articles, Literature Events, Uncategorized, Writing

Author Interview- Rebecca Stone

This week I was lucky enough to interview upcoming Indie Author, Rebecca Stone about her YA Thriller debut, Burn at the Roots.

Burn at the Roots follows Alice Bridges’ journey to self discovery through her university life. As soon as Alice begins Freshers Week, her life is thrown upside down to a tragic incident that will change her family forever. In order to understand how to move forward, Alice must unravel the past that lead to the tragic event.

I am now joined by Rebecca Stone.

Hi Rebecca, thank you for setting up this interview with me, I’ve been really excited to ask you some questions on your upcoming book. We’ll start with the question that everyone has been asking. Is this your first book?

Hello Charlotte, thank you for having me! Yes, this is my first published book. I’ve written many for my eyes only but this is the first one that’s actually ready to be shared with the rest of the world – I’m so excited! Burn at the Roots is my first YA book and it’s mainly based around York.

I’m not surprised! After reading Burn at the Roots, I noticed that the book is mainly set in York. Was there a particular reason in setting the location in the North of England?

Yes, actually there is. I’m a fellow Northerner myself! I was born in Leeds and used to love visiting my relatives in York. I would always be found wondering the Shambles during the weekends and having a bite in Betty’s – if it wasn’t fully booked that is. I mean what’s not to love about the place, even JK Rowling was inspired by the city!

I’ve heard there’s so much memorabilia all over the place?

There is! Some of the shops now focus on trying to create the magical experience. I’d definitely recommend going near Halloween! (laughs)

So about your book, the first question from one of your fans has asked: Who is your favourite character?

Ooh that’s a tricky one! I’d probably have to say Pasha. I love how confident she seems, despite owning the fact that she’s a total swot! I wish I was that confident when I was her age!

Ah, so are any of these characters based on yourself?

They’re all an extension of my personality really. I love being active similar to Matt, I’ve always had an interest in academia and I love travelling just as much as Alice. I can’t speak another language yet but I am trying!

Are any of the characters in Burn at the Roots based on real people?

No, but I hope they seem like they are! I’ve tried to focus on some of my personality traits and tried to stretch them out to form characters on their own. Hopefully I’ve done them all justice!

We’ve got another one from a fan here too – Where did you get your inspiration from?

This is going to sound really cheesy but it was actually a dream I had on holiday! I remember dreaming about York Maze and knew that I wanted that to be the final scene of my story. I then worked back from that and ended up coming up with the plot along the way. I normally read thrillers and wanted to write something that I knew I would’ve loved to have read growing up. There was no Holly Jackson or Karen McManus around when I was a teen, so why not just come up with your own story?

I know! I wish I had those authors around too! I think I would’ve been reading a lot more if they were published back in the day. With your book talking about secrets and lies, what’s the biggest lie you’ve ever told?

That’s really difficult as I’m actually a really honest person – probably to a fault to be honest! If I had to say my biggest lie was probably signing a note to get out of swimming in secondary school. I didn’t have my kit and it was a last minute change. My dad ended up getting a phone call and thankful he covered for me!

I think there’ll be loads of people reading this that can relate Rebecca, I’m, sure I’ve done this myself at one point! Going back to the book now, did you have any alternative endings?

I did actually and I can’t say much else about them to be honest because they might still come true.

Ooh, meaning?

The alternative endings weren’t necessarily scrapped. I’m hoping to see if I can keep the endings for the next few books. I’m hoping it becomes a series.

That’s so exciting! I’d love to follow Alice, Matt and Pasha on their next journey, even if it hasn’t happened yet!

(laughs) yes, but stay tuned!

Will it be a prequel or a sequel?

I can’t say fully now but something is definitely happening behind the scenes.

Now I know I already have a copy but when can our readers get their hands on it?

Burn at the Roots will be out on Wednesday 27th September and it will be available to buy on Amazon as an ebook. There might be a few deals coming too around Kindle Unlimited which I’m really excited about!

That’s great. Will there be a paperback version?

Not yet but I’m hoping there will be in the near future.

So there we have it! I hope you’re all as hooked with Burn at the Roots as I am.

Grab yourself a copy of the book here!

