Finally, my new book is available for purchase!
It's called Leaving London and you can buy it on Amazon.
Here's the blurb:
For Lucille Glencross, career is everything and relationships are nothing. Having experienced a fractured childhood, she is convinced that the only route to happiness involves standing on her own two feet and trusting no one. In this way, she protects herself from further hurt.
But when her best friend invites her to be a bridesmaid in Italy, Lucille’s orderly world is turned upside down. Whilst meeting new people and observing different customs, Lucille begins to wonder whether she’s got it all wrong. Could there be another, happier way to live her life?
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label writing. Show all posts
11 March, 2018
07 May, 2014
Flash fiction piece published
I'm feeling rather proud of myself as I've had my first piece of flash fiction accepted for publication. It appears in flashfictionmagazine.com today and you can read it here.
Flash fiction, for those of you who don't already know, is a form of very short fiction. A piece of flash fiction tells a story in no more than 1,000 words--and often far fewer. It has become very popular over recent years, particularly with the growth in on-line literature. People also seem to enjoy being able to read something very short on a regular basis. flasfictionmagazine.com, in common with other flash fiction sites, publishes a new story each day.
Because there are so few words involved, good flash fiction is considered hard to write. But, in fact, it rather suits my style. Although I write books, these tend to be on the short side--around 40,000 words--and so fall in the hinterland between novella and full-blown novel. Not a popular length in the world of traditional publishing!
I am someone who prefers to be economic with words--both in writing and in speech. I don't like repeating myself. And for this reason I enjoy writing flash fiction. You just come up with an idea and write about it, as clearly and succinctly as you can. I'll be writing more of it, I think!
Flash fiction, for those of you who don't already know, is a form of very short fiction. A piece of flash fiction tells a story in no more than 1,000 words--and often far fewer. It has become very popular over recent years, particularly with the growth in on-line literature. People also seem to enjoy being able to read something very short on a regular basis. flasfictionmagazine.com, in common with other flash fiction sites, publishes a new story each day.
Because there are so few words involved, good flash fiction is considered hard to write. But, in fact, it rather suits my style. Although I write books, these tend to be on the short side--around 40,000 words--and so fall in the hinterland between novella and full-blown novel. Not a popular length in the world of traditional publishing!
I am someone who prefers to be economic with words--both in writing and in speech. I don't like repeating myself. And for this reason I enjoy writing flash fiction. You just come up with an idea and write about it, as clearly and succinctly as you can. I'll be writing more of it, I think!
22 February, 2014
The decline of literacy
Interesting incident on the way in to work today. I had the
misfortune to be walking in just before nine. Misfortune because all the
students are making their way to their first lectures of the day at this time
and they literally take over. Fill up the entire pavement by walking in large
groups. Whizz along the road on bikes, skipping red lights and almost causing
accidents left, right and centre.
Anyway, I was walking along next to one such large group
when one of the young men piped up with ‘What does “panache” mean?...Only I
want to be able to describe myself that way.' Sounds a bit risky, if you ask me,
wanting to describe yourself with a word for which you don’t know the meaning.
But the really interesting thing was that not one of his colleagues was able to
answer his question. I helpfully obliged, which was met with thanks and
comments along the lines of ‘Oh, so that’s
what it means!’, rolled around on the tongue as if discovering a new and
interesting vintage.
Now, this was a group of Oxford University students. It is
natural to assume that such people will be bright, be educated and, quite
frankly, know the meaning of a word
such as ‘panache’. I could settle for one student in the group not knowing the
meaning—but all of them? Come on!
And it’s not the first time that I’ve come across this kind
of deficit. I work with a group of Oxbridge-educated postdocs who frequently
don’t seem to know the meaning of words that I would consider commonplace. They
also seem to lack the ability to spell.
So why is this? Is it that these people are scientists and
so don’t have a bent for language? Language is my first love and I read and
write all the time, so it makes sense that I have a wide vocabulary and know
how to spell. Or is it an age thing? Perhaps young people aren’t taught English
in the way that I was back in the 70s and 80s. Yet both my children are good
writers, can spell, and seem to me to have large vocabularies (they are both
voracious readers). Or maybe it’s genetic—my father was a writer, I am a
writer, and my children appear to be following the family tradition.
