Hello Everyone, I know I’ve been particularly quiet on here recently but trust me, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes!
Over the last few months, I’ve been plugging away at my current work in progress – a thriller set in a secluded landscape in the UK – and I’m so pleased to have finally finished the first draft of my adult thriller!
I was initially writing the first three chapters, as a writing exercise, when a trusted reader really wanted to know what had happened to one of my main characters. Hopefully, I’ll do them justice when the final draft is complete.
Alongside this, I’ve been editing my first book Burn at the Rootsand looking at various cover designs that would best suit the genre. It’s so exciting to finally start looking at what my book will look like!
Whenever I’m writing, I tend to take a break from reading in case any ideas overlap into my writing. I love to read but it’s something I really struggle with when I’m working on a project.
If you would like to see additional pieces of my writing on here, feel free to drop me a comment.
I also use Ko-Fi, where some smaller snippets of my daily writing can be found. If you want to support my writing journey, you can also do that on there too by buying me a coffee! My writing is mainly fuelled by coffee so any donations are always really appreciated.
I just wanted to end this post with a big thank you to all those who currently support me.
I may have been a little quiet on here but I’ve been extremely busy behind the scenes writing new content that I think you’re going to be excited about.
Over the last few weeks this question has been dangling over me like a carrot. Self-publishing seems to promise me, readers and full ownership of my book but is it really too good to be true?
This form of publishing is one of the routes I’ve been itching to try all along but often felt like it had a negative stigma attached to it.
I’m currently in between querying my first YA novel and whilst I’ve been spending time writing another book, I’ve noticed a few things about my writing style.
I prefer writing for adults.
I prefer the freedom I have with my audience but it’s made me question what to do with my YA book. I know I would’ve loved reading something like this when I was growing up and if it were successful, I already have a series in mind for it. So, I still want to try and publish my book, but which route is best for it?
Free Reign of Your Book
When I say free reign, I mean it.
Self-publishing allows you to literally do what you want with your book. From editing, to production, to marketing. It’s all yours to play around with. For me the concept of making my book look exactly how I want it to and marketing it in a way I think will work best, is like music to my ears. The more involved I am in my book, the better.
However I know not everyone will see it in this way. It can look daunting to someone who’s never tried to create book covers or market their work before, yet alone if your IT skills aren’t the best. It’s also worth considering the time it would take to get all of this up and running in comparison to getting published the traditional route. It could mean more work on production and marketing your book than writing it.
Publishing Houses v Self-Publishing
Doing all of the work means you’re going to need your novel to stand out from the crowd. This will be full of not only other self published authors but indie presses and publishing houses. Although publishing houses may validate the quality of your writing for some people, that doesn’t mean that everyone will view your writing in this way.
Yes you will instantly have a platform if you’re traditionally published to some extent. However, if you self-publish you can still have a platform. In fact, because it’s your book, you’ll probably spend more time promoting it than a publishing house would, meaning a larger audience overall with possibly more engagement.
The Profits of Publishing.
For some it might come down to the price of publishing. In traditional publishing, the average royalties for a new author can range from 7.5% – 12% depending on experience and genre. In self-publishing however, royalties can range from 35% – 70% according to KDP.
A big difference right?
Before you think it’s a no brainier, don’t forget to look at further details. Each book will have its own amount of VAT and tax and may also incur postage costs too. Not only this but once you’re at the end of the tax year, you’ll have to sort your own finances to ensure you’re not doing tax invasion.
Sound like a faff? Stick with traditional publishing. Not fazed? Then look further into self-publishing.
The Outcome
If these points haven’t fazed you or have even excited you about self-publishing, then I’d recommend taking a closer look into the industry. Hopefully I’ve opened your eyes to some of the nitty-gritty parts of self-publishing that you might not have considered before. Only you know whether it’s worth persevering for.
For me personally? I know my audience engagement would be better online and may attract more YA readers. So for me, I’ll take a closer look into self-publishing and if I gain more readers by self-publishing then so be it. For me, it’s all about the readers when it comes to my writing.
The Maid by Nita Prose, Harper Collins, hardback, 352 pages, £14.99, Waterstones
Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall to the rich and famous? How about a fly on the wall to a murder in your workplace? Then let me introduce you to Molly Maid, the maid at The Regency Grand.
At the beginning of the novel we learn that there is a murder at the hotel in which Molly works. Throughout the novel, Molly becomes tangled within the mess and must find out who killed Mr.Black, in order to clear her name.
