Wednesday 19 February 2014

PONY BOOK FREE UNTIL SUNDAY!

Girls, boyfriends and plenty of ponies!

Gemma and the Pony Club Dance is the first in my series of 4 short novels for middle grade readers, teens, young adults and nostalgic older horse lovers! The series is a fast-paced read - fun, action-packed and full of drama.  And it will be FREE to download until SUNDAY!  

In the first story of the series, you’ll meet pony-mad teen Gemma Carlton and her feisty new pony Fireworks – along with Gemma’s long suffering boyfriend, Steve, her friends Fizz and Kath and best mate Callie - plus lots of ponies.

They want to raise funds for the new horse rescue centre by organising a Pony Club Dance at the community centre but then a gang of vandals cause trouble, the horses are in danger and Fireworks goes missing – and to make matters worse, Gemma soon suspects her best friend Callie is secretly going out with the gang ring leader!
Will she find Fireworks? Will she lose her friendship with Callie? And after everything that happens, can life ever be the same again?

Other titles in the Gemma series:
Gemma and the Tattooed Horses
Gemma and the Black Colt
Gemma and the Disappearing Showjumpers


Click links to buy.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00ET9VTS0  

Thursday 13 February 2014

Valentine Horse for Valentine's Day!

My short novella, Valentine Horse, is now available from Amazon in all territories - just in time for Valentine's Day!  So for all those romantic horse lovers, here is a story aimed at older middle grade readers*, teens, young adults and adults.  The story focusses on sixteen year old Lara and her relationships: with Ryan, her best friend, who she has practically grown up with; Ant, an unconventional sculptor, and several years older than Lara; her overprotective parents, who don't approve of Ant; and her flighty horse, Skylark, who is the catalyst for everything that happens to Lara when he enters her life on Valentine's Day.... 



I love the cover, designed once more by Klaus Hartleben.  Hope you enjoy!

Buy links
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Valentine-Horse-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00IEOF8LU

http://www.amazon.com/Valentine-Horse-Jane-Ayres-ebook/dp/B00IEOF8LU

* NB - as a guide for parents, there is no swearing or sex in this novella.

Thursday 6 February 2014

Cats cuddling!

Today I'm catching up on lots of things writing related, with exciting plans ahead.  In the meantime, here's a pic of the totally gorgeous Sita and Steve, the Norwegian Forest cats who are the inspiration for my novel Coming Home, currently raising funds for Cats Protection.  Enjoy!  




Related posts: http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/Coming%20Home

Saturday 1 February 2014

Year of the Horse (book!)

And before I forget, according to the Chinese Zodiac calendar, the Year of the Horse has just started!

So definitely a time to celebrate the beauty of horses and all the wonderful books that are written about them.

http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/chinese-new-year-2014-what-does-year-horse-mean-1434208

Shorter forms: how popular are novellas?

A recent article in The Telegraph suggests that novellas will gain in popularity thanks to the invention of e-readers. I hope this will prove to be the case.  I'm a big fan of shorter books - both as a reader and a writer.  Most of my fiction for children and teenagers is between 19,000 to 30,000 words and I have great respect for anyone who can sustain a story for 100,000 words.  However, I've read other articles that claim that readers much prefer to read longer novels, and indeed I have had this feedback myself from readers who have enjoyed my work but were disappointed it wasn't longer - which can be interpreted in both a positive and negative light.  I suppose my ideas just don't (so far) lend themselves to a longer form.  

One of the great aspects of indie publishing is not to be constrained by often prescriptive word lengths.  And the rebel in me has always rejected the idea that a short story/novella/novel/blockbuster SHOULD be a specific word count.  Why?  Who says? 

Shorter lengths definitely lend themselves well to the experience of reading on an e-reader.  So, what do writers and readers think?  Is less really more?  Or is bigger, better?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/booknews/10593535/E-readers-A-new-chapter-in-the-history-of-the-novella.html


Related post:
http://janeayres.blogspot.co.uk/2013/05/does-size-matter-lydia-davis-wins-man.html