Reading recommendation | Guy Portman's Blog

Food, Feasting, Fire & Free Fiction.

Nov 20 2020

We are in the midst of Lockdown #2 here in the UK and fun is in short supply. It’s wet, miserable and gets dark really early. Fortunately, there is still pleasure to be found. It had been a long time since I had scampi and chips.

Here is a Tesco-originating, Italian-themed antipasto I assembled earlier.

News of the birdfeeder has spread like wildfire. There are often multiple tits on the feeder at any given time with more waiting in the wings.

I’ll probably only fill it once a week. Otherwise it is going to become a financial burden.

After weeks of mild weather, there has been a cold spell. It was 1°C this morning.

The first fire of the season.

Presently, there is a KDP free day promotion running for my satirical offering – Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future. It is the only one of my books exclusive to Amazon. The five day campaign ends tomorrow (Saturday).

1,302 Amazon users downloaded Tomorrow’s World yesterday and it reached #37 Free in Kindle Store in Canada this lunchtime. Whether any of this means anything, only time will tell. Regardless, I am pleased that the book appeals enough for people to download despite the fact that it hasn’t got many reviews. Now I need them to read it.

Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU

Have a good weekend.

The Gazebo – Release Imminent.

Aug 28 2020

My seventh book, The Gazebo, will be unleashed on the world next Tuesday (September 1st).

This darkly humorous, quick read (42k words) will be available in eBook and paperback form from all major retailers. I toyed with the idea of just opting for Amazon initially due to their potential incentives, but for better or worse decided against it in the end.

For a limited time only, The Gazebo (eBook) will be only 99p/99c. After a week or so a dollar/pound will likely be added to the price.

If you missed it, here is the back matter:

Click here to see The Gazebo on Goodreads.

Well, best be getting back to writing the next one. Have a good (extended if in UK) weekend.

A Gazebo, A Reading Recommendation, and Lockdown Haircuts.

Jun 12 2020

I finally had enough of waiting for hairdressers to reopen and shaved my head. You’ll have to take my word for it; it looks bad.

Of late, it has been unusually dry in the South of England. The heavens have just opened however. My new, threadbare lawn could certainly do with some water.

Having a dog is useful, in that he/she can help out when one has too much food in stock. There was no way I was going to be able to eat a whole melon on my own.

Here is my dog Trigga taking his siesta.

I imagine some of you are getting quite a bit of reading done during Lockdown. My current read is:

I am very impressed with this female character driven novel, and I look forward to reviewing it in the review section of my blog in due course.

As mentioned previously, I have been getting a lot of writing done during Lockdown.

My seventh book is currently with beta readers. The Gazebo is a tautly written, darkly humorous quick read, consisting of two stories.

Story One: British middle-aged lust threatens to go horribly wrong in a tale featuring an unusual fetish and a gazebo.

Story Two: When a wealthy English entrepreneur falls for a Transylvanian temptress, his life rapidly spirals out of control.

I look forward to revealing more soon. Have a good weekend.

Click here to view My Goodreads Author Page.

Lockdown: Light At The End Of The Tunnel.

May 08 2020

The news here in the UK is that the lockdown is poised to be relaxed soon. What form this will take, only time will tell. Other European countries are beginning to return to normal, or at least a new normal, so it’s inevitable we’ll follow suit now new cases of Covid-19 are falling fast.

What are you most looking forward to doing when lockdown ends? For me – getting a haircut.

And what am I least looking forward to? The inevitable increase in taxes.

This week I’ve been catching up with my book reviews for the books I’ve read this year. The six new reviews will be making an appearance on my blog soon. If you haven’t already, you might be interested in the 165 reviews I’ve written (see My Reviews section). I’ve also been jogging and weight training. Here is my dog waiting for me to catch up on a run in the woods.

And here’s an inquisitive deer looking into my garden.

I’ve been drinking Corona. Couldn’t resist Tesco’s ten quid box offer of the stuff. If there’s a better warm weather beer out there, I am yet to try it.

Yesterday, I was pleased to see a duck on the tiny pond I recently dug out in my garden.

Lockdown is obviously proving pretty trying for people, particularly those stuck in small apartments in the city, and I hope things improve for them soon. As for me, the lockdown hasn’t made much difference to my life thus far. What would I have been doing differently anyway? Not much. But knowing that others are also stuck at home makes me feel better. Selfish perhaps; but what is there in this world if not by comparison.

Visitors have been pouring into my blog of late. What does this mean? Not a lot. They are coming to read my articles and reviews of books, and have no interest in me, my mailing list, or the six books I’ve written. C’est la vie; better that than nothing I suppose. I’m used to obscurity after a lifetime of it. Perhaps one of these days I’ll monetise this blog. Maybe sign up for an affiliate program with book retailers. Until then hope springs eternal. Have a good weekend. Keep well and stay safe.

