Notes
The Terror by Dan Simmons — Book Review
The Terror by Dan SimmonsBook review by Alex Roddie I discovered this book purely by chance. Someone on Twitter recommended I read The Abominable by Dan Simmons, but after reading the sample I found myself downloading The Terror instead. (The Abominable remains on my reading list.) This is a very
I Adhere to the Ethical Author Code
A new set of voluntary guidelines has been published to help keep writers on the straight and narrow. Most authors are honest in their dealings, but unfortunately there have been incidents where writers have falsified reviews, reacted poorly to bad reviews, copied the work of other people, or otherwise acted
Alpine Dawn II progress report
“I lifted my eyes up to the heavens, and saw above me the eternal snowsof the Monarch herself, Mont Blanc.”— James Forbes Most of my progress reports on Alpine Dawn II so far this year have been heavy on excuses and light on progress, but I’m glad to say
Your story already exists
The story you want to tell already exists. As a writer, your job is not to make it up — it’s to illuminate the truth that’s already there. One of the questions I’m asked most frequently about my books goes something like this: “How do you make your
The TGO Awards 2014
Tonight I have been at the TGO awards event in Kendal. You may remember that my second novel, The Atholl Expedition, was shortlisted for the Outdoor Book of the Year category. I was invited to attend the event in which winners were announced. Outdoor Book of the Year went to
Ditching the Infinity Machine — going smartphone-free in the hills
It seems that outdoor folk have been discussing the use of smartphones in the hills forever, but it’s easy to forget that they have in fact only been around for a few years. In this post I ponder my own use of smartphones in the British mountains and how
The Atholl Expedition featured in Mountain Pro Magazine
An extract from my second novel, The Atholl Expedition, has been published in this month’s issue of Mountain Pro Magazine. It’s a double page feature and the illustration of Forbes taking measurements at the Braeriach bergschrund looks particularly striking. There’s plenty of other good stuff in the
The Atholl Expedition shortlisted for Outdoor Book of the Year Award 2014 — Please Vote!
Nominations have now closed for The Great Outdoors Awards 2014, and I’m delighted to announce that The Atholl Expedition made the short list for the Outdoor Book of the Year Award. There are nine categories in the awards, and the books section is number 7. Other categories include Independent
When’s the next book coming out, Alex?
2014 has whooshed past in something of a blur. My plan at the start of the year was to release three titles: one major novel, plus two shorter companion pieces. I’m sorry to say that I’m on track for releasing precisely nothing. Work continues on A Year of
Thoughts on Kindle Unlimited, KDP Select, and being exclusive to Amazon
Kindle Unlimited has launched in the UK! Why is that good news for readers? For £7.99 a month, subscribers will get unlimited access to thousands of Kindle ebooks. That includes every KDP Select title plus a good selection of others as well. So: great for avid readers, but what