Happy Pancake Day!

I have written stories about most seasonal holidays – Easter, Halloween, Bonfire Night, Christmas, New Year – but Pancake Day is still on the To Do List. My belly is full of floury Frisbees, so I’m sure the muse will come knocking once I slip into my inevitable food coma. 

Also, I’ve just discovered that Frisbee should always be capitalised. It is a brand name owned by a company called Wham-O. Mind blown.

Anyway, here is my February writing update. I am continuing with my five writing resolutions, so my first task each month is to review a self-published book. I chose Samoan Sun by Claire Sherwood, which is a young adult backpacking thriller.

I also read American Gods by Neil Gaiman, which has been on my radar for a while. It was slower than I expected but packed with great ideas and deserving of its many awards. I keep watching the American Gods TV trailer in anticipation of the upcoming adaptation.

As for writing, it has been another slow month. Excuses include two weddings, another trip to Amsterdam and being distracted by the news that Philip Pullman has written a follow-up trilogy to His Dark Materials! The Book of Dust is finally arriving in October 2017. You can already pre-order a copy!

I did manage to write 1750 words, although that breaks down into a woeful 62 words per day. Pah.

In miscellaneous news, I was awarded Poetry Manuscript of the Year from my writers’ group for my poem The Secret of Poy. Full disclosure: I was uncontested.

And I still eagerly await the result of my Room 204 application. No news is good news, right?

Also, in a fit of procrastination, I started two new blog posts to gather links to high profile reviews of The Sheriff and The Curse of Besti Bori, namely those written by book bloggers and authors on their personal websites. The list of links is short for now but I hope to gain more coverage from book bloggers as the year progresses.

Next month is the three-year publication anniversary of The Sheriff. My debut novel is a toddler!

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The Curse of Besti Bori has been reviewed by a variety of readers since its publication in October 2015. Naturally, the majority of these reviews can be found on Amazon.

However, every so often, a review will feature on the site of a seasoned book blogger or author. Below is a list of links to help me keep track of these high profile reviews.

March 2016 - Writing About Books, by Nordie
December 2016 - In the Shadow of the Stump, by R K Leatherdale
September 2017 - Writing and breathing, by Margaret Egrot

It is always a privilege to feature on somebody's personal blog and I hope you enjoy reading their thoughts.

If you would like Simon to review your book then check out his Review Policy for more information. Sign up to Simon's newsletter to hear more about his reading and writing projects.

The Sheriff has been reviewed by a variety of readers since its publication in March 2014. Naturally, the majority of these reviews can be found on Amazon.

However, every so often, a review will feature on the site of a seasoned book blogger or author. Below is a list of links to help me keep track of these high profile reviews.

September 2014 - Books, j'adore, by Maria Mankin
May 2015 - Writing About Books, by Nordie
December 2016 - The Dust Lounge, by Tamara Rogers
November 2017 - Rosalyn Kelly blog, by Rosalyn Kelly
December 2017 - The Book of Tomorrow, by Natalie Morris

It is always a privilege to feature on somebody's personal blog and I hope you enjoy reading their thoughts.

If you would like Simon to review your book then check out his Review Policy for more information. Sign up to Simon's newsletter to hear more about his reading and writing projects.

The debut novel from author Claire Sherwood is a young adult thriller, showcasing the joys and dangers of travelling the world.

The action takes place in the titular Samoa, a less-travelled part of the world, even for backpackers. The setting is beautifully-described and evidence of Sherwood’s first-hand experience travelling in this part of the world.

I never had a gap year myself, so I enjoyed learning about Samoan culture, whether it be breadfruit, fales or fafafinas. It was also fun to gain an insight into backpacking culture. Sherwood presents everything from cocktails to cockroaches with honesty and a wry sense of humour.

The story focuses on Jodi, a familiar protagonist for young adult fiction. She is timid, out of her comfort zone, and often prone to self-doubt and introspection. Naturally, Jodi grows stronger as the novel progresses, upon finding love, adventure and peril.

Jodi is joined by a cast of more outlandish characters, such as the lovable Hans, obnoxious Hannah, comical Tom, loathsome Jonno, and curvy but cunning Lelu. Most enigmatic is Gwyn the elderly Welshman who has a secret mission which he must achieve at all costs...

The novel begins at a steady pace, easing you in with the characters and backpacking escapades. However, it soon quickens once Gwyn reveals his backstory, accelerating towards a night-time jungle rescue with bullets, blood and baddies.

The action scenes mean that Sherwood delivers an exciting novel with broad appeal, more Hunger Games than Twilight. This is part-YA fiction, part-thriller, set against an exotic backdrop to rival Alex Garland’s The Beach.
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I hope this is the start of a franchise because I would certainly be interested in revisiting these characters in a sequel. But where next? Hawaiian Sun? Fijian Sun? Barbadian Sun?

That choice rests with the author. I look forward to seeing where the compass and the muse take Sherwood next.

If you would like Simon to review your book then check out his Review Policy for more information. Sign up to Simon's newsletter to hear more about his reading and writing projects.