5 Questions About Writing With . . . Peter Raposo
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing on February 11, 2025
Peter Raposo was born in London to Portuguese parents and now lives in Coventry.
His first book dUst came out in 2021. Peter writes science-fiction novels, fiction, romance, and he’s now working on a horror novel. He’s also a member of the New Street Authors and has a YouTube channel called that boring dude.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I always make sure to take a couple of hours to write or to do a bit of research every day, but if no ideas are coming to mind, I take a break where I either read something or do a bit of meditation. As I get older, the writing tends to get a bit easier, but I don’t set myself any daily targets. I just wait for the words to come to me. There are days when I can write 10 to 20 pages in one go, and then there are days where I find it hard to write half a page.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
Imagination. Pain. Love. Be a bit funny. Or dramatic. I think I’m a bit of both.
I’ve written some of my best work while going through some of the most painful moments in my life. It’s almost as if I’m a sadomasochist that craves the pain just so I can write. Maybe I should have been a poet.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I use a lot of social media, including my YouTube channel, and I email magazines, radio stations and other writers/bloggers asking if they would like to have me on their show or interview me for their blogs.
I also email libraries and independent bookshops asking if I could do a book event, and I usually get good replies. Plus I’m a member of a local writing group and we always find a few events to do throughout the year. And then there’s Facebook and Instagram, but, to be honest, I’m still learning the process of marketing myself.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Communicate with people. Go out there, see the world, talk to people, to other writers, etc. During the lockdown of 2020-2021, I started to help out at a food bank and I met so many people who had such crazy stories to tell me that, in the end, I ended up writing a trilogy of books.
A top tip for other writers?
Only one: write. If you’re stuck and you don’t know what to write, just start journaling. That will help you to write.
About The Mechanical Tears of the Immortal Being – published January 2024
A famous author is invited to a party in the middle of nowhere, a party attended by some of the most powerful people in the world. On the way there, he meets a porn star. Later, when they’re already at the party, he watches as the poor woman is taken away because some people want to have fun with her. And why was he invited to that party?
Years later, that same writer takes a private flight to New Zealand. One of the passengers on that flight is the billionaire Samuel Obberbrunner. Unknown to everyone, Samuel is heading to his bunker where immortality is waiting for him. But to achieve immortality he will have to leave love and everything else behind him for a long time.
Island Song by Pepsi Demacque-Crockett
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books, Resources on January 30, 2025
I’ve just finished reading Island Song, the debut novel by Pepsi Demacque-Crockett – published today, 30th January 2025 (No, I didn’t speed read 300+ pages! I received an advance review copy). 
If the name of the author seems familiar to you, you are right. Pepsi enjoyed a career in the pop industry in the 1980s and 1990s as part of Wham! and later in the singing duo Pepsi & Shirlie. Pepsi’s parents came to the UK in the 1950s from Saint Lucia and Island Song is inspired by their experience. I enjoyed this book in two different ways, as a reader and as a writer:
The blurb: When their father dies, Agnes Deterville and her sister Ella must forge their own paths in life. Headstrong Agnes dreams of a new life far away. Cautious Ella fears the world beyond their small village in St Lucia. When Agnes departs for a new life in 1950s London, they are both confronted by heartbreak, loneliness, and tragedy. Separated by an ocean, but bound by love, can the sisters keep their island song singing in their hearts?
My reader review: Island Song is a book of contrasts. The reader travels from the bright and colourful island of St. Lucia to grey and dismal London. We experience the friendly, inclusive Caribbean culture and then witness the hostility and suspicion of people in 1950s UK. We get to know Agnes and her adventurous, determined spirit compared with her older, much more cautious sister, who is very much a home bird.
Pepsi Demacque-Crockett weaves all of these threads together to create an absorbing, timely, thought-provoking but easy-to-read novel. It is reminiscent of ‘A Small Island’ by Andrea Levy and would make a great book club read.
With thanks to HarperCollins and The Reading Agency for my Advance Review Copy.
My writer review: The word ‘contrast’ sums up what I learned as a writer from Island Song. We are always told the importance of differentiating our characters to avoid them homogenising into one voice. However, this can be difficult if our protagonists are similar ages, from similar backgrounds and have similar lifestyles. Pepsi got around this difficulty by giving the two sisters, Agnes and Ella, very different personalities: Agnes wants to conquer the world but Ella fears even leaving their village. But they still share the same basic philosophy that family is all important. For me, the lesson to take away is that I should concentrate on what makes my characters different to one another, especially when they are conversing or otherwise interacting with each other.
