Hello, I’m so ecstatic, excited and proud to show you my new (and first!) book trailer.
It’s for my sixth novel “Familiar”, a paranormal, suspense thriller which is coming out in August 2020.
Drop me a comment below.
You can even pre-order Familiar today on Amazon Kindle!
I enjoyed answering some great questions on my Goodreads page, check them out below.
T. J. Blake: ‘”Familiar” – a psychological, paranormal thriller. Coming August 2020.
Here’s the blurb if you’re interested:
For as long as she can remember, Arabella has communicated with those who exist only in memory.
Being the centre of attention growing up was uncomfortable, and now, as a renowned psychic medium, it is becoming more of a struggle. Arabella’s ability and reputation always made it impossible to hold onto lasting relationships, but with those who no longer walk this earth, that’s not the case.
Arabella returns to where it all began fifteen-years before – on the very same stage. After an evening reconnecting loved ones and exposing untold stories, Arabella can’t help but wonder about the one unclaimed ‘friend’, and their cryptic message.
In an unexpected turn of events, Arabella finds herself the subject of morning headlines and at the centre of Detective Barnes’ investigation.
Can Arabella use her ability to prove her innocence and uncover the truth about the past?’
T. J. Blake: ‘I create a plot, character and story worth telling and showing. Without the excitement to write, there is no writing.’
T. J. Blake: ‘You can be who you want to be. Even better, you can let your readers experience the world and characters you create.
I can’t ignore plot though – I really enjoy creating plots that my readers will not predict. Meticulous planning is my favourite element of writing.’
T. J. Blake: ‘Keep writing, never give up, and don’t let anyone tell you you can’t.’
T. J. Blake: ‘If your mind is elsewhere then do something else away from writing; you can’t force it. Take your mind off the writing; exercise, wander around the house, read a book, anything just to give yourself a break. Then, come back to it and try again.
You can’t always control your mind, and you MUST be in the right mood to write. Writer’s block hits us all, so don’t let it get you down. Stay positive.’
T. J. Blake: ‘Sure.
“I really love the clown costume hanging up in the corner of your bedroom.”
“What… I don’t have a clown costume.”‘
You can ask me anything on my Goodreads author profile or by clicking HERE.
That’s right, if you’re signed up to Kindle Unlimited you can read DECEPTION without paying a penny for it.
Unlimited Reading. Unlimited Listening. Any Device – that’s what Amazon says.
You will have access to 1 million titles and thousands of audiobooks. At the moment, there is a 2 month deal where you can sign-up for free.
It’s a no brainer really; you might as well join Kindle Unlimited for free… and then read DECEPTION: A Love of Lies by me 😃
Should you follow these steps – sign-up to KU and start reading DECEPTION, put a tweet out and let everyone know… something along the lines of:
Hi everyone, #amreading DECEPTION by @TJBlake93 FREE on Kindle Unlimited.
Anna hasn’t been outside her flat for the last 10 months; she’s too terrified to. She has neglected life, she’s been forgotten by society, and her window is the only view of the world.
The world she knows gains some excitement – in the form of neighbours moving in opposite to her. The Russells – husband, wife and teenager – a picture perfect family.
One evening, a scream pierces through the silent night. Anna goes to her peephole to the world, to her neighbours. And as she looks out, she witnesses something horrific.
She needs to go get help. But she can’t go out. Even if she calls the Police, will they believe her?
I have to be honest, this took me three attempts before I was enveloped into Dr Anna Fox’s world. This was my first, and my biggest, criticism of this novel. It’s also why I struggled to rate this novel come the end.
By the end I was like, “well written, decent story, nice twist (even if I did predict it on this occasion)“. But reflecting on my experience overall, it shouldn’t take three attempts to get into a novel. It was the amazing reviews this book had received which urged me to continue.
With a theme of film noir throughout the book, the plot itself screams Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ (which I believe Finn does on purpose), which is a cracking film. But equally, it feels as though this plot has been done many times before – Rear Window, Disturbia (the film, which was also inspired by Rear Window I believe), and now The Woman in the Window.
I would say that once the book FINALLY gets to the scream that’s when Finn’s writing really comes to life. You can sense a shift. I found myself reading faster and faster, trying not to jump ahead to find out what’s going on.
