UGH. Lupus has been winning lately, but it usually does during the holidays. A bright spot though, while I have been stuck on the couch, I have had time to read some totally amazing books! I even managed to score a couple Advanced Reader Copies! (Yes, I know it happens, just usually to other people! So it made me feel really special! :) )
Anyway, the first book I want to tell you about is When the Siren Calls by Tom Barry. This is an all-consuming book. You will not want to, or even be able to, put it down! Buy it! Read it, you will LOVE it!
Also, if you are on Goodreads, the author is kind enough to have a drawing going on so you can win a copy. Enter, buy it, borrow it, JUST GET IT! I loved it. 5 out 5 books!
When The Siren Calls:
A sensational story of seduction, deception and betrayal
Tom Barry’s debut novel, When The Siren Calls, is the first
book in the Siren Series trilogy, set for publication in November 2012.
When The Siren Calls has already attracted fabulous feedback
from fellow authors and avid fiction readers.
The novel has
also registered on the radar of literary agents A.M. Heath who were quick to
sign Tom to an international translation rights deal for When The Siren Calls,
two months ahead of publication.
Publication
of a free online prequel creates pre-publication buzz
Thanks to a
brave decision to publish the prequel, now
available to download as an e-book free of charge, Tom has already
become a focus of attention on the literary scene, ahead of the official
publication in all good book stores (including Waterstones and WH Smith) and online as an e-book from November 1st
2012.
Published by
Matador and distributed by Troubador, Tom is very well connected after decades
working with global brands including Apple and Disney in the professional
services sector, with more than 260 Facebook ‘likes’, 2500 Twitter followers,
500 connections on LinkedIn and XXX friends on Goodreads.
Tom says: “My decision to invest in a pre-publication
awareness campaign for When The Siren Calls is paying off. I’ve built up a
strong network of people who have read the prequel and are patiently awaiting
the official publication of the novel on November 1. I’ve learnt a lot about
self promotion, as well as writing and publishing, over the past year and I’m
happy to share my lessons learned on my blog (http://www.tombarrywrites.com)
and social networks.”
A selection of reviews…
“A pacy,
racy, romance novel.”
Tom Fletcher, The Leaping
“I thoroughly enjoyed the way the strands come together.”
Matthew Branton, The Love Parade
“It is
exciting to find a new writer who tells life like it is, but with a delectable
twist of romance, sex and humour.”
Stephanie J Hale, Millionaire Women, Millionaire You
“I see a lot of books that are described as page turners, and
for once I agree. 'When the Siren Calls' draws you in and keeps you guessing. I
genuinely enjoyed it and if you want a lighthearted but well written read, this
is for you too. Nearly as good as chocolate and no guilt.”
Ella Fitzerald, Amazon review
“This is a high octane suspense story and a roller coaster of a
ride as the headstrong heroine goes from one crisis to another. And a dashing
stranger to lead her into mischief. Think Lady Chatterley meets Christian Grey.
Or Audrey Hepburn meets Gordon Gekko. But this is no romantic comedy. It is
high tension and suspense from the opening line, with innocence thrown amongst
the devious. The characters are real and believable, I was really sucked in,
rooting for Isobel from the start.
Somewhat surprisingly, the author brings the characters and
scenes to life, while leaving much to the imagination. We learn more as we move
along, with back-story cleverly drip-fed on a need to know basis. By the time
the author tells us what we need to know about the characters, we care enough
to want to know. Sexual tension lurks on every page but there are real moments
of humour, and
some great one liners.”
Anonymous review from Amazon
Synopsis…
When the
Siren Calls: story of seduction, deception and betrayal...
When restless
and neglected Isobel is invited to an idyllic Tuscan retreat owned by the suave
and streetwise Jay, she imagines a life of excitement outside her stagnant
marriage. Despite fear and guilt, she abandons herself in a passionate love
affair, but is soon trapped in a web of feminine manipulation, business
intrigue, and ruthless ambition, while controlling Jay encourages conservative
Isobel to push beyond her sexual boundaries.
