The Story of Slur

Posted in Uncategorized by heatherbwriter

The party’s started so grab yourself a cuppa and crack open the biscuits – we’ll save the wine and nibbles till later. I thought I’d start by letting you know what we’ve got lined up before telling you a little bit about the book. In fact, SLUR will be telling its own tale, and I have to warn you that with all this attention it’s become the diva of the book world.

We’ll be running some fun quizzes throughout the day and are offering great prizes (more about that below). All quiz answers should be sent by email to dianewriting@gmail.com. We’ll also be publishing updates during the day so if you want to receive the updates by email, just follow this blog by clicking the box marked ‘follow’ to the right of the screen.

Where to Buy SLUR

SLUR is available from Amazon in both Kindle format priced at £1.99 and print format priced at £7.99 at: http://viewbook.at/Slur. If you don’t have a Kindle, you can download a free app that enables you to read the Kindle version on your computer, tablet or smart phone. You can find the app here.

Great Prizes

You will have a chance of winning a signed copy of SLUR as well as my other publications, Kids’ Clubs and Organizations: viewBook.at/KidsClubs and Great Places for Kids’ Parties: viewBook.at/KidsParties, plus a £10 gift voucher, in our Meet the Author Quiz, which is coming up next. We’ll also be giving away a bundle of books by our Fab Five Indie authors in our Literary Quiz around lunchtime or shortly after.

If general knowledge is more your thing then you could have a chance of winning a £25 gift voucher by entering our General Knowledge Quiz later this afternoon/early evening. Lastly will be our SLUR Big Prize Quiz at the end of the day where we will be giving away a £50 gift voucher and a signed print copy of SLUR plus my two other publications. Questions will be based on SLUR, and the winner of this one will be announced in a few weeks’ time to give you a chance to find the answers. Please note that some of these quizzes will be re-run on Saturday 20th September but times will differ. You can find full details of approximate times for both days at: https://dianewriting.wordpress.com/2014/09/02/launch-party-agenda/.

N.B. We welcome overseas attendees. As all our prize vouchers are in GBP, we will give equivalent vouchers in a relevant currency if overseas entrants win our prizes.

The Story of SLUR

I first started writing my debut novel SLUR back in 1999 and finished the first draft around 2002. It took almost three years to write because I was studying for my writing diploma at the time as well as bringing up two toddlers. Sadly, it has since been on the backburner. In fact, my book has waited such a long time to be published that I thought it only fair for SLUR to tell its own tale. After all, it’s been around so long now that it’s as though it’s taken on a personality of its own. Over to you SLUR:

Thank God for that, I was beginning to think my time would never come. 15 years is one hell of a long time to wait for your moment of glory, you know!

Well lovely readers, it all started back in 1999. I can still recall the first stroke of the keyboard, her initial excitement, the way she couldn’t wait to start tapping away at the keys once the kids were in bed. I had high aspirations of course – first the bestseller lists, a film adaptation, then all the glitzy award ceremonies – you know how it goes. I figured I ain’t no flavour of the month celeb with a tale of instant stardom; I’ve got staying power!

So I was toted around the agents. I remember hearing their conversations like it was yesterday – ‘good writing style, nice opening – starts with a bang, great characterisation’. Then there were the naysayers – ‘the author’s unknown, we’re taking a risk, what niche would it fit into?’

Swines!

I swear, if I could have sprouted a pair of hands out of all those sheaves of paper I would have done some serious damage.

Anyway, at the end of the day I guess it was just one rejection letter too many so my printed manuscript got filed and locked away. Even now I can hear the sound of the key as it rasped painfully around the lock mechanism like scissors slicing through my aching pages – OK, maybe a bit dramatic, but you get the idea.

Then she moved onto other things – the magazine articles, the writing services business, the parenting books – phut! But I knew my time would come. As the saying goes, “I’m Beyonce, I ain’t no Kelly Rowland.” And I ain’t no poxy parenting book either – I’m the real deal!

So here I am with my beautiful new jacket complete with image of attractive heroine, admittedly looking a bit distressed – well she would, wouldn’t she? Her whole world’s fell apart, the poor cow! She’s still got to prove her innocence before she breaks down altogether. That’s if she’s got enough feistiness left after she’s been through hell!

Well, that’s enough of me, I must dash before she changes my title to ‘Diva’. I’m going to show off my gorgeous, sexy new jacket now. And when it gets opened I’ll be glad to finally put my goods on display and show the world just what I’ve got to offer. It’s show time! (Slinks away singing)

“Cos tonight I’m gonna party like it’s 1999, da da, da da da.”

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10Sep2014

Who are my Fab Five Indie Authors?

Posted in Indie Authors by heatherbwriter

My Fab Five Indie Authors will be playing a special role in my online book launch party for my debut novel SLUR: http://viewbook.at/Slur, which is a crime thriller set in 1980s Manchester. So, I would like to say a big thank you to each of the Fab Five for their contribution. You can find out more about my launch party by checking out the agenda. The book launch party will be taking place on this blog on 19^th and 20^th September.

