A day with author William L. Myers. Jr @williammyersjr

Today I’m thrilled to welcome  author William L.Myers. Jr to the book review café. The author writes legal thrillers which include A Legal Defense and An Engineered Injustice. Today he’s sharing a guest post about his day as an author.

WRITING WRONGS WHILE RIGHTING WRONGS

I like to say that, as a lawyer, I right wrongs, and as an author of legal thrillers, I write wrongs. Often, I do both at the same time, at my legal office. What I have found is that my fiction writing and legal work benefit each other. If I get stuck writing a legal brief, or on a tricky point of law, I’ll take a short break, work on whatever novel I’m writing at the time, spend a half hour plotting out a scene, or crafting a sequence of dialogue between my characters. What happens is that while I’m working on the fiction, my unconscious mind is still slogging away (and “slogging” is the right word; I think very slowly) on the legal brief or problem. So when I put the novel down, it’s not unusual that my brain has arrived at a solution to my legal issue. Conversely, it’s not infrequent for a lightbulb to go off over my head while I’m at work on one of my cases, illuminating the arrival of an insight for the novel I’m working on.

I once heard an author (I don’t recall who) say that she did her best writing when she wasn’t writing. Meaning that for her, the best ideas often come when she’s not looking down at a computer screen or paper. This is often true for me as well. I begin every morning by taking my dogs—Pharaoh and Phoenix—for a two mile hike at Valley Forge Park. Invariably, some idea will pop into my mind, and I’ll stop in place, pull out my iPhone and send myself an email relating the idea—sometimes in great detail, to the chagrin of the dogs, who want to keep moving.

There are good things and bad things about all this unconscious writing, of course. The good things include the fact that the resulting inspiration seems to show up for free, i.e., without my having to sweat and struggle over a line of dialogue or plot point. The bad things spring from the fact that the unconscious writing, rather than spring from the inside out, sometimes pulls me in the opposite direction—stealing my mind from my body in the midst of conversations, meetings, social events.

Not long ago, I was out to dinner with my wife Lisa and she was talking to me, but must’ve seen that familiar vacant look in my eyes.

“You’re not here, are you?” she said.

“Uh . . .”

“You’re in one of your books.”

“Uh . . .”

“At least tell me what’s happening?”

“Johnny Giacobetti just got shot outside the 76ers building at the Naval Yard.”

“I remember him from the train crash book. I didn’t like him. So I’m glad he’s shot.   

 Where’s the waiter. I need more wine.”

William L. Myers, Jr. is a 2017 top 10 selling Amazon Kindle author for his debut novel. He might be new to the literary community but once you pick up his legal thriller and best-selling novel, A Criminal Defense, it becomes obvious he is not new to the intricacies of the legal profession. Open A Criminal Defense and you’ll find yourself lost in a labyrinth of deceits and hidden agendas, a world where everyone has a secret. You never know what is going to happen next or when the plot is going to take another unexpected turn.

His second book An Engineered was published in January 2018. You’ll really feel what it’s like to be a young attorney in the trenches, beating the streets, against all odds.
Born in 1958 into a blue-collar family, the author  inherited a work-ethic that propelled him through college and into the Ivy League at The University of Pennsylvania School of Law.

From there, William L. Myers, Jr started his legal career in a Philadelphia-based mega defense firm. After ten years defending corporate America, he realized his heart wasn’t in it. So, with his career on the fast track to success–he gave it all up and started his own firm. It was time to start fighting for the common guy.

That was twenty-five years ago and since then, he has focused on representing railroad employees and other honest, hard-working people who have been injured by others. He has represented thousands of clients in his tenure and has become a highly-regarded litigation attorney up and down the Eastern Seaboard

To learn more or buy this author’s books click on the link…. Authors books

 

My thanks to the author for his guest post and some of the featured images.

A day with author Linda Huber @LindaHuber19

Today I’m thrilled to welcome author Linda Huber to the book review café, the author has kindly written a guest post about her working day. I’m loving these guest posts and I hope you are too, it’s fascinating to read how different authors approach their writing. So without further ado……..

Every day starts the same here in Arbon, N. E. Switzerland – with coffee. Without my two mugs I’m no use to anyone, so the coffee machine gets switched on as soon as the alarm rings at 7 a.m. I check the news while the toast is browning, and after that I’m good to go.
I write more or less full-time now. My ex-day job was teaching English as a foreign language (our school was in a medieval castle; it was the most atmospheric job ever), but I gave that up almost two years ago to concentrate on my books. Nowadays, I teach a handful of private students here at home, and the rest of the time is for writing. First thing I do when I sit down at the computer is the same as almost everyone, I guess – check emails and social media.

