Maggie James's Blog, page 12

My two-book publishing deal with Bloodhound Books

Just a quick post this week, but one with exciting news! I'm delighted to announce that I've signed a two-book contract with Bloodhound Books for the republication of The Second Captive and Guilty Innocence.

Bloodhound Books are a leading and fast-growing publisher of crime and thriller fiction, and I believe this will be a very positive step forward for my writing career. It should also dovetail nicely with the publication of His Kidnapper's Shoes and After She's Gone by Lake Union. The exact dates are yet to be decided, but I anticipate that one book will be published in early May, with the other following approximately six weeks later. I'll keep you posted!
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Running a Facebook Book Group

By Maggie James
Have you ever considered setting up an online book club? Then read on. As an author, I benefit greatly from being a member of various Facebook book groups. The better ones ban spam posts, concentrating on encouraging a great mix of readers, book bloggers and authors. It's a wonderful way to grow connections and engage with readers. My favourite is UK Crime Book Club. It's friendly, supportive, and packed with fellow authors, readers and bloggers. At present, it's small, having just over 2,100 members, but growing steadily.

In this post, I interview the lovely David Gilchrist and Caroline Maston, leading lights behind UK Crime Book Club, about running the group and what they have planned for its future.

So what makes it so special? Over to you, David and Caroline!
Tell us how UK Crime Book Club got started.

DG: We wanted to have a group that works for UK-based crime writers, to help promote them and give them a platform to speak to readers and writers both. I would love to have the group be something of a UK crime fiction magazine to keep everyone interested.

CM: I am lucky in that i was bought up in a book loving household; we’ve always been our own kind of mini book group. Then we discovered groups on Facebook and me and my dad got involved in some and thought we could run our own, that focussed on the kind of stuff we like to read and was a place to help authors, bloggers and readers as well as being full of interesting stuff. 

How broad is your definition of ‘crime book’? Do your members read thrillers and suspense novels as well?

CM: As broad as it needs to be; I used to mainly like forensic based ones, The thing I love about this group is it pushes you to try new things; in the year we’ve been running I’ve read high octane thrillers (with spies), books featuring no policemen or investigators, forensic thrillers and everything in between, all by group authors. I would say our members are willing to give most things a go including thrillers and suspense; personally I’d like to see a bit more paranormal crime/urban fantasy crime in the group. 

How do you maintain member interest and engagement? 

DG: This is the difficult area, trying to think up topics for discussion, posting about the authors that are members of the group, the occasional quiz, posting details of new books coming out. Member participation is quite difficult to maintain, but we are working at it.

CM: We try to keep the group going by having active admin and posting discussion topics, having events etc. It can be hard but we have a fab group of regulars that keep us going.
What plans have you got in store for the group?

DG: I would like to set up an award equal to that of the CWA, an Online Crime Writers award. In conjunction with Crime Fiction Addict (another Facebook group) we will be working towards that this year. Last year we ran our own monthly Author of the month awards, this year it is to be the Online CWA with polls on both groups at the same time, with the monthly winners to be in the votes. I have felt for some time the CWA do not give the credit to indies and self-published authors that they deserve. The fightback starts here. (Good to hear it! - MJ). Down the line the hope is for other groups to join us in this.

CM: I'm in total agreement with my dad here. I’d also like to encourage the support that is already there so authors know who to ask for expert help in the group and to help put people in contact with each other. If we keep spreading the word about our authors and helping them out then we are doing something worthwhile with the group.
 
Tell us about the regular online author chats you host.

CM: I arrange the chats. Any group author member can take part; all they have to do is drop me a message or ask in the group and I’ll arrange one for them. They run on Wednesday evenings between 7-8pm and have proven to be a lot of fun in the past. There have been some real highlights, yourself amongst them. (Thanks, Caroline! - MJ).

Can authors promote their books in the group?

CM: we try to keep promotion to a minimum as we have seen groups that get flooded by it and that can spoil the enjoyment for people as well as inducing a sort of promotion blindness. However we recognise that authors need to promote their books so every week we have an author promotion thread. Anyone can post book offers on it and it has a clear picture so you know which one it is. In addition the admins will post some offers or reminders of books, especially if a publication date is looming. We are always happy to help an author out and share their book.
How do you attract new members?

