Kate Ellis's Blog, page 7

August 2015

Last Sunday I became Cinderella. How, you may ask, as I have no ugly sisters (or sisters of any kind, come to that) and I’m not in the habit of going to balls in pumpkins? Well I’ll explain. I went to the annual Crime and Mystery Weekend at St Hilda’s College Oxford and after a pleasant weekend listening to interesting talks, meeting lots of old friends and fans from both this country and the States (and even punting on the Cherwell) I decided to take the healthy option and walk to the station. 

 However, little did I know that the zip on the outside pocket of my case (where I’d packed my shoes) had failed and popped open as I dragged the case behind me. I think you can probably guess the rest. I lost my favourite pair of brown ballerina pumps along with a pair of slippers from a hotel on Lake Garda (tatty but a souvenir of a happy holiday). But worst of all I lost one of my posh platform sole sandals – the ones I last wore for a Detection Club dinner – the ones I’d probably wear to a ball (in the unlikely event that I was ever invited to one).  Oxford was crowded with tourists but nobody alerted me to the fact that I was leaving a trail of shoes behind me (mind you, I had to catch my train so I was probably moving at a fair old pace) so now I’m just waiting for Prince Charming to turn up with my missing shoe...but I think I’ll have a long wait!!! 

Have you noticed that book titles and covers seem to be very prone to fashion? At the moment every successful crime novel seems to have ‘girl’ in the title – The Girl on the Train, The Girl who Wouldn’t Die etc, etc. I suppose Stieg Larssen started it but I’m just hoping that the next fashion is for books to have ‘House’ or ‘Eyes’ in the title, in which case my next book THE HOUSE OF EYES should be a great hit!

 The trouble with being a writer is that you’re never off duty. This year I’ve visited various places but I always find myself assessing the murderous potential of each location, if only for a short story. I always take notebooks with me wherever I go and it’s always great to find one I’ve forgotten about (that’s been left in a case for months) that contains some ideas for plots that went out of my head when I was working on something else.  You just never know when inspiration will strike. I’m away on holiday at the end of the month and looking forward to returning refreshed to tackle the next book.

 Happy holidays and happy reading!

July 2015

Life has been hectic since I last wrote this diary!  In late June I travelled down to Devon, staying in lovely Dartmouth for a week and soaking in the atmosphere.  While I was there I must say I found plenty of new ideas for future Wesley Peterson books...including a long (and steep) walk through some thick woodland on the way to Agatha Christie’s summer home, Greenway.  I signed copies of THE DEATH SEASON at Torbay Bookshop and talked at Totnes Bookshop while I was there as well as paying a visit to Dartmouth Library (where the librarians are plotting another of my Murder Mysteries for 2016 – keep an eye on my events page for details closer to the time).

As soon as I arrived home, I launched into another Murder Mystery evening at a local library and a book signing at Stockport Waterstones.  It was lovely to chat to so many readers there about my books and copies of THE DEATH SEASON were selling fast.

Not long after that I had a few days’ break in Tallinn and I must say I fell in love with the city.  The old town was stunning, the people friendly, food and drink excellent...in fact I couldn’t fault it with its Scandinavian atmosphere and its well preserved medieval heart.  There was a medieval festival going on while we were there with early music and a market with everyone in costume.  We discovered a wonderful bar called Hell Hunt and a fantastic little restaurant called Porgu in an ancient cellar which I’d recommend highly to anyone thinking of going.  My first words when we touched down again in Manchester were ‘when can we go back?’  As always I was looking for inspiration (for a short story at least) so you never know, Tallinn might feature in a future work.

One of the most exciting events of the month was my visit to Harrogate for the annual Theakston’s Crime Writing Festival.  It was my job this year to write and present the Murder Mystery Dinner (on a Sicilian theme in honour of Montalbano’s creator, Andrea Camilleri).  As I’m a Montalbano fan, I found this great fun and devised a mystery entitled Murder in the Lemon Grove which featured four potentially murderous characters – a formidable Sicilian widow, her impressionable son, a glamorous archaeologist and a dodgy tourist guide.  I was blessed with four brilliant actors – Daphne Wright (Natasha Cooper) who deserves at least one Oscar for her performance!; Cath Staincliffe who excelled as the glamorous Francesca; Stewart Bain (of Orkney Library) who was wonderful as the Signora’s son; and Jeremy Trevathan (of Pan Macmillan) who gave a bravura performance as Marco, the nefarious guide.  Many thanks to the actors who brought my script to life in such a fantastic way and great thanks to Ann Cleeves for organising the whole weekend!

