Frances di Plino's Blog, page 4

Ten facts about … Simon Duringer

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer? That’s a bit like the Miss World question isn’t it? I ought to say World Peace in response when actually I want to say, let’s mix it up a bit! I have never had that calling that the great writers who attended Oxford for literature degrees have had. Mine was more a subtle introduction over time. I have written for many a fly on the wall magazine in the past and came to realise that people were reading (and I am led to believe liking…) my stories. In about 2001 I started writing Stray Bullet but kept putting it down again as work intervened. But in 2013, yes really a decade or so later, I got it published. I have recently had it re-edited and re-released… It’s exciting times!
How long does it take you to write a book?Two weeks ago I wrote a 20,000 word Novella in a weekend. Stray Bullet took ten years to complete… Go figure! It depends what is whirring around in my head at the time and indeed how much time I have available to transfer those thoughts and ideas to paper.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?Please do not disturb… Genius in progress! (A legend in my own living room!) I irritate everybody in the household. I am unable to think about anything but the story in mind, become uncharacteristically unhelpful until things are on paper. It’s my Nemesis and the cause of many a heartache.
How many crime novels have you written? Stray Bullet is the first. It is less crime more thriller, but the leading character is an unexpected assassin. Stray Bullet is the first of a trilogy. They are Novellas, only about 50,000 words, so an easy weekend read. Phoenix, the second in the trilogy is currently at around 16,000 words. Only 34k to go!
Which is your favourite and why?Phoenix is turning out to be quite wonderful. The backdrop to the story is the scandal of the Vatican Bank in the 1970’s and I have been doing quite a lot of research to ensure my fictional story fits with the facts or rumours that were going on at the time. I am really quite excited about it and hope to finish it before the end of the year.

Where do you get your ideas?A lot of my fictional ideas come from dreams… Does that make me crazy? I love sleep but never get enough of it. In fact my doctor recently prescribed me sleeping pills to ensure I actually get some. Lol… Do we sleep to dream or dream to sleep; now there’s a question!
Who is your favourite character from your own work and why?Jack Shaw. He is totally influenced by others. His life should have been easy but it ends up being quite the opposite. He is too easily influenced by others and falls into the wrong crowd. Once there, he becomes the best at what he does, but he’d have made a much better banker or something similar in mainstream life.
Which character from the work of others do you wish you’d invented and why?I absolutely love the Matrixin modern times but also am a sucker for Sherlock Holmes (who isn’t?) Anything with advances in technology really appeal to me. When I first saw the Minority Report with Tom Cruise, I said the computers he used weren’t that far off. The one I use today is so similar in so many ways. Technology is a nightmare and a wonder to behold at the same time. I wish I really did have a Time Machine as I think the characters long gone are fantastic but also can’t wait to see what the future holds.
If you could have been someone from history involved in crime (good or bad) who would that be and why?Ronny Biggs – The man is a legend. I am sorry I know he is a criminal but the Great Train Robbery is every teenager’s dream. That rebellious nature. Working against the system and saying to the masses that you really f**ked this up! He has avoided the 30 year jail sentence for almost all of his life. They didn’t kill anybody and what they did seemed harmless… I just think the guy is cool.
What are you working on now?I am currently trying to finish Phoenix, The second in the Stray Bullet trilogy. It’s difficult because as an Indie author I also am trying to finish the edit for The Word – Volume 2 and given that How Do I Win on a Lottery? unexpectedly became an Amazon #1 Bestseller, I am wondering if I should tidy it up and write a more user friendly version! So, there’s a great deal to watch out for and I hope the readers will stick with me in this journey.
BioAward winning Blogger, Bestselling Indie Author and Interviewer, Simon Duringer most enjoys surprising his readers with complex plots in the genre of thrillers. A cross genre writer, Simon has written the #1 Amazon Bestseller How Do I Win on a Lottery? The first of a Thriller Trilogy Stray Bullet and recently released the first in a series of interview compilations The Word – Volume I . All Simon’s books are available in Paperback, on Kindle and are FREE to Amazon Prime members.
Releases expected towards the end of 2014 include Phoenix (The second of the Stray Bullet Trilogy) and The Word - Volume II.
Website and Blog – http://www.simonduringer.com Amazon Author Page UK - http://www.amazon.co.uk/Simon-Duringer/e/B00GZA1D8W Amazon Author Page US - http://www.amazon.com/Simon-Duringer/e/B00GZA1D8W Publishers Weekly Book Life: http://booklife.com/profile/simon-duringer-1220GoodReads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7164672.Simon_DuringerFacebook - https://www.facebook.com/simon.duringerTwitter - https://twitter.com/SimonDuringer
Simon is also a member of Pinterest, LinkedIn, YouTube and Google Plus (Links on website). He is the Group Admin for Book Lovers on Facebook and has a page dedicated to each of his books, a member of The Independent Authors Network and The Lancashire Chamber of Commerce. Simon has also been a Top 50 Author on the AuthorsDB and was voted into the finals of the UK National Blogging Awards 2014.

What’s in a (Domain) Name?

When I started writing crime as Frances di Plino, I never envisioned that persona needing her own blog (but here it is) or her own website. I’m delighted to say my fan base has grown to such an extent, buying the francesdiplino.com domain moved to the top of my list of things to do.
I already had a website running as a subdomain of Lorraine Mace (my real name) but the web traffic info on search terms has shown me the value of investing in www.francesdiplino.com– which is now live!
Please drop by and have a look. If you have any suggestions to make it more reader friendly, I’d be delighted to hear them.
You’ll see on this blog and on the website that the cover for book four, Looking for a Reason, is on show. I haven’t yet put up the first chapter because it’s still in final edits stage with the publishers. The moment I get the green light, I’ll post chapter one – but I feel I should warn you, it’s not for the fainthearted.

The Dark Side of Justice #BYNR

When I read crime fiction, I love trying to work out the motivation of criminals. No one is born evil, so what drives them to do evil things? It's understanding the way the criminal's mind works that adds enjoyment to the reading experience for me.
The same holds true when I'm writing. In my latest D.I. Paolo Storey novel, Looking for a Reason, to be released by Crooked Cat Publishingon 28 October, the person Paolo is hunting believes there are valid reasons to justify the horrendous nature of the crimes.
To the right is a word cloud depiction of what has driven, and continues to drive, the villain to kidnap, torture and rape - and it's all done in the name of justice.
If Paolo can find out why it's happening, he'll realise who is doing it, but can he arrest the culprit in time to save someone close to him? Maybe - but only if he is successful in Looking for a Reason.

Ten facts about … Fiona Quinn

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?
I have always been a storyteller. The idea of writing is part of my DNA. I spent my young adulthood traveling the world and experiencing adventures – some happy, some uncomfortable, and some downright terrifying. I learned to belly dance on the roof of a bar in Turkey. I rode a camel across the Sahara. I kissed an American soldier after crossing back through Checkpoint Charlie after spending time in the Communist Block. I was kidnapped in Egypt by my taxi driver. And while all of these adventures unfolded I thought, remember this for your books.
How long does it take you to write a book?When I write – the story is actually in my head beginning, middle and end. If life is not distracting me, I can hammer out a first draft in about three months. And then, I let it marinate for a month, so the flavors blend. When I go back, I want to taste my story with a clean palate. That’s when the real work begins.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?I write always. I get up in the morning and do writerly things before my morning chores and kids – things such as platform building, blog writing, and research. I unschool my children during the day and transport them to all of their activities – I’m on the lookout for interesting characters, snippets of conversation, and plotting points that will feed my work. Every free moment I’m at the computer. For me it’s not a section of time that I sit down – writing is woven throughout my waking (and sometimes dreaming) hours. I do like to find at least a few hours of quite to just go into the fictional world and play.
How many crime novels have you written?I have written numerous short stories, four novels, some non-fiction, and a novella. I do ghost writing and editing, as well.
Which is your favourite and why?All of my stories are my babies. I enjoy them all for different reasons. They each have a unique voice and life to lead.
Where do you get your ideas?I get my ideas mostly from reading and doing. I like to try new things and then I think, how could this work in a story line? When I read, much of what I read is non-fiction. Right now I’m reading a search and rescue manual about the application of statistics to the behaviors of different ages/competencies/professions if they were lost. So I’m sure someone is going to be lost soon in something I write.
Who is your favourite character from your own work and why? 
My favorite character is Lexi Sobado. Lexi grew up unschooled – unschooling is like homeschooling on steroids where everything and everybody is an opportunity to learn. Now as an adult, Lexi needs to use her myriad accomplishments to save her life and capture the bad guys. I used my oldest daughter as her character template. Both my daughter and Lexi are bright, kind, and very capable. The departure from reality comes in the strange circumstances that Lexi finds herself.
Which character from the work of others do you wish you’d inventedMr. Darcy – I would love to create a character who touched the lives of women for over two hundred years.

If you could have been someone from history involved in crime (good or bad) who would that be and why?If I could be anyone in history involved in a crime I think I would like to be one of the resistance fighters in World War II
What are you working on now?I have a novel coming out at the end of October called Chaos Is Come Again, which I co-wrote with author John Dolan. Chaos is Come Again is a psychological suspense, a mystery, and a love story, packed with gallows humor, and viewed through the lens of obsession. You’ve probably never read anything like it.
I’m also part of a project called Unlucky Seven.New York Times and USA Today bestselling authors Diana Capri, Jamie Lee Scott, and Tawny Stokes are joined by authors Hildie McQueen, Chief Scott Silverii, PhD, Teresa Massey Watson and me on a collection of small town murder mystery novellas. The collection is due out in November.
And as always, I write the blog ThrillWriting which is a writer’s resource blog, which is my gift to my fellow writers.
BioCanadian born, Fiona Quinn is now rooted in the Old Dominion outside of D.C. with her husband and four children. There, she unschools, pops chocolates, devours books, and taps continuously on her laptop.
Find out more at: www.fionaquinnbooks.com and read her blog at: http://thrillwriting.blogspot.com/Follow her on twitter: https://twitter.com/FionaQuinnBooks

Looking for a Reason #BYNR

I’ve received quite a few emails recently asking when the fourth D.I. Paolo Storey novel will be available. I’m delighted to announce the 28th of October has been set as the big day for Looking for a Reason to be released by Crooked Cat Publishing.
It’s always exciting to be given a publication day to look forward to – it means the hard work will be over and the celebrations can begin.
There will, of course, be an online party with lots of prizes on offer, with silly games, music and virtual food and drink to keep the party spirit going.
A little after the online release, I’ll be hosting a real life book launch party at The Bookshop, Sabinillas (date and time to be announced). As soon as the date is set, I’ll be issuing a general invitation to come along and have a glass (or two) of bubbly and some nibbles.
So, what is Looking for a Reason about? For those of you who follow the D.I. Paolo Storey series, you will know that Paolo’s cases are never straightforward. There are always more suspects than one detective should have to cope with. The crimes, too, are never as simple as they first appear. There are always twists that turn clues into red herrings, suspects into victims and victims into suspects.
Looking for a Reason, the fourth in the series, next in line after Bad Moon Rising (a People’s Book Prize finalist), Someday Never Comes (entered for a CWA Dagger award) and Call it Pretending (released December 2013), gives Paolo even more headaches as nothing is quite what it seems.
Someone is abducting men and subjecting them to three days of rape and torture, but who? More to the point – why? After enduring cruelty, starvation and water deprivation, they are released.
Paolo has lots of questions. Why three days? Why that particular form of torture? Why deprive them of water? Why let them go?
The biggest question of all: Why will none of them talk about their time in captivity, or give any information which would help the police to find the perpetrator? The victims, to a man, refuse even to admit they were held captive.
In addition to the above, Paolo’s personal and professional lives are once again in turmoil.

One, two, three: lucky me! #reviewshare

Crooked Cat Books

My mother always said things happen in threes (good and bad). I’m quite superstitious, so if two bad things happen, I tend to be on the watch for the third strike.
Fortunately, I feel the same way about good events, so when two good things happened recently, I knew there would be a third on the way.
But let’s put things in order. Firstly, my publisher, Crooked Cat Publishing has a stand at the Edinburgh Book Festival and the second D.I. Paolo Storey novel, Someday Never Comes , is one of a selection of titles at the event.

Secondly, Someday Never Comes gained a reader review on Amazon, which was short and to the point, but absolutely blew me away. The review was headed: the best story I have read in a long time
The third event arrived yesterday in the form of a great review for Bad Moon Rising , the first in the D.I. Paolo Storey series, on Crime Reader Blog. Needless to say, I was thrilled to have my book reviewed on a site dedicated to reviews of crime fiction.

The Killer's Last Kiss by @LouiseMPhillips

This week we are fortunate to have a post from celebrated crime writer Louise Phillips, author of The Doll’s House – winner of the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year 2013. In this post, she gives an insight into the killer in her latest release, Last Kiss.
This is the first time I’ve written a female fictional killer and she was harder to write than I had first thought. I had no doubt when she began to form in my mind that she was going to be a memorable character, because prior to starting Last Kiss , she had turned up in two short stories. In the first time, she was a woman obsessed with her lover, who finally kills him viciously in a crime of passion. The second time, she was in a short story called ‘Role Play’, published in Revival Literary Magazine, where she appears at a hotel room to meet an older and rather unpleasant lover.
It took me a while to realise that she was the same fictional character, but when I did, I knew she wasn’t going away. She had a bigger story to tell, and it was up to me to do the telling. The early drafts of her narrative voice should have come easily, but despite meeting her already, there was difficulty getting her true internal voice. It was when I was away on holidays last year that I got the first proper insight into how she would sound. I was lying on the beach and even though the only paper I had to write on was a collection of napkins from a nearby café, thankfully, I had a pen, and she kept on talking.
I could describe her as a female Hannibal Lecter, although she doesn’t eat people, not least not physically.  She is certainly dark, damaged and utterly capable of doing the most horrendous acts.
In Last Kiss we meet her at the age of 36. She has an obsession with the Tarot cards and lives a form of fractured reality. Her online tag name is Cassie4Casanova, and she has a series of doomed relationships with men. A keen interest in the eye of the camera, she also takes self-portraits, not selfies, as she states, ‘she doesn’t like to share’. Her murder scenes are recreations of the tarot cards, the hangman, the hermit and the tower. She is capable of invading her lover’s lives, including their partners, stalking, planning, waiting for her moment to pounce. However, she too is a victim. As a baby she was taken from her mother and raised in a house of evil.
You don’t always know when you’re writing a fictional story how it will all turn out, but very early on in the process, I realised  her wickedness asked the age old question of nature versus nurture, and which would win out, having the strongest influence.
This fictional killer pushed my boundaries as a writer. I hope you agree she had a story worth telling.
Red Ribbons , the bestselling debut novel by Dublin-born crime author Louise Phillips, was nominated for the Ireland AM Crime Fiction Book of the Year award at the BGE Irish Book Awards in 2012. Louise won the award in 2013 for her second novel The Doll’s House . Louise returned to writing in 2006, after raising her family. In addition to her three published novels, Louise’s work has been published as part of various anthologies and literary journals. She has won the Jonathan Swift Award, was a winner in the Irish Writers’ Centre Lonely Voice platform, and her writing has been shortlisted for prizes such as the Molly Keane Memorial Award and Bridport UK. Last Kiss is her third novel and she is currently working on her fourth.

Review of Blood of the Dragon Trees #reviewshare

Blood of the Dragon Trees is the first Nik Morton novel I’ve read. Based on this one, I can’t wait to read the other mystery/thrillers he has available. Set in Tenerife, a place I have visited several times, I hoped the author would be able to recreate the setting without giving it the feel of a travelogue. I needn’t have worried. His clear knowledge of the place enables him to put the reader on the island without overdoing the settings in the slightest.
The novel follows the story of Laura Reid, who has come to Tenerife to teach the children of widower and plantation owner, Don Alonso, but gradually (against her better judgement) gets involved with Andrew Kirby and Jalbala Emcheta, who work for CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna). They are on the hunt for illegal traders in endangered species. The criminal gang, run by the mysterious El Jefe, are not just trading animal parts, but also human beings in a people trafficking ring.
Complications arise as Laura develops feeling for Don Alonso’s brother, Felipe, whose past relationship with Andrew is based on distrust.
The action is fast paced and the romantic elements don’t slow this down, rather they add another layer to the intrigue. For those who like to try to guess who the bad people are while reading (like me) there are plenty of artfully placed clues and misdirection, which only become obvious towards the end of the novel.
The crimes are appalling, the characters well drawn and credible, and the settings superb. What more can I add, except this: go and buy a copy. You won’t regret it.

Ten facts about … Lexi Revellian

When did you first realise you wanted to be a writer?Quite late. I’d always read a lot, but assumed I wouldn’t be able to write well enough to satisfy myself. Then my teenage daughter suggested we write a fantasy together, and writing turned out to be huge fun.

How long does it take you to write a book?In total, my production rate averages at slightly over a year. But I tend to have gaps between books, and the last two took six months each once I started writing. It also depends how busy I am with my day job designing and making jewellery and silver.
What is your work schedule like when you're writing?I keep a log of how much I write each day, with notes either gloating or excusing low productivity, such as: ‘2 words. But they were good words!’ ‘Minty said gun bit implausible. Removed 1,800 words.’ ‘Discouraged. Got boil. Woe.’
How many crime novels have you written?My novels tend to straddle genres. You could call Remix a crime novel; it’s a mystery with a bit of romance, and the only murder happens three years before the novel opens. My others are more thrillers with romance. With a bit of science fiction. And one’s post-apocalyptic. Oh look, a squirrel!
Which is your favourite and why?I like all my books, and tend to prefer whichever is currently selling best. I have a soft spot for Remix , as it’s such a feel good book, and Ice Diaries because for some reason I found it hard to write – though I enjoyed the struggle – and I don’t think any reader would guess that.
Where do you get your ideas?All over the place. For instance, my most recent, Wolf by the Ears, was inspired by the death of Boris Berezovsky. Anyone reading up on the surprising number of mysterious Russian deaths in London might well conclude as I did that he was murdered by Putin’s agents, and that our government preferred this not to emerge for reasons of self-interest.