My next issue is around some clumsy writing and the repetition of a… let’s call it a phrase. Due to the repetition, it actually gave the twist away for me before it happened. I read the phrase once, then again, and again, and again AND AGAIN. It was at this point I turned to my wife and said, “I think I’ve guessed this book already.” It turns out I had. Actually, I didn’t even guess, I just picked up on the repetition of the ‘phrase’.
Ok, so this was a tough one. Originally I wanted to rate it 3.5-4. The beginning however let it down massively, which makes me think 2. I had settled on 3.5 (rounded up to 4 on Amazon), but I don’t think I can justify that rating unfortunately – not when other books much stronger I’ve rated 3.
So, in the end…
A bittersweet rating of 3 – I would be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy this one!
⭐⭐⭐
3/5
I hosted my first Q&A on Instagram today – it was great to have received so many questions for it!
There was also a big piece of news on the progress of Familiar.
If you missed it, you can catch it all HERE.
The big update on Familiar:
There was an update on Familiar in my Q&A! Here it is… #amediting #WritingCommunity #authors #writers #thrillerbooks pic.twitter.com/R7W5z8qWvK
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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#qanda #author #WritingCommunity pic.twitter.com/mLjLwLejPA
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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#qanda #selfpublishingtips #kdp pic.twitter.com/daNNLvJA2h
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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‘What comes first, character, plot or setting?’#WritingCommunity #writingtips #authors pic.twitter.com/qJnasvo6gL
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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‘Do you use an editor?’#qanda #authors #WritingCommunity #readerscommunity pic.twitter.com/PZhRcVAkyL
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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‘what’s your typical writing process?’ #qanda #WritingCommunity #readerscommunity #authors pic.twitter.com/st2jt5m2h9
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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‘Which do you prefer, DECEPTION or Familiar?’ #authors #qanda #WritingCommunity #readerscommunity pic.twitter.com/R4g8jNfYal
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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‘Any of your characters based on real people?’#qanda #MondayMotivation #mondaythoughts #WritingCommunity #readerscommunity #authors pic.twitter.com/Z01LMRL1VS
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 25, 2020
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You can do so on my Instagram story. Ask away, I’ll answer your questions tomorrow.
Hosting my first Q&A. Head over to my Instagram account to ask me anything. Answers coming tomorrow – insta: @tjblake93 #authorsofinstagram #authorqanda #qanda #WritingCommunity #askmeanything pic.twitter.com/cQ5sARUCsH
— T. J. Blake (@TJBlake93) May 24, 2020
See you there!
Who doesn’t love a backstage pass? It’s always cool seeing a set or the characters of a TV show or movie from a different angle. It’s no different for authors writing a story.
You wonder (well, I do anyway), what’s their process? How do they set themselves up to write for the day? What times of the day do they write? What do they drink and eat whilst writing? Tea or coffee? Beer or wine?
In the UK right now it’s HOT. No amount of sun is worth missing, but then again there’s no time for an off day when it comes to editing my latest novel, “Familiar“.
So, here’s a backstage pass for you into my editing day…
So there you have it!
I will say, I don’t usually drink when I’m writing or editing my novels. But you’ve got to treat yourself once in a while.
For as long as she can remember, Arabella has communicated with those who exist only in memory.
Being the centre of attention growing up was uncomfortable, and now, as a renowned psychic medium, it is becoming more of a struggle. Arabella’s ability and reputation always made it impossible to hold onto lasting relationships, but with those who no longer walk this earth, that’s not the case.
Arabella returns to where it all began fifteen-years before – on the very same stage. After an evening reconnecting loved ones and exposing untold stories, Arabella can’t help but wonder about the one unclaimed ‘friend’, and their cryptic message.
In an unexpected turn of events, Arabella finds herself the subject of morning headlines and at the centre of Detective Barnes’ investigation.
Can Arabella use her ability to prove her innocence and uncover the truth about the past?
This is my first read in COVID-19 lockdown – what a start!
I was thrown into a dark, miserable and disturbing world. By reading the blurb, you can see this darkness.
It’s a simple enough premise yet extremely disturbing – Maggie (who is being held somewhere against her will) has seven days to save her son, Max. Otherwise, on his third birthday, just like her other children, he’ll be separated from Maggie. But why? Where will he go? Who will take him? We, just like Maggie, have NO IDEA.
An instant, gripping hook. Mystery, questions, grit, anger, sadness, darkness.
There are so many questions. I had so many theories, but none of them were right.
