Another month gone by in a flash. September is always a favourite of mine, not least because it was the month I was born. Mind you, last year, we celebrated in style, as I reached one of those significant numbers with a 0 at the end. This year was much quieter (somehow 71 seems considerably older than 70) but we had a group of friends round for an old-fashioned birthday tea of trifle and cake – liberally washed down with lashings of fizz (and I don’t mean ginger beer!). But despite a busy month, there was still time for lots of writerly stuff.
Writing This Month
The final edit of Calamity at Coombesford Church took slightly longer than I’d anticipated, and I was adding extra scenes right up to the last moment. However, it finally went to Julia Gibbs, my wonderful proofreader, early this month and she turned the whole thing around in record time. Then it was a quick burst of formatting and the pre-publication copies went off to my Advance Readers this past weekend. So that’s the writing finished for this one. My mind’s already working hard on the plot for the next novel (or even for the next two), so that’s October taken care of. I’m determined to have a full plan ready when I started writing the first draft in November during NaNoWriMo.
Sales and Marketing
A reminder that Calamity at Coombesford Church is now available to pre-order on Amazon, in ebook form, with a launch date of 17th October. If you would like an invitation to the online launch party on Wednesday 18th October, email me and I will send you the link. The paperback is scheduled for launch mid-November, with a party/signing event in Chudleigh on Saturday 18th November.
As per usual, I will be setting up promos for the first two books in the series in advance of launch date. Murder at Mountjoy Manor will be free for five days early in October, and Villainy at the Village Store will be reduced to 99p/99 cents over the same time period. Keep your eyes open for more details in the next week or so.
I’m also going to be experimenting with some promotions on my earlier books. So if you prefer your crime more gritty than cosy, and you’ve not yet read my thrillers set in the sometimes murky world of international pharmaceuticals, my very special deal on the Jones Sisters collection might be just what you are looking for.
Last month, I noted both ebook sales and page reads had dropped and pondered whether it was a seasonal thing. I’m delighted to report everything has picked up again in September. Maybe everyone’s back from the beach and looking to top up their Kindles.
Out and About
This month saw the South Hams Literary Festival in Ivybridge. Due to other commitments, I was unable to attend many of the events, but I was lucky enough to hear Jane Corry speak on the opening evening about her writing life and her latest novel, Coming To Find You. I’ve heard Jane talk several times about her role as a writer in residence in a prison, and every time, it gives me goosebumps. I also attended a workshop with Lucy Hay on screenwriting tips for novelists (which is responsible for my determination, mentioned above, to be fully plotted in preparation for this year’s NaNoWriMo) and one with Caroline Serpell and Tony Rea on plotting a (fictional) murder. Out of that one has come the plot for the next-but-one cosy. So a most profitable week all round. And well done to the organisers for a great festival.
Last week, I was invited to speak to Down Thomas and Heybrook WI about my time working in Russia; and to Brimley WI about writing cosy crime set in Devon. It was a long while since I done any of these events face to face, and I couldn’t have asked for a better reception. Both groups were very welcoming and appeared to enjoy the talks. One of these days, I will remember to take a picture at these events to share with you.
Coming up in October, all my energies will be concentrating on the book launch. Although, we’re managing to fit in a few days holiday at the same time. More on that next time.
What Have I Been Reading Lately?
My reading this month has been as busy as ever, but for the first time in years, I’ve not got around to writing many reviews. So although I can list what I’ve read, there won’t be any links. Hopefully, normal service will be resumed next month.
Regular readers will know I spend a lot of time reading around the crime genre, whether it’s a police procedural set in one of the countries of the UK; a more gritty story set in LA; or something from the cosy shelf. Every so often, I feel I should widen my horizons and as a result, I have recently joined a local book club. Last month’s featured book was Unless by Carol Shields. Published in 2003, it’s written in the first person, with a main character a writer dealing with a family crisis. I duly read it, and although I found some of it self-indulgent and irritating, some of the observations on the writing community and literary fiction seemed particularly pertinent. In particular, I loved the description of a local writers’ workshops: “for two hours, where we drank coffee and had a good time and deeply appreciated each other’s company…” and the comment on modern literary fiction: “those dabblers in convolution and pretension who wrote without holding the reader in mind…”
As I was unable to make the meeting (I know, not a good way to start my membership) I wrote a page of notes and gave them to a friend to read out for me. I tried to keep all my comments positive, as I assumed most of the group would have enjoyed it. Imagine my surprise to hear that the average score from the group was way below mine. A lesson for the future there, I think. Anyway, here’s my review:
An interesting and enjoyable read, although a bit unbalanced. I loved the start and the last few chapters but found it slow going in the middle. There were some parts I found perceptive, especially relating to her writing, but that’s maybe because I’m also a writer. Not sure it would resonate with non-writers. I loved the sentiments in the letter re dictionaries although I did wonder if she was attributing her own feelings onto Nora. I thought Arthur’s character was great; the most real in the whole book. A great comment on modern literary fiction, but maybe fell into some of the same traps itself.
Elsewhere on the book shelf, I read eight books in the Dr Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths (The Ghost Fields, The Woman in Blue, The Chalk Pit, The Dark Angel, The Stone Circle, The Lantern Men, The Night Hawks and The Lacked Room) . That brings me up to book 14 and the only one left, The Last Remains, is on the book club list for later in the year, so I’m saving that one for later.
I also read The Oath by Patricia M Osborne, a fellow Swanwicker. Very different from my usual crime reading, this is a period drama set in the late nineteenth century with lots of well-researched detail, high levels of romance, and distinct echoes of Downton Abbey. Great fun and a relaxing change for my reading muscles.
