Okay, so now that I've got your attention, with my catchy little title, please allow me to explain. About three months ago, just after Christmas actually, I was approached by two other authors and asked if I would be interested in co-authoring a book with them.
If I'm honest, my initial reaction was a little skeptical. I knew and respected both these people and I'd read their books; this was one of the main sources of said scepticism. I was filled with self-doubt and not a little bit of terror.
What if I wasn't up to scratch? What if we argued about content and ended up unfriending each other? I was doubtful such an arrangement would or could work. Both the other authors were, from my interactions with them, strong-willed, hard-working and very determined to succeed in the minefield of independent publishing. I really did wonder if I was in the same league as them.
I also wondered how effective a book written with three very distinct voices could possibly be. Nevertheless, being the adventurous soul that I am, I thought - Why not? At least we could give it a try. If it doesn't work, well, we can all just walk away; no damage done and hopefully not too much pride dented.
Seriously, I needn't have been so perturbed. Three months later, we are putting the finishing touches on, what I consider to be a pretty special book.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it gives me the utmost pleasure and not a little bit of pride to present to you - TORTURED MINDS, the product of Colin Griffiths, Rachel McGrath and yes, yours truly, Grant Leishman's tortured and demented minds.
If I'm honest, my initial reaction was a little skeptical. I knew and respected both these people and I'd read their books; this was one of the main sources of said scepticism. I was filled with self-doubt and not a little bit of terror.
What if I wasn't up to scratch? What if we argued about content and ended up unfriending each other? I was doubtful such an arrangement would or could work. Both the other authors were, from my interactions with them, strong-willed, hard-working and very determined to succeed in the minefield of independent publishing. I really did wonder if I was in the same league as them.
I also wondered how effective a book written with three very distinct voices could possibly be. Nevertheless, being the adventurous soul that I am, I thought - Why not? At least we could give it a try. If it doesn't work, well, we can all just walk away; no damage done and hopefully not too much pride dented.
Seriously, I needn't have been so perturbed. Three months later, we are putting the finishing touches on, what I consider to be a pretty special book.
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, it gives me the utmost pleasure and not a little bit of pride to present to you - TORTURED MINDS, the product of Colin Griffiths, Rachel McGrath and yes, yours truly, Grant Leishman's tortured and demented minds.
My Co - Authors!
Colin Griffiths:
Like me, Colin Griffiths is a crusty, old, bugger, who came to writing late in life. Unlike me, though Colin is a Welshman, with that typical, dark, sardonic wit that seems to be a national trait of the Welsh. I guess that comes from centuries of being lorded over by the English.
Colin has been a prolific writer, since taking up the art and has produced numerous books in his first year at the computer. I've read, I think, all of his books and the thing that struck me right from the beginning was that here was a man who was a consummate storyteller, in the Celtic tradition almost. His books are full of complicated plots, numerous characters and twisted endings. As a new author myself, I was in awe of his ability to keep so many balls in the air, at the same time, and still manage to juggle successfully.
I was a big fan of his from the very first of his works I read - Underwood.
Colin's genre is definitely horror/paranormal and he injects humour, humanity and a touch of romance/lust in every one of his works, whilst still managing to bedazzle us with his blood, gore and stunning twists.
As a new author Colin has struggled a little with the rigid strictures of some reader's expectations, but I have seen him grow over the past year, from what I might call an enthusiastic amateur, to what will ultimately be a skilled professional. This man has immense talent in his fingertips.
The idea of working with him on a novel, excited me no end, but also filled me with some trepidation.
Check out Colin's Amazon Page Here: http://amzn.to/1S8rYY6
Colin Griffiths:
Like me, Colin Griffiths is a crusty, old, bugger, who came to writing late in life. Unlike me, though Colin is a Welshman, with that typical, dark, sardonic wit that seems to be a national trait of the Welsh. I guess that comes from centuries of being lorded over by the English.