The narrative of The Maid is smothered in Molly’s character, as we learn that Molly struggles with understanding jokes and facial expressions. Although Molly comes across as a naive character, she also appears an unreliable one.
Due to the unreliable narrator, I often found the novel difficult to read. Although I trusted Molly, I did not trust her judgement. Furthermore reading more about Molly’s past appeared to slow the pace of Prose’s novel and ultimately made it a difficult read.
As soon as the narrative became reliable through Mr.Preston and his daughter Charlotte, did the pace quicken until the end. It cannot be denied that there is strong characterisation within The Maid. It is however, unfortunate that I did not have an emotional connection with Molly, due to her unreliableness.
Interestingly, The Maid reminds me much of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The naivety and unreliableness of the main characters is what I think makes both of these novels strikingly similar. If Mark Had don’s book was a good read for you, then I strongly recommend The Maid as your next read.
you can find the blurb of the book or purchase a copy here.
I’m sure you’ve seen it by now. It’s between Christmas and New Year. The decorations are coming down, the inspiration is building and your motivation is beginning to peak.
At this point, remember that slow and steady wins the race. Most people ignore this and jump straight in. It can be great at first, your motivation is all shiny and new, you even see results fast! However as the weeks progress, your motivation dwindles and your progress begins to plateau.
All of your intentions were right, right from the very beginning, but your execution? That could do with a tweak.
At work, we are always told to use SMART targets. It stands for Specific Measurable Accountable Realistic and Timely. It might seem like a lot more effort creating goals in this way but they can be easy to do once you’ve had a little practise. For example:
Specific – I want to run 5k / I would like to write a book
Measurable – I will run twice a week to begin with / I will create a chapter breakdown of my book’s plot.
Accountable – I will complete my runs after work / I will allow 1 hour each morning to write.
Realistic – I will use my time after dinner to achieve this goal / I will use 1 hour before bed if I am unable to write in the mornings.
Timely – I will complete a 5k run for a charity event/ I will complete my novel in one year.
If you set yourself a goal like this each month, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll achieve your goals. Not only that but you won’t run out of motivation by running straight into what you want.
Give this a go and let me know in the comments with how you got on!
Final Girls by Riley Sager, Paperback, 339 pages, Ebury Press, £12.99, Waterstones
Overview
Quincy Carpenter is a Final Girl. Quincy shares this title with two other girls, Lisa and Samantha. When Lisa dies in mysterious circumstances, Quincy can’t quite shift that something doesn’t feel right. With Sam showing up unexpected and angry at Lisa’s death, Quincy must quickly figure out whether to trust her gut reactions once again, to find out what happened to Lisa.
Characterisation
Riley’s characterisation in Final Girls is distinctive and really adds to the reader’s experience. Each character shows different qualities and varies in depth, regardless how much they are in the novel. Craig, Quincy’s love interest before the Pine Cottage incident, changes throughout Quincy’s memories, making him feel realistic and in some areas, relatable.
Reflecting on Quincy and Sam, their emotions have been shown in such detail that it makes the reader understand how their previous escapes have caused them to react differently to life. One element that Sager has mastered in Final Girls is that every character’s actions and emotions have all been created with intent. It is this understanding that makes this book intense from the very beginning. There’s a reason Quincy has memory issues. There’s a reason why Same is so angry. There’s a reason why Pine Cottage has not been forgotten.
Narrative
The narrative of Final Girls is written in two perspectives. The majority of the novel is written in first person through the eyes of Quincy Carpenter. However Quincy’s memories relating to Pine Cottage are in third person, closed perspective. Using various viewpoints works well here as it helps the reader differentiate between what is memory and what is reality. Furthermore with Quincy suffering from memory loss due to trauma, the narrative itself is pivotal for Quincy’s understanding of what happened at Pine Cottage and what has happened to Lisa.
Overall
Final Girls is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to crack the case between Lisa’s death and Pine Cottage. Sager’s novel springs into action and doesn’t skip a beat until the very end.
Prepare yourself for twists and turns and then prepare some more.
I really enjoyed this book and was pleased to say that my instincts with this book were correct. Final Girls is a psychological thriller that you need to take with you on your next holiday. Final Girls is light enough to read with ease and suspenseful enough to keep you hooked.
This novel was compared to Gone Girl by Stephen King when I originally bought this book. However, I find The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins to be a much closer comparison – but don’t take my word for it. Grab yourself a copy and see for yourself!
