Jilly Paddock

[Dave Brzeski]

I'm having to start this thread for Jilly, as it looks like the free download period will have run out before admin get around to approving her login/password.

Her first kindle ebook is currently free for just today, after which it reverts to the heady sum of 99c/77p.

No Earthly Shore by Jilly Paddock

On Yemitzov Five live sea-quilts – mats of greyish tissue that undulate through the shallow coastal waters, some as large as two metres square, sans eyes, ears, legs and teeth, in fact sans most of the things considered as basic essentials to life. Thirty years ago, the survey team said they were dumb animals. Now three squilts save a girl from drowning and Earth must send an expedition to investigate the claims that the beasts are sentient.
Dr Zuzana Aaron-Jones, a marine biologist, is recruited to the team. She’s befriended by the enigmatic Mooney, and together they try and prove that squilts are intelligent. If they’re right, the colonists must leave their beautiful world, so it would be easier if they were wrong.
Boodie Nantucket, the rescued girl, is sure that squilts are smart and telepathic as well. Nobody believes her - she’s just a kid.
And what about the squilts? What are their plans for Zuzana and Mooney, not to mention all of the colonists? Just how dangerous can giant sea-slugs be?



Currently four reviews on amazon.co.uk, and all five stars.
We'd appreciate any more reviews, tags or likes.

UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/No-Earthly-Shore-ebook/dp/B006XCVC1A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326886771&sr=1-1

US link: http://www.amazon.com/No-Earthly-Shore-ebook/dp/B006XCVC1A/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1326886771&sr=1-1

We're very interested in any cover artists who work very, very cheap. LOL

[Dave Brzeski]

I feel I should mention, just in case anyone is thinking, "Oh no. Not another self-published writer!" that Jilly has, in fact had a couple of short stories published in magazines, way back in the 90s. She was also taken on by Dorothy Lumley of the Dorian Literary Agency, but sadly, despite Dot's best efforts she merely built a large collection of rejections along the lines of, "I really, really like this book, it's very good, but I'm sorry we just don't have a market for new science fiction authors." This was somewhat frustrating & what with magazines folding all around us, Jilly was discouraged & pretty much gave up for many years.

Now she's taken early retirement from her job (before the NHS completely collapses & leaves her with no pension at all) she has decided to get back into writing, in the hope that the digital revolution will have more room for authors who don't happen to be writing copies of whatever sold millions last month.
 

[CarolineC]

... in the hope that the digital revolution will have more room for authors who don't happen to be writing copies of whatever sold millions last month.
 

That's a really good point, David. I wish her all the luck in the world! 

[Rolnikov]

Nothing wrong with being self-published. Some of the greatest novels in history were self-published. 

I just wish some people wouldn't use being self-published (or equally, being published by very tiny presses) as an excuse for scuzzy behaviour, rubbish proofreading, relentless self-promotion, harassing reviewers, etc. It makes us all look bad by association, and closes doors that might once have been half-open.

For example, I'm thinking there of all the bloggers who now refuse self-published titles, having had bad experiences with them.

[Jilly Paddock]

Can now get on the Forum myself, so hello all!
No Earthly Shore did well in its three day free promotion, collecting over 270 downloads. It's still good value at 99 cents or about 77p. I'll be publishing more on Kindle over the next few months, starting with another novella, which are difficult to place in traditional publishing. I do make every effort to weed out all typos and mistakes, but sometimes they get through, for which I can only apologise and correct if they're brought to my attention.

[Jilly Paddock]

Just out on Kindle, an S-F detective novella, the first using a recurring pair of characters, Afton and Jerome. Very reasonably priced at 99 cents, but look out for future free promotions, as I'm dabbling in the waters of Kindle Select!

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B007232XOY
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007232XOY

[Dave Brzeski]

Here's the cover.



It's a bit better than the last one, I think you'll agree.

[Jilly Paddock]

Both books are currently FREE on Amazon, No Earthly Shore just for today and Spook/Spirit/Stone for two days. NES has a new cover, designed by Dave. I liked the slimy green seaweedy one (done by yours truly) but Dave thought it looked too amateurish.

[Phillip Spencer]

Both books are currently FREE on Amazon, No Earthly Shore just for today and Spook/Spirit/Stone for two days.

Thanks for the tip... just downloaded them to my kindle and looking forward to reading them.
Cheers
Phillip

[Phillip Spencer]

Hi Jilly,

I have now read both "No Earthly Shore" and "The Spook...".  Thoroughly enjoyed them both and look forward to seeing more of your work on the Kindle. Do you have more stories ready to go out?

As I was lucky enough to benefit from the free download, I hope I have "paid" for them with reviews on Amazon. I also posted about your work on my blog: http://www.nightspore.co.uk/?p=80.

Good luck with your writing (and publishing through Kindle).

Cheers
Phillip

[Jilly Paddock]

Thanks for your kind reviews, Phillip. 
I have an S-F novel, To Die A Stranger, which will go to Kindle in a few weeks, which tells more about the psionic agent-pairs or "spooks". I'm also going to upload two short stories that made it into small press magazines in the early 90s, The Dragon, Fly, which was in Far Point, and Playing Possum, which was in Skeleton Crew.

[Phillip Spencer]

I have an S-F novel, To Die A Stranger, which will go to Kindle in a few weeks, which tells more about the psionic agent-pairs or "spooks".

Great news! I'll keep my eyes open for it. I look forward to learning more about the agent-pairs, which were an intriguing idea in "Spook".
I hope there is more from Afton & Jerome soon too. Keep writing... 
Phillip

[Dave Brzeski]

To celebrate the fact that Jilly's first full-length novel is almost ready for release, we're making her most recent novella FREE for Friday & Saturday.
It's a science fiction/crime crossover.
We could really use some more reviews on this one people!
UK link...
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Spook-Spirit-Stone-ebook/dp/B007232XOY/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2

US link...
http://www.amazon.com/Spook-Spirit-Stone-ebook/dp/B007232XOY/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_2

[Dave Brzeski]

At long last Jilly Paddock's first full-length science fiction novel, 'To Die A Stranger',  is available on kindle. This is the first in the Anna/Zenni series.
UK link: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Die-Stranger-Jilly-Paddock-ebook/dp/B00HXPEO7U/ref=la_B006XQQD06_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1447502328&sr=1-3
US link: http://www.amazon.com/Die-Stranger-Jilly-Paddock-ebook/dp/B00HXPEO7U/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1447502364&sr=1-1

[stewartguitar]

I just read No Earthly Shore and sent in a glowing review for the BFS website.  Excellent, so I've baggsied two more.