Tag: fiction editor

Uncategorized

Freelance Editor Month – Overview

Rebecca Millar

If you follow me on Instagram, you’ll know that over the last month, I’ve been taking part in a little prompt challenge of my own: Freelance Editor Month. This is essentially a challenge to get us editors talking more about ourselves and not just our authors (guilty!) So here’s a chance to get to know me a little better and understand what Rebecca Millar Editorial is all about:

Day 1: How did you get started as a freelance editor?

In-house to going it alone!

Well, I used to work as an editor at one of the Big Four (Can you guess which one?) But then, my partner (J) got a job in Australia, and so, more of necessity at the time (definitely by choice now), I decided to jump into the scary world of going it alone. I also moved from working on a mixture of non-fiction and fiction to specialising in my favourite genre of all – crime, suspense and thriller fiction – and haven’t looked back since.

Continue reading “Freelance Editor Month – Overview” →
Uncategorized

The Self-Publishing Podcast: Interview with Simon McCleave (and a sneak appearance from me!)

Rebecca Millar

A couple of weeks ago, I donned my headphones to listen to The Self-Publishing Show podcast, hosted by Mark Dawson and James Blatch. So many of my authors are making the brave leap into the literary world by going out on their own – an endeavour I thoroughly support after going solo back in January 2019. Therefore, I was delighted to hear that on this episode, it was none other than my lovely author Simon McCleave who was being interviewed! Simon has gone from strength to strength with his DI Ruth Hunter series and has achieved so much in only a year. I have edited Simon since the beginning of his novelist career and I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this series, not only because Simon is an incredibly talented storyteller, but because I’ve been so proud to see how he’s evolved as a writer – that’s one of the most rewarding things for an editor to see! So, I was over the moon to hear just how well he’d done – over 125,000 copies – but also to hear a shout out for little old me. *blushing*

Continue reading “The Self-Publishing Podcast: Interview with Simon McCleave (and a sneak appearance from me!)” →
Book Review

Book Review: THE NIGHT LAWYER by Alex Churchill

Rebecca Millar

Before I wanted to be an editor, I thought about pursuing a career in the law. Funny, no? However, my poor memory and terror of public speaking put paid to that quite quickly. But, if you think about it, the jobs aren’t that different. Now apologies to my lawyer friends if this is totally reductive, but if you think about it, really, all lawyers are just story tellers. Both the defence and prosecution are given the same building blocks – the facts – but it is their job to weave these together to present their client’s side, their narrative, their story, to win the case.

This is what fascinates me about legal thrillers and why I love to read John Grisham and Steve Cavanagh. But also why I devoured the debut novel by barrister Alex Churchill, THE NIGHT LAWYER.

Continue reading “Book Review: THE NIGHT LAWYER by Alex Churchill” →
Uncategorized

Blog Tour: LOST SOULS by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman

Rebecca Millar

Now as a devotee of all things crime, suspense and thriller, it’s no small wonder that LOST SOULS is my first Jonathan Kellerman title. He’s best known for his Alex Delaware series set in Los Angeles, but Kellerman has recently started working together with his son Jesse Kellerman on the Clay Edison series. LOST SOULS is the latest installment and sees Clay Edison, deputy coroner, faced with uncovering the mystery behind skeleton of a baby found in the grounds of People’s Park in Berkeley, California.

Kellerman and Kellerman write with a confidence ease that makes reading their prose a delight. I wasn’t sure about starting in the middle of the series, but, you know, it happens. And admittedly there are some aspects of the novel that might be easier to understand with prior knowledge of the series – such as the long list of named characters – but the clear and entertaining style of the authors means that this is only a small obstacle and one I mostly ignored as I was too intrigued by the story (It’s easy to get the gist of who they are anyway as the characterisation is so spot-on!).

After reading the novel, I’ve been intrigued to find out more about Clay and pick up the earlier books in the series – because if they are as entertaing as LOST SOULS, I’ll know I’ll enjoy it! Perhaps start at the beginning of the series, but I’d recommend you purchase them all at the same time as you’ll devour this nuanced crime series very quickly. 📚

LOST SOULS by Jonathan and Jesse Kellerman (Arrow Publishing), available now as a paperback and ebook (Published as HALF MOON BAY in the US)

Uncategorized

Book Review: TO TELL YOU THE TRUTH by Gilly Macmillan

Rebecca Millar

📚Suspense fans—read this now!📚

By day, I edit crime, suspense and thriller, and by night, well, I read crime, suspense and thriller. It’s a genre that I have always loved; there is something about a complex, changing narrative of intrigue and mystery and a bloody good twist that I just can’t resist.

And an author who delivers on this level with every single book is the masterful Gilly Macmillan. Her latest novel To Tell You the Truth is my favourite yet (and I actually helped edit her previous book THE NANNY, so that’s saying something). Gilly has created a complex and fascinating character in Lucy – a novelist whose talent for imagination may have gone too far. She narrates a dark and multi-layered tale of deception, death and lies – or so you think. With twists at every turn, I was compelled to read the novel late into the night, desperate to uncover the truth.

Set in Gilly’s hometown of Bristol, I was transported back to my university days in a city that I loved, but this also added an extra level of intrigue as much of the action takes place on the other side of the Suspension Bridge from the city, which I actually only visited a couple of times. This created an otherworldy sense for me in a, which was unnerving and built on Lucy Harper’s complex world that Gilly has weaved together so well. (On an aside, this book is also a delight for those who work in the world of books and publishing; I couldn’t help but smile at Lucy’s interactions with her publishers – everyone loves a treat hamper!)

To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan publishes on 25th June 2020 in ebook and hardback. But if I were you, I’d preorder it now…

Thanks to the author and publishers for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.