37. Weird book promotion (part 3) with Tina Baker, Emma Grae, Fiona Sherlock & Lulu Allison

37. Weird book promotion (part 3) with Tina Baker, Emma Grae, Fiona Sherlock & Lulu Allison: In this episode of We'd Like A Word, presenters Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan hear about innovative, odd & risky ways authors promote their books.

Tina Baker is the author of Call Me Mummy and Nasty Little Cuts. She's also a former TV & radio showbiz reporter. She used to clean the aisles of the supermarket that now sells her books. Her promotional ruses encompass street theatre, book spanking, wedding dresses, climbing on cars, burpees & (notwithstanding that previous part) constant sparkling glamour. She also moos, quite a bit.

Fiona Sherlock is the Irish crime fiction author of Preserved & Twelve Motives for Murder. But she's also the creator of a whole range of murder mystery games, one of which, The Wizard's Dagger, is tested by We'd Like A Word listeners, led by Mark Vent. It's a tense episode as, in true Jukebox Jury style, Fiona braces herself for the audience verdict on her game. There's a lot of acting, some appalling singing of Britney Spears songs & pointed accusations. Fiona also explains why Matt Damon, Ben Affleck and Ridley Scott were going to the toilet in her back garden in Bective, in County Meath. (Jodie Comer was more discreet.)

Lulu Allison is the author of Salt Lick, in which the British countryside empties of people, nature re-wilds the land & feral cows provide a chorus. She's also an artist & while bored during Covid lockdown created & shared pictures of a new homemade hat every week, made only of bits a pieces about the house - maps, garden forks, a frying pan & more weird stuff. It went viral. A ukulele band wrote a song about it.

Emma Grae is the Scottish author of Be Guid Tae Yer Mammy, about three generations of a Glasgow family, written in Scots. At first she posted cute pictures of herself & her hamsters & rats online which gained attention. But then her involvement in full-on disputes on Twitter & in the Scottish press took her profile & that of her book to a much higher level. Being trolled has its downsides, but it can also boost book sales. She talks about that & the controversy around writing in Scots.

We'd Like A Word is a podcast & radio show from authors Paul Waters & Stevyn Colgan. We talk with writers, readers, editors, agents, celebrities, talkers, poets, publishers, booksellers, audiobook creators about books - fiction & non-fiction. We go out on various radio & podcast platforms. Our website is http://www.wedlikeaword.com for information on Paul & Steve & our guests. We're also on Twitter @wedlikeaword & Facebook @wedlikeaword & our email is wedlikeaword@gmail.com Yes, we are embarrassed by the missing apostrophes. We like to hear from you - questions, thoughts, ideas, guest or book suggestions. Perhaps you'd like to come on We'd Like A Word to chat, review or read out passages from books. And if you're still stuck for something to read, may we recommend Blackwatertown by Paul Waters or Cockerings (the new comic classic, just out) by Stevyn Colgan.