Johana Gustawsson's Writing Toolkit

WRITING TOOLKIT gives you an idea of an author's writing process through the tools they use. The tools can be anything (real or virtual) that they think is essential for their writing - serious, fun or even a fetish (that they're willing to own up to)! 

I am delighted to welcome 

JOHANA GUSTAWSSON

AUTHOR OF KEEPER

TO SHARE HER WRITING TOOLKIT

FOR HER BLOG TOUR

Keeper is being published in paperback on 28 April 2018 by Orenda Books. 

Earplugs
What would I do without my earplugs! As my twin babies are at home during my writing hours (be reassured: I don’t abandon them in their cot, they are either with their nanny or their granny), I need to be able to cut the umbilical cord and earplugs are the only thing that works! If not, I would be rushing out of my office at every giggle, laugh or cry! Ok, let’s not mention the cries…

Thermos
As I used to spend a lot of time warming my morning coffee or my afternoon teas (I’m addicted to very sugary builder’s tea!), I bought a thermos. It’s permanently hanging out on my desk!

Phone-free zone
This is key for the writing to go well: my phone needs to be far away from me! If not, I keep on checking it: messages sent by family and friends, social media feeds, emails… I have to keep the distractions away! I only connect in the morning before work and in the evening. My family knows that in case of emergency, they call the landline!

My motivation kit
When my mind wanders, I have two helpers to put it back on track: I have a few books of, and about, Agatha Christie on one side of my desk and, on the other side, I have a picture of my wonderful grandmother, who passed away last year. Whenever I daydream, make up lists for household duties, or start falling asleep after a rough night with the babies, the Queen of Crime or my dear granny suddenly stares at me and I’m back at work straight away!

My red notebook
I am old fashioned: when taking notes, making corrections or having an idea, I write it down in my notebook. It was a gift from my husband when I signed my first book contract 'in solo' back in 2014. I keep the lovely cover and just change the notebooks: one per novel! On number 3 now...

My office
I can’t write in cafés, libraries or trains… I really need to be in my office! To do research or edits, it’s different - I generally work outside and I actually get inspired a lot by listening to private conversations!

THANKS FOR TAKING PART, JOHANA!

About Johana Gustawsson

Born in 1978 in Marseille and with a degree in Political science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French press and television. She married a Swede and now lives in London. She was the co-author of a bestseller, On se retrouvera, published by Fayard Noir in France, whose television adaptation drew over seven million viewers in June 2015. Block 46, her first thriller, has now been sold to fourteen countries and is published in the UK by Orenda Books. Johana is working on the third book in the Roy & Castells series.

Find Johana Gustawsson on her website, FB page and on Twitter - @JoGustawsson

About Keeper

Published by Orenda Books (Ebook - out now; Paperback - 28 April 2018)

Publisher's description

Whitechapel, 1888: London is bowed under Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror. 
London, 2015: actress Julianne Bell is abducted in a case similar to the terrible Tower Hamlets murders of some ten years earlier, and harking back to the Ripper killings of a century before. 
Falkenberg, Sweden, 2015: a woman’s body is found mutilated in a forest, her wounds identical to those of the Tower Hamlets victims. With the man arrested for the Tower Hamlets crimes already locked up, do the new killings mean he has a dangerous accomplice, or is a copy-cat serial killer on the loose? 
Profiler Emily Roy and true-crime writer Alexis Castells again find themselves drawn into an intriguing case, with personal links that turn their world upside down. 

Read a snippet of my review: 'Johana Gustawsson certainly isn't afraid to tackle shocking issues and leave her readers reeling... I couldn't stop reading, totally engrossed from the first page, as the book took me on a twisty rollercoaster ride.'

Read the rest of my review here.

Follow the Blog Tour

Keeper by Johana Gustawsson

Keeper
By Johana Gustawsson
Translated by Maxim Jakubowski
Published by Orenda Books (e-book - 15 Feb 2018; paperback - 28 April 2018)

Publisher's description

Whitechapel, 1888: London is bowed under Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror. 
London, 2015: actress Julianne Bell is abducted in a case similar to the terrible Tower Hamlets murders of some ten years earlier, and harking back to the Ripper killings of a century before. 
Falkenberg, Sweden, 2015: a woman’s body is found mutilated in a forest, her wounds identical to those of the Tower Hamlets victims. With the man arrested for the Tower Hamlets crimes already locked up, do the new killings mean he has a dangerous accomplice, or is a copy-cat serial killer on the loose? 
Profiler Emily Roy and true-crime writer Alexis Castells again find themselves drawn into an intriguing case, with personal links that turn their world upside down. 

