My WW1 Romance Novel is Out On Google Play, For Free!

12th Jan 202319th Nov 2023 / Michael Averon / Leave a comment

(Sorry, Mr Bezos!)

Its good to see you again…

Not long ago, I explained the reasoning behind my new year’s resolution of wanting to give away my literary works for free from now on (click here to read the details). I was finding the Amazon online platform too constricting for what I wanted, and the lack of control was really getting to me since I want the reading experience of my books to be as free-flowing as possible for you guys.

Well, after looking at a number of options, I’m pleased to report that my Publishing House has been accepted in the Google Play Book Store, which means you’re able to download and keep a copy of The Air Between Us for as long as Google exists (or at least their terms & conditions).

THE AIR BETWEEN US

ENGLAND, 1913

Storm clouds gather over Europe, but for Jen Edwards, the future remains bright. Betrothed to a brilliant photographer, her path to married bliss seems guaranteed until tragedy upends the safe and comfortable life they’d planned together.

Now desperate to escape the wreckage of her past amidst the onset of a World War, she enlists as a volunteer in the newly-formed Royal Flying Corps, and is dispatched to France. In the skies over the Somme, many young pilots will meet a brutal end, and Jen learns not to give her heart to anyone when love comes so cheap. Anyone, that is, until her past arrives at the airfield one day, camera in hand…

Free on Google Play

Better yet, after looking at a number of charity funding models, I can keep supporting my chosen charity by donating £0.20 (approx $0.25 USD) per download of my book via the Google Play Store. So not only do you get an entire novel that I poured my heart, sweat & tears into, you also support the vital work of The Alzheimer’s Society.

And the good news keeps coming – I’m going into print.

That’s right – The Air Between Us will be my first book that is actually printed in hard copy that you can run your hot little hands over and turn the real-life pages of. The cost is still to be determined and there will be a limited print run, but if there’s anyone out there who wants to support my efforts by purchasing a limited edition signed copy, you’ll be able to order it directly from this website.

I’ll have these latest updates in due course, but for now, please check out my book in the Google Play Store. The book itself only came into being over the course of a crazy 3 weeks back in 2022 when I set myself the challenge of writing, editing & designing an entire romance novel in two weeks (I ended up overrunning by 7 days – my first post on the madness can be found here).

The end result was a surprisingly polished war epic set at the height of the air war in WW1 (if I do say so myself whilst twirling a fake moustache). Following the exploits of No.2 Squadron of the British Royal Flying Corps, it brutally strips the layers of innocence from its two main protagonists; Jen Edwards and Hal Drayton, as they both fight their own battles against overwhelming odds. It’s crammed with memorable supporting characters like the irrepressible Baxter Mathers, the precise Captain Andrew Collins and the villainous Wing Commander Samuel Forsyth, amongst many others.

Based on historical events, I worked hard to keep the realism at a solid 10 to maintain an authentic reading experience that puts you in the cockpit of a BE2c, or staring down the lens of an aerial camera during a chaotic bombing raid. Combined with an original love story that I cruelly designed to wrench on the coldest of hearts, it’s my first and possibly last foray into this genre and I heartily recommend you pick up a free copy.

Please, please, please don’t miss it.

Thanks as always,

My New Book Is Out Now!

21st Mar 202212th Jan 2023 / Michael Averon / Leave a comment

It’s called The Air Between Us, and my royalties are going to charity

It took three full weeks of grinding work to make this a reality. I loved every minute

Never am I happier than when I’m storytelling. I love everything about the process (perhaps apart from the editing), and I feel incredibly lucky to be able to spend time on my craft because it never feels like work.

Originally for this project, I had set myself the goal of creating a full length novel in two weeks. Well, it turns out that was a bit optimistic. It took me three to get it to a place where I was happy with the quality of the story. And it was one hell of a roller coaster journey fuelled with coffee and a Jon Bon Jovi playlist on repeat.

But the moment has arrived – It’s out now at Amazon in eBook format and priced at the very reasonable sum of £1.77. Of that, my royalty is around £1.20, and for every purchase made, I’ll be boosting it to £2.00 (which is approx $2.65 USD) and donating it to my chosen charity: The Alzheimer’s Society. It’s also available as a Kindle Unlimited subscription, and likewise, all royalties from there will also be added to the donation pot. I’ve created a dedicated charity page on my website (Link Here) to provide monthly donation totals, and it will include any future books that I add to my charity library.

