The Black Hand Of Death – A Halloween Tale

My Halloween Short Story – The Black Hand Of Death

 

Halloween - the black hand of death

Here’s a cheery (not) Scottish tale just in time for #Halloween.

You’ll be quite safe. No marauding ghosts or ghouls but I think there’s more than enough malevolent spirit for one old Highland house to take.

So, do you believe that bad things always come in three’s…?

And can young Campbell Black throw off the family curse that hangs over the town like a funeral shroud?

Enjoy my gritty story which is not without its dark humour!

But perhaps not the best time for you to have the builders’ in, methinks…

Have a spooky night wherever you spend Halloween!

 

Alex

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If you’re looking for some more dark and gritty writing then check out my full-length thriller THE DEVIL YOU KNOWhalloween

Not for the faint of heart but it’ll reward you for reading it. 

“I would definitely recommend this book if you are looking for something a little bit different.”

“The effort was worth it. More than a story, I recommend this book to readers who appreciate good writing. I am truly impressed and hope to see more books by Alex Breck.”

 

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Why Did I Cross The Road For A Chicken?

You know the one about the chicken crossing the road, right?

 

chicken

As a holiday weekend treat for you, I’ve got a little short story about a chicken.

It’s a true story and it’s about both myself and the chicken.

You’ll find it here >>  More Chicken  <<

The story is currently being featured in a #ScottishBookTrust writing competition for which the theme was ‘Nourish.’

Let me know what you think of it.

If you like it, then please share, recommend or comment as the greater the interaction on the story then the greater the chances of it making the final cut for publication.

 

Talking about publication – if you fancy an ebook thriller for the holiday weekend, I should tell you my latest thriller THE PIPER’S PROMISE is available on Amazon for less than the price of a coffee.

Here’s a recent review excerpt: “Absolutely superb and one you won’t want to miss.”

the pipers promise ebook

 

Let me know which type of book you’ll be reading more of this summer!

Catch up soon!

Alex x

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Real Books versus Ebooks

The ‘battle’ between ebooks and real books is an old one now.

 

Real Books

 

And it’s not an argument that I’m wanting to kick-start here this morning.

I believe there’s a place for both and I certainly don’t share the view that the paper and ink real book will become obsolete like the cassette tape or camcorder.

In a few weeks, I’ll be leaving my wee island for sunnier climes. And I’m looking forward to lying on a beach and reading lots of good books. Where I live, we don’t lie on the beach. It’s very handy at the bottom of my garden. But still, we tend to march purposefully across our beach. At certain times of the year, we traverse it with great caution, often walking at a forty-five-degree angle against the biting wind.

So, being completely horizontal with a good book in my hands will be a glorious experience. But here’s the rub. Do I take bulky paperbacks or my amazing Kindle Fire?

For me, I much prefer the heft of a good book but the practical issues of transporting two dozen books on a plane means I’ll be reading both varieties of book this summer.

And even though I sell far more ebooks than paperback books, I was still pleased to read that in the UK the sales of ebooks has crashed by 17% last year while at the same time sales of real books were up 8% to £3 billion, the highest since 2012.

old real book

I don’t think we can write-off (excuse the pun…) the physical printed book just yet then.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the way digital books have opened the doors for so many new authors like myself and allowed more people than ever to read books easily and cheaply.

via GIPHY

But do you not feel sometimes, that’s it’s so much more refreshing to take your eyes away from all those pixellated screens and allow your tired brain to absorb the printed words from a real book?

Looking for real books?

In case you’re looking for some holiday reading yourself, why not grab my Gift Bundle of ALL four of my paperback thrillers at a massive discount.

Each one is personally autographed by me too!

real book versus ebook

 

But if you still fancy an ebook, I should tell you my latest thriller THE PIPER’S PROMISE is available on Amazon for less than the price of a coffee.

Here’s a recent review excerpt: “Absolutely superb and one you won’t want to miss.”

 

 

Let me know which type of book you’ll be reading more of this summer!

Catch up soon!

Alex x

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Join My ‘Street Team!’

Hey, everyone! How would you like to join my ‘Street Team?’

 

Street Team

How is everyone this Monday?

I’m great thanks. We’ve had weeks of unprecedented good weather for the West Coast of Scotland and I have been relaxing with family and reflecting on the recent launch of my third Ridge Walker thriller, The Piper’s Promise.

street team

Whilst it’s been the most successful book launch I’ve ever had, I’m still learning that I have a lot more to learn about marketing my books better.

There’s a whole marketing niche relating to book launches and I’m only now just realising why- with four books published already!

So with that in mind, I want to ask you if you’d like to be part of my Alex Breck’s Diamond Dogs Street Team?