My writing desk isn’t actually in my office room, where I teach – it’s in the bedroom. The office room is on the street side, while the bedroom overlooks a beautiful wood. It was a no-brainer, deciding where to do my writing. Who could resist those trees?

What I actually do depends on the stage my wip is at. Currently I’m finishing the new one and getting it into a fit state to go to my editor, and meanwhile, a very new one is beginning to buzz around in my head. I love this stage, where I’m discovering the characters, planning what might happen in the story and how my paper people could react to the problems I throw at them.

Most days I’m home alone during the day, so I can please myself about tea- and lunchbreaks. Lunch can be anytime between one and four o’clock, dinner is usually between six and eight, depending on who’s home. We do flexi-meals in this flat.

Once or twice a week I check how my books are doing on the mighty Amazon – I have four traditionally published suspense novels, and three self-published. For these three, I have to organise my own promotions, advertising, etc etc. Not my favourite job, but it has to be done.

Housework also tends to be a once or twice a week thing, which always makes me feel guilty. I can still hear my mother’s voice, when I once objected to being told to dust the living room in the school holidays: ‘We have to dust every day, Linda.’ Fortunately, my bookshelves here are white, so you don’t notice the dust much. Honestly.

The nice thing about being self-employed is, I can organise my days according to what’s going on. A moment of inspiration? (Wish I had them more often!) I can drop everything and glue myself to the PC. A beautiful autumn day? Go for a walk through my woods and down to our lovely lake. An afternoon invitation? No problem. I can write in the evening, or just write less that day. One thing I particularly enjoy is wandering through the old town here in Arbon – it’s medieval, to match the castle. Imagine how many feet have wandered along these streets over the centuries.

Living in Switzerland means I don’t get to meet up with other writers as often as I’d like. I had a really great time in England in October, when I popped over to the Bedford area and met up with my publisher and a few writing friends – it’s lovely to meet people in real life! Nobody ever looks much like their profile pic on Facebook…

Linda Huber grew up in Glasgow, Scotland, but went to work in Switzerland for a year aged twenty-two, and has lived there ever since. Her day jobs have included working as a physiotherapist in hospitals and schools for handicapped children, and teaching English in a medieval castle. Not to mention several years spent as a full-time mum to two boys, a rescue dog, and a large collection of guinea pigs.

Her writing career began in the nineties, when she had over fifty short stories published in women’s magazines. Several years later, she discovered the love of her writing life – psychological suspense fiction. Her seventh novel, Death Wish, was published by Bloodhound Books in August 2017.

After spending large chunks of the current decade moving house, Linda has now settled in a beautiful flat on the banks of Lake Constance in north-east Switzerland.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorlindahuber/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LindaHuber19

website: https://lindahuber.net/

Amazon Author Page 

My thanks to Linda Huber for taking time out of her busy schedule to write this post and also for the use of the photographs from her private collection.

A day with author Helen Matthews @HelenMK7

Today I’m thrilled to welcome Helen Matthews, author of   ‘After Leaving the Village’ to the book review café. ‘After Leaving the Village’ has been described as a gritty contemporary suspense thriller and I must say the book description has piqued my interest (details further down this post). The author is the latest guest to write A day in the life post, so without further ado…..

Before I became a writer, I worked full time for a big energy company. In corporate life the assumption persists that early risers, who rock up to the office at dawn, are morally superior. I’m a nightingale – or perhaps an owl – definitely not a lark. For years I would struggle to prop my eyes open and try to look alert for our Monday morning meeting. This was doubly difficult because I was the boss: the one running the meeting and, supposedly, inspiring my team for the challenges of the week ahead!
I’ve always kept late hours. In my corporate role, I rarely left the office before 7.00 p.m. and often travelled within the UK and sometimes abroad. In the evenings, I attempted to spend time with my husband and children, but they became teenagers and pretended they didn’t know who I was. So, at around 10.30 p.m., I would sneak off to my computer and write fiction into the small hours.

Now I’m self-employed and work from home so I mould my days into a work pattern that suits my biorhythms. Alongside writing fiction, I’m a freelance copywriter, drafting content for newsletters and company websites. Self-employment is a joy. As long as you meet deadlines, you can work when and where you please – on Sunday afternoons, at midnight, on holiday or outside in the garden. Unless I have a conference call or meeting, I set my alarm for a very civilised 8.15 a.m. My lovely husband, an early riser, brings me a cup of tea. If he forgets, I may send him a text: ‘Tea, please.’ I once sent the ‘Tea, please’ text, in error, to my daughter’s partner – presumably the last person I’d been in phone contact with the night before. This caused some consternation as they live 45 minutes’ drive away.

Enough confessions. You probably think I’m slothful but, consider this – I no longer need good hair, nor must I face a long commute; I shovel down a bowl of cereal and I’m at my computer by nine.

In the mornings, writers should ignore those pesky emails, avoid becoming tainted with Twitter and plunge straight into the world of their novel-in-progress. Good advice, right? I wish I could follow it, but I have tried, and failed. Since my novel ‘After Leaving the Village’ was released into the world, I’m constantly checking my emails for any new reviews or opportunities to promote my book.

Launching a book means swapping your creative hat for a marketing and PR one. It also involves a shedload of admin, for example, writing blogs and guest posts, answering Qs&As from reviewers; sending out invitations or tweets about upcoming events and liaising with bookshops, libraries and book clubs. If I have a talk or presentation coming up, I treat it like a project and make sure I’m fully prepared. Ferreting out new promotional opportunities takes time and I’m pleased to say I have events booked through until September 2018 but there’s plenty of space on my calendar to fit in more.

Once I’ve cleared the business end of my work, I get back to writing fiction. My next novel is at fifth draft stage. The working title is ‘Lies Behind the Ruin and it’s contemporary suspense about a family in crisis. It’s been workshopped with a writers’ group I belong to in Oxford. One of my friends from that group has read the full manuscript and given me a brilliant, detailed feedback report. Because I’m still immersed in my current novel, I often settle down to work on the new one and find I have – quite literally – lost the plot and have to reread massive chunks.

I break for lunch for around fifteen minutes and carry on writing through the afternoon. I’ve decided not to accept new copywriting commissions for a while, so I can devote attention to my book and give it the best start in life. After all, you wouldn’t send your children out into the world alone – they’d get lost. I’m trying to look after my book in a similar way.

At around 4 p.m. I often look up from my screen and realise I haven’t been outside all day. So, I will invent an errand and walk into the village. Or I may go to the leisure centre for a swim. I find swimming lengths a therapeutic way of sorting out plot tangles.
I belong to three writers’ groups: one meets weekly, one fortnightly and the Oxford one is once a month. Staying in close touch with other writers keeps me sane. Writing is a solitary business and, during the working week, I rarely meet non-writer friends for coffee, though if they suggest a walk or bike ride I might be tempted.

After dinner with my husband, I often go out to my book group, or to rehearsals for the choir I sing in, or sometimes to meet up with friends. My husband prefers to be at home on weekday evenings but after hard graft at the creative coalface, I’m ready to be sociable. If I do stay home, the magnetic pull of the laptop summons me back to research or writing. But I no longer stay up pounding the keyboard until 2.00 a.m. and Monday morning meetings are a private matter between me and my characters, who don’t seem to notice if I’m having a bad hair day.

‘After Leaving the Village’ was published by Hashtag Press in October 2017. It is my debut novel and won first prize in the opening pages category at Winchester Writers’ Festival. My novel is a gritty contemporary suspense thriller so won’t suit all tastes but it’s been hailed by reviewers as ‘very much a novel of our times’ and ‘powerful’…one of the reasons ‘why it has been endorsed by anti-slavery charity, Unseen.’

As a writer, I often ask the question – how can a life change in an instant? Sometimes this leads me to explore some dark places. I’d love to know what you think, so please leave a review.

I’ve won several short story prizes and my story ‘Coal’ was published in Artificium literary magazine. You can read my travel blogs over on www.helenmatthewswriter.com where you’ll also find my contact details and can tell me what you loved – or hated

Book description

Two women. Two villages. Different destinies. Odeta’s life has shrunk to a daily round of drudgery, running her father’s grocery store in a remote Albanian village. One day a stranger from Tirana walks into the shop and promises her a new career in London. Odeta’s life is about to change, but not in the way she expected.

Journalist Kate lives on a quiet London street and seems to have a perfect life but she worries about her son Ben, who struggles to make friends. Kate blames the internet and disconnects her family from the online world so they can get to know their neighbours. On a visit to her home village in Wales, Kate is forced to confront a secret from her past. But greater danger lies closer to home. Perhaps Kate’s neighbours are not the friendly community they seem.

Buying link:  Amazon UK 🇬🇧

My thanks to author Helen Matthews for this guest post and taking time out of her busy schedule to write it .

