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Get Mortal Mission for 99c

21 September 2022 by PJ Skinner Leave a Comment

Offer valid until Saturday 24th Sept on Amazon UK and USA

Do you love a good Whodunnit? Do you fancy a mystery with a twist for only 99c? Mortal Mission reads like an Agatha Christie mystery met the Da Vinci Code on Mars. What do readers think of Mortal Mission? Here are some 5-star reviews from Goodreads: ‘A whodunnit in space – if you’re a fan of murder mysteries or sci-fi, then you’re in for a treat. Nail biting tension to the end’ ‘A murder mystery set in space? Can I get a hell yeah! On a serious note, this is an absolutely phenomenal whodunnit! I thoroughly enjoyed every page and, due to the setting and premise, it really is something very unique’ ‘I can honestly say Mortal Mission was a joy to read. Part hard sci fi and part murder mystery this ticked a lot of my boxes for making a favourite read.’ ‘I couldn’t put this book down and I am seriously starting to think that everything this author puts her mind too turns to gold. I loved it and it left me wanting more.’ ‘This was so… so… SO good. It takes a truly great author to be able to transport the reader to a whole other planet, as well as in to the future, but make it so realistic and believable.’

This offer runs out on Saturday and is only available on Amazon UK and USA. I hope you will enjoy Mortal Mission and leave me a review.

Get Your 99c copy of Mortal Mission here

Mortal Mission has launched – a whodunnit in space

25 August 2022 by PJ Skinner Leave a Comment

Hello there, I hope you are enjoying the great summer weather we are having. Summer is often the season when we get time to read on a beach. If you like locked room mysteries with a twist, I may have just the thing for you. How about a whodunnit in space? A murder mystery set on the first crewed mission to Mars?
My latest book, Mortal Mission (under the pen name of Pip Skinner) has launched to great success! If you are one of the lucky readers of the free ARC I gave out, it would really help me if you could leave your reviews on Amazon, Bookbub and Goodreads when you get the chance.

If you aren’t sure that you’d like it, these reviews from Goodreads may help you decide:
‘A whodunnit in space – if you’re a fan of murder mysteries or sci-fi, then you’re in for a treat. Nail biting tension to the end’
‘I can honestly say Mortal Mission was a joy to read. Part hard sci fi and part murder mystery this ticked a lot of my boxes for making a favourite read.’
‘Sci-fi isn’t really my bag. But this was so… so… SO good. It takes a truly great author to be able to transport the reader to a whole other planet, as well as in to the future, but make it so realistic and believable.’
‘I honestly couldn’t put this one down, I finished it in two evening sittings after work. Partly I wish I hadn’t because I wanted the experience to last (but that is what re-reading is for!) and partly I just couldn’t wait since I NEEDED to know what was going on!’
‘A hard sci-fi murder mystery that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Or turning pages all night long!’ ‘The book itself is very fast paced. There’s a lot to take in, but not so much that you get lost. But, if you think you’ve solved this mystery, then let me be first to say that I am 99% sure you have not. ‘
‘I could honestly rave about this book for ages but I will say if you love hard sci-fi and or murder mysteries this is one you are sure to enjoy’
‘Do young people still say epic? Screw it. I’m saying it. This book is EPIC’
‘I really love this authors work. It’s captivating and so easy to read. Yes, I would love to read more’

So, what’s it all about?
Astronaut Hattie Fredericks’s dream is realised when she is selected for the first crewed mission to search for life on Mars, but her presence on the Starship coincides with a series of incidents which threaten to derail the mission. The Mars mission encounters heated opposition from the religious right, but they’re not the only ones dreading positive results. After a near-miss while landing on the planet, the world watches as Hattie and the crew struggle to survive. But worse than the harsh elements are their suspicions that someone is trying to destroy the mission. When more crew members die, Hattie doesn’t know who to trust. And her only allies are 35 million miles away. As the tension ratchets up, violence and suspicion invade both worlds. Will Hattie’s dream turn into a nightmare?

Get your copy of Mortal Mission here

Preorder Mortal Mission at a discount

15 June 2022 by PJ Skinner Leave a Comment

My hard sci-fi mystery, Mortal Mission is on on pre-order. I hope you like the cover. You may notice that I have used Elon Musk’s Starship as the vehicle for the adventure. I have done a ton of research on the technology in this book, which I enjoyed very much, and I welcome comments to improve any glitches.

Mortal Mission is out on Preorder – so what’s it about?

Astronauts are dying on the first crewed mission to Mars. Is it bad luck, or something far more sinister?
An international mission to search for life on Mars meets heated opposition from the religious right in the USA. Astronaut Hattie Fredericks’ dream is realised when she is selected for the voyage, but her presence on the Starship coincides with a series of incidents which threaten to derail the mission. After a near-miss while landing on Mars, the world watches as Hattie and the crew struggle to survive. But worse than the harsh elements are her suspicions that someone is trying to destroy the mission. After several crew members die, Hattie doesn’t know who to trust. And her only allies are 35 million miles away. As the tension ratchets up, violence and suspicion invade both worlds.
Will Hattie discover life on Mars, or die trying?

