After graduating from the University of Sydney, I progressed from being a veterinary surgeon to a high school teacher and then a public servant in Canberra, the capital city of Australia. My husband Jon was in the Air Force and, while raising two beautiful children, we lived in England, America, Melbourne and Newcastle, north of Sydney.
I love to travel the world, spend time with my family and chat with friends over coffee. But writing has got under my skin and it takes up most of my time.
My debut thriller The Magus Covenant has just been released on Amazon and other online bookstores. I want pulses to race as people turn the page to find out what happens next to my hero, Jotham Fletcher. Now I’m hard at work writing the second book in the series.
I decided to self-publish because of the increasing popularity and acceptance of indie books and the growing challenges faced by traditional publishers. What did we ever do before the internet came along? Within a few hours I had enough information to format a manuscript, design a cover, publish it online and market it. But the process of carefully following all the advice takes a bit longer.
There is an incredible range of information available about the writing process. My advice, before considering self-publication, is to check your manuscript again and again. Then have friends and family read it and check it yourself until there is nothing left to correct.
Marketing and promotion of my first self-published book has been a steep learning curve. At the moment I feel like my head is turning in every direction, maintaining and promoting my online presence, trying to develop a relationship with readers and checking each outlet.
So now to my story –
The Magus Covenant
The Reverend Jotham Fletcher is in Rome to give a lecture on his PhD thesis about Simon Magus at the church where he fell to his death beside the Roman Forum. Magus was a cult leader mentioned in the Bible and his libertine sect disappeared by 400 AD. But did it really die out? A robed man is pushed from the belltower of the church at midnight and Jotham becomes the prime suspect. His lover Antonella, an expert on ancient documents, has a shocking secret. Rumours fly about a papyrus scroll that mentions Magus. A ruthless Catholic Brotherhood will stop at nothing in their hunt for the Simonian Sect. And a reclusive billionaire has the chance of a lifetime to get his revenge.
Jotham is kidnapped, tortured and on the run. He races from Italy to England to Sweden. But the body count continues to rise and so does the heat in this non-stop thriller that will leave you breathless.
Amazon:
USA – UK – AUS – Canada – France – Germany
Chris The Story Reading Ape's Blog 
Reblogged this on Toni Pike.
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Reblogged this on theowlladyblog.
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Hello Viv – and many thanks for reblogging on your very interesting site.
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sounds like an exciting book, I have just shared your link on my Facebook and Twitter accounts as I know it can be hard to be noticed. I wish you much success and good luck writing the new book. I am editing my first novel at the moment reading and re reading and as you say getting family to read. Best wishes to you and happy Christmas xx
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Thank you for sharing, Mackenzie – I’m sure that will be a great help. Best of luck with editing your novel – it’s hard work but very worthwhile. Have a merry Christmas.
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Best wishes, Toni, for much success with your book. Sounds intriguing! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
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Many thanks Janice – enjoyed visiting your website.
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Pleased to meet, Toni. Shared on all my social network pages 🙂
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Many thanks Tina – a pleasure to meet you and read your fascinating profile.
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My pleasure, Toni. And you’re the first person I’ve met who hops over to someone’s profile from a comments box! You’re a gem 🙂
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Thanks Tina – Have a GREAT Christmas and 2016 – and THANK YOU for all the sharing 😀 XXX
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It’s my pleasure, Chris. Wishing you a joyous & blessed Holiday Season 🙂 XXX
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Reblogged this on Kate McClelland.
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Thanks for sharing Kate 🐵
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Thanks for doing that, Kate – I’m very pleased to appear on your delightful blog.
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
The Story Reading Ape with guest author Toni Pike talking about her debut novel The Mugus Covenant.. ancient scrolls, murder and mystery… sounds great.
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Thanks for that Sally – it’s a great honour to be included on your beautiful and thought-provoking site. Sounds like you’ve led a fascinating life.
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Thanks Toni… looking forward to the next adventure.
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Many Thanks Sally – Hugs xxx
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