Sunday 21 July 2013

REVIEWS

After the one-week free promotion of my novel Goliath, I am pleased by the responses that I have received. Although two ratings do not fully represent the hundreds of people who downloaded my book, I am still heartened by the positive reviews.

AMAZON REVIEW

GOODREADS REVIEW

Wednesday 17 July 2013

FEEDBACK

Good day all,

The five day free promotion on my novel Goliath is now finished. I was more than pleased with the number of books that were downloaded by folks all around the globe. When you get the chance, I would be most appreciative if you would provide feedback to me here on my blog, at my page Goodreads, or on the customer review site on Amazon.

Thanks in advance,

Ricahrd

Tuesday 16 July 2013

The Devil's Path now at WH Smith

Just a quick note to let people know that The Devil's Path is now up on WH Smith books site.

WH Smith

Monday 15 July 2013

THE LAST EAGLE

Good day all,

My latest novel - The Last Eagle - has been released today.

A Forgotten Secret.
A Lethal Enemy.
A Deadly Race against the Odds.

Pulled into a lethal game of cat and mouse, Captain Christopher Sheppard finds himself pitted against deadly and ruthless Soviet agents bent on finding out the truth about one the most closely guarded secrets of the last czar of Russia. Struggling to understand what he has been drawn into, Christopher Sheppard needs all his wits to remain one-step ahead of people still fighting their own private war
From England, to France, from Turkey to the vast open steppes of Mongolia, aided by new found allies, Christopher Sheppard races to save someone from the clutches of a cruel and sadistic warlord before other as equally determined forces can intervene and take the prize for themselves.

Take a step back in time to the late 1920s. A time of change. A time when merciless men sought to change the world.


Friday 12 July 2013

Goliath - free for five days


My action/adventure novel - Goliath - is free for five days on Amazon. Come take advantage of this offer and get your hands on a fast paced, action-filled book.

A secret long hidden.
An unforgiving foe.
A deadly race to save millions.
In the summer of 1931, the British Airship Goliath vanishes
without a trace over West-Africa, taking with her a secret that people are
willing to kill and die for.

In the present, a gang of mercenaries attempts to kidnap historian
Jennifer March from a dig site in The Philippines, propelling her into a race
to find the truth about Goliath and her hidden secret. Drawn into a dangerous quest,
ex-soldier Ryan Mitchell and his team must try to protect Jennifer March from a
deadly and well-financed group that intends to change the world. From the
deserts of Africa, to the forests of Alaska, to a frozen island off Iceland,
the hunt for the truth is on.


http://www.amazon.com/Goliath-Ryan-Mitchell-adventure-ebook/dp/B00DQGMT6S/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1373640044&sr=1-2

Wednesday 10 July 2013

Writing is more like a marathon than a sprint

When I sat down to begin writing my first novel, I had no idea how long the process would be from inception to publication. Had I known that, for me, it would take years, I am not sure I would have been so enthusiastic as I was when I began. The Last Eagle, which will be released shortly, was my first attempt at writing. I commenced writing it in the fall of 2005 and went through several drafts before I felt it was good enough to send to an agent in the hope of getting my book published. Rejection, followed rejection, so I put it aside for several years and focused on other things in my life. Retiring from the Armed Forces, gave me the time to re-visit my book. Polishing it up, I re-submitted it and this time, I found someone willing to  run with it. An eight-year  odyssey, which I believe has made me a better writer.

Monday 8 July 2013

Getting back to work

With the release of both Goliath and The Devil's Path, I can get back to writing after almost a month off. I have decided to complete a sequel to Goliath before I look at writing the third installment of my other two historical adventure series'. When I don't write I actually find that I miss it and honestly cannot wait to start again. Do other writers out there feel the same way?

Saturday 6 July 2013

COST OF EBOOKS

Good day,

Having just started out in the business of writing and selling my ebooks, I was surprised to see the cost variation between ebooks. Some are $.99, while others can range to more than $20.00. Wanting to get sales and to have my name established, I believe that the market average of $2.99 seems fair for unknown and first time authors. I was wondering what others think the fair market value of new ebooks should be?

Friday 5 July 2013

INTERVIEW ON BZ HERCULES

Richard Turner has written The Devil's Path, a historical adventure novel. He is from Edmonton, Canada.
and has been a professional author for one year.

The Devil's Path is a historical adventure novel set in the 1860s, in which a Union officer is drawn into a deadly chase to find the truth about a missing Confederate professor.

The main character, Lieutenant-Colonel Alexander Scott, is a man who comes from a wealthy background, but prefers to live his life away from his family. Enrolling to fight for the Union, Scott is a man who is decisive and headstrong, to the point of being stubborn.

Relating to his character, Alexander Scott, “Being a former soldier, I can empathize with Scott, but he is far from the man I was when I was serving.”

For inspiration, Richard Turner says, “I usually decide on several themes and try to see how they could all fit together. For The Devil's Path, I wanted to write an adventure novel set in the US Civil War. Having decided on a period in history, I then looked at how the Union would react if a famous Confederate scholar and friend to the US President went missing under extremely mysterious circumstances.”

