Every June and December, the Hampshire Writer’s Society holds a Book Fair showcasing our talented authors and their books. As we are not currently holding events at the University of Winchester, we are giving our members an opportunity to reveal their recently published books or books due to be published in 2021 in a Virtual Book Fair through the HWS website; Facebook; Twitter; and in the HWS Newsletter.
Rosie Travers
Your Secret’s Safe With Me
Career girl Becca’s organised life spirals into chaos when her eccentric novelist mother, Pearl, makes a surprise announcement. The pair relocate to a sleepy south coast village where it seems everyone has something to hide. When an old flame reappears issuing a grim warning, Becca has to make a choice. Does she trust him, or her instincts, to keep her family safe?
Your Secret’s Safe With Me began life as a highly commended HWS competition entry for the first 300 words of a general women’s fiction novel in 2018.
About Rosie Travers
I didn’t take up writing seriously until I was in my 40’s when I moved from Hampshire to California and found myself with unexpected time on my hands. I began a blog about life as an ex-pat which rekindled my teenage desire to become a writer. On my return to the UK I took a creative writing course and the rest, as they say, is history.
![Your Secrets Safe With Me Cover 1 (1)[8974]](https://hampshirewriterssociety.files.wordpress.com/2020/12/your-secrets-safe-with-me-cover-1-18974.jpg)
Although I take inspiration from the landscape and culture of the south coast of England for my plots, I want to provide readers with escapism, creating multi-layered stories sprinkled with romance and intrigue.
My Publishing Journey
I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association New Writers’ Scheme for unpublished writers in 2016. As well as providing a manuscript critique, inclusion in the scheme provides full access to invaluable RNA resources and networking. Following feedback from the NWS I felt confident enough to approach agents and publishers with my first book, The Theatre of Dreams. I signed a contract independent publisher Crooked Cat Books in 2018. Becoming a published author has been a huge learning curve, and I plan on self-publishing in future in order to retain more control of the whole process! I am currently working on a series of cosy mysteries and blog about my continuing writing journey on my website.
Links
My books are available as ebooks on Amazon, while paperback copies can be purchased from me personally for a discount. Message me via my Facebook author page for details.
Website: https://www.rosietravers.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rosietraversauthor/
Amazon Purchase Links: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Theatre-Dreams-Rosie-Travers-ebook/dp/B084C5753Y/
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Your-Secrets-Safe-Rosie-Travers-ebook/dp/B07L9K978J/
Twitter @RosieTravers
Instagram rosietraversauthor
Heath Gunn
Heath was born in Sheffield, grew up in Rotherham and left home at eighteen to join the Royal Navy, as a Helicopter Engineer.
He has lived in Hampshire, along the South Coast ever since, as he loves being near the sea.
Heath is the CEO of Hampshire based disability charity, Enham Trust; and the Lead Singer of Rapid Tranq, a rock covers band, which he has been doing since 2007.
Alongside a varied and colourful career to date, Heath has written for years, producing stories of various lengths, poetry and picture book stories for young children.
Prisoner was Heath’s debut novel, released November 2019 the first in the DI Baxter series.
KHAN
When the body of Inzamam Khan is dumped onto a busy Southampton street, it marks the fall of a dark empire.
Khan is a successful restaurateur, married to an equally successful and beautiful wife, with two loving teenage daughters.
He is also one of the country’s biggest drug dealers who rules by fear and has a habit of making enemies on all sides.
As the last week of his life and the events leading up to his death are replayed – there’s only one question to answer…
WHO KILLED KHAN ?
Heath’s publishing journey
I chose to go the Indie-author route after speaking to lots of writers about their experience with agents and publishers and wanting to have the control over things like my cover, final edit, publication date etc. I launched my debut novel in November 2019 on Amazon and so far its been well received with mainly five star reviews. I’ve sold about 750 copies so far and had over 100,000 pages read on Kindle Unlimited.
Khan, outlined above is my second novel and I’m writing the follow-up to Prisoner now.
The cover design for both my books was done by Stuart Bache at Books Covered. This, and the money I’ve spent getting my stories professionally copy-edited are the best money I’ve spent to date.
I’d advise anyone getting to the point of having a finished novel, to go through the editing process, with a good copy-editor.
I learned so much from my editors on Prisoner and Khan. Without doubt, this improved my writing and the quality of the finished books.
