Maggie James's Blog, page 11

Guilty Innocence has now been republished!

I'm proud and delighted to announce that my third novel, Guilty Innocence, has now been republished by Bloodhound Books, and it's sporting a great new cover. For a short while, the Kindle version is available in the US and UK for 99c/p. It's also available in paperback format. Click the image to be taken to your nearest Amazon store. A gritty novel examining child murder and dysfunctional families, Guilty Innocence tells of one man’s struggle to break free from his past. Here's a taster:

When Natalie snoops through her boyfriend Mark’s possessions she finds more than she bargained for. Mark was once convicted of a brutal killing. Heartbroken by what she has discovered, Natalie’s dreams of a future with him collapse.

However, Mark was not the only person sentenced for the murder of two-year-old Abby Morgan. His former friend, the violent and twisted Adam Campbell, was also convicted and Adam knows more about the murder than he will admit.

When circumstances thrust Mark back in contact with Adam, the past comes back to haunt him. Can Mark ever break free from Adam? Will the truth ever come out? Enjoyed this post? Please share via the links below: Why not subscribe to my blog?If you've enjoyed this post, how about subscribing to my blog via RSS feed or email? Either click the links in my blog sidebar or sign up via Networked Blogs, also in the sidebar. It'll be great to have you on board! 
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Guide Star by Joy Ellis

Today I'm delighted to be hosting Joy Ellis's new novel, Guide Star, on my blog as part of the blog tour for the book. Joy grew up in Kent but moved to London when she won an apprenticeship with the prestigious Mayfair flower shop, Constance Spry Ltd. 

Many years later, having run her own florist shop in Weybridge, Ellis took part in a writer’s workshop in Greece and was encouraged by her tutor, Sue Townsend to begin writing seriously. She now lives in the Lincolnshire Fens with her partner Jacqueline and their Springer spaniels, Woody and Alfie.
Here's a taster of Guide Star:
Who do you turn to when life goes wrong?

Stella’s life has changed forever. Her only support is her amazing grandmother, Beth. But Beth also faces the biggest challenge of her life.

Stella North, a rising star in the police, has her life torn apart by a gunman’s bullets. All her life she has faced danger, but these injuries mean she must give up the job she loves.  Her grandmother Beth is her rock. And Beth is no ordinary woman. At seventy, she runs marathons and has an exciting past that Stella knows very little about.

Will Stella find the strength to overcome the challenges of her new life, and will her grandmother at last resolve the deep emotional turmoil of her past?

By UK #1 best-selling author, Joy Ellis, this is a gripping and emotional departure from her acclaimed crime fiction.
And here's an excerpt:
Two drug-fuelled kids, a bungled robbery, and a gun. Stella had done what came naturally. She had protected those around her, and taken a bullet for her troubles. Two bullets, actually. Robbie smashed both his palms hard onto the steering wheel and let out a stifled cry. It wasn’t fair! She had been the most alive person he had ever met. He never tired of working with her, despite the teasing he received from some of his colleagues. Some of them had suggested that it would be a relief for him not to be working in her shadow, and that his career would progress further in a different crew. What rot! It had never been cold in her shadow. She needed him as much as he needed her. He had always seen himself as an important component in a well-oiled machine. Robbie turned the key in the ignition and slowly released the handbrake. Now he was just a spare part.
Sounds good?
Sounds good to you? UK readers, click on the link to the left to be taken to the Amazon page for Guide Star.

Available for just £0.99 in kindle format. The paperback version is also available for £7.99.

Rated 4.7 out of 5 stars and well worth a read!
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Author interview - Tony Forder

Today I'm delighted to welcome fellow Bloodhound Books novelist Tony Forder to my blog. Tony's latest crime novel, Bad to the Bone, has recently been published, so an interview seemed a good idea! OK, let's get started:

I’d like to know more about your latest novel, the first in a crime series featuring DI Bliss and DC Chandler, called Bad to the Bone. What can readers expect to encounter in its pages?

First of all, I'd like to thank you for inviting me to do this. This is my third author interview, but I don't think I will ever get used to it.  I hope my readers will encounter a deep mystery whose conclusion takes them by surprise.  More than that, I hope they are propelled along by and with the characters.  I got to know Bliss and Chandler very well during the many months I spent writing Bad to the Bone, and whilst Bliss certainly has his faults, both as a cop and as a human being, I like to think of him as a decent bloke doing a decent job well.  There is murder and corruption within the pages, there is conflict, no small measure of intrigue, as well as some dark and sinister deeds.

What about your psychological crime thriller, Degrees of Darkness, due out later this year?

Degrees is a whole different ball game altogether.  It's about this ex-detective, Frank Rogers, eking out a living as a debt collector, who gets dragged back into police work when his wife and son are murdered, his daughter abducted.  Early on the reader realises a clock is ticking, and that Frank's daughter, Laura, is the hands of a madman – but a mad man with a purpose, a madman who is intelligent and cunning.  A madman who taunts and mocks Frank along the way.  A madman who is not working alone.  This is a psychological crime thriller, and it is very dark indeed.  When it was available  - albeit in a slightly different form - as a self-published item, one reader said it would be good as a TV show or movie, but one what would have to be watched from behind the sofa. Speaking as someone who did that as a child when confronted by the Daleks, I was thrilled by that particular observation.
Tell us about yourself and what you get up to when you’re not writing.

After 17 years in one job, I was made redundant last Christmas. I now divide my time between my own IT consultancy business, and writing.  It would suit my Chi entirely – though not my pocket – if I were able to devote all of my time to writing, but currently that's just not possible.

Do you prefer to read e-books or paper books?

Physical books - I love the feel of them, the rustle of pages as they turn, the look and heft of an actual, physical book. I buy hardbacks of my favourite authors, and for me nothing will ever replace that new book smell.

Who is your favourite novelist?

I am going to cheat and list three: Stephen King, for all the obvious reasons; Thomas Harris – I can forgive him the boring/lame 50% of Hannibal and the lamentable Hannibal Rising for the pure majesty of both Red Dragon and, my favourite book of all, The Silence of the Lambs.  Finally, it has to be today's master of the American crime novel, Michael Connelly.  The Poet is my second favourite book, and Harry Bosch one of my favourite characters.

What are you working on at the present?

My WIP is the follow up to Bad to the Bone, whose working title is Bad Moon Rising. In my virtual cabinet drawer I have a completed first draft of the novel I was working on when I signed my first Bloodhound Books contract – that is a fast-paced thriller which I thoroughly enjoyed writing. It may be a standalone, or at least it started out that way, but a couple of the characters in it may just have the legs for more.  Its working title is Scream Blue Murder.  I am also sketching out an idea for what I think could be a third book in the current series, plus I don't think I'm quite finished with Frank Rogers from Degrees of Darkness just yet.
Would you consider writing in different genres and if so, which ones? 

I have always been drawn to comedy. If I was starting out and had 40 years ahead of me, I'd mix it up a bit. But I don't, and my heart and head have been captured by crime for the time being.

Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to see where an idea takes you?

Oh, I have tried so hard to be organised and patient enough to write a full outline.  But every time I do, the simple act of setting those thoughts down fills my head with the way I want to structure the chapters, and before you know it I have yet again dumped the outline in favour of writing the thing. I am a pretty organised person in my non-writing life (my daughter probably just coughed up a lung laughing at that, as my CDO is legendary in my house – and yes, that is OCD in alphabetical order!!) and I suspect my creative side needs to fly on the seat of its pants in order to thrive. Even the minor outlines I do write bear no relation to the completed work, as it changes all the time with the writing and, especially, as the characters truly emerge.

Do you think the cover plays an important part of the buying process?

Regrettably, yes. Now correct me if I'm wrong, and I may just be making this up, but isn't there a saying that goes something like: Do not judge a book by its cover?  Seriously, though, imagery has become so important in our lives that a good cover can hook someone in just enough to tempt them. Perhaps not into buying, but pausing long enough to at least consider it. That one good cover could lure them often enough that they eventually decide to take the plunge. I don't think even the Amazon preview has diminished that. Not yet, anyway.

What is the first book to make you cry?

I must have been an emotional child, because it was The Man Who Was Magic, by Paul Gallico. I became so completely engrossed by that book, about an actual boy magician who enters the work of conjurers, that when he had to leave and I read a line that made me realise he would never go back and I would never read about him again, I wept.

Thank you, Tony, for a great interview! !UK readers, want to know more about Bad to the Bone? Click the link to the right. Find out about the skeletal body unearthed in a wooded area of Peterborough, Cambridgeshire! Is the killer much closer than DI James Bliss and DC Penny Chandler could imagine?
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Author interview - Rachel Amphlett

Today I'd like to welcome novelist Rachel Amphlett to my blog. Originally from the UK and now based in Australia, Rachel’s novels appeal to a worldwide audience, and have been compared to Robert Ludlum, Lee Child and Michael Crichton. Wow! Let's get going with the interview...

Tell us about your latest book in the Detective Kay Hunter series, Will to Live.
 
Thanks for having me on your blog, Maggie. Will to Live sees Kay Hunter pitted against a serial killer who’s been using a stretch of the local railway known as “Suicide Mile” to dispose of his victims – until a witness stumbles across one of his victims before the train strikes. Kay and her team then have to revisit a number of cold cases to try to establish a pattern, while the killer is still at large. On top of that, Kay’s investigation into who tried to destroy her career intensifies, with catastrophic consequences.

You also write espionage novels. Which do you find the most challenging to write: crime or spy fiction?
 
I enjoy writing the spy fiction, but crime thrillers are where my heart is at. It simply took a few books under my belt before I felt I had the confidence to give them a go. The response to one of my standalones, Look Closer, is what gave me the nudge I needed – that’s the closest I’d written to the crime fiction genre at that time, and it’s proven to be a great success. By the time I got to the beginning of 2016, I had the inkling of a new series featuring a female detective, and that’s how the Kay Hunter series evolved.
 
What’s next for you now that Will to Live has been published? What can your fans expect next?
 
The third book in the Kay Hunter series will be released in June, so expect a cover reveal for that soon, with the fourth book scheduled for a September release. On top of that, the audiobooks for the series are going into production this month, which I’m really excited about.

In which genre(s) do you write? Would you consider writing in different genres and if so, which ones?
 
I definitely want to write a historical / crime fiction book – I’ve been researching in between writing the Kay Hunter series and have jotted down a few scenes and a rough outline. I’m hoping to spend some time on that later this year.
 
What draws you to your chosen genre(s)?

It’s what I’ve been reading since I was a kid – I love mysteries, so like a lot of authors I started off reading Enid Blyton’s The Famous Five and went from there. I can’t recall a time I wasn’t reading crime fiction in some form! Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to see where an idea takes you?
 
I usually have the opening scene in my head and the “lift” points sorted out, and then I’ll take those and develop a rough outline using a five act structure. Once I have that, I get stuck into the writing. I do like to leave a bit of wiggle room for characters to develop, because that makes it interesting for me as a writer – a character could say something that takes me down a different path to the ending I have in mind that’s a better way than I originally thought, so it’s important to allow that to happen.
 
How long does it take you to write a book to first draft stage?
 
The first draft usually takes me no longer than 12 weeks – and it’s a hot mess, I can tell you! However, it’s important to me to get it written down as fast as possible because it reflects the pace of the story. The fastest I’ve ever written a first draft is 9 weeks.

What book are you reading at present?
 
CJ Sansom’s Lamentation – I’ve loved his whole Shardlake series of books, and I’ve finally found a bit of spare time to savour this one!

Thank you, Rachel, for a great interview!

UK readers, you can purchase Will to Live from Amazon via the link to the left. ​

​Prefer to shop on Kobo or iBooks? No problem! Simply click the links above.

​Like to know more about Rachel and her books?   See below:

​Website:  www.rachelamphlett.com
Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/rachelamphlett.author/
Twitter:  https://twitter.com/rachelamphlettEnjoyed this post? Please share via the links below:
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Author interview - Ian Skewis

Today I'm delighted to welcome novelist Ian Skewis to my blog. Ian's first novel, A Murder of Crows, has just been published. A proud moment for any writer! Let's get going with the questions.

Tell us about your new book, A Murder of Crows.

A Murder Of Crows is a crime thriller featuring DCI Jack Russell, who is on his final case before retiring. He is led to believe that the case will be relatively simple and it proves to be anything but. A serial killer has emerged and seems to be just getting started and it becomes a race against time to prevent the evolution of this new menace.

Sounds great! What inspired the plot for the book?

It was part inspired by an event that happened to me when I was nine years old. I was out for a walk in the country with my parents and we found a dead man hanging from a tree. My dad called the police and my mum kept me away from the site. But my imagination kind of filled in the gaps and from there a very strange little tale emerged. Needless to say, the countryside has long since taken on a rather more sinister aspect for me and this is very much evident in the book. This was in 1979. Now finally, the story, which I officially started writing in 1989, has taken flight as it were. Pun intended!

What’s next for you? Will A Murder of Crow be the first in a series, and if so, can you give us any hints?

About three years ago I came up with an idea for a sequel of sorts but I wasdetermined that I wouldn't write it unless I could find something really challenging about it - I think I now have a really good follow-up story - one that will take on some very surprising twists and turns. As for hints, it begins six months after A Murder Of Crows ends and will involve a psychic, a female detective and the return of an old enemy...
Novelist Ian Skewis What is your all-time favourite novel?

Atonement by Ian McEwan is still my favourite. I loved the fact that this character felt so bad about what she had done to what were essentially two innocent people, that she completely rewrote their history in a book - an act of kindness, albeit many years too late. I was surprised at how good the film version was too. Books that comment in some way on writing and its gift to heal always appeal to me - Life Of Pi being another example.

Do you prefer to read e-books or paper books?

I always prefer paper, and in particular, paperbacks. They yield and become old, dog-eared and yellowed with age and there is something very human and comforting about that. Hardbacks are good too but they don't bend easily and are less portable, I feel.

What are you working on at the present?

I've been invited to write for a forthcoming anthology for Shona Kinsella. I'm enjoying it because it's very liberating writing to the beat of someone else's drum as opposed to one's own. I'm also working on the sequel to A Murder Of Crows and various other projects which will hopefully see the light of day.

Do you think the cover plays an important part of the buying process?

Absolutely! I had a whale of a time designing my book cover. My publisher Unbound actually sent me a three page questionnaire asking things like what font I wanted to use, how I would describe the contents of the story and what images did I reckon would be suitable for the cover. I always knew it would be a lone crow. I actually had some sketches from 2009 that I did when I could only dream of such things as book covers and it was amazing to be able to literally draw on that and see it come to life! I'm thrilled with the end result, and all thanks to Mark Ecob for being very patient and such a good collaborator. The book cover is very stark and haunting and the crow's eye contains other elements such as a blood red moon, and a farmer's scythe - all very symbolic...
What is the hardest thing about writing a book?

For me it was always a lack of confidence. I spent years listening to those doubts in my head telling me that I wasn't all that good, and who did I think I was, deigning to write? I know now that this was just my inner critic, which is healthy and no bad thing. But a healthy balance is what's needed. It goes back to believing in yourself and reaching for the stars but keeping one's feet on the ground.

W hat is the easiest thing about writing a book?

The freedom to do anything you like. One of the reasons I gave up acting (I was a professional actor) was that I always felt like part of a greater whole and often I had bigger ideas than that. Now as a writer I can conjure up entire worlds. I have the last word on everybody's destiny. That is an incredible palette to be able to work from. However, when you play God, and all writers do to a greater or lesser degree, then that comes with a huge responsibility. So when I have to end someone's life in a story for example, I never take it lightly. When I had to kill someone in A Murder Of Crows I cried as I wrote it because I wrote it not from the point of the gore or the violence but from the memories of that person as they faded away, the ground rushing up towards them, all their regrets, all the things they still could have done, had their life not been cut short. Another character in the book has a tragic and very emotional ending that was really difficult for me to write. I felt I had somehow locked them up and thrown away the key, condemned them to a terrible existence. If these characters were real they would probably slap my face for what I did to them - and deservedly so! What advice would you give to would-be novelists?

Believe in yourself - but keep your feet on the ground. And beware of who you take advice from. All industries have their charlatans. It's worth stating here that if something feels wrong then it probably is - so above all, trust your instinct!

Thank you, Ian, for your time! It's been a pleasure interviewing you. UK readers, check out A Murder of Crows on Amazon via the link to the left.
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Book review - Good Me Bad Me, by Ali Land

This week's post is a review of the Sunday Times bestseller Good Me Bad Me by author Ali Land, published in January 2017. Here's a taster:

Annie's mother is a serial killer.

The only way she can make it stop is to hand her in to the police.

But out of sight is not out of mind.

As her mother's trial looms, the secrets of her past won't let Annie sleep, even with a new foster family and name - Milly.

A fresh start. Now, surely, she can be whoever she wants to be.

But Milly's mother is a serial killer. And blood is thicker than water.

Good me, bad me.

She is, after all, her mother's daughter...
Good Me Bad Me is told entirely in the narrative voice of Milly, formerly known as Annie, a fifteen-year-old in foster care after turning her serial killer mother in to the police. At first I struggled with this; Milly is a confused and very disturbed girl, and the writing reflects her anguish. Short, clipped phrases show her inner turmoil and the book wasn't easy reading at first. Sentences such as 'Shifted in his chair he did. Sat up straight, him and his gut' jarred on me, but after a while I got used to the author's style.

Taken from a terrible situation in which she is horribly abused, you'd think Milly's new foster family would offer her some hope for a brighter future. They are wrestling with their own issues, however, and hide dark dysfunctional secrets. Mike, her foster father, is tasked with preparing her for the trial against her mother, which he does as best he can, but Saska, his wife, is a different matter. Remote, emotionally absent, she barely touches Milly's life and in no way provides an adequate maternal substitute. The daughter, Phoebe, bullies Milly and over time the pressure on the vulnerable fifteen-year-old grows. In her head, Milly talks to her mother a lot, seeking to make sense of her fractured life but unable to break free from the woman's stranglehold over her emotions.

The book throws up uncomfortable questions, such as: should she be pitied or feared? Nature versus nurture? On the one hand, Milly is desperate for reassurance that she's not a psychopath like her mother. On the other, how can she escape her terrible start in life? As the blurb says, blood is thicker than water, and Milly has witnessed things no child should ever see. Her turmoil has to find an outlet somehow...

The plot has some frustrating elements, such as some loose ends. For example, a threat to the safety of Miss Kemp, one of Milly's teachers, is hinted at when Milly finds out where she lives. Milly considers herself slighted by this woman, giving rise to the expectation that she will attempt to exact revenge. However, this tantalising glimpse of what might have been never gets resolved, which makes me wonder why it was ever included. In addition, the ending is somewhat odd; it's hard to say much without giving plot spoilers, but I doubt Mike would have capitulated to Milly's manipulations as quickly as he did.
I also suspect Milly's behaviour would have been very different. Most of the time she is well-behaved, polite and strives to fit in with her foster family and at school. Would a girl who has been physically and sexually abused, who has witnessed murder, act this way? Would she not be self-harming, hurting others, trashing her room, etc? Perhaps the 'good me' part of her character is a little too saccharine and unlikely.

Would I recommend Good Me Bad Me? Yes, despite the minor niggles. The story is engrossing and, as a debut novel, it's impressive. Definitely worth a read, in my opinion.
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After She's Gone has been published!

Today is a proud day for me, with the release of After She's Gone! It seems like a long time since I finished the final edits and turned the book over to my publishers, Lake Union. It's changed hugely since the first draft and at times I wasn't sure it was ever going to come together! It did, though, and I'd like to thank everyone at Lake Union for making this possible.

Part of the fun today for me will be hosting a Facebook launch party this evening, taking place between 7 and 9pm UK time. All are welcome! If you're on Facebook and would like to drop by, then please do! Here's the link: https://www.facebook.com/events/604715829715346/

Today also kicks off the blog tour for After She's Gone. Right, that's enough from me! Just a short post this week, as I have lots of things to sort for launch day. Thanks to everyone for their support.
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Book review - The Abattoir of Dreams, by Mark Tilbury

The Abattoir of Dreams is thriller writer Mark Tilbury’s third novel, and as I’m a fan of the first two, reading this one was a must! Unlike Mark’s other books, The Revelation Room and The Eyes of the Accused, it's a standalone offering and not part of the Ben Whittle investigation series. Instead, in The Abattoir of Dreams he takes his writing down a supernatural route, blending a paranormal theme with thriller material, a dash of time travel and dollops of humour. A unique and intriguing concept! Here’s a taster:

Michael Tate has not had an easy life. With his father in prison, and his mother dead, Michael was sent to Woodside Children’s Home.

Now an adult, Michael wakes up from a coma in hospital suffering from amnesia and paralysis. Confused and terrified, he is charged with the fatal stabbing of his girlfriend, Becky. He also learns he attempted to end his own life.

Detective Inspector John Carver is determined that Michael is sent to prison.

With no way of defending himself, Michael is left in his hospital bed awaiting transfer to remand.

But then strange things begin to happen and his childhood comes back to haunt him.

Can Michael ever escape the past?

Will he ever discover the truth about Becky’s murder?

And why is DI Carver so eager to make him suffer?
How does he blend humour and horror so well?
Novelist Mark TilburySounds intriguiing, doesn't it? Much of the action takes place in the 1970s, at a government-run children’s home. In recent years we’ve seen the unearthing of many terrible abuse cases that happened at such places, and this theme is examined in depth in The Abattoir of Dreams.  The plot delves into many dark concepts, such as cruelty to children, corruption and murder and yet Mark throws in splashes of humour along the way. This is what has struck me before with his writing, and what makes him stand out – I read his books and think, ‘how the hell does he do that?’ You wouldn’t think horror and humour make good bedfellows, yet they do in Mark’s capable hands. He manages it with a succession of witty asides, sarcastic comments and other gems, often in the head of Michael Tate, the protagonist.
 
Talking of characters, what a fine cast we have! There are many dark souls in this book: Michael’s father, Kraft and Malloy at Woodside, and none more dogged in his pursuit of Michael than D I John Carver, the police officer determined to bring Michael to justice. Alongside them are many sympathetic characters, though: Michael’s mother, her friend Rachel and the kindly vicar, Paul Brady. The friendship between the younger Michael and damaged fellow Woodside resident Liam is both tender and touching, and lightens the part of the story that deals with terrible things.
 
