I'm so pleased to introduce the fabulous James Smith and his equally fabulous new book The Shoe Box, a collection of contemporary short stories that I'm currently reading and enjoying. I met James on Twitter over a year ago, when I threw down the gauntlet to fellow writers to see who was up for the challenge of writing about any aspect of parenthood in only 100 words. James became one of my wonderful contributors and it is such an honor to be sharing his exciting news here... Hi Charlie and I can't thank you enough for hosting me – it's scary (and exciting) releasing your first book, so it is fantastic to know that there is such amazing support out there. I think there has been a real upturn in the interest for shorter works (flash fiction, short stories and novellas). A quick search for 'short stories' on Amazon returns almost 111,000 thousand ebooks. The titles indicate a massive range of genres being catered for – in my experience short stories were restricted to women's magazines and comics – now we have romance, crime, thrillers, horror, erotica and action/adventure short stories all being produced. So there really is something for everybody out there. I also think that the biggest indicator that shorter works are becoming popular again is the fact that international best-selling authors are writing them to support/enhance their novels. Personally, I have always been a fan of short stories. They allow you to experience something new in a relatively short space of time. With our 'modern' busy lives, being able to read a complete story whilst travelling to work or grabbing that much needed cup of tea I believe really enriches our lives. The reviews that I have received so far also reflect this – with all of my reviews commenting on how nice it is to be able to complete a story in one session (there all 5 star reviews as well!) Another huge bonus – thanks to self publishing on electronic devices (which is incredibly simple. Just upload your manuscript and tick a few boxes. OK there is a little bit more to it than that, but I could not believe how easy it was) these books are relatively inexpensive, so as a reader you CAN take a chance on that new author or genre. As a writer, I really enjoy producing short stories for a number of reasons. Most importantly, for me anyway, is the sense of completion. You can easily go from initial concept to a fully edited piece in a week – writing a novel (which I am also attempting to do) takes a lot longer. Secondly, you can experiment with different genres and writing styles, which is a great deal of fun and even if the end product is complete nonsense (and I have produced some utter nonsense) you have only invested a relatively short amount of time into it – so sending it to the recycle bin is not as sickening as it could be. So, after just over 18 months of writing (I'm a full time secondary school science teacher and father of three boys, so time is a limited commodity), I am proud to be able to share with you my first collection of contemporary short stories – The Shoe Box. The title is a bit of a self indulgence – my first short story to be accepted by an editor onto their website (but never sold, so no-one has read it until now) is the first story in this collection – New Shoes. I thought that it would be an idea to pay homage to this story by giving all the other stories a foot/shoe related title and then boxing them all together. The five stories examine the human ability to deal with adversity, maintain that special spark and our obsession with competition and celebrity. Someone once described short story collections as 'a box of chocolates' and I believe this collection neatly fits that description. There is variety in the stories and I hope that everyone finds something in there that they like (let me know on Twitter @James_Sm1th when you do!) The Shoe Box: A Collection of Short Stories is available to buy here: Amazon.co.uk http://www.amazon.co.uk/Shoe-Box-Collection-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B00M13RTDU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406143923&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shoe+box+james+smith Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Shoe-Box-Collection-Short-Stories-ebook/dp/B00M13RTDU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406143846&sr=8-1&keywords=the+shoe+box+james+smith It is also available to borrow through the Amazon Prime scheme. Thanks for taking the time to find out a little more about me and my writing.
