tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-86225449177456929122024-03-05T20:15:30.485+00:00Richard Hardie's BlogBlog with interesting interviews (famous and not so famous people) and commentsRichard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.comBlogger260125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-7445372686327784442017-04-14T20:31:00.002+01:002017-04-14T20:31:15.212+01:00Interview with author Lynn Hooghiemstra<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My guest
tonight is someone I’ve meant to interview for some time, but for one reason or
another I’ve never got around to it. That’s no excuse, because as an American
author with a Dutch heritage she’s a fascinating person to talk to and has a
way with words that makes other authors envious.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 107%; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="E Lynn Hooghiemstra's profile photo, Image may contain: 1 person, close-up" src="https://scontent.flhr2-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-1/p160x160/15621994_1843735105864243_6162958731341371766_n.jpg?oh=ff595fcdd80b412c7ee73164da2a49be&oe=59562515" /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Wow,
thank you, Richard!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It’s all
true, Lynn, but I hope I haven’t embarrassed you too much! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">No,
just feeling humbled. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sorry! You
know, It occurred to me that although I’ve known you for some years, I actually
don’t know too much about you, but that’s so often the way! Can you fill in the
early gaps?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
would be happy to. It’s been a pleasure following your career as I grow mine.
And it all started with a simple connection on GoodReads, I think.</span><span style="color: red; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"> </span></div>
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<span style="color: red; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think you
now live in Arizona, but I know you lived in Seattle for many years. How
different do you find the two areas, in the same country, both from the climate
point of view and culture?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Actually,
I live in Colorado now, I don’t think I could handle the weather in Arizona.
The climate in Colorado is very different from Seattle; it’s very dry here. I
keep asking people if it ever rains because I’m actually missing rain. And
being near water. This is the first time I’ve lived in a landlocked part of the
country/world and it’s taking a little adjusting. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Culturally
it’s different too. I’m still observing and learning. Boulder, the college town
I live in, is quite liberal and shares many of Seattle’s mindsets, but much of
state, outside of Boulder-Denver is quite rural and has some different
attitudes, so I’d not encountered in person before. A learning experience, for
sure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Sounds a
fascinating place. I read your novella “Tales from the Fountain Pen” last year
and found the premise and story enthralling. It obviously resonated with you,
so I’d love to hear the background to the story and what made you write it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"></span></div>
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51N-zoCwi2L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tales from the Fountain Pen by [Hooghiemstra, E. Lynn]" border="0" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51N-zoCwi2L.jpg" width="133" /></a><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank
you. Yes, “Tales from the Fountain Pen” is close to my heart. It’s loosely
based on family stories and events from WWII. I’d tried to write the stories
many different times, but it never came to together. Then one evening I was
going through some old junk and pens, and found my mother’s fountain pen from
the early 1940s. It still worked and on a whim I started writing with it and
from there the stories started flowing. I can’t really explain it, it’s almost
as if the pen held memory. A haunted pen if you will. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That’s
amazing. Was it an idea , or an event that made you decide to write?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I’ve
written for most of my life. My first piece was when I was 8 or 9, a poem about
an ant that I gave to my mother for mother’s day. I might actually still have
it somewhere tucked in an as yet still packed moving box. Writing is like
breathing. I think in stories/scenarios, everywhere I go I see potential for
stories. The people I meet are all possible characters. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I think most
real authors feel as you do. I know you wrote a short story for a collection
called “Moon Shot: Murder and Mayhem on
the Edge of Space” which was co-written with another author Jack Bates. Did you
find it easy collaborating on writing?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/418RU3qv43L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Moon Shot: Murder and Mayhem on the Edge of Space by [Bates, Jack, Hooghiemstra, E. Lynn, Tyler, Jeremy K., MacRae, Andrew, Rorhus, Suzanne Berube, Howe, Jeff, Long, Laird]" border="0" height="200" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/418RU3qv43L.jpg" width="128" /></a><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">My
short story “Mayhem on Mars” which was included in the anthology “Moon Shot”
was picked after an open call from my publisher Untreed Reads for murder
mysteries set in space. It was a fun challenge. I haven’t had the opportunity
to co-write with another author yet, but I can think of a few I would love to
co-author with. At the top of my list are Jonathan Maberry and James Rollins.
(Yes, I have a book in mind too and spec’d out in my head!)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">How did you
get involved in writing for the anthology of short stories?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Submitted
to an open call. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As a mum,
when do you find the time to write?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
think it was the excellent, and often undervalued, author Penelope Fitzgerald
who said women writers are in essence kitchen table scribblers. We learn to
take what time we can and write wherever we find ourselves. I’ve sat in the
bleachers at swimming or robotics competitions with a notebook, and with one
eye on the action and one on the page. I’ve written in parking lots and on
trains or planes. I’m never without my trusty Moleskine notebook (they’re the
only ones that survive repeatedly being stuffed into bags). On a side note, I
often get pulled out of line at airport security because I have too many pens
in my purse. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Have pen,
will travel! Do you have your own room to write in?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Nope,
I write wherever I can. I do have a desk in my bedroom right now. As the
offspring and I live in a small apartment as I regain my footing after divorce.
He’s at college most of the time and I’m freelancing for now</span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12pt;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Your
publisher is Untreed Reeds in America. How did you find them, or did they find
you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I
found Untreed Reads in one of those Writers books that lists publishers. At the
time they were a very new publisher and eager for writers. I sent them a
manuscript and they liked it. It’s been a good relationship. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So
far, they’ve published “Tales from the Fountain pen”, “Mayhem on Mars” in the
anthology “Moon Shot: Murder and Mayhem on the Edge of Space” (slated for
re-release in paperback) and under a pen name, “Out in the Dark” by Nicola
Adams. That last one I’m going to produce as an audio book. I’ll let you know
how that goes!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The audio
market is growing fast, so I’ll look forward to hearing how it goes. What book
genre do you like reading and do you have a favourite author (asides from
myself, of course!)?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Of
course, you, Richard. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">But
aside from that my choices in genre change depending on what I’m in the mood
for. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">It
ranges from Science Fiction to Mystery to Thriller to comic books, with a
little non-fiction thrown in there too.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Some
other authors I like are:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Terry
Pratchett, Elizabeth Peters, Peter F. Hamilton, James Rollins, Jonathan
Maberry, Herge (‘cause who doesn’t like TinTin?), and at times I dip back into
Agatha Christie too. So, wide and varied tastes. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">As an
author, do you prefer eBooks, or paperbacks?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Paperbacks.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">So do I,
though as an author the eBook covers a much larger reading market. I love to
browse through bookshops. Do you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Yes,
I could spend hours in a bookshop … and I rarely leave without books!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">What do you
feel is the greatest thrill about being an author?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">The
freedom to explore an idea, a story, a time period. To inhabit a different
story for a time and to chronicle that story to share with others. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Lynn, many
thanks for letting me interview you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Thank
you, Richard. It’s been a pleasure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="http://www.elynnhwriting.com/"><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">www.elynnhwriting.com</span></a><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">elynnh.blogspot.com<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">Twitter:
</span><span class="username"><span style="background: rgb(245, 248, 250); color: #657786; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; line-height: 107%; text-decoration-line: none;"><a href="https://twitter.com/Nicky_Adams_Pen">@Nicky_Adams_Pen</a></span></span><span style="color: #7030a0; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="username"><br /></span></div>
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<span class="username">You can get Lynn's books and stories on mazon at:-</span></div>
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<span class="username"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lynn+hooghiemstra">https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=lynn+hooghiemstra</a></span></div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-14626815628941828242017-03-16T18:18:00.000+00:002017-03-16T18:19:31.708+00:00Self Publishing: Behind the Scenes with Authors Reach<br />
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Self Publishing: Behind the Scenes with Authors Reach</h1>
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box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">authors</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/authors-reach/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Authors Reach</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/book-promotion/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">book promotion</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/book-selling/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">book selling</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/catriona-king/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Catriona King</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/cooperatives/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Cooperatives</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/crime-fiction/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">crime fiction</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/e-book/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">e-book</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/fantasy/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">fantasy</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/gina-dickerson/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Gina Dickerson</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/horror/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">horror</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/independent-book-shops/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">independent book shops</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/leap-of-faith/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Leap of Faith</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/marketing/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">marketing</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/online-books/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">online books</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/paperback-books/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">paperback books</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/pompey-writers/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Pompey writers</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/print/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">print</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/publishing/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Publishing</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/richard-hardie/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Richard Hardie</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/romance/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">romance</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/romance-fiction/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">romance fiction</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/sarah-england/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Sarah England</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/self-publishing/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">self-publishing</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/shani-struthers/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Shani Struthers</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/trouble-with-swords/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Trouble with Swords</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/writing/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">writing</a>, <a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/tag/young-adult/" rel="tag" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #b2b2b2; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">young adult</a></span></div>
