07 November 2023

Children of Vampires: Little Reason by Darren DiGiovanni Book Tour and Guest Post! #ChildrenOfVampires @DiGiovanniBooks @SilverDaggerBookTours

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Hide and seek is not played alone.

Children of Vampires:

Little Reason

by Darren DiGiovanni

Genre: Paranormal Horror

Vampires,

Creatures both of night and nightmares, stories told and held apart from reality.

In the minds of man and woman, they carry terrors not to be shared or listed. A sleeping horror no longer slumbers. In the darker corners of less known woods, a house is now visited. A guest, unwanted nor welcomed has comes for more than blood. Eyes will see but only the heart of Simone, a broken child, will pay the price for the sinister games asked. Hide and seek is not played alone.

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5 Author Tour questions

1. Why did you become an author?

The reasons I became an author are never as easy to say. The first and clearest of answers to that question is I never knew a time I wasn't creating a world in my head. The links and reasons for my struggles were all transferred so easily when placed on paper and into characters and villains. The second formative idea for writing and freeing the author in me, were the feelings it gave to me to live in my mind in these fantastical worlds. 

Before the first of the full stories made it to paper, pencil drawings were there for me.  The places I made in my head would find ways out in my art and paintings. Later, sculpture would become the art of the moment, but the written word was always a place I knew I wanted to be. Never better, as a person with HDHD and Dyslexia I struggle every day. The results of each of my stories needed guiderails, ones that I think I have now more than any other time in my youth.

In the end the reason I became an author, a writer of stories, is because I need to be. It has been something I was headed toward for my entire life.

2. What was the inspiration behind Children of Vampires?

My first book "The Dark Tiempo' was that step into the written story. This said, 'Children of Vampires’ was my attempt to form a more visceral connection to the story. A coherent story line, it links a process that is not clear at first read. The life of the book will build over its reach and breath. The story and books to come will not slow nor fail to expose or be held back. 

The book 'Children of Vampires’ has moved through a world of evolution. The changes and built details make it only a beginning to a twisted world I imagined years ago. This piece of art, yes art, though feeling little different then when I painted or pushed pencil is worlds apart. There has always been an underlining creativity that needed this outlet and in ‘Children of Vampires’, I found it. 

The influences of any and all parts of this tail, have changed since first written. Far more in-depth as well complex, the book is more than simply the outline of a horror story. When you believe it has one meaning, there are others that are not to be discovered till later. 

This book, although a darker story, it has implications of struggles and hurts that needed to be written. The inspiration has always been shadows and the things lurking in dark closets. Whether that beast, is man or our own imperfections, they’re there all the same.

3. Where do you want to be in five years?

Where I want to be in five years is as difficult to say as where I am today. To start to answer that thought-puzzle, I need to know where my needs and emotions can find home. Success in reaching readers is as simple a start to say. Some larger understanding, that those who read my stuff know they are never alone, is success. 

Starting with the idea of reaching readers, in five years I will have all three books of the ‘Children of Vampires’ out and hope they are met with a loving audience. Mixed in that expanse of time, I would also hope to have released the beginning of another story series I swim in, 'Surresa V'. A story line as mixed and twisted as the other series, but this narrative in its depth finds more connection with love and loss.

Within some timed markers, like five years or even less, some collections of my written art might mix with other loves of mine. Might my sculptures of stone and wood, also find links to interested minds. Their simpler expressions of the stories they have hidden behind them precariously linked.

4. What advice do you have for other authors just starting or people that want to write but haven’t yet?

The boarders between published author and just the love of writing are blurry ones. To the thought of ones that want to write and simply hasn't, two things.

Firstly, the beginning is not in the ending, it is in the journey to it. The story should be one you are exposed to, connected to by some unseen thread you need to know more about. Writing for me is a process I learn to flow with and not fight against. A writer is not measured by publication or accolades, it is the need inside that you work on.

The second piece of advice to a new writer is the same as one who paints. You need to push the paintbrush, pen, pencil, even keyboard to find it. You must never be without paper to release your thoughts. At the very least, have some way to memorialize that which your brain has gifted you. Whether the written words are good, bad, or meaningless, let them be made.

