My time travel conspiracy thriller, Million Eyes, has finally been released today by Elsewhen Press as a paperback. Reviewers have called it “shocking”, “tense” and “addictive”, with “relatable and believable characters” and a “deliciously dark vein of humour”.
The first book in the Million Eyes trilogy was released as an ebook on January 10th. It’s now available as a paperback from Amazon, all good bookshops (like Waterstones and Foyles), and direct from Elsewhen Press.
In the book, Gregory Ferro and Jennifer Larson uncover a nine-hundred-year-old conspiracy to change history by assassinating British royals, including Princess Diana. The novel addresses the significance of the monarchy in Britain, simultaneously exploring the frightening amounts of power that global technology companies have over our lives.
Anyone who knows me will know how big a day this is for me. Having been writing since I was four years old and submitting to publishers and agents since I was a teenager, finally seeing my work listed in Waterstones and Foyles is a massive deal and fills me with pride. Perhaps even better is the fact that the book’s been garnering rave reviews from book bloggers.
Sure, it’s been a long and arduous journey. The publishing industry is an extremely hard one to get into, and in 2011-2015, I resorted to self-publishing in order to put out a series a children’s books. I had some success selling copies in schools and online, which was great. However, it wasn’t easy and I still longed for the backing of a proper publisher.
It was midway through the last decade that I realised I had a lot to learn as a writer and joined a writing group, Rushmoor Writers (which celebrates its 70th anniversary this year). I also started writing the Million Eyes short stories as a way of honing my craft. These activities caused me to learn more about writing in five years than I’d learned in the previous twenty-five.
Applying what I learned to subsequent drafts of Million Eyes is the reason I’ve managed to bag a traditional publisher at last. Elsewhen Press have been incredibly supportive throughout the entire process, even publishing another book of mine prior to the novel, Million Eyes: Extra Time. (This is a collection of stories set in the Million Eyes universe, available for free download on all ebook platforms.)
The publication process has been a lot of fun. Elsewhen Press and I have created a tongue-in-cheek mock website for the eponymous computer company that takes centre stage in the novel. Pop by if you fancy a laugh. My friend Matt Pamplin put together an amazing pair of book trailers prior to the ebook release (both of which are below). And then there was the blog tour, which I talked about a few articles ago.
Today a Contributor Spotlight interview with me has been published on Time Travel Nexus, which I write for. It’s all about the time travel in Million Eyes, the need to establish time travel rules, and the pros and cons of writing time travel fiction. If you’re a time travel nerd, you’ll enjoy this.
A new review is also up at All Things Jill-Elizabeth. Jill previously reviewed Million Eyes: Extra Time and loved it. She calls the novel itself a “wild ride that whip-cracks back and forth through time” and is a “marvelous set-up to events to come”. She also compares my main antagonist, Miss Morgan, to a Disney villain! (As a big Disney fan, I LOVE this.)
This Wednesday, All Things Jill-Elizabeth will be publishing a guest post from me, all about why people love conspiracy thrillers.
Finally, an article about Million Eyes, with quotes from me about the controversial inclusion of Princess Diana, went out on Nothing In The Rulebook. They, too, will be publishing a guest post from me this week (not sure which day yet, but will post a link here when it’s up). Their guest post is all about how to write a time travel book — and why it’s not for the faint of heart!
And of course, if you live in or are near Farnham in Surrey, do come along for a free glass of wine at Waterstones at 7pm, where I’ll be talking about the book, doing a reading and signing copies.
I’ll finish simply by saying thank you to everyone who’s supported and encouraged me over the years and I hope you continue to enjoy my work. Talking of which, time to get back on with Million Eyes II…
Image of Diana from Paisley Scotland https://www.flickr.com/photos/paisleyorguk/4377216040
C.R. Berry 