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<strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="http://www.starandcrescent.org.uk/contributors/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #294c82; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Richard Hardie</span></a> is one of the founder members of</span></strong><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></b><a href="http://www.authorsreach.co.uk/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #294c82; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><b style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: blue; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Authors Reach</span></span></b></a><strong style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">, a co-operative of local authors turned self-publishers. Here’s how it works. </span></strong></div>
<div style="border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The job of being an author doesn’t stop with the words “The End”. In many ways that’s just the beginning.</span></div>
<div style="border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Publishers tend to spend their marketing budget on promoting books from authors who they know will turn out best-sellers time and time again, and they tend not to take risks with new or unknown writers. In many ways, who can blame them? However, that means there is a massive glass ceiling that makes it very difficult for a new author to get noticed by the reading marketplace, let alone bookshops, where shelf space is at a premium and margins are tight.</span></div>
<div style="border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Towards the end of 2015, five UK authors decided to change that and started buying back the rights to their books from their various publishers in order to form their own company to market and promote their titles… which from experience, they were aware is something authors have to do anyway, with few exceptions.</span></div>
<div style="border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In addition to writing books, each of the five authors brought a specific skill-set to the group, among them being proofreading, web design, artwork, media know-how, social media expertise and marketing. The five felt the combination made them a capable operation and they therefore launched Authors Reach Ltd last November to initially concentrate on promoting each other’s books. That developed, through a sharp learning curve, into knowing how to negotiate print runs, organise distribution and bookshop stocking, to the extent that all five are now representing Authors Reach at book fairs and literary festivals, book signings, and even speaking to groups on creative writing. Radio and television interviews are taking place, with all five founders now having given radio interviews, and podcasts are scheduled, leaving little time for the real job in hand… writing books!</span></div>
<div style="border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">What’s different? The five founders of Authors Reach – Richard Hardie, Catriona King, Shani Struthers, Gina Dickerson and Sarah England – are all previously traditionally published authors with a diverse collection of genres ranging from crime to the paranormal, romance to horror, and young adult (YA) to fantasy. They started their new venture fully aware of the problems that lay ahead of them. They had an agreed strategy, as well as a clear plan as to how to maximise sales through online book sellers, both paperback and e-book. Unlike many smaller publishers, Authors Reach believes that independent book shops have a future in the UK, alongside the bigger chains, and that creating relationships throughout the UK is most important. Authors Reach intends being part of that future by bringing their books to readers and bookshops alike.</span></div>
<div style="border-color: inherit; border-image: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin-bottom: 30px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">At the beginning of 2016 the first two books were relaunched under the Authors Reach banner and logo, with new covers and ISBNs (Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords). Both are now in print, stocked by distributors and on shop shelves. Further Authors Reach books will be following very soon, with a potential back catalogue of over twenty books.</span></div>
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<span style="border-color: inherit; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , serif; font-size: inherit; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Authors Reach may not be a major player, or even bijou yet, but the potential is massive and may even indicate the future of publishing.</span></div>
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Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-26031582432857092022016-10-30T12:43:00.001+00:002016-10-30T12:43:29.355+00:00Sarah England and "Magda".<h2 class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.5em 0px; position: relative;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large; text-transform: uppercase;">SARAH'S NEW BOOK "MAGDA" IS OUT TODAY AS AN EBOOK ON AMAZON AND WILL BE AVAILABLE AS A PAPERBACK soon. It's the third part of a really scary trilogy and is available now on </span><span style="color: #888888; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: large; text-transform: uppercase;">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magda-Darkly-Disturbing-Occult-Trilogy-ebook/dp/B01M2ARTZP/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1477830274&sr=1-2&keywords=magda</span></span><span style="color: red; font-family: "arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="text-transform: uppercase;"> OR THE EQUIVALENT .COM SITE IN THE STATES.</span></span></h2>
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<span style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-transform: uppercase;"><img alt="Magda: A Darkly Disturbing Occult Horror Trilogy - Book 3 by [England, Sarah]" height="320" src="https://images-eu.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51%2Bn8-6mm8L.jpg" width="217" /></span></div>
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<a href="http://sarahengland.yolasite.com/resources/S.%20E.%20England%20%28595x842%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #6699cc; float: right; font-size: 14.85px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://sarahengland.yolasite.com/resources/S.%20E.%20England%20%28595x842%29.jpg" style="background-color: transparent; border: none; position: relative;" width="141" /></a><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">My guest tonight is a freelance writer and has written more than </span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">140 short stories for women's magazines such as Woman's weekly, while her first serial is due out in March - a murder mystery. Sarah has also written a comedy novel called <i>Expected</i> </span><span style="line-height: 15pt;"> </span><span style="line-height: 15pt;">and a collection of horror stories and really wants to concentrate more on psychological thriller novels. The first two <i>Father of Lies</i> and <i>Tanners Dell</i> were published over the past two years and this week Sarah published Magda, the final part in the trilogy.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14pt;">Originally from Sheffield, where she studied nursing, as did my daughter (though not at the same time!), Sarah now lives and works in Sheffield again.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">Sarah, firstly many thanks for agreeing to be interviewed. I know you’re from Sheffield, where all the best nurses come from, or so my daughter tells me, but did you start writing up there, or after you moved down to Dorset?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Well my nursing days were back in the dark ages. I qualified in 1984. After that I worked as a drug rep for nearly 20 years. I never had time to do any writing but always wanted to. When my husband was transferred to the south coast for his job, it seemed like the perfect opportunity to start a new chapter in life. That was 8 years ago now and I’ve been writing ever since. However, I really am a Northern girl and most of my stories and ideas emanate from my upbringing.</i></span></div>
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<a data-ved="0CAgQjRwwAA" href="http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=i&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&docid=mUO_aE6kV-Y-aM&tbnid=DbCLKsh2Gl1VsM:&ved=0CAgQjRwwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcriticalpsychiatry.blogspot.com%2F&ei=2_StUdP_JorM0AWDmoGADg&psig=AFQjCNHxT1s27U2zF3U6KW8M0GxXfoF7QA&ust=1370441307723952" id="irc_mil" style="border: 0px currentcolor; clear: left; color: #6699cc; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img height="200" id="irc_mi" src="https://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQd4Okz-LOh8eSrNeo8VhjR_Zu-9g8V_8cQ9ZR15GKqcnxWYNKv" style="border: none; margin-top: 285px; position: relative;" width="156" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That certainly comes through. Many of your works seem to have a medical, or mental health theme. How much did your background influence you and indeed help?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #6699cc; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><em>A huge amount. I guess you could say it’s my USP. During my time as a drug rep I specialised in mental health – working in hospitals mostly – and when you spend as much time as I have in psychiatric units, and you realise that many of the staff are as bonkers as the patients, the well of ideas never dries up. Human nature is fascinating. Couple this with what you learn about psychiatric conditions and how really, none of us are precisely normal, and you have an endless source of material. I would also say that dispelling myths about mental illness and exposing the way the most vulnerable people in society are often treated, is something of a mission. Mental illness is very frightening and it can happen to any one of us at any time.<o:p></o:p></em></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's very true, Sarah. Whether it’s a short story, or novel how do you approach writing a new story from the point of view of plot and characters?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/images/proofing.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #6699cc; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/images/proofing.gif" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="188" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This is interesting. Mostly a short story will come to me with a beginning and an end, i.e. I will have the idea as if from nowhere, but it will likely be sparked by a memory or something someone said, or from a line in a book or film. This idea will then be jotted down and maybe used there and then, or saved until later. Once I start to work on an idea then I visualise the characters, how they look, the situation, how they speak…and do a rough draft so that the outline is down. Then I type it up, edit, print out, edit again, sleep on it, edit again. I ask myself what I am trying to say – why do I want to tell this story? What is the message? Then I go back and inject more humour, more thrills, clues or surprises – whatever is needed to increase reader enjoyment, because reader enjoyment is the primary aim. I do not write to please myself. I write to tell stories and to entertain. </i> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">140 stories is an incredible number. How do you come up with such great plots? Does personal and past experience play a part every time, or do you just have a great imagination?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Memories and experiences play a major part. I seem to have travelled a particularly rocky road, and I’m one of those people who never forgets - not a single nuance, expression, slight or bizarre incident. Add to this the ability to kind of get into people’s heads. I can imagine being them – whether male or female, good or bad. I often think I should have been an actress – except I prefer to be in the shadows – lurking!</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Persoally, I can't imagine you in the shadows, Sarah. You’ve now written a novel called <i>Expected</i>? It’s a comedy, that I know, but what’s it about?<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I love ‘Expected’ Why do I love it? Well because my heroine, Sam Sweet, is a hapless, funny working class girl who has the worst luck in the world. There is no safety net – aka Bridget Jones with her parents in the country – she’s from a tough sink estate, and so when she gets into a massive personal, financial and career-driven mess, she really is in trouble. However, there is a ticket to get out of trouble if she plays by the rules – rules that most women would give their eye teeth for. All she has to do is have a baby with her fiancé – the revolting, slimy surgeon, Simon. Do what is expected, you could say! But boy did she pick the wrong bloke! Simon may be a surgeon but he is also a game-playing psychopath. And now Sam’s grandchild-obsessed mother has booked the wedding.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i> With her career injecting facial fillers in jeopardy, and her best friend turning into a </i></span></span><i style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px; text-indent: 36pt;">sexually jealous fiend, Sam tries to persuade herself to marry Simon and give him what he wants. All her problems would be solved. However, not only does she loathe slimy Simon, she is terrified of giving birth. Still, it seems the only way. But then she falls in love. Wham! With the new director of the failing company – sexy American, Joel Madison - who holds her heart and her job in the palm of his hand. And then drops her. Of course he does. Cue a last ditch/nightmare attempt at salvaging her relationship with Simon.</i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This is about survival for ordinary girls who have to make tough choices, not always based on what they want, but what they have to do. Breaking point follows for Sam. So can she find her voice in time to get out of this mess? I hope, by this point, we’re all rooting for her…. Oh, and yes – it’s a happy ending! </i><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's a relief! You also have a collection of horror stories due out soon? Tell me more!<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