For me, finishing any piece of literature is always a bittersweet moment. A part of me wants to continue working on the characters and adding new scenes in the world I’ve built. But as a great philosopher once said; anyone can make something more complicated. It takes vision to keep things simple. While I might lack the vision, having the short time frame to produce a full-length novel has been a great lesson in learning to know what’s important to a story. For The Air Between Us, it forced me to keep only the important bits in, and discard those ideas that would have just been window dressing. As a result, the final book has a very taut, very punchy story that is going to stay with me for some time, and I hope that for anyone who decides to take the plunge and read it, you are left with the same feeling.

Now that this project is over, I have an opportunity to start work on something new. I have a couple of ideas in addition to my ongoing commitment with the Blackchapel Chronicles, and once I’ve made them tangible, I’ll be providing an update very soon. The past week, I’ve been recharging my batteries and reconnecting with people after being holed-up in a room typing on a laptop for so long. Already, I can’t wait to start writing again.

To anyone who does buy the book, thank you so much, it means a lot to me to know someone is reading my words. And if you just read the sample, that’s great too. When all is said and done, my motivation is to reach out to people with my words and provide an entertaining set of stories. There is so much going on in the world these days, settling down with a book feels like one of the last refuges we have left to escape for a precious hour or two.

Until next time, happy reading & writing!

Writing a Romance Novel in Two Weeks For Charity – The Final Update

12th Mar 202211th Apr 2022 / Michael Averon / Leave a comment

The book is finished, and I’m getting it (self)published

It feels a lot longer than the two-and-a-half weeks it’s actually been since writing the first page of my very first (and possibly last) romance novel. Getting it over the finish line has resulted in a lot of missed sleep, and hours upon hours of writing and editing that felt like it would never come to an end. It’s been a real slog that’s seen me not shower for three days, and sometimes hardly even acknowledge the existence of my wife at times.

Seriously – she’s actually left me to stay with her parents this weekend and keeps messaging me with photos of all the great things they’re doing. What can I say – I suffer for my art.

It will completely blow me away if people do buy this book, not just for me as a writer, but more importantly for the charity I’m supporting – The Alzheimer’s Society (link goes to their website). I’ve put a lot of work into the quality of the final product, and I’ve even made my own map of Northern France from scratch so readers can follow where the story is at any point. For an idea of what to expect, here’s the synopsis;

My dream is for the short deadline to not be noticeable while reading it. In terms of the book’s format, it will be available first in eBook, then (very soon after) in paperback. Regardless, all my royalties will go to charity so it can make a great gift for someone.

The next post I make on this topic will contain the details on where it can be bought and how much it will cost (it won’t be a lot of money because I never charge a lot – I’m terrible at business). It will also have a ‘look inside’ feature so you can take a peek of the first chapter or two.

Until next time, stay safe & happy writing / reading!

Writing a Romance Novel in Two Weeks For Charity – DAYS TWO & THREE UPDATE

23rd Feb 20228th Mar 2022 / Michael Averon / Leave a comment

Things are getting serious. Seriously serious.

If you’re brand new to this, the title pretty much describes my situation, but if you want the details, it all began here. I’ve been completely snowed under with the actual writing part of this challenge during the last twenty four hours. For about sixty minutes I just stared at my laptop screen, agonising over four sentences, then blitzed about 3,000 words in an hour and a half. Writing is weird, isn’t it?

So I made the decision to mash these two days together into one update. I’m planning to have the second draft of chapter one posted tomorrow to give a flavour of the story. In the meantime – here’s a progress table;

PLOT	Stuff is generally happening. Right now, the two main characters are about as far apart relationship-wise as they’ll ever be (or close to it). Nefarious deeds are going on in the background and oodles of heartache is on the horizon. I’m hoping to reach a major action scene tomorrow, but if not then it’ll be a day five job.
CHARACTERS	This is one area that is completely done. Both heroes and villains are fully realised with most characters falling somewhere between the two.
THEMES	I’m going to leave this one mostly unsaid from here on out. There is a strong theme that runs through the manuscript on both the male and female side of the relationship (this is a heterosexual love-interest novel). The theme is different for both characters and I’ll let the reader discover what it is for themselves.
BOOK COVER/DESIGN	Pfft. Get out of here. Come back in about nine days for this one.
FRONT & BACK MATTER	See book cover/design
WORD COUNT	This is the big daddy. I can have all the themes and story lines I like, but if it’s not on the page, it’s not a novel. I will be ending the third day with about 15,000 ~~pretty good~~ words. Still not as far as I would have wanted, and it’s (mostly) as close to a first draft as you can get, but it’s a start. Isn’t it?
EDITING	Currently reviewing the second draft of the first chapter. Hope to get as far as the third by end of today. It badly needs it.

