My latest Stephanie Marland thriller – You Die Next – is out this week – here’s the video trailer…
You can buy the ebook, audio book and paperback now in bookstores, and from Amazon by clicking on the book cover below:
Tag: Psychological thriller
#crimewritersincafesprocrastinating – @RonaHalsallAuth talks about Keep You Safe, dog walking and Twitter! #crimefiction
Today crime writer Rona Halsall is my guest on Crime Writers In Cafes Procrastinating. As the title suggests, this is where I get to quiz writers about the lengths they go to procrastinate when they should be writing, and how they (eventually) manage to win against the temptation of the path of procrastination to finish their books.
Rona’s debut novel – KEEP YOU SAFE – is out now and I can’t wait to quiz her all about her writing and procrastination habits…
Welcome, Rona! So tell me about your latest book
My debut novel, Keep You Safe is about Natalie, a woman who has been wronged in the most terrible way and now she is determined to put those wrongs right. She has been convicted of a crime she has no memory of committing, but her husband doesn’t believe her and he takes their baby son to live on the Isle of Man, where she has no legal rights. Three years later, when Natalie is released from prison, she sets out to find her son, knowing that his life is in danger. But who can she trust?
How long did Keep You Safe take to write?
It probably took a couple of years, with many rounds of editing and the finished novel is very, very different to my first draft. It started life as a romantic mystery, but when I pitched to an agent at a Literary festival, she said she liked my writing but felt my voice was more suited to a psychological thriller. So I re-wrote the whole thing, and it took a little while to get the plot right.
What’s your favourite writing/procrastination spot?
That would be dog walking in the many lovely places we have here on the island – forests, glens, old railway lines and beaches. Whenever I get stuck, it’s time for a dog walk to clear my head and sort out whatever problem I’ve come up against. There’s usually a coffee shop involved along the way, because dog walking is thirsty work, isn’t it?
What’s your writing process – do you jump straight in, or plan and plot first?
Keep You Safe was definitely written in a pantser style, but the edits were so complicated and time-consuming that I’ve decided I need to plot. My second book, Love You Gone, was plotted and it only took six weeks to get a rough first draft together, so I’ve decided that’s the way forward for me. Of course there’s always room to stray from the plan when a better idea pops up, but in general I feel it saves time to do all the creative thinking up-front, get the plot sorted and then the writing is much, much easier.
When you’re writing, do you find you procrastinate more at the beginning, middle or end of the draft or equally across all three?
Procrastination is an integral part of my writing process, I think! Maybe it’s a way of turning off active thinking and letting your subconscious get to work on your ideas. I think copyedits are my least favourite part of the process, so I probably procrastinate more at this stage than any other!
Do you prefer first drafts or edits (and why?)
I love the freedom of the first draft and the flow of words when you really get into the groove and you surprise yourself. That’s a little bit of creative magic and it’s a wonderful feeling. But I like the editing process as well. I like fiddling with sentences to get the words just right, working out how to describe emotions and places in a way that will give the reader a picture in their mind and let them really experience the story. And I enjoy getting my editor’s input and seeing how her thoughts can shape the story to make it better.
When you’re procrastinating, what’s the activity you turn to most?
Social media is also a major distraction for me, having only recently discovered Twitter and I can lose a lot of time flicking through my newsfeed. I love seeing what everyone’s writing and which new books are coming out – I’m going to have to get one of those apps that turns it all off while I focus on writing! I also do a lot of snacking.
When you’re writing what’s your drink and snack of choice?
I have a whole range depending on the time of day. In the morning it’s coffee and I don’t tend to bother with snacks. By afternoon I’m ready for herbal teas and I don’t stop eating – dark chocolate, mixed nuts and crisps!
And how do you celebrate the completion of the book (you winning against procrastination)?
When I’m writing, my poor husband gets ignored for a large part of the time, so once the book is finished, it’s time for us to do things together. So we might go out for a meal to celebrate or go to the movies and get a takeaway and he breathes a big sigh of relief!
Dog walking, Twitter and dark chocolate – sounds like a perfect procrastination combo!
A big thank you to Rona for letting me grill her about her writing habits and procrastination pitfalls.
KEEP YOU SAFE is out now. Find out more over on Amazon by clicking on the book cover below:
#crimewritersincafesprocrastinating –Christina McDonald talks about The Night Olivia Fell, social media and sun! #crimefiction
Today debut crime writer Christina McDonald is joining me for Crime Writers In Cafes Procrastinating. As the title suggests, this QA is all about the lengths writers go to procrastinate when they should be writing, and how they (eventually) manage to win against the temptation of the path of procrastination to finish their books.
Christina’s debut novel – THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL – has a super intriguing premise and sounds fascinating so I can’t wait to quiz her all about her writing and procrastination habits…
Hi Christina, and welcome to the CTG blog
So great to be here, Steph! I’ve been waiting to write this post until I got the cover for my book. Then I got the cover for my book and I was waiting for the cover reveal. Then the cover reveal happened and I’ve been putting it off because I haven’t had the time, and because…well… procrastinating. But here I am!