Each of these talented authors has kindly agreed to donate a signed print copy of one of their books as a prize for our Literary Quiz. This means that the lucky winner will receive a bundle of all five books. The books cover a range of genres to cater to different tastes but the thing that they all have in common is that they are particularly well written and a good read. The books included in the prize are: Can’t Live Without, Necropolis, Never Say Sorry, A Single Step and Reaper’s Rhythm. To find out more about each book, please follow the links under the author details.

Given the wealth of talent in the independent author community, it was difficult to choose just five authors, and there were some others that I would like to have included. However, I have chosen these five because I have read and enjoyed books by all of them, and can recommend their work. I have also made a personal connection with each of the authors and found them friendly and supportive. I would therefore like to tell you a little more about these five exceptional people:

Joanne Phillips

Joanne is a popular and prolific author of romantic comedies and cosy mysteries. Her debut novel Can’t Live Without was an Amazon top 20 bestseller and her books regularly appear on Amazon category bestseller lists. To date she has published four novels, a short story collection and a novelette.

Apart from being a talented author and a lovely lady, Joanne is a great supporter of the Indie community and runs a very informative blog sharing advice about the book writing, publishing and marketing process, which you can find at: http://joannegphillips.wordpress.com/. Readers can also find out all about Joanne’s books on her website: http://www.joannephillips.co.uk/.

Guy Portman

Guy has published two novels which differ in subject matter but both are peppered with Guy’s unique sardonic humour. He writes in a literary style that doesn’t conform to current writing trends. In fact, because Guy’s writing style is so individual I think that it can be considered timeless, and I can see his second novel in particular, Necropolis, becoming a cult classic. Although the graphic content may not suit everybody, this book will stay with you for a long time after you have read it.

Guy also publishes a regular literary blog, which is both witty and informative. It can be found at: http://guyportman.com/.

Rose Edmunds

If you’re looking for a fast paced thriller with plenty of twists and turns, then Rose’s debut novel, Never Say Sorry, is a must. Rose is a skilled thriller writer who knows how to grab readers from page one and keep them turning the pages.

Never Say Sorry is set in the world of corporate finance and involves a conspiracy to suppress a natural cancer cure. It has received great reviews to date and the good news is that Rose has a second book due out soon called Concealment, which is a psychological thriller. You can find out more about Rose’s forthcoming thriller, Concealment, at: http://www.roseedmunds.co.uk/.

Georgia Rose

Camera shy Georgia prefers to hide behind her blue rose symbol. Georgia is relatively new to the independent writing scene but has already made an impact since publishing her debut novel A Single Step at the end of 2013. This romantic suspense novel has received many excellent reviews and been featured on a number of popular blogs. A Single Step is the first in a trilogy, and the second novel, Before the Dawn, will be released on 26^th September, so Georgia’s fans won’t have long to wait.

Georgia publishes a lively blog, which features author interviews, book reviews and recommendations, as well as giving an insight into her writing journey. You can find out more about Georgia and her work at: http://www.georgiarosebooks.com/.

Clare Davidson

Clare writes fantasy novels for the young adult niche, but the characterisation is so strong in Clare’s novels that they appeal to more than just a young adult readership. I have read two of Clare’s novels, which I thoroughly enjoyed, and I found myself empathising with the lead character who is a teenage girl. To date Clare has written a standalone novel, Trinity, and three novels in the Hidden series, of which Reaper’s Rhythm is the first. She is currently working on the fourth novel in the series.

Clare also runs a stimulating and thought provoking blog, which you can find at: http://www.claredavidson.com/blog/.

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As well as our Literary Quiz, we’ll be running three other quizzes for our launch day celebrations so don’t forget to join us if you don’t want to miss out on the fun.

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2Sep2014

Launch Party Agenda

Posted in Book Launch Party by heatherbwriter

On Friday 19^th September 2014 and Saturday 20^th September I’ll be having my online book launch party for my debut novel SLUR here at my blog. The book is already available to purchase at: http://viewbook.at/Slur. It’s been 15 years since I first started writing SLUR, which I always said I would publish one day. That day has arrived and I plan to have one hell of a celebration. I’m having a full day of competitions and prizes on the Friday with a top prize of a £50 gift voucher and a signed print copy of the book plus my other two non-fiction books in the end of day competition. Then I’ll probably chill and open a bottle of the fizzy stuff.

For those that can’t make it on the Friday, I’ll be repeating three out of the four competitions on the Saturday. The closing date for two of the competitions is the following Tuesday 23^rd September, and the closing date for the final (big prize) competition is Friday 31^st October. Therefore, those attending the party on Saturday 20^th September still have a chance of winning these three competitions.

I’d love it if as many friends, family, clients, fellow authors and acquaintances as possible could attend the event. In fact, everybody is welcome. If you can’t manage a full day, you might want to just pop along for part of it. I’m therefore detailing my agenda with approximate times so you know what to expect.

N.B. Please note that we welcome attendees from oversees. As the prize vouchers are in GBP, we will exchange them for equivalent vouchers if overseas entrants win any of the competitions.