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<a href="http://th06.deviantart.net/fs9/300W/i/2006/057/6/5/demonology_growingpains_by_DragonovRonin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #6699cc; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://th06.deviantart.net/fs9/300W/i/2006/057/6/5/demonology_growingpains_by_DragonovRonin.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative; text-indent: 36pt;" width="186" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Yes. Very excited. ‘3am and Wide Awake’ is a collection of 25 horrors, thrillers and on-the-edge stories. Most have previously been published, but about a quarter of them are new. The collection will be out on http://www.alfiedog.com in the next couple of months, I hope.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>After reading, ‘3am and Wide Awake’ my best friend didn’t sleep for 3 nights, and the funny thing is – since writing this story I have done a lot of research into demonology for my next book, and most of what I wrote really does happen. I guess that makes it scarier! Several of the stories are based on mental illness and many on the supernatural. Not all of them are horror-filled, though – some, such as ‘Different Colours’ or ‘Rough Love’ are about the darker, tougher side of life, and will hopefully give the reader a spectrum of subjects from which to choose. ‘3am,’ ‘Retribution’ and ‘Out of The Woods’ though – yes, very scary! </i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hide behind the sofa stuff! Do you intend concentrating on book writing in the future, or will you mix it with your short story writing?</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://sarahengland.yolasite.com/resources/Sarah%20England%20WF%20%281%29%20%28560x841%29.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #6699cc; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://sarahengland.yolasite.com/resources/Sarah%20England%20WF%20%281%29%20%28560x841%29.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="133" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Both. I currently have a 3 part murder-mystery serial in Woman’s Weekly, and several short stories to come in their Fiction Specials. I’ve worked very hard to ensure good relationships with many of the editors and really enjoy seeing my stories in print. So I don’t want to lose that. However, my ambition has always been to be a novelist and now that 'Expected' is being published soon by Crooked Cat Books, I've actually achieved that, but I do now intend to concentrate on supernatural and psychological thrillers. I think that’s where I’m heading!</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sounds like it. So who, as a writer, has influenced you most, Sarah?</span></span><br />
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<a href="http://content6.flixster.com/rtactor/42/31/42316_pro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; color: #6699cc; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img border="0" height="178" src="https://content6.flixster.com/rtactor/42/31/42316_pro.jpg" style="border: none; position: relative;" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It started with Thomas Hardy in school. But there are so many I love, right across the spectrum – Susan Hill, Patricia Cornwell, Stephen King, Charlotte Bronte, Jane Austen, Minette Walters, Sarah Waters, James Herbert, Ian McEwen. If I had to say who had influenced me the most I’d say Stephen King because he is such a raconteur! It’s that ability to grip and hold the reader, that fascinating story on a dark night…..an age old talent we never tire of.</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://lh6.ggpht.com/ysNMh-JrEZik3OItKP6LSntl_7pH-WKF1G_by8YB6JkZf7ENsySTVL0f7wNlLkW57uA=w78-h78" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; color: #6699cc; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Be Quiet!" border="0" src="https://lh6.ggpht.com/ysNMh-JrEZik3OItKP6LSntl_7pH-WKF1G_by8YB6JkZf7ENsySTVL0f7wNlLkW57uA=w78-h78" style="border: none; position: relative;" /></a><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I get ideas while out walking or deeply engrossed in a book or film. Or out watching and listening to people. For the long-hand drafts I sit downstairs in the ‘snug’ – a small room lined with bookcases where I have a comfy sofa. Typing up is always done on my laptop in the study. I have to have total quiet. I cannot work if my husband is home banging and crashing around. </i> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What is the most important piece of advice you could give a budding writer?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Take critiques. Forget your ego – chuck it right out! Be ruthless and objective and take all the advice you can get. </i></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One last question, Sarah. If you could achieve one important goal within the next 5 years, what would it be?</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>To have a psychological thriller published - and selling well because people enjoy it!</i><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sarah, it’s been a pleasure talking to you, and congratulations on publishing such a consistently excellent and readable catalogue of stories. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sarah’s book-form short stories are available from her Amazon author page on <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-England/e/B005P0GDYW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1362924027&sr=1-2-ent" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Sarah-England/e/B005P0GDYW/ref=sr_tc_2_0?qid=1362924027&sr=1-2-ent</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sarah’s website as well as her blog is at <a href="http://sarahengland.yolasite.com/" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">http://sarahengland.yolasite.com/</a><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">‘3am and Wide Awake’ – is available</span></span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;"> on<a href="http://www.alfiedog.com/" style="color: #33aaff;">http://www.alfiedog.com</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 18.4px;">from Amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/3am-and-Wide-Awake-ebook/dp/B00CLFRFHS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1367588367&sr=8-2&keywords=3am+and+wide+awake" style="color: #6699cc; text-decoration: none;">http://www.amazon.co.uk/3am-and-Wide-Awake-ebook/dp/B00CLFRFHS/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1367588367&sr=8-2&keywords=3am+and+wide+awake</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-87306372174468880292016-08-15T13:42:00.000+01:002016-08-15T14:00:38.576+01:00Suzan Collins ..... deja vu!<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-size: large;">In the past I have occasionally repeated
an interview if it was relevant to do so, but as far as I can remember I have never
interviewed anyone twice, famous or otherwise. Tonight is the exception, because
Suzan Collins, whom I interviewed in 2013, is such a multi-talented person and </span></span></b><b><span style="color: #1d2129; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;">excels</span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: large;"> in just about everything she does, either as healthcare specialist, consultant,
or author.</span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-size: large;">It’s time for an update, so sit back
and enjoy!!</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Suzan, It’s almost 4 years since we last
talked and exchanged news, so what have you been doing since 2013? <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It’s
been a busy couple of years. SPC Consultancy is busy especially in inspecting
care homes and delivering training on the different types of dementia and I am
the Director of Get Writing, East Anglian Press, oh and the East Anglian
Festival of Culture #eafoc.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vwWwSoLswVRZlqVj2o3hEiyo-vwD_5jafQbroLdPopHk5TUdROUevYS4ACZI4b0gSDneLbq-YpPWQYJXwBt6peqVFvEKrZmvsxKOi_IRpKt-A0V6X-0B2NIMztyKHJA-LEqmZaNxowUP/s1600/BMC+jpeg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1vwWwSoLswVRZlqVj2o3hEiyo-vwD_5jafQbroLdPopHk5TUdROUevYS4ACZI4b0gSDneLbq-YpPWQYJXwBt6peqVFvEKrZmvsxKOi_IRpKt-A0V6X-0B2NIMztyKHJA-LEqmZaNxowUP/s200/BMC+jpeg.jpg" width="154" /></a><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">The last time
we met your publisher was due to release ‘Beyond My Control: How the Health and
Social Sector Need Not Have Failed My Mother.’ How is that going?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">It’s going really well and thanks for asking. The main
reason for writing the book was to tell people what happened and to give advice
on what they can do if it’s happening to them or someone close to them. The
book is selling well, of course people can get a copy from their local library
and I’ve had feedback from many telling me how it has helped them and guided
them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Before I ask you about ‘Get Writing’
have you written any more books?<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Yes,
I wrote two books for staff working in care on the topic of Supervision:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span class="a-size-large2"><span style="color: #111111;">Supervision
Skills pack (buy singularly or both together)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TF7SjgQfcJrU5C3YZvFJyygUY8wQkpJX0lnR7QwyhKbD-QhUUu0kD3nyDiDq50Sd_NVTMvaO18qgjLtynWsGhkQpgy_HQCgNxIrWMhKxeK1YXu_5BqPmuXsX8OUNbcYGdFRbvRO-u7Co/s1600/BookCover6x9_BW_80_making_the_most%257EFront+cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-TF7SjgQfcJrU5C3YZvFJyygUY8wQkpJX0lnR7QwyhKbD-QhUUu0kD3nyDiDq50Sd_NVTMvaO18qgjLtynWsGhkQpgy_HQCgNxIrWMhKxeK1YXu_5BqPmuXsX8OUNbcYGdFRbvRO-u7Co/s200/BookCover6x9_BW_80_making_the_most%257EFront+cover.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
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Supervision Skills has been devised to equip managers and
senior staff with the knowledge and skills to enable them to provide
supervision meetings in the workplace. This workbook will provide guidance on
how supervision is to be delivered to staff and explains the processes and
requirements for supervision.</div>
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<span class="a-size-large2"><span style="color: #111111;">Making
the Most of Your Supervision<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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This workbook is written and
aimed at new staff or staff who want a more effective supervision meeting with
their supervisor.</div>
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<b>Was there any particular reason for writing them?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I do believe that staff need to be supported in their
job, there is a lot to do and not a lot
of time to do it in. By having 1-1 supervision sessions with a trained
supervisor they can share any concerns they have and receive feedback on their
practice. Unfortunately some supervisors are given this role without any
training which can result in badly handled 1-1 supervision sessions or not held
because the supervisor is not confident to facilitate the sessions.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">I hear you’re
the author of the Chatty Cat series. Tell me more…<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Chatty Cat is my cat I got from the rescue centre. They
named her Twinkle but as she chats a lot Chatty Cat seemed more appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">In 2014 I wrote the first book in the Chatty Cat series
which is about Chatty Cat, settling into her new home with her hooman, me. Yesterday,
14<sup>th</sup> August 2016, I released book 4.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Book 1: Chatty
Cat: My Purr-Fect New Home<o:p></o:p></div>
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Book
2: Chatty Cat: Spring Into Summer
<o:p></o:p></div>
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Book 3: Chatty
Cat: My Purr-Fect Friends <o:p></o:p></div>
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Book 4: Chatty
Cat: Activity Book.<o:p></o:p></div>
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These books are unique
as they are narrated to me by my cat. You can read about the life of a cat and
at the same time read some helpful tips on caring for cats. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>I notice
that Chatty Cat has her own Facebook page, blog and Twitter account. What does
she chat about?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "chewy"; font-size: 18.0pt;">‘</span><span lang="EN-US">I tell my own stories in my Chatty Cat books
because they are about me and what I do and what I think. They are books for
children but adults read them too #chattycat.’<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 118%;"> </span><span style="color: red; font-family: "chewy"; font-size: 18.0pt; line-height: 118%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>I know
someone else’s pet was in Chatty Cat Book 3 after an auction for an excellent cause. If someone wants a chance to have their pet featured in book 5:
Chatty Cat: Autumn into Winter, is this an opportunity to do so?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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In book 3 ‘Chatty Cat: My Purr-Fect Friends’ I ran
an auction in which the highest bidder had their pet named in print (money from
auction went to Alzheimer’s Research UK), I am again offering a lucky reader
the chance to have their pet named in book 5 ‘Chatty Cat: Autumn into Winter’ with
all monies raised from the auction going to a cat rescue centre. Click here if
you would like to place a bid <a href="https://www.facebook.com/suzancollinschattycat/">https://www.facebook.com/suzancollinschattycat/</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="_GoBack"></a><b>I see in book 3 ‘Chatty Cat: My
Purr-Fect Friends’ you’ve touched on sensitive subjects of bullying and dementia
(in different chapters). Is there a particular reason why you wrote about these
two subjects?<o:p></o:p></b></div>
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Children and adults suffer from bullies and
bullying and also children and adults will know someone who has dementia. Both
subjects need to be out there so they know:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->What bullying is and how to stop being a bully (if
they are one) or if they’re being bullied what to do<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
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Both children and adults read Chatty Cat books and
as you say I have only touched on these two subjects (or rather Chatty Cat
has). We will be expanding on them but not sure at the moment if I should have
them in a chapter in book 5 or in separate books told by Chatty Cat. Perhaps
readers can let me know.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>If you would like to buy any of Suzan’s books
here’s the link to her author page on Amazon. I know from experience that her Chatty
Cat series is great fun and that her more serious books are fascinating to read
and highly respected. </b><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suzan-Collins/e/B0037DXY46/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Suzan-Collins/e/B0037DXY46/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1</a><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b>Tell
me about: </b><b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Get Writing, East Anglian Press and the East Anglian Festival of Culture
#eafoc</span></b><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">Two years ago I ran a set of writing workshops and I had
some fab authors come to facilitate some workshops for me: Jayne-Marie Barker,
Glynis Smy, Rosy Thornton, Jo Wilde and Ann
Bowyer. The workshops covered <b>Getting
Started and Planning </b></span><b> .
Researching . Editing . Publishing . Marketing</b>.<span lang="EN"> Some of the writers were already writing and
some enthused by the 3-day workshop said they would start writing. I expected
for the three days to finish and that would be that but one writer announced
that she was so motivated she was going to write a book. I said something like
‘If you are serious I will help you self-publish it and if this is done before
my pop-up bookshop in July you can have a stall. Every writer then said I am
going to do it too and they did. We formed a group ‘Waveney Author Group’ (WAG)
and we’re currently on tour (a year on tour and it ends next month).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN">The pop-up bookshop July 2015 was such a success authors booked almost
immediately and we were soon full. In July 16 we held the first ever East
Anglian Festival of Eafoc #eafoc with authors coming from across the country.
