Legend Press

Gary Davison reviews White Summer!

Gary Davison author of Fat Tuesday published by Paperbooks has written a glowing review of White Summer by Luke Bitmead on his blog http://gary-davison.com:

"Guy Chamberlain is twenty-something -years -old, has had an extremely privileged up bringing, and is in a dead-end job at a travel agents. He drinks, he gets hung-over, he struggles through to lunch time and goes to the Crown to knock the edge off, and parties, knocks the edge off at The Crown,  and all-in-all he’s having a good time of it until he falls for the gorgeous Daisy. From here on in, his love life spirals out of control, and when he gets it on with Daisy, as well as the big breasted Kathy, his sister’s best mate, and ends up in bed with Kate from the office, his summer really does heat up.

 

Here’re a couple of snippets of his wicked humour.

The plaster, like a stripper’s stocking, came of painfully slowly….

At the end of the night, my hormone levels were so high that I looked like a glow stick in a shirt…

It was Saturday night. I was drunker than a poet who hasn’t eaten for days and had chased a bottle of Absinthe with Meths…

 Luke Bitmead has the knack of pulling one liners off like no one else I’ve read before. Most of which you would have heard before, except he is cool with it. He does it unashamed and it works a treat. The biggest trouble I had with this book was putting it down. It was a scream, and I recommend it those who like a laugh.

Ratings

Sex – any amount – in the author’s words ‘ my nob was red raw’

Violence – none.

Drugs - none 

Alcohol – everything you can think of especially Stella, whisky, vodka

Comedy – laugh a minute stuff.

Writing style – easy to read bordering on man-lit

Overall – 4 out 5, I loved it."

Take a minute to visit Luke's website

A special message today - it is the 2nd anniversary of Luke Bitmead's sad death. As many will know, the superbly talented and charismatic Luke was the first novelist I signed up for Legend Press and whatever is achieved in the future of the press, Luke will have played an absolutely invaluable role.

Following the launch of his fantastic novel WHITE SUMMER, Luke sadly died in October of the same year, aged just 34. Set-up by his family, this year saw the first winner of the Luke Bitmead Bursary Prize - Andrew Blackman.

I spoke to Luke's Mum a week or so ago and she has asked that everyone visit Luke's website at some point today - www.lukebitmead.com So, please take a second or two to go and visit. Luke would have loved the staring role!

Tom

20 free tickets available for Luke Bitmead event...

On Thursday 24th July, at an exclusive event in London, we will be announcing the winner of the 2008 Luke Bitmead Writer's Bursary and celebrating the re-release of White Summer. The event wil be held in The Yorkshire Grey on Grey's Inn Road, Central London.

We have 20 free tickets to give away for this exclusive evening to the first people who email me at lucyboguslawski@legend-paperbooks.co.uk. (Up to 5 tickets are allowed per person).

If you are unable to make it to the event, why not purchase a copy now at the special discounted price.

Order your copy now - £5.99 

Lucy

White Summer in promotion...

I dropped into Borders today on the way back from a meeting there and was pleased to see the sparkling new edition of the fantastic WHITE SUMMER by Luke Bitmead in promotion.

Launched on Saturday we feel confident that this can become the book of the summer (and deservedly so) - although it was raining at the time, but now the sun is out again, which I'll put down the the amazing effect White Summer has.

Have you ordered your copy yet? Excellent, you'll love it/why the hell not? (delete as appropriate). If you're in the latter camp, you can correct this right now! Simply order below for the top summer read:

Order your copy now - £5.99 

'White Summer' relaunched tomorrow

Tomorrow sees the relaunch of Luke Bitmead's fast-paced and vibrant comedy 'White Summer'. Here is just some of the glowing reviews the book has received:

‘Great stuff. Wonderfully witty and sexy.’ Deborah Wright, bestselling author

‘Reading White Summer is like a breath of fresh air’ Roundtable Review

‘White Summer is a page-turner, punctuated with humorous incidents that will ring true to all men and women.’ BBC Oxford Radio.

‘A sparkling debut from an author with an eye for details and wit.’ Essence Magazine.

Order your copy now - £5.99 

Lucy

To re-launch WHITE SUMMER!!!!

Something I've been struggling to keep quiet for a while – we are thrilled/excited/delighted to announce the relaunch of WHITE SUMMER on 28th June. It will be backed by a major publicity campaign and the huge following for the author, Luke Bitmead, who tragically died in October 2006, aged just 34. Following the hugely charismatic and talented Luke’s death, the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund was set-up by Luke’s family to support fledgling writers, particularly those battling adversity to achieve their writing dream. The first beneficiary of the Fund is due to be announced in May.

