Happy World Storytelling Day! To celebrate, we’re hosting a flash fiction and poetry competition! Starting Monday 20th March, we will be accepting submissions. Enter to win a bundle of books worth over £50! Rules: Flash fiction must be no more than 1500 words. Poetry must be no more than 40 lines. Must be written in…
To celebrate Mother’s Day we asked Brenda Burling, author of Mother’s Love, to share some thoughts on her upcoming novel. “Mother’s Day, the day we celebrate all a mother does, means and bestows. A day where there is the opportunity to give back just a little of what has been received – recognition of the love,…
For National Women and Girls in Sports day this year, we decided to showcase the extremely talented women featured in Athletes Who Rock! by Motez Bishara. Lindsay Perry Born in Panama City, Florida. Lindsay had always been a keen guitarist and vocalist. However, at 18 years old, Perry lost her mother and sister in a car accident…
Take a Hike Day this November 17th is a reminder to all to get out into the wild and really get a taste of what it means to be away from it all. In literary form, there is no better way to align yourself with the importance of ‘taking a hike’ than delving into Trying Times…
This week is National Young Readers Week, and we have asked Liam Jenkins, author of Dylan McFinn & The Sea Serpent’s Fury, to write about how he discovered reading. I am writing this blog from experience and reaching out to that very active little boy who has no time to read; this is for you.…
As a five-year-old child, I was absolutely terrified when I first experienced the presence of a ‘ghost’ in the old house where my family lived! But by the time I had reached my late teens, being in tune with spirit existence had pretty much become second nature to me. This lit a fascination within me…
‘Ada Baker was a psychic. She was the seventh daughter of two parents who were both seventh children. And she had been gifted with some extraordinary powers.’ Ada Baker is a gifted psychic, who shares her home with three very bored ghosts. Spending their days roaming around Ada’s house offers little amusement, and so the…
“Island to Island is the gripping account of a way of life that may not be repeatable now. Not for the first time, a love of nature can surmount daily traumas, and bring with it a sense of well-being and the realisation of our wilder dreams.” Aride is a tiny island in the Seychelles, a granite…
‘The Secret of Haditha’ received high praise at Andrew Vincent’s recent book signing in Waterstones Nuneaton Andrew’s much anticipated spy novel was met with great enthusiasm by all those in attendance at his launch event in Nuneaton, and after a sell-out publication day, his novel is already set to be a huge success. ‘The Secret…
Fall in love with our top picks for Valentine’s Day. Available in paperback from all major retailers and if it’s instantaneous love you’re after, grab the eBooks here. Shakespeare’s Lady by Alex Schnee For centuries, readers have debated the identity of the mysterious and seductive Dark Lady in William Shakespeare’s sonnets. Emilia Bassano – lady-in-waiting…
2021 may not have been the year we were all expecting or hoping for after the trials of 2020 but there was still plenty to celebrate and be grateful for! We hired two new staff members – Sian Reece and Donna Borg – who have settled in brilliantly and taken Cranthorpe Millner from strength to…
To celebrate International Men’s Day, we asked Tai Le Grice, author of two LGBT romance novels, to write about men, manhood and masculinity as well as about persecution against gay men and the fear they have around coming out. When I was first asked to write a contribution for International Men’s Day, I had no…
NaNoWriMo, which stands for National Novel Writing Month, is in November! Will you be participating? In order to participate and potentially win NaNoWriMo, the rules are simple: from November 1 to November 30, you need to write 50,000 words – either a brand new novel or a complete rewrite of an old one. If you…
We have all missed the cinema, munching away at the popcorn and watching an epic movie with great sound, great action, and stunning photography. With new cinema releases coming out, we have put together a small selection of books you should read if you love the film! If you loved Dune (cinema release 21st October) – You…
A selection of reads for October from ‘Joy’s Playground’ which helps and guides you to a happy place, next we have ‘Greed is a Powerful Motive’, a nail-biting read wondering what happens next and lastly, ‘The Hawk and the Raven’, a supernatural thriller with dark forces. Happy Reading! Joy’s Playground by Lizzy Shortall: With Mindfulness…
We don’t know about you, but we love a spooky read that keeps you on the edge and wanting more. Halloween is around the corner and what better time to try a new read! Horror, thriller, suspense, drama, mystery, and scary bits too. We have them here at Cranthorpe Millner! A roundup of our wonderful…
We asked Lizzy Shortall, author of Joy’s Playground to speak about Emotional Wellness Month. Here’s what she had to say. Emotional Wellness is unique and as delicately balanced as a spider’s web When we are feeling on track with our mind, body and spirit and making choices that keep us there, that is when we…
World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to the education and awareness of mental health across the globe. As most of my books handle the subjects surrounding mental health issues, I’ve been asked to write a guest blog about the topic. Mental illness has always been a taboo topic for most people, and for some…
Despite COVID nearly stalling plans, Jan was at Barn Hall for her book launch. With a crowd of avid readers present, the book launch was a huge success with many readers eager to learn more about the author and book as well as get their hands on signed copies.