On 18th August I’ll be repeating Murder in the Lemon Grove at Waterstones in Wilmslow, Cheshire so if you missed Harrogate, tickets will be available soon (see the events page for details).

June 2015

The paperback of THE DEATH SEASON is now out and it’s earned some great reviews.  I know a lot of my readers like to wait for the paperback so I hope you’re all enjoying the mystery.  I’ve written a piece about the inspiration behind the book on my publisher’s website  It was certainly a fantastic book to write and I found the period of the First World War particularly fascinating to research as the war brought about so many social changes and challenged long held attitudes.

Since I last wrote this diary I’ve been to CrimeFest in Bristol.  This year I was on a panel about Writing the Other (ably moderated by Alison Joseph) – what are the challenges of writing about a character very different from yourself?  This proved to be an interesting subject and one I’d never given much thought to because when you’re working on a book you tend to write about your characters instinctively, almost as if you know them as people.  I also moderated a panel entitled Secrets and Lies with authors Stuart Neville, Jenny Blackhurst, Julia Crouch and Tom Harper.  How do we all deal with secrets and lies in our novels?  As all crime novels deal with secrets and lies (if it wasn’t for hidden secrets my own books would be extremely short!) the subject was a challenging one but we managed to have an interesting and lively discussion about the different ways we tackle the hidden aspects of our characters’ lives.

June is National Crime Reading Month so it’s always a busy one for me.  Last Friday I spoke, along with my fellow members of the Murder Squad (Ann Cleeves, Cath Staincliffe, Martin Edwards, Margaret Murphy and Chris Simms), at the first Carlisle Crime Writing Festival held at the Old Fire Station (Carlisle’s lovely new arts centre).  We spoke about our books and our characters and answered a lot of interesting questions from the audience.  It was my very first visit to Carlisle and I must say I was very impressed.  We stayed at the excellent Crown and Mitre Hotel and it was great to get together with my fellow Squaddies over a convivial dinner after our event and catch up on all the news.  It would be really good if the weekend became an annual feature on the crime writing calendar.

On Saturday I’m off to Devon to do more research and some events including two talks and a book signing.  I’m really looking forward to being in the South West again and when I get home there’s a Murder Mystery Evening in Stockport on 29th June and I’ll be signing copies of THE DEATH SEASON at Stockport Waterstones on 4th July.  I do hope to meet some of you at one or more of these events – please check out my Events page for all the details.

 

May 2015

Waiting for the paperback of THE DEATH SEASON to come out is a bit like waiting for Christmas.  I’m doing all the preparations – contacting bookshops to arrange signings and sorting out various events, many to coincide with the CWA’s National Crime reading month in June.  The enthusiasm and knowledge of booksellers and library staff never ceases to delight me and I hope to get round to meet a lot of my readers over the summer months.  Please keep an eye on my events page to find out where and when. 

In late April I visited Wrexham Library with two of my fellow Murder Squad members, Margaret Murphy (who writes as A D Garrett) and Martin Edwards and we spent a very enjoyable evening talking about our work and answering questions from the lovely audience. 

Talking of Martin Edwards, I’m very excited about his new book The Golden Age of Murder.  Martin is rapidly becoming an acknowledged expert on the subject and has done a wonderful job of telling the story of crime writing between the two World Wars and the early years of the Detection Club.  I’m pleased to see that the book’s had some fantastic reviews.  I, for one, can’t wait to read it.

I’ve just finished putting the finishing tweaks to my Murder Mystery (to be performed at the Harrogate Festival) entitled Murder in the Lemon Grove.  The setting is Sicily and the atmosphere totally Montalbano.  I’m rather nervous about the challenge but I’m hoping everyone will enjoy it.

https://harrogateinternationalfestivals.com/crime/news/festivaltoppicks-2/

April 2015

The great news is that my fifth Joe Plantagenet novel WALKING BY NIGHT was published on 31st March and it’s had some lovely reviews.  I really enjoyed getting back into Joe’s world and, hopefully, there’ll be more mysteries in the series in the future.

I’ve also finished THE HOUSE OF EYES, Wesley Peterson’s twentieth mystery with a Sicilian twist.  I sent it off to my publisher a few days ago and I’m now awaiting my editor’s verdict.  This waiting time is always a little ‘nail-biting’ and all you can do is keep your fingers crossed and hope it meets with the editor’s approval. 

