Business cards can be an important weapon in the arsenal of any writer wanting to promote their work. Many thanks to Chris from the Story Reading Ape Blog for publishing my article about business cards for authors. Continue reading
A Religious Conspiracy Thriller – Code Red in the Vatican
I’m excited to announce that The Rock of Magus has now been released. It is Book 2 in the Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series, and this time Jotham heads to the Vatican. There are plenty of twists and turns as he tries to foil the Simonian Sect and the Brotherhood with the help of his new partner, Madena Sutcliffe. Continue reading
I was delighted once again to have a guest post on Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog. Continue reading
Many thanks to Chris from The Story Reading Ape Blog for posting my article about having mini-goals.Here is the link to that article:
You need mini-goals to write your novel
Here is the first chapter of The Magus Covenant – Book 1 in The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series. It is available at all Amazon outlets. 3 more books in the series have already been released.
Reading fiction is great for your health. On 6th September 2016, I was thrilled to have an article published on Chris The Story Reading Ape’s Blog. Continue reading
If you’ve read one of my books, I’d love to hear your opinion or get your feedback. It would be wonderful if you could help spread the word by leaving a brief review on Amazon or telling your friends. You could also leave a rating or a review in Goodreads. Continue reading
I’m pleased to announce the launch of my Facebook Page. The Author App on the left hand side is a great way to get in touch and access my books. Here is the link, and I’d be delighted to hear if you like it.
We all know what it means when someone says that they are in a good or bad mood. Every one of us has a range of moods, that cover the spectrum from deliriously happy to gloomy or sad, and that is a sure sign of our humanity. Continue reading
Here are some excerpts from reviews of The Magus Covenant – Book 1 in The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series.
“Exciting new series that leaves you wanting more immediately!” – Review on Amazon Continue reading
Here are some excerpts from reviews of The Rock of Magus – Book 2 in The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series.
“If you have read Toni Pike’s first Jotham Fletcher adventure The Magus Covenant and really enjoyed the read like I did, you are going to like book two The Rock of Magus even more.” Continue reading
On 31 December 2105, I was delighted to be a guest on the Sizzling Towards Sixty website, talking about three steps to achieving your dream. Mine was to become an author, and it was just after I published my first novel. I would love to hear what you think. Here is the link to that article:
3 Steps to Achieving Your Dream
I was fortunate enough to be featured in an interview on Writer’s Treasure Chest. Continue reading
I felt very honoured to have The Rock of Magus included in the Smorgasbord Summer Reading series, presented by the wonderful Sally Cronin.
Here is the link to that article:
I was thrilled to be a guest on the inspirational Sizzling Towards Sixty website.
Here is the link to that article:
Midlife Matters – How to Become an Author in Midlife
I’d love to hear what you think.
The setting of your novel is a critical element that needs careful consideration and planning. It is the backdrop to your story, and requires as much thought as you give to the characters and storyline. There are several aspects that you need to take into account, including the time period, the location, the mood to be evoked and the level of detail to be used in your descriptions. Continue reading
Fiction is normally divided into a range of categories that are referred to as genres. It will be the first way for readers and publishers to judge your novel, and every writer needs to select the genre of their own work. Despite that, many writers find it difficult to make that decision, even after completing the first draft. Many stories seem to fit into more than one category, making the choice even more difficult. This is a brief guideline to help you make that decision. Continue reading
Chapters are a wonderful invention that help to compartmentalise a novel, breaking it up into sections that are easily read in one sitting. Continue reading
You are about to embark on a long and challenging journey and so far you have only stared at a blank sheet of paper or a computer screen in the search for inspiration. It might seem too early too worry about the length of your novel, but I consider that some forward planning is essential. You will know where you are headed and the size of the task you are about to undertake. Continue reading
Learn the difference between these words and you will never get them confused again.
Continue reading
The words there, their and they’re are the source of endless confusion. Continue reading
One of the most common mistakes in writing is the misuse of either its or it’s. Continue reading
I was delighted to have an article posted on Chris the Story Reading Ape’s Blog – about How to Write Dates in fiction.
Your mind is on fire as you type out your latest story at super-fast speed when, all of a sudden, you come to a halt. You want to include a date or a time period, and you’re not sure of the best way to express it.
Here are some easy guidelines to help you get started.
Dates
There are two simple ways to write a date but in fiction you should try to write the words out in full:
Thursday 9 June 2016 – with no comma and no “th”
or
Ninth of June
Always write dialogue the way your character would say it:
“She’ll be here on April the tenth,” said Mary.
Years
Write a single year in numerals:
2014
For a range of years, you can write the numerals:
1998-99 or 2002-2006
But for fiction, you should try to write the phrase in full:
She died sometime…
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In my first thriller The Magus Covenant, billionaire Iago Visser lives in a remote part of Derbyshire’s Peak District in a walled medieval manor house. In the second book of the series, recently released, hero Jotham Fletcher is now the owner. What better way, then, to feed my muse on a recent trip to England than to visit enchanting Haddon Hall? Continue reading
A review of the Magus Covenant was recently posted on the Pick of the Literate blog. Here’s a link to that review:
Review of The Magus Covenant on the Pick of the Literate Blog
The Magus Covenant recently received a 5 star rating on Reviews by Karen.
You can read more here:
Avebury Stone Circle is the largest neolithic stone circle in Europe. It is seventeen miles from Stonehenge in the beautiful Wiltshire Plain but in so many ways it far exceeds its more famous cousin as a source of inspiration and delight. Continue reading
Chris from the Story Reading Ape Blog kindly posted my simple guide to building a story. Continue reading
On 3 May 2016, I was thrilled and honoured to be interviewed by Sally Cronin as part of her new Sunday Show called Smorgasbord Open House. It will feature a series of authors, blog writers, poets, artists and musicians.
Here is the link to that article:
Smorgasbord Open House – Toni Pike
The Magus Covenant is now listed on Booklife, a new Publisher’s Weekly website.
Many thanks for their support.
Here is the link to that listing:
The Magus Covenant is now included on Goodkindles, a website that helps readers to discover the best ebooks. All books listed there must have at least ten Amazon reviews with an average rating of at least 4 stars.
Here is the link to that listing:
I was lucky enough to be interviewed by Stacie from the BeachBoundBooks Blog. I think you’ll agree that The Magus Covenant would be ideal reading for a beach holiday. Continue reading
Chris from The Story Reading Ape Blog was kind enough to post my article about the moment we decide to achieve our dreams. You can read more here:
The Moment of Clarity
The moment when we decide to achieve a dream
The moment of clarity is the most mysterious part of achieving a dream. It is that one lucid moment before you start to follow a plan and achieve a goal. No one can explain why, after years of longing and setting targets that were never met, everything changes. It is a magic moment when the fog in your mind lifts and your purpose becomes clear.
Just pretend for a moment that you want to go on a holiday. Not just a few days by the beach, but an overseas trip that you have been thinking about for a long time. There is a vague idea in your mind that you would love to see a certain part of the world.
When and why did you decide that you would love to see Scandinavia or Asia or…
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Chris from The Story Reading Ape Blog was kind enough to post my article about the effects of adrenaline. You can read more here: Adrenaline – A Simple Guide for Writers
This is a simple guide to adrenaline and its effects on the human body. An adrenaline rush is often referred to as the flight or fight response. You, the writer, put your characters into the most incredible situations and then decide if they will confront the enemy or run away – or do something completely unexpected. But what really happens when a person confronts an assailant or has a panic attack?
Adrenaline is a hormone that is sometimes referred to as epinephrine, but only in American medical circles – and that word may be slowly dying out. Adrenaline is the word of choice in all popular media and around the world.
Your characters are likely to have more than one adrenaline rush on their way to the exciting climax in your story. It happens in response to trauma, shock or a sudden fright. The hormone bursts out of…
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Many thanks to Sarah from bytheletterbookreviews who has posted a review of The Magus Covenant. Continue reading
Pizza has become a favourite meal around the world, one that has been popular for decades. Australians love to go to an Italian restaurant with family and friends, choose several different varieties laden with all sorts of toppings and then share slices around the table. And they usually eat it with a knife and fork. Continue reading
I was delighted when Sue Loncaric from Sizzling Towards Sixty invited me to write about achieving my dream of becoming an author.
Sue’s website is an inspiration for anyone who wants to reach their full potential and live their life to the full. Continue reading
A hilltop town with Etruscan tombs near Rome
Tarquinia is an enchanting walled town with an Etruscan necropolis and impressive museum. For cruise passengers visiting Civitavecchia, it’s a delightful alternative to a day in Rome. Continue reading
On 18 December 2015, I was fortunate enough to be the Guest Author on Chris the Story Reading Ape’s Blog. Here is the link to that article:
A very simple but effective guide
In The Magus Covenant, Jotham Fletcher is involved in at least two dramatic car chases, not to mention other characters such as Nathan and Antonella who also engage in some wild driving. Continue reading
Simon Magus is a character mentioned in the New Testament, who was reviled by early members of the Christian church. This strange figure from two thousand years ago plays an important part in my thrillers, The Jotham Fletcher Mystery Thriller Series. Continue reading
It takes two hours to pass through the Archipelago as you sail into Stockholm Harbour in the warmth of summer. That’s the way I first saw it on board a cruise ship, and it was a wonderful experience. Continue reading
