In less than two weeks, I have the fabulous privilege of sitting in a public space and chatting to two incredible authors. And, if you’re near enough, I’d love you to join us.
Let me tell you who they are, and why you should come along.
First we have Jacqui Rose. I have met Jacqui before. Just the once, and only by chance, but she leaves an impression. Bearing in mind, the conversation we’ll be having will be focused on crime writing, her genre (according to her Amazon profile) is gritty urban crime. And yet she’s also a very successful children’s author. It’s an interesting mix, and having already chatted with her about the issues she writes about, it’s clear that she’s very passionate about them. Of course, I’m not going to dish out spoilers here and tell you what the issues are. If you want to know, you need to come along and find out for yourself!
As for her books, I’d be lying if I said I’d read them all. There are nearly 20, after all. But what I have read is hard-hitting and fast-moving. I’m looking forward to exploring her writing style and her inspirations. Not to mention her recent collaborations with Martina Cole. (Did that get your attention?) There’s also the fact that she originally wanted to write in a completely different genre and it’ll be interesting to learn more about the reason for the change of direction.
And then we have William Hussey. In relative terms, William is a new kid on the block. Yet his Jericho crime series has grabbed the attention of readers and goes from strength to strength. They certainly hooked me in very quickly, and I devoured all three in a relatively short space of time. With a protagonist who lives and works on a travelling fair, this is certainly a new take on the genre.
Then again, they say write what you know, and William has been able to draw on his own experiences for this – though hopefully not all of Scott Jericho’s experiences have mirrored the author’s. If you haven’t read a Jericho book, I hope that thought has piqued your interest. There’s certainly plenty to delve into with William, and I’m looking forward to doing just that.
From conversations I’ve had with both authors, I think we’re going to have a fascinating evening. I’ll be amazed if we uncover everything there is to know, but I’ve no doubt at all that it’ll leave us all satisfied. That’s two fabulous authors (three, if you include me!). And, if you haven’t encountered any of them before, you’ll be introduced to plenty of new books to get your teeth into. You might even pick up a signed copy on the night.
If you are within easy travelling distance of Retford in North Nottinghamshire (it’s close to the A1 and has some terrific rail connections) on Wednesday 11th June, there are still tickets available. For those in the town, you can get them from Wonderland Bookshop, but you can also get them online here.
I’m really excited about the evening, and can’t wait to have this conversation. I really hope you’ll join us if you can. I promise I won’t sing (you really wouldn’t want that).
