JOHN BURKE R.I.P.

John Burke, who has written many novels, and been published by Robert Hale died on the 20th September 2011 after a long illness.

A Father For Daisy was published by Hale at the end of June 2011. It is set in Horwich in 1898.

After the death of her elderly father, Bea Rossall is left without a home and has to find a means of support for herself and a four-month-old orphanded baby left in her care. When she turns down the proposition from a local mill owner that she become his housekeeper/mistress, he makes sure no-one else in the area will offer her employment. Bea decides that the only way forward is to seek Daisy's father in the hope that he will help to provide for his daughter ... but when the man named by Daisy's mother denies any knowledge of the matter, Bea wonders where to turn next - until an unexpected opportunity presents itself. Bea has to face scorn and overcome much prejudice against the role of women in society and the work-place, as well as danger to her life and the lives of those she loves before she can achieve her goal.

Bestselling Hale Fiction on Amazon - August 31

1. Beyond the Storm by E. V. Thompson (Paperback - 30 Nov 2010)
From £7.86

2. No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Kindle Edition - 31 May 2010)
Buy: £5.48

3. Past Caring by Robert Goddard (Kindle Edition - 29 Jul 2011)
Buy: £5.10

4. Churchyard and Hawke (Amos Hawke mysteries) by E.V. Thompson (Kindle Edition - 29 Jul 2011)
Buy: £6.39

5. Churchyard and Hawke by E. V. Thompson (Paperback - 31 May 2011)
From £3.70

6. The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street (Kindle Edition - 29 Jul 2011)
Buy: £4.53

7. The Man Who Could Not Sleep and Other Mysteries by Michael Gilbert (Hardcover - 31 Jan 2011)
From £11.45

8. Ruined by Ann Barker (Hardcover - 31 Jul 2009)
From £9.01

9. The Colour of Death by Frances Lloyd (Hardcover - 30 Sep 2011)
Buy new: £18.99

10. Broken Places by Wendy Perriam (Kindle Edition - 29 Jul 2011)
Buy: £6.39

Vulture Gold, originally a BHW, is a finalist

Originally published as a Black Horse Western, Hale returned the rights to me and Western Trail Blazers published Vulture Gold first as an e-Book, then as a printed book. I sent the book to Dan Poynter's Global e-Book Awards competition and was notified that VG is a finalist.

Garet Havelock was a Cherokee half-breed and the marshal of Vulture City. But that wasn’t enough to stop outlaw kingpin Barnabas Donovan from sending in three armed men to rob $100,000 in bullion from the Vulture Mine headquarters, killing two people in the process. Havelock set out to catch the thieves and recover the gold and in the unforgiving Mojave Desert, Jicarilla Apaches forced Havelock and Donovan’s bunch together in a cave on Eagle Eye Mountain. Then there was Laura Donovan, half-sister to the outlaw leader . . . Now Havelock must survive the Apache ‘run of death” and face Donovan’s gunslingers to get the gold and the girl.

Available as an e-Book here.

Through Glass Eyes published in e-format

This historical saga by Margaret Muir was first published in hardback by Robert Hale Ltd in 2006 under the title, 'The Twisting Vine'.

'Through Glass Eyes' was the author's working title.

1896 - When Lucy steals an expensive French doll from her dying mistress, she is unaware of the different roles it will play in the years to come. But throughout her journey of love and loss, pain and joy, the Bru doll is never far away. Set in the West Riding of Yorkshire, this is a heartfelt rags to riches saga spanning more than 25 years.
Through Glass Eyes is available from Belgrave House or Amazon.com for $3.99

Bestselling Hale Fiction at The Book Depository

This month's bestseller list looks at the online retailer The Book Depository.

1. Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange (May 2011)

2. No Less than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (May 2010)

3. Beyond the Storm by E.V. Thompson (Nov 2010)

4. Constable in the Country by Nicholas Rhea (Apr 2010)

5. Lady Sarah's Redemption by Barbara Eikli (May 2009)

6. The Condor's Feather by Margaret Muir (Jul 2009)

7. Churchyard and Hawke by E.V. Thompson (Nov 2009)

8. Coming Home by Vonnie Hughes (Mar 2010)

9. The Gravedigger's Tale by Simon Clark (Nov 2010)

10. The Man who would not Sleep by Michael Gilbert (Jan 2011)

My latest Regency tale is published this Friday

The Rake's Challenge


Giles Maltravers has his rakish lifestyle turned upside down the day he saves Anna Lawrence from a pair of drunken young bloods. The irony is that Giles is now honour-bound to protect this headstrong girl.

