Hi, lovelies!! It gives me great pleasure today to host S.S. Turner and his new book, “Secrets of a River Swimmer,” here on FAB!! For other stops on his Goddess Fish Promotions Book Tour, please click on the banner above or any of the images in this post.
Be sure to make it to the end of this post to enter to win a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card!!! Also, come back daily to interact with S.S. Turner and to increase your chances of winning!!
Thanks for stopping by!! Wishing you all lots of good luck in this fabulous giveaway!!
Secrets of a River Swimmer
by S.S. Turner
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GENRE: Literary Fiction
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BLURB:
As Freddy gazes at the majestic river gushing past him in the depths of a Scottish winter, he's ready to jump in and end his life. But what happens next is not what Freddy expects. From the moment he enters the river, Freddy starts a journey which is more beautiful, funny, and mysterious than he could have imagined. And through this journey Freddy's story becomes interweaved with a cast of unforgettable characters who are equally lost and in search of answers. Eventually they all unite in their quest for an answer to the biggest question of them all: will the river take them where they want to go?
In the tradition of inspirational works of fiction like The Alchemist and Life of Pi, Secrets of a River Swimmer is at once a profound exploration into living with meaning and an affecting story of people on the cusp of change.
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EXCERPT TWO:
From Page 21-22
My thoughts drift to picture what life as a gillie must be like. I imagine you start the day by carrying all the fishing equipment your fat and wealthy clients will need for a day of luxurious and fully-catered fishing. You carry everything while they take it easy, and you locate the best spot to fish for the largest possible salmon. Your local knowledge about fishing spots has to be extraordinary. You then set up the fishing rod, position your client in the right spot, and talk them through what they need to do to catch that magic fish they’re all searching for. Of course, your clients are always searching for the largest catch of the season, so they can go home and brag to their friends and family about what skilled fishermen they are. It’s obvious to you, if not to them, that the subtext is being able to sing to the world that they have massive willies, bigger than everyone else’s.
Beyond fishing, you’re forced to listen to whatever the hell it is your clients want to talk about for the eight long hours you’re on the river. Your clients are all obscenely wealthy, so it’s more than likely you’ll hear a lot of moaning about all the small things in life they’d like changed. Many of them will complain about local wind farm developments, council plans to develop their neighborhood, and, of course, the big one: immigration. They all believe immigrants are responsible for all the problems in the world. These people are your quintessential NIMBYs, and will always complain about progress if it affects them in any way, no matter how minor. You do whatever you can to bring the conversation back to fishing because it’s an easier conversation for you, and less productive grounds for their complaining. They’re slowly sucking the life out of you with their negativity, so you carefully select your words to bring the conversation onto a more positive pathway. And, of course, your ultimate back-up plan, as it is for many British people, is to pull out the ultimate conversation filler when you’re at rock bottom: the weather. Yes, it’s a desperate move and the equivalent of holding up a white flag, but needs must.
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GUEST POST:
10 Pros and Cons of Writing in Your Genre
10 Pros of Writing Literary Fiction:
1.) Literary fiction is a genre without limits – anything goes!
2.) Literary fiction is generally multi-layered so writers are able to create particularly creative stories which interweave at different levels.
3.) Literary fiction novels such as The Catcher in the Rye have paved the way for huge success in this genre.
4.) Writing literary fiction requires a writer to delve particularly deep into their creative reserves, so it’s a genre which inspires growth as a writer.
5.) A number of independent publishers recognize the literary fiction market opportunity as compelling for the simple reason most publishers are focused on other genres.
6.) There’s less competition from other writers in literary fiction.
7.) Writing literary fiction can be a particularly enriching personal experience for writers.
8.) In a market which is calling out for unique and different, literary fiction is one of the few genres which can consistently deliver unique and different.
9.) Writers of literary fiction have a unique freedom to write truly different stories as there’s no standard formula to follow.
10.) Literary fiction novels are better matched to winning book awards than any other genre.
10 Cons of Writing Literary Fiction:
1.) The mass market is sometimes slow to embrace literary fiction novels.
2.) Some readers believe literary fiction books are too challenging to read.
3.) Marketing a literary fiction novel can be more challenging because the market doesn’t know what they’re getting from the title alone. It’s the exact opposite of the murder mystery market for example.
4.) Literary fiction novels take longer to craft into great books because the different layers of the story need to interact with one another effectively for the novel to work.
5.) In a dumbed down world focused on social media, there’s a natural headwind against literary fiction writing which may challenge some readers in ways they aren’t used to.
6.) Most large publishing houses are more focused on the easy-to-market genres of murder mysteries, romance, and thrillers.
7.) It’s often harder to describe a literary fiction novel in a short elevator pitch compared to mass market genres.
8.) On average, the commercial appeal of literary fiction novels may not be as attractive as mass market genres such as murder mystery, romance, and thrillers.
9.) Literary fiction novels generally require more editing than other genres due to the additional complexity of the multi-layered stories.
10.) As it’s a smaller niche in the market, there may be less editors and writing coaches who can help literary fiction writers on their journey to publication.
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AUTHOR BIO:
S.S. Turner has been an avid reader, writer, and explorer of the natural world throughout his life which has been spent in England, Scotland and Australia. Just like Freddy in his first novel, Secrets of a River Swimmer, he worked in the global fund management sector for many years but realized it didn't align with his values. In recent years, he's been focused on inspiring positive change through his writing as well as trying not to laugh in unfortunate situations. He now lives in Australia with his wife, daughter, two dogs, two cats, and ten chickens.
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CONNECT WITH S.S. TURNER:
Blog:
Twitter:
The Story Plant Author Page:
https://www.thestoryplant.com/s-s-turner
The Story Plant Book Page:
https://www.thestoryplant.com/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
Goodreads Author Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21894897.S_S_Turner
Goodreads Book Page:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59247278-secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
Amazon Author Page:
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BOOK BUY LINKS:
Amazon US Kindle eBook:
Amazon US Paperback:
Amazon CA Kindle eBook:
https://www.amazon.ca/Secrets-River-Swimmer-S-S-Turner-ebook/dp/B09JWTK3WN
Amazon CA Paperback:
https://www.amazon.ca/Secrets-River-Swimmer-S-S-Turner/dp/1611883210
Apple Books eBook:
https://books.apple.com/us/book/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/id1591209788
Barnes and Noble NOOK eBook:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer-s-s-turner/1139673873?ean=9781945839597
Barnes and Noble Paperback:
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer-s-s-turner/1139673873?ean=9781611883213
Book Depository Paperback:
https://www.bookdepository.com/Secrets-of-River-Swimmer-S-S-Turner/9781611883213
Books-A-Million Paperback:
https://www.booksamillion.com/product/A17011746690?id=8214976565196
Indigo Chapters CA eBook:
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/9781945839597-item.html
Indigo Chapters CA Paperback:
https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer/9781611883213-item.html
Kobo US eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
Kobo CA eBook:
https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/ebook/secrets-of-a-river-swimmer
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GIVEAWAY INFO:
S.S. Turner will be awarding a $50 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card (Winner’s Choice!!!) to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter during the tour.
a Rafflecopter giveaway**This post contains affiliate links and if clicked and a purchase is made, I may receive a small commission to help support this blog. This does not cost you anything, it just helps pay for all those fabulous community outreach projects and awesome giveaways on here**
This contest is sponsored by a third party. Fabulous and Brunette is a registered host of Goddess Fish Promotions. Prizes are given away by the sponsors and not Fabulous and Brunette. The featured author and Goddess Fish Promotions are solely responsible for the giveaway prize.
