Faith Mortimer-author of crime, suspense, romance & action
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Readers are your priority.

30/1/2012

7 Comments

 
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_  Good Day!

As we’re well into the New Year, I’ve now found time to evaluate the things I do as part of my business; writing. I have been a published writer since 2009.  Before that (as well as playing around with writing) I owned and ran my own businesses; sport-related sailing and skiing holiday companies and I also oversaw and advised two other companies with their own administration. The combined turnover was in excess of a million (£) and during the time I ran the companies (ten years) I thoroughly enjoyed my working day.

Nowadays, my writing is my career. In 2009, my first novel was taken on by a traditional publishing house. But since the beginning of 2011, I have also seen the immense value of independent publishing.

Before I even began writing in earnest, I saw my writing as a career, a way to make a living.  I’m so happy to work in an extremely creative profession, and because I’m improving daily with both the creativity and the business side, I am free to write what and when I want to write.

So I’m writing this blog post from the perspective of a professional writer. I define professional as someone who aspires to make her or his living as a writer. 

When I first started writing articles and short stories, it was rare to make a living as a self-published writer. Nowadays, everything has changed and most writers can tell you that it IS possible to make a living as a self-published writer. In fact, in the majority of cases you can make more money as a self-published writer than you ever could as a mid-list writer—and occasionally, more than you could make as a bestseller.

Don’t you find that astonishing?  I do, and perhaps even more surprising is that this change has happened in just the last couple of years. Traditional publishing astonishes me too, but for different reasons. E.g. – using agents – makes no sense.

After being in retail for numerous years, one thing that was hammered into me was how you treated your customers and how to make these customers your repeat customers. And with this in mind here, I mean readers.

  If your readers like your work, they’ll want to read everything you write. If your readers like a series, they’ll want to read the whole of your series. And if it’s a series that has a continuing theme (like a murder mystery series e.g. Diana Rivers mystery thrillers), my readers don’t want to skip an episode in that storyline.

This easy and simple thing has all too often been messed up by traditional publishers – and yet, ironically most traditional publishers seem to succeed in spite of some of their business practices. This says to me, that there is so much money to be made in publishing that even the most useless people can blunder their way into keeping their pub houses going.

So in knowing traditional publishing ignore readers, how does this equate with Indie writers and their readers?

I’ve noticed most writers focus on sales, promotion, how many downloads and making books free above everything else. Many Indie writers have only the one book and they promote it like mad. They give it away for free (I have tried this with 2 novels and it has boosted sales and awareness enormously) and they sell it for 99 cents, thinking that will increase their sales.

But are these writers successful? Supposing they do get thousands of downloads. Out of these, at least some people will read that book, and out of that portion some will like it.

What happens then? Well maybe nothing. Even if they eventually write another book, they have to start all over from scratch again, because the readers who liked their one and only book—that portion of download readers—they will soon have forgotten the Indie writer.  There are plenty more writers out there after all.

Do you know what you’re reading now? What did you read before this book? Do you even know the author’s name? I’d be surprised if you do.

When you look at it this way, you can say that Indie writers are actually treating their readers as badly as traditional publishers do. In the same way; by denying your readers the next book. If you only have one book and you give it away for free, promote it heavily and sell a lot of copies, but there is no follow-up book, then you have lost and snubbed your readers.

I truly believe readers expect writers to publish one book, two, then three books. They expect several books from their favourite writers. Readers are willing to wait but they hate to be cheated. Many readers won’t start reading a series of only one book because they’ve been caught before. Why start reading something the writer has no intention of finishing? Would you?

Now I have control of when and where my books come out and this is a lovely challenge. I might have several unfinished series novels which I can finish and put into print. However, I need time to write those books and I’ll feel the pressure from the readers because I know they’re waiting. I can only write as fast as I can!

Unlike so many new writers, I know that I would not be here if it weren’t for my readers. My readers stick with me.

So, Indie writers don’t, for goodness sake do the same thing as traditional publishers. Don’t write a book and then wait over a year before you think about writing something else – you’re discourteous to your readers – who might love you! These people have invested their hard-earned cash and, more importantly, their time in your book. Readers have traditionally been used to writers building a career and knowing it might take a year after the first book to get their hands on the second but modern readers now have greater expectations.

They expect heavy promotion when a writer’s subsequent book/s comes out. Not his first.  If a writer gets heavy promotion on his first book, then that first book has to be brilliant. Remember, traditional publishers only spend masses of money on first novelists when that book has the chance of winning a top, coveted book award, is being made into a movie, or has six more books behind it, waiting to be published a few months apart.