Colin has been a prolific writer, since taking up the art and has produced numerous books in his first year at the computer. I've read, I think, all of his books and the thing that struck me right from the beginning was that here was a man who was a consummate storyteller, in the Celtic tradition almost. His books are full of complicated plots, numerous characters and twisted endings. As a new author myself, I was in awe of his ability to keep so many balls in the air, at the same time, and still manage to juggle successfully.
I was a big fan of his from the very first of his works I read - Underwood.
Colin's genre is definitely horror/paranormal and he injects humour, humanity and a touch of romance/lust in every one of his works, whilst still managing to bedazzle us with his blood, gore and stunning twists.
As a new author Colin has struggled a little with the rigid strictures of some reader's expectations, but I have seen him grow over the past year, from what I might call an enthusiastic amateur, to what will ultimately be a skilled professional. This man has immense talent in his fingertips.
The idea of working with him on a novel, excited me no end, but also filled me with some trepidation.
Check out Colin's Amazon Page Here: http://amzn.to/1S8rYY6
Rachel McGrath:
Rachel, I would have to say would almost be the antithesis of Colin and I.
She is an Australian girl, married and living in England. She's relatively young (compared to us), slightly brash (aren't all Aussie girls?) and very settled in her routine and styles. I've heard the word anal, used to describe her approach to most things (usually by her, I might add), but I'm not sure I would go quite that far. She loves her lists, her systems and her detailed planning, especially when it comes to writing. Whereas Colin and I are very much "fly by the seat of our pants" authors.
I have had immense respect for Rachel's abilities ever since I read her first work; a memoir on the pain and loss of multiple miscarriages, something that has dogged her and her husband's attempts to have a family. I doubt I've ever read something, about a subject I knew nothing about, that has moved me so much, as Finding the Rainbow did. It was a powerful, raw, but ever hopeful journal of Rachel's journey toward motherhood. I would highly recommend it to men and woman alike. It's a gem, as is her follow-up to that; Eye of the Storm.
She has also written and published a number of children's books, which I happily read, despite it being many, many, moons, since I was a child. Her books were delightful and wonderfully illustrated in a simple, yet effective way. They portrayed important moral messages for kids, without ever preaching to them.
Rachel hadn't written a novel before and that did prey on my mind a little, but I also knew how determined a woman she was and I was confident nothing in this project would faze her - I was right!
Check out Rachel's Amazon Page here: http://amzn.to/1VekHGD
AND SO - THE DREAM TEAM WAS IN PLACE:
Rachel, I would have to say would almost be the antithesis of Colin and I.
She is an Australian girl, married and living in England. She's relatively young (compared to us), slightly brash (aren't all Aussie girls?) and very settled in her routine and styles. I've heard the word anal, used to describe her approach to most things (usually by her, I might add), but I'm not sure I would go quite that far. She loves her lists, her systems and her detailed planning, especially when it comes to writing. Whereas Colin and I are very much "fly by the seat of our pants" authors.
I have had immense respect for Rachel's abilities ever since I read her first work; a memoir on the pain and loss of multiple miscarriages, something that has dogged her and her husband's attempts to have a family. I doubt I've ever read something, about a subject I knew nothing about, that has moved me so much, as Finding the Rainbow did. It was a powerful, raw, but ever hopeful journal of Rachel's journey toward motherhood. I would highly recommend it to men and woman alike. It's a gem, as is her follow-up to that; Eye of the Storm.
She has also written and published a number of children's books, which I happily read, despite it being many, many, moons, since I was a child. Her books were delightful and wonderfully illustrated in a simple, yet effective way. They portrayed important moral messages for kids, without ever preaching to them.
Rachel hadn't written a novel before and that did prey on my mind a little, but I also knew how determined a woman she was and I was confident nothing in this project would faze her - I was right!