Copyediting and a Kindle Deal
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Short Story, Writing on January 14, 2025
![20250105_175958[1]](https://sally-jenkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/20250105_1759581.jpg)
Along with all the usual extra December activities and preparations, the copyedits for my third novel with ChocLit/Joffe Books landed just before Christmas with a deadline of 6th January. I spent the holiday period squeezing in as much editing time as possible – but still ensuring I got to see all the family and didn’t miss out on the turkey and wine!
Copyedits are suggested changes at sentence level (it’s assumed that the structure of the story as a whole is working by this point) to ensure clarity and a smooth read, plus continuity/timeline issues will be highlighted and the odd incorrect fact might be spotted. During this process I learned a couple of things:
The book is set at Christmas and I mention that one character is watching a rerun of the original Charlie and the Chocolate Factory film from 1971. My editor correctly pointed out that this version of the film actually has the title, ‘Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory‘. A few reasons have been put forward on Wikipedia for this title change, some political and one relating to product placement of the Wonka chocolate bar. Make of them what you will.
I also refer to Slade’s hit Merry Christmas Everybody, but again I had that title wrong. It should be Merry Xmas Everybody. I was grateful to have these errors pointed out to me – and it just goes to show that we should always double check everything before inclusion!
In other news, Amazon have picked one of my earlier books, A Coffee Break Story Collection: 36 Short Stories, for one of their ‘deals’. For the month of January they have reduced the Kindle edition from £2.99 to only 99p and are promoting it! This is a rare happening – so, if you enjoy a short story or 36, fill your boots (and your Kindles!) while you can.
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Victoria Walker
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing on January 7, 2025
Victoria Walker has been writing romantic fiction since a visit to Iceland in 2014 inspired her first novel. 
As well as writing, she spends her free time dressmaking, knitting and reading an inordinate amount of contemporary romance. She lives in the Malvern Hills.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
When I start a new book, I set myself a deadline for completing the first draft and use Pacemaker.press to work out how many words per day I need to write. Typically, this ends up being around 1200 words per day, but if I do fewer or extra, it changes the total for the subsequent days. Because I have a day job, I need the discipline of knowing I have this target to meet every day, otherwise it won’t get done. Also, it stops me from being overwhelmed by thinking of the total word count as a target.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
I think discipline is one of the most important things, and I have that quality, although it doesn’t come easily! Belief in yourself and what you’re writing is also important, especially if you’re indie published, or a debut novelist and don’t yet have the validation of a publisher or readers to know you’re on the right track. I’ve always loved the saying – ‘the only difference between someone who’s published and someone who isn’t, is persistence’. That’s definitely true.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I started out doing everything but have narrowed it down over the past year, concentrating on what’s working for me. I have an author Facebook page, which came to life when I started doing Facebook ads. People who see the ads follow my page, so the ads have had that unintended consequence as well as generating sales. After three years, I have stopped doing Amazon ads because the Facebook ads work so much better for me. They’ve boosted sales of my Icelandic Romance series by at least 100% since I started using them in July. It’s trial and error to find what works, but they’ve been a game changer for me. I also offer a bonus epilogue in the back of most of my books in return for a newsletter sign-up. This has been very successful, and I get a lot of engagement from my subscribers. For my latest release, I had a huge (for me) number of pre-orders just off the back of the newsletter.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Most of my knowledge of the writing craft has come from attending the Romantic Novelists’ Association annual conference. I’ve been to six. There is such a wealth of knowledge and experience amongst their members, it’s been invaluable to me.
A top tip for other writers?
Write as much as you can. The more you write, the better you’ll become at recognising what is good and what isn’t. And reading in your genre helps enormously with this too.
About Ignited in Iceland – published November 2024
Iris, an English volcanologist, arrives in Iceland focused solely on her research. But she meets Siggi, a charismatic local with a complicated past, and a passion for showing her Iceland’s geological wonders.
Set in the land of ice and fire, this is a compelling tale of love, risk, and finding the courage to trust again.
Author Newsletters?
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Computers & Technical, Promotion, Resources on December 28, 2024
It appears to be a truth universally acknowledged that an author should have an email list, to which they regularly send a newsletter detailing their writing exploits.
There are, apparently, good reasons for this:
- Social media platforms bob in and out of popularity (X/Twitter is a good example). When a platform wanes or goes out of business, authors lose followers. However, a list of email addresses is yours to keep.
- Email is a more personal way to communicate with readers rather than ‘shouting’ to all and sundry via social media. Plus, the reader can hit ‘reply’ and open a genuine conversation with you.
