#LazyDays - Little Prince
Some days with Little Prince are just #LazyDays at http://SamSkyborne.com
Sam Skyborne’s Blog
EllCon 2018
I am so honoured to be participating in EllCon 2018 – European Lesfic Literary Conference in Bristol on the 23rd and 24th of August this year. It promises a full programme (http://ellconmeet.org/programme/) of all sorts of entertainment and fun, including panel discussions, author readings, book signings and informal chats with all the exciting lesfic authors present.
You can find out more about the even here:
Some of the authors who will be joining in: http://ellconmeet.org/authors/
My Author page: http://ellconmeet.org/blog/author-spotlight-sam-skyborne/
Ticket information: http://ellconmeet.org/registration-and-payment/
The Venue: http://ellconmeet.org/venue-information/
And last but not least the EllCon mission: http://ellconmeet.org/mission/
>>> Be sure to connect with me at http://Dukebox.life/Subscribe to hear more news and see pics from the event.
Alice: Review
I am thrilled!! I have just received this amazing review on Amazon. Thank you Lily!
“I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Alice’ from start to finish. It is a compelling, can’t-put-it-down read. I have been waiting for more from this author since the last book, and this one does not disappoint. The characters are rich, the plot full of suspense and intrigue and the twists and turns of the story are very cleverly put together. All in all a very well written novel which I will read time and time again.”
To find out more about “Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” and get your copy look here http://dukebox.life/Alice
To be notified of early updates and new releases please join my contact list here: http://Dukebox.life/Subscribe
Alice: Review
Just received this wonderful review on Amazon. Thank you Ellie!
“I loved this book! A really compelling and original plot, full of twists and turns that you won’t see coming. Most of the action takes place in Cape Town, SA, and the writer really brings the city, culture and landscape to life throughout the novel. The characters are well-drawn and develop in really interesting ways – I found myself very quickly invested in their fate and keen to read the book as quickly as possible to find out what happens to them! This book is an excellent, character-driven thriller that will keep you guessing right up until the last page!!”
To find out more about “Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” and get your copy look here http://dukebox.life/Alice
To be notified of early updates and new releases please join my contact list here: http://Dukebox.life/Subscribe
#MyOffice - Saunton Sands
#MyOffice 8 weeks ago… I didn’t think I would actually finish “Alice”… #SamsStudy #AmEditing http://SamSkyborne.com
"Alice" is out! - I can't believe it
“Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom” is out on ebook, paperback and Large Print! Find out more at http://Dukebox.life/Alice
Got the T-Shirt
Got the calluses, the bite marks and now the T-shirt, just in time for Brighton #Pride but “Alice” is finally out there! >> http://Dukebox.life/Alice
If possible, please share and help spread the word and sign up to my mailing list to hear more news and get updates on special promotions and reading events.
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"Alice" is out!!
“Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom”, my latests psychological drama is out today! Hurray! It has taken a long time to get here, but it was one hell of a journey! A very big THANK YOU to all those lovely people who have helped me get here!
You can find out more and get a copy of the ebook, paperback or LARGE print here: >> http://Dukebox.life/Alice
If possible, please share and help spread the word and sign up to my mailing list to hear more news and get updates on special promotions and reading events.
A Wonderful Feeling - Paperback arrived!
It is a wonderful feeling to finally hold a paperback copy of my new book in my hands. A feeling I can certainly recommend to anyone wanting to write!
But, to get here… has taken a long time and a lot of hard work, discipline and determination from me as well as generous help and thoughtful feedback from a select band of beta readers and editors.
Most people don’t really get to see the wiring of what goes into writing a book. When asked recently, I described the journey as a bit like growing your own artificial coral reef.
1) It starts with having the initial idea,
2) Turning that idea into something more substantial than a fleeting inspiration (which, I might add, is hard enough to find sometimes) or more than a paragraph or two of excitement burbled onto a page.
