Once again, we have five Mondays in the month, so today, I bring to you a round-up of what’s going on in my writerly world at the moment, including a special offer that’s only here until the end of the month; a wonderful free resource for writers from ALLi – and a chance to help a most worthwhile cause.

Still Being Deceitful

 

I’ve been delighted with the response to the publication of Deception! We had a couple of fun launch parties (hands up who ate too much cake? Just me then?). I’ve had some great feedback and the number of reviews is growing nicely. Huge thanks to those of you who have read and reviewed it. And if you were thinking of reviewing it, but haven’t got around to it yet, it’s never too late. 

Deception! is the second in the series of Suzanne Jones thrillers, set in the sometimes murky world of international pharmaceuticals. It is the follow-up to the prize-winning Counterfeit! You can find it on Amazon or your other preferred distribution channel, by clicking on the link above. I also have signed copies here in the office, which make great presents for the readers in your life. Just give me a shout and I can get one winging its way to you. Signed books make wonderful birthday of Christmas presents for the readers in your life.

Remembering the Russian Revolution

 

One hundred years ago, history was changing very rapidly in Russia. And the events of October 1917 led to the downfall of the Romanovs, the establishment of the Soviet Union and the rise to power of Josef Stalin.

Gorgito’s Ice Rink is set partly in post-Soviet Russia and partly in Stalin’s era. And in commemoration of the historical events of a century ago, you can get a copy of my prize-winning debut novel for just 99p/$0.99 until the end of the month. Find it on Amazon or your preferred distribution channel by clicking the above link now.

Two small boys grieving for lost sisters—torn between family and other loves. Can the fulfilment of one promise make up for the failure to keep an earlier one? A tale of love, loss and broken promises, Gorgito’s Ice Rink tells one man’s story through the eyes of the people whose lives he touched. (Runner-Up in Writing Magazine’s 2015 Self-Published Book of the Year Award).

Chasing Unicorns

 

I want to tell you about another publication I’ve been involved in recently. Last April, a good friend of mine passed away in Rowcroft Hospice, here in Devon. Katy Clarke was an inspiring lady, and a group of her friends from the Writers’ Summer School in Swanwick have put together an anthology of stories in her memory. There is a mix of stories, some for adults, some for children. They focus on the things that Katy held dear, like family, history and music. And, of course, unicorns, which are a special symbol for Katy’s family and friends.

Chasing Unicorns is available NOW both as an ebook and as a paperback. You can find it on Amazon or your other preferred distribution channels. The paperback version is also on Amazon and is currently residing here, but within a few days, it should be in the same place as the ebook. And if you do buy a copy, you will be supporting a very important resource for the community in Devon.

Writers Are Readers Too

 

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. Once again this year, we invested in the Booker shortlist and once again, I failed to read all six in time. In fact, I’ve only read three so far, and that doesn’t include the winner, which I’m looking forward to starting very soon. But that’s mostly because of the mammoth task involved in reading Paul Auster’s wonderful 4 3 2 1. It’s essentially four novels in one, and a magnificent feat of plotting and characterisation. I loved it. If you are a fan of Kate Atkinson’s Life After Life, this will be right up your street. (But a word of warning: if you are going to give it a try, and if, like me, you do most of your reading in bed, you’re going to need the ebook. At 866 pages long, the physical book is a tad heavy.)

ALLi’s Been At It Again

 

Those wonderful people at ALLi (Alliance of Independent Authors) have done it again. Earlier this month, it was the Frankfurt Book Fair, and ALLi ran another of their fringe online events. This one was particularly close to my heart, as the theme is Running An Indie Author Business. And once again, it’s still there, online. Loads of podcasts, presentations and interviews with key members of the independent publishing world; authors who are treating their writing and publishing very much as a business, and are willing to share their knowledge and expertise with the rest of us for free. So, if you are an author who treats your writing as a business, head over to the ALLi blog and start browsing the seminar sessions. They are available to all authors, they are packed with up to date information, and, did I mention, they are completely free? You can find the full list here.

And if you are considering joining ALLi, give me a shout to talk through my experience as a member, or check out the website by clicking here.

It’s That Time Of Year Again

 

For many writers, November means just one thing: NaNoWriMo (or National Novel Writing Month). The annual word fest where we throw caution to the wind, temporarily expel our editing head, and just write: 50,000 words of writing. I’m going to use the exercise to write the first draft of Corruption!, the third in my series of thrillers set in the sometimes murky world of international pharmaceuticals. I’ll let you know how I got on at the beginning of December.