WHITE SUMMER, a fast-paced, hliarious and stylish comedy, was originally launched in May 2006 and was the first novel commissioned and published by then newborn baby Legend Press. The novel generated a large cult following, partly through Luke’s nationwide book signing tour (many great, timeless memories from that summer with Luke). We also now expect to benefit from our own rapidly-risen profile and the widespread interest in Luke’s hugely entertaining and skillful work to take this book to the next level, which it fully deserves - to make it a major, major hit.

Luke was also the co-author, with Catherine Richards, of HEADING SOUTH, which launched in May 2007. Another brilliant novel!

We have discussed the prospect of relaunching WHITE SUMMER, with a wonderfully vibrant new package, for some time and couldn’t be more excited. Luke is widely acknowledged as one of the most talented young writers to emerge in recent years and it is a tragedy that he died so soon after the launch of his wonderful first novel (I also have a very good story about when he first sent the novel to me - will reveal shortly). At the time it was described by one of the main buyers as 'the best book of its type he'd came across' and now is the time to see the novel and Luke’s writing achieve its deserved success.

It will also be pleasing on a personal level as Luke was the first novelist I commissioned having started the company and he was an amazing part through those first key months - it was difficult to accept that my phone wouldn't ring any minute for another passionate and entertaining conversation on promoting the book or anything else that came to our minds. Later on reflection I realised how important and special his absolutely unswerving faith in Legend Press was - we probably wouldn't be here without it.

I would also like to thank Luke’s family who have been consistently supportive and amazingly active in the drive to continue to push Luke’s writing, through the most difficult of times. They also deserve to see Luke's writing reach the widespread success it deserves.

Can't wait to re-launch this book and will be calling on everyone for their support - one read of it and it will without doubt become the book of your summer!

Tom

Luke Bitmead Bursary in the Bookseller

We were very pleased to announce just before Christmas details of the Luke Bitmead Memorial Fund, which has been set-up by Luke family in the amazing author's memory to support fledgling writers. We were delighted to be able to offer a publishing contract to the first winner of the annual award, in addition to the £2,500 prize. Details have now been sent around and we hope there will be a fantastic response to this great opportunity. It was also nice to see it featured in The Bookseller headlines This is a fantastic initiative and I hope it goes from strength-to-strength.

Tom

The blurb and the story behind White Summer

'Six o’clock is the watershed, isn’t it? It’s the time we can crack open a beer in the sure knowledge we’re not alcoholics.’

Guy Chamberlain is getting drunk while waiting for life to happen. Then summer arrives and everything takes off. The breath-taking Daisy appears out of nowhere, his sensitive sister starts dating his best friend, his mother’s health takes a turn for the worse, and the exuberant ‘Kathy’ makes it clear she has marriage on her mind. Guy finds that once life starts, it’s not so easy to stop…

White Summer is a fast-paced and vibrant comedy that offers an hilarious insight into infatuation, sex, hangovers, dead-end jobs and making ill-advised decisions that come back to hurt. This is a story for those who have lived but won't learn.

The story behind it:

Luke wrote White Summer in just six weeks and it is set mainly in Gloucestershire, near Cirencester, where he lived with his family before moving to Oxford in 2006. Many of the local pubs and landmarks are featured in the novel and, according to Luke's Mum, half of the guys in the village are now in love with the fictional Daisy!

Luke was an immensely talented young writer and his work has been compared to Martin Amis and Nick Hornby. He tragically, and suddenly, passed away on 27th October 2006.

Why Legend Press chose it:

When Luke sent in the manuscript to Tom he said 'enjoy this with a bottle of wine' and that's exactly what Tom did - staying up late into the night reading it.  He found it to be vibrant, fast-paced and brilliantly funny, offering a satire on modern life, and knew that it would be perfect for Legend Press' first novel. It deals wittily with issues most adult readers will quickly identify with – infatuation, love, sex, alcohol, hangovers, dead-end jobs, families, and making bad or questionable decisions. The central character, Guy, is the perfect vehicle for this white-knuckle ride – every reader sees a bit of either themselves or people they know in him.

Some reviews of White Summer

'Great stuff. Wonderfully witty and sexy.'
Deborah Wright, bestselling author

‘White Summer is a page-turner, punctuated with humorous incidents that will ring true to all men and women.’
Emily Jolliffe, BBC Oxford Radio

'A sparking debut from an author with an eye for detail and wit.’
Essence Magazine

‘Reading White Summer is like a breath of fresh air.’
Roundtable Review

‘Luke Bitmead has produced a novel of wit and pace.’
Leicester Mercury