As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for February 2020!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
#1 Little Fires Everywhere
by Celeste Ng
An artist with a mysterious past and a disregard for the status quo upends a quiet town outside Cleveland.
Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
I’d like to welcome A.G.R. Goff, author of The Sky Above, to my blog today. She is going to tell us a little about her book, her writing process, and her life.
About A.G.R. Goff A.G.R. Goff is an author who just published her second novel “The sky above”, a dystopian story about the collapse of the world as we know it based on current political conflicts. Goff grew up in East Germany and has since lived in South Africa and the United Kingdom. She is married to an English guy and enjoys British humor and unexpected adventures. When she is not writing or travelling she plays the saxophone.
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? My pen name is A.G.R. Goff. It’s a short version of my real name and I’d like to keep the mystery by not revealing it.
Where do you call home? At the moment, George/South Africa. But I have also lived in Germany and the UK.
Obviously, we know you are an author, but some writers have other jobs as well. Do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? I’m also a translator. I like it but my passion is writing.
If it doesn’t bother you, can you let us know what your childhood home looked like? Just a simple flat in an apartment block in East Germany.
Do you have any hobbies, other than writing? What do you enjoy doing? I love my dog, but I guess that’s not really a hobby and I also play the saxophone.
What is your greatest dream? To be able to make a living with my writing.
I think there are a lot of us out there that feel the same way as you. I’d love to make a living with my writing as well. For now, I will settle for just enjoying the craft and sharing with others around me.
What kind of person do you wish you could be? What is stopping you? A sporty person. I guess I’m not passionate enough when it comes to physical exercise.
Not to pry too much, but do you remember your first love? Yes, but we never became a couple. I was 13 and met him when I was out with friends during school holidays. I kept going back to the same public swimming pool, just to see him. He never even looked at me.
What is the most terrible thing that ever happened to you? The death of my 16-year-old nephew. He died of pancreatic cancer.
What or who inspired you to start writing? And how long have you been writing? I always used to read a lot and I guess one day I thought, I can do this. But it took years to finally finish a book. I think I had to become proficient enough in English to feel the passion. My mother tongue is German and I wrote a lot whilst growing up in Germany but I never thought of myself as a writer.
Who is your role model? My mum. She’s an unbelievably strong woman.
What is your greatest fear? To become so sick that I cannot look after myself and my family.
Do you prefer e-books, paperbacks, hard-covers or audio-books? It depends on the mood I’m in. I read a lot from indie authors and that’s mainly e-books but when I’m at an airport I prefer paperbacks. When I walk the dog I listen to audio-books.
Have you ever read a book more than once? And if so what was it? Yes, Stephen King books but only his older stories like Cujo, Carrie, The Shining. I was obsessed with his writing when I was a teenager.
See, now you are speaking my language. Stephen King is my favorite author of all time. I get that his older stories are amazing, they are what made me fall in love with reading. But, if you haven’t already read some of his newer stuff like Mr. Mercedes, Elevation, or 11/22/63 then you should. They are great.
What is your opinion of novellas? They have their place and sometimes it’s nice to finish something quickly.
Have you ever read a book just based on its cover? All the time. When I’m travelling I buy books in stores based first on genre and then the book cover.
What is your favorite film based on a book?The Green Mile
YES! YES! YES! It is SO GOOD!
What is your favorite book genre at the moment? Thriller and Suspense
What books have made it onto your wish list recently? And why?Unspeakable Things by Jess Lourey. A friend recommended it me.
What book are you reading at the moment? And in what format?The Murderer of Cardim by Noah Alexander. I’m doing it to give a review. It turned out to be quite a good story.
If you could invite any four (4) celebrities (alive or dead) to your dinner party, who would you invite and why? Jodi Picoult and Stephen King, just because I love their books. Ray Charles, to talk about music and his life and Jamie Oliver for recipes.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say?The Sky Above. A fictional survival story about the end of the world due to recent political events.
Book Cover by Chloe Belle Arts for The Sky Above by AGR Goff
Can the world survive when hate wins? In the year 2021, a religious civil war rocks the world, destroying civilisation and pitting Muslims against Christians. Fear rules as looters and rapists control the streets, and people are killed for nothing more than the colour of their skin. Those who survive are left to starve to death or die from lack of clean water. Brought together by the cruellest of fates, two schoolmates, Mark and Ben—one Christian, one Muslim—band together in a desperate quest for survival. Not knowing who to trust or what the future holds for them, or humankind, they try to stay alive while caring for Ben’s little sister, until a chance encounter changes everything.
Well it is a stunning cover. I would definitely pick this one off the shelf at a bookstore to read the back cover.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book(s)? I asked a professional graphic designer. Chloe Belle Arts.
Did you listen to any particular songs while writing your book(s)? Not this time. I usually like it quiet but sometimes music can be nice.
How did you come up with the title for your book(s)? It was something one of the characters said in the book and I thought it was a good title.
