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Debut novel due out15/10/20
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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I think would have done very badly in lockdown if I hadn’t had a piece of luck and had a novel accepted for publication - this has kept me busy and ‘on the rails’ when not advising/fulminating about UC.
In a shameless piece of self-promotion, may I present ‘Nocturne: Wayman’s Sky’?
Guaranteed free of any reference to welfare benefits, it’s the story of a fanatical star-gazer who is bemused and enraged by lies and ‘twaddle’ gaining over the truth, and the way that many people seem to prefer to be lied to.
Amazon link below - other sites will have it too, of course. Published 15/10/20, paperback, with an e-book version coming a bit later.
This is very much an ‘indie’ release with a small initial print run; I’d be very grateful to anyone willing to take a punt and see if they like it.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nocturne-Waymans-Sky-Andrew-Dutton/dp/1788649079
This is fantastic news, Andrew. Well done!
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Benefits consultant/trainer - hbanorak.co.uk, East London
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Pre-ordered, looking forward to it
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service
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Well done Andrew. An actual paperback too rather than an e-book. Excellent. Fingers crossed for you.
Cover reminds me of Harvest Moon by Neil Young.
Busy writing my fake review now 😊
Can’t wait to read it Andrew - fantastic achievement!
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Welfare rights officer - Enable Scotland
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Andrew Dutton - 21 September 2020 12:10 PMenraged by lies and ‘twaddle’ gaining over the truth, and the way that many people seem to prefer to be lied to.
A realistic main character anyway!
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Thanks all for your kind words.
Mike’s cover art lookalike is interesting! Mr Young is one of my oldest favourites but I didn’t think of Harvest Moon (consciously) when selecting the cover - honest!
The designer is however a fan of my all-time favourites, Twelfth Night.
If this books takes off, the next one will be about a young woman who wants to destroy all existing music and start again, and play a gig on the Moon.
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Welfare rights adviser - Social Inclusion Unit, Swansea
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Andrew can you serialise a bit of the book here to give us a taste?
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Welfare Rights Derbyshire County County
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I have just pre-ordered my copy, Andrew.
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Greater Manchester Law Centre
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bemused and enraged by lies and ‘twaddle’ gaining over the truth, and the way that many people seem to prefer to be lied to.
and it’s nothing to do with Welfare Rights? Freudian slip if ever I saw one!
Congrats Andrew.
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Director - Coventry Independent Advice Service
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Congratulations Andrew! Wishing you every success.
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Thanks very much everyone. The book was published on schedule and copies have started landing on doorsteps. One smartypants friend has already pointed out a typo - in the legal bits in the front! A very few more typos have survived the editing process but if the book gets a second print run they will be exterminated!
I haven’t been able to serialise, as suggested above by Vonny, but the e-book version should be out soon and it should have a ‘See Inside’ facility. Plus, for a few days, it will be free to download. Books ‘sold’ this way will probably still count as some kind of income under the Universal Credit (WTH (Aaarrrrg)) Regulations 2013.
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The Brunswick Centre, Kirklees & Calderdale
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Yes, deliberate deprivation/failure to apply. Giving away assets that could be sold.
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Benefits consultant/trainer - hbanorak.co.uk, East London
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Arrived yesterday and has replaced a particularly stodgy UT decision that I just cannot get to grips with on the bedside table. Sad but true. Yes i do have a family, thank you.
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Hi - the e-book edition is imminent, and it will be promoted on Amazon as a free download between 5th and 9th November.
The more downloads the merrier! It’s a form of electronic attention-seeking…..
At least one person has read the whole thing - my brother! He is a notoriously merciless critic about most books/music etc, but he seemed to like it. Phew.
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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It’s free download time - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Nocturne-Waymans-Sky-Andrew-Dutton-ebook/dp/B08L6QB21M
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Hail all - and many thanks to those who have bought/downloaded ‘Nocturne’.
Someone has very kindly given me a 5-start ‘global rating’ on Amazon - I confess I then had to look up what a global rating was.
If anyone else has made it through the book, I would be most grateful if you could give a rating or review on Amazon or other site.
Even if it’s an Eric Morecambe-style ‘Ruggish!’
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Sorry folks, my assault on literature and good taste is not at an end.
I’ve just signed up for my second novel to come out in November of this year.
This one is set in a pub; well, they say to write what you know about…....
‘pub’?! .... what is this thing of which you speak?
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Citizens Advice Hillingdon
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Notional “LIKE” button clicked!
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Welfare rights team - Stockport Advice
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Let us know if you need any research assistants.
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Hello - the new book is in progress (currently giving the editor grey hairs) and it looks as if the research team as suggested by Robbo can assemble very soon. I’ll get the first round in.
It’s been encouraging to see how many views there have been of this thread, but shall we say that [cough] a few copies of ‘Nocturne’ remain available. You can now get it from hive.co.uk and support a local independent bookshop in the process.
https://www.hive.co.uk/Product/Andrew-Dutton/Nocturne—Waymans-Sky/25385206
I would be grateful for any reviews/feedback.
https://www.andrewduttonwriter.com/
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Hail all - ‘The Crossword Solver’ is now on pre-order. Publication date is 15th November.
As before, it’s also on various other sites and you can order from your favourite bookshop.
The designer of the cover has also done a blogpost about his work:
https://cinnamonpress.com/2021/09/01/always-judge-a-cover-by-the-book/
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service
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“Andrew walks that fuzzy line between contemporary post-modernism and late-century modernism, ducking the irony of almost-ran literary movements like avant-pop but also side-stepping the choking earnestness of the (unrealistic) realist narrative.”
A nice summary of your posts on here 😊
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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I’ve been away for a few days, trying without success to think of a witty response to you, Mike! I admit defeat.
Exciting news (for me) - my advance copy of the new book arrives today and a third book has been accepted for publication in August 2022.
Quitting the day job remains hugely unlikely however so I will still be posting bemused/enraged/post-modern remarks about UC on here come next August!
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service
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Well that’s excellent news Andrew. I have a backlog of about 5 books to get through but once done I shall be adding one of yours to my pile. Possibly more if I like it.
I do apologise for my previous post. It was irresistible. Back in another lifetime I used to work freelance for a strange thing called “weekly music papers” and the ability to see a priceless quote never leaves you 😊
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Cheers Mike.
My brother, who, shall we say, likes plain speech, was rather scathing about the arty language of the blog post!
I have a post going up tomorrow on the publisher’s site about the writing of the new book. I’ve kept it in plain language to avoid getting told off by big bro!
😊
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Here’s my blog post on the writing of the new book.
https://cinnamonpress.com/2021/09/29/you-cant-have-a-hero-called-ken/
Cheers all.
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Senior welfare rights officer - Salford City Council Welfare Rights Service
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Nice read.
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Welfare rights service - Derbyshire County Council
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Hi everyone.
It’s publication day for ‘The Crossword Solver’ - https://cinnamonpress.com/the-crossword-solver/
Available from the publisher or via various websites - Amazon, Waterstones, WH Smith, Hive, etc etc etc
Or by ordering from your favourite bookshop.
As before, I’d be very grateful if those who read it could post a review where possible or give feedback at https://www.andrewduttonwriter.com/
Thanks!