Book Club Guide for Christmas at the Cross

 

1.      The setting is a well-known part of London. How well does the author portray that setting? How do they do that? Do you know that area? Is this an authentic portrayal?

2.      This is quite a short novel. Does the length add or detract from the subject matter?

3.      It isn’t always a comfortable read. Does that matter? Why should we / would we read material that makes us feel uncomfortable?

4.      Would you say the ending is upbeat? Why or why not?

5.      What did you like about the book?

6.      What do you dislike?

7.      How has the author made us sympathise with the characters?

8.      Do you consider this to be an authentic portrayal of 21st century life?

9.      What does the novel tell us about the plight of women? Is this accurate?

10.  Can you comment on the writer's style?     

Find your copy here  

Christmas at the Cross by Maeve Murphy

 How we came to publish this one

Pam approached us with her work and we liked what we saw. So, we agreed to publish this collection. 

The title

Obviously there is a little word play going on here. The title is connected to Pam’s name.  

Some notes about the process

As ever the stories went through the three stages of revision. Pam worked with one of our regular editors.

The cover

Our covers usually come about as a result of a conversation between the author and the editor and then the author and our designer. A stock picture from Pixabay was used here.

Some notes about style

As ever flash fiction needs to tell a story succinctly . These do that beautifully and in rich poetic language.   

Who we think the reader is

These stories are ideal for the reader who has only a little time but like to be asked to think deeply as they read.

What else

As ever, we’re pleased to get out another collection of lovely pieces.

Review copies

It’s always great if you can buy the book and give us a review. Just click on the image to be taken to Amazon. If you would like to review and you are strapped for cash, just get in touch for a free PDF or mobi-file.      

Reediting some stories – why we edit even stories that have already been published