Friday 19^th September 2014

N.B. All times are GMT

1. The Story of SLUR (approx. 9.30am – 10am) – We start with an introduction of what we’ve got lined up for the day followed by The Story of SLUR. It’s been so long since the author first put pen to paper (or was it a feather quill?) that SLUR has taken on a life of its own. This witty passage takes a look at the story of SLUR from the book’s own viewpoint, and I have to warn you that now SLUR (http://viewbook.at/Slur) has finally stepped into the limelight, it’s become a bit of a diva.

2. Meet the Author Quiz (approx. 10.30am – 11am) – 10 fun questions about the author. The answers to a lot of these will be guesses but the emphasis is on having a bit of fun. Answers to be sent by email and the deadline is 1pm. The winner will be drawn from all those with 10 correct answers or, failing that, the winner will be drawn from those with the most correct answers. The winner will be announced on the blog later in the afternoon and the prize is a signed print copy of SLUR (http://viewbook.at/Slur), signed print copies of my two parenting books, which you can view here and a £10 gift voucher

3. Literary Quiz (approx. 1pm) – Introducing my Fab Five independent authors – each one is donating a signed print copy of one of their books as a prize. The winner gets a bundle of all five books. The quiz has 20 questions and the winner will be drawn from all those with 20 correct answers or, if nobody gets all the answers right, the winner will be drawn from all those with the most correct answers. Closing date is the following Tuesday 23^rd September at 5pm. The winner will be contacted shortly afterwards, as soon as we have had time to go through the entries, and will be announced on the blog along with the answers.

4. Announcing the winner of our Meet the Author Quiz (approx. 3pm depending on the number of entries). Along with this announcement we will publish the answers to the quiz. This blog post also lists ways in which you can stay in touch with the author or follow the author on social media.

5. General Knowledge Quiz (approx. 5pm) – This quiz has 20 questions and the winner will be drawn from all those with 20 correct answers or, if nobody gets all the answers right, the winner will be drawn from all those with the most correct answers. Closing date is the following Tuesday 23^rd September at 5pm. The winner will be contacted shortly afterwards, as soon as we have had time to go through the entries, and will be announced on the blog along with the answers. The prize is a £25 John Lewis gift voucher.

6. The SLUR Big Prize Quiz (approx. 7pm) – there are 20 questions for this one, which are all based on the book. Entrants have six weeks to submit their entries as this gives them plenty of time to buy a copy, read it and find the answers. The prize will be a £50 John Lewis voucher and a signed print copy of SLUR (http://viewbook.at/Slur) as a keepsake (or to give to someone as a present), plus a signed print copy of each of my two parenting books, which you can view here. The winner’s name will be drawn from the names of all the correct entries. The winner will be announced on the blog after the closing date of Friday 31^st October at 5pm, and will also be contacted by email.

Saturday 20^th September 2014

N.B. All times are GMT

1. The Story of SLUR (approx. 10am) – We start with an introduction of what we’ve got lined up for the day followed by The Story of SLUR. It’s been so long since the author first put pen to paper (or was it a feather quill?) that SLUR has taken on a life of its own. This witty passage takes a look at the story of SLUR from the book’s own viewpoint, and I have to warn you that now SLUR (http://viewbook.at/Slur) has finally stepped into the limelight, it’s become a bit of a diva.

2. Literary Quiz (approx. 12noon) – Introducing my Fab Five independent authors – each one is donating a signed print copy of one of their books as a prize. The winner gets a bundle of all five books. The quiz has 20 questions and the winner will be drawn from all those with 20 correct answers or, if nobody gets all the answers right, the winner will be drawn from all those with the most correct answers. Closing date is the following Tuesday 23rd September at 5pm. The winner will be contacted shortly afterwards, as soon as we have had time to go through the entries, and will be announced on the blog along with the answers.

3. General Knowledge Quiz (approx. 2pm) – This quiz has 20 questions and the winner will be drawn from all those with 20 correct answers or, if nobody gets all the answers right, the winner will be drawn from all those with the most correct answers. Closing date is the following Tuesday 23rd September at 5pm. The winner will be contacted shortly afterwards, as soon as we have had time to go through the entries, and will be announced on the blog along with the answers. The prize is a £25 John Lewis gift voucher.

4. The SLUR Big Prize Quiz (approx. 4pm) – there are 20 questions for this one, which are all based on the book. Entrants have six weeks to submit their entries as this gives them plenty of time to buy a copy, read it and find the answers. The prize will be a £50 John Lewis voucher and a signed print copy of SLUR (http://viewbook.at/Slur) as a keepsake (or to give to someone as a present), plus a signed print copy of each of my two parenting books, which you can view here. The winner’s name will be drawn from the names of all the correct entries. The winner will be announced on the blog after the closing date of Friday 31st October at 5pm, and will also be contacted by email.

N.B. We also welcome overseas attendees and are willing to exchange the vouchers for the equivalent in the country of choice if the prizes are won by somebody from overseas.

I hope you can make it. Bye for now.

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