The Underrated Authors Project 2013 discussion

If you are a new author and want to talk about your work, feel free to post here :)

Hi I'm a new author, with one book just published by Capercaillie Books (Edinburgh).

The Historical Fiction Winner in the 2011 Harper Collins People's Novelist Competition and judged 'outstanding' by Jeffrey Archer and 'incredibly evocative' by Anne O'Brien, it is set in 16th century Scotland: the story of a fictional family trapped in a (real-life) long running vendetta between warring clans. It focuses on the pressures and dilemmas that living within conflict imposes on family, on relationships and on personal integrity, and though rooted in the 16th c. has many parallels in our 21st c world.

I was born in Ulster and grew up there at the height of the 'Troubles' which may explain my interest in the effects of conflict, but now live in the Scottish Borders. I'm currently juggling writing the sequel with trying to engage with folk online in order to get the word about the book out - which seems to be both time-consuming and difficult - finding a balance is tricky...

I'm looking forward to meeting others here.

Margaret

The London Magazine wrote: "If you are a new author and want to talk about your work, feel free to post here :)"

I've started the ball rolling - hope my post was appropriate content and length-wise.

Thank you for posting, Margaret. What a great start to this thread! :) I have downloaded a sample of it for my kindle, will have a read of that later!

I'm a new author with one book out, COSMIC SHIFT, a Middle Grade Fantasy and a book due to come out next month, BONE WEARY, an adult cozy mystery.

I have a great deal to learn and love talking to other authors. I had my first book signing at our local library last week. It went well.

I've found that actually having a product opens up a whole new set of learning that isn't taught in classes. I'm only at the beginning of my journey and having a lot of fun.

Welcome C.I.

Do newish authors count? My second novel One Hot Summer came out at the end of last year.

I'm currently trying to write another but it seems like an uphill struggle at the moment!

Ian wrote: "Do newish authors count? My second novel One Hot Summer came out at the end of last year.

I'm currently trying to write another but it seems like an uphill struggle at the moment!"

I can empathize with the uphill struggle bit - I'm 1/2 way through sequel to Book 1 and it is so much harder than the first book - then I was writing basically for me, now I have readers who enjoyed the first one to consider...

Hello I'm David and an author.It sounds like someone doing group therapy for addictions doesn't it.It was kind of someone to invite me to this group but I found the title misleading. Was it to be a group about underrated authors started in 2013 or underrated authors of 2013? I'm obviously underrated by the Universe but I haven't any 2013 books to complain about.
I write in that most disregarded of genres Humour and currently have 3 books out. I have been compared to Herriot to PG Wodehouse and even Candide. I'm still paying the bill for those comparisons or I might have been compared to someone no-one ever heard of like Lord David Prosser. Links to my books here.
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_nos...

Margaret wrote: "I was writing basically for me, now I have readers who enjoyed the first one to consider..."


Exactly, especially if you're using the same characters. There's that whole thing of how much do you refer to events in the first book without alienating people who haven't read it.

Ian wrote: "Margaret wrote: "I was writing basically for me, now I have readers who enjoyed the first one to consider..."


Exactly, especially if you're using the same characters. There's that whole thing of ..."

And even worse - will the readers who rooted for characters in first book like what I've done with them in next book - I still haven't forgiven LM Alcott for not letting Jo marry Laurie (and I first read Little Women aeons ago)

I'm an American poet who moved to London in 2011. My short book (pamphlet/chapbook) came out in the US that year, and I'm pleased to say that a new short book starts shipping on Monday from the English-language press at the University of Salzburg (Poetry Salzburg). It is called The Silence Teacher.

I also edited a special issue of a literary journal in the US called Silk Road Review, wherein I featured some up-and-coming British poets. That comes out in Spring. And I wrote this piece on British poets to watch for The Huffington Post. So I'm always on the lookout for new poets to read and write about, especially those deserving of more attention.

