Fabulous night with Peter James

My hubby and I attended a performance of the stage play of Peter James' DEAD SIMPLE this month.

I'm a great fan of Peter's, and luckily it fell close to my birthday, my hubby's not really into reading, and especially not crime fiction, so I didn't think he'd want to go to see the production, but he did like The Mousetrap when it came to Nottingham, and said he like to see a more contemporary play.






I'd received an email from the Nottingham Theatre Royal and Concert Hall telling me that if I had a ticket I could also attend a crime writing workshop Peter was putting on before the performance, so hubby got the tickets. I called the box office, as the email instructed but the girl on the other end of the phone didn't know anything about the workshop. Finally, she found out that it did exist but only for people with the best price tickets, we had tickets for the dress circle because I like sitting there. I pointed out that the email didn't say that, and if I had known we could have purchased the more expensive tickets.


A few days I got a call telling me that I could attend, and that the ticket was in the post, but a couple of days before I was due to go I received another phone call saying that the workshop was cancelled due to lack of interest! What is wrong with the people of Nottingham, we are talking about a workshop by the man voted the best crime writer ever!

That didn't stop me from enjoying the show. It was fabulous. I did wonder how they were going to pull it off, it was very clever. I'm not going to say too much because I don't want to give away any spoilers, but the play doesn't exactly follow the book, how can it, books are so long, plays are much shorter, but if you're a fan of Peter James, (and even if you've never read his work), you will love it.

Afterwards we were lucky to be able to go to a question and answer session with the great man himself.

Peter James is so engaging and amusing, and if you get a chance to see him you must. He is full of witty stories. The cast were great too. There is a lot of warmth between them all. It was a fantastic end to a great evening.

After all that Peter came out and did a book signing. Unfortunately all of his books are safely ensconced on my kindle, so we just said hi, and went home.

The other great thing about this evening is that my hubby is now reading Dead Simple, and really likes it, in fact, he likes it that much that he wants to read MORE crime fiction. Thank you Peter James, at last we'll be able to discuss books instead of talking about footy or the cricket!

Evil Games Angela Marsons

Warning, this book will keep you up at night. It is a fantastic read, with an antagonist as scary as a certain Mr Lectar.

When a rapist is found mutilated in a brutal attack, Detective Kim Stone and her team are called in to bring a swift resolution. But, as more vengeful killings come to light, it soon becomes clear that there is someone far more sinister at work.

With the investigation quickly gathering momentum, Kim soon finds herself exposed to great danger and in the sights of a lethal individual undertaking their own twisted experiment.

Up against a sociopath who seems to know her every weakness, for Detective Stone, each move she makes could be deadly. As the body count starts to mount, Kim will have to dig deeper than ever before to stop the killing. And this time - it’s personal.

The character of DI Kim Stone, who I just love, is developing more and more with each book. Ably assisted by DS Bryant, she is one lady I wouldn’t like to get on the wrong side of.

Her antagonist in this novel is Doctor Alexandra Thorne, another fabulous character who is so evil she gave me chills. A dangerous sociopath, she makes it her business to delve into Kim Stone’s past in an effort to find her Achilles heel and destroy her. This is truly an evil woman, and she’s brilliant.

This book takes you on a wonderful, unnerving ride. Full of twists and turns, the action never stops.

This is the second book in the series, Silent Scream was the first, but it can be read as a standalone.

Silent Scream was great, but, in my opinion, Evil Games is better. It is definitely going into my top five books of 2015.

A definite 5* read, and thoroughly recommended.

This book is available now:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Evil-Games-gripping-heart-stopping-Detective-ebook/dp/B00U7K5F4O/ref=sr_1_6?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1432883118&sr=1-6&keywords=angela+marsons

What She Left Behind by T.R. Richmond

Not sure what I really felt about this book. 

Yes it was original, and I, personally, have never read a book like it before, the concept of writing a book by using diary/blog pages, emails, tweets, and Facebook posts was great. 

It contains a lot of really nice prose, and the storyline is good.

I really like Alice Salmon. She had her faults, what heroine doesn't! She is the subject of the book, the girl who died, mysteriously, on a snowy February night. Prof Cooke is the protagonist. He’s the man who wants to gather all the information he can about her, to find out what sort of on-line presence she left behind, to see if he could make her dance again! Through this process we slowly come to realise the truth about Alice’s death.