Links
Website http://heathgunn.com/index.html
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/heathgunnauthor/?modal=admin_todo_tour
Twitter https://twitter.com/Heathgunn
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/heathgunn1/
Amazon https://www.amazon.co.uk/Heath-Gunn/e/B0825WP5CF/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1
David Keighley
Poems, Piety, and Psyche: Progressive Poems for Rebellious Christians by David John Keighley
Confronting the crisis facing Christianity, this anthology of post-modern, progressive Christian poems, with a rebellious tone, demythologizes Christian theology. Poems, Piety and Psyche is a brave departure from literal Christian dogma and challenges the outdated ideas of doctrine and Scripture to disclose hidden truths still valid today.
This volume is an attempt to revitalize the church and reshape its future for current congregations and the missing generation of young people, scientifically literate, who are exiled from the church through its inability to absorb contemporary teaching of biblical criticism, the reality of evolution, the false idea of a God “up there,” and an institutional insistence on an unconvincing supernatural theology. Christianity must be adapted to incorporate these and change, or it will die.
David Keighley reclaims the original gospel message and takes us on a turbulent and challenging journey to the heart of what it is to be truly Christian. There is in these poems an emphasis on the teaching of the historical Jesus while rejecting nature miracles, the virgin birth, and bodily resurrection. Jesus’s divinity is that we can see God in him in the same way as we see God in the lives of each other, if we look closely enough.
Newly published paperback book of progressive Christian poetry. (130 poems, 230 pages)
Published in USA
About Reverend David Keighley
David Keighley is a retired Anglican priest of forty years, and a teacher, psychologist, and poet. He has maintained his professional and lifelong interest in the relationship between psychology and spirituality, and currently works as a psychotherapist. His performance poetry show, also entitled Poems, Piety and Psyche, combines his three main interests: poetry, spirituality, and the human mind. He is the author of a school nativity play based on the Old Testament: Christmas Past, Christmas Present (2006).
You can read samples on the Amazon page of his book. As well as the Preface which outlines his motivation and theology.
David’s Website www.davidkeighleywriter.com
There is a SHOP page for book purchase there.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Poems-Piety-Psyche-Progressive-Rebellious/dp/172528071X
Maggie Farran, Catherine Griffin & Sally Howard
Winchester Actually by Maggie Farran, Catherine Griffin & Sally Howard
Winchester Actually is a book of twelve short stories set in Winchester. From vivid recreations of the city’s past, to touching moments in modern lives, experience the city from the inside. Unravel the intrigue of the great train robbery. Witness the thrills and spills of rioting through the streets. Wonder at sacrifices made to save the cathedral and defend the city. Enjoy gentler tales of romance and motherhood set in and around Winchester.
Amazon Review: ‘Warm and well told stories. I really enjoyed the ones connected with Winchester’s past. I was particularly moved by Maggie Farran’s story about the diver, William Walker, and his near-death experience as he worked underground shoring up the foundations of the ancient Cathedral.’
Available to buy from P&G Wells, 11 College Street, Winchester.
Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Winchester-Actually-Sally-Howard/dp/B08BVY14L4
George Rodger
BRING HER BACK – International thriller set in UK, Tanzania and The Netherlands
Set in 2010, Bring her Back is an International thriller that follows the search for the body of a child whose grave in the North of England, is found, vandalised.
When the coffin of the child is exhumed, it is found to be empty. Suspicions fall on African Dorcas Mrema, an employee of the bereaved parents who has also disappeared. It is suspected that she has absconded to Tanzania in East Africa where communications are problematic and the area is almost impossible to deal with at a distance.
Through their solicitor, Matt Rose, the parents hire a couple of operatives with African experience, to travel out to Mrema’s home region of Arusha, in Northern Tanzania. The need to find her and ask her about the missing baby and if possible – Bring her Back.
The two specialists, Davy Gallant and John Kamara, along with Matt Rose, go out to Kilimanjaro, the nearest airport, after enlisting the unofficial aid of a local Tanzanian Policeman, Staff Sergeant Richard Moshi. Dorcas Mrema is keeping a low profile.
The story follows Matt, Davy and John’s hunt for Dorcas around the towns at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro and their run-ins with the local police. Soon it becomes apparent that other parties are also interested in the whereabouts of Dorcas Mrema.