It’s been a busy month.  I enjoyed a lovely visit to Alsager Library where I spoke to a large and enthusiastic audience.  It’s great to meet readers and I’m looking forward to quite a few library visits this year.  The next one will be at Wrexham on April 22nd in the company of two of my friends from the Murder Squad (see Events for more details).

March also saw one of the highlights of the crime writer’s year – the Crime Writers’ Association’s annual conference.  This year it was held in the lovely city of Lincoln and included some fantastic talks on police and legal work as well as a book signing at Waterstones and a talk on new developments in Forensic Science at Lincoln University.  Our hotel was in a fantastic position overlooking the stunning cathedral (pictured below) and it was wonderful to get together with friends and colleagues again.

At present I’m preparing for CrimeFest in Bristol.  I’m taking part in a panel about Writing the Other (now I understand that as a discussion about how an author can get into the head of a main character who is quite unlike themselves – hope I’ve got that right).  I’m also moderating a panel on Secrets and Lies and I’m currently reading the books of my fellow panellists, which is something I’m enjoying very much.  I sometimes find it strange that being an author these days doesn’t just involve writing books.  You also have to speak and do events and other bits and pieces of publicity.  It’s all really interesting but occasionally it’s a little frustrating when you all you want to do is write your book.

And another exciting event is happening in this coming month.  The new CWA Anthology TRULY CRIMINAL is published.  It is my first venture into writing about ‘true crime’ and my contribution is a chapter about the notorious Maybrick case.  In 1889 Florence Maybrick, the American wife of a wealthy Liverpool merchant, was accused of poisoning her husband.  The couple lived in Battlecrease House in Aigburth, a leafy Liverpool suburb, and the case has always interested me because the murder was said to have occurred a short distance from where my father grew up (and from where I went to school).  I found the research particularly fascinating, especially when I delved into the attitudes and prejudices of the day.  But I’d better not say any more.  One of the best parts about being in the anthology is the fact that I’m in such distinguished company - many famous crime writers have contributed to the book (including Peter Lovesey, Catherine Aird, Andrew Taylor and even Margery Allingham).  It’s all very exciting!

 

March 2015

 Throughout February I’ve been busy working on my next Wesley Peterson novel.  Last year I took part in an auction for CLICSargent (the children’s cancer charity), giving the winner the opportunity to have their name used in my next book (and receive a signed copy on publication) so, if you’d like to take part please go to http://www.clicsargent.org.uk/content/get-character-2015   It’s a really good cause so please be generous!

A recent YouGov poll found that 60% of people saw being an author as their ideal job (24% higher than a TV presenter and 29% higher than a movie star).  Somehow, when I’m sitting in my oldest jeans staring at my computer in search of inspiration that won’t come, hoping that filling the washing machine will provide an exciting distraction, I wonder whether the media’s depiction of the author’s lifestyle is responsible for the poll results.  In films and TV programmes writers are invariably fabulously wealthy.  They always live in beautiful mansions with large swimming pools (I have a small, muddy garden pond – does that count?) and have loyal secretaries and chauffeurs.  Needless to say, this is all far removed from the reality of my own life, and the lives of my writing friends, but the myths still persist (one lady at a talk I gave expressed astonishment that I cleaned my own bathroom).  I found myself wondering whether the job would seem so appealing if the poll respondents knew that only 11% of professional authors can live on the proceeds of writing alone (and only a handful of these could remotely be described as ‘wealthy’).  However, having said all this, there’s no job I’d rather do and the high points certainly more than make up for the hard work of gathering plots together (like herding cats only harder), the hours spent in solitude and the general insecurity that every writer feels whether they admit it or not.

February provided two of the high points I mentioned in the previous paragraph.  Early in the month I travelled to Formby in Merseyside to do a book signing at Formby Books.  I’ve known the manager, Tony Higginson, for many years now and I’ve always admired his enthusiasm for the world of books and bookselling.  I was delighted to learn that he’s just acquired new, much larger premises in Waterloo (North Liverpool) and he’s due to relocate there in June. I’m very much looking forward to visiting his new shop and to many more convivial book signings in the future.

Talking of conviviality, high point number two was attending my second meeting of the Detection Club in London last week.  It was held in the august surroundings of the Garrick Club in London’s theatreland and it was wonderful to dine with so many distinguished colleagues, gazed down upon by portraits of history’s most famous actors.  It was a truly memorable evening (and the Welsh rarebit was divine!). 