DG: This is no longer a key factor for us. It's more about having existing members engage on the group.

CM: I’m not sure we ever really thought about having a massive group. To be honest we are just two massive book geeks running a group, so I would honestly say we have never really set out to draw in members. We’re happy to see new people but as my dad says we are all about member engagement. 

What useful stuff do you offer for authors?

CM: We have a 'useful people' file that lets you know all the people with expert knowledge in the group who could give you advice on a tricky research point. We also have a list of bloggers who will read and review for people. In addition to that we run author chats and offer promotions as well as running the author of the month poll. We have also in the past distributed review copies for authors and are happy to offer that service again if it was required. 

What useful stuff do you offer for readers and bloggers?

DG: For bloggers we are a platform for them to post their blogs. We run an author promotion thread where authors can post details of offers, and readers can quickly browse to find books that interest them.

CM: We have a file for bloggers and as we have lots of member authors we have posted oppurtunites for bloggers to join blog tours as well as offering review copies of novels. We have had book group chats in the past for readers and offer author chats as well which is a great way to get all those tricky questions about your latest read answered. What do you enjoy most about running UK Crime Book Club?

CM: For me its the chance to have real interactions with the people whose books I enjoy, as well as having the sheer priviledge at times to see careers blossom and to help get books off the ground and running. I think we have a fab bunch of people in the group who I love chatting to. (I agree - it's a great group, made special by the hard work of David, Caroline and the other admin people - MJ).

What advice would you offer to anyone setting up a Facebook Book Club?

DG: There are many groups that are only a platform for authors to promote books. I do not believe this works; I do monitor them and the member participation seems to be very low. To set up a new group, clearly define the parameters and try to find it's USP (Unique selling point).

CM: They take a lot of running. Only commit if you have people who will help you run it. I think the best groups have a niche to meet people's interests and are run by people passionate about the group's subject. Book groups can stagnate if they are over controlled but at the same time I see way too many groups that are just places where people are mean to each other. You should be prepared to monitor group activity and make sure your group is a pleasant place to be. 

What’s been the most fun thing to happen in the club?

CM: For me it was meeting some of the authors in person, and the very first author chat we ever did was a lot of fun too, mostly because we learnt a lot from it about how to make the chats run more smoothly. The author who did that one is returning for a follow-up performance soon. 
Thanks, Caroline and David!
It's been great talking with you! I can vouch for the commitment that David and Caroline show in running UK Crime Book Club. The group is friendly, engaged, and without the constant promotional posts that spoil some other book groups. It's a good place to interact with bloggers, readers and other authors.

Interested in joining UK Crime Book Club? You can find out more via this link.Enjoyed this post? Please share via the links below:
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Author interview - Andy Barrett

This week I'm delighted to welcome crime novelist Andy Barrett to my blog. Andy has been writing best-selling thrillers since the mid-1990s, all set in northern England. He’s also written several short stories, and co-written a number of television scripts. His stories focus on the world of crime scene investigators, using his own expertise as a senior CSI to develop his fiction. Andy has recently published the fourth novel in his CSI Eddie Collins series, Ledston Luck. OK, let's get going with the questions!

What inspired the plot for Ledston Luck?

Most writers tend to get going with their stories by asking the What If question. I do too, but with most of my stories, and especially with Ledston Luck, first came a couple of scenes. One scene I latched onto as I drove over a canal bridge, was the sight of a woman’s face just beneath the water’s surface. Of course there was no woman there, I’d imagined it, but it looked very real for a moment, and that stuck with me. I wrote a scene around Eddie pulling her from the water.

The next scene grew in my mind from a small kernel: I saw a naked woman sitting in a stout wooden chair in a dark farmhouse kitchen. The door opened and in stepped two burglars. The naked woman didn’t scream or run away, she reached for the shotgun next to her.

Both of these scenes excited me enough to then ask the What If question, and I slowly constructed a story around them.Eddie Collins - a man who hates injustice...
Tell us what demons drive the angst-ridden Eddie Collins.

