2021 Author Showcase – Congratulations to All My Talented Authors
Can you believe it’s almost the end of 2021? It’s been another challenging twelve months but we’ve made it through. As a writer, business owner, parent and dreamer, I like to reflect on the year that’s been. December now means journaling, setting goals for the upcoming year, and understanding the lessons I’ve learnt in the previous one so I can make the next year even better. I used to work my socks off until Christmas Eve, then fall ill over the fortnight off with my family, but not now. Now, it’s about working my socks off all year until December when I wind down gradually (I can highly recommend it, by the way) and can plan and prep and catch up calmly and quietly ready to hit the ground running in the New Year.
Having worked with so many talented authors this year, I wanted to showcase their colourful and eclectic books and thank them for trusting me to bring their books to life. Back in June, I shared my 2021 Author Showcase – The Story So Far and I’m delighted to share with you the subsequent six months.
If you’re looking for holiday reads, Christmas pressies or ‘Just Because’ gifts, then look no further. Check out my authors’ books – all of which can be bought in paperback and Kindle formats from Amazon – and several are currently free for Kindle Unlimited subscribers. Click the image if you’d like to find out more about Kindle Unlimited.
Adam Wayne Farley – But Now I See
This is the second book I’ve worked on with Adam and this, again, is a beautiful book.
Jesus said, “If thine Eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of Light.” Not only was Jesus a great teacher, but even more so, He was a very attentive student who seemed to have always looked at His surroundings one way… “spiritually.”
All of my life, all I ever wanted to be was a great teacher but never was I a very good student. I walked away from college at Arkansas State University in my very first semester after turning in a creative writing essay to my English professor. I remember it like it was yesterday. On the second day of class, my professor said to her students, “I read some good and I read some not so good papers, but there was one that stood out above all the others.
Ian Fry – The Adventures of Me and Patrick: A Cancer Journey With a Difference
Author Ian Fry provides a painfully honest account of the turmoil that followed his diagnosis of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. He talks openly about the effect on his life, his mind, his children. He shares the moments that had him laughing about the sheer helplessness of his ‘broken’ body: the insurmountable staircase; the overwhelming school run; the daughter stuck up a tree who he didn’t have the energy to rescue.
In short, he tells it how it was for him so readers can relate to how it was – is – for them, and to extend the hand of comradeship unique to those who are on, or have experienced, their own adventure with their own Patrick.
Julie Evans – Cornish Crime Series
I was so excited when Julie got in touch to ask for my help to self-publish the first three books in her FANTASTIC Cornish Crime Series. Not least because Cornwall is my favourite place but crime thrillers/domestic/psychological thrillers are my favourite genres to read.
BOOK 1: Rage – ‘Rage is a cage without a key’ A small Cornish town; two women share a past. One a lawyer with no respect for the law, the other a doctor, with no respect for human life; both trapped by rage. What happens when their paths cross and history catches up with them? Can they escape the cages they have built? FIND OUT MORE: RAGE
BOOK 2: A Sisterhood of Silence – Vigilante Justice in a Cornish Seaside Town Jem Fielding is a pimp and drug lord who counts blackmail and violence as part of his repertoire. But when he abducts mute teenager, Carly Taylor, and attempts to bury her alive, he risks the wrath of a small Cornish town. FIND OUT MORE: A SISTERHOOD OF SILENCE
BOOK 3: The Bitter Fruit Beneath: To All Those Who Seek to Bury the Past … Beware the Man with the Shovel Burnt out and disillusioned following a messy divorce and a career defending the very worst type of criminal, Eden Gray escapes the city and moves back home to her beloved Cornwall to start her own law firm. Though money is tight, she begins to think life is sorted until she is railroaded into defending teenage surrogate, Rowan Lutey, charged with the manslaughter of a baby found buried in a ‘witch pit’; one of a number of ancient pits filled with fertility offerings discovered by archaeologists at a site close to the Lutey farm. FIND OUT MORE: THE BITTER FRUIT BENEATH
D. K. Boyce – The Genesis Chronicles: Legacy
The Genesis Order was a legendary group of superheroes. Forced to disband, their activities became outlawed – but did that really mean the end?
Nineteen-year-old Jensen Brady is unremarkable. He is certainly not extraordinary. At all.
Raised by his mother, Kelly, in the quiet Scottish village of Melrose, Jensen is determined to conquer his social anxieties and moves to London to study at university. One semester on, he returns home for the holidays (as gauche as ever.)
A casual December evening turns into his worst nightmare. He discovers the truth about the Genesis Order and his close associations with this legendary group. Everything he’s ever known is a lie. He has so many unanswered questions clogging up his head. And when he is trapped with a grumpy superhero, a sassy robot, a mum he can’t bear to look at, and tech that blows his mind, he has no idea what to do.
- Can he navigate the dark secrets and lies of those who were meant to protect him?
- Will he survive the deadly game of cat and mouse he’s become a pawn in?
- Can he shake off his dorky ways and become the extraordinary man he’s destined to be?
FIND OUT MORE: THE GENESIS CHRONICLES: LEGACY
Mario Panayi – Selections (2021-2022 Edition) A Preview of Poetry and Prose Collections PLUS What Cake or Dessert Are YOU? A Poetry Collection PLUS Political Perspectives A Poetry Collection
Three more entertaining books from this talented poet and author in 2021. It’s always a pleasure to work with Mario.
Book 1: Political Perspectives: A Poetry Collection
If ever there was a perfect subject for poetry it’s politics. Welcome to this satirical, entertaining, humorous, explosive, and highly observational collection of poems to while away the hours. From its origins in Greek Myth and Cleopatra’s untimely demise in 30BC to the tumultuous 21st centuries shenanigans, topples from grace, bad decisions, corruption, affairs, scandals and soap operas that continue to occupy our newspapers, gossip columns and TV sets around the globe. Be reminded of the Fat Cats, the Greedy Guts, the Big Wigs, the Unmentionables, and the ludicrous legacies they’ve left (and would rather forget). This heady mix of power and politics has something to make everyone smile, fume, and ponder all the cringe-worthy headlines we’d rather forget, including:
- The Prescott punch
- “That woman”
- The Incredible Sulk
- The Dancing Queen
- The Duck House
- That eye test
- And that’s before we start on the rest of the world!
Book 2: Selections (2021-22 Edition)
An exciting synopsis of the author’s current and future books. With a selection of poems and/or prose from each collection. An inexpensive way to enter a brand new reading experience.
A delicate taste of the author’s unique writing style
Which delves deep into human nature.
Laugh and Weep.
Feel happy. Feel sorrow.
Feel a chill.
Feel hot and embarrassed.
Endearing, shocking and thought-provoking.
Once read, these written works will haunt you.
Bringing to life the rich tapestry of people and what they get up to.
Layers of adult lives stripped, until literally laid bare.
An appetiser to tickle those taste buds before tucking into the main meal.
Book 3: What Cake or Dessert Are YOU?
What does the cake you enjoy eating say about you?
Are you sugary and sweet?
Do you enjoy a sponge cake,
And does that mean you sponge off others?
Do you have spice and bite to your character?
Do you have a crunchy exterior?
But then a soft and melting interior
Do you crumble?
Are you as hard as a meringue?
Or sour and acidic?
Angelic or Devilish?
Are you frosty, or cool and chilled?
Are you a little nutty?
Are you naughty?
Let’s get down to the nitty gritty
Are you a bit of a tart?
Heather G. Watts – The Mystery of the Falling Sky: A Digger & Biscuit Adventure (Book 3)
Book 3 in this wonderful children’s book series!
“Nooooooo! Help! Please, someone help,” squawked the flapping bundle as it raced through the forest. “Must…tell…the …King,” she gulped. “Must…keep…running.”
Far away on a grassy hillside, Digger and Biscuit are about to receive a message that the sky is falling and Fairy Tale Land is in trouble. What is the shuffling – scuffling – creeping – peeping – scribbling – scratching – I’m watching you sound that is following them? Why has Mummy Bear stopped making porridge?
Join Digger and Biscuit as they fly with dragons, battle with trolls and meet friends old and new on their quest to save Fairy Tale Land. (Oh, and have snacks. Digger says that’s very important to mention. Adventures are very hungry work.)
FIND OUT MORE: The Mystery of the Falling Sky
Clare Cogan – Reopening the Slammed Door
The teenage years can bring up all kinds of challenges for young people, their parents and the entire family. And as a mum to two teenage boys, I know we all could do with a gentle go-to guide to help us navigate the ups and downs of these tricky times. That’s why I wrote this book. Based on my professional experience, my growing expertise in the field of teenage mental health, and reflections on my teenage years, I have created a digestible blend of practical, helpful, informative advice which explores:
- how our teens’ brain growth affects their day-to-day life
- the hormone rollercoaster of the teenage years
- sleeping (are they just lazy or is that a myth?)
- the ups and downs of their moods
- the benefits of essential oils as a tool to support the teenage brain
- the impact of the digital world on our teens and what more we can do as parents
FIND OUT MORE: REOPENING THE SLAMMED DOOR
Elle Vickery – He Was Handy
Viv is officially a man-free zone.
She’s, a cat-loving, about to be divorced, fifty-something struggling to deal with normal life and all the ordeals that go with it -maintaining her home and oversized garden, the joys of menopause, ever-evolving technology and social media.
And she couldn’t be happier. If every man is like her estranged husband, she couldn’t care less if she were forced into celibacy for the rest of her life.
Until …
… the younger, married, fit handyman, who’s worked for her before, calls round offering his services (knowing her husband has left – thanks to Facebook) and Viv basks in this unexpected attention. She knows she should have said “No” but he is intoxicating.
Graham Roy Swift – Stracandra Island: An Exhilarating WWII Spy Thriller
Henry Maynard has his hands full. Working for the British Military Intelligence (MI5) at the height of World War II, his task is twofold. Firstly, he has to find the informant reporting on the RAF’s top-secret radar equipment to the Germans. Secondly, he has to uncover the identity of the spy observing the Meteor jet fighter’s development.
His pursuit becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse. Anyone and everyone standing in the path of these precarious German agents and their mission for the Führer becomes entangled. If they’re lucky, they’ll survive. Time is running out. Maynard must annihilate the agents or catch them before they return to Germany. Is back-up from the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force the only way Britain will win? From the depths of the British countryside to the desolate Scottish Highlands, this is an assignment with more at stake than anyone could ever anticipate.
FIND OUT MORE: STRACANDRA ISLAND: AN EXHILARATING WWII SPY THRILLER
Simon Spencer – The Intentional Peasant: A lifetime’s attempt at producing one’s own food and being self-sufficient
Concern over pesticides, and his own research on DDT and other ‘risks’ prompted Simon Spencer and his wife Carol to move to Wales to buy a smallholding and become self-sufficient. Abandoning an academic career he sought a new life close to nature and following organic principles as far as possible.
The book describes the practicalities of most forms of livestock from poultry to cows, growing vegetables and fruit and producing most of one’s own food. It is full of well-tested advice on building, firewood and numerous useful practical skills. It is partly autobiographical with the author relating how he balanced this lifestyle with careers in computing and later, the conservation of butterflies.
The book is very critical of modern agriculture and food production and despairs of politicians’ attempts to tackle both the climate emergency and the biodiversity emergency. Wildlife-friendly farming is at the heart of the smallholding and there are detailed descriptions of what has been lost from the countryside around them over 45 years.
FIND OUT MORE: THE INTENTIONAL PEASANT
M. E. Awan – Pirate Princess Rose is the Hero of Her Own Eye Treatment
Created to support the adult/parent/carer/school/nursery, the child, their siblings and their peers following a lazy eye diagnosis (amblyopia), this positive and upbeat story will encourage little ones to wear their eye patches during treatment.
Written by a Nottingham-based practising orthoptist, Dr Awan understands how tricky it can be to get into an eye-patch-wearing routine with pre-schoolers and youngsters, which is why she wrote this engaging and beautifully illustrated book. Capturing imaginations, and making the eye treatment less scary and more fun, normalises the process.
And which little girl or boy wouldn’t want to become the hero of their own eye treatment? If your child has been diagnosed with amblyopia or a lazy eye, then this book will turn their fear into fun and help them realise they aren’t alone.
FIND OUT MORE: Pirate Princess Rose is the Hero of Her Own Eye Treatment
Christopher P. Bacon – CULT-ISH: Working in Society’s Fringes
AN HONEST AND FRANK MEMOIR ABOUT WORKING FOR A BRITISH ‘CULT-ISH’ EMPLOYER
A new job. A fresh start. And for Chris, a whole new world. From day one, he saw the opportunity to tell his story and raise awareness of a fundamentalist sect. Its members became his employers, playing out a bizarre daily charade, and opening his eyes to one of society’s minorities. This is an honest and frank account about a new job and a ‘cult-ish’ employer, retold by the author in a short memoir. CULT-ish: Working in Society’s Fringes is based upon both historical research and observation by non-community members, and focuses on experiences of working for a business owned by participants of the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church. The author recalls his own experiences of and controversies surrounding their practice of strict separation from worldly influences, and the accusations of cult-like behaviour made by those from outside of their inner circle.
FIND OUT MORE: CULT-ISH: WORKING IN SOCIETY’S FRINGES
Alison Smith – Prince Bishop Poetry
Lore and legend, folklore and tales, interwoven with beasts and ghostly castles. Vistas of a landscape visited by the holy pilgrims of Saint Cuthbert. Pagan and Christianity playing a merry tune in the words.
Pastimes that shape our future, resonating through the centuries in song, stories and poetry.
Well-placed fear of the lonely moors – for who lives on these bleak landscapes?
Beasts such as the Picktree Brag, half-man, half-horse, with sightings still noted to this day around Lambton Castle.
Chester-le-Street is one of the resting places of Saint Cuthbert’s coffin. Steeped in legend, visitors come from all over the globe to follow the saint’s last journey from Lindisfarne to Durham Cathedral.
The storytellers of the land of the Prince Bishops work their trade in books and papers for the delight of all. I hope you enjoy my book, please read on.
FIND OUT MORE: PRINCE BISHOP POETRY
David Stokes – The Singing Bowl (The Warming Worlds Series)
Climate change is wreaking havoc on Thera, a sister planet to Earth.
A novice monk from Thera mistakes two teenagers for climate experts at a protest in London, and assumes they are the chosen ones from the prophecy he has been selected to fulfil. He takes them to his planet to solve the greatest problem of our time – global warming. To succeed, these unlikely heroes must survive floods and wildfires, unite warring factions of prehistoric creatures, and overcome their own darkest demons.
Can our brave warriors secure this world’s future? Or has time finally run out? Find out in this breathtaking adventure against a backdrop of climate change. The story will stay with you long after the final page is turned.
Angela Orora Medway-Smith: The Book of Many Colours: Awaken Your Soul’s Purpose With the Divine Rays
What if you knew how to tap into unlimited support to help you to be more intuitive, more creative, to receive healing, motivation, unconditional love or nurturing energy, to create your own miracles and align with your soul’s path?
Imagine finding the keys to this and much more! Imagine knowing what vibration can support YOU on your personal soul’s path! Imagine how you can transform your reality connecting to different Ascended Masters, Archangels and Angelic Collectives! It’s not rocket science.
This little practical handbook offers the keys to connect to the 28 Divine Rays that flood our planet, unlocks the support of their powerful Patrons and contains ancient teachings brought up-to-date and presented in an accessible way for the 21st Century. Packed full of simple, easy to follow guidance for everyone, from novice to practiced spiritual seeker, The Book of Many Colours can lead you on a journey of discovery of both self and the vibrational energies that support ‘All That There Is’.
FIND OUT MORE: THE BOOK OF MANY COLOURS
JP Nunan & AE Bibi: The Last Christmas
It’s Christmas Eve.
Santa’s making the last delivery of the night when he suddenly realises he’s missing a present for young Valerie Ainsworth. After some quick thinking, he leaves a gift on her pillow – the only thing left on his sleigh – because, after all, every good child deserves a Christmas present, right? As he heads for the North Pole with his tired and trusty reindeers, he hopes Valerie will understand it’s the thought that counts.
Now a miserly millionaire, Valerie sits at the helm of the Ainsworth dynasty, hell-bent on making Santa pay for forgetting her that Christmas.
Her nephew Wolly and his grandpa Joe are about to embark on their biggest adventure yet as they join forces with Santa.
How will they foil mean-spirited Valerie’s evil plan to steal the magic of Christmas forever?
FIND OUT MORE: THE LAST CHRISTMAS
Raphael Wilkins – Zindabad! Supporting Education Leaders From Accra to Taipei
This travel memoir narrates 14 journeys in the capacity of a visiting education expert, spanning eight countries in four continents. The story combines personal and professional concerns; it is told lightly, in a conversational tone, intended to be informative, entertaining and thought-provoking for a broad range of readers of travel books throughout the English-speaking world.
The narrator, Raphael, meets colleagues Ian and Carol, and sets off for Lahore. In the steamy, dengue-infested monsoon they advise on teacher licensing, amid a muddle of different agencies and agendas. Then in Karachi he supports a locally organised conference, a regular event he helped to establish. Raphael explains a long project to help a number of Indian states to develop ‘global good practice’, and narrates a visit to Gujerat, where Modi’s leadership is evident, with colleagues as part of that. He returns to Karachi for the next conference in the series, this time with colleague Eleanore, and then to Lahore for more work on teacher licensing with Chris. They attend the Wagha border ceremony, meet tigers and buy rugs.
John Devlin – The Accidental Romantic and Other Short Tales
A fascinating collection of engaging short stories set in places as diverse as Ireland, UK, China and Vietnam.
The Accidental Romantic and Other Short Tales includes tales of romance, adventure, disaster, chance meetings, deception, mystery and imagination. The author’s acute observations combined with a wry sense of humour serve to populate his stories with interesting characters and scenarios. With a colourful cast of international heroes and villains, every one of them is striving to realise their full potential in their own unique ways. Packed with warmth and empathy, this is a memorable portrayal of men and women who find themselves in the fateful and sometimes comedic circumstances. Regardless of geographic location or nationality, a common thread of unwitting happenstance runs through this collection, with everyone united by the universal search for romance, hence the title. The author’s observations of the ordinary turn the mundane into an insight into the human condition.
FIND OUT MORE: THE ACCIDENTAL ROMANTIC
Thomas Abraham – The Smiling Assassin
Following a successful ad in the Colombo Echo, Mark and Molly are thrilled when they find a match for their much-loved daughter, Julie. Jacob is not only a solicitor, like Mark, and from a good Sri Lankan family, but he’s also handsome and ticks all the boxes of Molly’s materialistic expectations. Julie, a natural beauty with all the features of a Bollywood star, is overjoyed when she meets Jacob for the first time. He’s everything she could dream of and more. Soon after, the engagement plans are made and Molly is delighted with all the attention.
A new and exciting life in West Yorkshire, England, for Jacob beckons.
A match made in heaven.
A memorable wedding with no expense spared.
Has destiny had its final say?
FIND OUT MORE: THE SMILING ASSASSIN
Congratulations, fellow indie authors! It’s been such a pleasure working with you all. Thank you so much for letting me be part of your author journey.
Don’t forget to get in touch if you’d like me to help with any aspect of your book creation and publishing adventure.
Michelle Emerson
Self-Publishing Services for UK Independent Authors
