The last newsletter, in October, covered the Children in Read auction. We raised a whopping £21,000 for the BBC's Children in Need appeal. Huge thanks to everyone who took part.
This time around, I'm bringing exciting news about this summer's DCI Warren Jones 7 and the chance to name a character in next summer's book, as well as introducing my new #RecommendedRead blog.
Fancy a chance at immortality for you or a loved one?
I am pleased to announce that I am again taking part in in Clic Sargent's Good Books auction.
The auction, now in its 8th year, aims to raise £10,000 for the Clic Sargent charity which supports children and young people affected by cancer. This is a cause close to my heart; as a school teacher I have seen first-hand the impact that this disease can have on young people.
The auction is run through Ebay from the 1st to 7th March - you have until 8pm UK time to place a bid.
There are over 70 authors taking part, with prizes including the opportunity to name a character, receive signed copies of books, a meeting via Zoom over drinks with Ian Rankin, even a manuscript assessment for budding authors!
This is the fourth year that I have taken part, with previous winners appearing in The Common Enemy, A Price to Pay and this summer's forthcoming book (more news below!).
I am offering the chance to name a character - male or female - in DCI Warren Jones Book 8, currently being written and due out in summer 2022. I usually contact the winner and where possible will try and tweak the character to make it more reflective of the person whose name I am using! Winners will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published in paperback, usually in the late summer.
If you aren't fortunate enough to win the auction, or you already have a copy of a book that you want signed, then I am happy to offer a free signing.
In-person signing is obviously out of the question for the time being, and sending books through the post can get expensive, so I am pleased to offer free, personally-signed bookplates as a thank you to readers who have bought a copy of any of my books!
These are stickers the correct size to insert in the front of the book, that I will be happy to sign and dedicate however you wish. If you have more than one book, I'll be happy to do several and pop them all in the same envelope.
All you need to do is take a photo of yourself holding the book (you can hide your features if you are shy!) and send it to me via Twitter, Facebook or email (details below) as proof of purchase.
I'll then print and sign the bookplate and post it to you, free of charge.
Last newsletter I introduced my #TuesdayTips writing blog. Each week I post an article looking at an aspect of writing, whether it be looking at a how to incorporate new technologies into a story or more general writing craft.
I am now pleased to highlight my newest blog, #RecommendedReads.
This is my new, occassional book review site. I don't do star ratings and I only include books that I have genuinely enjoyed. It'll be a mix of new releases, old favourites and books that have sat on my Too-Be-Read shelf for longer than they should have!
Some of the authors are friends, but I only include books that I have really liked. If a book doesn't do it for me, I just don't review it. Disclosure: There are buy links for Amazon and Bookshop.org (supporters of independent booksellers). I am a member of their affiliate programmes,meaning I get a small commission when items are bought using those links.
And now the news that you have all been waiting for - the next full-length DCI Warren Jones has a title and a release date!
Out of Sight will be released as eBook on June 4th 2021.
I'm still awaiting the final cover, the jacket blurb and release dates for paperback and audiobook.
I will post them as soon as I get them.
In the meantime, all I can tell you is that Warren and the team are alerted to a naked body found in a ditch. There's no ID and whoever dumped the body has taken steps to ensure that identifying the remains is not straight forward...
If you are looking for an easy way to get into the series, or haven't read the earlier books, then why not start with the omnibus?
The first three full length novels, alongside the first two novellas are available in one whopper edition for for just £3.99! Titles Include. Book 1: The Last Straw.
Book 2: No Smoke Without Fire.
Novella 1: Blood Is Thicker Than Water.
Book 3: Silent As The Grave.
Novella 2: A Case Gone Cold.
The book is available in ebook from Amazon and other retailers.
Click here for more information.
Again, I have been interviewed by UK Crime Book Club, and answered a few of the questions submitted by those watching live.
To take part in future live events, or just to join a vibrant community of Crime Readers, follow the link here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ukcrimebookclub
This month, I chatted one-on-one with the wonderful Rachel Lynch about her DI Kelly Porter series.
You can read my review of this terrific series, set in the Lake District, on my blog and watch the interview on YouTube here.
For those of you interested in Audiobooks, back in October I had a fun three-way conversation with my audiobook narrator, Malk Williams and the Audiobook reviewer, Alex Hawley.
