Keep a notebook handy.

As a writer, one of the many good habits I have is to keep a notebook handy for those flashes of inspiration that can come at any moment. You might be washing the dishes, brushing your teeth or watching some TV, but something will suddenly pop into your head about your writing and it is essential that you write it down immediately.

It could be anything from a new idea for a story or a book or maybe a spark of a new idea to include in your current work or as happened to me recently, the key idea to a book that has already been written and will make the screenplay work in a way that I hadn’t previously been able to fathom.

It is so important to write these ideas down straight away and as soon as you can, get to your computer and write a new note expanding on the thought and what your immediate impression of the idea are.

So, keep that notebook handy you never know when you will have a brilliant idea for something new, or even a fix for that longstanding issue that has been bugging you for a while.

#amwriting #notebookideas #creativity #inspiration

My new course on managing Asperger’s Syndrome at work is available tomorrow.

I am delighted to announce that my 7 steps program on ways to manage, support and integrate people with Asperger’s Syndrome at work will be available tomorrow.

I am really excited about getting this course to the market place and helping employers do better with their Asperger’s staff.

The course builds on my experiences as a geologist in the construction industry and provides good management practices and strategies that will help the employer get the best out of their staff who have Asperger’s Syndrome in a sympathetic and harmonious manner.

Here is the link to the course, http://bit.ly/3qovHDG

#askandrew #aspergers #employment #diversityandinclusion

New year and all that!

Well, we made it to the end of 2020 and I’m sure we are all hoping for a better 2021. But, maybe we are going to be in this lockdown situation for a lot longer than we would like.

So, what shape is our writing in? Have you abandoned your writing projects, or like many with the new found time, have to made great stride and progress in your work?

It is a difficult thing to do, because for some, I would suspect there is an element of guilt about being able to write when the uncertainty and chaos rages all around us. But, this is the time that we should be using to make progress on that piece of work, or maybe even revisit one from a while ago and hone it.

There are many things we can be doing to make our writing sharper and more appealing, so take this time and knuckle down to the graft of writing to make good progress in what you are doing.

This “free time” might never come again, so use it wisely and i hope that not all of you write a Covid dystopian novel. I think by the end of this year there will be plenty of those on the shelves. Write something different and write it well.

#amwriting #progress

Teamwork does the job

In Jack Janson and the Storm Caller, Jack is faced with a problem. A large boulder has blocked Winfred’s bed space for years, and the giant, even with his great strength cannot shift it.

But, Jack takes a close look and comes up with a masterful plan, but it will need teamwork and coordination from him, Winfred and Sarah-Jane.

Find out what happens in Jack Janson and the Storm Caller.

Here is how you can get your copy,

Paperback

eBook

#jackjanson #stormcaller #magic #magical #giants #youngadult #fantasy #teamwork

The magic begins.

Jack is unloved at home and bullied at school, there is nowhere he can go to be accepted until the last day at school. Having been threatened by the school bully and growled at by his parents, he gets some good news for a change.

His gran has invited him to come and spend the summer holiday with her in Cornwall and Jack jumps at the chance. The chance to be away from all the agro of his home life is a no brainer and he soon finds himself in her wonderful cottage with its awesome garden and views over the sea.

It’s the perfect place to be and he and his gran bond over the simple things in life, like baking, her garden and as he gains in confidence, her herb garden. Then, one day, she takes him to a cave at the bottom of the garden and there, in the cold dark corner a big presence looms over him and Jack meets the giant, Winfred Storm Caller for the first time.

Awestruck, Jack soon befriends the giant and they get up to amazing adventures where Jack discovers giant magic. But that, as they say, is another story entirely.

Find out what Jack gets up to in Jack Janson and the Storm Caller now available as an ebook and paperback and is getting rave reviews on Amazon.

Here is how you can get your copy,

Paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0954733673

eBook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XY5WKJ2

#JackJanson #stormcaller #fantasy #youngadult #magic #magical #crossover #teens

Another great 5 star review for Jack Janson and the Storm Caller.

I am delighted to share with you the latest Amazon 5 star review for Jack Janson and the Storm Caller.

Andrew Steed writes,

“An enchanting read,

This is an enchanting YA book which will especially thrill a younger audience. And as an older reader, I found Jack Janson & the Storm Caller to be a quick read and very enjoyable. The Giant is a delight and I loved the relationship between Jack and his Gran. Well done Andrew!”