In your latest novel, who is the lead character and can you tell us a little about him/her? A normal 13-year-old boy who is forced to fight for survival and changes in the process. His whole world is turned upside-down.
What is your character’s greatest strengths? To adapt quickly.
And what are his/her greatest weaknesses? To lose faith.
What are some of his favorite foods? He eats anything he can get his hands on. There is no choice.
What’s a positive quality that your character is unaware that he has? He is good at looking after others without intention.
Will readers like or dislike this character, and why? Probably both because he’s torn between his upbringing and the need for survival.
What first gave you the idea for your latest book? Recent political events and what it could mean.
What is your writing style like? Are you a pantster or a plotter? Definitely a pantster. I never know where my stories begin or end. It just comes to me whilst writing.
Have you come across any specific challenges in writing or publishing? What would you do differently the next time? I’m still learning, so it’s difficult. Writing is very personal, so I wouldn’t change anything. But when it comes to publishing – Maybe learn more about marketing.
Marketing is the hardest part of it for me as well. I’m much more the creative type. Id rather be writing then putting myself out there to post about my books.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? Self-published and it’s hard work.
Yes it is. I’ve published 7 novel, working on #8, and I can absolutely say it is’t easy. For those people out there that say anyone can write and publish a book now because of indie-publishing – YOU’RE WRONG! It takes a lot of time, hard work, dedication, blood, sweat, and tears!
If you’re a self-published/Indie author what made you go that route instead of the traditional publishing route? As a new author, it’s almost impossible to publish traditionally even if you have a very good story. A self-publisher has more control, financially and otherwise.
What’s the best advice that you have been given when it comes to writing? Just write every day even if it’s garbage.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Do a course to get you started and then write, write, write.
Letting Miranda into his house is a big mistake. But aging comedian Dave also has some secrets. Maybe she should never have come looking for answers. As this story about murder, betrayal and dark desires unfolds, things take an unsuspected turn. Things from the past find their way back to the surface and the dead might not be so dead after all.
A diverse collection of short stories attempting to resist categorization. It starts with the love story between a cape-coloured worker and his white boss in South Africa and moves on to a Stasi-agent in East Germany and his struggle to keep secrets. The heroes of these stories are lovers and friends, acquaintances and strangers and they have one thing in common – they want to escape the boredom of their daily lives.
Walt Disney said, “The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing.”
We’ve all suffered from procrastination at one time or another. We make excuses. We tell ourselves things like, ‘I just don’t have the time right now,’ ‘I’ll get to that later’ or ‘I have other, more important, things to do right now.’ In reality, we are letting our fears of failure stop us from achieving our full potential. As authors, we do this a lot.
Today, I stopped talking and began doing! I let go of my fears, dropped the excuses that I knew were only holding me back, and sat down with my WIP (Work in Progress). I had finished the first draft during NANOWRIMO November 2018 and have since been putting off the much needed edits/re-writes.
Today, instead of putting it off for another day… week… or month, I decided to dedicate two hours this evening to writing. I made it through ten chapters and discovered a burst of creativity I’ve been longing for. I’m motivated in a way I haven’t been for quiet some time. Instead of dreading my next writing session, I’m looking forward to it. Instead of being worried I wont have anything to write, I can’t seen to turn my brain off. Sometimes all it takes is a little coffee and a bit of self-encouragement.
I love days when I get to support other authors and showcase some of their work. Today is one of those days. I’d like to welcome Francis H. Powell, author of Adventures of Death, Reincarnation and Annihilation to my blog today.
About Francis H Powell Born in 1961, in Reading, England Francis Powell attended Art Schools. In 1995, Powell moved to Austria, teaching English while pursuing his varied artistic interests adding music and writing. He currently lives in Paris, writing both prose and poetry.
What is your name and do you write under a pen name? My full name is Francis Hulbert Powell and my author name is Francis H Powell.
Where do you call home? Brittany in France, I have lived in France for over 20 years
We know you are an author, but do you have another occupation? Do you believe you’re any good at it? Do you like what you do? I am a teacher and have been for the last thirty years, so I can’t be too terrible at my job. I mostly enjoy it, but there are occasional hard days, with problematic students.
What is your family like? I am married with a wife, a child who is nearly 7 and a dog that does not get on with other dogs, when he feels he should be protecting us.
What is your favorite film based on a book? I love One Flew over the Cuckoo’s nest, it is a great story and film, with some great acting, it is the kind of film, that sticks in the head, for the rest of your life. The ending is tragic of course.
What is the name of your most recent book and if you had to sum it up in 20 or fewer words, what would you say? My most recent book is called Adventures of Death, Reincarnation and Annihilation. The title says a lot about it’s content. It is a mixture of horror, science fiction, with quirky characters and a bit of humor, so it is not all doom and gloom.
How did you come up with the cover? Who designed the cover of your book? I wanted to do the cover, because I am an artist and went to Art school. I sent many versions, which were rejected by the publisher. Last Christmas I took a photograph, at night, in the town where I live and they finally accepted it.