Call me old fashioned (and, believe me, I often feel old
fashioned when writing my blog articles!), but I think that the whole language
package (writing, spelling, words) is undervalued and has become increasingly
undervalued in the years since I was a child. You only have to look at the UK higher
education landscape these days to realise that the areas most strongly
supported and funded are the sciences (particularly those perceived as leading
to human health benefits) and vocational subjects. Education no longer appears
to be valued for its own sake, which means that the humanities in general are
being systematically eroded. And it tends
to be in the humanities that language—the ability to communicate, to express
oneself well in writing, to be vividly descriptive as well as analytic—really
thrives.
08 February, 2014
A Life in Time
Anyone who reads my blog regularly will know that I am a Penelope Lively fan. I was lucky enough to receive her latest book as a Christmas gift from my children, and recently finished reading it.
This book is called "Ammonites and Leaping Fish: A Life in Time". Unlike most of Lively's other books (the ones I've read, anyway), this is not a work of fiction. Rather it is is something like a memoir, but not quite--perhaps it is best described as an extended essay on the topic of old age.
The book falls into five parts. The first examines what it is actually like to be old (Lively is now eighty)--the pleasures and the pitfalls; what old age feels like. The second examines the overarching backdrop to Lively's life--the political, social and archaeological era that has contextualised her existence. The third examines memory--why people remember as they do and how memory deteriorates with age. The fourth focuses on books and writing--Lively discusses some of the books that have made the greatest impression on her, and how they have have influenced her own writing. And the final part talks about six objects that Lively owns and which, in different ways, represent and define different parts of her life.
The quality of Lively's writing is, as usual, first class. When reading her prose, I always feel as if I am listening to a good friend. Her writing instils that kind of intimacy, while at the same time touching on profound, deeply meaningful matters. Quite a feat, but then that is her gift.
As with all of Lively's work, this book comes highly recommended, particularly the sections on old age and memory. (I found the section on the political and social context informative, but a little dull--although I suspect that someone of Lively's own generation would find the material here much more interesting.)
My only complaint is that this book has a touch of finality about it--memoirs, old age and so on are all suggestive of the end of an era. I just hope that this isn't so quite yet and that this won't be the last book that Lively writes.
This book is called "Ammonites and Leaping Fish: A Life in Time". Unlike most of Lively's other books (the ones I've read, anyway), this is not a work of fiction. Rather it is is something like a memoir, but not quite--perhaps it is best described as an extended essay on the topic of old age.
The book falls into five parts. The first examines what it is actually like to be old (Lively is now eighty)--the pleasures and the pitfalls; what old age feels like. The second examines the overarching backdrop to Lively's life--the political, social and archaeological era that has contextualised her existence. The third examines memory--why people remember as they do and how memory deteriorates with age. The fourth focuses on books and writing--Lively discusses some of the books that have made the greatest impression on her, and how they have have influenced her own writing. And the final part talks about six objects that Lively owns and which, in different ways, represent and define different parts of her life.
The quality of Lively's writing is, as usual, first class. When reading her prose, I always feel as if I am listening to a good friend. Her writing instils that kind of intimacy, while at the same time touching on profound, deeply meaningful matters. Quite a feat, but then that is her gift.
As with all of Lively's work, this book comes highly recommended, particularly the sections on old age and memory. (I found the section on the political and social context informative, but a little dull--although I suspect that someone of Lively's own generation would find the material here much more interesting.)
My only complaint is that this book has a touch of finality about it--memoirs, old age and so on are all suggestive of the end of an era. I just hope that this isn't so quite yet and that this won't be the last book that Lively writes.
03 December, 2013
Seven day price drop for "Travels on a Greyhound Bus"
My novel "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" will be available for just 99 cents/99 pence for a seven day period from 6--12 December.
This is an easy, fun read about how relationships change over time and how people react when those relationships come under pressure. It has some good independent reviews from Laura's Book Reviews and Kirsty I Heart Books, as well as good reviews on Amazon.
You can download "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" at Amazon UK and Amazon.com.
The blurb follows below:
People change. Relationships evolve. But sometimes by too much...
Hip students Araminta Stewart and Giles Richmond meet entirely by chance when travelling around the USA by Greyhound Bus. They hit it off. Some twenty years later, they are married with three children and have reached a crisis point in their relationship.
