R.W. Wallace's Blog, page 4
December 17, 2016
The Red Brick Haze: A Tolosa Mystery
The Red Brick Haze, a prequel to The Red Brick Cellars, is finally ready. It’s available on Amazon[image error], but more importantly, you can get it for free right here.
No good deed goes unpunished.
When an explosion lays waste to part of the city of Toulouse and the citizens attempt to recover in the ravaged cityscape, Louis runs to the aid of people in need.
Chivalrous intent clashes with nefarious goals as Louis has to save himself and those he loves.
If you enjoy the story, I’d very much appreciate an honest review on Amazon, so that other readers can also discover it!
Or, just let me know what you think 
October 24, 2016
Pin a Book: The Little French Guesthouse by Helen Pollard
Back to France this week, with Helen Pollard‘s The Little French Guesthouse[image error]. These guesthouses can be found all over France and they usually make a very idyllic vacation. And there’s wine! Check the book out on the map 
October 17, 2016
Pin a Book: Bad Seed by Alan Carter
October 10, 2016
Pin a Book: The Shoeshine Killer by Marianne Wheelaghan
Very exotic location this week! Fiji
October 3, 2016
Pin a Book: Murder on the Quai by Cara Black
Back to Paris, this time with Aimée Leduc, Cara Black‘s heroine from Murder on the Quai[image error]. Go check out the map to see if Aimée has any chance of running into the Texan from the previous Pin a Book post
September 11, 2016
Pin a Book: The Bookseller by Mark Pryor
After a long absence (let’s call it Summer holiday) I finally have a new book to show you! In The Bookseller[image error], Mark Pryor brings a Texan to Paris – which is enough to hook me, but then I’m a big fan of cultural shocks
June 20, 2016
Pin a Book: A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee
Back to India! Calcutta, to be precise, where Abir Mukherjee’s A Rising Man[image error] shows us the exotic and colorful setting. You can check out the new pins on the map.
How did the setting of your story impact your writing?
Picture Credit: Nick Turner
The book is set in Calcutta, India in 1919. I think it’s a fascinating place and time, unique in many respects and one that’s been overlooked, especially in terms of crime fiction. I think that period in history has contributed so much to modern India and Britain, and it was a time that saw the best and the worst of both peoples. In the period that the book is set, Calcutta was still the premier city in Asia and was as glamorous and exotic a location as anywhere in the world. At the same time, it was a city undergoing immense change and was the centre of the freedom movement, a hotbed of agitation against British rule. I made several trips to the city as part of the research, and I hope some of the ‘feel’ of the city has made its way to the pages of the book.
How or why is the setting important to who your character is?
The main character, Sam Wyndham is a British detective who’s gone there looking for a new start after the trauma he suffers as a soldier in the Great War. As such, the setting is hugely important. For Sam, Calcutta’s an alien place, and unburdened as he is by colonial baggage, one that he sees with fresh eyes. I think that, over time, Calcutta and its people will offer Sam a path to redemption.
When you visited France, which location did you prefer?
I’ve been to France quite a few times, and to quite a few places. Paris, for both work and pleasure, the Alps for skiing and the South of France for the beaches. I think my favourite place has to be the coast between Nice and Monaco. When I was younger, my family would often go there on holiday, and one of my favourite memories is walking with my father from the station at Beaulieu sur Mer up to the village of Eze.
What gave you the greatest cultural shock when in France?
The sheer architectural beauty of Paris. Living in London, I always find Paris to be such a beautiful city. It’s truly a city for romantics.
Which part of the French archetype did you discover to be wrong? Right?
Wrong:
We’re told that the French are rude and have no time for tourists speaking English. I found that to be totally false. I think almost everyone I have met in France has been very friendly and keen to help.
Right:
There’s so much – the food, the fantastic wine, the joie de vivre. I think the French know how to live life well and to appreciate it better than we do in the UK.
Please note that Amazon links are affiliate links. You’ll pay the same price for anything you order, but I will earn a small commission.
The post Pin a Book: A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee appeared first on R.W. Wallace.
