Hey Chris! How’s the book going? Thanks for asking, let me tell ya!
So it’s been two weeks since Orca Rising came out in paperback. Cue two weeks of head scratching at the Amazon Bestseller Ranking, it would be nice to see how the book was doing in actual numbers rather than how i’m doing comparatively to the 6 million other books in their library! From what i can tell with the spiky line graph, it’s going okay-ish.
It was brilliant to see Orca Rising hit the top 100 in two categories of Young Adult fiction too; let’s hope it stays there! I’ve had some really pleasing reviews too but the more the better as it really helps to persuade people to give it a try. My silly mug also appeared in the Chichester Observer around publication time- though I only just found out!.
This week i’m visiting Almuñécar International School to talk about Orca Rising, writing and strong-arming some Year 9’s and 10’s to writing themselves with some fun, inspiration activities (that’s how i’m branding it- but to be honest, I’ll just be happy if they don’t throw stuff at me.)
I’ve also been reading my books by fellow Thistle authors, and it’s been great to discovery such high-quality fiction in genres i don’t often read. Jack Was Here by Chris Bardsley was a fantastically dark novel about an ex-soldier suffering from PTSD on a manhunt for a lost teenager through Asia. Woodcutter by Shaun Baines a brilliant piece of Newcastle noir full of gangs, violence and unexpected twists. Next I read Sarah’s Scholefield’s Redferne lane, which was a nice change of pace, featuring a troubled love story as its main plot, but also examining the lives of a host of characters living on the Lane battling old age, coming of age and parenthood. Last and by no means least, i’m close to finishing Kate Fulford’s Inlaws and Outlaws (awesome title!) which feature the mother in law from hell, and is just a downright hilarious read. Next it’s Corkscrew by Peter Stafford-Bow.
CJ Hannon 