Author Spotlight Interview: Brock Heasley
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on April 2, 2019
Today we’re excited to chat to another author – one whose debut book was extremely well-received by subscribers to Hidden Gems. Brock Heasley is a real renaissance man – a filmmaker, artist and writer – and his first novel Paper Bag Head has been described as “Ocean’s 11 meets The Breakfast Club.” HG: When I first heard about you, I described you as a renaissance man! You’re a writer, an artist AND a filmmaker too! But how would you describe yourself? BH: Um, busy? But, really, I’m just a storyteller who likes to work in as many mediums as they’ll let me, whether that’s books, comics, or film. HG: So, tell me about yourself and your life. BH: In a previous life I was a Graphic Designer and an Art Director, but just over four years ago my wife and I both lost our jobs within 24 hours of each other, sending us both on wildly… Read More >
Not All Great Books Make Great Movies
By: Leopold Borstinski | Posted on March 26, 2019
When it comes to turning dark and gritty crime fiction into marketable movies, it’s not as easy as just picking a great novel and watching the box offices money pour in. The genre is littered with just as many misses as hits, but if they’re both starting from great source material, what’s the difference? With his The Lagotti Family series, author Leopold Borstinski has experience writing these types of books and was willing to share his thoughts as to what turns one film adaptation into a classic and leaves another completely forgotten. A man stands in the office of a warehouse, rifling through a desk drawer. Night time. He holds a torch between his teeth as he searches for some vital piece of paper. The sound of footsteps along a corridor as the security guard makes his rounds. Our hero looks up, then back onto the job at hand. And up again…. Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Krista Sandor
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 19, 2019
We’re continuing our thread of author interviews with a truly remarkable writer – Krista Sandor. Krista is the author of the popular Langley Park series, which has been described as “heart-tugging” and full of “palpable love and pain.” This is something true to Krista herself – who took up writing when she was diagnosed with MS in 2015. We’re thrilled to be able to chat to her, and hope you enjoy what you learn! HG: Before we begin, it’s perhaps best to introduce Krista with her own words – which she shared in an email when we first reached out to her for an interview: KS: Romance novels saved my life. Let me explain. In 2015, I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, and my world turned upside down. During those difficult first days, a friend gave me the book Manwhore by Katy Evans. She told me, “This is what you need right now.” She was… Read More >
Thrilling Thrillers! 5 ‘Hidden Gems’ from January 2019
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 12, 2019
Hidden Gems subscribers had a plethora of thrillers to enjoy in January. We’ve picked five of our reader favorites to share with you today! And, remember – you’ll receive FREE reading copies of the latest thrillers – plus your choice of books from 15 other genres – when you sign up for our program. Judgment Call by JC Ryan If you’re a fan of military courtroom drama, you’re in for a treat with this book, by former soldier and lawyer JC Ryan. It tells the tale of brilliant Jamie Gibbons, who relentlessly tries to clear the name of her wrongly-convicted husband, and stumbles into a web of conspiracy as she follows all the clues to get to the bottom of this quagmire of lies and deceit. “I enjoyed this book about the perfect family with the perfect life until … The husband is charged with murder!” Writes Amazoncustomer in his 5-star… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Jolie Vines
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on March 5, 2019
Today, we share a quick chat we had with British author Jolie Vines, the talent behind the Marry the Scot series, with its well-received kickoff Storm the Castle. She was kind enough to share her motivations and inspirations – and advice for other authors. HG: So, who IS Jolie Vines? Tell me about yourself! JV: I’m English and I live in Somerset! We have a toddler so spend a lot of time traveling to nearby coasts for mini holidays. HG: So, Storm the Castle! Everybody loves a Scotsman, right? JV: Yes! My debut. I could not be more excited. HG: How did you get into writing? And what inspired you to write Storm the Castle? JV: So, I’ve been writing for several years, and had planned to take the traditional publishing approach. After writing several books and getting excellent feedback from agents, publishers, and via competitions, I created the Marry the Scot series with the… Read More >
