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Showing posts with the label Book Release

#HistFicThursdays - Time, time, time...

This week, we finally managed to install our new (not new ) item of furniture - a mid-18th Century grandfather clock. It's not bright and shiny like more modern ones, but a dark oak with a warm patina which the beeswax polish is drawing out. In order to set it up, we had to do a certain amount of research - how to hang the pendulum, where the weight went on the endless chain - and it got me thinking... where and when did certain divisions of time come from? The time periods which I have written either had household clocks or didn't, I have not written novels from the time of their invention. Clocks have been around for a long time, and the obsession with measuring time in an ordered fashion dates back to at least  the ancient Sumerians. It was they who established a circular reading of time and, I imagine, the sixty seconds/minutes came about as much because it was an easy way to divide a circle as anything else. But it wasn't until much later that the precision of seconds ...

New Release "Sir Louis Curlewy" by Susan Crow... the ups and downs of publishing a book

Today (on #MGMonday) was supposed to be a blog about creating worlds for fantasy stories, but that will have to wait, because I have some amazing news to share! Happy Release Day to our latest book, Sir Louis Curlewy by Susan Crow! Happy Birthday, Sir Louis Curlewy! (Balloons and Curlews don't actually mix that well!) This wonderfully informative book contains heap-loads of facts about this vulnerable bird, but all told in engaging rhyme. I've been sharing information about this book for a few months now, starting with the cover reveal, then the book teaser and now I'm finally able to share with you the book itself. Thank you to all those who pre-ordered the ebook. It should have made its way onto your e-reader by now (if it hasn't, get in touch!) If you were waiting for the paperback, it is now available to buy from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sir-Louis-Curlewy-non-fiction-endangered/dp/1913182517 Blurb This captivating book combines storytelling with fun facts a...

#IndieApril Craggy Blog: An Introduction to Craggy

Craggy the Coo was given to me as a Christmas present by my mum way back in 2017. She knitted him from scratch, using her own artistry to produce the woolly mammal who – almost three and a half years later – is about to be unleashed to a brand new audience. I can’t really remember how Craggy’s evolution began. But I remember thinking from the moment I held him in my hands that I ought to repay my mum’s creativity and generosity in kind. The wee coo whose adventures are documented in my first ever book took his first steps out of my hometown of Langholm, Dumfries and Galloway in early January 2018, and he’s never looked back. I’ve packed him in the coo-themed case (well, wash bag if I’m honest) that keeps him safe on each trip I’ve taken around Scotland. And he got to experience some of my favourite parts of the country, in order that I could share those places with a generation of young readers. The idea of travelling widely, armed with a healthy dose of curiosity but a sense that some...

Book Review - Mrs Murray's Home

I'm thrilled to be taking part in the book tour for this really enjoyable book "Mrs Murray's Home" by Emily-Jane Hills Orford! Mrs Murray's Home Blurb Home is where the heart is, or so they say. It’s also been said that a home is a person’s castle. But home is also with family and friends. Mrs. Murray longs for home, the family home, a castle an ocean away. The Brownies also crave for home, the same castle Mrs. Murray considers home. And Granny? Mary’s Granny hasn’t been home since she was Mary’s age. It’s time to visit the homeland, Scotland. Mary’s excited to tag along with Granny, Mrs. Murray and the Brownies. And then there’s the witch. The one they thought they’d killed. And the treasure. The one they had found. And it all ties together, for better or for worse. Join the adventure in book 3 of the popular “Piccadilly Street Series”. Review I loved most of the characters, in particular Brunny. He seemed human (although, of course,...

Collating Information for Narrative Non-Fiction

Crowvus has published a new book this week: "Child of the Earth" by Susan Crow. This book is nature writing at its best, that beautiful mix between poetry and prose. To celebrate the launch, Susan is writing a series of blog posts, and creating some videos, to help others wanting to follow in the narrative non-fiction footsteps. Collating Information for Narrative Non-Fiction When I started this book, I wanted to include a number of pieces I had written in the past. I rummaged through old briefcases, folders and box files. I tried to find stories and accounts which I'd sent online. It took me a while and, at the end of it, I had a motley mix of might-be-useful  stuff. Then I had to sort it all out. I realised I couldn't do that until I had the structure of the book well in place. Another nature book. How do I make this one different? It seemed the easiest option was to use the calendar from January through to December. But it had been done many times ...