Araminta thought she knew what she wanted all those years ago. But now she’s got it, is she really happy? Or could there be more to life than this?
Told from Araminta’s point of view, "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" follows the couple as they navigate these two very different periods in their lives. While their early relationship flourishes, their later relationship appears to be disintegrating.
Faced with disappointment, frustration and the biggest challenge to their marriage yet, the question is: will Araminta and Giles’ relationship survive the journey of a lifetime?
This is an easy, fun read about how relationships change over time and how people react when those relationships come under pressure. It has some good independent reviews from Laura's Book Reviews and Kirsty I Heart Books, as well as good reviews on Amazon.
You can download "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" at Amazon UK and Amazon.com.
The blurb follows below:
People change. Relationships evolve. But sometimes by too much...
Hip students Araminta Stewart and Giles Richmond meet entirely by chance when travelling around the USA by Greyhound Bus. They hit it off. Some twenty years later, they are married with three children and have reached a crisis point in their relationship.
Araminta thought she knew what she wanted all those years ago. But now she’s got it, is she really happy? Or could there be more to life than this?
Told from Araminta’s point of view, "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" follows the couple as they navigate these two very different periods in their lives. While their early relationship flourishes, their later relationship appears to be disintegrating.
Faced with disappointment, frustration and the biggest challenge to their marriage yet, the question is: will Araminta and Giles’ relationship survive the journey of a lifetime?
03 November, 2013
Very successful free promotion!
My first free promotion for my novel "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" finished at eight o'clock this morning, and it was a good one.
I had over 3,000 downloads, the book stormed into the Amazon.com free charts at #2 in the Family Life genre, and someone who had downloaded the book during its free period read it immediately and gave it a five star review! Throughout the free period, "Travels" fluctuated between #2 and #5 in Family Life, and #7 and #18 in Women's Fiction. Result!
Having been sceptical at first, I have to say that I now really enjoy the whole independent publishing scene. I have two books independently published so far and am working on a third. I love the freedom that you have to design your book how you want to, to price it as you wish, to decide whether and how to run free promotions. And I love the speed of the whole process -- once you've decided to publish, you can just go ahead and do it.
Despite the success of this promotion, there is one thing that I do find frustrating.You can never quite work out why your promotion has gone well. So, this book did really well in the US during its promotional period, but less well in the UK, whereas my other book, "A Matter of Degree", did much better in the UK in its free promotional period. Why? I don't know.
But maybe that's a perennial marketing problem, rather than an independent publishing one. Maybe its never that clear why one approach goes well and another less well. Still, if the formula works, stick to it -- and that's what I intend to do!
I had over 3,000 downloads, the book stormed into the Amazon.com free charts at #2 in the Family Life genre, and someone who had downloaded the book during its free period read it immediately and gave it a five star review! Throughout the free period, "Travels" fluctuated between #2 and #5 in Family Life, and #7 and #18 in Women's Fiction. Result!
Having been sceptical at first, I have to say that I now really enjoy the whole independent publishing scene. I have two books independently published so far and am working on a third. I love the freedom that you have to design your book how you want to, to price it as you wish, to decide whether and how to run free promotions. And I love the speed of the whole process -- once you've decided to publish, you can just go ahead and do it.
Despite the success of this promotion, there is one thing that I do find frustrating.You can never quite work out why your promotion has gone well. So, this book did really well in the US during its promotional period, but less well in the UK, whereas my other book, "A Matter of Degree", did much better in the UK in its free promotional period. Why? I don't know.
But maybe that's a perennial marketing problem, rather than an independent publishing one. Maybe its never that clear why one approach goes well and another less well. Still, if the formula works, stick to it -- and that's what I intend to do!
27 July, 2013
Four star review for "Travels on a Greyhound Bus"!
Many thanks to Kirsty Greenwood who runs book review blog: I Heart Books! She has just reviewed my novel "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" and given it a sparkly 4 out of 5, finding it to be a "thought provoking read". You can read her review here.
You can also find an interview with me on Kirsty's blog, in which I talk about my books, writing, and my experience of the publishing process.
Thank you Kirsty!
You can also find an interview with me on Kirsty's blog, in which I talk about my books, writing, and my experience of the publishing process.
Thank you Kirsty!
09 July, 2013
"A Matter of Degree" tops the bestseller lists!
