My Scilly Holiday - with photos

Tresco - The Isles of Scilly

I'm just back from a trip to Tresco in the Isles of Scilly with Mrs R. It's one of those places I'd never been but always wanted to visit, so when a friend with a timeshare told us they couldn't go this year, I promptly said, "Yes please!"

As you can see, I was very happy! :o)

We crossed to the islands by ship on the Scillonian III out of Penzance and the crossing was the roughest the crew had known all summer, which I thought was typical. Thanks to the long overnight drive to Cornwall though, we both pretty much slept through the relatively short voyage. During our week-long stay on Tresco the weather was mixed with just about everything thrown in, and it's left me wanting to return for more of those sunny days. It's a magical, peaceful place, whatever the weather, and it was perfect for working on the plot for my fourth Jefferson Tayte book.

The Great Pool as seen from our window.  No sea view, but a lovely alternative

Click to enlarge

It's no secret that as well as being an author, I'm a keen amateur photographer, and for this trip I bought a new lens to mount on my Canon 5D Mark III camera body - the ultra-wide-angle Canon 14mm f/2.8L II USM. I have to say that I'm very impressed with it and wanted to share some of my holiday snaps with you.  All the photos below were taken through this lens and you can see some of the locations on the map to the left. Click any image to see larger versions. Needless to say, I can't wait to go back and take some more - or just sit and watch the sea on those crowd free, white sand beaches again.

Ruin Beach, looking away from the beach restaurant

New Grimsby with the quay behind me

Low water at Old Grimsby, on the other side of the island

Sail boat at Old Grimsby with the Blockhouse on the right.

On the beach below the Blockhouse, facing Rushy Point

On the path to Tresco Abbey Gardens

Tresco Abbey ruin

Mrs R on the seabed between Tresco and Bryher.  The extra low tide is caused by an astrological event called syzygy (25 point Scrabble score), which occurs when the Sun, the Earth and the Moon are in alignment, making it possible to walk to the neighbouring island of Bryher for a limited time.  Very cool!

I've signed with Amazon Publishing (Thomas & Mercer)

I'VE SIGNED!!!

Just a little update to my previous post to say that I've now signed with Amazon Publishing. I woke up this morning, made a cup of tea and read over the contract again, and then I got all excited and signed it! So now it's official, and a few hours on I have to keep reminding myself that it's true. The three books in my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Crime Mystery series will be re-published in April with Thomas & Mercer, with my new book coming out a couple of months after that, all being well.

Since this all came about, I've been  reflecting on not being an indie author any more and I'm feeling a bit melancholy about that, not least because of the journey I've had since I started out. Of course, I have Amazon to thank for giving me the opportunity to self publish for the Kindle in the first place and for a platform on which to build a readership. Since then, in part because of this and for their forward-thinking attitude, Amazon Publishing has been high on my list of publishers I would have liked to sign with.

Looking back to when I started out in 2005, it was always my dream to get a publishing deal, but on reflection I'm so glad it didn't just happen overnight when my agent first sent In the Blood out.  If it had, I know now that I would have missed out on so much.  Being an independent author for the last two years has taught me a great deal, and I've met so many fine people along the way, readers and writers alike, who are all very much a part of why I'm so excited today.  Because of my journey, I'm sure I'll always be an indie at heart.  It's a club that's open to all and I'm very proud of it.

Now, I'm really looking forward to finding out what the future holds for me and Jefferson Tayte.  I'm not exactly sure what happens next, but I expect I'll soon find out.  I have some forms to fill in with information about my existing books and we're going to be working on them to get them ready for April. I'm very pleased and excited about working with Amazon Publishing, who are by all accounts great people to work with, and I'm sure there will be more excitement to come.

