Agent Hunter

I’ve recently been given the opportunity to try out Agent Hunter a brilliant new site aimed at people looking for a literary agent.

If you’re currently on the lookout for an agent to represent you, this site could be exactly what you’re looking for. Agent Hunter is a comprehensive database of literary agents working in the UK and I’ve been having a little look around to see how useful it is.

I’m really impressed with it so far. It’s very user friendly and has a clear and attractive layout. You can just use the database to browse different agents, but where it scores most highly over book-based resources is in its searchability.

You can search agents by genre represented – essential if you want to avoid submitting your work to completely the wrong person! But you can also refine your search to look at how long an agent has been operating, how many people they represent and whether they are actively taking on new clients or not.

You can even use keywords to search for things such as an agent’s likes and dislikes, and who they represent. All of this is really useful information when trying to find and agent who is exactly the right fit for your work.

When you go into the individual entry for each agent, you’ll find a wealth of really specific information about them, about what they enjoy readig and what they might be looking for. Far more information than I’ve seen in any other agent listing.

I think Agent Hunter is a fabulous resource for anyone who has got to the stage of wanting to do serious research on agents and make an informed decision about who to go with.

You can find the Agent Hunter site here. 

Subscription to the site is £12 for a year, which is an absolute bargain! But you can try before you buy for 7 days if you want to find out if it’s really for you.

Agent Hunter comes from The Writers’ Workshop and you can find out more about them here. 

Many thanks to The Writers’ Workshop for the opportunity to try out and review this product.

Day Retreat For Writers

For anyone who hasn't already seen this on my website ...

Come and spend a day with fellow writers being inspired, exercising your writing skills and sharing your work in a supportive atmosphere.

The retreat will be held at Delapre Abbey in Northampton on Saturday 4 May from 10.30am to 4pm. The cost will be £35 including refreshments.

Sessions will include …
Ideas are everywhere – an interactive session focussed on sourcing ideas and making them work.
Free writing session. Take one of your new ideas and start turning it into a story.
Question and answer session. Group discussion of markets, subbing, other directions for your writing, or anything else.
A chance to read out work and get feedback. You can read out what you wrote earlier, or bring something along with you to read out if you prefer.
What next? Goal setting and any final questions.

If you have any queries, or to request a booking form, email me via my profile page, or leave a comment below.

Angelopolis By Danielle Trussoni

 
A guest review from Lady Techie

Angelopolis

By Danielle Trussoni

I received an e-Arc of Angelopolis through Edelweiss. I have to admit that I was watching closely for this release because I loved Angelology. I was excited to have a chance to review this book a bit before its release. I did not love it as much as I did Angelology though I have a strong like for it. I think the biggest thing that struck me is that there were 3 points-of-view from which Angelopolis was told. One was Evangeline's, the other was Verlaine and Bruno, and the other began later in the story when one of the other angelologists, Vera, went a different direction. I think the one thing missing for me was spending more time with Evangeline. Her part of the story was not as big as I would have liked, especially since so much of the story was about her and her family and given the suspenseful ending of Angelology. 

Another thing that I’m mulling over is the “Angelopolis”.  There was something odd with the prison nomenclature in Siberia and I was not sure if it was meant to be two different terms for two different concepts or if there was a change in terms. Possibly the angels called it one thing and those that new what the place eventually turned into called it something else, Panopticon. Are these the same place or have we not seen Angelopolis yet?

There were some great scenes with some of the more prominent angels and I loved learning more about the different types and hierarchies of angels. We find out more about the relationship between the angelologists, the Nephilim in particular. There is a great depiction about the history of not only the angels, but also of some of the angelologists, particularly Angela Valko and her father, Raphael Valko. Part of what was hard for me to follow is the gap in time and possibly I should have re-read Angelology before embarking on this experience and I can describe it as just that, an experience. I think I understand why there was a gap in the time between the two stories and if it is designed for the reason I believe then it works well and would have been even better if Evangeline was in the story more. We only get to see her changes and growth a small amount and maybe that will be developed more in the next book. But, it would have been great to experience more of her changes in this book.