Inspired by a fervent devotion to the works of Lord Byron, Anna is determined to live a life of adventure, but she plunges from one disaster into another. Giles has no time left to enjoy his former carefree existence, especially when the Prince Regent decides that Anna is just in his style....

                                                For example.........



Anna visits Brighton for the summer season. It is her first visit to the seaside, so naturally she wishes to experience sea bathing. She goes for a dip - but ends up in hot water with Giles!




                         
 
 
 
         It is not long before she catches the Prince Regent's eye ... and after that it takes all of Giles's ingenuity to rescue her from any number of dangerous situations.

All the latest Black Horse news

To keep up to date with all the latest Black Horse Western news be sure to check in at the Black Horse Express. Brief snippets and then links are provided to all the news, reviews, interviews and extracts on the Net.

Items in the last month:

An interview with Peter Taylor
Review of Lonesome Range by Tyler Hatch
An interview with Chuck Tyrell
Bestsellers on Amazon.co.uk
Good offers at Book Depository
Review of The Scattergun Gang by Hank J. Kirby
Review of Wyoming Double-Cross by J.D. Kincaid
Review of Trail of the Burned Man by Thomas McNulty
A brief interview with Colin Bainbridge
Bestsellers on Amazon.com
Review of Shotgun Messenger by Colin Bainbridge
Extract from The Ballad of Delta Rose by Jack Martin
Black Horse Westerns - June 2011
New BH author website for Carl Bernard
E-BHW range to be extended
Linford Westerns - June 2011
Review of Ace High in Wilderness by Rob Hill
Dales Westerns - June 2011

Bestselling Hale books on Amazon - 30 June

As June's bestselling fiction list wasn't much different to May's list, I thought I'd detail Hale's bestselling books (fiction and non-fiction) at the end of June:

1. Beyond the Storm by E. V. Thompson (Paperback - 30 Nov 2010)
From £7.81

2. River Fly-fishing: The Complete Guide by Peter Lapsley (Hardcover - 30 Sep 2003)
From £10.00

3. Hedge Witch: Guide to Solitary Witchcraft by Rae Beth (Paperback - 31 Aug 1992)
From £2.48

4. The Crime Writer's Guide to Police Practice and Procedure by Michael O'Byrne (Paperback - 30 Apr 2009)
From £3.99

5. Poetry Writing: The Expert Guide by Fiona Sampson (Hardcover - 30 Oct 2009)
From £7.59

6. By Tank: D to VE Days by Ken Tout (Paperback - 29 Oct 2010)
From £5.95

7. No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Kindle Edition - 31 May 2010)
Buy: £4.84

8. Bon Appetit!: French-English Menu Dictionary by Judith A. White (Paperback - 30 Nov 1998)
From £0.69

9. No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Paperback - 30 May 2010)
From £2.53

10. Churchyard and Hawke by E. V. Thompson (Paperback - 31 May 2011)
From £4.02

'Murder Fortissimo' by Nicola Slade

Interviewed today by Canadian blogger, Sarah-Jane Lehoux

http://sarah-janelehoux.blogspot.com/2011/06/eight-is-enough-q-with-nicola-slade.html

Bestselling Hale Fiction on Amazon - 31 May

1. (-) Beyond the Storm by E. V. Thompson (Paperback - 30 Nov 2010)
From £7.79

2. (N/E) Henry Tilney's Diary by Amanda Grange (Hardcover - 31 May 2011)
From £7.83

3. (+2) Churchyard and Hawke by E.V. Thompson (Paperback - 30 Nov 2009)
From £7.72

4. (-2) No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Kindle Edition - 31 May 2010)
Buy: £5.78

5. (-2) No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Paperback - 30 May 2010)
From £6.08

6. (N/E) Constable in the Country by Nicholas Rhea (Paperback - 30 Apr 2010)
From £2.74

7. (-) Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011)
Buy: £6.39

8. (-) The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Paul D. Gilbert (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011)
Buy: £6.23

9. (N/E) Constable Over the Hill by Nicholas Rhea (Hardcover - 31 May 2011)
From £11.11

10. (N/E) The Tewkesbury Tomb by Kerry Tombs (Hardcover - 29 Apr 2011)
From £16.14

DRAGON WIND RISING

DRAGON WIND RISING








Now in e-format with a stunning new cover, this is the first of two books about the adventures of Lea Stafford.

