Another month gone by and, despite the particularly chill wind here in Devon today, there are definite signs of spring. We went for an early morning drive and the sun was shining through a cerulean sky. My garden is full of daffodils and crocuses. I’ve got wallflowers in bloom at my front door, grown from seed a few years back; Gillies, my grandmother used to call them. The japonica is breaking into flower. All my rose bushes are budding frantically. And there was one day earlier in the month when we were able to have our lunch sitting out on the patio. Winter’s almost over, folks. But enough lyricism. What of my writerly exploits?
Writing this month
My main goal was to complete the first edit of Calamity at Coombesford Church, and with one day of the month left, I’ve just a little bit more to finish. So I’m going to mark that up as complete (and you’ll just have to trust me to finish it before tomorrow evening). It’s gone surprisingly easily this time around. Being the third book in the series, most of the world-building is already done and my characters are more or less doing what I expected them to.
I’ve spent quite a bit of time out of the office this month, and not done much other writing. So no competition entries to report. Maybe in March, while my novel is with my alpha readers, I’ll do some new writing just for the heck of it.
Sales and Marketing
My Amazon Ads continue to do reasonably well in the US. I’m still setting up the UK versions so progress is quite slow there. But I was very pleased to receive an invitation to submit my first cozy mystery for the Amazon Prime scheme. Having done a bit of research in various networks, the jury seems to be out on whether it’s a benefit or not to have a book in this scheme, but it’s the first time I’ve been asked to participate, and I figured, why not give it a go? So between 1st March and 31st May, Murder at Mountjoy Manor will be available for Amazon Prime members in the US to read for free. I’ll let you know how it goes in due course. (And of course, all my books are available to read for free if you are a Kindle Unlimited member.)
Out and About
Before I move into next month, a final reminder about the Exeter Writers’ Short Story Competition which closes at 23.59GMT on Tuesday 28th February. There’s £1350 in prize money, including a great first prize of £700. If you write short stories, and you’re reading this before the closing date, you might want to think about taking a look.
If it’s March, it must be the Women in Publishing Summit. I’ve been talking about this event for ages now and really love the community of writers I’ve met over the past three years. I’ll be speaking on Saturday on writing a plan for turning your hobby into a business. But whatever the stage of your writing career you are at, there’s sure to be loads to interest you. And the networking is epic! Plus there’s some great savings to be made on software and other services courtesy of the summit sponsors. Check out the details here.
Those of you living in the southwest of England might be interested to hear about the English Riviera Literary Festival which is taking place in Paignton between Thursday 16th and Saturday 18th. I’m involved on the final day, taking part in the Meet the Authors Day organised by South Hams Authors’ Network (SHAN). And a few days later, on Wednesday 22nd, I will be speaking at the regular SHAN meeting on launch parties and other launch activities.
What Have I Been Reading Lately?
One thing I’ve found plenty of time for doing this month is reading. I was delighted to host an online launch party for my friend and fellow Pickle Jar member, Michelle Oucharek-Deo, on 7th February when she published the third part of her Wine, Love and Friendship series, Untangled Vines. If you like contemporary women’s fiction with more than a hint of suspense, then do check out Michelle’s books. Here’s my review on the new one:
It’s Maya’s wedding day. She and Cristiano should be on their honeymoon. But instead, she is being held captive in another country and has no idea whether her husband is alive or dead. The opening of Untangled Vines promises lots of drama – and the rest of the book doesn’t disappoint. For anyone who has been with this couple and their friends since the start of their journey, this is a fitting conclusion to the trilogy. It’s emotional, it’s romantic, it’s a great read. I loved it. But make sure you start from the first book: you need to understand the back story in order to fully enjoy this final part.
And elsewhere on my bookshelves, I’ve been reading nothing but crime:
Carnival Blues by Damien Boyd (the latest in the series; DI Nick Dixon at his best)
Six Graves and Hidden Scars both by Angela Marsons (the latest two in the series; the tension just keeps building)
A Creative Crime by Cecilia Peartree (a break from grit and tension with a return trip to the cosy crime of Pitkirtly)
Indemnity Only by Sarah Paretsky (having seen this veteran author interviewed on a Crime Writers’ Association webinar, I thought it time to finally meet V I Warshawski)
Angel, High Force and Cragside, all by L J Ross (I usually mix my authors up rather than binge-reading, but am making an exception in this case. DCI Ryan is such a great character)
