Tag: author q&A

Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Publication Day! Author Q&A: LET ME SLEEP by Laura J. Sillett

Rebecca Millar

I am privileged to work with some well-established authors, but one of the most exciting parts of being an editor is working with debut authors with debut authors on their first novels, helping them to launching their writing careers. There is nothing that beats the excitement around a debut, especially when they are as gifted a storyteller as Laura J Sillett.

It was a privilege to work on Laura’s debut, LET ME SLEEP, a psychological dystopian thriller that is laden with pace and twist at every turn.

I was delighted to get the chance to ask Laura some questions ahead of publication day – today – discussing what inspired her to write crime and thriller, and why the Victorians knew how to do crime right!

Scroll down to read an exclusive interview with the author!

Let Me Sleep by Laura J Sillett

23rd September 2021

He would do anything to remember. And even more to forget.

Tormented by nightmares of a screaming woman, Nico Jakes opens his eyes to an unfamiliar world.

Forced into hiding by war, a society has made its home underground. Suffering from psychological trauma, Nico learns that his lost memories hold the key to the survival of the entire community. Frustrated, confused, and under the watchful eye of his protective brother, Nico submits to an unconventional drug treatment to unearth a crucial secret, before an escaped traitor can exploit it. 

But the descent into his mind also opens the flood gates to Nico’s past, bringing back forgotten lovers, enemies, and tragedy. With dreams warped by drugs and memories tainted by lies, Nico soon realises that he cannot trust anything, not even himself.​

Let Me Sleep is out today – grab your copy here.

Read on for an exclusive interview with the author, Laura J Sillett.

Continue reading “Publication Day! Author Q&A: LET ME SLEEP by Laura J. Sillett” →
Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Author Q&A: Brona Nilsson – THE SOUND

Rebecca Millar

Crime, suspense and thriller is a genre that I’ve always loved, but sometimes it takes a little while for authors to find their way to the dark side, if you will. Brona Nilsson is a long-time author but a debut crime novelist, and I was delighted to work with her on her first mystery: The Sound.

So, it was a privilege to be invited to work with Brona on this new path on her writing journey.

 A man overboard on a ferry. A shooting in a cinema. Is ex-policewoman Lyra Norton’s best friend next?

When her best friend’s father-in-law dies in the Sound between Sweden and Denmark, Irish forensic linguist Lyra Norton rushes to Sweden to comfort her. When Olive’s own father is murdered, Lyra realizes that the case is much bigger than anyone anticipated and nowhere near solved.

Piecing together clues with the help of a local policewoman, Lyra establishes several twisted motives for the murders. When the authorities lose interest, she must choose between the quiet life of an academic or a return to solving crimes.

Can Lyra find the murderer before Olive becomes the next victim?

The Sound is available now.

Read on for an exclusive interview with the author, Brona Nilsson.

Continue reading “Author Q&A: Brona Nilsson – THE SOUND” →
Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Publication Day! Author Q&A: Karen Dodd – EVERYBODY KNOWS: A Nicoló Moretti Crime Thriller

Rebecca Millar

After the past year, I don’t know about anyone else, but I’m really craving a holiday. However, with travel rules up in the air and my partner starting a new training contract, who knows when I’ll be jetting off next.

However, I’m not too worried, because I had the delight to work on Karen Dodd’s latest crime mystery, Everybody Knows, set on the beautiful island of Malta. Although there is a lot more action and dark deception in the novel than you’d want on your own holiday break, it’s the perfect summer read that will have you gripped and taken on a wild, thrilling ride, even if it’s from the comfort of your own sofa.

Karen is no newbie to the writing game and has a few mystery titles under her belt, but check out the exclusive interview below to find out what fascinating discoveries she made whilst researching for the novel, not only about the true story the narrative is based on, but also about herself as a writer.

Everybody Knows by Karen Dodd

30th June 2021

A shocking murder. Globe-spanning greed.

Can one man untangle the brutal truth before he meets a gruesome end?

Calabria, Italy, 2019. Special Prosecutor Nicoló Moretti is reeling from the news he has a five-year-old son. And when he realizes his former lover is only coming clean because her high-profile anti-corruption campaign has provoked death threats, emotions flare and he never learns where she’s hidden him. Nico is overwhelmed with guilt when she’s slain in a horrific blast, vowing to hunt down the killers… and find his little boy. 

Traveling to Malta to track down who ordered the hit, Nico battles ruthless power-mongers desperate to keep their secrets buried. And as he closes in on unscrupulous CEOs, government officials, and foreign despots laundering their dirty money, the callous assassination of a whistleblower has the determined investigator fearing he’s next on the list.

Everybody Knows is out today – grab your copy here.

Read on for an exclusive interview with the author, Karen Dodd.

Continue reading “Publication Day! Author Q&A: Karen Dodd – EVERYBODY KNOWS: A Nicoló Moretti Crime Thriller” →
Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Publication Day! Author Q&A: Morgan Greene – THE ANGEL MAKER: A DI Jamie Johansson novel

Rebecca Millar
Angel Maker by Morgan Green

The best part of being a book editor is working with wonderfully talented people, and I would certainly count Morgan Greene in that category.