It was really fascinating to hear from the person who has given life to my characters.
Listen to some of the challenges that he has to overcome to turn our printed words into a vibrant audio experience, as well as some suggestions about how authors can help make the job easier!
You can watch the recording on YouTube here.
I am still busy writing. As mentioned above, Out of Sight is almost ready for publication. At the time of writing, I'm waiting for the final copy from the proofreader and the cover and jacket blurb from my publisher. I'll share them as soon as they are available.
Book 8, due out in Summer 2022, has passed the all-important 100,000 word work. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the story is coming together nicely. I have deliberately left lots of characters unnamed, so if you fancy you or a loved one appearing, get bidding!
And I have started jotting down ideas for Book 9 (Summer 2023)! I'm really excited and can't wait to finish the first draft of book 8, so I can start writing!
Regular readers of the series will know that the stories are set a few years before the date of publication. That places me in the fortunate position of not yet having to set a book in 2020!
When the series does reach this year, I hope that the benefit of a couple of years perspective will allow me to portray this tumultuous year realistically, but rest assured, I will not be writing a 'Covid' novel.
So, thank you again for subscribing, and I look forward to sharing my latest news in the future.
I'm afraid that my old mailing list (pre-2020) has disappeared into the ether, so I am starting again from scratch. Please do sign up again, if necessary. As before, I promise not to clog up your inbox unless I have news to share, and of course you can always unsubscribe by following the links at the bottom.
Follow the links below for the latest in the DCI Warren Jones series:
Book 6: At Price to Pay
(A DCI Warren Jones Novel.)
If you play with fire, you're going to get burned ...
Omnibus Edition: DCI Warren Jones Books 1-3 + 2 novellas. Book 1: The Last Straw.
Book 2: No Smoke Without Fire.
Novella 1: Blood Is Thicker Than Water.
Book 3: Silent As The Grave.
Novella 2: A Case Gone Cold.
The last newsletter, in October, covered the Children in Read auction. We raised a whopping £21,000 for the BBC's Children in Need appeal. Huge thanks to everyone who took part.
This time around, I'm bringing exciting news about this summer's DCI Warren Jones 7 and the chance to name a character in next summer's book, as well as introducing my new #RecommendedRead blog.
Fancy a chance at immortality for you or a loved one?
I am pleased to announce that I am again taking part in in Clic Sargent's Good Books auction.
The auction, now in its 8th year, aims to raise £10,000 for the Clic Sargent charity which supports children and young people affected by cancer. This is a cause close to my heart; as a school teacher I have seen first-hand the impact that this disease can have on young people.
The auction is run through Ebay from the 1st to 7th March - you have until 8pm UK time to place a bid.
There are over 70 authors taking part, with prizes including the opportunity to name a character, receive signed copies of books, a meeting via Zoom over drinks with Ian Rankin, even a manuscript assessment for budding authors!
This is the fourth year that I have taken part, with previous winners appearing in The Common Enemy, A Price to Pay and this summer's forthcoming book (more news below!).
I am offering the chance to name a character - male or female - in DCI Warren Jones Book 8, currently being written and due out in summer 2022. I usually contact the winner and where possible will try and tweak the character to make it more reflective of the person whose name I am using! Winners will receive a signed copy of the book when it is published in paperback, usually in the late summer.
If you aren't fortunate enough to win the auction, or you already have a copy of a book that you want signed, then I am happy to offer a free signing.
In-person signing is obviously out of the question for the time being, and sending books through the post can get expensive, so I am pleased to offer free, personally-signed bookplates as a thank you to readers who have bought a copy of any of my books!
These are stickers the correct size to insert in the front of the book, that I will be happy to sign and dedicate however you wish. If you have more than one book, I'll be happy to do several and pop them all in the same envelope.
All you need to do is take a photo of yourself holding the book (you can hide your features if you are shy!) and send it to me via Twitter, Facebook or email (details below) as proof of purchase.
I'll then print and sign the bookplate and post it to you, free of charge.
Last newsletter I introduced my #TuesdayTips writing blog. Each week I post an article looking at an aspect of writing, whether it be looking at a how to incorporate new technologies into a story or more general writing craft.
I am now pleased to highlight my newest blog, #RecommendedReads.
This is my new, occassional book review site. I don't do star ratings and I only include books that I have genuinely enjoyed. It'll be a mix of new releases, old favourites and books that have sat on my Too-Be-Read shelf for longer than they should have!
Some of the authors are friends, but I only include books that I have really liked. If a book doesn't do it for me, I just don't review it. Disclosure: There are buy links for Amazon and Bookshop.org (supporters of independent booksellers). I am a member of their affiliate programmes,meaning I get a small commission when items are bought using those links.
And now the news that you have all been waiting for - the next full-length DCI Warren Jones has a title and a release date!
Out of Sight will be released as eBook on June 4th 2021.
I'm still awaiting the final cover, the jacket blurb and release dates for paperback and audiobook.
I will post them as soon as I get them.
In the meantime, all I can tell you is that Warren and the team are alerted to a naked body found in a ditch. There's no ID and whoever dumped the body has taken steps to ensure that identifying the remains is not straight forward...
If you are looking for an easy way to get into the series, or haven't read the earlier books, then why not start with the omnibus?
The first three full length novels, alongside the first two novellas are available in one whopper edition for for just £3.99! Titles Include. Book 1: The Last Straw.
Book 2: No Smoke Without Fire.
Novella 1: Blood Is Thicker Than Water.
Book 3: Silent As The Grave.
Novella 2: A Case Gone Cold.
The book is available in ebook from Amazon and other retailers.
Click here for more information.
Again, I have been interviewed by UK Crime Book Club, and answered a few of the questions submitted by those watching live.
To take part in future live events, or just to join a vibrant community of Crime Readers, follow the link here. https://www.facebook.com/groups/ukcrimebookclub
This month, I chatted one-on-one with the wonderful Rachel Lynch about her DI Kelly Porter series.
You can read my review of this terrific series, set in the Lake District, on my blog and watch the interview on YouTube here.
For those of you interested in Audiobooks, back in October I had a fun three-way conversation with my audiobook narrator, Malk Williams and the Audiobook reviewer, Alex Hawley.
It was really fascinating to hear from the person who has given life to my characters.
Listen to some of the challenges that he has to overcome to turn our printed words into a vibrant audio experience, as well as some suggestions about how authors can help make the job easier!
You can watch the recording on YouTube here.
I am still busy writing. As mentioned above, Out of Sight is almost ready for publication. At the time of writing, I'm waiting for the final copy from the proofreader and the cover and jacket blurb from my publisher. I'll share them as soon as they are available.
Book 8, due out in Summer 2022, has passed the all-important 100,000 word work. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the story is coming together nicely. I have deliberately left lots of characters unnamed, so if you fancy you or a loved one appearing, get bidding!
And I have started jotting down ideas for Book 9 (Summer 2023)! I'm really excited and can't wait to finish the first draft of book 8, so I can start writing!
Regular readers of the series will know that the stories are set a few years before the date of publication. That places me in the fortunate position of not yet having to set a book in 2020!
When the series does reach this year, I hope that the benefit of a couple of years perspective will allow me to portray this tumultuous year realistically, but rest assured, I will not be writing a 'Covid' novel.
So, thank you again for subscribing, and I look forward to sharing my latest news in the future.
I'm afraid that my old mailing list (pre-2020) has disappeared into the ether, so I am starting again from scratch. Please do sign up again, if necessary. As before, I promise not to clog up your inbox unless I have news to share, and of course you can always unsubscribe by following the links at the bottom.
Follow the links below for the latest in the DCI Warren Jones series:
Book 6: At Price to Pay
(A DCI Warren Jones Novel.)
If you play with fire, you're going to get burned ...
Omnibus Edition: DCI Warren Jones Books 1-3 + 2 novellas. Book 1: The Last Straw.
Book 2: No Smoke Without Fire.
Novella 1: Blood Is Thicker Than Water.
Book 3: Silent As The Grave.
Novella 2: A Case Gone Cold.
Published by HQ Digital. An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
Proud member of the Crime Writers' Association and the Crime Readers' Association.
Fan of all things crime-related? Want to hang around with like-minded readers and chat about your favourite books?
Why not join the CWA's Crime Reader's Book Chat group on Facebook?