ABOUT ME: JAMES MURDO Hello, my name is James Murdo and I write Science Fiction, usually placed in a hybridised Space Opera genre. I have seven books currently under my belt, and a couple more in the works. Right now, Echoes of Gravity is being released by Cranthorpe Millner, which is the first in the…
A Note from Claire Hastie: author of The Guardians of the Athame I still think of myself as a newbie to this writing malarkey, when really I have been writing since I was very young. My mum will often say I wrote stories once I learnt to write with my left hand. My creations from…
Greenbank Primary: First Aid Brought to Life is a narrative non-fiction that tells a story of a town called Humphrington, a school called Greenbank Primary and the Matthews family engaging with family, friends and teachers. The main theme throughout the book is: ‘What can you, as a 10-12 year old person, do to give first…
A huge congrats to Ash Watson whose breakout travel memoir, Because Japan, has been selected as one of the Staff Picks and is being displayed front of house in the Foyles flagship store! Keep an eye out for this one as it is set to also feature in their upcoming Olympics promotional display next month.…
WHEN THIS IS ALL OVER … 2020-2021 is a charity anthology raising funds for the Rennie Grove Hospice Care. Home is where we had to stay and paradoxically was the very place that Covid-19 spread so plentifully. And yet the Rennie Grove nurses have kept on nursing for those with life-limiting illnesses in the home.…
My travels are my life and have been for the last twenty-two years. Before the days of Instagram and Facebook my travel up-dates were always sent via email. I loved sitting in an internet café writing tales about my overseas adventures. I wanted all my friends and family to laugh at my stories and not…
I’ve sometimes been asked what has given rise to a particular book of mine. The question is easier to answer in relation to non-fiction, some of which is commissioned, than to poetry, plays or narratives, the ultimate source of which is frequently invisible, even to the author. With The Quality of the Light: A Novel…
‘Andrea Montgomery is inspiring, bold and courageous in her life and in her writing. This is a remarkable story, told with wit and warmth. You won’t be able to put ‘The Banana Road’ down once you start it.’ Helen Mort, author of Black Car Burning (Penguin, 16/07/2020) “Discover the Real Tenerife as the author…
In honour of her publication day, we asked Jennifer Claywood to give us a little insight into who she is – both the person and the reader and the writer. While Sleeping by Jennifer Claywood is available from all major retailers now! Before humans found a way to leave this world, to birth themselves…
David Lawrence-Young has just signed his third title with Cranthorpe Millner! So here’s a little insight into David and his creative process. Villains of Yore, by David Lawrence-Young, is available now from all major retailers. Look out for his other upcoming titles too – Colonel Blood and Kill the King! & Other Conspiracies. In…
It’s never easy to sit back and analyse the way you do something, and when it comes to my writing technique and style, it was never something I was aware of until other people began to read my work. As I discuss in my book ‘Because Japan’, I always kept a travel journal whenever I…
In honour of her publication day, Andrea Montgomery provided us with a blog for her readers to give you all an insight into who she is as a writer. Her book, The Banana Road, is available now from all major retailers! Writing’s a funny business. I can agonize for twenty minutes over what to write…
The Church of Black Sparrows was published in October 2020 to critical acclaim. It has been variously described by readers as “intense”, “shocking”, “horrific,” scary”, “insane” and” totally gripping”. Two customer reviews on Amazon gave it five stars. It had a very successful Halloween Bookstagram tour last year which garnered further great reviews for the book.…
So Cranthorpe have asked me to talk about myself! Just so that you know before we start – this is not my happy place! It’s quite odd isn’t it – talking about yourself? Apart from ‘How are you?’ and the only expected and acceptable response of ‘I’m fine, thanks,’ nobody really asks you to talk…
In honour of International Women’s Day, we’d like to celebrate female writers. As a writer myself, I am proud to have grown up with them and to have been taught by them and I take the legacy they left us very seriously. The sad truth is: it is still hard to be a female writer…
Get to know a little more about Jack Salva, author of Dybbuk’s Asylum What information do I provide in a document whose purpose is to introduce strangers to myself, my writing, and my book? Do I trot out a bundle of facts, figures, and dates? Should I wax philosophical about creative approaches, blather on concerning…