DRAGON WIND RISING is the story of Australia's first female foreign correspondent, the enterprising Lea Stafford, who has arrived in Peking in 1900, unaware of the gathering storm of anti-western feeling. She is fascinated by the colour and pageantry of the mysterious Forbidden City and the contrasting life of the crowded alleys surrounding it.

While screaming hordes of Boxers stream across China, slaughtering missionaries and promising death and destruction to all foreigners, western leaders procrastinate. They continue with their lavish dinner parties and soirees, assuring one another that the Empress would never permit them to be harmed.

However, the reactionary Iron Hats within the palace prevail, and soon the Boxer hordes are joined by military units which surround the legations. The hated 'round eyes' find themselves under siege, bombarded and cut off from all support.

Amidst the mayhem Lea finds love and commitment in the unlikely person of Michael Attwood, a mysterious trader in antiquities with the shadiest of reputations, both in business and in his dealings with the ladies. But it seems all too late. For 55 days their lives hang in the balance, as the embattled representatives of the western nations begin to starve behind their crumbling walls, fighting off attack after attack while searching the horizon for help that does not come.

Hale novel republished under title - THROUGH GLASS EYES

When first accepted for publication, Hale did not consider my working title, Through Glass Eyes, appropriate, arguing that the doll element in the story was not strong enough to support the name. I disagreed but acquiesced.
I remember Mark Twain’s short story, The Million Pound Bank-Note (later to become a book and movie staring Gregory Peck). In that tale, the story evolves around the note. In Through Glass Eyes the doll is not always present, but is always hovering in the background.
Furthermore, changes in the doll’s dress over a period of 25 years can be regarded as a metaphor for the fluctuating fortunes of Lucy Oldfield reflecting her times of hardship, struggle and eventual triumph.
To my mind, the title could not be more appropriate.

In setting out to produce a cover for the paperback, I wanted to feature the doll, a 24-inch French bisque Bru of the 1890s. Of course to buy one of these rare antiques today would cost tens of thousands of dollars.
By chance, I learned of a one-day Doll Fair in Launceston (Tasmania) and went along with my camera.

On the first stall, a beautiful doll caught my eye. To my amazement, I discovered it was a replica Bru cabinet doll of the late 1800s – though only about 8 inches tall. And the only one at the fair.

Exhibitor Derrise Mahoney was delighted to share her story with me. She is a local doll maker who creates and paints the porcelain heads from Bru moulds, adds the mohair wigs and designs the dolls’ dresses. With Derrise’s permission, I took several photos of her beautiful Bru and, as a result, was able to produce the book’s cover which I am delighted with.
Through Glass Eyes is a story for the ladies. It’s a heartfelt rags-to-riches saga set mainly in Yorkshire in 1895. Here is the outline:


“When Lucy Oldfield steals an exquisite French doll from her dying mistress, she is unaware of the roles it will play as time goes on. Love, loss, pain and joy are the ever-changing facets of Lucy’s life, and throughout her journey, the Bru doll is never far away.”

Now approved for print, Through Glass Eyes will be available on Amazon in July or you can find it at GRINDELWALD.
Marg Muir

FLOATING GOLD by M C Muir in paperback

Another of my titles is now available in paperback and you can read the opening pages on the Amazon page.
FLOATING GOLD was first published mid-2010 in hardback by Robert Hale Ltd. I never wanted this novel to be published in my full name, so in this edition the by-line bears only my initials.

As you can guess, this is a nautical fiction adventure.
Being a second edition provided the opportunity to add a brief blurb and extracts from reviews to the back cover.



The iceberg is appropriate to the story. I purchased the image from Big Stock Photo which is an excellent on-line outlet for quality photos of just about anything imaginable, and for just a few dollars.

FLOATING GOLD is now available at a discounted price direct from the publisher, GRINDELWALD. It is also available via Amazon.

THE BLACK THREAD now in paperback

The paperback edition of THE BLACK THREAD is now available on the major websites including Amazon.com.
First published in hardback by Robert Hale Ltd in 2007 then in large print by Ulverscroft.
The Black Thread is a dramatic historical fiction story set on a Yorkshire canal in 1895.
Having created the basic cover myself, I used a photo I took in England a few years ago.



Also due for release as an ebook August 2011 with Belgrave House.

Also Available with discount at GRINDELWOOD press.

Image: original Hale cover.