Eddie Collins is seen by many as angry most or all of the time. But he’s not. He’s just as angry at the man standing next to you in the bus queue noisily chewing on a toffee. What makes Eddie different is that he’s not good at controlling his anger. He’d most likely step away from the toffee-chewer because, if he didn’t, he’d say something that everyone else in the queue would be thinking – and it probably wouldn’t be pleasant. Eddie is not only poor at controlling his feelings, he’s not exactly tactful. He’s an honest, down-to-earth man who really does speak as he sees, and it doesn’t matter if that guy at the bus queue is a street-sweeper, a copper, or Prince Philip, no one is exempt from a Collins tongue-lashing.

Eddie is a cuddly bunny if he’s on your side. And all you need in order for him to be on your side is to experience injustice. He hates injustice, whether it’s a victim of murder or someone scratching your car for no good reason. These extremes, and all the other things in between infuriate him; that’s the root of his anger.
 
What’s next for Eddie? Will there be another in the series, and if so, can you give us any hints?

Next for Eddie is a novella called The Note. As with all Eddie’s short stories, I write them in first person because I adore the immediacy of it, the relentless onslaught of thought and action. I don’t think I could sustain that through a full novel, but in short story form, it’s so exhilarating. I’m hoping to release that this summer.

I adore writing Eddie. And I think that’s because I can relate to him so much; he can say the things I feel and get away with them (I can’t, I’ve tried!), and that alone is a wonderfully refreshing experience, so I’ll definitely write more Eddie books.

Over the coming weeks I’m really hoping to get stuck into a new Eddie novel. I have a scene in mind and who knows, I might be able to grow a story from it. In it I picture Eddie beating someone to death. I know, I know, it sounds horrific (and maybe it is!) but there must be a reason behind it? We’ll see.
Wow - 1.6 million words written to date!
What have you written to date?

Lord and Master (not published)
Charlotte’s Lodge (not published)
Knavesmire (not published)
Charlotte and the Troll – a short story published in an anthology
Shelley Mandrake (formerly entitled When Sleep Beckons) – a short story published in an anthology
Beth’s Story – an (old) Eddie Collins short story – published in an anthology
Any Old Iron – a short story not published in an anthology!
A Long Time Dead – SOCO Roger Conniston 1
Stealing Elgar – SOCO Roger Conniston 2
No More Tears – SOCO Roger Conniston 3
The Third Rule – CSI Eddie Collins 1
Black by Rose - CSI Eddie Collins 2
Sword of Damocles - CSI Eddie Collins 3
Ledston Luck - CSI Eddie Collins 4
The Lift – a CSI Eddie Collins short story
The Note – a CSI Eddie Collins novella (not yet published)

I’ve also co-written eleven hours of television scripts featuring as the lead character a chap called Roger Conniston!

I think that lot represents somewhere around 1.6 million words.
Do you work to an outline or plot or do you prefer to see where an idea takes you?

I have tried to work to an outline. And failed miserably. I find the story tends to grow from an initial scene or two. Having said that, I can recollect two books that benefitted from a bit of planning. Stealing Elgar and Ledston Luck both stalled at around 100k words and 50k words mark respectively. I could see where I wanted to be at the end, but I couldn’t figure out how to get there. So I made myself stop staring at the cursor, and took out a sheet of paper and a pencil. I managed to draw up a list of scenes that could take me there, and plotted from each scene a consequence, incorporating that consequence into the following scenes until I reached my goal. I finished those books remarkably quickly once I knew exactly what came next. Of course you (I mean me) can’t plan for the unexpected happening while writing a scene, so it’s always good to have written the list in pencil!

I wish I could plot a book from page one to page 400 but I can’t. I’ve tried.
 
How long does it take you to write a book to first draft stage?

It changes depending on my circumstances. I began The Third Rule in 2004 and finished it in 2012. That was because I took a seven year break from it while I chased a dream of writing for television. I wrote and published Black by Rose inside six months. I’m pretty sure I could never do that again though; it damned near killed me!

I should say I can easily write a book and a short in a year, but I don’t think I’d want to do more than that because I’m working full-time (about 60 hours a week), and I’m trying to become more normal. By that I mean that I’m trying to be a good dad, and I’m trying to sample life outside in the real world. I quite like some of it, though if truth be told, I feel more at home inside my head where my characters and my story live.
Write until your heart bleeds...
How do you select the names of your characters?

