Portobello Book Blog

I’m very pleased to welcome prolific author Richard Green to the blog today. He is here to tell us about his latest book, Elsie, and to share news of a very special offer. It is publication week for the book and to celebrate you can buy the e-book at half price until next Wednesday (23rd November). You’ll find a buying link below.

Thank you for offering to include me in the blog. Here’s ten things about me, and our philosophy!

1) Our mission in life is simple… to not be like everyone else! ‘Going Green’ has taken on a new meaning, in the book world at least. Whilst we applaud the original intention (ebooks are a perfect way to promote that of course) for readers we also try to present a different angle to it.

2) I came to novel writing quite late in life. I’d spent years creating short stories and articles on aviation for magazines, but in 2013 I decided to write my first full book. The story was good, the writing terrible! I published it on Amazon, and two months later removed it, and it never saw the light of day again.

3) Those who knew more about these things said it would take five years to become a proficient author… I decided it wouldn’t take me that long, but they were wise. It took six. It’s one reason why even today we remodel existing books, and will always do so.

4) These days we have several series, the hit Daisy series most popular amongst them. In all of them, the same provisos apply –

a)      Never the same book twice.

b)      If we can’t think up a good story, it doesn’t get written.

5) ‘Elsie’ is a new venture for us, because we’ve labelled it as ‘a YA book for all ages’. We don’t yet know if we’ll achieve that in reader’s eyes (it was only released yesterday), but so far those who have read the book have said brilliant things about it. We have a second book in that category, ‘Wisp’, which is a re-edited story from a couple of years ago, which also received good critical acclaim.

6) I write full-time, as R T Green for all the general adult books, and Richie Green for the YA books. I live in Norfolk, England, in a nice three-bedroom apartment 200 yards from the sea. There are three of us in the RTG crew… Ann, who reads everything I write as a ‘reader’ and as such is the story development editor, and Paul, who’s eagle eyes get cast over everything to spot howlers and things I haven’t written right.

7) We don’t employ half a dozen editors… we prefer to write the way we want to, and strive for a voice that is not like everyone else’s.  It’s another reason we try and keep everything in-house… the team produces the finished works, including the covers.

8) We’re constantly seeking to improve… we never ‘write and forget’ a book. A great way to improve is through reader feedback. Good or bad (it’s rarely less than positive!) we listen and react to it all!

9) I don’t have a lot of downtime, but I do really like all things boaty (although I don’t currently own one). I have a curious mind, and a tendency to write not for the royalties, but so others may enjoy what we create. Not a recipe for getting rich, but that’s the way I’m made.

10) This first Elsie book is the beginning of what will be an ongoing new series. It’s an addition to the others, not a replacement. We really hope readers of all ages will enjoy it, as we do with all our other 40-odd titles. That’s the mission… to bring a breath of fresh air to the literary world! If we can do that, we’re happy people.

Elsie is available in ebook and paperback options.
Ebook is widely available from all e-bookstores, the paperback only on Amazon.

Universal buying link – https://books2read.com/u/47gQ1g

Social media links

Website – https://www.rtgreen.net

Twitter – Richard T Green

Facebook – RT Green Books

Full details of the book

For a teenage rough sleeper, a good friend means everything. When that changes, there’s only one thing to do. Put your own life on the line.

Elsie is not a typical rough sleeper. For her it’s a bitter choice, not a necessity. Eighteen years old, intelligent and smart, she could have been anything she wanted, if not for one fateful episode a year ago, which instantly ended every dream she ever had. Betrayed and demoralised, she quit what was once a happy home and joined the sleeper community in Norwich, soon discovering she had more in common with people who accepted her for what she became than she did with those she left behind.

Elsie has forged a life on the streets, now and again taking a liberty or two, but generally staying within the bounds of the law. She’s formed a strong bond with a teenage boy, who she tries to look out for… even though he’s only a year younger than her. It’s not easy, especially of late… she worries that he’s sinking into a quicksand he’ll never get out of, but he refuses to even talk about it.

She’s not his mum… their friendship is more important than behaving like one.

Then, without her even realising, the day arrives that changes everything. A very unfortunate set of circumstances leads to her coming face-to-face with someone who makes an unexpected and dramatic impact. Never in her wildest dreams did she imagine a young policewoman from Africa could have such an effect on a girl in her late teens with a poor opinion of authority… but somehow, despite being fought at every turn, she does.

A great big, impossible to ignore impact.

And one that starts with getting arrested.