Richard Turner’s major challenge is, ”I find that I have to do a lot of research to ensure that what I am writing about is historically relevant. There is no point writing about something if it had not occurred when the story was taking place.”

His favorite author is Clive Cussler. “I have read all of his books and love the characters and settings that he describes so well in his writings. He has most definitely influenced me as an author and I have tried to infuse my work with his detail and adventure.”


Richard’s advice for people just starting out writing: “I would say to keep plugging away with your work. One day you will see your work for sale and that is a good feeling after all the hours you have put into your project.”




Thursday 4 July 2013

Richard Turner - Author of The Devil's Path, Goliath & The Last Eagle

Thursday, 4 July 2013

This interview was originally posted on Denise Greenwood's Blog. A fellow ebook writer, her insight and help has been very helpful in steering me in he right direction when it comes to the world of writing.


Richard Turner - Author of The Devil's Path, Goliath & The Last Eagle
I had the privilege of asking Richard Turner a few questions about his new books and his writing process. Richard has 2 books currently on sale and a third planned to be released very soon....

"I would like to thank Denise for generously giving me the opportunity to discuss my work on her site. Her help and advice in getting started in the world of ebook writing have proven to be invaluable."

  
What is the title of the book about to be published and could you tell readers what it is about?

"My book is called The Devil’s Path and is a historical adventure novel set in the 1860s in which a Union officer is sent to find a missing scholar and is soon pulled into a deadly cat and mouse game with an unknown and dangerous organization that are after a secret known only to the scholar.
The novel takes the reader on a journey from the US Civil War to London, France, and then ultimately onto the Ottoman Empire."

Does it fall into a genre or a crossover of two or more?

"It is definitely a historical adventure novel, but could also be seen as an action/thriller novel as well. The story is complete fiction, but I have researched the period extensively, so hopefully the history comes through in the writing."

Are you working on a new book at the moment and do you have a target date for completion?

"I have already released another novel entitled Goliath, which is a modern-day  action/thriller in which a secret lost to time when the British Airship Goliath disappears without a trace on her maiden voyage, comes back to threaten the present.
Additionally, I have another historical adventure novel coming out this month set in the 1920s. The Last Eagle, is a story about a race against time to discover the truth about the most closely guarded secret of the last czar of Russia."



Would you say that you are still experimenting with different styles of writing, or have you settled into one that feels uniquely suited to you?

"I would have to say that I write in a style that I am quite comfortable with. I read a lot of books by Clive Cussler, James Rollins and Andy McDermott and have undoubtedly been influenced by their writing styles."

Which comes first to you, story or characters?

"For me, I would have to say the story. I usually think of an event in the past and see how it could be altered or changed ever so slightly to allow my characters to be drawn into these events."

How do you approach character development?

"I honestly don’t plan that far ahead. I have ideas on how I would like things to go, but find that once I start writing, anything can happen and the ideas I had when I first started for my characters may not necessarily be the same when the book is finished."

At what age did you decide writing would become your method of creative expression?

"This came about a few years ago when I was serving in the Middle East. I had some spare time at night on my hands, so I started with a book that over the years would become The Last Eagle."

In terms of writing, what do you see yourself doing in five years? Is there a specific goal in mind?

"I would hope to be doing what I am today, writing and enjoying the whole creative process from the original inception to the final product. This after thirty years in the service is my ideal job."

If you had one piece of advice to share with someone starting his or her first novel, what would that be?

"Do not be discouraged if you send your work to an agent, and they reject or simply do not bother to reply to your proposal. There are so many venues open to today’s author that one can explore to get your book published."

Available from:   (also coming soon to WH Smith, Nook, Sony, Apple, Google)

The Devil's Path 
Amazon.com
Amazon UK
Smashwords
Kobo
Aventura eBookstore

Goliath
Amazon.com
Amazon UK


Tuesday 2 July 2013

Goliath

My second ebook is now available from Amazon:

Goliath - In 1931, during its maiden voyage, the British Airship Goliath disappears without a trace. Hidden deep inside is a secret that could change the world.

Present day, in The Philippines, an attempted kidnapping draws historian Jennifer March and former soldier Ryan Mitchell into a deadly race to find the Goliath before a mysterious figure who threatens to topple governments and the lives of millions. From Alaska, to West Africa to Iceland the hunt for the truth is on.


A fast paced action/thriller that is bound to appeal to readers of such authors as Clive Cussler and James Rollins.



Monday 1 July 2013

THE DEVIL'S PATH



Great news. My first book, The Devil's Path, has been released by Aventura Ebookstore.

  • A Long Hidden Secret.
  • An Unseen Enemy.
  • A Dangerous Quest for the Truth.
    Pulled into a deadly world of espionage, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Scott soon discovers that he has entered a struggle against murderous and implacable foes, who will stop at nothing to get what they want. At the request of President Lincoln, Scott must do everything in his power to find a missing southern professor before it is too late.
    From Washington DC, to Britain, to France, to Turkey and beyond, Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Scott races to keep one-step ahead of a merciless secret organization that operates in the shadows.
    Take a journey back in time to 1864. A world on the brink of change. A time when you had to rely on your wits, your instincts and sometimes your fists to stay alive.