Hello everyone. My name is Charles Dodd White and I'm largely classified as an Appalachian writer, though I think that's splitting hairs because all regionalists are simply striving to tell universal stories in a readily accessible way. I've written a couple of books published by small presses, the novel, Lambs of Men and the story collection, Sinners of Sanction County: Stories. Critics have often compared my work to William Gay, Ron Rash, Donald Ray Pollock, and Cormac McCarthy. I also keep a blog at www.charlesdoddwhite.me that features reviews and short essays on writing craft. Thanks for inviting me to the group.

Thank you for everyone who is getting involved!
Ian- newish do count :)good luck with writing!
Lord- the title is more to imply that it's meant to be about very current authors, mainly about books that have just been released or are going to be out soon. I'm not too strict about this, though.
Robert- I am actually going to create a specific poetry thread so that it doesn't get forgotten about! :)

Hello, my name is Marti Verlander, but I write fiction under my maiden name, Martha Gilstrap. I write Fantasy, and my first book, ELEGY: THE BLACK DIAMOND, was published in December. My second should be out this month: A SPRIG OF ADVENTURE. I hope to have 1-2 more published this year, too--books with a completed first draft.ELEGY is available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Smashwords.

ELEGY is the story of gemsman Shay Bladen, who is betrayed by someone close to him and must flee the city of his birth. The only thing he still has is a battleaxe created from a single black diamond--and an ancient note inviting him to the bloodstone pillars in the Crystal Mountains to learn the secrets of the impossible axe. It's a lure he can't resist, even though pursued by the former assassin who covets the axe enough to manipulate Shay's betrayer.

SPRIG is a little man over a hundred years old--healer, explorer, debunker, and the most curious man I've ever met. He travels the unpredictable and magical Slipaway Trail all over his world, learning everything he can. This book contains his journal entries for those excursions.

Robert- I am actually going to create a specific poetry thread so that it doesn't get forgotten about! :)

Great, thanks. Looking forward to that.

Hello everyone! I'm happy to meet you! Thanks for invite to this group! My name is Debbie Peterson and I write paranormal romance/fantasy (pg-13, just so you know what to expect). I have had two books released during the past year "Spirit of the Rebellion" a ghostly romance involving a present day heroine and the ghost of a murdered Civil War Captain. "Shadow of the Witte Wieven" brings together a 17th century sea captain and a DEA agent via the Bermuda Triangle. Finally "Spirit of the Revolution" another ghostly romance is now available on Kindle, ahead of scheduled release May 31, 2013! Now, having said that, I'm off to check out the other books on this thread!

Hi everyone! Thanks for the invite to this group. My name is Tim Fairchild and my chosen genre is action adventure. My first novel, Zero Point, came after my retirement whereas I finally had the time to do it.

Zero Point came out in the Summer of 2011 and I had no disillusions about how many books were out there in the literary world. Not much happened until I entered the 2012 Clive Cussler Collectors Society's Adventure Writers Competition. Though I didn't win, I was honored to receive one of four Grand Master Finalists awards. It seems to have helped in getting new readers who enjoy my genre. I'm working on the sequel now and hope to release it by year's end. Great to meet you all!

I am a new author who just published his first novel with Create Space. The Shepherd's Crook is a supernatural thriller set in the United States. It is dark and disturbing, according to those who have read it. It is available through amazon at http://www.amazon.com/The-Shepherds-C...

I am Dr Ahmed PHD in linguistics, I worked as an expert of English language in the Ministry of education,I work also as a n external reviewer in naqaae I started writing my new book on figures of speech in the Glorious QuranI love reading books

Hello everyone :)
My name is SKN Hammerstone and I am the author of one book, It is a YA gothic paranormal/ horror novel, the first in its series. It came out about 2 months ago and was described in a review as "The Rift is vivid, ambitious and epic. Fans of supernatural young adult fiction will eat this up!"
The description goes as follows:
Is death really the end? or can people come back... Rachael Taylor has returned from the grave with no memory of who she is or which of the two worlds she exists in is real. In one world she is a teenager living what is considered the normal life. In the other she is tormented night and day in a burning city. When strange creatures start to invade both worlds, she must discover what she is before everything collapses. The Rift is a Young Adult Paranormal/ Horror novel in the series Vessel of Souls. It follows the life of Rachael Taylor and the people and creatures that appear in it.