Simply put to a single sentence, ‘you need to write and always be writing whether there is anyone to read it or not.’ 

5. What has been the hardest thing you have had to overcome in this process of writing and publishing so far.

Not the hardest, but finding an editor that knows, this art, is not just a collection of misspelling and grammar 'f' ups. The process is an endless one. It’s hard to continue when your own brain fights you, but a simple voice of another can just as easily derail you on the path of telling a story.

A written voice needs guidance and a word of help. A difficult part in all this process that needs to be overcome is trusting others to be genuine. The fear inside is already there and to spend so much time and money on things that writers know little about is heartbreaking.

Years might pass and the idea of what is to come is a heavy weight to push through every day. Doubting your own abilities, you must still convince yourself on continuing. It is a harder beast to defeat than any creature you might write about. 

Publishing any of my stories is a decision not taken lightly. When money is the only indicator of success and progress, any writer worth hearing from, can be dangerously made small in that machinery. I wish only the opportunity to be seen. To have an audience that might take a chance if for no other reason than my, Darren DiGiovanni’s written art was interesting.

Meet Darren DiGiovanni. He's a dedicated husband, father, artist, and traveler. Prepare to be captivated by his soulful tales, painted with shades of darkness and wonder. Each tale mirrors life's chapters, transformed into haunting landscapes where characters brimming with genuine feelings reside.

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Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

$10 Amazon



Lottie’s Little Secret by Debbie Viggiano Blog Tour!

 


Lottie’s Little Secret

If crime writer Lottie Lucas hadn’t landed a three-book-deal, she’d never have met Ryan.  Older, suave, confident, refined Ryan.  Or Relic Ryan as bestie Jen calls him.

However, there’s something Lottie hasn’t told Jen.  Ryan has an ex-wife – well, Lottie thinks Heather is an ex-wife, and Ryan wouldn’t lie, would he?  It’s galling that Heather is still on the scene, and Lottie knows Jen wouldn’t approve.

But Lottie is hugging a bigger secret.  This one is something else and, like a nasty spot, it’s threatening to come to a head and cause a mess entirely of Lottie’s own making.

If Jen found out she’d bash Lottie over the head with one of her size sevens, and if Ryan caught wind – well, that would be an entirely different scenario.

So, when an opportunity arises to escape to Cornwall, Lottie grabs it like a drowning person clutching a lifebuoy. A change of location seems like the perfect solution to both issues. But Lottie is about to discover that secrets have a habit of catching up with you – and this one is tracking her like a supersonic missile…

Purchase Links

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lotties-Little-Secret-gorgeous-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CHBTCCHL/

https://www.amazon.com/Lotties-Little-Secret-gorgeous-romantic-ebook/dp/B0CHBTCCHL/


Prior to turning her attention to writing, Debbie Viggiano was, for more years than she cares to remember, a legal secretary. She lives with her Italian husband, a rescued pooch from Crete, and a very disgruntled cat. Occasionally her adult children return home bringing her much joy... apart from when they want to raid the fridge or eat her secret stash of chocolate. Tweet @DebbieViggiano or follow her on Facebook!

Social Media Links 

TWITTER: @DebbieViggiano

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/debbie.viggiano.5/

INSTAGRAM: debbieviggiano

WEBSITE: www.debbieviggiano.co.uk






06 November 2023

In Too Deep (The Deep End 1) by Alex Winters New Release Blitz!

Title:  In Too Deep

Series: The Deep End 1

Author: Alex Winters

Publisher: Changeling Press

Release Date: Nov 3

Heat Level: 4 - Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male, Male/Female/Male (No Male/Male interaction)

Length: 95 pages

Genre: Romance, New Adult, Contemporary Women's Fiction, Second Chance, Multiple Partners

Quinn Hampton can hardly believe his eyes when he sees his former lover, Dash Thatcher, buying beer at the Quick Pik in their quiet little hometown of Lost Lake, Tennessee. It’s been three years since they last saw each other at high school graduation, but it doesn’t take long for the two to catch up. A few beers lead to an invitation to spend the night at Quinn’s family lake house while it’s being restored for the summer. The two wake the next morning and eagerly make up for lost time, naked and writhing in each other’s arms.