The story will not disappoint. We may be locked up with Maggie, but we get to see what is going on outside of the basement. The segments in the basement are engaging. It’s a heartbreaking and difficult read at times, seeing the effect Maggie’s disappearance has on her family. Desperation, despair, sadness. I imagine it to be quite a realistic view and experience if you were to lose a loved one in such a way. Never knowing what happened to them, always wondering if they’re still alive. It’s enticing and addictive. You just pray the struggles are worth it when there’s a happy ending… you hope it’s happy.
There’s a shift in the story at one point. Without saying too much, the hunger to finish changes for a different reason. At this point I think some people will think, “well why should I bother carrying on”, but keep at it, it’s worth continuing.
This is a great read. When I wasn’t reading Seven Days it was on my mind. And when I was reading it, I was reading fast, yet not wanting it to end!
I imagine this was a tough story to write, knowing exactly how to tell the story, particularly when working towards the ending and the big reveal. But I think Alex Lake did a good job.
A 4.5 star, rounded up to 5.
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I started the reveal with a couple of teasers on my social channels. Always looking for a Gif to accompany!
It was great hitting the target of completing the 1st draft, and this then led to the reveal of the Familiar cover – which I’ve been holding back several months now.
But now it’s out there for all to see. Even better, Familiar is available to pre-order on Amazon Kindle!
I love this cover so much. It’s retro, it’s creepy, and most importantly, it’s perfect for the story.
For as long as she can remember, Arabella has communicated with those who exist only in memory.
Being the centre of attention growing up was uncomfortable, and now, as a renowned psychic medium, it is becoming more of a struggle. Arabella’s ability and reputation always made it impossible to hold onto lasting relationships, but with those who no longer walk this earth, that’s not the case.
Arabella returns to where it all began fifteen-years before – on the very same stage. After an evening reconnecting loved ones and exposing untold stories, Arabella can’t help but wonder about the one unclaimed ‘friend’, and their cryptic message.
In an unexpected turn of events, Arabella finds herself the subject of morning headlines and at the centre of Detective Barnes’ investigation.
Can Arabella use her ability to prove her innocence and uncover the truth about the past?
I think this blog will be interesting for those of you who have read DECEPTION: A Love of Lies, and those of you who write. This is all about the establishment of the setting of the novel. Although the novel is fictional, the location itself is very real – with some slight twists.
I put out a post on my Instagram – showing off the locations of where my book DECEPTION is based.
Here are those photos and the post if you missed it:
These woodlands are out the back of my childhood home. I used to love going down there with my friends to play all sorts of games, build bases and simply explore. And because I spent about 70% of my childhood there, I knew the woodlands like no one else.
I did consider creating a fictional woodlands for the story, but it wouldn’t have been the same; I needed an authentic woods to base my novel around.
I needed to know the woodlands like the back of my hand. Otherwise I would have been drawing a layout for the woodlands on a piece of paper and using that as a map to plot out Billy’s moves. But that wouldn’t have worked, and I wouldn’t have been able to go into the details that I manage to go into in the book about the woods.
The woods drive the story and characterisation. They allow the reader to become the protagonist, Billy Allen, and to really understand the mindset of Billy.
For the story to work I needed to know so much about the woodlands:
That’s why I decided to choose my childhood woodlands – I had literally explored EVERYWHERE.
Thanks for reading guys. Hopefully this gave you some insight into how I wrote DECEPTION and how I decided on the characterisation and setting for my novel.
If you want to see the woodlands in action, then why not check out DECEPTION?
“Through the stark and leafless trees, I see her.
I remember the first day I saw her; an instant attraction. I think she’s beautiful. She has such pensive blue eyes; they remind me of a blue sky right before the sun descends. Every time I see her I want to talk to her, I want to get to know her, and I want to be her friend.
She usually completes the lower woodland walk in six minutes and forty-two seconds; she misses the deeper woodlands and goes home, I believe.
I walk down the road at the same speed as her. She reaches the crossroads at the bottom of the road, looks both ways, and then jogs across into the garden of a house. I stop walking and concentrate on which house is hers.
I can’t stare too long but I am intrigued already, I will come back.”
—————————————————–
“This is a beautifully written gem of a psychological thriller, very creepy and atmospheric.”
“Be warned, though; this is an unsettling read at times, especially if you’re reading it in the dark just before going to bed.”
“A psychological thriller that leaves you breathless.”
“If you are looking for an edgy, addictive read, this is it!”
T. J. Blake #Author 