Sunday Post – 5th June

This is part of the weekly meme over at the Caffeinated Book Reviewer, where book bloggers can share the books and blogs they have written.

As it’s been half term, I have had a break from my teaching commitments, so have managed to motor ahead to complete editing the third draft of Breathing Space. We had the grandchildren staying over last Sunday and Monday, which was lovely as ever – and the puppy that my daughter is fostering also came for a sleepover. Unfortunately, she spent her time in the garden digging up the cats’ poo and eating it, which gave her an upset tummy – a real shame, as otherwise she is a poppet.

On Wednesday evening, I attended a murder mystery evening at Littlehampton library, as part of their 110th anniversary celebrations – making them the oldest free library in West Sussex. The murder had been designed by Ann Cleves and was thoroughly entertaining, despite the fact that I was hopelessly wrong in guessing whodunit.

 

 

On Friday evening, as part of the Worthing World of Words 2016 literary festival, I attended a poetry reading by David Constantine and Jenny Feldman. It was brilliant – both these poets were inspirational – I particularly loved David’s poem ‘Rec’ and Jenny’s poem ‘Swifts’. They also talked about their work, what inspires them and their writing process. I came away buzzing.

Yesterday, I attended three more brilliant talks as part of the Worthing WOW Festival – the first one was by my writing buddy and professional editor, Sarah Palmer who gave a workshop on how to write a synopsis. She gave us a step by step ‘how to’ guide and even more importantly, an example of a synopsis. As I’d rather write ten novels than one of these beasts, I found it really helpful.

The second talk was on social media for writers, where Nichola Smalley, who is the publicist for the literary publishing company And Other Stories, explained the different forms of social media and how writers could use them. Her best advice was to concentrate on the platform that we feel most comfortable using and to enjoy ourselves.

Literary agent Victoria Salter gave a fascinating talk on how she saw the state of the UK publishing industry, given the major changes she has seen in her nine years as an agent. This was a really interesting insight in what an insider felt about some of the seismic changes that have convulsed the industry.

I’ve had a really sociable, enjoyable week, in addition to reading four books, which are:

Dangerous Journey – Book 3 of Beaver Towers by Nigel Hinton
During his stay last Bank Holiday weekend, Oscar was very keen to finish this story, so we curled up on the sofa together during a chilly afternoon and joined Phillip, Baby B and Nick on their battle against the Prince of Darkness. Once more, a tension-filled, enjoyable adventure that held Oscar’s attention until the end.

The House with No Rooms – Book 4 of The Detective Daughter’s series by Lesley Thomson
When I attended the launch party for this book the previous week, of course I scooped it up – and got my copy signed. So I immediately dived into it as a treat – and loved it. Lesley writes with great perception and intelligence in this unusual whodunit.

 

Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger
This intriguing urban fantasy deals with the life and doings of Chicago bartenders, who battle evil flesh-eating demons by using cocktails – and these recipes are set out in The Devil’s Water Dictionary. This is great fun, with an intriguing, fresh twist on the urban fantasy trope, and an appealing protagonist, Bailey Chen. My review will be posted on the blog during the coming week.

 

Cursed – Book 2 of The Soulseer’s Chronicles by Sue Tingey
I read and enjoyed the first book in the series, Marked, so when Sue contacted me and asked me if I’d like to read the second book, I immediately agreed. It’s great fun, with plenty of pace and chockful of surprises as half-daemon Lucky de Salle begins to discover what she is capable of. My review will be appearing on Brainfluff during the week.

My posts last week:
Sunday Post – 29th May

Review of Change of Life – Book 2 of A Menopausal Superhero series by Samantha Bryant

Teaser Tuesday – Last Call at the Nightshade Lounge by Paul Krueger

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The Many Selves of Katherine North by Emma Geen

My 1,000th Post – Shoot for the Moon Challenge 2016 – May Roundup

Friday Faceoff – In the Beginning There Was Nothing, Which Exploded featuring Hilldiggers – Book 2 of the Polity series by Neal Asher

*NEW RELEASE SPECIAL* Review of The House With No Rooms – Book 4 of The Detective’s Daughter by Lesley Thomson

Other interesting/outstanding blogs and articles that have caught my attention during the last week:

Joanna Maciejewska’s great piece of short fiction – Miye’s In http://melfka.com/read-online/miyes-in … A fabulous short story…

Self published thriller writer Seumas Gallacher generously shared his findings, when he tried a selection of a number of book-marketing websites aimed at the indie market.
…Authors–caveat emptor re book-selling websites–the final report makes for sorry reading… https://seumasgallacher.com/2016/05/31/authors-caveat-emptor-re-book-selling-websites-the-final-report-makes-for-sorry-reading/ … via @seumasgallacher

A tempting offer, if you’re looking for a quality read at a VERY reasonable price from one of the best indie writers I know.
Flaming June? Curl up under the blankets & read! …https://zenandtheartoftightropewalking.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/flaming-june-curl-up-under-the-blankets-read/ … via @guineapig66 Great value for a great book!

A really enjoyable quiz.
What Is Your Spirit Animal? https://www.buzzfeed.com/egeen/what-is-your-spirit-animal-2c0p3 … via @buzzfeeders This is fun:))

And this is also a hoot…
Eleanor Roosevelt says: | The Müscleheaded Blog https://jeanreinhardt.wordpress.com/2016/06/01/eleanor-roosevelt-says-the-muscleheaded-blog/ … via @jeanreinhardt1 This made me howl with laughter…

As you can see, it’s been a busy week – again. And a momentous one, given that I’m now a millennium blogger, so here’s to the next thousand posts! Many thanks to all of you who take the trouble to visit and comment, it’s always appreciated. I’m now hoping that the weather will stop sulking in the foothills of April and finally give us a June worth the name, as I’m fed up with wearing jumpers and thick coats. Have a great blogging and reading week, everyone.