If you’re anything like me, you’ll be asking, ‘What the hell is a ‘Street Team?’ 

I’m glad you asked.

Here’s what Google said:

A street team is a group of volunteers who band together to promote an author and his or her book. Members of a street team are motivated by their love of an author’s work to promote it to as many people as possible. Street teams originated on the music scene before the digital age.

 

So, you’ve got to like the books.

I’m not asking you to compare me to legends like Ian Rankin, Chris Brookmyre or anything like that, let’s be realistic! This isn’t about bullshitting. It’s just about helping an indie author get his books in front of more readers, that’s all.

Depending on the size of an author’s fan base, a successful Street Team should be able to do the following:

  1. Recruit willing volunteers who are able to promote on social media
  2. Have members post and encourage others to post reviews of the author’s books
  3. Motivate and challenge members to engage in promotional activities and have fun
  4. Provide feedback on new book ideas, sample chapters and cover art

Good authors should be happy to provide copies of the books for review. They’re called advanced review copies or ARC’s but in no way are people being rewarded for giving biased or overly favourable reviews as this is totally against Amazon’s terms and conditions and will only result in both the author and the reviewer getting closed down.

That said, I’ll be giving away signed paperbacks, autographed bookmarks and all sorts of author swag to my Street Team, depending on how much they get their sleeves rolled up.

You can find out a wee bit more about our Street Team over on a dedicated page on my blog.

>>  If YOU want to be part of the ‘Diamond Dogs Street Team’ then click HERE  << 

I’m really excited about my new Street Team and if you’re an aspiring or struggling author then I’d thoroughly encourage you to start your very own team! If you do, please let me know how you get on!

Catch up soon!

Alex x

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New Trailer For ‘The Devil You Know’

Have you seen this new trailer for ‘The Devil You Know?’

 

The video was made by a fellow Scots writer pal, Billy McLaughlin. Like me, he’s part of a group of gruesome Scottish writers called Write Scotland and we’re going to make some noise this year, just wait and see.

You can get a copy of my stand-alone thriller by clicking the image below!

trailer for the devil you know

All the best!

Alex x

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‘The Piper’s Promise’ Hits the Amazon Top 20

‘The Piper’s Promise’ hits the Amazon Top 20!

 

Top 20

Huge thanks to everyone who grabbed a copy of my new thriller, The Piper’s Promise during the launch week.

You helped my book get into the Amazon Top 20!

If you missed all the excitement, here’s a little bit of info about The Piper’s Promise:

“When his best friend Thad is arrested for a series of murders he didn’t commit on the wrong side of the planet, the young Scottish adventurer, Ridge Walker, must find the real killer in order to prove his innocence. But as Ridge crosses swords with a merciless adversary and the savage ethos of centuries of warrior culture, the death toll speeds up and the seemingly random slayings take on a laser-sharp accuracy slicing ever closer to those he loves.

Two worlds collide in this race against time. As he sinks deeper into the macabre quagmire of a sick and vengeful mind he begins to realise the full horror that awaits him.

They say ‘the apple never falls far from the tree’ and it’s going to be a bitter harvest this season.”

————————————————————————————————-

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT ALEX BRECK:

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

‘Highly recommend to pretty much anyone and everyone

who loves a good read!’

‘More than a story, I recommend this book to readers who appreciate good writing.

I am truly impressed and hope to see more books by Alex Breck.’

‘A moving, gripping and at times disturbing thriller with the rich

scene-setting we have come to expect from Alex Breck.’

THE PIPER’S LAMENT

‘Another gripping adventure for Ridge Walker,

this book doesn’t disappoint!

Well-rounded characters, old and new, exciting storyline,

all told with a touch of grim humour. Buy it!’

HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER

‘A darkly comic romp from Scotland right through Central America.

Fast paced action and some great incidents along the way

to a surprise ending

– looking forward to seeing what Ridge gets up to next!’

Top 20

‘Fast paced with good characterisation… I genuinely wanted to find out what

would happen next… happy to recommend’

– Wendy H. Jones author of the DI Shona McKenzie mysteries

If you like

Passenger 19 or Play Dead or The Missing Ones

then you’ll love Alex Breck!

Find out more about Alex Breck

and get a free short story at www.alexbreckbooks.com

Crime Thriller & Mystery/Crime Fiction/Serial Killers

Crime Thriller & Mystery/Crime Fiction/British & Irish/Scottish

Mystery Thriller & Suspense/Crime/Serial Killers/Vengeful

Mystery Thriller & Suspense/ Thrillers/ Action-packed

Catch up soon!