While I was in London I visited Charles Dickens’ house http://www.dickensmuseum.com/ where he wrote some of his most famous works (including Oliver Twist) and it was inspirational to stand in the study where he worked.  There can’t be a writer in existence who won’t agree that Dickens was one of the most influential writers in the history of British literature and I have always been a great admirer of his books – and his vivid characters.  He is often said to be one of the first crime writers (think of Inspector Bucket in Bleak House) so visiting his former home was a very special experience for me.

I’m excited to be able to tell you that Joe Plantagenet is back and his new spooky investigation, WALKING BY NIGHT is out at the end of March.  (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Walking-Night-Plantagenet-Procedural-Mystery/dp/178029073X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1425224199&sr=1-1)  Hope you enjoy Joe’s latest case...and don’t have nightmares.

 

December 2013

First of all, as a festive treat, Wesley Peterson’s first case The Merchant’s House is, for a short time, only £2.49 from Amazon as part of 12 Days of Kindle.  And to think his 18th investigation is about to hit the bookshelves (and your e-books of course).

The publication of a new book is always an exciting event.  There’s nothing quite like that moment when a delivery van screeches to a halt outside and someone hands over a brown cardboard box filled with crisp copies of your latest novel.  This happened to me about a week ago when my author copies of THE SHROUD MAKER arrived.  My publisher, Piatkus, has done me proud with the wonderfully sinister cover – hope you agree.  The official publication date for the hardback and e-book is 2nd January – a new book for a new year.

As I write this Christmas is approaching fast.  Apart from the usual seasonal goodies such as decorations, food and carol singing, one Christmas traditions I love is sitting by a roaring fire with a good ghost story.  When I was growing up, the reading of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol was an annual fixture in our house.  But soon I moved on to something much more horrifying.  I’ve always eagerly devoured the ghost stories of M R James, which range from the disturbingly sinister to the truly horrifying (Lost Hearts is particularly grisly in my opinion).  I’m very pleased to see that M R James’s story The Tractate Middoth has been adapted by Mark Gatiss for television and will be broadcast on BBC2 on Christmas Day.  For many years the BBC has had a proud tradition of showing supernatural stories each Christmas, either adapted from M R James’s stories or created by other writers.  Many of these, such as Whistle and I’ll Come to You, have become classics but one production that particularly stuck in my memory was The Stone Tape – I know some people complain about repeats on TV but this is really one programme I’d like to see again.

Something else to look forward to over the next couple of weeks is a brand new Sherlock episode on New Year’s Day.  I can’t wait to see the explanation of how Holmes escaped death (in the modern day equivalent of the Reichenbach Falls) – I have my theory, of course, but it’s probably wrong.

Anyway, I hope all of you have a wonderful Festive Season.  All the best for 2014 and Happy Reading.

Late November 2013

I admit I cheated.  I kept an episode of Poirot back (Dead Man’s Folly) so that Curtain wouldn’t be the last I saw of the fantastic David Suchet.  It’s many years since I read Curtain and I sometimes feel a little guilty at not re-reading many of the Agatha Christie books I loved as a teenager.  After all, it was reading them that gave me an appetite for crime and mystery which, in turn led me to become a writer.

The plot of Curtain is certainly original for a crime novel, even though Shakespeare used something very similar in Othello.  It has to be said that Shakespeare himself wasn’t averse to adapting other people’s plots and ideas in his own special way.  They say there are only a certain number of stories in the world (I’m not sure, but I think it might be seven) so true originality, although that’s what most writers (including myself) strive for when they begin a book, is probably more difficult to achieve than most people think.  

Recently all my time has been taken up with writing my next Wesley Peterson novel and I’m pleased to say that I’ve just completed the first draft.  However, this is only the beginning of a long process and my lovely editor won’t be seeing it for a few months yet.  I view the first draft as a sculptor views a block of stone.  It’s the raw material of a book to be shaped and chiselled away until I am happy to allow someone else to read it.  At the moment only I know what’s in the manuscript sitting there on my desk but I can reveal that the title on the front is THE DEATH SEASON. 

I’ve just had the news that the publication date of my next novel THE SHROUD MAKER has been brought forward and the hardback (and e-book) will be available in January – not long to go now – and the paperback in June 2014. 

Another exciting development is that copies of THE SHADOW COLLECTOR have been put on the London Underground by Books on the Underground.  The idea is that people pick up the books, read them (and possibly blog about them and recommend them to their friends), and then return them to the Underground so that they can be read by someone else.  It’s a great idea and I’m really thrilled that my book has been chosen.  I do hope everyone who picks it up enjoys it!