I ran a four-day free promotion for my book "A Matter of Degree" last week and it went fantastically. At its peak, my book reached #3 in Contemporary Fiction and #4 in Women's Fiction in the Amazon.com free Kindle books charts. And downloads were in the thousands.
I hadn't expected this at all. And, as all authors who do free promotions will tell you, it's impossible to know why a particular promotion goes so well. But, whatever the reason, I am very, very pleased.
So far, paid downloads after the promotion are also doing well. So fingers crossed this continues!
You can download your copy of "A Matter of Degree" from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
I hadn't expected this at all. And, as all authors who do free promotions will tell you, it's impossible to know why a particular promotion goes so well. But, whatever the reason, I am very, very pleased.
So far, paid downloads after the promotion are also doing well. So fingers crossed this continues!
You can download your copy of "A Matter of Degree" from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com.
01 July, 2013
Lovely review for "Travels on a Greyhound Bus"!
I have just had a great review for my novel "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" from Laura's Book Reviews.
She gives the book 7.5 out of 10 stars and says:
"This is a perfect summer read as it’s a quick and engaging read with warm and believable characters and I particularly enjoyed how the ending wasn’t neatly tied up, there was some ambiguity which made for a much more realistic read. I enjoyed it so much that I have already downloaded Beckie Henderson’s first novel A Matter of Degree."
You can read the full review here: http://bit.ly/11SEHT6
Thank you, Laura!
She gives the book 7.5 out of 10 stars and says:
"This is a perfect summer read as it’s a quick and engaging read with warm and believable characters and I particularly enjoyed how the ending wasn’t neatly tied up, there was some ambiguity which made for a much more realistic read. I enjoyed it so much that I have already downloaded Beckie Henderson’s first novel A Matter of Degree."
You can read the full review here: http://bit.ly/11SEHT6
Thank you, Laura!
27 June, 2013
"A Matter of Degree" FREE 4-7 July
Following the success of my last free promo, I'm going to do another one!
My novel "A Matter of Degree" will be FREE for four days -- Thursday 4 July until Sunday 7 July -- on Amazon.
This is a fun, light read which blends romance and mystery. It has good reviews and is rated 4.5 stars on Amazon.
You can download your free copy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Enjoy!
My novel "A Matter of Degree" will be FREE for four days -- Thursday 4 July until Sunday 7 July -- on Amazon.
This is a fun, light read which blends romance and mystery. It has good reviews and is rated 4.5 stars on Amazon.
You can download your free copy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Enjoy!
27 May, 2013
First free promo a roaring success!
Wow! Well, I've done it. I've run my first ever free promo on Amazon!
My first novel, A Matter of Degree, was free yesterday for just the one day. I'd never done it before and I had no idea what to expect. Although I'd worked hard at advertising the promo, I was fully expecting that there would be very few downloads--especially having read several articles saying that the bottom had now fallen out of these promotional events.
But, for me at least, this wasn't the case at all. The number of downloads, both in the UK and the US, way, way exceeded my expectations. And my book entered the Kindle bestseller lists in the Contemporary Romance category on Amazon.co.uk, and both the Women's Fiction category and the Contemporary Fiction category on Amazon.com. It also flew up the Kindle free book charts on both sites.
I still can't quite believe it, but I am very, very happy with the results!
My first novel, A Matter of Degree, was free yesterday for just the one day. I'd never done it before and I had no idea what to expect. Although I'd worked hard at advertising the promo, I was fully expecting that there would be very few downloads--especially having read several articles saying that the bottom had now fallen out of these promotional events.
But, for me at least, this wasn't the case at all. The number of downloads, both in the UK and the US, way, way exceeded my expectations. And my book entered the Kindle bestseller lists in the Contemporary Romance category on Amazon.co.uk, and both the Women's Fiction category and the Contemporary Fiction category on Amazon.com. It also flew up the Kindle free book charts on both sites.
I still can't quite believe it, but I am very, very happy with the results!
20 May, 2013
"A Matter of Degree" FREE on Sunday 26 May!
My novel "A Matter of Degree" will be FREE for just one day -- Sunday 26 May -- on Amazon.
This is a fun, light read which blends romance and mystery. It has good reviews and is rated 4.5 stars on Amazon.
Why don't you beat those bank holiday blues and download your free copy at Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com.