My readers expect that rhythm. So if you screw up, when you promote something with no follow-up, you risk making the reader hopping mad – especially if your book is good! The reader can easily move onto writers who have more than one book and will forget you. He will stop trolling through Amazon and look elsewhere for books.

Again, a reader might have downloaded that free eBook, but they won’t read it until they know another book is on the way. This counts for nothing as you haven’t gained a reader.

Studies have shown it takes a reader several books before they will buy a book based on author-name recognition only and traditional publishing made it hard for readers to find an author’s second or fifth book. So many traditional publishers gave up on writers after a second book didn’t do as well as the first and those writers didn’t hang around long enough for a reader to build any loyalty to that writer.

Don’t despair! readers often are dedicated. That’s what traditional publishing misses with its focusing on selling a thousand books in one week instead of five thousand over the year. And readers have a relationship with books. They love the characters or the world the author built.

Traditional publishers call readers “consumers.” This is true as consumers buy goods. Readers buy books. But that’s where the analogy ends. They forget that the consumer is also someone who consumes something by eating it, drinking it, or using it up.

Readers can’t eat or drink a book. Nor do they destroy the book when they’ve read it. They haven’t “used it up,” despite traditional publishing seeming to believe so. Traditional publishers are based on the consumer model by using the definition a ‘reader will use it up’. Charles Dickens, William Shakespeare or Mark Twain readers know that stories last forever. Books can live much longer than their creators and can have a long term relationship with their reader.

When an indie writer gets caught up in the number of sales their only novel has, or they do everything to sell their one book without having another book for the reader, those writers have forgotten what it’s like to be a reader.  As a reader, I love to fall in love with a new writer, to read everything that writer has written, and to wait impatiently for the next book.

Don’t ever forget what brought you into writing in the first place. Every writer I’ve met started writing because they loved books. They loved reading books, they loved imaginary worlds, and they loved the experience of being somewhere else without actually physically moving. It is a relationship between the writer and her readers.

I write books because I love to tell stories, and I am grateful that readers want to read them. But if I only told the story that the readers want, then I’d stop being the best writer I can be. I have to grow experiment and stretch my imagination.

Remember free has its limits. If you’re talking about a career, then the free item must be a short-term thing, a loss leader, and there have to be other products that a reader can find. It’s called ‘Fremium Marketing’. (Get one free with the idea that it will lead the reader to look at and buy another in the same line of goods.) The Indie publishing world can correct the mistakes traditional publishing makes. The new Indie world can make books available for a long time and the world of indie publishing is tailor-made for the long-term reader/writer relationship.

Which brings me to the beginning of my blog post. The more readers a writer has on all of her books--all, not “one,” but all—the more money that writer will make. Readers are happy to pay for a book. Now the writer has time to build readership. If a traditional publisher has taken books out of print, the writer can get her rights back and issue the book herself. The writer can continue a series that traditional publishing determines isn’t worth their time.  The indie writer has time and please - don’t look only short term.

Money, of course is an important measure - readers who are willing to part with hard-earned cash to read my work. I’m grateful for that and when readers ask about the next book, I am so delighted, so honoured as it means I’m doing something right.

Remember, writers—traditional and indie—your writing career isn’t about kudos for your only book. It’s about building readers, and about maintaining the relationship. Success isn’t all those free downloads in an afternoon. Success is attracting readers and having them come back for years. I found it hard in the beginning. A new writer has no fan base. Writers earn their fan base, one reader and one book at a time. Fans come back and we have to remember that.

I really should be writing my next novel – and yet I’m here writing this blog post!  I have hundreds, sometimes thousands of readers who show up for my blog every week, and I value you all.

Thank you and have a great week.

Faithx
 
All books available via Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk

PLEASE NOTE.

This blog post was in part taken from the writer, Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I admired what she'd written and took some of her ideas, and put them together with my own findings and thoughts. I should have acknowledged Ms Rusch as the originator of the post. Apologies to Ms Rusch for any misunderstanding.
FM



 


7 Comments

Free Today! The Bamboo Mirror, Kindle eBook

27/1/2012

0 Comments

 
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_Good Day!

