Steve Robinson's Blog

Kindred: 100,000 copies sold!

Author News.
Kindred, the fifth book in my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series, joins the four other books you can see in background on my writing cabin wall in passing 100,000 copies sold.
Thanks to everyone who's bought a copy, and to my publisher Amazon Publishing for this lovely commemorative framed copy.

Another published author in the family - Mrs R's Poem.

While we were going through the loft recently, Karen came across her old school artwork, and amongst it was a poem about life as seen through her window while growing up in Ramsgate, Kent. She read it to me and said she also had one published when she was at school, which she wrote in 1982. I loved the poem. I really thought it caught the location and the time--period well, evoking my own childhood memories. It went back into the loft, and I hope to go and find it again soon so I can share it with you. Unfortunately, she didn't have a copy of the poem that was published, until now... While visiting our parents her mother produced the book and read the poem to us. I thought you might also like to read it, so here it is, as published in The Life Times of the East Kent Critic. It's called 'Dustbin Day'.

Inauspicious beginnings for an author!

Oh dear! Looking back at this I wonder why I ever wanted to write for a living.
I couldn't even fill in the details on the
cover of my English language school
book without a capitalisation error and
a spelling mistake! 

I've been clearing out my loft these past few weeks. I'm a total hoarder. I found my old Atari and Spektrum home computers from the 1980s, the skateboard I had as a child the decade before, even my battered old collection of marbles from my junior school days, still in the same denim pencil case I used to keep them in. I could go on and on. Needless to say, after much toil and deliberation (it's not easy for a hoarder to part with things) my loft has now been liberated, and I could almost feel the house sigh with relief after taking all that weight off its shoulders.

Somewhere amidst the decades of dust and memories, I came across a few of my old school books. Among them I found one for English literature, and two for English language. Naturally, I pulled them out of the pile to have a look, wondering if there might be some clue within the pages that would help me to understand why I've always wanted to write books. Apart from a keen interest in electronics, I don't recall being very good at anything in particular, or even interested in much other than the more practical studies such as pottery, woodwork and metalwork. Sadly my English grades bear this out with a D average for English literature, and a slightly more promising B- for English language during my third-form year. The literature grades came as no real surprise as even to this day I'm not a great reader, preferring to create my own stories instead, which flies in the face of the popular belief that all writers love to read.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share a few pages from my school books with you. I suppose I must have been about fourteen years old when I wrote in them. If they've shown me one thing, it's that they've compounded my belief that we can achieve just about anything if we try hard enough and keep going until we get there, no matter how inauspicious our beginnings.

It's a D for English literature...

But I loved reading Enid Blyton!
Ok, so I recall that I left it too late to
to write the book review I was supposed
to write and fell back on a quick review
of something I'd read many
times before and knew by heart.
Sorry Miss! I still throw in random capital letters
when I'm writing by hand. I have to
concentrate and try really hard not to
for some reason.
I guess that told me!

Sound advice for any writer.
What's wrong with bear mats anyway?
A good story, well told...
Words I have held very dear, and which
I always keep in mind when plotting
and writing my books.
Things are looking up on the English language
front. Hurrah! I think I'll become an author! :o)

NEW Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery Out Now!

The Girl in the Painting, my brand new Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery, is now available for Kindle and in paperback.

I'm very pleased to announce that my new Jefferson Tayte book is now available for you to read. It's been a couple of years since the release of Letters from the Dead, currently the last book in the main series. For those who have been following JT's adventures in solving serious crime through genealogy, The Girl in the Painting follows on. It has, however, also been written with new readers to the series in mind, so it can be enjoyed equally as an introduction to JT and the main series without spoiling any of the storylines in those books.

Whether you're discovering for the first time just how exciting genealogical crime mysteries can be, or are a die-hard fan of the sub-genre and have read all the other JT books so far, I hope you enjoy the story I've created for you. And if you have read the main series and have been patiently waiting for a new JT book to be released, I very much  hope you enjoy catching up with JT again as much as I have.

You can discover more and order your copy from Amazon here.

