Ellipsis - Nikki Dudley

"Right on time," Daniel Mansen mouths to Alice as she pushes him to his death. Haunted by these words, Alice becomes obsessed with discovering how a man she didn't know could predict her actions. On the day of the funeral, Daniel's cousin, Thom, finds a piece of paper in Daniel's room detailing the exact time and place of his death.

As Thom and Alice both search for answers, they become knotted together in a story of obsession, hidden truths and the gaps in everyday life that can destroy or save a person.

Ellipsis is a disturbing thriller stemming from what is left unsaid, what bounces around in the mind and evaporates when trying to remember. Can there be a conclusion when no-one seems to know the truth?

Ellipsis was released on 26 April 2010.
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Great review of ABC

It's always a boost to the old ego when someone writes a positive review of your book, and they don't come much better than the one by Richard Bell in the May issue of Writing Magazine. Here's a snippet...

"Perhaps the major problem facing freelance writers today is that editors and publishers receive far more submissions than they can possibly accept. So when someone in an editorial office picks up an unsolicited submission they will look for any valid reason to put it onto the rejection pile...

"... the way you approach your editor, publisher or agent must mark you out as a professional. But how do you achieve this? What are the rules for presenting your manuscript? How should you write query letters and covering letters? How should you make your approach to an editor or publisher?


"To answer these these questions you need advice every step of the way. Spend years learning the hard way, or read the practical advice in this invaluable Writer's ABC Checklist."
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Peter Moore

Ever fancied your chances as a travel writer?

Peter Moore is the author of seven travel books and, in his 'Secrets of Travel Writing' and with his usual wit, gives us plenty of sound advice and practical tips from ideas to improving our odds in the publishing stakes.
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Writers' News

There are one or two familiar faces on the cover of this month's Writers' News.

The mag's lead story for May is all about the 100 Stories for Haiti book project and one of the book's contributors, Ellie Garratt, managed to gather together several other Writers' News subscribers who have short stories in the anthology.

The familiar faces are Ellie Garratt, Joanne Fox, Sherri Turner, Trevor Belshaw - and me.
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Tips from non-fiction agent

The Andrew Lownie Literary Agency Ltd is a leading non-fiction agency who have a special interest in biography and history subjects. They represent books by the likes of Norma Major, Sir John Mills, Alan Whicker, Gloria Hunniford and Patrick MacNee.

Here, Andrew Lownie offers some very good advice on how best to present yourself and your work to an agent.
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Currency converter

A good one for both fiction and non-fiction writers.

From the National Archives, a currency converter that will work out how much yesterday's money - from the year 1270 onwards - is worth today, as well as its current buying power.
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Regency Period

If you're setting your novel in the Regency period then visit the website of romantic novelist, Candice Hern, for a plethora of information on the era. Includes a time-line, fashion, and notable people and places.
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Flash 500 winners

The winners of the first Flash 500 competition have been announced.

Well done all!
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Pamela Cleaver

Children's writer and creative writing tutor, Pamela Cleaver, is the author of Ideas for Children's Writers and Writing a Children's Book.

Her Writing Tips include things like: 'Children's stories should be almost 50 per cent dialogue' and 'In children's writing, thinking time is just as important as writing time'.

AskOxford

This is a website worth bookmarking. The excellent AskOxford has advice on grammar, spelling, commonly misused words and word origins.

You can whittle away some time playing word games (naturally these are educational and not to be confused with time-wasting).

There's even a fascinating QI-esque FAQ section, which ponders such questions as: Is 'deliverables' a real word? and What comes after once, twice, thrice?

Joanne Harris

Bestselling author of works such as Chocolat and Five Quarters of the Orange, Joanne Harris offers writers the benefit of her experience in the Nuts and Bolts section of her website.

Joanne also shares some interesting info about herself - facts and assumptions - as well as articles and interviews.

Hay Festival

One of the largest and best-known literary festivals, Hay takes place from 27 May to 6 June 2010.

Among the guests this year are: Quentin Blake, Rob Brydon, Philip Pullman, Stephen Fry, Chris Evans, Jerry Hall, Tom Stoppard and Martin Amis.

History from the Beeb

If you enjoy writing either historic fiction or non-fiction there are some useful resources from the BBC that might help a smidgeon.

Ancient History in-depth begins with the Egyptians.

British History in-depth spans periods from Norman Britain onwards.

Historic Figures gives an overview of lots of important people from the past - listed alphabetically.

World Wars in-depth covers WW1 to the Cold War.

Opportunities at Creme de la Crime

The independent publishing company, Creme de la Crime is on the hunt for all styles of top-quality crime novels between 70,000 and 80,000 words.

Read their guidelines carefully though before submitting your manuscript as there's a whole lot of things that turn them off. They want a 1000-1500 word synopsis and the first 10,000 words - by post only.

Kate Hardy

A prolific writer of Mills and Boon romances, Kate Hardy offers some very helpful writing advice to her website visitors.

Kate is the author of several dozen books, so with these TIPS you can be sure she knows what she's talking about.

Stephanie Baudet

If you're interested in writing for children, visit the website of children's author, columnist and writing tutor, Stephanie Baudet and read the useful articles she has in her 'Articles for Writers' spot.

These cover the topics: 'Adult Characters in Children's Fiction' and 'Are you a Planner or an Explorer'.

Benita Brown

Based in the North East of England, Benita Brown is the author of ten sagas and has a 'Writing Tips' page on her website.

Among her tips, perhaps my favourite is: "Never give up even on the sort of day when inspiration has fled."

Neil Gaiman

I was fortunate enough to meet bestselling author Neil Gaiman - albeit briefly - back in the 80s.

Writing for all ages, his works include prose, film, comics, song lyrics, and drama. His website has plenty of info for fans, including links to interviews and, under FAQ, an 'Advice to Authors' section.

CRIMEFEST

The place to be for fans of crime fiction, CRIMEFEST is a convention held in Bristol between the 20 and 23 May 2010.

Sqillions of authors are taking part, among them, Colin Dexter, Simon Brett, Ann Cleeves, Lindsey Davis, MB Beaton and ohh, loads more...

The registration fee includes interviews, panels, a Gala Dinner, and 'one or two surprises'.

English Practice

This is an incredibly useful site for sure. English Practice is a helpful resource that answers all manner of questions regarding the use of written English.