Tag Archives: Publicity
BBC Radio Wales have been very enthusiastic about Terry Breverton’s brilliant new title Phantasmagoria. We are thrilled that the popular chat show host Roy Noble has asked Terry to participate in a series of interviews to celebrate the book’s launch in July. Terry has been scheduled in for three separate slots to discuss the Welsh highlights of the book on his afternoon programme. Terry is also busy writing features for Warships, Paranormal magazine and his Author’s Notes slot for the Welsh newspaper The Western Mail.
How to Build a Brain by Richard Elwes received a superb review by Plus magazine this week . . . ‘the book is a fun ride through mathematics and its developments, a great read for any teens or adult who thought the subject daunting. Anyone who reads it will not only end up knowing a little more, but surely be amazed as to where maths pops up.’
With talk everywhere of the upcoming Olympics look out for Tony Crilly, author of Big Questions: Mathematics. Tony’s article on the mathematics behind sprinting and breaking world record speeds has been picked up by Timesonline Eureka Daily and the BBC.
Following Toby Harnden’s recent success at the Telegraph Hay Literature Festival, Dead Men Risen received further coverage in the Daily Telegraph, with a news item on the controversial MOD decision not to formally acknowledge Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe’s actions in Helmand:
‘Lack of honour for colonel a “disgrace”: The author of a controversial book about Afghanistan has said it is a “national disgrace” that Lt Col Rupert Thorneloe, who became the most senior British officer to die in action for 27 years was not given a bravery award’.
Drawing on his background in the Royal Navy, Toby will also be completing a Q&A feature on Dead Men Risen for Warships magazine.
There was yet another review of Ed O’Loughlin’s fantastic Toploader, this time in the Guardian:
“a darkly enjoyable war-com romp . . . somewhere between satire, fable and shaggy dog story. O’Loughlin’s second novel should be enjoyed for its own virtues, the most unsettling of which may be its extreme laconicism. One absurdist delight follows another in rapid succession . . . through it all O’loughlin’s cool, distanced gaze holds our assumptions and security up to a queasy, uncomfortable light with an extraordinary and unsettling calm.”
Karin Altenberg’s superb, critically-acclaimed Island of Wings was reviewed in the Independent:
“In her powerfully imagined debut, Karin Altenberg has delivered a post-colonial novel set not in Africa, Asia or Australia but at the edge of the British Isles . . . Alongside the struggles of Neil’s ‘spectacular’ mission, two other elements lend Island of Wings its rugged grace. First is the evocation of the terrain and its birdlife: not daintily poetic but as bracing as this landscape needs. Second Alteneberg charts the tempests in Lizzie’s mind. Wifely devotion and intermittent joy war with loneliness, longing, the toll of bereavement and an agonizing sense of waste . . . Their thirteen–year ordeal lift the couple into the realm of wind-buffeted tragedy.”
There was a (slightly early) review of Sissel-Jo Gazan’s The Dinosaur Feather in The Times (crime fans – this is your new favourite book, believe me!):
“Intelligently plotted and psychologically believable . . .”
Tiny Sunbirds Far Away was reviewed in the Sunday Times:
“The author knows her territory well and this is a colourful, bittersweet and, in places, affecting novel.”
The paperback of A Last English Summer was reviewed in the Financial Times:
“Duncan Hamilton’s enjoyable and illuminating amble down the historical by-ways of English cricket also covers altogether sterner material. His passionate, occasionally dogged, observations from the boundary rop at a number of fixtures during the summer of 2009 accumulate, like hard-won runs, into a significant report on the game’s subtlety and breadth . . . Is share many of Hamilton’s social and professional objections to Twenty20’s vulgar impace, which he eloquently presents here in prose peppered with literary references.”
And there was a piece in The Times about the British Sports Book Awards shortlist (the winner is announced tonight), calling A Last English Summer:
“An emotional and personal portrait of the 2009 cricket season that offers perspectives on the game’s past, present and future. . .”
There was a feature in the Daily Express about the recently-aired TV documentary that Mark Logue directed and took part in, with a mention of the book. And we’re thrilled to say that The King’s Speech paperback is doing brilliantly well: it was no 9 in the Sunday Times bestseller list over the weekend.
An Epic Swindle has had a two-day second serial in the Liverpool Echo.
And Brian Reade has been interviewed on Talksport Radio, BBC Radio Merseyside (three times!), City Talk (Liverpool’s independent radio station) and Ireland’s Newstalk radio.