My verdict
As with Johana Gustawsson's previous book, Block 46, Keeper prompted me to email the publisher Orenda Books with the phrase 'OMG' not long after I had turned the final page.

I have to admit that initially when I started reading Keeper, I thought: 'This is going to be OK this time. My blood pressure isn’t going to rise. I'm not going to be stunned, shocked and speechless by the end'.

But oh how wrong I was!

Keeper left me not only shocked, stunned and speechless but also in need of a very alcoholic drink.

Johana Gustawsson certainly isn't afraid to tackle shocking issues and leave her readers reeling. She puts her 'all' into her books. Her gorgeous writing is amazing, immersive and addictive, and it’s hard to believe that this is a translation (by Maxim Jakubowski). I couldn't stop reading, totally engrossed from the first page, as the book took me on a twisty rollercoaster ride.

I’m not going to reveal anything about the book itself, as I feel it’s better to go in blind, knowing nothing (or very little) about the characters or the plot. There are some familiar ‘faces’ from Block 46, such as profiler Emily Roy and true crime writer Alexis Castells, but this book works exceptionally well as a standalone.

I will say that from the start the book is split into three main threads (London 2015, Sweden 2015 and London 1888), which all gradually twine together until they become one. You will just have to read the book to find out why and how, just as I did. Be prepared for some graphic scenes that may make you wince or cringe, others that may make you smile and a few that may make you exclaim out loud.

I know I'll be raving about Keeper just as much as I raved about Block 46 last year. And I already expect this to be one of my top reads of 2018. I can’t wait to see how Johana Gustawsson will shock me with her next book. Now there’s a challenge!

If you haven't read my review of Block 46, you can find it here.

Keeper by Johana Gustawsson - Cover Reveal!!!

Today, I'm delighted and excited to be hosting the cover reveal for Keeper by Johana Gustawsson, which is being published by Orenda Books in April 2018. This is the sequel to the international bestseller Block 46, which is one of my favourite reads of 2017 (bit a spoiler there for my Top Reads of 2017 post, if I do one).

Keeper: Read the blurb

Whitechapel, 1888: London is bowed under Jack the Ripper’s reign of terror.
London 2015: actress Julianne Bell is abducted in a case similar to the terrible Tower Hamlets murders of some ten years earlier, and harking back to the Ripper killings of a century before. Falkenberg, Sweden, 2015: a woman’s body is found mutilated in a forest, her wounds identical to those of the Tower Hamlets victims. With the man arrested for the Tower Hamlets crimes already locked up, do the new killings mean he has a dangerous accomplice, or is a copy-cat serial killer on the loose? Profiler Emily Roy and true-crime writer Alexis Castells again find themselves drawn into an intriguing case, with personal links that turn their world upside down. Following the highly acclaimed Block 46 and guaranteed to disturb and enthral, Keeper is a breathless thriller from the new queen of French Noir. 

LOVE the sound of this!!! Can't wait to read it! 
Wonder if bribery would work - I know Karen Sullivan LOVES toffee vodka and Johana Gustawsson is looking for babysitters...

AND NOW.... *drum roll*

Keeper: View the cover

This is a gorgeous vivid cover! Just look at that detail!
As expected from Orenda, it will grab your attention from the book shelf! It fits in with the same knife effect on Block 46. And what a cover quote - from Martina Cole! 
  Wow!!!

Keeper: Read about author Johana Gustawsson

Born in 1978 in Marseille and with a degree in political science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French press and television. She married a Swede and now lives in London. She was the co-author of a bestseller, On se retrouvera, published by Fayard Noir in France, whose television adaptation drew over 7 million viewers in June 2015. Her debut, Block 46, became an international bestseller, with Keeper following suit. She is working on the next book in the Roy & Castells series.

Find Johana Gustawsson on Twitter - @JoGustawsson

For ALL your Orenda news, visit the Orenda website and follow @OrendaBooks on Twitter.

BEST OF CRIME with Johana Gustawsson

Welcome to my latest BEST OF CRIME feature, looking at crime writers' top picks, from their favourite author and fictional detective to their best writing tip. 

Today I'm delighted to welcome 

JOHANA GUSTAWSSON

for her Block 46 blog tour

to share her BEST OF CRIME ... 

... AUTHORS

Oh Agatha Christie, definitely! My mother, who used to be a teacher, heard from a famous French writer that reading the Queen of crime was a very good exercise for young readers. So she bought me The Mysterious Affair at Styles when I was about seven, eight. A few days letter, I asked her to take me to the little second hand bookshop where I used to go with my father on Saturdays, just after school, and I bought a few more Agatha Christie and so on until I read them all! 