3) Allowing that idea to build and gather moss, debris, flotsam and jetsam and eventually form the backbone of an ecosystem large enough to sustain a coherent and full-length novel.
4) Stringing words together to effectively communicate the nature of that ecosystem and the events around it.
5) Then allowing other humans into that fragile ecosystem of newly-born fry and guppies with a metaphoric hedge trimmer – hoping they don’t bring their own chainsaw!
6) Rebuilding what your well intentioned beta readers and editors have trampled over and pulled apart, to create something hopefully stronger and better.
7) Applying yourself to the finishing touches that turns the reef from a rudimentary sunken ship to something people can recognise and might want to explore as a finished product.
8) Finally, embarking on the mammoth task of telling people your new creation exists – getting your book out there! The biggest struggle here is fighting back that part of you which wants to pat yourself on the back, say well done for the long hard slog and then put the book safely away in the drawer.
This last part of my journey with “Alice” has just started… yay! \0/ [said with no small amount of trepidation]
So, “Alice: A Woman’s Flight for Freedom”, the ebook version is current on a pre-order special offer – at a huge 70% reduction – to inspire initial interest and in the hope of encouraging my first readers to add a little review on Amazon and/or send me some feedback. You can find out more or get an ebook pre-order copy from here >> http://Dukebox.life/Alice.
This offer ends on the 1st of August when “Alice” will be published officially and available in ebook, paperback and Large Print from Amazon.
Please help pass on the news to anyone you think might be interested in a good read…
I recently had the honour of being interviewed by Planet Nation. I had to dig deep to answer some interesting and probing questions. I have just been told that the the interview is now live on the Planet Nation website. Wow!
You can read it here. 🙊
Sam Skyborne author profile on Planet Nation.
Stakeout: A Toni Mendez Fantasy - on Amazon
I’ve decided to publish the Toni Mendez fan fiction short I wrote recently, called “Stakeout” to Amazon.
Toni Mendez, a former London cop turned P.I. is not coming to terms with the changes in her private life very well. The more Toni tries to damp down and deny her growing feelings and desires… the more they seep out in her dreams.
This tells the story of one of her dreams — about taking Lizbeth on a stakeout. The unforeseen events and steamy situation lead to a very bizarre and sizzling hot evening — as can only happen in one’s dreams.
This is a Toni Mendez and Lizbeth DuCannon fan fiction short, intended as an auxiliary to the lesbian fiction romance thriller Risk: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust and Justice, also available on Amazon.
Hope you enjoy.
If you did, I’d appreciate it if you’d leave me a little review on Amazon.
Thank you!
February PROMO on RISK & Sim
For those who don’t have a copy of Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero or RISK: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust and Justice or who are stuck on what to give their lover, partner or bff for Valentine’s…. Why not give them a copy of these action packed love stories?
I am running a promo starting 1st of February. From then they will be available at a reduced price on Amazon. But, get your copy soon because there is a limited number available on this offer.
PS Please do not forget to leave me a review afterwards if you enjoyed the stories. Thank you!
Book review: Elle Spencer "Casting Lacey"
This title hit Amazon by storm. It was published in December 2017 and has catapulted its way to the #1 Best Seller in “Lesbian” and “Lesbian Fiction” categories over the course of January.
The plot concept, though not completely original, is a definite favourite fantasy: Down-and-out jobbing actor, Lacey, meets A-list star, Quinn, because (and this is where there is a delicious little lesbian twist) A-list star hires jobbing actor to be her fake girlfriend.
In this novel, perhaps true to Hollywood, beauty starts out skin deep since Lacey is ostensibly chosen on the strength of her looks alone, initially. But, luckily, it does not take long for us to get acquainted with Quinn and Lacey’s unique voices, true depth of character and substance.
The plot thickens when the potentially shallow business arrangement is complicated by unforeseen events that place pressure on both Lace and Quinn separately and together. This forces them to drop their barriers and soon they are thundering along a roller-coaster of joy, love, betrayal and despair. But what does this ultimately mean for them contractually, professionally, and privately behind closed doors?
