A Night Out on the ... Clutterbooks!

Our seaside town, with its diverse history and unspoiled nature has offered rest and friendship to Charlotte Bronte, J.R.R. Tolkien and T. E. Lawrence of Arabia. It is a retreat for many popular writers of today and home to internationally renown publishers. Despite its well-established literary connections, woefully, Hornsea did not have a bookshop of its own.

This adventure begins with an invitation to the most influential social gathering of the season. The enticing offer arrived at our weekly Hornsea Writers’ meeting with only days to plan. Imagine the panic!

Fortunately, our four intrepid authors did not need a guide to the galaxy to find their way on a drizzly, cold night best suited to a Dickens novel. Linda Acaster, Penny Grubb, Shellie Horst, and Karen Wolfe battled through crowds to attend the exclusive event of the month: the launch of Clutterbooks, Hornsea’s very own independent bookshop.

The evening didn’t disappoint, with celebratory fizz and cakes on offer, and an enviable guest-list. Guests, dear reader, who in true bookish style, browsed the shelves and chatted in invitingly snug surroundings.

Penny Grubb didn’t miss the chance to snap up a non-fiction book: “I bought one of Alice Roberts’ books on archaeology. I was delighted to spot it on the shelf. She’s a favourite of mine.”

Staying true to Hornsea’s literary traditions, the owner, Georgina Wilson, aims to inspire. Clutterbooks offers a snug for teens and young readers to explore magical worlds, and more uniquely, shelf space to local published writers.

“The shop is cosy, welcoming, and immediately interesting. Having a separate children’s area is also a great idea,” Karen Wolfe said.

Linda’s experience in the industry showed, noting: “Having a shelf for Local Authors will open eyes, especially for teenage readers who may believe that writing a novel is only an enterprise for perceived ‘elites’.”

Penny, in her element among the bookshelves, pointed out: “Indie bookshops have books and good writing as their focus in a way that big shops (on or offline) don’t.

Joy Stonehouse with the tempting literary range. “She does have gifts related to books.”

Hornsea Writers spent the evening in the good company of councillors, tutors, artists, and national media, but the adventure for Georgina and Clutterbooks doesn’t end there. There’s a story behind how this little bookshop found its place in Hornsea, too. One Georgina will be happy to share when you visit.

All the Hornsea Writers wish Clutterbooks good luck and agree with Linda: “A bookshop is definitely the place to have a ‘night out’.”  

Reviews: Thick Skin, Owning Your Wins & A Happy Snoopy Dance Moment – Shellie Horst

Rounding off this series on reviews, Hornsea Writer Shellie Horst shares a different perspective. ‘Readers, and audiences,’ Shellie points out, ‘are the most important part of the creative process if you write for a market. If they don’t pick up your work, agents can’t agent, editors are stuck, publishers can’t publish, marketing departments are out of work, libraries have nothing new to put on the shelves, and all those amazing bookstores we love so much are out of business.’

The Thick Skin and Owning Your Wins.

Shellie writes for different markets, so reviews and thoughts on her work, come in all sorts of different forms.

‘As a journalist,’ she says, ‘I write freelance articles for publications in the Yorkshire area, most often The Hornsea and Holderness Gazette. Readers are happy to tell me how much they enjoyed a piece face to face, how it improved things in some way. Like with writing fiction, it helps to know your market. East Yorkshire is primarily rural, with a large coastline. The issues people face are different to inner city life. For some outlets and groups, I am their writer of choice.’

Feedback can come at unexpected times. ‘A reader once stopped me in the street,’ she says. ‘He told me he no longer believed everything he read on Facebook, saying,

“Thank you so much for the simple explanation, I didn’t understand that there’s only two masts in the area, and why I kept missing my carer. Let me buy you a drink.”

‘Dear reader, I said no, but thanked him for his kindness. Little wins add up, but they can get lost in the process.’

Shellie goes on to say, ‘The warm glow of getting it right doesn’t come with every piece. News is a funny thing, it’s personal in many ways. It impacts business, life, and politics. Everyone has an opinion. Negative feedback does come, but usually via the office. It can be personal, angry, and sometimes rude. It helps to remember news articles cover passions and hard work. ITV’s series, The Hack explores the impact of reporting on personal life well. I’m fortunate the editor at Holderness News insists on ethical reporting, with balanced articles with actual sources. I couldn’t just make any old thing up.’