... FILMS/MOVIES

All About My Mother from Pedro Almodóvar. And that is just to mention one. High Heels or The Skin I live in, are two other films which show Almodóvar incredible talent in depicting families, which seem to all be dysfunctional! The Spanish director also creates some unforgettable characters that drive the plot in a unique way. And then there is the music: please, go and listen to the divine Luz Casal who sings Piensa en mi in High Heels, you will be blown away…

... TV DRAMAS

The Killing, a Danish series, with the wonderful Sofie Gråbøl as Sarah Lund. Lund is such an antisocial and unpleasant character, but despite that, we really grow fond of her; that shows all the art in the writing and the acting. The series is a perfectly plotted whodunit. 

... FICTIONAL KILLERS
Dr Hannibal Lecter, in Thomas Harris’s The Silence of the Lambs. That scene when Clarice Starling meets him for the first time in the psychiatric hospital is as powerful as it is chilling!

... FICTIONAL DETECTIVES
Hercule Poirot! It was love at first sight when I met him his little grey cells and his groomed moustache at Styles. Agatha Christie created the most original character, which we do not know much about, if you think about it. And it was such a great pleasure to meet him again in Sophie Hannah’s novels!

... MURDER WEAPONS
Sweatpants! When I was doing some research for my second book that will be published in the UK, in May next year, I drifted from one website to another and found this incredible story about a grandpa who killed a young woman with his sweatpants! He strangled her with it…

... DEATH SCENES
I’ll have to go back to dear Dr Lecter killing the two policemen who are bringing him his meal… This is a scene that is tattooed in my mind…

  

... BLOGS/WEBSITES
I do not have one website that I consult systematically for research; it all depends on the book I am writing. I am old style and tend to refer to books rather than the web, but I do complement with Internet. As I am now working on Roy & Castells 3 which is partly set during the Franco dictatorship, I am surfing on Catalan and Spanish newspapers websites like El País.

... WRITING TIPS
Write away! If you are a planner (like me), build the skeleton of your book before beginning to write, and if not, let your imagination and the characters guide you!

... WRITING SNACKS
Cheese and bread. My best buddies. And if wine joins in, well… I cannot write anymore!

About JOHANA GUSTAWSSON

Born in 1978 in Marseille and with a degree in Political science, Johana Gustawsson has worked as a journalist for the French press and television. She married a Swede and now lives in London. She was the co-author of a bestseller, On se retrouvera, published by Fayard Noir in France, whose television adaptation drew over seven million viewers in June 2015. Block 46, her first thriller, has now been sold to fourteen countries and is published in the UK by Orenda Books. Johana is working on the third book in the Roy & Castells series.

Find Johana Gustawsson on her website, FB page and on Twitter - @JoGustawsson

About BLOCK 46

Publisher's description

Evil remembers...

Falkenberg, Sweden. The mutilated body of talented young jewellery designer, Linnea Blix, is found in a snow-swept marina.

Hampstead Heath, London. The body of a young boy is discovered with similar wounds to Linnea's.

Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 1944. In the midst of the hell of the Holocaust, Erich Hebner will do anything to see himself as a human again.

Are the two murders the work of a serial killer, and how are they connected to shocking events at Buchenwald?

Emily Roy, a profiler on loan to Scotland Yard from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, joins up with Linnea's friend, French true crime writer Alexis Castells, to investigate the puzzling case. They travel between Sweden and London, and then deep into the past, as a startling and terrifying connection comes to light.

Block 46 is being published by Orenda Books on 15 May 2017.

Did I like this book? I LOVED IT!! I was the first 'outside' reader so a HUGE thank you to Karen Sullivan at Orenda Books for giving me that opportunity. 

Here's a snippet of my review: 
'I was so intrigued to see where Block 46 was going. Yet after just a few pages, I had to put the book down for a while, needing a break. I desperately wanted to read more, but also didn't. Those who know me well will know that books don't often have such an impact on me. And not many books make me email a publisher with the expression 'OMG'!'

To read my full review, click here.

Look out for more BEST OF CRIME features coming soon.

Click here to read more BEST OF CRIME features.

Follow the Blog Tour

Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson - republished review

Block 46
By Johana Gustawsson
Translated by Maxim Jakubowski 
Published by Orenda Books (E-book - out now; Paperback - 15 May 2017)

Publisher's description

Evil remembers...

Falkenberg, Sweden. The mutilated body of talented young jewellery designer, Linnea Blix, is found in a snow-swept marina.

Hampstead Heath, London. The body of a young boy is discovered with similar wounds to Linnea's.

Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 1944. In the midst of the hell of the Holocaust, Erich Hebner will do anything to see himself as a human again.

Are the two murders the work of a serial killer, and how are they connected to shocking events at Buchenwald?