<< Click the image to get your copy.
Kenric Drop In a Fantastic Evening!
Friday evening I was invited to read at the Kenric Drop in at London Friend. The event saw an amazing turnout despite the cold and the wet London weather and the usual London transport difficulties. I felt very honoured. Needless to say I did my best to entertain and reward my audience for all their effort.
I read an extract from one of my first forays into writing, a book very dear to my heart, called High Rack: The story of an unlikely friendship between a fox and a baby chick. The idea for the story was born from real life events, in Catford, one late autumn. I had hoped, and still do, to one day see High Rack as an animation film or a graphic novel. The invitation stands… If anyone can draw or animate and would like to collaborate on this dream.. DO LET ME KNOW!! 🙂
Thereafter we got down to business which was reading from my latest novel RISK: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust and Justice. It was recently described very aptly by a reviewer as “a sexy coming out crime thriller”. My reading went down a storm and I managed to hold my audience’s attention despite a few unruly dream catcher’s interference, 😉 which proved very amusing.
However, the meaty bit of the evening was undoubtedly the unrelenting probing by my very astute and formidable host, the lovely Anny Knight (@AnnyPoet). She holds no prisoners and would not allow an ounce of prevarication on my part.
Anny, it was once again an honour! Thank you! And thank you to Kenric (@KenricUK) and all you wonderful ladies for coming to see me. It was nice to meet some of you as well as catch up with some old friends. A big thank you especially to those who were there to support me behind the scenes. I could not do it without you!
Hope to see you all again soon!
Free "Simulation" Sample now available
I am very pleased to say I finally managed to get a sample sorted of Simulation!!
You can get the details of how to download it below.
Happy reading!!
Simulation – Free Sample!
The Dawn of a Superhero
A Lesbian action adventure superhero romance!
For Adults ONLY!
Sam can manage the grueling physical trials, but will her heart survive? Captain America meets a lesbian twist in this gripping sci-fi adventure.
Set in a dystopian future when, after a decade of war, the United Kingdom is on its knees, ruled by strict martial law and where any ‘deviant’ behaviour is punishable in a manner worse than death–the perpetrators are forcefully ‘reset’. Samantha Fielding, an emotionally scarred war hero, struggles to adapt to ‘normal’ life so she enlists in a top secret scientific research programme. Here, not only is she pushed way beyond her physical and emotional limits in order to unleash powerful and potentially lethal dormant human abilities, she also finds herself dangerously falling for the principal scientist, Dr Victoria Henderson – risking everything.
Get your Sample here:
“An Absolutely Wonderful Book” – Amanda
“A real page-turner!” – Miss E. Mumford
“Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner” – Geraldine Robertson-Brown
“Kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet” – Alice
“This is a very atmospheric and compelling read…” – Anny
“This is a great read, full of tension, a good plot.” – Wayne
Or Buy NOW:
More Reader Reviews
Note: If you too enjoyed the book, please let me know!! And join my VIP mailing list to be notified about any new releases.
Loved it!
“Wow just finished your novel-brilliant. Never read anything like it… Really got drawn into the characters and intrigue of the plot – can’t wait to read the next installment. I’m off to Cornwall soon too! A lighthouse will never look the same again.” – A Reader
Good pacing, interesting storyline
Although I found the start a little slow and I wasn’t quite sure where it was going, it soon took off and ripped along at a good pace. I warmed to Sam once she and Victoria met and the real crux of the story came through, and I thought the ending was really good, especially as it hinted at more to come from these characters. A good debut. – Angela
Buy this book!
This is a great read – a real page turner with believable and engaging characters and a gripping storyline, set in an all too possible uncomfortable future. I loved it and can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy. Sam’s my kind of hero! A great debut. I’ll definitely be looking out for more from this author. – Amazon Customer.
kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet
A gripping futuristic story.. Sam is my new hero. She’s hot, kick-ass and definitely someone I’d like to meet. Can’t wait for the next instalement! – Alice.
