Immigrating to New Zealand

Immigrating to New Zealand was one of the inspirations that led me to writing my novel, True Deception, a romantic suspense, published by Robert Hale Ltd.
The story is set on the wild west coast of the South Island- a place that is often described as New Zealand's last frontier because of the long stretches of wild coastline, the pounding surf, and the mystical Paparoa mountains.
In True Deception, the heroine, Kelly Anderson, is Scottish, like myself, and many of her impressions of New Zealand are actually my own. However, that's where the likeness ends as she's on a mission and she hates cops. And did I mention she rides a Triumph Tiger motorbike?
The hero, Mike McKenna, is a cop, but not just any cop. He's loyal, he's dedicated to his job and he cares about people. He arrests the heroine as soon as she arrives in town. Conflict? Plenty of it.
But back to immigrating. What makes people leave their homeland for another country, especially one at the other side of the world?
I think it is the adventure and the challenge. And the hope of a better life. Perhaps I ought to confess that in my case love had a lot to do with it. Just like in my novel, True Deception.

Loren Teague - www.lorenteague.co.nz

Which 'Social working' web?

Seeing the comments about being on MySpace, Twitter, Squidoo and social sites and blogs like that, plus the paucity of returns prompts me to ask; 'Where are we going wrong?' I read today that Russell Brand, after leaving the BBC, set up a website on Twitter as Rusty Rockets and within twenty four hours had a following of 8000! I've been on Twitter for four weeks and have a following of One: me! I am also on Squidoo, Google blog, Third Secret Blog and Hale authors blog. By now my name should be a worldwide phenomenom. So, who has the secret out there? How do we actually get people to log on to our own sites and blogs. Meanwhile, check out my web, thirdsecret.co.uk. Because I haven't a clue how to do it, my son has created a terrific site for me. But at the moment he works exclusively for me. Sorry!
Mick

Hale author promotes books on Squidoo

I believe Hale authors need a web presence to publicise their books.
And like Michael (previous post), I started promoting my latest book, THE CONDOR’S FEATHER last year, immediateley after the manuscript was accepted.
Although this book will not be published until July 2009, it already has its own page on the internet and is already attracting traffic:
http://www.squidoo.com/thecondorsfeather
Though I have a personal website and an active blog, I have made good use of Squidoo.com whose site allows me to create a dedicated site for each of my Hale book.
Setting up a Squidoo site is simple (open the website and it tells you how to do it in 60 seconds!)
It’s fast. And it’s free!
You can add to it at any time and illustrate your posts with a range of pictures of: people, places, events, reviews – anything associated with the writing of your story.
I have a Squidoo site for each of my previous Hale novels:
http://www.squidoo.com/seadust
http://www.squidoo.com/thetwistingvine
http://www.squidoo.com/theblackthread
Two of the above books sold out within a few weeks of publication but I still maintain the sites to promote the books which were subsequently published in large print (Ulverscroft) format.
Want another string to you promotional bow?
Why not give Squidoo a go?
Visit http://www.squidoo.com to set up your own book site

Photo: I don't have a cover for THE CONDOR'S FEATHER. I took this photo in South America. It's probably an eagle and not a condor - sorry!

Promotion

In an effort to begin some kind of promotional drive for my next novel, THE THIRD SECRET, which is due out in May, I have started a web site: http://www.thirdsecret.co.uk/ My son is building it for me and, hopefully it will attract attention. Why not check it out?

The book jacket, without title and name is on the left and captures the essence of the story almost exactly. One thing I will say about the artists that Hale employs is that they do seem to be right on the money. I am hoping to pick up a lot of tips about promotion from this group, but one problem is that once the novel has sold out (as did my last book, THE DEVIL'S TRINITY) Hale will not print any more unless there are follow-up orders of about 100. So, how do we drive our sales forward without the benfit of other agencies? Self promotion of course. I'm hoping we all benefit from this group and the tips and suggestions that come forward. I'll thank you all in advance and wish you every success with your novels and your efforts.

Michael Parker

www.michaelparker.webeden.co.uk

www.thirdsecret.co.uk

I am off to Florida in six weeks (all being well). I love the "real" Florida away from the theme parks. It was this side of Florida that inspired my latest romantic suspense "A Poisoned Legacy" which tells the story of Belinda who is left a house and land and can't understand why.

Set in rural Florida - light years away from the smart hotels and theme parks, this is the story of a young woman who is confused but brave. Uncertain of whom she can trust, she neverthless leans towards Jesse...never guessing at the terrible secrets that Nash House holds to itself.

I am hoping for more inspiration as I travel those back roads, so do watch this space!

Margaret Blake.

Published by Robert Hale Ltd - Black Horse Western - June 2008

From the back of the book:

Tom Ford, the sheriff of Stanton, was gunned down while trying to keep the peace between the hands of two rival ranches. Accusations of corruption against the sheriff were rife and the way things looked a range war was about to erupt.

News of Tom Ford's death reaches his son, Chris, and Marshall Sam Ward while they are hunting down a killer. With both men out of their jurisdiction and receiving no assistance from the local law, Chris returns home to face his past and to find his father's killer. The only way he can do that is by taking up his father's badge - only to discover that not everything is as it seems.

A review of this book by Nik Morton can be found on Amazon (UK).

The Tarnished Star

This is all new to me.

I've been trying to get a novel published for a great many years, I've written over six and they all sit unloved in an old box in the loft.

However last year a friend said why don't you try a western since I was always reading them. I looked at her and smiled - no one publishes westerns these days.

Then I found HALE.

The Tarnished Star comes out this June.

