from those 500 years of history?
I needed to familiarize myself with Hurst’s five hundred years of history plus the subject of pandemic viruses. It is quite technical so required a lot of background reading.
Technical aspects like the ins-and-outs of virology would require a huge amount of background reading! After you had all of this technical research in hand, how you pick up those nuances of the place that Hurst castle embodies to ensure the thoroughness of the technical side matched the thoroughness of the location?
I spent much of my childhood exploring the various harbours, creeks, and islands around the Solent. It’s an area with so many stories, shipwrecks, and history.
Not only do you have vast quantities technical scientific information, 500 years of historical particulars but within your novel you’ve introduced a sizable cast of characters. How did you keep track of the characters in the midst of all of the other information?
The cast of Hurst is quite a large number of characters and keeping them all in your head is quite a challenge. I tend to have a (movie celebrity) photo of each one together with a summary page so that I can maintain consistency and keep them distinctive.
The idea of character profiles complete with celebrity choices is fantastic. Who are some of the movie stars you’ve already picked?
Tom Hardy for Zed, Natalie Dormer for Riley, Kirsten Dunst for Terra, Jack – I’ve never quite figured out, suggestions welcome.
I think your trouble to find a suitable suggestion for Jack means that you shouldn’t be picking from someone known. You should be picking from off the beaten path. Maybe you need to look outside of the acting profession and find someone from a completely different industry to find who you are looking for. When you started writing, did you find that you designed the characters first through this profiling technique and then insert them into the historical location of Hurst’s castle?
The story came first for me but the characters helped refine and shape it.
While shaping and refining, what central message did you find that developed?
However bleak circumstances may appear, good will prevail and hope springs eternal!
As writing can be a long and tiring process, were there any areas that gave you personal satisfaction and kept the hope springing up within you?
I have always enjoyed reader reviews (good and bad) and people reacting to what you’ve written, engaging with the story or suggesting improvements. The discipline of daily writing also appeals. It’s something I talked about doing for many years and circumstances now allow that to happen. I’ve finally run out of excuses!
*Laughs* When you ran out of excuses and started writing, what was the biggest thing that you learnt?
Writing the story is just the beginning. Publishing the finished version takes a lot of work.
Would you do anything differently around either the writing or publishing processes now you know more?
Give up other projects to focus on writing full time.
Earlier in the interview we mentioned that you’ve just released your latest writing project ‘Sentinel’. This novel is the second installment in the Hurst Chronicles and is available on Amazon for all readers who have already blasted their way through ‘Hurst’. Is ‘Sentinel’ the last installment in the Hurst chronicles, or has there been some progress on a third novel?
Book three in the series out in early 2018.
That’s fantastic news for keen readers who are eager to see where the action will go next! As you’ve now brought two books to market, and have a third in the works, what draws you back to the writing world?
Making up stories is great fun. I have a lot of creative energy and this is a good way to channel that.
Having a lot of creative energy is a great problem to have! Do you try and wrangle that creative energy into a plan or outline before you let all that energy go wild when you start tapping away at your keyboard?
No, I’m a ‘pantser’ so like to write a first draft as someone would read it, discovering where the story takes you. I start with a very rough structure only.
Do you try and expand on that structure daily?
I try and write every day but that doesn’t always happen.
Is music used as a tool to get that writing happening? If so, what’s in your playlists?
Because ‘Hurst’ is quite dark and dystopian, I find it helps to listen to ‘The Cure’, ‘The Cult’, ‘Depeche Mode’, even ‘Siouxsie and the Banshees’ to get me in the mood.
Awesome picks for achieving that dark and dystopian mood. Despite the best efforts of the dark music undertones, do you sometimes outside of that right mood and stuck with writer’s block?
Never had much problem there but you have to be in the mood.
Well, if you haven’t had much of a problem it sounds like the music is doing its job! Is editing a part of the writing job that you try and do yourself?
Yes, generally, I do most of the editing myself until very late stage when I involve professionals.
Outside of involving professionals, how do you improve your self-publishing process?
It takes 10,000 hours to be really good at anything. Practice makes perfect.
It takes 10,000 hours to achieve mastery, I think you’d hit really good quite a bit before then! But more practice should certainly get you closer to that goal of perfection. Have you been able to accelerate goal faster by racking up some of these hours from your day job?
I ran a B2B publishing business for 20 years so have done copywriting, editing, proofreading before so tend to write quite clean first time.
Wow, writing clean the first time is a dream for many authors, and I suspect that you’ve tallied up quite a lot a substantial portion of those 10,000 hours already to be able to do that. Are there any quotes that you like to refer back to keep that fire in your writing dream?
“Never give in. Never give in. Never, never, never, never—in nothing, great or small, large or petty—never give in, except to convictions of honour and good sense. Never yield to force. Never yield to the apparently overwhelming might of the enemy.” Winston S. Churchill
You gotta love Churchill. Are there any philosophies of life that you feel compliment the words of Churchill that you use together to inspire your life?
Always try and do the right thing, but if you can’t, don’t get caught.
*Laughs* Never ever get caught! Robin thanks for sharing a little insight on the ‘Hurst Chronicles’, and I’m sure I’ve joined by many readers who wish you the best of luck getting that third novel published!
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May 13, 2017
Listen to the Hurst audio book sample
I’m working with the immensely talented Bethan Dixon Bate on an audiobook of book one of The Hurst Chronicles.
Early days, but wanted to share the sample.
Let me know what you think.
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