You will remember last year I reviewed The House of Silence by Linda Gillard who, fed up with being told it was not 'marketable', took to the e-book route and sold thousands. She also guested on Random telling us how she did it here. If you missed this fascinating post first time around, please do check it out and all the comments as well which are quite an eye opener.
Well, never content to sit back Linda is now motoring ahead with more. Her second book, A Lifetime Burning' is now available for your Kindle and, having read all of this author's books, I have to say that I think this is her best. It was her second book and I felt a huge leap forward from her first, Emotional Geology, and on checking my archives this is how I reviewed it back in 2007 (PLEASE NOTE SPOLIER ALERT)
"I have just finished reading A Lifetime Burning and am still trying to come to terms with it. My first thoughts are is that it is a huge leap forward in terms of writing and flow of language from her first Transita novel Emotional Geology. I wonder if that book was used as a practice run, one that Linda Gillard had had gestating for a long time and was just eager to get published and out of her system? This latest book is much more mature and so much better written. It is almost as if Emotional Geology had given her confidence in her abilities and enabled her to write such a good second novel.
BUT, and there is a but in all this - I found the subject matter disturbing. There is no attempt to gloss over the incestuous love between Flora and Rory and portray it as making them happy in any way, indeed it is made clear that this love brings nothing but sorrow. A reader coming to this book with no knowledge of its subject matter could read for quite a while before it is clear where the story is leading. Once you reach the point of realisation it will not matter, you will read on as by then Flora and Rory have a hold on the reader and you will want to find out what happens to them both".
Well, I see no reason to change my opinion in the intervening years. I think this was a very brave book to write and taking quite a chance as a second novel. I know that publishers don't like books that they cannot categorise or which fit neatly into a box which they can tick, and Linda has yet to produce anything that can be dealt with in this way. Rather each book is a surprise, a 'wonder what we are going to get this time' kind of a read. She keeps her readers on their toes and though publishers may not like it very much, we do.
Delighted this is now available as an ebook and that the pleasure of reading this is just one click away. I am full of admiration for Linda taking charge of her books and publishing in this way and wish her luck, not that I think for one moment she needs it.
One last thing, if you should purchase and read any of Linda's books on Amazon and have enjoyed it, but don't feel like writing a review, please do click on 'Like' which is next to the book's title. Apparently this is noted by Amazon and makes a difference.
So off you go - get clicking. At 88p this has to be the bargain of the century.....
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