Readers love 'The Fine Art of Kindness'

I continue to get good reader feedback for The Fine Art of Kindness. 

For example this came in yesterday: 

'...I started reading and couldn’t put it down.  Nice gentle story that will touch many hearts, I’m sure.  Do hope it is well received. I bought a copy for a friend’s birthday and I’m sure she’ll enjoy it.'

And this:  
'Thank you for your beautiful new book. … You write so beautifully and simply, it was a joy to read. I love the way the stories are about ordinary people leading ordinary lives. I have a friend from NZ  and I lent her 'To The White Gate' and she is anxious to read 'The Fine Art of Kindness'. I also must mention the cover, so beautiful and gentle, just like the book! Thank you so much for your fine act of kindness, best wishes.'  

Free PDF previews for downloading

PDF previews of seven of my books are now available for download from my website . 
I haven't provided previews of my short stories --what would be he point? -- but I'll do For Viktor next. 

Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of The Fine Art of Kindness 
Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of Underneath the Arclight 
Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of To the White Gate
Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of Six Murders? 
Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of My Marian Year
Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of The Tapu Garden of Eden 

Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of The Boltons of The Little Boltons

Another two PDF previews now available for downloading

Yes. I'm gradually preparing and uploading PDF previews of my book so readers can 'try before they buy'. Today I have made two more previews available: The Fine Art of Kindness and Underneath The Arclight as well as To the White Gate and Six Murders?.

• Go HERE for a downloadable preview of The Fine Art of Kindness 
• Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of Underneath the Arclight 
• Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of To the White Gate
• Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of Six Murders? 

NEW. Free PDF downloads of two books.

I've now made available PDF previews of two of my books and more to come.

• Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of To the White Gate
• Go HERE for a downloadable PDF preview of Six Murders? 

Nice news from Wellington libraries

In the course of arranging for some free copies of The Fine Art of Kindness to go the Wellington libraries the librarian told me that

"The copies of Six murders? are issuing exceptionally well as is our single copy of To The White Gate." 

As a result I sent them some more copies of both titles. There's nothing more gratifying to a writer than knowing his books are in demand.

One Kindle FREE promotion ends; another is about to begin.

My Kindle free promotion of To The White Gate ended last (Sunday) night (New Zealand time). I was surprised how few people took up the offer given this book's popularity. However, a writer writes only to be read and I hope those unknown people who downloaded this lovely book go on to enjoy it (and review it I hope).
Equally as lovely and moving, in its own way, is my new novel The Fine Art of Kindness. It, too, will be available FREE from Kindle later this week. It's got no official reviews yet -- after all, it's brand new -- but informal feedback so far has been terrific. The free Kindle download will be available from 8.00 pm Thursday 22 March until 8.00 pm Monday 26 March (all times New Zealand). 

FREE Kindle promotion of 'To The White Gate' is under way

It started at 8 o'clock last night (Tuesday night) New Zealand time and runs until 8 o'clock Sunday night. The time-zone differences - made worse by the start of daylight saving in California and daylight saving being still in effect in NZ - make it complicated for me to keep track but I have established that, for the moment at least, the difference is four hours and a day. 
I don't know how the promotion will go; as of nine o'clock this (Wednesday) morning there were four copies 'sold' and that's before I posted the promotion on my two Facebook pages. 

Free Kindle promotion of two titles

I've just set up Kindle FREE world-wide promotions for two of my books.

1. To The White Gate

Five days. Runs from New Zealand time 9.00 pm Wednesday 14 March (12.01 am Wednesday 14 March PST) to 9.00 pm Sunday 18 March (12.00 midnight Saturday 17 March PST).

2. The Fine Art of Kindness

For some reason I could not make this programme wouldn't let me run for five days. Don't know why. So, runs from New Zealand time 9.00 pm Thursday 22 March (12.01 am Thursday 22 March PST) to 9.00 pm Monday 25 March (12.00 midnight Sunday 25 March PST).

NOTE: It is almost impossible to follow the rules on these free Kindle promos. The website says that promotions run from midnight of the start day to midnight of the end day for a maximum of five days.

What I think they really mean is that a promo runs from say 00.01 am on the start date and runs until say 11.59 pm on the end date. It's all very confusing. The website says:

Choose when the promotion starts and ends. Start and end dates are midnight Pacific Time. For example, if you enter a start date of January 3 and an end date of January 7, your deal would run on January 3, 4, 5, and 6.

Kindle Free Book Deal promotions can run for up to 5 days.

A further complication is that the times are PST which means adjusting for both New Zealand and California daylight time.  

To The White Gate now has THREE five-star reviews on Amazon

Two recent reviews on Amazon have given To The White Gate five stars. A wonderful achievement. That's three five-star reviews for this book. 

