Wednesday 29 May 2013

Ouch - my first 3 star review...

Well guys;

I knew it had to happen at some time, but my first three star review appeared on Kindle pages for 'Jack Ketch's Puppets' over the weekend. 

All the rest have been five stars to date.

The positives? The lady acknowledged it was great story, and with strong characters, and it would have done better to have gone through a professional Literary Agency to have it properly assessed and edited. I wish!

The negatives? It was described as 'poorly written and researched'...OUCH.

I have found the spelling mistake she refers to and I admit, I never considered 'okey dokey' to be a fairly recent saying, so let that one slip by...that was the research error!

I would have preferred 'poorly written or poorly edited', but that is the cost of putting a book out there for review...it can be uncomfortable! My research, otherwise, I would hope, was sound.

I was disturbed, viewing my novel again, that it does contain a larger number of punctuation errors than I realised, and the sort of things that I know my proof readers for my second book, have already picked up on...thanks guys! The first did not receive that level of attention...unfortunately...and a professional edit at between £400 and £4,000 was out of my league!

I am, as a consequence, revising the first edition and will personally endeavour to put right the punctuation errors, the spelling and the 'okey dokey' reference.

Another observation is the age old error of telling rather than showing, rather too much. There I put my hands up and admit that my desire to impart so much information, meant that there were some top heavy 'telling' sections of the book. I know now that a novel is not meant to be a book of facts! However, as my first baby, I am leaving it as intact as I can. There is so much background that makes sense in subsequent stories, it would be a shame to eliminate it now!

A painful lesson learned? I hope so...

I hope that those of you who have read it, and have rated it more highly, have done so on the strength of the story telling. I have a personal view that today, in a time of text and twitter, I would prefer to read a book that is fun and entertaining than grammatically perfect.

That being said, I don't want to gain a reputation for producing poorly written work...so I apologise if the book did appear poorly written...I am a punctual person, but clearly my punctuation still leaves a bit to be desired!

Thursday 23 May 2013

Clancy Tuckers Blogspot - Phil Simpkin - Guest author interview...

Hey guys;

I am still trying to get used to all the time shift attributed to associating with people globally!

I have just been reminded that tomorrow (Australian time) - which will be Saturday 25th UK time, I am the guest Author on Clancy Tucker's Blogspot.

Clancy is a multi-talented, multi-award winning author, photographer, multi-lingual, and frequently short-listed Australian writer / author. His book 'Gunnedah Hero' is a brilliant read. He has 3 Australian National Literary awards... what else can I say?

His blog is accessible at...

http://www.clancytucker.blog.com/

His website at...

http://www.clancytucker.com.au/

Read what he has to say about me...I hope he has been kind!

Monday 13 May 2013

Review - The Suspicions of Mr Whicher II - A murder in Angel Lane

Hey Guys;

I hope that many of you will have had an opportunity to watch last night's ITV drama - the second in the 'Mr Whicher' crime stories, originating from author Kate Summerscale.

I love these dramas, especially as it gives me a chance to spy on how this period is visualised and the period re-created...to compare and contrast with my own novels 'The Borough Boys' series.

The second story was set after poor old Mr Whicher's demise from the Metropolitan Police, at a point in the 1860's where he was available as a private investigator. Strangely, one of my characters, Francis 'Tanky' Smith, who was a real Policeman in Leicester, did exactly the same in 1863/4...and he is put forward as a possible role model for Sherlock Holmes!

Mr Whicher (Played by the wonderfully dry and rugged Paddy Considine) comes to the assistance of Susan Spencer (Olivia Colman...congratulations on last night's awards!...how spooky was that!). A case of a missing young woman and baby, soon turns into a tale of murder, villainy, deceit, betrayal, and conspiracy.

A clever plot, putting Whicher in conflict with Commissioner Mayne's Metropolitan Police, who still see him as a mentally ill 'basket case', when in reality he has more compassion and investigative nonce than any of his counterparts.

Casting Considine in this role was an act of genius. He just looks perfect for how the early detectives, that were effective, would have had to be. 

The only colleague of Whicher who retains allegiance, is ultimately exposed as his personal 'Judas' and leads Whicher into an unexpected and clever trap, at a local Lunatic Asylum, the Chief Physician of which is in cahoots with the conspirators and murderers.

Lovely, dark, grubby, melancholy, the set and locations used were exceptionally portrayed. The tension and attitude in the pub scenes was first class. The 'death house' was accurate and showed just how life treated you, right until the very end...

If BBC could get more of this atmosphere into Ripper Street series two, I would be a happy bunny!

Please can we have more!

Review - Luano's Luckiest Day - Chaunce Stanton. A FIVE STAR NOVEL...

Well Mr +Chaunce Stanton . This is not the sort of story book that I would normally ever pick up off a shelf, anywhere. I am a bit of a stick, and I love my crime and historical fiction.

However, I actually really enjoyed it! It is a story that once you immerse yourself in, it warms you through, and engages you completely with the lives of its main characters. The heat and dust of the desert can be felt and draws you into the tension.

From about Chapter twenty it was impossible to put down. I wanted to see how the turn would change everyone, and I love the way you created the suspense and the story swung.

As an Arachnophobe, I was enthralled by your imagery of the cowled spiders, and their hold over Luano, physically and in his imagination. Scary stuff, with the most imaginative cobwebs I have ever seen described.

I began to see the illusion in the story, and the surreality of the lives of the main players, touchable but always slipping out of the fingertips. A boy's beliefs and hopes , aspirations blown away in the hot desert sands. Love and loss, and resignation, having but never quite having!

The Fire Dragons scared the hell out of me and I could see them vividly against the arid desert and the influence they imposed.

I look forward to 'Blank Slate Boarding House....' IMMENSLY'

Thursday 9 May 2013

How to make best use of Historic Public Houses...as a writer...

Hey guys;

There have been several posts of late on the writers' groups that I interact with, regarding influences and triggers that prompt stories to be written. As a guy with strong historical and local interests, I always think that my first stop when mapping out my next novel, is the list of public houses, geographically, that existed at the time.

I think of 'Jamaica Inn' and 'The Admiral Benbow' - each of which conjours up a vivid image of a time and a place, and of a community of some interest, in famous classics.

I have a long list of Leicester Pubs, which I can date by cross-referencing to Trade Directories and Census records, whose names are evocative, and add a sense of time and place.

With my novels featuring Police and Criminals, they are a natural stomping ground for my characters, and frequent hangouts take place within them.

Look through some of the Historical Trade directories that are available when you next chose a location, and see what exists / existed, and see what thoughts it conjours?

I have just updated my new list for my next (third) book in my series and have over five hundred for the period around 1852-5 and names like 'Admiral Rodney' , 'The British Lion', 'The Eight Bells' and 'The Cape of Good Hope' make me want to include them!

I can just picture +Chaunce Stanton, a connoisseur of fine ales, hiding in a dark corner, listening intently, soaking up gossip and scandal, and keeping an ear out for their dark tales!

A short promotion - Book four - 'A few silver threads'

 Hi folks; For your information, I am running a promotional event on both Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com, for the next week only. During that t...