CRIME FICTION

Cut Short

2012-01-23T15:23:00.000-08:00

Cut Short is now just 99p on kindle, $1.52 on amazon.com and Eur 1.33 on amazon.de (Geraldine Steel seems to be popular on kindle in Germany where Cut Short is Number 5 on English female sleuths.)

Interview

2012-01-23T15:15:00.000-08:00

I was pleased to be interviewed on a brand new writers' website, The Prime Writing Academy.
http://www.primewritingacademy.com/features.php

News for Christmas

2011-12-25T09:40:00.000-08:00

It's just been confirmed that DEATH BED, the new Geraldine Steel novel, is one of 35 thrillers included in the amazon kindle Christmas promotion. You can download it for 99p! Please tell all your friends and help to spread the word. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Bed-ebook/dp/B006ML8JPY/pocketessentials
And DEATH BED is now on amazon.com kindle @ $1.54 http://www.amazon.com/Death-Bed-ebook/dp/B006ML8JPY/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&qid=1324845657&sr=1-1-catcorr
Happy Christmas everyone!

News

2011-12-23T02:10:00.000-08:00

I will be posting some BIG NEWS here on 26th December. Watch this space...

ebook original

2011-12-20T13:03:00.000-08:00

1. Look at the home page on my publisher's website http://www.noexit.co.uk/index.php
2. Read the article on Crime Time http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/2358
3. Check out the original ebook http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Bed-ebook/dp/B006ML8JPY/pocketessentials
Thank you for looking and hopefully buying an ebook original this Christmas!

Death Bed

2011-12-16T13:31:00.000-08:00

DEATH BED the new Geraldine Steel novel is now available on kindle.
http://tinyurl.com/Kindle-DeathBed

The print version is out in 2012.

A little optimism at Christmas time!

2011-12-13T11:09:00.000-08:00

It's been a long time since I've posted at any length here. I've been REALLY busy writing, going through edits, checking typescript, and book promotion and really haven't had time to think. I tend increasingly to post my news on facebook. Here's the link if you'd like to check it out and hopefully follow me.
http://www.facebook.com/#!/profile.php?id=100000039477919
I also try and update the news section on my website from time to time http://leighrussell.co.uk/
My blog here is where I allow myself to think. It's great to have a site where I can ramble on without any concern for plot making sense, characters being consistent, or even writing prose that is coherent. Writing my books requires more focus. Here on my blog I can just ramble or, on occasion, rant. So - here I am once again - to ramble or to rant?
This year I've had a few rants online, for example about the shocking news of so many libraries closing - 6 out of 12 in Brent! But I'm feeling fairly optimistic this evening. I've just read an online article about readers out and spending money in the bookshops in the US, and I've been meeting lots of readers in Waterstones and the book sections of WH Smith's, at my recent book signings (lots of photos on facebook!) It remains to be seen what will happen to the bookshops as more people buy kindles, but things may turn out better than I've been fearing. Perhaps there really will be a place for both print books and ereaders. With alternative means of accessing books, maybe more young people will catch the reading habit. Let's keep our fingers crossed!

Good news this week: A reader recommended Dead End on a BBC Radio 2 phone in, and Dead End has been chosen by readers as one of the Best Crime Books for 2011. Here's the link http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showindex/best2011 if you'd like to give Dead End your support, and you can give your own books a plug at the same time! Just fill in the boxes on the right. There's no need to sign up or subscribe or even leave your email if you don't want to. It's very simple.

And some news for Christmas

Contact me on http://leighrussell.co.uk/ if you'd like an inscription for one of my books to make an original Christmas present.

And if you own a kindle - or are given one for Christmas - you can download my next novel Death Bed on 25th December! It will be out in print in 2012.

Vote for Dead End & Plug Your Own Books!

2011-12-08T14:35:00.000-08:00

DEAD END reached the Top 5 nominations for Best Crime Book of 2011. Thank you for voting on http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showindex/best2011
Don't forget to give your own writing a plug at the same time!
If you haven't voted yet, please follow the link and don't let the big publishers to win this one as well!

A Day in the Life

2011-12-05T13:35:00.000-08:00

With Christmas approaching, events are hotting up and I'm out in bookshops every Saturday and Sunday between now and Christmas, with signings every day between 17th and 22nd December. On Sunday I remembered to take my camera to Waterstones in Uxbridge and here's a photo record of my day:

I arrived before the store opened. I like to be early! Luckily I knew a coffee shop was just over the road so I was able to take a break before the day had even begun.

As usual, the bookshop put on a great display.

Here we go with the first sale of the day! Pretty soon the books were flying off the table, with a lot of fans dropping by for Road Closed and Dead End. Like the first guy to buy one of my books, readers new to Geraldine Steel were happy to buy Cut Short.

A lot of readers decided to buy all 3 books, either for themselves or as Christmas presents. Here's a selection of customers w ho were kind enough to agree to let me photograph them in the bookshop!

This lady bought a few copies of Dead End as Christmas presents.

At last Michael arrived at 3 o'clock and we went out for tea!

Another book signing event was over, we had virtually sold out, with just 4 books left for the shelves, and the bookshop was pleased.

I really enjoy signing at this store and look forward to returning there

in 2012.

Thank you to Waterstones in Uxbridge for hosting a signing, and to all the local readers who came in to support their local bookshop.

Vote for Dead End as Best Crime Book for 2011

2011-12-01T00:34:00.000-08:00

Thrilled to see Dead End has a vote on Best Crime Books of 2011 - Vote on this link: http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showindex/best2011

Christmas Presents

2011-11-29T11:13:00.000-08:00

I hope all my fans are buying my books to give as Christmas presents. Please contact me on http://leighrussell.co.uk/ if you'd like me to email you a signed personalised Christmas message to accompany the book.

Great Crime Sleuths

2011-11-19T12:10:00.000-08:00

Honoured and excited to see that Geraldine Steel has been selected by LoveReading as one of the Great Crime Sleuths, along with Tess Gerritsen, Ann Cleeves and Elly Griffiths. What an accolade! http://www.lovereading.co.uk/genre/cri/Great-Crime-Sleuths.html

Here's what Maxim Jakubowski wrote about Geraldine:
"A truly believable female sleuth with a sad knack for coming across cases where the bodies just sort of accumulate in her passage, Geraldine Steel is a classic British cop, part of a tight knit murder team, in which she proves to be a vital cog. Adopted at birth and still marked by the fact, and prone to flirting with her pathologist, Geraldine proves great fun and a character who grows on the reader with every successive title in the series."
http://www.lovereading.co.uk/genre/cri/Great-Crime-Sleuths.html

And thank you to my loyal fan Gordon who sent me this photo he took at my signing at Waterstones in Guildford today, and to all the local readers who bought my books. I hope you enjoy them!

My workshop at Get Writing 2012 has already sold out. Thank you to all the writers who rushed to sign up for it. I look forward to meeting you in February. If you didn't sign up in time, there are plenty of other workshops going on so check them out and I'll see you there! Please come and say hello.

Tunbridge Wells

2011-11-18T13:12:00.000-08:00

Thanks to one of my loyal fans for sending me this photo he took at Waterstones in Tunbridge Wells.

I'm looking forward to seeing you next year, Alex, when I'm back in Tunbridge Wells, signing Death Bed.

In the meantime, I'm looking forward to signing at Waterstones in Guildford this Saturday, 19th, and Waterstones in Harrow on Sunday, 20th. On Thursday 24th I'll be supporting Pinner Pantomime Evening, signing my books at WH Smith's.

Life is starting to get hectic in the run up to Christmas!

News

2011-11-15T14:13:00.000-08:00

Edited manuscript for Death Bed, fourth in the Geraldine Steel series, went to my publisher today!

Dead End was Number 49 on the kindle Bestseller List for 2011, so it's officially a bestseller in the UK as well as internationally.

In the words of my publisher, "Nice one!"

News

2011-11-09T04:18:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted for a while as I've been so busy! My three workshops for the Society of Authors were good fun and challenging. All were sold out and everyone who participated and appeared to enjoy themselves, and the Society provided a great lunch (thanks to M & S). As usual, we had a wide ranging group of authors attending, from bestselling crime authors like myself to those experienced in writing non-fiction and considering tackling a new genre. The standard of writing was, of course, excellent, as everyone who came along was a successfully published author in their own right and I was privileged to be running such a high-powered workshop. (Yes, and a little daunted!)
I am always pleased to accept invitations to give talks in libraries. Followers of this blog know how passionate I am about supporting libraries, so I won't say too much about that here. Please check my earlier post if you'd like to read my views about the importance of supporting our libraries. As always, the audiences at Mill Hill and Pinner were interesting, and interested in what I had to say. Thank you. And of course it's always a real thrill to meet fans of my books!
You can see the schedule of my future appearances on http://leighrussell.co.uk/ under Events. Please come along and say hello if I'm in your area.
NEWS
My publisher emailed this morning to tell me I am now officially an 'internationally bestselling author' as Cut Short is at number 1 on kindle on amazon.de, number 66 overall, and number 3 on amazon.fr for female detectives.
Thank you to all my overseas fans who have been spreading the word! Please keep mentioning my books to your friends. Without a marketing budget word of mouth is the only way my books are being promoted so I really do appreciate (and need) your support to keep sales going.

CUT SHORT

2011-10-31T15:22:00.000-07:00

Cut Short can be downloaded for £1.29 on amazon.co.uk
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Short-ebook/dp/B005OPLN8E/pocketessentials
and $2.08 on amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Short-ebook/dp/B005OPLN8E/ref=tmm_kin_title_0?ie=UTF8&m=A7B2F8DUJ88VZ&qid=1248806596&sr=1-1
Please tell everyone you know who has a kindle and help spread the word about Geraldine Steel!

Hallowe'en

2011-10-29T16:23:00.000-07:00

Happy Hallowe'en...

Libraries

2011-10-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

A fan from Singapore just sent me this photo of our meeting at a book signing. Thank you, Brenda and Belynda!

And here's a picture taken at the reopening of Bushey Library last month, where I was delighted to be invited to speak. Here's part of my what was said. I was asked along to talk about my own writing, but couldn't let the opportunity pass to say something about libraries!

I was pleased to be invited to talk about my books at the relaunch of Bushey library. Before speaking about my own books, I decided to say a few words about how fantastic it is to see a refurbished library in the current climate.

With over 430 libraries closed or under threat, the professional body of librarians CILIP are forecasting another 600 more will soon be under scrutiny. That’s around 20% of our libraries threatened with closure. And Brent are currently threatening to close 6 out of their 12 libraries!

Under the Public Libraries & Museums Act 1964 local authorities have a statutory obligation to provide a library service. But the government are changing the rules, claiming attendance has been dropping since 2005, although children’s visits have remained steady.

Libraries, on the other hand, report increased use since the start of the recession. In the past year around 50% of adults in England visited libraries. They go there for free books, information, learning resources, work and ICT. New communities seek help with English, material in their first language, and help with citizenship procedures.

But whatever the true picture, there is no question that funding is a problem, provoking a lot of debate about what can be done. Reducing opening hours would only make visiting more difficult; reducing stocks would have an adverse effect on users’ satisfaction; and replacing staff with volunteers would, in my opinion, be disastrous. Part of the value of libraries is the expertise of the trained librarians. Introducing any of these measures would inevitably hasten the demise of any library, in my opinion. You can’t rescue a good service by making it mediocre or worse.

The question should not be solely about money. As US Publisher’s Weekly says: ‘‘The value of libraries should not be measured in economic terms alone’’, although of course economic considerations can’t be disregarded. We have to decide what we want from libraries in the 21st century, with our 24/7 culture, cheap books, ebooks, and almost limitless information accessible to all without having to stir from our homes.

What kind of society do we want?

Borders closed, the whole Waterstones chain has recently been bought for price of one footballer, and the past 15 years have seen an increase of over 1,000% in lap dancing clubs in London alongside a 6% decline in libraries in the capital.

As book lovers, we should all care about libraries, even if we don’t use them ourselves. Perhaps it’s time for all of us to speak up in support of our struggling library service, because without pressure from the reading public, libraries as we know them may not survive for much longer. To paraphrase Burke: “All that is necessary for the disappearance of libraries is for readers to do nothing.”

Writer's Block?

