Startling facts behind this set of short fiction

It isn't always easy to find a really good short story collection, but this one - featuring Hornsea Writers' Stuart Aken - is well worth reading. It is available either as an ebook or as an illustrated paperback.

As an added bonus, there is a whole set of true stories behind the fiction as related in this set of interviews with the authors.

Live! New Chiller - "The Paintings"

Linda Acaster's new short chiller The Paintings has gone live today across all main ebook retailers.

The most common question Linda has faced from readers of her other books is... Is it going to scare me? 

‘Well I hope so, at least just a little.’ Though Linda is quick to point out that she doesn’t write gorefests.

‘People being chased by chainsaw-wielding maniacs has never interested me as far as reading material is concerned and it doesn’t in my writing material, either. I am, though, fascinated by how ordinary people react to extraordinary situations, how the brain rationalises in the face of mounting odds.’

So if you fancy a couple of hours of quick reading – perhaps not before switching off the lights – then give The Paintings a whirl. You might find yourself partial to a new genre. Rest assured, there’ll be more to come.

Amazon Kindle ¦  B&Noble Nook ¦  Kobo  ¦  iTunes/iBooks  ¦  All Formats

Hornsea writers spread their influence

Hornsea Writers is a group prolific in its output but it spreads its influence beyond the production of books. For instance, did you know that:

• Hornsea lost its coastguard station in the early 1990s and would have been without a lifeboat but for the efforts of local volunteers including Hornsea Writer, Rick Sumner, whose short fiction has been used to raise funds for Hornsea Inshore Rescue, an independent charity set up and run by volunteers.

• Hornsea Writer, Pippa Ireland, is currently writing an account of the rollercoaster that was the 2014 Young Event Horse Series, a national competition that was won by her son, Nick, whose equestrian career is sponsored by Fantastic Books Publishing who last year published Stuart Aken’s Seared Sky trilogy.

The Joy of Quick Reads

The rise of e-books has spawned another phenomenon, the quick read. Sometimes called Singles or Novellas, they provide a beguiling introduction to an author you haven’t yet discovered, or a taste of a subject for less than the price of a cup of coffee.

Quick reads are a taster. You can get through one in less than an hour, depending on how fast you read and you can also find some gems. If you don’t like the author, then you can cross him/her off your list. If you do, you have a whole new range of full-length books to discover.

The triumph of quick reads over the partial book examples that can be downloaded is that the reader gets the whole story, not just the first part. How many books have you read that started so well and went downhill? With short reads, you, the reader, find out how the author builds to a denouement and how well rounded the story is.

Linda Acaster has written a chiller called “The Paintings” – available for pre-order here http://amzn.to/1CFX2WU. To be published on 19^th March, it is a 17000 word novella that gives a perfect introduction to the power of her writing and evocation of creeping suspense. At £0.99, it is a ideal starting point for a new reader to her full-length novels.

April Taylor is also planning a quick read as an introduction to her Georgia Pattison Mysteries. Set in Whitby, “Whistles After Dark” will be available later in the spring.

So, try some short reads. You never know what gems you may find.

You can find out more about Linda Acaster here: http://www.lindaacaster.com

And April Taylor here:

http://www.apriltaylorauthor.com

Launch of 'The Paintings'

New books are being launched thick and fast by members of Hornsea Writers. This time it is Linda Acaster whose Supernatural Mystery The Paintings is now on pre-order.

  For Kristen Jeffries it was supposed to be an afternoon's appointment assessing paintings.

   The client was supposed to be their owner.

   The paintings were supposed to be signed.

   So why was police tape hanging from the apartment's door?

"...the whole subtle sense of something sinister is very well done..."

If you like creepy...

Available now for pre-order at Amazon ~ iBooks ~ Nook ~ Kobo

Check out her other ebooks and paperbacks at

http://www.lindaacaster.com