The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Harper Collins, Paperback, 384 pages, Waterstones, £8.99
There’s a very fine line between love and hate and Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game, shows just how similar these emotions can be.
Synopsis
The Hating Game follows the gate between colleagues Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman. As soon as we read about a new job opening at Gammon & Bexley Publishing, the readers are plunged into the hating fest whilst watching Lucy and Josh compete for the Creative Director position.
Review
One of the best features of The Hating Game is Sally Thorne’s use of dialogue. I often found myself reciting some of the discussions between Lucy and Josh because they were just so good. I also couldn’t help belly-laughing at some scenes and re-read them a few times before continuing with the novel.
One element I was pleased to read was Thorne’s use of sarcasm between Josh and Lucy. Sarcasm can be really challenging to write. Not because each part of the joke needs to be written in order for it to be understood, but for the simple fact that it is very easy to misinterpret sarcasm. The sarcasm used between Lucy and Josh makes for excellent banter between the characters.
Another striking feature within this book is the characterisation. Whether Lucy and Josh are arguing, flirting, competing or even doing their job in the office, you can tell who is who, just by their actions. The phrase show don’t tell applies significantly to Thorne’s characterisation and provides its readers with a lesson on creating memorable characters.
The emotional connection that Thorne creates between the characters and the readers is truly magical. Whilst I would love to read a sequel, I would hate – pardon the pun – for the book to go in a different direction than it has done.
My only criticism is that I felt the ending was rather abrupt. I understand that this is a romance novel but I became so invested in the characters that I’d have liked to know a little bit more about their ending in relation to their future prospects.
Although I finished this book just before my holiday, I would thoroughly recommend this book as a holiday read. I was kicking myself afterwards, wishing I’d read it by the pool!
The Hating Game is a feel-good and uplifting read that I can guarantee you’ll want to read again, as soon as you’ve finished.
Book Rating: 4.5/5
Don’t believe me? Grab a copy here and see for yourself!
Tripwire by Lee Child, Paperback, Transworld Publishers, 544 pages, £8.99, Waterstones.
Plot
The book begins in a sunny Key West, when a man called Costello is looking for Reacher. After retracing Costello’s movements, Reacher finds himself returning to his army roots, in search for a missing soldier. Tripwire focuses mostly on Jack Reacher’s army life and what his possible future may look like. A drifter can’t drift forever, can they?
Narrative
Tripwire follows Reacher in the hopes of finding a missing soldier whilst the reader is simultaneously observing Chester Stone’s lifestyle and failing business. The book alternates between Reacher and Chester’s situation, in order to set the scene for the reader that will eventually overlap these narratives together. The pace of both narrative scenes quicken at the same time until reader is found racing to the finish line with Reacher on the lookout.
Review
This is the first book in the Reacher series I’ve read and it definitely won’t be my last. As a writer myself, I find his use of structure intriguing; how he creates tension and suspense with no nonsense language is mesmerizing.
One of the most impressive elements of this book, is Lee Child’s attention to detail. Child’s knowledge of guns and, in particular, Fighter planes, are so accurate that you would almost expect him to have flown a Fighter jet or have used a few of the guns he describes so well. The specificality of his writing appears to be exactly what the reader needs to allow themselves to be immersed in Reacher’s world.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and adventure in novels. Tripwire is a great read for someone who wishes to get into reading without the flowery language that can often cloud a great narrative. Lee Child’s writing is raw and extremely well written.
Similar Writers
Although not many writers can compare to his writing style, I would recommend John Grisham’s Camino Island, as this also begins in the Florida state. Both writers create legal thrillers and have a similar pacing style.
Another writer that could be compared to Lee Child, would be James Patterson. The crimes within Patterson’s books mirrors some of Lee Child’s books, if a dark theme is your theme of choice.
You can buy Tripwire by Lee Child by clicking here
With influencers rapidly increasing their net worth, it begs the question – What’s happening to all the bloggers?
It was only recently that I started to discover that some bloggers – not all may I add – began to describe themselves in this way when their main source of traffic was via Instagram.
With #bookbloggers as one of the most popular hashtags on Instagram, it’s made me wonder… Are bloggers leaving their blogs for grid-style Insta?
I flicked straight to my WordPress account and began to scroll through all of the blogs I could find in relation to either writing or reading.
It was eye-opening.
I was showered with blogposts that showcased creative writing (short stories, prose, poetry, flash fiction…).
Although great to see, I wanted to find something that resembled the online article structure that I tried to use within my own blog.
