One Step Too Far

Novel currently showcased by The Literary Consultancy (June 2013)

“I couldn’t put it down! An intricate, well-plotted story, engagingly told” Helen Castor, author of She-Wolves, Sunday Times Books of the Year

“A well written, intriguing, cleverly structured and compelling read. The twist was excellent and I didn’t see it coming.” The Literary Consultancy

“I didn’t guess the twist… I simply had no idea whatsoever and when it was laid down in front of me I felt as though I’d been punched. The book’s a keeper too. Next time round you’ll know how it all works out but there’s a great deal of pleasure to be had in re-reading…. it’s a long time since I’ve been so convincingly hoodwinked and enjoyed it, to boot!” thebookbag.co.uk

“The author reveals Emily’s motivations for leaving her family with great patience and narrative skill… (there is) excellent dramatic pacing, dialogue and prose, culminating in poignant concluding chapters which examine Emily’s decisions without sentimentality. An evocative, skillful novel about the price of escape. Recommended.”Kirkus Reviews

“It’s British, but modern-day London British, not Downton Abbey British. It’s compelling, gripping, frightening, embarrassing, deeply sad and lovely all at once. A truly gripping human story. Compelling characters. It’s not released until mid-April, but don’t forget it. Order it for your indie bookstore customers. Preorder it for yourself. Put a note on your calendar. Just read it. You won’t be sorry. I loved this book.” myzennana.com

“WOW! This one is a winner! While the plot might seem like a “movie-of-the-week”, the gorgeous writing elevates it to fine contemporary literature. By the end, I was truly aching for Emily/Cat, desperate to know her secret. And when it was finally revealed I gasped out loud! This is an excellent example of how a book can play our emotions like an instrument… I am praying that someone options this for the big screen. Kate Winslett please!” Suzanne Rogers, South Carolina, US

“As Emily starts her new life in London I never stopped rooting for her… What also really stood out was how real it all felt. Locations are described vividly and you can almost smell Emily’s first London lodgings. It’s a real page-turner – a must for fans of Jodi Picoult and David Nicholls’s One Day.” Sandie Kirk, Surrey

“Tina Seskis slams us straight in to the heart of her debut novel – no warm-up, no fictional foreplay… A neat, intertwining story of interesting characters, told mainly through flashback episodes – some dark, but enough which are funny, entertaining, warm and human to make this a rewarding journey.” Christian, globaljunkie.net

“Beautifully written and well-paced, it has an endearing, fascinating and realistic set of characters, many of whom we might recognize from our own lives, with a sense of mystery, sadness, joy and anticipation. The story is powerfully told, descriptive and vivid, with twists and turns which kept me reading, intrigued, until the early hours… A must-read and destined for great success. Highly recommended, 5 stars at least!” Christine Miller, author, poet, editor, christinemiller.co

“It was so compelling, so engrossing, so thought-provoking… I found all the players totally engaging and found myself caring very deeply about Emily’s fate. I loved the realist touches about life in London through the eyes of someone completely new to it (especially the lightning shopping trip around Ikea!)… I loved also the various twists and turns towards the end, it kept me guessing all the way. Just when I think I’ve worked it out bam! another twist and I need to reset my compass. The pace was just right (with) episodes of Mansfield-like stream-of-consciousness that reflected Emily’s state of mind at the time and made me feel her panic, rage, fear, whatever… Well done!” Helen Say, Herts, UK

“I would have to compare this favorably with Gone Girl. The pacing and suspense are great, and I definitely was hooked early. I liked it, and will recommend it to many, including book groups.” Avid, goodreads.com

“I couldn’t put it down!! Absolutely loved it, totally gripping, devastating and a real page turner. Made me want to go back and re-read bits. It’s a great piece of entertaining reading. Would certainly recommend.” Tracy Morrell, London

“The author does a wonderful job of keeping the reader guessing and clueless until she’s ready to let you in on the secret. And when she finally does, the reader should be prepared for a jaw-dropper. Seskis’s book was a wonderful read that I fully expect to quickly rise on the list of bestsellers.” Catherine Armstrong, Rochester Public Library, US