But Quinn and Dash aren’t the only two ex-lovers reuniting this summer. As they saunter into Brickhouse Brewery for a little hair of the dog the next morning, the two run into Haley Newcomb, former classmate and, unbeknownst to the men, each one’s former lover.

As the day unfolds, secrets are revealed, old flames are reunited and Quinn, Dash, and Haley must confront the 600-lb gorilla in the room -- their longing for one another and how right it feels to share. At the same time. Together. And, once the idea of a threesome is finally spoken aloud, it’s not long before the ex-lovers are reunited in more ways than one. In more positions than one. As often as they can, for as long as they can. Now all they need to know is if they want this reunion to last.

In Too Deep (The Deep End 1)
Alex Winters
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2023 Alex Winters
Content warning: Sex, language

“Mmmmmmmm…”

Quinn Hampton murmured drowsily, wriggling closer to the warm, dewy skin nestled against his own as if wriggling beneath a cozy comforter. He slowly opened his eyes, although his eyelids felt as lazy as the rest of his body, blinking at the early morning sun as it shined in through the bay window under which he lay.

Correction. Where they lay.

“Finally,” a familiar voice next to him said, warm breath washing against his throat as Quinn shivered with sudden, unquenchable desire.

Quinn turned his head atop a soft, puffy pillow to find Dash Thatcher lying beside him, sinewy body as long and lean and sexy as ever. “The hell?” he asked dreamily, still half-asleep and far from alarmed. “Personal space, much?”

Dash let out his warm, familiar chuckle, as sweet as the sultry breeze drifting through the open window above and the dewy look in his rich, brown eyes. “I don’t hear you complaining, baby,” he said before glancing down the length of Quinn’s bare torso. “I don’t see you complaining, either.”

“Damn!” Quinn marveled at his own erection, stiff and pointed straight up at the dilapidated roof of the family lake house. Then again, he shouldn’t have been so surprised. He always got hella horny whenever he drank; stiff, straining morning wood was his own personal version of a hangover.

“You finally noticed.” Dash nuzzled Quinn’s cheek as he inched closer, the king-size mattress squeaking in protest as their bodies synced like the ragged jigsaw puzzle they’d formed so often back in school.

“Finally? How long has it been like that?”

They lay on their backs in the middle of the big, comfy bed, side by side and hip to hip. Dash eased his ankle over Quinn’s as if to hold him in place. Quinn didn’t mind. Hell, he hadn’t felt this turned on in years.

Dash touched the tender flesh just below Quinn’s chest, the flat space above his newly fluttering belly. “Ten minutes, give or take.”

“You’ve been watching the whole time?” Quinn shivered as Dash moved his hand lower. His long fingers were more than familiar with his old friend’s skin and he knew just how to make Quinn squirm and sweat beneath his expert touch.

“I mean, it is kind of mesmerizing,” Dash teased, as he circled a single finger around Quinn’s belly button, making him quiver and wriggle anew as he gripped the sheets beneath him as if to keep from melting straight onto the floor.

“How long have you been up?” Quinn risked a glance at his old lover, spying Dash’s glance his way, the look as syrupy as his Southern twang.

“You know I can never sleep after a night of drinking,” he replied. “Especially with you, babe.”

Quinn grinned almost bashfully, recalling how they’d run into each other at the Quick Pik Shop downtown the night before, rushing to beat the clock and snatch up that last six-pack of beer before stores stopped selling them promptly at 2 AM. Quinn hadn’t just been surprised to see Dash back in town after three years apart, but elated! After a few minutes of nervous chitchat and harmless small talk while cashing out, it had only felt right to invite him back to the lake house for a beer or two and to, uh… catch up.

When a beer or two turned into the whole six-pack, it had only felt right to invite Dash to stay the night. Why risk driving home and getting a DUI on his first night back in town, right? Better to spend the night in the big king-size bed Quinn had dragged into the living room while the family lake house was being renovated instead.

Together, naturally.