An Epic Swindle is no 6 in the Sunday Times bestseller list!
The Press Association has done a review of The Watermen which has run in the Shropshire Star, the Dundee Courier, the Eastern Daily Press, the Western Daily Press and the East Anglian Daily Times:
“This is a great tale of action and derring-do, shot through with a wonderfully authentic feel . . . Stirring stuff, from a genuinely exciting new talent.”
Standpoint magazine reviewed Soul Dust:
“His new book is a beautifully written and highly original essay on the problem (consciousness) . . . Humphrey wears his learning lightly but Soul Dust introduces the reader to many of the dominant scientific and philosophical ideas about consciousness.”
The Irish Examiner reviewed Hotel K:
“A fascinating insight into the prison, Hotel K includes shocking testament and black humour. . .”
Lex was reviewed in the Irish World, one of the two UK newspapers for expats:
“a combination of the classic diaries of Adrian Mole and the more modern dilemmas of the hilarious Inbetweeners, Lex will have you openly cringing and laughing simultaneously as you read about the delights of being 17 in the West of Ireland.”
The Euro Crime website reviewed The Rembrandt Secret:
“It is a truly superb book! You can tell that the author has an enormous amount of knowledge regarding the art world, given the wonderful amount of factual detail that she gives us. The clever way in which fiction and fact are woven together in this book makes it compelling reading. I enjoyed every single page and was completely caught out by the wonderfully surprising ending . . . the fast-paced action in this book keeps your attention firmly focused and the identity of the killer, when it revealed, is a complete surprise. Not only that, the twist at the end is totally unexpected and completely awesome. Highly recommended.”
There was a large interview with Kevin Crossley-Holland in the Eastern Daily Press, with a plug for Bracelet of Bones (“a breathtaking Viking adventure”) and for his appearance at Waterstones in Norwich!
The shotsmag website reviewed The Delta:
“full of suspense . . . set against the stunning background of the Okavango Delta in the heart of Botswana . . . full of action . . . Great for settling down in the garden, in the sunshine, with glass of something chilled. In fact, I think that’s what I’ll do now – and enjoy it all over again.”
Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? continues to get reviews on fun-loving websites, such as these two below:
Alison Carr, who is a playwright and who I strongly suspect might even know Hazel, has added this to her website: “Annoyingly it is mighty readable, pacey and witty – overall a damn good summer read (don’t tell her I told you that). And she gets her name printed on the cover in glittery writing. Bitch.” Wonderful!
The next comes from a fabulously girly website entitled About Happy Books which pronounces Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? “perfect and unique”. But that’s not all:
“Writing this review is going to be hard for me because I have all these wonderful feelings for Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? in me and don’t know, if I will be able to do justice to them . . . Reading this book made me so happy and I adored everything about it. It’s actually one of my favourite contemporary romances of the last months and maybe even of my whole life. The 490 pages of the book are packed with funny, lovely and sad moments. The love story between Ellie and Jack is sweet, sexy and very emotional . . . The chemistry between Ellie and Jack was amazing . . . I can guarantee you that it’s very emotional and heartbreaking. I had to cry twice during the book . . . I enjoyed every one of the 490 pages and I’m sure that I will reread this book lots of time in the next years. And you can bet that I’m already very excited to read the next book by Hazel Osmond.”
There was a nice review of Karin Altenberg’s Island of Wings in the Guardian:
“The descriptive passages, whether they be of a night-time phosphorescent swim or the persistent ordure lining the islanders’ dwelling are stunning: a historical document turned into lyrical fiction.”
And in the Glasgow Herald:
“Altenberg conjures up the island life superbly, bringing to life the stench of the clachans, the screeching, flapping omnipresence of the birdlife and the cragginess of every guano-stained cliff-face. She picks up the weirdness of an island which depends on the sea but where no-one knows how to swim and magnifies it until it really does seem like a place on the edge of the world.
As the document of a decade of unhappy marriage, it’s poignant and affecting. Altenberg plumbs the depths of the couple’s sorrow but leaves us in no doubt as to their deep inner passions, or that the embers of their love might one day be fanned back into flame.
Island of Wings is an incredibly accomplished debut novel, not least because the author was born and raised in Sweden. For a non-native English speaker, Altenberg has impressively hit upon just the right tone to tell her story, evoking a hint of age with a slightly archaic quality, but without trying to pastiche the Victorian-era style, which would have distracted from a highly compelling story.”
