The Divide is out now!
One dead girlfriend. One missing girlfriend. Who will believe he is innocent? My short story, The Divide, has been published in The Book of Bristol,… Read More »The Divide is out now!
thrillers
The Perfect Crime is out now!
22 bestselling crime writers. 22 deadly destinations. One deliciously sinister collection 🔪 I’m delighted that ‘The Perfect Crime‘ is out now, published by Harper Collins. It’s… Read More »The Perfect Crime is out now!
Wuthering Heights – the novel that has influenced me the most
When I was a teenager, I steadfastly refused to believe that so-called ‘classical literature’ could be better than the assortment I chose from the local… Read More »Wuthering Heights – the novel that has influenced me the most
My Mother’s Secret – Location
There’s a thin band of cream silhouetting the cranes that hover over the half-built office blocks in the city centre. I head home, below an… Read More »My Mother’s Secret – Location
How to create the perfect villain!
Today I ran a lesson about villains for homeschool with my nine-year-old daughter. She loved it and created a supreme baddie: Galactica, Queen of the… Read More »How to create the perfect villain!
One Year Later – Dante
I did not die and yet I lost life’s breath… I always like to have a theme or a leitmotif running through my novels and in this one, One Year Later, it’s Dante’s The Divine Comedy. There’s the obvious aspects - it’s set in Italy, it’s hot as hell, but it’s about a young man’sRead More »One Year Later – Dante
One Year Later
Here's what One Year Later is all about. https://youtu.be/lVmBz2DAQw0
Blueprint for a house…and a story
In May 2017 we bought a house in Somerset. It was originally built in the 1950s and for almost two years we’ve been renovating it.… Read More »Blueprint for a house…and a story
Letter to my younger self
What would you tell yourself if you could? The Royal Literary Fund recently gave me the opportunity to write and record a letter to my… Read More »Letter to my younger self
My writing talisman
My writing talisman is a beautiful painting by artist, Elaine Jones. It’s of Cornwall – have a look to see why I love it so… Read More »My writing talisman
How to write a thriller
In a few days time I’m heading to Ted Hughes’ old house, Lumb Bank, in Hebden Bridge, to teach an Arvon Foundation course on how… Read More »How to write a thriller
Becoming a coach
I’ve just returned to working for charity, First Story, this month. First Story’s aim is to change young people’s lives through writing, particularly those… Read More »Becoming a coach
Diversity in Fiction
I’ve written as a Jesuit priest in Outer Mongolia, a nine-year-old in inner city Bristol, a child abductor, an angry teenager, a man in his… Read More »Diversity in Fiction
My Mother’s Secret: Stories within the Book
I’m delighted to welcome Tasha Locke to my blog this week. Tasha graduated from Bristol University this year with a degree in English Literature. I… Read More »My Mother’s Secret: Stories within the Book
One Year Later
As My Mother’s Secret has been wending its way into the world, I’ve been working on another psychological thriller. It’s called One Year Later… One… Read More »One Year Later
My Mother’s Secret – Launch party!
It’s hard to believe, for me at least, but after doing little else but think about the characters in My Mother’s Secret for a year and… Read More »My Mother’s Secret – Launch party!
My Writing Toolkit
Book blogger and health journalist, Victoria Goldman, asked me to tell her what my essential writing toolkit is for her blog, Off-the-Shelf Books. Here goes: Office… Read More »My Writing Toolkit
In a thriller, nowhere is safe…
This is a blog post I wrote on the importance of setting for The Asian Writer, and I thought would be most appropriate as I’ve… Read More »In a thriller, nowhere is safe…
How to tell a good plot
My seven-year-old daughter is teaching me how to plot. She’s drawn a story mountain for me, which shows the start, build up, climax, solution and… Read More »How to tell a good plot
The octopus and the pirates
I’m giving a talk on plot at Novel Nights on Wednesday 23 Many. This is a wonderful monthly event, organised by writer, Grace Palmer, in… Read More »The octopus and the pirates