- Keep readers engaged in between books coming out.
- Have a look at the Book Cave website for many more compelling reasons.
I have such an email list (you can signup here) but send out pitifully few newsletters and therefore I’m not properly connecting with all those wonderful people who have bought my books and been kind enough to trust me with their email address. (I use the Mailchimp platform to manage my newsletter and all the email addresses are securely held there and comply with GDPR rules). So, I was pleased to attend a Zoom seminar by Rebecca Fearnley about how she manages her author newsletter.
Rebecca uses the Mailerlite platform and regularly curates her subscribers in order to only keep those who are actually interested in her and her books. She offers a freebie to encourage signups but people who don’t open emails after they’ve received the free offer are eventually culled. This enable Rebecca to keep her subscribers below 1,000 and thus she can stick with the free version of Mailerlite. She uses BookFunnel to distribute her free e-book offer but this is a paid-for tool. Within Mailerlite, Rebecca has set up various email onboarding logic flows so that she can tell who has signed up from where and automatically send out different messages and measure their responses to gauge whether they are a worthwhile subscriber. At the end of each book she puts her newsletter signup link and the associated QR code. Rebecca sends out weekly newsletters – which really impressed me, it’s something I wouldn’t have the time, or the content, to do!
Going forward into 2025, I’m hoping to make more of my newsletter, possibly sending one every couple of months. It’s aimed at readers (this blog will continue because it’s aimed more at writers – but I hope you’re all readers as well!) and it usually contains information about books and TV programs I’ve enjoyed, how my my writing is going and a little bit about life in general. You’d be most welcome to find out how I get on.
In the meantime, I’d love to know your feelings on author newsletters:
Are you signed up to any? What keeps you opening and reading them? Do they encourage you to buy books? When/why do you unsubscribe?
Please let me know in the comments.
5 Questions About Writing With . . . David Wake
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors, Self-publishing on December 13, 2024
David Wake writes science fiction, adventure, comedy and, most recently, fantasy. 
An advocate of indie publishing, he co-wrote Punk Publishing with Andy Conway on why and how to self-publish. He’s published 14 novels and has been a guest of honour at SF conventions.
More information: www.davidwake.com. Sign up to receive his latest news via his mailing list.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
It’s the other way around. I like writing, so it’s other things, real life stuff, that gets in the way. The trick is to make writing part of your lifestyle. You write, say, in the mornings, and always do that. Then writing is easy, part of your every day routine. I get twitchy if I’m not writing something.
I have, and do and will do in the future, set myself targets. Most successful writers I know, and I’ve read about, tend to write 1,000 words a day. But, if you set yourself a target, then you can feel a failure when you don’t reach that arbitrary number. But we shouldn’t. And maybe this chapter, that paragraph or whatever has to be written slowly.
So, make it part of your lifestyle.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer?
Perseverance. Bloody mindedness. Kindness.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I really don’t do enough and I should. I go to SF conventions and sell to fans there. I occasionally do Amazon Ads. I’m too English and hate blowing my own trumpet. It’s a problem for me. I’m great at turning readers into fans, but rubbish at turning strangers into readers.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Wikipedia for research, obviously. I did an MA in Creative Writing. There’s loads of stuff on YouTube, but a lot of it takes a lot of time to say nothing.
I’ve written a program to help me with a few admin things when writing. For example, it does an automatic word count for the target I shouldn’t be setting myself.
As for organisations, the best is New Street Authors (http://newstreetauthors.com/), which I co-founded and co-run. It’s a collective for independently published authors.
Andy Conway and I also co-wrote a book, Punk Publishing, on why and exactly how to self-publish. (http://punkpublishers.com/)
A top tip for other writers?
Just keep going. And work out how to use Word’s styles – fiddly, but worth it once you get them working for you, rather than against you, it really helps.
And be kind.
About The Jackdaw’s Choice (The Daughters of Égraine Book 1) – published November 2024
Mara dreams of peace and the return of Red Mill’s men from war, yearning for the day she can marry the blacksmith’s apprentice. But when a brutal goblin raid strikes her village, Mara must lead the women on a desperate journey into the unknown…
The Jackdaw’s Choice begins the spellbinding Daughters of Égraine trilogy.
Kickstarter, Audiobooks and Limited Edition Print Runs
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Promotion, Resources, Self-publishing on November 29, 2024
New Street Authors is a collective of independent authors. We aim to support each other and increase our publishing knowledge. To this end we have a monthly guest speaker via Zoom. In November it was Oriana Leckert who is Head of Publishing at Kickstarter.
