Read it here.

Yes, that’s right it’s free. Gratis. Nothing.

Happy Easter.

Poster for Jerry Library Talk

How can you resist? It’s at Dringhouses Library in York on March 26th at 5.30.

More details here. See you there!!

* I don’t do hard sell. As you can see.

It’s really encouraging (and pretty flattering too) to see people delving into my stories and finding elements beyond the superficial, perhaps even stuff that I hadn’t realised was there?

Thanks Lee!

vickyhooper.blogspot.co.uk

2013 lies before me like a big blank page and I’m determined to achieve something with it. 2012 was about survival (not literally – I wasn’t left out in the woods with nothing but a pen knife and an old shoe) but I want the next twelve months to be… well… better.

I guess that means making some kind of Resolutions. I’m definitely not going to join a gym as:

1. That involves money. I do not have money.
2. That involves being in close proximity to sweating people. I do not wish to be in close proximity to sweating people.

So if I dismiss anything involving personal moistness and spending money, what can I try to achieve this year?

On the writing side of things I need to make better use of the various tools at my disposal. I’ve got this website plus Goodreads, Twitter, Facebook and more. What I need to do is marshal them and use them better, so I can spread the word about the wordz wot I write. It’s just question of how.

There are gazillions (an actual number, I looked it up) of wannabe and self-published writers out there and a quick look at twitter shows dozens at a time plugging their work. But there’s not much point if no-one’s listening.

I also need to find new outlets for my non-fiction writing, making better use of the different skills I have (said with irony). Another thing on my list is to improve my photographic skills, maybe with a course in studio photography.

On the audio front it’s time to dust myself down post-Media Mill and get back in the saddle. From a technical point of view there’s never been an easier time to work on-the-go with a plethora of mobile kit and software available.

And from a personal point of view, I want to stop getting so wound up by things that I read online (Twitter and Facebook being prime sources of annoyance). I need to learn to ignore stuff that raises my blood pressure instead of getting sucked into pointless arguments that spiral on and on. Better to unfollow than fan the flames.

But first, I need to write all this down. And that means a pen and paper.

And snacks.

The Veil has been reviewed on sfbook.com, a site that gave a thumbs up to Chosen a while ago. It’s interesting to hear the views of people who’ve read both books and have seen my writing style change (by which I mean improve!).

Do reviews matter? I’m not sure what the clever answer is but they do to me. At least when they’re fair and you can tell they’re written open-mindedly (is that even a word?). I write to be read, not for my work to sit in a desk drawer or in a darkened corner of my hard drive.

Even some of those who enjoyed Chosen criticised it for being a bit rough around the edges; as a first book (and a self published one to boot) can often be, So it’s reassuring to hear a third party say I’ve sharpened up.

Want to know what else they think? Read the full review.

After fighting to kick-start my ailing laptop this morning (please Mr Vaio-man, send me something new) it was nice to find that fantasybookreview.co,uk had written a review for The Veil.

They gave some great feedback for Chosen and it’s good to see that they like The Veil even more. The reviewer also raises a couple of interesting points about the topic of faith in fantasy writing. Here’s the full review.

In no particular order:

Both Chosen and The Veil are now available on Kobo (as epub files). Kobo works in a similar way to Kindle, in that you don’t actually need a hardware Kobo-ereader to read their books. There’s an app for phones, tablets and laptops / PCs. That said, they have just launched a reader for a nadge under fifty quid. Look, I’m providing a service here; giving out vital public information.

I’ve started tweaking the manuscript for Featherfall, my third novel. The ever-helpful Matt Lee, who proof read and helped me edit Chosen and The Veil, has been hard at work reading this new book and giving me feedback and criticism.

On the audio side of things (my day job) I’ve just spent a day recording a vicar and a bishop talking in a small room. There were several references to The Life of Brian (including an excellent take on Terry Jones as Brian’s mum Mandy) and even a Roy Orbison impression. It pays the bills.

Oh, and you’ll be pleased to now that I’ve recovered from my operation and things have healed nicely,

Too much information?