The Tattooist of Auschwitz: the heart-breaking and unforgettable international bestseller

For readers of Schindler's List, The Man Who Broke into Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas comes a heart-breaking story of the very best of humanity in the very worst of circumstances.

I tattooed a number on her arm. She tattooed her name on my heart.

Fallon: Memoirs of the Reborn

"Stories are your anchor to this world of turmoil and strife; cling to them and they shall save you." Cat's words of advice to a new author were simple: write to live. After fighting a battle that her late husband unknowingly started, Fallon James follows Cat's advice and writes her story. But is 'The End' really as final as it seems? Love transcends the boundaries of life and death in this story of secret societies, the quest to control reincarnation, and Fallon's struggle to save the only family she has left from The Order's deadly grasp.

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Targeting the Telomeres: A Thriller

Amanda Michaels returns home for a peaceful summer break from college, but several new crises make clear she and her family members remain targets of espionage designed to gain economic control over her father’s cell telomere discoveries, which may extend human lifespan.

Events conspire to cause Amanda and an unlikely ally to attempt a dramatic do-or-die rescue mission inside communist China.

With billions at stake, foreign agents believe they have the leverage they need. 
Will Amanda Michaels find a way to beat them at their own game?

Another telomere series thriller from Readers’ Favorite Gold award winning author R.N. Shapiro, whose first novel, Taming the Telomeres was a #1 e-book bestseller.

Review

In Targeting the Telomeres by Richard Shapiro, there has been a plane crash and the only apparent survivor is Amanda Michaels. However, her father, Ron, a research scientist, has also survived and is now in protective custody. His breakthrough studies into telomeres, which can prolong life, have attracted the attention of the Chinese and his life is in mortal danger. Was the plane deliberately tampered with? A series of events throw Amanda and her Uncle Andy's lives into turmoil. A huge cover-up of the reasons for the plane crash is about to go public, unveiling political corruption, unscrupulous attorneys, and child kidnapping. Amanda must travel into Communist China with an unlikely ally to execute a rescue attempt of the missing child. If they succeed, her family will no longer have to live in hiding. If she fails, she will be dead. 

There are not many novels where the subplots are as strong and detailed as the main plot. The way the author has woven so much detail into this story is outstanding. Each character has been given a strong role in the story, their dialogue and actions are believable and gripping. The plot is fast moving and the conflict kept me totally engaged. There are no dull moments at all throughout the plot and the tension is superb, especially when Amanda and her ally enter China. I literally have no fingernails left. The ending was explosive and definitely not what I was expecting. The author is a true master of weaving elements of a suspense novel together and has provided a truly unforgettable story. I hope there is a sequel!

Why Do Talented Writers Fail?

They say there is a book inside us all. So why do most writers fail to complete their novels? Why do they fall by the wayside when other writers gallop across the finishing line?

Here I will list some of the common roadblocks that effectively hinder a writer in finding success, either as a freelance writer or on their own pieces of work.

Procrastination – Some writers take more time concentrating on the process of writing than the actual activity. Although it is essential to join various forums, discussion groups and attend seminars, I have met writers who spend more time thinking about what the writing process entails than actually writing. I believe this is a subconscious way of procrastinating out of fear that what you write is not going to be perfect. After all, you can spend hours reading about how to structure a good storyline and create enthralling characters, but if you do not put that knowledge into action, you will still have a blank page.

Writing Routine – Get into a daily routine that works best for you. In other words, what time of the day are you most productive? Are you a morning person or a night owl? Begin the routine that is realistic, and keep to it. You have to be self-motivated and think of your writing career as you would any other job. If you want to be a successful writer, then you will find a way and make it happen. There is not going to be a boss pushing you to complete the work, you have to motivate yourself. Ask yourself the following questions to determine if you are following a routine. Do I have a definite plan of action? How many hours am I completely focused on my writing? Am I actually writing or is my mind wandering? What are my long and short-term objectives?

Are You Willing to Put the Hard Work In? – There is no shortcut to gaining the success you want as a writer. There is a long process to complete and, unless you are willing to put the hard work in, then you are most likely not going to get the results you want. Think of your writing career as a business, and with any business you have to have a business plan. Pick the genre of your writing carefully and create the best content for that genre. To stand out amongst your writing competitors is your only option. Read, read and read some more on how to market yourself and your work. What are you willing to sacrifice to make this possible? Are you willing to accept the pain of rejection? You may need to sacrifice leisure time or sleep. Turn the maybe’s and should have’s into have to’s.

Many people fantasise about the romantic notion of being a novelist, but the reality is far from idealistic. Ask yourself why you want to become a writer. Do you have a passion for it? Write down the reasons you first decided to become a writer, and refer to them when you hit stumbling blocks such as self-doubt, rejection or lack of inspiration.

Believe in yourself and create that masterpiece that is inside you.

by Lesley Jones Best Selling Author of the Addictive Laugh Out Loud Comedy The Diary Of Poppy Parker

Read many more articles to help you become a successful writer here https://lesleybookreview.blogspot.com/

Learn To Market Yourself

Too many writers focus on becoming a successful author, in comparison to the hard work that actually goes into completing a well structured and compelling manuscript. It is vital to understand that the process is a very long and gradual one. Ask any famous novelist about their rise to success, and chances are it has taken many years to hone their creative skills, and gain the recognition and following they have today. Of course, there are overnight success stories as in any business, but for the most part, you must look at your writing career as a marathon and not a sprint.

So what can you do to break into the writing world and get your work seen by readers? There are countless ways, but I will discuss what has worked for myself and fellow writers I know.

There is one common thread between myself and others I have spoken to, and that is motivation and an endless supply of stamina to succeed. When others are socialising, they are writing. They will write late into the night and before the sun comes up; they are absolutely committed to their craft. They also attend networking events and market themselves until their connection list is quite substantial. They kept working on their craft and networking with their contacts until they discovered exactly what the publisher was looking for. They then wrote a novel based on the trending subject.

Others broke into the industry by sending a query letter to their chosen publishers and sent follow up queries, until they had convinced them that their novel was a unique take on a great subject. Concentrate on the creative process and do the hard work first, even though it is not a glamorous book signing or making that million pound book deal.The process isn't as dramatic or sexy as the event, but it works. However, the foundations must be strong before anything else happens.

So, is success guaranteed if you commit yourself to your craft? Of course not, but the chances are, if you keep following the steps and persevere with sending out query letters, making connections and improving your writing style, then I would be surprised if you have not had a book or three published.

There are two sides to the process. Writing is one side, which should include lots of writing, lots of people-watching to get those ideas flowing, and lots of reading other novels. Gain a clear understanding of how to structure a story and build characters and so on. The other side, which is just as important, is the marketing of your work. There are countless ways to market your novel. I would say that the most effective option is networking and building your industry contact list. Find out what everyone in the business is talking about. What books are the publishers looking for, what is trending right now? Once you have built up a good relationship with someone in the publishing industry, is there anyone you could forward your manuscript to? I have never been the best at networking, so I have built a relationship with query emails. Once they have responded to my query, even if it is a rejection, I try to find out what they are looking for, and build a rapport with them that way. I have found that's a very successful way to get to the first step on the ladder.  

Factfulness: Ten Reasons We're Wrong About the World – and Why Things Are Better Than You Think

Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts.

When asked simple questions about global trends - why the world's population is increasing; how many young women go to school; how many of us live in poverty - we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers.

In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and a man who can make data sing, Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens, and reveals the ten instincts that distort our perspective.

It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most.

Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulnessis an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world.

Follow Up Queries To A Publisher

So you have had a positive response from an agent or publisher requesting your manuscript. You wait patiently each day, but receive no news from them. So what can you do? Too frequently, writers never follow up with the publishers because they do not know if it is the right thing to do, or how they should formulate a follow-up letter. You may have received feedback, but you do not know how to interpret it or apply their recommendations to improve your novel. You need to receive some concrete news from them, but at the same time do not want to jeopardize the good relationship that you have formed with the publishers.

If you are like me, when you first start submitting your work, you will be asking yourself, "Should I send a  follow up email?", "How long should I expect to wait before I hear anything?", "What if I never hear back?" At some point, every writer has asked themselves these questions. The answer to the first question is yes, you should always send a follow up email and addressed for the attention of the person who requested the manuscript. This is to ensure your query reaches the right person quickly. The answer to the second question is to wait a week or two and then you can send an email to check the manuscript has been received, and when approximately to expect a response. Once you have a rough timescale, you can then send another email to ask if they have read your work and request their feedback. Lastly, if you have received no response at all from the publisher, then send a query email a month after you sent your novel to them. Always keep your correspondence professional and polite and if they choose to ignore you still, then move on.

Remember to keep all of your emails short and to the point. A short paragraph is recommended. Avoid being over friendly or for your frustration to come through in any interaction with them. Sometimes it could be the case that your manuscript has been filed to follow up at a later date. Publishers are notoriously busy, but at least you are one step closer to getting a response by sending a follow up query. If they do not receive a follow up email, then they may not bother to respond at all. Your goal here should be to gain insight into why they chose to pass on your work, and gain some helpful insight on how you can improve your writing.

Maybe your novel wasn’t the genre they were looking for, maybe your storyline was an issue. It is important you take the constructive criticism as an opportunity to improve your work and not as a personal attack. You must always conduct yourself in a professional manner, so you can build a network of contacts for your other future projects. Your writing career must be marketed like any other business. You need to show a certain level of knowledge and expertise in your chosen business and convince publishers that you will be an excellent person to work with. Good luck.

Create The Perfect Psychopath

The research carried out by the Levenson psychopath scale, devised in 1995, shows that 25% of the population of the United States has some psychopathic tendencies. So the chance that you will meet a psychopath at some point in your life is very high. Research also shows that psychopaths tend to favour employment in law and managerial positions. The easy route when writing about a psychopath is to make them a serial killer, but there is so much more scope when creating a psychopathic character. What about a psychopathic boss who terrorises his employees? Or maybe a charity worker that cannot form an emotional bond with his work? Before you begin writing the backstory to your character, here are some of the characteristics you need to take into account.

Psychopaths are very emotionally manipulative. They have to have their own way, period. If you don’t play by their rules, then they will take any action to make you pay the consequences. In a work environment, they will use flattery to gain the trust of higher management so if an employee complains about them, the complaint will not be believed. Since a psychopath has no empathy for anyone but themselves, they will make excellent liars. They do not care how much their lies affect others or the consequences of their actions. Even if the other person found out that the psychopath has been spreading rumours, this would have no emotional effect on them.

The number one characteristic of psychopaths is not knowing how to feel any empathy for others. So they will mirror others' reactions to emotional situations. If a loved one of a character passes away, then the psychopathic character will show sympathy to a degree, and say they are sorry, but they will not actually feel the emotion. So, for example, you can show them acting sympathetic, then resuming normal behaviour devoid of any feeling immediately afterward. They are masters at behaving differently according to whoever is around them. A psychopath can come from a happy or dysfunctional family. The psychopath will tend to have a negative outlook on life and the world around them if their childhood has been an unhappy one.

A psychopath can form relationships even if they feel no emotion for their partner. One clever way you can show your character is a psychopath is to make them speak in the first person, even if the subject matters involves them and their partner. For example, if your character was taking a trip with their partner, they would say, ‘I am going to Hawaii next week,’ instead of ‘We are going to Hawaii next week.’

Psychopaths have to be in control and this is not simply a control freak, this is far more extreme. If someone crosses them or refuses to comply with their demands, they will exact revenge. They will plan the revenge in minute detail, even if the revenge takes them years to execute. A psychopath will feed off the misery their revenge causes to the other person.  

Psychopaths are complete narcissists. If someone doesn’t like them, it is because they are jealous. In their mind, they are the best at everything, even if the results prove they are not. They will somehow manipulate the results, and take the credit for others' work. For example, if their employee is successful on a project, then the psychopath believes they are only that way because he/she is their boss and mentor. The world and everyone in it loves them and wants to be just like them. They will give compliments to others, but only if it furthers their agenda. Some observant people will see through the facade but many will not. The psychopath is a very good actor.

by Lesley Jones Best Selling Author of the Addictive Laugh Out Loud Comedy The Diary Of Poppy Parker

Read many more articles to help you become a successful writer here https://lesleybookreview.blogspot.com/

Overshare: Love, Laughs, Sexuality and Secrets

Rose and Rosie are known for their candid and hilarious YouTube videos... but now they are taking oversharing to a whole new level. Discussing sexuality, revealing secrets and empowering others, OVERSHARE is a book packed with Rose and Rosie's unique take on friendships, fame, mental health and LGBT issues.

As visibly out members of the LGBT community, they open up about their own experiences, both together and as individuals, and have written this book in the hope that it gives strength to those who have faced similar difficulties. They are spreading a message of positivity and inclusivity, and want everyone to feel comfortable in their own skin, no matter what their sexuality.

Delve deep into the unfiltered highs and lows of Rose and Rosie's life: family relationships, secrets of a happy marriage, struggles with OCD and anxiety, finding love and navigating the world as a gay couple. Get ready to laugh, cry, cringe and OVERSHARE.

First Man In: Leading from the Front

No one is born a leader. But through sheer determination and by confronting life’s challenges, Ant Middleton has come to know the meaning of true leadership. In First Man In, he shares the core lessons he’s learned over the course of his fascinating, exhilarating life.

What Are Agents Looking For?

So you have completed your book. Huge sigh of relief. Didn’t think you could do it, but you did. If you thought writing the book was the hardest part, you were mistaken. You will discover this to be the case when you begin to look for a publisher or literary agent. So how do you get anyone to invest in your book rather than the hundreds of others on their desk? Here are some tricks I have discovered along my journey.

An agent or publisher will expect the writer to know who will buy the book and not the other way round. The writer normally expects the agent to know what audience to market the book to, but this is not the case. So ensure you put as much effort into your marketing plan as into the content of your book. Ask yourself who will buy your book and why they should choose to spend their money on your work rather than another writer. What is unique about your story? Create an eye catching byline for your book. Get as many reviews for your book as possible. What sections of the book do they comment on the most?

Get your facts straight. Your book must resonate with the reader first and foremost. Ensure your characters are realistic and not caricatures of a hero or villain. Remember readers buy books on topics or genres that they have an interest in so they will probably know what is good and what is dire. Your dialogue must be spot on and your facts researched for accuracy.

What subjects are popular these days? Romance? Comedy? Fantasy? Agents and publishers are looking for genres that are hot and big sellers. They are looking for a sale so remember to include in your query letter why your genre and in particular your book is in huge demand.

Do your research. Before sending out dozens of query letters, do a little digging into your chosen agent or publisher. An excellent place to start is LinkedIn. What are their passions? What films or books have they enjoyed or published in past? You can then weave the similarities into your query, if there is one to your book.

Look at current best sellers in your genre. Read the reviews on the book and see what the reader enjoyed most. Again if there are similarities to your book and you can offer a similar reading experience, then remember to mention it in your query letter. Publishing is a money making business and they need to be convinced to invest time and money in your work, so take the marketplace seriously.

Finally, check out my other article on different ways to market your book. Put as many of these into action. Whether you have managed to create a huge following for your book or have received great reviews, let the publisher know that readers believe your book is the next blockbuster. Even if the ideas you come up with are crazy, it shows agents and publishers that you are committed to working on a strategic marketing plan.

For more  techniques on creating a great novel then check out my book  How To Write a Great Novel and Get It Published https://www.amazon.com/dp/179295221X

Creating Realistic Characters

When I first started writing, I struggled continuously with creating good characters. They spoke and acted in an unrealistic and two-dimensional manner. When writing a villain, for example, it is such a temptation to over exaggerate the evilness in the character so your reader is left in no doubt about how bad they are. But to really convey characters' inner dimensions, subtlety is the key. So how can you make realistic, memorable characters?

Base your characters on people you already know. You will be aware of their funny habits, quirkiness and speech patterns. You will also know how they would react to certain situations. You could base them on family members, neighbours or even yourself. Do they stutter when they are nervous? How would they react in a crisis? Do they smoke? How do they walk/talk? How would you describe them to a friend? By doing this you are creating believable characters. You could also people watch. I do this all the time. I listen to how they express themselves verbally and physically. I do this even when I am not writing so I have an array of good characters for my next project. Make your character come to life. Some questions to ask could be:

What is their eye and hair colour?

 Do they have tattoos or scars?

What is their build? Thin or bulky? Do they have huge feet?

What is their occupation?

When is their birthday?

How old are they?

Who are their friends? Who are their enemies?

What are their dreams/goals?

What do they want to accomplish?

What was their childhood like?

Who is in their family?

Do they have any family?

Any strange pets? Do they allow the dog to sleep on their bed?

What are their favourite things? What annoys them?

Get ideas for your characters' features from the internet. A good idea is to Google search images of people. This will give you great inspiration for the type of character you are looking for. The secret is to give each character a complete history or backstory. Once you know your character inside and out, writing dialogue for them or knowing how they would deal with different situations becomes easy. Keep all your characters in one file; you may not need them all for your next project but you will need them at some point.

Make sure you understand their fears and weaknesses. If someone is afraid of the dark, then exploit this. Do not make your characters (especially your protagonist) perfect as this will just irritate the reader. Remember you are the writer, you’re not supposed to be your characters' friend; you are there to show their weaknesses and flaws.

Make sure you name your character correctly. Remember you will have to type it continuously so make it easy for yourself. Their name must be easily pronounced and fit into the era in which your novel is set. A character in a romance based in Victorian times is not going to be called Brad. If you have based your character on someone you know, don’t forget to change their name! Lastly, do not base your character on another character in a book or film. You can get ideas from them, but do not blatantly plagiarise another author's characters.

Remember this process takes time, so don’t rush it.

For more  techniques on creating a great novel then check out my book  How To Write a Great Novel and Get It Published https://www.amazon.com/dp/179295221X

How To Build Tension and Suspense

‘The suspense is terrible, I hope it will last.’-- Oscar Wilde.

Creating tension or suspense in a novel is not only limited to a thriller or horror. It can be used in any genre. Will the couple get together? Will the hero save the day? Tension is simply fear of the unknown and it leaves the reader hanging in anticipation.

First, the reader has to like the character and be invested in their success at combating the obstacle. The character has to be realistic for the reader to care emotionally what happens to them, so take time to create excellent characters, otherwise the reader will not care if they triumph or fail.

Set up a question to which the audience needs an answer. You can do this by revealing key parts to the audience, but not to the character. The reader will be wondering when the truth will be revealed to the character.

Turn up the heat, remember you are the writer and in control. So if the character looks like they are winning, throw in a roadblock that the character needs to overcome. Each time you do this, the character's situation becomes worse and seems more hopeless. I recommend this is done no more than three times before the character finally triumphs.

Set a time limit for the character to overcome the dilemma, as this will really get your reader turning those pages. There can be a decision that has to be made or an action taken, but the character has little time in which to do it.

Use tension not only in the main plot, but also in the sub-plots by using the same strategies. Tension from multiple directions really keeps the protagonist busy while the antagonist becomes more in control.

Introduce a character's weak spot or fear early on and then place the character in a situation where they have no choice but to overcome it.

Use tension building places. For example, dark alleyways, fog, storms or empty derelict houses. You can also use normal objects as long as the reader, but not the character, is aware that the object is not all it seems.

Master the art of pacing a story as this is different to tension. Pacing, when used well, can be the ultimate page turner. It is fast and to the point and there is no time for detail. The sentences' paragraphs and words must be short and to the point.

Breaks in tension are essential as otherwise the reader will be worn out. It is the calm before the storm when everything looks as if it is going to be fine, but then the next dilemma must be twice as intense as the previous problem. During these breathers you can focus on building the relationships between characters.

Cliffhangers are great to use at the end of chapters because these leave the reader asking questions. What will happen next? It doesn’t have to be a new question,just a situation with increased tension or curiosity. The cliffhanger must be resolved or answered in the next few pages of the following chapter.

The Characteristics Of A True Writer

I once saw the actor Morgan Freeman speak at a university in Oxford in the UK. He was asked what he would have done if he had never been an actor, to which he replied, ‘I would have still acted in some way. If you are an actor you act and if you are a writer you will write because that is who you are.’

So what makes you a writer? For me and probably you, writing is where I am happiest and where my passion is found. But how do you know for sure? Are there certain behaviours that you can find in all writers? I believe there are. I have listed them below, so how many you recognise in yourself? Be honest.

1. Your house resembles a library where books of all genres are scattered on every surface. You can read a book in a few hours because your thirst for books is as strong as the coffee you drink, and your office floor is covered in scrunched up paper from rewrites of plot and characterisations.

2. Any time spent not writing is spent thinking about writing.

3. Your desk is covered in notebooks filled with scribbled notes. In fact, it doesn’t stop there, you have pieces of notepaper everywhere, handbag, car, and under your pillow, just in case that idea comes to you in your sleep. Notebooks are stockpiled like a squirrel hoards their nuts.

4. You cannot speak to anyone or attend any event without wondering how the person or situation could somehow be used in your next piece of writing. Everyone you meet is a potential character for your next book and you study their mannerisms with the intensity only matched by a Secret Service agent.

5. You question everyone to the point of interrogation on every aspect of their lives for the same reason above.

6. You have spent hours sitting at a blank computer screen, biting your lip whilst uttering the mumbles of a half-baked plot, wondering what the opening sentence should be. Once you have nailed the first sentence, you are off like a greyhound out of the stalls. Now there is no stopping you.

7. You prefer reading a book to watching television and wonder why nobody else shares your passion for the written word.

8. You love words and place them together to create something of beauty, just like an artist creates a painting. You can type and type and not care what the time of day is, your wrists ache but you type through the pain because you are in the middle of a pivotal stage of the plot.

9. If one of the characters acts immorally, it affects you as if it were a member of your family. You live and breathe your characters' lives. Their wellbeing or downfall is in your hands and you take this responsibility very seriously until the last word is typed.

10. Your life would not be complete without it. You try to stop writing, but the ideas still flow in your mind. Admit that it is in your blood and the world would be quite dull without us writers.