Book Review, reviews

Book Lovers by Emily Henry

Book Lovers by Emily Henry, Paperback, 384 pages, Penguin Books, £8.99, Waterstones.

Book Lovers by Emily Henry, follows Nora Stephens into the stereotypical country life of Sunshine Falls in North Carolina, in the hope to rekindle her friendship with her sister, Libby.

Libby however has other plans and demands Nora to complete her checklist over their month-vacay in the country.

Whilst ticking off the checklist, Nora bumps into an arch rival in the publishing industry, Charlie Lastra. Will he unravel her plans and more importantly, her checklist?

Characterisation

Each character within Book Lovers has their own unique voice and opinion of the scenarios that unfold in the novel. With Nora’s fix-it attitude and Libby’s relaxed vibe, it’s easy to see how Sunshine Falls or even Charlie Lastra, might showcase their opposing views. What Henry does well in this book is delivering a distinct voice whilst simultaneously showcasing multiple aspects of a characters personality. The juxtaposing views and attitudes only add the the reality of what a real personality looks and sounds like.

Plot

The plot if Book Lovers has a strong viewpoint on romance tropes and how they play out. With both of the main characters working in publishing, it’s pretty hard to not see them pop up everywhere, be it in conversation or in Henry’s plot itself.

Overall, Book Lovers is a feel-good read about – yes, books – as well as relationships. This isn’t just a love interest. Henry explores all kinds of relationships, from lovers and friendships, all the way through to family.

After reading Book Lovers, it could possibly be compared to Sally Thorne’s style. I would suggest that if you like reading Beth O’Leary or Sally Thorne, give Emily Henry a try. Although I prefer the humour of Sally Thorne, I can’t deny the hours I spent laughing over this book. If you’re after a funny feel-good read, then look no further.

You can read more reviews and purchase a copy of this book here.

If you would like to see what I’m reading on a more regular basis, feel free to give me a follow on instagram at: @cbarkerwriting.

articles, Uncategorized, Writing

Holiday Inspiration – Writers’ Style

Holidays play a big part in my life. I love exploring new destinations, making new friends and being immersed in different cultures. Not only are holidays a great place to relax and rejuvenate yourself but they’re also a great source of inspiration.

Most of the time when I’m on holiday, I write a description of where I’m writing and I’ll write some dialogue, to make sure I’ve got authentic voices within my characters. For example, when I recently visited Orlando, I took note of streets, popular names and paid close attention to how the locals spoke to each other. I then created a short story based on Church Street. Prior to that I also wrote a descriptive piece of where the mountains met the shoreline at dawn in Rhodes. This allowed me to create a vivid image within my mind that I can return to, to help me create a setting for future scenes.


Whenever I’m on holiday, my imagination becomes a sponge.

My logic for this is that I’m relaxed on holiday and feel safe, so my creativity begins to flow. I’m aware other writers like to use holidays as ways not to write anything at all, so that when they come back refreshed, their ideas are ready. For me this doesn’t work as I often forget what the spark initially was.


If anyone is or are going away soon – I prey you all are! – then try taking your notebook and jotting down a few descriptions of your holiday. This is how I started and now I can’t get enough when I’m on holiday. Hopefully this little trick will allow you to do the same.

Uncategorized, Writing

Writing Update



Hello Everyone, I know I’ve been particularly quiet on here recently but trust me, there’s a lot going on behind the scenes!

Over the last few months, I’ve been plugging away at my current work in progress – a thriller set in a secluded landscape in the UK – and I’m so pleased to have finally finished the first draft of my adult thriller!

I was initially writing the first three chapters, as a writing exercise, when a trusted reader really wanted to know what had happened to one of my main characters. Hopefully, I’ll do them justice when the final draft is complete.

Alongside this, I’ve been editing my first book Burn at the Roots and looking at various cover designs that would best suit the genre. It’s so exciting to finally start looking at what my book will look like!

Whenever I’m writing, I tend to take a break from reading in case any ideas overlap into my writing. I love to read but it’s something I really struggle with when I’m working on a project.

If you would like to see additional pieces of my writing on here, feel free to drop me a comment.