These Boots Were Made for Kicking!
Kickstarter is a crowd-funding platform aimed at creatives such as authors, artists, crafters, who need to raise money to fund projects such a hardback book print run, video game production, board game manufacture and so on.
Two particular uses of Kickstarter appealed to members of our group and I’m highlighting them here because there might be others who would like to fund their writing in this way.
Audiobooks. Audiobooks are growing massively in popularity. Possibly because, in our busy world, they allow multi-tasking, such as driving or doing chores at the same time as enjoying a book. Most traditional publishers now produce audio versions of their books alongside the paperback and e-book.
But the cost of producing a professional audiobook can be prohibitive for independent authors and/or risky. There is no guarantee of sufficient sales to recoup costs. This is where Kickstarter comes in. An author can ask for funding to produce an audiobook. If sufficient backers signup the project can go ahead at no financial risk to the author (assuming he/she has costed the project correctly). If there are not enough backers, the project doesn’t go ahead but the author has lost no money.
To attract backers, the author offers rewards for different levels of investment, as well as a copy of the audiobook. These rewards might be in the form of physical books, mentions on the acknowledgements page, artwork from the book and so on.
Limited Edition Print Runs. An author selling books at a genre-specific convention directly to readers who are hugely enthusiastic about their reading matter, might find that having a limited edition print run specifically for that event will attract large numbers of buyers. These buyers are getting an edition of the book which is not available elsewhere. But these are not books that can be cheaply produced via KDP. They may have gold sprayed page edges, a cover that is printed on the inside as well as the outside and various other expensive special effects. Upfront capital is needed to produce books like these. And Kickstarter can be a way of generating that capital in return for giving investors access to limited edition rewards.
Of course, the backing of investors has to be worked for. It’s not simply a case of putting your project on Kickstarter and waiting for the money to roll in. You will have to publicise and shout about the project in order to attract backers. But if you fancy creating something from your writing that requires capital, it might be worth a shot. The only thing you have to lose is your time.
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Chris Penhall
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors on November 19, 2024
Chris Penhall writes uplifting stories set in gorgeous places. 
A member of The Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists Association, she won the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, for her debut novel, The House That Alice Built, and has since written five more books. The House That Florence Left is the fourth in her Portuguese Paradise series.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write, and do you set daily targets?
I am disciplined and I am motivated, but I don’t really have a set time to write or daily targets, although I have tried to work like that. A lot of my work has been deadline driven, with many different projects on a given day, week, or even month, so I’m used to prioritising, adapting, dealing with other things urgently, then making sure I’ve done everything in time. So when I write a novel, which is a long-term project, I behave in the same way.
When I’m working on a book, I strive to write something every day. This doesn’t always work but after six books, I don’t beat myself up about that so much. As far as word counts are concerned, some writing sessions provide a couple of thousand, some provide a couple of hundred, and very occasionally a couple of sentences. But whichever it is, I’m staying connected to the book.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
Imagination – all writers have that. Tenacity – you have to really want to do this, in order to ride the waves of success, disappointment, success etc. etc! Also, you have to love writing for the sake of it. You are spending a lot of time in your own head, so you’ve got to enjoy being there…!
How do you market yourself and your books?
I’m still learning how to market myself and the books. My publisher does a lot of marketing, thankfully, which is great as I think it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not used to it. I have always done things that are related to books and reading, so I’m continuing to do that, but now sometimes as an author, rather than a reader.
I have worked for BBC local radio for many years, and way back in the last century for Radios One and Four, so I lean into my audio experience and background as a way of marketing myself and therefore my books. For instance, I have a community radio programme called Books and Tunes in which I chat to other writers, and before that I made my own podcast called Talking to My Friends About Books – in which I did just that!
I have also hosted events and interviewed other authors at The Essex Book Festival and have been a judge for a short story competition the festival ran in conjunction with the Essex Gardens Trust. A few years prior to that I was a long-list judge for the BBC Essex radio play competition for two years.
And I have a blog on my website in which I feature interviews with authors.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I started writing my first novel many years ago and when I got stuck I enrolled on an online course, which helped me develop the characters, the plot and actually get to the end of the book. A few years after that I invested in a mentor with a literary consultancy, and that is what got the manuscript to the level that won the Choc-Lit Search for a Star Competition.
After that I did an online course with Future Learn – because basically I enjoy developing my skills, and I have done one or two writing workshops too. I’m doing one in a few weeks actually.
I find chatting to other writers really helpful, but I have only just joined The Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists Association.
