Monthly Archives: October 2019

Books, ebook, Peace Novella Series

Peace Betrayed: A Peace Series Novella #peaceseries

Here we have it! The final instalment of the Devan Coultrie story in the Peace Novella series.

Blurb

Devan Coultrie has found his Peace. He has a home, a business; his relationship with Aditi is ready to move to the next stage. They have plans to start a family, their life together could finally settle down properly.

Retreating to Peace was the first stage. The next was to make it all a picture perfect postcard.

Only Devan and Aditi’s relationship isn’t that straight forward. Its strength is about to be sorely tested.

Devan Coultrie has a decision to make.

He could keep and enjoy his ‘Happily Ever After’ in Peace, Montana.

Or will he betray it and lose everything that he has ever wanted?

 

Pre-Order links:

UK: https://amzn.to/323m6FH

US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07ZRT5RP5

Canda: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07ZRT5RP5

 

RTPDUO

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Fragments Universe: Food for thought

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Love, life, laughter and all that is in between.

The Fragments Universe currently stretches across two novels.

The first, the titular novel, is concerned with loss and bereavement. Two aspects of life that we, as a society, don’t talk about. Two aspects, that are very often swept under the carpet and at times, with really quite painful consequences.  Fragments contains six inter-linked stories that map what happens when loss and bereavement tear up universes. Whilst there is sadness, there is a hope and the capacity of humans to mend.

Kangana follows a character-Gorbind Phalla- and tells of his life before Fragments. Here, we sample a not so straight forward romance. A romance, set in the midlands, that shows that love isn’t always plain-sailing. Especially, if you have family members that also need to be taken care of.

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Fragments

Life starts and life ends. In between we form relationships and friendships. We have husbands, wives, sons, daughters and we mustn’t forget pets. Memories form that shape who we are and what we do. Only for death to cast it all askew. What we know becomes nothing by fragments, torn up and thrown to the winds. The Anand’s lose a wife and mother, Matthew is lost without his grandmother, Daniel loses the man he loved, Michael wonders about having children and Maya is a mother bereaved. Within are six inter-related stories explore what happens when the universe as we know it implodes and entirely. Grief is a journey to be travelled by them with emotions to be experienced as their lives are changed. Whilst they feel alone they are all connected and these are their stories. Family, friends and even our pets cannot escape when it comes to the footprint that is left by death.

 

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Kangana

There is no such thing as a straight forward romance.

Sometimes when you think you are falling for one person, you are really falling in love with everyone else around them too.
Gorbind’s family are his whole world, even if they are far from normal. His kid brother needs looking after and his Grandmother just wants him to find happiness.

His whole world changes when he meets Padmi. Life gets more interesting as she changes Gorbind’s universe completely. Romance with Padmi is anything but straightforward.

 

 

 

Books, paperback, Peace Novella Series

Two years on #peaceseries #WritingCommunity

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The Peace Novella Series is officially two years old. It feels as though it was yesterday, when the first novella-Songs of Peace- was released as part of an ambitious, dynamic and diverse anthology series. Sixteen authors worked together to build the fictional town of Peace, Montana.

Two years ago, we would have seen Songs of Peace, Love in Peace and what Peace Remains, go public. This Saturday, marks the anniversary of Reclaiming Peace.

Running from Autumn 2017 to Summer 2018, we saw the novellas release on e-readers every other week. It was an exciting time, in reading and collecting what felt like a whole Peace Library. This is a series where there truly is something for everyone.

RTPDUO

My contribution was Retreating to Peace, and this arrived in January 2018. This year, a year and bit later, I published Postcards from Peace. The Devan Coultrie Saga needed to be continued. To be honest, with Postcards, there were more questions. Things were to develop a little further.

There will be a third contribution!

Slated for January 2020, Devan Coultrie’s Peace journey arrives at it’s conclusion.

Stand by.

There will be further details in the run up to Christmas.

Books, paperback

Tippling Tales at Gunmakers Arms

Darren De Toni, Martin Tracey, A.A.Abbott, Phillip Ellis and John Druckers

 

Last week, I had the absolute privilege to be in great company, and also to read in the Gunmakers Arms, Birmingham.  Organised by A.A.Abbott, this was an evening to sample some of the stories that are written by Birmingham authors.

This is only the second time that I have read from one of my books and in public. An exciting opportunity, but also rather nerve-racking. I read from Kangana, and it was interesting to hear the the characters jump out aloud in the room.

There is just something about hearing stories, experiencing the work of authors, that really is pure magic.

*****

When Fictional Characters pay a visit to the Gunmakers Arms.

“For now, just play nice,” Hades blew across the top of his Guinness. He pulled a face having taken a mouthful. “Dionysus lied about this stuff. Muppet.”

“Can’t make me,” Devan pouted as he swirled a wheat-coloured IPA. He had two black eyes and a plaster across his nose.

“Can and will,” replied Hades. “Be civil or I turn you into a horse’s behind. But without the romance of a Mid-Summer’s night dream.”