Happy Valentine’s Day! We’ve put together a list of some romantic reads you can swoon over: Shakespeare’s Lady by Alex Schnee For centuries, readers have debated the identity of the mysterious and seductive Dark Lady in William Shakespeare’s sonnets. Emilia Bassano – lady-in-waiting to Queen Elizabeth, patron of the arts and the first woman to…
Get to know a little more about Derek Allen, author of Collection of Dreams, whose book will be released at the end of this month! I think there is no conclusive route of coming into writing. Few actually set out on writing for a career, most drift into it. For me it came about as…
Nick Van Loy, author of Insomnia, sent us a few words on his writing journey. Keep an eye out for his release at the end of this month! “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born, and what my lousy childhood was…
2020: One for the Books What can we say? 2020 has been strange, to say the least. One for the books, both figuratively and literally. Our industry has faced some real hardships, like so many others, and has had to adjust to countless unprecedented events but it has done so admirably and come up fighting!…
BBC’s Chris Jarvis will be reading Chris Tetreault-Blay’s charming Christmas story, ‘It’s a Long Night for Santa‘ on Little Radio UK on Sunday 20th December. It will be broadcast twice, at 6:30pm and 8:30pm. It can be heard by streaming on the station’s website (https://www.littleradio.co.uk) or by downloading their FREE app. So why don’t you snuggle…
Anita Harris reads It’s a Long Night for Santa by Chris Tetreault-Blay Anita Harris has started a new YouTube series of her reading children’s stories by the fire. And the first book she chose to read was our very own Chris Tetreault-Blay’s ‘It’s a Long Night for Santa‘. Why not curl up with the little…
Five Star Reviews Rolling in for ‘A Dazzle of Poplars’ by Alexandra Kendall Reviewers are expressing their love for ‘A Dazzle of Poplars’! “This story had me gripped from start to finish,” writes one reviewer. “She has captured my imagination and held me in rapturous intrigue, this time her words not only conjure up vivid…
When This is All Over … anthology in aid of the Rennie Grove Nurses. Jan Moran Neil, an author who recently signed with us for her haunting new novel, ‘Shakespeare’s Clock’, is putting together an anthology titled ‘When This is All Over’ in conjunction with the Creative Writing group she founded, Creative Ink. Already there…
Dybbuk’s Asylum has been well-received in the Steampunk world! Jack Salva, the author, was interviewed by Phoebe Darqueling for her World Building Blog, the book was advertised in a Steampunk Journal and a Knowledge Reclamators short story was published in Steampunk2020, Edition 4. Described as, “unique” and a “fresh perspective to writing that is much…
From Procrastination to Publication – our author Ash Watson took part in the first ever online LGBT convention @qfxcloudcon. Watch it here: https://www.twitch.tv/videos/661153228 Because Japan 日本ですから, is a truly unabashed account of the less publicised side of life in Tokyo for a ‘foreigner’. The book offers a witty, vivid and honest insight into the daily…
Seems Like Smooth Sailing has hit #7 on the Amazon Charts! It’s a is a coming of age, just flown the nest, tell all comedy memoir about the ups and downs of working on-board a cruise ship as an entertainer. If you have doubts about going on a cruise, then this book might encourage you. If…
Readers are loving A Dazzle of Poplars by Alexandra Kendall. “It literally has it all,” writes one reviewer. “I enjoyed the varied tones of the book, the romantic element was great and wasn’t overly done. My favorite parts were the eerie bits every now and again. I would say this is a great story for anyone…
In a piece written for the Daily Express, Shaun Wallace discusses the #blacklivesmatter protests and his experiences as a barrister. Shaun says heartbreaking protests can spark real change. When I was 15 I had an interview with the careers teacher at my secondary school; the aim was to discuss what I wanted to do when I…
Thank to everyone who entered our short story/poetry competition! We were inundated with really high quality submissions and were hard pushed to choose the winner. So we thought we’d post some of the best here to give them honourable mention. A huge congrats to Kathryn Rendle and Eileen Bourne. We wanted to share their stories…
Joe Shute, reporter for The Telegraph, writes: On a September morning in 1983, Diane Allen reported for duty at Sandhurst. At 18, she was the second youngest member of the first group of women ever accepted into the elite officer training academy. A male commandant delivered an opening address to the 38 raw recruits, their…
Sue Atkins, parenting expert from BBC, ITV, and Disney Junior, interviewed our very own Chris Tetreault-Blay last week for her Parenting Podcast. That interview is now live, so be sure to go check it out! “With modern children’s books often full of toilet humour and zombies, millions of parents are crying out for traditional, moral-rich…
