The Dark Night of the Shed by Nick Page

Bookaholics, I bring you a different, but well worth reading, Christian book today.

This is essentially a book for men, but as a woman I enjoyed it immensely. It is an engrossing book which, surprisingly for non-fiction, had me wanting to read just one more chapter. I read the book quickly through once, but I intend to return to it and savor it more deeply. The book uses a shed as a metaphor for our life. This is not something which would immediately spring to mind as a perfect pairing. Yet Page makes it work. The book starts by outlining a myriad of fascinating facts about sheds. And I do mean fascinating. It also talks about famous writers, or artists, who used sheds. In many of the cases I had no idea.

Once the scene is set, Nick moves onto the more serious purpose of the book. He talks about depression and the many reasons why men may have a mid life crisis. This is linked to low self esteem and the ways in which men try to overcome this. However, none of these bring true happiness or deal with the root cause of why they feel this way. He talks about the old Gods and what their modern equivalent would be. Men use these to prop up flagging self esteem, rather than turning to the one true God.

The book is packed full of wisdom and biblical insight. This could have been a dry treatise but Page has avoided this. The book is not only helpful and biblically sound, but also funny and interesting. The author has a quick wit and this has been used to good effect. There are laugh out loud moments and yet the book is sound, both in a psychological and a spiritual sense.

Each chapter of the book is based around the rebuilding of the shed in Page's garden. This may seem a strange way to structure a book, but it is beautifully executed and it works. At the conclusion of the book there are seven exercises. These are designed to move you forward spiritually and psychologically. This is not a psychology book but is written to help men once more find purpose in their life. As such I would say it works.

Overall this is an excellent book. As I say it is primarily aimed at men, but there is much in its pages which is useful for women. I would not hesitate to highly recommend this.

I was given an advanced review copy of this book, by the publisher, for review purposes. At no point was I asked to provide a favorable review. My rating and review are based on my reading, and enjoyment, of the book.





See you all back here soon my bookaholic friends. Until then, keep reading.

That Heady Feeling - Hitting the Bestseller Charts

Good morning bookaholics. It's a bit dreich in Dundee today. For the non scots this means it's grey and miserable. However, I don't feel dreich at all. In fact I feel decidedly sunny and happy. Let me explain.

Yesterday I popped into Waterstones to pick up a book I had ordered for Freya. It was a good day in Dundee. The sun was shining and there was a cycle event happening so the city was busy. What happened in Waterstones changed it from a good day to a fabulous day. Firstly, the manager of Waterstones introduced me to local author Mark Leggatt. 

The manager, Kevin, then said, "Wendy is also a local author, of the book behind you." 

He pointed to the shelf and that is when my day exploded from good to glorious technicolour brilliance. Killer's Craft was at number 3 in the book charts. In fact is was just behind 'Go Set a Watchman' and 'The Girl on the Train.' I never in my wildest dreams imagined that would happen. It is the most wonderful feeling in the world. As a lifelong reader, and now a writer, this was indeed heady stuff.

I got chatting to Mark and then Crime Blogger, Lynsey Adams arrived. If you haven't read Lynsey's excellent There's Been a Murder blog, then check it out now. 

I am sure you will agree this was a superb day for me as an author. Forgive me my moment of excitement. I will be back to reviewing books next time. 

If you would like to check out both Killer's Craft and Killer's Countdown, you can do so through the images on the right or via the universal link below. This will take you to the Amazon of your country.

Amazon Universal Link

Or if you wan tot check out Mark's book Names of the Dead

I will see all of you bookaholics back here soon. Until then, keep reading. 

Review: How to Make a Living with Your Writing by Joanna Penn

Not a blog for ages, then a veritable host of them come along at once. If you are a writer then you will understand why I couldn't wait to share this review.

I read a lot of books about business and marketing, with a particular emphasis on writing. This is one of the best, and most clearly written, I have come across. Joanna Penn is a professional and experienced writer, and this comes across in every word. She starts the book by explaining how to get into the entrepreneur mindset. This is important as many writer think of themselves just as writers. They forget they are also running a business. Whilst writers are providing pleasure, they also need to make money in the process if they want to make a living as a writer. She also links this to having a can do attitude.

One of the things I like about the book is that she talks about multiple income streams. This means not just having ebooks, but also paperbacks and audio books. She believes that with mobile use expanding internationally audio books will become increasingly more important. However, Penn also talks about other ways in which you can make money as a writer.

One of the ways in which she suggests that income can increase is in becoming more organised.  Prioritise writing, which will lead to becoming more prolific. The more books a writer has written, the more they will sell. This is wise advice, and yet many writers seem to forget this.

This is just a flavour of what this book contains. It is so much more than what is contained in my review.. It is a book you will want to read through quickly first, and then refer to regularly. It provides inspiration and motivation in equal measure. This is the first of Penn's books I have read but I will be reading more in the near future.

I will be back soon my bookaholics friends. If you are writer then grab this book now and read it. You will not regret it. 

Forensics

Sorry about the long gap since I last posted. I have been knee deep in new releases. After the excitement of launching Killer's Craft, I am now well in to writing book three in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. This has involved a lot of research especially forensic research. I have therefore been reading many books on Forensics. One of the best out there is Val McDermid's, Firensics: The Anatomy of a Crime.