I wrote Replicaafter breaking my shoulder when biking home in the freezing winter of 2010/2011. Unable to bike or drive to work, I did a lot of walking through icy streets. Trudging unhappily along, I started to wonder what it would be like to be hunted through this hostile London with no home, unable to contact friends for help. That collided with persistent fantasies of having a clone to help me get through my workload.
Who is your favourite character from your own work and why?I’m drawn to my less immediately likeable characters, maybe because they represent parts of me that don’t often get off the leash. An example is Jeff Pike from Remix , drummer in a mega-successful rock band. His fame and wealth let him get away with being rude and obnoxious and a sexual predator. But he’s fuelled by anger from an abusive childhood, has a hopeless love for the (heterosexual) hero, and is oddly likeable.
Which character from the work of others do you wish you’d invented and why?No one writes believable characters like Jane Austen. Which character to choose is the difficulty…Elizabeth Bennett is the obvious choice, so perceptive and witty, but I’m going to go for my favourite Austen hero, Mr Knightley. It’s not easy to make a conventional, principled character interesting – much easier to write a flawed hero, or a bad boy redeemed by love for the heroine. Jane Austen effortlessly pulls it off with Mr Knightley.
If you could have been someone from history involved in crime (good or bad) who would that be and why?Here we run up against my deplorable ignorance of history, plus my ingrained lack of criminality. So…um…
I’d be Ken Perenyi, a self-taught American art forger who lived in London for thirty years. He was investigated in 2003, but never charged, in his opinion because the art world was keen to prevent the exposure of multiple forgeries. The modern art business deserves to be taken advantage of; it’s all about money, and many experts can’t tell the difference between a fake and the real thing.
What are you working on now?I’m writing notes for a time travelling novel, and hoping it doesn’t totally scramble my brain. I’ve written a short story in this genre, Time Child, and know how confusing it can be. Also, the audio version of Remix is currently being recorded by Anne Day-Jones, and will be available in a couple of months on Audible. I’m excited about this.
BIOI live and work in London - Islington and Hoxton, where my novels are set. I started writing in 2006, have been unable to stop, and have so far written six novels and a collection of short stories. I decided to self-publish in 2010, and have sold 65,000+ books so far.
I make jewellery and silver under my real name, Lexi Dick. I am a liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company, and have made pieces for 10 Downing Street, Her Majesty the Queen and Lady Thatcher.
blogwebsiteAmazon author pagetwitterGoodreadsShelfari Lexi Dick Jeweller
LEXI’S BOOKSTorbrek…and the Dragon VariationTrav ZanderRemixReplicaIce DiariesWolf by the EarsTime Child and other stories

Review of Innocent in Las Vegas #reviewshare

Innocent in Las Vegas by A.R. Winters promises a fun-filled mystery with lots of laughter and cupcakes. It is funny in places and has a good cast of characters. I could have done without the constant food references, but that is obviously a personal preference.
As the first in a new series, Innocent in Las Vegas introduces Tiffany Black, currently a casino dealer, but also P.I. in training.  When Ethan Becker, wealthy casino owner, is murdered, his wife is charged as the murder weapon (a gun) is found in her bedside drawer. Hmm, wouldn’t she have got rid of it, if guilty? Doesn’t that seem a bit as if it might have been planted? Apparently that doesn’t occur to the police or most of Las Vegas who all believe Sophia is guilty and that she has hired Tiffany to make her case look better when it comes to trial.
Tiffany is a bit on the flaky side for an investigator, but I’m hoping she will grow as a character over the series. When she gets into trouble and needs the protection of a security company, Sophia (the accused) introduces her to Stone (tall, gorgeous and monosyllabic).
When Tiffany uncovers a second murder, she naturally believes the two are connected, which sets off a train of events almost leading to Tiffany being shot.
Tiffany’s family members are wonderful and I hope they reappear in the next book. I’ve never been to Vegas, but by the end of the novel I felt as if I had. The settings were well described without being overdone.
Parts of the action are not realistic, but then humorous crime is rarely true to life. That’s where the humour comes in – people get away when they shouldn’t, get to think outlandish things when they should be too terrified to do so and so on. All of which added to the enjoyment of the read for me.
This is an easy read and I’m happy to move on to the next in the series.