News and Reviews
Newsletter
OCTOBER - 2024
Hello again (or perhaps for the first time)
I hope you are well and your eyes are adjusting to the early evening darkness. I'm not sure why we choose to bring the night on earlier every year by turning the clocks back, unless it's to prepare us for the feeling of celebration in the spring when they go forward again.
Book wise, October has been overall very good for me with one disappointment. My new novel, The Moorstone, has been a victim of editorial, typesetting and proof reading delays, and a shutdown of printers in December. The official publishing date is 28th February 2025 but copies are usually available well before the due date. This time, however, it seems like it's going to be just a few weeks. I'm hoping I'll have them mid-January.
The good side of the month, however, was on the book-signing front with an excellent Saturday at Meadowhall, Sheffield, on 19th and a record-breaking day for sales the following week at the Trafford Centre, Manchester. And I met some lovely people
This handsome little 8-year-old (I'm almost nine, he told me) is Adrian, who didn't buy a book, by the way. But Disha, below, did.
Both at Meadowhall. And I met these lovely sisters, Sal and Shamim, at the Trafford Centre
My enjoyment of the book signings are more to do with the people I meet than the books I sell. I'm always gratified by how friendly and interested the great majority of the people are, even when being ambushed by a complete stranger. And I made a new friend at the Trafford Centre this time, below. This is Geoffrey the Giraffe and Nic, the manager, insisted on taking this picture for me before the store opened. Can't think why, unless it was an attempt to preserve my dignity!
Between now and Christmas I have book signings each Saturday except 23 November, as follows:-
· Saturday 2 November at WHSmith Newgate, Rochdale
· Saturday 9 November at WHSmith, Foregate Street, Chester
· Saturday 16 November at WHSmith Bookshop,, Beverley
· Saturday 30 November at Costa Coffee in Tesco, Bury
· Saturday 7 December at WHSmith, Altrincham
· Saturday 14 December at WHSmith, Trafford Centre
· Friday 20 December at WHSmith, Mill Gate, Bury
· Saturday 21 December at WHSmith, Mill Gate, Bury
All events start at 10.30 a.m. finishing around 5.00 p.m.
If you're looking for a Christmas present for someone and can't make it to any of the above, I've reduced the cost of signed copies of the books you can purchase through my website. All purchases are now with free P&P, and the deal I've been doing at the book signings - 'Buy The Blue Men and get Catalyst at half price' - is now available as well. All deals and prices on my website, as follows:
Catalyst, Heaven's Door, Lost Souls - £8.99 each, bought separately
The three bought together - £17.98; i.e. 3 for the price of 2
The Blue Men - £9.99
The Blue Men + Catalyst - £14.48
Just go to the BOOKS tab on my website - www.michaelknaggs,com - click on the book(s) or deal(s) you want, and follow the instructions.
So next up for me is Rochdale in the Exchange shopping centre on Saturday from 10.30. If you're around, call in.. A chat is free, the books a bit more.
Stay safe and well and remember, if you don't wish to receive further copies of the newsletter, let me know and I'll take you off the list. Thank you for staying with me so far.
With best regards
Michael
Recent NEWS AND Reviews
Article which appeared in the Manchester Evening News, Hull Daily Mail, and East Riding News.
‘I really enjoyed reading this debut novel from Mike. I was captured immediately & found the book to have a thought-provoking theme. It kept me interested throughout, so much so that I spent a whole day around the pool on holiday with my head immersed in the book! (Only surfacing for a cool beer.) Now I am looking forward to a sequel...or there will be a riot!’ - Amazon Reviewer
'I've just finished your first book, Catalyst, and can't wait to get hold of the next book. Very difficult to put down. I'm an avid reader of murder mystery novels but found this one so different. The balance of story, dialogue and description is brilliant. Well done you for a super novel!' - Sheelagh Taaffe