Emily Roy, a profiler on loan to Scotland Yard from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, joins up with Linnea's friend, French truecrime writer Alexis Castells, to investigate the puzzling case. They travel between Sweden and London, and then deep into the past, as a startling and terrifying connection comes to light.

My verdict
Block 46 is very 'Orenda Crime', with short chapters, beautiful writing and a compelling fast-paced plot. It's been translated seamlessly from the original French by Maxim Jakubowski. I loved the plot, characters and setting, and I'm not surprised that Block 46 has won awards in France.

Shocking and dark from the outset, the book begins with the death of a young jewellery designer who splits her time between London and Sweden. When a young boy's body is discovered with similar wounds, it seems that there is a calculating serial killer on the loose - one whose passion for murder may be linked to the 1940s Buchenwald Concentration Camp in Germany.

I was so intrigued to see where Block 46 was going. Yet after just a few pages, I had to put the book down for a while, needing a break. I desperately wanted to read more, but also didn't. Those who know me well will know that books don't often have such an impact on me. And not many books make me email a publisher with the expression 'OMG'!

The murder scenes are gruesome - no holds barred - and really get under your skin. But for me, it was the Holocaust scenes that were the most visual and disturbing, with graphic and hard hitting descriptions of tragic scenes that could have, and probably did, happen in Nazi Germany. These scenes may seem exaggerated to some people, but sadly I knew they were realistic, having read many Holocaust books and listened to testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

Block 46 contains everything I want in crime fiction, including twists, turns and surprises. It totally broke me for a while at the end and is certainly not a book that I'll forget. I sat thinking about it for a long time afterwards and couldn't pick up another book straight away. I was worried that I would never be able to read again. Sadly I don't tend to read 'light and fluffy' so just had to wait for my reading mojo to return.

Perfect for those who like intelligent hard hitting crime with a hint of horror, Block 46 is chilling, creepy and spine tingling. Brilliant! And the best news of all is that it's the start of a series, so there's another one on the way!

I received an Advance Reader Copy.

Block 46 by Johana Gustawsson

Block 46
By Johana Gustawsson
Translated by Maxim Jakubowski 
Published by Orenda Books (E-book - out now; Paperback - 15 May 2017)
ISBN: 978-1910633700

Publisher's description

Evil remembers...

Falkenberg, Sweden. The mutilated body of talented young jewellery designer, Linnea Blix, is found in a snow-swept marina.

Hampstead Heath, London. The body of a young boy is discovered with similar wounds to Linnea's.

Buchenwald Concentration Camp, 1944. In the midst of the hell of the Holocaust, Erich Hebner will do anything to see himself as a human again.

Are the two murders the work of a serial killer, and how are they connected to shocking events at Buchenwald?

Emily Roy, a profiler on loan to Scotland Yard from the Canadian Royal Mounted Police, joins up with Linnea's friend, French truecrime writer Alexis Castells, to investigate the puzzling case. They travel between Sweden and London, and then deep into the past, as a startling and terrifying connection comes to light.

My verdict
Block 46 is very 'Orenda Crime', with short chapters, beautiful writing and a compelling fast-paced plot. It's been translated seamlessly from the original French by Maxim Jakubowski. I loved the plot, characters and setting, and I'm not surprised that Block 46 has won awards in France.

Shocking and dark from the outset, the book begins with the death of a young jewellery designer who splits her time between London and Sweden. When a young boy's body is discovered with similar wounds, it seems that there is a calculating serial killer on the loose - one whose passion for murder may be linked to the 1940s Buchenwald Concentration Camp in Germany.

I was so intrigued to see where Block 46 was going. Yet after just a few pages, I had to put the book down for a while, needing a break. I desperately wanted to read more, but also didn't. Those who know me well will know that books don't often have such an impact on me. And not many books make me email a publisher with the expression 'OMG'!

The murder scenes are gruesome - no holds barred - and really get under your skin. But for me, it was the Holocaust scenes that were the most visual and disturbing, with graphic and hard hitting descriptions of tragic scenes that could have, and probably did, happen in Nazi Germany. These scenes may seem exaggerated to some people, but sadly I knew they were realistic, having read many Holocaust books and listened to testimonies of Holocaust survivors.

Block 46 contains everything I want in crime fiction, including twists, turns and surprises. It totally broke me for a while at the end and is certainly not a book that I'll forget. I sat thinking about it for a long time afterwards and couldn't pick up another book straight away. I was worried that I would never be able to read again. Sadly I don't tend to read 'light and fluffy' so just had to wait for my reading mojo to return.

Perfect for those who like intelligent hard hitting crime with a hint of horror, Block 46 is chilling, creepy and spine tingling. Brilliant! And the best news of all is that it's the start of a series, so there's another one on the way!

I received an Advance Reader Copy.