From the back cover:A stand-alone JEFFERSON TAYTE novella from the author of the million-copy bestselling Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mysteries. 
A portrait painting is stolen from a London home. Shortly afterwards, the owner, Nat, calls on genealogist Jefferson Tayte for his help. She believes the subject of the painting, a young girl called Jess, is a past relative and wants to learn more about her. The problem is that Nat's research has hit a brick wall - Jess appears to have vanished from the slums of Victorian London soon after the portrait was painted.
When Tayte learns that the theft is connected with a recent murder, he's right to be wary, but solving crimes through genealogical research is what he does best. He quickly becomes intrigued by the girl in the painting and agrees to help. What became of her? Who stole the painting, and why would they kill for it all these years later?
As Tayte and Nat go in search of the answers, can they solve the mystery and bring the murderer to justice? Or will they become the killer's next victims?

Editing my new JT book.

My copy editor has sent the manuscript for my new Jefferson Tayte genealogical mystery back to me for editing. I would have thought that after ten books my own editing would be pretty good by now, but my goodness no. I went through it twice before I sent it in, and yet there are so many little things still to fix. Conclusive proof, if ever any were needed, that authors need editors. They are the unsung heroes of publishing! Thankfully the fixes are all little things. No major issues. I can also report that she said she 'loved it!' as I hope you will, too.

Once I've finished these edits, I have a pro proofreader/editor lined up for early February. After that, more reading and formatting for the Kindle and paperback editions. With less than two months to go, I'm very excited about this release. Not least because it's been a couple of years since I've had a new Jefferson Tayte book out, and I can't wait to hear what you think about it.

Jefferson Tayte is Back!

 New Jefferson Tayte novella coming 23 March

If you've been missing JT these past couple of years, you'll be pleased to know that the man in the tan suit is set to return this March in a brand new genealogical mystery called The Girl in the Painting. It's about half the size of the books in the main series, and I've written it both as a stand-alone introduction to Jefferson Tayte for new readers, and as a continuation for existing readers, although this book does stand apart from the main series, so there are no repeat characters apart from JT.

It's been a challenge writing a story that would appeal to both new and existing readers, and to fit a full JT story into half as many words as I usually do, with a present-day genealogical investigation, and a past mystery. This time it's about a young girl living in the slums of Victorian London, and what became of her.

You can pre-order your Kindle copy from Amazon HERE, where you can also read the description and discover more about the book. The paperback edition will be available in April.

The Secret Wife is out now!

What happens when you take a modern psychological thriller, such as Emma Donoghue's ROOM, and blend it with Daphne du Maurier's classic, REBECCA? That's the question I had in mind when I set out to write my latest gothic suspense thriller, THE SECRET WIFE, which is set in a remote part of Cornwall in the 1840s.

The title has just been released for Kindle and in paperback. Here are some of the things readers are already saying about it...
'An excellent and compelling story'  . . .  'To say I was hooked by the bottom of the first page is an understatement'  . . .  'An engrossing page turner, tense and dramatically descriptive'  . . .  'You just can't put it down. A must read.'


Click here to discover more

The Secret Wife - Out 25 June

New book release - The Secret Wife

My new historical suspense thriller, The Secret wife is now available to pre-order and will be out for Kindle and in paperback worldwide on 25 June.
You can visit the product page and pre-order it from Amazon in your country HERE.
From the author of The Penmaker’s Wife, and the million-copy bestselling JEFFERSON TAYTE series, The Secret Wife is a chilling tale of survival in nineteenth-century Cornwall.
Description:
Locked away. Believed to be dead. Can a mother survive her murderous husband's cruel oppression?
A house fire at Crows-an-Wra Manor in a remote part of West Cornwall supposedly takes the life of its mistress, Rosen Trevelyan. Sometime later, she awakes to find herself locked in an unfamiliar room, questioning why her husband, Richard, has done this to her. And what of their daughter? Did Sophia really die in the fire, as Rosen has been led to believe?

When a stranger arrives at the manor, and the reason for Rosen’s incarceration becomes clear, she fears that her husband can ill afford to keep her alive much longer. But could this harbinger of her death also be her salvation? 
Under the watchful eyes of Richard’s hateful mother, Mariah, Rosen must do all she can to survive their cruelty, in the hope that she will some day be reunited with her daughter, but time is running out. 
Can this stranger to Crows-an-Wra Manor discover the truth before it’s too late for both of them?
Room  meets  Rebecca  in a suspenseful tale of deception, murder, and survival in nineteenth-century Cornwall.

