I'd heard so many good things about The Puppet Master that when author Abigail Osborne asked me if I'd like to read and review it for her to go alongside a guest post I just had to accept.
It's quite obvious from the outset that Billie has had a troubled past, she keeps herself to herself, sticks to her own routine and tries to avoid new people, so when Adam asks to share her table in her safehaven of a bookshop she's thrown into turmoil. What Billie doesn't know is, although Adam is a stranger to her he knows exactly who she is and he's out to expose her.
When Adam seemingly accidentally bumps into Bille again she can feel her defences wavering but she's determined not to let him in no matter what but Adam's not about to give up on her anytime soon.
What neither of them know is that they have something, or rather someone, in common and they both would have been better off not knowing him at all.
For a debut novel, this is a first-rate psychological thriller. The story flows seamlessly and I really felt for Billie and Adam as their stories unfolded. When I discovered just how Eric was connected to them both and exactly what he'd been up to I was horrified. I'd had an inkling of what was coming but when I actually read the words and had my suspicions confirmed I was still shocked.
Abigail has taken a very delicate and often taboo subject and sensitively written a superbly believable story about it. Trust me when I say that this is an author who is definitely one to watch!
If you want to find out for yourself just how amazing The Puppet Master is then you can get your hands on a copy here.
Don't click away just yet though as I'm thrilled to have Abigail herself here on The Hippo today to talk about what's she's learned since self-publishing her debut novel.
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| Photo courtesy of Abigail Osborne |
Abbie was born
in the Lake District and has moved all around the UK since then until she met
her husband at University. She lives with him and their two crazy cats in the
West Midlands. She is a Needs Assessor for students with disabilities and has
her own book reviewing blog called Many Books, Many Lives. Even though she did
English Literature at University it wasn’t until she started reviewing books
that she realised how much she loved to write. The Puppet Master is her debut
novel but it certainly won’t be her last.
10
Things I have learned since writing The Puppet Master
1. I
have learned that I am actually good at something. The responses I’ve had to my
book have filled me with such confidence. Since I finished University four
years ago, I’ve been wandering around lost. I didn’t know what I wanted to do
and what I might be good at. Writing this book has given me a sense of
direction, and I know now what I can do when I put my mind to it.
2. I
have learned that Self-Publishing is very hard. I didn’t have the confidence at
the time to submit to publishers, and so I thought that self-publishing was the
easiest thing for me to do. It really wasn’t. I can be proud that I’ve done it
myself but it is a constant struggle every day as I can write but I am not good
at Marketing. This side of writing a book is very hard. But I’m learning each
day how to do it.
3. I
have also learned that there is a certain stigma around people that
self-publish. It is near on impossible to get your books in Bookshops. Because
anyone that wants to write and publish a book can, it is very hard to be a big
success when you are an ‘indie.' Luckily, I haven’t met many people that have
tarred me with this brush, and most people I have met have given my book the
time they would give to a ‘traditionally’ published book.
4. I
have learned that the book reviewing community is awesome. For me, publishing
this book has been putting my inner most thoughts and feelings out into the
world. But it hasn’t been as hard as I thought because of the book reviewing
bloggers that have supported me in doing this.
5.I
have learned that writing is addictive. I’ve unlocked something in me that
makes everything I see material for my next story. I am always stopping the car
to take pictures of scenery I want to include in my next book.
6.I
have learned that I need to be alone to write. I can’t do it when anyone is
near me.
7.I
have learned that when someone says ‘I have read your book’ it is guaranteed to
make me smile and want to jump for joy.
8. I
have learned that I couldn’t have published my book without the support and
love of my friends and family, but especially my husband.
.
9. I
have learned that it is very hard to make the money back that you invest in
writing a book. So you shouldn’t write one book and expect to make your money
back. It is entirely luck based as to what will take off and sell lots of
copies. So writing a book for mercenary reasons will lead to disappointment.
That’s just my opinion, though. I wrote my book for the sense of achievement,
to see if this was something I could be good at. Hopefully, one day I’ll get a
return on my investment. But the self-confidence I have gained is the best
thing that could have happened.
10. I
have learned that writing is what I will be doing for as long as I can. It can
be challenging because sometimes it is hard to keep motivated and keep
confident. But I relish the challenge, and it is more rewarding than I could
have possibly imagined.
I for one hope that Abbie writes more as I can't wait to hear what other stories she's got to share!
If you'd like to connect with Abbie you can use the links below:
Twitter (author)
Twitter (blog)
I'd like to say a big thank you to Abbie for stopping by today and for the review copy of The Puppet Master, it's been an absolute pleasure 😉
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