I'm delighted to announce that "The Bamboo Mirror", my anthology of mystery suspense stories and introducing, Diana Rivers is FREE for the next 48 hours. Please download your copy and enjoy your read. If you are unsure please take a look at all the excellent reviews on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.ukand make your own choice. I'm sure you won't be disappointed. You might even want to write your own review!

And while you're on Amazon you might like to take a look at my other novels, including the  books in the Diana Rivers psychological thriller series, "The Assassins' Village", "Children of the Plantation"  and newly released, "The Surgeon's Blade" – which my editor tells me is my best work so far!

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

I'll be delighted if you download your free copy...and even more delighted if you enjoy what you read!

Take care and thanks for looking in

Faithx








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Writers! Are you doing the wrong things?

14/1/2012

7 Comments

 
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_  Writers! Are you doing the wrong things?

I read many things during my working week and I often come up with a list of do’s and don’ts, which I rarely keep to. But thinking about it, there are some hard and fast rules that we should all stick to. I’ve put together 25 points that might well apply to you and I hope you find it useful and interesting. Naturally as I progressed with the points I realised I still make some of the same mistakes!

1. Keep going in the right direction
You have your manuscript on the go. This is your career and your story and you need to pursue it. Your writing will never chase you and this is true of individual components. You want one thing but then work to achieve its opposite. You’re writing a novel, so why go and write poetry instead? Pick a thing and work towards it.
2. Keep the momentum going
Keep going! Remember, momentum is everything. Stop fiddling around and keep striving towards your goal.
3. Keep writing in your voice
You should write in a way that only you can write. Use your own voice and not somebody else. You might have begun that way, but you have to get into your groove. This is going to be a big theme at the start of 2012 — discover those elements that comprise your voice.
4. Keep to the path & stop worrying
Worrying is useless and does nothing for you. Forget about what Amazon is doing – it is out of our control anyway. The only thing we can do is identify trouble spots and work round them. Keep calm and cool.
5. Keep going but what’s the hurry?
There’s been a huge rise in the quantity of writing, but writing needs time spent on it. There’s no judgement in how quickly you can get a dozen titles out, more likely you’ll be judged on how well you write those titles. Stories are like fine wine and beautiful women; they need time. So take the time. There’s a balance, and generation and creativity should not come at the cost of quality. Give your stories and your career the time and patience it needs.
6. Keep it up!
This means, don’t fall asleep! Life rewards action, not inertia and to reap the rewards of the future, you must take action in the present.
7. Keep a clear head when it gets harder
Will it get easier? Anything worth doing requires lots of hard work. You choose this career and you can’t expect a free ride.
8. Keep your writing a priority
You  get to be a proper storyteller by putting your work at the top of your list You know you’re a writer because it’s not just what you do, but rather, it’s who you are.
9. Keep your body lean and fit
Our bodies fuel our minds and the mind is the writer’s best weapon. Let all that rubbish out! Eat well and take lots of exercise. This also clears the mind and it works well for me.
10. Keep a positive mind
By complaining you’ll find it does nothing useful for you when it comes to your work.  If you don’t like something then go and fix it. If you can’t fix it then for heaven’s sake, move on to the next thing.
11. Keep true and don’t blame your failures on anyone else
Some people always place the blame on others for their failings. You hear a lot of blame going on around you .You are dealing with your own life and that means your successes and your errors. This career is yours. Sometimes external factors will step in your way, but it’s up to you how to react.
12. Be proud of what you do
Believe it or not, writers are often ashamed at who they are and what they do. We all have to remember we are doing what we want to do. Sometimes people won’t respect you, maybe they’re jealous but remember this - writers and storytellers help make this world go around. We’re just as much a part of the societal ecosystem as anybody else. Craft count and art matter and stories are important.
13. Remember your gaffs but don’t go overboard about your mistakes
 We all mess up somewhere along the line. But what’s the point in sitting and dwelling upon it? The best thing is to earn and move on. Very few mistakes will haunt you till your end of days unless you let it haunt you.
14. Take some risks
We could make 2012 the year of the risk. Nobody knows what’s going on in the publishing industry, but we can be sure that what’s going on with authors is that we’re finding new ways to be empowered in this New Media Future. What that means is, it’s time to forget the old rules and it’s time to start questioning preconceived notions and established conventions. It’s time to start taking some risks both in your career and in your storytelling.
15. Control only what you can
The industry, reviews and the Amazonian business practices? The economy? The readers? You can’t control any of that. You can respond to it. You can try to get ahead of it. But you can’t control it so learn to control what you can, which is your writing and the management of your career.
16. Learn to diversify
Diversification is the name of survival for all creatures: genetics relies on diversification. Things are changing big in these next few years, from the rise of eBooks to the fall-off in more traditional publishing. Diversity of form, format and genre will help ensure you stay alive in the coming entirely-made-up Pubpocalypse.
17. Find your market and set your own trend
What I mean is, stop writing for ‘The Market’. The Market is an unknowable entity based on sales trends and educated guess-work and some kind of publishing hoo-hah. Find your own market, your own loyal followers and write for them by setting your own trend. Don’t chase others like a dog chasing a cyclist. Public trends offer artists a series of diminishing returns and by following you’re just watering it down. Do your own thing.
18. Care about what you’re doing and not what every other writer is doing
They’ll do their own thing and as you’re not them - you don’t want to be them and they don’t want to be you. Why do what everyone else is doing? Let me reiterate: do your own thing.
19. Know the publishing industry
Know the industry, but don’t be overwhelmed by it.
20. Make up your own mind
You’ll hear, “I don’t think this can sell.” That might be right. But — I’d bet that all the stories you remember, all the tales that came out of nowhere were stories that were once flagged with the “this won’t sell” moniker. You’ll always find someone to tell you what you can’t do or what you shouldn’t do. Your job as a writer is to prove them wrong. Write the best story you can write.
21. Whoa! Keep to a manageable timetable
We can’t do everything at once. We all want grand plans! Epic 23-book thriller series! Don’t go overboard! Concentrate on what you can complete. Temper risk with reality.
22. Put yourself on the page
You are your stories and your stories are you. Who you are matters. Your experiences and feelings and opinions count. Put yourself on every page. If we cannot connect with our own stories, how can we expect anybody else to find that connection?
23. Dreaming? Get going…
Stop dreaming and start doing. Dreams are great for children. Dreams are fanciful flights of improbability. Remember you’re an adult now and it’s time to wake up or stay dreaming.
24. Are you afraid?
I hope not as fear will stop you dead. You just need preparation and pragmatism to get on with your task. Everybody who wanted to be a writer and didn’t make it, failed based on one of two reasons: one, they were lazy, or two, they were afraid. Fear is nonsense. What do you think is going to happen? Being a writer is nothing worthy of fear. It’s worthy of praise and triumph. So put your fears aside and let this be your year.
25. Keep reading this blog!
Seriously, there’s a wealth of talent around and you can pick up great tips from reading other blogs – especially if they relate to you and your writing career. Keep on writing!

