Welcome to Silent Screaming, the Annette Gisby newsletter.

In this issue:
News
Book Reviews
Feature Article
Qoute of the Month
Bad Joke of the Month
Contests/Offers

NEWS:

Happy New Year! 2002 is over, 2003 on it's way and things are starting
to happen. I have decided to extend my free shipping offer on signed
copies of Silent Screams, so pop over to my website to take advantage
of the offer, Silent Screams for only £8.50 (apporx. 12 dollars.)
www.annettegisby.n3.net

Still waiting on my royalty statemnt for Shadows of the Rose, to know
how many ebooks I've sold, I'm getting more curious by the day!

You can read a new interview with me at www.sffworld.com and an older
one at www.ibooktime.com

The NUW bookclub has a new look, you can browse and buy books by NUW
authors, read book reviews and articles, discover the top five
for each month and download free ebooks at
http://NUWAuthorsBookClub


BOOK REVIEWS:

Burn: A science Fiction Noir
Jonathan Lyons
Domhan Books
http://www.the-foundry.net/burn/
Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams and Shadows of the
Rose

Billed as a science fiction noir, the book is that, but a lot more
too. The author has a gift for description, describing the darkness
of a future world where Big Brother is in the form of the worldwide
corporation,Expediate, and where much of the globe is in eternal
twilight due to the smog and acid rain.

Cage was once a detective on the Old New York police force, forced to
retire after Expediate got involved in one of his cases. He ekes out
a living as a private detective, but his strangest case is yet to come.

A new client, Janice Gild wants him to investigate the death of her
brother, as the police have dropped the case. The victim was burned,
but there were no marks anywhere except on the body, was it a case
of spontaneous human combustion? And then more victims turn up, seemingly
unrelated...

This is an interesting book, the story and backstory flows well without
giving too much away at first. It works well as a straight mystery, and
the future setting and technology adds to the story, without distracting
from it. There are enough twists and turns to keep puzzlers happy for
hours. I can see this working great as a film. A mix of 1984 and
Bladerunner, but a unique style all its own, this is one to catch.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quentins
By Maeve Binchy
Dutton, 2002
ISBN: 0525946829
Fiction-Mainstream

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, award-winning author of "This is
the Place" and "Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered"



Maeve Binchy magically weaves together the stories of not only several
generations but what seems like the whole of Dublin.

The stories in "Quentins" are entwined around the history of a lovely
Irish restaurant from which the book takes its title. Its proprietress
reads lips. She is rather like an all-seeing stage-manager in "Our
Town" excepting that her life is intricately plaited with those of her
customers and relatives. Ella Brady is young and so impressionable she
lets her hormones make decisions about love and life just as many of
us have. She falls for a loveable cad. She has a gaggle of friends and
they have loves (or not). Throw in the unlikely story of Quentin who
gave his name but little else to the restaurant that he owns and a
wealthy New Yorker who also happens to be Irish and, er...well, you
get the idea.

My advice is to forget trying to make all the fine connections and
just go along for the ride. Maeve Binchy is a superlative plotter who
knows how to braid, knit and lace and how to write characters as well.
This bunch of mad Irish men and women are well worth following. Pretend
you are in a restaurant-much like Quentins-and are watching the people
at the other tables and those passing by outside your choice table
near a window. You'd be entertained, right?

"Quentins" is the same way. It's a little like eating a holiday dinner
peopled by a huge, talkative Irish family. It's not necessary to get
every link, every association, when you're having so much fun.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is the awards-winning author of "This is the
Place" and "Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered." She is a
lso a columnist for the Pasadena Star News and a freelance writer.
Learn more at
http://www.TLT.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

House Call to the Past
Janet Elaine Smith
Pagefree Publishing

Reviewed by Annette Gisby, author of Silent Screams and Shadows of
the Rose

In the year 1713, Maria Hallett is seduced and abandoned by the pirate,
Black Sam Bellamy. Pregnant, she almost dies giving birth to his son,
but help comes in the form of a stranger, a stranger her father sent
for.

Modern OB-GYN, Dr. Angus McPherson is on his way to a delivery at the
hospital, when he is flagged down by a man in the rain and goes to
help the man's daughter, who is weak from loss of blood after a
difficult birth.

Angus soon comes to love the young mother, Maria Hallett, and agrees
to stay in the past and marry her, to prevent her going to jail
accused of witchcraft. Maria reluctantly agrees to the match, but
warns him that her heart belongs to Sam Bellamy and she can never love
another.

Can Angus ever win her love, when Maria is so determined not to forget
her pirate? And what would happen to them if Sam ever returns to claim
his son and his woman?

This is a fast paced, page turning book and I was eager to see what
happens next. It is based on a true story, but some things have
changed for the book, adding to the story of Maria Hallett, rather
than detracting from it.

Maria starts off as a bit of a tearaway, but marriage and motherhood
have settled her and her transition from child to young woman was
deftly handled. The subplots inlcude family feuds and Maria's gradual
acceptance by the community who were convinced that she was a witch.

The ending was a little abrupt, but it certainly intrigues and would
make you want to know what happens in the sequel "Port Call To The
Future."