What if the human race was considered irrelevant and then each being was just uploaded then locked away on hard drives called “brain pods?”
What if a sub species was to come into fruition, then the human race turned on it, hunted it down before trying to annihilate it? Imagine you found out you were an ancient soul, who is reunited with another being from your former life?
Set in different time in a variety of settings and time periods, the past, the present and the future, the book explores the inevitable unknown that lies before us all “death”. Death can be arrive in a multitude of forms. Each part of the book explores different themes. There are characters who following their demises have to face up to their lurid pasts….
How did you come up with the title for your book? I wanted to have a title that (hopefully hasn’t been used by another author). I wanted the idea that the book was like an adventure/ journey, as death is the ultimate journey.
Are you a self-published/Indie author or did you publish through a traditional publishing company? The book is published by Beacon Publishing company.
What advice would you give someone who wants to start writing? Maybe start with short stories. Try to develop your own unique style. Develop a strong rich vocabulary. Develop your craft.
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Young Adult selections for January 2020!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the cover image, the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for January 2020!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the cover image, the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Winner of the 2019 Pulitzer Prize for fiction. Nine people drawn to trees for different reasons fight for the last of the remaining acres of virgin forest.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for December 2019!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the cover image, the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
As an avid reader of fiction (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Fiction selections for December 2019!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the cover image, the title or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
In a follow-up to the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel “Olive Kitteridge,” new relationships, including a second marriage, are encountered in a seaside town in Maine.
Children with special talents are abducted and sequestered in an institution where the sinister staff seeks to extract their gifts through harsh methods.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
Remember,
#WritingWednesday is an EASY, STRESS-FREE, weekly writing challenge.
Read the
writing prompt below,
Spend 5
minutes writing (in your own voice or the voice of a character you’re writing) whatever
comes to mind,
DON’T
EDIT what you write! IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE PERFECT!
The goal
is 5 minutes of creativity.
Today I am writing in the voice of my turtle, Elle.
Today’s writing prompt:
Look around you and choose an object in the room. Now write
something from the point of view of that object.
There she is, the one who feeds me. My human. I don’t know
what to call her, she hasn’t told me her name yet, but she calls me Elle, or
Elle-belly which I really like. Especially when she sings to me. I may not know
her name, but I do know how to make her smile. She likes it when I swim laps. I
start at the soft tentacle covered plant that sticks out of the side of my cozy
little room. Then, I climb onto my sunbathing rock and run across it to dive
into the water. From there, I spin around and shoot myself through the water,
as fast as I can, until I end up back at the plant. I could do it over and over
for hours and she would just giggle and smile the whole time. I like making her
happy.
Alright, now it’s your turn. I’d love to see what today’s writing prompt inspires you. So, if you are willing, go to the comment section below and start typing. Take 5 minutes and let’s see what you come up with!
Look around you and choose an object in the room. Now write something from the point of view of that object.
What books have made your November
reading list? Comment below and let me know! Then, click on the links below to
check out the November 2019 New York Times Top Ten Lists and see which books
you’d like to add to your reading list!
As an avid reader (and an author who one day hopes to make the list) I LOVE-LOVE-LOVE checking out the New York Times Best Seller list. So, here it is… The independently ranked top 10 Young Adult selections for November 2019!
If you’ve read any of the TOP 10 selections and recommend them, please comment below and let me know. If you see something you like and plan to pick up a copy, you can do so by clicking on the title, the cover image, or the [BUY IT HERE] button.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
…A gun. That’s what fifteen-year-old Will has shoved in the back waistband of his jeans. See, his brother Shawn was just murdered. And Will knows the rules. No crying. No snitching. Revenge.
Justyce McAllister is a good kid, an honor student, and always there to help a friend—but none of that matters to the police officer who just put him in handcuffs. Despite leaving his rough neighborhood behind, he can’t escape the scorn of his former peers or the ridicule of his new classmates.
Berlin, 1942: When Bruno returns home from school one day, he discovers that his belongings are being packed in crates. His father has received a promotion and the family must move to a new house far, far away, where there is no one to play with and nothing to do. A tall fence stretches as far as the eye can see and cuts him off from the strange people in the distance.
Perfect Mexican daughters do not go away to college. And they do not move out of their parents’ house after high school graduation. Perfect Mexican daughters never abandon their family.
Aza Holmes never intended to pursuethe disappearance of fugitive billionaire Russell Pickett, but there’s a hundred-thousand-dollar reward at stake and her Best and Most Fearless Friend, Daisy, is eager to investigate.
This fall, six new students are joining the junior class at the elite Darkwood Academy. But they aren’t your regular over-achieving teens. They’re DNA duplicates, and these “similars” are joining the class alongside their originals.
Determined to take his future into his own hands, Junior leaves his troubled school on the rez to attend an all-white farm town high school where the only other Indian is the school mascot.
When you purchase a book using a link on this site, I earn an affiliate commission.All commission earnings go back into funding my books; editing, cover design, etc.