Background

The idea for this story emerged out of my fascination with space travel. While watching the landing of the Perseverance rover on the surface of Mars. I couldn’t help wondering ‘what if’ all the time; the author’s curse. It has been quite an adventure writing two new genres at once but I really enjoyed the challenge. I think of it as a cross between an Agatha Christie mystery in an isolated place and the Da Vinci Code in space. Let me know what you think…

My Beta readers loved Mortal Mission, and I am ready to publish. So I would like to offer it to you at a discount on preorder. I would love you to support me by ordering this book. It costs about the same as a cheap coffee and I hope you trust me to write something you love by now. 😊 Please feel free to share the discount and tell your friends, if they would like this book.

Please review my books if you have enjoyed them

If you could recommend my books on Amazon or on Goodreads, I would be so grateful. The life of a relatively unsuccessful indie author is pretty tough if no one recommends the author’s books.

Thank you and Best wishes

Get Africa Green for 99c/99p

31 October 2021 by PJ Skinner Leave a Comment

Limited time offer

Are you looking for an exciting read? Why don’t you grab yourself a copy of Africa Green for 99c and have an adventure on your sofa?

A female journalist finally gets her big break and is sent to Sierra Leone to write an article about a chimp sanctuary. She soon finds herself up to her neck in trouble and adding a white chimp to the mix only makes things more perilous. Adventure, culture and romance.

This is what readers think:
‘5* very compulsive reading, the characters are very believable and the exciting situations are also compelling.’
‘5* Original and compelling story’
‘5* Superb realistic read about Africa and an Irish female journalist.’

I’d love a review if you have time. Reviews help me sell more books.
Thank you
PJ

99c/99p Offer

The Secrets Behind Africa Green

11 October 2021 by PJ Skinner 1 Comment

Truth is stranger than fiction

Bruno and Bala

Lucius, the alpha male chimp in Africa Greene is based on Bruno, the first chimp rescued by the Tacugama Sanctuary in Sierra Leone. In 1989. Accountant Bala Amarasekaran and his wife Sharmila were in a small village 150 kilometres north of the capital Freetown when they saw a young male chimpanzee for sale. They paid US$30 to rescue the animal and raised it in their home. After they rescued a second chimpanzee, Jane Goodall, a world reknowned expert, advised them to set up a sanctuary for abandoned and rescued chimps. With the help of land from the government, the Amarasekarans soon had 24 chimpanzees at the sanctuary.

Somehow, the santuary escaped the worst of the civil war and thrived. Bruno grew to be an imposing and unusual size for his species. He became the leader of the abandoned chimps. I saw Bruno when I visited the sanctuary in 2003 and we had to duck because he threw stones at us. In April 2006, 31 chimpanzees escaped from the sanctuary led by Bruno. Unfortunately they came in contact with four men who were in a taxi on their way to visit the sanctuary. In the ensuing chaos, one man was killed and the others injured as the chimps attacked them. Of the chimpanzees that escaped, 27 soon returned, but Bruno was among the four that did not. He has never been seen again, but images of him living with wild chimpanzees have been captured on wildlife cameras.

Prospects look gloomy for the wild chimps of Sierra Leone. In the early 1970s an estimated 20,000 of them lived there. Today there are only around 5,000. More than 100 are in the sanctuary at Tacugama. If you are interested, you can support the Tacugama centre’s work. This now includes visits to local schools and rural communities to raise awareness of the need to protect chimpanzees and their habitat

Africa Green

PJ in Sierra Leone

In 2003, I visited Sierra Leone to work in the diamond fields, just after the peace treaty had been signed ending the civil war. The country was still devastated, and the roads were lined with burned-out cars and villages. People were traumatised, and the evidence of rebel brutality could be seen every where, especially in the amputated limbs of the beggars in Freetown. I used material from my visits there to write The Star of Simbako and Africa Green While I was staying in Freetown, I drove out to the Tacugama Sanctuary to visit the chimps. On our way back from the sanctuary, we had a puncture. Some Nigerian peacekeepers helped us to change the tire. They insisted on taking a photograph with me. Sierra Leone is a lovely country and I still hope to go back some day.

I am researching a third book for the Green Family Saga, which will follow Liz Green as she escapes her troubles in London and moves back to Ireland to rescue a large country house. I am also writing a murder mystery set in space, of which more later.

Enjoy Africa Green. I think it’s my best yet.

Enjoy the lovely Autumnal weather.

Best wishes

Background to Africa Green

19 August 2021 by PJ Skinner Leave a Comment

In 2003, I went to Sierra Leone to work on a diamond project, and I visited many times over the next five years. The civil war had finished and the UN had collected the weapons, but the population was still traumatised. I visited the Tacugama Chimp Sanctuary outside Freetown several times. During one of the visits, I bought a DVD about the sanctuary and it mentioned the white chimp, Pinkie. She had lived at the sanctuary for a short while before dying of unknown causes. This has inspired me to use the sanctuary and Pinkie as characters in my latest novel, Africa Green, which follows on from Rebel Green It tells the story of Isabella, the youngest Green Daughter, who has become a journalist. I hope you will enjoy this tale of adventure, love and hope.