And then there’s Michael himself. Paralysed, his memory faulty, he’s vulnerable to the machinations of D I Carver, and the reader feels for his plight, especially once his tragic story begins to be revealed. He needs to confront his past, but how can he when he doesn’t remember it?  Michael has friends, however, and not all of them belong to this world. As a ghostly presence transports him back in time, the truth is gradually revealed, and Michael learns what really happened to Becky.
Want to know more? Check out these links:
The Abattoir of Dreams is a great read. Published by Bloodhound Books on February 28, 2017, click the link on the left to view the novel on Amazon UK. Want to find out more about Mark and his books? Connect with him via these links:
Author website: www.marktilbury.com
Amazon author page
Facebook page
Goodreads
Twitter
Google Plus
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Author interview - K A Richardson

Today I'm delighted to welcome crime novelist K A Richardson to my blog. She is the best-selling author of the North East Police series, and has recently clinched a publishing deal with Bloodhound Books. It's great to have her here, so let's get going with the questions!

Tell us about the North East Police Series. Will each book feature a different crime investigator?
 
Each book features overlapping characters which enables me to use different main characters for each book – I love getting to know my characters and watching them blow my socks off. They all pop in and out over forthcoming novels so readers get to keep up to date on what’s happening with them.
 
Can you drop some hints about the next book in the series? How many do you have planned?
 
The next book in the series is book 4 – Watch You Burn – this is due out in May 2017 and features Fire Investigator Edina Blaze, and old character Kevin Lang who is a crime scene manager. It’s hot, fiery and definitely not for the faint hearted!
 
I’m also working currently on book 5 which is as yet untitled, but features new character Jackson Doherty as a crime scene investigator (you meet him in book 4) and also old character TJ Tulley (Jacob’s sister from I’ve Been Watching You) – it’s shaping up nicely and features one of the deadliest killers yet.
 
I’ve just recently been signed again with Bloodhound for another 3 book deal so there’ll be at least 7 in the series! Tell us how your BSC in Crime Scene Science and your work in the forensics field have shaped your crime writing.
 
I think having the crime scene knowledge and the overall knowledge of policing allows me to write procedural novels without them being too procedurey. I love developing the story lines and using forensics to show a different aspect of police procedure. The methodology behind forensic investigation can put interesting spins on my stories and sometimes I can introduce an unusual crime aspect that allows me to use the forensics and highlight something that readers might not have known about previously.
 
Do you prefer to read e-books or paper books?
 
I tend to read both but I love paperbacks. You can’t beat the smell of a good book – my most prized possessions are actual books – a 1928 edition of The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes and a first edition Enid Blyton are among them. What have you written to date?
 
My first official publication is my short story, Escape, which has a heavy theme of domestic violence throughout – it’s actually a prequel to the first novel, With Deadly Intent. It came about as when I finished With Deadly Intent, I realised Cass’s back story wasn’t complete and needed exploring in further detail. I’ve Been Watching You is book 2 in the north east police series, then comes Time to Play. Book 4, Watch You Burn, is due out in May 2017. I was also honoured to be included in a crime anthology, Dark Minds, which features some fantastic authors – all proceeds from this novel go to Sophie’s Appeal and Hospice UK.
 
In which genre(s) do you write? Would you consider writing in different genres and if so, which ones?
 
I currently write in the crime genre but I have also started a supernatural trilogy which I’d love to get finished – it features demons, angels and a young woman who finds out rather scarily that demons exist.
 
Do you write every day? For how long at a time?
 
I don’t write every day – I wish I could – and fully agree with Stephen King that writers should write every day – unfortunately for me the day job gets in the way. I am now part- time though and able to focus much more time on the craft. I will add though, that though I don’t physically write every day, I do do something writing related every day. Whether that be thinking about my characters, noting inspirational things I see etc.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to see where an idea takes you?
 
I’m definitely a ‘see where the idea takes me’ kind of writer. I love to plan out my characters before I start and get to know them before I start writing but the novel overall will begin with just a general idea and I go from there. I love it when a book surprises me and throws random things at me.
 
What was the first book to make you cry?
 
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck – it’s one of the most powerfully written short novels ever written in my opinion – I first came across it as part of my English class at school. And unashamedly cried in front of my peers in class on multiple occasions. It still makes me fill up now even just thinking about it.
 
If you could have been written any book, what would it have been and why?
 