“A highly enjoyable and compelling read with all the right elements of a page-turner – just the right amount of information dripped in to keep the reader interested.” Penny Faith, author, London

“Superb story. The author uses some excellent metaphors that literally make you say, ‘Wow, what a great turn of phrase.’ Budding authors should read this novel to see how a good book can be written. I give this 6 stars out of 5 and can’t wait to read more from this very talented authoress. It would make a great movie!” Christopher French, Tauranga, New Zealand

“A compelling and intense novel. There was not one point in this brilliantly written story that I could clearly know what would happen to Cat. The world building put me right there, watching over Cat’s shoulder, living her story along with her.” Dii, Tome Tender 

“I would compare it to the movie The Sixth Sense – there is a major twist ending that hits you right in the gut, and if you go back and read it again, the clues are all there, you just didn’t put them together properly. The book is incredibly entertaining, and well-paced to keep you hanging on and wanting more… a great read.” allisonwrites.com

“It certainly stands up to the old journalistic premise of grabbing your readers right from the beginning and the overall concept is very interesting and original. It was an undeniably good read and the writing and descriptiveness was great.” Dave Sheehan, London

“WOW is all I can say!! I read all kinds of books but that was really well written. It touches on so many themes and the ending is just awesome. Totally didn’t see that happening. And now I’m going to have to read it all over again.” Chrissy Paech, Melbourne

“Loved this book, am in awe! Cried three times and not in the obvious places. I thought it was brilliant. I couldn’t stop reading it. Loved the characters and the twist at the end. Not a great ad for Finsbury Park though!” Donna Malone, London

“I absolutely loved it, took me longer to start it than I thought just cos I was busy rushing around but once I started it, I inhaled it.” Bex Davies, London

“This book is fantastic. I could not put it down and found the story kept me utterly hooked. I really liked the main character and her flat mate Angel. The ending was great and a total surprise. I am really impressed and would definitely look for other titles that the author had written!” Alice Baldock, Herts

“I was hooked after the first few chapters! I was not expecting the twist in it, but it was very clever – I just wonder where the author gets her inspiration from!” Nicola Young, Surrey

“I think this is a story from which the reader may take away several different ideas… I found myself thinking how the best things, the moments we truly cherish and remember come when we choose to place another’s needs/wants above our own. 5 stars.” Teresa Turner, goodreads.com

For A Serpentine Affair by Tina Seskis

"This is a strong, well-written, confident novel. Tina has managed to weave together both a strong story and a web of characters, intricately related to each other, with convincing histories. The structure is ambitious, but she pulls it off - she builds up our expectation and some suspense, but we don't feel let down by the resolution - excellent." The Literary Consultancy
“I finished it over two days and was up till 2 in the morning reading – so I was gripped! I enjoy a storyline where the characters’ present actions are intermingled with the unfolding of past actions. All the characters were pretty compelling and I definitely cared enough to keep on reading. There was a point where I almost felt there were too many secrets (albeit this was at the two in the morning stage – where I wanted to go to sleep but also wanted to find out more) but I think I had reached a bit of a reading frenzy and when I came back to it the next day there was a satisfaction in the last third/quarter of the book where you hit a tipping point of it all coming out. I was absolutely flying through it and I really enjoyed the language, descriptions, analogies etc. In my view this is a novel that can easily hold its own among other stuff I read and is a lot better than much of it.”Claire Smith, London

*Reading at Lauderdale House Highgate, and press launches in Islington (hosted by Leader of Islington Council) and Chorlton, Manchester (location tbc) *Distribution through Gardners and Bertrams plus all ereader stores via BookBaby *Picked for chart position in WH Smith outlets in all airports and train stations *Optimised ebook listings through close management of campaigns *Window displays in local bookshops in North London and Chorlton *April read for several online and other book groups, more joining soon hopefully *Solus email on NetGalley *Facebook ad campaign targetting readers of similar titles *"Recommended" Kirkus review *Giveaways plus advertising on Goodreads *Featured debut in Lovereading and in New Books Mag *Local poster and flyer campaigns in North London and Manchester *Extensive word of mouth campaign through advance reader schemes, especially through school PTA's