The Watermen was reviewed in the Daily Express, the review also mentioned the launch party, calling Patrick Easter “charismatic” and “intelligent and bookish and might well have been the model for PD James’s copper-cum-writer Adam Dalgleish.”
“Rarely has a modern novelist the fascinating London of this era (with its murderous docklands, crowded river and sinister narrow streets) with such poignancy and vividness as Easter does here … we’ve a plethora of historical crime writers producing strong work now but what distinguishes Easter is the skill with which he delineates the clash between his two strong-witted protagonists, who fairly leap off the page and that’s not to forget the Thames itself, almost a character in the novel. Readers will be eager to travel back to the 18th century to take another dangerous river trip in the company of Easter’s doughty nautical hero.”
There was a large review in the Newham Recorder, the third time they have mentioned the book:
“As soon as you get to the first page the book’s characters reel you in, despite the fact that writer Patirck exposes their warts and all true character . . . It is a gripping tales et in the seedy and slimy streets of Wapping . . . a book that will have you turning the pages despite yourself”
And the recommendation that appeared in the Newham Recorder and the Ilford Recorder also appeared in the Romford Recorder.
Dead Men Risen was reviewed in the Daily Mail:
“Absorbing account . . . captures perfectly the closeness and intensity binding frontline soldiers . . . Thanks to Harnden’s prodigious research – he interviewed more than 250 soldiers and has mined a treasure trove of official documents, confidential reports and private diaries – we get an intimate, multi-layered portrait of infantry grunts in combat, warts and all. From first hand descriptions of the mad adrenaline high of combat to nerve-shredding patrols along dodgy roads and the piercing grief of watching comrades die in agony, it is all there. Having spent time with the British Army myself, I can vouch for the authenticity of the expletive-splattered exchanges throughout the book, as well as the back humour that flourishes in war.”
And it was reviewed in the Shropshire Star:
“Harnden’s account is spin-free and pulls no punches, being gruesome in the parts where things are gruesome.”
Ed O’Loughlin was the subject of the One Minute With… interview in the Independent, with a credit for Toploader. And Toploader itself was reviewed in Sunday Business Post:
“Ed O’Loughlin has written a very funny satire on war and its makers . . . by setting the story in the near future and giving it a blackly comic tone, O’Loughlin offers a hellish vision that combines a dystopian fatalism with a ghastly surrealism. The result is comedy with dum-dum bullets in the punchlines . . . Grotesques to a man, none of the characters would be out of place in Catch 22 or Dr Strangleove . . . while the novel is laugh out loud funny, it’s in exploring the lives of the oppressed inhabitants of the Embargoed Zone that O’Loughlin lifts his novel out of the realms of audacious farce, by investing the story with poignant and profound truths about the human condition . . . Cynical, funny, harrowing and revelatory, Toploader is one of the most inventive Irish novels of recent times.”
And there was a large interview in the Irish Post, one of the two UK newspapers for expats:
“a dark-edged satire on the war on terrorism that leaves its readers reassessing its understanding of who exactly are the terrorists and who are the victims . . . A vivid description of the madness of war and repression”
There was an interview with Andrew Nicoll in the Glasgow Herald:
“The author of two elegant, witty and philosophical novels, each with a meltingly romantic and moral heart . . . dark though the story is, it also droll and engaging, offering glimmers of hope as well as terror”
There was a review of Tomorrow When The War Began in Mizz magazine:
“ … a gripping page-turner that gives you lots to think about”
Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? was reviewed in Living North magazine:
“A refreshing departure from the hackneyed settings, plots and people that populate so much popular fiction, Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? is a thoroughly enjoyable read. North-East based writer Hazel Osmond has produced a witty, fresh, fast-aced tale full of quirky believable characters that will keep you reading and rooting for them right to the last page.”
The pack at Vulpes Libris have given Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? a rave review:
‘This is a romantic comedy: it’s got a happy ending, OK? The hero and the heroine do live happily ever after, but only at the end of a journey full of twists and turns, with sadness and disaster as well as laughter, joy and utterly wish-fulfilling sex . . . there are several features that power this energetic novel along. Hazel Osmond knows this world of advertising well, and pulls this reader into it in a convincing way. We find out what makes people get up in the morning to do this job – it’s an exciting and creative life, but one that has its mundane passages as well as the adrenalin rush of success. She has a gift for satire too … I enjoyed the powers of description . . . It’s funny, too, where it needs to be (and not where it shouldn’t be) – scintillating with one-liners and zingers, and the conversations between characters are warm and witty. But it’s not a case of laughs on every page – the changes of tone are well judged, for there are also passages of seriousness, sadness and pathos. It can be very, very sensual too. Altogether, this is a funny, sexy, heart-warming debut. Hazel Osmond is a fresh voice in romantic fiction, and I’m looking forward to reading more good things from this author.’