I loved this, couldn’t put it down once I started …
I loved this, couldn’t put it down once I started it. Beautifully written, intriguing plot and very real characters. Looking forward to finding out what happens next! – Lily.
Wow! What a mesmerizing page turner
Superbly well written, a real page turner… I vow you’ll not be able to put it down until finished. Truly believable characters and ones you warm too. Don’t let its category of Lesbian Fiction, put you off, its all subtle and tastefully executed. Hopefully like me you’ll end up wanting more… Definitely a sequel waiting to be written….. Even better a film. – Gerry Bell.
A real page-turner!
I read this book from start to finish in one sitting – I couldn’t put it down! The plot is truly original, particularly in the genre of lesbian fiction, and is full of unexpected twists and turns to keep you guessing until the end. The characters are well drawn and compelling and the relationships are very believable. A really great read! – Ms E Mumford.
The very graphic prologue sets up the backstory brilliantly, and the contrast of locations from rural Cornwall …
This is a very atmospheric and compelling read with a wide range of characters from the very loveable to the very scary indeed. The very graphic prologue sets up the backstory brilliantly, and the contrast of locations from rural Cornwall to the intimidating futuristic research laboratory creates a world that is simultaneously now and not now, here and not here. The narrative whips along at a furious pace and keeps you guessing, the characters are complex, and when the book ends I was wondering what happens next? I’m really looking forward to reading the next part of the trilogy. – Anny.
If you’re a fan of sci-fi, superheroes, science or lesbian novels then you should go read this book
The character of Sam is very well written and at times I felt like I was right there with Sam, seeing what she was seeing, hearing what she was hearing and feeling what she was feeling. I loved the little twist at the end, I really wasn’t expecting it but I was glad that it happened.
Overall a very well written story with two fantastic characters that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about. If you’re a fan of sci-fi, superheroes, science or lesbian novels then you should go read this book, even if you’re not you should read it. – Planet Nation.
A great read with a mixture of angst and happiness
Whether or not we are living in a simulation right now .who knows..but this was an exciting read with an easy ability to identify with and warm to the main characters.I hope this will be followed with another story extending the futuristic journey of Sam and Victoria 🙂 For I believe the basis of this book may well run parallel with our true world. – Amazon Customer.
As indie authors it is very hard to spread the word about the books we have spent time and toil creating for our readers. Please help us by telling others whom you think might be interested in my books about them.
Book review: Alexander McCall Smith "The No.1 Ladies' Detective Agency"
My thoughts:
I enjoyed this story. It is not my usual cup of Rooibos but I was interested in Mma Precious Ramotswe from the get go. I think this is a wonderful example of how to give a character a wonderful authentic voice. Personally, it was also nice to hear about vaguely familiar things that reminded me of my distant past. I liked the ending.
<< Click the image to get your copy.
Simulation's New Cover 2018
I decided in 2018 that Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero needed a bit of a cover refresh. So here are two propositions. Which do you prefer?
What do you think? Get your new copy here: Simulation: The Dawn of a Superhero
If you have read it, please leave me a review on Amazon (Reviews are our reward!) and tell your friends about it. 😉
Kenric Drop in 26/01/2018
I am very pleased to announce that I’ll be doing an author reading from my latest novel RISK: Three Crime-fighting Women Risk All for Love, Lust and Justice on Friday the 26th of January at the Kenric Drop In event at London Friend. This event will be hosted by the lovely Anny and she will be no doubt subjecting me to one of her grueling Q&A’s that will include telling you more about my next exciting project due out later in the spring. Afterwards we will probably decamp to a local watering hole for a more casual debrief.
So, please, come along and join us.
To find out more about how to attend, please visit: Meetup.
Note: there are only a limited number of spaces available so sign up soon to avoid disappointment.
FYI… There will also be a very limited number of signed paperback copies of my novels available on sale.
I look forward to seeing you all there!