I admire the effort of this group's founders. I once heard it said that in order to be successful as a writer you need to have talent ... BUT only with you're lucky enough to be discovered. I have been writing since I was 13 years old, published the first time at 17 and I'm now over 60 and still banging away at it.

In an effort to help other new writers, I have developed over the years since we started in 1984, a mainstream publishing company, a specialty publishing company and an online book retailer.

Hi everyone!

My name is Allison Blanchard and I am the author of "Forget Me Not," published in October 2012. I am currently working on the 2nd book in this trilogy, which should be released this year.

"Forget Me Not" is a young adult paranormal romance that Marianne Curley, author of "Old Magic," "Hidden," and "The Guardians of Time Trilogy," called it “...an emotionally-charged, page-turning story!”

Please check out my website, www.allisonblanchard.com to find out my info on my series.

So good to meet you all!

Hi, I'm Marian Lanouette, and mysteries are my genre. My first book If I Fail, A Jake Carrington Mystery was published in Sept 2012 and was followed up with Burn in hell the second book in the series in January 2013. In February 2013, I self-pub a romantic suspense novella As the World Ends.
My website is http://www.marianl.com

Hello! I am Leanna (L.F.) Falconer, from Nevada in the USA. I published my first novel, Hope Flies on Broken Wings, in 2012, the tragic story of a young girl's first love set in a medieval fantasy world. My second novel, (so much different than the first) is Exit Strategy, a dark, adult psychological thriller, released in Jan. 2013. I'm not a slave to genre--I write more for character. Information for both novels can be seen at http://www.outskirtspress.com/hopefli... and both are available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Wings to Redemption

Hello!
My first novel is out and the sequel will be available this June. I best describe it as a fast paced romantic "who-done-it" techno-thriller and I would put an emphasis on 'techno-thriller'. There is some cutting edge computer hacking taking place and the genetically engineered weapons-grade virus is frighteningly real.
I relish all types of feedback from readers and I would certainly like some from this group.
Thanks so much!
Paul Landes
www.PaulHLandes.com

The London Magazine wrote: "Thank you for posting, Margaret. What a great start to this thread! :) I have downloaded a sample of it for my kindle, will have a read of that later!"

Hope you enjoy it, Jessica.

Hello everyone,

My name is Antonello Fiore. I have recently self-published my debut novel, Killer Rumors. The genre of my novel is mystery and thriller. The writing and plot style is a combination of James Patterson and Dan Brown. It includes shorter-length chapters and constant dialogues such as Patterson and religious and Church references such as Brown. I have a Bachelor's Degree in Theology and Religion and I love to read mystery and thriller novels. As a result, I decided to blend my two passions together.

Please take a look at my profile for a synopsis to my novel, Killer Rumors. Thank you for your time. I wish you all the best! Don't stop believing!

Antonello Fiore
Author of, Killer Rumors

This looks like a marvelous read. I have marked it as a "To Read" and I will read it. Thanks!

Hi! My name is Sarahbeth Caplin, and I'm a self-published author of two books, Confessions of a Prodigal Daughter (a memoir about becoming a Christian after growing up Jewish) and Someone You Already Know (a novel about the influence of rape culture in society). Both are on Amazon in paperback and for Kindle. Currently, I'm working on a new novel about a woman struggling to figure out what it means to be "productively single." I post chapter excerpts on my blog, http://www.sbethcaplin.blogspot.com/. I'm interested in meeting other authors and supporting each others' work!

Hi, I'm Sheila Deeth and I'm the author of Divide by Zero, a novel about a community divided by tragedy and reunited by the wisdom of a small boy. My Five-Minute Bible Story Series is epublished by Cape Arago Press and my spiritual speculative novellas are epublished by Gypsy Shadow publishing. I used to dream of being published, then of having a paperback in a real store. Now I dream of that paperback actually being sold leaving a space on the bookshelf.

