Hola Fahrenhistas,
We’re dropping the hard sell for a bit this week.
Truth is we’re in a bit of a weird hiatus that seems to be hitting most publishers at the moment. Schedules have started to bunch up, projects have slipped a bit and the supply chain is keeping us dangling on the end of what seems like ever increasing delivery times (cheers Brexit).
Add to that the reality that everyone is clearly feeling skint, and the result is that honestly we can’t whip up the enthusiasm to hustle you out of a few bucks this week.
We’ve got some belting new books coming out really soon though from a whole bunch of new authors plus a handful of Fahrenheit stalwarts like Simon Hall, Anthony Neil Smith & David Nolan so don’t worry we’ll be back hustling our butts off very soon.
We have got a couple of things to share though…
It’s Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK and this year it just so happens to coincide with the FA Cup Final which kicks off on Saturday afternoon at Wembley Stadium in London…. so what we hear you say?
Well, it just so happens that on our list we are privileged to have an extraordinary book that straddles both the FA Cup and mental health issues in such a beautiful and profound way that it’s earned over 100 5 STAR REVIEWS on Amazon.
The book in question is of course Abide With Me by Ian Ayris and this weekend you can download this genuinely jaw-dropping book for FREE with our compliments either direct from us or from Amazon.
We decided that we should use this confluence of Mental Health Awareness Week and the FA Cup to try and do a bit of good so we’ve had a very small number of collectable hardback editions printed up to sell with all proceeds going to mental health charities.
Running to 158 pages this beautiful slim little volume comes complete with specially commissioned artwork, a lovely matte dustjacket and is printed on luxurious 180 gsm paper.
A perfect gift for yourself or a friend and you’ll be doing some good at the same time as we’ll be donating all the proceeds to mental health charities.
Anyone who’s read it will tell you that this book really is special, just read a few of the things people had to say.
“If you remember the Queen’s Silver Jubilee parties, Choppers, staying out all day, jumpers for goalposts or have ever had a special football away day then this novel is for you.”
“Ayris brings a depth and level of emotion to his writing that most authors strive their entire career to achieve, and which many never do. The ending of this book is so powerful, poignant and heart breaking it actually brought tears to my eyes. If there is even a shred of justice in the world Abide With Me will garner the kind of widespread attention it so richly deserves.”
“I absolutely loved Abide With Me and in places was very moved, to both laughter, and tears…”
“This is a triumph…”
“It's literary, it's crime. Expect to be moved and taken to a whole different world that is as real as your own”
“An absolute straight-in-the-back-of-the-net knockout of a story”
“Within the first five chapters I had laughed out loud and come close to tears as the revelations tore at my heartstrings…”
“The ending Ayris builds for John and Kenny is one so powerful, poignant, and heartbreaking it actually made me stop reading it for a moment. I just had to stop. I couldn't go on.”
For sure this book holds football at it’s core, and the story is sensitively told but at heart this is still a crime fiction novel just a very beautiful, very special one.
It’s the sort of book we suspected would be impossible to live up to but then Ian Ayris wrote two sequels April Skies and Everybody Hurts which arguably reach even higher heights so if you enjoy Abide With Me you’ll have two more cracking books to add to your To Be Read pile.
And for our Fahrenhistas in the USA who may be wondering what the title of the book Abide With Me is all about - every year since 1927 the crowd at the FA CUP FINAL sing the hymn Abide With Me. It’s very British tradition and always a very emotional experience - there’s rarely a dry eye in the house by the end.
The theme of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week is ‘loneliness’ so it seems only fitting to leave you with the dedication written by Ian Ayris for the collected edition of his John Sissons series Shining Like Rainbows.
"For anyone who ever felt lost,
who ever felt the day too dark,
the night too long.
Please know you are never alone.
And you are, in truth, worth the entire world."
Okay that’s all from us this week - back to normal next week when we’ll be telling you about all the new stuff we have lined up for you and we’ll be doing our level best to squeeze every last penny out of you.
Look after each other this weekend and above all else be kind when you can.
We kiss you
xx
P.S. If you’ve ever wondered what the founder of the Indiest Publisher in the world might sound like performing an actual exorcism (and who hasn’t) get yourself over to Saint Podcast where you can listen for yourself in the latest episode St Peter Of Verona which dropped this week.