Category Archives: short stories

A 5 Star Review Of My Book “Street Walker And Other Stories”

On checking my reviews, I was please to discover the following review of “Street Walker And Other Stories”:

“This was a great little book containing a number of short but interesting and thought provoking stories from an as yet fairly unknown, but up and coming

author. I would thoroughly recommend to anyone to give this book a read!”

For the above review please visit, http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R1QYZBZO8RZ6QC/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00HLRNDP4. For further reviews of “Street Walker And Other Stories” please go to the following link, http://www.amazon.com/product-reviews/B00HLRNDP4/ref=cm_cr_dp_syn_footer?k=Street%20Walker%20and%20other%20stories&showViewpoints=1.

Many thanks to the reviewer for the above review.

Kevin

“The Girl Who Wasn’t There And Other Poems” Book Blast

An update to my review page

When Guests Demand

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The below is not aimed at the overwhelming majority of those who request to guest post on Newauthoronline, The vast majority of whom I feel privileged to host. It is aimed at the minority who seek to abuse the opportunities offered by me and my fellow bloggers.

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I have always considered it an honour when blog owners agree to publish a guest post authored by me. I know from running my own blog that site owners are often extremely busy and it can be a time consuming business liaising with potential guest posters.

Most guests are politeness itself and I am privileged to have published a number of great articles by wonderful people. I have, however noticed a worrying trend with people contacting me saying words to the effect of

“I require one back link in return for my article and/or post”.

My Guest Post Submission guidelines (http://newauthoronline.com/guest-post-submissions/) already make it crystal clear that links to a poster’s website and other social media are welcome. Point 4 of the Guidelines reads

“Please do include links to your books, social media etc”.

Anyone taking the trouble to read the above will know that back links are positively encouraged. The fact a minority are not picking up on this indicates they are not taking the trouble to read my (and, I suspect) other site owner’s guest post guidelines. Furthermore it demonstrates a degree of rudeness. Such people are, in effect saying

“You are honoured that I am contacting you and it behoves you, as the blog owner to include whatever I ask you to”.

Sorry, but the person accepting the guest post is the host. One does not go into another’s home and demand such and such, nor should one do this when approaching bloggers.

Unfortunately I suspect I will receive further such rude requests and, from now on I will consign them to my deleted items folder.

Kevin

A 5 Star Review Of My Book, “Dalliance; A Collection Of Poetry And Prose”

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On checking my reviews today I was delighted to see that “Dalliance; A Collection Of Poetry And Prose” has received the following 5 star review,

“I loved the sheer variety of the pieces in this book – and the lyrical nature of the writing. Most beautiful. Two, in particular, stood out for me: ‘Dark Angel’ and ‘The Great Cycle’. Both evoked the connection we have with the world – though in very different ways, one being a physical bond with the natural world, the other a more inanimate ‘friend’! I thoroughly recommend this exquisite little collection”.

(For the review please visit http://www.amazon.co.uk/review/R3PJBPNU2ESSIH/ref=cm_cr_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B00QQVJC7E).

Many thanks to the reviewer for taking the time to read and review “Dalliance”.

Kevin

Under The Stars

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Looking for a saviour under the stars

Men slow then stop their cars.

Girls under street lamps stand

Waiting for their lord’s command.

Needle pricks scar their arms

Still men discern a certain charm.

Girls think of their next fix

Man moistens his dry lips.

“I seek a saviour of a kind

In the hope some inner peace I may find”

He says shuddering at her needle lines.

“Your saviour I will be

Provided you can pay my fee.

A girl must live. Love isn’t free”,

She says gazing at a distant tree.

She thinks of her girlhood not so long ago

Of trees their boughs bent under the weight of snow.

She thinks “once I could not be bought

Before hard drugs their damage rought”.

The man holds out cold hard cash

She takes it with a bitter laugh.

Stepping in through the car’s open door

She wonders if she can take much more.

Her eyes fixed on the stars above

As he makes what he calls love.

She thinks of the knife at home

How easy to end it when all alone.

The pain is there behind his eyes

Inwardly two souls cry.