 

A day with author Michael Wood @MichaelHWood @KillerReads

Today I’m thrilled to welcome author Michael Wood to the book review café. The author writes the DCI Matilda Darke Crime series. If you follow my blog you will know I read a large amount of crime books and hand on heart Michael Wood’s books are on my top five list of crime series. If you haven’t read them Yet I’ve included a link to the authors books further down this post, they are a MUST read if you love a well written crime thriller.

I’m a boringly organised person and like to have everything set out before I begin my writing day. Looking at a blank notebook or a blank laptop screen with nothing to do is my idea of hell.

I’m always writing. I’m either working on my current novel or making notes or planning future novels, characters and stories.

When I’m at the early stages of a novel, I like to plan out my characters and plots in pad and pen form. The best place to do that, for me, is in a coffee shop. I have my iPod on to block out background noise and scribble away.

Once I’m at the laptop stage, I work from home. I’m very structured and like to be at my desk early. I don’t give myself a set number of hours or a word count to write. I treat writing like any other job I’ve had so I write, edit, revise, research throughout the day. Anything above 3,000 words per day is a good day for me.

I break for lunch and I always have a pot of strong black coffee on standby when I feel the need to leave my desk and stretch my legs.

I write Monday to Friday. Weekends are for seeing friends, relaxing, catching up with DVD boxsets. Strangely, I write best during the hours of darkness. From midnight to six o’clock I’m very productive. Unfortunately, this isn’t ideal as it hampers the social life. So those kinds of days are very rare.

When I’m not writing I enjoy walking (it’s great for clearing the head, especially in winter), reading (as well as writing crime fiction I love reading it), seeing friends, eating out, and, most importantly, shopping for books. My reading pile is slightly getting out of hand as I currently have 306 books in my spare bedroom to read.

Writing is a special kind of job and I find that everyone approaches it in their own unique way. I’d never give anyone advice, but I’m happy to share my own ways of doing things if asked. Writing is not something you just do with your fingers, it comes from within. You don’t only need to be creative, you need to put your heart and soul into your work. And that is why I love writing so much.

Now, on with my next novel.

Michael Wood is a proofreader and former journalist in Sheffield, South Yorkshire. He is the author of the DCI Matilda Darke series set in Sheffield. The third, A ROOM FULL OF KILLERS, was released in February 2017. A short story prequel, THE FALLEN, was published as an ebook in December 2016 by Killer Reads at HarperCollins.

Click on this link to check out Michael Wood books

 

My thanks to Michael Wood for taking time out of his busy schedule to write this post, it’s much appreciated.

A day with author Fiona Cummins @FionaAnnCummins

 

Today I’m thrilled to have Fiona Cummins author of Rattle  and The Collector  pop by the book review café and share a guest post about her working day with me. Interestingly enough both books by the author have featured on my top reads. If you haven’t read them yet I would highly recommend them both, especially if you love a darker crime thriller with a very intriguing serial killer.

A day with author Fiona Cummins

My typical writing day starts as soon as I drop my two children at school.

On the walk home, I begin to think about what I’m going to write next, and how I can move my story forward.
I’m lucky enough to have a study so I often write there.
The gorgeous paperweight on my desk was a gift from my university friend Emma to celebrate the publication of Rattle. The pen on the notepad was a present from Jason, my husband.

I keep copies of my novels on my desk to remind me that it is possible to finish a book, which is a great motivator when the writing is not going well.
I tend to scribble notes about my characters on scraps of paper, and have a file where I keep details of my research.

I also spend a lot of time looking out of the window from my desk. I find it inspiring to watch the sky change, and to watch the boats as they move up the silvery strip of the estuary.

Sometimes, I need a change of scene so I write at the kitchen table or in armchair in the sitting room, blanket over my knees and a mug of tea.

And if all else fails, I head to my favourite cafe Barlow and Fields, which has the best baristas, and there’s always someone to chat to. I like the noise and buzz while I’m writing.

I usually write (and poke about on Twitter) until lunchtime when I’ll take our puppy Binks for a walk. This helps to clear my head.

Then I potter around until it’s time to collect the children, but I’m also thinking about the story. Some of my best ideas come to me when I’m chopping vegetables or folding laundry.

Much later, after dinner, I’ll sit down at my desk, switch on my lamp and get back to work, perhaps with a large Jack Daniels and some music.

Depending on my progress, I’ll either go to bed despairing or quietly pleased.

My thanks to Fiona Cummins for taking time out of her busy schedule and also for the photographs from her personal collection.

About the author

Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former Daily Mirror showbusiness journalist and a graduate of the Faber Academy Writing A Novel course.