A quick roundup of the past week.
The past week has been amazing. Since, “The Assassins’ Village reached those lofty heighted positions on Amazon.com #47 and Amazon.co.uk #17 respectively, the book has continued to stay high in the rankings and on many lists.

A big plus is that “The Assassins’ Village” is also constantly up and down on the “movers and shakers” list – as high as #1 - and is currently at #39! It’s been great fun watching!

Please let me once again thank everyone who has bought a copy, I certainly couldn’t do it without you.

Have a great weekend and the week ahead. I’m visiting England for a wee while to see my family and I’m looking forward to spending time there.

Faithxx

 


7 Comments

Your Unfinished Manuscript: Do You Burn it, Bury it, or Finish it?

9/1/2012

4 Comments

 
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_Your Unfinished Manuscript: Do You Burn it, Bury it, or Finish it?

Good Day! We’ve all been here at some time - your novel has not been going well, or maybe after finishing it you discover you hate it. When I began writing, “The Surgeon’s Blade” I thought I’d write a nice little romance for a change as I’d been told by my beta-readers I could write romance. After 5000 words I was bored. It all needed beefing up and in the process I got myself tied up in knots before I finally worked out just what I was going to write! But unless you can get yourself out of a potential catastrophe what do you do? Hence my burn it, bury it or finish it scenario.

The big question is if you do burn the manuscript, will you regret later?

Well let’s have a bit of fun, call it a New Year Quiz if you like.

We’ll take a look and see if there’s anything in it worth saving. Please look at the following six questions, and write down the answers to each one. Keep track of your points for each answer.

