One of the questions I’m asked most frequently is how long does it take to write a novel? I wrote last year about the way life sometimes gets in the way of work, so I thought I’d follow that up with a post about when things do go to plan! How long does it take to write […]
What happens on a book tour?
I’m often asked what happens on a book tour, and although there isn’t a simple answer (tours vary hugely from author to author, country to country, and book to book) here’s a ‘day in the life’ of my most recent tour. I spent a few days in Italy to promote I See You, spending time in […]
Mental health in crime fiction: how flawed is too flawed?
As a life-long reader of crime fiction and suspense, I’m always intrigued by people who don’t like the genre. Too scary, too dark, too depressing… they’re all reasons I understand, even if I don’t relate to them, but a recent comment from a friend demanded further investigation. ‘I can’t bear psychological thrillers or crime fiction. […]
Why does it take so long?
Much as I love chatting to enthusiastic readers – whether online or face-to-face – there is one question I dread. ‘When’s your next book coming out?’ ‘I’m working on it!’ I say; which could, of course, mean anything from ‘it’s off to the printer next week,’ to ‘I’ve started a new Word document and have […]
Authors on Social Media: what readers want
Long before I was published I loved following authors on social media, and now that I’m an author myself, I thoroughly enjoy chatting to readers and writers online. It is, however, an area fraught with risk. How much promotion is too much? Where is the line between personal and professional lives? What sort of posts […]
Who to follow on Twitter?
How do you decide who to follow on Twitter? A quick glance through my Twitter feed offers an eclectic mix of other writers (of all genres), journalists, parent bloggers, beauty bloggers (my guilty pleasure), police forces, bookshops, publishing types, and Real Life Friends (yes, I have some). I asked some of my crime-writing buddies to […]