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Friday 25 October 2013

NaNoWriMo Comes Around Again.

(Inter)National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) is an annual event aimed at getting would-be novelists to actually get that first draft written. The idea is that you sign-up to the site (link here) and, using their help, prompts, advice and guidance, get 50,000 words down during the month. It’s run in a gently competitive manner, with word counters available to check and display your daily wordage and the total so far. There are local groups, where physical meetings and events take place, as well as virtual meetings and gatherings for discussion, encouragement and simple fun. As part of this process, the site also raises funds to help with juvenile literacy (a worthwhile cause for any writer, surely?)


Last year I was too busy to take part, but the year before I’d decided to have a go, in order to kick start an idea that had been buzzing around my brain for a while. Over the month I wrote 112,242 words (click here to see the final post on that). In the end, the novel was fundamentally flawed in a way I couldn’t repair, so I abandoned it during the third edit. But the exercise was nevertheless useful in that it demonstrated that I could actually write that number of words each day, consistently. And, of course, the public element is a great motivator toward healthy self-discipline and the avoidance of procrastination.

This year, I’m about half way through writing the first draft of the third book in a fantasy trilogy (watch this space for news on the publication of book 1 – A Seared Sky: Joinings – to be published by Fantastic Books Publishing by the end of the year!). This isn’t really what NaNoWriMo is about. But, on the other hand, it is about getting the first draft finished, and that’s what I want to do. It would have been finished by now under normal circumstances, but my darling wife broke her wrist in July and that meant I had to take over quite a few of the household duties she carries out in the background without me ever having to think about them. (I appreciate that, as a man, I have a great advantage over all those Mums/wives who have to juggle work with writing and childcare). Our arrangements, by the way, are mutually agreed. I do certain things about the house and Valerie does others. But, with one arm out of commission, she clearly couldn’t do many of those things she does normally.

Now she’s recovered, almost, and able to carry on with her normal jobs, leaving me free to write at more length. We celebrated our silver wedding this year and took an extended holiday to celebrate, so I’m now spending a good deal of time re-reading what I’d already written to the point of our departure (around 116k words) so I can recall all the incidents before I continue with the tale, which will probably end up at around 210k.

So, on 1st November, I intend to be ready to get on with the writing and will start my counter on that day at 0 words so I can keep track of my totals for each day and for the month.

How about you? Always promised yourself you’d write that book? Willing to have a go? Here’s the linkto the website, where you register.


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Monday 21 October 2013

Author? Books On Amazon? Did You Know…?

In common with many writers, I have books listed on Amazon. Also, in common with other authors, I attract readers by presenting links to my books on various social networks. There is, however, a real problem with this as far as Amazon is concerned. Any link will lead readers only to one specific amazon site - .com, .co.uk, .de, etc.

This means potential readers have to either do a search on the appropriate amazon site for their country, or – holds up hands in horror! – pay extra postage for the books to be delivered overseas. Let’s face it, we want readers spending their hard-earned cash on books, not postage. Of course, in the case of an ebook, readers can only purchase from their home Amazon site.

It would be really useful if a single link could enable all your readers to find you at their home site, wouldn’t it? Well, help is at hand. Such a site exists. And – wait for it- it’s FREE!

I was recently on holiday in Santorini and kept in touch through my iPad. One of my contacts on Twitter complained that a link took him to the wrong Amazon site and suggested I try Booklinker.net. I wasn’t keen to explore during my holiday and, in any case, the iPad, useful as it is, is no substitute for the desktop iMac with all my links, pictures, contacts and other settings easily available, so I decided to wait until I returned home.

A busy week later, I explored the site and discovered I could very easily set up a universal link to my Author Page at Amazon. Try it here. However, when I tried to set up links to my books, I seemed to get nowhere. This, it turned out, was due to my idiocy. But a simple exchange with the site’s helpful ‘Contact’ service soon resolved my problems. You’re presented with two screens. The first requires that you enter the link to your book from the Amazon.com site (just copy and paste). The second allows you to type in the short name for the link you wish to develop. E.g. http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Faith-Stuart-Aken/dp/1849233144/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382367245&sr=1-1&keywords=Breaking+Faith+stuart+aken  becomes http://mybook.to/breakingfaith  (By the way, you need only enter the initial link as far as the end of the unique number: e.g. http://www.amazon.com/Breaking-Faith-Stuart-Aken/dp/1849233144/ ) I have now successfully set up universal links for all my books.

The outcome is that I can now place quotes from books and reviews on social networks and attach a single link in the knowledge that it will lead to the Amazon site appropriate to the reader. What’s more, I’ll know how successful each site is for my books as the Booklinker site does a count of clicks on each link.

It really is FREE. The site works on the basis that they get a small commission from Amazon for each book bought through the links; the author loses nothing and gains a simple and effective marketing tool.
Try it. You’ve nothing to lose and a great deal to gain.


