Happy days

I’ve had my head in the clouds over the last few days. I asked Pete of Acclaimed Books to put my eBook A COVERT WAR into the KDP Select programme and let it go free for five days. Basically, the idea is that you place your book with the Amazon library for 90 days, and you are allowed a promotion of five days where you can offer free, unpaid downloads of your book. My book reached No.3 in the Spy Thriller category and No. 294 in the ‘sales’ figures. I get nothing for any of this, but the knock-on effect could be helpful to my subsequent borrowing figures for which I do get paid. Now that the promotion is almost over, the book is dropping away, but this is expected to happen according to the type of results I’ve seen published on the Kindle forum. Some of the writers who have tried this scheme (it began in December 2011) have had some startling results. The only people who can borrow or download these books are those who are members of Amazon Prime. Consequently they will search among the high rankers and the freebie downloads looking for a book they can either get for nothing or borrow for a small fee. I’ve had a big smile on my face for most of the week simply because I have enjoyed some kind of elevation for me and my work. Hopefully these people who have downloaded A COVERT WAR will want to read more of my books and end up paying for them. I’ll keep an eye on my results and post them here if I can.

FLOATING GOLD republished and reviewed

The following review appeared today in the on-line reviews from the Historical Novel Society:
FLOATING GOLD
Margaret Muir, Grindelwald, 2011, £11.60, pb, 236pp, 9781447670209

Anyone who knows me will know I devour anything with a Tall Ship theme—so I was excited to receive Floating Gold. Here is an example of how authors who, for one reason or another, no longer have their books in print with a mainstream publisher, decide to self-publish. Margaret Muir used to be published by Robert Hale, but with a backlist out of print, she decided to publish her books herself to keep them alive and in circulation. Good for her!

Floating Gold is a Georgian treasure hunt adventure. It is 1802 and there is a tentative peace between France and England. Captain Oliver Quintrell, as with many a sailor during times of peace, is ashore with no command and nothing to do. When he is offered HMS Elusive and a secret mission, he jumps at the chance to accept. He is bound for the Southern Ocean with secret orders, and his crew encounter storms, murder, and various adventures on the long voyage south. They reach their destination—and the treasure hunt proper begins.

The author knows her ropes when it comes to ships and shipping: the ship-board scenes are accurate and give a real feel of being at sea; her characters are believable—and the action, vigorous.

My only comment is that the edition I received had been incorrectly typeset with double spacing between paragraphs. While this in no way detracted from the story, it did spoil the look of an otherwise superb book—I believe it has now been re-typeset though, so all new editions reach full mainstream quality.

Had Floating Gold not been a republished, previously mainstream novel, I would have made this my editor’s choice. HNS rules state books must be newly published, however. So very highly recommended must suffice.

--Helen Hollick

Busy, busy

A short interview

Try the following link. A short interview with six questions. http://andyrane.blogspot.com/2012/01/same-six-questions-michael-parker.html

SEA DUST now published in paperback and e-book

SEA DUST was first published by Robert Hale in 2005 and sold out within six weeks of release. Unfortunately it was never reprinted apart from in Large Print format for Ulverscroft.

This historical novel is set mainly at sea on a voyage from England (Whitby) to Australia (Sydney) in 1853.
Travel with Emma on this dangerous and dramatic journey as she escapes from her cruel husband little knowing she will be pursued by an even more evil malefactor.

This week, SEA DUST has been released on Amazon.com as an e-book (only $3.99). It is available in other e-formats through Belgrave House for $5.00.

Along with my other Hale publications, SEA DUST is now available in paperback through Lulu.com and available at Amazon.com

THE BLACK THREADnow available as E-books

Recently another of Margaret Muir's Hale books has been converted to e-book format.

THE BLACK THREAD was first published by Hale in 2007 and reprinted as a Large Print for Ulverscroft the following year.

This is a dramatic historical novel set on the Leeds Liverpool canal at the end of the nineteenth century.
This is now available at Amazon.com for $3.99.

Murder Fortissimo goes West!

Yippee! Hale have just confirmed that Murder Fortissimo is scheduled to be published in April 2012 by Harlequin, in Canada and the US. In paperback! I'm hoping it'll be available from Amazon in the UK.