Somehow, they’d managed to fall asleep without getting handsy, but Quinn didn’t feel like it was an accident that he’d woken up with a raging hard-on the first time he’d slept with Dash in years.

“What time is it?” he murmured, not really caring but not quite sure what else to say at such an awkward moment. Their handful of times together back in high school had always been rushed affairs; stolen kisses and frenzied hand jobs in questionably private spaces, neither of them having the luxury to linger the next morning in each other’s arms, naked and hard and hungry for more. To say that Quinn was nervous, suddenly, to find Dash in his bed, both of them hard as wrought iron, would have been a gross understatement.

Dash seemed to sense that Quinn was just making small talk and slid his hand lower to riffle through Quinn’s thick, untended pubic thatch. “Time for a trim, babe.” He twirled several tendrils of thin black hair around his fingers and tugged playfully as Quinn winced with the bittersweet sensation of being teased by someone he knew so well and, yet, hardly knew at all.

Quinn glanced sideways, nodding at Dash’s dirty blond hair, long and loose and straggling around his bare shoulders. “You’re one to talk,” he murmured just before Dash gripped the base of his straining cock as a slow smile crept across his lips.

“I think we’re done talking here, Quinn.” Dash squeezed gently as Quinn ground his bare ass helplessly into the lumpy mattress beneath them, using the leverage to push slightly deeper into Dash’s loving grip. “That is, unless you’d like me to narrate what I’m about to do to this pretty little prick of yours, hmmmmm?”

Dash chuckled lazily, little flutters of warm, sexy breath washing across the blush of Quinn’s throat as he watched, helplessly, as Dash glided his long, expert fingers up and down his swollen shaft. He moaned appreciatively, the white sheets falling away from his bare thighs as he spotted the plaid boxer shorts he’d worn to bed dangling precariously off one ankle.

Dash noticed too, while reaching the swollen tip of Quinn’s cock and clasping the puckered, sensitive flesh gathered just beneath. “Yeah, you kicked those off while you were tossing and turning in your sleep last night,” he explained before giving Quinn’s bare throat a soft, tender peck that sent shivers coursing through his skin.

“Must have been dreaming,” Quinn said as Dash expertly gathered the drizzles of precum dotting his spongy cock tip and used them to slather moisture back down the length of his smooth, compact shaft. Quinn knew he wasn’t the biggest dude in the locker room, but Dash had never complained about his diminutive size. Instead, he’d always seemed to enjoy the compactness of Quinn’s sturdy six inches, as if in contrast to his own banana cock.

“Dreaming about what, babe?” Dash murmured, slowly stroking Quinn’s morning wood as if they were still back in high school, meeting up for late night hookups in the woods, empty, ramshackle barns or, that one time, in the backseat of Dash’s car.

Quinn turned to find Dash peering over at him. “You, naturally.”

They kissed then, soft, wet lips growing full and loud in the quiet stillness of an early summer morning. Dash had always been a good kisser. He knew just when to part those full, ripe lips to slide in a tongue and when to hold back, caressing Quinn’s own tongue until Quinn begged for more and, just as quickly, got it.

They’d been down-low lovers, once upon a time. In a tiny town like Lost Lake, Tennessee, as conservative as it was Southern, they had had to be. Sneaking away when they could, late nights or early mornings, booty calls at 3 AM and hot, sticky hand jobs in deserted dugouts as the sun rose and gave their swollen knobs a golden sheen just before they burst all over each other, fluttering bellies drizzled in blasts of youthful jizz that both embarrassed and thrilled them in equal measure.

Dash kissed him breathless, stroking him lazily all the while, his touch as electric as it was patient, as if he, too, was remembering the hot, hectic times back in school with Quinn. As if Dash, too, was enjoying the luxury of lying next to each other in an actual bed, one they’d never had the good fortune to enjoy back in school where a single slipup would have brought their carefully closeted worlds crashing down all around them...

Changeling Press | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | iTunes | Smashwords


Alex Winters is the pseudonym of a busy restaurant manager whose curious young staff would love nothing more than to follow him around the dining room reading his steamiest, most romantic passages aloud! When not writing romantic holiday stories of various heat levels, he enjoys long walks with his wife, scary movies and smooth jazz. Visit him online to see what stories are brewing up next!

