View this email in your browser

New Year well under way
How is it going for you? I’m writing this on 1 February and there are
snowdrops appearing. Have the January blues already gone? Have you made
New Year’s resolutions about your wring or reading? How is that going?
I’ve signed up on Good Reads to read sixty books this year. Last year I
said fifty and managed sixty-eight. So far I’m just keeping on top of
it.
I’ve decided to have a go at book and gift fairs his year. Do you have
any experiences of that? How did you get on? Is it worth it?
Writing news

I’ve now officially started the seventh Schelberg book. The working title is Gabriela. I’ve
spent about three hours on it so it is officially underway. It’s mainly
about German resistance to the Nazi regime but it does tie in with the
other books. I found myself today researching how to make Sauerkraut.
Don’t ask. Read the book when it’s out and you’ll understand.
Natascha’s Story, my highly illustrated book for infant school children, is out and doing the rounds. See the book trailer here and you can find the book here.
It was great to work with my daughter Ashleigh on this text. She’s done
some lovely illustrations. I’m holding a small gathering at my home on
20 February. I can only have a few people and I’m pulling names out of a
biscuit tin for invites. Let me know if you would like your name in
the biscuit tin.
I have a short story on Talking about My Generation: A Little Piece of the Earth https://This is about grief and hope, Covid and isolation.
I also have review on there of the Whitefield Garrick production It’s a Wonderful Life. Such a well-loved story.
On My Blog
I’ve been busy again this month. I have three interviews on there. Sarah Swatridge tells me about what it was like bringing the novel back to life through the Renascienta imprint.
Henry Lewi discusses his short story collection Once We Were Heroes. Sarah Knapp talks me about her involvement with the Good news ….? anthology.
There is also an invite to out online launch of S. Nadja Zajdman’s Between Worlds. Can you join us on 19 February?
The Young Person’s Library
I’ve added just one book this month – my own Natascha’s Story. My description of it here is aimed at the teacher, guardian or school librarian.
Recommended read
I’ve read some great book this month and was quite torn between two: Abi Daré’s And So I Roar and Nikki May’s This Motherless Land. Read more.
Giveaway
This month I’m giving away my gentle paranormal romance for young adults: Spooking
Tom crashes his car and he wakes up in an unfamiliar place. He is unable
to reach Amanda. They argued just before the crash. He meets cheeky but
friendly Marcus, who, though younger than Tom, has more experience in
the areas that now matter. But Marcus has his own concerns and
eventually has to leave Tom to deal with his problems on his own. How
can Tom let Amanda know how much he loves her? Does she feel the same
way? Will they ever be able to move forward? Sign up to receive this newsletter into your inbox and get access to this and other freebies.
Please leave a review on Amazon, if you’re allowed to, on Good Reads and anywhere else you can.
The Schellberg Project
The posts may be helpful for teachers who
are familiar with the Schellberg stories or who are teaching about the
Holocaust. They may also be interesting for other readers of historical
fiction.
This month I have look at the Speakeasy as a place where some of the resistance might take place. I also write about starting Schellberg seven.
Some notes about my newsletters and blogs
They do overlap a little but here is a summary of what they all do.
Bridge House Authors For all those published
by Bridge House, CaféLit, Chapeltown or The Red Telephone or interested
in being published by us. General news about the imprints. News for
writers. Links to book performance. Sign up here.
The Bridgetown Café Bookshop where you can
buy my books and books published by Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit,
Chapeltown Books and The Red Telephone. Visit us here.
Gill’s News: News about my writing, The Schellberg Project, School Visits and Events. Book recommendations and giveaways. Find it here.
Pushing Boundaries, Flying Higher News about conferences and workshops to do with the young adult novel. (infrequent postings) Sign up here.
Red Telephone Books News about our books and our authors. Sign up here.
A Publisher’s Perspective Here I and some other editors blog as a publisher. Access this here.
The Creative Café Project Listings and reviews of creative cafés. See them here.
CaféLit Stories Find these here
Gill James Writer All about writing and about my books. View this here.
Gill’s Recommended Reads Find information here about books that have taken me out of my editor’s head and a reminder of the ones I’ve highlighted in this newsletter.
Gill’s Sample Fiction Read some of my fiction here.
The House on Schellberg Street All about my Schellberg project. Read it here.
Writing Teacher All about teaching creative writing. Some creative writing exercises. Access this here. I also invite other writers to provide prompts and work for critique.
Books Books Books Weekly offers on our books and news of new books. Find them here.
The Young Person’s Library The children’s book catalogue. Access it here.
Fair Submissions Find it here.
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment