BLOOMIN' GREAT BOOKS

Welcome back, lovely listeners. Today we have the highly anticipated chat with Charlotte McConaghy about her atmospheric, moving and chilling novel, The Last Migration (out now). We talk about why Charlotte decided to write a novel about climate change and how she created the wonderful and complex character of Franny, the protagonist who sets out to follow the Arctic terns on what could be their final migration. This book will stay with you, long after you read it.  

Today we’re sharing our interview with Susi J Holiday, a dark fiction writer who cut her teeth writing flash fiction and short stories, many of which have been shortlisted for prestigious awards.

As a writer she’s mastered the entire dark fiction genre with creepy hits like the Bastoun trilogy, Supernatural mysteries like The Lingering and our favorite "Violet";  a truly gripping psychological thriller.

Susi is a big name in a the Crime Fiction World and is living proof that crime fiction writers are far more cheerful than you might expect! Alongside all this incredible writing Susi works in Clinical Research and even finds time to perform in a group called the Slice Girls, a big hit on the crime fiction festival circuit.

Today we’re chatting to the lovely Lara Dearman. Lara was born and raised on the Channel Island of Guernsey and is the author of Devil’s Claw and Dark Sky Island, two crime fiction books that combine her love of Guernsey, myths and folklore with her obsession with crime fiction and serial killers - bet you can’t wait to read these books after that intro! They are as brilliant as they sound. During this wonderful chat, we discussed how Lara loves to create and write the characters that differ most to her and she explains how the editorial process works and how it can impact a novel. Lara is a fabulous author and all-round lovely person, who just happens to enjoy books that explore the dark side of human nature. Haha. We can’t wait for you to listen, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Today we’re chatting to the wonderful Paddy Magrane, Psychotherapist, journalist and thriller writer (what a winning combination!). He was born in the Middle East, educated in England and travelled all over the world finding inspiration for his books. Paddy is the #1 Amazon Kindle author of the Sam Keddie thrillers, DISORDER and DENIAL and ​His latest book, RED DESERT, is an Audible Original OUT NOW. Along with writing he somehow found the time to be the LYME Crime festival director, a new crime and thriller festival that launched online in June 2020. Paddy is humble, funny, and engaging - we had a great time chatting to him about his love of exotic settings in his novels and his conversion to writing outlines rather than retro-fitting - not sure what that is? Have a listen.

Caroline Green who writes under the pseudonym Cass Green is the award winning author of Crime and Young Adult Fiction. Her first Crime Fiction books The Woman Next Door and In a Cottage in a Wood dominated the book charts and at the time of our interview, she was just finishing a new genre busting novel for Harper Collins. In between all of this she somehow finds the time to teach others as the writer in residence and lecturer for Crime Fiction at City University. Oh yes, we had a lot to cover - enjoy!

Gavin Bell, also known as Mason Cross is the author of the truly exciting Carter Blake thriller series where the mysterious manhunter is on a mission to find people who just don't want to be found. You might also know him by Alex Knight, author of the phenomenal thriller Hunted. His books have been picked up by some of the best book clubs and awards going and we can't wait to share this truly entertaining insight into the world of one seriously brilliant crime writer with you. 

Quentin Bates is an English Novelist who went to Iceland for work and never left! He is best known for his Officer Gunnhildur series, about a tough cop who uncovers murder and corruption in the Icelandic criminal underworld. Most likened to "Nordic Noir", his books are hailed for capturing the Icelandic atmosphere. Quentin has also used his deep knowledge of Icelandic life and culture to translate many books for leading Icelandic authors. We can't wait for you to hear more from this warm and funny man!

Today's episode is an extra special one because we have not one but two exceptional guests! We're chatting to the Icelandic crime writer and award-winning playwright, Lilja Sigurdardóttir, along with Quentin Bates, a crime author in his own right and the translator of Lilja's books. These two are so much fun - we can't wait for you to listen. As always, let us know what you think @bloomingreatbooks.

Welcome to YET ANOTHER fabulous interview! This week we're chatting to Gemma Reeves, author of Victoria Park (out now), an absorbing fiction read about the interweaving lives of Victoria Park residents in London. This book had us feeling nostalgic for London and sucked us in from the start as the characters are so real and intriguing. We loved chatting to Gemma and know you will adore the episode too, especially if you’re a budding author - Gemma will have you feeling inspired. We do delve into a few of the character storylines, so you may want to read the book first. @bloomingreatbooks.

Don't say we don't treat you! Today it's time to share our killer episode with best selling author Cath Quinn. Cath is not only an epic crime novelist but a hugely successful historical thriller writer with copies published in over 25 countries - wow! Her first contemporary thriller, Black Widows, went to a seven-way auction and was optioned for film, before being snapped up by Orion as their super-lead book and is OUT NOW. It then went on to sell in nine other territories, including North America. Oh yes, Cath is one to watch. She's also the sister of one of our all-time fave authors Suzy K. Quinn, also featured in our Crime Fiction Series! Be sure to head over to your preferred podcast platform to hear it and & if you like it... you know what to do! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