Abide With Me: Janet Reid Digs It!!

One of my fave writers and one half of the ultra-talented Ayris twins, Ian, (Stuart is his brother) shared some huge news regarding a shining endorsement from big-time lit agent Janet Reid HERE  This is such good news and well deserved..Well done Ian!

I have followed Janet Reid's blog for many years, learned a ton about the industry, and also observed how the e-publishing dynamic has impacted / changed not only her following, but the overall tone of her blog. If there is a more dedicated person to both writers and her clients, I do not know about them. At least that is the image I get. One hell of a sense of humor and well-versed in salty (sometimes), tell-it-like-it is advice, Janet's blog is def a must follow. Best of luck to both her and Ian in all their undertakings!

ABIDE WITH ME can be found on Amazon US HERE and Amazon UK HERE

Ian Ayris Times Two

I have had the pleasure of gettting to know (virtually) Ian Ayris over the last year or so, and besides being a very talented writer, he seems like a good guy. That counts a lot with me. Even if you wrote the best novel ever, if you come off as a dick, or dickette(?) I'm not going to read your work. Sorry to offend, but learn some manners, respond to comments if others take the time to read your stories or comment on your good news, and maybe, just maybe, take some time away from the self-promo, to give other's writing a try.

Anyway...I am really stoked to hear that Ian's novel ABIDE WITH ME has been released early, and just as pleased to let you know that his crime / noir short story collection UNCLE MILDRED is also available for purchase. Most important, is the fact that all proceeds from sales of UNCLE MILDRED are being donated to Cancer Research UK and The Breast Cancer Charities of America.

WELL DONE IAN!!!!

If you want to to have a look, and perhaps get yourself a copy of either, or both:

ABIDE WITH ME can be found on Amazon US HERE and UK HERE

UNCLE MILDRED can be found on Amazon US HERE and UK HERE

Have a great weekend everyone!



TOLLESBURY TIME FOREVER by Stuart Ayris

I think most people who roll in the same writing circles as I do, or maybe even follow this blog, have heard of an extremely talented, and certainly on of my favorite up-and-coming crime writers, Ian Ayris.  What you might not know,  is that he has a brother Stuart, also a writer, and who has just put out a novel of his own, called TOLLESBURY TIME FOREVER

I also have to add, and this is only my virtual friendship take, these Ayris brothers seem like top gents, the kind I would love to meet up with someday and shoot the shit with..my kind of dudes from my generation!

In yet another example of Facebook proving to be a worthwhile time investment, I read the below description of Stuart's novel, and it sounded really interesting: Beatles, Cricket, alcoholism.....right up my alley!

"Tollesbury Time
Nothing is real
And there's nothing to get hung about
Tollesbury Time Forever"

sing the children...

That's all very well if you're not Simon Gregory, a Beatles-obsessed alcoholic with a diagnosis of schizophrenia and a love of cricket. For Simon, nothing is real except the knowledge that he misses the son he abandoned twenty-two years ago. Although the rope around his neck is real. And Tollesbury Time is real too - as you about to find out...

Let me just say, the description, while spot on, did not prepare me for what was to come. It was so much more. This is not a crime story, and that is the beauty, and appeal that it held for me. This story reminded me that as much as I love reading and writing crime \ heist stories, what truly impresses and moves me are unique, well written and well told stories. I just finished Stuart Neville's "Collusion". It was excellent, but when I finished, I was thinking about his next novel. After finishing Stuart's novel, I was thinking about it, as it was implanted in my mind...still is!

I put the following review on Amazon US and UK yesterday:

5.0 out of 5 stars: A Work of Art, January 9, 2012

"I have been entertained by many a good read, but what I truly enjoy, the reason why I read, is to be emotionally moved. A truly good piece of writing stays with you after the last page has been read and makes an impact on the way you view not only the world around you, but yourself. TOLLESBURY TIME FOREVER is such a story. The product description caught my attention and after reading the sample chapters, I could not buy it fast enough. There are sentences, paragraphs, and passages within, that are better than entire novels I have read. During the course of the read, I had to make the decision to keep moving on rather than re-reading the beautiful prose, because the story was so good, I wanted to finsh it. A catch-22 for sure, but I knew I would be revisting the story again.

Along with the excellent writing and story, there are plenty of twists and turns you will never figure out, and it all builds up to a tremendous ending.

From the first page to the last, I was engaged, entertained, and most of all emotionally invested. As a reader, I could not ask for any more!"

So there you have it. I very highly recommend this novel and you can check it out:

- On Amazon US HERE and Amazon UK HERE

Stuart blogs HERE

Best of luck to both Ayris brothers. I wish you the greatest of success in all your endeavors.