You want adventure, peril, romance, conflict, survival, love, threat, humour, hate, teamwork, isolation and hope of rescue? You’ll find all that, and more, in ‘An Excess Of…’ where three discordant men and three very different women find themselves stranded on a desert island after their ship sinks. Will they survive? Will they ever return to …
293 pagesHistorical, Mystery, Thriller and Suspense, Literary Fiction. An astounding work of fiction that thoroughly inhabits the two worlds it uses as locations. We spend time with Liesbeth Jannsen and those who torture, those who support her, in 17th century Holland. And we spend time with Will, a contemporary detective in the USA. How the …
Continue reading Emily’s Lair, by Cary Grossman: #BookReview.
The first review has come in for my latest novel. As most readers and writers know, reviews are difficult to come by, so it’s always worth celebrating when they start to arrive. This one is on Goodreads (many reviewers avoid Amazon these days for many reasons). You can read it by clicking here. But to …
Continue reading First review for ‘An Excess Of…’ Gives 5 Stars
I thought I'd share my publisher's view of my latest novel 'An Excess Of...' with you. I love a succinct summary of my creative work. An Excess Of Stupidity Proved Too Much For This Climate CampaignerFantastic Books Publishing Author Stuart Aken has deserted the far reaches of the universe and the fantasy lands of his …
An Excess Of... Last year, I spent most of lockdown researching and writing a new novel. ‘An Excess Of…’ is now available in paperback and digital form, published by Fantastic Books Publishing. Synopsis: Six random strangers escape drowning when their ship is wrecked, only to be dumped on a desert island, hundreds of miles from …
When I was first struck by the idea for my latest novel ‘An Excess Of…’, I understood I’d need to do a good deal of research. Most topics touched on in the story were already familiar, but I felt I should deepen my knowledge in as many areas as possible. Underlying subjects explored in the …
An Excess Of... The paperback is available now! Have you got your copy yet? Why not? This is the best book you’ll read this year – not that I’m biased, of course! Okay, I’ll try to calm my enthusiasm for my latest novel. But it’s exciting when you hold it for the first time in …
Word cloud created through WordArt. If you’re already feeling down, please avoid this post. I’ve no wish to infect you with more burdens. But, unusually, I need to let others know how the state of the world affects me, and, therefore, billions of other caring individuals. I’m not alone. In the UK, the recent appalling …
365 pagesDystopian Science Fiction/Urban Fantasy A terrific story! This is adventure, mystery, social and political comment, and romance, rolled into one very well structured, compulsive story. The central protagonist, Angel, is feisty, courageous, enigmatic, curious, and a real survivor. Set in a time when climate change has wreaked havoc with the geographical, and therefore the …
Too revealing? There’s a good solid reason; it’s based on the story. You’ll notice the guy is also revealed. In fact, all six characters who star in this new novel find themselves in a situation where clothing is a low priority, or certainly should be. After all, wearing the clothes they normally sleep in, they’re …
Word cloud Via Wordart In writing science fiction, two areas of uncertainty arise before the start. Assuming it’s not Space Opera, the first barrier is the large number of readers who believe all sci-fi involves space wars, forgetting that at least two of the most brilliant works of literature were also science fiction: Aldous Huxley’s …
First published in 1907, the text of the stage play I read is introduced by a preface from the author. Here, he talks about the language he has used, how and where he encountered it, and why he has employed such colloquial idioms in the work. I can best serve the author’s intent by quoting …
Continue reading The Playboy of the Western World, by J. M. Synge: #BookReview.
345 pagesWomen’s Action & Adventure/Romance/Contemporary Fiction Having enjoyed Anne Montgomery’s ‘A Light in the Desert’, I thought I’d give this new novel a try. I’ve never been to the USA, and frequently find novels set there both self-congratulatory and full of references that are meaningless to me as a UK reader. But the previous novel …
Continue reading Wild Horses on the Salt, by Anne Montgomery: #BookReview.
Some years ago, I encountered a young Chinese woman, Helen, online. I can’t now remember how it came about, but it was probably a result of my series of ‘Right Word’ posts on the blog. Anyway, Helen asked if I could help with her English, as she wanted to learn the language to a better …
Picture via Pixabay. Yesterday I received the final edit notes for the new novel. This was the copy edit part, where a super-observant editor with an excellent grasp of the rules of English, goes through the entire book with a fine-tooth comb and picks out all the nits and knots: spelling, punctuation, syntax, grammar, etc. …
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