African me & Satellite TV by Jo Robinson

At first I thought this was going to be a light-hearted humorous read as the early chapters indicated, but then it began to turn to more serious issues. This was all done through the eyes of Suzette; her boring life, her boring (to her) husband and her inability to accept what was going on around her - i.e. Racism.

The realisation that she could step out of her cloistered existence and embrace the world she inhabits, and could actually do something to right its wrongs, is the spine that underpins this novel.

I bought this sometime ago and have only just got around to reading it, and like others who reviewed earlier there were some typo issues with my copy. (since posting this review, the author assures me that the book has been completely re-edited) However, it doesn’t alter the fact that this is still a very good book.

The characters are well rounded and the plot well written. I found myself detesting the villains in the saga due to how well they were portrayed. The main character I wanted to give a kick to, to make her see what was in front of her and to get her to do something about it. Fortunately, she does, but the repercussions are not only felt by her.

I would definitely recommend this novel and am looking forward to reading more from this author.


see it here

Middle for diddle

I do archery as a sport, and the other night I was up at our field and shooting away; compound, Bowtech, 53#, carter release aid, ACE’s 28 1/2” for those who want to know. Anyway, there I was playing with my set up, trying the find the right balance, the right technique, the right posture, changing things, fiddling, twiddling, tweaking anything to get me that inch closer to the middle when something occurred to me.

A lot of people try archery, they come up to the field, pick up a bow and think that it’s going to be oh so easy. They put an arrow on the string, pull it back, let it go and watch it fly into the middle of the target.

Yeah, right. In their dreams!

It takes practice, and a certain amount of coaching, and then you move the target back a few metres and it all starts over again. It ain’t easy.

Yes, you do get the naturals who can start off running, but they are few and far between, the vast majority have to be taught.

Some people come up, fire away for ten minutes and think they now know how to shoot. They then go out and buy the best most expensive equipment, without any advice, and think that they are now it; they know it all, they don’t need any more advice and help and they now have the kit to take on all-comers. They are sorely disappointed when they find out that that ain’t the case. They haven’t done the basics, so how the hell they think they can become world champions just because they have the latest and most expensive kit, I just don’t know.

You have to learn and then practise and then learn some more, and then after a good while you find that when you shoot, the arrow goes where you want it to go; and then the really hard work begins, because you are always striving to get that arrow even closer to the middle.

Do you see where I’m going with this?

Marketing is something that needs to be practised, you need to learn and then practise some more. You need to hone your technique, you need to study the best and learn from those who are successful. Certainly in the self-publishing world there are a few who know what they are doing. I try and study them, I try to pick up little snippets of information and then I try to apply what I’ve learnt.

They don’t know it, but they’re coaching me.

 Yes, I’m taking my time because I’m not a natural and I realise this, but I will improve, bit by bit until eventually I can say I know what I’m doing.

I suggest that you all do the same; don’t think that you know it all, because unless you are a natural you ain’t going nowhere.

Listen, read, watch and learn from those who know, use the wealth of information out there because the internet is full of it. You will discard some bits, take note of others, but above all take the time to learn. That’s what I’m trying to do.

The pen is mightier....

I have decided to relent.

After the last few years of bashing away at the computer I’ve decided that picking up pen and paper and scribbling away in my hard to read handwriting is more productive than sitting at the keyboard and hammering away at the digits.

I’ve gone back to writing my writing down by actually writing!

When I first started writing I did so at work. Being in the ambulance service, the wee small hours were then a bit slow for calls, and I hated being woken up and having to rapidly get my brain into gear before careering off down the road to deal with whatever some person decided to do with themselves at that ungodly hour, that I always stayed awake whilst my crew-mate counted the z’s in the next room. I had to write on bits of paper, loose-leaf and stuffed into a battered and ripped A4 beige folder. I used to hide away in the ciggie room in my comfy battered chair and scribble away, making regular forays out to the kitchen for endless cups of tea to sustain me during those strange dark hours.

Technology has its good points, but you can’t beat the good old-fashioned technology.

I reckon people can lose sight of how it feels to actually write down, properly, the prose whizzing around in the mind. I find the flow is easier and more tangible and you don’t highlight and cut with pen and paper, you just write down what you’re thinking, warts and all. There’s a connection that you don’t get with a computer and it’s a bloody sight easier to just pick up a pen and add a line when it suddenly occurs to you.

It’s less of a distraction too. With a computer you’re just a click away from everything, and I mean everything. It’s all too easy to wander off and then find that for the last hour you’ve been scrolling through e-bay or looking at the house you’re going to buy when your latest book hits the best-seller list; the book that you’re not writing because you’re looking at the internet!

Give me a nice fountain pen and a few bits of paper and I’m happy as the pig in the proverbial.

I reckon that’s not a bad thing either!