Great question. I put a lot of thought into names for central characters, but I usually end up just choosing something that sounds right for that person. I began the first crime book with a central character called Jonathan Benedict. I have no idea where that name came from. But after the first book I disliked it; it felt too wimpish, so I changed it to Roger Conniston, and that gave him (in my eyes) a far more purposeful stance; he had more verve. I got ‘Roger’ from Mr Taylor of Queen (I love Queen), and Conniston from the Lake District (with an extra ‘n’). I took ‘Collins’ from the dictionary at my side because it was nice and easy to say and rolled from the tongue pleasantly when combined with ‘Eddie’ – also chosen because it was short, and I think, because it’s a trustworthy name.

In Black by Rose, the bad man was called Slade Crosby. I got ‘Slade’ from HMP Slade. Remember Porridge with Ronnie Barker? Yes, that’s where my Slade came from. And I took ‘Crosby’ from Bing; it’s also a friendly-sounding name that I used for a most evil man because ‘friendly’ and ‘evil’ co-habit often.

Most of the other names I choose are simply because they sound right rather than coming from a specially selected source; they fir the character’s time-frame and their social standing. ‘Divine Wright’ from Ledston Luck has a certain religious connotation, and how could a woman who was called Divine turn out to be so evil? Her mother, Lisbeth, was a religious woman, and I figured her own parents would have been too, and whether it’s correct or not, I thought ‘Lisbeth’ sounded religious, and it also sounded Edwardian, which is the time frame they would have grown up in.
 
What kind of research do you do?

Absolutely none. Well, no that’s not entirely true. I do research weapons; I had to for Stealing Elgar and The Third Rule, and I did a little more in Ledston Luck because I wanted to get a specific shotgun cartridge manufacturer and the details of their cartridge correct.
 
What advice would you give to would-be novelists?

If you don’t enjoy it, stop. If you do enjoy it, push everything else aside and do it until your eyes, fingers, and heart bleed. Then do it some more.
Thank you, Andy! Readers can find out more via these links:
Website: http://andrew-barrett.co.uk
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AndrewBarrettUK
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AndrewBarrett.author
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrewbarrettauthor
Amazon.co.uk: https://goo.gl/Hqps9K
Amazon.com: https://goo.gl/nHdV8c
Contact: Andrew@andrew-barrett.co.uk
UK readers, click these links to buy the Eddie Collins novels:
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Truth - as strange as fiction!

A tragic yet interesting case made the news last week with the revelation that a young American woman, Kamiyah Mobley, had discovered she'd been abducted as a baby. It seems she'd harboured an inkling for a while that she may have been kidnapped. DNA tests have now proved that she is the baby abducted from a Florida hospital in July 1998 by a woman posing as a nurse. Gloria Williams, who is now in custody, brought her up as her own daughter, unbeknown to the man who believed himself to be the child's father.

The case caught my eye because it mirrors closely the events in my novel His Kidnapper's Shoes. While Daniel is abducted as a young child, not a baby, and from his home rather than a hospital, other facts are similar. Laura Bateman brings him up as her own child, and the truth only emerges after Daniel reaches adulthood. Like Kamiyah, he has harboured suspicions that Laura may not be his biological mother, although his doubts stem from early childhood.

The original idea for His Kidnapper's Shoes came from a conversation I had concerning missing children. I put forward the opinion that most children who are kidnapped are taken by opportunistic predators. Someone else disagreed, saying that perhaps some are stolen by people unable to have children of their own. That makes sense when a baby is concerned, of course; it's believed Williams suffered a miscarriage a week before she kidnapped Kamiyah. A tragic set of events for all concerned.

Anyway, the conversation got me thinking. How would it feel to discover as an adult that you'd been kidnapped as a child? That the woman who you considered your mother was actually your abductor? From that seed was born the idea for His Kidnapper's Shoes. Here's a taster:

On some deep level inside, Laura Bateman knows something is wrong. That her relationship with her son is not what it should be. That it is based on lies.

But bad things have happened to Laura. Things that change a person. Forever.

For twenty-six-year old Daniel, the discovery that his mother is not who he thought comes close to destroying him. As his world turns upside down, he searches for sanity in the madness that has become his life. Daniel is left with nothing but questions. Why did Laura do something so terrible? Can he move past the demons of his childhood?

And the biggest question of all: can he ever forgive Laura?

