Reviews of Crump (2010)
My 2010 campus novel Crump (PJ Vanston) did very well and garnered many excellent reviews - and some pretty nasty ones (touched a nerve, obviously...).
I was delighted to see it become a set book at schools and colleges in Scandinavia (especially Sweden and Norway). It was also very popular in Canada and the USA.
Crump is still used extensively in teaching and training - I receive a nice plump photocopy fee cheque every year, and know it's being read in Europe (EU and non-EU) and the USA. It's also used by the UK's own universities, as well as the NHS and the UK government, no doubt in training.
It's quite a political satire, after all, and is still - to my knowledge- the only novel that dares to tackle the issue of Islamic extremism at UK universities and the blind eye turned to it by university management and academics.
The paperback edition has sold out but the books is still available in ebook via Amazon and the usual outlets: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Crump-P-J-Vanston/dp/1848762852
There are some great reviews here:
News
COMING SOON: my new psychological thriller about a deranged maniac psychowoman cyberstalker who obsessively pursues and targets an innocent author with a malicious prolonged hate campaign motivated by bare twisted vindictive revenge, enabled and aided by corrupt racist police.
Think MISERY meets BABY REINDEER meets BRIGHTON ROCK. Yes, really! Oh yeah!
Watch this space in 2025/6 and beyond!
I am proud to announce that my 10th published book, The Nine Lives of Summer, my new crossover cat story for ALL ages, was published 1st March 2023 via Two Fat Cats Publishing - on the 10th anniversay of the publication of my much-loved cat novel A Cat Called Dog. Top reviews:
"A heart-warming tale with a life-affirming message."
"Often funny, sometimes, sad, always hopeful."
This richly diverse crossover story for both kids AND adults is a life-affirming, hopeful read an exciting emotional rollercoaster which really does move & touch so many readers, makes them laugh and cry, or so they tell me in fanmail!
The story starts in Syria, where the war forces a family to flee, then travels to a dozen countries (Australia, India, Japan/China, Greenland, USA/Canada, Italy, Spain, Wales) through the nine lives of Summer, (and, logically, eight deaths), following the cat's adventures, joys and sorrows via a vast array of diverse cultures, settings and peoples. How anyone can claim it can traumatise readers and promotes animal cruelty or racism is beyond me - some seriously disturbed people out there, projecting their problems onto my lovely storybook!
For review copies or interview requests, email acatcalleddog@hotmail.co.uk or contact via Twitter @9LivesofSummer or via this author website.
My debut collection of poetry THE LOVED ONES - A COLLECTION OF PANDEMIC POEMS ABOUT LOVE AND LOSS was published 9 April 2022. It comprises 54 poems; including 10 song lyrics with 9 online links to the demo recordings provided via links in the book. Two poems are in National Museum Covid Archives: POEM OF THE PLAGUE YEAR and TWENTY-TWENTY: A YEAR IN THE LIFE, which was featured on Swansea TV and was called 'poignant' by a representative of Her Majesty the Queen.
Available online worldwide, Amazon etc, or in Harrisons, Uplands and Cover to Cover, Mumbles, or from me direct (most of my poem book sales happen that way). As owner of TWO FAT CATS publishing, I can see via wonderful digital data who has (& who has not) bought the ebook or read digital pages of it, when, and also where they are. Yup.
So, ignore the malicious revenge reviews on Goodreads and Amazon by a sad hateful reviewer who I can prove has not even read the book. The prolonged obsessive hate campaign aimed at me by a deeply deranged cyberstalker individual for over a year incl 10,000 words of abuse on MY book pages (4 of them) on Goodreads (who failed to remove the defamatory abuse, despite it breaking their own rules), Amazon (ditto)& Twitter has been insane, disturbing, and has caused me alarm and distress which WILL be paid for, I guarantee it.
On the plus side, this malicious unprovoked obsessive vengeful attack has inspired the female stalker novel HARMS I'm writing at the moment! The law and the media will expose this all in future, as defamation and hate campaigns of bullying, harassment and bare malicious revenge. Not on, and not legal. WATCH THIS SPACE. Justice is coming, folks!
"THINKING TIME - 365 Inspiring, Amusing and Thought-provoking quotes to get you through the year" (2021), my diverse quote book, still sells a load on eBook every year, worldwide. Intelligent Mindfulness, yes, but also with funny, insightful, INTELLIGENT quotes from individuals from throughout history up to the present day . To dip into, read through or use for mindfulness daily, or for education (no goo goo gaga fluffy slushy quote book this). An educated quote book a cut above most of the rest (I hate slushy psychobabble woowoo quote books). Still sells well worldwide in eBook format with no promotion from me at all.
On 28th March 2020 my satirical campus/Brexit novel was published - my 7th book. SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE ('Crump 2') is a real epic - funny, moving and timely. A state of the nation novel which has something to say. "A brilliant satire of wokery at UK universities and cancel culture", which predicts so much (riots etc). Called "A masterpiece" by Professor Eric Kaufman. Probably my best-written novel too. Unfortunately published in the same week as Pandemic Lockdown SO that scuppered that then - such is life! I am stoical about such things because the book EXISTS and will do for evermore as a novel of our times. LIFE now is imitating art - I deal with campus anti-Semitism and more in this novel. But together with its prequel CRUMP (2010) it is a classic campus novel all interested in the genre just have to read.
My satirical novels CORRECTLY predicted the RIOTS in the UK, 2011 and 2024, growing anti-Semitism and Islamist extremism too - life definitely apeing art. CRUMP (2010); RASMUS (2016, a reality TV novel); CRUMP 2 - SOMEWHERE IN EUROPE (2020) are a loose trilogy, a real STATE OF THE NATION triumph, as one reviewer stated. Read them and weep, and laugh, and cry, or be triggered into tamping like a boohoo baby if you want. LOL! Your choice.
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Twitter: @acatcalleddog
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