A top tip for other writers?
Write. Be tenacious. Pat yourself on the back whether you’ve written 5, 50, 500 or 5000 words today. Enjoy it. Remember why you’re doing it. And follow your dreams.
About The House that Florence Left – published October 2024
Bella Cresswell likes her life organized. But when she inherits her great-aunt Flo’s house in the Algarve, her life gets decidedly disorganized. She flies to Portugal hoping for a quick sale and to return home. Except there is a clause in the will stopping her. Before she can sell the house, Bella must ‘make it better’.
As she tries to fix up the dilapidated property, Bella discovers the faded walls are filled with the memories and secrets of Florence’s vibrant life. And, as she looks further into her great-aunt’s time in Portugal, she realises, there’s more to making it better than she first thought. Bella finds herself caught up in the charm of the lively Portuguese village, the eccentric and friendly locals and her handsome, yet mysterious, neighbour, Hugo.
But when it’s time to sell and say goodbye will Bella be able to return to her old life?
Or will she discover that some things are meant to be held onto forever?
The Midnight Rose by Lucinda Riley
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Books on November 7, 2024
Previously I’ve waxed lyrical about Lucinda Riley’s Seven Sisters series on this blog. 
Tragically, Lucinda died in 2021 and the final book in that series was completed by her son, Harry Whittaker. I’ve now read, and thoroughly enjoyed, one of Lucinda’s earlier books, The Midnight Rose.
This book is also a dual timeline story and features a character searching for their roots, this time it’s a man, Ari Malik, and he’s following up the story that his great-grandmother’s son died at a young age. The ‘present day’ part of story is set in 2011 at a UK stately home which is being used as a filmset. The main protagonist is a young actress who is being hounded by the press. The historical story starts in India around 100 years earlier and features a mixed race love story at that same stately home, Astbury Hall.
In this book it feels almost like Lucinda is practising (in an already accomplished way!) for the feat of literary engineering that is the Seven Sisters. The Midnight Rose is a wonderful and educational work of fiction which combines the modern theme of celebrity with the enduring themes of social class, prejudice, family dynamics and love in all is guises.
A recommended read. And please leave a comment below to let me know what you think!
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Claire Sheldon
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors, Books, Writing Handicaps on October 24, 2024
Crime author, Claire Sheldon
lives in Nottingham with her family, and a dog called Podrick. She suffers from Multiple Sclerosis but that doesn’t stop her writing. Perfect Lie was released in 2020 followed by A Silent Child and A Burning Lie. Her latest book A Dead Lie was published on October 24th 2024. Claire’s inspiration comes from hours spent watching The Bill with her grandparents and then later, Spooks.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I use Scrivener so I input how many words I need to write and when I need to get them done by. Scrivener then tells me how many words I need to write each day. I try to stick to that and if I write more than that in a day, it just means I’ll get to the magic number quicker.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
If you’re writing for fun, then I don’t think there are any important qualities because you’re doing something you enjoy with no major goal in mind.
If you’re looking to get published then you’ll need patience (I have zero of that!) and perseverance, because it’s unlikely you’ll become the next best seller overnight. And even when you’ve written “The End”, there is still so much more work needed to get the book out there.
How do you market yourself and your books?
Social media is a great tool. I’ve joined several Facebook groups in my genre, such as UK Crime Book Club and Crime Fiction Addict. And also, a group called The Fiction Café Book Club, who are always happy to support authors.
In the real world, I’m part of a group that meets every month and we have different authors that come in and talk to us about their work. So, I occasionally run an event there.
It’s about getting your books out there and being “seen”. And, of course, supporting others, who will then go on to shout about your books in return.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I’ve got all of Stuart Gibbon’s “straightforward guides to” books, which have been really helpful for everything to do with police procedure. I also use Forensics for Dummies. And I’ve got The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, which details character traits for each emotion – great for those show don’t tell moments.
A top tip for other writers?
Never give up! Keep chipping away because you will eventually get there. It might be hard work but it will be worth it 😊
About A Dead Lie – published 24th October 2024
A DEVOTED WIFE. THE PERFECT MOTHER. A DARK PAST SHE’LL DO ANYTHING TO OUTRUN. MEET DETECTIVE JEN GARNER.
Jen’s life is a balancing act between her past as an undercover police officer and her present as a mother. Until a woman claiming to be her best friend, Chloe Seaward, shows up on her doorstep.
But Chloe died years ago during an undercover operation.
Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with no one she can trust, can Jen uncover the truth . . . and keep her family safe?
Sally Jenkins 