No idea what the cover will be like but I'll post further details as I get them.

I'm very, very chuffed about this!

Bestselling Hale Kindle titles on Amazon - 30 November

1. Past Caring by Robert Goddard (29 Jul 2011)
£6.06

2. No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (31 May 2010)
£5.48

3. Churchyard and Hawke (Amos Hawke mysteries) by E.V. Thompson (29 Jul 2011)
£6.39

4. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (1 Jan 2011)
£5.48

5. Coming Home by Vonnie Hughes (31 Jan 2012)
£6.39

6. The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Paul D. Gilbert (1 Jan 2011)
£6.39

7. Lady Sabrina's Secret by Jeannie Machin (31 Aug 2011)
£6.39

8. Colonel Brandon's Diary by Amanda Grange (31 Oct 2011)
£6.07

9. Vow of Silence by Veronica Black (30 Dec 2011)
£6.39

10. Oliver Twist Investigates by G.M. Best (31 Jan 2012)
£6.39

The Boy From Berlin

My latest Hale novel, THE BOY FROM BERLIN is now available from Hale Books at the usual discount and post free in UK if ordered before December 30th. Always a good chance to by a decent novel at a decent price.I'm looking forward to receiving mine in the post and will read it through like a kid with a new toy. happy days!

Busy, busy

Busy day again. I’m squeezing this post in between outings. This morning my wife and I were at a house group. It’s a weekly meeting for about ten of us from our local Christian Fellowship here in Torrevieja. I take my keyboard and play a hymn or two, and we spend about an hour discussing a particular topic and drifting away and talking of all manner of things. It’s amazing how people open up once they have become relaxed and know that what they say will not go beyond the group. Back home for lunch and then out again visiting a sick friend. She has cancer, and has been battling the disease for about three years now. She gets a reprieve and then another crisis develops. We can only keep praying for her and hope the Lord heals. This afternoon we will spend about an hour with our friend and her husband, not much more than that because of her frailty. So, rather hurriedly really, I’m writing my blog post now so I can get it out today, Thursday.
My son sent me a breakdown of my web statistics this morning. I’m not in the big league, but since we updated the web, my hits went from an average over seven months of about 11000 to 22738 in November. They say that one swallow doesn’t make a summer, but I’m chuffed to bits with that increase.
It is now possible to order copies of my hardback, THE BOY FROM BERLIN. Publication date in December 30th. from the publisher, Robert Hale Ltd. They sell at a generous discount, about 30% and will send the book post free in UK. For those who might want to buy a copy, log on to Hale’s website at www.halebooks.com. I’m looking forward to seeing the book in print. I’m like a kid with a new toy when I open up my parcel with the books inside. I always read my books through, beginning to end. Makes me feel good knowing that this is all my own work, edited and published at no cost to me. Lovely.
The Kindle version of ROSELLI’S GOLD is now available. Shouldn’t be too long before it’s available in paperback in UK. There’s so much going on for me right now, what with my work coming out and everything else. Next week I’ll be giving away three copies of Roselli’s Gold through the Goodreads giveaway promotion. If you haven’t signed up for it yet, why not pop over to Goodreads and check it out? You never know, you might win. See you all next week.

Lady Farquhar's Butterfly

On December 30th my second book with Hale - Lady Farquhar's Butterfly - will be released as a Hale e-book.

It was inspired by a piece of research I'd done into the times for while I knew women had few rights at that time in which the book is set - 1818 - I didn't know they could be stripped of their child by a husband's decree after he was dead.

Deception and redemption are favourite themes of mine and are the driving forces behind Lady Farquhar's Butterfly. While the cruelty of the late husband to my heroine, Olivia, lives on beyond the grave, she must continue to battle his evil religious with his ulterior motives before she can find love with her son's guardian.

Lady Farquhar's Butterfly was published in 2010 by Hale in Hardback and re-released last year in Large Print by Ulverscroft. I hope it takes wings as an e-book.

