The paperback of THE MECHANICAL DEVIL was published at the start of this month and I spent some time in my local Waterstones stores (Stockport and Wilmslow) chatting to readers and signing books. It’s so lovely to meet the people who enjoy my books and talk about writing and crime fiction in general. Writing can be an isolated occupation so it’s great to get out and about meeting readers from time to time.
After a busy couple of weeks I enjoyed a five day break in Germany, a country I’d never visited before. We stayed in Wurzburg and saw a variety of stunning medieval towns including the lovely university town of Heidelberg. I was particularly amused by the ‘student prison’ where drunken and unruly students were incarcerated (leaving a lot of interesting graffiti on the walls).
A particular highlight for me was a visit to Bamberg, the scene of infamous witch trials in the seventeenth century (although, unlike Pendle and Salem, this part of the town’s history tends to be played down). The reason for my particular interest was that my younger son has written an academic text book on the subject of seventeenth century witch hunts and when I read it (as a dutiful mother should!) I found it fascinating. Of course I’ve already covered the subject briefly in my Wesley Peterson novel THE SHADOW COLLECTOR, but my visit to Bamberg inspired me to write a short story about the Bamberg witches which I’m hoping will be published in an anthology next year.
The heatwave appears to be over just as I’m getting ready to travel to Devon for a week of book signings, a library talk, some research and (hopefully) a spot of relaxation in the stunning Devon landscape. I’ll be signing books at The Dartmouth Bookshop on Tuesday 4th September at 2pm http://dartmouthbookseller.co.uk/category/events/ and at Waterstones, Torquay https://www.waterstones.com/events/search/author/7474/shop/torquay on Wednesday 5th from 11am to 12.30pm. I’m also travelling up to North Devon to speak at South Molton Library on Thursday 6th at 6.30pm. If you can make it to any of these events it would be fantastic to meet you. I’m so looking forward to being in Devon again – with the added bonus that I’ll catch the final day of Dartmouth Royal Regatta which is always great fun. https://www.dartmouthregatta.co.uk/
Do hope to meet you in Devon!