NAKED EUROPE: Searching for a Soul Mate in Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Austria, Sweden, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Hamburg, Gibraltar and a bunch more.

I just hit the ‘approve button’ and sent NAKED EUROPE off to the printers. My tale of a young man searching for a soul mate around Europe is now available on Amazon in Paperback and should soon be available in other retail book stores online and brick-and-mortar stores as well.

NAKED EUROPE is the prequel to the Amazon best-seller KEY WEST.

Here’s the blurb from the back jacket:

NAKED EUROPE: Searching for a Soul Mate in Paris, Amsterdam, Venice, Austria, Sweden, the Basque Country, the Canary Islands, Iceland, Hamburg, Gibraltar, and a bunch more

Have you ever been to Europe?

Did you take your guidebook?

Did you meet that special someone?

Neither did I.

So now I’m on my way back, and I’m going to throw the guidebook in the pissoir this time and endeavor to find my soul mate in the real Europe  -- NAKED EUROPE.

Come with me in the hunt for romance as I roll around naked in the Midsummer night’s dew in Iceland (it’s a tradition!), discover the Jewish gèto in Venice, unearth where the Beatles exploded onto the scene in Hamburg, get sucked into acting in an X-rated film in Amsterdam, clash and crash teaching skiing to an insufferable Saudi prince and his magnum-toting bodyguards in the Austrian Alps, shower with the coed volleyball team in Stockholm, get blown out of a job in the Basque Country by ETA terrorists, and stay with me as I have my heart broken in Paris, discover where the circumcisions took place in Istanbul, get roughed up by Romanians in the Canary Islands, bomb valiantly in language school with a randy lass named ‘Kinkie’ on Spain’s glorious Costa Blanca and just when it looks as if I will never find someone to share adventure with, well …

Clear out that closet ... you just may find a gem

How often have you delved deeply into that dimly-lit foreboding place you rarely dare to tread -- the deep recesses of your walk-in closet?  Whilst bravely searching for those old sneakers you could swear were buried in there beneath the snorkel gear and badminton set, crouching down … you touch it … all slinky and smooth. No, not that, it’s that favorite tie you haven’t seen since possibly your 20^th high school reunion.  And there’s more: the pants and jacket you must have worn that same Shiraz-fueled night and just thrown in a bundle waiting for the next visit to the dry cleaners. What a find. A whole great outfit -- you'd forgotten you even owned. Thought it had been long ago donated to Goodwill.

OK, now imagine doing the same thing with your computer.

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t write. Long before Microsoft, when Bill Gates was just a high school dropout; when my ‘portable computer’ weighed more than my 70lb baggage allowance on British Airways. Countless floppy disks, countless files and folders -- articles, ideas, chapters all gathering dust. Until the day I’m looking desperately for the password to Lands End online shopping account. In the dark recesses of dusty folders with unfamiliar names I stumble upon my long-forgotten gem: Of course I had ignored and forgotten about the yellow 'New folder' that contained another yellow folder that was entitled ‘Notes From an Idiot Abroad’ -- it should really have been called ‘A great book that you can publish a few years from now once Amazon has invented the Kindle’.

Inside that long forgotten folder was my next book: I TRAVELLED THE WORLD AS LOST LUGGAGE. 

I've turned to a life of crime

For the past year, along with writing the sequel to KEY WEST, I've been writing a gritty crime thriller. I knew right off that I wanted to base the novel in Glasgow, Scotland. The city has such a rich tapestry of villains and heroes to draw from. The city, itself, is a living, breathing character of its own. The result is DEATH BY GLASGOW. A 21st-century story of revenge.

I finished the novel and was thrilled when it was short-listed this summer for the Crime Writers' Association Debut Dagger Award. The manuscript is currently making the rounds of publishers so keeping all appendages crossed. Stay tuned for more updates on this.

In order to improve my crime writing skills -- which as any crime writer knows is not easy keeping the pace fast and furious, but, at the same time, slowing down to let the reader catch his or her breath -- I was taken under the  incredibly talented wing of crime writer Alison Bruce. Ms Bruce was kind enough to read my novel despite being under serious time limits to finish her fourth crime book THE SILENCE (which was just published by Constable & Robinson). Alison gave me insightful feedback, suggesting story changes, and helped me shape the book for the commercial market. I'm now indebted to her and owe her many a bottle of Shiraz, as thanks.

Have a peek at Alison's website here

'NAKED EUROPE' - coming out in Paperback

Great news!

My eBook NAKED EUROPE has been selling so well on Amazon that I've decided to publish it also in paperback.


NAKED EUROPE by Jon Breakfield   

KEY WEST (which is actually the sequel to NAKED EUROPE) was published in paperback back in June and, to my great surprise, is doing well in both the U.S. and the U.K., so it made sense to have the prequel follow suit...if you follow me.