A tense novel of psychological suspense, His Kidnapper's Shoes weaves one man's quest for his identity with one woman's need to heal her troubled past. You can buy the book from Amazon in e-book or paperback format via this link.
 
By a strange coincidence, round about the same time as I finished the first draft of the book,  another case came to light in America in which a young woman discovered she'd been kidnapped from hospital as a baby. A while back I blogged about novels based on real-life cases. You can read the post here.

I wish Kamiyah Mobley and both her families well in what must be extraordinarily difficult circumstances.
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Five Useful Books for Writers

In this week's post, I want to share five books I've found helpful along my writing journey. They cover a range of topics from mindset to productivity, and I dip into them regularly. I hope you find them useful.
1: Rachel Aaron - 2k to 10k: Writing Faster, Writing Better, and Writing More of What You Love
This was one of the first books I read on writing productivity, and it's one of the best. I know several of my author friends have already benefitted from its wisdom. Adopt its principles and you'll find the annual NaNoWriMo competition, in which contestants attempt to write 50,000 words of a novel within thirty days, a breeze. A caveat - it's aimed at those who prefer to plan their books rather than adopting a more 'seat of the pants' approach. But if you're hoping to increase your daily word count, while enjoying the process of writing more, then this book may be what you're looking for. Why not try it?
2: Libbie Hawker - Take Off Your Pants!: Outline Your Books for Faster, Better Writing
Talking of writing with a 'seat of the pants' approach, my next recommendation is Libbie Hawker's wonderfully titled book. I bought this one because I was curious about other methods of planning and plotting a novel. So far I've used Randy Ingermansson's Snowflake method, which I love - it suits the way my brain works. However, apart from mentioning that novels should contain three disasters, the Snowflake method gives little guidance about novel structure. Step into the picture, Libbie Hawkes! Libbie's excellent book gives detailed instructions for pacing your novel properly, with plenty of examples. I highly recommend it.
3: Jacqueline Garlick - Tick-Tock Edits: How To Edit Your Own Writing: Ten Quick and Easy Tips To Strengthen Any Manuscript
Jacqueline's book (another one with a great title!) doesn't pretend to be a detailed treatise on how to edit a novel. Instead, what she provides are eleven (yes, eleven, despite what the title says) useful things to remember when editing. Ditch those adverbs, watch out for annoying speech tags, etc... all helpful stuff. I worked through 'The Second Captive' this morning, pruning the narrative according to her advice, and it really helped. Once I'd removed the offending words, the prose was cleaner, crisper and better.

Besides, for the measly price of 99p, you can't go wrong!
4: Joanna Penn - How to Make a Living with Your Writing: Books, Blogging and More
Joanna Penn is a well-established novelist, and one of the most helpful people on the planet when it comes to assisting other writers. Her non-fiction website, The Creative Penn, is packed with useful tips and advice, and Joanna blogs and creates podcasts regularly. So it's no surprise that she's also written a series of excellent books aimed at authors. I've bought most of them, but the one I want to highlight today is 'How to Make a Living With Your Writing'. It's full of practical advice, including tips on mindset, productivity and advice on your options for getting published. There's also a companion workbook to guide you through answering the questions.
5: Honoree Corder - Prosperity for Writers: A Writer's Guide to Creating Abundance
My final book today is Honoree Corder's very helpful 'Prosperity for Writers - A Writer's Guide to Creating Abundance'. As the title suggests, it's about adopting the right mindset concerning the earnings you can expect as a writer. When I tell people I'm a novelist, they often ask whether I can sustain a living that way. I get tired of this assumption that all writers earn a pittance, and it's one Honoree aims to dispel. She discusses the importance of positive thinking and of not succumbing to the notion that your writing won't be lucrative. As she's a full-time writer herself, she knows a thing or two about this!
UK readers, check out these books on Amazon! (Affiliate links)
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Author interview - Karen Long

This week I'm delighted to welcome novelist Karen Long to my blog. Karen Long is a Midlander by birth and now lives in Shropshire. She took up full-time writing ten years ago and dedicates her days to writing crime fiction and observing nature. 

Her first novel, 'The Safe Word', reached the Amazon bestsellers' list and has now been followed by the second in the Eleanor Raven series, 'The Vault'.

It's great to have you here, Karen, so let's get started! Here's my first question:

Will there be a set number of books in the Eleanor Raven series? If so, how many?

