Resolute Recommends…

Our author, Sarah Nicholson, author of the award-winning In Search of Lost Glitter, often takes the Resolute bookstall on tour. Today, Sarah brings us some great Christmas recommendations on the blog.

“I often run the Resolute book stall at events and having read EVERY book we have published so far, I feel qualified to make a few reading recommendations to those who stop for a chat.

This is loosely based on some real conversations…

“I like a bit of crime; LJ Ross is my favourite.”

               “Try Local Killer by Paul Trembling. One of Paul’s many careers was as a CSI so it’s all procedurally correct. Alison is a great main character, with a few quirks; each chapter starts with one of her lists. She gets herself into a few scrapes with this case. You’ll be on the edge of your seat as the story twists and turns to its thrilling conclusion.”

“I prefer reading the classics. Jane Austen had much more to say about society than romance.”

               “I think you would like A Great Deal of Ingenuity by Ruth Leigh. She has taken the minor characters from Pride and Prejudice and given them each their own short story. This book has been given much praise by some eminent Austen scholars.”

“I like to read something relatable; I don’t like murders.”

               “How about The Art of Life by S.L. Russell, about a woman facing up to life with her empty nest, finally making time for herself. She goes to an art school in the Yorkshire Dales and rediscovers her passions.”

“I want a book that takes me somewhere new.”

               “The West in Her Eyes by Janet Hancock is set just after the Russian Revolution. It tells the story of a Russian family who leave the their old life in the rich oil fields of Baku and travel as refugees across Europe as refugees, finally ending up in Paris. It’s an epic sweeping tale full of romance, secrets, and adventure.”

“My son loves dystopian fiction.”

               “The Newlands Trilogy by E.M. Carter is perfect for him. It’s like The Hunger Games, set in a near distant future where everyone is only valued if they are productive. A group of teenagers, stuck in a training facility, search for answers to find out their real identities and ultimately find their true worth.”

“I don’t have time to read much, I try, but I read a page then fall asleep.”

               “In Search of Lost Glitter is a memoir written in very short stories, many only 100 words long. It tells the story of love and loss. And it has pictures. Perfect for those who struggle to read longer stories for whatever reason.”

“I’ve been watching Wolf Hall on TV, have you got anything like that?”

               “C.F. Dunn has written Wheel of Fortune and Sun Ascendant, part one and two of a series set in the time of the War of the Roses. Isobel Fenton has lost her mother and when her father dies, she loses her position in society and her beloved home. She becomes a pawn used by the men around her in their own power struggles. It is meticulously researched and beautifully written.

“My brother-in-law who is impossible to buy for, I know he reads but have no idea what he would like.”

               “Banshee by Lindsay Rumbold is the perfect book. It’s a Cold War thriller about aeroplanes, which starts when a body of found in a forgotten RAF World War two bunker. With timelines in the 60s and almost present day you gradually piece together what really happened. Completely believable, gripping drama.”

“I don’t like poetry but I’m not sure I understand it.”

               “Both our poetry books And The Grass Has Just Got Longer by Lesley Cresswell and The Little Book of Unexpected Poetry by Ruth Leigh are made up of, not only accessible poetry that relates to the everyday, but each poet has offered a short explanation of why the poems were written and what they are about. As with any collection, there may be one or two that you just don’t get but I can guarantee each book has something that will move you.”

“My daughter and I like Science Fiction; we like something we can both read and talk about afterwards.”

               “The Centauri Survivors by Andrew J Chamberlain is the first book in the Centauri Sequence. It’s about a group of young people wake up on a spaceship as expected, but the adults were supposed to be awake first. Something has gone wrong on their journey from earth to a new colony. All is not what it seems. There’s plenty to discuss in this book about making first contact and respecting a new planet which is already inhabited.”

I hope my recommendations are useful and you have found the perfect gift for your loved ones or something to ask for this Christmas.”

Sarah Nicholson

How Not To… write historical fiction

For the next part of our ‘How Not To…’ series, our author Nigel Oakley shares some reflections on historical fiction. Look out for Nigel’s novel, coming next year with Resolute Books.

“Firstly, don’t make promises to your children:

‘Daddy – who was the page? In “Good King Wenceslas” – you know!’

Not perhaps the first question you would expect from an eight-year-old after his school carol concert, but, given that his six-year-old brother also was keen for an answer, I (foolishly, as it turned out) promised to find out. After some online, and off-line, research, I discovered the page was called Podevin, he was a grown-up, and he was killed one year after ‘Good’ King Wenceslas was assassinated by his pagan brother.

I suppose I could have just said that, and left it. But it was Christmas-time, and giving the bare, brutal facts just didn’t go with the time of year. And I got intrigued: by the time I had tracked down, bought, and read ‘Good King Wenceslas: The Real Story,’ by Jan Rejzl, and got hold of a few other books on Bohemia and on the Middle Ages, I had loads of information.

Secondly, in terms of how not to write historical fiction, keep collecting information indiscriminately. Especially if you are dealing with legends. A lot of the history around Wenceslas is uncertain, if not downright contestable – for example, in one version of his life story, Wenceslas was celibate. In another, his wife and new-born son were killed alongside him when he was assassinated. There’s even dispute about the date of this afore-mentioned assassination: after all, Wenceslas can’t have been killed in both 929 and 935, can he?