Will be using Createspace again as they were incredibly efficient and fast in producing KEY WEST and very user-friendly; not to mention they actually reply to my questions on the same day.

Am hoping that the paperback will be available by the end of August, so if you would like a copy please let me know.

I'm currently knee deep in page breaks and page numbers...here's a tip: Ensure you put in your page numbers before you try to add in your name and title in the headers. A lot of 'head banging' had been going on today, but once I realised I'd put the horse before the cart...

The front cover is done so just the back and sides to work on. Createspace provides a super template for this, so once you've decided on your artwork, you can't really muck it up too badly.

Looking forward to writing up the 'Acknowledgements' ... you'll have to buy a copy and see if you have been named.

Will let you know as soon as it's ready to hit the presses.

And now back to those page numbers.

We Love Independant Book Stores

Alright, you know I love Amazon, but we writers can't forget about that endangered species: the Independant Book Store.

I set off today to attack a few of the local book shops in the area. Just before I packed up the car with my box of books, I checked the addresses only to find that sadly one was already in the process of closing its doors for good and another was (with some optimism) up for sale. That left just one.

Over the past few months, I had been building up a casual relationship with a manager in one of the chain stores hoping that he would bend the rules and permit me to do a book signing or at least allow me to discreetly leave a couple of my KEY WEST books in the gent's toilet. Unfortunately, when I returned last week with books just off the printing press, I was coldly told that "my manager had been transferred to Siberia" (well, OK, not that far away, but some place up north I'd never heard of). The new chap in town wanted nothing to do with local 'indie' authors.

So, it was with a bit of trepidation that I headed off to the only remaining independant book store in town.

Meet Fables The BookShop, St Marychurch, in Devon.

 

 

 

Fables is owned and operated by Frances and Doreen.

What a great place!
Frances & Doreen come from publishing royalty as their grandfather Charlie Buchan was a Fleet Street publisher (and professional footballer).
Frances was on duty today and she was amazing.

Not only was she receptive to my 'cold call' visit -- but she agreed there and then to stock my KEY  WEST book, and actually stuck it right up on the shelf!

There was no: 'Oh, that all has to go through head office'.
There was no: 'Oh, we've already ordered all our books for this season'.
There was no: 'Oh, we'll have to have our lawyers draw up a contract'.

I handed over my carefully constructed 'sell sheet' which I thought she'd file away in some dusty box in the store room -- no, she glanced at it and immediately decided to put in the shop window.

Approaching this book store to try to sell them my book ending up being more like popping over for tea with an old friend. After a great time chatting about everything from publishing to puppies, I left with a feeling that this was going to be the start of a great relationship.

In parting, Frances told me that there were now less than 1000 independant book stores in the U.K.(just a few years ago there were more than 4000).
So, one down -- 999 to go.

KEY WEST the Sequel - updates from Duval St.

Am having seriously great fun writing the sequel to KEY WEST.

So many of the great characters that you met in the original will of course be back: Popcorn Joe, Don & Shirley, B.O. and maybe even the Key West Police Dept. Although there is one huge character that fortunately won't be reviving her role -- yup, the hurricane. But I can allay any fears, that there will be just as much trouble and roller coastering (if that's a word) as the first book.

I don't want to give away any secrets at this early stage BUT ... no, sorry, I just can't. Gabrielle would kill me if I let the cat out of the bag.

Well, I'd better get back to Duval Street ... and Mr. Leroy.

Naked Europe is here

After hectic voting the cover of NAKED EUROPE has been decided:

Option A won:

It was a close race. Thanks to all of you who voted (thank you, Dad!)

So finally the PREQUEL to KEY WEST is available to purchase as an eBook on:

Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk  -- A new window will open so don't forget to come back.

So, I hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed living it and writing it.

Here's the back jacket blurb:

Have you ever been to Europe?

Did you take your guidebook?

Did you meet that special someone?

Neither did I. So now I’m on my way back, and I’m going to throw the guidebook in the pissoir this time and endeavor to find my soul mate in the real Europe -- Europe behind the guidebook pages.

Come with me in the hunt for romance as I roll around naked in the Midsummer night’s dew in Iceland (it’s a tradition!), discover the Jewish gèto in Venice, unearth where the Beatles exploded onto the scene in Hamburg, get sucked into acting in an X-rated film in Amsterdam, clash and crash teaching skiing to an insufferable Saudi prince and his magnum-toting bodyguards in the Austrian Alps, shower with the coed volleyball team in Stockholm, get blown out of a job in the Basque Country by ETA terrorists, and stay with me as I have my heart broken in Paris, discover where the circumcisions took place in Istanbul, get roughed up by Romanians in the Canary Islands, bomb valiantly in language school with a randy lass named ‘Kinkie’ on Spain’s glorious Costa Blanca and just when it looks as if I will never find someone to share adventure with -- I do, I do, indeed.