Another chicklit website, Chick Lit Reviews, gives Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? and enthusiastic 5 out of 5 and hopes their review boosts Hazel’s popularity:
“It is truly a modern love story, with a strong heroine, and a handsome dark and brooding “hero” and I loved everything about it. The glittery purple, blue and white cover is gorgeous, and I really hope my review puts this book on more people’s radar because it is a joy to read . . . As you can probably tell, I really loved every page of this book and really didn’t want it to end. I can highly recommend it to anyone and think Hazel Osmond is a new talent to get really excited about if this book is anything to go by!”
Colin Cotterill’s wonderful Killed at the Whim of a Hat has recently been reviewed all over the place (including the Blackpool Gazette, the Derby Telegraph and the Birmingham Sunday Mercury), and there was a particularly fine review in the Independent:
“Cotterill is strong on atmosphere but doesn’t create some fantasy land of oriental beauty . . . Cotterill’s fiction has been compared to Alexander McCall Smith’s, presumably because it also has a colourful location. It is far more complex and perceptive: intelligent exotica.”
The Daily Mail ran a second review of Karin Altenberg’s superb Island of Wings:
“This is a convincing, carefully written and, what with all the child deaths, pretty intense account of loss and isolation”
And it was reviewed in The Skinny, a Scottish Time Out equivalent:
“a fascinating bit of Scottish history that’s not as widely known as it could be . . .”
Ed O’Loughlin’s Toploader was reviewed in the Irish Independent:
“This black farce about western military shenanigans in an unnamed Middle Eastern country is very much all of a piece, hurtling confidently and pleasurably through an ever-twisting storyline . . . O’Loughlin handles its intricacies with exhilarating assurance, so that even the daftest of developments are made to seem entirely reasonable . . . it’s to the author’s credit that, rather than moralise, he lets the lunacy of his ripping yarn and the idiocies of its corrupt protagonists do the talking for him. In fact, the book is essentially a page-turning romp”
And in the Irish News:
“You have all the ingredients for a fast-paced and fun fiction which will also prick at your conscience as you sit reading in a comfortable armchair, divorced from a life that for some is more real than this novel”
The paperback of Christy Lefteri’s A Watermelon, A Fish and A Bible was reviewed in the Independent on Sunday:
“The cruelty and violence of the war are vividly portrayed and the atmosphere is redolent with the odours of Greece: lemons, jasmine, coffee, cigarette smoke”
The paperback of Field Grey was reviewed in the Sunday Times:
“A bravura display of Kerr’s ability to evoke different times and places . . .”
The paperback of Gandhi was reviewed in the Independent:
“Jay Adams does manage to pick out the contradictions of a pacifist whose harsh treatment of his family comes as a shock . . .”
Monsieur Linh and His Child was reviewed in U magazine, the Irish glossy:
“exceptional quality of writing, this is a story to savour . . .”
Zoo magazine ran a six-page extract from Toby Harnden’s groundbreaking Dead Men Risen.
And, finally for this week’s round-up, The Watermen was recommended in the Newham Recorder and the Ilford Recorder:
“Take yourself on a journey and discover the rich and seedy past of London’s Docklands”
Karin Altenberg, author of Island of Wings, was the lead interview in The Scotsman this weekend with a prominent mention on the front cover of the paper and taking up the entire front cover of the Books Section:
“Her literary achievement is astonishing. Her debut novel, elegantly written in impeccable English – her second language – is as remarkable for the shimmering quality of her prose as for her recreation of the brutal realities and grinding poverty of life on the isolated archipelago of St Kilda in the 1830s … brilliantly captures the sublime, terrible beauty of the islands … superb book.”
And Ian Jack recommends Island of Wings in his column in the Guardian:
“It isn’t easy for a contemporary writer to get inside a Calvinist mind, or to depict how people could live with any dignity in such a primitive place … By respecting the details of religious history and the natural world, Altenberg does both beautifully.”
