Month: October 2018

Cemetery House; my 4th book is out now

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Yep you that read title right… but you read that wrong! My 4th Book Cemetery House is published and available now in both paperback and digital download.

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It’s been one hell of a journey from the initial drafting all the way to the final edit and cover reveal; it’s safe to say Cemetery House has kicked my butt and now the real work begins; promotion and spreading the word.

This is brand new territory as I haven’t released a sequel until now which means the targeted readership is simply those who read and enjoyed Open Evening and for that I have poured my heart and soul into Cemetery House; this sequel is truly for all of you who have supported me from day one.  

So what is it about you ask? Cemetery House is a continuation of Open Evening and begins as a prequel by sharing the story of legendary character Twister and how he came to be. That takes up the first quarter of the book; after which we catch up with those who survived Open Evening two weeks later. This time around the crew know what’s coming and it’s unique in a sense that these characters run towards the terror and not from it. This makes for a meaningful life lesson; run towards adversity and embrace it. 

What unfolds is probably my best work to date but that doesn’t take away anything from the Teleporter (which you should read and review) and of course my other works.

From my extensive years of watching good and bad sequels I know exactly what makes a story continuation work and have factored that into CH. This time around you’ll get answers from questions asked in Open Evening plus much much more. There is a heightened tension which builds and rides the expectation of what we know is coming and when it happens you will not be disappointed, trust me.

Now all there is left to do is thank all of my readers and supporters for the work they have done to spread the word about my books. Do remember to tell your friends about this awesome author you know who wroted some wonderful books, take a selfie with the paperback or E-book and spread the word. I don’t do this for money I do this because story telling is what I love doing and immersing people into another world is what I do. This is escapism in its finest and together we can all escape.  

Cemetery House is out now!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

5 Reasons why you should read Cemetery House

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The story of survival is back with Cemetery House and this is 5 reasons why you should read it! 

1. The characters….

First and foremost Cemetery House is character driven and just like their previous outing Open Evening; those who survived are back to continue their fight. In fact the whole premise of CH simply looks to answer the simple question of what if they got another opportunity to carry on their journey.

This eventually evolved into specifics; this time around ‘Twister’ becomes a focal point and where he comes from is central to the plot. This doesn’t take anything away from Luke Hartford, Josie Kendall, Jonny Buster and Josh Kennedy whom Twister leans on as he recuperates from the Open Evening.

Of course no sequel is really a sequel without the introduction new characters in which there are plenty.

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2. There are answers… 

I know for a fact Open Evening asked a lot of questions, some of them I asked deliberately and others just happened. Trust me when I say CH will answer a bunch of stuff you wanted to know about.

What are those monsters that come out of the shadows? How do they control people? Just who is Twister really? Who is he working with? Where else does this happen? What does this have to do with the Darke Blood story? Why all the fire?

All of the above will be answered in one way or another! 

3. It’s also a prequel

This isn’t just a sequel for the sake of making another one. There is a real continuation of the story here. Like the question of who Twister is, CH answers just that by serving as a prequel in the opening quarter of the book. We see a high school age Twister as he discovers his home town isn’t what it appears to be. We also see where he gets most of his traits from, something which played a central part in Open Evening. And importantly we see how he becomes Twister!

4. There are links to Darke Blood

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Some of you know that my eventual plan is to cross the world of Darke Blood with the one I have created in Open Evening and Cemetery House. This becomes apparent throughout the story of CH, there is even a special surprise twist at the very end.

There are also subtle and near the end a very obvious link to some witchcraft stuff which twists this story into a make or break situation where everything nods and aligns with Darke Blood. 

5. The whole book is a reward to my readership…

Open Evening is where it all began for me, and my readers came out in droves to help promote my efforts. For that I have written this book in mind to reward those good people, trust me when I say this one is for you all! Sequel’s have a very specific target market, those who read the first one which makes this marketing a big challenge. Therefore I need all of those who came out first time to return and help bring this book to the masses! 

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6. Bonus: It’s not just a Halloween book; and it’s out next week!

I’ve gone for the whole Halloween release thing because let’s face it, the turning of the season brings a somewhat atmospheric feel in the air. Leaves fall and the air is colder, there is something about it I just like, but CH is an all year around read and yes it is officially available next week!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Weekly Ramble #11

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4 books published in 2 years is pretty good going. That’s the reality I am facing; this time next week I will be anyway.

My foundation of words has been built, and that foundation is something I am more proud of than anything else in my life. Not to say it’s the only thing in my life because it isn’t, but the ground has been laid into what I hope will one day be more than just a hobby, after all writing has become my calling in life and it will be for many years to come.

The truth is I am mentally tired, this year has kicked my ass, its also been rewarding in some senses but recently above all I have felt tired. Right now I’m staying away from the laptop to regroup, writing books isn’t something I am looking to do very soon in fact I think next year may even see just one release if that. Of course I am talking about the next Darke book, its already been drafted and a lot of work is required to bring in line with what I consider to be publishable.

With a book release literally around the corner my efforts even if I am tired are channeled towards getting as many book sales as possible. Then I will  be walking away from social media, or at least reduce my efforts for a while. This stuff doesn’t pay the bills and what does needs my attention now, also I am moving into my own place in just over a months time. Things are busy like always; as a creative I don’t know what will become of me if I don’t create; but other things require my attention like sleep, especially sleep.