Website | FacebookGoodreads

Giveaway

One lucky winner will receive a $10.00 Changeling Press Gift Code! 


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Onyx (Gem Series, #3) by Freya Barker Release Blitz!

Title: Onyx (Gem Series, #3) 

Author: Freya Barker 

Genre: Romantic Suspense-Slow Burn Romance 

Release Date: November 6, 2023 Hosted by: Buoni Amici Press, LLC.

GEM: a privately-funded organization operating independently in the search for—and the rescue and recovery of—missing and exploited children. Although, at times working in conjunction with law enforcement, GEM aims to ensure the victims receive justice…by whatever means necessary.

Onyx; balanced, strong, a guardian She’s the voice of reason, advocates, and strategizes. Supporting the team from the background, Onyx rarely goes out in the field. However, when a widespread child exploitation ring is discovered, her particular skill set is needed to get close. Unfortunately, her boss—a man she’s never laid eyes on before—is dead set against her taking the lead. Outvoted, he finds a way to keep her in his sights, risking his own exposure.

AMAZON | APPLE BOOKS | NOOK | KOBO |

USA Today bestselling author Freya Barker loves writing about ordinary people with extraordinary stories. With forty-plus books already published, she continues to create characters who are perhaps less than perfect, each struggling to find their own slice of happy. Recipient of the ReadFREE.ly 2019 Best Book We've Read All Year Award for "Covering Ollie, the 2015 RomCon “Reader’s Choice” Award for Best First Book, “Slim To None”, Finalist for the 2017 Kindle Book Award with “From Dust”, and Finalist for the 2020 Kindle Book Award with “When Hope Ends”, Freya spins story after story with an endless supply of bruised and dented characters, vying for attention!

Purchase/ the Rest of the Series!

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The Olympus Project (The Phoenix Series Book 1) by Ted Tayler Book Tour! #ThePhoenixSeries @AuthorTedTayler @tedtayler1775 @SilverDaggerBookTours

  #books #readers #reading #booklovers #bookbuzz #bookboost #BookPromo #AuthorPromo #BookBlogger #Bookstagram #bookish #bookclub #MustRead #Writersofinstagram #AmReading #BookTour #Giveaway #writingcommunity #readerscommunity

 A secret organisation delivers swift justice where the system fails.

Pages filled with tension and suspense.


The Olympus Project

The Phoenix Series Book 1

by Ted Tayler

Genre: Thriller, Suspense, Crime Fiction


A man plucked from a watery grave and given a new identity, meet The Phoenix – a ruthless assassin sculpted by circumstance. Embraced by the Olympus Project, a clandestine bastion against injustice, The Phoenix becomes the embodiment of swift, unyielding retribution. Buckle up for a rollercoaster of unrelenting action, immersing you in a world of high-stakes intrigue. With characters so vivid, you’ll feel their breath on your skin, the Olympus Project is the spellbinding thriller series for which you’ve been searching.

THE PHOENIX

Colin Bailey is The Phoenix. In the book that preceded this series, a tragic event turned Colin’s life upside down and unleashed a killing spree in his quiet West Country town. He narrowly cheated death under Pulteney Weir in the Roman City of Bath, and is now working with a secret organisation engaged in fighting injustice. The Phoenix has a clearly defined set of values regarding what is right and what is wrong. He believes guilty criminals must pay the price.

(Read CONCEPTION – THE BIRTH OF THE PHOENIX – for Colin Bailey’s story)

SETTING
Larcombe Manor is the headquarters of The Olympus Project and lies several miles northwest of Bath. The true nature of the organisation is hidden from the outside world. The Charity Commission believes the Manor is home to service personnel suffering from PTSD who are treated at the Manor until they’re ready to return to duty or civilian life. Larcombe is the family home of Commodore William Horatio Hunt OBE, and he is the senior Olympus agent on site: code name Erebus.

PRAISE FOR TED TAYLER:
"Tayler's intrigue is timely given world events. I can easily see the premise being real.”
Vigilantes motivated by hope for a better world. Justice delivered where the system fails."
Characters using their personal tragedies as motivation to fix the world."
"Spinning a tale of fear and violence straight from world headlines."

