AUTHOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Steve Cavanagh

I am delighted that STEVE CAVANAGH is joining me on my blog today. Steve's book - The Defence - was published by Orion on 12 March 2015. 

So Steve, what inspired you to write a book in the first place?
Until 2011, I'd always had the vague notion that I'd like to write but I had no real plans to start, just a vague wish that I truly had little intention of acting upon. I'd written screenplays about 15 years before, but never got any sold so I'd given up on the writing. Then in 2011, my mother passed away quite suddenly. She was the only person who ever encouraged me to write, so I wanted to honour that faith. I wrote The Defence for her, knowing she would never read it.

Where do your ideas come from?
Everywhere. Mostly they are crazy, high-concept 'What if?' kind of ideas that no real sane person should ever think about. The Defence came out of two ideas. I was trying to think about the worst possible situation for a lawyer to be in – then I got it. What if a lawyer had to stand up in court and conduct a trial with a bomb strapped to his back? What if his client was holding the detonator? Yeah, that’s pretty bad. Once I had that idea I immediately started thinking about how I could make that situation worse. Much worse.

Have your personal experiences influenced your writing? And if so, how?
The idea for the character of Eddie Flynn came to me one day during a trial. I’m a lawyer during the day, so I was cross-examining a witness and I kind of conned him into telling the truth. It struck me at that moment that trial lawyers and con artists share a lot of the same skills – misdirection, persuasion, manipulation, distraction etc. So the basis for Eddie’s character was formed.

Describe your writing style in 10 words or less?
Shorty, punchy chapters. Pace, punch, wit, finger-nail-bitingly-tense.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
I write at night – but a lot of writers do the same. I like to have a lot of coffee on the go at the time. I suppose I’m pretty normal – I don’t have to have a certain mood, or music, or absolute silence. I think very few writers get precious about their environment or habits. As long as I’ve got the essentials; a little peace and quiet, I’m naked and wearing a rasher of bacon. You know, just the basics.

Do you plot out the whole book before you start or just start writing and see where it leads you?
I know nothing about the book before I start. Well, I know a little. I know the opening and maybe a wee bit about what happens later on. I’ve yet to start a book knowing the ending. So I don’t plan, I write line by line.

What do you consider to be the hardest part of your writing?
Time. I’ve got two small kids, a loving and understanding wife, a full time job and a dog. The hardest part is trying to balance all of those things.

Has your life changed since becoming a published author? If so, how?
It has changed so much. Financially it’s a different universe. I’ve been able to travel and the best thing has been meeting other writers. I’ve made a lot of good friends.

Do you read? If so, who are your favourite authors?
Michael Connelly, John Connolly, Raymond Chandler, Lee Child, and a host more.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would be the title?
Reaching For The Ground. Or, to make it sell – The Girl On The Tram, With The Funny Tattoo, In The Red Jumper, Who Dissappeared And Never Came Back.

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Write with desperation.

And lastly, why should people read The Defence?
The Defence is my debut novel, it’s about Eddie Flynn, a former con artist turned street-smart New York lawyer. It’s a been a year since Eddie Flynn vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn’t have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian Mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie’s back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter, Amy. Eddie’s got 48 hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial – and win – if he wants to save his daughter. Under media and FBI scrutiny, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his client and ensure Amy’s safety. The Defence should appeal to fans of John Grisham, Lee Child and Michael Connelly.

About Steve Cavanagh

Steve Cavanagh was born and raised in Belfast and is a practising lawyer. He holds a certificate in Advanced Advocacy and lectures on various legal subjects (but really he just likes to tell jokes). He is married with two young children. The Defence, has been chosen as one of Amazon's great debuts for 2015, as part of their Amazon Rising Stars programme. In 2015, Steve received the ACES award for Literature from the North Ireland Arts Council.

The Defence sparked an international publishing bidding war for the rights in the first Eddie Flynn novels.

Find Steve Cavanagh on his official Facebook page and follow Steve on Twitter - @SSCav


The Defence
Published by Orion (12 March 2015)

Synopsis: 
Eddie Flynn used to be a con artist. Then he became a lawyer. Turned out the two weren't that different.

It's been over a year since Eddie vowed never to set foot in a courtroom again. But now he doesn't have a choice. Olek Volchek, the infamous head of the Russian mafia in New York, has strapped a bomb to Eddie's back and kidnapped his ten-year-old daughter Amy.

Eddie only has forty-eight hours to defend Volchek in an impossible murder trial - and win - if he wants to save his daughter.

Under the scrutiny of the media and the FBI, Eddie must use his razor-sharp wit and every con-artist trick in the book to defend his 'client' and ensure Amy's safety. With the timer on his back ticking away, can Eddie convince the jury of the impossible?

Lose this case and he loses everything.