I’d have loved to have written The Treatment by Mo Hayder – purely because I love the wandering man character – I love what he brings to her novels and the insights he provides. Also she’s a kick ass writer with an amazing ability to write darkness with a hint of vulnerability. Absolutely love her work.

Thank you! It's been great having you on my blog.
 
Want to find out more about K A Richardson and her books? Try these links:
Author website
Amazon author page
Facebook author page
Twitter - @kerryann77
UK readers, check out the North East police series on Amazon!
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Book review - Thinner, by Richard Bachman, aka Stephen King

Recently I read Thinner (1984) by Richard Bachman. For those who don't know, Richard Bachman is a pseudonym of the great Stephen King. When King was embarking on his writing career, many publishers opted not to release more than one book per year by each author, since they believed more would be unacceptable to the public. (How times have changed!) King therefore chose to write under a pen name to increase his sales without over-saturating the market for his books. There are seven books in the Bachman collection, with Thinner being the fourth; the others include The Running Man, later made into a well-known film.

King has stated that that writing as Richard Bachman was also his way of discovering whether his success was due to talent or luck. He deliberately released his Bachman novels without much marketing fanfare, but his identity was revealed before he ever got his answer.

Here's a taster:

'Thinner' - the old gypsy man barely whispers the word. Billy feels the touch of a withered hand on his cheek.

Billy Halleck, prosperous if overweight citizen, happily married, shuddered then turned angrily away. The old woman's death had been none of his fault. The courts had cleared him. She'd just stumbled in front of his car. Now he simply wanted to forget the whole messy business.

Later, when the scales told him he was losing weight, it was what the doctor ordered. His wife was pleased - as she should have been. But . . .

'Thinner' - the word, the old man's curse, has lodged in Billy's mind like a fattening worm, eating at his flesh, at his reason. And with his despair, comes violence.

Wow! A gypsy curse - great material for a maestro like King! And Thinner doesn't disappoint. It's shorter than his usual trademark novels that weigh in at several hundred pages, but its writing style is pure Stephen King. How did it take four Bachman books before his cover got blown?! Sprinkled throughout the narrative are his trademark motifs, such as splitting a sentence over a few lines, with italicised and bracketed text in between. Also evident is his penchant for all-American brand names, and the fact that much of the action takes place in Maine. What's more, his characters even refer to a situation as 'like something out of a Stephen King novel' at one point. Cheeky, but amusing!

Billy Halleck is not a likeable character; he's arrogant and lacks self-awareness. Nobody else in the book, with the possible exception of Billy's wife Heidi, comes across any better. The originator of the curse, Taduz Lemke, and his granddaughter Gina are especially vicious, unforgiving individuals. This lack of anyone with whom to empathise might mean some readers could find it hard to connect with the story, but that aspect didn't bother me. To me, Billy is all too human in his failings; had the woman's death been murder rather than an accident, the gypsy's curse may have been more understandable, but the old man acts out of malevolence and spite.

What I found fascinating was King's examination of the various emotions Billy experiences throughout the book.  From the start we know he killed another human being through a motor accident, and the story is very much about guilt, responsibility and justice. At first, Billy wants to put the incident behind him, and it's not until he understands he's been cursed does he begin to deal with his demons. Having said that, the book contains much injustice; it's hard to say more without giving plot spoilers, but the cruel twist at the end is a good example. That was unkind of you, Mr King, although I guess you intended it as poetic justice! Anyone for strawberry pie?
So would I recommend Thinner? Yes, I would. The book rambles a little at times and it doesn't rank as one of his best, but it's a lot better than From a Buick 8, which lacked structure and rambled a LOT. (Click here to read my review). Also, as a diehard Stephen King fan, I'm also happy to sample his lesser-known work. I'll look out for further Richard Bachman books.

What about you? Have you read Thinner? Did you enjoy it? Leave a comment and let me know! (UK readers, you can check out Thinner via the link on the left).
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