Hello everybody!
I'm an Italian writer and I have only one ebook translated in English and it's a book for kids: "The Bewitched Theatre"
www.goodreads.com/book/show/17161052-...
My other ebooks are in Italian, if you want to know them you can enter in my profile: www.goodreads.com/author/show/6542257...
thanks and bye

Thanks :)

Hi There,
My name is Pierre Blundell the author of Anton The Birth, this is my first book. It was exciting for me to write this book as it unleashed an unknown passion, it was a means to escape reality and jump into the main characters shoe's and lead a totally different short term life, with my uncontrollable inmagination steering me to a whole new existance beyoud our boundaries.

Good Evening,
My name is Anita Lewis and I am one of the co-authors of a book called Fluffy, Funny ,and Fabulous: A Tale of Five Sisters www.thefivesisters.net

Our book is about growing up in a small town, the antics of five sisters, and eventually having to deal with the death of our parents and realizing that as sisters we are better together than each of us are individually. The book is full of humor and some touching moments but stories that anyone can relate to.

www.thefivesisters.net
www.facebook.fluffy,funny,andfabulous
www.ourfanaticalfam.blogspot.com

Nice to meet all of you and love hearing your stories.

Ciao!
My first novel, JACK OF HEARTS, was released in 2012. The protagonist is a small, intellectual Italian dog named Shimoni who discovers his master is having an affair. Mayhem ensues in Rome and Tuscany, alike, as the dog digs up a way to keep his people together and his privileged life intact. The novel was written during the time I lived in Rome and is ripe with food, wine and landscape description. My second novel just landed in the hands of my agent. Midway through a third. Happy to be part of this group!

Hi, My name is Jonathan Jones and I'm currently promoting my debut novella, "Vocazione" which is presently available to download for free on Kindle Amazon.

Having been a long term fan of Carol Reed's "The Third Man" I'd always wanted to write something that combined both documentary and analysis with a semi fictional approach to the film and how it's influenced me. When I first moved to Rome five years ago I was immediately struck by the work of Caravaggio and particularly "The Vocation of St Matthew" which on a visual level drew an immediate association for me with "The Third Man."

Vocazione is an offbeat look at two very different works of art that work to tell a more intimate story examining themes of friendship, memory, jealousy and faith.

Hi, I'm Kelly! I'm an Irish New Zealander currently living in Australia and just finishing up my first novel which I hope will be published some time this year! I write YA novels with a fantasy and/or dystopian theme. I like monsters and fairytales and this is reflected in my writing. Nice to meet you all. :)

Hi, I'm Rayne Hall, fantasy and horror author. I'm not sure if I'm eligible for this group, because I'm not a new writer.
I'm new to Goodreads, though. Well, sort of new. I've had an account for some time, but have always found the site overwhelming. Now I want to get to grips with it. Someone suggested joining this group might be a good start.
I'm pretty savvy about writing, publishing, marketing, promotion and all that, and happy to help other authors.
If I shouldn't be here, let me know, and I'll leave quietly. :-)
Rayne

Let me be the first to say I believe you are more than welcome, Rayne. :)

Hello, thank you for the invite to this group. There is so much to do as a new author, especially an Indie Author without a Publicist!! (I am my own publicist, ugh) We are all chief cook and bottle-washer, so to speak. I am a first time author of Just Another Sunday: A Novel and I am exhausted!! But, I love Goodreads. I love my book (I can say that, right?) and am happy to be here.

Hello everyone, so pleased meet new authors (and friends) on this thread.
My debut novel, The First Blast of the Trumpet was released by Knox Robinson Publishing last year in hardback and in March 2013 in paperback. The first of a trilogy (!) it is set in Scotland during the early 16th century, and explores the undocumented life of John Knox. But as Scottish Field (5***** ) writes, 'this is no dour Calvinist slog, but a page-turner from beginning to end', fusing wider themes like the Reformation with the intensely personal story of Elisabeth Hepburn.
Further information and reviews are available here on Goodreads, amazon & Knox Robinson Publishing website.