The Difference Between Bad Reviews and “Bad” Reviews
By: Craig | Posted on February 26, 2019
Everybody’s opinion differs, which means that even when writing a review that’s critical of a book, you should try to explain what you didn’t like about it – or what you did like if it’s a positive review. This is because not all ratings are created equal – and what one person hated about a book another reader might actually like. It’s also worth remembering the impact and power you have as a reviewer – and whatever you feel about a book, a review should always be based on the book itself, and not written as a way to take a stab at the author who wrote it. We’ve discussed what goes into a good review in the past, but let’s look at it from the other side this time. While no author wants a bad review on their book, most will eventually get them – some more than others…. Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Nikky Kaye
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 19, 2019
In the latest of our series of author interviews, we got to chat with the delightful Nikky Kaye, author of heartwarming romances like Happy New You and No Excuses. With a loyal and ever-growing legion of fans, Nikky delights thanks to her unique turn of phrase and quirky characters; and we’re thrilled she took the time to sit down with us. HG: Okay, so who is Nikky Kaye? Where does she come from? When you get up in the morning and look in the mirror, who do you see? NK: Who am I? I hadn’t realized we were going to get existential off the bat! Well, the boring details are: I’m a 40-something Canadian woman with ex-pat parents and twin boys (currently 8-years-old). I try not to look in the mirror when I get up, because usually I’m trying to get the boys to school! I’m ambitious, anxious, complacent, guilty, creative, addled, frustrated,… Read More >
The New Year’s ‘Hidden Gems’ – Romance Edition
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 12, 2019
We’re only a month into 2019, but already subscribers to Hidden Gems have had a plethora of fantastic books to read and review. We offer FREE reading copies of books from over 15 genres, but today we’re going to take a look at the perennially-popular romance category and highlight five titles that subscribers have identified as true ‘Hidden Gems’ of the category. Exposed: A Miseducation Romance by Lulu Baxter Sometimes it’s nice for romance to be sweet. Sometimes you prefer it steamy. The latter is definitely flavor of the month in this thrilling stand-alone romance, in which aspiring romance writer Prynne stumbles into the hotel room of a sexy exhibitionist – and allows him to take her on an erotic and romantic journey that pushes the limits of all her secret desires. In her 5-star review, kingsfan writers: “Rhys and Prynne are alike and so much different. The is the… Read More >
Author Spotlight Interview: Melissa Foster
By: Hidden Gems | Posted on February 5, 2019
Every few weeks, Hidden Gems tracks down an author to try and gain some insight into their career, inspirations and plans for the future. Today we’re thrilled to be interviewing the inimitable Melissa Foster – a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author with an incredible catalog of books to her name, and a fiercely loyal following of fans. In addition to being a brilliant writer – we even cited her in this article on using locations in your writing – Melissa is funny, sweet and interacts with her fans to create an even closer bond between writer and reader. HG: So, who IS Melissa Foster? Where do you come from and how did you get into writing? MF: When I think of myself, what I see is probably different from what others see! I’m a wicked tomboy, raised with six brothers, some of whom are very protective. I’m fiercely… Read More >
5 Books Every Aspiring Author Should Read
By: Craig | Posted on January 29, 2019
We’ve compiled a list of five carefully-selected books perfect for any aspiring writer. With the advent of self-publishing there are now hundreds of titles about how to become a successful writer – but sadly if you look at a lot of the reviews and the rankings for many of these books, you’ll suspect that the authors aren’t quite as smart about the subject as they promote themselves to be. Having said that, there are some gems out there about the art and craft of writing, and we’ve taken a little time to separate the wheat from the chaff and come up with five books about writing that you can’t help but learn from. The Elements of Style: Simplified and Illustrated for Busy People by William Strunk Jr. and Virginia Campbell First written in 1918, The Elements of Style is often considered to be America’s seminal work on writing in the American English… Read More >
