Category: Writers

Bestselling Authors Descend on The Hamptons To Talk About Mystery & Crime Writing

Any event that happens in The Hamptons has got to be the biggest and best. Of course, it does.  And, so it was last weekend with the HamptonsWhoDunIt. Billed as the only event of its kind in the whole NorthEast, the inaugural Mystery and Crime Festival in East Hampton, New York, attracted more than 4o bestselling crime fiction and true crime  authors including guests of honor, Michael Connelly, Anthony Horowitz and Lisa Jewell.

They came to entertain, inform and to talk about their writing processes, their characters; what they enjoy writing and what scares them. Continue reading “Bestselling Authors Descend on The Hamptons To Talk About Mystery & Crime Writing”

Why 500 Rejections From Agents and Publishers Didn’t Stop Jeneva Rose From Becoming A Bestselling Author

The last blog I posted was about bestselling author, Jeneva Rose. I didn’t follow up last week with the promised second part (about her 500 rejections) because… well, Trump.

No-one was going to tear themselves away from the riveting images of Trump’s private jet idling at Palm Beach International Airport while we all waited with bated breath for the ten-second glimpse of him boarding it. Not to read my blog, anyway! Continue reading “Why 500 Rejections From Agents and Publishers Didn’t Stop Jeneva Rose From Becoming A Bestselling Author”

Does Jeneva Rose Care About Her Thousands Of 1-star ratings for The Perfect Marriage?

I’ve been grappling with this question about book reviews: How would I feel if I got ten thousand horrible 1-star ratings BUT my thriller was a bestseller on multiple lists, was optioned by Hollywood and I’d just landed a 5-book deal with a major publisher?

Author Jeneva Rose: Photo from author’s website. Photo credit: Katharine Hannah

That’s essentially where author, Jeneva Rose finds herself these days. Her psychological thriller, The Perfect Marriage, has sold 700,000+ copies (across all formats) since it was published in July 2020 by Bloodhound Books, a tiny British publishing house. Continue reading “Does Jeneva Rose Care About Her Thousands Of 1-star ratings for The Perfect Marriage?”

Are You Looking For A Really Good Book? Here’s A Novel Way To Find It

Promise. This is not going to be a blog about my latest thriller. Today, I’m more interested in how you decide to purchase a book or borrow it from the library.

Do you decide after reading a review in the mainstream media? Or because the novel is by one of your very favorite authors? Or because the book is a featured deal on Bookbub? Or because you’re looking for a certain type of book in a genre you enjoy?

I’ve been thinking about this ever since Ben Fox emailed me back in August. Ben emailed out of the blue to tell me he is the founder of a new website, shepherd.com, which he hopes “will eventually rival Goodreads.” Continue reading “Are You Looking For A Really Good Book? Here’s A Novel Way To Find It”

Why It Was Difficult to Interview Fellow Author (And Friend) R.G.Belsky

I didn’t think it would be difficult to interview R.G. Belsky. He’s the author of the Clare Carlson mystery series. Book #5 in the series, It’s News To Me was published a month ago. I raced through it the same way I did the others in the series. Naturally, I was delighted when The Big Thrill , the online magazine of the International Thriller Writers association, asked me to interview him for the November 2022 issue. Continue reading “Why It Was Difficult to Interview Fellow Author (And Friend) R.G.Belsky”