I was delighted to receive a review copy of The Blue of You, the latest work by talented author Amanda Huggins, published by Northodox Press. The novella is a joy to read, and I thoroughly recommend it to you. Here’s my five-star review:
The setting of a village on the NE coast of England in The Blue of You is integral to the story where some members of the close-knit community hold secrets and others break them. The novella works as a mystery where I found myself wondering which characters were trustworthy. Layers of narrative reveal Janey Shaw’s personal history as she becomes empowered to address issues of unresolved grief. The writing is immersive and rich with symbolism. This is another triumph for the author who has a strong track record of producing high quality writing.
One of the joys of social media is the chance to meet other writers online. In response to a tweet/X where I offered an interview on The Writer is a Lonely Hunter, I was delighted to be contacted by Lucy S Johnson. I found the title of her most recent work The Sizewell Murders intriguing and I was pleased to read an excerpt. Here’s a little more information about Lucy and her work.
About Lucy
Lucy S Johnson writes crime fiction under the name of Ellis Johnson. This includes the Mary Slacker novelette duology (featuring an ensemble cast of chattering class wannabes) and her forthcoming D C I Doggett series – kicking off with ‘The Sizewell Murders’ (where a rotating cast of criminals, set in sleepy Suffolk, confront murder most foul against the backdrop of the construction of a new nuclear power facility in the area).
Writing Career: Lucy began writing seriously at about thirteen. In 1995, she started the first draft of a story about crazy film students, which would become her first novel, a retelling of Michael Powell’s ‘Peeping Tom’, featuring an array of officers, detectives, and a hapless web designer facing the bewildering prospect of online dating with catastrophic and deadly results.
Suffolk is also the setting for Lucy’s upcoming series of D C I Woolley mysteries. Novels such as her forthcoming ‘Ghost Car’ are set in or near to Beccles, while other books include a variety of different settings, in particular North London.
Lucy currently resides in Bungay, Suffolk, on her own without so much as a cat. She is a boat owner, reader, movie lover, and can actually play the guitar!
About The Sizewell Murders
In ‘The Sizewell Murders’, indie writer Lucy S Johnson redefines the crime genre for the 21st century. She takes all the well-worn but much-loved tropes fans will recognise and gives them a new spin that update the time-honoured staples of the genre. A grizzled old copper (DCI Doggett) is tempted out of retirement to investigate the disappearance of a beautiful young girl (Cora – the chief nimby’s cleaner). As Simon tries to clinch the deal his problems seem to multiply – are his spoilt, rich daughters involved or implicated, can his marriage survive the strain?! In doing so she meets the high standards that all crime fans will expect – the cherry on the cake is that her writing is hilarious and she is having the time of her life as an author.
Join Lucy on her writer’s journey.
And now, onto the Q & A:
GA: What got you started as a writer?
I started a few years back – I found out that it was possible to publish your own work and promote it via Amazon in conjunction with social media channels. I just got on with it.
Some of these campaigns really do make me cringe (think of #NationalDoughnutDay on 5 June) but not this one. #OddSocksDay is part of Anti-bullying Week 2020 which puts a spotlight on bullying and considers the steps that can be taken to prevent it. Every November, schools in the UK have a focus on bullying and by working with the wider school community, steps are put in place to protect vulnerable youngsters.
This year, #OddSocksDay on Monday 16 November launches a week of activites to raise awareness about bullying. This is intended to be a fun day where there’s no pressure to wear fashionable clothes or dress up. Everyone can wear odd socks, so it couldn’t be simpler. The idea is to encourage people to express themselves and everything that makes us unique.
Established in 2017, Victorina Press believes in bibliodiversity. This is where small independent presses create a healthy publishing eco system by ensuring new and undiscovered authors reach an audience. I feel lucky to be published with Victorina Press alongside Rhiannon Lewis author of My Beautiful Imperial a Water Scott recommended historical novel, Chris Fielden author of Alternative Afterlives, fellow Dorset writer Vicki Goldie author of the cosy crime Charters Mysteries series and more recently Amanda Huggins, with her coming-of-age novella All Our Squandered Beauty.
I first met Amanda at a Christmas party celebrating our first flash fiction collections published in 2018 by Chapeltown Books. You can read more about Amanda’s Brightly Coloured Horses here. Amanda went on to have two further collections published by Retreat West Books and a poetry pamphlet which won a Saboteur Awards prize in 2020.
Now Amanda is an author with Victorina Press, I had the pleasure to receive an early copy of her novella for review:
All Our Squandered Beauty is a coming-of-age novella set in the 1970s where the protagonist, Kara, a fisherman’s daughter struggles to come to terms with the loss of her father. She rejects the prospect of early marriage that her best friend settles for and focuses instead on future studies in London. During the summer, she spends time on a Greek island where she learns more about herself and her relationships with others. Kara can’t see that she’s emotionally fragile but gradually she learns some mistakes can be rectified while others she has to live with. The sea provides a backdrop to the narrative, sometimes powerful ‘to see the water change from grey to ink and the sky deepen to fire’ and at other times benign, ‘millpond calm, a deep deep blue.’ This is a wonderful read filled with tenderness, charm and hope.
You can purchase All Our Squandered Beauty now from the Victorina Press shop and it will be available from early 2021 through Waterstones, Foyles and Amazon.
the writer is a lonely hunter 