The Night Horses

TWELVE YEAR OLD AUTHOR GALLOPS INTO THE LEAD!

It is not often that I am asked to review a book by a twelve year old; but Anaka Jones, even though still at school, has penned a children's book that can only be described as 'brilliant!'

'The Night Horses' is well-written, beautifully illustrated and would make an idea bedtime story. The tale flows wonderfully and is imaginative and whimsical - a perfect read for any animal lover!

The book is available to buy on Amazon: ISBN 1452882789

Well Done Anaka!

The BEST way to write a book?

What is the best way to write a book?

Should you plan it chapter by chapter?

Should you come up with a skeleton story-line and work around this?

Should you plan as you go along?

Should you do no planning whatsoever and just let it 'write itself'?

I am afraid I always seem to go for the latter. I have never enjoyed planning creativity. To me, planning a story is like building a fence around your imagination. Yes, some people need to plan - I accept that; some stories need direction - e.g. a murder mystery can hardly be written without any design!

But, dear friends, we don't always need a blueprint for our stories.

I am not planning this blog post and I didn't plan my first novel. Storme flowed from me like Niagara Falls, never stopping to check it followed that scientific pattern of 'how to write a story'. People may criticise me for not following a structural plan - but for goodness sake, life doesn't progress in a regimental fashion, so why should all writing?

Some books are designed to be planned - like my Libre Manor novelette - and some ARE NOT! Storme is organic writing, a novel that has been plucked from my imagination like a home-grown carrot is pulled from the ground. Storme tells a story, it is a tale of two lives. It has been written as I have grown up - every chapter a reflection of an experience I have had! It is not artificial and not copied - it is natural and alive!

We all hear the doctors telling us what to eat and drink. 'Organic', 'unprocessed' and 'natural' are three words frequently used by those who understand what we need to live healthily. Why should this be any different in writing? I have read so many books that are mirror-images of other stories, planned in the same way and written in the same style. Isn't it time we 'broke the mould' (pardon the cliche), and leapt into that wonderful imagination we all posses as writers?

Now is the genesis for a new style of writing! We CAN write good books without meticulous planning, we CAN achieve literary glory without following convention. Storme has been praised for its readability and flowing storyline - something that was achieved by letting my imagination 'run wild'.

We have a wonderful tool at our disposal - the human imagination should never be caged! We need inventors, we need artists and we NEED writers. Einstein didn't get where he was by following convention! NOW IS THE TIME TO BE REBELLIOUS - TO WRITE IN A WAY THAT HAS NEVER BEEN SEEN BEFORE! GO AHEAD AND SHINE, DEAR FRIENDS, WRITE A BOOK WITHOUT A SCIENTIFIC PLAN - YOU'LL BE SURPRISED HOW AMAZING IT IS!

Indie Book Review: Greays Hill - Jon Beattiey

This fast-paced book, set in the 1790s is a joy to read – compelling and realistic, with a wonderfully diverse group of characters.

Historical novels can be difficult to write effectively, but here Beattiey manages to successfully convey the era in an imaginative, yet accurate way. The countryside is beautifully described – ‘rolling up towards the Scottish border’ and the characters are realistic and ‘lovable’.

The storyline in itself moves well and the addition of Northumbrian dialect allows the reader to almost magically ‘drop’ into the book. The subjects of inheritance and community are fully explored in the book and the central character ‘Jack’ is beautifully described throughout.

Overall, this is a wonderfully written book with a good storyline. The scenery is superbly described and the characters are appealing. Greays Hill would appeal to a wide audience and would make an ideal holiday read.

To buy this book click here

Indie Book Review: Twelve Girls - Jon Beattiey

Jon Beattiey demonstrates his abilities again in this unusual piece of fiction which captivates the reader as soon as they open the cover.

'Twelve Girls, Twelve Lives Told' – a catchy and memorable subtitle encourages the reader to discover more about this book. Who are the twelve girls and how do their lives differ? Will they be linked in some way or will the twelve lives remain isolated from one another?

As one would expect, the twelve stories are separated by traditional chapter headings, each girl given her own few thousand words. The stories are all set in London, so the book is instantly given a modern and metropolitan feel – the contemporary vibe of the novel also encourages a younger readership.

Each tale is different in its subject matter, but the captivating writing style of Beattiey ensures they all flow with a subtle fluidity. Although tragedy is a subject fully explored in this novel, Beattiey ensures it is dealt with sympathetically and with the utmost respect for the characters involved.

The dialogue between protagonists is stimulating and believable and here Beattiey truly shines as an author. 

His characters are well-defined and realistic, allowing any reader to fully engage with the book. Beattiey is articulate in his language use and descriptions are well-formed, allowing readers to effectively imagine the locations described;  although each story is short (under 10,000 words per section), this does not stop Beattiey from creating twelve wonderfully complex and memorable tales – each beautifully unique and important in their own right.

The clever layout of this books means that a reader can delve in and out at will, each account only taking around an hour to read (although this does depend on reading speed). The conclusion is believable and fits in well with the rest of the book – although it does see the reader begging for more…!

All in all, a wonderful novel with a unique layout and contemporary feel. Twelve Girls would make an ideal holiday read, being gritty enough to make it interesting, but tame enough for older children to enjoy. The book is expertly written by an experienced novelist and demands the reader’s attention throughout. If you are looking for a unique novel that will have you crying in one section and laughing in the next – Twelve Girls is for you!

Buy direct from: www.jonbeattiey.info

Look what I just found...

http://wonderlibrarian.edublogs.org/2013/03/01/bel-causes-a-storme-at-book-club/

Highly Anticipated Extract From 'Storme'...

To buy the complete book please CLICK HERE

Somewhere in the depths of a grim North London Estate a seventeen year old girl sat on a wall staring at the sky.  In her hand she held a looking glass with a silver gilt pattern on the handle, together with a small book tied together by a purple ribbon.  The girl was tall for her age, with a medium build and long brunette hair.  She wore the most unusual clothing - a long black skirt with purple blouse, and a ribbon to secure her plait.  As she sat on the wall, tapping her feet to a familiar rhythm, she hummed a tune - staring at the icy moon as her eyes filled with incipient tears.

Below her feet, a previously grey puddle was beginning to crystallise with ice, the cold January evening only serving to amplify the girl’s bitterness.  A gang of youths walked past her, their littered lager bottle breaking the delicately frozen puddle.  They stared at the girl, laughing and gesturing as they made their way towards the nearest tower block.  The dark haired teenager hummed the tune she knew so well and began to silently cry, her tears now running down an already reddened complexion.  She held the diary tightly under her arm as though warning any onlookers it was for her eyes only.

Stephanie stared at the milky white moon and touched the purple velvet ribbon tied around her wrist.  Above her the stars shone through the ominous density of rainclouds creating pinpricks of subtle light.  She shed a tear which rolled down her saddened face to fall onto the looking glass she held in her hand.  Staring at her reflection she shed another tear; the deep gash on her nose only illuminated further by the winter moonlight.

Stephanie took the diary from under her arm and laid it on her lap, the photos on the cover less clear under the watery moon.  She opened it and traced the writing with her finger as though to remember every word.  Held in a sewn pocket in the cover were a number of further faded photographs; one in particular she took out and held closely to her chest.

She sat and cried as she remembered her parents, finally a smile appeared as she recalled happy memories of days spent with her family - occasions now only dim recollections of a past life.  She remembered what she had been told at the children’s home, when she had asked about her Mummy and Daddy.  She remembered how Matron once took her into a tiny room and told her every intricate detail, her stern manner only serving to intensify the child’s loss.  She tried to remember spending time with her parents, but never could, these photos her only companion and only reminder of her family.

Stephanie peered down at the looking glass and saw a dark cloud moving across the moon, obliterating its milky hue.  A shiver ran down her immature spine and she softly whispered ‘Storm’ under her breath.  Staring at the clouds, she repeated the word over and over, becoming aware of its every intricacy.  Her mind started to race as she joined the word with her surname, repeating it over and over as though she was attempting to carve a memory.

Her scrapbook was almost full, but she knew the last page needed to be written.  Stephanie took out a pen and wrote ‘January 31st 2013’ in the same curly handwriting, taking care to draw her trademark heart at the end.

I am now eighteen and it has been six years since I last wrote in this scrapbook.  I am still living with the same people – Ella now has a boyfriend and she has calmed down quite considerably.  I am starting university in seven months time and hopefully will be going to Brighton.  I’m not too bothered about leaving school as I don’t really have any good friends and Ellesmead has never been a place where I have felt at home.  Last year I decided that I wanted to become a historian and I am determined to achieve my dream.  I have also written many short stories and poems, although I know I would definitely like to work in history.  My life has changed recently and I am happy to have left my childhood behind.  One day I hope I will meet someone who will become a lifelong friend, somebody with whom I will share my greatest secrets.  For now I just have to look to the future and achieve high marks in my A-Levels.  One day I will write a scrapbook just like this one, but it will be a wonderful, happy storybook.  I would like to end it ‘happily ever after’ and share it with my best friend.  One day I will do just that...........one day.

Storme Donoghue

Too many adjectives...?

Can you use too many adjectives?

Can the ancient, creaking, brown, oak door, be conveyed in any other way?

Does a reader know what you are trying to convey when you describe your spooky cellar as 'cold and dank'...? Should you go further than simply using a few carefully placed descriptive words - is it acceptable to overload a sentence with adjectives when the conveying of something specific is of utmost importance?

I believe adjectives are the gloves on a cold day, the honey in a Rooibos or the sun at a picnic. We cannot write without them and I personally, cannot get enough of their beauty. I am criticised for overusing these words, but I have never seen it as a problem. Atmosphere and ambience are not kindled by a couple of adjectives cautiously placed in a paragraph. If a location is spooky, suitable adjectives are the way to convey this. I once won a writing competition for my good adjectival use - I am not saying I am always right on this, but there is no way I am about to change my delightfully, descriptive writing... So there!