We are now planning for the second festival which will be in July 2017 and will
have a wider genre.</span><span style="color: #002060;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white;">
<span lang="EN">Each year more writers come to our Get Writing workshops and to date I have
helped 22 authors independently publish their books and see on Amazon, many are
published under my imprint<span style="color: #1d2129;">, </span>East Anglian
Press.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Along with running the structured writing workshops
Get Writing also invites people who want to come and join other writers and
finish writing that book in the fabulous 55 acre grounds of Gunton Hall and
finish at 4pm with a swim in the pool (and have some time afterwards if writers
wish to discuss the writing they have written that day). <span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: red; font-family: "ariel" , "serif"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">*Come for the facilitated writing workshops or come and join other
writers and finish writing that book!*</span></b><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , "serif"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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The first of our 3-day writing workshop this Nov
will be a little different, yes it will cover fiction but in particular it will
be a day of ‘Writing a Novel.’ I have booked 10 times novelist Jane Lovering
from Yorkshire and I am very excited. And if writers wish they can book our
2-night writing retreat in Jan which is being held in an <span class="zcm"><span style="color: #222222;">18th-century country house hotel. Writers
can write in their rooms or in the room we have booked and there is the op</span></span>tion
to discuss their work after dinner around the open working fire.<span class="zcm"><span style="color: #222222;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;"><br />
</span><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;">More info can
be obtained from </span><a href="http://www.getwrting.co.uk/"><span lang="EN">www.getwrting.co.uk</span></a><span lang="EN" style="color: #1d2129; mso-ansi-language: EN;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Contact details for Chatty Cat:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; font-size: 16.0pt;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;"> </span></span><!--[endif]-->Chatty
Cat on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChattyCat/?__mref=message_bubble"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook</span></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ChattyCat/?__mref=message_bubble" target="_blank"><span style="background: #f1f0f0; color: #365899;">https://www.facebook.com/ChattyCat/</span></a><span style="font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Chatty Cat on <a href="https://twitter.com/chattycatsuzi"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Twitter</span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/chattycatsuzi" target="_blank"><span style="background: #f1f0f0; color: #365899;">https://twitter.com/chattycatsuzi</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]-->Blog: <a href="https://chattycatno1.wordpress.com/">https://chattycatno1.wordpress.com<b>/</b></a><b> <o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Contact details for Suzan:<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://suzancollins.com/index.htm"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Website</span></a> <a href="http://www.suzancollins.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background: #f1f0f0; color: #365899;">www.suzancollins.com</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/top/?q=suzan%20collins%20author%20page"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Facebook author page</span></a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Suzan-Collins-author-page-186401074847655/?__mref=message_bubble" target="_blank"><span style="background: #f1f0f0; color: #365899;">https://www.facebook.com/Suzan-Collins-author-page-186401074847655/</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">·<span style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="https://twitter.com/suzancollins"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Twitter</span></a> <a href="https://twitter.com/suzancollins" target="_blank"><span style="background: #f1f0f0; color: #365899;">https://twitter.com/suzancollins</span></a><o:p></o:p></div>
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</span></span><!--[endif]-->Blog: https://suzancollins.wordpress.com/<o:p></o:p></div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-69068575696211280822016-07-07T21:29:00.000+01:002016-07-07T21:29:05.837+01:00TROUBLE WITH SWORDS<span style="font-size: large;">This week until 13th July my book Trouble With Swords is on what is known as a Kindle Countdown promotion.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">In effect it means that for this week only Amazon are allowing me to sell the Kindle version for 99p / 99c for promotional purposes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">I have to admit this is not a charitable action on my part, I want to sell as many copies as possible to boost Trouble With Swords in the Amazon rankings. So PLEASE follow the links below and order a fantastic book for less than £1 or $1.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCporVzp7GyppQ_r0Zf3hoo6OY6bgQpch54_TeSXz2z0u165jQJg0Jzt_IDK9ZUpEllNkLsGwywqseKj6Vx7MYFirwE9qwwPJdyOb06Za69qYA33EtJ-L8jAVsFOH94jV5YYsKepEu0Bqi/s1600/TWS+FB+ad+small+yellow+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCporVzp7GyppQ_r0Zf3hoo6OY6bgQpch54_TeSXz2z0u165jQJg0Jzt_IDK9ZUpEllNkLsGwywqseKj6Vx7MYFirwE9qwwPJdyOb06Za69qYA33EtJ-L8jAVsFOH94jV5YYsKepEu0Bqi/s320/TWS+FB+ad+small+yellow+text.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Remember that for that tiny amount of money I wrote a book that you'll thoroughly enjoy, editors perfected, graphic artists designed and Amazon will deliver direct to your Kindle within seconds. Talk about a bargain!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For USA:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B019KET9UI/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=61oHZIMJ5UL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU02_AC_UL160_SR109%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=E5PGYMT4BCX8R83KD6ER">https://www.amazon.com/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B019KET9UI/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=61oHZIMJ5UL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU02_AC_UL160_SR109%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=E5PGYMT4BCX8R83KD6ER</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">For UK:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B019KET9UI/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=61oHZIMJ5UL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU02_AC_UL160_SR109%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=E5PGYMT4BCX8R83KD6ER">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Trouble-Swords-Temporal-Detective-Agency-ebook/dp/B019KET9UI/ref=pd_sim_351_1?ie=UTF8&dpID=61oHZIMJ5UL&dpSrc=sims&preST=_UX300_PJku-sticker-v3%2CTopRight%2C0%2C-44_OU02_AC_UL160_SR109%2C160_&psc=1&refRID=E5PGYMT4BCX8R83KD6ER</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-16611557821740796772016-06-22T21:47:00.000+01:002016-06-22T21:47:26.025+01:00Exam invigilation<span style="font-size: large;">Once again, this year I'm an invigilator for A' level exams at a Winchester 6th form college. The difference is that this year I'm also invigilating at a local school for GCSE year kids. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">What a difference!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">The A' level kids are more mature and know that this is their big opportunity in life to open doors, potentially go to university and impress future employers. They're a joy to work with and they know that invigilators are there to help them achieve their maximum potential within exam board rules and regulations.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">To a large extent GCSE students treat exams as a laugh and some kids try to see how far they can take the invigilator before they get to breaking point. Inexperienced invigilators are all too easily taken in by multiple toilet requests, items falling on the floor and the wish to be "liked" by the kids. Unfortunately being liked is an impossibility as much as a mistake. The key is respect and that's not an easy commodity to come by these days.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Kids are too aware of their "rights" and that invigilators have little recourse to any form of redress if challenged, but some seem to have little realisation how important GCSEs are and treat the whole exam season as a game. On two or three occasions I've noticed kids put their heads on the desk and go to sleep, and in a couple of exams I've seen the same two kids not even bother to pick up pens, let alone try to attempt any answers.Whether asleep or awake it's their exam and as long as they don't disrupt the exam, or cause any form of interference they can do what they want. As an adjudicator that's not my problem. My job is to make sure those that do want to do well have the best possible chance to do so.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Whether A' level or GCSE I have the greatest respect for those kids who overcome the pressure of the exam 2 months and go on to the next level of their education. I'm proud to be part of it.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-85757617603414583132016-06-01T20:24:00.000+01:002016-06-01T20:24:35.707+01:00Radio interview today.<div class="" data-block="true" data-editor="7r5g0" data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0" style="background-color: white; color: #4b4f56; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; white-space: pre-wrap;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0">I don't do many interviews, not because I don't want to so I can preserve my Greta Garbo privacy..... I just don't get asked!</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0"><br /></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0">I've done a couple of TV interviews in the past and I have one coming up on Channel 4 sometime in the future, but today's interview was different because it wasn't about me. It was about Authors Reach Ltd.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-0-0">I was interviewed by Samantha Robb on Belfast 89fm Radio today as the CEO of Authors Reach Ltd, about how </span><span class="_5u8u" data-offset-key="14i4q-1-0" spellcheck="false" style="background-color: #dce6f8;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-1-0"><span data-text="true">Catriona King</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="14i4q-2-0">, </span><span class="_5u8u" data-offset-key="14i4q-3-0" spellcheck="false" style="background-color: #dce6f8;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-3-0"><span data-text="true">Shani Struthers</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="14i4q-4-0">, </span><span class="_5u8u" data-offset-key="14i4q-5-0" spellcheck="false" style="background-color: #dce6f8;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-5-0"><span data-text="true">Sarah England</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="14i4q-6-0">, </span><span class="_5u8u" data-offset-key="14i4q-7-0" spellcheck="false" style="background-color: #dce6f8;"><span data-offset-key="14i4q-7-0"><span data-text="true">Gina Dickerson</span></span></span><span data-offset-key="14i4q-8-0"> and I set up the company and where we want to take it in the world of books. This is the link to the interview.</span></span></div>
</div>
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<div class="_1mf _1mj" data-offset-key="97pid-0-0" style="direction: ltr; position: relative;">
<span data-offset-key="97pid-0-0"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://youtu.be/rygB1sqsrUg">https://youtu.be/rygB1sqsrUg</a></span></span></div>
</div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-16131124340200220602016-05-20T20:34:00.003+01:002016-05-20T20:34:53.793+01:00A great week!<span style="font-size: x-large;">A great week for Authors Reach! </span><div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">On Wednesday we signed an agreement with Gardners Books, the largest distributor in the UK, to become a full consignment publisher, which means our books will always be in stock and available to UK shops on next-day delivery. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">On Thursday Waterstones confirmed that Authors Reach books can now be ordered for collection in Waterstones' stores. We are now also in the process of submitting our books for putting on Waterstones' shelves. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">That's not bad for a co-operative of 5 like-minded authors!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Check us out on our website <a href="http://www.authorsreach.co.uk/">www.authorsreach.co.uk</a></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Have a great weekend.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span></div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-76328128507661258332016-03-06T14:04:00.000+00:002016-03-06T14:04:22.010+00:00An article in Portsmouth's Star & Crescent magazine about Authors Reach<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>I wrote the following article about Authors Reach a couple of weeks ago and it appeared in last week's edition of Portsmouth's Star & Crescent magazine.</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Please visit the Authors Reach website at www.authorsreach.co.uk and find out more about us and our books.</b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></i>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXnRYF2iF9W9B-Utqc0nhhTisyi_WvR653-vIr2A5Y_AKcWa3S4NZ54poyAAjgRpv95gkuwlJGE71LpEGs3AtDmOPGFSJRMpmgT2N-tdXA95S8m8p0YDK35Fn3-EH2BhScNy-H7bMrJXF/s1600/Authors+Reach+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXXnRYF2iF9W9B-Utqc0nhhTisyi_WvR653-vIr2A5Y_AKcWa3S4NZ54poyAAjgRpv95gkuwlJGE71LpEGs3AtDmOPGFSJRMpmgT2N-tdXA95S8m8p0YDK35Fn3-EH2BhScNy-H7bMrJXF/s320/Authors+Reach+banner.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></i>