All in all, a very good read.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The Perfect Lover
By Stephanie Laurens
William Morrow, 2003
ISBN: 0060505710
Fiction Romance
Adult Content

Hot Stuff, These Proper English

An Independent Woman, Lots of Sex and A Little Philosophy

Reviewed by Carolyn Howard-Johnson, awards-winning author of "This is
the Place" and "Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered"


Hot stuff! Stephanie Laurens, whose books have resided on the New York
Times Bestseller list, can hardly lose. Anyone who writes sex like this
is sure to find her work well read.

"The Perfect Lover" is a story about a beautiful, wealthy young woman,
Portia Ashford, who is nearly past the marrying age for her time-not
because she has been passed over but because she doesn't want to give
up her interests nor her independence. Her longing for children of her
own requires her at least to consider marriage-or rather to explore
the idea of marriage and all that entails. As soon as she has committed
herself to that, she finds what she is looking for right under her own
nose. A relative by marriage, Simon Cynster, is one of a long line of
fictional Cynsters that Laurens has made famous in her series of
novels about this dynasty including "On a Wild Night" and "On a Wicked
Dawn." Simon has been a thorn in Portia's side since she was young,
overly protective, domineering and just as independent as she. These
are perfect conditions for a romance.

These two encounter each other at a house party on an estate in rural
England and-be warned-very soon the reader is immersed not in the
classics, which Portia professes to love (Ovid), but in the most
intimate moments of a pair who are both calculating and vulnerable.
Portia is bent on "learning" what there is to know and Simon is a
willing teacher.

This is not pure romance, however. A murder interrupts the oh-so-
genteel party and the eager pupil of love is threatened as well. Never
fear. Not even such circumstances can dissuade this pair from learning
(and teaching) all there is to know about heterosexual relationships.
Because of the times (the early 1800s), the language is mannered and
the characters pay a great deal of attention to one another's manners,
idiosyncrasies, gestures and facial expressions. But, oh, the sex!
Laurens is a master. It is an adventure to follow Portia's pursuit of
carnal knowledge, the philosophy of love and all it entails.

(Carolyn Howard-Johnson's writing has won seven awards and been
honored innumerable times since her first novel, "This is the Place,"
was published.
Learn more about that book and her newly-released "Harkening: A
Collection of Stories Remembered," at:
http://www.TLT.com/authors/carolynhowardjohnson.htm.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

FEATURE ARTICLE:

Killer Press Kits by Annette Gisby

You've published a book and suddenly a newspaper, radio or television
station want to interview you or a reviewer asks you to send them a
press kit. First of all, don't panic. A press kit is not some magical
entity that only those published by the big houses can have. You can
create your own.

Here are some things that you can include in your press kit to send to
interested reviewers and interviewers.

A) An author's bio detailing all your professional writing credits,
contest wins, short stories, articles etc. A little bit about what you
enjoy in your spare time, but most of it should be about your writing
life.

B) Include the clippings (or photocopies of them) from newspapers or
magazines where your articles have appeared. If you've only ever
written for the web, print out a copy of the article and mention the
website where it was selected to appear. Don't include your own
website as a writing credit.

C) An author photograph, as professional as possible. A head and
shoulders shot is usal.

D) A picture of your book's cover, or poster of it.

E) Any previous good reviews you have had for your book.

F) Any speaking engagements or booksigning events that you have coming
up. Or the details of previous ones and how successful they were.

G) You could also inlcude a previous interview, it might save them
some time and at least you know what sort of questions might be asked
of you.

If you can afford it, a nice presentation folder for your press kit
goes down well, but it isn't a necessity. On your website, you can
also list the things above as a virtual press kit, but if a newspaper
etc. ask for a press kit, don't just send them to the website. They
are busy and would probably prefer to have everything to hand.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

QUOTE OF THE MONTH:

"Better to write for yourself and have no public, than to write for
the public and have no self." - Cyril Connolly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
BAD JOKE OF THE MONTH:

What did the big telephone say to the little telephone?

You're too young to get engaged!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

CONTESTS/OFFERS

The Ridiclous Bookstore has a monthly contest (closing date Feb 1 2003)
Prizes this month include A Painted House, A Time to Kill and Summons
by John Grisham. They also have weekly contests, please visit their
website for more details:
http://www.trbsi.com/contests/contests.shtml

A new second had bookshop site is launching with a prize of £100
worth of bookvouchers to spend on their site. In order to enter, you
have to register at the site:
http://www.bookquest.co.uk/competition.php3

The Doubleday Bookclub has an offer at the moment, get 5 books for
99cents each plus a 6th book free. (US only.) There are other offers
for other bookslcubs as well at:
www.booksonline.com

For all you horror, science fiction and fantasy writers, Cinescape
Magazine's literary contest ends on Jan 31. Please see the website
for more details:
http://www.cinescape.com/literarycontest/

I haven't used this site myself,
http://www.bloggingnetwork.com/Blogs/Redir/Writers.aspx

But they reckon that you can get paid every time someone reads your
columns on it. There is a subscription charge of $2.99 a month.

Some other sites that may be useful for writers:

www.vocabvitamins.com - increase your vocabulary one word at a time.

www.storymind.com - writing software inlcuding some free downloads and
some hints and tips on writing.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that's it for this month, folks

Take care till next time,
Annette

www.annettegisby.n3.net