Deborah Haynes, Foreign Affairs Editor at Sky News, interviewed Diane Allen about the imminent release of her book, ‘Forewarned‘. Diane was one of the first women at Sandhurst. Sandhurst was so unprepared there were no boots small enough for women and no beds for them (a recurrent theme). She served in Northern Ireland and Germany in…
There has never been a better time to build your online presence, interact with and grow your fan base, and cultivate your brand. While stores are closed and events are cancelled, people are turning to social media more and more to feel connected. As authors you provide an essential service right now. With the world…
When asked how I go about creating and writing my stories I would so love to say there is a complicated almost algorithmic approach, with mind maps and other intricate terminology and thought processes. Alas, I am more your have an idea whilst cleaning the oven or washing the dishes kind of writer. That is…
How To Overcome Writer’s Block Overcoming writer’s block. This is something that almost all writers deal with at least once in their career – if you’ve never had to deal with this beast, you are the chosen one. Firstly, before we can comprehend how to overcome writer’s block, we need to understand what it really…
In 2019 Cranthorpe Millner accomplished great things as a small, independent publishing house. We’re proud of all our authors and their accomplishments! Tony Estrella: Comatose “Great storytelling and interesting plot” “Mind-twisting suspense from the first page intertwined with both a legitimate and yet futuristic vision of technology in healthcare” “Cinematic quality, visually full of delicious…
Seeing as how we’ve just managed to sign this amazing author for his second book with us we thought now is the perfect time to introduce everyone properly to Chris Tetreault-Blay, author of It’s A Long Way to the Moon! So here he is, in his own words – I guess the one thing I…
Allow us to introduce Tai Le Grice, the author of Smoke and Water, available now! Welcome to my world and please feel free to make yourself at home. I have to admit I’ve never been particularly comfortable talking about myself or, perhaps more accurately, writing about myself. The written word, I’ve always felt, belongs to those with…
Johanna Nield is the author of ‘New Beginnings‘, available from our website, Amazon, Waterstones and Foyles! Johanna Nield is my pseudonym; as a child I promised myself that if I’m ever fortunate enough to have my work published, then that is the name by which my readers will know me. In real life, I’m a…
2019 marks the 100th anniversary of Children’s Book Week! In honour of Children’s Book Week, which runs from 29th April to 5th May, we would like to run a little competition! Do you have a children’s story in you? If so, we’d love to read it. The writer of the best story will receive a…
Tony Estrella was in London at the end of March to promote the release of his new book, Comatose. He capped off the week with a very successful launch party at the Writers Room near Hyde Park, pictured below. It’s safe to say the reviews have been streaming in from all over the world, and…
World Storytelling Day 2019! World Storytelling Day’s roots stem from Sweden in 1991 when they organised an event called Alla berättares dag (All Storytellers Day) on March 20th. The day has since grown and become an international holiday celebrated on the March equinox. The aim of today, is to share your stories with others both…
Shaun Wallace is currently touring New Zealand, promoting Chasing the Dream! Make sure you catch him on the radio, on the telly, and at any of the quiz nights – being arranged in conjunction with Believe it or Not Quiz Nights. Ever watched ‘The Chase’? and thought, “I can take him, these questions are easy!”…
London, UK, 4th February 2019: Radio DJ, journalist and television presenter Mike Read, has signed a publishing agreement for his 40th book to date with Cranthorpe Millner Publishers. It is a comprehensive dive into the fascinating history of London’s Denmark Street, the first of a series entitled, ‘A Thousand Years of a London Street’. In…
This has been an extraordinary year for Cranthorpe Millner culminating in the launch of Shaun Wallace’s book, Chasing the Dream. This stellar event was jointly organised by his agent – CelebAgents, and his chambers – Great James Street with over 200 people attending this invite-only evening under the magnificent dome of The Old Bailey. There was much talk around the…
Photo credit Paul Rogers We were delighted recently to receive a review of Robert Fraser’s book ‘Pascal’s Tears’ from Archbishop Rowan Williams. He writes ‘I read it straight away, and was immensely moved by it: it does so much at different levels – simply evoking a very remarkable relationship and a very remarkable…
How Travel Can Inspire Your Fiction in New Ways By Alex Schnee The first manuscript I finished, Shakespeare’s Lady, was based entirely off research and imagination. I didn’t have the opportunity to visit some of the locations that took place in the novel, and so I had to conjure the relationship between Emilia Lanier Bassano…