Read my review here.

The Song Collector by Natasha Solomons

The Song Collector 
By Natasha Solomons
Published by Sceptre (2 July 2015)
ISBN: 978-1444736397

Publisher's description
Fox, as the celebrated composer Harry Fox-Talbot is known, wants to be left in peace. His beloved wife has died, he's unable to write a note of music, and no, he does not want to take up some blasted hobby.

Then one day he discovers that his troublesome four-year-old grandson is a piano prodigy. The music returns and Fox is compelled to re-engage with life - and, ultimately, to confront an old family rift.

Decades earlier, Fox and his brothers return to Hartgrove Hall after the War, determined to save their once grand home from ruin. But on the last night of 1946, the arrival of beautiful wartime singer Edie Rose tangles the threads of love and duty, which leads to a shattering betrayal.

My verdict
Once again, Natasha Solomons has written a beautiful, heartbreaking novel.

The Song Collector focuses on the story of composer Harry 'Fox' Fox-Talbot.

In the present day, Fox has lost his inner music following the death of his wife, and is struggling to find ways to pass his time. Neither of his daughters has inherited his musical ability, so he is amazed to discover that his troublesome four-year-old grandson is a piano prodigy. As music fills his life again, Fox seeks forgiveness for past mistakes.

In the late 1940s, Fox and his brothers return to the decaying family home after the war, determined to restore it to its former glory. Then Fox falls in love with a woman who isn't his to love.

The Song Collector pulled at my heartstrings with its passion for music and grief for lost loved ones. The prose flowed seamlessly, with beautiful descriptions of Hartgrove Hall and the surrounding countryside. Natasha Solomons has created believable characters with real emotions - in keeping with all her excellent novels so far. As I read the last 30 pages, my eyes were overflowing with tears.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through the Lovereading Reader Panel in exchange for an honest review

In Their Shoes: Fairy Tales and Folktales

In Their Shoes: Fairytales and Folktales
Illustrated by Lucie Arnoux
Published by Pushkin Children's Books (2 July 2015)
ISBN: 978-1782691013

Publisher's description
Red shoes, golden slippers, seven-league boots… Just step into the shoes of princes and princesses, ogres and orphans, cats and rabbits, and discover a fascinating fairytale world of footwear.

With original illustrations by Lucie Arnoux, this is a timeless and captivating collection of fairy tales and folktales, whose footprints have lasted through the generations, over the centuries and all around the world.

My verdict
This is a gorgeous collection of fairytales and folktales. In Their Shoes took me back to my childhood, containing some of the original stories behind the well-known fairytales that we read today. Some tales are more well-known than others, from Puss in Boots by Charles Perrault and The Red Shoes by Hans Christian Anderson to The Story of Yexian by Duan Chengshi and The Pair of Shoes by Pierre Gripari.

The book is beautifully illustrated by Lucie Arnoux. The cover is gorgeous, with gold shoes on a turquoise background.

In Their Shoes is published to coincide with a major new exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum - Shoes: Pleasure and Pain - which opened on 13 June 2015 and runs until 31 January 2016. The exhibition presents footwear from around the globe, with 200 pairs of historic and contemporary shoes on display.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

AUTHOR IN THE SPOTLIGHT - Melissa Bailey

I am delighted that MELISSA BAILEY is joining me on my blog today. Her latest book - Beyond the Sea - is being published by Arrow on 16 July 2015. 

So Melissa, what inspired you to write a book in the first place?
I’ve always loved books and reading and from being a small child I was always writing - poems, short stories, things like that. I went on to become a lawyer, but in the back of mind there was always a small voice that kept saying ‘you should write that novel you want to write’. That voice kept getting louder and louder until I couldn’t ignore it any more. At which point, I went part-time at work and put pen to paper in a serious way.

Where do you get your ideas from?
The spark of the idea for my first book, The Medici Mirror, actually came from reading A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami, one of my favourite novelists. In that book, the protagonist is holed up alone in a spooky house miles from anywhere and comes across a dirty old mirror. The atmosphere at that point of the novel was spine tingling - claustrophobic, magical. It gave me the idea of using a darkened mirror and of creating a book of my own which was haunting and mysterious. When I started researching the history of mirrors, the name I kept coming across was Catherine de Medici, who had a vast collection. Not only that, she was a member of the infamous Medici clan - plotters and poisoners – and had a reputation for involvement with magic and the occult. From there the plot really began to take off.
With my second novel, Beyond the Sea, the plot developed from a solitary, yet very clear image I had in my mind – a woman, with white hair, standing on a tiny island alone, a lighthouse in the near distance behind her. From that single image, and an obsession with fairy tales and myths of the sea, a novel emerged.
So clearly I tend to start from one image and move outwards from that.