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I'm delighted to share details of a new romantic comedy from the fabulous author Joanne Phillips. Here is a little sample for you - “When Evie Stone’s grandparents enlist her help to save their home in Cupid’s Way, Evie is happy to oblige. On the cusp of her thirties, and still disappointingly single, Evie’s so-called dream job with a firm of architects has been driving her crazy for months. What she needs, even more than a new man, is a challenge. But saving Cupid’s Way won’t be easy. A perfectly preserved Victorian terrace, surrounded by modern estates and retail parks, the street is a proud oasis of quirky characters, cobbled pathways and communal gardens. Unfortunately, it also sits on prime development land worth millions. Dynamite Construction have the deal in the bag, and soon the residents of Cupid’s Way will be forced to sell up and ship out – CEO Michael Andrews, charismatic and super-successful, has certainly never let sentimentality get in the way of business. At least, he hadn’t until he met Evie Stone.” Joanne Phillips lives in rural Shropshire with her husband and young daughter. She’s the author of romantic comedies Can’t Live Without and The Family Trap, and the Flora Lively series of mysteries. Can’t Live Without was an Amazon top 20 bestseller in 2012 and her books regularly appear on category bestseller lists. Before becoming a writer, Joanne had jobs as diverse as hairdresser, air hostess and librarian, but now divides her time between writing and finding creative ways to avoid housework. She’s a fan of super-dark chocolate, iced coffee and Masterchef. Joanne blogs about writing and publishing at www.writersjourney.co.uk Website: www.joannephillips.co.uk Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/joannephillipsauthor Twitter: https://twitter.com/joannegphillips Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Joanne-Phillips/e/B0083UEG86/ Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2862086.Joanne_Phillips Buy link: http://smarturl.it/ifgi1x I expect you may be wondering what a book with such an intense cover is doing surrounded by the polka dots of my book covers? Well the thing is I'm an avid reader and a couple of years ago I came across this fantastic book by author and US navy vet Stephen C Spencer. Once I started reading I couldn't put it down until I'd finished, such was the quality of writing and fast-paced action. It's Always Darkest is a thriller with an international flavor being set in Vegas, Russia, Germany, New York and Greece. The hero of this book, Paul Mallory has a touch of James Bond about him, is witty and charismatic. I finished the book and immediately downloaded the next in the series (there are currently seven titles in the Paul Mallory series). I found Stephen C Spencer on Twitter and soon discovered that the man behind these amazing thrillers is a lovely guy, so supportive of other authors and we became friends. Last year I was so sad to hear that Stephen had been diagnosed with brain cancer. While he was dealing with having an operation to remove the tumor he was unable to devote any energy into promoting his books and they slipped off the radar, despite being, in my opinion, as thrilling a read as Dan Brown's books. The wonderful thing about social media and indie authors is that we help each other and so I was delighted to be invited to join Operation Mallory by fellow authors, expert marketers and indie author heroes Sean and Dan Campbell of 90 Days Novel fame. Pop over to the brother's site right now so you can find out how Operation Mallory started, see how with a little help from his friends Stephen's books now have amazing covers that compliment his writing and how you can download It's Always Darkest for free! Please share this special Operation Mallory file with all your friends who enjoy a good thriller and who would like to give Stephen a big show of support in beating his cancer. P.S If you are an author Sean and Dan have very kindly offered helper rewards for anyone involved in promoting Stephen's books. You will be able to tell the world about your book over at their site, receive a free mini-critique from editor extraordinaire Mervyn Walker and free marketing advice from the authors of Can't Sell, Won't Sell. To claim your author rewards email [email protected] with "Operation Mallory" in the email subject. Thank you Charlie x I am so excited to welcome you all to my brand new website where I have lots and lots to share with you… The True Diary of a Bride-to-be, The True Diary of a Mum-to-be, The True Diary of Baby’s First Year and 100 Little Words on Parenthood are available from all good bookstores and you can get your signed copy from yours truly right here, do let me know if you would like a personal message if it’s a gift. Later in the year I plan to launch audio-books which will be available exclusively through my site. Thanks for reading and please do tell all your friends, the more the merrier! Love Charlie :) |
Charlie Plunkett AuthorI live in Brighton, England with my lovely husband Dave and gorgeous little boy Cole, who is the subject of three of my books - The True Diary of a Mum-to-be a pregnancy companion, The True Diary of Baby's First Year and 100 Little Words on Parenthood. Archives
August 2014
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