The most recent (by 'Shake') on 6 August:

The White Gate, by Robert Philip Bolton, is a gorgeous, saga-like story of one man's grasp on life, growing up and living in Aotearoa (Maori for NEW ZEALAND). Unlike many books about this country which star the country itself, this rich and beautifully told story relies on its finely crafted dialogue and narrative to describe the characters and the locality to such an extent the reader does not want to leave that locality even for 'incidental' happenings such as WW2, so fine is the narrative.

Bolton describes himself as a life long writer. This he ably proves by writing simply and directly, the story of one man growing from childhood to old age, disappointment in love, going to war but having not a clue where or why, just going with the flow; finally, becoming a true fit for his learning, his feelings and his opinions.

But the novel does not meander. With page one the reader is in the safe hands of a master story teller who wastes no words on schmaltz or over-writing emotion. Instead Bolton convinces you of the truth of his writing by making his superbly formed characters achingly real. You want to keep turning the pages of the White Gate not just to see what is next, but because that is what the characters insist that you do. The dialogue and languageing are superb.

This book about Aotearoa, although written with a definite 'national' perspective, exists happily on the international stage of good writing, good characters and superb narrative. An excellent Book Club choice. Strongly recommended.

This one (by 'SusanKL') was posted on 9 June:

Beautifully written, emotionally evocative...lyrical and strong. Felt transported back to the time period; loved getting a taste of life back then, down under. Loved returning to the book every time I put it down; can't recommend it highly enough.

These come after the first (from 'MaxDance') on 6 January: 

This is a great read!

This book takes the form of an elderly man’s recollections, starting with his early teenage years during the 1930s in Auckland, New Zealand.

With a beautiful and expansive public Park, described in exquisite detail, as the anchor or central hub the story gently unfolds through to the turn of the century. There are many observations of the changing nature of life in New Zealand during that period of time and, as an ancient New Zealander myself; I recognised many of them instantly.

Tommy leaves school to work in the Park plant nursery and grows into an intuitive man who is only really content when close to nature in his beloved park. Over the years he befriends a generous mix of flamboyant individuals who mostly have impressive artistic talents. He learns much from them (particularly from one mysterious wee fellow) and the development of knowledge and wisdom that sometimes comes with experience and advancing years is well portrayed.

And the ubiquitous White Gate plays its part with increasing regularity and clarity.Yes, a good well researched book with great attention to detail and many examples of human nature at play in the small group of islands known locally as Aotearoa.

Highly recommended.

Some wonderful feedback for 'To The White Gate'.

Posted by: Robert Philip Bolton at 11:27, July 30 2015.

Just received this about To The White Gate:

'I would have to write a book to tell you how much I enjoyed To The White Gate. I loved your strong characterisations, fell in love with your characters and with the inevitability of the narrative.  

'Not only were your characters strong, the writing was strong.  It led me unerringly thru’ the narrative, made me smile and made me cry.  If I like a book I can’t wait to get back to it. I couldn’t wait to get back to 'Gate'.

'I hope The White Gate is a huge success for you, if not now, as a sleeper.  It should have a large readership because it is a very good book.'

Albert Sword
Whanganui

FREE Kindle download

As a promotion I have made To The White Gate available as a FREE download from Kindle here. Feel free to share this offer which will end at 7.00 pm on Friday 8 May. 

'To The White Gate': a nice review from a Kindle reader.

This review of To The White Gate turned up on Kindle.

This is a great read!
This book takes the form of an elderly man’s recollections, starting with his early teenage years during the 1930s in Auckland, New Zealand.
With a beautiful and expansive public park, described in exquisite detail, as the anchor or central hub the story gently unfolds through to the turn of the century. There are many observations of the changing nature of life in New Zealand during that period of time and, as an ancient New Zealander myself, I recognised many of them instantly.
Tommy leaves school to work in the park plant nursery and grows into an intuitive man who is only really content when close to nature in his beloved park. Over the years he befriends a generous mix of flamboyant individuals who mostly have impressive artistic talents. He learns much from them (particularly from one mysterious wee fellow) and the development of knowledge and wisdom that sometimes comes with experience and advancing years is well portrayed.
And the ubiquitous White Gate plays its part with increasing regularity and clarity.
Yes, a good well researched book with great attention to detail and many examples of human nature at play in the small group of islands known locally as Aotearoa.Highly recommended

Other informal feedback includes:

• A delightful read. Thoroughly enjoyed it.  
• I have finished To the White Gate and really enjoyed it. It was as one reviewer said a refreshingly gentle read and I particularly enjoyed it as I could identify with most of the  storyline (except of course I have never sat cross legged  in a park with an elephant keeper.)  
• I really enjoyed it! It was sad, touching and lovely.

'To The White Gate' now available in Auckland libraries.

Like all my books To The White Gate is now available in Auckland libraries. If you don't live in Auckland but would like to be able to borrow To The White Gate from your local library simply put in a request. Libraries don't know about every new book but most will purchase a new book if a member makes a request.