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<span style="font-size: large;">The job of being an author doesn’t stop with the words “The End”. In many ways that’s just the beginning.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Publishers tend to spend their marketing budget on promoting books from authors who they know will turn out best-sellers time and time again, and they tend not to take risks with new or unknown writers. In many ways, who can blame them? However, that means there is a massive glass ceiling that makes it very difficult for a new author to get noticed by the reading marketplace, let alone bookshops, where shelf space is at a premium and margins are tight.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Towards the end of 2015, five UK authors decided to change that and started buying back the rights to their books from their various publishers in order to form their own company to market and promote their titles…. which from experience, they were aware is something authors have to do anyway, with few exceptions.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition to writing books, each of the five authors brought a specific skill-set to the group, among them being proofreading, web design, artwork, media know-how, social media expertise and marketing, The five felt the combination made them a capable operation and they therefore launched Authors Reach Ltd last November to initially concentrate on promoting each other’s books. That developed, through a sharp learning curve, into knowing how to negotiate print runs, organise distribution and bookshop stocking, to the extent that all five are now representing Authors Reach at book fairs and literary festivals, book signings, and even speaking to groups on creative writing. Radio and television interviews are taking place, with all five founders now having given radio interviews, and podcasts are scheduled, leaving little time for the real job in hand… writing books!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">What’s different? The five founders of Authors Reach – Richard Hardie, Catriona King, Shani Struthers, Gina Dickerson and Sarah England – are all previously traditionally published authors with a diverse collection of genres ranging from crime to the paranormal, romance to horror, and young adult (YA) to fantasy. They started their new venture fully aware of the problems that lay ahead of them. They had an agreed strategy, as well as a clear plan as to how to maximise sales through online book sellers, both paperback and e-book. Unlike many smaller publishers, Authors Reach believes that independent book shops have a future in the UK, alongside the bigger chains, and that creating relationships throughout the UK is most important. Authors Reach intends being part of that future by bringing their books to readers and bookshops alike.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">At the beginning of 2016 the first two books were relaunched under the Authors Reach banner and logo, with new covers and ISBNs (Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords). Both are now in print, stocked by distributors and on shop shelves. Further Authors Reach books will be following very soon, with a potential back catalogue of over twenty books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Authors Reach may not be a major player, or even bijou yet, but the potential is massive and may even indicate the future of publishing.</span></div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-23065800280152255502016-02-06T16:34:00.001+00:002016-02-06T16:34:49.835+00:00Authors Reach update<span style="font-size: large;">Last year Sarah England, Catriona King, Gina Dickerson, Shani Struthers and I decided to buy back some, if not all, of our book titles and self publish.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Courageous, or suicidal?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We have all had books published, indeed Catriona has had 13 titles released in one series alone, and the rest of have a fan base mostly on Amazon, though in my case it's predominately in book shops in the UK. We made the decision with our eyes open and formed Authors Reach Ltd to publish, promote and market our titles to the readers of books, wherever they may be and whoever they are. Most importantly we knew we worked well together as a team and would add massive value to each other's efforts.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">And so it has proved.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We now have successfully working relationships with Nielsens, Ingram Spark (LightningSource) and Gardners (the UK's biggest book distributors). New editions of existing books, as well as new titles, are coming out under the Authors Reach banner and our marketing initiatives are bearing fruit in increased sales.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwfX-Tbn8_VRs5JK6Au4WQ6v-olGvdzA0AvPwccS0aIH0V8zRf7cfLcc0hu4udVAIdhGeJ2NTssIaouiHa6PvrWzuEIuEYo14lTQz2xvwJ0DBI14qfGJM1eCEPcR6zlUCFSiwT7PHSstx/s1600/BW+AR+banner+851+px+wide.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNwfX-Tbn8_VRs5JK6Au4WQ6v-olGvdzA0AvPwccS0aIH0V8zRf7cfLcc0hu4udVAIdhGeJ2NTssIaouiHa6PvrWzuEIuEYo14lTQz2xvwJ0DBI14qfGJM1eCEPcR6zlUCFSiwT7PHSstx/s320/BW+AR+banner+851+px+wide.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Making the book seller and reader markets aware of us is a major priority, so getting our books on shelves, in libraries and in schools is key. We have a number of signing sessions lined up, and three shops in the South have agreed to sponsor and hold Authors Reach launch events. We will also be talking to the Film and Creative Writing degree course students at a top university in March. We will also be starting a marketing campaign to independent book shops, by post, email and phone, though one major chain has already expressed interest in taking our books and another is a target.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, plots have to be thought up, books have to be written and manuscripts have to be edited. The life of an author isn't all fan worship and book signings.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a look at our website on <a href="http://www.authorsreach.co.uk/">www.authorsreach.co.uk</a>. You can buy signed copies of our books there (we'll even pay the UK postage), and find out more about myself, Shani, Catriona, Gina and Sarah and Authors Reach Ltd.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-37451681466776621602015-12-31T20:49:00.001+00:002015-12-31T20:49:37.700+00:00That Was The Year That Was!<span style="font-size: large;">Like every year, 2015 seems to have zipped past at a rate of knots.... in fact so fast it'll be February before we realise it's gone and start writing 2016 on cheques.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the other hand, when I look back and see what happened during the year it's obviously been the full 365 days with probably a few more thrown in for good measure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">A few highlights and one or two lowlights:-</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- I and four fellow authors formed Authors Reach, a cooperative designed to maximise the combination of our mutual skills in book marketing, publicity and merchandising. The first two books under the Authors Reach publishing banner (my Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords) came out as eBooks this month and will come out in paperback form in January.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- A good friend of mine was given the all-clear from cancer having gone through grueling surgery and chemotherapy.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Many didn't and my cousin's wife passed away earlier this year, as did the wife of an author friend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- My son took up golf in May and without fail we play every Wednesday afternoon, rain or shine. I'm getting better and he's a natural!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- My beloved cocker spaniel, Benji, died in March, but 10 days later the incredible void was filled by a beautiful cocker spaniel puppy called Oscar. Not a replacement, but a superb personality in his own right.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- In October Oscar and I went on a lads walking holiday to the Gower Peninsular. I took Benji there every year (just him and me) and Oscar loved it every bit as much as I. We walked 10 miles a day or more, and hopefully we'll go back in March.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- As a result of Christmas I have a number of great books to read.... the last ever Terry Pratchett, a new "Uhtred" from Bernard Cornwell, the post-James 1st history of Great Britain by Peter Ackroyd, and two fantastic signed books on the golf majors from my son-in-law.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- I tried baked Camembert cheese, with toast and tomato and apple chuckney for the first time. Simply delicious!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Just before Christmas I had tea with my wife and daughter on the 38th floor of The Shard. A fire broke out on the 35th floor just before we arrived (echos of the film Towering Inferno) and the place was surrounded by fire engines and lots of official people who had no idea what was going on! However the view when we got to the tea floor was stunning, though the sandwiches and cakes left a lot to be desired, although the reason for being there was the view. As the sun went down and the lights of London came on we were glad our table was right by the floor to ceiling windows. It was worth the exorbitant price for that alone!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">2016 holds much promise and many opportunities, though as always it'll be down to everyone to decide how to use them.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So have a great new Year's Eve celebration and the New Year of your choice.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
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<br />Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-6323768057132920852015-11-24T21:36:00.002+00:002015-11-24T21:36:15.042+00:00Shani Struthers new book.... Eve:A Christmas Ghost Story.<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">I first met Shani Struthers at a joint book signing we did in Leatherhead last year. Half way through there was a lull in the queue and Shani took the opportunity to do an interview with Radio Norfolk. For someone so sweet and charming she writes seriously chilling thrillers that beg for you to hide behind a sofa.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Her new book, <b><i>Eve:
A Christmas Ghost Story</i></b> launching on the 24<sup>th</sup> November on
Amazon is the prequel to the popular Psychic Surveys series. Featuring two
of the Psychic Surveys team – Theo Lawson and Vanessa Patterson – it’s set
between 1899 and 1999 and is loosely inspired by a true event, as most of Shani's books are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">In her fictional re-telling,
Theo and Ness are asked to investigate a town weighed down by the sorrow of
what happened 100 years befor.....<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><u>A taster.</u><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">What do
you do when a whole town is haunted? <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In 1899, in the North Yorkshire market
town of Thorpe Morton, a tragedy occurred; 59 people died at the market hall
whilst celebrating Christmas Eve, many of them children. One hundred years on
and the spirits of the deceased are restless still, ‘haunting’ the community,
refusing to let them forget. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">In 1999, psychic investigators Theo
Lawson and Ness Patterson are called in to help, sensing immediately on arrival
how weighed down the town is. Quickly they discover there’s no safe haven. The
past taints everything. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fcEtWIBwHdEk1VLdyTNjRE1llDT4xGM7uNafoIwObD5p0STcpVAd9JkxE34s-Tjp2qQyXvmtPJgVYO3zl2kUTatGAjsYa_Qqk3MDkexrTPiCz_FJ2KD8EY_jUhyphenhyphenkz8foVRNuoXG7iwux/s1600/06091506exp.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fcEtWIBwHdEk1VLdyTNjRE1llDT4xGM7uNafoIwObD5p0STcpVAd9JkxE34s-Tjp2qQyXvmtPJgVYO3zl2kUTatGAjsYa_Qqk3MDkexrTPiCz_FJ2KD8EY_jUhyphenhyphenkz8foVRNuoXG7iwux/s320/06091506exp.jpeg" width="200" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Hurtling towards the anniversary as well
as a new millennium, their aim is to move the spirits on, to cleanse the
atmosphere so everyone – the living and the dead – can start again. But the
spirits prove resistant and soon Theo and Ness are caught up in battle,
fighting against something that knows their deepest fears and can twist them in
the most dangerous of ways. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">They’ll need all their courage to
succeed and the help of a little girl too – a spirit who didn’t die at the hall,
who shouldn’t even be there…</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Excerpt<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">As Theo
turned round to face the double doors, she had a feeling that someone - <i>something</i>
- was rushing at her, as fleetingly as whatever had been in Adelaide's house.
Refusing to let fear get a stranglehold, she turned back, her aim to confront
it. A black wisp of a shape, like wood smoke, sideswiped her, before fading
into nothing. Staring after it, wondering what it was, something else caught
her attention. At the far end of the second room was something more substantial:
a little girl, staring at her.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Theo's eyes
widened. "Oh darling, darling," she whispered. She took a step
forwards, tried to remember the names of the children on the list from earlier:
Alice, Helen, Bessie, Adelaide's ancestor, Ellen Corsby perhaps. Which one was
she? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">She inched
closer still. "Darling, your name, tell me what it is."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The little
girl's arms moved upwards, she stretched them out, her manner beseeching
although she remained mute. Theo tried again, told the child her own name. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"It's
short for Theodora. I bet you're called something pretty."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">The girl
had a dress on; long, brownish, a course material - linen perhaps? Nothing
special but if it was her party dress then maybe it was special to her. Her
boots were brown too - lace ups, sturdy looking. She was around eight or nine
but it was hard to tell. She could have been older just small for her age. Her
hair was brown and tangled; she had a mane of it. Everything about her seemed
to be brown or sepia, maybe sepia was the right word, as though she'd stepped
out of an old photograph.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"I'm
here now, sweetheart, I've come to help. You've been here for such a long time.
Too long. You need to go to the light, go home, rest awhile."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Up closer,
Theo could read her eyes. The longing in them stirred her pity. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"Let
me help you," Theo persisted, her voice catching in her throat. As
glorious as the other side might be, she still felt it unfair to be felled at
such a young age. Often this was a good existence too and it deserved to be
experienced fully. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">She was
close now, so close and still her arms were outstretched. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Harriet -
the name presented itself whole in her mind.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"Your
name's Harriet. Is that correct? It's lovely, it suits you."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Was that a
smile on the child's lips, the beginnings of trust? Soon she'd be able to reach
out and touch her. What would she feel like? Cold? Ethereal? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"Darling,
I'm here," she repeated, no more than a foot between them. "I'm
here."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Joy surged
- one spirit had come forward - it was an encouraging start.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Just before
their hands touched everything changed. Hope and joy were replaced with
confusion as something sour - fetid almost - rose up, making her feel nauseous.
<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"Don't
be afraid," Theo implored. Yet there was nothing but fear in her eyes now.
No, not fear, that was too tame a word - terror. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"I'm
not here to harm you," she continued. "I'm here to help."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">As the
words left her mouth, other hands appeared behind the child, a whole sea of
them - disembodied hands that clawed at her, forcing her backwards. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">"No!"
Theo shouted. "Stop it. Leave her alone!" <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">But it was
no use. Her words faded as the girl did. She'd been torn away, recaptured; the
one who'd dared to step forward. Theo could feel sweat break out on her
forehead, her hands were clammy. She clutched at her chest, her breathing
difficult suddenly, laboured. Her heart had been problematic of late, a result
of the pounds she'd piled on. She must go to the doctor to get some medication.
Struggling to gain control, it took a few moments, perhaps a full minute,
before her heart stopped hammering. And when it did, she remembered something
else. The girl's eyes - her sweet, brown, trusting eyes - when the expression
changed in them they hadn't been looking at her, they'd been looking <i>beyond</i>
her. Was it at the thing that sideswiped her? Theo couldn't be certain. She
wasn't certain either if that 'thing' was a spirit or much less than that -
something with no soul, but with an appetite, an extreme appetite: a <i>craving</i>.