SERIES LIST
The Olympus Project
Gold, Silver, and Bombs
Nothing Is Ever Forever
In The Lap of The Gods
The Price of Treachery
A New Dawn
Something Wicked Draws Near
Evil Always Finds A Way
Revenge Comes in Many Colours
Three Weeks in September
A Frequent Peal Of Bells
Larcombe Manor

**Get it FREE Nov 4th ONLY!!**

Amazon * Bookbub * Goodreads

What is one of your pet peeves? 


The lack of ‘live’ music venues for young musicians. When we started out in the early 60s, there were youth clubs, village halls, pubs, working men’s clubs, sports and social clubs, and larger dance halls that were prepared to give us a chance. So many of those venues have closed, and many that remain settle for ‘covers’ bands or discos, rather than promote a new band writing their own material. 


What are you passionate about these days? 


Protecting free speech. When I became a teenager, one of the first things my parents taught me was to respect the opinion of others; and not just my elders. Whether I believed people were misguided, or just plain wrong, everyone was entitled to their own view on a subject – politics, religion, whether the world was flat, anything and everything, there were two sides to every argument. Times have changed, and not always for the better.


Describe yourself in 5 words or less!


Aspiring national treasure.

 

When did you first consider yourself a writer? 


When a retired Naval Commander wrote to me a couple of years ago, asking who I’d spoken to at Faslane – home to Britain’s nuclear submarines. I’d written about the base in ‘Buried Secrets’ from the Freeman Files, and he was impressed with the accuracy of my observations on how the Royal Navy and the Russians operated. I was forced to admit that Google had provided the framework; the rest was my fertile imagination.


What can we expect from you in the future? 


That’s a tricky one. I’m almost eighty, so long-term planning is optimistic. Also, after writing fifty-six books in ten years, I’m undecided whether to commit to another series. Perhaps, if I have a great idea for a book, I could write a standalone title featuring a character I’ve already created? 

An adventure for Rusty Scott from The Phoenix Series where he infiltrates an organized crime gang to bring them to justice; or follow DI Grace Packenham’s first murder investigation with the Metropolitan Police after Gus Freeman’s cold case review team was disbanded. 


If The Phoenix became a film franchise, who would you like to play the lead? 


I’d remind the casting director that Colin Bailey was nondescript. The sort of character people walked past in the street and didn’t register. Average in height, weight, looks, and attire. It should be the ideal opportunity for an actor who’s been overlooked for leading roles in the past but can both act and handle action sequences with aplomb. I rarely watch films these days; so, I don’t have a clue whether there’s an English actor who fits the bill.


If The Freeman Files became a filmed series, who would you like to play the lead? 


I’m not sure the stories lend themselves to the silver screen. They’re more ‘Midsomer Murders,’ or for older viewers, Ruth Rendell’s ‘Inspector Wexford’ from British TV. 

Gus Freeman reasons his way through murder investigations rather than engaging in car chases and non-stop action. With a few tweaks, it could work on TV, and my preference would, again, be for new faces, rather than familiar ones. Although, I wouldn’t say no if Hugh Laurie was interested in playing Gus. 


Are your characters based on real people or did they all come from your imagination?


When you get to my age, you have a lot of different people on which to base your fictional characters. If you get things right as a writer, you produce characters with a range of quirks and idiosyncrasies the reader finds believable. Strong characters that fit seamlessly into the situations in which you put them. I’ve enjoyed creating dozens of new characters, but they’re always imaginary, never based on one specific person I’ve met.  


Who are your top 10 favourite authors?


William Shakespeare, 

Charles Dickens,

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle,

Agatha Christie,

Josephine Tey.

Ruth Rendell,

Colin Dexter,

Ian Rankin,

Lee Child,

Karin Slaughter.

 

What do you think about the current publishing market?


I’m glad I started writing when I did, despite being sixty-seven years old, because self-publishing was available to me. The journey was harder because I had to learn on the job, plus handle my own marketing, but I would never have published as many books as I have if I’d followed the traditional route.