Thirdly, keep tinkering with your story as you get more information. In truth, a lot of the information I had did not make it into the story. My first draft hardly mentioned Princess Emma, now, in the final draft, she’s a major player in Podevin’s story: so much so, I’ve had to change the title to ‘Warrior Princess and Errant Page.’

Remember, your children don’t stay young forever. My book had to be changed to be read by an older audience. My six-year-old celebrates his twenty-second birthday this week, and his brother turns twenty-four at the end of this month. Hopefully, next spring, they will finally get their copies of the young adult novel ‘Warrior Princess and Errant Page’ …”

How Not To… Write a Thriller

In the next part of our ‘How Not To…’ series, Lindsay Rumbold, author of brand new cold war thriller Banshee, reflects on how not to write a thriller.

‘Thrillers are among the most popular genres of fiction. Why? Perhaps it’s because they’re entertaining, escapist, and exciting; they give us glimpses into another world. So, with my tongue firmly in my cheek, I wondered – what wouldn’t make a thriller?

The mundane:

Let’s be honest. Real life is often not very exciting. Would anyone read a so-called thriller that follows the protagonist through a normal day, where the only unexpected occurrence is an emergency trip to the supermarket because the milk went off? Probably not. Why? Because we know what that’s like, and it’s more irritating than dramatic. As the cliche goes, familiarity breeds contempt.

The low risk:

Thrillers usually feature some life-or-death dilemma, or at the very least some risk and jeopardy. Perhaps someone could lose their job, be convicted of a crime they didn’t commit, or their loved ones are in danger if they don’t do the thing. If the only threat in the story is someone doesn’t get their cup of tea and breakfast the next morning, that’s not really high stakes. Annoying, yes, but not critical; no-one will be at risk if there’s no bread available for toast at breakfast. 

The inconsequential:

Similarly, the consequences in thrillers are big. Who murdered the lawyer?  Why? What were they covering up? What will happen if they succeed? Will the world end in a catastrophe if the protagonist doesn’t stop the baddies? If the only possible consequence of someone not getting their tea and cereal the next morning is a mild grump with the protagonist, that’s not really a compelling reason to read on. Make the consequences big – and make them matter to more than just the protagonist.

(Now, if the failure to provide breakfast might lead to someone wanting to commit a crime … then you might have something.)

The straightforward:

Thrillers may have a simple premise, such as the protagonist has to save the world, but they’re rarely simple stories. Most have layers and twists and turns aplenty. Unexpected betrayals, surprise alliances, hidden agendas, and perhaps a red herring or two, keep us turning the pages, eager to find out what happens next and if our protagonist succeeds. Would we read on, if by the end of page 5 we could already see exactly how the story would end on page 300? I’m not sure we would.

The unlikeable:

For any story, we have to care in some way about the characters we follow: whether we love them and want them to succeed, or hate them and want them to fall flat on their faces. There are loads of resources online about fleshing out characters, with many different approaches and ideas on how to do it. Ultimately, we should try to write characters people will like, or at least empathise with. If the only feeling our characters and their situation provokes is indifference, then that’s not going to keep anyone reading to the end. 

If anyone has any other thoughts, I’d love to hear them.’

How Not To… Procrastinate

For the next in our ‘How Not To…’ series, our author Nigel Oakley ponders on procrastination….

‘What are you doing tonight?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Then go, glue your butt to your chair and crack open your books.’

Having delivered this killer line, Clint Eastwood turns and walks away.

At least, I think it was Clint Eastwood. I’m not sure as he doesn’t play teachers very often. However, was I going to write this article, or procrastinate by doing ‘research’ and look up all the Clint Eastwood films I could find? Something like the above dialogue occurred when a pretty, young, female student approached her professor angling for a date, but presenting as someone needing help with the course he was teaching. Clint (presumably to show us, the viewers, he was not the sort of character to take advantage of young women) brushes her off by telling her the way to get work done is simply to get on with it.

Which is, in the end, how not to procrastinate. Anything can be procrastination, and people may disagree on what that is. Some of you may think I really ought to be able to say which film it was that I (mis-)remembered that scene from. As it is, given I have some serious rewrites and editing to do on my own novel, writing this article is a very good way for me to procrastinate. I can also think of the shopping I need to do, the tidying up – when did I last hoover the lounge? – or finding the money to pay the window cleaners …

Perhaps I should just stop here and get on with editing my novel …

 Over to you - how do you like to procrastinate - or prevent procrastination?

How Not To - write flash fiction

How Not To write flash fiction

Today we continue with our ‘How Not To’ series with Sarah Nicholson, author of In Search of Lost Glitter, reflecting on flash fiction - and how not to write it. Over to you, Sarah!

Flash Fiction is NOT stories about meteorological events, photography in areas of low lighting or sartorial men in Mackintoshes wearing little underneath.

Although it could be…

Mr Smith never switched off the TV until he had seen what Mr Fish had to say about the weather. He watched as a dark cloud symbol, with yellow lightning hanging like a tail, was slapped on the map. Ominously it was right over where Mr Smith lived.