Happy reading!
07 May, 2013
New novel "Travels on a Greyhound Bus" now available!
I'm really excited to announce that my new novel, Travels on a Greyhound Bus, is now available! This book takes a witty look at the nature of romantic relationships and how they change over time.
You can buy Travels on a Greyhound Bus for Kindle on amazon.co.uk and amazon.com.
For more information, take a look at the blurb:
People change. Relationships evolve. But sometimes by too much...
Hip students Araminta Stewart and Giles Richmond meet entirely by chance when travelling around the USA by Greyhound Bus. They hit it off. Some twenty years later, they are married with three children and have reached a crisis point in their relationship.
Told from Araminta’s point of view, Travels on a Greyhound Bus follows the couple as they navigate these two very different periods in their lives. While their early relationship flourishes, their later relationship appears to be disintegrating.
Faced with disappointment, frustration and the biggest challenge to their marriage yet, the question is: will Araminta and Giles’ relationship survive the journey of a lifetime?
For more information, take a look at the blurb:
People change. Relationships evolve. But sometimes by too much...
Hip students Araminta Stewart and Giles Richmond meet entirely by chance when travelling around the USA by Greyhound Bus. They hit it off. Some twenty years later, they are married with three children and have reached a crisis point in their relationship.
Araminta thought she knew what she wanted all those years ago. But now she’s got it, is she really happy? Or could there be more to life than this?
Told from Araminta’s point of view, Travels on a Greyhound Bus follows the couple as they navigate these two very different periods in their lives. While their early relationship flourishes, their later relationship appears to be disintegrating.
Faced with disappointment, frustration and the biggest challenge to their marriage yet, the question is: will Araminta and Giles’ relationship survive the journey of a lifetime?
26 October, 2012
Recent author interview
You may be interested to read my author interview which appears on the Indie Book Blog Database: http://hampton-networks.com/welcome-beckie-henderson/.
It talks about my writing, my background and my favourite authors -- amongst other things...
It talks about my writing, my background and my favourite authors -- amongst other things...
03 September, 2012
And another great review for "A Matter of Degree"...
I have just received another really positive review for my novel "A Matter of Degree" from reviewer Lisa Wood. Here are some choice quotes:
"This book had me laughing, crying and eager to read more."
"ideal for a holiday read or just to be transported away from whatever you are doing in your daily life"
"the characters were believable and engaging"
You can read the full review on Lisa's blog here: http://bit.ly/PDwd9b
"A Matter of Degree" has received only four and five star reviews on Amazon, and people seem to really enjoy reading it. I'm very grateful to the various book review bloggers who have reviewed it so positively.
Thank you, everyone!
"This book had me laughing, crying and eager to read more."
"ideal for a holiday read or just to be transported away from whatever you are doing in your daily life"
"the characters were believable and engaging"
You can read the full review on Lisa's blog here: http://bit.ly/PDwd9b
"A Matter of Degree" has received only four and five star reviews on Amazon, and people seem to really enjoy reading it. I'm very grateful to the various book review bloggers who have reviewed it so positively.
Thank you, everyone!
19 August, 2012
Another four star review for "A Matter of Degree"
Book reviewer Miranda Stork has given my novel "A Matter of Degree" four stars on Amazon!
Her overall opinion: "I thought this was a perfect book for light reading, for example if you were on holiday or just chilling in the garden for the day. I did enjoy it, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary women’s fiction, but wants the added twist of another genre mixed in. The writing was very good, and I can’t wait to see what else this author comes out with!".
You can read the full text of the review on Miranda's blog here: http://bit.ly/TNIhaR or on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/PIAGLG.
Thank you Miranda!
"A Matter of Degree" is light and fun -- perfect in this hot weather. Why don't you give it a go?
Her overall opinion: "I thought this was a perfect book for light reading, for example if you were on holiday or just chilling in the garden for the day. I did enjoy it, and I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading contemporary women’s fiction, but wants the added twist of another genre mixed in. The writing was very good, and I can’t wait to see what else this author comes out with!".
You can read the full text of the review on Miranda's blog here: http://bit.ly/TNIhaR or on Amazon here: http://amzn.to/PIAGLG.
Thank you Miranda!
"A Matter of Degree" is light and fun -- perfect in this hot weather. Why don't you give it a go?
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