NEW: Kindle editions of 'To The White Gate' and 'The Boltons of The Little Boltons'

For all those Kindle fans: I've now finished converting both To The White Gate and The Boltons of The Little Boltons to Kindle. They're available there now. Links are available on my website or search the title or 'Robert Philip Bolton' on your Kindle and download. And happy Kindling.

'To The White Gate' and 'The Boltons of The Little Boltons' now available from Amazon

It took a bit of effort but both To The White Gate and The Boltons of The Little Boltons are available direct from Amazon for sale and shipping anywhere in the world.

To The White Gate introductory offer

To The White Gate is available now for the special introductory price of just $18.00 for a limited time. After a month or so the price will return to its standard of $23.00.

Meanwhile I am also getting it published in America where it will be on sale at Amazon as well as a few other places.

More information when I have the details.

What publishers said about 'To The White Gate'

After fifty rejections -- from New Zealand publishers and agents in England, Australia and America -- I have decided to self-publish my new novel, To The White Gate. Anyone who read it loved it, and I got some very flattering comments from publishers, but no one was willing to take it on.

One publisher said:  

How can one make a well-written and interesting book such as yours a success in a marketplace where people are seduced by the glitzy, shocking, chocolate box 'pick me' factor alongside so much to read for free on the web. I can't say we have the answer, and fiction has always been an incredibly uphill struggle in New Zelaand where only cooking, sports and celebrity biographies sell consistently well.  

Another said:

The pace is like sitting in a garden in the sun, but that is the point. The writing is lovely. It is an effective, well-written novel. However, although it definitely succeeds on its own terms, the market for such a quiet, gentle book is relatively limited. As the book market is currently going through such a rough patch, we have to be particularly selective about what we take on and sadly we just don’t think your novel would be viable for us to publish.

About To the White Gate (the blurb):

In a park in an antipodean city in the 1930s a teenaged boy starts work as an apprentice nurseryman.

It's an idyllic world. Patient and unhurried, with a pace as predictable as the seasons. A miniature version of the pre-war colonial empire lying just beyond the park gates. But as secure as the park may seem it can't protect anyone, least of all Tommy, from the changing world outside.

There's a war coming. An unwanted baby and heartbreaking changes at home.

Through it all the park is a constant. A companion, a teacher, a home and a friend.

With it he grows, learning wisdom and patience, as the park brings him friendship, love, knowledge and family. Friendships that will take him far away from home; family that will nurture him throughout his life; and the knowledge to finally understand the park's mysterious white gate.

To The White Gate will be available from my website soon and from Amazon later.

About 'To The White Gate'

People have been asking me about my new book To The White Gate (c105,500 words) so here is a brief synopsis.

To The White Gate is a fictional memoir of a ninety-year-old man, Tommy, approaching the end of his life. As he is a kind, gentle, patient and philosophical old man — a lover of life, people and nature — he tells his story in a gentle fable-like way. It is a plain and simple story told by a plain and simple old man gifted with an uncommon insight which is spiritual but not religious. His story should appeal to sensitive readers interested in but not obsessed by the meaning of life.

Tommy spends most of his life as a simple hard-working gardener/labourer in a public park in a country called Aotearoa, the traditional Maori name for New Zealand

Although To The White Gate is set in Aotearoa Tommy and his wife travel to England to visit friends and in November 2013 I travelled to Manchester to research the sites I wanted to use in the book. Although the story is fiction I did not want it to conflict with reality. You can see a few photos from that trip in the photo gallery here.

Coming soon: 'To The White Gate'

To The White Gate is my new 106,000-word novel which I began in July 2012 but was unable to finish until I could visit Manchester (England), where part of the novel is set, to complete some research there. I was able to get to Manchester in November 2013 and so was able to finish the book in January 2014.

To The White Gate is a fictional memoir of a ninety-year-old New Zealand man, Tommy Fyfe, approaching the end of his life. As Tommy is a kind, gentle and patient man he tells his story in a gentle fable-like way.
Tommy Fyfe leads a sheltered life working as a gardener in a park, in a myth-like land called Aotearoa,  where he spends his entire working life. Even when he is made to retire (at seventy) by the park management the park remains central to his life as he lives on its borders.
His work in the park, over more than fifty years, not only brings him close to nature but also into contact with a wide variety of people, some of whom become his lifelong friends. Each of the people he meets and befriends adds something to his understanding of the human condition which helps shape his personal outlook and provides the material for his homely philosophical observations and recollections which form an essential part of the book.
The story is divided into four sections — spring, summer, autumn and winter — each season being a loose metaphor for the stages of Tommy’s journey through life, from adolescence to old age.

I am now actively seeking an agent in England where I think To The White Gate will best be received. However the reality is that I have never been able to break through to publishers -- here or anywhere -- despite the fact that my writing is widely admired and my books and short stories are so popular. If no publisher will accept it then I will publish myself and make it available on my website and in New Zealand libraries.

Look out for it in 2014.