The story is told through multiple viewpoints, Alice herself, the Prof, Alice’s boyfriend, friends and family, and through multiple time frames. The switch from one time frame to another is very cleverly done, and I was never unclear about where I was in the story. 

The characterisation is exceptional, I have a daughter the same age as Alice, and the things she did/wrote about, remind me so much of my daughter when she was younger, as well as now.

I think that what really bothered me about the book was I didn’t like Prof Cooke, I found him supercilious, and irritating. Some of the things he did, and wrote were truly awful, and I had no sympathy with him whatsoever.

I found it to be quite a sad book, but it was a book that I couldn’t stop reading. That was my dilemma, I hated the protagonist, but I had to get to the end.  That’s why I gave this book a 4* review. One thing this book does make you do is think about your own on-line footprint, it's amazing what stuff is out there in cyberspace!

Would I recommend this book, yes I would, it is a very clever, different read that grabs you in.

Available now:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/What-She-Left-Enhanced-Richmond-ebook-x/dp/B00RL1XES6/ref=sr_1_2?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1432629479&sr=1-2&keywords=what+she+left+behind

Friend or Foe?

One of the things we were asked in editing today was, Should editing be a collaborative process or not?

Collaborative editing allows the work to be edited by a group of people simultaneously, then having a feedback and discussion session with the writer on points they have picked up. This is the point of the group I belong to.

Editing my stuff -

I like to get different peoples viewpoints on my work. My editing group tells me what they feel works and what doesn't. It’s sometimes hard to listen to people pulling my words apart, but it is better in the long run to know something isn't working than to carry on regardless and waste months writing a novel no one will want to read because the tone is wrong, or there are mistakes with continuity. Never mind the grammar!  

Editors need to have good attention to detail, and be able to spot mistakes in the story. A number of people reading that story are able to pick up far more that the individual writer. I have found with my own writing that I am often too close to the story to notice many stand out errors. Even with my editor’s ‘hat’ on, there are still things I miss.

Whilst the others are reading the story it is uncomfortable but I have grown to trust their judgements, and they have picked up some humongous mistakes that I've made.

And editing isn't just about the mistakes that I've made, editors also pick up on the good things that I've written, and they are very encouraging and supportive.

There is a danger that the group of editors can become complacent with my work

Editing other peoples stuff –

I used to find editing other peoples work quite difficult, especially if it was a piece that I didn't like, but I now realise how useful it is to the writer, and I really don’t mind any more.  What I try to look for are the positives as well as the ways the work can be improved. When the author addresses the criticism I find that I get a lot out of it, I have gained a better understanding of the way people think, and the way they view things.

After all I am writing to be read, and so are the rest. 

Humber Boy B by Ruth Dugdall

Humber Boy B is a novel I won’t forget in a hurry. It is heart-breaking, horrific, and at times, absolutely unsettling, but it is one of the most gripping novels I’ve read this year.

A child is killed after falling from the Humber Bridge. Despite fleeing the scene, two young brothers are found guilty and sent to prison. Upon their release they are granted one privilege only, their anonymity. Probation officer Cate Austin is responsible for Humber Boy B’s reintegration into society. But the general public’s anger is steadily growing, and those around her are wondering if the secret of his identity is one he actually deserves to keep. Cate’s loyalty is challenged when she begins to discover the truth of the crime. She must ask herself if a child is capable of premeditated murder. Or is there a greater evil at play?

The novel tells the story of Humber Boy B, who killed another child when he was ten years old, and the difficulties of reintegrating him into society eight years later.

Cate Austin, is his probation officer, and it is her job to keep his identity secret, against a society that is outraged at his early release. Some of the Facebook posts, skilfully woven throughout the story, are chilling.

It is told from the different viewpoints of the characters involved, not only after his release, but also at the time of the killing.

Ruth Dugdall, was herself a probation officer, and she deals with this harrowing subject with a great deal of sensitivity.

It is a very thought provoking novel, full of twists and turns, it’s one that will stay with you for a long time after you’ve reached its disturbing conclusion.