I also use Ko-Fi, where some smaller snippets of my daily writing can be found. If you want to support my writing journey, you can also do that on there too by buying me a coffee! My writing is mainly fuelled by coffee so any donations are always really appreciated.

I just wanted to end this post with a big thank you to all those who currently support me.

I may have been a little quiet on here but I’ve been extremely busy behind the scenes writing new content that I think you’re going to be excited about.

Here’s to the new next few writing months!

articles, Uncategorized, Writing

Self Publishing: Is it Worth it?

Over the last few weeks this question has been dangling over me like a carrot. Self-publishing seems to promise me, readers and full ownership of my book but is it really too good to be true?

This form of publishing is one of the routes I’ve been itching to try all along but often felt like it had a negative stigma attached to it.

I’m currently in between querying my first YA novel and whilst I’ve been spending time writing another book, I’ve noticed a few things about my writing style.

I prefer writing for adults.

I prefer the freedom I have with my audience but it’s made me question what to do with my YA book. I know I would’ve loved reading something like this when I was growing up and if it were successful, I already have a series in mind for it. So, I still want to try and publish my book, but which route is best for it?

Free Reign of Your Book

When I say free reign, I mean it.

Self-publishing allows you to literally do what you want with your book. From editing, to production, to marketing. It’s all yours to play around with. For me the concept of making my book look exactly how I want it to and marketing it in a way I think will work best, is like music to my ears. The more involved I am in my book, the better.

However I know not everyone will see it in this way. It can look daunting to someone who’s never tried to create book covers or market their work before, yet alone if your IT skills aren’t the best. It’s also worth considering the time it would take to get all of this up and running in comparison to getting published the traditional route. It could mean more work on production and marketing your book than writing it.

Publishing Houses v Self-Publishing

Doing all of the work means you’re going to need your novel to stand out from the crowd. This will be full of not only other self published authors but indie presses and publishing houses. Although publishing houses may validate the quality of your writing for some people, that doesn’t mean that everyone will view your writing in this way.

Yes you will instantly have a platform if you’re traditionally published to some extent. However, if you self-publish you can still have a platform. In fact, because it’s your book, you’ll probably spend more time promoting it than a publishing house would, meaning a larger audience overall with possibly more engagement.

The Profits of Publishing.

For some it might come down to the price of publishing. In traditional publishing, the average royalties for a new author can range from 7.5% – 12% depending on experience and genre. In self-publishing however, royalties can range from 35% – 70% according to KDP.

A big difference right?

Before you think it’s a no brainier, don’t forget to look at further details. Each book will have its own amount of VAT and tax and may also incur postage costs too. Not only this but once you’re at the end of the tax year, you’ll have to sort your own finances to ensure you’re not doing tax invasion.

Sound like a faff? Stick with traditional publishing. Not fazed? Then look further into self-publishing.

The Outcome

If these points haven’t fazed you or have even excited you about self-publishing, then I’d recommend taking a closer look into the industry. Hopefully I’ve opened your eyes to some of the nitty-gritty parts of self-publishing that you might not have considered before. Only you know whether it’s worth persevering for.

For me personally? I know my audience engagement would be better online and may attract more YA readers. So for me, I’ll take a closer look into self-publishing and if I gain more readers by self-publishing then so be it. For me, it’s all about the readers when it comes to my writing.

Book Review, reviews

The Maid by Nita Prose

The Maid by Nita Prose, Harper Collins, hardback, 352 pages, £14.99, Waterstones

Ever wanted to be a fly on the wall to the rich and famous? How about a fly on the wall to a murder in your workplace? Then let me introduce you to Molly Maid, the maid at The Regency Grand.

At the beginning of the novel we learn that there is a murder at the hotel in which Molly works. Throughout the novel, Molly becomes tangled within the mess and must find out who killed Mr.Black, in order to clear her name.

The narrative of The Maid is smothered in Molly’s character, as we learn that Molly struggles with understanding jokes and facial expressions. Although Molly comes across as a naive character, she also appears an unreliable one.

Due to the unreliable narrator, I often found the novel difficult to read. Although I trusted Molly, I did not trust her judgement. Furthermore reading more about Molly’s past appeared to slow the pace of Prose’s novel and ultimately made it a difficult read.