It’s now up to my readers to help promote and help sell my books, there is a wider choice now and choice is what all customers look for in books. With the foundation built, I will eventually look to build that into something bigger but right now I am happy to step back and look at what I have achieved, as I said 4 books in 2 years is pretty damn good work.

Weekly Ramble #10

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The 4th book release is nigh, and things have been taking off, but this isn’t just all me. My projects are brought to life by the efforts of some real dedicated people. As a writer I would simply be lost without my editor. There is a hell of a lot more to editing than most people think. All of my stories have been painstakingly crafted, long after my work has been done.

This one may the best work I have seen not only from an editing point of the view but the cover artwork also,  a reveal will follow, and I am sure it will impress, it blew me away and conveys exactly what I want to say in this story.

Readership is growing by the day with my most loyal readers leading the charge with reviews and general buzz about my words. The tribe is small but very effective and dedicated, something which means more than anything else. This thing will take time, it always does, in essence writing a book feels like sending a letter two years ago and finally getting a response this week.

Reviews really do sell books but most importantly above all, people talking to one another sells them more than anything. We live in a world where spoken communication is dying, maybe talking about books will keep it alive for a little longer, we’ll see…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After the Green Withered by Kristin Ward – a review

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‘…the green withered, and with it our dreams for the future…’

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‘After the Green Withered’ is a story set in an imaginative dystopian future. It’s clear that Kristin Ward has worked tremendously hard to create a world and setting that may eventually become a reality. Water is the currency and key to survival; and the concept of water rationing gives this story a distinct originality.

From the beginning the reader is introduced to a well thought out and explained world; explanations is something many writers fail with and this one was just right. And this is a world that has become a police state; with everything under constant surveillance by the somewhat mysterious and sinister ‘DMC’ also known as the ‘company’. Whole towns are heavily guarded and fortified with a feeling that someone is always watching. Like today there are those who are privileged and those who are not, but the poverty contrast is focused more towards survival in this story.

The main character and narrator ‘Enora’ spends much of her time contemplating and toiling over her uncertainties. She finds herself drafted from High School and poor background to work for the ‘DMC’, although she never forgets her roots . Enora’s journey eventually moves to seeking out who is running the sinister underbelly that is the ‘DMC’, a company who represses the poor and is also responsible for a lot more. The mystery of who she can trust becomes a central point of tension that builds all the way to the end of the story.

Overall I was kept intrigued by this story but throughout I felt as if it was over descriptive and wordy. Much of the dialogue could have been longer but more time was given towards Enora’s thoughts and contemplation; much of which could have been put into dialogue or even shortened. The heavy description pulled me away from being immersed in what is a good story concept. Much of the writing could have been ‘shown’ to the reader as opposed to being ‘told’ and this what I think holds it back.

The ending came suddenly with no real resolve but kept me thinking as to where this story could go next, especially as there is a sequel planned. Having read this story I would be more than interested and look forward to the next one.

Thank you to Kristin Ward for giving me the opportunity to review the book.

Three and a half stars 

 

Demonspawn by Christina Engela – a review

Lee Hall 7 Comments

‘In space, not all things were certain… not even death’ demonspawn-2018-cover-front1

Demonspawn is a detailed well-imagined space story, which I found hard to put down, in fact I read the book in just 3 sittings.

Christina Engela has created a believable world of space travel, delivering it in way that seemed to me logical and explained without straying from the main plot.

From the very opening, there is a deliberate psychological vagueness as to what the ‘big bad’ could be. This heightens the mystery giving readers a real urgency and a want to find out, eventually you will.

With that tension steadily building the story follows the somewhat damned crew of the I.S.S. Mordrake; a ship seemingly stranded and damaged beyond repair in the furthest reaches of space. Their captain is found murdered and so it’s up to main character Joe Lofflin to investigate along with a cast full of convincing characters.

Then they discover a derelict ship just floating in space.

This story reminded me of films such as Alien and Event Horizon but Demonspawn could easily stand shoulder to shoulder with them. There were many concepts of the sci-fi genre in this book that were original and put together in a way not seen before anywhere else (this was especially so for the ‘Akx’.)

It’s an enjoyable read that will leave you wanting more.

5 Stars. 

 

If you have book that needs a review, then do get in touch….

Weekly Ramble #9

Lee Hall 1 Comment

Warning: Old and dated post alert. That is along with the opinions included.

Twitter is shit. There you go I’ve said it. And it’s the truth. I’ve never really figured out the tweet machine and so my jury rests upon the fact it sucks, probably like all social media. Everybody is just looking for that one up so they can sell you whatever they want to sell.

I asked myself recently if I could live without twitter and so I chose not to install it on my new phone, and I’m better for it mostly. Now I check on the ‘land of weird repetition of the same shit’ once a day at best.

Facebook have seemed to distance themselves from it also, and I know for a fact they aren’t perfect, but these days I have taken more of a shine to Instagram which is linked. Truth is, nobody can withhold and keep up a presence across all platforms unless you have a media team, and I do not. Either way, this revelation has made me feel good.

In fact I’m doing great right now, things are moving towards my 4th book release and I’ve even got my first book review gig. The wheel is beginning to turn with another review for the Teleporter and organic sales of Open Evening.

Its the first day of new a month and with it comes the hope of good things as the leaves begin to fall into a new season. I’m optimistic this somewhat difficult year will have a decent end.