He donned his Mackintosh; it was nothing flashy, it was actually a bit grubby and it had a missing button just below his midriff. Couldn’t be helped; he needed to go out. He fastened the belt tight to pull in the gap.

The path to the allotment was dark. It hadn’t started raining but suddenly there was a burst of blinding bright light.

Startled by the flash, he blinked a few times and when his eyes adjusted, he was confronted by Casey the junior reporter at the Daily Village.

“Apologies, Mr Smith, there’s been reports in the village of a flasher, and well… you are dressed like one.”

“I’m just off to check on my chickens are in for the night.”

“Of course, Mr Smith, mistaken identity, I’ll let you be on your way.”

Mr Smith watched as the younger man scarpered. Then he headed towards the allotment, taking the scenic route.

Flash fiction can be anything up to 1000 words, above that and we are heading into short story territory, although I’m not sure if there is a definitive definition.

I could google it, but time is short and brevity is the key with Flash. A bright burst of fiction that only takes a few minutes to read, or even less than a minute.

One of the shortest flash pieces ever is often misattributed to Hemmingway. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_sale:_baby_shoes,_never_worn

For sale: baby shoes, never worn

Whoever did write it, it packs a punch. Why are they for sale, why were they never worn – you could be puzzling for hours.

That doesn’t mean flash has to keep you guessing, but the essence of it stays with you.

The story above about Mr Smith is exactly 200 words, but it could be tighter and still tell the same story.

There are details that are not needed, but how do you decide what to keep and what to edit out?

For example, how important is Mr Fish? If you remember him from the 80s his name alone might raise a smile, especially his fateful forecast in October 1987.

But you can’t write something in flash fiction just to show off. Especially if you are hoping to achieve a low word count.

But details about the macintosh being grubby, not flashy and missing a button?

To me grubby can indicate something a bit sordid, flashy is a play on words with the flash theme and as for the missing button – I’ll leave you to your own conclusions – but I think I’ll keep those details in.

Flash fiction still needs some kind of story arc, but there is little room for character development or back story.

We never find our Mr Smith’s first name and as for Casey we only find out he is younger and a reporter, but there is some connection because they have a conversation where Casey says, “Sorry Mr Smith”

Much is implied and flash makes you work harder at figuring out what is unsaid, what happened before and is going to happen. For instance, what is the scenic route to the allotment? Is the missing button the coat significant if I’ve left that detail in?

What else is there to say, I feel I’ve wittered on long enough, but let’s just turn this story into something tighter and shorter…

Ominously, the TV weather forecast showed a flash of lightning right over where Mr Smith lived.

He donned his Mackintosh; it was nothing flashy, it was a bit grubby and it had a missing button just below his midriff.

The path to the allotment was especially dark that night with all the clouds. It wasn’t raining yet, but suddenly there was a burst of blinding bright light.

Startled by the flash, he blinked a few times. When his eyes adjusted, he was confronted by Casey, the junior reporter at the Daily Village.

“Apologies, Mr Smith, there’s been reports in the village of a flasher in a mac.”

“I’m just off to check on my chickens are in for the night.”

“Of course, Mr Smith, mistaken identity, I’ll let you be on your way.”

Mr Smith watched the younger man retreat. Then he headed towards the allotment, taking the scenic route.

I’ve cut the story down from 200 to 150 words. Has it lost anything? Probably not, we are still left the with same unanswered questions.

You can play around with editing flash as much as you like, adding and taking away words. It can be fun working to a precise word count, it can sharpen your editing skills.

But there is one final thing to add about flash – if you ever enter a competition the title usually doesn’t count in the final word count.

So I think I’m going to call my story What Mr Smith did after he watched Michael Fish give the weather forecast.

Over to you - what do you think?

How Not To… write dialogue

In the fourth of our ‘How Not To’ series, our author Sheelagh Aston brings some thoughts about dialogue - and how not to write it. Sheelagh’s novel will be out with Resolute Books in 2025. Do leave a comment to let us know if you have any dialogue tips!

Ann lifted the phone when it rang at 6am.

‘Good morning, Dennis,’ she said.

‘Good morning, Ann,’ Dennis the night porter replied. 

‘How was the nightshift – all quiet?’ Ann asked.

‘Yes thanks,’ Dennis said. ‘That was until a few moments ago.’

‘Why was that, Dennis? Ann said.

‘Because a car drove through the window and hit the reception desk that I am trapped behind.’

Not very exciting, is it? But wait a minute – a car crash in a reception area. That is exciting (and did happen one morning in the housing project I worked for).

The problem is the dialogue or rather what it is not doing. Writing dialogue requires a good listening ear and a sharp red pen to create tight pithy dialogue that will progress your story and keep the reader glued. How we speak in in real life rarely makes for page-turning reading because we add extra fluff, go off-topic, and use short words.  Your reader will not be happy if they must sift through pointless chat to find the exciting parts of the story. Let’s re-work the conversation.

‘Good morn-’ Ann said, picking up the phone.

‘Ann, Ann,’ Dennis the night porter said. ‘Come quickly, there’s a car parked in reception.’