Here is how you can get your copy,

Paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0954733673

eBook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XY5WKJ2

#jackjanson #stormcaller #fantasy #youngadult #crossover #magic #magical #giants #relationships

Another 5 star review on Amazon for Jack Janson and the Storm Caller.

I am delighted to share with you the newest 5 star review on Amazon for my latest book, Jack Janson and the Storm Caller.

Bernie says,

“The opening chapter of this book made me wonder if it was for me, but by the end of the second I could not put it down. Marsh has created totally convincing characters in a setting which is so far fetched that you just have to read on to see what happens next. I am really looking forward to the next book in the series.”

Thanks for your review Bernie, much appreciated.

Here is how you can get your copy,

Paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0954733673

eBook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XY5WKJ2

#jackjanson #stormcaller #magic #magical #youngadult #crossover #fantasy

See my interview on North Lanarkshire Live where we talk writing, Asperger’s Syndrome and lockdown.

Last week I had a great interview with Martin Greechan from North Lanarkshire Live and we talked about all sorts of interesting things, including my writing, Asperger’s Syndrome and lockdown.

If would would like to watch the show again, please use this link, https://bit.ly/3d6bpbV

Take care and stay safe.

 

The opening page of Jack Janson and the Storm Caller

Hi everyone, I thought I would share with you the first page of Jack Janson and the Storm Caller to give you a flavour of the book.

Chapter 1

The Last Day At School

Jack looked over the fence at Sarah-Jane and rubbed his arm from where Lex had him pinned up against the wall at lunchtime.

“You show yourself here tomorrow and you’re dead Janson, got it?” Lex had snarled at him, his foul breath almost making him baulk. Lex’s mates hovered behind him like hyenas closing in on their prey.

Thinking back to that moment, he kicked the ball hard at the fence making next door’s cat jump and hiss back at him with a venomous glare. Jack couldn’t speak cat but was certain he knew that look. He was a marked man. ‘Just add yourself to the list,’ he thought. He had to think of something and come up with it fast.

“Jack,” his mother called from the kitchen doorway. “Come on in for dinner.”

It was Thursday so that would make it his favourite dinner, fish fingers and chips. He smiled at Sarah-Jane and gave her a quick wave, but with his body shielding his arm so that his mother couldn’t see.

“Got to go,” he mouthed and Sarah-Jane blew him a kiss.

“Coming, Mum!” He felt his face redden.

“Don’t forget to wash your hands.”

“I know the drill. I’ll be there in a minute,” he called.

“If it’s cold by the time you’ve finished messing about, don’t blame me.”

He ignored the tone of her last remark and by the time he arrived downstairs his dinner was on the table.

“So, what was the penultimate day at school like then?” her tone more neutral now.

“The usual. The teachers are stressed out of their nuts, kids are hyper and it’s a free-for-all. Standard day. A three point four I’d say. There’ll be a few teachers in the pub tomorrow lunchtime I can tell you.”

“Jack!”

“Oh come on Mum you know the score. It’s the last day before the break and the teachers are desperate to get the hell out of there. Could be up to a seven or a seven point five tomorrow. That’s a big number in anyone’s book,” he smiled back, squeezing his favourite ketchup over his chips.

Here is how you can get your copy of Jack Janson and the Storm Caller that now has 4 and 5 star reviews on Amazon.

Paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0954733673

eBook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XY5WKJ2

#JackJanson #StormCaller #fantasy #magic #magical #youngadult #crossover #relationships #giants #

 

Looking back at a great 5 star review for Jack Janson and the Storm Caller on the blog tour.

The blog tour is over and gave me some great reviews and feedback from the bloggers. here is an extract from what Sharon said in her Beyond the Books blog on 25 February 2020.

“This is such a lovely book. It is enchanting and magical at the same time. Andrew Marsh has done an excellent job in producing a quality tale for across the board audiences! 5☆ for me!”

See the full review here, http://bit.ly/2PEBeq3

Here’s how you can get your copy,

Paperback

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/0954733673

eBook

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07XY5WKJ2

#JackJanson #StormCaller #magic #magical #fantasy #youngadult #crossover #giants #writeslikeroalddahl #roalddahl #blogtour #reviews