A Happy Snoopy Dance moment

Shellie’s short fiction has appeared in several anthologies. Distaff: A Science Fiction Anthology by Female Authors, was nominated for a British Science Fiction award. The anthology received a lot of attention. Book Reviewer and blogger Peat Long said of Shellie’s story My Little Mecha,

“…That story made me miss my train stop.”

Who hasn’t stayed up hours into the night wanting to get to the end of a book, or the next episode of their favourite show? Shellie says, ‘While I feel bad for Peat having to double back on his journey, knowing my work transported him to another world is a huge compliment.’

The same story received an “It was fine” from another review on Good Reads.

The Power of Reviews.

Shellie goes on to talk about the creative writing workshops she delivers, saying, ‘Reviewing work brings lots of laughter, and builds critical thinking, and in turn, writing talent. We explore whether or not it’s wise to read reviews. A negative review is often something that holds a writer back. Just like the critique and developmental feedback we share at the Hornsea Writers weekly group, reviews may help form your writing, and the must-have ‘thick skin’. The fear of one-star reviews shouldn’t hold you back. It can be a source of creative - defiant joy, as Hull author Louise Beech did in her funny found poem, Amazon Should Do Zero Stars.’

‘Readers are quick to put themselves down at Humber SFF events too. I’m always grateful. It’s the reader that keeps publishing and my writing going.’

Shellie Horst is an award-nominated author, freelance journalist and creative writing tutor. You can follow her on the social media you love: https://linktr.ee/shelliehorst or sign up for updates on her website: https://shelliehorst.com. 

Read more about Shellie Horst HERE.

Reviews: Brickbats & Bouquets – April Taylor

On reviews, author, April Taylor, says, ‘I must admit up front that I never, ever, read my reviews. What is the point? Whether they portray the good, bad or the ugly, I cannot alter things. So, it was something of a novelty for me to change the habits of a lifetime and read some.’

Buy Crime and Punishment in Tudor England

April chose Crime and Punishment in Tudor England, the first book she wrote for Pen and Sword, to do the brickbats and bouquets comparison, and dives right in with the brickbat, which she admits made her laugh. She goes on to add, ‘Since the most critical review was a 3*, I was quite chuffed, and if we are going to get hung up on statistics, the average review for this book is 4.3 out of 5.’

The review says in part:

“a variety of facts and figures, but the presentation comes across as dry and tedious.”

Pointing to the review’s opening words:

“A dry novel…”

April wonders if the reviewer had really read the book, which is plainly not a novel. And maybe this reader also skipped the Introduction, which makes clear this is a book for dipping into, not reading in one sitting.

‘Talk about being praised with faint damns,’ April said, noting that the review comprised fewer lines than it had stars. She added, ‘Since most other reviews mention the low-key wit/humour, I was a little perplexed this person thought it dry and tedious. You see, this is why I never read reviews, because this is just one person’s opinion, and we all know the saying about those, don’t we? I am extremely happy it does not appear to be an opinion shared by other reviewers. But at least it made me smile.’

For the bouquet side, April points to a review by a writer of medieval historical non-fiction, whose opinion she respects.

“…it really is an impressive tome. It is thorough and well referenced and is written in a lively, entertaining writing style, with a fair amount of wit thrown in for good measure.”

This reviewer includes a warning for readers:

“I do have to warn you: this book is not to be read while eating, unless you have a strong stomach. April Taylor includes descriptions of the various methods of execution, including beheading, hanging, burning and the particularly gruesome method of boiling alive!”

April sums up her historical non-fiction writing by saying, ‘I feel when you are writing history, which could easily become dry and tedious, not to mention gruesome, a quick giggle here and there can lift the mood. Let’s face it, there is little to laugh about when reading or witnessing someone being boiled alive, is there? Unless we remember the immortal Kenneth Williams’ last line in Carry On Screaming, when he falls into a boiling vat and emerges briefly to shout, “Frying Tonight”.

