YvonneThe latest addition to my shelf this week, is an author review request.
I often wonder, after having promoted a new author’s debut novel, what fate befalls them, out there in the cut-throat world of publishers, rankings and ratings.
It is therefore good when an author makes a welcome return to Fiction Books, with a second great sounding book, as proof that many go from strength to strength and continue to attract an audience for their work.
Just a small caveat when reading Alan Jones’s books … He is a Scotsman, writing about a part of his Country he knows well, with all its faults and warts … So violence and swearing are a part of the everyday landscape and are included in Alan’s authentic storylines and characterisations!
…
Introducing – ‘BLUE WICKED’
‘Blue Wicked’ is a Gritty thriller set in the south side of Glasgow.
Eddie Henderson finds himself as the unlikely investigator with information that there’s a serial killer targeting the substance dependent underclass who inhabit the notorious Glasgow housing estates. The police force ignore his warnings but one young detective believes him and she helps him search for the truth, despite putting her own career at risk.
Their desperate search for the truth on their own proves Eddie right and sparks off a massive manhunt, with Eddie and Catherine, the young detective, at the forefront of the investigation.
…
A Great Welcome Back To Author – ALAN JONES
Alan Jones is my pen name, and as I need to keep working to pay the bills, I wish for the time being to remain anonymous.
I was born in Glasgow 1960 and lived there for the first 22 years of my life. I now live and work on the Ayrshire coast, in the animal health industry. I’m married with four grown up children, and in my spare time I read, sail, make furniture, play football and watch films, when I’m not writing.
I started writing in 2003, but it took a few false starts over the next ten years before I completed my first novel, The Cabinetmaker. Despite one agent and one small publishing company showing interest, they didn’t take the book on, so I self published on Kindle, and latterly on Smashwords. It was favourably reviewed, but reader’s feedback threw up a few issues.
My second book, Blue Wicked, took a year to write and I used the feedback I’d had from the first book, resulting in a shorter, more pithy novel than the first one. I am considering going back at some point and doing a final big edit on The Cabinetmaker, but part of me thinks I should leave it as it is, and concentrate on future books.
You can check out The Cabinetmaker on its dedicated website
You can find out more about Blue Wicked here
Follow Alan Jones on Twitter
…
…Mailbox Monday is a gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their house during the last week. Be warned that Mailbox Monday can lead to envy toppling TBR piles and humongous wish lists.
Mailbox Monday now has a permanent home, where links may be added each week. So why not stop by, leave a link to your own Mailbox Monday post, oh! and don’t forget to leave a comment for our three new joint administrators, after all, we all like to receive them … ‘Mailbox Monday’
Leslie of ‘Under My Apple Tree’
Serena of ‘Savvy Verse & Wit’
Vicki of ‘I’d Rather Be At The Beach’
This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well… you never know where that next “must read” book will come from!
…
Interesting to read about the author’s journey to publishing. Many authors are taking the same route these days. I hope you enjoy his second book, Yvonne.
Hi Mary,
If you check out the video which Alan produced to promote his debut novel, ‘The Cabinetmaker’, you will see just how determined he was to get the book out there in the public domain.
His efforts must have been doubly difficult, given his wish to remain anonymous, so hopefully with another successful story under his belt, ‘Alan’ will decide to come out of the closet and let his friends and colleagues in on his little secret 🙂
Thanks for stopping by, I appreciate you taking the time to comment.
I know so little about Scotland – I thought it was a bucolic country. I guess I’d learn a lot if I read Jones’ work.
Hi Kathy,
Many parts of Scotland are indeed very pastoral and bucolic, however, as with just about every country in the world, there are pockets of inner city areas, which are not quite so salubrious or idyllic.
Glasgow is still perceived as quite sectarian to many of its inhabitants, with
Catholic and Protestant lines firmly drawn and delineated, very much like the demarkation of zones which still exist in Northern Ireland.
