News 2 Janaury 2025

 Happy New Year to You

 

I hope everything will go the way you would like it to in 2026. Have you made New Year's resolutions? I've not really made any this year but I do have a wish list so I'll actually be doing anything that gets me closer to my three wishes being granted:

What are they?

I'd like to sleep better so I'm looking at actions that will cause that to happen.

I want to sell more books so I'll be looking at a few new marketing strategies.

I want to write better texts. Interestingly today I've been putting together my entries for the LAA's annual writing competitions and I've dug up some older texts that are not yet placed. I've given them all yet one more edit and I think they've all improved.  We move on constantly, don’t we?        

  

 

Writing news

I’m continuing with my work on the seventh Schellberg book. The Daleks have arrived in Nazi Germany!  

You'll read more about that on the Schellberg blog.

 

On My Blog

 

I have an offer on three of the Best of CaféLit books in which my work appears. 

 

I've suggested howyou might persuade yourself to call yourself a writer: 

 

 

There is a link for a countdown deal on my latest flash fiction collection, 280 x 70. Note, this expires on 6 January. https://www.gilljameswriter.com/2025/12/my-latest-flash-fiction-collection-on.html

 

I've also created a Book Club guide for The Best of CaféLit 5

 

 

The Young Person’s Library

I've added a picture book about World War II.  This has an unusual target reader. 

 

The Best of All Magical Mix That’s You enhances self-confidence, especially amongst mixed-race children. 

 

The Lights that Dance in the Night is a picture book that explores geography and diversity and refers to the Northern Lights. 

 

Recommended read 

 

This month I've chosen The Constant Princess by Philippa Gregory.

This is the story of Katherine of Aragon from a child until she begins to suspect Henry VIII of having an affair with Anne Boleyn.

Philippa Gregory shows us what it is like for a young girl who has been brought up to be a princess. We get insights too into the Spain of Isabella and Ferdinand and how the Spanish royals enjoyed the delights of the Alhambra Place after the Moors had been chased away.

We see a young woman who falls in love with the young husband of her arranged marriage.  We witness her grief when that young man dies prematurely.

We gain some understanding of how Henry became the way that he was. He was never meant to be king. That should have been his older brother Arthur, to whom Katherine was first married.

Because of Gregory's skilful writing we gain useful insight into this brave young woman.

An interesting issue arises. Can Muslims, Jews and Christians live together in peace and harmony? Katherine believes ardently that Christianity is the true faith but admires the culture, science and education of the Muslims. The Jews too have their qualities.

They win one war but then there could be another and yet another. Isn't it peace they should be working towards?

Some modern day questions arise here for us.

We all know the story doesn't end well for Katherine. Gregory really helps us to see it from the young queen's point of view.        

Find your copy here  

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing

 

 

Giveaway  

 

This month I'm giving away Natascha's Story. This time it will be a PDF.  It might be fun to read to young children or grandchildren.

Natascha is forever falling off the piano and getting sucked up by the vacuum cleaner.

Natascha is the smallest of a set of Russian dolls and envies her bigger sisters as they have more detail on them.

The family acquire a new vacuum cleaner and this time it takes Natascha to another world where she has an amazing adventure.  But is it all a dream and related to the story the mummy is reading to young Alfred?

Up to you to decide in Natascha’s intriguing story told by Gill and Ashleigh James.        

 

Grab your copy here.  You’ll find an e-book file and a PDF plus a lot of other free materials here.

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.

I've included here another review of Our War Time Street but this time for a slightly different readership.

I've also drawn a parallel between the Nazis and the Daleks.

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.   

Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  

Happy reading and writing.

 

 

News 3 December 2025

 

