Monday, 14 January 2019

Books Won’t Die!


The publishing industry has undergone massive change during the past decade or so. It seems that nowadays almost everybody can self-publish a book, and most people have done (hello!). Ultimately, we still strive for that elusive contract with a big publisher and all the trimmings, even though the reality is often far from the dream. However you publish your books, one thing is certain: books are immortal. Readers will always crave something new and will devour series after series in the quest for adventure and knowledge.


When the Kindle was launched, and a whole range of e-readers appeared on the market, industry experts claimed that the good old paperback was dead. How wrong they were! I heard on the radio earlier this week that independent booksellers reported a boom in book sales during the Christmas 2018 period, a surprise result considering that high street stores are failing to meet targets and are closing at a rapid rate. I wonder if readers still like the feel and smell of a book? I know I do. I mean, yes, I love my Kindle, but truthfully, I read more physical books than eBooks. My Kindle is a useful, portable device that can fit in my handbag, but nothing beats a book. And I still love hardback books. Indeed, I dream of having my own novels published in hardback one day, if only to fulfill a long-held desire.


Do you still read? What is your preferred medium for a book? I’m still seeking an audience for #TheRedcliffeNovels series, and I am working on my new vampire hunter series of standalone novels. You can find the first two already published: Vampire of Blackpool and Return of the Vampire Hunter. I also write and publish short stories and the occasional poem. But I love books. I always will.



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Monday, 7 January 2019

New Year, New Book Submissions


Hello, my friends, how are you? Back to work and back in the old routine now? Or did you engineer a major life change for 2019, and you have changed jobs or retired or embarked upon a new adventure? Do share! I have decided to start 2019 without any formal New Year’s Resolutions. In previous years this is the day when I would sit at my computer, scribble notes in my diary, and attempt to plan a rigid structure for writing new books, updating my blogs, finding freelance work and building my brand. Inevitably I would be distracted by domestic challenges, supporting friends and family members, and my own spiritual development. And I didn’t create the magical, easy career as a writer that I dreamed about.


Now I have seen the light, as it were. I know how the industry works. I have done a lot of research, tried and failed a lot of systems and projects, and learned a lot about my place in the book world. Shortly before Christmas I watched a documentary on Sky Arts featuring the food critic Giles Coren, and his journey as a failed author (his words). I learned that he was paid a very generous advance of £30k to publish a literary novel about ten years ago, and it didn’t sell. Or at least, it didn’t sell enough copies to make him a success by industry standards. With his established career as a journalist and his privilege to know the right people in the right places, he would have expected more, and he admitted that. I enjoyed watching the documentary.


You would think that I came away feeling deflated and defeated. I am most definitely a failed author by those standards. Nobody has ever paid me an advance for a novel, I have never been offered a book contract by a publisher, and I don’t have an agent. Everything has been done independently, on a very low (non-existent) budget, with very little emotional support from people around me. And I am proud of what I have achieved. Ok, nobody knows about my books. Most people don’t know that I have 5 published books in the Redcliffe novels series, or that I have published 3 standalone novels, half a dozen short stories, and have run two blogs for almost ten years. None of that matters, because I am a failed author. Well, guess what? I refuse to back down, and I refuse to give up. There are more novels waiting to be published, and quite a few prestigious agents are open for submissions this year. I will try again. We will not back down!  


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Monday, 31 December 2018

Happy New Year! from Paranormal Author Catherine Green

Happy New Year! I trust that your festive celebrations have been very pleasant and relaxing, and that you look forward to the New Year with excitement and joy. See you in 2019!



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Monday, 24 December 2018

Merry Christmas (with the Vampires) #ChristmasEve

Merry Christmas everyone! May your festive holiday be filled with good cheer, your favourite tipple, and an abundance of excellent reading material. See you in the New Year! 


Add some Gothic romance to your festivities, and enjoy Christmas with the Vampires, a short story by Catherine Green. Only 99p on Kindle!

Wednesday, 19 December 2018

Christmas with the Vampires (Short Story)


Yule Blessings, my friends! I am feeling very festive this week and looking forward to Christmas Day and some time with family. Did you read my festive horror story, Christmas with the Vampires?



I published it shortly after The Darkness of Love, because bad-boy vampire Marcus Scott insisted that I write another story for him. Since I was busy with babies at that time, I compromised and wrote him a short festive story. Tell me what you think…


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Monday, 10 December 2018

Christmas Romance Book Giveaway


Merry Christmas! Tis the season to be jolly, and it is always the season to read new books. Take your pick from a selection of fabulous FREE festive romance novels, including my slightly darker, Christmas with the Vampires short story, a spin-off from The Darkness of Love. Now, grab your e-reader, get cosy, and happy reading!



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Monday, 3 December 2018

Writers Block Won’t Stop Me


I never believed in writers’ block, and I still don’t. What I do believe is that sometimes we just don’t feel the inspiration to write, unless we sit down and force ourselves to make a start. I have been procrastinating with a short story that I needed to write for an upcoming anthology. It only needed to be about 5000 words, and it needed a holiday romance theme, not too heavy on the sex, and certainly not violent. I really struggled!


 I featured the vampire Meredith Hanson from Vampire of Blackpool, since the anthology is a showcase of authors that will attend Books on the Beach 2019, in Blackpool. She is a very old vampire, and she is in love with a witch. There is bound to be some kind of struggle, surely? Well, eventually I sat down with the intention of starting the story, and within a couple of days, I had a first draft. Now I need to read through and see if it makes sense. Wish me luck!


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