Osgood Roundup #2
HELLO!!
Welcome to this exciting May edition of the OSGOOD ROUNDUP!
This month sees the release of my debut novel, The Placement!
AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!
After so long, it’s finally out for the whole wide world to enjoy!
You can grab your copy HERE
Please like, leave a review and share with family and friends!
It all helps!
*UK ONLY*
If you’ve bought the book, paperback or eBook, send me a photo of your conformation and address to ruthosgood12@gmail.com and I’ll send you an exclusive bookmark, free!!
ROAD TO THE PLACEMENT
The day I left school, all the way back in May 2008, I took up a chair at the dining table, pulled out my science book (which was the only notebook I had on me at the time) and wrote down a list of potential stories. I must’ve had at best, ten ideas before I decided to do something in the thriller genre. Ever a lover of spies, I blame the early 2000’s, it was crawling with kid spies!
I ploughed through pages, jotting down all of the cool ideas, the shape I wanted this novel and what direction I wanted the series to go.
What I didn’t realise was how long it was going to take…
I finished my first draft for the book all the way back in 2012, and it’s hideous! To think I thought I was publisher ready back then… erg, it makes my toes curl!
With several more attempts made, even writing a couple different stories entirely but there was something about this one that kept me going. I really wanted this to be my first novel, and I couldn’t explain why, perhaps where this is my first full on venture into writing, I’ve grown a bond with the characters, and they wouldn’t leave me alone until I’ve finished the darned thing!
The story took a lot of re-writes, a lot of hair pulling and even a name change – it was originally called The Long Fortnight, but I found it didn’t have that UMPH, and so, in April 2022, I finally came up with the perfect title for the book The Placement – yep, it took THAT long!
And now it’s published and ready for you all to read 😊
MEET WREN KIPLING
Your new favourite heroine!
A bit of a punk if you ask me.
A fiesty fourteen-year-old who never back away from a fight.
In her eyes, everyone’s a bozo but some just happen to be bozoier than others!
You’d be a complete bozo yourself if you ever found yourself in Wren’s bad books!
WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Figuring out Wren’s name took me a long while and had many, many placeholders before I stumbled upon the perfect moniker for her.
I ended up going back to my favourite book - William Nicholson’s The Wind Singer.
The protagonist is a girl called Kestrel Hath and I wanted to honour the book in some way, and thought, why not name my main character after a bird as well? and so, after a lot of research, I came across Wren - short and easy to remember!
But where did Kipling come from, I hear you ask?
Well, the book will answer that one! 😉
BOOK COVER PROCESS
I approached Rhiannon last year having enjoyed her unique style and work- mainly her Resident Evil comics as well as other bits and bobs she’s done over the years.
We got talking about the book. I gave her a brief synopsis and the first chapter, as that’s what I wanted the front over to be based on.
What I liked about working with Rhiannon was that it wasn’t a case of writing down what I wanted, like filling out a form of do’s and don’ts. Instead, we bounced around ideas and added in her own input, which I loved - I think she was more excited than I was!
A couple months later, Rhiannon sent over a sketch. I was shocked, this is incredible for a DRAFT!
I didn't expect it to be so detailed!
She drew two poses and we decided on Pose B - I love how it gave the impression of Wren knocked backwards by the blast.
Once I approved, over the course of a few more months, Rhiannon sent over a pencil and ink scan.
And finally, the finished piece!!
Isn’t it beautiful?
I enjoyed working with Rhiannon as she shaped my cover, and with such amazing results, it’s clear I chose the right person for the job!
I never felt out of the loop, communication was tight. I recommend getting a commision from her!!
You can check Rhiannon out HERE.
EARLY REVIEWS
I’ve recived a couple of reviews from Beta Readers, here’s what they’ve had to say on The Placement -
"I loved it! It's super fun with a lot of twists and turns that kept me hooked until the end. Wren is one of the most realistic teenagers I've ever seen, and I found it easy to get caught up in her journey"
“An interesting story with plenty of twists and turns right from the first chapter. A fun, engaging and familiar main character. I’m looking forward to seeing what comes next and can def reccomend this book and this author.”
INTERVIEW
I had the pleasure of speaking with the lovely Alanna as she kindly featured me on her first ever author podcast, Storytime with Alanna Percival.
Join us as we discuss all things The Placement, the books that inspire us as well as favourite authors!!
Thank you, Alanna for being so kind and wonderful!!
You can catch our talk here -
(Video will go live Monday 5th May 8PM UK time)
If you enjoyed the vid, go ahead and give EnterTheCronic a like and sub!
A husband and wife team, focused on music journalism, music reactions and artist interviews.
THAT’S ALL FOLKS!
With one book down, there’s few more to go…
I am currently a good chunk into the first draft next book - I’m keeping tight lipped about that for now - with hopes to get that done by the end of June, fingers crossed!!
If you have any questions for me that I can include in May's roundup or have any enquiries, feel free to email me - ruthosgood12@gmail.com
In the meanwhile, you can check out my socials!
Until June!!
Yay! I'm so excited for you 😁