ABOUT ME PAGE

Under Lockdown And Looking For Something To Do?

Apr 17 2020

If the answer to the headline is yes, I have a solution for you, albeit a temporary one. My book Tomorrow’s World: Darkly Humorous Tales From The Future is FREE on Amazon (Today & Tomorrow).

The future may not be bright but it’s hilarious.

(40,251 words/2.5 hours)

Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU

‘The book will certainly have you turning the pages to see what happens next’ – The Daily Squib

‘… in Tomorrow’s World Guy has seen the writing on the wall. And it’s in emojis’ – Adam Riley (comedian)

Like all great visionary satires, the book takes our current foibles and obsessions to their logical, gruesome and absurd conclusions. And it’ll make you laugh out loud along the way.

‘I binge watched Black Mirror a while back and that show was ‘Dark Humour’ very much in the same vein’ – Goodreads Reviewer

Links: Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA, Amazon AU

Let’s hope this Covid-19 induced lockdown blows over soon and everything returns to normal. Normal might not have been great but it beats this. Take care and stay safe.

Launch of Golgotha

Dec 06 2019

Golgotha had its launch earlier this week. The reviews for my darkly humorous crime novel have been glowing so far. There are already eight on Goodreads, and they are starting to filter through to Amazon too. If you like dark humour, you’ll love Golgotha.

Here are some of the retailer links (eBook & paperback): Amazon UK, Amazon US, Amazon Ca, Kobo UK, & Goodreads

And here is a reminder about the book.

You can’t keep a good sociopath down.

Dyson Devereux is languishing in prison awaiting trial for murder. Languishing wouldn’t be so bad were it not for the irksome inmates, crowded conditions and distinct lack of haute cuisine.

Only Alegra, his sometime paramour and frequent visitor, shares his desire to see him released. The problem is, she wants Dyson freed so they can start a new life together. But all Dyson desires is to get back home to his treasured mementos.

As judgement day draws ever closer, can Dyson keep up appearances long enough to win his freedom? And at what cost? For hell hath no fury like a sociopath scorned.

Golgotha is a funny, fast-paced crime comedy novel, boasting a sardonic and sinister sociopath at its helm.

“Sociopathic comedy at its best” — Adam Riley, Comedian

“Deeply dark and irresistibly funny. If you like dark humour, you’ll love watching Dyson unravel” — Sandra Seymour, Author

‘A devilishly wry read …’ – Goodreads Reviewer

‘A brilliant unpredictable end’ – Goodreads Reviewer

Golgotha is the final instalment in the Necropolis Trilogy (#1 Necropolis & #2 Sepultura). As is the case with its predecessors, Golgotha can be read as a standalone novel.

Here is a short (467 word) extract, which I feel encapsulates the book’s dark tone. Click here to read it. Have a great weekend.

Necropolis Is On Sale – 99p/99c

Nov 22 2019

In the build up to the release of Golgotha (Dec. 03) and for a limited time (Today & Tomorrow), Necropolis is only 99p/99c (usual price: £2.99/$3.39). Available at all major retailers – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo & all the others. As is the case with the further instalments in my black comedy trilogy (#2 Sepultura & #3 Golgotha) #1 Necropolis can be read as a standalone novel.

What is a sociopath to do?

Dyson Devereux’s life appears to be on track. He has a way with the ladies, impeccable good taste, and as the recently promoted head of Burials and Cemeteries at Newton Borough Council, a job that demands request.

But Dyson is becoming annoyed with his drug-addled girlfriend’s decline, fed up with his banal work colleagues, and incensed by Newton New Cemetery’s gaudy memorial structures.

When Dyson suspects someone of having an even darker past than him, he has a chance for redemption. Will he seize it, or is his destiny to be a life of toil in Burials and Cemeteries?

Brutal, bleak and darkly comical, Necropolis is a savage indictment of the politically correct, health and safety obsessed public sector.

‘… a magnificent foray into the mind of a sociopath’ – DLS Reviews

‘The book is full of razor-sharp satire’ – Crime Fiction Lover

400+ Ratings on Goodreads

Grab your copy today and discover where it all began for your favourite sociopath, Dyson Devereux. Here are some of the retailer links – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Barnes & Noble, Kobo. Have a good weekend.

Tag - Reading recommendation

Food, Feasting, Fire & Free Fiction.

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The Gazebo – Release Imminent.

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A Gazebo, A Reading Recommendation, and Lockdown Haircuts.

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Lockdown: Light At The End Of The Tunnel.

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Under Lockdown And Looking For Something To Do?

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Launch of Golgotha

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Necropolis Is On Sale – 99p/99c

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Tag - Reading recommendation

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