He stares at the moon above

Desperately probing for a kind of love.

Afterwards two empty vessels they depart

Both with sore and aching hearts.

“The Girl Who Wasn’t There And Other Poems”, Cover Reveal

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Many thanks to Chris Graham (AKA The Story Reading Ape) for designing the book cover for my forthcoming collection of poetry, “The Girl Who Wasn’t There And Other Poems”. I had originally intended to entitle my book, “We are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars”. However, on reflection I determined on “The Girl Who Wasn’t There And Other Poems”. The Wilde quote does however live on as can be seen from the description on the back cover.

I am aiming to publish “The Girl Who Wasn’t There And Other Poems” in September of this year in ebook and print formats.

You can find details of my previous collection of poetry and prose, “Dalliance” by following these links:

Amazon UK Amazon USA Amazon CA Amazon AU

Monster – My Guest Post On “Behind The White Coat”

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Thank you to Victo Dolore from Behind The White Coat for publishing my poem, “Monster” which can be found by following this link, https://doctorly.wordpress.com/2015/08/29/from-the-guest-room/. Please do check out Victo’s blog.

Kevin

We Are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars

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I will be taking a break from blogging over the UK bank holiday weekend. I will be preparing my new collection of poetry for publication. The title is “We Are All In The Gutter, But Some Of Us Are Looking At The Stars”, which is a quote from the great Oscar Wilde. As the title suggests, the collection will be a compilation of some of my darker poetry.

On first reading, the quote is bleak. The gutter suggests the lowest point in the life of man or what some might label “a low mode of living”! However the fact “some of us are looking at the stars” suggests hope or the possibility of change for the better.

The new collection will join my existing book, “Dalliance; A Collection Of Poetry And Prose” which can be found here, (http://www.amazon.com/Dalliance-collection-poetry-prose-Morris-ebook/dp/B00QQVJC7E/ref=cm_cr_pr_bdcrb_top?ie=UTF8).

Kevin

The Overwhelming Majority Of Self-Published Work is “Bad” – I Beg To Differ

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I recently came across the following comment regarding the difficulties experienced by authors in getting published, (http://www.derekhaines.ch/justpublishing/i-need-a-publisher-no-you-dont/comment-page-1/#comment-1607). The commenter’s argument is neatly encapsulated by the following quote,

“Here’s the truth: 99.99% self publish because a traditional publisher rejected their manuscripts.

Why? Because they’re BAD!”

The above is a sweeping assertion. How can the commenter possibly know why so many authors find it difficult to get published via established (traditional) publishing companies? Where is the evidence to bolster his case? The plain truth is that he produces no facts in support of this highly contentious statement.

Established big name publishers will, on the whole publish what they believe will sell. What sells does not always correlate with what constitutes good writing. Of course there are many excellent works published by traditional publishers. However alongside the excellent exists what to my mind at least constitutes pap. The same applies to self-published authors – there is much good work out there which co-exists alongside the pap. I don’t believe that anyone can say, hand on heart that all that eminates from the traditional publishing stable is sweet scented hay while that coming from self-published authors is coated in horse dung. The sweet smelling hay and the manure are present in both stables and its nonsense to contend otherwise.

As a self-published author I do, of course have an axt to grind in that I believe my own work is far from being “bad”. I have also read many other self-published authors and poets who’s writing is far from being “bad”. I chose to self-publish due to wanting control over my own work. However I have a close friend in the off-line (real) world who expended countless hours in firing off letters to literary agents and publishers. He got nowhere. Hence he decided to self-publish using Createspace. It may be said that friendship clouds my judgement, however, having read a considerable portion of his manuscript I can assure my readers that it is far from being “bad”. It is, in my opinion extremely well written.

I have nothing whatsoever against traditional publishing. What I object to is lazy arguments not supported by evidence to the effect that the vast majority of material emanating from the self-publishing sector is bad, while traditional publishing overwhelmingly produces works of outstanding merit.

(Please Note; this post is in response to the comment linked to above. I agree with the post on which the commenter is commenting, it is the comment (not the post) with which I take issue).