Thursday, January 25, 2024

Lelita's 'The Baker's Secret' Officially Released

The Woking Writer's Collective is pleased to advise that Woking author Lelita Baldock, has released her new novel, The Baker's Secret. Her first traditionally published title, the 374-page novel was released by Storm Publishing on 25 January 2024.

Lelita will be celebrating its release with an official launch on 3 February at The Solar Sisters eco-cafe in  Guildford. 




About the book: 

In Nazi-occupied Latvia, two sisters are forced to make an impossible choice. To save a child, one sister must flee, while the other must stay behind. The secret of what happens next will endure for generations. But the truth won’t stay hidden forever…

Riga, 1943. Cycling the streets to deliver fresh loaves, Zenta passes empty houses, curtains open, doors unlocked, their occupants forced out by Russian or German hands. Above the newly built town hall, a Nazi flag waves in the breeze. Since her brother became a soldier and her sister joined the resistance, Zenta is all her parents have left.

Then one morning her sister returns. Tired, worn, with a newly rounded belly, Estere is as determined as ever to fight for their freedom. She convinces Zenta to join the Latvian resistance efforts and use her bread deliveries as a cover for smuggling letters, newspapers and supplies.

When the bell over the bakery door chimes and German officers cross the threshold, Estere pleads with her sister to run – and to take her newborn daughter with her. An agreement between sisters made in the desperation of war sends Zenta to a new life across the world, a baby at her side, with a secret she’ll never tell. Until, decades later, now a grandmother, the smells and warmth of the bakery still in her heart, Zenta is finally ready to set the truth free…

An emotional and heart-breaking tale of sacrifice, courage and love that spotlights the resilience of women in the Second World War. Perfect for readers of Kristin Hannah, Fiona Valpy and Kelly Rimmer.



Woking Author - Lelita Baldock


About the author… 

Lelita Baldock has a passion for stories, especially those with a dark undercurrent, or a twist to be revealed. 

She hopes to tell interesting stories that people will find themselves drawn into. Stories that are for entertainment and escape, and hopefully a little thrill of the unexpected. She enjoys the experience of writing, exploring human traits and reactions as well as the darkness that can lurk unexpectedly inside anyone. 

Born and raised in Adelaide, Australia, Lelita holds a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English and History from the University of Adelaide and a Bachelor of Education from The University of South Australia. During her twenties she worked as an English teacher in both Australia and the United Kingdom, working with the International Baccalaureate curriculum. 

Now Lelita and her husband run a web development business, and she makes time for writing after hours and on weekends. It can mean long days and late nights, but she doesn’t mind, stories are her passion. 

Lelita’s long-term goal as a writer is to be able to publish her stories regularly and hopefully appeal to a wide range of readers. 

Lelita resides in Woking with her husband Ryan and beloved rescue cat, Jasmine. 

Website: www.lelitabaldock.com

Lelita on Twitter


Available Now!

You get your paperback or Kindle copy

of The Baker's Secret HERE








Saturday, January 13, 2024

Live Talks by Local Authors



Alice Fowler


The Woking Writers' Collective is pleased to announce that Woking Library is staging a couple of events by Alice Fowler and Joelle Tamraz.

Join Alice Fowler from 6pm on Thursday 22 February as she delves into a world of change and reinvention. Where relationships are as delicate as turtle eggs and just as easily smashed. 

Her poignant short story collection explores pivotal moments that transform our lives. Jenny, whose life is defined by small disasters, discovers a more generous version of herself. A traveller girl might just win her race and alter her life’s course. A widow, cut off in a riverside backwater, opens her heart to a stranger. 

In her captivating collection, The Truth Has Arms and Legs, readers will be moved by the raw vulnerability of human connection, and the resilience that enables us to thrive and grow. In change, Alice Fowler’s characters find the ability to be truly free. 

Tickets are just £6.00 each. Please arrive ten minutes before the event starts. 

Alice, previously featured on the blog, is an award-winning short stories and longer fiction writer. She won the Historical Writers’ Association short story competition in 2020 and the Wells Festival of Literature short story competition in 2021. 

Other stories have been short- and long-listed in prizes and printed in anthologies. Her historical novel was longlisted for the 2021 Stylist Feminist Fiction Prize. 

Alice has a degree in Human Sciences from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford and worked as a national print journalist until 2006.

She lives in Surrey with her husband and teenage sons and loves theatre, tennis and walking in the Surrey Hills. 

Author website: www.alicefowlerauthor.com   Twitter: @alicefwrites

EVENT LINK

 


Joelle Tamraz

The following Tuesday, (27 February) it’s the turn of Joelle Tamraz who will be talking about her new book, The Secret Practice and more. 

Join Joelle Tamraz as she speaks about her debut memoir, The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga, reads like a fast-paced novel and speaks to themes of mind control, manipulation, and trauma, as well as self-empowerment and healing.


There will be an opportunity for the audience to ask questions and books will be on sale at the end of the session.
 

Joelle is a memoir and life writer. Her writing explores psychological themes, moral questions, and family dynamics.

 

She earned an Honours BA degree in social studies from Harvard and an MBA from INSEAD. Before writing full-time, she held senior roles in technology companies for over two decades and owned a yoga studio for ten of those years. She is also a certified life coach and a youth mentor.
 

Originally from the Middle East, she has lived in the US and France and now resides in the UK with her husband and two dogs. She's passionate about sustainability and loves spending time outdoors, walking, cycling, or simply being in nature.

 

Again, the one-hour event commences at 6pm.


EVENT LINK

 

Are you a local author who would like to talk about your writing at Woking Library? Library Manager, Juniper Freyne would like to hear from you. 

Contact: Jennifer.freyne@surreycc.gov.uk

Sunday, November 26, 2023

The Woking Writers' Collective - 2023 Book List

 

It’s been a busy and exciting year for Woking’s authors with some of us releasing new books along the way. Please support your local writers!



Sue Mackender, author of The Woman I've Become


Angela Hales -  
The A to Z of Animal Magic

Marisa Noelle - Fight for Freedom

Dave Foker - Photographing British Wildlife

Alice Fowler - The Truth Has Arms and Legs

Mal Foster - The Story of Virna Babineaux

Harriet Steel - Long Odds in Nula

Cory Y. Standby (aka Andy Caulfield) - 50!

(The life loves and psyche of a male midlife crisis. Volume 1 – The Journey)

Joelle Tamraz - The Secret Practice

Sue Mackender - The Woman I’ve Become

Charlie Cox - Zero Point One


Please browse the blog and explore the pages showcasing the work of our featured authors.

EXPLORE - DISCOVER - BUY

It's a Woking Thing!


KEEP SCROLLING!



 

Monday, October 23, 2023

Charlie Cox publishes his debut thriller, 'Zero Point One'

 

The Woking Writers’ Collective is delighted to announce the publication of Zero Point One by Horsell-based author, Charlie Cox

The book, No. 1 in the Mason Granger series, is available in paperback and e-book formats from Amazon - BUY HERE  

The second book in the series is already under construction!

 



About the book:


Mason Granger, security guard and disgraced army sergeant, wakes up dead in the company morgue after a night out on the lash. What idiot said drinking was fun? And more to the point, how did he end up as a walking talking corpse?

With a raging headache and a short temper, Mason heads out into a hostile world to find out what the bloody hell is going on.

 

·         Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farland Publishing Ltd (18 Oct. 2023)

·         Language ‏ : ‎ English

·         Paperback ‏ : ‎ 252 pages

·         ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1739567803

·         ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1739567804

·         Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.97 x 1.6 x 21.59 cm

 

 

 

About the author:

 


'Charlie Cox'


After working in the video games industry for many years, on everything from Resident Evil to PlayStation Home, Charlie Cox, now writes thrillers. Zero Point One is Charlie’s first commercial novel, released in October 2023, and a leap into the fast-paced world of Mason Granger, back from the dead and none too pleased about it.

The next book is now under construction in the depths of a wild imagination. 

For more, search 'Charlie Cox Author' on Instagram or follow on Facebook HERE


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* Please check our (X)witter page for updates.

 

 

 

 

Tuesday, September 26, 2023

Sue Mackender, new novel: 'The Woman I've Become'

 

The Woking Writers’ Collective is thrilled to announce that Woking author, Sue Mackender, has now released her new novel, ‘The Woman I’ve Become.’ The book is available in paperback (£10.99) and e-book (£1.99) formats from Amazon 




About the book:

"In the shadow of her famous partner, Tom Lane, Grace led what seemed like a perfect life—running Tom's fan club and writing for World Explorer from the comfort of their remote farmhouse known as 'the settlement.' But when the relentless press thrusts her into a high-speed chase, Grace's world unravels.

As the headlines scream about 'Celebrity Explorer father's 17 children by tribal women,' Grace must find a way to shield her own children from the chaos and media frenzy that engulfs them. She swears off trust in men forever, but can she truly keep that promise?

In this gripping tale of resilience and personal transformation, Grace will discover her own strength and seek unlikely alliances to protect her family. 'The Explorer's Redemption' is a riveting exploration of trust, betrayal, and the unbreakable bonds of family."

 

·         Publisher‏: ‎ Nielson Bookdata (21 Sept. 2023)

·         Language‏: ‎ English

·         Paperback‏ : ‎ 441 pages

·         ISBN-10: ‎ 1739647408

·         ISBN-13: ‎ 978-1739647407

·         Dimensions: ‎ 13.34 x 2.82 x 20.32 cm

·         Contemporary Romance


BUY BOOK

 

Sue Mackender


Brief Bio:

Sue Mackender sold her successful recruitment business after 29 years to follow her lifelong passion for books and begin a new career as a writer. Sue is often termed as a Grit-Lit writer of Commercial Fiction. She places her heroines in impossible situations where they need to fight their corner to survive.

Her first two novels, Accident of Fate and Accident of Birth have been firm favourites with Book Club readers. She has also been published in America in the Chicken Soup for the Soul anthologies. The Girl on the Hill is Sue’s third novel. In 2019 Sue was awarded the coveted Katie Fforde bursary. 

Sue lives with her husband in Woking, Surrey United Kingdom.

Website: www.suemackender.com 

Sue on X (formerly Twitter) @SueMackenderAu1 




 

Wednesday, August 23, 2023

Introducing local author, Joelle Tamraz and her highly-rated new book, 'The Secret Practice'

The Woking Writers’ Collective is very pleased to welcome Joelle Tamraz to the blog. Her new book, The Secret Practice, is a memoir and certainly presents something different from our authors. 



About the book:  

His yoga focused on control and manipulation. Until she broke the sequence.

For fans of Netflix’s Bikram, Tara Westover’s Educated and Megan Phelps-Roper’s Unfollow  

"The word yoga comes from the same root as the word yoke—to tie together.”

Joelle Tamraz was barely past twenty when she travelled to India in search of spiritual wisdom. In Rishikesh, the home of yoga, she met an alluring older man who offered to teach her a secret practice. This encounter would realign her next twenty years. 

Despite signs there was more to her Arun than his winning smile, she persisted in seeing him as her spiritual master, soul mate, and key to her destiny. Until one day, she dared to open her eyes and change her pose to one of strength and harmony. 

From darkness to light, dependency to self-awareness, from psychological need to genuine love, The Secret Practice is an exposé of a master manipulator, the exploration of a marriage, and the exhaustion of a disciple’s faith. 



Joelle Tamraz

 

About the author:

Joelle Tamraz is a memoir and life writer. She’s been putting thoughts to paper ever since she learned about journaling and stream-of-consciousness writing in her eighth-grade English class. Her debut memoir, The Secret Practice: Eighteen Years on the Dark Side of Yoga, reads like a fast-paced novel and speaks about mind control, manipulation, and trauma, as well as self-empowerment and healing. 

Before writing full-time, she held senior roles in technology companies for over two decades and owned a yoga studio for ten years. She earned an Honours BA degree in social studies from Harvard and an MBA from INSEAD. She is also a certified life coach and a youth mentor. 

Joelle has lived in the US and France and now resides in Surrey, UK with her husband and two dogs. She's passionate about sustainability and enjoys being outdoors, walking, cycling, or being in nature. 

You can visit Joelle's Website here!

 

BUY THE BOOK

(Paperback & Kindle formats)

     

Amazon Review:


"An amazing, powerful story about an innocent young woman who breaks the cycle of abuse. I really connected with Joelle’s open and compelling writing style, not only what she was saying but how she said it. As a reader, I felt welcomed into her world and true story, and I love that, in the end, she wins. Five full stars." - Amy Kierce

Brief Interview:

When did you start writing your new book? 

I started writing in Guildford in 2018, four years after moving to the UK. 

What was the inspiration behind the book? 

My memoir covers turbulent years in the world of yoga and spirituality. I experienced mind control, manipulation, and trauma before eventually coming to my own power and healing. After my divorce ten years ago, I knew I would someday tell the story, but it would take me five years to find a way to do so. I was inspired at an open writing day with Chris Leonard to capture experiences that occur much later in the story. Responding to open-ended prompts freed me from the pressure of telling the story from the beginning. 

Can you describe your route to publication from concept to completed novel?  

I started considering publishing tracks in the summer of 2020 while attending the Jericho Writers Summer Festival of Writing. Over the course of three months, we heard from many industry professionals, from writers to agents and editors, all of whom had interesting and valuable advice. The independent route appealed to me but also seemed very daunting at the time. A year ago, when I felt I had a near-final product, I queried agents but became discouraged by how long and uncertain the path ahead would be. In the meantime, I had fruitful conversations with other self-published authors and decided to publish on my own terms and timeline. 

What ideas do you have for any future books? 

I have two more memoirs in mind: one about my childhood and troubled family; the other about recovering from psychological trauma and making a new life in the UK. Right now, I’m focusing on book marketing and writing shorter pieces, but I’ll tackle a longer project in a few months. 

Which publishing services (if any) would you recommend? 

Publishing through KDP and Ingram Spark has been efficient and easier than I expected. My book is also available through Gardner’s, the UK wholesaler. I’m still learning about marketing, which takes time, but getting the word out and hearing back from readers has been a wonderful experience so far.