A big thank you to everyone who has played a part in getting me here, whether you bought one of my books, wrote a review, recommended me or chatted with me on one of the forums.  I'll be sure to keep you posted as my journey continues.  And yes, Patti... You can put me down to buy the sandwiches at the next forum meeting. :o)

JT Book 4 update & the Amazon Publishing contract

Where I'm at with Jefferson Tayte book 4

Last week I finished the first draft of the past narrative I've been working on since early May. It was something of a milestone and I was glad to reach it, not least because at just over 45,000 words it represents almost half the journey towards getting the overall first draft finished, and because I can now reacquaint myself with my old friend Jefferson Tayte - I feel I can call him an old friend because although I only met him eight years ago, we've spent a great deal of time together since then, and I've kind of missed him this summer.

I'm coming to realise that I've not made things easy on myself when it comes to writing JT's genealogical adventures as most of the books contain not one, but two stories, which must be woven together within the context of the bigger story. If you include JT's own story, which is going to become more prominent, there are actually three stories being told. So I've set myself a bit of a challenge, but I like to think my books turn out all the better for it. The more you put in, the more get out.

Right now I'm plotting JT's part of the story and working out how he's going to make all those connections to the past, like which genealogical resources he's going to use and who he's going to talk to. I've allowed a few weeks for that and so far the plot is shaping up nicely. I have a long list of questions to answer, which grows and shrinks as some are resolved and others crop up. I only have one major question still open, but it's a show stopper because the story won't work at all if I can't answer it. But I've been here before. It's just another puzzle to be solved, and the more complicated and difficult it is to work out, the more rewarding it will be, both for me and for the story once I have the answers.  I expect to be doing very little else but writing when I start again - probably increasing my writing days to six or seven days a week until that first draft is finished, not least because very soon I'm going to have something new (for me) to work towards - a deadline.

The Amazon Publishing contract!

At the beginning of last week I received a draft copy of the publishing contract from Amazon Publishing. I didn't know what I expected it to look like as it's my first such contract, but I'd heard that Amazon's contracts were author friendly and I've read that other author's who signed up with Amazon Publishing actually helped to make them more friendly, so good on them and good on Amazon for listening and acting on what they had to say.  I found it very straightforward.  I went over it twice and Mrs R went over it. Everything was as I'd been informed it would be from the telephone conversations I'd had. So I agreed to the draft and I waited for the 'proper' DocuSign contract to arrive.  I'm very pleased to say that it arrived in my email inbox last night.

It all feels very official now. The time has come to strike the bell and bide the danger (see CS Lewis verse from earlier Amazon Publishing post). Hopefully there will be no danger, but this is the point of no return. I've had plenty of time to think about whether it's the right thing to do of course, but I'm still worried about losing control of the pricing and everything else I can currently do to help keep my books visible. My biggest concern is that the advertising I'm hoping for won't happen at the levels I'd like, or that there will be a short honeymoon period after which my books will rapidly fade into obscurity where few readers can find them - and I'll be left unable to do anything about it. At the same time though, I'm sure these are all healthy thoughts to be having. They mean I'm not going into this with my eyes closed. 

Signing with Amazon Publishing feels right to me, and in many ways it seems a very appropriate and natural progression of my journey as an author. I'm going to read the contract again today. Then I think I'm going to give myself the weekend just in case any last minute thoughts or doubts creep in - and to read over it again, and again, lol. I'm sure it's fine.  All being well I'm going to sign it on Monday morning.  Then I'll wait for the thunder to clap and for that huge 'Indianna Jones' rock ball to come rolling after me! No. That's not going to happen. It's going to be great. :o)

Book club Q&A - To the Grave

Overreaders Anonymous

One of the great things about being a writer is the interaction I enjoy with my readership, and for me it doesn't get any better than when I receive an email from someone to say that their book club is going to read one of my books. This happened recently when Alice from Rockford, Illinois contacted me to say that their book club, 'Overreaders Anonymous' was going to be reading To the Grave, and she asked if I would answer a few questions afterwards. I said I'd be very happy to, and with the book club's kind permission I've included a photograph of the group that Alice sent me afterwards. In one of her emails, Alice told me that Rockford Illinois was listed in Forbes as the third most miserable American city. I think they must have got that wrong. It looks great to me. :o)

A big THANK YOU to the 'Overreaders Annonymous' book club - where every member of the group serves as president, so that whenever anyone dies their obituary will read "She was president of her book club." From left to right they are Alice, Pat, Helen, Mary, Jan and Martrice. One other member, Kathy, couldn't make it.

