A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL MY READERS
I think I’ll have to apologise again for another long period of silence. No sooner was my son’s wedding over (and it was a fantastic day, very informal and very happy) than Christmas was upon us…then New Year and my birthday. All in all, it seemed as if we were lurching from one celebration to another which was lovely.
However, once the holiday period was over I had to get back to work and I’ve been wrestling with the first draft of the next Wesley novel that I completed in December. I don’t know whether it was being distracted by my father’s illness or being swept up with the wedding and Christmas celebrations, but I found the draft needed considerably more work than I anticipated. This has meant the draft has needed to undergo considerable revision (a bit like knitting fog with sheets of paper scattered all over my office). I’m just waiting for that moment when everything starts falling into place – for every writer it’s the best feeling ever!
THE NEXT BIG THING BLOG HOP
It’s good to begin the New Year with something new and my fellow member of The Murder Squad, Cath Staincliffe www.cathstaincliffe.co.uk has asked me to take part in a blog movement called ‘The Next Big Thing Blog Hop’. In essence an author answers a handful of questions, posts them on their blog or website and then tags two to five other authors. It's a way of highlighting talent and recommending authors to followers.
The Questions are:
What is the working title of your next book?
The Shadow Collector
Where did the idea come from for the book?
A visit to Gallants Bower, a Civil War fort above Dartmouth Castle. I started thinking what the West Country was like in the seventeenth century. As I researched, I discovered that witchcraft was a major preoccupation at the time.
What genre does your book fall under?
Crime with a bit of history thrown in
What actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie rendition?
Definitely Adrian Lester as Wesley Peterson
What is the one sentence synopsis of your book?
An alleged witch is jailed for the brutal murder of two teenage girls and when she is released the killings start again…but when terrible secrets are uncovered, DI Wesley Peterson finds that all is not as it seems.
Will your book be self-published or represented by an agency?
Represented by Euan Thorneycroft of A M Heath
How long did it take you to write the first draft of the manuscript?
Three months to write a rough first draft but a lot of rewriting after that
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre?
I suppose I could say it’s rather like Peter Robinson or Colin Dexter with a historical back story.
Who or what inspired you to write this book?
The fact that anybody regarded as an outsider can be particularly vulnerable to accusations, something that has been true throughout history.
What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest?
The blend of a modern day murder case (which even involves a reality TV show!) with a four hundred year old mystery.
One of the aims of the Next Big Thing is to bring attention to other crime writers’ websites and blogs. Here are a few for you to visit:
Martin Edwards is the award winning author of two series, one set in Liverpool and one in the Lake District. His next Lake District Book The Frozen Shroud will be published soon. www.martinedwardsbooks.com
Priscilla Masters is the author of two series, one featuring Joanna Piercy and the other featuring Coroner Martha Gunn as well as a number of stand alone crime novels. Her website is www.priscillamasters.co.uk
Frances Brody is the author of the Kate Shackleton mysteries set in 1920s Yorkshire. Her latest novel is A Woman Unknown. www.francesbrody.com