Something, she feared, was insatiable.</span><b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Eve<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">UK
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/nmnajss">http://tinyurl.com/nmnajss</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">US
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/pe5f6db">http://tinyurl.com/pe5f6db</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Author Bio<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Brighton-based author of
paranormal fiction, including UK Amazon Bestseller, Psychic Surveys Book One:
The Haunting of Highdown Hall. Psychic Surveys Book Two: Rise to Me, is also
available and due out in November 2015 is Eve: A Christmas Ghost Story - the
prequel to the Psychic Surveys series. She is also the author of Jessamine, an
atmospheric psychological romance set in the Highlands of Scotland and
described as a 'Wuthering Heights for the 21st century.'<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Psychic Surveys Book
Three: 44 Gilmore Street is in progress. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">All events in her books
are inspired by true life and events.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Catch up with Shani via
her website www.shanistruthers.com or on Facebook, Twitter and Goodreads.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmO7KH-YeOnam4Ea71B1dgXB1CcfP3-ghu2GNl9MUvIi7DMEwUvG-SrUDsLvbi-kf6yxM5rMPa6vbJjiryKLYXHnNGstx8LvM_BGG-_0HMju9TAWPROkmtQK4i74kqIJ9px76TfUsljkZ/s1600/Shani+Pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjmO7KH-YeOnam4Ea71B1dgXB1CcfP3-ghu2GNl9MUvIi7DMEwUvG-SrUDsLvbi-kf6yxM5rMPa6vbJjiryKLYXHnNGstx8LvM_BGG-_0HMju9TAWPROkmtQK4i74kqIJ9px76TfUsljkZ/s320/Shani+Pic.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Facebook
Author Page: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/p9yggq9">http://tinyurl.com/p9yggq9</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Twitter:
<a href="https://twitter.com/shani_struthers">https://twitter.com/shani_struthers</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Blog:
<a href="http://shanisite.wordpress.com/">http://shanisite.wordpress.com</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif"; font-size: 13.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Goodreads
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/mq25mav">http://tinyurl.com/mq25mav</a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span></b></div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-82023734064825807942015-11-14T15:53:00.000+00:002015-11-14T20:08:15.637+00:00AUTHORS REACH!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">The past two weeks have shot by!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">With three book signing sessions (one at sea!) and two library talks completed I was able to work with four fellow authors in establishing our mutual dream........ a co-operative marketing organisation that could capitalise on our various skills and experiences in promoting our books in every way possible.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHdRY6K9mEgpZRqcR_WIylC3zhbUDNVMtL7RT1Ax8RcsoGkgAg4qdZESLxh1b4r8leN0YrKp7LBPl842rYlvQHt4SrhmbaEeGtX4VhWvmHo4PsHbtJffT06z4mrs_2rmRXQNzD8jgKpie/s1600/Authors+Reach+banner.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKHdRY6K9mEgpZRqcR_WIylC3zhbUDNVMtL7RT1Ax8RcsoGkgAg4qdZESLxh1b4r8leN0YrKp7LBPl842rYlvQHt4SrhmbaEeGtX4VhWvmHo4PsHbtJffT06z4mrs_2rmRXQNzD8jgKpie/s320/Authors+Reach+banner.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">We chose the name Authors Reach for our organisation, because we'll be reaching out to Readers, Book Sellers (especially independent book shops), the media and to fellow authors, so the name was one that appealed to all of us. </span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Authors Reach Ltd is now a registered company, our Facebook page is up and running with an incredible number of "likes" for such a young organisation, and our <a href="http://www%2Cauthorsreach.co.uk/" target="_blank">Authors Reach</a> website has now also gone live soon as <a href="http://www.authorsreach.co.uk/">www.authorsreach.co.uk</a>, with links to all our books on Amazon, partner companies and organisations, as well as to our individual websites.</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So who are we?</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Asides from myself, as a writer of Young Adult fantasy adventure books, there's <a href="http://www.sarahengland.yolasite.com/" target="_blank">Sarah England</a> who writes the scariest horror thrillers imaginable, as well as the funniest romantic comedies, <a href="http://www.ginadickersonwriter.co.uk/" target="_blank">Gina Dickerson</a> who writes wonderful romantic thrillers and poetry, <a href="http://www.catrionakingbooks.com/" target="_blank">Catriona King</a>, the author of 13 books in the DCI Craig thriller series set in Belfast, and <a href="http://www.shanistruthers.com/" target="_blank">Shani Struthers</a>, who writes deceptively wonderful ghost books and paranormal stories. Together we make up Authors Reach.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvuEiO0VY_Wo7YsP-XZbD6_EOmfzq60qVrhjL5VQtkQjNBPn4gJtK16UuGXZ6GrqLP10f_U_KsjSRNkNtGizzyaN472sAX7zFfbf9m39kEwtj44CebB1Wo4Z-N38wFO78syzuNijmFZiz/s320/Authors+Reach+circle+logo.png" width="320" /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Taking our books to the reader and therefore also to the widest possible market means that not only will all our books be available on Amazon, both as eBooks and paperbacks, but we are negotiating that from the beginning of 2016 the UK's largest distributor will stock our books, making them available to all UK book shops. As a group, Authors Reach will be proactively working with book shops in holding events, releases and signing days. Our ultimate goal will be that should a reader go into their local book shop and ask for any book written by an Authors Reach author, that book will either be on the shelf, or available guaranteed the next day from the distributor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Please visit our website at <a href="http://www.authorsreach.co.uk/">www.authorsreach.co.uk</a></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">or on Facebook at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/authorsreach/?fref=ts">https://www.facebook.com/authorsreach/?fref=ts</a></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">An exciting week!</span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span></div>
<br />
<br />Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-62754678287549496762015-10-31T20:43:00.000+00:002015-11-01T14:55:17.236+00:00A Week of Events<span style="font-size: large;">I knew this week was going to be busy, but a frenetic week that's full of great events is one to treasure.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Sunday I walked Oscar, my cocker spaniel pup in the local forest for a couple of hours and thought back to the previous Sunday when a man walking his dogs had recognised me from the photo on my Amazon author's page. An author's biggest thrill, especially as the man had read both books in the Temporal Detective Agency.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The Scary Dip Halloween draw run by Gina Dickerson, Catriona King, Sarah England, Shani Struthers and myself came to its halfway point on Sunday and the day's prize was the miniature of my Leap of Faith created by the multi-talented Gina D. A week later and 6 prizes down the line, today's prize is a signed copy of my Trouble With Swords. You can still enter at </span><a data-reactid=".2e.1.$mg=2mid=11446282375718=29b43713b927609f046.2.$mid=11446282375718=29b43713b927609f046.0.0.0.0.0.0.$range0/=10" href="http://bit.ly/1M2l2Ud" rel="nofollow" style="background-color: #fefefe; color: #3b5998; cursor: pointer; font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: 15.36px; white-space: pre-wrap;" target="_blank">http://bit.ly/1M2l2Ud</a>.<span style="font-size: large;">until midnight.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOg129S71o1dJ2QQsbIcukij7s4E9ynMVw-q1i-vLMSiMmKDXgTyWd1Uyxrog8fXcPRoBm8H_ukOrifhLdszjTCpslBHbR07xNPE-zBI1AV-ER8SI3rFeeZYk8qXj4IrqWGqAKGbUazR1/s1600/Scary+Dip+all+book+with+text.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="165" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCOg129S71o1dJ2QQsbIcukij7s4E9ynMVw-q1i-vLMSiMmKDXgTyWd1Uyxrog8fXcPRoBm8H_ukOrifhLdszjTCpslBHbR07xNPE-zBI1AV-ER8SI3rFeeZYk8qXj4IrqWGqAKGbUazR1/s320/Scary+Dip+all+book+with+text.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Monday I signed books on the Red Funnel Isle of Wight Ferry Osprey. Great fun and part of the SO:To Speak (Southampton Festival of Words). This is ther first time Red Funnel has taken part and giving me a free ticket as well as free reign in the South lounge to chat to their passengers was a great risk for them. I think it paid off. It was wonderful when the captain announced that on board there was "the famous author Richard Hardie who will be pleased to sign books... or probably anything you stick in front of him, knowing authors!". No he didn't! A serious thank you to Red Funnel and the captain!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On the way back home I managed to call into the Southampton IMAX cinema and get premier seats for the new James Bond film, Spectre. My wife and I are really looking forward to seeing that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Wednesday was golf day with my son in the afternoon and preparation for a library talk in the morning.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">On Thursday I gave a talk in the morning at my local (and very large) library to 10 to 12 year olds on how to write a book, and in the afternoon on being an author to 12 to 14 year olds. The kids were wonderful and made the talks very interactive and a pleasure to give. One of them, Ben, wrote up an excellent summary on his blog. That's a lad to watch. After each talk I signed books in the main library area for an hour and a half. A great day and my thanks to Radka, the chief librarian for organising everything!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I popped into Southampton Central library this morning and I suppose like all authors I looked for my books. Leap of Faith was on the "Teen" shelf, but there was no sign of Trouble With Swords. Apparantly, they have another copy of Leap of Faith which is out on loan as is Trouble With Swords. Music to my ears!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In between the above, updating posts to A Scary Dip and answering emails, I actually managed to do some writing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Quite a week.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes! </span><br />
<br />Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-60783088707361099562015-10-23T19:18:00.000+01:002015-10-23T19:18:42.018+01:00A Rather Nice Day!<span style="font-size: large;">Today was one of those days when everything could have gone pear-shaped, or like well-oiled clockwork with some lovely surprises.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The clockwork proved to be in perfect condition!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">This morning I took my beautiful walking companion, Oscar the 9 month old cocker spaniel, to Farley Mount for a long forest walkies. I was talking to another guy who had 2 lovely Lurchers when after 5 minutes he suddenly said "You're Richard Hardie, aren't you?". I admitted I was, though I wasn't sure how he knew, because I'm sure I'd never seen him before. I wasn't only relieved, bur exstatic when he expalined that he'd read both my Temporal Detective Agency books and had recognised me from my Amazon photo! Chuffed.... I floated home.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I and 4 author friends are working together to cooperatively market our books. For the past week we've been holding A Scary Dip, a Facebook 2 week event to give away a spooky prize every day. Today it was my turn and I've given a signed cpy of my book A Leap of Faith. There's still time to enter by the way. The draw is independently made by Rafflecopter and will happen at midnight tonight, so go to the following link and enter for a chance to win.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The 5 of us are well on the way to establishing a joint distribution agreement for our books that will mean moving to the next level and being accepted as mainstream authors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">What else.....</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Oh yes, I cleared up a ton of acorns from my front garden and nearly filled 2 wheelie bins. Tomorrow I've got to do the back garden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Have a great weekend and Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
<br />Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-19069598333389379702015-10-23T12:51:00.001+01:002015-10-23T12:51:24.750+01:00A Scary Dip<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Today it's my turn to give away a prize on our Scary Dip two week celebration of Halloween.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So far Gina Dickerson, Shani Struthers, Sarah England and Catriona King have given away copies of their spooky books, or beautifully made miniatures and today I'll be be giving away a signed copy of Leap of Faith, the first in the Temporal Detective Agency series</span><br />
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Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-66467317720169449222015-09-25T20:21:00.001+01:002015-09-25T20:21:45.036+01:00The Face that Booked a Thousand Launches!<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I don't think I've ever blogged about the launch of a book in all the years I've been blogging.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">I've interviewed lots of people, both famous and unknown, who all had one thing in common.... they were interesting. But I've never blogged purely about a book, except to mention one in passing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Today's the exception, and I make no apologies for it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Sarah England has written fiction comedy books and a series of short stories verging on the psychology of horror. Today, however, she is realising a long-standing ambition and today has published "Father of Lies", her first full length horror novel as an eBook on Amazon. The paperback version will also be out later today.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I bought a copy (so this is no freebie review for a mate!) and would put it on a par with Stephen King (but not as verbose) and James Herbert. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">So what's it about? Read on in Sarah's own words......</span><br />
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<img alt="Product Details" height="320" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515MmtZjGIL._AA160_.jpg" width="320" /><br />
<u id="yui_3_16_0_1_1443091045003_33203" style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: red;">Synopsis: 'Father of Lies' is a supernatural horror novel with content which some readers may find very disturbing, and possibly offensive. </span></u><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">With no known identity or family, Ruby is the most aggressive and disturbed patient ever to be admitted to Drummersgate High Security Forensic Unit. Eventually, after almost two years with little sign of improvement, psychiatrist, Jack McGowan, decides to take a risk and hypnotises her - with devastating consequences. A horrific, dark force is unleashed on him and his team, as one by one, each attempts to unlock Ruby's shocking and sinister past.</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">Set in a remote northern, mining village, where secrets are kept and incomers hounded from their homes, soon enough all paths lead to the heart of darkness... and The Father of Lies.</span><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;" /><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;" /><u style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">Inspiration:<br clear="none" /></u><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">This book is a culmination of many factors - firstly I originally trained as a nurse and then went to work as a medical rep, eventually specialising in mental health, so much of the medical angle comes from my own background. As part of my my job I worked closely with the psychiatrists treating schizophrenia and depressive illnesses, setting up workshops and conferences, analysing clinical papers and taking a keen interest in the subject area. After I retired from the pharmaceutical industry, I spent over a decade writing fiction - mostly short stories and serials for magazines, but also one novel and a collection of thrillers; and so, when I met a lady who suffered from what used to be called multiple personality disorder (now called Disassociative Identity Disorder), I felt it all came together and was compelled to write, 'Father of Lies'. Around 90% of cases of DID are attributable to child abuse, and thus, although there is nothing graphic in the novel, there has to be a start - a reason - for my main character, Ruby, to be the way she is. Sadly and shockingly, this still goes on today, and that's why I describe the root cause as the heart of darkness. I hope that, by looking at the </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">consequences</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;"> of such evil, a strong message will come across - that we cannot turn a blind eye to what happens to thousands of children around the world, with the resulting damage to both individuals and society. That was the point of writing this book, which also, of course, is designed to scare the reader witless! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: red; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif;">"Father of Lies" is available on Amazon NOW at....</span></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015NCZYKU">http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B015NCZYKU</a></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> and </span>http://<a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/B015NCZYKU" target="_blank">www.amazon.com/dp/B015NCZYKU </a><br clear="none" style="background-color: white; font-family: HelveticaNeue, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, 'Lucida Grande', sans-serif; font-size: 16px;" /><br />