I share Margaret's concerns about writing Vol 2! So daunting!

Marie wrote: "Hello everyone, so pleased meet new authors (and friends) on this thread.
My debut novel, The First Blast of the Trumpet was released by Knox Robinson Publishing last year in hardback and in March..." I really enjoyed the First Black of the Trumpet. Good luck with volume 2.

Thanks Sheila. And very many thanks for the glowing review you wrote for the First Blast here on Goodreads - made me feel warm inside! :D

Hi Everyone

My name is J B McCauley and although living a glorious existence in Australia, I was born and raised in Walthamstow and lived all my formative years there. I have just released my first novel The King of Sunday Morning through Amazon.

This is not a YA Paranormal or Historical fiction. This is an action/suspense/thriller set in the very modern environment of the current music industry and club scene. It's what I like to call English Gangster-lit. If Guy Ritchie or Ray Winstone were to write a book, this would be it.

It is a work of fiction although the settings are very real. The language is direct and there is plenty of recreational drug use. I suppose you can say it is very sex, drugs and rock n roll.

Anyway I would like to introduce the book to you guys and if anyone thinks they might like a free e-copy for review, hit me up via the usual channels.

Thank you for welcoming me

JB

Hi all,

Just came across this group. I've been a goodreads author since July 2010 and it's great to see new UK writers coming together. I'm an independently published author with Pneuema Springs in the UK and have three books out at the moment. Two are for YA and one is adult mystery humour. I've currently got a giveaway running for 2 eBook copies of one of my YA books so check out my author page to find out more.

Hi folks,

I'm not sure if I really qualify for this group either, as I've been publishing since 2005, but I do feel like m work is underrated (or at least under-read!) My most recent effort is The Fridgularity, a satire that looks at what happens when a fridge becomes self-aware and takes over the Internet. I'm happy to send out ebooks for readers who do reviews here and on Amazon.

My full roster is available on Goodreads too, of course: Mark A. Rayner

Hey y'all!

My name is Michele Mene. I'm originally from Texas, and lived in London for two years to earn a postgraduate degree. I was made aware that London is not the true UK. Don't worry, I watched plenty of Geordie Shore, Made in Chelsea, and The Only Way is Essex to realize I prefer Jane Austen's and the Bronte sisters' versions of England a little bit more.

I've been writing for most of my life, but only recently published my first work. London, I Confess... I'm That Girl is about my experience in London. Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte were used as a means to understand the characters that were met, my experience of online dating, and the awkwardness that can follow when the online ballroom and real life collide unexpectedly.

I hope y'all have a great day! :)

Hi - my name is Arun and my book is called it's a contemporary effort based on our current dystopian world - hope you get time to check it out - cheers Arun
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Corpalism-ebo...
http://www.amazon.com/Corpalism-ebook...

The blurb -
Corpalism is a dark and exciting exploration of a dystopian world – describing a cold and callous future wrought by unchecked corporate greed.

The book is in five parts; the timeline moves back and forth 20 years, using inter connected characters and storylines. Situational humour serves to lighten the mood and the characters range from the cynically evil, through the surprisingly likeable to the positively evangelical.

The first part is a fast-paced thriller that moves in a believable way between fact and fiction, the second part plunges the unsuspecting reader into the strange world of socialite and singer, Delores Grey whilst the third has several characters in a pub arguing various topics from various points of view; the reader being left to decide which is valid. Part four brings all the threads together and the final part is set 20 years in the past and shows how the world came to its ultimate conclusion.

A unique experience – a page turner with a message

My name is Alison Mutch, and I have just published my first novel with Amazon Kindle Direct. It begins in Belfast, where I was born and still live and moves to France, where I aspire to live. In between there are visits to London and Florida. It is a simple story about a young girl setting out to regain a life for herself, but finding she cannot escape the past and so has to deal with it honestly before she can move on.
A sample - or the whole book - can be downloaded from Amazon.
The title is 'Lavender'
Author - Alison Mutch
The ASIN number is B00E4LFMW2