1. Where’s the theme of your book?
  • Can you write down, in ten words or less, the theme? If you can, do it. (Examples of theme are: Rite of passage, Love conquers all, good guy triumphs over evil one, etc.) If you knew your theme, award yourself 10 points.
  • If you don’t know what the theme is, can you locate possible themes as you read through? Write the possible themes down as you find them. If you find one or more possibilities, award yourself 5 points.
  • If you don’t know and can’t find signs of a theme, then it’s 0 points.
2. What’s the story in the book?
Can you honestly sit down immediately and write one sentence summing up the story? And in no more than thirty words. If you can, 10 points.
  • Maybe. Can you tell the story in three sentences and under a hundred words? 5 points.
  • Neither one sentence nor three will untangle this mess in a coherent fashion. 0 points.
3. Who’s the hero/heroine in your book?
  • Can you name the single character who matters most to the story? Write down in one or two short sentences what this character wants. 10 points if you have all of this. Subtract 5 if you can list the character and his needs, but your story is not actually about fulfilling them.
  • If not, can you limit the story to two most important characters? Can you write down in one or two sentences their most compelling needs and wants? Is the story about fulfilling them? You get 7 points if you get the characters and their needs, and if the story is about meeting those needs. Take off 5 points if the story is about something other than meeting the most compelling needs of the two main characters.
  • If you can do all of the above, but have to do it for three or more main characters, you get 2 points. If your story isn’t about meeting the needs of your crowd, 0 points.
4. Where’s the conflict in the story?
  • Can you find conflict (defined as the character/characters dealing with obstacles that stand in the way of their meeting their needs) on every page? Look. If you have to, on a disposable copy of the manuscript, go through with a highlighter and mark every instance where conflict occurs. (Note that conflict is not thinking about problems — it is dealing with them.) If you have marks on at least 80% of your pages, give yourself 10 points.
  • If you have marks on at least 50-79% of your pages, give yourself 5 points.
  • If you have marks on less than 50% of your pages, your characters are spending too much time thinking, and not dealing! No points.
5. Why does it matter?
  • Can you write out, quickly and clearly, why this story matters, and to whom? Do you have convincing reasons? Do you care - and will anyone else care about them? If you write out reasons, and they mattered, to you or anyone else, 10 points.
  • If this was difficult, but you finally found something, and with work the story could matter to someone, 5 points.
  • If you had no reasons to you or to anyone else, 0 points.
6. What do you love in the book?
  • Are there sections that, even though you know they’re wrong, are magic for you? Are there places where you can read through and taste that magic? It makes you yearn to know what happens next? 10 points.
  • Are there things that you like, characters you care about even if you’re not sure what to do with them, including favourite images or scenes that seem, important? 5 points.
  • Nothing you love, like, or makes you want to go on? 0 points.
Now let’s add up all your points.

40-60 points — Let It Survive & Live

You’re probably tired, frustrated, you’ve put a lot into the story, and you are too close to the material. Leave it for a while, but have faith - you have the outline of something that, with revision, is going to be worth your time.

20-39 points — Let’s Bury It

Stick it in the back of your knicker drawer. Or put it on your “Look at later” file on your hard drive. When you start thinking about it again and how you can make it work then go for it!. Dust if off, rework it, and be glad that you saved it.

0-19 points — Light a few Joss sticks, say a prayer and Burn It

Yes burn it. You are flogging a dead horse, and if you keep on, you’ll burn yourself out on writing something that isn’t worth your time, passion, hopes, and effort. You can now move on to something that isn’t eating you alive.

Throwing away a project is hard as you’ve already put some work and hope into it. No one likes to admit defeat. Writing is like everything else – and learning to tell a dead story from one that can be patched up and sent out into the world is a critical writing skill.

So let go!

Since New Year it’s been hectic in our household. The 1st January saw the release of my third novel in the Diana Rivers mystery thrillers, “The Surgeon’s Blade” which has been well received and on 7th January, “The Assassins’ Village” went free for 48 hours. “The Assassins’ Village” zoomed up Amazon.com, Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.de charts, attaining the lofty positions of #48 free in Kindle store #3 mystery/thrillers, #17 free in kindle store #1 mystery/women sleuths and in the top 200 in Amazon.de! I was dead chuffed as I had no idea so many people were keen to get their hands on it! 

At this point may I thank everyone who downloaded "The Assassins’ Village", making it one of the most popular books on Amazon this year! (Haha!) I also thank everyone who has bought any of my other novels. 2011 was a fantastic year for me and I’m already looking forward to 2012. May your own 2012 be happy and successful!

Thank you

Faithx


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The Assassins' Village is FREE!

7/1/2012

0 Comments

 
_ Good Day!