Today is Shakespeare Sunday, so what better time to introduce another of our authors to you? Her name is Alex Schnee, and her book is called Shakespeare’s Lady. Keep an eye out for it over the next few months! Alex Schnee is the youngest-ever recipient of the Mount Hermon Most Promising Writer Award. Shakespeare’s Lady is her first…
A huge thank you to everyone who made it to Robert Fraser’s book launch for Pascal’s Tears on Tuesday night at Bookseller Crow on the Hill! I think I speak for everyone when I say it was a huge success, and we’re so grateful to the team at Bookseller Crow for helping us put the…
YOU ARE INVITED TO: Robert Fraser, ‘Pascal’s Tears: or How Not to Murder One’s Wife’ CONVERSATION, READINGS, WINE Bookseller Crow on the Hill, 50 Westow Street, London SE19 3AF Tuesday, November 6th, 2018 7 – 9 pm Admission Free All Welcome In the autumn of 2013 Robert Fraser delivered a talk in the Festival Hall…
We’ve been very busy bees letting you know about our upcoming releases, but behind the scenes we’ve been adding some really wonderful titles to our lists for the forthcoming year! We wanted to take some time to introduce you to a few of them, so to start with, here’s a little something from Jacky Rom,…
What Makes Someone Pick up a Book? We’ve touched on this a couple of times, but it bears repeating: there are so many books in the world, with hundreds more being released every day; what is going to make your book stand out? Something that might help you decide why yours is different, which will…
Five Minutes with Robert Fraser We sent some questions to our soon-to-be-released author, Robert Fraser, to which he kindly and comprehensively responded, to give his readers a better idea of what to expect with his new book. ‘Pascal’s Tears’ is a beautiful and moving ‘opened letter’ about ethical decisions, about life and death, and about…
Social Media: How to use it Effectively Marketing of any kind can be a very daunting concept, and that’s why lots of authors require a good, proactive publisher with the right kind of contacts that the author on their own wouldn’t have access to. But effective marketing still requires a team effort. Even with a…
How to Handle Critics It’s sad but true: the more your book sells and the more success you enjoy, the more open you become to critics. Some of these critics are your friends – no, really – they offer insightful comments and suggestions you hadn’t considered before, and they leave it with you with all…
Top Ten Most Memorable Literary Fathers In honour of Father’s Day, we thought we’d compile a list of our ten most memorable fathers from literature. Do you agree with our list? Let us know if you have any you think should be added! Atticus Finch, To Kill a Mockingbird. The model father, Atticus Finch has…
LGBTQ Authors You Really Should be Reading As it’s Pride Month, we thought it was only right we take a moment and celebrate wonderful LGBTQ authors and their books. After all, back in the day, if you wanted to read LGBTQ literature you had to scour the content, hoping desperately to find the slightest hint…
How to Find Your Motivation Everyone knows that if you want to get better at writing, you need to write. But how many blog posts and ‘motivational’ posts are there in the world screaming at you: write every day! At the same time every day! Do it! Do these just leave you feeling like a…
How do you Engage more Readers? There may be no better opportunity than right now to be an author – the digital age has levelled the playing field and there are now more options than ever to get your work out there and get it noticed. Every day, more and more authors are realising their dream of having…
If You Write to Make Money: You’re Doing it Wrong If you’re anything like me (and most of the author population), you grew up with fantastical notions that you’ll finish your opus, send it to a few publishers, and in a few months one of them is bound to recognise your literary genius and send…
ITV 1 The Chase’s Shaun Wallace, aka The Dark Destroyer and Legal Eagle, signs book deal with Cranthorpe Millner Publishers for his autobiography, Chasing the Dream. London, UK, 15th March 2018: Well-known Chaser Shaun Wallace, continues to chase the dream and signs a book deal with independent publishers London based Cranthorpe Millner. His autobiography is the result of many…
I am sure anyone reading this will have heard of the Time’s Up movement. Founded in January 2018 by a handful of Hollywood celebrities, it has now raised over $20 million for its legal defence. It is a ground-breaking movement created by a group of individuals who are changing history by changing legislation. It is…
Despite the well-worn saying that everyone has a novel in them, this is a huge achievement. You’ve written a novel, you kept with it, and now here it is. You pushed through the self-doubt and the writer’s block, and you have your opus, the hard-earned product of your blood, sweat and tears. First, take a…