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Val Penny: The Hunter Wilson Series and Blog Tours

August 19, 2022 By Allison Symes Leave a Comment

Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Val Penny for supplying author pictures and book cover shots. Other images were created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos or were directly from Pixabay. Photo of Val Penny taken at the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School taken by me, Allison Symes.

It is a pleasure to welcome back Scottish crime writer, Val Penny, to Chandler’s Ford Today. The latest book in her Hunter Wilson series, Hunter’s Chase, is out on 20th August. (This will be the day after the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School finishes this year, which is where I first met Val).

Val Penny about to share excellent advice on Promoting Your Work at the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School.

So I thought I’d chat to Val about the joys and trials of writing a continuing series with the same lead character and about blog tours – what they are, how can you organise them, and so on.

So with no further ado, it’s over to Val. Welcome back to Chandler’s Ford Today, Val!

Tags: am reading. writing community, am writing, blog tours, crime fiction, crime writer, marketing, The Edinburgh mysteries, The Hunter Wilson series, Val Penny, writer

Maressa Mortimer – Part 2 – Being An Indie Author

September 17, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Image Credit: Book covers and author pics were kindly supplied by Maressa Mortimer. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is lovely to welcome back Maressa Mortimer to Chandler’s Ford Today. This week, Maressa shares her thoughts on marketing (every writer has views on that!), and how she feels her writing has developed. She also discusses book tours and why she has used Facebook Live for her book launches. So with no further ado, over to Maressa.

Tags: am reading, am writing, Association of Christian Writers, author newsletter, creative writing, Facebook Live, Maressa Mortimer, marketing, outlining, self publishing

Talking About Writing

March 26, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

As you know, the last couple of weeks have been pretty busy for me but all good fun and a great learning experience.

Feature Image – Talking About Writing. Image created in Book Brush using a Pixabay image,

Tags: creative writing, Hannah Kate, Hannah's Bookshelf, marketing, North Manchester FM, presentation, radio interview, Share Your Story writing summit, talking about writing, The Disparate Housewive, WI, Zoom talk

Book Trailers and Story Videos

March 12, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

I mentioned in my post last week, Musical Connections, I used Danse Macabre by Camille Saint Saens as the theme to my book trailer for From Light to Dark and Back Again.

For that particular trailer, Chapeltown Books, my publisher, produced it but for Tripping the Flash Fantastic, I made the trailer myself.

Feature Image – Book Trailers and Story Videos, Image created in Book Brush using a Pixabay image,

Tags: Book Brush, book trailers, Canva, creative writing, From Light to Dark and Back Again, marketing, Pixabay, social media, story videos, Tripping the Flash Fantastic, Youtube

Launches in Lockdown – Part 1

January 22, 2021 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

From a writing viewpoint, 2020 had the benefit of:-

1. Zoom.
2. Being able to have some writing events thanks to Zoom!

The major disadvantage was the lack of our usual writing events. This was something I discussed with YA writer, Richard Hardie, last week. He has faced the challenges of the pandemic as author and publisher (see link at the bottom of this post).

But writers and publishers still had books to launch, so I thought I’d look at how authors, including me, managed this during this strange period.

A huge thanks to all of the writers taking part in this series. They have all shared fabulous insights and something that comes across from what they share here is where one way is not possible, others will be.

That is something positive from 2020 I think.

Feature Image – Launches In Lockdown Part 1. Image created in Book Brush using an image from Pixabay

Tags: authors. writing events, book launches, book promotion, lockdown, marketing, online, writing advice, Zoom

The Power of Why – Wendy H Jones in conversation with Allison Symes

August 14, 2020 By Allison Symes 2 Comments

Sometimes writers can feel as if they’ve “caught something” in the air and definitely not Covid-19! We refer to the zeitgeist where we subconsciously pick up on a bubbling mood which then does come to the surface and grabs public attention.

For me, and for many writers recently, that bubbling mood has been about changing direction with our writing. This has manifested itself in two distinct ways. Firstly, this has been in taking on new roles which are likely to be permanent (editing for me). Secondly, the other change has been in writing something different from what we are usually known for (as I’ve recently discussed with Val Penny and will be again soon with Jennifer C Wilson).

This week, I invite Scottish crime writer, Wendy H Jones, back to Chandler’s Ford Today as her new venture is something very special indeed. Wendy is the only UK writer in the The Power of Why (see Amazon link). There are 23 stories in this collection of women from around the globe who have taken steps to change their lives by starting their own businesses.

Wendy H Jones. Image kindly supplied by her.

Tags: author entrepreneur, changing direction, creative writing, marketing, the business of writing, The Power of Why, Wendy H Jones, women in business, women in writing

Books On The Radio – Local Author News – Richard Hardie/Allison Symes

May 29, 2020 By Allison Symes 4 Comments

Books have been on the radio for a long time. Often they are read through with music played to indicate scene breaks. My favourite novel, The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey, was broadcast like this. (It is repeated every so often on Radio 4 Extra so so listen out for it. It’s a cracking story and the music is wonderful).

And of course books make for good adaptations – the right sound effects and music and no expensive sets or location costs! Radio has many advantages over TV here.

A lovely selection of old radio “sets”. Pixabay. And yes I recall them being called that.

Authors of course welcome the chance to discuss their books. The problem though is it is the big name authors who get on to Radio 4 etc so other writers need to focus on alternatives. With the ready availability of podcasting as well now, there’s another avenue for writers to explore whether they set up their own or are guests on them. Oh and don’t underestimate the hard work that goes into running a podcast or preparing well to be a guest on one!

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Tags: Allison Symes, book promotion, books, Chat and Spin Radio. radio interviews, creative writing, From Light to Dark and Back Again, internet radio, Leap of Faith, marketing, radio, Richard Hardie, Trouble With Swords

Introducing Paula Readman: What Books Mean to Her

February 28, 2020 By Allison Symes 5 Comments

Paula Readman and I have publishers in common. We’ve both been published by Bridge House Publishing and Cafelit. We’ve shared the great joy recently of both of us having two stories in The Best of Cafelit 8 and also a story each in Nativity, the most recent books published by Bridge House. Naturally we are both keen on the independent small presses!

Paula R C Readman – image kindly supplied by her

Paula is going from strength to strength and is starting 2020 off in great style with a recently released novella and a short story collection to come later in the year but more on that in a moment.

I learned a long time ago if someone makes something look easy, that same someone will have worked very hard for years to get to that point. This is true for Paula and she’ll share more about this too.

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Tags: books, Bridge House Publishing, creative writing, Days Pass Like A Shadow, Demain Publishing, fiction, marketing, Paula Readman, The Funeral Birds

Favourite Adverts

November 8, 2019 By Allison Symes 15 Comments

Do you like advertising? I don’t mind adverts that entertain me. I accept their purpose is to try to make me part with my money but unless it really is for a product I’m interested in, there’s nothing doing!

Always glad to advertise these people – and yes the image is from Pixabay, who else?!

[Read more…] about Favourite Adverts

Tags: adverts, entertainment, favourite adverts, marketing, quiz, writers and advertising

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Image Credits:-

Many thanks to Val Penny for supplying author pictures and book cover shots. Other images were created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos or were directly from Pixabay. Photo of Val Penny taken at the Swanwick Writers’ Summer School taken by me, Allison Symes.

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