It was always my intention to create a series of three novels that were linked thematically. The series takes place over the span of eighteen months and shares the same cast of characters and place but deals with a separate central story. I’ve just finished the third book and have started a stand-alone thriller, which should be out summer 2017. I don’t intend to drop the Eleanor Raven character but have no plans for book four any time soon.

When can we expect the next Eleanor Raven novel? Can you give us a hint of what it’s about?

Book three is finished and is in the final stages of cover design and formatting. With luck it should be out in January 2017. It’s called ‘The Cold Room’ and is about a series of seemingly unconnected murders by different killers, which have to be linked by Raven. I wanted the third book to be more complicated and less conventional in terms of whodunnit and why.
An innate need for redemption...
Do you share any character traits with DI Eleanor Raven?

Ah, that’s difficult. It would be disingenuous to suggest that there aren’t some aspects of the characters I create buried within my psyche. I don’t think I feel the anger, or the self-loathing that Eleanor Raven does but I like my independence and feel more comfortable alone than in company. Like Eleanor I am not religious but have an innate need for redemption. I believe most writers amplify their own characteristics when creating; how else can you achieve authenticity? 

Do you see yourself writing in other genres besides crime fiction? If so, which ones, and what attracts you to them?

I like historical fiction and would love to write one but feel a little overawed by the amount of research I’d need to do. I suspect any story would have to be combined with a good murder plot, as I have little leaning towards romance. I have copy of a YA fantasy novel set in Victorian London, which is tucked away in my desk drawer. Every now and then I pull it out with the intention of self- publishing but never quite commit.

What’s a typical writing day like for you? Routines, that kind of thing?

I am not, in any way, organised as to a writing routine. I harbour a deep sense of guilt regarding my glacial output but have to be completely distraction free. I have an office but like to write in the conservatory, which has a great view of the numerous birdfeeders. Generally, I do write everyday and it tends to be late morning into afternoon.
Running, reading, rooks and ravens
How long does it take you to write the first draft of a novel? Are you a plotter, a pantser or somewhere in between?

It takes me about seven months to get a first draft completed, and then another couple to complete the second and third drafts. I am not a deadline sort of person, I’m way too vague and unfocussed. I used to write copious notes but found they didn’t really help with plotting. Now I just keep mental images of actions and storylines.

What issues have you faced with research and accuracy with setting your books in a different country?

It’s very liberating to set your novels in a different environment because it can be moulded into the vision of a cityscape that responds to your plot. That’s not to say that I am lazy with place or time. I always check distances and environments with virtual maps, and read about places from as many sources as possible. I do have a working knowledge of the detailed landscapes and buildings that feature in the novels. However, it is because I am not native to Toronto that I have been able to create a vision from the flavours I experienced. It’s not accurate but then I’m writing fiction, not a travel guide.

What do you do to relax after a hard day’s writing?

Running, reading and a couple of glasses of wine.

Tell us about the rescue work you do with injured and distressed birds.

I’m a huge bird fan, particularly of the crow family. I used to have an aviary filled with rooks, magpies, crows and jackdaws, all in various stages of decrepitude but sadly we no longer have any left. Every spring I manage to look after and release a few babies that didn’t quite make their first flight a success. I’ve kept ravens, which are wonderful. All have deliciously dangerous and cantankerous personalities but the mayhem and home destruction can be very alarming and expensive. There are few things more delightful than having a clever wild bird sit on your shoulder and share a biscuit.
Thank you, Karen! It's been great talking to you.

You can find out more about Karen and her novels via these links:
Website/Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads
Eleanor Raven on Facebook/Eleanor Raven on Twitter

UK readers, check out Karen's books on Amazon:

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My 2017 writing goals

This week I've been working on my goals for 2017, both personal and professional. 2016 has been a phenomenal year for my writing career, what with signing my Lake Union contract and winning two of the Bards and Sages annual awards. I'm hoping to achieve even greater heights in 2017!

My writing will face a new challenge next year, as I'm embarking on an open-ended trip in April. I'll be working my way south from Toronto to the tip of South America, with no set return date. My trip might take anything between six months and two years, and along the way I'll continue to write my novels. Quite how I'll fuse the demands of backpacking with the stability I need to write is anyone's guess! I'm sure I'll work it out...

