What's in a Name

It feels like a long time since I last posted here, although it's only just over a week. Actually, a lot has happened since then, including on the blogging front, but just not here. Let me explain.

My Lucy Hall series launches soon, with the first book, Journey to Death, published on 9th February. That means there has been promotional activity, including writing some guest blog posts. So far in the last ten days I've written five, three for my PR team in the US, and two for the UK. So I've not really had time - or ideas - to write about here. 

Being invited to write posts for other people's blogs is flattering but it's not as relaxing as writing here. I like to do a little research and get a flavour of the other blog, if I don't already know it. Often the topic they invite me to write about takes needs thinking and planning. It all takes time. 

And then there's the next Geraldine Steel which I was hoping to finish before I receive the edits for the second Lucy Hall. The WIP is progressing slowly. More a PIP* than a WIP. All the activity surrounding the launch of my new series is distracting. I am very excited about the launch, but also concerned.  

Where my police procedurals begin with a murder, the drama in my new book builds slowly. It may be too slow for some of my existing fans. Was it a mistake to publish Journey to Death under the same name as I used for my other series? Some reviews are already expressing disappointment that Lucy Hall is not like Geraldine Steel. If I had published my new series under a different name, it would have avoided such comparisons. 

At the time, it never really occurred to me to use a different name just because I was trying something new. It seems a little disingenuous to pretend to be someone else. After all, it is still me writing the Lucy Hall books. Yet other authors write under different names, and I do understand why. As Evelyn Waugh, among others, wrote:  'Comparisons are odious'. 

I like to trust that people will read Journey to Death with an open mind. But perhaps, in being open about my identity, I am inviting comparisons between my protagonists.  

Journey to Death is published on 9th February. Wish Lucy Hall good luck! 

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Death-Lucy-Hall-Mystery-ebook/dp/B014KVMWQ4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

*Procrastination in Progress

Life as a full-time writer

I suspect there are many aspiring writers who would love to be in my position, earning a living from writing fiction, with a series in development for television, travelling to exotic locations for research... it sounds wonderful. And, to be fair, for the most part it is a fabulous life. I've been very lucky.

Of course being a published author involves a great deal of hard work and can involve staying up far too late writing. I am permanently tired. Eugene Ionesco was absolutely right when he wrote, 'A writer never has a vacation. For a writer, life consists of writing or thinking about writing.' When we took a city break in Barcelona, I dragged my poor husband to three different police stations, in case I ever needed to include one in a book. In fact, since I began writing crime fiction, I haven't travelled anywhere without doing some research along the way. As a writer, you become a kind of gannet, storing away any snippets of information you come across. You never know when they might be useful. Research is one of the reasons I find my career so interesting. Some of my research has given me wonderful experiences, like my recent visit to the Seychelles, some has been quite horrific, but it has all been fascinating. 

So how can there be a downside to all this excitement? Well, here I am again, waiting for my next book to be published. So what's the big deal? you might ask. I've been in this position before, many times. It's just another book, you might think. But it's so much more than that, because once again I'm sticking my head above the parapet, hoping I won't be shot down. 

Whenever a new book comes out, I'm worried about how it will be received. I think every author feels the same. When you are writing a book it belongs to you, and you can do what you like with it. Once it's published, it is no longer the property of the author. It belongs to readers who can say whatever they like about it... and they may not like it. So far I've been lucky. I've had my fair share of positive reviews. But although Journey to Death will be my twelfth published book, it is my very first in a new series for a new publisher. As if that isn't enough to make me nervous, I'm aware that this new series differs from my existing Geraldine Steel and Ian Peterson detective series. 

Unlike Geraldine and Ian, my new protagonist, Lucy Hall, is not a police officer. Another difference is that she is in her early twenties at the start of the series. As happens every time I have a new book, I find myself wondering what on earth I'm doing. While I can't claim to be a 'big name', my books are quite well known in the field of crime fiction. Sometimes I wish I was completely unknown, and could just write for myself without worrying about how my next book would be received. But here I am, and as President Truman liked to say, 'If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.' 

So here goes again. I shall gird my loins, pluck up my courage, and face the world smiling, if not fearless. Wish me luck! And if you're just starting out as a writer, don't stress about your future success. Enjoy your early anonymity as well as the success that may be waiting just around the corner. Whatever happens, you're going to have an exciting experience!