But all is
not as it seems in the hilltop paradise and as her lover battles for survival,
she finds herself a player in a dangerous love triangle. Unable to know who she
can trust, she must fight to control both her own cravings and to save what
little of herself is left. As her life falls apart, she is torn between the
consequences of infidelity, her love for Jay, and fear that he will be her
nemesis. For both Isobel and Jay, the excesses and confusions of an uncertain
and largely amoral age are about to be brought home to roost, right in the
heart of their lives.
Witty and
smattered with the best sort of irony, with twists and turns that keep you
guessing, When the Siren Calls is a sensual and moving emotional drama that
titillates the senses while racing along like a Grisham thriller. The novel
will appeal to adult readers of romantic suspense and to fans of Fifty Shades
of Grey.
About the
author: Tom Barry
A published
writer at University, Tom Barry spent 20 years in management consultancy with
Accenture, Deloitte, and PwC, advising the Boards of leading global brands such
as Apple, Disney, Toyota and Vodafone. His career prompted a specific interest
in the art of persuasive communication.
He is passionate about nurturing young talent and has supported a number
of UK and overseas schools, including the Nordoff Robbins Centre for Music
Therapy. He lives near London and is currently working with the Brit Writers’
Awards, a charitable initiative to promote creative writing in our schools.
From
consultant to author
You become a
writer because you think you’ve got something to say worth listening to. I
chose to be a novelist because I want to entertain my readers, not preach to
them. The challenge is to transport readers to times, places and events where
they can lose themselves in stories about heroes they can identify with, who
triumph against the odds and who change and grow in the process; but most of
all readers want to enjoy the ride.
Back in my
consulting days, it was a great buzz to work for household name companies and
to meet industry icons like Bill Gates. Not many careers offer that opportunity
to you when you are in your twenties and thirties. But like your first born,
few things beat the thrill of holding your debut novel in your hand.
Five facts
about Tom
• One of eight kids, my life story is the
classic immigrant tale of seeking to live up to parental expectations, while
working to mark out your own trail.
• I have aspects of an obsessive
personality, establishing a work-life balance was a major challenge.
• I gave up on my business career in my
mid-forties, I just didn’t tell my boss! Find something you enjoy doing, and
you’ll never work another day.
• I tell my kids education is the best
gift I can give them, it’s no weight to carry and no one can take it off you.
• I almost bought Northampton Town
Football Club (my birth town) in 2001.
Suggested
media angles (Tom is open
to editorial commissions)
1. Beware the siren call of the expat life
in the sunshine – editorial example available upon request. Could include Tom’s
personal experiences as a property owner in Tuscany, Mallorca and San Diego. It
is estimated that 5.6 million Brits live abroad, with another half a million
living abroad for part of the year.
2. Can infidelity be justified? Is it better
to leave a devoted husband or waste a life?
3. Wealth and boredom lead to a search for an
exotic and decadent lifestyle (as happens in When The Siren Calls). Peter
(Isobel’s husband) values his career, money and status more than his
relationship, it seems, and the lifestyle his wife enjoys is compensation for
his lack of work-life balance. Discuss how the main characters manage these
dynamics and Tom’s personal experiences.
4. Tom and his experiences of writing a
novel, self publishing and self promotion versus successful professional
services career.
5. Finding your feet in your 50s…life after
heart attacks (Tom had two heart attacks before writing his first novel), a
successful corporate career and bringing up three children.
6. Breadwinner identity crisis: how to break
the connection between your self worth and your position in your job.
7. Why Tom chose to publish a prequel to my
first novel…for free.
8. More about Moll Malone, Tom Barry’s
pen-name for his Erotic Seduction stories, his reasons for writing erotic
fiction based on the characters in The Siren Series, responses from readers who
may not categories themselves as erotic fiction readers, but who read – and
enjoyed – 50 Shades of Grey.
Syndicated
interview with Tom Barry:
Q: What
prompted you to write WTSC
A.It was a
goal of mine to write a business book about the art of persuasion, and I've
been encouraged to do that. But when the opportunity came, I decided that, if I
was going to be a writer, I'd rather entertain my readers than lecture them!
Q. Where did
the idea for When the Siren Calls come from.