2011-09-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

The MS for DEATH BED is with The Editor so I've been working on the next book, 5th in the Geraldine Steel series. My publisher wants to print the opening at the end of DEATH BED, which is no problem as I've nearly finished the 5th book. (We just need a title, so any suggestions will be gratefully received! I've already been sent quite a few on facebook. Thank you.)
Right now I want to share a few thoughts about the nearing-the-end-of-a-book syndrome I always experience at this stage.
With just 5 out of the 70 or so chapters still to write, I'm finding myself slowing down. I know what is going to happen, more or less, and the synopsis is written, more or less. (I say 'more or less', because I never know when something might crop up that changes things.) It's pretty much sorted. All I need to do is settle down and finish writing it.
Does anyone else experience the same slowing down as the end of a book approaches? I suppose it's a kind of writer's block, and it happens every time I am near the end of a book.
There are number of reasons for this phenomenon. The book and its characters occupy the author's thoughts for a while and it can be hard for a writer to let go, like a mother seeing her child leave home. It's worse than feeling reluctant to finish reading a book. You can reread a book. You can't rewrite one. At the same time, there's the anxiety that accompanies completing a MS. Throughout the writing process it's a work in progress, and the author's attention is all on the writing. Once it's finished, the questions inevitably start: 'Does it work?' 'Is it any good?' and 'What have I done?'

So what is the solution to this writer's block against finishing a MS? - apart from a publisher's deadline, which is a very effective cure for 'writer's block'!

The truth is, I have a cracking idea for the following book - 6th in the series - and I'm impatient to see how to make that work. The joy of writing a series is that as soon as one book is completed, there's another one waiting to be written.

That's what drives me on to finish a book once the end is just a few chapters away. Of course I owe it to Geraldine's fans, waiting to read my next novel, and to my publisher who has signed me up for three more books in the series.

But if I'm honest the real reason I can't delay finishing the WIP for long is that can't wait to get on with the next one! Love that writing!

CUT SHORT covers

2011-09-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

The new design for CUT SHORT is now up on amazon kindle
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Short-ebook/dp/B005OPLN8E/pocketessentials

The original cover is still in stock in print version. Best to order soon if you want that edition, before it sells out as future reprints will be the new design. http://www.amazon.co.uk/Short-Geraldine-Steel-Leigh-Russell/dp/1842432710/ref=tmm_pap_title_0

Death Bed

2011-09-14T05:27:00.001-07:00

The cover for Death Bed, out in 2012. What do you think?

On the road...

2011-09-06T11:04:00.000-07:00

One of my fans took his family to Hong Kong and sent me some photos -

More photos on my website http://leighrussell.co.uk/
I'm planning to do some travelling myself next year as my next creative writing course in France is 2nd - 9th June http://www.writingfrance.com/ Check it out and join us if you can. I'd love to see you there!

preview

2011-09-02T02:48:00.000-07:00

Read first chapter of the next Geraldine Steel novel, Death Bed, on http://www.noexit.co.uk/features/death_bed_first_chapter.php

Northern Tour 2011

2011-08-31T10:21:00.000-07:00

We spent a lovely day at Lindisfarne

Bike race at York

We had a fabulous time up North, signing books and seeing the sights

Michael makes new friends

2011-08-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

With Helen and Effie at Edinburgh Book Fair

Another new friend....

Photos from our Northern tour 2011

Sold out of books by the time we took a photo at Waterstones in Sunderland

2011-08-31T10:09:00.000-07:00

With Kieran at Waterstones

Back from our Northern Tour - here are a few photos from the journey.

Very kind of the city of York to promote my second book!

Signing books at Waterstones in Leeds

Dead End selling well

2011-08-09T13:02:00.000-07:00

Just a few snippets of news:
Dead End has been reprinted less than 2 months after publication.
Geraldine Steel continues to be Number 1 bestselling female detective on amazon kindle.
So Dead End is doing well in print books and ebooks - that's even handed!
Thank you everyone for buying my books. Please tell all your friends and help to spread the word!

My website is now up and running http://leighrussell.co.uk/
I'll soon be able to add news and photos (when the man-who-knows sets that up for me with idiot-proof instructions... )

Harrogate International Crime Festival 2011

2011-08-01T14:03:00.000-07:00

Here are a few photos we took.

Lee Child reading Dead End

Chris came all the way from Belgium

With Dreda Say Mitchell, Festival Chair and brilliant author

Sharing a joke with Mark Lawson

Big Lee and Little Leigh

Signing my books for fans

With Chris Simmons and Graham Smith from Crimesquad

With Sonia from In Touch Magazine in Cyprus

Signing books for fans

And finally - we couldn't go to Harrogate without paying a visit to Bettys Tea Shop!

Where am I now?

2011-07-14T03:59:00.000-07:00

I've not been very active here on the blogosphere lately so thank you for still checking to see what's been happening here.
I have however been busy elsewhere. Several videos are already available to view on my brand new youtube author channel. You can see and hear me talk about a number of topics including How to write a book, How to get published, The importance of research, Why we love crime fiction - and other related subjects. There are also readings from Cut Short and Road Closed. A reading from Dead End is uploading onto my computer as I type this.
If (a deceptive word that looks insignificant but conveys a huge meaning)... If I can manage to upload the uploaded upload on to my author channel you'll be able to see it. (I hope you know what I'm talking about here. I find all this technology something of a challenge! Showing my age - or my limited intelligence - or both...)
Apart from filming for the author channel (which it seems everyone has to have these days) there is facebook, twitter, linkedin and I can't remember what else I try to keep abreast of.
Besides the online profile, I've been active with my research. I think I've already mentioned the maggots... enough said!... there's also a visit to a local police station, and a police HQ, in the pipeline, plus a visit to a prison...
AND OF COURSE I'm still writing! Exciting news to follow very soon... !
In the meantime, the link to my author channel is http://youtube.com/leighrussellauthor - I hope you find something there to interest you.

Why Crime Fiction?

2011-07-07T02:11:00.000-07:00

Geraldine Steel - Number 1 female detective on amazon kindle

Most of us would be hard pressed to say anything in defence of real life crime, so how can we account for the popularity of crime fiction? Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining. As the author of a crime fiction series, I’m more than happy to see my books selling so well. But the contrast in attitudes to crime in reality and in fiction is interesting.
In real life I’m pretty squeamish when it comes to blood and guts, don’t eat meat and would quite possibly have been the world’s worst nurse had my life taken a turn along that career path. But let me loose on a fictitious murder scene and I’ll do my best to describe it, blood and all, with perhaps the odd spot of mutilation to heighten the tension by establishing just how evil my killer is. I daresay readers familiar with my books will nod and smile at that, but if I’d said I intended to embark on the odd spot of mutilation in real life, I hope their reaction would be rather different!
In his review of my 2011 novel Dead End in Crime Time, Barry Forshaw wrote that my books “take the reader into the darkest recesses of the human psyche.” Yet introduce me to anyone vaguely violent in real life and I’ll walk away, quaking, and not look back - correction, I’ll run. By contrast, my fictional killers might unnerve the boldest of readers.
Why are so many peaceful readers avid fans of murder stories like mine? To what can we attribute the powerful appeal of crime fiction?
At the most basic level, crime fiction explores the clash between good and evil. Often characterised as emerging as a genre in the nineteenth century with Wilkie Collins, solving crime has its roots in fiction long before that, as far back as Beowulf and the myths of ancient civilisations, and throughout the centuries crime has played a key role in establishing conflict and tension in literature.
Centuries before Wilkie Collins, Shakespeare’s plays were packed with crimes: fourteen killings, nine of them on stage, severed limbs, rapes, live burial, insanity and cannibalism – at least one atrocity for every 100 lines in the rarely staged Titus Andronicus. It all makes those “darkest recesses of the human psyche” in my books seem quite tame.
The conflict between good and evil is something that touches all of us at some point in our lives. In hopefully insignificant ways we engage with it on a daily basis dealing with injustices and inequities that plague our lives. Children frequently protest: ‘It’s not fair!’ Experience teaches us that life is indeed not fair, yet the notion of a just world is an attractive one, a world where we know where we stand and life makes sense. If only!
It seems to me that the appeal of crime fiction is attributable to a combination of suspense arising from the conflict between good and evil, and the reassurance of knowing that in the end some sort of moral order will be restored. With our modern obsession with originality of plot (Shakespeare never had that problem!) we’ve moved away from the Conan Doyle model of the infallible hero detective with Sherlock Holmes the precursor of Superman as well as Poirot and Rebus. Current fiction is peppered with flawed detectives. They may not be the superheroes of the past, but reflect our relatively sophisticated understanding of human nature.
The same is true of the bad guys. Where Conan Doyle introduces a snarling villain whose face was “marked with every evil passion” so there can be no doubt about who is the villain of the story, some contemporary authors present killers not as stereotypes of evil, but as damaged people. The killers in my own novels are an example, as much victims as the people they kill.
I wouldn’t go so far as to say that I present my killers in a sympathetic light. There can be little sympathy for someone who takes another person’s life, but I try to see the world as my killers do, and understand behaviour which I can’t condone. Unless I see the world through my killers’ eyes, I can’t create them as plausible characters.
But we can’t blur the distinction between good and evil. As detectives become less than perfect, and villains become increasingly three dimensional characters, there is still a clear line between pursuit of justice and morally unacceptable conduct. With moral guidelines prevailing less in society, perhaps the popularity of crime fiction is not only more understandable, but more important than ever in helping provide us with a moral compass for real life.
This article was first published in Crimespree Magazine 21st June 2011
http://crimespree.blogspot.com/2011/06/good-and-evil-in-crime-fiction.html

Other recent articles and interviews:

E-BOOKS: JUST A FAD OR THE FUTURE OF FICTION?
"We asked bestselling crime writer Leigh Russell for her insight into the eBook phenomenon"
Read the interview in InTouch Magazine (Cyprus) (July 2011)
http://www.freeintouchmagazine.com/in-this-months-issue.html

21st CENTURY FAHRENHEIT 451
Leigh Russell writes in Crime Time (July 2011)
http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1937

Another Bestseller

2011-07-01T16:30:00.000-07:00

DEAD END IS IN TOP 25
ON AMAZON KINDLE
24 in bestsellers

23 in fiction

9 in crime
& Geraldine Steel is amazon kindle's number 1 female detective!

News flash!

2011-07-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

Dead End is on special offer @ 99p on amazon.co.uk Kindle, £1.58 on amazon.com Kindle.

Leigh Russell Author Channel

2011-06-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

http://youtube.com/leighrussellauthor
The Leigh Russell author channel on youtube kicks off with a (rather too obviously nervous) Leigh talking about the inspiration for the Geraldine Steel series. Hope you find it interesting.

Everyone has their limits

2011-06-28T08:53:00.000-07:00

I'll do almost anything to research my books (see photo) - but I draw the line at touching maggots... (don't ask!)

Dead End Review in The Times

2011-06-19T02:14:00.001-07:00

Review of Dead End
in The Times:

"In Dead End, Leigh Russell's third and best novel... all the ingredients combine to make a tense, clever police whodunnit."
(Marcel Berlins)

Launch Party for Dead End

2011-06-11T11:25:00.000-07:00

Photos courtesy of Ron Taylor of Harpendia and Phillipa

Euro Crime Review of Dead End

2011-06-05T16:13:00.000-07:00

Dead End reviewed in Euro Crime today:
"DEAD END is the third novel by Leigh Russell, and her third to feature Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel. Well written and chock full of surprises, this hard-hitting, edge- of-the seat instalment is yet another treat for those of us that enjoyed the first two books about this feisty, young, female DI... I love this series about Geraldine Steel and particularly enjoy having a strong female as the central character. With DEAD END, Russell continues to prove that she is a talent worth watching out for. Her imagination and flow of ideas are first-rate and Geraldine Steel looks set to become a household name. Highly recommended."
Read the whole review on http://www.eurocrime.co.uk/reviews/Dead_End.html

Waterstones

2011-05-28T14:07:00.000-07:00

Cut Short, Road Closed and Dead End at Waterstones in Guildford where I signed 76 books today. Who says we don't love our bookshops?

I love a good review!

2011-05-25T11:19:00.000-07:00

Review of Dead End in Saga Magazine:

"Sometimes nothing else will do but a good, old-fashioned, heart-hammering police thriller. This is it - a no-frills delivery of pure excitement. Abigail Kirby's husband and kids assume she's at work, but then her corpse is found, with the tongue cut out. It’s another case for DI Geraldine Steel, and before the twists and turns (involving Abigail’s teenage daughter and a dodgy online friend) are done with, Geraldine will be fighting for her own life. A classic teckie that grips from the start."

Visiting Bristol

2011-05-22T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've just come back from a fabulous weekend in Bristol, packed with friends and events. Before catching the train from London to Bristol I found Dead End at number 70 on the WH Smith's chart at Paddington station. On the left I'm signing a copy of Dead End in one of the stores at Paddington, and on the right is a photo with a customer for whom I signed a copy in the other branch of WH Smith's at the station.

Meeting Ruth Dudley Edwards, Ailene Templeton and Linda Regan before our panel (left). Pauline Rowson hadn't arrived yet but we're all there at the event (right and below).

After the panel I went for a live interview on BBC Radio Bristol with Graham Torrington.