The Irish Times gave The King’s Speech authors, Mark Logue and Peter Conradi’s, star billing at the Oxford Festival. And the Guardian Guide chose their appearance at the Cambridge Wordfest as a festival highlight.
Top Loader continues its dominance of the media with an interview with Ed O’Loughlin on Talksport Radio on Friday night and a review in Metro:
“… a stinging satire … the grinding misery of life in these circumstances is vividly rendered and often wrenchingly sad … picks up speed with characters of Carl Hiaasen – like grotesquerie … O’Loughlin expertly manipulates the interlocking cock-ups and misunderstandings powering his plot. He can do funny as well poignant … nails a caustic attack on the fallout of innocent victims from increasingly arrogant counterterrorism measures.”
Dead Men Risen was given a 5 star review in the Mail on Sunday:
“Toby Harnden has produced the best book so far on Britain’s military adventure in Afghanistan … a fine piece of sustained reportage, in which the characters of individual soldiers shine out. It’s also a portrait of an institution, and Harnden does a good job of conveying the love and pride that servicemen can feel for the regiment and for each other … Dead Men Risen will stand as a true, unsparing record of what happened there, a monument to all the soldiers who went – and to those who didn’t come back.”
Plus Dead Men Risen author, Toby Harnden, was interviewed on BBC Radio Wales.
Also interviewed on BBC Radio Wales were the Warrior Women authors, Rosalind Miles & Robin Cross. And The Express gave Warrior Women the full-page feature treatment.
The Watermen has been reviewed in the Guardian:
” … promising debut novel … with a glossary of nautical terms – essential for the modern landlubber – The Watermen looks set fair to be the start of an immensely enjoyable series for fans of historical fiction and crime novels alike.”
Unusual fare for the Times Literary Supplement, but they obviously recognize a good thing when they see it, as they feature a review of The Blackhouse by Peter May:
“Island life is skillfully evoked as Peter May’s characters are rooted to the place by the burden oft heir childhood memories.”
The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman has been recommended as “a good novel about journalism” in a feature on the genre on Open Book on Radio 4.
And the Sunday Times have featured Prue Leith’s event at the Hexham Festival as one of their highlights.
The Sunday Times reviews the paperback of Rendezvous from the Dutch author Esther Verhoef:
“A splendidly modern novel … Verhoef is terrific at building menace and brilliantly conveys Simone’s growing desperation at the hands of a blackmailer.”
Tom Fletcher’s ripping Horror yarn, The Thing on the Shore, has been reviewed on the archaism.wordpress website:
“This is a compelling book … Fletcher is becoming known for his ability to crank up tension … sickening dramatic irony.”
Colin Cotterill’s brand new, side-splitting crime series, At The Whim of a Hat, set in Thailand has been picked up by the Press Association and repeated across the regional press:
“CWA Dagger-winner Colin Cotterill’s pacey plot and exotic setting, laced with gentle humour, are an enjoyable cocktail.”
Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? by Northumberland local Hazel Osmond has been reviewed in the Living North magazine – covering most of the NE & NW of England:
“A refreshing departure from the hackneyed settings, plots and people that populate so much popular fiction. Who’s Afraid of Mr Wolfe? is a thoroughly enjoyable read. North East based writer Hazel Osmond has produced a witty, fresh fast-paced tale full of quirky, believable characters that will keep you reading and rooting for them right to the last page.”
The beautifully poignant paperback of A Watermelon, Fish and a Bible gets a 4-star review, across the FemaleFirst.co.uk; maleXtra.com and teenfi.com websites:
“A debut novel, by an author who was born in 1980 to Greek Cypriot parents living in exile in London, very powerful and moving – written so well the reader strikes an empathy with the characters, feeling the anger, sorrow and anguish about what was happening to them … it is beautifully written, and explores whether the main characters can come to terms with their past and present. It makes you want to know more about Cyprus and its history, and to be able to recount what happened to Koki and Maroulla to the sometimes violent past of such a beautiful island and its people. Much more than a beach read, this is a powerful well constructed piece of writing.”
The first book in Kevin Crossley-Holland’s latest Viking Adventure series, Bracelet of Bones, has been favorably reviewed in Carousel magazine:
“exciting adventure … Crossley-Holland is an expert on Norse myths and sagas and his familiarity makes this a richly satisfying story with a believable strong heroine.”
Plus Carousel reviews The Mummy Snatcher of Memphis by Natasha Naryan:
“will appeal to all those who enjoy ripping historical yarns.”