Below are some of the questions and answers that came out of the discussion. I've not included any that contained spoilers - which unfortunately was most of the story related questions - so don't worry if you've not read the book yet.

Q&A

From Jan:

Q. How do you keep track of who knows what when, both in the 40s and the present?
A. I keep a lot of notes, although by the time I've written something into a book it's usually become stuck in my head pretty well from having gone over it so many times. Keeping track of things can certainly lead to a few headaches though, but I sort everything out by the final draft, or hope to.

From Pat:

Q. On a related note, when you start a book do you know how it's going to end? Do you have the beginning and end in your mind and just plot the middle or do you start and see where it takes you? 

A. I rarely know how a book is going to turn out when I start writing it, largely because things always change along the way. I have a good idea, but I've not written one book so far that ended up exactly how I envisaged it at the start. The characters really do help to define what happens to them in my books, and I'm sure that's true for many if not most writers.

From Alice:

Q. You write women, and in particular teen girls, really well (shout out to Boots No.7, available here in the U.S. at Target!) Where does that come from? Do your wife/sister/women friends help you out?
A. Haha, I have no idea! I've been asked before how I understood Mena - a teenage girl in the 1940s - so well, and I really don't know. I suppose I get wrapped up in a character and in doing so come to understand them. I don't have any sisters and haven't sought guidance from anyone else. I suppose I just put myself in my character's shoes, whoever they are.

Q. Would JT ever consider buying and wearing some jeans, especially since he seems to get into a lot of precarious situations where his tan suit gets ruined?
A. I'm not going to tell him you said that, Alice (btw Alice is the name of my lead past-narrative character in book 4). Actually I'm pretty sure he is going to get a change of wardrobe in my next book, although the tan suits have become a part of his identity. I don't think he's a jeans type really. I think whatever he ends up wearing he's likely to feel uncomfortable in it and will be begging to have a tan suit back by the end of the book!

A couple of our other members didn't have any specific questions, but Helen said, "It's been awhile since we've read a really GOOD story like this!" Then she downloaded your other books for vacation. :-)

I've accepted an offer from Amazon Publishing!

This blog entry also doubles as ‘My story - part 5’ as it brings everything that’s been happening to me since I started out in writing and publishing right up to date, and as you can probably imagine,  I'm very excited about it! :o)

In part four I said that I’d been contacted by a literary agent.  I received an email from someone at Jenny Brown Associates enquiring whether I would be interested in having an agent given how well things were already going as an independent author.  I wasn’t sure myself because I was earning a living from my writing and I didn’t want to spoil that, but I saw no harm in meeting and talking about the idea.  Then pretty soon I was in London having lunch (and a few drinks) with Mark Stanton, who had recently been shortlisted for an ‘Agent of the Year’ award.

Not the actual lunch. This is one I
shared earlier in the year with Mrs.R. 

Stan (as he goes by) was very enthusiastic about my books and I really liked his energy, so we left it that he would see how far he could get in placing my books with a big mainstream publisher, knowing by the end of our conversation that it would have to be good deal if I was going to give up my ebook rights and enter the unknown.  So, when the contract came in the post a few days later, I signed it and I suddenly I had an agent again.

I'll get to the title of this blog entry now because not long after that I received an email from a senior acquisitions editor at Amazon Publishing who had noticed my books, possibly after the success of my first promotion with Bookbub, which shot To the Grave to No.15 in the Amazon.com paid chart.  Following the email we had a telephone conversation and I learnt that Amazon Publishing wanted to publish my next book and were possibly interested in the three I had already published myself through the Amazon KDP platform. 

My biggest concern about signing with any mainstream publisher has been advertising and pricing.  These two ingredients are of course essential to books sales unless you’re already a big name author and can command a hefty price tag for your books, and I’d already seen a few indie authors sign with publishers only for the price of their books to shoot up and their chart positions to slide down.  These were not concerns I had with Amazon Publishing, who are already experts in the ebook market and continue to price their authors competitively. The advertising potential speaks for itself.  I'm also very excited to see where Amazon Publishing are going to be a few years from now.

