Tag: editor

Uncategorized

Crime, Suspense and Thriller Reads by Black Authors – BLACK LIVES MATTER

Rebecca Millar

Across the world, a revolution is happening as people are coming together to protest against racism and promote anti-racism.

I want to do what I can by amplifying the Black voices of my first love: fiction. I am, of course, a specialist in all things crime, thriller and suspense so I wanted to share a list of some of the brilliant Black novelists writing in the genre to add to your reading lists and to-be-read piles.

The below is just a limited selection of the fantastic array of crime, thriller and suspense written by Black authors – I wish I could fit them all in – so I would urge you to check out the Crime Writers of Colour website as well as the Black Mystery Authors Directory to discover even more fabulous writers, and hopefully your next read.

Dorothy Koomson

Dorothy Koomson is the award-winning author of 15 novels and has been making up stories since she was 13 when she used to share her stories with her convent school friends. Her published titles include: Tell Me Your Secret, The Brighton Mermaid, The Friend, When I Was Invisible, That Girl From Nowhere, The Flavours of Love, The Woman He Loved Before, Goodnight, Beautiful and The Chocolate Run.

Her next novel All My Lies Are True is out in July.

Eric Jerome Dickey

Eric Jerome Dickey is the New York Times bestselling author of more than twenty-five novels as well as a six-issue miniseries of graphic novels featuring Storm (X-Men) and the Black Panther. Originally from Memphis, Dickey now lives on the road and rests in whatever hotel will have him.

Angela Henry

Angela Henry was once told that her past life careers included spy, researcher, and investigator. She stuck with what she knew because today she’s a mystery writing library reference specialist, who loves to people watch and eavesdrop on conversations. She’s the author of five mysteries featuring equally nosy amateur sleuth Kendra Clayton, as well as the thriller The Paris Secret. When she’s not working, writing, or practicing her stealth, she loves to travel, is connoisseur of B horror movies, and an admitted anime addict. She lives in Ohio and is currently hard at work trying to meet her next deadline.

Rachel Howzell Hall

Rachel was born in Los Angeles, California fifteen days after Paul McCartney announced the split of the Beatles. As a child, she kept a pen in her hand, writing everywhere—in notebooks, on loose-leaf paper, in her big brother’s prep-school yearbook and on the back of church bulletins. But never on walls, buildings or freeway overpasses. That is graffiti.

In 2002, her debut novel, A QUIET STORM, was published by Scribner to great notice, including reviews from O Magazine and Publishers Weekly, with a starred review from Library Journal and also chosen as a “Rory’s Book Club” selection, the must-read book list for fictional television character Rory Gilmore of The Gilmore Girls.

Walter Mosley

Walter Mosley is one of the most versatile and admired writers in America today. He is the author of more than 43 critically acclaimed books, including the major bestselling mystery series featuring Easy Rawlins. His work has been translated into 23 languages and includes literary fiction, science fiction, political monographs, and a young adult novel. His short fiction has been widely published, and his nonfiction has appeared in The New York Times Magazine and The Nation, among other publications. He is the winner of numerous awards, including an O. Henry Award, a Grammy and PEN America’s Lifetime Achievement Award. He lives in New York City.

Malorie Blackman

Although not strictly thriller, as a teenager I loved Malorie Blackman’s Noughts and Crosses, so couldn’t great a list without it.

An award-winning British author and dramatist, Malorie Blackman is a major voice in children’s publishing, holding the post of Waterstones Children’s Laureate from 2013 to 2015. She is best-known for her bestselling novels Noughts & Crosses series as well as Pig Heart Boy, Thief, Cloud Busting, Boys Don’t Cryand Chasing the Stars. The fifth novel in the Noughts & Crosses series, Crossfire, was published in August 2019.

Uncategorized

Fiction in the Time of Corona: How the global pandemic may have messed up your plot, and why that’s not always a bad thing

Rebecca Millar

Yesterday, I read a fascinating article by American novelist Ben Winters. I had the pleasure of working with Winters briefly whilst I was at Penguin Random House and found his unique predicament intriguing.

The article, published on Slate.com, is discussing how the global pandemic of coronavirus and COVID-19 has basically screwed the plot of his new book, The Quiet Boy. It begins in January 2020 and hurtles towards a finale in July 2020 – in a music festival. Well, that’s not happening any more . . .