There are some surprises in this book and some real displays of power by the angels, though I am wondering more about one of the new characters, Yana. I get the feeling like she has some gift that we are not privy to yet. Eno has one of the largest roles in the book. We don't know much about her other than the accountings of various run-ins told by Bruno and what was reported in other angelologists' reports. She appears to be ruthless and very violent and epitomizes the reason the angelologists exist in the first place. There are more angels that we see developed in this story specifically who will likely have bigger roles in the next book, like the Grigori twins. We also get to learn more about Russian history and some Biblical references with a nice tie-in to Faberge who still has a presence in the European and U.K. shopping districts. The ending was quite exciting and it did give a big buildup to the next book which I hope comes without another 2 year wait. I did stop to check Danielle Trussoni's website to see if this is a series or trilogy but did not find any information that gave me a clue. I can say that fans of Angelology will likely enjoy Angelopolis as much as I did.

Review can also be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings

100 Ways To Fight The Flab by Jane Wenham-Jones

100 Ways To Fight The Flab

by Jane Wenham-Jones


We all get writers' bottom from time to time, don't we? Let's face it, any profession that involves spending most of your time sitting on said bottom whilst cramming your face with cake/chocolate/crisps/wine* is almost bound to result in a few ballast-related problems isn't it? *delete as applicable* *or not

But you can stop worrying. Jane Wenham-Jones has the answer. This book is not just a diet book. This is a diet book that will make you laugh. And we all know that laughing uses up calories. So that's good.

Jane's tips range from the sensible (eat little and often, use a pedometer to make sure you're moving enough) to the marvellously frivolous (pretend you weigh much more than you do). Jane also explains the stroke of genius which is the 'shelf' diet. You'll need to buy the book to find out what that is and how it works.

I won't be able to take up the bewildering array of fitness techniques including stairs which Jane outlines, as unfortunately I live in a bungalow. However, I will be taking her advice on all the other things I might be able to do in order to make my bottom a tiny bit less lardy.

Jane is now also running a 100 Ways to Fight the Flab Tip-writing Competition

The prize is a week at the wonderful Chez Castillon. 

So, if you want to fight the flab, there's nothing to stop you! You can buy Jane's book here.

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

A guest review from Lady Techie

Etiquette & Espionage

by Gail Carriger

I think I have fallen in love with a new series. This book was even better because I listened to the audiobook and Moira Quirk, the narrator, took this book to the next level for me. She was awesome! If I closed my eyes and let my imagination go it was like watching a movie. I could literally picture all of the characters. She was excellent with the different voices and I finished this book wanting to start it all over again.

Obviously, the narrator had to have good material to start with in order for this to be a great audiobook. I have to say that Gail Carriger has another winner on her hands. This was a great story. One of the best things about this Etiquette & Espionage was the characters. I loved Sophronia and Dimity, well, even Pillover, despite the fact he is study to be an evil genius. One of the most refreshing things was seeing old friend's from the Parasol Protectorate series. It was really cool seeing them as children. Actually, that was something else that made this a wonderful book, having this Steampunk era book told from the perspective of children and teens.

The mystery in the book was also interesting and it was exciting. Who knew a mystery could be so exciting without a nice, juicy murder? There was a great deal of action and it was also great to have one of my favorite settings, an academy school and this school really has a twist. I have to admit that Sophronia's family was also quite fun. One of the best things is that Gail Carriger's humor really came through in this series also. It really was much more funny than the Protectorate series and I thought it was quite hilarious, more so, on audiobook, as I read the books and listened to the audiobooks, which is a sure sign of a book being one of my favorites. 

Unfortunately, now I must play the waiting game for the next book in the series. Boy, it would be nice if she published twice a year.

Review can also be seen at LadyTechie's Book Musings

Inceptio by Alison Morton

Today, my special guest is Alison Morton, who is here to talk about her new book, Inceptio. It sounds like a fabulous book and you can find out how to get hold of a copy below. Meanwhile, over to Alison ...

Thank you very much for welcoming me to your blog, Helen.

Today, my debut novel, INCEPTIO, is published. Hooray! Three years of slog – researching, writing, and polishing – have led to this exciting moment. It’s a thriller, so it’s doubly exciting. Now, I’d like to tell you about it! But too much telling’s frowned on by Those Who Know, so let me show you…

An eleven year old fascinated by the mosaics in Ampurias (huge Roman site in Spain), I asked my father, “What would it be like if Roman women were in charge, instead of the men?” Maybe it was the fierce sun boiling my brain, maybe it was just a precocious kid asking a smartarse question. But clever man and senior ‘Roman nut’, my father replied, “What do you think it would be like?” Real life intervened (school, uni, career, military, marriage, motherhood, business ownership), but the idea bubbled away in my mind and INCEPTIO slowly took shape.