November 2013

 I’m afraid this diary has been rather delayed but there is a good reason:  I now have a new and much improved website and I have been waiting for it to be ready.  I hope it’s easier to navigate than the old one and will tell you more about me and my books.

I have always thought that autumn is a sad time of the year and for the world of crime writing 2013 has been particularly sad with the loss of a much loved and distinguished author.  CWA Diamond Dagger winner Robert Barnard died on 19th September this year.  Bob was the author of an array of brilliant and witty novels as well as being a leading authority on Agatha Christie and the Brontes. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/10340639/Robert-Barnard.html

I have very fond memories of Bob’s kindness to me when I was a new writer.  I was alone at my very first crime convention and even though he was a star author he took a lot of time to speak to me and tell me about the ins and outs of the crime writing world.  RIP, Bob, you’re sadly missed.

Now that the summer is over and autumn is well and truly here it’s back to work.  Sometimes writers just have to take a deep breath, put their heads down and write and that’s what I’ve been doing throughout October.  With THE SHROUD MAKER out in January (not long to go now) you might think I’d have plenty of time to write the next book in the series.  However, books have very long lead times and 2015’s novel has to be ready for printing long before the publication date.  I must say that so far the first draft is going well.  It always seems strange when life follows art but I can reveal that the recent violent storms reflect a major part of the plot I’m working on.

One of the highlights of the year for many crime fans is the return to our TV screens of the wonderful David Suchet in the role of Hercule Poirot.  As I write this I have viewed just one of the final series, The Big Four (Dead Man’s Folly has been recorded because I was at an Archaeology Society meeting and is being looked forward to with great anticipation).  The plot of The Big Four was a little far fetched at times and many aspects wouldn’t get past my own editor, but it made for a deliciously over the top and entertaining two hours of viewing.  The best part, of course is David Suchet’s performance as the Great Detective.  It is well known that Agatha Christie didn’t much like the character she had created and in the books Poirot’s character lacks depth and development.  But in David Suchet’s capable hands, Hercule has matured since the first episodes and, as he ages, we see him increasingly weighed down by his encounters with murder, examining questions of justice and faith in a depth that is lacking in the novels.  The series is an absolute treat.  I can’t wait for the next episode and I will be facing the final Curtain with much sadness.

September 2013

I love holidays, the chance to sit reading a good book without that nagging feeling of guilt that I should be doing something else (like working on my own book and persuading my characters to do what I want them to do). I’ve just returned from a beautiful week in Devon where I was royally entertained by Peter Lovesey’s latest Diamond mystery, The Tooth Tattoo. It really is a fascinating read, delving into the lives of the varied members of an elite string quartet and probing their connection with a young Japanese girl found dead in the lovely city of Bath. Highly recommended.

On the way down to Devon I stopped off in Gloucestershire to speak at Yate Library, just north of Bristol. It was good to meet everyone there and many thanks to the library staff for making me so welcome.

The next day I travelled to Dartmouth, calling in at The Torbay Bookshop en route to sign copies of THE SHADOW COLLECTOR. The Torbay Bookshop is a lovely independent bookshop, named as one of the three best small bookshops in Britain by Daily Telegraph readers and shortlisted for Independent Bookseller of the Year in 2013.

When I arrived in Dartmouth, the town was packed with revellers celebrating the final day of the Royal Regatta. What with a fly past by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight and a fantastic firework display (as well as excellent weather) it was certainly an evening to remember. I also had an ulterior motive for taking a special interest – my next Wesley Peterson mystery, The Shroud Maker (out in hardback in February) features a regatta-like festival (the big difference being that in my fictional festival, everyone dresses up in medieval costume…and murder is never far away!)

The next day Regatta was over and everything suddenly returned to normal. But I had one more engagement before I could put my feet up – on Monday afternoon Dartmouth Library became a hotbed of (light-hearted) crime and murder when four courageous volunteers performed my Murder Mystery, Death at the Dig. They were brilliant and I’d really like to say a big thank you to the actors and to Library Supervisor, Rowena Marshall, for entering into the spirit of the 1920s so enthusiastically. Also congratulations to Alan Leach who won a signed copy of The Shadow Collector.

 

For the rest of the week Dartmouth was bathed in glorious sunshine and I had a wonderful time going for long walks (and getting inspiration for future books). Hope you enjoy the pictures!