‘And, to be fair to medieval folk who generally loved a good hanging, when Richard Roose was boiled alive, the whole spectacle was too strong even for their stomachs. They left in droves, and the parliamentary act was repealed a few years later.’

Read more about April Taylor HERE.

Reviews: My Most Heartening & Most Disappointing - Madeleine McDonald

Author Madeleine McDonald reacts to her most heartening and most disappointing reviews from readers of one of her novels.

The following review came from an American reader of her historical romance, A Shackled Inheritance. 

Buy A Shackled Inheritance

“This book has a strong heroine in Ms. Abigail Carrick. She struggles to seek out her inheritance in a world that does not allow women much authority. I admit that I did not check all of the facts in this book but I looked up some of them. There are references to authors that actually lived and real events in history. I feel that I learned a lot while reading it. It caused me to rethink some ideas about civil rights, history and race. The line between right and wrong become blurred which is something I really like to see in a book.

My only criticism of the book is that the ending is too neat. I would have liked to see the characters work out some of their problems which were not resolved. I think a second volume would be welcome.”

‘I was cheered by this review,’ says Madeleine. ‘It great to find that someone was interested enough in the historical context of the story to check some of the facts, and to weigh them against her own knowledge and ideas. It’s what I would do, but then I’m a history addict.’

Musing on the joys and pitfalls of historical research, Madeleine reveals, ‘A Shackled Inheritance was in danger of never being finished as I burrowed deep into the treasure trove of Jamaica’s splendid digital archives. One site led to another, as I found inventories and wills that detailed the ambiguous lives of the sizeable ‘free coloured’ community, the mixed-race descendants of slave owners and enslaved people. The tragedy was that the free coloureds were often slave owners or overseers themselves.’

Madeleine’s meticulous research into the brutal conditions of plantation life also impressed the writer of the book’s disappointing one-star review:

“Let me begin this review stating I give props to Madeleine for depicting the harshness and hardness of a slave's life. To see anyone abused, mistreated in any decade, at any age, is unthinkable and deplorable. I can't fathom how someone can treat another person so cruelly. Despicable!”

Madeleine notes that ‘This reviewer’s emotional reaction coloured her view of the book. She said at one point

“You know what else is despicable? A vast majority of the characters in A Shackled Inheritance.” 

‘She did not like either my heroine or her sister, saying they were both “consumed with money”. In my view, that was inevitable in a time when women had no financial independence.’

The review ends by saying: “At least it ended on a HEA so that's something.”

‘Good or bad,’ Madeleine says, ‘I welcome readers’ opinions. They make the solitary hours of writing worthwhile.’

Read more about Madeleine McDonald HERE. 

Reviews: My Most Insightful & One That Slightly Missed The Mark – Stuart Aken

Author Stuart Aken reacts to two of his most honest reviews.

Buy An Excess Of … 

This 5* review went into detail on several levels:

“If author Stuart Aken had started this book with, “A bishop, a rabbi, an imam, an atheist, an acolyte, and a grieving widow walked into a bar,” you would expect a joke. But An Excess of . . . is no joke, nor is the deserted island on which this disparate and increasingly desperate group find themselves with little hope of rescue after a harrowing shipwreck. How will they cope? What alliances and alienations will form? In this page-turner, Aken’s characters face one challenge after another, mostly successfully but not without strife as their true identities and proclivities emerge, their conflicting worldviews are laid bare, and they say, do and experience nothing in moderation – hence the title, which applies not only to the characters but also to the underlying theme of man’s general inability or unwillingness to confront his impact on our endangered planet. It is intense. Still, there is humor, adventure, and romance along with the danger, and you will want to keep reading to discover the surprising resolution.”

Stuart reflects, “It’s relatively unusual for a reviewer to detail the essence of a story without giving away too much of the plot. It’s also not very common for a reviewer to understand and reveal underlying themes. In this review, Walt Pilcher has done both, earning my sincere gratitude.”

The following is an extract from a 4* review of the same book:

“It's more brutal than I thought it'd be, and it becomes clear as the narrative progresses that there's no guarantee of anyone making it to the end alive, which was quite refreshing. I'm withholding one star only because some of the conversations are quite on the nose. Nothing wrong with getting a message across, but I feel it could have been more organic.”