After my interview, we took a short detour to take a look at the amazing Clifton suspension bridge before returning to CrimeFest to catch a panel with Chris Carter, Tim Weaver, Howard Linskey and NJ Cooper talking about the thrills of crime writing.
By then it was time for the CWA reception where some of the 2011 Dagger shortlists were announced, we met up up with writing friends old and new, and shared a glass or two, courtesy of the CWA.

I spent Saturday at Waterstones Bristol Galleries where the staff were friendly and helpful, as always in Waterstones. I met lots of local readers who bought 65 copies of my books. Dead End sold really well, as expected, with its great cover.
Then it was back to CrimeFest to get changed for the Mulholland Reception (and more wine).
On the left you can see a few happy faces (photo courtesy of the unflagging Ali Karim) Matt Hilton, Ali's beautiful daughter Sophia, and a little person who forgot to pack any heels at the Mulholland Reception. Then it was on to the Gala Dinner where we heard Christopher Brookmyre, Lindsey Davies, Deon Meyer and Peter James. At least I'd remembered to pack my best frock to announce the winners of the Mystery Woman short story competition for 2011.
Returning home after such an exciting weekend, the programme for Harrogate Festival had arrived in the post. It was a thrill to see my name in it!

Creative Writing

2011-05-16T13:50:00.000-07:00

Can Creative Writing be taught? What do you think? The question has been knocking around in the public arena ever since the University of East Anglia set up its course, with such brilliant alumni as Ian McEwan and Kazuo Ishiguro, and no doubt the question was debated in a quieter way long before that.
It does sound like a contradiction. Creativity is personal; it can be inspired (think Mozart, Shakespeare) a connection with the subconscious on a deep level, an outpouring of... of... I'm struggling to define 'creativity'. Yet I’ve agreed to teach Creative Writing for a whole week in France.
Before I put anyone off joining us for a week in France at a wonderful venue with fantastic food and local wines, I should add that this won't be my first venture into teaching Creative Writing. I run successful workshops for the Society of Authors, at Get Writing hosted by the University of Herts, and for a few smaller outfits. So far the experience has proved challenging and great fun.
The name 'Creative Writing' is useful as a label because everyone has a clear idea of what Creative Writing is. But at the same time the title is misleading because creativity isn't a skill that can be acquired through training or learning of formulae, although it can be nurtured and facilitated.
What then is the value of Creative Writing classes? The answer is that for most of us it takes more than creativity to turn ideas into a book. Character building, plot development, structure, pace, tension - all the essential elements that make up an engaging narrative, all these are skills that can be acquired and honed, and this craft of writing can be taught.
Perhaps ‘Creative Writing Classes’ is a bit of a misnomer. But ‘Crafty Writing Classes’ doesn’t have quite the same ring, does it?

Dead End has arrived

2011-05-10T13:41:00.000-07:00

I just received a copy of Dead End - the final version that has now arrived in bookshops. It looks fantastic (in my opinion!) and has already had some great reviews.
amazon.co.uk sold out as soon as the book arrived thanks to preorders, but have now restocked. So it's available on amazon as well as in Waterstones around the UK. Here's a link to the latest review, from Helen Hunt on Bookersatz and there are more below and on the No Exit site:
http://bookersatz.blogspot.com/2011/05/dead-end.html

Treat Yourself to a Week of Writing in France

2011-05-05T08:37:00.001-07:00

I'm thrilled to be running a week long creative writing workshop in the South of France this October and hope you can join us in a beautiful location for a week of writing, talking about writing, more writing, fabulous food and local wines... and more writing.... I can't wait! http://tinyurl.com/63x34hp Please check the link soon if you're interested as places are very limited.

To get you in the mood, I've posted a few photos taken at some of my recent workshops.

Why do we call hindsight a benefit?

2011-04-30T14:52:00.000-07:00

I just logged onto my blog as it’s about time for another post, with no idea what I was going to write about, and stumbled across a list of recent posts on blogs I follow, with links. How did I never discover it before now?
That happens to me so often with technology, which I make no claims to have mastered, and – even more galling – with life. It’s always struck me as a devastating stroke of irony that we learn from experience, because there are situations in life where we need to acquire knowledge before the experience and, once the experience is over the knowledge becomes superfluous. If only I’d known something – anything – about parenting before my children arrived. Yes, I learned a lot about parenting through being a mother and, with the uncomfortable 'benefit' of hindsight could do it all so much better now…
Writing encapsulates the sting of hindsight because once a book is published you can reread it – and it’s too late to change anything! As a rule I’m not one for looking back with regrets, but I wonder if other people’s stories turn out exactly how they want them to be.
Would you change anything about your writing if you could turn the clock back?

Standing out from the Crowd

2011-04-23T02:50:00.000-07:00

Great review of Dead End in Bookgeeks - "the critical acclaim heaped on Russell thus far in her literary career is well deserved. Dead End strays neatly away from several of the norms of crime fiction; this allows her to stand out in a crowded marketplace"

Links to more early reviews posted on 4th April. Here's the link to the Bookgeeks review, and watch out for an interview coming soon! http://www.bookgeeks.co.uk/2011/04/23/dead-end-by-leigh-russell/

Amazon promotes Road Closed

2011-04-18T02:43:00.000-07:00

Amazon are promoting Road Closed on Kindle - £1.20 until 2nd May.

Here's the link if you'd like to check it out - http://tinyurl.com/RoadClosedKindle

ROAD CLOSED made it to the TOP 100 TITLES on Amazon kindle!

Check out this blog- thanks, Helen! http://fictionisstrangerthanfact.blogspot.com/2011/04/crime-spree.html

Society of Authors Workshop

2011-04-15T05:15:00.001-07:00

Thank you to the authors who attended my workshop hosted by The Society of Authors this week. It was a privilege to share your combination of creativity and craft; thank you for contributing with such enthusiasm and good humour. What an eclectic and interesting group! The Society organiser was all set to take photos of the event but the discussion was so lively I completely forgot to ask her. Good luck with your writing!
To anyone on the waiting list - hopefully The Society will be contacting you soon with dates of further workshops so I hope to have an opportunity to meet you before too long!

Snapping the paparazzi

2011-04-12T05:35:00.001-07:00

The Windsor Observer sent a photographer to snap me in action signing at Waterstones in Windsor. We snapped her in return! I'm the glamorous young blonde one...
I really enjoyed my first book signing of the year and am looking forward to signing at Waterstones in St Albans next Saturday. And before that I'll be running my first workshop at The Society of Authors on Thursday. Wish me luck!

Writers, Festivals & Reviews - An author's life

2011-04-06T12:27:00.000-07:00

Some Watford Writers after my talk on submissions. In other news, I received details from Harrogate Crime Festival today. And reviews are starting to come in for Dead End (out in May) - see below.

Dead End Reviews

2011-04-04T04:24:00.000-07:00

Great review of Dead End by Barry Forshaw in Crimetime - "an encounter that will take them into the darkest recesses of the human psyche" !
http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1816
And here's the link to the review by Marie Muldoon in New Books Magazine - "I am really impressed and am now Leigh Russell's number one fan!"
http://www.newbooksmag.com/reviews/6338-9379/review.php
Graham Smith of Crimesquad has also reviewed Dead End and here's a preview he sent me - "A macabre read, full of enthralling characters and gruesome details which kept me glued from first page to last." Dead End is published in May.

Good News

2011-04-03T03:07:00.001-07:00

I've been invited to participate at HARROGATE FESTIVAL. This is a huge honour for any author of crime fiction and I'm absolutely thrilled. http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/crime/

The Goal Posts are Moving Again

2011-04-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

The goal posts are moving again…

Once I would have grabbed at the chance of having a third novel published. With my first two titles still selling, am I becoming an established author, successful at last in my own small way? Dead End will soon be going to print, ready to hit the shelves next month. (What happened to the past six months? Publication date has been so far off for so long and now, suddenly, it’s almost here – How did that happen?)

When Cut Short was due for publication I remember being wildly excited. The whole episode felt like one huge party. It was such fun being a published author! To my surprise, the publication of Road Closed was, if anything, even more exciting. Now I was a real author with not one but two books to my name. (Is that the laughter of authors with multiple titles to their names?)

But with Dead End about to hit the shelves, everything feels different. It could be the after effects of pneumonia, but suddenly this author lark doesn’t seem like so much fun any more. Is it because third time around I know how much hard work lies ahead, with the publication of a new title? The promotion, book signings, talks, panels, interviews, and endless phone calls and emails… and the reviews! There have been 3 so far, all good, but that’s just the beginning…

I’m reminded of the Neil Sedaka song about missing the hungry years. The publication of Cut Short was such a thrill, but how can we measure success when the goal posts keep moving?

What has been your experience of publishing second and subsequent books? Did your excitement heighten or fade with each new title?

Review of DEAD END

2011-03-18T06:16:00.000-07:00

DEAD END has received its first review, in New Books Magazine.
"Dead End is the first book I have read by Leigh Russell but it won't be the last! This psychological thriller is apparently the third in a series featuring DI Geraldine Steel but can be read as a stand alone novel. I, however, will be buying the first two and reading them immediately. I am an avid reader but have become a bit jaded of late but I found this book gripping. The writing reminded me of authors like Tess Gerritsen and Mo Hayder. I found the narrative well written and at times terrifyingly brutal. The tension slowly builds as the twists and turns develop and as the story unfolds I could not put this book down. I was really impressed and am now Leigh Russell's number one fan!"
http://www.newbooksmag.com/reviews/6338-9378/review.php

Another digression

2011-03-16T12:53:00.000-07:00

This blog is supposed to focus on my life as an author of crime novels, but I can't resist sharing the beautiful flowers I received this week. Sadly the purple tulips a friend brought me last week have gone but they were fabulous as well. Yes, lots of purple flowers with my spring daffodils! They cheered me up while I was feeling low - as did all the good wishes I received online. Thank you.

Blogging again

2011-03-08T02:28:00.000-08:00

In some ways writers are similar to visual artists, in their close observation of details. Painters seeing a landscape might rearrange the composition in their heads, select colours for a canvas, respond to light and shade (I’m guessing here.)
As a writer even the most mundane detail transforms into words in my head – a carrier bag flapping in a gust of wind, the smell of earth beneath dry leaves – anything can be used to help set a scene somewhere in a book.
Recently I had a very different experience of noticing detail, spending a week in hospital suffering from pneumonia. Looked after by a wonderful team of NHS staff, I was reminded how much I take for granted every day. That first cup of NHS tea when I was able to drink, the feel of dry sheets after I managed to dislodge my drip which leaked in the bed, the joy of eating a piece of toast!
Not much about crime writing here but I have been a bit off the case recently - although I did have a clear view of the hospital car park, deserted after dark. One night I watched a lone figure hurry along the walkway and couldn’t help thinking “What if…”
…a second figure leaps unexpectedly from the shadows, brandishing a knife, and the patient becomes an unwilling witness, three floors up. Before she can move or cry out the victim staggers and falls, the assailant vanishes into the darkness… The patient presses her buzzer and watches as the victim bleeds to death far below in the deserted car park…

World Book Night

2011-02-09T01:08:00.000-08:00

“It's very easy to take more than nothing.” (Alice in Wonderland)

How much disposable income do you have? If your post office was about to charge you for a dozen stamps then offered them to you free, which offer would you accept?
Since the net book agreement was scrapped just over ten years ago, there has been an insane rush to reduce the price of books. Supermarkets sell them for less than the price of a glossy magazine (crammed with advertisements), online suppliers are constantly reducing prices, and offers are now standard in bookshops which display tables stacked with offers to buy 3 for 2, or buy one get one half price.
World Book Night is the logical conclusion of this trend, with publishers giving away a million books. Do they think recipients will respond by putting their hands in their pockets? Of course they won’t! If they aren't already book buyers, those given free books will simply wait for the next free book. It won’t be far behind. Why buy something you can get for free? As for those who already buy books - well, that will be one less sale to them. A double whammy.
World Book Night devalues the concept of books as something authors, editors, publishers, designers, proofreaders, have spent months, in some cases years, planning, researching, writing, revising, discussing and editing. Time and money has been spent producing books and publicity for World Book Night, a “celebration of adult fiction” which will sadly further undermine the industry.
Why wasn’t that time and effort devoted to promoting book sales to inject urgently needed funding into the industry? The books donated to World Book Night are wonderful works of literature. If each recipient of these million free books had been persuaded to part with the price of a couple of cups of coffee in exchange for their book, it would have injected millions pounds into the struggling book industry.
The concern over the future of books masks a deeper issue. Shakespeare only invented one plot but the 20th century placed a premium on originality. A generation ago children writing stories at school would often accuse their classmates of copying a plot from a book. That never happens now. Today, children take their stories from films or, increasingly, from computer games.
But one thing children today appreciate is the value of money. They could teach the publishing industry a thing or two.

This week's interviews

2011-02-07T01:16:00.001-08:00

Interview on Harrogate Festival website http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/yourebooked/2011/02/youre-booked-spoke-to-leigh-russell/
Interview on The Rap Sheet
http://therapsheet.blogspot.com/2011/02/steel-at-it.html

The Beginning of the End?

2011-02-02T15:28:00.000-08:00

Eleven Waterstone's stores will close by the end of this week across the UK and altogether twenty sites are earmarked for closure.
Current stock at all eleven outlets will be removed and "where possible" recycled.
Waterstones have not disclosed how many staff will be affected.
Store Closures:
Slough, Maidenhead, Edinburgh East End, Dublin Dawson Street, Dublin Jervis Street, Colchester Culver Square, Worcester High Street, Guildford North Street, Stafford Guildhall, Hemel Hempstead Marlowes Centre, Coventry Cathedral Lanes, Tiverton, Luton, Chelmsford, Meadows
It's a sad day for book lovers when Waterstones start to close branches. Remember how quickly Borders disappeared? Anyone interested in books should be seriously worried that this is just the beginning of Waterstones closures. Do we want the only outlets to be cut price supermarkets, charity shops and online suppliers? It's not rocket science that without revenue from book buyers, publishers and authors won't survive. New books won't be subject to the rigorous selection, editing and proofreading currently offered (most of the time) by publishers and the whole book industry will disappear very quickly.
The reading public is diminishing so perhaps this is an inevitable decline, but if we care about the survival of bookshops and the future of books, we need to support and value the industry that produces them.
So before rushing to collect your free book on World Book Night on March 5th, why not support World Book Day on March 3rd by buying a book from your local Waterstones - while you still can.
And you might want to take a photo while you're there, because unless more people buy books in bookshops we may soon no longer have that opportunity.
It's up to all of us to make bookshops sustainable - if we want them to survive.
And before you go look again at the image on this post (above left).
http://www.thebookseller.com/news/waterstones-close-11-stores-end-week.html ebookseller.com/news/waterstones-close-11-stores-end-week.html

The Future of Reading

2011-01-24T12:31:00.000-08:00

I’m not convinced that initiatives to give away free books encourages a perception that books have value. I understand the rationale behind these initiatives which seek to engage new readers and promote particular authors. But I suspect the consequence of giving books away for free is that books will just become further devalued. Many readers say they never pay full price for a book – even though the average book will set you back the price of a couple of cups of coffee, or a couple of pints in the pub, and without revenue from readers, publishers and authors will largely disappear.
Bricks and mortar bookshops face huge competition from online suppliers, charity shops, supermarkets and free book campaigns – and that’s before considering the impact of ebooks. I’m passionate about the survival of bookshops and spend a lot of time in different branches of the major chains, and in libraries, talking to readers. I wish more authors would support bookshops and libraries in this way.

(Just in case the situation here continues to deteriorate, I’m building my intergalactic fanbase - you can see a few of them in the picture).

There is a more serious concern which is not how books will be delivered in future, but whether people will continue reading on a significant scale, with all the other forms of entertainment on offer. Today’s youngsters spend their time in front of television, computer or mobile phone screens and bookshops have their work cut out to attract them.

But it’s a campaign worth fighting and one they must win if they are to survive.

Writers and Readers

2011-01-11T11:51:00.000-08:00

I received my PLR statement today. Around 3,000 people borrowed my books from libraries in the UK in the year to June 2010.
Who says libraries aren't popular nowadays?
As an author, it's hardly surprising that I spend a lot of time writing, but these days authors also spend a lot of time talking. As a relatively unknown 'name', my events vary and sometimes I chat to half a dozen readers in a library reading group, always an enjoyable experience. But here are a couple of photos, both taken at a recent talk I gave where more than 200 people turned out to hear me talk about my books. You can just about see me, a tiny dot on the stage.

Maybe one day I'll even see a queue of more than two people waiting in front of my table at a book signing...

Did I say people?

Who moved the goalposts?

2011-01-10T09:59:00.000-08:00

We have a strange glitch in our television which causes it to default to Sky sport whenever I leave the room. Curiously it never happens when my husband is out - almost as though the television knows! Thanks to this mysterious glitch, I do sometimes watch cricket and football (while busy on facebook, blogs, email, etc and yes, sometimes even writing…)
So I thought, for a change, I’d share a few of my musings on cricket and football.
Cricket seems to me very similar to life, in being almost completely incomprehensible. Occasionally I have a glimmer of comprehension, but then it’s gone in the toss of a cricket ball and the swing of a bat and I’m baffled again. Yes, I can understand why people compare cricket to life. Just when you think you understand something, you realise you don't.
Football is altogether simpler to understand. There’s a goal post at each end of the pitch and – well, you know the rest and if not, well, don't ask me. The goals are a standard size and are always in the right place. In short, football couldn’t be less like life because in life the goal posts move all the time.
Less than two years ago, I thought I’d be happy just to see a book of mine published. Cut Short hit the shelves. I thought I'd be happy if a few copies were bought. Cut Short promptly sold out – and sold out again - and again. I thought I'd be happy if the book had a few good reviews on amazon. Cut Short was well reviewed, and not only on amazon but in the papers. It was shortlisted for a major award.

After all the accolades, I thought I'd be happy if Road Closed did half as well. Good reviews started to roll in and Road Closed quickly sold out.

Over that hurdle, with sales and reviews better than ever, and I’m wondering about how Dead End will be received...

Will I be happy if just a few copies are bought?

What a year I've had!

2011-01-03T14:20:00.000-08:00

It's January 2011 and time to review 2010. And what a year it's been!

Looking back, I can't believe how much has happened. No wonder I'm feeling tired!

Cut Short sold out for the fourth time (or was it the fifth?) and was shortlisted for the CWA Dagger, which was a real thrill. I went to Harrogate to hear the announcement and met two charmers, Ian Rankin and Mark Billingham.

Cut Short is being reprinted again, this time in B format, with a new cover which was decided on in 2010, to match the cover chosen for Dead End. When Road Closed is reprinted again, it will have a matching cover, so 2010 was the year my books were "branded" (!)

I was lucky enough to have lots of online interviews and the reviews for both books continued to be amazingly positive!

I finished Dead End in 2010 and the MS for my next book, now with my agent.

2010 saw two bestsellers, two more books written, two new covers and an award nomination. In addition, I was very happy to receive lots of invitations to appear at literary festivals, talk to writers groups and judge competitions, visit bookshops and libraries, and talk to colleges and book clubs.

2011 will doubtless be as busy but I don't see how it can be as exciting!

Happy New Year

2011-01-01T03:42:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYONE!
More to come... watch this space...
Resolution: post regularly on my blog...

Help Needed - Support Bookshops!

2010-12-17T09:59:00.001-08:00

December was a busy month - until the snow struck. So far I've had to cancel 5 author events this week, in different branches of Waterstones. I really hope readers in Chichester, Winchester, Guildford and Windsor support their local bookshops which have plenty of Cut Short and Road Closed in stock. Please feel free to contact me for a scanned signature, either for yourself or as a Christmas present, if you can get to Waterstones. They need your support. This week, which should have given them a boost, has been a disaster.
In more positive news, here I am earlier in the month awarding the trophy to John Ward, winner of Watford Writers short story competition, which I was invited to judge. The standard of all the entries was amazing and I thoroughly enjoyed reading them. I'm delighted to have been invited to judge the 2011 competition!

And here are a few more Watford writers - a very talented bunch.

And of course I've been out and about book signing at least once a week in December - here's a photo taken at Waterstones in Staines

and WH Smith's in Watford (photo courtesy of the Watford Observer)

We braved a blizzard to reach Waterstones in Hemel Hemstead. (If you enlarge the image you can see an unusual 3for2 offer...) We struggled to make it home again, ending up with the front of the car wedged against a kerb at the bottom of a hill. We managed to reverse away from the kerb by putting a pitta bread under each wheel - luckily we'd stopped off for some shopping on the way! While stuck, we met a girl who had abandonned her own car at the foot of the hill. As she as going our way, we were able to offer her a lift home! (We did holding her ransom note but she told us her family had no money to speak of. All they could offer was one small child. Having had two of our own, we reverted to our original offer and dropped her home.)

We made it to Waterstones in Harrow yesterday. Here's an old photo taken there in June 2010 (we forgot to take one today). Add a thick cardy and a fleece to my outfit, and a few more white hairs and wrinkles, and it could have been taken today!

WH Smith's in Harrow today, back to Waterstones tomorrow, and then I'm done!

Apologies to Waterstones in Chichester, Winchester, Guildford and Windsor for being unable to get to you this week. I hope to visit you all early in 2011.

I'm done - what now?

2010-12-08T03:38:00.000-08:00

I've delivered the MS for Dead End to my publisher and am back to polishing my next MS, which is virtually finished.
On paper (sorry!) I've achieved a heck of a lot in 2010 with Cut Short shortlisted for a major award, Road Closed well reviewed and selling as fast as Cut Short, and not one but two more books written.
So as the year draws to a close, I should be feeling pretty pleased with myself.
But (one of the most powerful words in the English language. Like an inconspicuous pivot, almost invisible, it turns everything around) I'm feeling deflated, low, dejected, fed up. (Love blogging where I can repeat, reiterate, witter on in horrendous prose, unlike my 'professional' prose or, as Katie Price allegedly calls it my "book words").
How do other writers react when they reach the end of the monumental (sometimes monstrous) creative effort that goes into writing a book?
Do you party? crawl away and hide? or indulge in rambling on a blog?
This isn't only a question for writers, of course. It applies equally at the conclusion of any task that has required effort. How do we enjoy achievement when the work is done? or do we only feel alive when we're facing challenge? What about the challenge of coping when the challenge is over? (OK, I'll stop now.)

A Serious Business

2010-12-06T05:56:00.000-08:00

In unusual circumstances, books can be published within weeks. Michael Jackson’s biography was clearly prepared in advance and given regular updates, right up until his death at which point I seem to recall there was a race to be the first to have a book on the shelves.
For most authors, the process takes longer. There is a time lag between delivery of the final manuscript and publication. So the manuscript for Road Closed was delivered in December 2009 for publication in June 2010.
Addicted to writing, I started on Dead End as soon as Road Closed was finished. By writing I refer not only to the secretarial task of committing words to paper or screen, but also to the thinking, research and editing that go into producing a book.
A year has passed and YESTERDAY I sent Dead End to my publisher for the proofs. The story that has dominated my thoughts for the past year is now out of my hands. Finished. Handed over. Delivered. Submitted. Gone.
Am I pleased with what I have achieved? Am I excited about the publication of my next book?
As is so often the case, reality is proving very different to my expectations. I would have expected to feel deliriously happy at submitting my manuscript - but “terrified” might be a more apt way to describe how I’m feeling right now!
True to form, I’m already working on my next book, due with my agent in a month’s time. I’m currently working on final edits for the book that follows Dead End. I’ll have to wait more than a few weeks to see that one in print but, in the meantime, you can guess what I’ll be doing... yes, the killer in my fifth book is already clamouring to be written.
The last thing I want to do right now is think about Dead End, as it prepares to be launched into the public domain, to run the gauntlet of reviews.
While writing is fun, I am beginning to realise that being an author is a serious business.
http://www.noexit.co.uk/authorpages/leigh_russell.php

How to Write Bestselling Crime Fiction

2010-12-02T15:03:00.000-08:00

Could you write bestselling crime thrillers? I'll be giving away some of my secrets - I've agreed to run a workshop 'In for the Thrill' about writing bestselling crime fiction, at the GET WRITING CONFERENCE in February 2011 at 10.45am. You can book a place here: http://www.verulamwriterscircle.org.uk/getwriting.php

Pathetic Fallacy

2010-11-30T15:34:00.000-08:00

When I was a student (a very long time ago) I remember learning about the Pathetic Fallacy in literature, where natural events reflect human experience: Lear, a former king, naked in the tempest; storms at times of emotional turmoil in Thomas Hardy, and so on. I was thinking about the pathetic fallacy while driving into work this morning in ominous weather. I don’t enjoy driving in the best of conditions and at this time of year I always start to feel a little nervous. What if the roads are icy and my car skids...?
This kind of anxiety may be pathetic in itself, but being a worrier frequently feeds into my writing and I wonder if being subject to Shakespeare’s “horrible imaginings” goes with the territory of being a crime writer. Readers often ask how I think up plots for my crime novels and the answer is simple; I start with a ‘What if...?’ question, imagining a worst case scenario. Let me give you an example. Let’s say you have a job in an office. One evening you are the last person to leave. Going to bed you remember that you left your mobile phone on your desk at work, so you go in early next morning to arrive before any of your colleagues. Entering the office you discover a dead woman sprawled on the floor. Only a few people have keys to your office, and no one admits to knowing the murder victim.
This raises a number of questions. Who is the unknown victim? Why was she killed? You were last out at the end of the day and first in next morning - does suspicion fall on you? How do the police find the killer? If you write answers to the many questions raised by the body in the office, a basic crime thriller will virtually write itself.
Of course it’s not that simple. It takes a certain type of imagination to develop a starting point like this into a plausible novel with intriguing plot twists and convincing characters, and requires a lot of thought. So life as an author can be hard work, and success has imposed increasing demands on my time until there are times when I watch my life slipping out of control, like my car on an icy road...
As for the road ahead, if anyone had told me eighteen months ago that I would have two bestsellers to my name now, I would’ve laughed. But here I am. So I’m taking my journey as an author one day at a time with no idea what the future might bring. At least my car didn’t skid this morning - although if there was any ice on the road I wouldn’t have seen it through the dense fog up ahead...

http://www.noexit.co.uk/authorpages/leigh_russell.php

Good News and Bad News

2010-11-25T14:25:00.000-08:00

I've all but finished the edits for DEAD END and am getting quite excited about publication in May. It's not that far off! In the meantime, ROAD CLOSED is being reprinted, and CUT SHORT will be reprinted in a new format in June.
With all the focus on preparing for publication, the promotion goes on. It is not an exaggeration when I say that I regularly receive invitations to give interviews. Just today I had approaches from journalists on two local papers covering areas where I'll be signing near Christmas, saw a post I'd written go online on the Harrogate Festival website, heard about another guest post going online at the beginning of December, received a PDF from Mystery Women who had asked me to write a Guest Author Post for their online magazine which will be sent out next week and I'm waiting to see a feature about me in the Times Educational Supplement in December.
Here's the link to my post on the Harrogate website:
http://www.harrogate-festival.org.uk/yourebooked/2010/11/my-beginnings-by-leigh-russell/
And links to two other interviews which came online this week, both print copies published a few months ago. This one is from Hertfordshire Life http://hertfordshire.greatbritishlife.co.uk/article/crime-pays-for-watford-author-27276/
and In Touch Magazine in Cyprus where not only is the article headed 'An Exclusive Interview with Best Selling Author Leigh Russell' but the type is in a lovely purple font! Love it!
http://www.freeintouchmagazine.com/uploads/3/0/3/5/3035922/leigh_russell_interview.pdf
On the down side, I wasn't invited to join a panel at Harrogate Festival - one day, when I've made my name, I hope to be there. In the meantime, it's back to the edits...

Appearances

2010-11-17T16:29:00.000-08:00

Lately I haven’t posted much about what I’ve been up. It’s not that I’ve become blasé about my life as an author – far from it! - but since Cut Short was shortlisted for a major award I've barely had time to attend all my events, let alone write about them here.
In a typical week I might have two book signings at Waterstones or WH Smith, a panel at a literary festival, online interviews, media interviews, and invitations to guest post on several blogs in addition to the two blogs I regularly post on.
This week, in addition to all my usual promotion, I’ve been invited to judge a short story competition, and was contacted by a photographer wanting to do a photoshoot for a feature about me in The Times Educational Supplement. Yes, a photoshoot… ! Apparently he’s going to spend an hour taking a picture of me, and the whole photoshoot is going to take nearly three hours (including lunch, ahem.) I told you it can get a little crazy! I’ll tell you about the photoshoot next week, if it’s not too embarrassing. (You may have heard me say that it took longer to take a decent photo of me for Road Closed than it did to write the book... I have a feeling this venture into the world of glamour and glitz is going to go horribly wrong… It’s just not me, dahling.)
So (unusually) I’ve been thinking about my appearance and have decided to wear a hat with a wide brim, a mac with the collar turned up and a pair of dark glasses for my photoshoot. Sleuth-like or what? (What do you mean, a cover-up? The thought never entered my head!)
While I’ve been considering my appearance, I’ve also been thinking about the appearance of my next book. First of all I’d like to thank everyone who has commented on the cover design for DEAD END, here and on facebook.
There’s been some discussion about it. The first design chosen was strikingly similar to a book that came out last year. That in itself doesn't matter, except that I happen to know the other author concerned, so I was pleased when my publisher decided to use a different image. It seems that every detail of a book cover is discussed at great length. The designer, my publisher, my agent and I all had strong opinions about whether the title DEAD END should be printed in white or red.
What do YOU think?
And how much does the cover influence your decision to buy a particular book?
As for the photo of this author, I intend to be well disguised as a sleuth for my photoshoot!

Constraints of Fiction vs Freedom of Reality

2010-11-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

What's coming up for Geraldine? SCENE OF THE CRIME! http://jsydneyjones.wordpress.com/2010/11/16/leigh-russells-d-i-geraldine-steel-psychologically-acute/

On the spur of the moment we once went to visit a public gardens that turned out to be closed. Having travelled so far, we decided to drive on to the nearest town. As we drew level with a sign welcoming us to Milton Keynes, my mobile rang. My daughter was calling because she was bored waiting for a train in... Milton Keynes. I can’t recall the purpose of her visit, but like ours it was an unprecedented trip to Milton Keynes and neither of us had known of the other’s visit beforehand. It was fluke that we chanced to be there at the same time, and discovered we were there together before either of us left.
I could tell you a few more coincidences that have happened to me - although one is so strange that I wouldn’t relate it here for fear of being dismissed as an advocate of impossible supernatural events. It really was that unlikely.
I’m not alone in this. Most people can recall at least one astonishing coincidence they have experienced. How often do we introduce anecdotes with the words, ‘You’ll never believe what happened!’ But of course we do believe the story that follows, because it’s true.
So how is it that real life can throw up such coincidences with impunity when my editor warned me early on to avoid coincidences in my writing because ‘Readers don’t like them’?
When writing my crime thrillers I try to make them believable, researching small details to create a convincing illusion so my readers ‘buy into’ the world of my book. I’m pleased to come across epithets like ‘plausible’ and ‘authentic’ when reviewers comment on my fictional forensic science. (It should be authentic. My advisers range from an experience medical practitioner to a professor of forensic medicine, and even the human remains department of the Natural History Museum!) And I spend time working out how my detective can come across an essential piece of evidence without any unlikely coincidences which my readers might find unbelievable.
So it annoys me intensely that real life can be completely absurd and ridiculously far-fetched when we authors can’t take similar liberties. It’s just not fair!

NEWSFLASH: See it here first →
(publication May 2011)

http://www.noexit.co.uk\leighrussell

Libraries and the future of reading

2010-11-03T16:18:00.000-07:00

Recent figures show the number of active library users has dropped by over 2% while visits to library websites increased by almost 50 per cent. In 1849 William Ewart introduced a Public Libraries Bill. Conservatives objected, concerned that the middle and upper classes would pay for a service used only by the working classes. One MP announced "people have too much knowledge already: it was much easier to manage them twenty years ago; the more education people get the more difficult they are to manage.” Nevertheless the Public Libraries Act was passed in 1850.
The 19th century MP who complained that reading makes people more difficult to control had a point. Setting aside powerful arguments about the arts, culture and the advancement of knowledge, reading is essential if we are to have a population able to think for themselves. Because reading gives the individual access to all the information (and misinformation) in the world.
Over the past four centuries we have established a largely literate society in the West but literacy is losing its appeal. Today’s children feed their imaginations playing interactive games where their parents’ need for stories was supplied by books. We have the technology to move towards a largely post-literate society. All the text we need can be recorded with voice activated software for a listening audience rather than a readership. It’s easier. Already we access much of our knowledge from the television or online, and we see more stories on the small screen than the page.
But watching or listening to stories or information is a very different experience to reading. Apart from the argument about using imagination, when you’re reading you can speed up, slow down, pause to reflect, reread and refer back to an earlier passage. There is no one else’s voice to influence or interpret the meaning of the words for you. As reader you control how you read and interpret the words for yourself.
All of this makes books not only valuable but “an essential part of having and educated and literate population” as Wikipedia puts it.
So it is worrying that libraries are not mobbed by people wanting to access free books.
When Britain’s first public lending library opened in Manchester in the mid 19th century it was seen as an event so significant for literacy and democracy that Dickens visited, saying this was an institution “knowing no sect, no party and no distinction; nothing but the public want and the public good.” He would surely be turning in his grave to know that libraries are losing their popularity. If enough people lose interest in books, we risk losing our independent access to knowledge and even our ability to think for ourselves.

On writing and... writing

2010-11-01T17:17:00.000-07:00

Oxford University professor Kathryn Sutherland has thrown doubt over Jane Austen’s authorship of her novels, her scepticism based on an analysis of Austen’s letters. The theory seems to hinge on Sutherland’s expectation that Austen’s letters should be written in the same perfectly polished style as her books. But the letters, according to Sutherland, are “littered with misspelling and grammar errors”. The books are not. Therefore, Sutherland concludes, the books could not have been written by Austen. Sutherland goes on to quote from Austen’s editor, William Gifford, who wrote of a draft of Emma: “It is very carelessly copied… there are many short omissions which must be inserted.” He offers to “readily correct the proof for you.” From which Sutherland presumes that the books were at least in part written by the editor Gifford.
Oh dear.
I hope no one scrutinises my blog posts, emails, facebook comments, and tweets and compares them to my books. My books are by and large grammatically accurate, and my other ramblings aren’t. But would anyone conclude that my books were written by someone else? We don’t expect tweets and emails to be well-written, carefully considered literature. Why should Jane Austen’s private notes and scribblings be judged by different standards to those of today? Jane Austen’s letters weren’t written for publication. They were private. Why should she have written beautifully constructed letters in perfect elegant prose? Her books of course are another matter altogether and I daresay she – and her editor – checked and corrected them carefully.
Any serious author will acknowledge the help of their editor. Why should Jane Austen be any different?

Reviews

2010-10-31T08:56:00.001-07:00

I feel it's time to explain my gripe with the review of Road Closed that has appeared on amazon.ca. To begin with, I can't help but wonder why this reviewer didn't post a review of Cut Short - which he admits he liked - but only felt moved to write a review of Road Closed because he enjoyed it less. Are there genuinely reviewers out there who feel they should only review books they don't enjoy ? How is that helpful - or is this just an individual venting his own feelings about life's inevitable disappointments? Well, here's my venting in return!
The second issue I have with all this is that I know I have many fans - including quite a lot in Canada who have contacted me via twitter and facebook. Canadian fans have even complained on facebook and twitter that they were unable to post positive reviews of Road Closed on amazon because they hadn't purchased from there. So the one poor review continues to stand there alone.
Road Closed has received glowing reviews from critics writing for The Times ('confirms her promise as a writer') The New York Journal of Books ('refreshingly compelling and original') even some reviews which prefer Road Closed to Cut Short ('an even better read than Cut Short' to quote The Secret Writer). I could go on, but you can see a host of good reviews for Road Closed on my publisher's website
http://www.noexit.co.uk/titles.php/itemcode/526
Of course not everyone is going to enjoy my books and a lot of people may well dismiss them for any number of justified reasons, and that's fair enough.
What I find unfair is that when I wanted to post a list of quotes from reviews in The Times, The New York Journal of Books, etc, on amazon.ca to point out that Road Closed has received some positive reviews, amazon.ca blocked it. As the author it seems I am not allowed to post reviews from journals like The Times - even though the reviews aren't mine. I can't even comment on the review that someone else has posted.
I don't expect everyone to like my books and I'm quite happy to accept some inevitable 2 star reviews among the 5 star ones, but what is happening on amazon.ca does seem to be a complete misrepresentation of how Road Closed has been received.
Is it coincidence that out of Cut Short and Road Closed sales on amazon.co.uk, amazon.com and amazon.ca the sales rating of Road Closed on amazon.ca has been consistently poor compared to all the others since that one negative review was posted?
So thanks a lot, amazon.ca, for not allowing me to post anyone else's reviews about my book. Maybe it's time you reviewed your policies.

Interview and Review

2010-10-20T00:23:00.000-07:00

http://margotkinberg.blogspot.com/2010/10/guest-post-interview-with-leigh-russell.html
Thank you to Margot and her Confessions of a Mystery Novelist

and a new review says CUT SHORT 'a very good read' ROAD CLOSED 'an even better read' http://thesecretwriterblog.blogspot.com/2010/10/movers-and-shakers-author-leigh-russell.html

Thank you!

Reaching the End

2010-10-13T12:15:00.000-07:00

How do other writers manage to finish a book? How do you?
The first in my series, CUT SHORT, wasn't planned in advance - I simply ran with an idea. Before writing the second in my series, ROAD CLOSED, I did a detailed plan and went further with DEAD END which is coming out in 2011, and wrote a ten page synopsis before I wrote the first draft. I have done the same for the fourth in my series.
Now, with 63 of the 64 chapters written, the first draft of my fourth book is almost complete. I know what to do and could easily finish the first draft in an hour at the most. So what's stopping me? It can't be described as 'writer's block' (whatever that is) because I know exactly what to do. The words are already there in my head just waiting to appear on the page.
But once they're typed - that's it.
Then, of course, the next stage begins, going over what I've written and checking details - names, dates, etc - editing expression, polishing the wording, thinking about the structure - there will be lots of work to do.
But the first draft will be finished.
So what is stopping me from finishing? Why is it so hard to let go? I'm enjoying writing my current MS so much I just don't want this to stop. If I wasn't writing a series I don't think I would ever reach the end of this book... at least until an idea for what is going to happen to Geraldine in the fifth book starts buzzing about in my brain... and I already have an inkling!

New York Journal of Books

2010-10-12T07:02:00.001-07:00

Check out the new look New York Journal of Books on
http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/review/road-closed

"Road Closed is the second crime novel by Leigh Russell, featuring Detective Inspector Geraldine Steel. We were first introduced to Steel in the gritty and totally addictive debut novel, Cut Short, and once again Russell is in top form with this new crime thriller...
Like all good crime and thriller writers, Russell gives us just enough morsels of information in each page-turning chapter to whet our appetites for the bigger banquet at the end of the book. Road Closed is a gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page and keeping you captivated right to the end with its refreshingly compelling and original narrative. The rapidly building fan base of Russell and Steel will be on the edge of their seats waiting for the next installment, tentatively titled Dead End."

Being Busy

2010-09-30T13:31:00.001-07:00

It’s been a while since I posted here, not because I forgot about my blog, but because I’ve been very busy, as usual, with book signings, interviews and, of course, writing! First, and most important of all, is the writing news.
CUT SHORT has been reprinted (again!) since it was shortlisted for the CWA New Blood Dagger Award for Best First Novel (yes, I still get a kick out of typing that.) Next year it is going to reprinted in a larger format complete with inside covers and everything.
ROAD CLOSED – which has been receiving absolutely fantastic reviews! - is currently having its first reprint (yes, already!)
DEAD END is on my publisher’s website with a publication date next June and discussion is ongoing about the cover. A decision has to be made urgently as my publisher is off to the Frankfurt Book Fair next week and wants to take the details of DEAD END with him.
Book 4 – no, I’m not revealing the title yet, although I do have one – is almost finished. I’ve written 80,000 words and have 2 chapters and some polishing to do.
And after that? I’ll be going through edits for DEAD END, and hoping lots of people will like my books and t his crazy brilliant experience will keep on keeping on. I’m loving it!
Here are a few recent photos of what I’ve been up to.
Giving a talk at Watford Writers Circle

An interview for a local paper
And while I’ve been busy travelling around the UK book signing over the past few weeks – York, Newcastle, Guildford, Chichester, Hemel Hempstead - and selling out everywhere I’ve been, my books have been out and about too. Here’s a lovely photo of CUT SHORT in
South Africa!
This week I've been invited to go along to a book club that have been reading CUT SHORT (I hope they liked it!) approached for another interview by a national paper, given my views on the design ideas for DEAD END (which is ultimately a sales decision not an artistic one) and written a few more chapters of my fourth book.
And on top of all that, I’m back at school. It’s certainly a busy life!

Books and Booker

2010-09-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

‘I know it sounds pompous,’ I often hear myself say, ‘but I think writers have a duty to at least try to write well.’
Why do I feel I have to apologise for holding that view? If it implies criticism of some of my fellow writers, where does the blame lie?
Just the other day my dentist apologised for extracting the wrong tooth. ‘Sorry’, he said as he wiped my blood from his grubby fingers, ‘I’ve done a shocking job for you. Now I must be off, I’m up for an award as Dentist of the Year.’
Once my gums had stopped bleeding I arranged to meet some friends for supper. I ordered fish. It arrived promptly, quite well cooked on the outside and only slightly frozen in the middle. When I tried to return my dish I learned that the chef was no longer on the premises. ‘He had to dash,’ the waiter explained. ‘He’s off to hear if he’s won Chef of the Year.’
‘The food must be good,’ one of my friends said. ‘The chef’s up for an award!’ The others were too busy chewing to speak.
‘Some of the seasoning could do with severe cutting,’ I muttered. ‘Didn’t the chef taste this before serving it up?’ The only response was the sound of someone choking.

Sir Andrew Motion commented recently that some of the books put forward for the Booker Prize were ‘pretty shocking’ and ‘quite shockingly in want of a decent edit.’ Does the author take no responsibility for the quality of the writing?
My own books have been described as ‘well-written’ (The Times, Marcel Berlins) ‘refreshingly compelling and original’ (The New York Journal of Books, Michael Lipkin) ‘intelligently written’ (Bookersatz, Helen M Hunt) ‘well-written’ (Eurocrime, Amanda Gillies) ‘accomplished’ (Watford Observer, Melanie Dakin). I could go on.

So why do books like mine, well-written though they are, never appear on a long list for a literary prize? Because my books are also described – to quote just a few of many similar reviews - as ‘gritty and addictive… gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page and keeping you captivated right to the end ..’ (New York Journal of Books, Sam Millar) ‘a gritty page-turner from the start’ (Star magazine,) ‘tense… fast-paced twisty narrative’ (US Publishers Weekly starred review)

Yes – well-written they may be, but I write crime fiction.
Sorry about the door slamming. That was just my credibility as a writer leaving the room.

ROAD CLOSED

2010-09-11T13:46:00.000-07:00

ROAD CLOSED is being reprinted - selling as fast as CUT SHORT!

Northern Tour

2010-09-02T13:24:00.001-07:00

Back home after my trip up North. CUT SHORT and ROAD CLOSED sold out sold out at my first signing at WH Smith's in York. We spent a lovely few days in York before going to BBC Radio York in Scarborough for a live interview with presenter Russell Walker.Russell Walker made us feel very welcome. We met him last year and it was great seeing him again. His friendly personality comes across in his voice on the radio.
We spent a few days in Scarborough, visiting Robin Hood's Bay and walking from there along the cliff top to Whitby where we fell exhausted into the first tea shop we passed. It turned out to be dedicated to Sherlock Holmes and full of fascinating memorabilia, not to mention the fabulous homemade scones. From there we continued on our journey to Newcastle for an interview with Simon Logan on BBC Radio Newcastle. He's a great guy, and was really interested in my writing. With our Southern stereotypical misconceptions about Newcastle, we were thrilled to discover what a great place it is and had a great time walking across the fantastic bridges. Sadly we didn't see the swing bridge or the millenium bridge open! We spent a lovely day in Durham exploring along the river and round the cathedral. After selling out both CUT SHORT and ROAD CLOSED at Waterstones in Newcastle, it was back home to sort out washing, emails and to type up the 20,000 or so words I'd written while we were away.

Too busy to post

2010-09-02T06:01:00.001-07:00

Note to self: Must post soon. I've been so busy...

Books and Boobs

2010-08-10T10:22:00.000-07:00

News: ROAD CLOSED is now available on amazon.com (link below)

ROAD CLOSED has been reviewed in Star magazine: "DI Geraldine Steel has a tough case on her hands after a series of nasty incidents. On top of the deadly events, Geraldine has a complicated love life to sort out. Leigh Russell's crime thriller is a gritty page-turner from the start and features a host of unappealing characters!" It's the issue with Katie Price on the front cover. Does that narrow it down? No? How about if I tell you she's quoted as telling Pete to "Stop trying to ruin my life!" Still not clear which issue I'm talking about? Oh, never mind. My point is that ROAD CLOSED is reviewed in the magazine. Does this mean I'm a celebrity?

http://www.star-magazine.co.uk/books/view/22465/Road-Closed/

ROAD CLOSED on amazon.com

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Closed-DI-Geraldine-Steel/dp/184243344X/

ROAD CLOSED on amazon.co.uk

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Closed-Leigh-Russell/dp/184243344X/

The CWA New Blood Dagger Shortlist

2010-07-25T14:01:00.000-07:00

What would induce me to get up at 5.30 in the morning? The mystery grew darker as I hurried to catch the first train up to London. Was I going on holiday? No, although the reason for my excursion begins with the same letter… Sorry, as a crime writer I tend to think in ‘clues’, but without more ado, I’ll come clean and confess: I was travelling to Harrogate as an invited guest at the ITV3 Crime Thriller Season Launch Ceremony sponsored by Specsavers.
The shortlist for the Crime Writers’ Association John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger was announced at a lunchtime ceremony at the The Crown Hotel, Harrogate during the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival. This award is made in memory of CWA founder John Creasey, for first books by previously unpublished writers.
CWA Chairman Tom Harper said: “The CWA Dagger Awards have always enjoyed huge prestige among crime fiction fans and authors. The shortlists this year are incredibly strong, and that for the John Creasey has some exciting new talents, all working at the top of their game.”
The shortlisted books:
Acts of Violence, Ryan David Jahn (Pan)
Cut Short, Leigh Russell (No Exit Press)
Martyr, Rory Clements (John Murray)
Random, Craig Robertson (Simon & Schuster)
Stop Me, Richard Jay Parker (Allison & Busby)
Rupture, Simon Lelic (Picador)
The Holy Thief, William Ryan (Mantle )
The Pull of the Moon, Diane Janes (Robinson)
And if you haven’t worked it out yet – check the second book on the list.

At the risk of sounding conceited, I'm feeling pleased with myself, as you can see in the photo on the right (courtesy of Ali Karim.)

In this photo (left) from Harrogate I'm flanked by two Giants of Crime Fiction, Ian Rankin and Mark Billingham (and I was wearing my highest heels...) If you've met them, you'll know they are not only brilliant writers but very entertaining company.

http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2010/newblood.html

The Daggers will be awarded at a televised ceremony in the Autumn, as part of the Specsavers Crime Thriller Awards, details of which were also announced at the ceremony at Harrogate.

CWA Chairman Tom Harper (pictured) said: “The CWA Dagger Awards have always enjoyed huge prestige among crime fiction fans and authors. The shortlists this year are incredibly strong, from exciting new talents to established masters, all working at the top of their game. We’re thrilled with the way Cactus TV and ITV3 have embraced the Daggers to bring them to the widest possible audience. Together with the retail promotion, more people than ever are now getting the chance to discover the best crime writing in the UK.”
The CWA Dagger Awards are the longest established literary awards in the UK and are internationally recognised as a mark of excellence and achievement.

So I was there to hear my name read out as one of the eight authors shortlisted for the John Creasey New Blood Dagger Award.

Was I excited? What do you think! Excited, proud, and completely stunned.

I'm very pleased we took some photos, or I don't think I'd believe this is really happening. Here I am with Linda Regan, a fellow Mystery Woman.

And finally, a big thank you to my publisher for opening these doors for me. http://www.noexit.co.uk/index.php

Now - back to Geraldine Steel. I have another book to write, and my fictional world seems more believable than my life right now!

But before I go, here's CUT SHORT... Did I mention it's been shortlisted for the CWA 2010 John Creasey New Bloood Dagger Award?

CUT SHORT short listed for CWA DAGGER

2010-07-23T16:50:00.000-07:00

I'm thrilled to share the news that CUT SHORT has been shortlisted for the CWA John Creasey New Blood Daggger Award!
I am, for once, at a loss for words! Well, almost...
I'll tell you more about my whirlwind visit to Harrogate, and post some photos of me (yes, me!) rubbing shoulders with some of the greats, very soon. I've even thought of a caption for one of the photos - 'Leigh between two Giants of Crime Fiction' (Ian Rankin and Mark Billingham are both much taller than me... still looking hobbit-like even in my heels, alas) - and there you have a clue as to two of the people I met on my amazing visit to Harrogate. If I wasn't myself, I'd be quite jealous of me... (note to aforementioned self - must rewrite this tomorrow when sober)

Here's what the judges said about CUT SHORT
Judges’ comments: A book that combines psychological writing with police procedural. A police detective in search of sanctuary finds herself involved in a vicious case of murder. Strong story-telling draws the reader in to this disturbing debut novel that uses settings from Christie with a much darker plot line.
http://www.thecwa.co.uk/daggers/2010/newblood.html

I'm off book signing at WH Smith's in Harrow tomorrow (Saturday is book signing day - you know me!) but I will post more over the weekend.

I'm also dreadfully excited (!!) because I now have the outline for my 4th book... I know ROAD CLOSED has just been published and that was only my 2nd, but I've delivered the draft of DEAD END to my publisher (publication 2011)... and whatever else is going on, I can't stop writing...

