AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT - GILLIAN E. HAMER

Gillian E. Hamer

Born in the industrial Midlands, Gillian's heart has always yearned for the wilds of North Wales and the pull of the ocean.

A company director for twenty years, she has written obsessively for over a decade. After completing a creative writing course, she decided to take her writing to the next level and sought representation. She is a columnist for Words with Jam literary magazine, a regular theatre goer and avid reader across genres.

She splits her time between Birmingham and a remote cottage on Anglesey where she finds her inspiration.

Contact details:
www.gillianhamer.com

http://gillianhamer.wordpress.com/

http://triskelebooks.blogspot.com

 www.triskelebooks.co.uk

@GillyHamer

Gillian’s thoughts on her first year as an indie publisher:

June launch saw our first twelve months as published authors. I often look back to the inception of Triskele over a Christmas tea in London, December 2011 and I am astonished at how far we have come. For me, having control over covers, formats, publishing dates has been a real revelation. After years of waiting around in an industry known for moving at a snail's pace, it has been wonderful to make things happen at my own pace. You would perhaps imagine, at the speed we have got Triskele and its growing catalogue of books off the ground, it would have been a stressful, rollercoaster ride, but I can honestly say that other than the odd blip and problem (none of which we've not been able to overcome or divert around) there has been no real dramas or tantrums. No sleepless nights. And a massive amount of highs. Having the trust and support of a strong team around you is vital. It takes off the pressure, because there's always someone to talk to, someone who will understand. Someone to listen if you need to vent. If you can't do QR codes, someone else will. If they don't get a marketing lead, you can help out. Maybe that's what traditionally published authors get from an editor who works alongside them on their books, but I don't honestly think I could have asked for more support than I've had from the other Triskele authors. It's been a pleasure to work with them.

Gillian's thoughts on the latest Triskele launch at Foyles book shop, London:

A tough, but humorous, moment would be the June 2013 launch day at Foyles, the five Triskele girls dragging heavy M&S food bags through Covent Garden in a convoy, after I'd rushed round trying to buy forgotten napkins. It was like a bad remake of a M&S Advert - it's not just any book launch, it's an M&S book launch, I thought, as sweaty and bedraggled we marched along Charing Cross Road, knowing in a few hours we would be putting on party frocks and attempting a cool, sophisticated look. Then I spent the entire launch rushed off my feet, shoes discarded, behind the bar, chipping in the odd detail about my books to interested parties. And then at the end of the event, we had half an hour to clear the room (inc. lingering guests) and move boxes of books back to our hotel. It was fun but exhausting! Not something I'd want to take on alone without the support of the other girls. But a relaxing G&T in the bar helped numb the foot pain!

Gillian shares a few of moments from her first self-publishing year:

Interview on Jaffareadstoo

On combining her day job with a passion for writing:
http://www.mitsubishi-matters.co.uk/2013/05/21/the-dealer-principal-who-combines-her-day-job-with-her-passion-for-writing/

http://www.mitsubishi-matters.co.uk/2013/06/05/successful-launch-event-for-dealer-principal-who-has-published-a-novel/

Gillian’s Books:

The Charter
 The legend of The Royal Charter is almost as famous as the story of the dead girl who wanders the cliffs at Point Lynas – a victim of the 1859 shipwreck.

After more than a decade away, Sarah Morton must return to her childhood home in Anglesey to bury her father. It’s her chance to say goodbye, and good riddance, to her past.

Yet her father leaves her a legacy. A letter. And a safe full of documents about the ancient shipwreck.

The Royal Charter had been carrying gold. Huge amounts of it. And her father’s death suddenly looks like murder.

Determined to discover the truth, Sarah is dragged into a dangerous journey, discovering she and the girl on the cliffs have more in common than she could ever believe.

Set along the dramatic and dangerous Anglesey coastline, The Charter is a story of greed and forgiveness – when the treasures of the past evoke the crimes of today.

Snippets from reviews of The Charter:

5.0 out of 5 stars Story telling at its best by pigginhell … If I was one of these obsessive types who orders my library in genre order, I would not know where to put this one. Crime novel? Ghost Story? Historic Account? Adventure Story? It doesn't matter. It all works beautifully together. The elements, as diverse as they seem, sometimes just fit, which of course is down to old fashioned, damn good story telling.


5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it...by jaffareadstoo (TOP 500 REVIEWER) … It's not often that a book comes along which covers all your favourite genres in one fell swoop, but… The Charter is definitely one such book. Gillian Hamer writes with the passion of one who knows Anglesey well, and with great skill and imagination has turned this passion into a cracking good story.


5.0 out of 5 stars Wild and spooky Wales by Cathy "cathyagain" …A GOOD story well told is always great to read, and this one cracks along with atmosphere. The setting is wild Wales, the coast of Anglesea.
Author Gillian Hamer has a way of gripping readers that goes beyond the twists of her plot. Her writing is superb. This is five-star stuff.


5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing Book With A Wonderful Blend Of Genres by M. Stork … the drama and beauty of the writer's descriptions of the rugged Welsh coast. The descriptions were so breathtakingly beautiful I felt I was there, and could hear the waves crashing against the shore. The characters are wonderful … the pace was perfect


The Charter is available at all Amazon stores:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0080JOA7W/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B0080JOA7W&linkCode=as2&tag=trisbook-21



Closure

Helen West is coming to terms with her husband’s death and trying to cope with her six-year-old son’s grief. Jake suffers from nightmares, and visions of what he calls his ‘other life’. He talks about a boy called Jacob and a place known only as ‘the island’.

Helen’s journey to find the source of Jake’s torment leads them to North Wales, where the university town of Bangor is in lockdown following a series of student abductions.

When Jake’s nightmares start to mirror the abductions, Helen begins to believe her son might have second sight. But what could Jake’s ‘island’ possibly have to do with these crimes? And how can they help without putting their own lives in danger?

It seems that decision will be Jake's alone.

Set along the beautiful North Wales coastline, Closure is a story of belief, revenge and repercussions of the past.

Snippets from reviews of Closure:

5.0 out of 5 stars A scary page-turner, by Sheila Bugler "Sheilab" … a darker tale than Charter and… more complex … Rich in atmosphere, dripping with suspense and full of memorable characters…. 

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Follow-Up to The Charter, by Chris C …The links between these two very different strands are slow to reveal themselves, but, because each has so many intriguing elements, my interest never flagged.

4.0 out of 5 stars by Keith Brown Excellent first novel, well plotted… Very attractively bound book, well produced and published.

4.0 out of 5 stars a thriller with a twist, by AliB … a rollicking read with some particularly nasty villains, plenty of grisly detail and an interesting historical twist. Recommended.

Closure is available at all Amazon stores:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00A6DL1RW/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00A6DL1RW&linkCode=as2&tag=trisbook-21



Complicit

‘On the beach stood the adverse array (of Britons), a serried mass of arms and men, with women flitting between the ranks. In the style of Furies, in robes of deathly black and with dishevelled hair, they brandished their torches; while a circle of Druids, lifting their hands to heaven and showering imprecations …’

When Roman historian, Cornelius Tacitus, recorded the invasion of the small island of Mona Insulis off the North Wales coast in 60AD – the beginnings of a propaganda war against the Druidic religion began.

Two thousand years later, that war is still being fought.

For two millennia, descendants of a small sect of Anglesey Druids have protected their blood lineage and mysterious secrets from the world. Until members of this secret society are murdered one by one.

Detective Sergeants Gareth Parry and Chris Coleman, along with new girl, DC Megan Jones, must stop this killer at all costs. What they discover will shock the whole police team and leave consequences which have an impact like no crime in the history of the force.

Set along the dramatic Menai Straits, Complicit is a story of greed, loss and obsession.

Snippets from reviews of Complicit:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended by Welsh Annie  
I've written before about this wonderful series by Gillian Hamer. The settings are really well drawn - this is a part of the world I know well - and the Welsh voices have just the right touch of authenticity. While the setting is what originally drew me to this series, I'd highly recommend it to a whole range of readers - there's police procedure and crime investigation, a strong historical back story, touches of magic and mysticism, all wrapped up in a flowing and readable style along with a thrilling adventure story. Very highly recommended - I loved this book, and can't wait for the next one.


5.0 out of 5 stars Compelling ... by jaffareadstoo (TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Echoes of the past resonate throughout this cleverly constructed murder mystery which flips effortlessly between the story of the Roman invasion of Mona Insulis and the effects on the Druids of Anglesey two thousand years ago, and the seemingly inexplicable and torturous deaths of a group of individuals who may or may not be part of a secret organisation in present day North Wales.
The wild and beautiful history of Anglesey comes gloriously alive in the hands of this talented writer, I'm now completely hooked on this series and only hope that Gillian Hamer can write really quickly, as I can't wait to see what she comes up with next.


Complicit is available at all Amazon stores:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00CWHHK9S/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1634&creative=6738&creativeASIN=B00CWHHK9S&linkCode=as2&tag=trisbook-21