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Sarah's website: <a href="http://www.sarahengland.yolasite.com/" target="_blank">http://www.sarahengland.yolasite.com </a> <br clear="none" /> Facebook <a href="https://www.facebook.com/sarahengland4">https://www.facebook.com/sarahengland4</a><br clear="none" /> twitter @sarahengland16</div>
Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-24086301038679655092015-08-28T20:48:00.000+01:002015-08-28T20:48:57.832+01:00A Spectacular week!<span style="font-size: large;">A week with a difference and one to celebrate.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In the World Athletics Championships Mo Farah managed to stay on his feet, in spite of several pushes and trips (definitely accidental!) from the Kenyans, and win the 10k gold and fight his way through to the 5k final.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Greg Rutherford soared through the air to a remarkable gold which means he's won the World, Olympic, European and Commonwealth championships in one period. A feat only achieved by 5 other athletes and even Mo hasn't done it yet! Surprisingly he's underfunded by UK Athletics and has had to build a training long jump pit in his back garden.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Usain Bolt confounded everyone, including Justin Gatlin, by winning gold in the 100 and 200 meters, which means he's now won 10 Wold Championship golds. To his credit he never once alluded to the fact he'd beaten Justin Gatlin and his ex-drug usage. He's a perfect gentleman. To Gatlin's credit after each race he had a broad smile on his face and gave Bolt a hug of congratulations. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">To Bolt's greater credit, when he was upended by an enthusiastic TV cameraman riding a Segway, he did a backflip and smiled broadly before coming over to help the cameraman. The next day the cameraman presented Bolt with a wrist tag that would warn him when the man and his Segway were in the vicinity! Broad smiles all round.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I played three rounds of golf this week. Two with my son, who only started playing a few weeks ago and already has a superb swing, and one with an old friend. Asides from the fact that the rain poured down all morning on all three days and then cleared just as we started playing we had a great time. The course was virtually empty and yet it was the best playing conditions I've seen for ages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">As a person of a certain age.... I'm retired and spend my time writing books. To supplement my meager income I do agency work as and when it's available. This has ranged from heading a sales operation for an illegal drug testing company, to being an exam invigilator for a 6 form college. Usually these roles and reasonably short in duration and can be one day, or a maximum of a month. Next week I start a new and rather exciting assignment as part of the IT support team for Winchester University. It's initially for 3 months, but is likely to last much longer. The money isn't bad either!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">My car passed its MOT. A great result.... but at the same time I had to get it serviced, insured and taxed. An expensive car week, but I love my car so do I care?</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It was confirmed this week that in October I'm taking my 7 month old cocker spaniel to my beloved Gower Peninsular for a week of walkies on the beaches and on the coast paths that I walked for so many years with my previous sadly missed cocker. I can hardly wait!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Terry Pratchett's last book "The Shepherd's Crown" was released this week. Most of his Discworld characters appear in it, almost as though he was getting them to say goodbye. Reviews of the book say it's one of his finest, so that's one Christmas present solved!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-40839279540712201602015-08-21T18:38:00.000+01:002015-08-21T18:38:18.538+01:00Reasons to be cheerful. One, Two. Three!<span style="font-size: large;">It's easy to dwell on the bad news and </span><span style="font-size: large;">negative parts of life. It's far harder to those elements that enrich us and make it well worthwhile getting up in the morning and smiling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I got to thinking it would be good to look at my past 365 days and highlight the..... er, highlights!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">1. My lovely daughter married her ideal man and I became a very proud father-in-law.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2. I became a 6th form exam invigilator and witnessed 1st hand how hard kids work these days and the stress they're under to succeed.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">3. After 27 year we had all the carpets replaced with Axminster wool. It's like walking on air. Interestingly under the original carpet we found some newspaper sheets dated 1966!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">4. At the end of March we became the doting owners of a cocker spaniel puppy. He's beautiful, smart, loyal, loves his cage at night and we love him.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">5. This year we've holidayed in Tunisia (months before the massacre) and in the Canary Islands.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">6. In October I'm going to the beautiful Gower Peninsular in South Wales with my cocker spaniel pup for a week. We'll walk for 5 days along the coast paths, coves and beaches and come back fit and refreshed. It'll be his first trip to Gower, but there'll be many more.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">7. I put 11 bags of soil improver and conditioner in my garden for the first time in 27 years. As a result my flowers, bushes and shrubs look amazing and even the soil looks dark and vibrant.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">8. For the first time in 3 years I put in a number of tomato plants and they're just ripening now. The taste is dynamite! The secret is to pick them while they're still greenish but getting softer, then place them on a windowsill next to a banana. The black stem part of a banana has amazing ripening capabilities.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">9. In June my son decided he'd like to take up golf. He is now armed with a bag, a full set of clubs and good golf shoes. He and I now play nearly every Monday and Wednesday and have a wonderful time. Christmas presents should be a breeze with the number of balls we lose.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">10. I replaced my leaking shed, and although it took 2 1/2 months for the right parts to arrive. my garden tools are now dry for the first time in many, many months.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">11. Book Three of the Temporal Detective Agency series is going along nicely and the first two, Leap of Faith and Trouble With Swords, are still selling well in shops. They are, of course, also available on Amazon, should you wish to treat yourselves! Have a look at <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=richard+hardie">http://www.amazon.co.uk/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=richard+hardie</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Here's to the next 365 days. Have a good year!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes.</span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-92092924211000647582015-08-14T18:17:00.001+01:002015-08-14T18:17:52.346+01:00It's a Fair Cop, Guv!<span style="font-size: large;">And no, this has nothing to do with blonde policewomen.... at least I don't think it does, but I was banged to rights as they say, just the same.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was proceeding in a leisurely manner, m'lud, when I entered a local village and noticed a van, in which a man operating a camera was looking in my general direction. I was just inside the 30 MPH area and when I looked at my speedo I was doing 35 MPH. Admittedly I was slowing as I entered the village, but that wasn't the point as I realised a week later when the dreaded letter dropped through my letterbox.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So I had 3 options. I could either accept a fine and 3 points, plus a hike in my insurance premium, or challenge the whole thing and go to court where the fine would be £200 plus 3 points if I failed, or go on the Driver Awareness Course at a cost of £90 and no points on my license. Guess what I opted for!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Actually it's not that automatic. You have to apply and there's a chance the police may refuse you, though they would rather you took the course in reality.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, what was it like? Brilliant!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The 2 guys who ran the course treated the 20 people on it as responsible adults, rather than as naughty kids to be humiliated, and they understood what they were talking about. These are some of the elements that came out during the 4 hours we were there:-</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- No one makes a profit out of the course. In Hampshire, once all hotel and lecturer costs are covered, any remaining money is donated to the Hampshire Flying Doctor helicopter service which is totally supported by charity rather than the NHS</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- A car travelling at 32 MPH as opposed to 30 MPH will still be doing 10 MPH if both cars are braked together and the 30 MPH car has stopped. At 70 MPH that goes up to 50 MPH.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- At 20 MPH 85% 0f people will survive with minor injuries. At 30 MPH </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- In an exercise, Hampshire police spot checked drivers for eyesight problems. Just over 25% failed badly. Amazingly this wasn't the older generation, but rather people in their late 20's who didn't want to admit they needed glasses and look nerdy!.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Almost 80% of road accidents happen at road junctions and an amazing number involve cycles and motor bikes.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- A fixed speed camera can only be located where there have been 3 deaths, or major accidents in recent years.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Mobile speed cameras of any kind can only be used where there has been a death or serious injury in the previous 3 years.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Amazingly the outside lane of a motorway is NOT just for BMW drivers with a heavy right foot and a mobile, nor is it for lorries, caravans, or any cars towing something. Nor is it for use when the inside lane is available.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- There are very strict and defined rules as to whether a specific speed limit should be imposed. There has to have been an major accident with the last 3 years and the area must have street lights a certain distance apart before a 30 MPH limit can be imposed retrospectively. Some Hampshire villages still have a 60 MPH speed limit (the limit on a single lanes 2-way country road) going through them, purely because there hasn't yet been a major accident.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Most people have no idea what ABS really does, how to use it properly, or even what it stands for, although they have it on their cars. Do you know?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- According to the Highway Code the average driver reacts to an incident in 0.7 seconds. In fact in road tests it's around 2 seconds.... and a lot can happen in 2 seconds even at 30 MPH!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- The year with the highest road deaths in the Great Britain was 1939! Since then it has steadily declined with a marked drop in the past 10 years, even though the number of cars on the road has increased incredibly.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Since the Driver Awareness Course option was brought in the number of major road accidents has fallen considerably, likewise deaths.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not one person on the course grumbled about the cost. No one moaned at the fact we'd been prosecuted in the first place and "why aren't the police out there chasing real villains instead of persecuting us poor motorists" (if we didn't speed, they would be chasing villains is one answer). The fact we all lost at least half a day's wages didn't occur to us; it's the price you pay for awareness.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">We all thanked the two guys for an excellent course and promised never to see them again!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-47384365182613741402015-07-08T13:53:00.000+01:002015-07-08T13:53:01.060+01:00The process of buying a book.... mine at least!<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Just a reminder that Leap of Faith is available on Amazon as an eBook for the special price of 99p.</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1436353425">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1436353425</a></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So you've written a book and by some fluke (otherwise known as hard work) it's been taken on by an agent and / or a publisher. It's about to hit the bookshop shelves, Amazon depots, libraries, electronic devices, schools and eventually charity shops...... where unless someone parts with hard-earned cash the book will sit earning nothing for everyone. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So let's look at the act of buying.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">People don't go to Amazon to browse for books, do you? You go there to buy a specific volume, whether Kindle, or paperback and buy it, because it's usually cheaper than anywhere else and you're prepared to put up with the inconvenience of a 3 to 5 day wait for the convenience of not having to go into town.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">From my point of view as an author of Young Adult adventure books, the downside is that the only people who buy books on Amazon are those with Kindle devices, and those who also have debit, or credit cards. No matter how hard you stuff notes into the DVD tray Amazon will never accept the purchase! Certainly lots of YA's have Kindles, but very few have Amazon accounts, or credit cards, so they either have to depend on their parents to buy for them, or they go to their local bookshop..... and browse!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Amazon may have several million books on its database, but a shop displays an excellent selection of tempting books for most age groups and genre tastes, and also has staff that are usually keen to help and advise. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Where else but in a bookshop can you meet an author, chat and get them to sign one of their books. As an author I love the thrill of meeting existing and new readers of my books and hopefully gaining a fan for years to come. The bookshop owner loves signing days because it attracts potential buyers into the shop who may just buy other books as well. It's a scenario where everybody wins!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So the buying process in short:-</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - If you know the exact book you want and have a credit card, or willing parent, Amazon is probably the cheap option.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - If you want to add to your reading selection within a genre, go to your local independent bookshop and browse.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - If I'm in the bookshop grab me and ask me to sign my books. I promise I won't protest!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - Either way, when Royal Mail brings your Amazon parcel, or you get home from town clutching one of my books.... Read them and enjoy every word!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-87956202902396893712015-07-07T13:52:00.001+01:002015-07-07T14:37:59.011+01:00The process of marketing a book... mine at least!