A Writer on Holiday

2010-07-13T15:03:00.000-07:00

I'm on holiday from school but as Eugene Ionesco said, "A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about writing." That sounds fair enough to me. So in the first week of my 'holiday' I've signed CUT SHORT and ROAD CLOSED at Waterstones in Norwich, given a a talk about my writing to a lovely book group at Kenton Library, tomorrow I'm going to Central London to be interviewed about ROAD CLOSED for BFK Books, the following day I'm going to Heffers in Cambridge for their annual Bodies in the Bookshop event, and my book week ends with signing on Saturday at a Mystery Women event at LFCC in Earls Court. Next week begins with a talk about ROAD CLOSED to Watford Writers Circle, then I'm giving a talk at Yiewsley Library, paying a visit to Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Festival in Harrogate and signing at WH Smith's in Harrow. And so it goes on.

I haven't forgotten about my writing... today I sent my first draft of DEAD END to my publisher (for publication 2011) and I'm already working on the synopsis for the following book. Its title is currently under wraps!

I know I ought to slow down. This is hardly a dignified life for a middle-aged woman, but... I'm having such fun! Ain't no stopping me now.

Seriously, I will be taking a break soon. I'm going on holiday. But you can be sure I'll be packing a few notebooks and pens... and I must finish my synopsis before I go...

And to finish off, here's a photo with some of the book group at Kenton Library, taken by one of the librarians.

How do you plan your writing?

2010-07-06T15:29:00.001-07:00

I haven't posted for a while as I've been recklessly busy. One day I'm going to turn up at the wrong bookstore on the wrong day! In the ten days since my last post, I've signed a lot of books - at Waterstones in Hitchin, Waterstones in Harrow, and WH Smith's in Brent Cross. Tomorrow I'm on a panel of Crime Writers at Gayton Library in Harrow, then off to sign at Waterstones in Norwich on Saturday.
ROAD CLOSED officially launched this week.
DEAD END, which will be published in 2011, is with my small circle of readers who are beginning to feed back comments. There's still a little more work to do on the manuscript - and I really need to sit down for a couple of days and read through it closely but also fast so I have every detail in my head. I'll tackle that task after I've broken up from school next week as I want to give it its due.
I've decided on the title for my fourth book in the series - but you'll have to wait and see what that is. This week I've been working out the plot and am getting very very excited about it. I can't wait to finish the synopsis my agent wisely insists on so I can start writing it. In the meantime, I haven't even finished my plan yet - but my research is under way and my plan is moving forward.
Having completed three books, I feel like quite an old hand now! So this is how I work.
1) make a sketchy plan on A3 paper. I divide the sheet into five columns, one for each part of my book, and I list the chapters down the columns, a chapter name and very brief notes to remind me what the chapter is about.
2) write a chapter by chapter synopsis from my plan, giving details
3) write the book
That should be it, but of course there's more
4) realise something doesn't work - rethink and rewrite
5) have a brainwave - rethink and rewrite
6) notice a dreadful gap (or gaffe) in the plot and have to revise completely...
That's just the initial stages of writing a book. Then come the agent, publisher and editor... and more rethinking and rewriting...
So forgive me if I don't post for a while. You know what I'll be doing, when I'm not at school.
So far I'm at number 1) and have already radically changed the whole idea twice. Now I've come up with an idea that I'm happy with, I need to complete my A3 plan... How will Geraldine solve the mystery? Is there enough suspense in the plan? Who, exactly, is my killer - there are so many possible characters I could create to play the villain here, but who shall I choose? And what is in store for Geraldine in book 4?
I wonder how other people plan their books?

This Weekend

2010-06-26T13:03:00.000-07:00

ROAD CLOSED reviewed in The Times
"well-written, soundly plotted, psychologically acute"
Marcel Berlins
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/arts/books/fiction/article2572500.ece

CUT SHORT No. 1
ROAD CLOSED No.2
Bestseller Chart at Waterstones in Harrow
Not a bad weekend....

National Crime Fiction Week

2010-06-24T05:39:00.001-07:00

Is it really over 10 days since I posted here? Life has been busy - I know, I always say that, but it's always true!
National Crime Fiction Week started 14th June so I was kept busy promoting CUT SHORT and ROAD CLOSED in libraries and bookshops:

On Wednesday 15th I visited Ruislip Manor Library where I met some friendly readers and signed a few books. I'll be returning on 26th July and 20th September to talk to the book groups there.

On Thursday 16th I was invited to give a talk at Ickenham Library to around 20 people. The audience asked so many interesting questions, we barely had time for the refreshments the librarian had provided. My event was part of Ickenham Festival which happened to coincide with National Crime Fiction Week. Appropriately for a visit from an author of murder stories, the librarian managed to kill two birds with one stone...

On Saturday I had a commitment in the morning so couldn't go out book signing. Fortunately I received an invitation to go along for an interview at Harrow Community Radio station which was great fun. The staff there made me very welcome. I'll post the link when I receive it... (Keith - are you reading this?) Harrow Community Radio is a new venture and I was thrilled to be interviewed for one of their pilot programmes.

Sunday saw me back in my usual haunt - signing in a bookshop. I am grateful to Waterstones in Harrow for hosting a signing on Fathers' Day. Needless to say, we sold a lot of books as gifts that day! I was thrilled to find a card (yes, bought at the last minute...) for my father which had a picture of Superman on the front with the message 'Dad of Steel'. A perfect card from the creator of Geraldine Steel!

Two of my events were featured on the CWA website
http://www.crimefictionweek.co.uk/2010/wednesday.html
http://www.crimefictionweek.co.uk/2010/saturday.html

Like I said... it was a busy week...

What Makes a Book Popular?

2010-06-13T01:57:00.000-07:00

Left - Display in Waterstones Watford

I've been posting a lot about my recent activities. Life has been hectic with visits to stimulating writers groups and a host of searching interview questions both online and on various radio stations. I still have quite a few events to blog about. I haven't told you how much I enjoyed talking to Thames Valley Writers, or how I felt being interviewed live on Radio 91.8 FM - link below (another live radio interview coming up next Saturday), or being approached by Woman and Home Magazine (where we talked about blogging!), or spending time signing airside at Heathrow Terminal 5 (where I saw ROAD CLOSED displayed at No. 7 on the WH Smith's Travel Bestseller Charts), hearing that my books are displayed at No. 4 and No. 6 on the Bestseller Chart at Waterstones in Bedford, or the thrill of receiving an email from award winning author Sam Millar who's just read ROAD CLOSED "and really loved it" (Sam won the prestigious Aisling Award for Art and Culture, the Martin Healy Short Story Award, the Brian Moore Award for Short Stories and the Cork Literary Review Writer’s Competition. His best-selling memoir, ON THE BRINKS, has recently been acquired by Warner Brothers... and that's just a taster)

But I thought it was time to return to some serious discussion about writing. Even I can see that there's only so much personal news I can blog about without becoming... how shall I put this?... repetitive... (OK, boring...)

One of the questions I was recently asked (Hayes FM) was:
"CUT SHORT launched in the summer and sold so fast your publisher had to reprint after two months. What elements in the book do you think made it so popular?"

That's a tricky one. What is it that makes some books grab our attention while others leave us unengaged?
For those of you who missed the radio broadcast my answer at the time went something like this.
"My books are plot driven so readers read on to find out what happens. But it is character that interests me. People fascinate me. Perhaps the popularity of my books is due to a combination of exciting plots and convincing characters." I went on to say that of course many authors achieve that, so I can't account for my success with CUT SHORT reprinted 3 times in its first year and ROAD CLOSED already off the starting posts, with its first few reviews pretty positive. So far it's been given a 5 star review from a Top 50 Reviewer on amazon: "The characters are believable and I really like Geraldine... I also liked the way everything dovetailed together so that while you're reading you get those light bulb moments when a piece of the jigsaw slots into place..." Another reviewer says "tense and gripping... with an exhilarating climax that you don’t see coming until it is too late... Geraldine is a gifted, strong and likeable character." Sam Millar wrote of ROAD CLOSED that it is "a gripping, fast-paced read, pulling you in from the very first tense page and keeping you captivated right to the end with its refreshingly compelling and original narrative...Geraldine Steel is a complex and highly driven character, with multifaceted feelings of contradiction and nuance." Jeffery Deaver also mentioned plot and character, now I come to think of it, when he described CUT SHORT as "a seamless blending of psychological sophistication and gritty police procedure. And you're just plain going to love DI Geraldine Steel." In fact most of my reviewers cover both plot and character, so perhaps it is a combination of strong plot and convincing characters that is winning fans for my Geraldine Steel series.

What elements in any book do you think make it popular?
It's an important question for an author - but is it an impossible one to answer?

Link to 91.8 FM - last 20 minutes of where you can listen to an interview plus a reading from ROAD CLOSED
http://rcpt.yousendit.com/890717089/fc6c3ff89057cc6868b0207b7cbd548c

Leigh Russell Talks

2010-06-11T07:48:00.000-07:00

Live interview on Radio 91.8 FM at 6.30-7 pm today.

The Fun of Being Insignificant

2010-06-06T14:16:00.000-07:00

ROAD CLOSED came out two weeks ago and has already started to sell. Of course, I’m a very small scale operator in a world where the big players expect to sell tens of thousands of books every week. Still, there are only 5 copies of ROAD CLOSED left on amazon.co.uk where it’s had its first amazon review – 5 stars from a Top 50 Reviewer and Vine Voice who concludes the review: “Give Leigh Russell a try - I'm sure you will not be disappointed.”

It’s no secret that I completed the first draft of CUT SHORT in six weeks, and two weeks after I’d sent out the manuscript I received a phone call from a publisher who offered me a three book deal. After editing, rewriting and research, my first book hit the shelves and sold out so fast that it was reprinted three times in under a year. Following that success, ROAD CLOSED has just been published ahead of schedule as WH Smith’s Travel selected it for a promotion. I just received an email from the books manager of one branch where ROAD CLOSED has sold 115 copies in 2 days (OK, I was there signing, but still…)

I wonder if book sales are so exciting for the big names? I suspect not, because they must expect their books to sell in huge numbers. I’m still excited when one person buys one of my books. This has been a thrilling rollercoaster but my publishing deal turned up so suddenly and unexpectedly that I still can’t believe this wildly exciting experience is really happening to me. I only discovered my passion for writing three years ago when an idea for a story popped into my head and I began to write it down. Since then, I haven’t been able to stop writing. As Eugene Ionesco said, “A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of either writing or thinking about writing.”

I’ve heard it said that finding a publisher is like climbing a high mountain. Once you reach the summit, you see an even higher mountain ahead – book sales. This week is half term so I’m doing four book signings, giving a talk, appearing on a panel of bestselling crime writers, and completing the first draft of my third book. I enjoy giving talks and going to book signings, getting out and about meeting readers, but all this promotion is another demand on my time.

Sometimes I think I must be slightly insane… but I love writing and everything associated with it, and the pressure of limited time seems to help my creativity almost as much as a deadline from my publisher! Another benefit of being so busy is that I have no time to stress about how my second book will be received, and no time to worry about “writer’s block”. If I have a free hour or two, that’s it – I’m writing!

So my really exciting news is that I’ve just sent the COMPLETED first draft of DEAD END to my agent. Watch out for it in 2011 and, in the meantime, here are the links for CUT SHORT and ROAD CLOSED in case you want to take a look.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Cut-Short-DI-Geraldine-Steel/dp/1842432710

http://www.amazon.com/Cut-Short-Geraldine-Steel-No/dp/1842432710/

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Closed-Leigh-Russell/dp/184243344X/

http://www.amazon.com/Road-Closed-DI-Geraldine-Steel/dp/184243344X/

Interviews & Praise from One of the Greats

2010-05-28T17:11:00.001-07:00

I have begun to give interviews about writing ROAD CLOSED. Here are links to the first ones -
http://noirjournal.typepad.com/noir-journal/2010/05/index.html (Noir Journal)
http://www.crimetime.co.uk/mag/index.php/showarticle/1512 (CrimeTime) I am pleased to learn that Jeffery Deaver has been chosen to write the new James Bond story. His interview on BBC Radio this morning can be heard on iplayer. http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_8710000/8710544.stm Jeffery Deaver was kind enough to email me to say he "loved" Cut Short. Here's what he said: "CUT SHORT is a stylish, top-of-the-line crime tale, a seamless blending of psychological sophistication and gritty police procedure. And you're just plain going to love DI Geraldine Steel."

