Delighted to say that the latest in the DCI John Blizzard series published by The Book Folks is attracting some encouraging reviews on Amazon. I am very grateful.

In The Latch Man, Doris Hornsby, the bed-bound matriarch of a notorious criminal family, calls in the police after she sees an intruder in her room. Blizzard attends in person,…

The use of words is something dear to all our hearts as writers. They are the tools of our trade and we wield them with care.

That means that every word should earn the right to be on the page and that authors should be forensic in the examination of what they write, even if it means that some words slip from our usage or at least appear much less frequently. For example, I became aware some years ago that there were some words I used too often in my writing - ‘murmured’ and…

I am pleased to say that I have been running a number of online creative writing courses during lockdown and continuing into the more relaxed situation, both for individuals and groups, some focusing on crime fiction, others looking at more general fiction, both short stories and novels.

Some exciting work is being produced by those taking part,…

As a writer, I have always been interested in triggers, the images, concepts, places, people, utterances that evoke reactions in your reader.

That reaction will often be based on something the reader has actually experienced, or maybe something that they dread ever having to experience. It is why crime, horror and ghost stories work so well.

I am thinking about this because, in writing the latest Harris novel, I found myself stuck at the start of what felt like it should be an…

As you may know from my previous blogs, I am fascinated by the way that stories evolve during the writing process, which can provide the author with a balancing act between the need to plan and the requirement to let the story develop organically.

I am being given a striking example of that the more I write of my latest novel (26,000 words in).

Like many/most/all novelists, I always plan before starting to write a new book, a process which can take several weeks as I explore…

The Crime Writers' Association has published the longlist for its 2020 Dagger awards for the best in crime writing. Some great authors are included and you can read the details here…

As you may know from my blogs, sense of place is important to me as a writer and I have explored the subject in an article written for the excellent TripFiction website, which helps readers to find out more about the areas that inspire authors.

My article examines the importance to me of the North Pennines, which play such a key role in the DCI…

Writing is a hugely complex craft requiring the author to master a wide range of techniques, everything from character point of view to getting the pace right, ensuring that he or she has the grammar correct to creating dialogue that sounds like real people speaking.

However, I believe that at its heart are a small number of golden rules, out of…

Delighted to say that The Book Folks have published the latest in the DCI John Blizzard series.

In The Latch Man, Doris Hornsby, the bed-bound matriarch of a notorious criminal family, calls in the police after she sees an intruder in her room. Blizzard attends in person, bemused that a woman who has spent her life evading the law, now seeks…

The DCI John Blizzard mystery Strange Little Girl (The Book Folks) is approaching 170 reviews/ratings on Amazon and is still well above a four stars status. Many thanks to those who have supported the book, and all my others.

The novel tells how Blizzard and his team take on a gang who are preying on youngsters in the northern city of Hafton…

I have written before about the way that characters evolve and I am being given a striking example of that the more that I write of the latest DCI Jack Harris novel.

Main characters fall into two categories – rounded (also known as changing or dynamic) who change throughout the story, and static (flat) characters who don’t. Both can work well as…

Delighted that my good friend Bud Craig has had his latest crime novel published by The Book Folks.

Making A Killing is a British murder mystery featuring Private Investigator Gus Keane, the fourth book in which he has featured. The ebook is available now, the paperback will come in a few days.

In the novel, a…

Novelist John Dean is offering online courses for writing groups who may be struggling to meet in person during the current coronavirus restrictions.

Crime writer John, who is based in Dumfries and Galloway and has been a creative writing tutor for twenty years, will run courses that can be tailored to each writing group’s needs.

The…

As you may know, I have written blogs on the theme of back story before but the subject has come to mind again because I am well into the latest DCI Jack Harris novel for the excellent people at The Book Folks, which involves the detective revisiting events from his earlier career.

As authors, we need to be careful with back story, because, for all a character’s history is an important part of what they are, every instance of us delving into their past can have the effect of slowing…

It’s national Crime Reading Month and a lot of writers are producing blogs etc focusing on their craft and I am no exception.

It’s national Crime Reading Month and a lot of writers are producing blogs etc focusing on their craft and I am no exception.

Writing is a complex business, so many things to consider and each novel represents…

As part of my contribution to national Crime Reading Month, which due to the virus restrictions has gone online this year, I, like many other Crime Writers’ Association members, have taken part in question and answer sessions about everything from creating stories to surviving lockdown. You can read my replies at…

As I have said in previous blogs, you can create the finest landscapes, the greatest stories, the most remarkable writing but you can not make your stories live unless you have vivid characters. And that includes being prepared to let minor characters develop if they are telling you that they have a story to tell.

That is happening to me as I…

Looking to learn a new skill during these times of restrictions?

We are heading through May and that means that we are well into national Crime Reading Month.…

Quite a lot of the Facebook groups in which I am involved are debating the way in which books have been helping people through the current restrictions, and the media have increasingly been running articles exploring the topic on the back of research showing a sharp increase in reading.

As a crime writer, I have always wondered how readers view the genre, why it is so popular when, as authors, we spend our days making horrible things happen. If real-life is tough, why enter a…