This version gets right to the exciting part and pushes the story forward, but it does not provide enough context for the reader to visualise the scene or get a sense of the characters' personalities, thoughts, or emotions. Let's give it another shot.

Ann fumbled for the phone on the bedside cabinet. Blurry eyed, she spied the screen’s clock. 6am. What emergency would be this time?

‘Ann, Ann,’ Dennis boomed. ‘Get down here quick.’

Ann stifled a yawn.‘Got another soaking from the fire alarm sprinkler?’

‘No. I am trapped behind the reception desk. A runaway car smashed through the front window and ploughed into it.’

The dialogue here accomplishes the same goal as the previous version, but with a few action tags to break it up and give some depth to the characters. Note that Ann’s actions and thoughts are positioned before the dialogue.  Doing this helps to alert the reader to her mood and potential conflict with Dennis. Kept them to the minimum. Too many and the impact of the dialogue will get lost. Readers just need clues to fire their imagination.

Since it is a conversation between two people, there is no need to include name tags after each person speaks. When writing dialogue with multiple people, imagine seeing the other speakers through the main character’s eyes. Pepper it with the m/c’s own thoughts, reactions and their observations of the other characters expressions, tone of voice or actions. This will help to keep the story moving.

Remember the good ear and sharp pen? Read the conversation aloud. Listen carefully and use the pen to highlight any words or phrases that you stumble over, the hazy voices that lack clarity, the absence of reactions to what is said, and the confusion regarding the speaker’s identity. Keep refining it until it reads like a seamless, natural conversation that we all expect to find in books.

How not to… write humour

How Not To Write Humour - by Ruth Leigh

If you’re trying to write humour, there are two things you absolutely do not need.

1.    A crowbar.

2.    A sledgehammer.

These may seem odd choices to you. “Has Ruth perhaps lost her mind?” you may be wondering. “Have those long days locked away in her writing studio researching sea bathing and carriage types in Georgian times addled her feverish little brain?”

Gentle reader, they have not. As a funny writer, I spend a lot of my time not making jokes, per se, but weaving wit and humour into everyday situations in my books. I have read works pertaining to be humorous where the author has seized the tools named above and set to with a will, putting me off ever reading their output again.

Jokes are crowbarred in. There might be unrealistic dialogue to set them up, or an extremely unsubtle run-up to what is meant to be an amusing scene. This kind of technique is visible a mile off and is deeply unfunny.

Sledgehammer wit, where the writer is determined to make a joke which they find hilarious is also something to be avoided at all costs.

Let’s have a go, shall we? Give me a minute while I park my sparkling wit and delicate touch (that’s humorous, self-deprecating irony, but did you see it coming?) and assume the persona of Ms Una N Funnie (one of the Hampshire Funnies).

“Oh Bernard!” laughed Gloria, throwing back her head with its recently permed hair, dancing eyes and over-sized parrot earrings. “What shall we do with you? Stop eating that banana and join me a few feet over here by this shop selling novelty joke items.”

Bernard finished his snack, discarded the skin and cupped his hand to his ear.

“Speak up, Gloria,” he shouted over the noise of the pneumatic drills and manly banter of the builders who were digging up the road. “I can’t hear you. Since you lost all that weight and became so skinny, your voice has become much quieter.”

Gloria motioned him over and he began to walk, obediently, towards her.

All that just for a man to slip on a banana skin and fall down a manhole. I crowbarred in the word ‘skinny’ to make absolutely sure everyone remembered the banana skin, but did that make it funny? No. Bernard belongs down that hole. Gloria needs to think carefully about her fashion choices and her place in this story.

Delicate allusion will often do the trick, as will clever wordplay, extended metaphor and good characterisation. It’s hard to be professionally funny, but my advice is to read as much humour as you can and keep your ears open.

Folks, don’t slip on the banana skin of earnest endeavour and fall down the gaping manhole of clunky humour[1]. Keep it light.

[1] Oh look. An extended metaphor for comic purposes.

How Not to Get Writer’s Block

For the second in our ‘How not to…’ series, our author Edward de Chazal offers these thoughts on how not to get writer’s block:

‘Writer’s block’ refers to that most conceited of states – a perceived inability to create through language. Among creators, writers alone identify with the condition: who would accept ‘gardener’s block’ from the person hired to landscape their grounds as an excuse for work not done?

Yet, as most writers will testify, we do periodically suffer from it. And it can be agonizing in mind and body.

Indeed, the mind holds the key to overcoming writer’s block, for it surely doesn’t stem from lack of time or space.

Here are seven ideas for conquering it:

Carry a notebook and pen – discover how the most unexpected moments (waiting for a train / sitting on a rock by the sea) can bring forth creation.  

Set yourself little goals throughout the day – when you reach the top of the hill / pour out your first coffee, write at least three lines.

 Keep a diary – add up your daily word count and display it / feed it into a spreadsheet, thereby plotting your progress while building motivation.

Give yourself treats for set targets – a guiltless evening glass of claret is yours whenever you reach your daily 1000 words. Otherwise, sadly, it’s just sparkling water.

Time yourself – set the stopwatch for one hour and aim to reach 500+ words – even if half is padding some will be editable up to acceptability or better.