When indie writers were first around, the traditional crowd looked down on them, and thought they’d go away in time. Over the last three years, I’ve seen more and more books appearing on Amazon (often with new covers and titles) from authors whose books were big sellers in hardback and paperback, ten, twenty, even thirty years ago. Some language in those books has been moderated to reflect changing times, but the publishers have at long last realized how much money can be made from the Kindle and Audio market. That’s made life tougher for an indie author like me, but there’s no point moaning about it. The market is expanding, so there’s room for both types of writers to be successful – if you’re prepared to work hard for it.


Do you read yourself and if so, what is your favorite genre?


I used to read between 150 and 200 books a year and posted reviews on Amazon and Goodreads. My choice was usually from the Mystery, Thriller and Suspense category, but sometimes I received requests from other authors that allowed me to dip into different genres. I haven’t found as much free time since my own books became more popular. I’m reading 75-100 books a year these days.   


What have you read recently?


Eight from September: -


Whispered Bones – NC Lewis

Little Girl Missing – JG Roberts

If I Run – Molly Black

Watch Her Vanish – Ellery Kane

No Mercy – Blake Pierce

Fool Me Once – Solomon Carter

Father Brown Collection – G K Chesterton

The Murder Book – Mark Billingham


What does success in writing look like to you? 


A girl who was at school with my twin daughters read my first book. and wrote to me; she said it was the best book she had ever read. She had left school seventeen years before and read nothing since. Now that’s what I call a success! 

If something I wrote can give someone back the love of reading that they had lost, then would a ‘best seller’ selling thousands of books to people who read all the time be any more satisfying?


Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?


In 2017 I contacted a prolific author whose books I’d read and enjoyed, to ask how they were so successful while attracting such a high percentage of unfavourable comments. They said that unlike Ian Rankin and Lee Child, who could spend eighteen months polishing their manuscript so that it shone like a diamond, they needed to publish half a dozen titles each year in order to put food on the table for their family. So, they accepted that readers would spot the typos, and the change of character name halfway through a book. Their job was to continue to do their best to turn out fast-paced, page-turning stories that most readers enjoyed. 

I’m a storyteller who tries to follow the same path. I won’t find all the elusive typos, and I know that my grammar isn’t perfect. I don’t ignore the bad reviews, nor do I go over the top with the stellar variety. I too can’t expect to have a manuscript that shines like a diamond when I aim to publish six titles a year. What I need to do is ensure they’re fast-paced, page-turners and pray readers enjoy them.


Which is your favourite character and why?


That’s a difficult question. Colin Bailey (The Phoenix) the vigilante assassin, was someone I wrote about for six years. He believed the punishment should fit the crime. I enjoyed writing about him, but.

I’ve decided Rusty Scott is my favourite. I don’t think that will change, however many series I might write. Rusty was the Phoenix’s best friend and right-hand man throughout the series. Mr Dependable. 

  

Ted Tayler is the international best-selling indie author of the Freeman Files and Phoenix series. His next project is another series of challenging mysteries set in England in the 1930s. Brothers In Crime is scheduled to appear on Amazon from October 2023.

Sign up to his mailing list at tedtayler.co.uk to keep informed about future release dates, giveaways, and exclusives. In addition, readers can find him on BookBub, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Ted Tayler lives in the English West country, where his stories are based. Born in 1945, Ted’s been married to Lynne since 1971. They have three children and four grandchildren.

Since he published his first novel in 2013, Ted has sold over 50,000 books and surpassed 20 million page reads on Kindle Unlimited. His thought-provoking mysteries appeal to readers of Sally Rigby, Joy Ellis, Pauline Rowson, and Faith Martin. His action-packed thrillers are a must for fans of Mark Dawson, Jack Mars, and J C Ryan.

Gus Freeman’s cold case investigations are carried out with reasoned deduction rather than bursts of frantic action. In each of the 24 books, unsolved murder is accompanied by romance, humour, and country life. The core message in the 12 Phoenix novels is that criminals should pay for their crimes. Unfortunately, the current system fails to deliver the correct punishment, so Phoenix helps redress the balance.

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