Links to all my books are on http://leighrussell.co.uk 

and here's the link to Journey to Death on Amazon http://www.amazon.co.uk/Journey-Death-Lucy-Hall-Mystery/dp/1503951928/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

Thoughts on Gender Stereotypes

My stories always begin, in my head, with a killer. It is his or her motivation that shapes the narrative, and everything else spins out from there. There has been more than one such character, because it is hopefully not too much of a spoiler to reveal that the character of the killer changes from book to book. Finding a character readers would want to follow throughout a series was more of a challenge. It was also more important because, although I didn't realise it when I started out, my detective and I were going to be working together for a long time. 

My original detective, in the initial stages of the first draft of my first book, was very different to Geraldine Steel. He was a middle-aged man, a curmudgeonly kind of Dalziel, with a dash of Dalgliesh's culture. As my story progressed, I grew less confident about writing mainly from a man's point of view. I wondered, for example, how a man feels when he sees an attractive woman. Afraid of creating a character who was not fully credible, and reluctant to fall back on stereotypes, I changed the gender of my protagonist. With Geraldine Steel I was on familiar territory, at least vaguely able to remember what it was like to be a woman approaching forty.

Satisfied it had been the right decision to change the gender of my main character, I found it easier to inhabit her thoughts and feelings than my original detective. So Geraldine Steel gradually emerged as a character, my detective's gender no longer an issue for me. 

Four years later, the suggestion that I might write a spin off series for Geraldine's sergeant, Ian Peterson, was irresistible. Ian Peterson was already gaining a following in his own right, and a spin off series gave me the opportunity to write more stories. I happily signed a three book deal for Ian Peterson.  

Only then did I stop to consider what I had let myself in for. I had committed to writing a series with a male protagonist, coming round full circle to writing from a male point of view. 

Who was it called marriage the triumph hope over experience? My husband was quick to respond to the news of my spin off series. 'I suppose you'll be wanting to come to football matches with me now?' As we were discussing which team Ian Peterson could support, my son-in-law, another  football fan, joined us. 'Why does he have to support a team?' he asked. 'That's such a stereotype. Not all men are football fans.' 

Thinking about Ian Peterson's character I realised that there was no pressure to resort to cliches at all. I simply needed my readers to find him a credible character, regardless of his gender. Writing from Geraldine's point of view I was not permanently aware of her as a woman. The same could apply to Ian Peterson. He would be a detective with a character of his own, who happens to be a man. Once I began to think of him as a person, all my problems with him seemed to vanish.  As before, my detective's gender was no longer an issue for me.

My husband still goes to football matches while I stay at home, writing. Perhaps we are stereotypical in that, but hopefully my characters are not. 

This post first appeared in Shots Magazine blog 

Another interview

Thank you to Lloyd Paige for the next interview on the Blood Axe blog tour http://www.lloydpaige.com/?p=4803

Interview

Thank you to Lainy for this interview. http://www.alwaysreading.net/2015/11/q-with-leigh-russell.html

How did I get here?

After the usual email discussion between my publisher, publicist, designer, agent, and key booksellers, we have finally agreed on the cover for Murder Ring, the eighth Geraldine Steel title. Here it is.

I can hardly believe this is my eleventh published book since Cut Short came out in 2009. By the end of 2016, the number of my published books will go up to thirteen... and these numbers don't include the different editions, large print books, all the titles published in translation... Adding them all together, there are over fifty different covers so far... I have a copy of each of them, together with proof copies of the U.K. editions. I used to look at my collection sometimes, when I was having an insecure writing day, trying to reassure myself that I really can write.

To be honest, these days I am usually so busy writing, editing, and running around on research trips and book tours, that I don't have time to step back and look at how far I have travelled as a writer. I'm not talking about my physical travels, although that has been quite unbelievable too, when I stop to think about it. My research has taken me all over the world, from Margate in the South of England, to Scarborough in the North, and further afield to Paris, Greece, Rome and the Seychelles. 