Of course, I made the classic mistake of submitting too soon, but had some encouraging replies. Several rewrites later and I’d made some full submissions, even to a US agent! I had replies like ‘If it was a straight thriller, I’d take it on’ and ‘Your writing is excellent, but it wouldn’t fit our list.’  Cue sound of grinding teeth, if it wasn’t a cliché.

I was (am!) passionate about my stories and the world I’ve imagined so I decided to self publish with bought-in publishing services. Using high quality professional backing (editing, advice, registrations, typesetting, design, book jacket, proofing, etc.), I’ve found it a fantastic way for me as a new writer to enter the market.

How is an alternate history thriller different from a normal thriller? 

Alternate history is based on the idea of “what if”? What if King Harold had won the Battle of Hastings in 1066? Or if Julius Caesar had taken notice of the warning that assassins wanted to murder him on the Ides of March? Sometimes, it could be little things such as in the film Sliding Doors, when the train door shuts and Gwyneth Paltrow’s character splits into two; one rides away on the train, the other is left standing on the platform.

The rest of the story or history of a country, from that point on develops differently from the one we know. In my book, Roma Nova battled its way from a small late fourth century colony somewhere north of Italy into a modern high tech, financial mini-state which kept and developed Roman Republican values, but with a twist. It’s really been fun working this out! The thriller story then takes place against this background. The nearest comparison would be J D Robb’s Eve Dallas Death series.

Stories with Romans are usually about famous emperors, epic battles, depravity, intrigue, wicked empresses and a lot of sandals, tunics and swords. But imagine the Roman theme projected sixteen hundred years further forward into the 21^st century. How different would that world be?

So what’s INCEPTIO about?

New York – present day, alternate reality. Karen Brown, angry and frightened after surviving a kidnap attempt, has a harsh choice – being eliminated by government enforcer Jeffery Renschman or fleeing to the mysterious Roma Nova, her dead mother’s homeland in Europe. Founded sixteen centuries ago by Roman exiles and ruled by women, Roma Nova gives Karen safety, a ready-made family and a new career. But a shocking discovery about her new lover, the fascinating but arrogant special forces officer Conrad Tellus who rescued her in America, isolates her.

Renschman reaches into her new home and nearly kills her. Recovering, she is desperate to find out why he is hunting her so viciously. Unable to rely on anybody else, she undergoes intensive training, develops fighting skills and becomes an undercover cop. But crazy with bitterness at his past failures, Renschman sets a trap for her, knowing she has no choice but to spring it...

And next? I’m working on PERFIDITAS, the second book in the Roma Nova series.

You can find INCEPTIO on Amazon UK here.  

You can read more about Alison, Romans, alternate history and writing on her blog, and on Facebook  and follow her on Twitter @alison_morton

 Thanks very much to Alison for such an interesting post.

The Blue Hour by Alonso Cueto

A guest review from Stephen Shieber

The Blue Hour

by Alonso Cueto



 

Adrian Ormache is a successful lawyer, enjoying a charmed life in Lima, Peru. When his venerable mother dies, he is forced to confront the ugly truths that lie beneath the surface of polite society.  These truths relate to Adrian's dead father, Colonel Ormache and his conduct towards the 'Shining Path' guerrillas during Peru's civil war in the 1980s.  As Adrian draws closer to his father's conduct, his whole life turns upside down and he must find a way to accommodate the ghosts of the past to ensure his future.

Cueto's prose, translated from the Spanish by Frank Wynne, confronts the horrors of war with stark beauty.  Occasionally tenses slip confusingly, but this is a slight criticism of a novel that warms and appalls by turns.  Adrian remains a sympathetic character, even when engaged in dubious action.  His attempts to heal past wounds appear to be futile, but the reader wants him to rise from the ashes of his notions of his family and find the right path in a confused world.  There are some graphic descriptions of the evils perpetrated by both sides of the war that are not for the squeamish, but there is also a sense of hope. Cueto makes it clear that 'the sins of the father' can be redeemed by his children.  

Many thanks to Stephen for this review. 

Stephen Shieber is the author of Being Normal.

Thanks to the publishers for the review copy of this book.