I have never read Ruth Dugdall before, but I will be reading her books in the future. She is an excellent story teller. Her characterisation is faultless, and her plot draws you in from the start.

This is a definite five star read. I loved it, and thoroughly recommend it.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Legend Press for giving me a copy of this novel in return for an honest review.

Humber Boy B can be purchased now from:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Humber-Boy-B-Ruth-Dugdall-ebook/dp/B00NWBMKFW/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1431893839&sr=1-1&keywords=ruth+dugdall

The last editing session : (

Today was our final editing session, so I couldn't give up this chance to have one more piece of work scrutinised by the group.

I submitted the opening piece of my novella.  It is quite an atmospheric piece, about a young girl, who has gone to a deserted cove in the middle of the night to kill herself, but before she actually takes her life she finds an injured seal.

As I was reading the passage out loud I realised that I had used the work instinctively twice in as many sentences. I had broken the cardinal rule, that before I submit anything I need to read it out loud.

The feedback I received was that I had captured the atmosphere really well, the editors knew why my protagonist was at the cove.

Prior to my piece we had been editing a piece about a dog. Everyone assumed that the animal on the beach was a dog! I need to make it clearer that the animal is actually a seal, which is easy to rectify as I could mention that when he looks at her she realises it is a baby seal. Another thing that was brought up was the fact that she has to move him, which would be very difficult if he was full grown.

I also recognised that I really need to do some more research, when asked if there was a chance that my protagonist could be bitten by the seal I really didn't know.

It was pointed out that I write about water quite a bit, and was it significant. I can't say that it is. My husband is from Scarborough and we tend to spend a lot of time up there. I love the sea and my dream is to have a little house near the beach, so maybe it is just my unconscious longing to be back there.

I did receive some lovely feedback, especially from my tutor who picked out a passage he liked.

As I reached the top I took a deep breath. I knew now why the cove was deserted, the state of the path was keeping people away; the state of the path would keep you safe.

According to my tutor it has nice rhythm, but it is a paradox, the path is dangerous. It is nicely compressed in atmosphere, tone and mood.

I have found that editing is all about taking the good points with the bad, there may be things that have to be put right with my writing, but there are times when you know that something works, and it doesn't hurt to have your opinion reiterated.

As a writer I feel it is better to work with the editor. I am able to discuss the points I disagree with, after all none of us feel comfortable about getting rid of our little darlings. Editors see my work from a different viewpoint, and by working with them, hopefully I will end up with an acceptance letter from an agent.

FORSAKEN by J.D. Barker

When horror author Thad McAlister began his latest novel, a `tale rooted in the witch trials of centuries past, the words flowed effortlessly. The story poured forth, filling page after page with the most frightening character ever to crawl from his imagination. It was his greatest work, one that would guarantee him a position among the legends of the craft.

But was it really fiction?

He inadvertently opened a door, one that would soon jeopardize the lives of his family.

She wants to come back.

At home, his wife struggles to keep their family alive. Secretly wondering if she caused it all…a deal she made long ago. A deal with the Forsaken

 

It’s been a while since I read a really gripping horror novel, but this one had me hooked.

Thad McAlister is a horror story writer. He is chronicling the story of a 17^th Century witch trial, and he feels compelled to write it. 

The moment he finishes his book creepy things start to happen to Thad and his family, and I mean really creepy things. His wife and daughter are terrorized by evil creatures. I got the jitters going through their ordeal with them because the characterisation is so good, you can actually feel the horror the family are going through.

I was transported back to the 17^th Century by snippets of Thad’s book that are interwoven throughout the novel. This works very well and helps to build up the tension.

The plot is great. The action doesn’t slow down for a minute. I never really understood the term ‘Tension building up to a crescendo’ before, but now I do. The ending is brilliant.

I have never read a book by J.D. Barker prior to this, but I will seek out his books in the future. He is a fabulous story teller.

I won’t give away any spoilers, but I will say that this book is genuinely scary. Definitely a 5* read. I thoroughly recommend it.

Available now on Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Forsaken-Book-Shadow-Cove-Saga-ebook/dp/B00P1W6RDQ/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1430685863&sr=8-1&keywords=forsaken+jd+barker