Have your personal experiences influenced your writing? If so, how?
I loved ghost stories, the supernatural, from being a child but I have vivid memories of feeling acutely frightened at the same time - fearful of the unknown, of what lurked just at the edge of my vision. As an adult, I’ve found it a rich source of creative inspiration to go back and tap into those childhood fears once again. It’s been a great place for me to occupy, explore and develop from.

Describe your writing style in 10 words or less?
Haunting, charged - but I also like to keep it simple.

Do you have any strange writing habits?
Hmm. I do have the odd dressing gown day – where I’m so desperate to get an idea down before it disappears that I find that I’m writing until about 4pm without getting dressed. And a lot of cake gets eaten while the writing is happening – but I’m not sure that’s all that strange. I know a few writers who operate the same way. I like to think it helps my creative juices flow!

Do you plot out the whole book before you start or just start writing to see where it leads you?
I don’t plan a novel in a huge amount of detail but I work from a general outline that’s specific enough to keep me on track, in theory at least, but loose enough to allow the story to develop in its own way.

What do you consider to be the hardest part of your writing?
Sitting alone, day after day. Sometimes, when the writing isn’t going well and the words just won’t flow, it can feel like the most isolated, difficult job ever. But on the flip side, when it goes well, there’s no feeling in the world to beat it.

From the blurb, Beyond the Sea seems very different from your first novel, The Medici Mirror (published in 2013). Is this the case?
That’s an interesting question. But I think that they’re more similar than perhaps they appear at first glance. The Medici Mirror is part historical, part supernatural love story, part ghost story, moving between the sixteenth century court of Catherine de Medici and twenty-first century London where Johnny, an architect, is renovating an old Victorian shoe factory. It’s about the imprints that are left behind by those who came before.
Beyond the Sea, while set in the Hebrides, a completely different location, is also a love story with a ghostly theme, focusing on Freya and her return after the death of her husband and son to the home they once occupied. There’s also a historical thread running through it in the form of letters written by a Cromwellian sailor despatched to battle in Scotland in 1653, his own sense of isolation and alienation mirroring Freya’s. Again I’m looking at the past and its echoes in the present. And the supernatural mirror of the first book is replaced by supernatural forces of the sea in the second book.
So I think you’d probably know the books were written by the same person.

Do you read? If so, who are your favourite authors?
I love reading. When I’m not writing I’m reading. My all-time favourite novelist is a Japanese writer called Haruki Murakami. His books are modern, surreal, weird and wonderful - fish rain down from the sky and cats talk. For the same reasons I also think Michel Faber is great. But I love older more traditional writers as well, Dickens and the Brontes, as well as modern British writers, Rose Tremain, Maggie O’Farrell, David Nicholls.

If you were writing a book about your life, what would be the title?
That’s impossibly difficult! So I’m copping out and getting Ian McEwan to help me. One of his great early novels is called ‘The Cement Garden’. We’ve got builders in at the moment and while it’s only been a few weeks the title of that book feels totally appropriate as a summary of my life right now!

What advice do you have for aspiring writers?
Keep writing. The more you write the better it gets. Read lots – you get great ideas and learn a lot simply from seeing how other people write. But inspiration comes from all sorts of places – magazines, music, films, galleries, even simply going for a walk, so keep yourself open to everything. And most of all keep plugging away at it. Don’t get disillusioned – the writing road can be a long, hard, solitary one. But keep going. Don’t give up.

And lastly, why should people read your book?
It’s a spooky tale, with a historical bent, chock full of twists and turns. It’s very evocative, with a keen sense of place, and at its heart is a strong and compelling female character that I’ve really enjoyed writing about. I hope people are going to like it.

About Melissa Bailey

Melissa Bailey read English at Oxford, before studying law in London and then pursuing a career in media law. Beyond the Sea is her second novel. She lives in London with her partner, a human rights lawyer.

Find Melissa Bailey on her website and follow Melissa on Twitter - @mbaileywrites.


Beyond the Sea
Published by Arrow (16 July 2015)

Synopsis: 
One summer's day, Freya's husband and son disappeared on a boating trip.

A year on, and struggling to cope, Freya returns to the lighthouse-keeper's cottage on a tiny island in the Hebrides where they spent so many happy times.

Haunted by visions of the life she used to have, Freya finds comfort in the discovery of her son's diary, written in the weeks before he disappeared.

Until a man, Daniel, is washed up on the shore during the storm, and suddenly her dreams turn menacing. As dream and reality merge, Daniel seems to be turning up wherever she goes and she has no idea what he wants from her.

Is her mind playing tricks? Or is the danger she senses real?

Join me on Friday 10th July for my review of Beyond the Sea, as part of Melissa's Blog Tour.

