Review of Belfast writer Christopher Ownens' third book

 Belfast writer Christopher Owens' has quickly established himself as a daring author. With two books under his belt he released his latest, Soineanta Maskirovka, at the end of February.

You can read my review here: https://bamni.co.uk/2025/02/28/review-soineanta-maskirovka-by-christopher-owens-a-tableau-of-melancholia-and-mystery-in-an-ordinary-life/

You can buy it now from Amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Soineanta-Maskirovka-Mr-Christopher-Owens/dp/B0DY7JQCN2/ref=asc_df_B0DY7JQCN2?tag=bingshoppinga-21&linkCode=df0&hvadid=80470705208903&hvnetw=o&hvqmt=e&hvbmt=be&hvdev=c&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=&hvtargid=pla-4584070177003042&psc=1&msclkid=f155c798cde013e364e3a049bb59909e

Why you should share what you write...

ACCORDING to the excellent Freedom From Writing web resource one should regularly update people as to where they can find your writing, so I had a wee scan through where my writing has been hanging out of late.

Apparently the best way to get material picked up and/or freelance writing assignments is to make sure that people can see what you've written already

As usual most of my music writing appears on my blog, which is also syndicated on Rockradioni and appears on my Wikinut page. Some artists actually believe what I write and have used material and quotations on their Facebook and Reverbnation pages...
 
Despite a few typos -I was pleased have had a gig review on the global (page views in excess of 1.2m) Metal Rules website for the Steve Vai gig in Belfast, and my review of Nine Inch Nails at Belsonic appeared on the Independent Voice webzine.
 
My creative writing - that is my short stories appear on my Smashwords page for purchase (film options still available for some of these stories!).

The benefit of Smashwords is that if you meet the standards your stories then appear on other online e-story outlets such as iTunes, Barnes and Noble, Sony readers amongst others. (Kindle users at this time have to purchase/read sample from my Smashwords page to get it on your Kindle.)

After this time looking through where I have been published I took a little time flicking back through old clippings from my first jobs in journalism through to being the American Football correspondent for the now defunct Ireland's Saturday Night.

Doing so I came across my first published piece of creative writing, a short story that was carried by the BBC, a morality tale all about traffic...written before I was even 40 you can  read it here.

All in all not a bad output for a part-time hobby; maybe one day my freelance output will get bought and my creative stories will find a home (as said film options and TV options al still available)

If you want to share your freelance output, or hints and tips for aspiring writers (start writing is the main tip!) just drop your comment below and keep writing.

Ghosts in the Glass, A Review

Book review by Ellie Rose McKee. 

‘Ghosts in the Glass & Other Stories’ is the first anthology written by various members of Belfast Writer’s Group – edited by Lynda Collins. As the title suggests, the theme is all things spooky and supernatural. I’m not typically a fan of the horror genre but this book left me pleasantly surprised. It’s a thoroughly enjoyable way to spend an evening. The stories are engaging and not at all predictable. My particular favorites were ‘Arthur Grey: Lucifer’s Factory’ by M Rush, and ‘Peace of Mind’ by Phil Deane.

All in all I’d rate it five stars out of five.

It is available to buy – at an excellent price* – from Amazon as a paperback and a Kindle eBook. Preview here.

*All profits go to charity, Action Cancer. 

The Black Conspiracy is the second of a pair of books by Bangor author, Ken Magee. It's a funny, contemporary fantasy which answers the question "What happens when ancient magic meets the Internet".

Ken has always loved fantasy novels, particularly the work of Terry Pratchett and Robert Rankin. He says "I was always going to write in the humorous fantasy genre, and twenty years experience of working in the IT industry, was bound to influence the storyline." 

Here's the book's blurb...

Ancient magic has infected the Internet… is this the end for civilisation?

Ancient magic has transported Tung, a young thief, and Madrick, a has-been wizard, across a millennium. Now the magic has infected the Internet and civilisation simply can’t handle the consequences.

To make matters even worse, evil wizards have followed Tung and Madrick through time. They’re determined to hunt down and destroy the pair, and with them, our modern way of life. Saving the world has just got a whole lot harder.

Do you want to laugh while the world comes to an end? The Black Conspiracy is the spellbinding, stand-alone sequel to Dark Tidings.

The Black Conspiracy is available from Amazon and has already had some great reviews:

"This wonderful book takes the story forward from Ken Magee's debut novel Dark Tidings. It's a fantasy but with a difference - ancient magic meets big banking and the internet.

This is a hugely funny book. Ken Magee's sense of humour shines out through the story and leaves the reader with some beautifully memorable phrases. It's not often that I've encountered the Universe as a character. She's a corker, if a little unpredictable after a tipple! Utterly brilliant!" Ignite - Amazon top 500 reviewer. 

If you would like some more information about the books or the author, you can email ken.magee@gametheworld.com or Tweet at https://twitter.com/KenMageeAuthor or have a look at Ken's blog.