Every Wednesday ALLi will tell the world about our members' latest book launches, news, awards, freebies, workshops and updates on the writing life and take a look at the projects and businesses of our partner members.
Joan Fallon-Cook
How I came to write the novel Spanish Lavender
It was when I was interviewing women for my book Daughters of Spain that I first heard about the massacre on the road between Málaga and Almeria in February 1937, early in the Spanish Civil War. I was so astonished with what one woman had to tell me about the events that I broke off my research and began writing my first novel, Spanish Lavender.
It is the story of Elizabeth, an English woman who decides, against all reason, to stay in Spain while her family flee with the rest of the ex-pats living there at the time to Gibraltar. She finds herself journeying with other refugees to Málaga but instead of finding safety, she finds a city abandoned.
She meets a young Spaniard, who befriends her and they fall in love. Together they decide to join the exodus of men, women and children who are trying to reach the Republican zone in Almeria
Spanish Lavender was given an excellent review by The Historical Novels Review society, which can be read on my web page.
Triskele Books
You have just two weeks left to book for ALLi and Triskele Books' Indie Author Fair and still be included in the pre-event publicity*.
The Fair will be held on the afternoon Sunday 16th November and is part of the Chorleywood Literary Festival. Indie authors will be able to sell their books, chat to readers and celebrate all that is best in Indie Publishing.
Those authors with a particular skill or experience to share can also offer ‘Human Library' style one-to-one sessions on specific topics (e.g. design, editing, marketing…)
Authors can reserve their table through Chorleywood Bookshop, on their website, at the bookshop or by phoning (01923 283566).
Tables cost £5 per author.
(*You will find a list of what information we need on the booking page or on the Triskele Books blog)
And don't forget, for those of you who can't be there in person, we want to bring the whole world of Indie Publishing to Chorleywood through your
Indie Author Picks
If you have read any indie published books in the last year that blew you away, we invite you to tell us about your top three, and we will paper the walls with your suggestions.
For more information, please see the Triskele Books Blog. Please send your author information and/or your Indie Picks to [email protected]
David Penny
The Red Hill is David's first novel in 35 years and introduces the surgeon-detective Thomas Berrington.
In 1482 the Englishman Thomas Berrington is living in the last remnants of Moorish Spain. A physician, he is an unwilling friend to the most powerful man in the kingdom. When bodies start to turn up, each showing the marks of a savage attack, Thomas is asked to investigate.
When one of the Sultan’s wives is brutally murdered, what begins as a reluctant task turns into a fight for survival. Together with the eunuch Jorge, Thomas attempts to hunt down the killer before they become his next victims. Except nothing is as it seems—friends turn into enemies and enemies into friends.
Thomas’s investigation lays bare the secrets of the Red Hill and the people who inhabit it. His discoveries culminate in a battle not only for his own life, but for the lives of those he loves.
John Bird
New Edition of Novel Alby and Me, will aid Cancer Trust
A new edition of John C Bird's novel, Alby and Me, is now available from Feedaread.com, price £6.99, and can also be ordered from online and high street retailers.
For each copy bought one pound will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust. The book has received enthusiastic press reviews and was long-listed for the UK Waverton Good Read Award for best debut novel. I have just learned that my novel, Alby asnd Me has been short-listed for the Quagga Prize for independently published fiction.
In search of the perfect book promo site?
When I self-published my first book back in June 2012, I knew nothing about book marketing but decided to try Amazon's KDP Select programme and offer my brand new book free for its first 5 days.
It took a couple of days to get started, but then, as luck would have it, in spite of having done nothing to promote it but email friends and colleagues, it took off. I then tried a bunch of other marketing tactics including Facebook and Goodreads advertising, in the process blowing a good chunk of the profit I had just made, before returning to free and discount promos.
Soon I discovered about a hundred websites (though mostly US focused) with the sole purpose of promoting such book promos. Some were paid and some were free, although most of the apparent free ones only tended to guarantee your listing if you paid some nominal fee each time. I thought:
- What if there was a website where I only had to enter my book and author details once, after which they would be permanently stored in a database?