So tell me all about your latest book?
The Night Olivia Fell is a domestic suspense novel with an emotional plot. It is about a single mother called Abi who is startled awake in the small hours of the morning by a phone call informing her that her teenage daughter Olivia has fallen off a bridge. Not only is Olivia brain dead, she’s pregnant and must remain on life support to keep her baby alive. And then Abi sees the bruises circling Olivia’s wrists. When the police rule Olivia’s fall an accident, Abi decides to find out what really happened. Was Olivia’s fall an accident? Or something far more sinister?
How long did it take to write?
The first draft of writing book didn’t take me that long – 3-4 months. It was all the stuff after that: edits, getting an agent, edits for the agent, getting a publisher, edits for the editor. Altogether, from the time I wrote the book until the time it will be published will be three and a half years.
What’s your favourite writing/procrastination spot – home, café, bar, other?
In my garden at home on a beautiful, sunny day! Best is when my dog joins me for a cuddle while I’m reading. Reading is incredibly escapist, like skipping out on real life and jumping into another world. Like most people, I can get sucked into social media, too, but I do try to be a little disciplined about it. But reading, nope! I have very little discipline in forcing myself to not read, and when it’s sunny in my garden, all bets are off!
What’s your writing process – do you jump straight in, or plan and plot first?
I have a general idea of what I want the story to be about and where I want it to go, but really not much more than an idea. From there I start writing from page one – I write chronologically – and see where I go. As I get a more specific idea of themes, characters, tone of voice, etc, I jot out basic ideas for the inciting incident, first plot point, midpoint and third plot point. As I write I plan about one chapter ahead, so I know where I’m heading; and I keep an outline of the main things that have happened in each chapter so I know where I’ve been. I guess I’m a weird hybrid of a plotter-pantser.
When you’re writing, do you find you procrastinate more at the beginning, middle or end of the draft, or equally across all three?
Oh, definitely the middle! I always find myself very clear at the beginning of what I want to set out for the story, and once I’ve crossed the middle hump I usually know where I’m going and what will be the worst thing that can happen to my protagonist(s), so that last plot point and climax are fairly clear, but the middle part can be a struggle. Like many writers, I used to be a journalist, so I have a fear/respect of deadlines and have never missed one, but right around the middle part I start flogging myself with doubts, worrying that I’ll miss it and that the book will be horrible. Once I get over that, though, it’s usually fine.
Do you prefer first drafts or edits (and why)?
Drafts! It’s so clear in the first draft, and there’s such a freedom about writing exactly what I want to write. But once I get to edits it all becomes a bit tangled and confused in my mind. I start doubting why and where I’ve put plot points, if my character is ‘likeable’ enough, why I even wrote the book in the first place. From what I hear it’s really normal, so I just push through it. I have to give myself a good week or so after I’ve received edits to just sit on them and just see everything from a different angle. Then I hop back to it and get going on the next draft.
When you’re procrastinating, what’s the activity you turn to most?
Reading and social media. Social media can be a huge time waster, so I try to be really disciplined about it. I do need it to engage with readers, but it sucks you in so much. But when I start reading a book I sometimes get completely lost in it. Once when I was a teenager I was reading a book while sitting outside the classroom and about a half hour later I sort of came to and realised everybody had gone into class while I was totally zoned into the book. I was just left sitting outside the door!
When you’re writing what’s your drink and snack of choice?
Coffee in the morning, wine when I work in the evening. And I love me a good old pack of Biscoff biscuits!
And how do you celebrate the completion of the book (you winning against procrastination)?
I think because this book hasn’t been published yet I feel like it isn’t really ‘done’, if that makes sense. There have been so many things to do: write, edit, market, publicity, publication, etc. I’m in the ‘trying to figure out marketing’ and ‘getting good reviews’ stage. Maybe once it’s published I’ll feel done and can celebrate with a lovely bottle of Champagne, but I feel like I haven’t won against procrastinating just yet. The battle is still on!
I think you should definitely crack open the bubbly on publication day, maybe a pack of Biscoff biscuits too!
***
A huge thank you to Christina for letting me grill her about her writing habits and procrastination pitfalls.
THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL is out in February 2019 in the US and in March 2019 in the UK. Find out more about Christina and her writing at her website – https://christina-mcdonald.com/
And check out THE NIGHT OLIVIA FELL and pre-order it over on Amazon by clicking the links below:
CTG’s #bookcrush – Sticks and Stones by Jo Jakeman
My fabulous book crush this week is Sticks and Stones by debut thriller writer Jo Jakeman
The image of a broken coffee mug, still with a little bit of coffee inside, lying prone on the counter was what drew me to this cover, and the pop of the pink lettering over the muted grey-blue wash of the image adds even more intrigue!
And behind the mysterious cover is a twisty, new take on the pychological thriller.
Here’s the blurb:
“Imogen’s husband is a bad man. His ex-wife and his new mistress might have different perspectives but Imogen thinks she knows the truth. And now he’s given her an ultimatum: get out of the family home in the next fortnight or I’ll fight you for custody of our son. In a moment of madness, Imogen does something unthinkable: she locks her husband in the cellar. Now she’s in control. But how far will she go to protect her son and punish her husband? And what will happen when his ex and his girlfriend get tangled up in her plans?”
If you like the sound of Sticks and Stones you can find out more on Amazon HERE.
CTG’s #threewordbookreview – THE CLIFF HOUSE by AMANDA JENNINGS
Today on my micro review feature – three word book reviews – I’m talking about THE CLIFF HOUSE, the fabulous new psychological thriller from Amanda Jennings.
My verdict: CLAUSTROPHOBIC. INTENSE. OBSESSION.
The Cliff House is out now from HQ. To find out more and buy the book click the cover below and hop over to Amazon:
#MyLittleEye launches in paperback today: see me take @TheAngelaClarke twisted author challenge plus chance to #win a copy of the book!
To celebrate My Little Eye coming out in paperback today I’m sharing this video interview fabulous crime writer and radio presenter Angela Clarke did with me on her YouTube channel.
We talk about My Little Eye, crime fiction, duct tape, handcuffs and she challenges me to a twisted author challenge – to put 80s-style make up on in 60 seconds with my eyes closed! It was a lot of fun to film – hope you enjoy it!
There’s also a chance to win a signed limited edition proof copy of My Little Eye!
Check out the video on YouTube here: https://youtu.be/IPPLA64kuAw
My Little Eye is out now – find it in Waterstones, Tesco, and all good bookstores and online at Amazon. I really hope you enjoy it!
Ten Days of #MyLittleEye … it’s time for #MyLittleBlogTour
Whoop!
As we count down to MY LITTLE EYE launching in paperback later this week, the blog tour has started!
Do check out each of these fabulous book bloggers – their tour stops include reviews, exclusive content, and interviews about me and My Little Eye…
CTG’s #threewordbookreviews – THE OLD YOU by LOUISE VOSS
Today in my feature series – three word book reviews – I’m reviewing THE OLD YOU, a psychological thriller from crime writer Louise Voss. The Old You will be published in May 2018 by Orenda Books.
My verdict: INGENIOUS. TWISTY. SECRETS.
To find out more and pre-order the book in ebook and paperback click this link to AMAZON
CTG’s #threewordbookreviews – THIS IS HOW IT ENDS by EVA DOLAN
Today is the second post in my new feature series – three word book reviews – where I review the books I’ve read in just three words (it’s more than a challenge than you might think!).
Today I’m reviewing THIS IS HOW IT ENDS, a psychological thriller from crime writer Eva Dolan, published by Raven Books.
My verdict: DYNAMIC. HARD-HITTING. MESMERISING.
(Yes, I know I’m kind of cheating with ‘hard-hitting’ but i’ve added a hyphen so I’m counting it as one – it’s my blog, so my rules!)
To find out more and buy the book in ebook or hardback format click this link to Amazon
Price Drop Alert: #MyLittleEye just £1.99 on #Kindle for limited time! #crimefiction
Quick, listen up… the ebook of My Little Eye – my brand new ‘hunt for a serial killer’ thriller is on a special £1.99 price promotion on Kindle.
My Little Eye came out last month in ebook and I’ve been thrilled at the rave reviews it’s been getting from readers, bloggers and fellow crime writers. Here’s a couple of examples of what people are saying:
“My Little Eye is an enthralling, intriguing and twisty tale for all of us armchair detectives who think we know it all.” Liz Nugent, author of LYING IN WAIT and UNRAVELLING OLIVER.
“The first novel in what promises to be a riveting new series, My Little Eye is a one-sitting read: gripping, clever and worryingly plausible.” Mick Herron, author of SLOW HORSES and SPOOK STREET
“My Little Eye is a bang on psychological thriller of the most addictive kind.” Goodreads
“Beautifully paced writing that had me speeding through every chapter at a rate of knots. Easily one of my favourite reads this year so far.” Goodreads
Fancy finding out what My Little Eye is all about? Well, here’s the blurb…
Can a group of true crime addicts take on the police to catch a serial killer? Could you catch the killer?
Clementine Starke thinks she can. As a string of young women are found dead in their homes surrounded by rose petals, it’s becoming clear that London has a new serial killer; ‘The Lover’. Reeling from her own disturbing past, Clementine bands together with an online crime collective and immerses herself in the case, desperate to beat the police and catch The Lover before he kills again. But with the body count rising, Clementine discovers that trying to catch a killer is safer from behind a keyboard.
If My Little Eye sounds like your sort of read then click on this link to Amazon UK to grab it at the bargain price of £1.99.
Steph Broadribb 