Bestsellers on Amazon - 31 October - Kindle titles

1. Past Caring by Robert Goddard (Kindle Edition - 29 Jul 2011)
Buy: £6.39

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

3. Across the Sands of Time by Pamela Kavanagh (Kindle Edition - 30 Sep 2011)
Buy: £6.39

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

5. The Kansas Fast Gun (Black Horse Western) by Arthur Kent (Kindle Edition - 31 Oct 2011)
Buy: £3.19

6. Darcy's Diary by Amanda Grange (Kindle Edition - 1 Jan 2011)
Buy: £5.48

7. Maggie's Girl by Sally Wragg (Kindle Edition - 30 Sep 2011)
Buy: £6.39

8. Should I Forget You by Jeanne Whitmee (Kindle Edition - 31 Aug 2011)
Buy: £6.39

9. The Paradise Will by Elizabeth Hanbury (Kindle Edition - 30 Sep 2011)
Buy: £6.39

10. A Fraudulent Betrothal by Natasha Anderson (Kindle Edition - 30 Sep 2011)
Buy: £6.39

Review of 'The Rake's Challenge' by Rachel Hyde at Myshelf.com

                                                       
             

               The Rake’s Challenge       

              Beth Elliott

       Reviewed by Rachel A Hyde

 

Anna Lawrence is not at all keen on life at home and runs away to emulate her hero Childe Harold. She hasn’t got far when she is molested by two young men intent on some “sport”, but is rescued by a mysterious stranger. This is none other than London’s most notorious rake Giles Maltravers, the Earl of Longwood and saving damsels in distress is not something he is normally associated with. But this young miss hardly out of the schoolroom awakens something in him and he is determined to protect her. Surely nothing amiss can happen once she is safely delivered to her place of employment as companion to an old lady?

Ms Elliott knows how to write just the kind of Regency romance I enjoy. Anna makes for a delightfully fresh and engaging heroine, whilst Giles manages not to be overbearing thus avoiding those endless bickering spats that have me closing the book in some romances. Instead this is a story where two people really do get to know – and like – each other and it is full of enjoyable moments. Anna’s new employers are Italians and are up to something underhand – what? Then there are descriptions of Brighton in its heyday and all the things that the ton did there. This is a relaxing, sunny treat of a novel with much to recommend it for fans of writers like Georgette Heyer.

Sheila Newberry

Happy to report that Hale are to publish my latest novel, Young May Moon!
Sixteen year old May becomes the Punch & Judy Lady, fulfilling a promise
made to her late father, "Professor" Jas Jolley, and is assisted by her
lively young sister Pomona, who takes the leather bottle round the audience
on the sands at West Wick, in 1925. Four years before, from this same place,
their fiery mother Carmen, a flamenco dancer from Spain ran off with the preacher from
the rival entertainment , while Mr Punch cried out: That's the Way to Do It!

Other good news: I have a fifth memoir published on 1st November by Magna/Dales,
entitled Dancing in the Street, which indeed we did, on VE night... It covers the
In-Between years from 1942-50, in which I recall, among other things, dried egg,
doodlebugs, Disraeli and Daydreaming...

All best to all,
Sheila Newberry

Bestselling Hale Fiction on Amazon - Kindle only

I'm a bit late this month with my monthly bestseller list. This time out the list is purely devoted to Kindle fiction.

1. Past Caring by Robert Goddard (29 Jul 2011)
£5.49

2. No Less Than the Journey by E.V. Thompson (31 May 2010)
£5.48

3. Churchyard and Hawke (Amos Hawke mysteries) by E.V. Thompson (29 Jul 2011)
£6.23

4. The Paradise Will by Elizabeth Hanbury (30 Sep 2011)
£6.39

5. Broken Places by Wendy Perriam (29 Jul 2011)
£6.39

6. The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy by Mary Street (29 Jul 2011)
£5.25

7. The Chronicles of Sherlock Holmes by Paul D. Gilbert (1 Jan 2011)
£6.23

8. Rumours and Red Roses by Patricia Fawcett (31 Aug 2011)
£6.39

9. Across the Sands of Time by Pamela Kavanagh (30 Sep 2011)
£6.39

10. Spoiled by Ann Barker (30 Sep 2011)
£6.38

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