On the plus side, I think I’ve got a title, although I’m hovering between two strong potentials and it could go either way.

On the negative side, my coffee machine has broken. For once I am lost for words at this tragedy.

Same as my last update, I’ll end this one with a clue as to the novel’s setting. Gold star to anyone who can guess when/where/what this is;

Happy writing everyone!

I Am Going To Write a Romance Novel In Two Weeks And Give All Royalties to Charity

20th Feb 202221st Feb 2022 / Michael Averon / 4 Comments

Can it be done? Will it be any good? We’re about to find out…

Romantic fiction – it’s the single most popular genre of the written word. Yet until recently, I had never knowingly read a single page of it, let alone wrote an entire book. But all that is about to change as I boldly go where many (far greater) authors have gone before. Only, my journey will be the equivalent of sticking your head out of a bullet train’s window at 150mph. And that’s because I’m setting myself a deadline of two weeks to come up with a novel concept, get it written down, and put it to market while avoiding it becoming a gigantic hot mess in the process.

Full disclosure – I’m a crime thriller writer. I write gritty crime fiction. Romance doesn’t come naturally to me (just ask my wife).

So clearly this will go in one of two ways; by the end of these upcoming two weeks, I will either have some of the greatest writing I’ve ever done in my life, or it’ll crash and burn like so many hopes and dreams.

Background

How did this all start? I got the idea when I came across the news that romance fiction is the only genre of literature that actually INCREASES ITS REVENUE in every recession. It did it in 2008 and it did it more recently during the worldwide covid lockdowns. In terms of market share, it is massive.

Having come off the back of completing my debut novel, it’s time for Averon Publishing to get a piece of this pie and make sure the profits all go to something that will do some good. Charities have been hit hard these past couple of years, as have many, many people. The most vulnerable have especially suffered greatly in isolation, and my chosen charity will understand that only too well (full details below).

The Rules

Every challenge needs defined rules, and this one is no different. It’s pretty obvious stuff, but just so there’s no ambiguity, here goes;

The challenge begins 9am (GMT) on Monday 21st February, and will end at 9am (GMT) Monday 7th March. Not a single word can be contributed to the book outside these dates.
The book must be started and completed within the allotted fourteen days. This includes writing, editing, finishing, cover design and publishing in eBook format (paperback may follow depending on popularity). And all of this must be done by one person. Me. Michael Averon.
The novel must be full length (i.e. circa 80,000 words). It must be a standalone and not part of a series. It must have a plot – it can’t simply be word mash-potato (damn, that’s my speciality).
No Plagiarism (duh). Tropes and cliches are allowed (I will certainly be relying on them), but it must be original work with exciting characters and fictional events.
The genre is romance, whether it be modern, historical or literally out of this world. Therefore a significant (read: majority) amount of the plot must be dedicated to the pursuit of lurve. It needs to have an emotional impact and carry a strong, concise message.

The Charity

I will be amazed if this makes any serious money (anything over £10 is serious to me), but regardless, I’ll be donating 100% of all royalties from every sale to Alzheimer’s Society (Link to their website here) for life. They fund vital research into improving care, understanding causes and working towards a cure. I’ll generate monthly sales reports and post each one to this website so that it’s open and transparent into how much is being donated.

This one hits close to home since my grandfather passed away after suffering from dementia for years. It was heartbreaking to see someone who had gotten through the second world war, had created a successful business and raised a family, slowly lose his identity and essentially stop being the granddad I always looked up to.

I know this kind of story is shared by many people all over the world. Right now, families are sacrificing a huge amount to care for a loved one with dementia, and being able to help by even one iota is something that will doubtless give me all the motivation I need to see this project through.

GET INVOLVED!

Without its readers, the greatest novel in the world would be nothing but a bundle of paper (or in this case, bytes on a hard drive). Any and all words of encouragement/ridicule will be very welcome. You can get in touch through the contact page on this site where you can also find my Twitter link (@MichaelAveron).

I’ll be posting daily updates both here and there, so check back to find out how it’s going, and if you have a bit of change to spare, please please please, buy the book when it comes out! (I’ll post some links when the time comes).