Write the easy bits first – yes, leave those tricky passages for later and write the lovely scenes that you really want to indulge in. These will add up to thousands of words and you’ll have broken through the dreaded WB.

Relocate to create – related to my first idea, get out of your comfort zone and go somewhere new: a café in town; a railway station; and yes, a rock by the sea.

Try one of these ideas and watch your writing flow. Try all seven and see it fly!

Edward de Chazal

How Not To Write Action Scenes

Here at Resolute Books we’re thrilled to be starting a brand new series on the blog today: The ‘How Not To’ guide to writing. You can expect posts such as How Not To Write Dialogue. How Not To Build Worlds, How Not To Write Historical Fiction and How Not To Write Crime Scenes, all from different authors within Resolute Books.

Today the series is kicking off with Paul Trembling, author of the crime thriller Local Killer, on how action scenes should - or shouldn’t - be written.

How not to write action scenes

Of course, not every story has, or needs, an action scene. (So you might want to skip this altogether.) But if you do have them - or even just one of them - in your story, then it’s probably a fairly crucial part. Very often the climax of a novel will be an action scene, a full on, high octane, no-holds-barred final confrontation between two (or more!) major characters. And if you’ve just spent the last 80,000 words working your way up to that, you absolutely need to get it right!

The big problem that you - and all writers - have with an action scene is that you’re trying to do two opposite things at once. One the one hand, pace is everything, and you need to keep things moving or even accelerating all the way through. On the other hand, you’re introducing the reader to a potentially very complex situation, with a lot of things happening in a very narrow time frame, and you need to give them enough information to be able to visualise that. Unfortunately, description tends to slow things down: dialogue might work better but it has its own limitations - in an action scene it has to be short and snappy, there isn’t time for long conversations.

In my opinion, the key to a successfully written action scene is getting the right balance between these two things. And the way not to write a good action scene is to miss out on one of them.

So, for example, if you go all out for pace in your action scene then you run the risk of leaving your reader confused. They know that a lot is happening, but they’ve no idea what. And when it’s all over and the dust has settled (yes, do avoid clichés) they’re asking, ‘So how did we get to this?’

It could well be argued that a period of utter confusion is an accurate rendition of real-life experience in an action-scene type situation. Very often, people who find themselves in that sort of environment, especially if they have no training or past experience, will not know what is happening, and afterwards won’t be able to give a coherent account of what did happen. You can use that in a book - but not too much. Too much and your reader’s going to get fed up with not knowing what’s going on.

The other extreme is where everything is laid out in clinical detail, every moment described. Something like…

’As soon as Hannah opened the door, Professor Darkness fired. But he was on the other side of the room, a range of forty feet, and due to the floating-barrel design his automatic pistol was not very accurate at that range. The bullet struck the door just above and slightly to the left of Hannah’s head. A wooden splinter from the door struck her on the forehead, just above her left eye. It drew blood but caused no significant damage. She instinctively threw herself to the floor before the Professor could fire again, drawing her own pistol as she did so.’

In that paragraph, you know exactly what is happening, in every detail. But imagine a full length action scene written like that? It would be slow reading. It wouldn’t generate much excitement or tension. In short, it would be the very antithesis of an action scene.

I have come across both mistakes, and in some cases they have ruined entire novels - otherwise quite good novels. In one case, adventurers fighting a dragon found time to engage in a long conversation whilst doing so. Quite apart from slowing down the pace, it was totally unrealistic.

We could go to the other extreme and strip the scene down to the bare essentials:

“Professor Darkness fired and missed.”

Which is short and snappy, but which tells us nothing about the scene, gives no idea about location, doesn’t help us to visualise events. If the scene continued like that, the reader would know what happened, but not how.

The first draft needs to be made shorter and faster, without losing significant detail: 

“As soon as Hannah opened the door, Professor Darkness fired from the other side of the room, hitting the door and sending wood splinters into her face. She dived to the floor, drawing her pistol as she did so.”

This gives a clearer picture. There is some ‘wiggle room’ on what could be included, but I’ve chosen to highlight the speed of events (it happens as soon as the door is opened) the distance involved (giving a reason for the Professor to miss) the closeness of the miss (sending wood splinters into her face) and Hannah’s reaction (which again shows the speed of events, and so adds some pace).

I’ve chosen to miss out some less significant details. It’s not necessary at this stage to give the exact size of the room, just to give an impression of space and distance. More exact descriptions can be slipped in later, if necessary. The details of the Professor’s pistol aren’t important here either. The reader doesn’t need to know exactly were the bullet struck or precisely what injuries Hannah sustained from the splinters. If the injury does become significant later, that will be the time to mention it. (“Blood was dripping into Hannah’s eye from the wood splinter. She wiped it away and aimed again.”)

The next time you read an action scene, take a moment to look at the nuts and bolts of it. In particular, look at the balance between pace and description. Do you understand what’s happening? Is it exciting? Does it work as an action scene?

Then go and write it yourself!

Repression Ground: a review by Paul Trembling

Our author Paul Trembling, author of crime novel Local Killer, which was published earlier this year, reviews our latest publication, E.M. Carter’s (Liz Carter’s) first novel, the dystopian thriller Repression Ground.

