EVENT ALERT: FEMMES FATALES PANEL – 6.30pm Thursday 24th November. Portsmouth Writer’s Hub

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If you’re in Portsmouth on Thursday then why not pop along to the Portsmouth Writer’s Hub ‘Femmes Fatale’ event.

As part of Portsmouth DarkFest, five female authors will be talking about the dark themes in their work, why they chose them and how they write – and one of the authors is me!

Here’s the full ‘femme fatale’ line up …

Cal Moriarty, Author is the creator and author of the Wonderland series published by Faber. A series which can be read together or as standalone novels. The first novel in the Wonderland series, The Killing of Bobbi Lomax, was published by Faber in hardback on May 5th, 2015 and described by the London Times as a ‘Total wow of a debut. Superb.’ It was named as A Crime Novel of the Year (2015) by the Financial Times.

Steph Broadribb – ‘Crime Thriller Girl’ – was born in Birmingham and grew up in Buckinghamshire. Most of her working life has been spent between the UK and USA. As her alter ego – Crime Thriller Girl – she indulges her love of all things crime fiction by blogging at www.crimethrillergirl.com, where she interviews authors and reviews the latest releases. Her debut novel Deep Down Dead published by Orenda books is out as an eBook now and in paperback in January 17.

V.H.LeslieVictoria Leslie – writes fiction that focuses on psychological issues and perspectives, that blurs boundaries or takes place within liminal or marginal spaces. Her stories are driven by setting and often connect to other texts, to mythology, folklore and art. Her short story collection ‘Skein and Bones’ and her first novel ‘Bodies of Water’ were both released earlier this year.

Carolyn Hughes – Author is writer of historical fiction set in the middle ages. Her debut novel ‘Fortune’s Wheel’ published by Silverwood books is about the aftermath of the Black Death in a fictional Hampshire village and is out this Autumn.

The panel will be moderated by Diana Bretherick – a criminologist, former barrister and author. She has written two historical thrillers in the Lombroso series – ‘City of Devils and ‘The Devil’s Daughters’, published by Orion. Both are set in 19th century Turin and feature the world’s first criminologist.

The event is free. To find out more follow this link – Femmes Fatale

Hopefully see you there!

Book to Film News: Wentworth Miller to adapt Scare Me for the screen

cover image: Scare Me

cover image: Scare Me

Exciting news just out of Angry Robot: Exhibit A HQ tells me that Relatively Media have acquired the film rights to Richard Parker’s psychological thriller Scare Me and have asked Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller to adapt the novel for the big screen.

Scare Me tells the story of a wealthy businessman who receives a phone call in the middle of the night asking him, ‘When did you last google yourself?’ He does just that, and discovers a website with photos of his own home, along with six other houses he’s never seen before. One photo shows a gruesome murder.

Sounds like it’s going to be a must-watch film.

For more details head over to http://exhibitabooks.com

Book to Film: the same, but different?

English: Tom Cruise on MTV Live in December 2008

English: Tom Cruise on MTV Live in December 2008 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

I’ve always found book to screen adaptations rather hit and miss. There are some that I’ve loved – The Shawshank Redemption and I am Legend, for example. And those I’ve regretted seeing, like The Runaway Jury.

So, as a fan of Lee Child’s fabulous character Jack Reacher, I had mixed feelings about watching the new JACK REACHER film.

Would it live up to the book (one of my favorite of the series)?

Could Tom Cruise really play the ‘larger-than-life’ character of Reacher?

But I was curious to see the film, and so last night I ventured off to the cinema to view it.

And I liked it.

It was true enough to the book and the character for me to recognise them, the action was slick, and the pace kept moving (and me interested). And it didn’t matter that Tom Cruise’s Reacher didn’t look exactly as I’d pictured Reacher in my mind as I read the books. The character was there, just a bit different. For me it worked.

I wonder if they’ll make another one?

I hope they do.