Before I review last year, may I wish you a very Happy New Year for the year ahead.
The past year has been busy. Not only have I been writing but I have been teaching, launched a new book, took part in panels at marvelous book festivals and discovered signing events. Let me tell you all about it. It amazes me how one event can provide teaching, author panels, interviews, author meetings, and book sales for £50 for a four day festival while another 'school' charges more than double that for only one day of attendance. As the cost of living increases, more expensive events will need to ensure they offer value for money.
I began the year with a gift. A lovely lady, Wilma Kenny had booked a place at Scargill Writers' Weekend: Knowing Me, Knowing You run by the inspiring Adrian and Bridget Plass. Wilma found she was unable to attend and wished to donate her place to another writer and I was the lucky recipient. What a generous gift. I found it so beneficial to mix with other Christian writers and be inspired by them.
While at Scargill House I was working hard on my new book, Hunter's Rules. It is the sixth book in my crime fiction series DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers. My amazing publishers at SpellBound Books Ltd decided to launch the book at The Theakston Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate.
It was the first time I had attended this festival and I was thrilled to meet so many amazing authors there including Amanda Lees, Nicky Downes, Louise Swanson, Vazeem Khan and Robert Rutherford. It was great fun and I got to know the directors of SpellBound better. The more I know, the more I like.
The launch of Hunter's Rules was a lot of fun. It took place in the Alexandra Pub, Harrogate and many fine authors took time out from the festival to attend including Joy Wood, Maggie Cobbett, Angela Wren and Nell Dixon.
Not long after Harrogate I was teaching Tips for Crime Writing and the art of writing A Twist in the Tale. I always enjoy teaching and sharing writing expertise. Equally I enjoy mixing with authors and readers and learning from them.
Imagine my delight when I met the USA Today Bestselling Author, Lizzie James when I attended the signing event that she arranged in Blackpool. I had never attended a signing event before, but it was great fun, I met some other fabulous authors too including Alex J Adams and Claire Shaw. Not only that but I had the opportunity to meet many of my readers and sell books too.
The beginning of October took me over to Edinburgh to take part in the Portobello Book Festival, run by volunteers and hosted by Portobello Library and supported by the Portobello Book Shop. As well as speaking at my own panel, I was able to catch the interview with one of my favourite authors, Olga Wojtas. She is as good a raconteur as she is a writer.
My next bookish event was the Auchterarder Book Festival also run entirely by volunteers. I took part in a panel with Wendy H Jones and chaired by Sheena Macleod. I thoroughly enjoyed the festival, met some fabulous writers including poet Christine Tait and author Ann Burnett and hope I may be included in future events.
The end of November to the beginning of December were particularly busy. First I attended a Christmas lunch for authors, bloggers and reader run by the indomitable Kelly A. Lacey and Joanne Baird. It was held at Las Iguanas in George Street in Edinburgh and what a jolly time I had catching up with Ann Burnett whom I had seen at Auchterarder and Olga Wojtas who had appeared at the Portobello Book Festival as well as Vanessa Robertson whom I hadn't seen for too long.
The following day, December First, saw me back in Edinburgh for The Edinburgh Book Bonanza. Although this was not as well attended as I would have liked and the authors there less friendly than other events I had been to this year, I did meet some interesting readers, sold enough books to make a net profit and enjoyed the day.
My last event of the year was another first. The inimitable Dr Noir, aka Jacky Gramozi Collins, asked me to contribute to a panel at Newcastle Noir. It was called Once a Detective, Always a Detective and my panel members were Ajay Chowdry and Teresa Solana and chairing the panel was Tana Collins.
I had never attended this festival before. I don't know how I missed it because it was celebrating its 10th anniversary. All the classes, interviews and panels are held in Newcastle City Library and a local bookstore, Forum Books arranges sales for the authors. It was lovely to catch up with Jacky and also Robert Rutherford again, and also to meet Guy Hale, Angi Plant and Theresa (Terry) Hetherington.
At a cost of only £50.00 for a ticket to all the events, this must be one of the best value festivals around.
However, although Newcastle Noir was my last event of the year, I did make another visit to Edinburgh to catch up with my talented author friend and SpellBound stablemate, Gemma Owen-Kendall. We had lunch together and exchanged gifts. I gave her Hunter's Christmas, while I received her most recent novel, Red Daisy. What a great day we had together.
And so that is how the past year panned out for me. it was eventful and exciting. I hope yours was too. Next year my new Jane Renwick Thriller, A Fighting Chance will be published by SpellBound Books Ltd and I will be teaching and attending events in the UK and the USA. Now let's all go into 2025 looking forward to the year ahead.
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