Check out Rachel's Amazon Page here: http://amzn.to/1VekHGD
AND SO - THE DREAM TEAM WAS IN PLACE:
The Process:
We quickly determined a supernatural, psychological thriller was the way to go; given that Colin and I both had experience in the horror/paranormal genre. Having created three main characters; Molly, Jake and Daniel, we then proceeded to write.
Rachel, as Molly, started the first chapter and then handed it on to Colin, as Jake, and finally to myself as Daniel. At each stop, the author would edit the two previous chapters sent by their fellow authors. This was primarily to ensure that the final work would already have an initial cursory edit prior to being sent for its final edit.
As a system, it worked incredibly well. I was always burning with anticipation to receive the next chapter and discover what evil plot twist Molly or Jake had thrown my way. It was a new and exciting experience and one I enjoyed immensely. In fact, the minute Colin's new chapter arrived in my email, I would instantly drop everything to read it and begin writing my next chapter.
There were a few hiccoughs along the way, of course; Colin had some issues with damaged fingers, Rachel (unlike Colin and I) appears to have a real life and I was, for a period, without the internet. All that, not withstanding, we reached our target of 75,000 words, incredibly quickly and best of all, I think we're all thrilled with what we've managed to produce.
And now, we come to the final chapter. We'd discussed how to handle this and we'd decided we would all write OUR version of the final chapter and then we would choose which version would make it to the book (or perhaps even a combination of our ideas). We haven't done that yet and I'm not 100% sure how it will go, but given our success at compromising, as we've gone along, I am sure we will manage to come up with a killer ending. I know mine is a wicked ending, as I've finished mine, but time will tell if it makes it into the finished product, or indeed it's Colin or Rachel's version.
I couldn't leave this section of the process, without paying tribute to the extremely talented Rachel McGrath for her superb cover design. We couldn't be any happier than we are with the cover she produced for our baby. Thank you Rachel!
We quickly determined a supernatural, psychological thriller was the way to go; given that Colin and I both had experience in the horror/paranormal genre. Having created three main characters; Molly, Jake and Daniel, we then proceeded to write.
Rachel, as Molly, started the first chapter and then handed it on to Colin, as Jake, and finally to myself as Daniel. At each stop, the author would edit the two previous chapters sent by their fellow authors. This was primarily to ensure that the final work would already have an initial cursory edit prior to being sent for its final edit.
As a system, it worked incredibly well. I was always burning with anticipation to receive the next chapter and discover what evil plot twist Molly or Jake had thrown my way. It was a new and exciting experience and one I enjoyed immensely. In fact, the minute Colin's new chapter arrived in my email, I would instantly drop everything to read it and begin writing my next chapter.
There were a few hiccoughs along the way, of course; Colin had some issues with damaged fingers, Rachel (unlike Colin and I) appears to have a real life and I was, for a period, without the internet. All that, not withstanding, we reached our target of 75,000 words, incredibly quickly and best of all, I think we're all thrilled with what we've managed to produce.
And now, we come to the final chapter. We'd discussed how to handle this and we'd decided we would all write OUR version of the final chapter and then we would choose which version would make it to the book (or perhaps even a combination of our ideas). We haven't done that yet and I'm not 100% sure how it will go, but given our success at compromising, as we've gone along, I am sure we will manage to come up with a killer ending. I know mine is a wicked ending, as I've finished mine, but time will tell if it makes it into the finished product, or indeed it's Colin or Rachel's version.
I couldn't leave this section of the process, without paying tribute to the extremely talented Rachel McGrath for her superb cover design. We couldn't be any happier than we are with the cover she produced for our baby. Thank you Rachel!
The Blurb:
Daniel, Jake and Molly were inseparable.
Love, hate, secrets, deception, jealousy and lies.
A tragic accident. Or was it?
Death is not the end.
Some relationships were meant to last…
Revenge is bittersweet.
Tortured Minds is the psychological thriller based on three characters, written by three very different authors: Grant Leishman, Colin Griffiths and Rachel McGrath. An intense page-turner that will take you on supernatural ride of passion, treachery and surprises.
