When I first set up this website, I little imagined that I would be using it to announce that one of my own publications had been shortlisted for such a noteworthy literary award. Needless to say, I’m over the moon that Chris Morton’s debut novel, English Slacker, has been shortlisted for the Not the Booker Prize:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/aug/18/not-the-booker-prize-2011-shortlist

The Not the Booker Prize was founded by The Guardian in 2009 in order to give the public their say on who should win a prestigious literary award such as the Man Booker Prize, as The Guardian thought that it was rarely given to the most exceptional book of the year.

Although it only took 17 votes to get shortlisted, the voting procedure was a bit more arduous this year, as those voting had to submit a 150 word review. In the process, we tallied more votes than many well-established authors such as David Baddiel, Greg Egan, Anne Enright, Linda Grant, Philip Hensher, Richard Mason, China Mieville, Magnus Mills, Steve Mosby, and ooh err Jilly Cooper.

Punked Books does certainly seem to be getting more recognised, as we now have people of the stature of Elizabeth Emanuel (Princess Diana’s wedding dress designer) following us on our Twitter feed. However, getting one of our titles shortlisted for a national literary award is the most exciting experience I’ve had while publishing Punked Books.

For the duration of the Not the Booker Prize, we’re giving away a free pdf copy of English Slacker, which you can access by clicking here.

At the time of writing, the procedures for voting in the next round of the Not the Booker Prize are a little unclear. However, it may involve everyone who votes having to write a 150 word review of English Slacker. So, since voting will require you do some considerable work, please don’t feel guilty about downloading this free copy, because if English Slacker wins the Not the Booker Prize because of your vote, then you will have considerably helped us in our publicity efforts. Since the next voting round may only last a couple of days, please sign up to the Punked Books Facebook page so that we can alert you when voting resumes.

Kevin Mahoney
Punked Books Publisher and Founder

Chambers is an eighteen-year-old student living in the small town of Bracksea, England. Fresh from his final college exams, he is now ready for what is to be his last summer of freedom, which involves going to parties, smoking dope and getting drunk with all his friends. However, what begins as a seemingly innocent and routine set of social events soon turns into a nightmare for Chambers as a suppressed memory – which may or may not be related to the recent disappearance of his best friend Colin – begins to surface. The more Chambers immerses himself in the distractions around him the more he begins to find that he is losing his whole sense of reality…

Visit our Chris Morton page

The paperback’s rrp is £7.99, and you can buy copies from any British bookshop, such as Amazon, the Book Depository, and the Punked Books website.

You can also buy the ebook edition for only £2.16 (i.e. VAT free) as Punked Books hasn’t yet reached the VAT threshold.  You can either purchase the epub version, or the Kindle version.

This non-fiction paperback is a heart-felt love story of the joys and pains of marriage. This story captures the true essence of what love is meant to be.

Various topics are explored in this non-fiction novel, including dating, friendship, love, fidelity, infidelity, trust, marriage, sexual dysfunction, and having a relationship with God. This book can be enjoyed by the young and the old.

Everyone will benefit from reading Married, Celibate, and Saved – A Test of Love, Patience, and Faith.

Preorder your copy today and receive a 20% discount off retail value of $12.95.
Email aleciamhill@yahoo.com for your order request.

Coming soon to a book store near you.

The hairy fluckboo

Faiz Kermani’s recently-published A First Guide to Space Creatures has been announced as a finalist at the Reader Views 2010 Literary Awards in the Young Reader (8 to 12) category (http://www.readerviews.com/Awards2010Finalists.html). This humorous, full color, illustrated children’s book dreams up a crazy universe inhabited by mysterious space creatures who will appeal to imaginative young readers – and those still young at heart.

Employing a strong environmental theme, Faiz describes each of these creatures through the eyes of the space diplomat, Ambassador Ticklydung – an alien who made it his life’s mission to protect space creatures and ensure that everyone gets the opportunity to see them in a more natural environment.

“It gives me great pleasure to learn about the success of this book,” commented the Ambassador. “We must all join together to preserve space wildlife.”

Highlighting the diversity of alien space life, the book categorizes the creatures as Furry, Small but Greedy, Smelly, Definitely Weird, On the Move, Endangered, and Very Dangerous. Under each category there are details of the relevant creatures and a color drawing of each one. So whether it is the huge, carnivorous tringleesaurus or the tiny burrowing kwoj you want to know more about, the information can easily be found.

Up to now, Faiz’s books have retained a space and alien theme. His first book, My Alien Penfriend (http://www.myalienpenfriend.co.uk/), was about two children living on opposite sides of the galaxy – one earthling, one extraterrestrial – who communicate and forge a strong friendship. The book has also been translated into French as Mon Correspondant Extraterrestre (http://www.myalienpenfriend.co.uk/fr/)

For more details, please visit faizkermani.com or the Amazon profile page: http://www.amazon.com/Faiz-Kermani/e/B0034NRHVK

A First Guide to Space Creatures

Amazing space creatures abound around the galaxy, but many are under threat because of industrial pollution, inter-galactic travel, war, hunting and other alien activities. A new book entitled A First Guide to Space Creatures, written by Faiz Kermani (www.faizkermani.com), aims to give readers on Earth the opportunity to learn about them and how they can protect their habitats.

The new book is inspired by the famous alien diplomat Ambassador Ticklydung, who has made it his life’s mission to protect space creatures and ensure that every alien gets the opportunity to see them in a more natural environment. He also recently opened the Ambassador Ticklydung Space Creature Sanctuary (ATSCS) on the planet Krobol.

“Over the course of my diplomatic career I visited over two hundred planets and planetary bodies,” commented the Ambassador. “During this time, I encountered numerous weird and wonderful space creatures, which I felt compelled to write about in my journals. I’m delighted that Faiz has been able to use them as the basis for his book, which will draw attention to this urgent situation.”

At present the ATSCS houses just over 50 different types of space creatures, ranging from the tiny burrowing kwoj to the huge tringleesaurus, but there are plans to add more in the future. As well as providing a protective environment, the ATSCS also has a research centre which will drive efforts to re-introduce endangered space species into the wild.

“By buying this book you are helping support the important work of the ATSCS,” added the Ambassador. “Thanks to you, we hope to protect space creature wildlife for future generations.”

A First Guide to Space Creatures is available online at all reputable inter-galactic bookstores. More information can be found on Amazon at http://www.amazon.com/Faiz-Kermani/e/B0034NRHVK

George Mason has written a book about fishing and is hoping to emulate the success of Izaak Walton, who famously wrote ‘The Compleat Angler’. George’s first book, ‘Fishing, Learn from the Tips & Laugh at the Tales’ has just been published and is sure to be a hit with many anglers who participate in this popular sport.

George, who lives in Stafford has always been a keen angler and was reasonably successful in local matches and won one championship for two years in succession. The lessons he learned from taking part in those matches and other helpful tips that he picked up during his fishing career are what he hopes to pass on through his writing. The book is full of funny anecdotes and has been written in a humorous style because he believes it is important to entertain the readers.

The book has been availble on most retail websites since the end of last year, but George has recently made the book available on Amazon’s Kindle and it is selling well. This however, shouldn’t be a surprize with a bargain price tag of only £1.48

More information about the author and his books can be found on the author’s website at http://www.shirewriting.co.uk

Amanda Sington-Williams will be appearing at the Sentinel Literary Festival at UCL London on Friday 29th October. She will be reading from her new novel, The Eloquence of Desire, selling copies and giving a talk on The Art of Novel Writing. www.amandasingtonwilliams.co.uk

Avatar is the most successful movie of all time, surpassing the record held by James Cameron’s previous monster hit, Titanic. It is also the most expensive movie ever. With its adoption of modern 3D techniques, Avatar is arguably the most spectacular film of all time.

Kevin Patrick Mahoney explores how Avatar has reached this pinnacle of success. The film has not been universally praised; some critics have pointed to an overly simple plot and dialogue. However, Kevin reveals that there are many complex themes that lie behind such apparent simplicity. This book begins with an in-depth review of events as they happen on screen, including the many scenes deleted from the film, and then proceeds to explore some of the most interesting themes in more depth. For instance, did you know that Neytiri’s sister Silwanin was killed by the soldiers at Grace’s school, an incident in which Grace herself was shot? Or that Norm and Trudy were in love? Kevin examines how James Cameron has adapted Joseph Campbell’s theory of the Hero’s Journey in Avatar. The Na’vi’s planet, Pandora, is very paradisiacal, so this book discusses how it’s related to the Biblical Garden of Eden. In addition to this, Kevin dissects Avatar‘s rather confused politics, the controversial depiction of the US Marine Corps, and the accusations of racism that have hurled at the film. Since Jake Sully is introduced to us in a wheelchair, Kevin examines the representation of disabled people in Avatar and other science fiction dramas. Some of Avatar’s subtle depictions of sexuality seemed to be mainly directed at adolescent boys, so this book also dissects some of the more ‘blue’ aspects of the movie. Moreover, Kevin Patrick Mahoney reveals how Avatar relates to James Cameron’s previous blockbuster movies.

This is your indispensable guide to Avatar!