Will be busy over the next weeks and months getting the word out about both books and with hope still find time to get back to working on the sequel to KEY WEST.

See you soon.

Naked Europe Book Cover

So which do you think is the best cover?

Option A

Option B

OR

I'm veering towards A -- simple and straightforward. But am open to suggestions.

Will have the eBook up on Amazon as soon as the cover is finished.

So what is NAKED EUROPE all about? Well it's actually the PREQUEL to KEY WEST. So if you enjoyed reading that I hope you'll enjoy this one just as much. Here is the back-jacket blurb:

NAKED EUROPE is coming soon

The prequel to KEY WEST is finished. It's called NAKED EUROPE.
I'm currently working on the cover. Can't decide if I should dig out an old photo of me hanging around some seedy bar in the Reeperbahn or a beautiful snow-capped Alpine scene. Need some input here: How 'bout a vote. OK, I'll put together the options and let the readers decide -- well reader ...

My proof arrived

Just received a little package -- delivered on a holiday Monday! Thank you, DHL.

My first proof of KEY WEST.

It looks great!

So, now, for those of you who prefer a physical book, you can read a paperback version of KEY WEST.

Would be great if you could give me a little thumbs up when you order.

Here's the link:
In the US: http://amzn.com/0985639806
In the UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0985639806

I'm off now to Duval Street to get cracking on that sequel.

Check out LASCAR by Shahida Rahman

Want to introduce to everyone an author called Shahida Rahman.
Shahida has just launched her new book 'Lascar'.
Buy it on Amazon.co. uk
A fascinating historical novel. Highly recommended.

Floating a little on cloud nine -- somehow The Bookseller and Journalist Katie Allen when reporting on the CrimeFest Dagger Shortlists added my name to this prestigious line up of literary talent ... I swear I didn't promise her beer for life or Thorntons every Thursday.

Think it must have something to do with my last name beginning with a 'B'

Click here and check out the first paragraph of this article. I'm seriously honoured.

Debut Dagger Shortlist 2012

We interrupt these proceedings...

I received a letter in the post today - didn't recognise the sender's address.

It wasn't my credit card company changing my APR again.
It wasn't the Save our Snails from endangerment charity.
It was from the Crime Writers' Association.
Well, I had entered the Debut Dagger competition months ago with my first 3000 words from my new crime book Death by Glasgow. So I figured they were writing to tell me I hadn't made the list.
I couldn't find my reading glasses so my wife had to read out the letter.

I did make the shortlist.

Holy shit was all I could say to my wife. I am so thrilled.

Thank you, thank you, thank you to the CWA, Peter James and the judges who put me on the shortlist.

Here's a link to the list. Some amazing other writers here too - good luck to everyone.
(It will open up a new page for you): Debut Dagger Awards Shortlist.
I'll be on cloud nine for a while.

There's Talk of a Key West Sequel

My KEY WEST eBook is doing so well on Amazon, and I've been getting such great feedback,  the number one question is: 'Will there be a sequel?'

So ... you heard it here first.

YES!

I've decided to write a sequel. In fact, I just finished laying out the structure and today wrote the first couple of pages. It felt great to be back writing about Key West after being in Glasgow for the past two years (figuratively speaking). Popcorn Joe and the gang will all be back for more zany adventures.

Will keep you posted with my progress.

Got to go head back down to Duval St., as I have a date with a parrot and a python.

Grammar Geek

Here is the explanation of last week's grammar poll:

Further vs Farther

In the simplest of explanations - since that's about all I can handle.
Farther  has the word FAR hiding in it - so it's to do with physical distance.
How much farther is it to the next pub?
Further - is used to describe distance of a non-physical kind (or metaphysical/figurative).
I continue to further my pub-crawling education.

Amazon Tags

Amazon.com in the US has dumped Tags. That great marketing tool that we spent hours learning about and more hours implementing and having all our friends add to our books has been pulled by Amazon. The consensus is that it's due to 'tag abuse'

So is UK soon to follow?

Do we spend more hours working on amazon.co.uk and tags?

Don't have a Kindle...You can still read eBooks

Been speaking to a bunch of folk recently about Kindle - many folk don't have one (myself included) - BUT many folk don't realise that they don't actually need one in order to take advantage of all the eBooks out there. If you have a PC or iPad or the latest Android gadget thingy, you can download a FREE application from Amazon.
Here is the link:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/feature.html/ref=dig_arl_box?ie=UTF8&docId=1000425503#
.
So now you've no excuse...you could even download my eBook. Maybe even let me know if you like it.