Part of keeping myself on track has been listing out my key writing goals for 2017. These include:

1. Being more organised and proactive with my marketing efforts. I'm the first to admit this isn't something I find easy!

2. Getting Guilty Innocence, The Second Captive and Sister Psychopath into audio book format.

3. Setting myself an annual writing target of 200,000 words, which equates to two decent-sized novels. I aim to write daily whenever possible and to track my efforts via a spreadsheet (see images below).  Thanks to Margaret McGaffey Fisk, who provided the template I adapted. You can find it via this link.
Unusually for me, I've gone low-tech with the rest of my 2017 planning. I've been using a combination of Microsoft OneNote and Mozilla Thunderbird to keep myself organised, but they don't really cut it for me when it comes to goal planning, and I didn't like having everything spread over two pieces of software.

Despite my best efforts, though, I couldn't find a digital planning system that worked the way I wanted, so I investigated analogue versions. I eventually settled on the 2017 Action Day Planner as the closest to what I wanted. It has the added advantage of not being likely to attract attention if I use it in public in some of the sketchier places I'll be visiting, unlike my laptop. I'm looking forward to using it!
What about you? Are you a writer who's been setting 2017 goals? If so, I'd love to hear what you have planned! Leave a comment and let me know.
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Interview with Caroline Mitchell

Today I'm delighted to welcome thriller writer Caroline Mitchell to my blog. Caroline is the best-selling author of the supernatural crime series featuring DC Jennifer Knight, as well as more conventional crime fiction with DS Ruby Preston as the main character. Welcome to my blog, Caroline! Let's get started on the interview.

Tell us how you came to sign with Bookouture for your supernatural crime series featuring DC Jennifer Knight.

Hi Maggie, thanks for having me. I sent Don’t Turn Around to a handful of publishers and agents, and despite getting some manuscript requests they all came back with the same concern; the paranormal crime genre does not sell well in supermarkets and book shops. I had successfully self-published in the past and was ready to do it again when I came across Bookouture online. Their website drew me in, and for a while, I wondered if they were too good to be true. They weren’t as well known back then and only had a handful of authors. They were open to all genres, and I liked what they had to say, so I submitted online. I was thrilled when Oliver got back to me to say they were interested, and my timing was perfect as they were taking on a new crime editor, Keshini Naidoo. A few weeks later I met Keshini for coffee, and she told me she wanted to sign me up in a three book deal. I was over the moon.

Do you share any character traits with DC Ruby Preston, your lead character from your other Bookouture crime series? If so, which ones?

Writing Ruby was great fun. I don’t share any of her traits (apart from her love of rum) but if I had to spend a day in someone’s shoes, it would be hers – if only to spend time with Nathan!
Book two of the DS Ruby Preston series is coming...
Your next book, Witness, will be published on December 16, 2016. Tell us how you used your experience as a police officer in dealing with domestic abuse to shape this novel.

I have worked in various departments in the police over the years. My most recent role was safeguarding high risk victims of domestic abuse. Obviously I can’t write about real cases but my experience has enabled me to write each scene with authenticity. I wanted to portray to readers how difficult it is for victims of domestic abuse to leave such relationships, and the power of coercive control.

Readers, here's a taste of Witness for you:

To Rebecca it was a brave decision that led to her freedom from domestic abuse. To Solomon it was the ultimate betrayal.

It’s been ten years since Rebecca’s testimony saw Solomon locked away. Enough time for the nightmares to recede, the nerves to relax; enough time to rebuild her life and put the past behind her.

Then one day a phone rings in her bedroom—but it’s not her phone. Solomon has been in her home, and has a very simple message for her: for each of the ten years he has spent in jail, Rebecca must witness a crime. And, to make matters worse, she has to choose the victims.

Fail to respond and you get hurt. Talk to police and you die. Ready to play? You have sixty seconds to decide…

As the crimes grow more severe, the victims closer to home, Rebecca is forced to confront a past she had hoped was gone forever.

Wow, that sounds great! What’s next from you after the publication of Witness?

That’s a good question. Book two of the DS Ruby Preston series is due to be released in 2017 and I’m going to continue to write a mixture of crime and psychological thriller novels.

Have you always wanted to be a novelist, or has it been a more recent decision?

