Monday 30 January 2017

The Trials Of A Crime Writer - Seeing Crime Everywhere


SEEING CRIME EVERYWHERE

One of the things that you pick up on when you write about crime all day is that it is everywhere! I don't just mean in your work or your plots, but all around you and always ongoing. Sometimes it's hard to distinguish whether you're just seeing crime because of your day job, or whether there actually is crime rampant around your daily life.

I say this because as someone who has been writing crime for over fifteen years, I've started to see that I see it all. the. time! I mean, I look out my office window and I see someone walking past my car and I think: Are they about to break in? Are they on the run? Do they have a body in their backpack? Okay the last is unlikely but maybe they have a head in there, those backpacks can be roomy!

I don't do anything about it of course, because that would be ridiculous! It still plays in my mind though. There's been a new school opened up down the road from us and so there's a lot of foot traffic from students. Now, as you all know, I've a pro-nap author and occasionally I'll find myself napping just as they're headed home for the day and guess what? That crime author brain pings up again.

Is there a bomb scare? Is that what all the noise is about? It can't be home time already? Are they skipping school? Oh, what if they're off to...and usually at that point my brain remembers the school and the foot traffic and I'm able to drift off and dream of fighting some monster while writing a book. (I never said my dreams were normal!)

My point is that it can't be natural to see crime everywhere, and it's probably not, but at the same time it's a side effect of having been doing what I do for so long. I do the same when I'm people watching and thinking up characters. Sometimes it so happens that a random person walking by my office window becomes a character or at least their body type and face does, in my latest work in progress. It all depends on where I am and whether or not I'm thinking characters or crime.

It does feel like my brain only has a few switches. If I'm not writing, then I'm doing admin work, reading or sleeping, or all four, though I'm not sure how I manage that. But seeing crime everywhere feels to me as a natural side effect of writing crime day in and day out. I'm sure police officers and the like have the same problem, though for them it's hard work and a clever eye to spot the ones that aren't as innocent as they seem.

So what's my advice to you? If you're a crime writer and you find yourself plotting nefarious activities onto some passer-by, maybe take a step back and get writing on your novel. At least then you can use some of the inspiration to move your work forward (or plot a whole new book) but for this crime writer, I'm happy to people watch and keep my nefarious plotting to myself!

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Saturday 28 January 2017

Starting A Series [CC]



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Friday 27 January 2017

Interview with Author Lucinda E Clarke & Review.


I want to welcome Lucinda E Clake to my blog today for an interview and a review. Lucinda writes both comedy and action\adventure books. I've read all of her books and have included a review for the latest in the Amie series below. Now onto the interview.

What made you want to be a writer? 
Pure escapism as I was a very unhappy, abused child. I read dozens of books and was once thrown out of our local library for taking too many books, they didn't believe I had read them all.
 
What kind of books do you read for pleasure? 
Adventure (the kind I write), historical novels, spy books and crime.
What kind of writer are you: plan or not? 
A vague storyline in my head and then the characters take over.
How does your average writing time go? 
In theory I try to write at least 2,000 words a day and then the dreaded marketing. In fact it doesn't always work out that way. But I'm on the laptop 24/7, which makes sleeping quite uncomfortable.

What book/character of yours is your favourite? 
I have to say Amie as I created her, but now she has taken over and tells me what to write. I have no control over her whatsoever.
If you had the chance to write anywhere, where would you choose?
On the rear deck of my mega yacht, in complete silence under the blazing sun of the Caribbean.
Do you prefer to type or hand write?
On the laptop always, if I tried pen and paper there would be too many scratchings out! Though when I first started writing for a living it was - wait for it - on a typewriter (the letter 'n' was missing, so those had to go in by hand).
Do you have a writing playlist? Or do you prefer silence? 
Silence, though I don't mind a few birds chirping in the trees outside.

Amie returns to her beloved Africa and a settled life, but her enemies have neither forgiven nor forgotten her. They are determined to take their revenge and reclaim their honour. The events of one night change everything, leaving her with no home, no friends and no name; no future. Suddenly she no longer exists and those controlling her make it clear; she either obeys or she dies.

My review: 5 stars.
I have read all of this authors books, and loved the first two in this series. When I discovered that there had been a third released I was happy to grab it and see what came next in Amie's story of Africa. The book delivers on its promise of being beautifully written and a story that has many twists and turns, allowing you to jump from one page to next desperate to find out who is who they say they are and who is after one thing only: Amie's silence. Fast paced and filled to the brim of excellent story telling, this is a book I could not get enough of and a story that is so wonderfully told. Highly recommended to all who love a good action packed book with added adventure!

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Saturday 21 January 2017

Genre Woes [CC]


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Saturday 14 January 2017

Life Of Joey - January 2017 [CC]





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Saturday 7 January 2017

Dealing With Self-Doubt [CC]



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Wednesday 4 January 2017

From Joey's Instagram


[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: Photo of two funko pop characters, both Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood and Doctor Who. One on the left has him wearing a vortex manipulator the one of the right is him in a long blue trench coat. Both are balanced on a keyboard under which a chapter plan is visible. At the back is a clay leaf candle holder with an electric tea light candle. The caption reads: When Captain Jack clones himself to make sure you write, you better do it!]




[IMAGE DESCRIPTION: A photo of two funko pop vinyl figures. One is Captain Jack Harkness from Torchwood and Doctor Who wearing a vortex manipulator and the other is a small potted baby Groot from Guardians Of The Galaxy. Both are positioned on a chapter plan with a syringe pen in the middle. Behind them is a clay leaf candle holder with a electric tea light candle.]