I’m delighted to be taking part in the blogtour for Unlocked, a collection of short stories by authors first published during the 2020 lockdowns. All profits from the book will be donated to The Trussell Trust which supports foodbanks which are sadly needed more than ever this year. I occasionally provide cover at our local Trussell Trust foodbank and know first hand just how essential they are to people who are really struggling with the cost of living crisis.
About the Book
ALL PROFITS FROM UNLOCKED WILL BE DONATED TO THE TRUSSELL TRUST
From murder to magic, loss to love, Berlin to Bologna and everything in between, this brilliant anthology showcases 16 unique short stories from the D20 Authors, a best-selling group of writers whose debuts were published during the COVID 2020 lockdowns.
Meet the cleaner who won’t let anything stand between her and her job; the ocean diver with a mysterious mission; the pyromaniac driven by a painful compulsion; and the politician struggling to balance it all….
Compiled by best-selling author Philippa East, and covering everything from crime to romance, mystery to uplit, this multi-genre collection has a story for everyone. Contributors to UnLocked have been longlisted, shortlisted and winners of a variety of awards, including The Waterstones Children’s Book Prize, The McIlvanney Prize for Best Scottish Crime Book, The Guardian’s Not-The-Booker Prize, The People’s Book Prize for Fiction, and the CWA New Dagger Award for best debut of the year.
With this superb anthology, the D20 Authors are delighted to be raising funds for the Trussell Trust, a charity who supports a nationwide network of food banks, and together they provide emergency food and support to people facing hardship, and campaign to end the need for food banks in the UK.
My Thoughts
We hear in the introduction to this book how these authors came to know each other. All had their debut novels published in 2020 and of course, as we all know, that was a difficult time for everyone, not least authors trying to launch books at a time when bookshops were shut and events couldn’t take place. This group came together online to support each other.
Unlocked is a fabulous, eclectic mix of stories. There really is something for everyone. The authors take us to different places and different times with a real variety of genres. You’ll find a hint of the supernatural, crime, historical fiction, romance and some dilemmas. You’ll visit France, Italy and several places across the UK. You’ll find some very emotional stories, some stories that intrigue you and some which will make you laugh.
Unlocked gives a great introduction to each writer and a taste of each writer’s style. I had only read a couple of these authors before but will now definitely look out for others. It’s sometimes hard to decide what star rating to give a collection of short stories as inevitably, there will be some you like more than others. That was true for me of course but all these stories were excellent even if from a genre I didn’t usually read. So I have happily given this collection five stars and pleased to recommend it as a great way to discover some new authors.
Buying link: Unlocked
Contributors
Debra Barnes
Tom Benjamin
Caroline Bishop
Emma Christie
Catherine Cooper
Polly Crosby
Victoria Dowd
Philippa East
Tim Ewins
Gillian Harvey
Nydia Hetherington
Anna Jefferson
Penny Jenkins
Louise Mumford
Holly Race
Rosie Walker
Get to know some of the best fiction writers publishing today, support the Trussell Trust and treat yourself to some great entertainment by reading this exceptional collection.
Trussell Trust
https://www.trusselltrust.org/what-we-do/
We support a nationwide network of food banks and together we provide emergency food and support to people locked in poverty, and campaign for change to end the need for food banks in the UK.
In the UK, more than 14 million people are living in poverty – including 4.5 million children. We support more than 1,200 food bank centres in the UK to provide a minimum of three days’ nutritionally-balanced emergency food to people who have been referred in crisis, as well as support to help people resolve the crises they face. Between April 2019 and March 2020, food banks in our network provided a record 1.9 million food supplies to people in crisis, an 18% increase on the previous year and during the coronavirus pandemic food banks have seen need rise even further. You can find out more about the impact of our work during the pandemic in our latest report, available here.
We know it takes more than food to end hunger. That’s why we recently launched our five year strategic plan. We know our goal to end the need for food banks is ambitious, but by working Together for Change, we believe it is achievable.
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