After that initial telephone conversation, just over a month passed where I was receiving regular updates on the progress of in-house talks.  Amazon UK were talking with people in Amazon.com, from what I can gather, and most of all with Thomas & Mercer, the Amazon Publishing imprint for crime fiction, mysteries and thrillers. 

The upshot is that an offer was recently made for a four book deal with options on book five, and I’m very pleased and excited to say that I've accepted it and that my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Crime Mystery series is going to be repackaged and published with Thomas & Mercer from April next year.  There will also be audio books for the first time and hopefully translations, too.

I’m staying with my agent Stan at Jenny Brown Associates, not least because although I'm partnering with Amazon Publishing un-agented, you never know what the future holds and I still retain all film and TV rights should any offers come along.

I haven't signed anything yet, but the ball is rolling so to speak, and I'll be sure to let you know once I have.  It should all happen within the next few weeks.  I'd like to say a very sincere thank you to everyone who has helped make this dream come true for me.  I'm very excited about what the future holds, and a little nervous, too, I guess.  I've had a poem by C.S. Lewis in my head while I've been thinking about what to do.  It's from The Magician's Nephew, the first of the Chronicles of Narnia that's always stayed with me.

Make your choice, adventurous Stranger;
Strike the bell and bide the danger,
Or wonder, till it drives you mad,
What would have followed if you had.

I had to strike that bell!


UPDATE:  Just as I was about to hit the publish button for this blog entry, an email arrived from Amazon Publishing containing a draft copy of the agreement for me to check over.  Lots of reading to do now.  And maybe a little party.  :o)

Amazon top 100 bestseller! - The Last Queen of England.

Bookbub did it again!

I wasn't sure if my success using Bookbub a couple of months ago for my promotion of To the Grave could be repeated with The Last Queen of England, but it seems the power of Bookbub to reach readers is still going strong as the third book in my series is currently at No.23 in Amazon.com's paid chart.  I had thought perhaps that the novelty might wear off and their effectiveness wane, but so far that clearly doesn't seem to be the case.  They clearly have a good advertising model working and long may it last.

Something else I'm doing for this promo, and something I've never done before, is to make ALL the books in my Jefferson Tayte series 79p or .99c at the same time.  That's just started today and probably won't last long.  The idea is to attract as many readers as possible while my third book is enjoying the bestseller limelight.  So far, that's working well as sales for all books have risen significantly.

Now if only there was an effective equivalent to Bookbub for the UK market, although Bookbub is effectively worldwide, so I guess most of us Brits don't respond to mail-shot advertising in the same way.

The Last Queen of England now in my August promotion.

I've included the third book in my genealogical crime mystery series The Last Queen of England in my August summer reading sale.

"It takes you on a roller coaster ride!"

The Last Queen of England: A Genealogical Crime Mystery #3

A centuries-old royal conspiracy.  The ultimate heir hunt...

Now just £.79p / $.99c

HISTORY: from the Greek - historia. Knowledge acquired by 'investigation'.

It should have been a quiet weekend in London - a long overdue visit with the only true friend American genealogist Jefferson Tayte ever had. Now his friend lies bleeding in his arms and Tayte must follow his research to understand why, making him the target of a ruthless, politically motivated killer.

Working with historian Professor Jean Summer and New Scotland Yard on what becomes a matter of British national security, Tayte soon finds himself in a race to solve a three-hundred-year-old genealogical puzzle. It takes them all on a deadly, high stakes chase across London as Tayte tries to connect the pieces and work out the motive behind a series of killings that spans twenty years.

In what is Tayte's most personal assignment to date, The Last Queen of England combines historic fact with fiction, challenging British history as we understand it. It uncovers a conspiracy that if proved could ultimately threaten an institution that has lasted more than a thousand years: the British monarchy.

Nullius in Verba: take no one's word for it.