“Of all the places in Birmingham,” Padmi arrived, clutching a glass of Merlot. She grimaced at Devan to sit next to Hades. “Never been here before. Didn’t realise this belonged to writers and such.

“It’s a nice place; they have two of the most adorable cats.” Hades kicked Devan to attention beneath the table. “If moody knickers here can make it. You and Gorbind will be fine. Gunmaker’s Arms. Looks good to me.”

“Moody knickers who?” Gorbind put another glass down before Devan. He himself had half a pint of lemonade.

“Don’t trust yourself?” Asked Devan, pulling the glass close. “Scared? Reading and all.”

“Just a bit,” he replied, exhaling deeply. “And so is she.” Gorbind looked at the Maroon 5 hoodie that hung on the back of an empty chair.

He knew what she was about to read. Thing is, he hadn’t told his wife. That was scared him. That, was what had him on the lemonade.

 

Later in the Gunmakers Arms

“Do I kiss you, kill you slowly?” Glaring at her husband, Padmi pressed the cool rim of the wine glass to her lips.

“Slowly, ever so slowly,” wiping tears, Hades laughed. He’d found gin now, and was picking out spiralised zest. “So we can watch.”

“You got laughs,” shaking his head, Devan winced as his nose throbbed. “You actually made people in a Birmingham boozer, laugh. Welcome to the club,” he slugged his IPA and landed a hand to Gorbind’s shoulder.

“Talking to me now, are you?” Slurping lemonade, Gorbind took his turn with not playing nice.

“You may have broken my nose,” replied Devan, “But you’ll need hell to freeze over before you break my spirit.”

“I can do that, hic!” Hades momentarily looked bashful. “God, Padmi ought to nail your bits to-“

“You scared her,” Padmi cut off the Lord of the Underworld to once more pin Gorbind to his seat. “She took a chance on you; read you aloud, tripped over almost every inch to keep going. The pair of us, she gave us a reason for being. Made you real. Remember that.”

A sudden hush had unfurled around the table. The lights crackled, a darkness descended.

Then they were gone.

****

Devan Coultrie is from Retreating to Peace: A peace series Novella. Earlier this year, he made his Birmingham debut at a Tippling Tales event.  Hades, is a work in progress: more details on him in the future!

A special mention to A.A.Abbott and also the Gunmakers Arms, Birmingham.

Thanks also to JA Media for the images.

Adventures, Books, indie author, paperback, Peace Novella Series, petal'spottedpreserve, Preparation, Taking stock

Bookish: Road to #Birmingham2022

petal

From Telford to Birmingham:

A book-related adventure.

I’ve been thinking about this post for a some time now; particularly how to put into words. This is altogether nerve-wracking.

Well, here goes.

In July 2022, the Commonwealth Games will be just about to kick off in Birmingham. As such, this has inspired a multi-genre gathering of authors from across the world. One of them, just happens to be yours truly. A gathering that is scheduled for the heart of Birmingham, yards from the Floozy in the Jacuzzi, in the Birmingham Council House.

The journey, this bookish road to Birmingham, starts in Telford in April 2020.

That’s less than six months away.

How did this all start?

With a short story. And nerves. Lots of nerves.

I was ecstatic to be invited to Birmingham 2022, by fellow local author Martin Tracey.

I met Martin, in a pub. The Gunmakers Arms in Birmingham, actually; I was reading there, so was he. That was my first ever public reading-Postcards from Peace, Devan’s Halloween Story, I’ve never been so scared in my life-thanks to A.A.Abbott, her Tippling Tales evenings are brilliant, and well worth attending.

(I’m back there tomorrow! Get tickets here.)

Immediately, as you can imagine, excitement and anxiety collided. This would be one a massive, historic, multi-genre event. A first for me. It was, and is, a huge step as an author, and Indie Author at that. I set about thinking; how could I make steps towards this big event, to raise my profile and actually reach people?

I have no idea if people read my books, unless I pester them! The dreams of having a fan-club, are exactly that. Being somewhat eclectic, the book back catalogue is somewhat diverse.  There is most definitely something for everyone.

I thought about it, and took a chance. Was there an event, that I could do in the mean time? Turns out there was. In Telford; sooner too. A good opportunity to build a profile, and reach readers.  This was Shenanigans 2020.  The link for tickets is below.

Shenanigans 2020 tickets

There are a couple of locations, currently being investigated, for pit stops in the middle. Birmingham 2022, will hopefully be something of a homecoming, in that respect.

The key thing, the most central to all of this, are the books.

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As I type, I’m preparing book seven. The teasers were done yesterday! This is my third instalment for the Peace Novella Series. All being well, this will be out there for everyone, by April 2020.

As an Indie Author, reaching readers, is a key. This means that reading and reviewing is incredibly important. That moment, when you randomly recommend a book to someone, helps that happen. Even if’s a one line review, even if you only add a couple of stars.