Repression Ground by E.M. Carter

“'Repression Ground' is a novel which can be read on two levels.

On the first level, you can read it as a well paced and exciting story of young people (and some older ones) slowly coming to recognise the true evil of the society they live in, and struggling to find a way to escape. And as such it works very well. The character development is very deftly handled, especially with 'Girl C' who is forced to move from an enthusiastic supporter and a willing participant of the system to become a rebel against it. A vital part of this development are her companions, people who she comes to value whilst realising that the state - Newland - does not value them at all.

The reader learns about Newland through their eyes, but the clever bit is that we - looking from outside - recognise the horror of this dystopian world long before the protagonists do. However it's only as they are forced to dig deeper into the truth of it that they discover just how monstrous a society has been built on the wreckage of the Britain we know today. Newland is a fine example of world building - and a terrible place to live. Escaping from it seems almost impossible, even with the loyalty, courage and talents that the companions display. Their attempt to do so leads to the sort of climax for which the term 'nail-biting' was invented!

But there is a second level, and thoughtful readers will come to it - perhaps during a pause in the action, perhaps in retrospect after they've finished. This level is about the basis of Newland society. All it's members must be 'Productive'. Their value as people depends on what they contribute to society. E.M. Carter does a brilliant job of showing us, subtly but clearly, just what that attitude leads to - the casual cruelty, the blatant hypocrisy, the systematic evil. But she also shows the essential weakness of such a system, for people can rise above that, can learn a better way of valuing each other and themselves.

This second level makes 'Repression Ground' a profoundly powerful book - and perhaps all the more so for being well pitched for a YA audience. They are, after all, the people who will have to live in whatever future world we are creating. But we all need to consider what would make that world into a Newland-like dystopia.”

A Tarnished Crown in a Sparkling Setting

Resolute Books member and author Sue Russell had a fantastic weekend at the official launch of both Resolute and her friend Claire Dunn’s new novel. What did she think of this work of historical fiction? You can find out below.

New enterprises are always fun, but also challenging. When my friend and fellow novelist Claire Dunn came up with the idea of forming an independent collaborative consortium of authors, I was all for it. Over the last year, we have slowly built up what has become Resolute Books into a group of eleven authors, editors and designers.

Our tagline, “For the joy of reading” encapsulates our vision. Beautifully written and produced books to give our readers the best possible experience, ranging across a wide expanse of genres.

Every new enterprise needs a launch and ours was last Saturday in the glorious surroundings of West Dorset. The sun was shining as a selection of authors awoke, drank their tea, munched their toast and set about the serious business of putting up tents, chilling champagne and constructing book displays. As well as being the official launch of Resolute Books, Saturday was the day Claire launched the first volume in the Tarnished Crown series of historical fiction.

6 of our 11 authors. From left to right, Paul Trembling, Edward de Chazal, Claire Dunn, Sarah Nicholson, Ruth Leigh and Sue Russell

Wheel of Fortune is now out in the world and available to be read. I have had the privilege of reading not only this first title but also the second, Sun Ascendant, and can say with confidence that it goes from strength to strength. The research behind the series, fuelled by the author's long-held love of the period, is deep and wide, but it never obtrudes; instead it underpins the narrative and adds a profound sense of credibility to a compelling story of one woman's battle for survival - her own and that of her lands - in a time of turmoil and ever-present danger. The author's knowledge brings the background to vibrant life, and her expressive writing makes for a page-turning and engrossing read.

At the end of this book I emerged, blinking and a little dazed, into the world of today from my immersion in the fifteenth century - such is this author's power of evocation. Even if you are not usually a reader of historical fiction, this series may well turn you into one!

The book duly launched on a tide of French champagne and hand-made canapes, the authors scattered to their homes in other parts of the UK, all clutching their own precious signed copy of Wheel of Fortune. If you would like to get your hands on your very own copy, all you have to do is visit Claire’s website at:www.cfdunn.co.uk or go to Amazon or a good bookshop.

Claire herself has the last word.

 “Wheel of Fortune is the story of two men, one woman, and a lie. Born into a period of intense conflict, all Isobel Fenton wants is to live in peace in her beloved manor of Beaumancote overlooking the river Humber and to tend her garden. But no one remains immune to the ripples created by the fight for the Crown and, caught in the web at the centre of power, Isobel must negotiate extremes of courage and moral ambiguity in her bid to survive.”

Crowned with History: A Chat with Author Claire Dunn

It’s a big week for multi-published author Claire Dunn. On Saturday 20th May she launches her new novel, Wheel of Fortune, a story of love, loyalty and vengeance set during the turbulent years of the Wars of the Roses. It’s the first book in her major new historical fiction series The Tarnished Crown. Fellow author Ruth Leigh caught up with her to ask a few searching questions.

So Claire, why historical fiction? What is it about this particular genre which you love? 