So it got me wondering how writers and namely the plots of fiction novels have been affected by the pandemic. It must be soul-destroying to have worked so hard, giving up months if not years of your life to curate the perfect plot line, create the characters that you need and finesse the timeline just so until you have a novel that you’re truly happy with . . . for a global pandemic to make it no longer relevant.

But my question is, does it matter? The role of fiction isn’t about facts. As the dictionary defines it, fiction is ‘the type of book or story that is written about imaginary characters and events and not based on real people and facts’. Of course, the best inspiration comes from the world around us – and no doubt the market will be flooded with coronavirus diaries, novels, etc. (Although I question whether there will be a market for them after we emerge blinking in the sunlight post-lockdown – we don’t want to go through that again *shudders*.) But, what better excuse than the world going a bit bananas around us to make use of this fantastic tool that we have hidden deep in our brains: the imagination. There is no better time to let our minds wonder and think of what-if and how-about.

Winters has a point when he says that ‘Right now, we are in the middle of total and utter upheaval. What reader will accept that my characters blithely go about their business in Los Angeles in the spring and summer of this year we’re in?’ Perhaps we should have more faith in our readers. Every day, fiction asks us to suspend our disbelief and fall headlong into a world that isn’t real, not based on fact, the product of the workings of someone’s mind. Yes, it looks a little like the world we live in, but the fiction form is prism not a mirror, twisting the light of the real world into a kaleidoscope of colour – otherwise the sci-fi and fantasy genres would already be in deep water!

With this in mind, over the weekend, I had the delightful experience of kicking my heels up and devouring Rebecca Serle’s smash-hit novel In Five Years. The whole concept of the novel taking a classic interview question – ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’ – and twisting it on its head. The novel is all about how no matter how much we try to plan our ideal lives and how we see ourselves in five, ten, even twenty years time, life has a funny habit of getting in the way. Serle’s characters begin in 2020 and happily work, live, love their way through to 2025 (when it starts getting a little pear-shaped), no mention of pandemic in sight. Of course, when Serle wrote her manuscript, COVID-19 hadn’t reared its ugly head, but the novel is no worse off for it. In fact, it might even be an added strength as it reminds us that although the world looks less than peachy at the moment, we’ll get through it, whatever happens.

Admittedly, there might be a new couple of new courses on the syllabus for future literature students – Pre, Post and COVID Literature – but I’m excited to see what new writing this situation brings us, and whether authors choose to engage or not – some already having voiced their claims of not touching the topic with a barge pole, Anne Tyler and Harlan Coben being among their number. I feel for Winters, who has decided to push the events of his novel back to 2019, but whether you choose to set your next writing project in a world affected by COVID or not, I think the readers are willing to welcome you with open arms. To be honest, we’re just thankful for something to read!

Meet the Editor, What Does an Editor Do?

NEW Weekly Writing Prompts Email – Sign up below!

Rebecca Millar

How are you all coping with the UK in lockdown? It’s not that different to my normal working life as I am lucky enough to work from home, however I do miss the freedom of being able to go outside and explore and take inspiration from not only the world but the people around me. I love people watching – humans are such fascinating creatures. (Saying that, I totally appreciate our reasoning behind it and will support our amazing NHS all the way!)

But with the lockdown, this inspiration is hard to find. So, I’ve come up with the idea of creating writing prompts to help get you started on your latest writing project, whether that be simply exercising your creative mind or picking up a pen and making a start on that novel you’ve always wanted to write.

For the past couple of weeks, I have been posting prompts daily on my Instagram stories – do come check us out – but I thought, wouldn’t it be nice to have these prompts delivered right to your inbox? So, I’ve decided to bundle up the writing prompts into a weekly parcel of inspiration to help you on your way.

Sign up to receive weekly writing prompt exercises!

Continue reading “NEW Weekly Writing Prompts Email – Sign up below!” →
Uncategorized

Stuck at home? Writing Prompts to keep the boredom at bay

Rebecca Millar

We’re in the middle of some turbulent times. There is lots of uncertainty and anxiety around, and we’re having to adapt our daily lives. Many more of us are being asked to stay at home, practise social distancing and or being quarantined for fourteen days. In a world where most of us are on our feet go-go-go all the time, being cooped up at home is a pill proving hard to swallow.