Right; now I’ve got to sort out the links here on my blog and remove all the extraneous ones to the different Amazon sites. A tedious job I’ll have to do just once but one that I expect to make life easier for both me and my potential readers. Everyone wins!
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Sunday 20 October 2013

The Annals of Imperial Rome, by Tacitus, Reviewed.

There have been many translations of this classic; the one I read was the Penguin Classics edition, translated by Michael Grant. I came across the book, which I’d heard of but not previously read, whilst perusing the shelves of a wonderful little bookshop on the island of Santorini. (You’ll find Atlantis Books in Oia, should you ever visit the island). Hardly typical holiday reading, I nevertheless read most of the book whilst lounging beside the pool on a comfortable sunbed under a hot sun.

It’s generally the case that most of our leaders here in UK are educated in the classics. I can see why they hold the odd views they often do, if Tacitus is any guide to the content of their learning.

The book concentrates on certain aspects of Roman life that other historians have largely neglected, it seems. He is obsessed with legal cases, court actions and some fairly minor infringements of Roman law. Of course, there are accounts of battles, opinions on the various Emperors and tyrants (usually synonymous) who ruled the empire during the time he chronicles. First published around 102 AD, it deals with the short period from AD 14 to AD 68, when Christianity was in its infancy, but makes reference to many earlier historical events and personalities along the way.

The Annals reports on a period of history in which leadership was largely profoundly corrupt (a bit like the present, but with added casual execution, torture and murder – so perhaps not so different). Reflecting the beliefs of his day, he accepts the idea of mortal divinity whilst decrying the actions and morals of those made divine. He also believes in the existence of the legendary phoenix, so reliance on his belief system is probably unwise.

The book is dripping with the blood of the innocent mingled with that of the guilty. Suicide, murder, corruption, deceit, jealousy, nepotism, treachery, cheating, bribery, expedience, protection of those in office regardless of worth or merit, destruction of evidence, official blindness, flattery, preferential treatment, torture of lower classes to support claims of upper classes, incredible courage and noble sacrifice are all described. The reader is filled with a sense of how frightening it must have been to live in Rome and its empire of the time.

The absence of instant communication over great distance in an extensive empire that allowed distortions of truth and downright lies, shows how rumour could cause instant death, followed by regret when truth caught up with those guilty of the injustices.
If you have ever wondered how some leaders of the modern world can behave in the way that they do, this book gives an understanding of the minds of rulers and those who support them. I’m glad I read it, but, if you have children, I’d advise you to keep the text away from them until they’re mature enough to sift the right from the wrong, the good from the bad, the truth from the speculation and assumption. A fascinating but uncomfortable read and a real insight into the way in which power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Recommended.
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Want a 10% Discount off a Kindle?

If you live in the UK and you’re thinking of buying any of the Kindles on offer through Amazon, let
me know and I’ll send you a coupon that will give you 10% off the device you buy.
BUT I have only one to give away. And I’ll need your email address, as I have to forward the email I received from Amazon to you.
SO, first come, first served.

Respond to me here.

Just to let you know this has now been claimed. Enjoy your Kindle, Haylee.
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Saturday 12 October 2013

A-Z Guide to Santorini, Tony Oswin, Reviewed.

Going on holiday to a new place? Makes sense to me to read a guidebook first. I’d always wanted to visit the volcanic island of Santorini, outpost of the Cyclades on the edge of the Aegean Sea, and a recent celebration gave me the chance.

Tony Oswin’s guide is a POD (print on demand), so it can be, and is, updated very frequently, thereby avoiding the dated feel of some guides. He lives in the area and is in touch with changes, so keeps all those essentials up to date.

There’s an excellent prĂ©cis of the island’s history as an introduction. This really sets the scene for the traveller and raises questions in the mind of the inquisitive tourist. He gives clues about the local culture, folklore, products and food and wine. The piece on getting to the island will be very useful to those independent souls who prefer to go under their own steam rather than rely on the package holiday.

His list of places of interest is extensive and comprehensive, covering all the major sites that will interest visitors.

He explains the attractions and disadvantages of the various beaches for those who love to paddle, swim, surf, or simply lie undisturbed under the sun without the benefit of any cover.
He covers activities, sports, transport, money, weather, bugs, health, and gives the dates of local festivals and events.

There is information about which tavernas offer what food, which bars and supermarkets you might like to try, and what other shops you may find interesting.

In short, this is a comprehensive guide to the island. It lacks a detailed map but, as Tony explains, the inclusion of a useful map would make the book far more expensive and you can usually obtain a free road map from the car hire companies anyway. He does include plans of Fira, Akrotiri and Ancient Thera, all of which we found useful.

So, if you’re bound for the island that is now acknowledged by most as the site of the original Atlantis, I suggest you try this guide. Very easy to read and follow and full of very useful and interesting information. Highly recommended.


(If you’d like to see a set of pictures of the island, by all means feel free to visit my album onFacebook)
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