Chrissy Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 I have just downloaded Linda Gillard's 'HOUSE OF SILENCE' to my Kindle. From Amazon A country house mystery... A family drama... A Gothic romantic comedy... REBECCA meets COLD COMFORT FARM in Linda Gillard's complex new novel, HOUSE OF SILENCE. Synopsis "My friends describe me as frighteningly sensible, not at all the sort of woman who would fall for an actor. And his home. And his family." Orphaned by drink, drugs and rock n’ roll, Gwen Rowland is invited to spend Christmas at her boyfriend Alfie's family home, Creake Hall - a ramshackle Tudor manor in Norfolk. She's excited about the prospect of a proper holiday with a proper family, but soon after she arrives, Gwen senses something isn't quite right. Alfie acts strangely toward his family and is reluctant to talk about the past. His mother, a celebrated children's author, keeps to her room, living in a twilight world, unable to distinguish between past and present, fact and fiction. And then there's the enigma of an old family photograph... When Gwen discovers fragments of forgotten family letters sewn into an old patchwork quilt, she starts to piece together the jigsaw of the past and realises there's more to the family history than she's been told. It seems there are things people don’t want her to know. And one of those people is Alfie… I cannot bEgin to describe how excited I am to have a new Linda Gillard read in front of me. GO BUY IT NOW! YOU KNOW HOW GOOD SHE IS! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Thanks for the heads up on this one, Chrissy, I've just downloaded it now. Even remembered to click on the amazon store sponsored link at the bottom of the page! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 Thanks, girls. I am very blessed in my fans. And Chrissy - I cannot begin to describe how excited I am to know that before very much longer, I will find out what readers think of this story (which has always been one of my favourites). I finished the book 3 years ago. Please tell your friends. I'm going it alone without a publisher backing me, so I'm at the mercy of word of mouth. No publisher has managed to turn me into a big seller, but I think given the chance, my fans will. HOUSE OF SILENCE currently stands at No 1 in the Movers & Shakers list for Kindle on Amazon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted April 2, 2011 Share Posted April 2, 2011 House of Silence remains at No 1 in the 'Movers and Shakers' chart, and is No 127 overall - which I think is pretty amazing for it's first day. Anyone who's thinking of trying it, go and do so now, as it would be excellent to see it break into the top 100. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I hope there will eventually be a paper copy of this book, as I don't have a Kindle. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 OK, a review of sorts. As always with Linda's books I'm still 'experiencing' the read, so I hope this isn't too muddled. Houses are rarely silent forever, their bricks, mortar and timber ultimately creak with truths and lies and half truths. Mystery, emotion and the unravelling of a family are brought together beautifully in this intricate and perfectly paced story that speaks of how the very best intentions can lead us to punish all those around us, and how redemption can be found through the simplest of acts. All families have secrets don’t they? Gwen has known tragedy and hurt yet she holds her past as an open book, unwilling to pretty the uncomfortable truths of it away. With Alfie and the family Gwen is about to meet, it is a completely different story. You know from early on in the book that things aren’t quite what they appear to be and the ghosts from the past of each sit waiting to be called upon. Nothing is ever black and white in a Linda Gillard book, with the heroes and villains never quite as heroic nor villainous as they first appear, and ‘House Of Silence’ is no exception. These are characters that you not only come to like, but you come to understand their complexities and their motivations. You are compelled to read on from those early pages because the characters draw you in almost instantly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTR Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I have never been a big fan of anything other than actual books but as this wasn't available I bit the bullet and downloaded Kindle for the PC and currently making my way through it. It is my first Linda Gillard book and enjoying it so far Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted April 3, 2011 Author Share Posted April 3, 2011 I have never been a big fan of anything other than actual books but as this wasn't available I bit the bullet and downloaded Kindle for the PC and currently making my way through it. It is my first Linda Gillard book and enjoying it so far I can thoroughly and utterly recommend her 'Emotional Geology', 'Star Gazing' and 'A Lifetime Burning' too ~ all in book form! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTR Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I have EM and SG in book form on my tbr but think I will bump them up a bit Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted April 3, 2011 Share Posted April 3, 2011 I will get 'House of Silence' as soon as possible, thanks for the recommendation Chrissy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thank you, Chrissy, for all the promotion you've done on my behalf and your superb review on Amazon. (The first!) Your cheque is in the post. Sad to say, unless I decide to do a POD pb, HOUSE OF SILENCE won't ever become a proper book. (Sorry, but I don't think e-books are proper books.) My agent has been trying to sell HOS for 3 years and many editors have praised it, but they all said no because they deem the book unmarketable. They said it belongs to no clear genre, which is true. (But this isn't something that bothers readers, only booksellers.) So I decided to e-publish independently because I have a lot of enthusiastic and loyal fans who have been waiting for a new book since 2008. I published HOUSE OF SILENCE for them because from the moment I finished writing it, I thought they would love it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chrissy Posted April 4, 2011 Author Share Posted April 4, 2011 It makes me equal parts livid and saddened that you cannot get this published. It is ridiculous that it could possibly be called 'unmarketable', and I consider any publisher to have said so to be a moron, and unworthy of their jobs. Why don't they say, "OK we'll call it a Family Drama / Romance / Mystery / Whatever, and market it as such. It'll soon find some readers."? Sorry Linda, I am clearly singing to the choir with regard to this fabulous read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LTR Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 ITA with Chrissy, I am enjoying it hon and thanx for putting it out there so we could read it. Publishers might not have had faith in it but your readers sure do xx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pixie Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 (edited) Sad to say, unless I decide to do a POD pb, HOUSE OF SILENCE won't ever become a proper book. (Sorry, but I don't think e-books are proper books.) My agent has been trying to sell HOS for 3 years and many editors have praised it, but they all said no because they deem the book unmarketable. They said it belongs to no clear genre, which is true. (But this isn't something that bothers readers, only booksellers.) I never thought I would do this, but I just downloaded Kindle for PC and purchased House of Silence in e-book format. I very much want to read it, and if I have to do it on my computer screen, so be it. The pleasure of reading your story will make up for the headache staring at the screen will give me. I agree with you. I don't think e-books are proper books, either. Unmarketable? How ridiculous. There are many books out there these days that don't fit into any specific genre. I often find those are the best kind, as they can appeal to multiple types of people. Edited April 4, 2011 by Pixie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 Thanks people for your support. I really appreciate it. Unfortunately some readers are getting back to me to say that a few lines are missing from the e-book in Ch 3. Some readers can see them and some can't apparently! Some say the lines are there, but are white. (So I think if you're reading on a PC you can possibly see them by highlighting?) I've posted the missing lines on Facebook, and I'm giving Amazon hell, but if you aren't following me on my Author page, these are the lines that are missing in someversions... (It seems to depend what device you're reading on.) After "Vivien studied her list again and wrote" the missing line is "Confirm Xmas arrangements with A" At the end of Ch 3 the text of Hattie's sampler is missing for some people. These are the missing lines: If you your lips would keep from slips, Five things observe with care: Of whom you speak, to whom you speak, And how and when and where. If you your ears would save from jeers, These things keep meekly hid: Myself and me, and my and mine, And how I do and did. This is absolutely exasperating because the doc I uploaded was all there. I proofread every word in the Kindle previewer. Grrrr!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weave Posted April 4, 2011 Share Posted April 4, 2011 You deserve our support Linda, you are an exceptional writer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 Thanks, Weave. On AmazonUK HOUSE OF SILENCE has made it into the Top 100 Romance books on Kindle (currently ranked #90) and is also #20 in "Bestsellers in Women Writers & Fiction." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SueK Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) Well, I'm sold! I've just downloaded this onto my precious Kindle. Now please stop recommending excellent reads young Chrissy: My New Year's Resolution (OK - pre-kindle era) was to stay away from Amazon - I've just downloaded my 35th book!!!!!!!!! Looking forward to reading House of Silence though Edited April 5, 2011 by SueK Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 5, 2011 Share Posted April 5, 2011 (edited) I finished reading House of Silence today. It's a well plotted family mystery, with twists and turns aplenty. The story builds gradually, compelling you to keep turning the pages (or rather, clicking that button ) to find out more, and when the revelations start, they just keep on rolling to the very end of the book! I was so glad, though, that it never strayed into melodrama. I loved the characters, particularly the sisters Viv and Hattie. They all felt like real people, in that they had faults and flaws, made mistakes, yet were equally engaging and sympathetic as well. As in real life, no one is as they appear at first sight, and each story is gradually revealed throughout the story. The sense of place was fantastic, and I have such a clear vision of Creake Hall and the gardens in my head, it's as if I've watched a film adaptation of the book - in fact, it would make a great feature length drama for a wintry Sunday afternoon. Whatever you may think of Kindles and e-readers in general, for an author to be able to make their work available to such a large audience and still be able to have some financial benefit from it, can only be a good thing. Overall, an entertaining, engrossing story. Oh, and one other thing - I wish I could see the patchwork quilts for real! Edited April 5, 2011 by chesilbeach Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Thanks, chesilbeach for your kind words. I actually wrote this book very much with an eye on tv/film adaptation. I agree, it would lend itself well to a feature-length drama. The house is almost like another character in the book. I thought about calling the novel CREAKE HALL. Here is an image of a Postage Stamp quilt. Here is an image of a 1000 Pyramids quilt. (Neither quilt is mine. I made a doll's quilt version of the Postage Stamp pattern and that was enough for me working with that size patch!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chesilbeach Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Wow! Sorry to go off topic a bit here, but I love those two quilts. I had my first attempt at quilting last year, and took a class at a local craft shop, and although I loved it while going to the class, I have to admit, I still haven't finished the binding on the sample quilt we made Seeing these pictures is rekindling my interest, and although I loved all the different styles of patterns and patches we made to learn all the different techniques for hand quilting, I have a mathematical mind, and the simplest designs are my favourites. I'm really tempted to make a start on my own postage stamp quilt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I can thoroughly and utterly recommend her 'Emotional Geology', 'Star Gazing' and 'A Lifetime Burning' too ~ all in book form! Here here - I couldn't agree more You deserve our support Linda, you are an exceptional writer And again I fully agree Off to purchase House of Silence now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Linda Gillard Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 I have a mathematical mind, and the simplest designs are my favourites. I'm really tempted to make a start on my own postage stamp quilt! Do you know the Imogen Quy crime series by Jill Paton Walsh? She's a quilting sleuth. I think there are 3or 4 in the series. Try A PIECE OF JUSTICE. I think that might appeal to you. For those of you who don't know, there are pictures on my website of quilts I've made. My link Off to purchase House of Silence now Thanks, Madcow. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
madcow Posted April 6, 2011 Share Posted April 6, 2011 Your welcome Linda, I've loved all your books so far Look forward to readin this one too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michelle Posted April 7, 2011 Share Posted April 7, 2011 Once I can get my headaches to settle, I shall get my review written, and Linda's blog post put up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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