What I find difficult to believe is that from scribbling down a story that randomly occurred to me, I have become what used to be called a 'mid list author' - half way between the top bestselling authors and those who only scrape a living from writing. I am now a full-time author, living (quite comfortably) off the proceeds. Not that I am complacent. So far so good is all I can say. Sales seem to be going well, but every day is a different story. Which, I suppose, is appropriate for a fiction writer... but I'm not sure how I ended up in this thrilling precarious career. 

Murder Ring is available for preorder on Amazon. The Ebook is published in November. The paperback is published in 2016.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Ring-Geraldine-Steel-Mystery-ebook/dp/B016IEWZIG/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1446110131&sr=1-1

It's a tough life as an author

Research for the first book in my new Lucy Hall series for Thomas and Mercer starts in a room with a view...

CrimeFest 2015 Friday begins...

Bristol is waking up, and we are in a room with a view of the river...

It's going to be a very busy day.

9am panel with Melanie McGrath. (This is going to be a challenge... as I'm used to getting up at 11 - after being brought tea in bed at 9 and then working in bed for a couple of hours, I hasten to add!) 

10.30 coffee with some regulars from my creative writing courses on Skyros.
12.30 interview with a journalist.

4pm my talk about Gender Issues in Crime Fiction. 

6.30-7.30 CWA Dagger shortlists are announced at a drinks reception (I have to attend a raise a glass as one of the Debut Dagger judges)
8pm out for dinner with friends. 

I'll try to find time to post some photos... 

Why We Love Crime Fiction

The appeal of crime fiction

You might be surprised to hear what many strangers tell me. From intellectual young men to kindly middle-aged grannies, professional young women to retired policemen, their eyes light up as they mention it. Even the wording they use is often the same. They are all keen to confide that they "love a good murder!" Bookshops and libraries, bastions of culture and civilisation, join in with posters announcing, "We love crime."
You might be forgiven for thinking that I live in some Orwellian society where words signify the opposite of their original meanings, or that I live in a penal colony inhabited by criminals. Neither is true. These ordinary members of the reading population are referring to crime fiction, or murder mysteries. Of course you knew that. So widespread is the appeal of the genre that no one can fail to be aware of it. In books and on television, mysteries remain one of the most popular genres of fiction.
How do we account for this? It's a strange phenomenon. I don't like reading about true crimes. It's too upsetting. Any real crime is one human being causing another human being to suffer, for their own selfish purposes. There is nothing redeeming about it. Yet somehow, in fiction, crime stories become transformed into a form of entertainment, usually focusing on "a good murder".
There could be several reasons why the genre is so popular. Firstly, crime fiction deals with the timeless conflict between good and evil. While detectives may not be without their flaws, they are fighting on the side of justice. The killers may not be totally evil characters, but they commit acts which are wholly evil. Crime fiction is, at heart, goodies and baddies.
Secondly, crime fiction is packed with suspense. Most of my reviewers describe my books a "page turners". The genre offers the excitement of the chase. Finally, the genre allows us to play out our own fears in a safe environment. A book may be scary, but it is just a book. We can look away, skim read, or close the book. We rarely have such control over the things that frighten us in real life.
But it is impossible to really pin down why some kinds of books appeal to a mass market, while others don't. I am just thankful that the genre in which I write is so popular. Long may it last!

Book of the Month

     Race to Death is Crime Book Club's BOOK OF THE MONTH

Available as eBook and in paperback - links on http://leighrussell.co.uk

Living the Dream - Life as a Bestselling Author

After writing for six years, I find myself in the enviable position of earning a very decent living from writing fiction. Recently I took the plunge and gave up my day job as a school teacher. After all, if a crime author can't bite the bullet, what hope is there for any writer? So here I am at last, living the dream. I can finally call myself a full-time writer. And this is the point where I am beginning to realise that, in my case at least, 'full-time writer' is a bit of a misnomer. You might expect that I would have a lot more time to devote to my writing, now that I'm writing full-time. That was certainly my expectation when I gave up the day job. The reality is somewhat different...
It's hard to credit, but now that I no longer have the day job, I'm actually struggling to maintain my output. I hesitate to admit that I'm actually doing less writing now than when I was working. (Although I now earn my living from writing, I still can't think of writing as work.)  'Writers' block,' you mutter knowingly, 'that's why she's struggling to write so much.' You couldn't be more wrong.
The problem that keeps me from writing is that I'm just too busy. Take my visit to York in October. I'm going there to research the area for the Ian Peterson series which is set in York. Of the twelve days I'll be be in the area, I actually have two days free for my research. The rest of the visit is taken up with seven bookshop visits, two library talks, and one U3A talk, and then there's likely to be a radio interview and an interview with a local paper - and I still need to fit in a  talk to students at a local college. And so it goes on... I'm going to struggle to fit in all my research. Writing won't get a look in.
Look at my summer. July was occupied with a research trip for a week, followed by a crime festival which took up nearly another week. apart from two book signings, two author talks, and six meetings. In August I spent two weeks teaching at the Writers Lab in Greece, followed by a week at a Literary Festival in France, with a signing and a meeting thrown in between my travels. And so it goes on, meetings, book signings, author talks and workshops, one after another, with seemingly no let up.
It's all great fun, but I do sometimes look back at the days when all I did was work full-time in a normal job, and write books. Life was so much simpler then, and, dare I say it, not quite such hard work.

Is Crime Writing Misogynistic? asks Jake Kerridge in the Telegraph

Well, this is a strange sentiment to come across in a serious article: "those writers who have their female characters raped, gutted or flayed may be the ones who care about women the most."  It came as no surprise to me that these words were written by a man. So all I have to say to Jake Kerridge is - really? Do you honestly believe that? I mean, really?

As authors we are repeatedly told that fans of crime fiction enjoy reading about women in jeopardy. Well, the jeopardy wouldn't be very serious if the threat of violence or death was never followed through. So yes, women do have to be stalked, terrified, and killed. But "raped, gutted or flayed" to show how much the author cares about women? 

The increase in violence towards women in crime fiction probably has nothing whatever to do with caring about women. What is more likely is that authors are, understandably, pursuing what they believe readers want to read. It's a fair enough tack to adopt, given the difficulty of achieving decent book sales these days. After the phenomenon of 50 Shades, my publisher asked me, somewhat wistfully, if I fancied writing erotic crime. I declined. Each to his own. I have great respect for those who can write erotic fiction but I'm a crime girl, read it, write it, speculate about it, research it, that's my bag. 

Back to the female characters who are being "raped, gutted and flayed".  There was a trend in crime fiction not so long ago for the genre to move increasingly over the boundary into horror, with authors going all out to shock readers. Yes, I like to startle my readers. I love it when I scare myself.  

But, like the eroticism which would probably increase sales of my books, there are lines I prefer not to cross. I don't write cosies, but I do have certain parameters. There are some extremely nasty characters in my books who are seriously vicious. They kill people. Some of them enjoy it. Even they might draw the line at " gutting and flaying" because that goes beyond my own boundaries. Usually it's included simply to be sensational. And that's what it is. Not caring, but exploitative.

This is something I feel quite strongly about so I try to be even handed in my books. They feature a female detective inspector, and a spin off series for her male sergeant. Like my detectives, my killers are both male and female, as are my victims. This is deliberate, as my readers have fewer clues to the identity of a potential victim, or indeed a killer. Women can kill. Men can be killed. And vice versa. Why not? 

So is crime fiction misogynistic as Jake Kerridge suggests? Well, not in my books, it's not. Writers who care about women - and men - create strong, sympathetic characters who command respect - feisty, sassy, engaging characters we can admire. They don't objectify women as victims.   

But I can't help suspecting I've risen to the bait in writing this post, because Jake Kerridge's claim that "those writers who have their female characters raped, gutted or flayed may be the ones who care about women the most" is probably another clever ploy to shock us into responding to his article. It worked for me. 

Managing Readers' Expectations can be Fun!

Readers of crime are usually very sophisticated in the genre. This allows the author scope to raise expectations very easily. It is what I call the Jaws Effect. Everyone knows the Spielberg film. The suspense is almost palpable, and the way it is set up is so simple. Once the first shark attack has taken place, all the director needs to do is place someone in the water - preferably a lone woman or a child - and the audience are on the edge of their seats, wondering if this will be the next victim. Maybe a shark will attack and the character will die. Maybe there is no shark this time, and the character will survive. I don't know if this is true of everyone, but I find a shock can be heightened when I'm expecting it. 