The old adage applies

The Commonwealth Games have now finished. I must admit I was glued to the telly day in and day out as you could see all the competitors trying their hardest to win that elusive gold medal.

 Did you see the expression on the face of thirteen year old Para-swimmer Erriad Davies who won a bronze medal? Priceless!

 All those athletes, new to the scene, won because many top athletes stayed away. The aspiring athletes gained; the unknowns who competed in front of millions won against expectation and received a media coverage they could only have dreamed of. Sport gained because of it. 

Is there a correlation with writing?

 Yep there is. You see, all those athletes trained hard in an attempt to make it onto the world stage, some of them have now managed it. Those of us who write try to bring our work onto the world stage. Those unknown athletes have shown what can be achieved with perseverance, dedication and bloody hard work. Years of training have paid off by the simple act of having a medal hung around their necks. It applies to us too. It’s inspiring. We spend sometimes years scribbling away with what looks like no hope of success - and then suddenly there’s a chance. It brings hope that success can come to those who least expect it, and that, my dear friends, applies to us as writers as well.

 The old adage applies; it takes years of hard work to become an overnight success!

Atmospheric

Jazz Baby is an atmospheric dip into southern America in the 1920’s. It follows the story of Emily Ann as she hits adolescence; as she sings and explores life, life explores her.

I enjoyed reading this book as it was both light and dark. The prose flowed well and jogged along at the right pace. The dialect was no problem for me even though I’m a Brit, I thought it brought to life both the era and place.

My only gripe is with the main character’s reaction to certain situations. What should have affected her deeply, and been a catalyst for what followed, was seemingly just shrugged off. Her emotions for me weren’t explored enough as she just carried on until the next event in her life panned out, be it a murder, a rape, or sexual awakening.

 Having said that I still found it an enjoyable read, it is well written and the characterisations are good. It’s certainly a book I would have no hesitation in recommending.

http://www.amazon.com/Jazz-Baby-Beem-Weeks

World Cup Bargain

World cup fever is upon us!

Well, as an Englishman, perhaps fever is not exactly the word that springs to mind, more appropriate is the word angst!

Every time we build up our hopes only to have them dashed against the wall and disintegrate into the ether in puff of inevitability - generally in a penalty shoot out against Germany.

This time I am not holding out a lot of hope, instead I will watch and cheer and just enjoy the games without expectation. Fingers will be crossed of course, but I will keep hold of reality. Two group games to go, we need to win them both......yeah, right!

Will I go and join my fellow cynics down at the pub? Perhaps, but I don’t like crying into my beer, it waters it down too much.

Which brings me to my point; as long as England remain in the cup, my book, Banker’s Draft, will be free to download from Smashwords. Free, gratis and for nothing - possibly the bargain of the year!

Don’t despair if you only use amazon, it’s only $1.29 or 77p, again for the duration.

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/259938

If you enjoy it, then please leave a review, it would make this author very happy.

C’mon England!!   

SHOUT or whisper?

When an author has finally finished putting pen to paper, or in the case of most, bashing the hell out the keyboard, there comes a time when you stare at the masterpiece you’ve produced and think, now what?

You’ve spent all that time thinking about plots and character development, how to pace your book, whether the ending fits with all the other stuff you’ve been writing, and whether you’ve managed to tie up all the bits that have meandered off plot for the purpose of creativity, that maybe the most important part has been neglected.

Unfortunately I’m talking about marketing.

I’m finding there are many ways to market a book, and to be honest, I’m still trying to find the best way to market mine.

I look at all the different genres and think ‘where the hell in all this does mine sit?’ You see, Banker’s Draft falls into lots of different groups. It’s about a crime, murder sets it off, but it’s also a mystery and a fantasy: it’s also humour, a parody, a satire; there’s even a bit of romance....sort of! So I have to think where this sits out in the big wide world, and how to draw readers to it

.

Looking at all the blog posts, each and everyone has a different way of doing things. There are some who want to shove their book down your throat, you see them on twitter and facebook with reams of ‘buy my book’ tweets etc, they’re the SHOUTY ones, the ‘buy my book’ because it’s brilliant and I don’t care that you’ve got a book out because YOURS doesn’t matter, only MINE matters, type of person. Rarely, if ever, do they engage with another person. The polar opposite are the ones who put the book up on amazon and then sit and pray that someone somewhere will notice it amongst the trillions of other books out there.

 Most sit somewhere in-between.

Like me, you probably look and try to learn because the one thing I, or you, do not want to become is the SHOUTY person. I want to get readers to read my book because they want to, because they’re interested in it, because they may actually enjoy reading it.

Perhaps there is a magic formula somewhere, but I think it’s more to do with engaging with people, being interested in people, but above all being supportive to people.

Please don’t be like the SHOUTY people!