Daniel, Jake and Molly were inseparable.
Love, hate, secrets, deception, jealousy and lies.
A tragic accident. Or was it?
Death is not the end.
Some relationships were meant to last…
Revenge is bittersweet.
Tortured Minds is the psychological thriller based on three characters, written by three very different authors: Grant Leishman, Colin Griffiths and Rachel McGrath. An intense page-turner that will take you on supernatural ride of passion, treachery and surprises.
The Experience:
I truly have to say the experience of writing this novel was one of the most enjoyable times of my writing career to date. As a profession, writing is, by its very nature a lonely and solitary occupation. The opportunity to share this, to share ideas and experiences with two other writers is something I will cherish for a very long time.
Yes, there were disagreements, yes there was the odd clash of egos from time to time and on a couple of occasions I even wondered if one or other of us was going to pull the plug on the entire project. All that was soon washed away by the euphoria and joy of working with such talented and special people as Colin Griffiths and Rachel McGrath.
As you will discover; Molly, Jake and Daniel had a very unusual, twisted and tortured, bit also very loving relationship. In many ways I now think Colin, Rachel and Grant have a similar relationship.
We have shared a common experience and come out the other side better writers and definitely better people. Both Colin and Rachel have gone from being internet friends, that I could joke with and chat with, to real people whose lives I am now invested in, who I genuinely care about and love dearly; much like Molly, Jake and Daniel. (Don't worry guys, I'm not going to stalk you - maybe!)
Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT! I've loved every second of it; even the difficult times, even the arguments (perhaps, especially the arguments). Most of all though, I've grown, as a writer, through this experience, so it has been so worthwhile.
As Colin said to me yesterday; "Wow, it's been quite a ride." Yes Col, it sure has!
I truly have to say the experience of writing this novel was one of the most enjoyable times of my writing career to date. As a profession, writing is, by its very nature a lonely and solitary occupation. The opportunity to share this, to share ideas and experiences with two other writers is something I will cherish for a very long time.
Yes, there were disagreements, yes there was the odd clash of egos from time to time and on a couple of occasions I even wondered if one or other of us was going to pull the plug on the entire project. All that was soon washed away by the euphoria and joy of working with such talented and special people as Colin Griffiths and Rachel McGrath.
As you will discover; Molly, Jake and Daniel had a very unusual, twisted and tortured, bit also very loving relationship. In many ways I now think Colin, Rachel and Grant have a similar relationship.
We have shared a common experience and come out the other side better writers and definitely better people. Both Colin and Rachel have gone from being internet friends, that I could joke with and chat with, to real people whose lives I am now invested in, who I genuinely care about and love dearly; much like Molly, Jake and Daniel. (Don't worry guys, I'm not going to stalk you - maybe!)
Would I do it again? IN A HEARTBEAT! I've loved every second of it; even the difficult times, even the arguments (perhaps, especially the arguments). Most of all though, I've grown, as a writer, through this experience, so it has been so worthwhile.
As Colin said to me yesterday; "Wow, it's been quite a ride." Yes Col, it sure has!
Pre-Order Tortured Minds on Amazon:
I can't give you n exact date when Tortured Minds will be available on Amazon. It will depend on how quickly we get it edited, but the good news is you can reserve your copy right now on Amazon. We are aiming for early May and I'm sure we will achieve that.
Go here and put your order in for the best, most exciting threesome, you'll ever experience. http://mybook.to/tortured
Till next time: Have a wonderful and peace-filled day!
I can't give you n exact date when Tortured Minds will be available on Amazon. It will depend on how quickly we get it edited, but the good news is you can reserve your copy right now on Amazon. We are aiming for early May and I'm sure we will achieve that.
Go here and put your order in for the best, most exciting threesome, you'll ever experience. http://mybook.to/tortured
Till next time: Have a wonderful and peace-filled day!
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