So, it was a privilege to be invited to work with Morgan on the next stage in his immensely gripping Jamie Johansson series.

Morgan has written lots of novels, under various names, but he began writing DI Jamie Johansson’s story last year and has already published a trilogy of her early years as a detective sergeant, and has since developed a profound love for crime fiction – as well as this complex heroine. Angel Maker sees Jamie promoted to the role of detective inspector, and Morgan hopes to torment her with many horrifying cases for years to come.

Every angel deserves their wings…

A teenage girl is found dead in the woods, the kill bearing a chilling resemblance to those of the Angel Maker, a serial killer caught two decades ago. But with the old case files missing and doubts swirling about the original investigation, London Met detective Jamie Johansson is drawn back to the icy streets of her home city to help. Her father, one of Stockholm’s most notorious detectives, closed the case when Jamie was just a girl. And her memories hold the only key to unlocking the past and the truth of whether he put the right man behind bars all those years ago.

Jamie will have to confront her own dark childhood, as well as the evil stalking the city if she hopes to crack this case. But with so many secrets buried beneath the frozen earth, will she be able to find the killer before he claims his next victim?

The Angel Maker is back, and a plan twenty years in the making is already in motion.

Angel Maker publishes today and is available now.

Read on for an exclusive interview with the author, Morgan Green.

Continue reading “Publication Day! Author Q&A: Morgan Greene – THE ANGEL MAKER: A DI Jamie Johansson novel” →
Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Publication Day! Author Q&A: Mark Mannock – Hell’s Choir: A Nicholas Sharp Thriller

Rebecca Millar

November is a number month with another author celebrating the most exciting of days: publication day! And this time it’s the turn of Mark Mannock and the third instalment in his Nicholas Sharp series: Hell’s Choir.

A goodwill visit to Sudan, what could possibly go wrong?

Former US marine sniper turned musician, Nicholas Sharp is performing as part of a cultural group representing the US. Suddenly caught up in the middle of a political coup, the leader of the American contingent goes missing, his security detail murdered. 
Communication with the outside world is cut off. It falls to Sharp and Greatrex to track their missing leader down. But then, things get a little complicated…

I have worked with Mark on a couple of the Nicholas Sharp titles, and I’m so excited to see how he has not only developed as a writer but also how the novels just get more exciting.

Somewhere between Lee Child’s Jack Reacher and Robert Crais’ Elvis Cole, Nicholas Sharp may be a flawed hero, but you certainly want him on your side.

Continue reading “Publication Day! Author Q&A: Mark Mannock – Hell’s Choir: A Nicholas Sharp Thriller” →
Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Author Q&A: AJ Frazer – THE JAGGED EDGE

Rebecca Millar

For an author, there is nothing that quite beats the thrill of publication day, no matter how many books are under your belt. And just such a momentous day is fast approaching for AJ Frazer and his timely eco-thriller, The Jagged Edge.

A madman hellbent on revenge. An ex-war correspondent – once lauded – desperate to find his old edge. And the countdown towards the end of the world as we know it begins.

A thriller with a conscience, The Jagged Edge does for climate change what John Grisham has done for the law, cutting to the heart of the biggest threat to humanity the world has ever seen. 

I worked with AJ on this gripping race-against-time novel, ensuring the novel maintained the perfect balance of a pacy and entertaining thriller and a thought-provoking ecological warning.

AJ, welcome! The Jagged Edge is your latest novel. Tell us a little more about it.

Mercurial madman, Victor Sagen, is hellbent on saving the world from escalating climate change. Sagen is convinced that the only solution is to launch a devastating cyber weapon, called Biblical, that will send humanity back to the technological dark ages. A once lauded ex-war correspondent, Dominic Elliston, is desperate to find his old edge. Through a series of heart-stopping events, he is dragged (willingly) into Sagen’s orbit and, ultimately, finds himself in a position to stop him from releasing Biblical. But the question even Dominic must ask himself is, should he? The answer will shock him. 

Continue reading “Author Q&A: AJ Frazer – THE JAGGED EDGE” →
Author Showcase, Writing Tips and Tricks

Publication Day: Author Q&A: Rolly Bastard – KILL IT ALL AWAY

Rebecca Millar

For an author, there is nothing that quite beats the thrill of the publication of their first book. And today is that lucky day for Rolly Bastard and his debut Kill it All Away.

I worked with Rolly throughout the editing process and it was certainly lively! A thriller with twists and turns at every chapter, this is a novel that’s hard to put down. No matter how much you try, it’s almost impossible not to be lured in by Rolly’s charistamtic – albeit not always diplomatic – narration, and the shocking and entertaining story that he has to tell.

Rolly, welcome! Thank you for joining us here today. KILL IT ALL AWAY is your debut novel, isn’t it? Tell us a little more about it. 

This book is a thriller at its core, with murder, mystery, and twists, but also an examination of one man’s attempt to put his life back together, especially the relationship with his twenty-year-old daughter. And I know that description doesn’t sound like it, but there is also a lot of humour – dark humour – but humour all the same. 

Continue reading “Publication Day: Author Q&A: Rolly Bastard – KILL IT ALL AWAY” →