Alex x

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The Piper’s Promise is Live!

My new Ridge Walker Thriller, THE PIPER’S PROMISE is published this weekend!

Pipers promise

 

‘A real page-turner, it keeps you guessing the outcome until the very end.’

Pipers promise

“When his best friend Thad is arrested for a series of murders he didn’t commit on the wrong side of the planet, the young Scottish adventurer, Ridge Walker, must find the real killer in order to prove his innocence. But as Ridge crosses swords with a merciless adversary and the savage ethos of centuries of warrior culture, the death toll speeds up and the seemingly random slayings take on a laser-sharp accuracy slicing ever closer to those he loves.

Two worlds collide in this race against time. As he sinks deeper into the macabre quagmire of a sick and vengeful mind he begins to realise the full horror that awaits him.

They say ‘the apple never falls far from the tree’ and it’s going to be a bitter harvest this season.”

————————————————————–

WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID ABOUT ALEX BRECK:

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

‘Highly recommend to pretty much anyone and everyone

who loves a good read!’

‘More than a story, I recommend this book to readers who appreciate good writing.

I am truly impressed and hope to see more books by Alex Breck.’

‘A moving, gripping and at times disturbing thriller with the rich

scene-setting we have come to expect from Alex Breck.’

THE PIPER’S LAMENT

‘Another gripping adventure for Ridge Walker,

this book doesn’t disappoint!

Well rounded characters, old and new, exciting storyline,

all told with a touch of grim humour. Buy it!’

HE WHO PAYS THE PIPER

‘A darkly comic romp from Scotland right through Central America.

Fast paced action and some great incidents along the way

to a surprise ending

– looking forward to seeing what Ridge gets up to next!’

 

Pipers promise

‘Fast paced with good characterisation… I genuinely wanted to find out what

would happen next… happy to recommend’

Wendy H. Jones author of the DI Shona McKenzie mysteries

 

If you like

Passenger 19 or Play Dead or The Missing Ones

then you’ll love Alex Breck!

Find out more about Alex Breck

and get a free short story at www.alexbreckbooks.com

Crime Thriller & Mystery/Crime Fiction/Serial Killers

Crime Thriller & Mystery/Crime Fiction/British & Irish/Scottish

Mystery Thriller & Suspense/Crime/Serial Killers/Vengeful

Mystery Thriller & Suspense/ Thrillers/ Action-packed

Catch up soon!

Alex x

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Alex Breck on the Radio

Alex Breck on the Radio - Wendy's Bookbuzz

I had a total blast on Wednesday being interviewed live on Mearns FM which is a community radio station based over on the chilly East coast of Scotland.

Luckily I could do the interview by telephone from my wee island.

Wendy H Jones (pictured above) was at the helm and she piloted the show with all the skill and wit that she brings to her DI Shona McKenzie Dundee crime thrillers.

All was well until halfway through and I was wittering away about something and I noticed the lack of response from my DJ interviewer. That was when I realised I’d been cut off and was only talking to myself… Technology is great when it works, right?

Two frantic minutes of phone activity later and I was back on the radio again before the song finished.

I had to pick five tunes for Wendy to play on the radio throughout our interview which had some relevance to my writing. Not easy! Not all of my favourite choons are radio friendly if you get my meaning.

So what did I pick? You’ll just have to listen to find out!

Catch up here on MixCloud.

Watch out for the imminent release of the third Ridge Walker adventure ‘The Piper’s Promise’ later this month.

Here is a short snippet about the new book:

When Thad is wrongly arrested for murder on the wrong side of the planet, Ridge Walker must find the real killer in order to prove his best pal’s innocence. But as he crosses swords with a merciless adversary and the savage ethos of centuries of warrior culture, the bloodshed takes on a laser-sharp accuracy slicing ever closer to those he loves. They say ‘the apple never falls far from the tree’ so it’s going to be a bitter harvest this season.

Have a great Easter!

Alex x

#thepiperspromise alex breck on the radio

 

 

 

 

PS: Here’s a very recent review for my latest thriller The Devil You Know from Amazon in the US:

What kept me reading was the quality of the writing, in a word: marvelous, an example of modern prose, impossibly long sentences that somehow work out, a sardonic sense of humor and a host of colorful characters that include the traditional tired detective, grumpy old boatman, a prominent local criminal and a beautiful female assassin. I am not a Scot, and I had some trouble following some of the colorful dialogue that illustrates the peculiarities of Scottish conversation. The effort was worth it. More than a story, I recommend this book to readers who appreciate good writing. I am truly impressed and hope to see more books by Alex Breck.

the devil you know 3D image

 

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From Deep In The Forest – The Piper’s Promise

 

into the forest

Yes, the third Ridge Walker instalment will be published very soon!

The title is ‘The Piper’s Promise’ and the book is set mostly in Japan.

In A Forest

One of the most important locations for the book is a mysterious and gruesome forest which looks quite like the one in the image above.

Since I was a wee boy I’ve always loved playing in the woods but I have to admit that writing this thriller has put me off just a little. I won’t be venturing out into any dark forest that’s for sure!

My little island doesn’t have any major woods to speak of but my son and I often travel over to the mainland to mountain bike down some epic Forestry Commission trails and particularly on a Sunday when there’s no tree-felling going on.

You’re not likely to meet many people in my story-forest however but without spoiling the plot I’d say that if you did you would be thankful…

I usually like to listen to music when I’m writing and I have an eclectic taste. The only common thread between the songs I listen to is that they have to be LOUD.

This tune below is called A Forest by The Cure who are an old favourite from my student days.

So pull down the blinds, switch off the lights and turn your volume UP…!

Into the trees
Into the trees
   Into the trees…

 

Here is a short snippet about the new book:

When Thad is wrongly arrested for murder on the wrong side of the planet, Ridge Walker must find the real killer in order to prove his best pal’s innocence. But as he crosses swords with a merciless adversary and the savage ethos of centuries of warrior culture, the bloodshed takes on a laser-sharp accuracy slicing ever closer to those he loves. They say ‘the apple never falls far from the tree’ so it’s going to be a bitter harvest this season.

 

Alex x

#thepiperspromise alex breck author

 

 

 

 

PS: Here’s a very recent review for my latest thriller The Devil You Know from Amazon in the US:

What kept me reading was the quality of the writing, in a word: marvelous, an example of modern prose, impossibly long sentences that somehow work out, a sardonic sense of humor and a host of colorful characters that include the traditional tired detective, grumpy old boatman, a prominent local criminal and a beautiful female assassin. I am not a Scot, and I had some trouble following some of the colorful dialogue that illustrates the peculiarities of Scottish conversation. The effort was worth it. More than a story, I recommend this book to readers who appreciate good writing. I am truly impressed and hope to see more books by Alex Breck.

the devil you know 3D image

 

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Make A Living Writing Fiction. Can It Be Done?

 

Can You Make A Living Writing Fiction?

I read somewhere recently that the average income of most fiction writers would fall below the minimum wage. While the famous authors continue to attract a disproportionate amount of the overall pot, most writers are not making an adequate living from their books and there are said to be many who make no money at all.

make a living writing

You can read about this in more detail in a Guardian newspaper article here. Apologies for my overseas readers as the figures quoted are all in UK pounds although there’s not a lot of difference between the pound and the dollar these days.

Now, I don’t make any claims to be among the highest paid authors in the land but I certainly don’t work for nothing. Much as I love writing, life is too short to be permanently broke. I confess to supplementing my writing income by using online marketing but for me there is no distinction between the two nowadays.

We ALL have to get used to the fact that unless we market our books and ourselves too, then no-one is going to get the opportunity to even see your next masterpiece.

And once you embrace that mindset shift, it’s amazing how quickly you get into branding yourself as an author and how simple it can often be to make additional income doing stuff connected to your writing.

I’ve talked about Anne R Allen’s wonderful blog before and today I just wanted to share a piece written by my new friend Elizabeth S Craig called ‘Yes, You Can Make A Living Writing Fiction.’ living

It’s not a fluff article and you’ll pick up solid practical steps that anyone can do to help boost their book sales and bottom line.

That’s all for today and I hope you find these two articles useful.

If you want some direct help in marketing your books or any other simple ways to supplement your income online, so giving you more time to write, then message me on my Facebook Page and I’ll get back to you.

 

Alex x

Coming soon – #thepiperspromise

PS: Here’s a very recent review for my latest thriller The Devil You Know from Amazon in the US:

What kept me reading was the quality of the writing, in a word: marvelous, an example of modern prose, impossibly long sentences that somehow work out, a sardonic sense of humor and a host of colorful characters that include the traditional tired detective, grumpy old boatman, a prominent local criminal and a beautiful female assassin. I am not a Scot, and I had some trouble following some of the colorful dialogue that illustrates the peculiarities of Scottish conversation. The effort was worth it. More than a story, I recommend this book to readers who appreciate good writing. I am truly impressed and hope to see more books by Alex Breck.

the devil you know 3D image

 

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Follow me on Twitter

 

 

 

Have you listened to my new Podcast show Alex Breck’s Banter yet?

Alex Breck's Banter Podcast Show