Rattle, her debut novel, has been translated into several languages and received widespread critical acclaim from authors including Val McDermid, Lee Child and Martina Cole. Marcel Berlins wrote in The Times: ‘Amid the outpouring of crime novels, Rattle is up there with the best of them.’

Fiona was selected for McDermid’s prestigious New Blood panel at the 2017 Theakston Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, where her novel was nominated for a Dead Good Reader Award for Most Exceptional Debut.

Rattle is now being adapted into a six-part TV series by the producers of Golden Globe-nominated Miss Sloane.
Her second novel, The Collector, was published in February 2018.

When Fiona is not writing, she can be found on Twitter, eating biscuits or walking her dog. She lives in Essex with her family.

To read more about the authors books or buy them click here

 

A day with author Louise Jensen @Fab_fiction

Today I’m thrilled to welcome author Louise Jensen to the book review cafe. I’m a huge fan of this authors psychological thrillers including my Favourite The Surrogate if you haven’t read any of her books yet, where have you been?  You need to buy them now! You won’t be disappointed I promise.

I so enjoy sharing these posts and I am so nosy that it’s a great opportunity to learn more about  some of my favourite authors and what they get up to in their “typical” day 😂. Hope you enjoy reading Louise Jensen’s post as much as I did.

A day with author Louise Jensen

I wrote my first novel, The Sister, while I was working full-time. Each night, when my youngest son had independent reading time I would sit, perched on the edge of my bed, laptop balanced on my knee, bashing out as many words as I could in half an hour.

Since then, I’ve been lucky enough to write full-time, although even with the extra hours, it often feels I don’t achieve many more words than I used to in that 30 minutes.

Nowadays I write in the spare room. It was my eldest son’s bedroom, he now shares a lovely flat with his girlfriend, and although I was sad to see him go I soon stuck a desk in the corner of his room!

I’m generally quite structured with my days. I have a health condition which means I suffer with chronic pain and am easily fatigued. My most creative and alert times are in the morning so once I’m home after the school run I’m always at my desk by 8.30. By now, I have already caught up with social media and emails while eating breakfast so I’m ready to write. This is my time for new words. Often working on a novel, but sometimes, like today, I’m writing a short story for an anthology for one of my foreign publishers. I find writing a first draft of anything incredibly difficult, and I often find myself clock watching, my fingers twitching, desperate to check Twitter or browse Amazon.

Hopefully by lunchtime I will have got some words down. I don’t set word count targets for myself, that’s added pressure I don’t need, for me it’s always the quality of the words not the quantity. Often I fiddle with sentences for ages before I’m happy with them. I know not everything I write will survive this stage, I don’t plan my stories so if I go off track with my plot there will be many cuts, but taking my time, getting a real feel for the scene, enables me to get to know my characters really well. Eventually, they will be the ones leading the story not me.

Lunch is usually a quick sandwich or bowl of soup, usually eaten at my desk as I prefer to get as much done as I can in school hours. If I’m editing a manuscript I go back to it after lunch, but if I’m at first draft stage I won’t return to it in the afternoons as I know from experience my progress when I’m tired is slow and frustrating. Afternoons are often dedicated to blogging, social media, arranging events and interviews. My books have been translated into numerous languages and so I now have 18 publishers who can want various things publicity -wise. This can get incredibly busy and is a part of being a writer I had never considered before getting my book deal.

I’m on the school run again at four, and then unless there’s anything pressing to finish it’s time precious time spent with the kids and cooking dinner. After we’ve eaten I do my physio exercises, piano practice and meditate. The rest of my evenings are spent either reading, watching a movie, or out with friends or, frequently, falling asleep on the sofa!

I’m trying to cut down on working at weekends. As a new writer, this past year has been a real learning curve, but now I’m about to start writing book four I feel I’ve found my feet a little, and it’s all about finding a balance now. Sustaining a full-time career and spending quality time with my family. I absolutely adore what I do and I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.

My thanks to Louise Jensen for taking time out of her busy schedule to write this post and also for the photographs from her personal collection.

About Louise Jensen

Louise is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and lives in Northamptonshire with her husband, children, madcap dog and a rather naughty cat.

Louise’s first two novels, The Sister and The Gift, were both International No.1 Bestsellers, and have been sold for translation to sixteen countries. The Sister was nominated for The Goodreads Awards Debut of 2016. Louise’s third psychological thriller, The Surrogate, is out now.

Louise loves to hear from readers and writers and can be found at www.louisejensen.co.uk, where she regularly blogs flash fiction.