The Girl Who Wouldn't Die by Marnie Riches

The Girl Who Wouldn't Die
By Marnie Riches
Published by Maze (2 April 2015)
Available  as an e-book from Amazon.

Publisher's description
HE'S WATCHING HER. SHE DOESN'T KNOW IT… YET

When a bomb explodes at the University of Amsterdam, aspiring criminologist Georgina McKenzie is asked by the police to help flush out the killer.

But the bomb is part of a much bigger, more sinister plot that will have the entire city quaking in fear.

And the killer has a very special part for George to play...

My verdict
This is the first book in a trilogy, with the second instalment due to be published in August 2015 and the third in November 2015.

Georgina 'George' McKenzie is a criminology student from Cambridge University who is on a year's placement at the University of Amsterdam. When some of her fellow students are targeted by a bomber, she is called on by the detective in charge of the case to aid the investigation. In South London, Ella Williams-May, who is in trouble with the police, is being forced to become an informant for an investigation into a vicious gang.

This thriller is a great debut. You can tell that the author has had direct experience of the two main locations, with lovely descriptions and insights into both Cambridge and Amsterdam. George is a great character - she's feisty, intelligent and curious, but also has a vulnerable side. And she seems to have a habit of getting heavily involved in difficult situations.

Although the prologue hooked me in straight away, it did take me a little while to get used to switching between the two threads (George and Ella). But then the story moved at a faster pace and kept me intrigued until the end.

I was surprised that the police allowed George to get so involved in the case and visit crime scenes without any qualifications or experience. But this is one of those books where you just have to go along for the ride.

I look forward to reading the next in the series.

The 3rd Woman by Jonathan Freedland

The 3rd Woman
By Jonathan Freedland
Published by Harper Collins (2 July 2015)
ISBN: 978-0007413683

Publisher's description
SHE CAN'T SAVE HER SISTER Journalist Madison Webb is obsessed with exposing lies and corruption. But she never thought she would be investigating her own sister's murder.

SHE CAN'T TRUST THE POLICE Madison refuses to accept the official line that Abigail's death was an isolated crime. She uncovers evidence that suggests that Abi was the third victim in a series of killings that's been hushed up as part of a major conspiracy.

SHE CAN EXPOSE THE TRUTH In a United Staes that has yielded to the People's Republic of China, corruption is rife - the government dictates what the 'truth' is. With her life on the line, Madison must give up the story, or face the consequences…

My verdict
The 3rd Woman is the first novel that Jonathan Freedland has written under his own name - his previous five novels were written under the pseudonym Sam Bourne. I really enjoyed all of the Sam Bourne books, so I wasn't surprised to discover that The 3rd Woman is another brilliant fast-paced intelligent thriller.

I was hooked from the prologue, which describes the last few living moments of a young woman in Los Angeles. This woman turns out to be Abigail Webb, the younger sister of journalist Madison 'Maddy' Webb. The police maintain that Abigail died of an accidental heroin dose, but Maddy insists that her sister's death was completely out of character. Her investigations reveal that her sister could be the 3rd victim of a serial killer, as another two women have died in very similar circumstances.

The 3rd Woman is filled with suspense and intrigue, with short snappy chapters that keep the book moving at a fast pace. I thought that the underlying political background was fascinating. Imagine that the USA is no longer a top world power, now dependent on Chinese finances; corruption is rife, the Chinese control the ports and smog fills the air.

I was intrigued right until the last page. As Maddy continues her investigations, she realises that she is being watched, leading to a deadly cat and mouse game. She is feisty and determined, but her vulnerable side emerges when it becomes clear that those closest to her may be in danger too. As the police struggle to find answers, Maddy wonders whether a major conspiracy could be at work.

I received an Advance Reader Copy from the publisher through Lovereading in exchange for an honest review.

Enter to win 10 BritCrime books

To celebrate the launch of BritCrime’s first free online crime fiction festival, 11-13 July, I have teamed up with BritCrime authors to give away one fabulous prize.

You could win a gift bundle of ten print books, including new releases by Colette McBeth and Sarah Hilary, and MJ McGrath’s Gold Dagger longlisted White Heat. This giveaway is open internationally. One lucky winner will win all ten books.

Please complete the entries in the Rafflecopter before midnight 10th July for a chance to win.

To learn more about the BritCrime festival, please visit http//britcrime.com and sign up to the newsletter. There will be giveaways and live Q&As with bestselling British crime fiction authors hosted on BritCrime’s Facebook page 11 & 12 July.

The Magpies + What You Wish For by Mark Edwards
No Other Darkness by Sarah Hilary
The Life I Left Behind + Precious Thing by Colette McBeth
White Heat by M J McGrath
Beyond the Rage by Michael J Malone
Follow the Leader + Watching Over You by Mel Sherratt
The Harbour Master by Daniel Pembrey

Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway