Lucy V. Hay's Blog, page 34

7 Ways You Can Get Involved On This Site

This blog is all about crime fiction and reading … We ALWAYS wants to hear from readers, authors, screenwriters, book bloggers and everyone else who LOVES books and reading as much as we do.

So, if this is you, then be sure to get in touch! Find out how after the jump … Hope to hear from you soon!

On this site:

BEST OF 3 – Real readers’ recommendations – we always want to hear your crime, thriller and mystery recommendations!
CRIMINALLY GOOD – Interviews with crime authors & screenwriters – if you write crime, let us know!
GUEST POSTS – We love guest posts about reading, reading-related products, author quotes, genre … you name it!
BOOK VS. FILM – We particularly LOVE comparisons of books and their movie adaptations (note: they don’t *have* to be crime)
BOOK LOVE – do you absolutely LOVE a particular book, series or genre? Let us know what it is and why, like these posts did
HOW I WROTE – are you a published author or produced screenwriter? Then let us know how you wrote your project and give us the inside view of it!
INFOGRAPHICS – Check out our amazing reading and crime-related graphics – do you have one to share?

Want to be featured on this site?

If you want to be spotlighted on this blog, recommend your favourite books, or maybe write a guest post, CHECK OUT THE DETAILS HERE or click on either of the pix in this post. Alternatively, email me your pitch.

CRIMINALLY GOOD: Interview with author Christina Hoag

1) So, who are you & what have you written?

I’m Christina Hoag, a journalist and novelist living in Los Angeles. I’m the author of Skin of Tattoos, a literary thriller set in L.A.’s gang underworld (Martin Brown Publishers, August 2016) and Girl on the Brink, a romantic thriller for young adults (Fire and Ice YA/Melange Books, August 2016).

I’m also a former reporter for the Associated Press and Miami Herald and worked as a correspondent in Latin America writing for major media outlets including Time, Business Week, Financial Times, the Houston Chronicle and The New York Times. I additionally co-authored Peace in the Hood: Working with Gang Members to End the Violence, a groundbreaking book on gang intervention (Turner Publishing, 2014). For more information, see my website, plus you can follow me on Twitter as @ChristinaHoag and/or friend me on Goodreads HERE.

2) Why do you write crime fiction?

I love delving into the seamy side of life and what drives people in that world, which is very different than mine! My characters do things that I never would so maybe that’s why I like writing them. I’m fascinated with the psychology behind the criminal mind and how people get to be that way, the risks they take. Other than that, crime makes great drama and conflict, the basis of any novel.

3) What informs your crime writing?

Working as a journalist for many years has deeply influenced my fiction. As a reporter, you have an entrée into many subcultures, slices of life and people that normally you would not have access to. That’s how I was inspired to write Skin of Tattoos, which is set L.A.’s gang underworld. I wrote a magazine story on gang members deported to El Salvador and that formed the genesis for the novel. I later did a lot more research and interviews, but that was the seed of it. I’m also a big fan of psychology and figuring out what makes people tick, hearing about their childhoods and so on. That has a major influence on how I build character. I also love travel and I’ve travelled all over the world and lived in numerous countries so I like incorporating some type of international element in mywork.

4) What’s your usual writing routine?

I’m a morning writer. I get up early, have my coffee and check the news and then sit down and write until I feel my brain turning squishy, usually early afternoon. Then I get some exercise and try to do some marketing and social media work. It’s amazing how much time that stuff consumes!

5) Which crime book do you wish YOU’D written, and why?

I love crime fiction that delves into the world of the criminal and reveals the inner workings of crime. I love Queen of the South by Spanish author Arturo Perez Reverte, who tells the story of a Mexican woman who becomes head of a narcotrafficking cartel in Spain. I just couldn’t put it down. Man, do I wish I could write something like that!

CRIMINALLY GOOD: Interview with author Rebecca Whitney

1) So, who are you & what have you written?

Hello, I’m Rebecca Whitney, and my debut novel The Liar’s Chair was published January 2015, by Mantle/Pan Macmillan. You can find it here. The Liar’s Chair is a standalone psychological thriller, and I’m currently working on my second book, another standalone in the same genre.

I also write short stories, teach creative writing and write features for magazines and newspapers. More details about me and my work can be found at  my website and @RebeccaJWhitney. I’m a part-time social media user (as fun and informative as it is) as it tends to interfere with the same part of my brain that I use to write.

2) Why do you write crime fiction?

It’s not really a choice, it’s just what comes out. I’ve tried to write ‘happy’, but the product is always dark. I’m very nosey, and fascinated by the strangeness and diversity of character, and also what drives normal people do bad things, so that’s where I start. I think of myself as a cynical optimist — I like to find the good in the bad, and vice versa.