Learn more about Louise Jensen’s books here 

 

 

A day with author James Carol #GuestPost @JamesCarolBooks

Today I’m thrilled to have author James Carol share a guest post about his day as a writer. I’m a huge fan of this author and I especially love his FBI profiler Jefferson Winter series, it’s one of my favourite crime series. The author has also just published a psychological thriller as J. S. Carol it’s called Kiss Me Kill Me, and another read I would highly recommend. 

So without further ado here’s……………..

A Day In The Life Of James Carol

A typical day starts with getting the kids to school. One of the big advantages of working from home is that I get to do things like that. If there’s a school play or sports day, I can get there. My best memories of the past year are hearing my daughter sing like an angel at the Christmas concert, and watching my son running his heart out to win his race.

Once the kids are in school then it’s time to put on a CD and get to work. Writing in silence is a kind of torture for me. Music helps to block out all the other distractions so I can focus on the words. I listen to everything and anything. For example, right now I’ve got a Police compilation playing. That said, it could just as easily have been The Beatles or Lorde or even Taylor Swift.

If I’m working on a first draft, my aim is to get at least 1,500 words written. Do that for a week and I’m 7,500 words further on; do it for fourteen weeks and I’ve got a novel. Like Stephen King said, a novel gets written one word at a time. Think about it. Writing one word is achievable, however, if you’re sat there at the start of a novel and you’ve somehow got to find at least 100,000 words, that’s just too daunting. Where the hell do you start? So I write one word at a time, and it’s amazing how quickly those words turn into sentences, then paragraphs, and whole chapters.

I tend to clock off around one. By that point my brain is fried. Of course, writing is one of those occupations that you never totally switch off from. I’ll often find myself falling back into the novel at various points during the day, working through things in my head. Then there are those times when I end up doing the dreaded night shift. This usually happens when I’ve got a particularly gnarly plot problem to work out. For some reason, my brain decides that two o’clock in the morning is the best time to do this. And, no, I don’t get out of bed to write things down. If the idea is good enough then I’ll remember it. Lennon and McCartney did a similar thing in their early days, and it seemed to work out okay for them.

About the author

James Carol is the bestselling author of BROKEN DOLLS, the first in a series featuring former FBI profiler Jefferson Winter. The novel was released in the UK in January 2014 to rave reviews and reached number 1 on the Amazon fiction and thriller charts. In addition James is writing a series of eBooks set during Winter’s FBI days. PRESUMED GUILTY is the first of these. Under the pseudonym J.S. Carol, he has also written a number of standalones. KISS ME KILL ME is the latest.

James was born in Scotland and moved to England in the early-eighties. At various times he has worked as a guitarist, sound engineer, guitar tutor, journalist, and a horse riding instructor. When he’s not writing, James can usually be found in a pair of headphones writing and recording music. He lives in Hertfordshire with his wife and two children.

For more information go to: www.james-carol.com

To learn more about James Carol’s book click here….James Carol Books

My thanks to James Carol for taking time out of his busy schedule to write this post for my blog.

A day with author Caroline Mitchell @Caroline_Writes

Today I have another a day with author……post to share with you and it’s from one of my very favourite authors Caroline Mitchell. I’m a huge fan of this authors books and I would highly recommend each and everyone of them, from the supernatural,  to crime thrillers with a few psychological thrillers thrown in there is no end to this ladies talents.

I hope you are enjoying reading these posts as much as I do, I’m so nosey and I find it fascinating to read how different authors approach their writing. Anyway enough of my ramblings here’s Caroline Mitchell’s post…….

A Day In The Life Of An Author…

I used to work really long hours as a police detective, and I wanted more than anything to give up my job and pursue my dream to write full time. I used to scour the web for articles like these for a tiny insight into what it was like. I remember reading an article about this lovely author who said she used to ‘potter about’ in her pyjamas until mid-day. It sounded like bliss!
In reality, I have little time for pottering about but I’ve never regretted my decision to take the plunge.

I still work long hours but thankfully, I love what I do, even if edits sometimes make me want to bang my head against a wall! I get up at around seven and quickly check my notifications on my phone before getting my children out to school. After breakfast, I bring a coffee upstairs to my writing room and open up my laptop to begin. If I’m feeling particularly lazy, I’ll write in bed. I’m either editing or writing my forthcoming novel. If I’m writing, I dictate my first draft, and spend the next couple of hours talking into my microphone, while the house is quiet. I take pauses in between, usually to research online and make notes as I go. That brings me up to lunch time, and I check social media before going downstairs for a bite to eat.