However, amongst all this mayhem, there could be a silver lining. As we are encouraged to stay at home where we can to help protect not just ourselves but others we have a little more time on our hands. Not only that but feeling stuck in one place can lead to feelings of being both physically and psychologically. So rather than getting ourselves down, we should embrace this extra time for ourselves. It’s the perfect time to indulge in some self-care, dust off that yoga mat or pick up new hobbies or old!

Continue reading “Stuck at home? Writing Prompts to keep the boredom at bay” →
Uncategorized

Back in Blighty – NOW TAKING ENQUIRIES!

Rebecca Millar

Wow, it’s been a whirlwind month. So much for taking a rest, eh? I’ve had the past month or so off travelling with my partner in a green-and-purple camper van around the south island of New Zealand. What an experience!? I’ve learnt so much, read a few books and experienced some amazing things.

However, all good things must come to an end and so our Antipodean travels must draw to a close. After a year in Australia and then a month in New Zealand, we’re now back on British soil. We had the most wonderful time, went on so many adventures and met some lovely people but I must admit I am glad to be home. There really is no place like home, is there?

Continue reading “Back in Blighty – NOW TAKING ENQUIRIES!” →
Meet the Editor

‘Kia Ora!’

Rebecca Millar

It is terrifying really how quickly time passes, isn’t it? This time last year I’d just arrived in Australia and now our Ozzie adventure is over and I’m already partway through the next chapter: New Zealand.

I arrived in Auckland a couple of days ago now and, although it’s only been a couple of days, I have fallen a little bit in love with this city. I have loved exploring and finding all the cool indie shops, trying all the food and investigating the green spaces. And there is still so much more to see!

I can’t wait to make the most of these weeks and catch up on some me-time – which means lots of reading! The place I’m staying in has the biggest windows so I’m revelling in all the natural light and curling up with a good book!

I am officially out of the office but I will continue to answer emails for the next week or so before we head to the South Island. If you have a question, need some advice or want a quotation for an editorial service, don’t hesitate to get in touch via the contact page or the quotation request form. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Meet the Editor

2020, We’re Coming at Ya!

Rebecca Millar

It’s that time of year again when we bring out the new diary, the new diets, the new lifestyles and say to ourselves, ‘This is going to be my year!’ And although there is a lot of fluff surrounding new year’s resolutions, this year, mine is simple. To have a go.

2019 was a year of much adjustment for me. I left the job that I had dreamed of since I was young. I packed up my bags and travelled thousands of miles across the world to live in a country I’d never set foot in before. Oh, and I started a business.

2020, on the other hand, doesn’t look like it’s going to be any more stable. I have only two weeks left before our Australian adventure comes to an end and we begin our journey back home via New Zealand, where we’ll be holidays for over a month, exploring the gorgeous vistas and just taking some time out. However, when we get back to the UK after the excitement of seeing all our friends and family again, what remains is a bit of a question mark. (We don’t even really know where we’re going to live!)

I started my business a little out of necessity. The other half was offered an amazing opportunity in Australia, and I wasn’t going to let this opportunity to live abroad go. However, he happened to choose one of the few cities in the country that doesn’t have a publishing hub. So rather than hunting for a job myself, I decided to take up the scary mantle of ‘Self-employed’.

So, the question is, do I keep going? My plan so far is yes. I love what I do, and why shouldn’t I have a go at seeing whether I can make it work long term? It’ll be different being back in the UK, working with my previous colleagues but in a different capacity. And oh, boy am I looking forward to being on the same time zone as everyone for once! However, there is a nagging feeling at the back of my head. Can I actually do this?

It’s a question that many people ask themselves when they are starting out or about to embark on something risky. This includes a number of my authors, not just indie first-timers but also those who have a few books under their belts, wondering if this is all just a dream. (I personally think it’ll be a question I’ll ask myself every year).

My answer to this? You’ll never know unless you try. Sometimes you’ve got to take that gamble and just go with it. Be brave. Whatever you set out to do may not be perfect to begin with, but you’ve just got to work at it. Work hard, and it’ll pay off. Whether that’s starting your own business, aiming for a personal best at the gym (this year, I’m aiming to tackle the handstand!), or finally putting pen to paper and writing that novel. All you have to do is begin, the rest will take care of itself.

So, say it loud. ‘This year, 2020, is going to be my year.’ Go on, you can do it!