As soon as the narrative became reliable through Mr.Preston and his daughter Charlotte, did the pace quicken until the end. It cannot be denied that there is strong characterisation within The Maid. It is however, unfortunate that I did not have an emotional connection with Molly, due to her unreliableness.

Interestingly, The Maid reminds me much of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime. The naivety and unreliableness of the main characters is what I think makes both of these novels strikingly similar. If Mark Had don’s book was a good read for you, then I strongly recommend The Maid as your next read.

you can find the blurb of the book or purchase a copy here.

articles, Writing

Slow and Steady Wins the Race

I’m sure you’ve seen it by now. It’s between Christmas and New Year. The decorations are coming down, the inspiration is building and your motivation is beginning to peak.

At this point, remember that slow and steady wins the race. Most people ignore this and jump straight in. It can be great at first, your motivation is all shiny and new, you even see results fast! However as the weeks progress, your motivation dwindles and your progress begins to plateau.

All of your intentions were right, right from the very beginning, but your execution? That could do with a tweak.

At work, we are always told to use SMART targets. It stands for Specific Measurable Accountable Realistic and Timely. It might seem like a lot more effort creating goals in this way but they can be easy to do once you’ve had a little practise. For example:

Specific – I want to run 5k / I would like to write a book

Measurable – I will run twice a week to begin with / I will create a chapter breakdown of my book’s plot.

Accountable – I will complete my runs after work / I will allow 1 hour each morning to write.

Realistic – I will use my time after dinner to achieve this goal / I will use 1 hour before bed if I am unable to write in the mornings.

Timely – I will complete a 5k run for a charity event/ I will complete my novel in one year.

If you set yourself a goal like this each month, you’ll be surprised at how quickly you’ll achieve your goals. Not only that but you won’t run out of motivation by running straight into what you want.

Give this a go and let me know in the comments with how you got on!

Have a great New Year achieving your goals!

Book Review, reviews

Final Girls by Riley Sager

Final Girls by Riley Sager, Paperback, 339 pages, Ebury Press, £12.99, Waterstones

Overview

Quincy Carpenter is a Final Girl. Quincy shares this title with two other girls, Lisa and Samantha. When Lisa dies in mysterious circumstances, Quincy can’t quite shift that something doesn’t feel right. With Sam showing up unexpected and angry at Lisa’s death, Quincy must quickly figure out whether to trust her gut reactions once again, to find out what happened to Lisa.

Characterisation

Riley’s characterisation in Final Girls is distinctive and really adds to the reader’s experience. Each character shows different qualities and varies in depth, regardless how much they are in the novel. Craig, Quincy’s love interest before the Pine Cottage incident, changes throughout Quincy’s memories, making him feel realistic and in some areas, relatable.

Reflecting on Quincy and Sam, their emotions have been shown in such detail that it makes the reader understand how their previous escapes have caused them to react differently to life. One element that Sager has mastered in Final Girls is that every character’s actions and emotions have all been created with intent. It is this understanding that makes this book intense from the very beginning. There’s a reason Quincy has memory issues. There’s a reason why Sam is so angry. There’s a reason why Pine Cottage has not been forgotten.

Narrative

The narrative of Final Girls is written in two perspectives. The majority of the novel is written in first person through the eyes of Quincy Carpenter. However Quincy’s memories relating to Pine Cottage are in third person, closed perspective. Using various viewpoints works well here as it helps the reader differentiate between what is memory and what is reality. Furthermore with Quincy suffering from memory loss due to trauma, the narrative itself is pivotal for Quincy’s understanding of what happened at Pine Cottage and what has happened to Lisa.

Overall

Final Girls is a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, trying to crack the case between Lisa’s death and Pine Cottage. Sager’s novel springs into action and doesn’t skip a beat until the very end.

Prepare yourself for twists and turns and then prepare some more.

I really enjoyed this book and was pleased to say that my instincts with this book were correct. Final Girls is a psychological thriller that you need to take with you on your next holiday. Final Girls is light enough to read with ease and suspenseful enough to keep you hooked.