I'm very excited about this but the wait is agony.

First novel on shortlist for the Romance Prize

Last March, Robert Hale published my first Regency adventure romance, The Wild Card. I almost feel I live there too. Imagine how thrilled I am that it's on the Shortlist for the Romantic Novelists' Association Romance Prize, 2009. That is a bonus as it was very enjoyable to write. I must confess, though, that I only finished it due to encouragement from the RNA, so I thank them again.
A brooding hero, a spirited heroine, a handsome villain, a wicked plot to be foiled. It was hard to say goodbye to my other family. With the book being on the shortlist, it's an opportunity for another little visit. And of course, I have another family to introduce soon.

Promoting fellow authors

One way to promote fellow Hale authors is to review their books. I’ve been doing this in a monthly magazine out here in Spain. And of course there are the Amazon reviews. Of the 65 Amazon reviews I’ve posted, 12 are for Hale authors.
These are:
BESIDE A NARROW STREAM – Faith Martin
HELL’S GATE – Michael Parker
LAWMEN – Jack Giles
STONE OF VENGEANCE – Vickie Britton, Loretta Jackson
THE DEVIL’S TRINITY – Michael Parker
THE EAGLE’S COVENANT – Michael Parker
TWO-GUN TROUBLE – Gillian F Taylor
MISFIT LIL RIDES IN – Chap O’Keefe
TRAIL OF A HARD MAN – Chuck Tyrell
WINTER’S WAR – Matthew P Mayo
DRAW DOWN THE LIGHTNING – Ben Bridges
BAD MOON OVER DEVIL’S RIDGE – I P Parnham

I’ve just finished MURDER SOLSTICE by Keith Moray and will be writing a review shortly. In my to be read pile I still haveWINDSTORM by Frances Burke, THE UNFORGIVING EYE by Beth Andrews and DEPTHS OF DECEIT by Norman Russell. Naturally, there are far too many books to buy and read all of them, but if each author bought one or two from time to time and posted reviews on Amazon or in the local paper, it might help. (Ross Morton)

Westerns – neglected genre fiction

It’s surprising how many readers say they don’t read westerns. Usually, the majority who say this haven’t actually read one. If they did make the monumental decision to read a western or two, they might be surprised. On the surface – judging by the covers - these books may just appear to be shoot-em-ups, but they’re much more than that.

A good western tale is about character and morality with a historical perspective. Often there’s romance too. Take, for example, my first Robert Hale western, just out in Large Print – ‘Death at Bethesda Falls’. It begins with Jim Thorp riding into Bethesda Falls intent on finding and possibly killing a man. The man in question happens to be the brother of Anna, Jim’s girlfriend, the schoolteacher of the town. There’s every possibility of the old romance blossoming afresh, save for the vendetta against Anna’s brother. Elsewhere, Ellen’s father is dying and she’s being courted by the ranch foreman; little does she know that the foreman is hastening her father’s demise with poison. A convoluted and fast-paced plot which will end in violence and death. And maybe Jim gets his girl Anna...

Haunted by Whitby

In 1890, Bram Stoker visited Whitby.
Sitting on the top of the East Cliff he imagined a shipwreck. Then he visualised a black dog leaping from the stricken vessel and running ashore. After climbing the 199 steps, the hound was seen disappearing into the graveyard.
That black dog was, of course - Count Dracula.
Stoker found Whitby, with its ruined abbey and 11th century Parish Church, to be a haunting location for a scene in his classic novel.
I too found Whitby an enigmatic place and it was that setting I used for the opening of my first novel, SEA DUST.
Though I have lived in Australia for almost 40 years, it is the places which haunt me from my childhood that I write about.
THE BLACK THREAD (published this month in large print) is set on the Leeds and Liverpool canal. It is a dramatic tale set in the dark days of the inland waterways.

Photo: (Margaret Muir) Caedmon’s Cross stands in the graveyard of St Mary’s Parish Church. It was erected in memory of the poet who died in AD 680

An Improper Suitor: A Review

A new review of AN IMPROPER SUITOR appeared in December in Romance Junkies.

Here is an extract from the review:

Ms. Fairview is an extremely intelligent author... AN IMPROPER SUITOR is a wonderful heart-warming tale of a man and woman struggling to make sense of their feelings for one another and finding themselves both deeply in love with each other. There were a couple of scenes I almost cried and some of the events were truly hilarious.... I am always on the hunt for new authors to try and I can add Ms. Fairview to the top of my list. I would recommend this book to all my friends and anyone who loves a good historical.

The House Party

I just noticed this review on Single Titles - I was so delighted I thought I would share it with you. Don't forget this book can be bought on Amazon (where it is discounted) and also borrowed from a UK library.

The House Party is another delightful tale, rich in humour, period detail and romance, from the pen of master storyteller Fenella Jane Miller! Ms. Miller is fast making a name for herself for writing rip-roaring historical romances that readers just cannot put down, and Regency aficionados who haven’t added her name to their auto-buy lists are bound to leap on her books with joy when they discover the sheer reading pleasure which her books offer!

Tender, intriguing and wonderfully romantic, Fenella Jane Miller’s The House Party is not to be missed!

Welcome to our new blog!

Welcome to the new blog for Robert Hale authors.

At this blog you will find out more about the authors and our books.

We hope to bring readers interesting articles about writing, researching and what it is to be an author, plus we'll feature the books we are so proud of.

Hale publishes a range of genres, as well as non-fiction, so you'll be spoilt for choice in reading material featured on this blog.

Since this blog is brand new, please keep returning as we settle in and grow accustomed to our new home on the net.

With regards,
the Hale authors