The indigenous population of Glasgow have a reputation for being pretty hard-nosed and down to earth, so the language and violence in Alan’s books, are going to be as near to accurate as is possible, especially as it is the city of his birth and younger years.
Thanks for the interesting twist to the conversation, I always look forward to your comments.
I have however, been unable to comment on your blog for some time now, as I generally use my Twitter link to post comments and for some reason your site is coming up as unsafe to post to in this way, as a licence has expired. Worpress also doesn’t seem to like your address, so I am stuck for ideas right now. I am not ignoring you … HONEST:) and would love to comment. This problem has only been going on for the past 2 or 3 weeks, so if you have any ideas I would be grateful
This is an interesting post, both about the novel and about the author. I’ve read plenty of stories set in England and Ireland, but not as many in Scotland. Perhaps I should look into his work more closely.
Nothing new at my house this week.
Hi Kelly,
If you check out my previous response to Kathy, who posed an almost identical question to your own, you might begin to get a picture of life in a Scottish inner city, which I am certain is the same scenario the whole world over.
Glaswegians typically ‘tell it as it is’, no frills or superfluous words and certainly no platitudes, when plain speaking will do!
I have just started reading Alan’s previous book ‘The Cabinetmaker’ and this narrative certainly reflects my observations, so I have no reason to think that ‘Blue Wicked’ will be any different. I am enjoying the down to earth, gritty nature of the storyline and characters.
Have a good catch up week with your reading and thanks for stopping by.
Sounds gripping
Hi Serena,
I have no doubt, that any story set on the housing estates of inner city Glasgow, is certainly going to cause some heart-stopping, nail-biting moments, all backed up with some extremely colourful language, no doubt!
I am enjoying the authors debut novel ‘The Cabinetmaker’ right now and can’t wait to start on ‘Blue Wicked’.
Thanks for stopping by and for continuing to host MM in such a great way.
Sounds like an intriguing mystery, enjoy!
Hi Mary Ann,
The ‘substance dependent underclass’, is already conjuring up an image and dialogue, without me having turned the first page. I am definitely looking forward to reading ‘Blue Wicked’.
Thanks for your comment, it is always good to touch base with you and I hope that you have a good week.
Sounds like a good one. Enjoy!
Hi Carol,
I do love a good murder / mystery or suspense / thriller, so this one is going to be right up my street. I am currently enjoying the authors previous novel, so that bodes well for ‘Blue Wicked’.
Thanks for taking the time to stop by and comment, I appreciate it.
This sounds like one I’d enjoy!
Hi Vicki,
Alan’s writing techniques and story-telling skills are certainly true to the time and place, if his first novel ‘The Cabinetmaker’ is anything to go by.
If anything he seems to have notched up the ‘gritty’ value of his writing a gear, in ‘Blue Wicked’, so I am looking forward to reading the two books, hopefully back to back.
Thanks for the visit, I hope that all is well with you.
A while since I’ve read a good gritty thriller, I’ll be sure to make a note of this Yvonne.
Hi Tracy,
I am currently reading Alan’s debut novel ‘The Cabinetmaker’ and whilst the language is pretty ripe in places and the violence is definitely never too far from the surface, there is actually a strong underlying theme of respect and relationship building going on between the two main protagonists. So I am hoping that ‘Blue Wicked’, whilst gritty, which it undoubtedly will be, continues with the excellent character building excerpts.
Thanks for stopping by, I hope that all is well with you and that the sudden winter blast isn’t causing too many problems up there. The wind is certainly howling here tonight!
Ooooo…I love the title and the cover.
I am finally feeling better and getting around to visiting blogs.
Have a good day.
Elizabeth
Silver’s Reviews
My Mailbox Monday
Hi Elizabeth,
It is funny that no-one else has commented on the title or cover, however I find the cover image in particular, to be very startling and high impact, with that combination of colours.
I am so pleased that you are beginning to feel back on form and do hope that you are having an enjoyable and relaxing start to your break.
Thanks for taking the time out to visit, I appreciate it.