…Author

All my published books are available on Amazon (US or click here for the UK store), with some available via SmashwordsBarnes & Noble, iTunes Bookstore (US or click here for the UK store) and Kobo. They’re also mentioned on ereaderiq. More details of each book can be found on their own pages within the drop-down ‘Books – mine’ menu buttons.

Novels:
  • My latest novel, OH, HENRY, is the first in my Henry Houdini (talking) dog detective series.
  • Henry, a talking nineteen-month-old Jack Russell, has been given the ability to talk and now they can’t shut him up! Family Guy’s Brian with just as much attitude but better sleuthing skills.
  • Henry is part of a small team researching a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. He is the target of several dognappers but can he use his wit or guile to outwit them and, with the help of laboratory assistant Gwynne, find the proof needed to convict the criminals. Thus begins a series of adventures for the unlikely pair. This is Family Guy’s Brian meets Poirot meets My Fair Lady.
  • You can read the reviews on Goodreads here.
  • More details over on my website.

***

  • I wrote HITMAN SAM, a British comic crime, in 2008 and over the years, edited it, left it to marinate, re-edited it, put it back and finally this year (2016), I edited it again and sent it to my beta readers who were kind enough to give me their feedback which led to more alterations and finally, on November 2nd, it was published!
  • Tagline: Newly-redundant Sam is looking for a new adventure – a cryptic advert gives him that and more.
  • Blurb: Newly-redundant software designer Sam Simpson is looking for a new adventure – a cryptic advert in his local paper gives him that, and more. With two women vying for his affection, going behind their backs isn’t the smartest things he’s ever done.
  • It is available for 99c / 99p (or the equivalent in your country) via http://mybook.to/HitmanSam (links to Amazon in your country) or directly via Amazon.co.uk, Amazon.com etc.
  • More details on my website.

 

  • The second book I wrote, back in 2009, was AFTER JESSICA, a British crime mystery, published in October 2016.
  • Tagline: Wind up his late sister’s affairs, Simon gets more than he bargains for.
  • Blurb: Jessica is an ordinary girl who comes across extraordinary circumstances and pays for them with her life. As well as identifying her body, her brother Simon then has to wind up her affairs but gets more than he bargains for. Who is Alexis, and why are Veronica and Daniel searching for her? Why is there a roll of cash in Jessica’s house, and what’s the connection between Simon’s sister and Alexis?
  • You can download this novella via http://mybook.to/AfterJessica (which links to the Amazon page in your country) or directly from Amazon.co.uk or Amazon.com etc.
  • More details on my website

 

  • My third novel The Serial Dater’s Shopping List was published in July 2018 by Bombshell Books and is available from Amazon.co.uk and Amazon.com (change the .co.uk for your country’s code).
  • You can watch the YouTube trailer here or below.
  • Given a new challenge, technology journalist Isobel realises that her ‘wants’ list and reality aren’t always on the same page.
  • Tagline: 31 men in 31 days what could possibly go wrong?
  • Short blurb: Given the challenge of dating 31 men in 31 days by boss William, technology journalist Isobel soon realises that her list of ‘wants’ and the reality of the men she meets are eons apart. Will she meet the man of her dreams or does the mix of the weird and wonderful instil in her that she’s destined to be single?
  • Long blurb: Isobel MacFarlane is a recently-turned-40 journalist who usually writes a technology column for a newspaper based in Northampton, England, but her somewhat-intimidating boss, William, has set her the task of meeting 31 men, via a local internet dating site, all within a month. Having an active, though fruitless, social life with her friend and ‘Health & Beauty’ colleague Donna, she knows what she wants in a man, so creates a shopping list of dos and don’ts, and starts ticking them off as she meets Mr Could Be Right Except For, Mr Not Bad, Mr Oh My Goodness and Mr Oh So Very Wrong. Follow the ups (there are a few) and downs (there are many) of the dating process and intertwined with her experiences, get to know her colleague and family, including her niece Lola who, apart from being an amazing storyteller, can eat ambidextrously whilst wearing a Princess glove puppet on her right hand, and Baby, William’s non-too-healthy African Grey parrot.
  • It is currently only available second-hand (via Amazon) because it’s been picked up by Bombshell Books, an imprint of Bloodhound Books! It’ll be published on Thursday 12th July 2018, available online and from all good bookshops (so do support your local bookshop and ask for your copy). 🙂
  • You can watch the YouTube trailer of the original first chapter here or below.
  • More details on my website.
  • The trailer for The Serial Dater’s Shopping List…
  • And a super reading of part of chapter one…

 