CRIMEFEST 2010

2010-05-24T07:46:00.000-07:00

It's hard to know where to begin writing about CrimeFest 2010. http://www.crimefest.com/ was a fantastic experience for a debut author, rubbing shoulders with so many fellow crime writers under one roof. I met Colin Dexter in the lift and asked him a question! (OK, it was "Which floor do you want?" - but he was gracious enough to say it was the most interesting question he'd been asked all day. We had just come from breakfast...)
Name dropping aside, it was an opportunity to meet a lot of interesting people, established successful writers and aspiring authors alike, and to hook up with familiar faces. Here are The Curzon Group, behind the scenes in the Green Room before our panel on Friday. From the left, Richard Parker, Zoe Sharp, me, Tom Cain and Matt Lynn. Zoe moderated our panel, which was just as well. She did a grand job keeping us all in check. The audience asked probing questions and we had some lively discussion about character vs plot, among other topics.
On Saturday I was invited to participate in the Debut Authors Panel, chaired by Marcel Berlins. I was pretty nervous about meeting him, but he put us all at our ease within seconds, and made the panel feel like a relaxed chat between friends. Here we are, after the panel.

Also on the debut panel was Mike Hodges, who wrote and directed the original film of Get Carter. Mike has just written his first novel, Watching the Wheels Come Off. It was thrilling and surreal to find myself on a panel alongside such an iconic film maker.

Discussion included the pros and cons for an author of being signed for a series or for one stand alone book. I have to say, I'm really happy I was offered a three book deal - with a subsequent offer for a fourth in the series.
I also gave a talk on writing a series, and was pleased to have a decent audience. Once again, the questions were searching and challenging, and I discussed the development of Geraldine Steel and the balance between offering the reader something familiar, and the need to avoid becoming formulaic.
The icing on the cake was seeing - and signing! - sale copies of ROAD CLOSED for the first time. Publication wasn't due for a few weeks but WH Smith's Travel wanted to do a promotion in June so the printing was brought forward to meet their deadline. A box of books was delivered to the convention venue in Bristol, literally hot off the press. The books vanished somewhere in the hotel but my publisher was able to tell me exactly when and by whom the delivery had been signed for and the Blackwells bookseller went out of his way to track the books down. If you read this, Blackwells in Bristol, thank you!
I also spent time with fellow authors I'd only 'met' online before, and caught up with Mystery Women.
The convention was a tour de force of organisation, with panels, talks and interviews running constantly and concurrently throughout the event.

Travelling Book

2010-05-23T13:43:00.000-07:00

I've just come home from CRIMEFEST where I had a wonderful time appearing on two panels and giving an individual talk, and signing ROAD CLOSED for the first time! I arrived home to discover someone had emailed me a picture of CUT SHORT in South Africa. So before I share my experiences and pictures from CRIMEFEST, here are a few pictures sent to me by readers around the world.
I'll start with the picture of Bongiwa in South Africa. Isn't that a lovely picture? It's followed by a picture of CUT SHORT on a bookshop shelf in Bangkok.

Here's CUT SHORT at the Eiffel Tower.
And here it is in Tennessee and at the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul.

Please keep sending me your photos of CUT SHORT being read around the world and I'll post them on my bl0g!

No Longer New

2010-05-20T05:33:00.001-07:00

I have just heard from my publisher that a box of ROAD CLOSED has been sent from the printers direct to CrimeFest. Tomorrow I will see a copy of my second book. I am so excited! I wouldn't have thought the publication of a second book would be so exciting. After all, I've been here before. Been there, done that, and yes, I've even got the Tshirt... (In a mad moment I bought a white Tshirt with the cover of CUT SHORT printed on the front. I thought I might wear it to book signings... And no! I've never worn it!) But I am really excited about ROAD CLOSED. I'm surprised how excited I am. I can't wait to see it in its final form! There aren't enough italics and exclamation marks to express how I feel. ROAD CLOSED is larger than CUT SHORT, with printing inside the cover. I tried to post the full cover images here, front and back, but can't upload pdf images here. Inside the front cover is a picture of CUT SHORT. Inside the back cover is with a photo of - well, me, looking like... Are you still awake?

The manager at WH Smith's in Watford told me today they ordered the last 48 copies of CUT SHORT for my visit to sign at the end of May. No Exit are now out of stock of CUT SHORT. But don't panic! (?) CUT SHORT is being reprinted for the THIRD time in its first year, so more copies will be out very soon.
Please check the schedule on my publisher's website if you'd like to come along and have a chat when I'm out touring around. Between now and the end of 2010 I'll be signing in bookshops, appearing at festivals or giving talks in libraries in these areas: Bristol, Watford, Reading, Shepherds Bush, Bedford, Ickenham, Ruislip, Hitchin, Harrow, Brent Cross, Norwich, Kenton, Cambridge, Earls Court, Yiewsley, St Albans, Tunbridge Wells, London, York, Newcastle, Heathrow T5, Heathrow T1, Chichester, Havant, Pinner, Hatfield, Guildford, Southampton, Winchester, Windsor, Basingstoke...

http://www.noexit.co.uk/features/authortour.php for details.
I think that's probably enough for the rest of the year... although I do still have a few more stores that would like me to return in the autumn... So please come in and say hello if I'm in your area. I'll be wearing purple, and if I'm not already chatting to someone, I'll be scribbling under the table...

Personal Contact vs Technology

2010-05-13T14:38:00.000-07:00

ROAD CLOSED is being printed & CUT SHORT is having its third reprint in June. I can't believe it!
I have SO MUCH to say about ROAD CLOSED - the last minute panics and alarms, my surprising feelings about it, the last minute photo taken in a rush before I'd had my morning coffee (oh, the nightmare of having my photograph taken)... but that will have to wait for another post.

Today I want to share some of my recent personal experiences. Those of you who follow my blog know that I enjoy getting out and about meeting booklovers. I believe it's important for authors to spend meeting their readers. I place a premium on face to face meeting with people. So much of our modern lives seems to be spent gazing at screens, reading text and email or watching television, rather than communicating with real people, with eye to eye contact, listening to live voices.

Last week I was invited to talk to Verulam Writers Circle, a lively and stimulating group of writers, many of them successful in their own right. It was a very enjoyable evening. Here's a photo taken on the evening. One of the members has posted on his blog about my visit http://blog.kjbennett.co.uk/#post30

Kevin writes: "Reinventing yourself at the age of 55 might be a dream to so many, but for Leigh Russell it became a reality. By day, Leigh is a mild-mannered secondary school English teacher, but by night she miraculously transforms into a bestselling crime novelist.
Wednesday 5 May 2010 saw Leigh speaking at the Verulam Writers’ Circle meeting in St Albans, covering topics such as how she managed the transformation and how she markets her work. It was while walking in her local park one day that Leigh saw a man walking past a set of bushes. Realising she was the only person around, Leigh had one of those ‘what if’ moments: ‘What if I walked around the corner behind those bushes, and found a body?’
Many people have these flashes, but not many transform them into life changing moments. Leigh spent the next few weeks writing a story with no particular aim of publication, but when she completed it she realised it was actually quite good. Using the Writers’ & Artists’ Yearbook as a guide, Leigh selected three publishers and posted off her manuscript. With two weeks – yes, TWO WEEKS – she received a call from No Exit Press and the rest, as they say, is history.
Leigh’s debut novel, Cut Short, soon sold out and is about to commence its third reprint. Her second novel, Road Closed, is due for release in June.
Leigh is a regular blogger, an avid signer of books (her own), and a great speaker."

There are times, of course, when technology allows personal contact that couldn't otherwise take place. For example, a reader in the US has just sent me a photo of CUT SHORT in Tennessee. Here it is.

Next week I will post about the publication of ROAD CLOSED... perhaps with a brief extract to whet your appetite...!

Waterstones Chart

2010-05-08T04:20:00.000-07:00

The dye is cast... ROAD CLOSED goes into production tomorrow!
Nearly time to post a sneak preview here...? What do you think?

I was very pleased this week when a fan emailed me a photo she took in Waterstones in Harrow, with my own debut thriller CUT SHORT displayed at number 3 on their bestsellers chart. You can see it here on the third shelf down (click on the image to see it enlarged).

CUT SHORT has been selling so fast that my publisher reprinted twice in six months, and a third reprint is scheduled this year. That makes four print runs in a year - not too shabby for a new author. As if that's not enough excitement for one author, ROAD CLOSED, the second in my series, has gone into production for publication this June. The B format books look fantastic. Here is the new cover for CUT SHORT and the cover for ROAD CLOSED. You may notice the quantity of blood growing. Some of my fans have joked that the cover of the next in the series, DEAD END, will be all blood...

Personally, I'm happy if my name is slightly larger on each cover. That's when you know you've 'arrived' as an author, when your name alone can be relied on to sell books.

An Interview with Joyanna

2010-05-03T12:14:00.000-07:00

I met Joyanna Lovelock when she bought a copy of CUT SHORT at one of my book signings. As a radio presenter, Joyanna interviewed me a couple of times on Radio Northwick Park, which was great fun and excellent preparation for my BBC Radio interviews. Joyanna has recently moved into television and kindly agreed to be interviewed about this exciting development in her media career.

1. You’ve been on Radio Northwick Park for just over a year. How did you first become involved with it?
I joined RNP in June 2008. I came across them after surfing the net for hospital radios. I completed an application form and a few weeks later I was invited in for an induction. After 6 months I was offered my own show, which I presented for just over a year.

2. You obviously really enjoy working on the radio station and I’m sure everyone in the hospital is going to miss you. How do you feel now that you are moving on?
I feel very sad. It’s nice to know I will be missed but I am really missing the place and get quite emotional when I think about it.

3. I know you are leaving Radio Northwick Park for a career in television. You must be very excited. Can you tell us how you found work on television? How long did it take, and how difficult was it to break in?
The funny thing about the move into television is that although I fancied the idea of doing some television, I thought that would be further down the line once I had established a radio career. So, I am just as surprised as anyone that it has materialized now. And it was amazingly easy! I think I really was at the right place at the right time.

4. Tell us about the audition process.
For the audition I had to prepare a 2-minute piece to camera on my chosen subject. I spoke on ‘Happiness and how to find it’. (Don’t ask!). That went down very well. Then I was asked to interview a studio guest about her traumatic childhood of drink and drugs. The ‘judges’ liked that too.

5. How did you feel when you made your first television broadcast? Was it very different to broadcasting on radio?
I felt great. I wasn’t nervous (which surprised everyone). I suppose I just pretended I was speaking on the radio and ignore all those people and cameras around me. I’d forgotten about them but at the end I heard applause and realized they were there.

6. What does the future hold for the presenter of Radio Northwick Park’s Sweet Inspiration programme?
Oh gosh! I hope to really build on television presenting and also to get on to national radio. I am working on it. And perhaps do some writing as well. An all-rounder!

7. Finally, media studies is a very popular subject. Do you have any advice for people who would like to work in the media?
They say in this business luck is ‘preparation meeting opportunity’ and I fully endorse this. For students wishing to make it in the media in whatever genre – be prepared. Do all that you need to do: study and work hard. Also try and get some experience. Do not be afraid to ask every and anybody for a chance. My first journalistic experience came after I contacted the editor of a local newspaper and asked if I could sit-in and observe for a day. Whilst there, he asked me to write a couple of articles. He liked what I did and offered me a job! You never know from where the opportunity will come, so be prepared and you will be ready to take up the opportunity.

Thank you very much for taking the time to chat about yourself here, Joyanna, and good luck with your work on television. We’ll be looking out for you!

Is it a dream?

2010-04-26T14:21:00.000-07:00

I don't think I'll ever become blase about being interviewed. It's always a thrill, not least because so far all the people who have interviewed me have been absolutely lovely. There are far too many interviews to post all the links here, but here's a link to the most recent one:http://issuu.com/whitstableimp/docs/whit_may2010 pages 14-15
I've posted before on my own blog about this sneaking feeling I have that this can't really be happening to me... What am I doing here, a suddenly-successful author with two reprints of my first book, a second out in proof copies, a third almost written and a fourth in the pipeline... and more after that... Bookstores contact my publisher offering to host signings, I've received emails from literary festivals asking if I'd like to speak... When did all this happen to me of all people? It's not as if it was even my lifelong ambition to become an author. I simply had an idea, wrote obsessively for six weeks, and... here I am, as startled as Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole. Will I wake up one day and discover this was all a strange (and very wonderful) dream?
Weird and wonderful things are happening to me almost daily at the moment. I'm appearing at Crimefest 2010 as a member of the CURZON PANEL and now I've been invited to join a debut author panel as well. It's called... wait for it... All the Young Punks. I wasn't even so very young when punks first hit the scene. What have I let myself in for now? For someone who writes crime fiction I'm inappropriately squeamish in real life. I haven't even had my ears pierced. I hope safety pins won't be compulsory...
Just today I heard from a blogger new to me. I visited her blog and found these pictures: THAT'S MY BOOK! Yes, my life is strange and very wonderful these days.

But the most exciting aspect of it all, as far as I'm concerned, is writing.