This book gives a thorough overview of every area of forensics. It manages to provide good detail without going into so much depth it cannot be read or understood. It is a fascinating book. This could be a dry book but the way it is linked to real life cases makes it interesting. I was reading it for research but this book could be read by anyone and still be enjoyed. Val McDermid is a professional, and highly talented, author. This is evident in every page of this book. She has obviously done a great deal of research and the book is realistic. All aspects are backed by the top pathologists of current and previous generations. I loved the historical context as well. The ways in which forensics has grown and developed is fascinating. This is a well written and enjoyable book which I would highly recommend. 

That's it for now bookaholics. I promise not to leave it s long before I post again. See you all back here soon. 

10 Essential Steps in the Lead up to a Physical Book Launch

Excitement levels are high in the Bookaholic Camp this week. It is just 3 days until the launch of Killer's Craft, the second book in the DI Shona McKenzie Mysteries. This means I have been busy getting ready for the event. This got me thinking about everything an author to do on the lead up to the launch of a book. 

1. My first point, and probably the most crucial is to start planning your launch early. If you plan on holding your launch in a bookshop approach them as soon as you have a date for publication. Bookshops hold a lot of events and you may find that the day or week you want is not available for your date. If you are not going to be using a bookshop then decide which venue you would like to use and book it. 

2. Create a buzz about the event a few weeks in advance. This can be done in many ways:

• Tell your friends and family
• Use social media wisely. It is important not to spam the heck out of every group on Facebook or any other social media site. This is not a formal invite but teasers about the event

3. Use teasers to let the excitement build. These can include cover reveal, blurb reveal, photos of the books arriving, letting people know that your event calendar is filling up. I am sure there are many more. If you have any innovative ideas then please let me knowing the comments. 

4. Create flyers for the event, and leave them in the bookshop, libraries, or anywhere else you think may be appropriate. For example, a local Cafe which I use asked me when the book launch was and asked me if I had any flyers they could display.

5. This one may be out of your control as it is up to the bookstore. Waterstones added to the general buzz by creating an event on Facebook. 

6. Invite people and create a list of names. This is so you can get an idea of numbers. Your venue will need to know so they have enough chairs etc. Remember if you re inviting people through social media not everyone on your friends list lives close enough to come to a launch. Invite only the relevant people before you start to annoy everyone in far flung lands. 

7. If you are published through your own imprint then make sure that the books are uploaded to the relevant sites, such as Amazon and SmashWords, in time for the publication date. This may take a few days after upload so do not leave it until the last minute.

8. This is also crucial. Make sure you order books to a arrive in plenty of time. This needs to include time for the bookstore to get them into their system ready for the day. 

9. This one is down to personal preference. I have food and drink at my launch. I provide the food and Waterstones provides wine and soft drinks. It gives a real party atmosphere and also means that guests have something to do if there is a large queue for book signing. It also allows for people to chat in general, and your books specifically.

10. The most important one of all. Have fun. Book launches are a blast and it is your chance to show yourself off as an author and a person. Enjoy every minute of your hour in the spotlight.

So there we have it my Bookaholic friends. If you think of anything else that should be done on the lead up to a launch then please let me know in the comments. I am always open to new ideas and suggestions.

Book Review: Losing Face

Another YA novel on Bookaholics today. No, I have not moved over to reading purely YA. This is just the way it happened. However, this book is well worth reviewing, and I make no apologies for it's inclusion.

As Bookaholics already know this isn't the sort of book I usually read. I am not a fan of YA but I saw this at a conference and liked the premise of the story. I read a couple of pages and was hooked. I am so glad I bought it. I started reading this yesterday and genuinely could not put it down. I kept reading until 2 am when I finally finished it and have thought about it ever since. Try really understands young people and their psyche. She also knows how important body image is to, not only their self esteem, but to their sense of self. The story is emotional, involving and yet inspiring. It is a story of a friendship which holds true through tragedy. 

Both characters are real and I could just imagine them. I liked the way they grew in confidence as the book progressed. I always found myself wanting to know what happened next. The secondary characters are also real even though not prominent in the story. This is a superb book which I have no hesitation in highly recommending, not only to young adults, but to adults. 

      

If you buy from the UK and US links above I will receive a few pennies through affiliates. You do not need to buy from these links but can buy direct from Amazon.

There we are for another week my Bookaholic friends. See you all back here soon. My next book is a mystery. The review will be following soon. 

Book Review: Champion of the Chalet School

Good afternoon my fellow Bookaholics. Not a dead body in site on today's blog. I promised you an eclectic selection and that is what you are getting. Today is a book in a series for tweens and young adults. This is a series I never thought I would be reading again. 

I love Elinor M. Brent-Dyer's Chalet School books and was a little worried this would not be up to the same standard. My fears were groundless. I could not tell this book from those written by the original author. It is obvious that a lot of research, care and effort went into writing this book. Adrianne Fitzpatrick is a gifted storyteller and understands the series, and the characters, well. The story was good and kept me reading. It took me back to the books of my childhood and sitting, curled up, reading these books. It was really good to catch up with familiar characters again and find out more about them. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. This apples whether you have read the original series or not. It will certainly make you want to go back to the original books and read, or reread them. I genuinely could not put this book down, and was sad when it ended. 

   

The book can be bought by clicking on the UK or USA links above. I will receive a few pence affiliate fee if you do so. You can go direct to Amazon without using these links.

So there we have it Bookaholics. Why not grab yourself a copy and relive your childhood. See you next time and keep reading.