What happened to Dorcas? What happened to the missing body of the child that was stolen seven months after being buried? What happened to the people Dorcas was fleeing from? What happened to Davy, John and Matt?
Inspiration for the book
This debut novel by George Rodger, who worked in Africa, visiting over 25 countries over a period of thirty years, evokes a real sense of the place which makes the story feel very powerful.
The book tries to show how working in Africa alongside Africans can be rewarding — but is not for the faint-hearted. Some people can assimilate the culture and the warmth of Africa’s peoples. Others can’t wait to get back on the plane. The book has in its characters, strong female roles, co-operation between Africans and Europeans, working together for a common good, betrayal, some necessary violence and eventually, the triumph of good over evil.
The book cover was designed by Christine Hammacott of the Art of Communication whom George contacted following a presentation she made at a Hampshire Writers’ Society meeting earlier this year.
Contact George on his Facebook Page: www.facebook.com/BringHerBackGR
Available on Amazon
B.Random
I’m B. Random. I have always been a bookworm and have loved sci-fi and fantasy since my early teens. I have been a member of HWS since it began. I have had poetry displayed in public and dramatised in the Theatre Royal Winchester. I am often placed in the HWS writing competitions. I am writing a sci-fi fantasy series for children (8+), currently editing book 4. In 2020 I launched Flagship Guide to Mrax, Grab this ebook free on Kindle and Prime or for pennies, only on Amazon. My Mrax series proves extremely popular in schools and I have a growing fan base.
B. Random’s latest book – Flagship Guide to Mrax
I can recommend self publishing. It takes a team of helpers and a steep learning curve but there is lots of help out there. I started when my daughter bought me a course on Udemy on how to publish on Amazon. I followed it to the letter and had lots of support from friends at HWS. I looked up tips on Youtube – there are thousands of writing exercises, workshops and targeted advice on there. Amazon’s publishing platform, KDP has pages of advice too. I also joined Alli, the Alliance of Independent Authors which gives you endless help, offers and advice. There are many groups on Facebook to join which will help and you don’t always have to be members to see the posts. Never be afraid to ask your questions, be brave, we’ve all been there. We writers are one big family, all ready and willing to support each other. If only politics could work the same way.. Good luck.
Find me:
Facebook :@B.Randomreaders
Twitter @AuthorBRandom
My YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=B.Randombooks
Website: http://www.b-random.space/
The Mrax Series;
Book 1 Alienship – Half alien Ky has to master his alien skills to rescue his Dad from a crashed spaceship
Book 2 Survivorship – Ky has to work with the outcasts of Paris to save Earth from the scourge of the Kronk.
Book 3 Ridership – Monsters pursue Ky on Mrax and follow him to Earth. Will he ever achieve his dream to fly?
Flagship Guide to Mrax – Take the trip of a lifetime to another planet, if you’re brave enough!
Colin Johnson
Lymington Anthology edited by Colin Johnson.
Contains short stories and flash fiction in that express Community.
There are contributions from Lymington Writers, whose regular meetings in the Community Centre gave birth to this publication, and shortlisted entries in the Lymington Competition.
Enjoy a range of work in various genres, including fantasy and horror, humour and dystopia.
The shortlisted Competition entries are full of intriguing characters.
147 pages. £7.95 Available from lymwriters(AT)gmail.com ( replace AT with @)
Colin Johnson
Colin has been writing fiction for several years, after an academic career which included numerous scientific papers and editing several books. He lives in Lyndhurst, and has been a member of HWS since 2017. Colin’s first love is short stories, and it is this that drove him to edit the Lymington Anthology (published in support of the Lymington Community Association). His work in progress is an examination of the influence of power and gender on relationships in the #MeToo era.
Publication
Self published on Lulu.com Copies available from the editor at lymwriters(AT)gmail.com or the lulu.com bookshop.
Lymington Anthology – Lymington Writers (wordpress.com)
Tips on self publishing
This was my first attempt, so it was a learning experience. Lulu needs the whole interior first, before you start on the cover.
The best way to create the pdf file is to create a single word doc, then set the styles and headings for the whole document, and save as a pdf/A.
Be prepared to spend a lot of time on the cover, or use a template cover ( but the available designs are inflexible and boring).
As well as self-published, your book is self-marketed, no-one is going to sell it for you.