This novel was compared to Gone Girl by Stephen King when I originally bought this book. However, I find The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins to be a much closer comparison – but don’t take my word for it. Grab yourself a copy and see for yourself!

Star rating: 4/5

Book Review, reviews

Book Review: The Hating Game by Sally Thorne

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne, Harper Collins, Paperback, 384 pages, Waterstones, £8.99

There’s a very fine line between love and hate and Sally Thorne’s The Hating Game, shows just how similar these emotions can be.

Synopsis

The Hating Game follows the gate between colleagues Lucy Hutton and Joshua Templeman. As soon as we read about a new job opening at Gammon & Bexley Publishing, the readers are plunged into the hating fest whilst watching Lucy and Josh compete for the Creative Director position.

Review

One of the best features of The Hating Game is Sally Thorne’s use of dialogue. I often found myself reciting some of the discussions between Lucy and Josh because they were just so good. I also couldn’t help belly-laughing at some scenes and re-read them a few times before continuing with the novel.

One element I was pleased to read was Thorne’s use of sarcasm between Josh and Lucy. Sarcasm can be really challenging to write. Not because each part of the joke needs to be written in order for it to be understood, but for the simple fact that it is very easy to misinterpret sarcasm. The sarcasm used between Lucy and Josh makes for excellent banter between the characters.

Another striking feature within this book is the characterisation. Whether Lucy and Josh are arguing, flirting, competing or even doing their job in the office, you can tell who is who, just by their actions. The phrase show don’t tell applies significantly to Thorne’s characterisation and provides its readers with a lesson on creating memorable characters.

The emotional connection that Thorne creates between the characters and the readers is truly magical. Whilst I would love to read a sequel, I would hate – pardon the pun – for the book to go in a different direction than it has done.


My only criticism is that I felt the ending was rather abrupt. I understand that this is a romance novel but I became so invested in the characters that I’d have liked to know a little bit more about their ending in relation to their future prospects.

Although I finished this book just before my holiday, I would thoroughly recommend this book as a holiday read. I was kicking myself afterwards, wishing I’d read it by the pool!

The Hating Game is a feel-good and uplifting read that I can guarantee you’ll want to read again, as soon as you’ve finished.

Book Rating: 4.5/5

Don’t believe me? Grab a copy here and see for yourself!

Book Review, reviews

Tripwire by Lee Child

Tripwire by Lee Child, Paperback, Transworld Publishers, 544 pages, £8.99, Waterstones.

Plot

The book begins in a sunny Key West, when a man called Costello is looking for Reacher. After retracing Costello’s movements, Reacher finds himself returning to his army roots, in search for a missing soldier. Tripwire focuses mostly on Jack Reacher’s army life and what his possible future may look like. A drifter can’t drift forever, can they?

Narrative

Tripwire follows Reacher in the hopes of finding a missing soldier whilst the reader is simultaneously observing Chester Stone’s lifestyle and failing business. The book alternates between Reacher and Chester’s situation, in order to set the scene for the reader that will eventually overlap these narratives together. The pace of both narrative scenes quicken at the same time until reader is found racing to the finish line with Reacher on the lookout.

Review

This is the first book in the Reacher series I’ve read and it definitely won’t be my last. As a writer myself, I find his use of structure intriguing; how he creates tension and suspense with no nonsense language is mesmerizing.

One of the most impressive elements of this book, is Lee Child’s attention to detail. Child’s knowledge of guns and, in particular, Fighter planes, are so accurate that you would almost expect him to have flown a Fighter jet or have used a few of the guns he describes so well. The specificality of his writing appears to be exactly what the reader needs to allow themselves to be immersed in Reacher’s world.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys action and adventure in novels. Tripwire is a great read for someone who wishes to get into reading without the flowery language that can often cloud a great narrative. Lee Child’s writing is raw and extremely well written.

Similar Writers

Although not many writers can compare to his writing style, I would recommend John Grisham’s Camino Island, as this also begins in the Florida state. Both writers create legal thrillers and have a similar pacing style.

Another writer that could be compared to Lee Child, would be James Patterson. The crimes within Patterson’s books mirrors some of Lee Child’s books, if a dark theme is your theme of choice.

You can buy Tripwire by Lee Child by clicking here