Friday, 7 March 2014

25 NEW Paperbacks to be given away FREE...

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THE OFFER

Did I mention the word FREE? 
Have I emphasised that enough?

This is The Night Porter.



It is the first complete piece of work from Green Wizard/Mark Barry for a year. 

It is approximately 250 pages long.

Those who have read the book so far - four people, my most trusted confidantes and allies - have described it as my best written work so far. 

They don't bulls**t me either. They give it me good and proper if they think I need it, which is often.

Readers who have read my books, whether they like the stories I come up with or not, universally say I know my way around a keyboard. So that assessment means a lot.



The book is completely accessible. 

It doesn't have the dark humour and shocking stories of Carla nor the cynical relationship monologues in Hollywood Shakedown. 

It has none of the violence of the two football books - UV and BBVD -  and none of the blood-curdling horror of The Ritual. 

It is a puzzle, an experiment, an innovation. One of those lithographs of impossible design renaissance tricksters sold on Florence Market.

Every book I write, I try to do something different, something no-one else is doing. 

Here's a big (unlike me) boast:

I don't think you will see an Indie published book like this anywhere in Cyberspace. Probably not a tradpubbed one either.

THE STORY

It's set in a hotel, in November, in the fictional town of Wheatley Fields, (based on Southwell, near Nottinghamshire, deep in Sherwood Forest). It is set over two weeks, underneath steel grey clouds of icy rain.

Four writers, all nominated for an upcoming awards ceremony, come to stay. One mega successful romance author, a top US thriller writer who sells in seven figures, a beautiful young YA tyro on the brink of world wide stardom...

...and a degenerate, nasty, bitter, jealous, trollish, drunken (but brilliant), self-published contemporary fiction author.

The eponymous, pseudonymous and anonymous Night Porter is instructed by a secretive and powerful awards committee to look after their EVERY need, to ensure they make it through the two weeks to attend the ceremony. 

At the same time as keeping an eye on their wishes, antics, fights, relationships and never-ending ego explosions. And trying desperately to avoid getting involved himself.

It's a comedy drama about writers (and Night Porters!) with twists and turns, nooks and crannies, shadows and mirrors, alongside some of my bizarre preoccupations and obsessions. 

It casts a sometimes shadowy light on modern publishing, the writing business - and the people in it.

Writers who like to read about writers and writing will enjoy the book. 

They may not AGREE with the comments. In fact, I can think of two comments in there which are going to get us all in serious trouble, but it will make a writer think and react.



__________________________________________

THE DEAL

I (will) have 25 The Night Porters  to give away in PAPERBACK. If you want an e-book instead, let me know. I prefer paperbacks so naturally I assume everyone else does (I'm just kidding, e-pop kids!).

Contact me on any media - FB, Twitter, Comments here - and when it is published, in approximately three weeks, I will POD the first 25 people to respond a copy and send it to your place. 

I suggest that this will be in the UK and/or America as I will be doing this through Createspace. 

Sorry - I had some trouble before with sending a book to Nepal and it left a lovely reader disappointed.



All I ask in return is that you review it on Amazon US/UK and any blog you have. If you can lend it to a pal after, then all the better. Not arsed about Goodreads.

Incidentally. If you HATE the book and my characters drive you mad, if you don't get past page thirty, if my comments and analyses leave you raging, or you don't think its very well organised, written etc, THEN GIVE ME A 1*. 

Did you hear that bit?

A 1* is welcome if you think it is necessary. I won't troll you or comment. I'll just scratch my head like a man in a warm hat.

That is MUCH better than a no review. I am not swapping a book for a 5* review - I am swapping it for a review  OF ANY KIND. I firmly believe it is quantity of reviews that is key rather than quality. 

There you go, look, an opinion.

Believe me, it'll take you four or five hours to read. It is 250 pages long (ish) and has a magnificent sixties-retro matte Imperial Purple cover designed with Dawn of Dark Dawn Creations and it has been properly edited by Mary Ann Bernal.

It's the most readable and accessible book I have created. Hence the investment (I've been saving).

So. Contact me on FB, Twitter, my e-mail if you have it, or carrier pigeon. 

I think you will enjoy the book. I'm hoping so and so are all the characters in the book.

Cheers, Mark/Wiz

Incidentally, if I am overwhelmed with applicants, which has happened before, I'll just put names in a hat. Ta!

17 comments:

  1. Fellow wizardwatchers - a great story about writers and the publishing business - don't wait - be one of the 25!

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    1. Mary Ann, thank you for editing the book and thanks for pimping it. I think your fans will have a surprise, don't you? :-)

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  2. Can't wait to read it!!! Awesome!

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    1. Thanks Bren!! :-) I'll be fascinated to see what you think :-)

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  3. YES, of course I want it. I am less old school these days. Ebook all the way Mr Barry!

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    1. I wanted to send you a PB as a memento, but you're one of these ultra-modern millies! :-)

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  4. This is a brilliant offer - and I love TNP's jacket cover ... Congratulations Mr Barry - n x

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    1. *bows* Thank you, N.x I like TNP's cover too - really retro. Hope you enjoy the book when you get your copy...:-)

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  5. Who in their right mind wouldn't want a book by Mark Barry?

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    1. Mary, I wish I had the bottle to use that in marketing. Thank you, as usual. You've been a real help and confidence builder. A copy sailing across the Atlantic for you too...Mxx

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  6. It would be fantastic to be lucky enough to receive one of the copies! ��

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  7. Claire, you are in. I shall contact you via Twitter DM and you can send me your address/a contact ppint where I can send the PB. :-) Thank YOU for being interested. I'm glad you contacted me because there is a younger character in the book and I would be interested to see if I got her right. :-) Thank you.

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  8. Fancy given this a read
    just what i need after a week at the cheltenham festival

    regards graham

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  9. Nice one Graham. Looking forward to Irving and Champagne Fever tomorrow...my two best bets of the week in the first two races!! :-) Follow me on Twitter - @greenwizard62 - and drop me a contact address and in two weeks, I'll drop you the paperback off. Anything you fancy?

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  10. Hi Barry
    just back from day 1 at the festival with a small profit.
    Think Alan King's MEISTER ECKHART will run a big race in the Coral Cup on wednesday
    will drop you my contact address looking forward to the book.

    regards graham

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  11. Hi Mark, would love to read this. Sounds intriguing so I hope I get pulled out of the hat :)

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  12. You've got the second to last one, Tara!! :-) Drop me a line on the e-mail channel and I shall POD you one from Cspace in about eight days or so...:-) Nice!

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