Stuart says about this review, “This is from an honest review, but I wonder if the final two sentences reveal more about the reviewer than about the book; is this, perhaps, a case of a reader recognising their own prejudices in one or more characters? Not a criticism, but a reaction to their presented viewpoint. Of course, the passion of some of the thoughts and words of the players may well uncover subconscious bias in any reader.”

Stuart Aken has authored many novels across many genres. Find out more about his work – including his work-in-progress – on his WEBSITE. 

Read more about Stuart Aken HERE. 

Reviews: My Most Heart-Lifting & Most Comical – Linda Acaster

Author Linda Acaster reacts to her most heart-lifting and most comical reviews

"This book is tedious at best..."

So said a USA reader commenting on Linda's historical romance, Beneath The Shining Mountains. 

Linda reflects, "This sort of response is why many authors refuse to look at reviews of their own books, which I can quite understand.

"In truth, reviews aren’t for the author; they are reader-to-reader recommendations, part of the three-step pre-purchase ritual, at least when buying from one of the Amazon stores: skim through the product description, read part of the ‘Look Inside’, hit random 5*, 3* and 2* reviews. Followed, perhaps, by the Buy button."

Buy Beneath The Shining Mountains

Of course, not every reader does this. A surprising number buy on the look of the book cover alone, though it seems this reader didn’t even do that.

"This book is tedious at best. I guess my preference for books that relate details of Indian customs and actual historical accounts trump my enjoyment for this book, a coming of age style love story. A lot of drama between the characters in their love relationship. I had to force myself to get through this book."

"So, did the reader dismiss the conveying of customs because they were wrapped in a fictional story?" Linda wonders, adding, "What I didn’t understand then, and still can’t now, is why anyone would force themselves to finish a novel that didn’t resonate with them. The most comical aspect of this? Despite the tongue-lashing, the reader gave it a 3* review. Go figure."

"Book of the year so far!"

This came from a UK reader commenting on The Bull At The Gate, the second in the Torc of Moonlight trilogy of contemporary mythic fantasies. 

Buy The Bull At The Gate

Linda says, "What pulled me up short here was the fact that the review was uploaded mid-June. Had the reader only read one book in five and a half months?? Er, no. His reviewing was reasonably prolific."

"Mystery and multiple twists in a wonderfully written tale by a first rate author. Loved the fact there are some links to the old history (especially Roman!) of York as well. Book of the year so far!"

Linda's most cherished review happened to be for the same novel, but three years later and from Australia:

"This is the second book in the Torc of Moonlight trilogy. Every bit as captivating as the first. Linda Acaster's style of writing draws the reader in until nothing exists but the story."

Linda's reaction? “That - 'nothing exists but the story' - any novelist would take as a job well done."

Explore more from Linda Acaster’s multi-genre output

Read more about Linda Acaster HERE.

Reviews: My Best & My Worst (and a love letter to Filey) – Joy Stonehouse

Author Joy Gelsthorpe (who writes as Joy Stonehouse) reacts to her best and worst reviews.

The following review was from one of Joy’s most ardent fans, reacting to her first novel, Witch-bottles and Windlestraws: 

Buy Witch-bottles and Windlestraws

"All Joy’s books are at the highest level—she is a largely undiscovered gem. The stories are truly immersive with incredible detail and beautifully crafted. You are instantly transported into the 18^th century lives of a group of people who live in a coastal, rural village. You feel as though you are living alongside them as they cope with the full cycle of life in conditions and a society that really come alive through her tales of woe and joy. The quality of both research and the writing itself are of the highest standard—very easily is in the top category of ‘Must Read’ and ‘Can’t put down!’ They would make a superb film or TV series."

Joy says, ‘My first reaction was wow! I’m realistic enough to know that this review is over the top, but it gives me hope and the confidence to keep writing.’

Of course, not all reviews can be as positive as this one, and as a counterbalance, Joy points to a 2-star review of the same book, where she notes, ‘Worse than the lack of stars, this one was entitled Boring:’

"Odd little story, and not at all what I was expecting. Not the best book I’ve read recently and not sure I’d read anything else by this author."