What’s not to love when there are ready-made stories waiting to be told? Often the stories that survive down the ages are those that capture the imagination, encompassing the very best - and worst - of humanity. The stories endure – Joan of Arc’s heroism in a masculine age; Alfred the Great overcoming the Viking hordes and many other familiar names and stories. These sparked my interest in history as a very young child. Right from the word go, watching the Wars of the Roses series on a grainy black and white television, it was the people behind the story I found interesting. What someone did was symptomatic of why they did it. And why did they? What made them act the way they did? As ever, motivations are not always clear in the pages of history, but it is my job as a writer to animate those names into real, identifiable individuals and, for that, I want to understand them as people.  But it is important that they are represented as fairly and accurately as possible - which can be difficult when there is a lack of information, or what there is has been corrupted over the centuries like an extended game of Chinese Whispers. 

What does a typical day in the life of Claire the writer look like? 

 Typical is not how I could describe any day of mine. Between dogs, the garden and family commitments there is always something happening, but I’m still writing away in my head despite the distractions. Writing takes the form of research, note-taking, plotting, editing, thinking. When I sit down with my laptop so much has preceded the moment when I start to write. And when I begin to write let no one dare interrupt me let alone ask what’s for dinner. I will write - usually in my study - for anything from 4 to 12 hours at a stretch, stopping only for coffee and a quick cuddle with Thegn and Millie, our irrepressible hounds.  

What kind of research do you have to do for your books? Do you visit museums? Ancient sites? I love researching! Research forms the backbone of anything I write and I’ve been studying the War of the Roses all my life.  It takes me all over the country (and the Continent) to castles, churches, manors and towns, medieval hall houses, tithe barns, cathedrals and guild halls - with some no more than a stump in a field.  Understanding the dynamic of place and landscape, and the role they play in the events that shape history, is part of the research I undertake for all my books. Research also takes me to museums to help enrich my knowledge and understanding and feed my stories. From fabrics to armour, jewellery to simple cooking pots, museums - local and national - are a fantastic repository of past life, as are archives with masses of original documentation. It used to be a slog going to the Public Records Office in London, though. Now, so much has been digitised that research can be done from the comfort of your home, although you can never capture the scent and sound of vellum and parchment through a screen.

I love the way history is made tangible in the form of sculpture in stone or wood and paintings of oil or fresco on the walls of historic houses, in galleries and in the hushed dim interiors of churches. The very fact that some have been the target of religious vandalism tells its own story - and was the catalyst behind The Secret of the Journal series, which I began writing in 2009.

What do you love to read? Anything - as long as it’s beautifully told. Words and how they are used resonate, enthral, capture heart and mind. I enjoy a good mystery and I like interesting, well developed characters. Historical fiction is a magnet as long as it is as accurate as possible and faithful to the people and the period. 

If you could spend the day with one historical figure who would it be and why?  

It has to be Richard III. Why? We have a lot to discuss! 

And finally, who are you publishing this novel with, Claire?

With Resolute Books, which also launches on the same day as my novel. Resolute is an independent consortium of experienced authors, publishing genres as diverse as crime, memoir, Austen fan fiction, Cold War thriller and young adult.

 Wheel of Fortune is the story of two men, one woman, and a lie. Born into a period of intense conflict, all Isobel Fenton wants is to live in peace in her beloved manor of Beaumancote overlooking the river Humber and to tend her garden. But no one remains immune to the ripples created by the fight for the Crown and, caught in the web at the centre of power, Isobel must negotiate extremes of courage and moral ambiguity in her bid to survive.”

Website: www.cfdunn.co.uk

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cfdunnnbooks

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/claire.f.dunn/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/clairefdunn 

Wheel of Fortune can be bought from Amazon, all good bookshops and Claire’s website.

A Resolute Beginning

One of the greatest writers and poets of recent times, Maya Angelou, had this to say about how it feels to be a writer. 

“There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you.”

Around 4 million new titles are published in the UK each year. They range from traditionally published bestsellers to first-time self-published books. They all have one thing in common, namely their authors, who want as many people as possible to read their beautiful words. 

In 2022, two experienced and multi-published authors came together to talk about a collaboration. They wanted to create a group of like-minded people who love words and are passionate about sharing them with the world. The group quickly grew to eleven members and the result is Resolute Books, a brand new enterprise which is being launched on 20th May. 

Resolute authors publish across a wide spread of genres. Our members write contemporary fiction, crime, YA, historical fiction, humour, thrillers and devotionals. Any book published under the Resolute imprint will be well researched, meticulously edited and a guaranteed page-turner. 

So who are we all? Please say hello to your Resolute authors:

Claire Dunn

Claire Dunn is an English novelist of award-winning historical fiction, mystery and suspense. Born in Lincolnshire, Claire spent her childhood moving from place to place with her Forces family, an experience which she believes helped fuel her imagination. It is as a child that she discovered a fascination for the past that led to an abiding interest in the Wars of the Roses and a lifetime of research. Following a degree in Medieval History she founded and ran a school for neurodiverse children and young people - students whom she describes as inspirational. Embarking on her writing career, she returned to her historical roots with Mortal Fire - the gold medal-winning first book in The Secret of the Journal series. She now lives and writes by the sea in Dorset with her family, assorted animals and over-worked coffee machine.

