Back from the Pirate Coast

I haven't taken any part in this blog for a while because I was in a remote village in southern Turkey, just north of Cyprus. Swimming in the quiet little bay sometimes became quite exciting when a pirate boat went past, flags flying and drums beating a fierce rhythm. It did feel quite scary, especially when two or more appeared in a line. While these boats run tourist trips at weekends, I do wonder what else they do during the week...

The whole of that coast has always been a haven for pirates - the Lycian Devils, who reached America very early on, tangled with English pirates and no doubt many others. Maybe there's a story in there. 

No message...

Apologies - I tried to attach JPEG of the cover of Who Stirs the Porridge in the Pot?
but it didn't work...Advice appreciated! Sheila Newberry

I've taken the plunge!

I've taken the plunge and one blog leads to another...
I've joined Author Central, Amazon, and you can now
find me on the Author Pages...

Now looking forward to receiving shortly Who Stirs The Porridge in the Pot? (Dales paperback/Magna) - Diane Allen sent me the JPEG of the cover! Just like my dresser at home - apart from the wedding photo -
keep mine in a safer place! We also have little fairies and elves peeping round our cups and plates - the family seem to think they suit me!!

All best, Sheila

Review of A most Rebellious Debutante

I had a lovely review of my hardback novel, 'A Most Rebellious Debutante' from much acclaimed historical saga-writer Freda Lightfoot. She wrote:

"Well, that was delicious fun. A perfectly relaxing Sunday by the pool with a good book. A spirited heroine and a courageous and honourable hero engaged in an adventure while they fall in love - and a delightfully disapproving family. I really enjoyed it. I hope it does well."

Another great review for Death is the Cure

This lovely review is from Mystery Women's Magazine: thank you to reviewer Jennifer S Palmer.

Death is the Cure : Review in Mystery Women magazine, July 2010

Charlotte Richmond made a very successful detective in her first adventure and this second outing confirms her skills. In 1858 she visits Bath with her friend, Elaine Knightley, who is to go a startling new medical treatment. The whole atmosphere of Victorian Bath is cleverly evoked – the stuffiness of polite manners, the centrality of illness and the apparently petty concerns of the town’s inhabitants.

The genteel behaviour that Charlotte had expected from the other guests at Waterloo House is not really what she finds. The atmosphere is one of unease with dark secrets hinted at behind elegant facades. The people staying at the guesthouse include a French family whose oldest member appreciates Charlotte’s depths of character, and an American who sees in Charlotte a fellow observer of the world. All the people at the table for each meal show signs of agitation as they receive various comments which seem innocent. These characters develop as we learn more and more about them.

Charlotte returns to the house one day and falls over a corpse on the cobbled mews outside. Shockingly, this is the stabbed body of one of her fellow guests and she feels impelled to ask questions about this even. She uncovers family secrets of both personal and political concern, imperilling her own safety in the process.

Again Nicola Slade has given us an exciting story peopled by memorable Victorians and involving a riveting mystery.

New Direction?

Yesterday I made the decision to split with John Hale. I have pondered long and hard about the success, or lack of it, of my thrillers because of the route they take; straight into the libraries. There was never any chance of my books going into paperback (John Hale told me that a few years ago), and despite all my efforts at trying to persuade agents and paperback publishers, it turned out John was right. He was willing to publish my latest MS, THE BOY FROM BERLIN, which he received last Monday, but because of my sales figures and the "deteriorating situation" (his words), he could only make me a very, poor offer. This was the push I needed, so I turned the offer down and asked him to release me from my final, contractual obligation, which he agreed to do. So now I'm a free agent. My next step is to have my first novel, NORTH SLOPE (1980) published by Acclaimed Books Ltd. It's a cooperative of which I'm a member, and the their books are POD and will also be available as e-books. It represents a new challenge (as they say), and the marketing and promotion will be my responsbility along with the cooperative. So, wish me luck; I'm going to need it!

Spanish Eye

My collection of crime short stories, Spanish Eye, was published as an e-book on 29 June by Solstice Publishing.

Its first review can be found on amazon.com: ‘First, I have to confess, I am totally biased. I had the opportunity to work with Nik Morton in an editorial capacity on this collection of private eye stories. The manuscript was a pleasure to read. His voice is so unique, and his stories are as thought provoking as they are entertaining. There are beautiful moments in the prose that never get purple or fluffy. He masters the art of taking an adventure and condensing it into short shots.

’If you enjoy short stories, you'll love this collection featuring the same character and exotic settings. I am a total Morton fan now and waiting anxiously for his next release!’ – D Thorne.

Available on Kindle for $6.89 at:
http://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Eye-ebook/dp/B003UNKYW8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&m=A317O7WZ1CN6AQ&s=books&qid=1278601323&sr=1-1

Available as a pdf file for €2.96/$3.99/£2.01 to read on your computer at:
http://solsticepublishing.com/spanish-eye-p-111.html

Blurb:

Leon Cazador holds back the encroaching night of unreason

Private Investigator Leon Cazador is half-English, half-Spanish and wholly against the ungodly. His connections run wide and deep, which is to be expected of a man who served in the Spanish Foreign Legion, liaised with Japanese police, and was a spy. Dive into his fascinating stories, based on real events. Glean insight into his past and the people with whom he rubbed shoulders. Cazador translated into English means hunter. He is indeed a man driven to hunt down felons of all kinds, to redress the balance of good against evil.

Sometimes, Cazador operates in disguise under several aliases, among them Carlos Ortiz Santos, a modern day Simon Templar. Join him as he combats drug-traffickers, grave robbers, al-Qaeda infiltrators and conmen. Be witness to the dodgy Spanish developers and shady expat Englishmen who face his wrath. Traders in human beings, stolen vehicles and endangered species meet their match. Kidnappers, crooked mayors and conniving Lotharios will come within his orbit of ire. Even the vengeful Chinese and indebted Japanese are his friends—and enemies.

In his adventurous life, he's witnessed many travesties of justice, so as a private investigator, he will use his considerable skills to right wrongs in the most clever and unexpected of ways. Leon Cazador fights injustice in all its forms and often metes out his own rough justice. It’s what he does.

(Ross Morton/Nik Morton)

Library Cuts

I had a thought about the government's intention to bring about cuts of up to 40% in all departments, and wondered how this might affect Public Library finances. I am about to submit my next MS, THE BOY FROM BERLIN to John Hale and hope that he ignores all government plans and agrees to publish (if he likes it!).