  • the-little-parcel-thumbLate in 2015, I spearheaded a collaborative novella written by some of my winter 2015 Intermediate class creative writing students. You can read more about this here, and/or download it for free on Smashwords. Then in summer 2016, we (some of the same students, some new) did it all over again and that is also available for free on Smashwords.
  • I have written seven other novels (various shades of crime – not quite fifty, but I’m working on it) and am working on getting them edited (with help, of course) and either self-published or to agents in the next few months…
*
Short Story Collections:
Story A Day May (just $0.99 / £0.77 each)

beach 101544 cover small beach a 167333 small

5pm Fictions (just $0.99 / £0.77 each)

Volume 1  Fifty 5pm Fictions (Vol 3) cover small  Fifty 5pm Fictions (Vol 4) cover small  Fifty 5pm Fictions (vol 5) small

Editing Fiction ~ A Writer’s Guide

  • Editing Fiction FinalMy latest book (May 2017) is an editing guide for anyone writing fiction, although it will help any kind of writer. The summary is: How to polish your novels and short stories – a comprehensive guide including a 170+ tips checklist. You can read more on my website.
Writing guides

Writer's Block Worksbooks 1 & 2

 

eShorts (free)

FTF - green (final)  The Dark Side (final)  TTG (small)

46 thoughts on “…Author

  1. Rosanne Dingli says:

    COMMENTS LEFT REGARDING EARLY DRAFT COVERS:
    I like the landscape but it looks more like a novel based in the country. Perhaps an object that signifies time, May, or stories should be included. Also – change the font. That’s a font so widely used (because it’s nice and legible) that most high school projects are written in it. You need something different. Download an unusual font to look more professional.

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  2. Marla Madison says:

    I think the Writer’s block workbook is a great idea. How about a small pic of some child’s ABC blocks in one corner? Is it serious or humorous? Maybe both. That might make a difference. Also for the story a day book. Could use something cheerful on the cover, how about a daisy or dandelion chain? With a sunny day in the background.

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    • morgenbailey says:

      Thank you Marla. It’s so funny you should say that because draft 2 cover for that book had a beautiful sunny day (which I really liked and taken on a Norfolk beach on my birthday mid-August) but I was overruled (rightly so, on reflection) by my editor, and others, because it’s part-workbook (the “author’s challenge” bit) part-stories (the whole stories but I’m sure you know what I mean). I love the picture so I’ll definitely be using it elsewhere. I’ve been writing for several years so there are plenty more books to come. 🙂

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  3. Rosanne Dingli says:

    OMG – great improvement. Yes – the blue works, and the fonts are a whole heap better. I am so flattered you value my opinion! I like the cyclone fence wire – great idea. Good luck with these.

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  4. vonniewinslowcrist says:

    Covers should help a book stand out from others sitting beside it on a shelf or table. I’m worried that Writer’s Block, April’s Fool, and the Dark Side have a visual “sameness.” Story a Day and Feeding the Father are also visually similar – perhaps choose a different background color for one of them. Personally, I’d make the Story a Day with the May reference a field of grass (maybe even “up” the green via altering it with the computer). Green suggests newness and growth – not a bad idea for a book that encourages growth as a writer.

    I’d reduce the calendar image on Writer’s Block slightly, and add a color border (not too wide, just enough so when scanned and used on blog or review sites it “stands out” from the background and nearby type. This will also make the book more visually enticing on a webpage or book counter.

    Story content (which I don’t know) should suggest more visually enticing images for Dark Side & April’s Fool. You mention a farmer’s wife in April’s Fool – that gives you all sorts of images to work with.

    Good luck with this ambitious publication schedule. I know it’s hard work, but it’s quite rewarding when readers get back to you who’ve enjoyed your writing.

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  5. morgenbailey says:

    Uh oh, back to the drawing board. 😦 Thanks Vonnie. I’ve just added the original background for Story a Day May which I liked but was felt too much like a country novel. SADM is a difficult one because it’s part-stories / part-workbook (saying what the prompt was and why I wrote what I wrote etc). I agree about the FTF background so will change the colour forthwith. 🙂

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  6. vonniewinslowcrist says:

    I like the changes you’ve made. It will be interesting to hear what others think. 🙂 Now, SADM and FTF don’t look “the same” – but have both color and image to separate them. I ‘d still think about a thin color “border” of some sort around Writers Block calendar image (but not pink, since it’ll look too much like AF). Again – best wishes for success with the books.

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  7. Abbie Lipschutz says:

    Cover of my published Memoir, “Child of the 20th Century, Growing up Jewish in Holland, Belgium, Palestine, Israel, America. And Texas”
    Shows a Picture of myself at 18 months in Dutch fisherman’s outfit with wooden shoes (klompen) seductive for both Jewish and Goyish mothers, which added to its best-seller status.
    Inquire at my website, Abbielipschutz.com

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