I’ve always enjoyed reading but it never occurred to me that I should write until I was compelled to publish my true story, Paranormal Intruder. It was a way of coming to terms with my experiences, given I was a police officer who looked at things in an analytical way. After I finished the book, I was bitten by the writing bug and went on to pen Don’t Turn Around.

Tell us how you used positive thinking to leave the police force and become a novelist.

My experiences with the paranormal completely changed my outlook on life. I was given a DVD of ‘The Secret’ by a friend and it blew me away. Positive affirmations were very important and I imagined myself as a full time author long before I left my job. Having said that, life is all about perspective, and we owe it to ourselves to be happy and live for today.
Horse-riding, Italian food and rum cocktails coming up!
What’s your greatest challenge as a full-time writer?

I have a very short attention span and get distracted easily. Social media is of huge benefit as I get to chat to some great people but it also drains my time. I set daily word count goals and try to stick to them, switching off the internet until it gets done.

Do you see yourself writing in any genres besides crime? If so, which ones?

I write psychological thrillers as well as crime, and my DC Jennifer Knight series contains ghostly themes. I could never write romance, because someone would end up getting murdered along the way. Most of my books delve into my characters' minds so I class them all under the thriller genre.

When you’re not writing, what do you do to relax and have fun?

I write and work pretty much all day every day, as I have some very tight deadlines. I am looking forward to when I can relax a little more. I love horse riding and it’s something I’d love to return to one day. I also love the cinema and watching super hero movies.

What’s your favourite food? Drink?

Italian food. I love it. As for drink; wine, rum, cocktails, I’m not fussy! Oh and if anyone wants to send me coffee cake I won’t say no!
 
Thanks so much for having me, it was fun!

Thank you for letting me interview you, Caroline!

If you'd like to know more about Caroline and her books, check out her website at www.carolinemitchellauthor.com.
UK readers, here are Caroline's books on Amazon:
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Sign up for my newsletter and you'll receive books from other novelists (with their permission, of course!), reading recommendations, discounts on my future releases, as well as promotions and giveaways.  I'll contact you every two months or when I release a new title, and will never divulge your details to any third parties. To sign up, click this link. Thank you!

Signed copies of His Kidnapper's Shoes available!

I have a limited (twenty) number of signed paperback copies of His Kidnapper's Shoes available for purchase. The cost per copy is £10 including postage and packaging to anywhere in the UK, payable by bank transfer. Apologies, but due to postage costs I'm limiting this offer to UK buyers only.

If you'd like a copy, please email me with the following:

1. Your name and address.
2. How many copies you want to buy.
3. Any particular message you'd like me to include.

I'll reply with Orelia Publishing's bank account details so you can make payment. Once I receive the money, I'll sign your book and put a copy in the post for you.

Please email me at maggiejamesfiction@gmail.com to request your copy. Thank you!
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Free books when you sign up for my newsletter!
Sign up for my newsletter and you'll receive books from other novelists (with their permission, of course!), reading recommendations, discounts on my future releases, as well as promotions and giveaways.  I'll contact you every two months or when I release a new title, and will never divulge your details to any third parties. To sign up, click this link. Thank you!

After She's Gone is now available for pre-order!

Click the link to pre-order!I'm delighted to announce that my next novel, After She's Gone, is now available for pre-order from Amazon! The book will be published on March 16, 2017 in both kindle and paperback formats. Here's a taster:

Lori Golden’s family has had more than its fair share of troubles. But through it all, Lori and her sister, Jessie, have always supported each other. Then Jessie is killed. And Lori’s world turns upside down.

Devastated, Lori struggles to cope with her loss, and to learn to live in a world without her bright, bubbly sister by her side. Around her, her already fractured family starts to fall apart. And as Lori and her mother try to pick up the pieces of their shattered lives, secrets long thought buried are coming painfully to light.

Faced with the unthinkable, Lori is forced to ask herself how well she really knows those who are left behind…

You can either click the image or this link to pre-order.
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Get free books when you sign up for my newsletter!
Sign up for my newsletter and you'll receive books from other novelists (with their permission, of course!), reading recommendations, discounts on my future releases, as well as promotions and giveaways.  I'll contact you every two months or when I release a new title, and will never divulge your details to any third parties. To sign up, click this link. Thank you!