<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Before you start reading, bear a thought for the poor, struggling author that wrote this.... me!</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Leap of Faith is available this week only at 99p as an eBook from Amazon at <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1436268407">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1436268407</a></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Okay!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, once you've finished your book and it's with the publisher, that's your job as the author over and done with. So on to the next book!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Not a bit of it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">You may have written the world's greatest masterpiece, but if people don't know about it, unfortunately sales will reflect that. Someone has to go out to the big wide world of potential readers / buyers and tell them time and time again that your new bestseller is available and ready for them to enjoy on their book shelves or Kindle device.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Who do you shout at and what do you shout?</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - Social metworking sites such as Facebook and Twitter. Many authors have multiple FB pages (personal, author and sometimes one for each book). I have three FB pages one of wich is hosted by one of the characters from my Temporal Detective Agency series. I also use Linkedin, which is primarily a business network, however like most authors, I used to be in business and still maintain my links. It also has useful groups I've joined.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - Target your audience. My readers are primarily Young Adults, so advertising in The Oldie magazine is probably not the best use of my marketing time! Equally, think like your audience. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Don't shout "buy my books" at the same people day in, day out. That's a great way NOT to sell books. By variable, be interesting.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - A blog is an excellent tool. Again, be interesting. Interviews are good, but don't keep interviewing the same people everyone else is interviewing, i.e. friends who are also authors. I started approaching well-known people (actors, broadcasters and authors) and found them very helpful and more than happy to spend time online with me. You need to create your audience though. Word of mouth / internet is a prime way and is really a recommendation to a new follower, but linking the blog to your website, if you have one, is key. Make sure also that each blog post is also linked to Facebook pages and Twitter..... and ask people to share!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Your website is the window into your life by which the world can see who you are and what you're doing. It can be your key tool and should be aimed at you target age group and genre. Mine at <a href="http://www.rhardie.com/">www.rhardie.com</a> is geared to the Young Adults among us and has lots of little surprises! Above all keep it relevant and up to date with lots of links to Amazon, your publisher and any other site your prospective reader might be interested in.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"> - Goodreads and Authorsden.com and the two largest book review sites. Of the two I prefer Authorsden, even though it's mainly American. It's author biography and book pages are professional and easy to create and the statistics it provides on the number of views and strike throughs to sites such as Amazon give you a great idea on traffic and potential sales. It also shows a top 10 list of books by views for each genre. I have to mention that, because my second book in the Temporal Detective Agency series (Trouble With Swords) is #3 in the Young Adults chart!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Local press and radio and usually happy to help local authors. They're only a phone call away, but have something interesting to say, such as a new book release, or a local book signing.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- I love doing book signings in independent bookshops. They're fun and if promoted well and organised correctly can be great fun, as well as rewarding. Bookshops are also only a phone call away and are usually happy to talk.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">- Don't ignore libraries, both local council and those in schools if your market is YA. I work with the Schools Library Service for each county to stock school libraries and organise school talks. J K Rawling's Harry Potter books really only took off through "playground marketing", in other words kids telling their friends about these great new books they've just read. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- There are different distributors for independent bookshops, chain bookshops, ocean cruise liners, schools and county libraries. They're specialists in their repective markets and not to be ignored.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The main thing is to fun and to enjoy what you're doing. If you do, then it's highly likely your readers will enjoy your books that much more. And that is the name of the game!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
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Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-72847600749568186692015-07-03T18:17:00.000+01:002015-07-03T18:17:19.157+01:00The process of writing a book..... mine at least!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicljPIOie1Vaz8CxsKZJile7UwdS6XNd9tnMxoN2jzE9fc6JgX9Hvm-lHYPo4kjk4kqjv14ne3gxGehg8t8SouF_ZiyEFZUXN7cwfBvdn4Hyb-SN7eaeekZmf8ZXQplxxejV4mPeQJt69C/s1600/RH+head+photo.bmp" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicljPIOie1Vaz8CxsKZJile7UwdS6XNd9tnMxoN2jzE9fc6JgX9Hvm-lHYPo4kjk4kqjv14ne3gxGehg8t8SouF_ZiyEFZUXN7cwfBvdn4Hyb-SN7eaeekZmf8ZXQplxxejV4mPeQJt69C/s1600/RH+head+photo.bmp" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">Writing a book is 10% inspiration and 90% perspiartion.... or roughly in that proportion. I forget who said it (probably Mark Twain!) but he was definitely a perspiring author!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In my case I sweated Leap of Faith, the first in the Temporal Detective Agency series, for around 8 years before it became properly published by Crooked Cat in both eBook and paperback format. However at some point in that period there came the magic 10% when I was (ahem) inspired!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For 15 years I was a Scout Leader and for 10 of those I wrote and produced the Scout and Guide Association Gang Shows. Ralph Reader started them some decades ago and they were tremendously popular in the 1960's with several million tuning into BBC to watch them once a year on Saturday night and an annual 2 week run at the London Palladium. Mt Gang Shows may have been on a slightly smaller scale, bu they were great fun and we had 80 kids on stage and the same number of people doing backstage, front of house, lighting and sound, security and car parking. A producer's lot is not an easy one! </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The second show was called Timescape and it always struck me that it had the kernel of a book hidden in it somewhere. I was lucky enough to have convinced Terry Pratchet to co-write one scene with me and even to act in it on video so we could show it every night. I broached the idea of turning the show (or part of it) into a book, and he rightly told me to keep the day job. However I did ask him if I could use his name and character in the book, or any sequel and he laughed before agreeing. He probably never expected a book to see the light of day, but to his surprise he apears in the second book in the series. He has a signed copy which nis agent read to him (he was blind towards the end of his life). It's the only book Terry Pratchett ever appeared in!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">The first draft was nearly 500 pages long and my agent sent it back. She told me to put the letters GOWTS on my keyboard. They stand for Get On With The Story and it was the best advise I ever had. I cut Leap of Faith down to around 250 pages and I have to admit that the book now races along as an adventure, without losing anything in the reduced version! I used the same criteria in the rest of series and will continue to do so for as long as the Temporal Detective Agency is having fun.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So, back to the process:-</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Get an idea (inspiation)</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Look at it from all sides and examine it in detail. Scrap the idea if necessary!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Storyboard it. Hopefully see the beginning, the middle and the end. I've even started a book by writing the last 3 chapters. They were good too!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Write the first page and make it a humdinger!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Complete the book, then look at each character and ask yourself if they really "live" in 3D. Do you believe in them, because if you don't, no one else can.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Take out all adverbs and adjectives except those that are absolutely necessary. Be strict and remember that your reader has an imagination and will put in their own adverbs and adjectives.... probably better than yours!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Don't get friends and family to read the book. They'll tell you it's magnificent.... or too awful for words. Either way, they'll be wrong!</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">- Get an agent if possible. The hardest part of the whole process, but often necessary as most publishers won't talk to authors, only agents who they presume have filtered out the dross and are presenting the cream. Sometimes the cream sinks to the bottom!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">So you've got a book, it's published and you have a paperback copy actually in your hands. Er.... where's adoring queue of fan wanting you to sign copies? Now comes the really hard task.... marketing!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">But that's another topic for later this week!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Remember for the next week Leap of Faith is available from Amazon as an eBook for 99p or $1.56. So go to...</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1435930022">http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1435930022</a></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">or</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1435930022">http://www.amazon.com/Leap-Faith-Richard-Hardie-ebook/dp/B00GQHXSHS/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&sr=8-1&qid=1435930022</a></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
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Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-38201597923854753802015-05-29T18:21:00.000+01:002015-05-29T18:21:03.910+01:00Anger Is An Energy<span style="font-size: large;">It's not that I can't be bothered to blog, or that nothing interesting has happened this week. After all, Sep Blatter is facing an interesting future and (<i>shock horror</i>) FIFA may be a corrupt organisation, especially in Africa as well as South and Central America. Who'd have guessed it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">No. I've been building a shed that arrived flat-packed last Saturday, which included instructions that could have been from the Japanese offshoot of IKEA on a bad day. I had to phone the technical department so many times that we became quite good friends and are now on first name terms. Unfortunately the roof doesn't fit, so they're shipping new roof beams. which will arrive while I'm away on holiday along with replacement roof felt (which was ripped) and window batons (which split when screwed to the frame). Looks like a bust time when I get back, especially as we're having all the downstairs carpets replaced, so I have to move all the furniture and take all the old carpetd down to the refuse tip.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">In addition, I've been reading a book.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I usually write them, or if I'm reading it'll be one of Terry Pratchett's, or Bernard Cornwell. However this is a book my daughter bought me for my birthday. It's John Lydon's biography called "Anger Is An Energy" and most people will know him as Johnny Rotten of the foul-mouthed and anarchistic Sex Pistols.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I was dubious, but he comes over as being an highly intelligent, well-read and extremely interesting man. He could read and write at the age of 4 and then caught meningitis, which wiped his memory for several months and he had to relearn his academic talents from scratch. His upbringing wasn't easy, or normal and yet he read Dostoyefsky and loved Rakmaninov. While other members of the Sex Pistols died, or faded into obscurity, John has carved a career in America, has a supportive family, is married to his long-term girlfriend, fronts his own group PIL, and has done for many years, has been on "I'm A Celebrity. Get Me Out Of Here", and has been offered a rejected MBE. A really fascinating guy and a book I'd recommend.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I'll be taking it on holiday to finish it and I'm also taking Terry Pratchett's Raising Steam. There are also a couple of eBooks I'm hoping to read on my iPad, though I must admit I don't like Kindle versions. I'd much rather read the words on aprinted page!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8622544917745692912.post-77907588652523991042015-05-22T18:35:00.000+01:002015-05-22T18:35:36.265+01:00Kids Today!!!!<span style="font-size: large;">When I was young, we never behaved like kids do today!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Actually I think we did, or we'd have liked to, except the knowledge that parents, policemen and shop keepers would give us a clip around the ear stopped us going too far. The thought of being able to shout "I know my rights!" and threatening a court case for child abuse was unheard of. Kids didn't take away those barrier ropes; a well-meaning nanny state did, backed up by an autocratic EEC based in Brussels.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Another common complaint is that kids have it far too easy today. Exams have been dumbed down just so grades can look good. As a result there's no pressure on kids to achieve.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Bollocks!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">For the past 2 weeks, and until the end of June, I've been an exam invigilator at a very successful 6th form college in Winchester. I've been setting up, invigilating and then collating results for 2 exams a day in a variety of subjects. Around 1,500 kids are taking their final A'levels while about the same number are taking their Lower 6 1st year exams. The work put in by around 200 invigilators is tremendous, but the work the kids have put in over the past 2 years is phenomenal.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">It's no wonder we've already had 3 panic attacks, all of which were dealt with calmly so that the students were able to continue their exams in a side room after a rest period.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Impressively, the college recognises very early in a student's 6th form career if they have colour blindness, dyslexia, or some other non-obvious problem. These students are given extra time if they want it, specially coloured exam and answer papers, readers and / scribes if necessary, and every opportunity for their intellect to shine. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">I looked throught the exam papers at each session I took and even those subjects I thought I was well versed in were certainly not easier than when I took A'levels. Kids may be given every technological aid but the competition is very high and the standard no lower than it used to be.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Successive governments have inadvertantly piled pressure onto the kids by making degrees so widely available and therefore almost obligatory. Now every kid is expected to get great grades and go to some university, or degree establishment as a matter of course. However many leave after the first year of a degree course, realising that they're incurring a debt, are doing a degree that will have little relevance to them in reality, or that they're just not cut out for university life. Wasted pressure, poor kids!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Having said that, I've yet to see any student treat an exam I've invigilated as a joke, and I hope the 3 who had panic attacks get the grades they obviously worked so hard for, It's a privelege working with them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Blog on, Dudes!</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>Richard Hardiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12053966010128373952noreply@blogger.com4