Think for a moment about some of the tropes used in other genres: the Gothic mansion in horror, the country house in cosies, the 'calm before the storm' in its many forms. Of course we tire of such hackneyed cliches, but they are not arbitrary. They send a signal to the reader, and serve a purpose. And they can provide a lot of fun for author and reader alike.

There are a number of pre-existing tropes that can be exploited to good effect when writing crime fiction. I use one myself in Cut Short. The situation has been set up so the reader knows there is a serial killer attacking women on the streets at night. Against this ominous background, a teenage girl leaves a party alone. Already nervous, she gets lost trying to find her bus stop. Then she hears footsteps. Someone is following her. Maybe she is being pursued by the killer and will die. Maybe whoever  is following her is not the killer, and she will survive. There it is. The Jaws Effect. 

As with any other technique, tropes must be used sparingly. Authors must invent their own ways to increase tension for readers, as well as using recognised patterns. But tropes can provide a useful means of signalling to readers that something terrible may be imminent. Films use music, as well as visual clues, to communicate to the audience. In the same way, authors can use tropes to raise tension speedily and effectively, like the shark theme in the Jaws soundtrack.

This post was first published on the CRA website.

Buy Cut Short for 69p HERE

New Book

Death Bed is already attracting some great reviews. It could be my best book so far. What do you think? Read the opening pages here: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Geraldine-Steel-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0071CQV8U/pocketessentials

Geraldine Steel's move to London

Read about Geraldine Steel's move to London in Death Bed which is on offer for 99p

Buy Death Bed here for 99p

Celebrating the Best in Crime Fiction

It's time for my Wednesday blog post so I thought I'd share an article I was asked to write about the CWA Dagger Award Dinner to which I was invited, as a judge for the Debut Dagger Award.

 With Lucy Santos, Director of the CWA, and Lizzie Hayes, editor of Mystery People

The CWA Dagger Awards Dinner was a glittering affair, with too many luminaries of the genre present to name everyone. After a glass or two of Prosecco on the terrace overlooking the river, 

   Leigh Russell, Simon Brett, Ruth Dudley Edwards and Ali Karim on the terrace

we were welcomed by Alison Joseph, Chair of the CWA. 

Lucy Worsley gave a fascinating lecture on 19th century murder cases, discussing how the idea for a perfect murder has changed over time, and explaining that the night watchmen in the capital in those days tended to be elderly, as younger men would be distracted by prostitutes. 'A good murder' boosted sales of the broadsides - the forerunner of modern newspapers - prompting de Quincey's satirical piece 'On Murder as Considered one of the Fine Arts.' Finally, Lucy described her feelings on seeing the scalp of William Corder - 'disgust, chills, and glee' - which sums up our response to crime fiction. 

            With TV presenters  Lucy Worsley and Hallie Rubenhold

The long-list for the CWA Ian Fleming Steel Dagger, the CWA Goldsboro Gold Dagger and CWA John Creasey (New Blood) Dagger were announced followed by the winners of the CWA Debut Dagger, CWA Short Story Dagger, CWA Endeavour Historical Dagger, CWA Non-fiction and CWA International Dagger. Alison Joseph presented the CWA Diamond Dagger to Simon Brett who entertained us with his acceptance speech. All that, and a fabulous dinner, made this a memorable evening. 

Cheers!

Special Offer in America

Cold Sacrifice is on special offer in the US on amazon kindle for one week

http://www.amazon.com/Cold-Sacrifice-Detective-Peterson-Mystery-ebook/dp/B00IZP4K2G/ref=pd_rhf_se_s_cp_8_NWWJ?ie=UTF8&refRID=07W2PNCT98H1G5N22DV0

Special Offer

The paperback of Cut Short, the CWA Dagger shortlisted first title in my bestselling Geraldine Steel crime series, is on offer on amazon for £1.99 If you have any friends who do not yet know the series, please consider ordering a copy of Cut Short for them while the offer lasts.http://amzn.to/1dR7CPg

UK blog tour

The UK blog tour for Fatal Act begins today! Thanks to Crime Book Club. 
Fatal Act Blog Tour

FATAL ACT on offer

FATAL ACT, the latest in the Geraldine Steel series, has reached Number 4 on kindle, on amazon kindle's Monthly Deal for just 99p.