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By coincidence I and one of our other Chapeltown writers have a feel-good picture book coming out on the same day - 11 December, so we've decided to do a joint launch – 6.30 pm to 7.30 pm. We're going to read the books and show them on screen. We'll talk a little about how the stories came into being. And we'll answer a few questions. This is an event for all the family and young children are especially welcome. Book your slot here   Writing news I’m continuing with my work on the seventh Schellberg book. My protagonist and her new flat mate are now talking about creating an underground satirical theatre.    I wrote about joining the Walks for Dementia for Talking About My Generation    I offer a review of the Whitefield Garrick's production of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher   My short story 'Early that Morning' appears on Booksie: On My Blog I have an offer on three of my books about the craft of writing:   I list the twenty great things about being a writer, in my opinions.   I have created a book club guide  for 140 x 140     I talk to Jim Bates about his collection Where the Heart is.    The Young Person’s Library No books were added this month though obviously the two mentioned above will be put up there soon.  Recommended read This month I've chosen Ruth by Elizabeth Gaskell.     Is this a book way ahead of its time? It contains the richness of plot that all the 21st century gurus say we must have, including two rather nasty things happening just before it ends.  The characters are believable and rounded. Yes, it's a classic and the print is rather small. Yes, there is a lot of description.  There is also a lot of head-hopping. Novelists had not yet mastered the discipline of a constant close third person narrative. Elizabeth Gaskell jumps into the text frequently. The story is at once harrowing and promising of hope.  Ruth is a fallen woman and there was not much sympathy for such as her then. Yet she takes on a brave task and her illegitimate son may be proud of her, not ashamed.    I'm now tempted to read more by this insightful novelist.  This particular text was very well annotated which made the whole process even more rewarding.  Find you copy here: Giveaway   This month I'm giving away The House of Clementine.    There is unease on Zandra. On far away Zenoto a young president appears to be turning his back on the innovative and hugely successful financial regime. The Peace Child again has much to do. It becomes personal. Kaleem’s former girlfriend and her desperately ill step-daughter are attacked. Some strange encounters partly answer some of Kaleem’s questions. But as he begins to understand what “snazzy” really means and what the brown tunics want, he is faced with yet more puzzles: who or what exactly is Meelak, what is the House of Clementine and how much control does it have, and what or who is really behind the unrest? Will the Peace Child find his own peace? Find out in this fourth novel in the Peace Child series. Grab your copy here.  You’ll find an e-book file and a PDF plus a lot of other free materials here. 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’ve taken a look at some satirical caricatures of Hitler:   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.    Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.   Happy reading and writing.

News 13 October

 

Late this month – apologies

We’ve been away on our holidays this month so I’m a little behind with everything – except my reading challenge with Good Reads. I am now seven books ahead!  Yes, one of the main points of a holiday for me is to get more reading done – and I didn’t stint this time. You’ll read about which book came out top further on.  

 

Writing news

I’m continuing with my work on the seventh Schellberg book. My protagonist has just started to get into Swing and a club that she frequents has just been raided.  

 

On My Blog

 

I have just one post on my blog this time: Henry Mitchell talks to me about the publication of his book, Telling the Dark

 

The Young Person’s Library 

 

I added just one book in September.  I Never Thought I’d End up Here is a teen Rom Com /   Chicklet-lit book. It’s maybe a little fluffy but good fun anyway. 

 

Recommended read 

 

This month I choose The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan.  

Two engaging stories weave together and finally make sense of each other at the end.

It’s a story full of coincidences and improbabilities. There is even a ghost and a couple of love stories. There are mysteries aplenty too. Why was a biscuit tin containing someone’s ashes left on a train? Why is the ghost so angry? How will Laura ever be able to return all of the objects that her former boss found?

Yet it all works beautifully and makes for a very pleasant read.

Anthony Perdew, the original collector of the objects, was a short story writer and interwoven in the text are some of his stories about the objects - many of which actually come very close to the truth.

The characters are charming and in my view well-rounded and believable.

Ruth Hogan keeps you engaged as she outlines the tasks for The Keeper of Lost Things.  

Note, this is an affiliate link and a small portion of what you pay, at no extra cost to you,  may go to Bridge House Publishing.

 

 Giveaway

This month I’m giving away a copy of The Big Book of Prompts 

 

There are three prompts a day for the whole of the year. Some are short and pithy, others are inspired by obscure days e.g. 8 January Bubble Bath Day, and some go into more detail on an aspect of writing craft. There are series that go over a number of days. A few prompts are about works in progress and several give you the choice of working with a text you have already created, creating something new or even editing a completed piece of work. But every prompt gives you the opportunity to write something as well.

These prompts were put together by writers published by the Bridge House, CaféLit and Chapeltown imprints, and their friends.

Happy writing!

 

 

Grab your copy  here.  You’ll find an e-book file and a PDF plus a lot of other free materials here.

Please leave a review on Amazon, if you’re allowed to, on Good Reads and anywhere else you can.

 

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.   

Opportunities for writers are added several times a day. Roughly once a month I send it out to a list. If you would like to be on that list, sign up here.  

Happy reading and writing.