I kept scrolling and came across bloggers who posted regularly. The catch?
The posts were really short.
After a good twenty minutes of searching the web, I managed to find some book blogs that resembled a larger showcase of their Instagram pages. They were filled with their monthly book goals, brief reviews and their views on plot, theme and narrative.
At last.
I’d found the book blogger that I used to love.
I clicked a like and follow on their blog straight away and felt instantly assured.
Looking through the blogosphere really reinforced why I love blogging so much. The blogs were clearly the writer’s own space within the digital world to ponder their thoughts.
It was refreshing to see; they reminded me of a digital diary that gave me an insight into the writer’s thoughts and beliefs.
I always used to think that a blog had to be long and focused around a key idea or theme.
Now I’m noticing that it’s great to add multiple visuals, whether that’s images or videos, and that size doesn’t really matter when it comes to word count.
In fact, they can come in all shapes and sizes and they’re all a joy to read.
And yes, that includes the short posts too!
But don’t take my word for it, have a look yourself.
Go to WordPress.com, Medium or Tumblr and search a topic you want to read about. I’m almost certain you’ll find a something of interest.
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, Hardback, 416 pages, Harper Collins, £12.99, Waterstones.
As soon as Jess turns up to Ben’s new apartment in Paris, Ben goes missing. With his neighbours reluctant to help, Jess must uncover the truth about his disappearance by herself. In order to find out the truth about Ben, Jess must first uncover the truth about his neighbours.
Foley’s novel follows six POV: Ben – if only briefly, Jess, Nick, Sophie, Mimi and the Concierge. Each character is pivotal to the movement of the plot and helps the reader build an overall viewpoint of Ben. Foley’s characterisation really comes into its own through the characters’ voice. Each voice is so distinctive, different and yet still seems relatable to the reader, despite the scenario the characters find themselves in.
One element which works very well in this book, is the subtle notes to Paris. The french phrases don’t seem shoehorned in and the location is described in a way that, someone who has spent along time there, may describe it. Lucy Foley really allow her readers to spend a few days in Paris along with Jess whilst she investigates her brother’s disappearance.
The Paris Apartment takes the murder mystery/locked room scenario and replaces it with a locked Paris mansion via the Moulin Rouge. If the reader has read Lucy Foley’s other novels then you might have a gut feeling on who to trust and who not to trust.
On a personal note: I much preferred this to The Guest List, as I enjoyed learning more about the relationship between Jess and her brother, despite their upbringings being different and I found there to be much more closure at the end of this book too!
My advice when reading The Paris Apartment?
Expect many twists and enjoy the ride!
You can find The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley, here.
If you would like more bookish content, then head over to my insta page @cbarkerwriting
The Last House on Needless Street, Catriona Ward, Hardback, 400 pages, Profile Books Ltd, Waterstones, £7.49
The Last House on Needless Street takes place in an ordinary house on an ordinary street. However what happens in this street is anything but ordinary.
The plot focuses on the disappearance of Lulu, also known as Little Girl with Popsicle, eleven years ago at a lake near Ted Bannerman’s house. Ted Bannerman was always a prime suspect in the case but was never arrested. Eleven years later and Ted is still perceived to be the prime suspect in the case.
The narrative follows four POV, Ted, Lauren, Olivia and Dee, through the form of chapters. Each POV is pivotal to the mystery of the missing girl by the lake. Not only do these narratives help us uncover what has happened to Little Girl with Popsicle, but their distinct voices and attitudes highlight Catriona Ward’s talent for characterisation.
Before reading The Last House on Needless Street, you must banish all predictions and assumptions of the novel you’re expecting to read and focus on the book in the present. This novel has many twists with many secrets unfolding like a spring flower ready to bloom.
Throughout the novel we learn of Ted’s loneliness and the depths he’s willing to go for companionship. In some areas Ward’s novel echoes the loneliness of the creature in Shelley’s Frankenstein, who seeks affection but is afraid of the outcome.
The Last House on Needless Street may leave you with challenging views and conflicting opinions. Regardless of a like or dislike for this book, it cannot be ignored that Catriona Ward’s writing is gripping and well-considered on a topic so delicate. Due to some complexities, the novel has been considered to fit the horror genre, however if you like psychological thrillers, I would urge you to consider a jump into this book, as it provides areas accomodating both genres.
If you would like to read the book, you can find it here.
For more reviews head over to my instagram page @cbarkerwriting for daily updates.
Charlotte Anne Barker 