3) What informs your crime writing?

I’m fascinated by psychology, and I teach a class called The Psychology of Character, with a friend who’s a clinical psychiatrist. We look at how assessment tools are used to discover a patient’s backstory and inform their treatment programme, and when we apply this same process to fictional characters, it can be hugely revealing.

There’s a French phase which sums up a lot of why I write: L’appel du vide. It’s French for ‘The call of the void’. To me it means the alternative or treacherous course, the darker path that could have been taken. Most of us apply rationale to our everyday decisions, but in fiction we can explore what would/could have happened if we didn’t, if our impulsive or subconscious brain was allowed its way. Writing and reading is to live vicariously though character.

4) What’s your usual writing routine?

I’d like to say I’m up at five, and I’d also like to commit to writing every day, but neither are true for me. Routine is great, but I’m a terrible insomniac, and come from a long line of bad sleepers, so I’ve sort of made my peace with the chaos of being permanently tired. I try to write most days, and when I don’t, I’m thinking about the work. Thinking space is hugely underrated, and ideas come when I least expect them. I read when I can’t write, and walk when neither of the former get me going.

I was asked once if I’m an architect or a gardener as a writer, and I’m definitely the latter. I plant seeds and see how they grow. The process can be quite chaotic, combing through drafts as they develop new and unusual tangents, although this way I can sometimes surprise myself, and hopefully the reader. Every time I start a new project, I promise myself I’ll be more orderly, but I always come back to this organic mess that somehow turns into a novel. It seems to be the process that works for me, but it’s not the quickest way of getting a book out.

5) Which crime book do you wish you’d written, and why?

I don’t like to put too much emphasis on genre as I think many/most books have an element of crime or mystery or surprise reversal in them, so I try to read as widely as time will allow. A book that was very influential to me when I was starting to write is Talking to the Dead, by Helen Dunmore, and I also love The Blind Assassin, by Margaret Atwood.

Psssst …

Longtime readers of this blog will know I absolutely loved The Liar’s Chair, click HERE on any of the pics to read my reviews.

My Books Of 2016 And Reading Resolutions

So, Goodreads generated this cool infographic of all the books I’ve read and reviewed this year. I thought I had a good handle on what I’d read, but turns out it’s possible to forget — I’d read far more than I thought!

Looking at the list, I was pleased to see nearly two thirds of my reads were by women authors. I hadn’t set out to do this, but I like the fly the flag for female

creatives over at my writing tips site Bang2write, so it’s pleasing my subconscious practices what it preaches.

Intriguingly, I’ve read A LOT of books in which the protagonist has some kind of mental health issue – 12 of them!! From anxiety to post-natal depression, to obsessive compulsive disorder and self harm, it would seem creatives are doing their bit to shine a light on these issues.

I’ve also not done too badly at finding books with diverse characters in – those ‘different’ to the ‘norm’. This may include characters who are disabled, Black, Asian, Minority Ethnic (BAME) and LGBT, but also characters of different backgrounds and cultures.

However, I have done extremely badly at reading authors of colour this year. Granted, I don’t know the race of ALL the authors listed here, but you don’t have to be a genius to realise (probably) at least 90% of them are white.

So, that’s my reading resolution for 2017 — read more BAME authors!

If you know of any fabulous writers of colour who write crime fiction, do post your suggestions in the comments, or maybe theme them for a ‘Best of 3’?

What’s YOUR reading resolution for 2017?

My Year In Writing – 3 For 3!

I’d been so busy with my drafts, edits and submissions for my novel, The Other Twin during most of 2015 and the beginning of 2016 that I’d resigned myself for not having anything published this year.

But oh look – I couldn’t have been more wrong!!

2016, for me, was the year of the short – with a novella published and two short stories selected for anthologies. Yay!

First up, in July, my post-apocalyptic novella Skyjack was published as part of The Forgotten Women Series by Cannibal Films. This anthology is part of the storyworld of dystopian Brit thriller, Tear Me Apart and I was delighted to be picked along with three other talented writers as part of this project. To find out more about Skyjack, CLICK HERE and to read the first first chapter in its entirety, HERE.

For Halloween, I got the best (creepy) present of all: my short story, The Retribution Of Elsie Buckle, published in Create50’s Twisted: Volume 1, but a BESTSELLER status kicking Stephen King off the top spot, too! Amazing.

Finally, in December, my short story Love You To Death was published in the Dark Minds charity anthology by Bloodhound Books. This was a fab way to round off the year, for two GREAT causes. I ended up writing about two of my favourite subject matters: abusive relationships and a rural Devon backdrop. Find out more about how I wrote the short story, HERE.

It just goes to show … You never know what’s around the corner!

My Top 4 Reads of 2016

As long-time readers of this blog know, I often theme and categorise my reads – but in this case, to be one of my top reads for this year, a book *just* (!) had to:

i) Stick in my mind plot-wise
ii) Have a character I really empathised with for some reason

Now, I read A LOT of books, so standing out is a tall order in itself … But I’m also a pro script reader, so potentially there’s SQUILLIONS of stories running around my head at any one time. So, you can safely say that if a book sticks in *my* brain, it’s GOTTA be good!

So, without further ado, here’s my top picks for 2016 …

1) The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney

I read this book back in July and it really captured my imagination. We hear loads about characters needing to be ‘likable’, yet this book demonstrates superbly how we can empathise with a protagonist’s terrible behaviour, without condoning it. We don’t often see female characters behaving as badly as this (too often they have to be ‘better’ than male characters somehow – ugh!), so let’s hope this marks a change in how the average reader sees characterisation! See my full review, HERE.

2) In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings

This was one of my first reads of this year, plus it was the very first review I ever got on the actual book! However it wasn’t for these reasons that this book is so special to me. I loved the haunting, lyrical feel of this story and its characters. I grew up in a rural seaside area not unlike the setting here and it feels so authentic … The touristy, jolly feel down on the seafront, the poverty and deprivation hidden from view. Fantastic. See my full review, HERE.

3) Untouchable by Ava Marsh

As a script reader, I frequently read stories about sex workers but they’re nearly always the same: victims who are all on drugs, and/or abused runaways. Whilst this obviously happens, it’s not the only story  out there! Again, the authenticity here is exceptional, but more than that I loved the mystery at the heart of this tale, it really keeps you guessing and reminds me of one of my favourite movies, CHINATOWN. See my full review, HERE.

4) Defender by G X Todd

Now this one is not out until January 2017, but I was lucky enough to receive an ARC. I don’t know what I was expecting, since I knew absolutely zilch about it – but I LOVED it! I’ve always been a big fan of dystopian stories anyway, but what I loved about this one was the character of Pilgrim. He’s not your ‘average’ hero by a long shot. But I’ll stop there, so you can read this yourself in the new year!!! (But if you really can’t wait, see my full – non spoilery!! – review, HERE).

BONUS!!
5) The Fireman by Joe Hill

Now, I don’t normally throw my weight behind BIG authors … Not because they don’t deserve it, but because I figure they don’t need little ol’ me recommending their books as well as half the world!

However, I’ll make an exception for The Fireman by Joe Hill. It’s an epic length at 747 pages, but don’t let that put you off. It’s the characters that really make this book SING – somehow, they take us on a journey that feels a third of the size! I was upset to leave them, I had a book hangover for DAYS, it’s that good. Seriously!! See my full review, HERE.

What about you?

What were YOUR top reads for 2016?? If you’ve written posts about them, feel free to link to them in the comments, I’d love to create a list of reading recommendations here. GO GO GO!

Book Love: How I Picked My Top 20 Crime Fiction Faves

I get sent A LOT of books to review, plus I just can’t help myself but buy them as well … As a result my house and Kindle is FULL TO THE BRIM!

My fellow readers and book bloggers often ask me how I handle such an epic TBR pile, but the answer is frustratingly simple: randomly!!! I don’t want my TBR pile to dictate to me, so beyond the occasional, I never outright promise reviews to anyone (even writer friends and my own publisher!). This allows me to keep my brain ‘fresh’ and I never grow tired of wonderful books.

What I often do though is create themes and categories to read ‘to’, just to mix things up. Just recently I decided to make it Dystopian November, for example — I read as many dystopian books I could in one month.

So when THE Book Club on Facebook (#TBConFB) asked me to take part in their 20/20 Book Blogger event, this was the PERFECT opportunity to theme my books as one of their ‘crime’ bloggers. Here’s how I picked all 20 books I’ve talked about this week CLICK HERE to see my actual picks. Enjoy!

You can see all 20 of my book picks HERE.

BOOK LOVE: My Crime Fiction Faves, ‘In Deep’

And for the final instalment of my crime fiction faves, here’s my PERSONAL favourite type of story: a female protagonist, up against it: a crime is committed, pulling our characters into a cat and mouse game and/or down a rabbit-hole of skullduggery.

1) Into The Darkest Corner by Elizabeth Haynes (stalking / domestic abuse/ OCD).

When young, pretty Catherine Bailey meets Lee Brightman, she can’t believe her luck. Gorgeous, charismatic, and a bit mysterious, Lee seems almost too perfect to be true. But of course he IS: a vicious psychopath, he doesn’t just plumb the depths of physical violence, but mental anguish too … He even turns all her friends against her. This is in my Top 20 because the plotting and characterisation is just so rich; the two different timelines suit each other perfectly! Very often I find myself only interested in one of the time threads, but that’s not the case here.  What’s more, Haynes’ depiction of OCD is so authentic and on-point. Had a serious book hangover after this one!

2) In Her Wake by Amanda Jennings (child abduction /disappearance).

A tragic family event reveals devastating news that rips apart Bella’s comfortable existence. Embarking on a personal journey to uncover the truth, she faces a series of traumatic discoveries that take her to the ruggedly beautiful Cornish coast, where she unpicks hidden truths and past betrayals. This made my Top 20 because I loved the rural storyworld here, plus the topical nature of it: what if, say, Madeleine McCann, ‘came back’ from wherever she’s been? What would she reveal about her life? But most of all, I loved the characters. Every single one here, primary of secondary, is memorable – from Bella/Morveren, through to her beach bum, boyfriend and even her dead mother. An absolute feast of a story that will stay with you.

3) Untouchable by Ava Marsh (sex work/ political corruption).

Stella is an escort, immersed in a world of desire, betrayal and secrets. When a fellow call girl is murdered, Stella has a choice: forget what she’s seen, or risk everything to get justice for her friend. I loved this because Stella is not your ‘average’ protagonist: she is an escort for her own reasons that are complicated and layered. This is refreshing when more often we see sex workers as drug addicts and victims. What’s more, Marsh shines a light on the sex industry and the double standards women face, without pearl-clutching or moral outrage. There’s fantastic characterisation all round, but ultimately it was the plot that really grabbed me. Fab story – but not for the faint-hearted as it’s VERY sexually explicit!

4) The Liar’s Chair by Rebecca Whitney (psychological thriller / domestic abuse/ self-harm).

This story follows the fates of Rachel Teller and her husband David. They appear happy, prosperous and fulfilled. The big house, the successful business . . . They have everything. However, control, not love, fuels their relationship and David has no idea his wife indulges in drunken indiscretions. When Rachel kills a man in a hit and run, the meticulously maintained veneer over their life begins to crack. This made my Top 20 because I just LOVED the writing: it reminds me of Gillian Flynn’s – quasi literary, cracking open some of our less admirable feelings and traits. Rebecca is not a ‘good’ woman, but we can understand this, without condoning her behaviour. Excellent ‘warts and all’ characterisation. Recommended!

5) Apple Tree Yard by Louise Doughty (courtroom/ revenge / corruption). Another sexually explicit story – if you’re sensing a theme here you’d be right!!!  Yvonne Carmichael sits in the witness box. The charge is murder. Before all of this, she was happily married, a successful scientist, a mother of two. As Yvonne faces hostile questioning, she must piece together the story of her affair with an  unnamed figure who has charmed and haunted her. This made my top 20 because I was totally ADDICTED to it … I couldn’t put it down!!! I had to know what had happened, but most of all WHY. This hardly ever happens to me – not because the books aren’t good, but because, as a script editor, I am always breaking down the storylines into sections to analyse, I can’t help it. Here I got swallowed up wholesale – I even brought the book to the dinner table! There’s going to be a mini series of this on BBC next year, so READ IT QUICK!!

BOOK LOVE: My Crime Fiction Faves, ‘Adapt This’!

For those who don’t know, my ‘day job’ is as a script editor for movies, so one reason I love crime fiction is because it is strongly plot-led (ie. without a crime, there is no story!). So here are 5 I think would make GREAT movies or TV – here’s hoping!

1) Disclaimer by Renee Knight (psychological thriller/ crime).

When Catherine finds a mysterious novel at her bedside plunges documentary filmmaker Catherine Ravenscroft into a living nightmare – because it recreates in vivid, unmistakable detail the terrible day Catherine became hostage to a dark secret, a secret that only one other person knew–and that person is dead. This in in my top 20 as I LOVED the concept here and could see it in vivid detail as a movie, probably one directed by the likes of David Fincher like the masterly GONE GIRL adaptation that got so many Oscar nominations. Amy Adams to play Catherine!

2) Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton (supernatural / crime/ mystery).

When there is a fire at a small private school on a summer sports day – and tragedy strikes as mother Grace races into the building to rescue her teenage daughter Jenny. Though she gets her out, she and Jenny become unconscious, thrust into a supernatural limbo-world. As ‘spirits’, yet not quite-dead, Grace and Jenny take it upon themselves to find the arsonist who set the fire, in the hope they can find their way back to their physical bodies. I adored the writing here and as someone who has had a near-death experience, the emotional truth here made me cry. Absolutely gorgeous storytelling and one that would make a fabulous mini-series for TV.

3) Defender by G X Todd (dystopian/post-apocalyptic /crime).

This book is set in a dystopian landscape in which most people have started to hear voices … Unable to cope, the world has been trashed and civilisation has fallen. We follow the fates of Pilgrim, a loner who meets a sixteen year old girl, Lacey who needs an escort to the city to see her sister. Visual and relentless, DEFENDER is an unstoppable force that could lend itself to the silver screen SO well – though they may have to tone down some of the violence for a ‘15’ certificate; at the moment it makes MAD MAX FURY ROAD look like Disney!

4) The Ice Beneath Her by Camilla Grebe (police procedural/ Nordic Noir/ crime).

When a young woman is found beheaded in an infamous business tycoon’s marble-lined hallway, who is missing without a trace, it seems obvious – he has killed her and gone on the run. This is in my Top 20 because I loved the plotting here, which was tight and visual. I could see this as a low budget, non-linear film, in the style of something like MEMENTO. Told from the POV of Emma, a lowly sales assistant in the tycoon’s empire, we’re left in doubt as to who is who – and doing WHAT. Everything is up for grabs, but until we discover the motivation behind that terrible murder, the truth is out of reach.

5) Look Closer by Rachel Amphlett (conspiracy thriller /crime).

Will Fletcher seems to have it all – perfect job, perfect life. But then a bungled assassination attempt on a London street uncovers a disturbing conspiracy fuelled by organised crime and political ambition. Now, Will finds himself on the run, pursued by a dangerous enemy who will stop at nothing to protect his employer’s past. This is in my Top 20 because it really hits the ground running (pun intended) in terms of plotting, making us play ‘catch up’ all the way. I was reminded of movies like THE BOURNE IDENTITY and TV series like SPOOKS – I think it could be either if it was adapted. Clever storytelling with appealing characters really kept me on the edge of my seat. Recommended!

Which books have YOU read that you feel would make excellent movies and TV shows?

BOOK LOVE: My Crime Fiction Faves With Female Leads

Following on from yesterday’s post about my Top 5 fave crime fiction picks with male leads, here’s mine with FEMALE leads. Enjoy!

1) The Mistake I Made by Paula Daly. A single mother is offered a way out of debt by a handsome and well off older man in this story, but it’s DS Joanne Aspinall who really grabs my attention in this story and why it’s in my Top 20. Present in all Daly’s novels, Joanne really comes into her own in this story. She’s not your ‘typical’ policewoman, by a long shot. Plus she’s FUNNY, so underrated in crime fiction.

2) A Devil Under The Skin by Anya Lipska. Book 3 in the Kiszka and Kershaw novels. When Janusz Kiszka’s girlfriend Kasia disappears, he must rely on the help of maverick cop Natalie Kershaw to find her. This is in my Top 20 not only because I love Lipska’s writing style,  but because it feels especially relevant to me. I live in an area with a lot of Polish people and it was great to see this represented so authentically.

3) Humber Boy B by Ruth Dugdall. Book 3 in the Cate Austin series, who is a probation officer. Looking at the fallout – before and after – a child kills another on The Humber Bridge, this novel asks if children are capable of premeditated murder. This is in my Top 20 because it’s not only so topical, but it wisely asks questions about society’s culpability in such a dreadful act. Philosophical and clever.

4) Someone Else’s Skin by Sarah Hilary. Book 1 in the DI Marnie Rome series. When DI Rome is called in to investigate the killing of a man at a women’s refuge, she and partner DS Noah Jakes are plunged into a nightmarish world of differing versions of what really happened and why. This in my Top 20 because the set up absolutely enthralled me, plus I love the backstory between Marnie and foster brother Stephen. As a script editor I see tragic backstories all the time for female leads but Hilary is totally ON POINT with this one.

5) Binary Witness by Rosie Claverton. This is Book 1 in The Amy Lane Mysteries, a series about an agoraphobic, genius computer hacker and her trusty assistant and ex-con Jason, who’s ‘out in the field’. What I love about this series is how authentic the depictions of mental health issues are – not surprising, considering Rosie herself is a junior psychiatrist. More than this though is the relationship between Amy and Jason – from two different worlds, deep down they share the same desire to be SEEN by others.