A. Once I had
the idea of a character - a master persuader who would use his skills for
business and pleasure - I thought about context and setting. I've lived and worked
abroad much of my life, and I have bought property in Italy and Spain, amongst
other places. I know a lot about the siren call of living in the sun, having
answered that call myself, and I also know a lot about the perils and pitfalls
of overseas property investment. So I set my story against the background of a
dream holiday condominium for expats. It could be anywhere you find Brits in
the sun, but I chose Tuscany because I love visiting there, and i knew
stereotypical Italians add plenty of spice to my story.
Q. Other than
your experiences overseas, what else qualified you to write this particular
story?
A. People tell me I'm a salesman by nature and
i've spent twenty years in management consultancy, or what I prefer to call the
persuasion game. My only tool was my pen, so what I was really selling was
hope, hope to corporations looking for salvation. And that is what the master
persuader appeals to in my story, to people's hopes, and to
their dreams.
Q. But the
master persuader is not your protagonist. What made you give the story a female
lead?
A. I wanted
the book to be about the characters and what happened to them, not a training
manual in the art of persuasion or in living the expat life. The more the
characters came to life as I wrote them, the more I fell in love with Isobel,
the the more I wanted to tell her story.
Q. And what
is that story?
A. Isobel is
quintessentially english. A modern day Lady Chatterley. When she meets my
master persuader, Jay, she imagines a life of excitement outside her stagnant
marriage and free of her workaholic husband. When the Siren Calls tells what happens next – a tumultuous, dramatic
story of sexual awakening set beneath the Italian sun, intertwined with all the
intrigue of a business thriller.
Q. What makes
your story different to all the other romantic suspense novels out there?
A. Several
things. First, as I've indicated, I've written cross-genre. My book is a
romantic suspense and business thriller brought together around three common
threads, seduction, deception and betrayal. Second, it's written from multiple
point of views; we don't see the story just trough Isobel's eyes. And every
character is the hero of his own story. The result is a story with twists and
turns that keep you guessing. But more importantly it is fresh and original
because it does not follow the formulaic approach that all publishers now
demand before they will even consider a manuscript from a debut author. The
reader sees characters' actions through the characters' point of view, and the
point of view of their adversaries, and it is for the reader to decide who the
good guys are.
Q. So are you
saying different readers will view characters differently?
A. Exactly.
Take Isobel for example. I hope every reader will find her an empathetic character
and I think most will be rooting for her. But not everyone will agree with how
she behaves.
Q. How
difficult was it to put yourself inside the head of a female protagonist?
A. That was
probably the biggest challenge in writing the book. I immersed myself in the
genre, and I had the help of my local book club which acted as a focus group.
In the end my final court of opinion was my wife, who says she loved the book !
Q. WTSC is
the first book in a trilogy. When can we expect book two?
A. Book two, Saving
Jay is already written. The timing on the release is something I discuss with
my agent regularly. We haven't set a date yet,but hopefully you will see Saving
Jay in bookshops late spring 2013.
Notes to
editors
Media
contact: Helen Lewis at Fully Booked PR: Helen@fullybookedpr.co.uk / +44 (0)
7904801669.
PDF and
paperback copies of When The Siren Calls are available to members of the media
upon request. Images and extracts from the book are also available upon request.
Tom Barry is available for interviews and comment. More information about Tom
Barry can be found at http://www.tombarrywrites.com.
More about
Tom:
http://www.tombarrywrites.com
http://www.independentauthornetwork.com/tom-barry.html
http://www.britwriters.com/news/tom-barry-schools-territory-partner-author-of-when-the-siren-calls.html
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5785068.Tom_Barry
MEDIA NOTES:
Published 1st November 2012
RRP £7.99
Pre-order at selected
retailers including online via Amazon, Waterstones and WH Smith for £5.99
ISBN 9781780883106
Publisher: Troubador
Publishing Ltd
Distributor: Orca Book
Services.
Tel: 01235 465521
Email:
tradeorders@orcabookservices.co.uk
BIC subject category: FRD
Adult & contemporary romance
Paperback: 320PP 216x138 mm
Portrait