I’m delighted to announce that “The Assassins’ Village”, the first in my Diana Rivers mystery series is FREE for the next 48 hours. Please download your copy and enjoy your read. If you are unsure please take a look at all the excellent reviews on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk and make your own choice. I’m sure you won’t be disappointed. You might even want to write your own review!

And while you’re on Amazon you might like to take a look at my other novels, including the other two books in the Diana Rivers series, “Children of The Plantation” (note the new cover) and newly released, “The Surgeon’s Blade” – which my editor tells me is my best work so far!

Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk

Amazon.de

Amazon.fr

Amazon.es

Amazon.it

Thank you for reading this and enjoy! It’s always nice to have something free that doesn’t harm you!

Faithx

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It's Released! The Surgeon's Blade is now on Sale!

2/1/2012

1 Comment

 
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_  Diana Rivers and “The Surgeon’s Blade”

I am delighted to let you know that the third novel in the Diana Rivers mystery series is now available online on Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk ( as well as our continental cousins sites of Amazon.de, .fr, it and .es).

This book, "The Surgeon's Blade" is more grittier and more of a mystery thriller than the previous two novels of the series, "The Assassins' Village" and "Children of The Plantation" and the early reviews describe it as more chilling, tense and  a ‘real corker of a read’. I've listened to my followers and friends and I hope I've come up with a new novel that will have great appeal to a wide audience.
I have included a short synopsis to whet your appetites and sincerely look forward to hearing your own reviews about the new book.

When nursing sister, Libby Hunter wakes up in hospital following a traumatic sailing accident she discovers two deeply disturbing things. One - she has lost her memory and two – the stranger, (Nigel) whom she finds sitting by her bedside when she awakes claims to be her fiancé.

During her hospital stay, Libby regains most of her memory, except the bizarre thing is she cannot remember ever being engaged to surgeon, Nigel. Against her will Nigel persuades Libby into agreeing to move in with him.  Working on instinct she finds excuses to put him off until she is completely sure of her true feelings.

During a series of attacks on nurses in London and Southampton, Libby finds herself in great danger when her home is broken into one night. Who is the intruder and does he plan on harming her? And is this connected in any way to the recent attacks on nursing staff. Will Libby be the attacker’s latest targeted victim?

Distressed Libby turns to pilot, Robert for help and understanding, but is he as respectable and kind as he appears to be? Is her fiancé, Nigel trustworthy, especially when his ex-wife, Stella enters the scene and Libby suspects them of rekindling their relationship?

The night time intrusion to Libby’s house sets in motion a downwards spiral of cataclysmic and terrifying events, culminating in our favourite sleuth, Diana Rivers stepping in to help solve the case in this chilling mystery thriller.

For a glimpse of early reviews please go to: Amazon Customer 5 Star Reviews

 


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_ In brief:

I was born in Manchester and educated in Singapore, Malaya and Hampshire, England. I qualified as a Registered nurse and after some years changed careers to oversee a number of travel and sport related companies.

In 2005,I decided to read for a science degree with The Open University.  I truly believe that the dedication and stamina needed to sit for a degree gave me the confidence to finish writing my first novel. January 2009 saw the publication of, “The Crossing”. This novel is based on a true incident and I thoroughly enjoyed the six months or so research that went into the book and the 18 months writing and editing.

In spring 2011 I published my second novel, “The Assassins' Village”, a murder mystery set in the Troodos Mountains of Cyprus. This novel was chosen as best book #1 on the Harper Collins/Authonomy site out of over 8000 books during November 2009. (Excerpt from the review can be found under my Amazon author page). Available in paperback and eBook.

Summer 2011, “Children of The Plantation” was published. This is the second in the bestselling Diana Rivers’s mystery series.  This time the story is set in exotic Malaysia. “Children of The Plantation”was Amazon’s number 1 in movers and Shakers for 48 hours during October 2011.

I am thrilled with, “The Surgeon’s Blade”, book number three in my mystery thriller series and I sincerely hope you will be too. Please note any of the books of the series can be read in any order.

Finally, some of you may have looked at my books on Amazon and wondered what I have done with The Bamboo Mirror and Echoes of Life and Love. I have amalgamated both books into one volume now entitled, The Bamboo Mirror. This is an anthology of six stories ranging from ghost to mystery to murder and romance. Each story is written in a different style from the others as an experiment in writing and I hope you enjoy something that I consider a little different.

Thank you for taking the time to read through this and a huge thank you to my dedicated readers and followers to whom I owe so much.
Faithx

 

 


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