June 13, 2016
Pin a Book: Make That Deux by Julia McDermott
This week, I’m happy to bring you to France! Julia McDermott has set her book, Make That Deux[image error], in Montpellier, which is not that far from Toulouse, where I live 
June 5, 2016
A Gold Star to the Cover of The Red Brick Cellars and Goodreads Giveaway
A Pro Likes My Cover!The cover of The Red Brick Cellars: A Tolosa Mystery was submitted to the cover design contest at thebookdesigner.com. The wonderful design made by Kitten at Deranged Doctor Designs was awarded a gold star by Joel Friedlander with the following comment:
A beautifully textured cover that combines strong typography with just enough environment (at the bottom) to make a complete and satisfying whole. ★
The gold star means that though the cover didn’t win, it was considered for the award or stood out in some exemplary way. You can check out all the submitted covers and Joel’s comments here.
Goodreads Giveaway
If you want to check out the print book (and yes, it looks awesome in print :)), I have a Goodreads giveaway that starts today. Sign up now if you want a chance to win a copy!
Goodreads Book Giveaway
The Red Brick Cellars
by R.W. Wallace
Giveaway ends July 20, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
The post A Gold Star to the Cover of The Red Brick Cellars and Goodreads Giveaway appeared first on R.W. Wallace.
May 16, 2016
Pin a Book: The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra by Vaseem Khan
This week we’re going back to India (check it out on the map!), more specifically to Mumbai. Vaseem Khan takes us there with his story, The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra (A Baby Ganesh Agency Investigation)
. The way he talks about the setting sure makes me want to read it!
How did the setting of your story impact your writing?The Unexpected Inheritance of Inspector Chopra (Book 1 in the Baby Ganesh Agency series) is a murder mystery set in the city of Mumbai featuring Inspector Ashwin Chopra (Retd), and his sidekick, a one-year-old baby elephant named Ganesha. Setting the story in Mumbai, a city that I lived in for 10 years, meant that I could take readers on a journey to the heart of modern India, a vibrant, congested, colourful, noisy, and truly exotic environment, a place where the impossible becomes merely improbable – I mean, where else could I cast an elephant as a crime-fighting sidekick?
How or why is the setting important to who your character is?
Mumbai is the city of dreams. People come to Mumbai to make their fortune, to become famous on the sets of the world’s most prolific movie industry – Bollywood, to start tiny businesses in the city’s slums. Chopra, a policeman for 30 years, sees the city with a policeman’s eyes; he see both the light and shadow in the city he loves. He is a man who possesses an innate sense of justice, and cares deeply about the social ills that plague his country. I try and weave these gritty social realities into the series.
Which location did you enjoy writing the most in your story? Why this one?
The Dharavi slum. When I first arrived in Mumbai every aspect about the city was an assault on the senses. I’ve tried to encapsulate this in my book. However, soon I began to see that there were aspects of this amazing place that required me to take a closer look. My first trip to the Dharavi slum left me open-mouthed. Poverty is endemic here, but what is worse is the acceptance of poverty, of poor sanitation, of limited medical facilities, of all the things we take for granted in the West. I enjoyed showcasing the slum because what also struck me was how hope continued to flourish there.
When you visited France, which location did you prefer? Why?
Paris. Specifically The Louvre. Not for the Mona Lisa but for everything else there! What an incredible treasure trove!
What do you think would be the greatest cultural shock for a Frenchman who visited the location of your story?
A French colleague of mine visited India for the first time recently. He had read my book in which I’ve tried to give a feel for what India looks like, sounds like, smells like, feels like and even tastes like, but he was still unprepared for the sheer reality of life there. Living in Mumbai is like living inside the brain of a mad scientist. Ideas are firing in an endless cannonade, spinning off to become a trillion new microcosms of reality, giving the city its kaleidoscopic shape and form. The writer Julius Sands once said: “The thing about Mumbai is that you can go five yards and all of human existence is revealed.” I agree with him, and so does my French friend!
Please note that Amazon links are affiliate links. You’ll pay the same price for anything you order, but I will earn a small commission.
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