THE CONDOR'S FEATHER now in paperback

I'm delighted to announce that THE CONDOR'S FEATHER, first published in hardback by Robert Hale Ltd (2009) is now available in paperback.
I have undertaken this publication myself through Lulu Press under the name GRINDELWALD.
It is printed in Melbourne and will be on the major on-line retail sites such as Amazon and Barnes and Noble in about 6 week's time.
Having received a copy of the book, I am delighted with the quality.

THE CONDOR'S FEATHER is a historical Equestrian Aventure based loosely on the real-life journey undertaken across the wilds of Patagonia by Lady Florence Dixie in 1885.

Here's an excerpt of what MyShelf.com had to say about this book:

If you are an armchair traveler like me, you will happily curl up with this tale of travel and adventure. I could imagine this book being made into a western, as it is replete with the sorts of events those wonderful old films always feature. The strong silent cowboy, jail breaks, bad hombres on the trail who will stop at nothing, and lots of descriptions of the beauty of a savage, untamed landscape.


Thanks to Robert Hale for publishing in hardback in 2009.
The Condor's Feather is also available in library quality Large print from Ulverscroft (2010).
And as an e-book with Belgrave House (2011).

Available now at GRINDELWOOD press.

Marg Muir

The Condor's Feather now an e-book

I am pleased to announce that one of my 5 Robert Hale published titles – The Condor’s Feather (Halebooks 2007) - was released today in the US by Belgrave House as an e-book.

Belgrave House ebooks are on sale for $5 or discounted, and are available in 10 formats to suit most reading devices.

"We offer ebooks in ten formats: epub (industry standard), PRC (Mobipocket, Kindle), PDF, Microsoft Reader (LIT), PDB (Palm, eReader), HTML, Word, Rich Text Format, RB (Rocket and ebookwise), and Hiebook (KML), etc."

Update: 14 May - Now featured on Amazon at a discounted price.

I selected the cover image from www.bigstockphoto.com - Belgrave added the condor.
The Condor's Feather is an Historical Equestrian Adventure set in Patagonia in 1885.
I hope to see my other Hale titles up there very soon.

When the Flowers are in Bloom

Although this isn't a Hale book, I felt you wouldn't mind it being mentioned here as it's in a good cause. All author and publisher royalties will go toward aid for the survivors of the Japanese earthquake and tsunami.

The Foreward says, ‘Reading about the cataclysmic devastation that hit Japan in March, I was greatly moved by the attitude of the survivors. People of all ages went out of their way to help each other. Looting seemed a rare event. There was a determination to overcome this terrible adversity. Lives and towns would be rebuilt, eventually, even if it would take years. The people would endure.

‘It is this theme, the strength of the human spirit that I have attempted to capture over the years in many of my short stories. Some of these tales may seem sad or traumatic but, despite that, I trust that hope, love, honor and integrity shine through, transcending the blight of evildoers, disability and natural disaster.

‘As writers, we strive to walk in the shoes of our characters. Fiction writers lie in order to grasp the truth. In some small way, I hope these stories reveal truths about the human condition.’

Blurb
These twelve diverse stories travel far and wide, over the globe and through history, to examine the human condition. Whether a quest for atonement decades after the Second World War, or to repay a debt of honor, Japanese characters reveal their fragility. In Sarajevo, Bosnia or the grim projects of New York, life must go on.

Characters show us that disability is not a handicap. Forgiveness and redemption are human qualities the world is short of today, perhaps. They’re needed by those who disinter the past and graves from an old war in Spain. Birth and death – they’re here. So is honor, duty, courage and love.

When the Flowers are in Bloom - Solstice Publishing

Bestselling Hale Fiction on Amazon - 28 April 2011

1. (-) Beyond the Storm by E. V. Thompson (Paperback - Nov 2010)
From £7.00

2. (+1) No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Kindle Edition - May 2010)
Buy: £5.96

3. (-1) No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (Paperback - May 2010)
From £2.65

4. (+3) The Man Who Could Not Sleep and Other Mysteries by Michael Gilbert (Hardcover - Jan 2011)
From £14.99

5. (-1) Churchyard and Hawke by E.V. Thompson (Paperback - Nov 2009)
From £7.97

6. (N/E) The Black Horse Westerns: Collection No. 1 by Abe Dancer, Dean Edwards, Tyler Hatch and Scott Connor (Kindle Edition - Jan 2011)
Buy: £7.99

7. (+1) Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (Kindle Edition - Jan 2011)
Buy: £6.39

8. (N/E) The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Paul D. Gilbert (Kindle Edition - Jan 2011)
Buy: £6.39

9. (N/E) Language of Thieves by Elizabeth Jackson (Hardcover - Apr 2011)
From £16.14

10. (N/E) Altered Egos by Bill Kitson (Hardcover - Mar 2011)
From £12.53

Another nice review for 'Murder Fortissimo

A great review of 'Murder Fortissimo' from a newish book blogger. Thank you, Laura, I'm sure your blog will flourish.

http://girlyscribbles.wordpress.com/

It's quite long so I'm just putting the link. It's intriguing to see that so far all the reviews (which have been lovely) are discovering echoes of Miss Marple and Midsomer in the story, as well as Hazel Holt's Sheila Malory mysteries.