Joy was philosophical about this one, saying, ‘Ah, well, you can’t win them all. Though I wondered what on earth she had been expecting. It was bought as a paperback from Amazon, and the blurb on the site explains in detail what to expect.'

Joy has self-published a series of five novels set in the early 18^th century about the Jordan farming family in Reighton, near Filey. Over the past six years, she has built up quite a following, men as well as women, who eagerly await the next book.

And when can they expect it?

Joy says, ‘My next book, hopefully to be published before Christmas, is a romantic novella set in Filey in Regency times—The Boy with Mussel Shell Eyes. It is written entirely through the letters of a young woman, on a two-week holiday, to her friend in Halifax. Both the research and the writing were an absolute pleasure. I think of the book as a love letter to Filey.’

Read more about Joy Stonehouse HERE. 

Reviews: My Most Convincing & Most Confusing – Penny Grubb

Author, Penny Grubb, reacts to her most convincing and most confusing reviews.

In a conversation at a book event, a reader asked this:

“When did you live on Orchard Park?”
When Penny said she had never lived there, the reader was insistent:
“You must have, or very nearby. You couldn’t have got to know it, else.”

The reader was referring to Falling into Crime, a collection of the first three novels in Penny’s Annie Raymond, Private Investigator series, which features Orchard Park as a key location.

Buy Falling into Crime

Penny’s reaction?

“I had never lived on Orchard Park, which is an estate in Hull. In fact, I’ve never lived in Hull, although I worked there for many years. I let the reader assume that I’d lived nearby because I was delighted with this feedback. I did a lot of research to get the vibe right. Orchard Park was a key setting for some of the action in the early Annie books.

“It’s a complex area of Hull. To those who don’t know it well, it has a bad reputation. To those who live there, although they don’t deny its negative aspects, it has another face. As one of the characters in the book points out to Annie, you will find areas of Orchard Park where parents are happy to let their children play outside, secure in the knowledge that neighbours will keep an eye on them; something hard to find in more affluent areas.”

On the other end of the reviewing spectrum, Penny encountered her first 1-star Amazon review with Buried Deep, the fifth book in the Annie Raymond series. The review read:

“Really good story but the package was all torn when it arrived.”

Buy Buried Deep

This wasn’t the literary critique one might expect, but Penny took it in her stride:

“This was my first 1-star review. They hadn’t bought the book from me. I had no hand in packaging it. These things happen. I’m pleased they enjoyed reading it. I enjoyed writing it. The review was later taken down. I don’t know why. I didn’t object to it. People sometimes go to the 1-star reviews to see the worst of something before they make up their minds. As a 1-star review, I was happy with it.”

The Annie Raymond PI series currently includes seven novels, plus one “detour” novel following detectives introduced in Buried Deep. The most recent release was Boxed In, and a new instalment is in the works.

Read the opening chapters from Penny Grubb’s books.

Read more about Penny Grubb HERE. 

Hornsea Writers at The Summer Creative Weekend

 

Hornsea writer Shellie Horst is holding workshops for local writers who want to develop their stories at the town's creative festival.

Shellie, a creative writing tutor, will use her lived experience as an author, and freelance journalist for The Holderness Gazette, to lead a two-hour writing workshop for budding writers to shape their stories.

It’s the ideal opportunity to put a draft together. Writers can continue to work on their creations through the summer before submitting them for publication. 

Organised by The Hornsea Collective, the weekend is designed to highlight the creativity on offer through the unique independent businesses in the town.

The workshops will be part of the Summer Creative Weekend at Hornsea Village on Saturday July 12 and Sunday July 13. The Creative Weekend is suitable for the whole family. Creative writing workshops are available on both days from 1-3pm. Shellie will also be on hand to talk all things Hornsea Writers and HumberSpeculative Fiction.  

Book your place online via https://hornseavillage.com/events/creative-summer-weekend/ or pop down on the day. 

 

 

Shellie Horst is a freelance writer, author of speculative fiction, and a tutor. Find out more about her work at https://shelliehorst.com