- What if, rather than assuming everyone in the world lived in the US, it showed the correct pricing, currency and links for each reader's local country?
- What if readers could then find me and my books even when there was no promo running?
- What if readers could be “In the Know” about upcoming promos as well as current ones?
- What if I also had some insight into the demographics of all those who had shown an interest in my book?
And since no such book promo site existed, I decided to create one. The result is Readers in the Know.
What's more, it's totally free until August 31st so take a look, create a profile, add your books, and let me know what you think.
Joanna Penn
Desecration-Verletzung. Indie author goes hybrid in Germany.
NY Times and USA Today bestselling thriller author J.F.Penn has published with Ullstein-Midnight, a new digital-only crime/thriller imprint for Desecration-Verletzung.
The book is Desecration – Verletzung is out now on all ebook stores:
Joanna has also blogged about the process and lessons learned here.
Der Tod ist erst der Anfang!
Die junge Frau ist reich, schön – und tot. Inmitten der alten medizinischen Ausstellungsstücke des Royal College of Surgeons liegt ihre sezierte Leiche sorgsam aufgebahrt. Detective Sergeant Jamie Brooke sucht einen ungewöhnlichen Mörder und ahnt, wieder einmal muss sie bei ihren Ermittlungen ungewöhnliche Wege gehen. Denn sie hat nur eine einzige Spur: Eine kleine antike Elfenbeinfigur, die neben der Toten gefunden wurde. Nur Blake Daniel, Hellseher wider Willen, kann Jamie jetzt noch weiterhelfen.
Als ein schrecklicher privater Schicksalsschlag Jamie zeigt, wie nah der Mörder ihr mit seinen makabren Phantasien schon gekommen ist, ist es beinahe zu spät. Denn je tiefer Jamie und Blake in eine dunkle Welt aus Grabräubern, Missgeburten und rituellen Zeremonien tauchen, desto gefährlicher wird es für ihr Leben.
Debbie Young
Flying The ALLi Flag at The Romantic Novelists’ Association Conference 2014
I was very pleased to be invited to speak at Harper Adams University, Telford, last weekend, where around 250 authors of romantic fiction had gathered for the annual conference of the Romantic Novelists Association (RNA).
The invitation came initially from the organisation's President, Katie Fforde, a hugely successful trade-published author who also understands and supports indie publishing.
The title of my talk was “You need never walk alone”. My brief was to explain the features and benefits of modern self-publishing; how to self-publish to professional standards; and what the Alliance of Independent Authors offers to aspiring indie authors.
My talk went down well, with lots of positive feedback. The questions indicated that many members of the audience were considering taking the indie route. The RNA's Chairman, Pia Fenton, told me afterwards how much she'd enjoyed it.
This was particularly pleasing given that the RNA decided earlier this year not to admit self-published authors as full members. I hope that my talk, plus several others by indie authors during the conference, will encourage them to reconsider. Other ALLi members there, Alison Morton and Joanne Phillips, also reported that self-publishing was a popular topic of discussion with other members in between talks.
I was very grateful for this opportunity to help build the relationship ALLi and the RNA, and to increase their members' understanding of what it means to be a professional self-publisher.
I also enjoyed attending Alison Morton's talk about writing alternative/alternate history. Look out for her blog post on that topic coming soon on the ALLi blog of self-publishing advice!
Finally, it was great to chat to Canadian indie author Talli Roland, who gave a talk about her own self-publishing success. You will be able to hear more about her story shortly in the ALLi' blog's “How I Do It slot”.
Read what Joanne Phillips has to say The RNA Conference 2014 – An Indie Author’s View.
Easy Tweet:
“Via @IndieAuthorAlli What have our members been up to? Book launches, conferences, translations and more #selfpub goo.gl/YtNGTG “
In case anyone is wondering, the correct link to the Readers in the Know home page is this:
http://www.readersintheknow.com/home
not the one given in the above bulletin.
Wonderful Posting Karen: I am excited to have read through Joanna’s German language novel post. it honed my prior abilities. My forthcoming novel is an adveture, bi-lingual Spanish/English set in Mexico in the early 1900’s.
Best of Success Joanna… and all the ALLI Indie Authors.
Warren.