 You can find Claire on Instagram at @claire.f.dunn, on Facebook at Claire Dunn and at her website: https://www.cfdunn.co.uk/

Paul Trembling

 Paul Trembling has been making up stories for as long as he can remember and has no intention of kicking the habit.  Over the years, he’s worked as a seaman, a missionary, a janitor, in administration and latterly as a Crime Scene Investigator. He’s the author of twelve novels and short story collections, a mixture of crime, fantasy, science fiction and children’s fiction. His new book, “Local Killer” is published with Resolute Books on 20th May.

You can find out more about Paul at his website: www.yearningblue.weebly.com, at @paul_trembling on Twitter and @Paul Trembling on Facebook.  

Ruth Leigh

 Ruth is a novelist and freelance writer, the author of the Isabella M Smugge series, contemporary humorous page-turners with heart. Ruth is also a freelance writer and blogs at ruthleighwrites.co.uk. She writes for a number of charities and small businesses as well as speaking at schools, giving talks around Suffolk and critiquing other writers’ manuscripts. Her new book, “A Great Deal of Ingenuity: A Collection of Pride and Prejudice Short Stories” is published with Resolute Books on 1st June.

You can find her on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Twitter at @ruthleighwrites and at her website: www.ruthleighwrites.co.uk.

Sue Russell

Sue Russell is a prolific author with nine contemporary novels published under the name SL Russell. She and her husband divide their time between their house in Kent and a crumbling pile in Normandy which keeps them fit as they mow vast expanses of grass and attack nettles. 

You can find Sue on Twitter at @SueLRussell, on Facebook as @Sue Russell and on her website at: www.slrussell.org. 

Lindsay Rumbold

Lindsay is a book-loving engineer with experience in automotive, aerospace and defence engineering. Lindsay loves crime, mystery and thriller and is a big fan of the Discworld series. A keen baker and tea drinker, she is currently attempting to turn her black fingers into green ones, to the relief of the plants in her garden. She is publishing her debut novel, a Cold War thriller, with Resolute Books next year.

You can find Lindsay at @lins_rumbold on Instagram and Twitter and as @Lindsay Rumbold on Facebook.

Edward de Chazal 

Edward de Chazal is an award-winning writer who spent many years travelling around the world as an English teacher and who now lives on the Dorset coast. Edward writes and delivers educational presentations, teaches critical thinking using his own 4-Colour Thinking model, teaches English language, writes educational material for English language students and has been a judge on the British Council awards panel for innovative English Language learning materials. He can be contacted at: edward@emdechazalconsulting.co.uk. His debut novel with Resolute Books is out this year. 

Liz Carter 

Liz Carter is an author, poet and editor. She has written “Catching Contentment”, “Treasure in Dark Places”, and “Valuable” (The Good Book Company, coming 1 June 2023). She is publishing her first non-fiction book, “Repression Ground”, a dystopian thriller, with Resolute Books this year.. She’s the poet in residence for Wellington in Shropshire, offers a freelance service proof reading, formatting and designing books, designs book covers and interiors for paperbacks and e-books, edits videos, designs and maintains websites, offers commercial copywriting and produces designs for social media. 

She can be found on Instagram, Twitter and TikTok at @greatadventureliz and on Twitter at @LizCarterWriter. Her website is www.greatadventure.carterclan.me.uk. 

Andrew Chamberlain 

Andy is the Director of Development at Ridley Hall, Cambridge. At other points in his life, he has worked in sectors as diverse as banking, marketing and tech consultancy, as well as serving as a film extra and a pastor. He hosts the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt podcast, offering practical and accessible advice on the writing craft as well. He is the author of the Creative Writer’s Toolbelt Handbook, the Masters series of Christian thrillers and the sci-fi series The Centauri Sequence. 

You can find Andy at @andrewjameschamberlain on Instagram, @Storycraftpress on Twitter and @Andrew Chamberlain on Facebook. His website is: https://andrewjchamberlain.com/. 

Pen Wilcock 

Pen has written over twenty books, including The Hawk and the Dove nine-volume fiction series. Over the years, she has been a Methodist minister, a school chaplain and a worker at a hospice. These days, she lives quietly on the south coast with her husband and is the mother of five grown up girls. She’s on Twitter @PenWilcock. 

Russ Lucier 

Russ is a personal development coach for youth at a children’s charity and spent 21 years in the US Air Force. His love of motorcycles led to an unexpected leg redesign, due to an accident, which has led him to rediscover his creativity through writing. He plans to publish his memoir with Resolute Books in 2023. 

You can find Russ on Instagram at @rejoicing.bones, on Twitter at @rusty_lucier and on Facebook at @Russell Lucier. 

Sarah Nicholson 

Sarah is a Suffolk girl born and bred who moved to the northeast in her twenties, bringing up her family there. She has been blogging ever since she lost her husband in order to process her thoughts and emotions. Sarah loves writing flash fiction and is a double winner of the Retreat West Micro Fiction prize. She is planning to publish her memoir with Resolute Books in 2023.

Each one of the Resolute authors is passionate about writing and is looking forward to sharing their beautiful words with you.

Three of the members with website supremo Jason Smith at Ridley Hall last year while Resolute Books was in its very early stages of development

You can buy our books directly from the website, here:  https://www.resolutebooks.co.uk/

 Follow us at @resolutebooks on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook