Christmas Special! Buy “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” now!
Unfortunately, “The Radiant Boy” won’t be available in time for Christmas (the book will go on sale in January 2010). A small consolation: the price for “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” has been lowered by £ 1.00!
Christmas Special:
Buy “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” for
£ 7.50 (Europe) or £ 8.50 (elsewhere)!
First class postage is included in these prices!
PLEASE ORDER THE PRINT EDITION HERE!
HMS Privet has the reputation of being a cursed ship: every first lieutenant serving aboard her dies gruesomely. Lieutenant Daniel Leigh is determined to solve the mystery and volunteers for the place himself, putting his life in desperate danger. Little does he suspect that he will fall in love with the captain, John Meadows, and end up fighting not only for his own life, but for the soul of his lover, too.
Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased) – a Georgian ghost story featuring a cursed ship, a vengeful ghost, a haunted captain and a very daring lieutenant.
Illustrations: Amandine de Villeneuve
Editor: Alex Beecroft
Contains male/male romance.
A big thank you, a presentation and some book news
Dear all
Both me and Mlle de Villeneuve would like to thank you for contributing to the success of our auction. The winners have received manuscript and drawing by now and are very happy with our work. Which, of course, makes us happy!
The secretary of the Lions Club in Morpeth has kindly provided us with a presentation showing the extend of the damage. It’s a *.pps and has been virus-checked, so feel free to click (hosted on my personal website).
As you can tell, the money really went where it’s needed. If you’d like to make a donation to the floods fund as well, you should now head to the
WEBSITE OF THE MORPETH LIONS CLUB
for further information. You’ll be helping people who help themselves and each other. That’s a rare thing to find these days. Hat tip from our part to the people of Morpeth, and kudos to you, dear friends, for your generosity.
I’ve put quill and ink aside and returned to my trusted friend with the keyboard. “The Radiant Boy” will be out soon, and there are an estimated 4093468049684906830 edits for “The Purser, The Surgeon, The Captain And His Lieutenant” waiting for me.
Oh, and before I forget: Readers of “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” might be glad to hear that Mr. Leigh and Mr. Meadows will return next year for one more adventure.
Emma xx
PS: The online shop on my website is currently undergoing some changes. Should you encounter any problems, please drop me a line.
“Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” is now available as ebook!
While I’m still convinced that a “Penny Dreadful” should be a printed book(let) you can hold in your hands to fully enjoy, I’m aware of the fact that many readers are disappointed that “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” is not available as an ebook. Some prefer to read files, others shy away from the additional postage costs. Both are reasons I fully understand. So…
“LIEUTENANT SAMUEL BLACKWOOD (deceased)”
is now available on Lulu as an ebook in .pdf format!
And, even better news – the electronic version does contain all illustrations by Mlle Amandine de Villeneuve!
The price is £ 2.50, which is about $ 4.95. And if you like what you read, you might consider buying the real thing – after all, Christmas and Yule and your aunt’s birthday are just around the corner…
A new review – and some musings regarding Amazon and selling books
Not even sinusitis and fever can keep my spirits down with reviews like these!
Jaime Samms has reviewed “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” over on Uniquely Pleasurable. The website is a great resource for recommendations; it’s really worth the time to have a look around if you’re interested in homoerotic and lesbian fiction, art and other media.
PLEASE READ JAIME’S REVIEW HERE
and if you feel like buying the book, please don’t let me hold you back! Just go over to my website – it only takes a few mouse clicks, and “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” will be yours. The book, that is, not the lieutenant. But then I’m not so sure you’d want that gentleman around your house, anway.
Maybe you have already read about Amazon’s recent move which mainly concerns authors of “Print on Demand” authors – like myself, for example, so naturally, I am concerned. I’m already battling with the problems other “POD” authors might face in future. To quote Gary Larson: the future looks bleak – we all have brains the size of a walnut and the mammals are taking over.
The sales I make through Amazon Germany are ok, but I sell most of my books through my own website, because I write in English. It would be so much easier if I could sell through Amazon USA and Amazon UK, because that’s where people buy their books, and that’s where they would buy my books. There’s also still this perception in some circles that “available on Amazon = good book”. Because the Gods know there are only top-quality books available on Amazon…
I’m currently facing the following problems:
- There is no “print on demand” service in my country. I have to order in Germany, which means that I have to pay import taxes on my own books.
- Postage here is really high. My readers can’t profit from collected shipping like on Amazon.
- The more pages the book has, the more expensive it gets, and the more it weighs. Means: higher postage.
For me it’s not about making big money, it’s about covering my costs while keeping the price low enough for people to afford my work. I guess I’ll manage that with Samuel Blackwood, though handling everything yourself is a lot of work (it’s also a lot of fun, so I won’t complain.) With “The Purser, The Surgeon, The Captain And His Lieutenant”, things will be different, though.
“Samuel Blackwood” and the other “Penny Dreadful’s” which will follow can’t be turned into Ebook format, because layout and illustration as well as general presentation are part of the book’s concept. For PSCL there is the option of making the book (which consists of three books, actually) available as an Ebook – only few illustrations, for example, and if you want the “real thing”, there will still be the print version available. I’ve discussed this with Eve yesterday; we both agreed that saving money by using thin paper or cheaper print quality is a no-no. It’s not what we want, it’s not what we’ll do.
How do you feel about this? I think that especially for my readers over the pond an electronic version of PSCL could be an option, because let’s face it, I’m aware that book price plus postage for this big, fat novel of mine would be quite high. Not everybody could afford it.
We haven’t decided on anything yet, but I thought I’ll mention the idea here. I’m also thinking about putting book one of the three up on the website for free, so people will get an idea what they buy if they buy (of course cutting the freebie off right when our heroes are hanging from the cliff…!)
Amazon: “Search Inside”!
You can now have a look inside “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” on Amazon Germany. No worries, you don’t need to know any German, just click on the “Search Inside” icon, and you can read the first couple of pages plus have a look at the first of Mlle de Villeneuve’s wonderful illustrations.
For the undecided. 
Reviews: 2 more for “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” – and some thoughts on reviewers
Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased) has been reviewed by two more online rec sites, and hey, they liked my book! Both raised some points of criticism which are well justified, and it’s great they took the time to give constructive criticism. My hints about the sexual orientation of Daniel were probably really too subtle for some – just because I know that, in my work, the captain always ends up with the lieutenant, I can’t expect everybody else to know. 
Gifted reviewers are as rare as gifted authors. But even the best among them hardly ever get the recognition they deserve. The reviewers. Not the authors. Ok, the authors as well, but we’re talking about reviewers now.
If my writing should be repetitive, full of cliches and cringworthy, I want to know. If I use anachronisms, I want to know that as well. And I also want to know if something in my book doesn’t work for the reader. Sometimes it’s a matter of different perceptions, and there’s not much I can do about it, but more often than not, the readers do have a point. And then it’s my job to roll up my sleeves and have a critical look at my writing. That’s how I learn. That’s how I grow as a writer, and it’s important to me. So I can’t thank those readers and reviewers enough who let me know what they liked and didn’t like about my work.
But now on to the reviews! I’ll be honest, I had no idea how my book would do on DEAR AUTHOR. But looking at the website I found that the reviewers were giving their honest opinions, and so I knocked on their door and asked if they might want to give my book a try. They did.
About the book in general:
“(…) In summation, I wouldn’t suggest this to fans simply looking for a MxM romance, as the speed with which romance was introduced and the little face-time it was given made it unconvincing. As an old-fashioned ghost story set at sea however this excels, and anyone who likes those would enjoy the booklet for that alone. If the physical copy lives up to its pictures, it would only add to the enjoyment. Grade: B. (…)”
And about the illustrations by Mlle Amandine de Villeneuve:
“(…) The illustrations are marvelous and Amandine de Villeneuve is to be commended. (…)”
Val Kovalin of THE OBSIDIAN BOOKSHELF is one of my favourite reviewers. Not only because she liked my book (which makes me happy, of course!) but because it’s so obvious she puts as much love and dedication into her reviews as the authors she reviews put in their work. Her reviews are insightful, detailed, fair, and I’ve learned to rely on her judgement. Currently there are two of her recommendations on my shopping list, and I know I won’t be disappointed!
Two short excerpts from her review – first about the book in general:
“(…) Readers might also desire more emphasis on the romance itself. But that would be missing the point: the book wants to keep its plot elements in balance and achieve closure while attempting this short and challenging literary form (kind of like writing a sonnet). I’m impressed at what a good job the author does while keeping it fun for the readers. The book does have one brief sex scene that is tasteful but hot! (…)”
And about the illustrations by Mlle Amandine de Villeneuve:
“(…) She does fingers extremely well, showing each one distinct and shaped with realistic tension. The four interior drawings highlight important moments in the narrative. I almost screamed with delight when I saw that one shows the first kiss between Daniel and his captain: it’s one hot and romantic drawing! (…)”
The Obsidian Bookshelf is definitely a website you should bookmark; it’s a treasure trove!
A word about the “high price”, because it’s been brought up in various discussions:
I live, unfortunately, in a very expensive country. Still, I’ve kept the price of the book as low as possible. Once all expenses are covered (which will hopefully be the case in the year 2017) I make about 20 – 30 pence off each copy. Fortunes! Riches! World domination!
Living on a very tight budget myself, I have all sympathy in the world for those who find a price of £ 4.90 / $ 9.90 too high for a book with 80 pages. But at the risk of sounding like I was suffering from a bad case of megalomania: I think my writing is worth it. I think Mlle de Villeneuve’s illustrations and cover art are worth it. If I wouldn’t believe in our abilities, that book would have never been published in the first place.
Yes, e-books are a less costly alternative. E-books are great. All power to e-books. But no e-book could transfer our intention behind this book: paying homage to the “Penny Dreadfuls” of ye olden days. You have to hold it in your hands, feel the pages and see Miss de Villeneuve’s wonderful illustrations right in front of your eyes, not pixelised online. If a reader tells me that s/he read the book in bed, with a mug of hot chocolate while it was raining outside, I’m one happy Emma.
I want cocoa stains on your copies, darn it! I want them to have dog ears! All the signs of repeated reading! Yes, an e-book would be cheaper. But we’re not working for Wal-Mart. We’re working for Penny, Dreadful & Tarbottom.
Order my book now and save money – plus a new review!
Order now and save money!
I do sound like a market crier, don’t I…
As you know, I’ve set the price for my book as low as possible. Means: my main target is to cover my costs and maybe manage to get an extra tin of cat food or Woodpecker’s cider out of it (the cider is not for the cats, by the way).
There have been some currency fluctuations recently, and so I have to raise the price for “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” by 30 pence. The new price will therefore be £ 5.10 (current price: £ 4.90). I will, however, not change the amount for “postage and packing”.
The price will be changed on the online shop by Tuesday evening, so if you have been thinking about buying my book and not done so yet, now would be the moment!
* * *
Interview with Lieutenant Daniel Leigh (RN)!
An interview with Daniel has been published on the blog of author ALEX BEECROFT (who has just published her outstanding novel CAPTAIN’S SURRENDER on Lindenbay – a book I can only highly recommend. Review to follow!)
If you want to read Daniel’s thoughts on estate management and the advantages of the front flap on his breeches,
PLEASE GO HERE AND READ AN INTERVIEW WITH LT. DANIEL LEIGH (RN)
* * *
Review
Another day, another review. Reviewer Sandra gave my book four out of five possible hearts on
This means “very good” and makes me one happy Emma. The book is not available from the source they listed, but I trust in people’s willingness to use Google.
Yes, I’m a hopeless optimist, how did you guess?
Happy ordering and reading,
Emma
First three chapters of the next book online / reviews / feedback
My next book to be published will be “The Purser, The Surgeon, The Captain And His Lieutenant”. I’ve finished the first draft and I’m working on the details now. While going through the first chapters, I thought: “Well. Maybe people would like to read the draft and tell me how they like it? Or how they don’t like it?”
So here’s what I’ve done: I’ve turned the draft of the first three chapters into a *.pdf file and put it online. You can download it from here:
THE PURSER, THE SURGEON, THE CAPTAIN AND HIS LIEUTENANT
The first three chapters
Let me know what you think about it. What’s working? What’s not? Which character do you like best? Any suggestions?
For those of you who don’t know me personally: keep the criticism coming. I won’t throw a hissy fit; if I wouldn’t want to hear your honest opinion, I wouldn’t ask.
Please note: this is a draft, it’s not typeset and things might change while I go through it. “Author at work”!
Here’s what the book is about:
“The Purser, The Surgeon, The Captain And His Lieutenant – a tricky and charming cross-time tale about the tangled lives of four very different men, from the Age of Sail to modern day London. Featuring bravery, treachery, star-crossed love, revenge, the power of magic and overrated movie directors.”
REVIEWS / FEEDBACK FOR “LIEUTENANT SAMUEL BLACKWOOD (deceased)”
I’ve added a page for reviews and feedback here:
http://www.emmacollingwood.com/reviews.html
If you’d like to leave some feedback for me to put online, just post it here!
And more reviews!
Miss Collingwood is currently very happy, for there are two more reviews – and both reviewers liked Lieutenant Blackwood! Or rather, the book he appears in…:
Five stars out of five
“(…) Emma Collingwood’s new novel Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased) is a wonderful story which this reviewer will rave over (and reread) for quite some time to come. One of those wonderful stories which captivates the reader from the first line, every chapter ends with a hook to catapult readers on to the next. I literally raced through (…)”
Rainbow Reviews
Read the full review here!
Four stars out of five
“(…) The story is interesting and flows well, with an exciting finale that I particularly enjoyed. What I was left feeling, however, is that Ms Collingwood had the makings of a full-length novel in these pages and it would have been excellent to have had a much bigger read. I hope that she is intending to write more in this era because this whet my appetite for more please. (…)”
And for those among you who don’t like reading books:
(…) The illustrations (got to love men in naval uniforms!) are worth the price of the book, just on their own. (…)”
Speak Its Name by Erastes
Read the full review here!
HUZZAH!
Mandatory commercial break: you can order “Lieutenant Samuel Blackwood (deceased)” through my online shop.
My first review…
… and it’s a good one!
“(…) In the best tradition of the Victorian penny dreadful, it is a rip-roaring story without great literary pretensions, but with buckets of verve and charm. Ghosts! Mortal peril! True love of the m/m persuasion. Derring-do on the high seas… It has all of these things. Above all, it’s an entertaining short story told with great wit. (…)”
All orders that have been paid by today noon, have been posted. If you haven’t ordered the book yet but want to do so:
Feedback is always welcome, good or bad.