Old Guns

Robert Hale have just accepted my 5th Black Horse Western, Old Guns. My 12th book. Now I'm wondering about #13...!

The story is a little different for a western in that it moves from 1859 to 1866 to 1892 as flashbacks reveal how the present is blighted for a group of ageing ex-lawmen.

Old Guns - possible blurb.

July, 1892.
Sam Ransom’s looking forward to his 62nd birthday with his wife and two children. Then he gets a telegram from the Bethesda Falls sheriff. His old partner Abner was mortally wounded, but before he died Abner left a note – the Meak twins were out to get Ransom and the others ‘because of what happened at Bur Oak Springs’. Their families weren’t safe, either. Ransom sets out to warn his old friends, Jubal, Rory and Derby. But he’s too late to prevent another brutal death.

Bur Oak Springs happened over two decades ago. The place was a ghost town even then. The Meak twins seem set on a crusade of vengeance, but why?

Ransom’s family is put in jeopardy and the ultimatum is clear. He and his friends must return to the ghost town again, to confront the Meak brothers and their gang. There’s a sense of déjà vu about this; yet, there are fresh revelations too.

It’s a showdown. The young guns against the old guns.

Nice review for Murder Fortissimo

A great review from reviewer, Rachel A Hyde at MyShelf.Com

Recently retired headmistress Harriet Quigley needs a place to recuperate following an operation and chooses Firstone Grange. This is a home for short stay older people who need a place for some rest and relaxation, perhaps while families or caretakers get a break. It all seems very pleasant and ordinary, but one guest is determined to upset things. Elderly wheelchair-bound Frenchwoman Christiane Marchant looks like everybody’s idea of a sweet old lady, but is anything but. Things are surely going to come to a head, and they do in a surprising way. Cue Harriet and her clergymen cousin Sam Hathaway to investigate.

This author has previously penned two excellent Victorian whodunits Murder Most Welcome and Death is the Cure (also reviewed on this site), and although I hope she will be returning to this series, here is something different. Modern social satire rubs shoulders with a traditional mystery and delivers some surprises, somewhat in the way of Caroline Graham or Lis Howell. Characters can appear at times to be stock, but this is all part of the satire and makes for an enjoyable tale. Parts of the dénouement are powerful enough to shock, and it is a testament to the author’s skill that this book manages to run the gamut from being amusing to moments of horror.

If this is the first in a new series I will be wanting to read more.

Who Stirs the Porridge in the Pot?

I am giving a talk with the above title at Melton (Woodbridge) on Friday, 15th April.
I will read from a selection of my Hale novels and Magna memoirs. A mixture of romance - and plenty of fun, I hope! My friend Madelaine told me she laughed out loud
when she read the Poplar Penny Whistlers, and that she loved Puglet the dog! It's a good feeling to make people smile isn't it, though readers often tell methat my stories can also make them cry...
Sheila Newberry.

Help me help the victims of Japan's earthquake

I write Westerns for Black Horse, but the quake in Japan (the nuclear power plants are about 200km north of my home in Chiba) got me to wondering what I could do to help. Of course I could (and do) volunteer, but I thought it would be good to provide everyone a chance to help.

Publishing by Rebecca Vickery and I have put together a slim volume of my stories set in Japan. One, A Matter of Tea, won the 2010 Oaxaca International Literature Competition. Naturally, it headlines the book.

This book is available on Smashwords (or will be by the first of the week) and costs only US 99 cents. All the income from this book will go to help victims of the 3/11 quake. They lost homes, belongings, and even family members. This is my best shot at helping them. And I'll make sure your contributions go to help real people, not the bureaucracy of a charitable organization. Please help. Order here.

Thanks. I'll report back.

Charlie Whipple aka Chuck Tyrell

A COVERT WAR

I now have my latest, Hale novel available in paperback. I expect to be making it available on Kindle. Anybody have any suggestions or observations about the right or wrong way to go in order to develop sales in both markets? Wish me luck anyway.