The Penmaker's Wife is Out Now!

Historical noir anyone? Welcome to my dark side. 

I've very pleased to announce that my new historical thriller, The Penmaker's Wife is out now in all formats worldwide! 
Okay, it's not too dark. If you can handle Peaky Blinders I think you'll be fine with The Penmaker's Wife, which is also set in Birmingham, although a little earlier, in the late 1800s.

I was in what I imagine was a small minority of TV series viewers when I wrote this book, in that I hadn't seen a single episode of Peaky Blinders. That is until my Publisher Thomas & Mercer wrote the following comparison: 'Alias Grace meets Peaky Blinders in this tale of obsession, ambition and murder in Victorian England.' How could I not watch the TV series after reading that? Having now binge-watched the first five seasons, I'm actually in withdrawal as I wait with everyone else to watch season 6. Gripping stuff! I can't get enough of it!

So why did I set my book in Birmingham? The simple answer is trains and pens. Early on in the book Angelica Chastain has to flee from London with her young son, William. As the rail link between London's Euston station and Birmingham was already well established by the time the story takes place -- initially running to Curzon Street in 1837 and then New Street from 1851 -- it was a logical choice. More importantly, I chose Birmingham because it was then the centre of Britain's thriving pen-making industry. I had a great time with the research for this book, exploring Birmingham's Victorian streets and suburbs, and the riches of the Jewellery Quarter. 

If you'd like to discover more about me and my books, please visit my website. To order a copy of The Penmaker's Wife from Amazon, here's a link.
Praise for The Penmaker's Wife from Amazon UK readers:
'An incredible, shocking and chilling masterpiece.'
'I didn’t see the final twist coming at all but I’m not going to say anymore as you need to read this book for yourself to find out the delights that are contained in its pages.'
'A tale told cleverly leading this reader with mixed emotions about the central character- but I cannot say more without spoiling it for A N Other. Steve Robinson is an author to follow.'
'This is a brilliant book and I highly recommend this to those who enjoy getting totally engrossed in a tale of struggle and determination to escape their past and improve life for their children.'
'Masterfully transporting. Loved It! A well orchestrated story of love, despair, deception and survival.'
'It was very good indeed, totally unexpected and original. Well written too. A good one!'
'Very cleverly written. The author brings alive London and Birmingham during the late 1800s.'
'Page turner. I wasn't sure if this was going to be as riveting as Jefferson Tayte's stories but I was not disappointed. Excellent story. I couldn't put it down.'
'Great story. Didn't want to put it down. Steve Robinson writes historical drama so well.'
'I loved this book, I didn't really know what to expect, but from the minute I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. So cleverly written with lots of twists.'
'The writing style captivated me and held my attention throughout and I truly could not have guessed the ending.'
'The historical detail included made you feel as if you were really there in Victorian times.'
'What a very brilliantly written book. I loved the characters and especially how the story was delivered.'
'I found this book to be a compelling historical noir. It grabbed me from the first couple of pages and I found it very hard to put down!'
'What a twist! … I highly recommend this book.'

My author copies of The Penmaker's Wife have arrived!

THE PENMAKER'S WIFE -- OUT SOON!
I was so excited to receive a box full of books from my publisher, Thomas & Mercer. It's the paperback edition of The Penmaker's Wife, my new historical thriller. I've always thought the cover image looked great - love the colour scheme - but there's nothing like holding one in your hands after what has amounted to almost two years since I began plotting the story. It's my eighth published book, but that special feeing never wears thin. 
It will be out in the UK on 1 November and elsewhere on 1 December, so not long to wait, wherever you are. It's a breakaway from my Jefferson Tayte series, although it shouldn't be entirely unfamiliar to those who have read my JT books as it's much like one of the historical narratives you'll have read in those. If you get a copy, in whichever format you choose, be it paperback, Kindle or audiobook, I hope you enjoy it.

In Victorian England, a mother is on the run from her past—and the truth about what she did. Alias Grace meets Peaky Blinders in this tale of obsession, ambition and murder in Victorian England.
If you'd like to pre-order a copy, here's a link.