For the last couple of years, I have been writing three books a year, but now I’m working on my tenth book, this can slow down to two. Since leaving my job I’ve been determined to make the most of every minute of my time. I rely heavily on my planner in order to keep track of everything, so I don’t fall behind. After a quick bite, I return upstairs and either write or edit until my kids come home from school. By then I’ve also addressed important emails, and scheduled planned meetings for any forthcoming conferences.

To combat the dreaded author bum I bring the dogs for a long walk while hubby cooks dinner. Then we sit down as a family and chat about our day. After that, I’m back on the computer, but by now I’ll bring my laptop downstairs and sit with my family in the living room while I work. I can edit with background noise and it doesn’t bother me. If I’m writing, I’ll stick on my headphones and listen to some dark music in order to stay focused. In the evening, I might watch a movie if it’s a similar genre to what I’m writing, taking notes as I go. I try to fit in some reading time, although I find audio books great if I’m doing housework or driving to the shops. I squeeze in something into every minute of my day. I usually close my laptop around nine or ten o clock at night. I work every day and when I’m not physically writing, I’m thinking about plot lines and the characters in my head.

 

That’s an average day in a nutshell, but there is so much more. I carry a pen and paper in my bag where ever I go, and I love people watching. I have regular contact with my agent and publishers, and sometimes pop up to London for a lunch or a chat over coffee. I love those meetings, they are always very positive and leave me buzzing for days. If I have a cover reveal coming up I’m constantly checking my emails to see what they’ve made. Seeing my manuscript take shape is very exciting, although it’s terrifying when the email attachment with the cover comes through. My finger hovers for few seconds before I click on it, as I bite on my bottom lip, praying I’ll love it. I pour a lot of energy into my characters, and they spend a great deal of time in my head. A book cover is a snapshot of my story, so it’s a very big deal for me when it arrives.

No sooner have I recovered from my book launch, than I’m planning my next novel. I am in a constant round of edits, rewrites, cover reveals, social media events and meetups. Working to such tight deadlines, it’s incredibly important that I’m strict with myself. If I’m not, I get sucked into social media and fall behind. Every day is scheduled, and as busy as I am, I try to aside one day a week to write a blog post or study my craft. I’m happy doing what I do, and count myself very lucky to be my own boss. I do think you need to be slightly obsessed about writing to get the most out of it. There are so many fantastic things about being an author, but I’ll leave that for another post.

About the author

USA Today Bestselling Thriller Author.

Caroline originates from Ireland and now lives with her family in a pretty village on the coast of Essex. A former police detective, Caroline has worked in CID and specialised in roles dealing with vulnerable victims, high-risk victims of domestic abuse, and serious sexual offences. She now writes full time.
Set in Shoreditch, London, her DS Ruby Preston trilogy is described as terrifying, addictive serial killer thrillers.
Caroline also writes psychological thrillers. The most recent, Silent Victim, has been described as ‘brilliantly gripping and deliciously creepy’. Her new DI Amy Winter series is published by Thomas & Mercer and launches 2018.

Sign up to join her Reader’s club for access to news, updates and exclusive competitions and giveaways. http://eepurl.com/IxsTj

To learn more or buy Caroline Mitchell’s Books

My thanks to Caroline Mitchell for taking time out of her busy schedule to write this guest post for the book review café, and also for the photos which are from her own personal Collection

 

A day with author Angela Marsons @WriteAngie @Bookouture #CrimeAuthor

Today I’m thrilled to welcome author Angela Marsons to the book review cafe. I’m a huge fan of this authors work, and her Kim Stone series, if you haven’t read them yet, and you’re a fan of crime thrillers then you are missing out on one of the best crime series on the market. I really am nosy and love learning more about authors and what they get up to in their “typical” day.

A day with author Angela Marsons

I love to get up early and write when it feels as though the world is still asleep. There is an intimacy that connects to my creative brain. As I hand write the first draft of all my books I can normally achieve around 2-3 thousand words before my fingers cry out for mercy. Once I’ve achieved my target I’ll catch up with the rest of the world and answer my emails.

Around lunchtime I’ll check in on social media which is an absolute treat for me as I don’t take any electronic device into my writing room. I really look forward to seeing what’s going on as I am very nosey and hate to think I’ve missed anything. After lunch I might continue with emails or admin before forcing myself to complete house chores and tasks although I must be honest and say that my partner Julie is an absolute gem and takes care of most things.

Once the admin is done I love to have a relaxing read and catch up with some of my favourite authors. Evening time I might watch something on the television – I am a total reality TV addict – or if my current WIP is burning in my head I’ll return to my writing room for a couple of hours to get the ideas down on paper. I have been known to write until 3 or 4am or later if I’m in the moment. I think my preference for writing early morning and late at night comes from writing around a full time job for so many years before I was lucky enough to be able to do what I love as my job.

About Angela Marsons

Angela Marsons is the author of the Amazon Bestselling DI Kim Stone series – Silent Scream, Evil Games, Lost Girls, Play Dead, Blood Lines, Dead Souls and Broken Bones and her books have sold more than 2 million in 2 years.

She lives in the Black Country with her partner, their cheeky Golden Retriever and a swearing parrot.

She first discovered her love of writing at Junior School when actual lessons came second to watching other people and quietly making up her own stories about them. Her report card invariably read “Angela would do well if she minded her own business as well as she minds other people’s”.

After years of writing relationship based stories (The Forgotten Woman and Dear Mother) Angela turned to Crime, fictionally speaking of course, and developed a character that refused to go away.

She is signed to Bookouture.com for a total of 16 books in the Kim Stone series and her books have been translated into more than 20 languages.

Her last three books – Blood Lines, Dead Souls and Broken Bones have reached the #1 spot on Amazon on pre-orders alone.

social media links:

Website    Facebook     Twitter: @WriteAngie

 

 

To learn more about the author or buy her books Angela Marson Books

My thanks to Angela Marsons for taking time out of her busy schedule to write this post for the book review café.

A day with author Lisa Hall @LisaHallAuthor

Happy new year everyone, 🎉🍾🎉 hope you all had a good one. The book review café’s back after an extended break and I have so many fabulous A day with author…..posts to share with you this year, I hope you continue to enjoy reading them as much as I do.

Today I’m thrilled to welcome author Lisa Hall to the book review café, I’m a huge fan of Lisa’s and this is a lady who certainly knows how to write a psychological thriller. If you haven’t read Between You And Me or Tell Me No Lies I would highly recommend them both.  You can find out more about the author and her books further down this post. So without further ado grab yourself a coffee, put your feet up and read all about Lisa Hall’s hectic life as an author…..

A Day in the Life of….Lisa Hall

6am – I get up every morning at 6am, as I have to do my other job before settling in to write for the day – being Mum to my three kids. This generally involves me shoving toast in front of them and shrieking a bit as I try and get them all in the car, and to school on time. Not always a success.

9am – I get back around 9, and promise myself that I’m going to sit down and write STRAIGHT AWAY. Then I generally faff about a bit, making tea, looking for good biscuits and checking Twitter and Facebook. I watch lots of videos about cats doing weird stuff, reply to any social media messages I might have, respond to emails, look at pictures of Ryan Gosling, and cheer on my author buddies on Twitter.

10.30 – By this time I am starting to panic about getting things done, so I switch off social media and get down to business. What I actually do depends on what stage I’m at in the book writing process – I might spend time planning out my next few chapters, I might be researching things, or I might actually be at the writing stage, in which case I aim for 2000 words a day. I find the words come much more easily if I have a detailed plan of the next three or four chapters. I try to keep my desk tidy, but I seem to have quite a lot of stuff. Mainly snacks. During this time of the day I am usually stalked by dogs or chickens. No peace for the wicked.

3pm – I have to down tools and go back to being Mum – I do both school runs, with less shrieking especially if we’ve squeezed in a trip to the corner shop, and then it’s back home to cook tea.

6pm – Once the kids are sorted it’s back to work – sometimes this means jumping on the high speed train into London for a launch or event, other times it just means I get to catch up on any reading I need to do – I tend to read a lot when I’m at the research stage – so I use the time when the kids are quiet and doing their own thing to read and make notes.

10pm – BED! And usually with a book, although at least at bedtime I get to choose what I want to read – I usually manage about three pages before I’m snoozing….

About Lisa Hall

Lisa loves words, reading and everything there is to love about books. She has dreamed of being a writer since she was a little girl – either that or a librarian – and after years of talking about it, was finally brave enough to put pen to paper (and let people actually read it). Lisa lives in a small village in Kent, surrounded by her towering TBR pile, a rather large brood of children, dogs, chickens and ponies and her long-suffering husband. She is also rather partial to eating cheese and drinking wine.
Readers can follow Lisa on Twitter @LisaHallAuthor

Books by Lisa Hall

 

 

To learn more about the author’s books please click on link below……….

To buy or learn more about Lisa Hall’s books

My thanks to Lisa Hall for taking time out of her busy schedule to write this guest post.