The Hobcast Book Show

We don't make a habit of inviting guests back so soon on The Hobcast Book Show, but we've made an exception for Greg Mosse, who joined us on Episode 94. This week we discuss Greg's foray into cosy crime with recent release, Murder At Church Lodge. Drawing on his own experiences growing up in rural Sussex, Greg takes us into the world of his protagonist, Maisie Cooper, and the challenges she faces as she returns home to the village of Framlington in 1972. As ever, this is a fascinating interview that delves deep into Greg's huge knowledge of the creative process.

Also this week, with the announcement of the closure of Red Dog Press, Adrian and Rebecca reflect on the state of independent publishing and the challenges facing the sector.

https://www.gregmosse.com/

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Imagine falling in love with the crime fiction genre, but facing a perpetual shortage of books to read. That was the situation our guest Tony Mott faced growing up in Romania under the Communist regime of Nicolae Ceausescu. Classic western European authors like Agatha Christie were widely available in translation as they were regarded as politically neutral, but modern writers were banned. As Tony tells us, she developed a network of fellow readers who shared smuggled books between each other. Now, the situation is completely different, and Tony is celebrating the release of her novel Deadly Autumn Harvest in English, with another crime novel to follow soon. This is a fascinating interview and a celebration of the freedom to create after years of restrictions.

Also this week, we reflect on the impact that Sir Michael Parkinson had on us as interviewers, and we ask, are there parallels between the hospitality industry and the publishing world?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Autumn-Harvest-Tony-Mott-ebook/dp/B0BYT5ZJD8

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If there's ever a career that could prepare you to become an author of domestic noir and psychological thrillers, then being a divorce lawyer must be pretty high on the list. You'll witness all aspects of human behaviour, and watch as dark domestic secrets emerge. So perhaps it was natural for our guest, Caroline England, to specialise in these genres. Writing also as C E Rose, Caroline explains to us how she's fascinated by how secrets and hidden rules develop in relationships between people.

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca examine the potential impact of the takeover of Simon & Schuster by a private equity firm, and they reveal plans to present next week's podcast in a very different fashion.

CAROLINE ENGLAND – Also writes as CE ROSE (carolineenglandauthor.co.uk)

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"Write what you know." It's probably the most over-used piece of advice to aspiring authors. That said, if what you know is being a private investigator, that's not a bad piece of advice for a potential crime fiction author. Our guest this week, Linda Mather, drew on her experience to create her main character, Jo Hughes, a PI who uses astrology to help solve her cases. With the sixth book in her Jo and Macy series due out this month, Linda has established herself as one of one the UK's leading crime authors. It's a fascinating interview.

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca ask if Amazon is heading for further legal trouble in the U.S over their ebook policies, and they celebrate the enduring success of fellow indie publisher, Bluemoose Books.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CDH9BLVS

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What does it take to translate fiction? That's the question for our guest this week on The Hobcast Book Show, Quentin Bates, who in recent years has built a career as a translator of Icelandic fiction into English, working with some of the best authors from the island. Quentin tells us it's not as straightforward as translating each book word for word; he has to get inside the story and the author's voice. Quentin is also an author himself, and has an extraordinary life story too - not least that his gap year visit to Iceland became a 'gap decade,' involving spells as a trawlerman and all the dangers that entailed.

Also this week, as another independent publisher launches a crowdfunding campaign in order to stay in business, Adrian and Rebecca debate the true state of the UK indie scene, and they ask, are literary prizes worth the effort?

Gráskeggur – . (graskeggur.com)

Books – Gráskeggur (graskeggur.com)

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It's that time of the year - Harrogate! This week the show comes from the Theakstons Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival, the UK's premier event celebrating the genre. Joining us at The Old Swan Hotel is Liz Mistry, the prolific Bradford-based author and creator of two hugely popular crime series.

We discuss the influence Bradford has had on her writing, and the impact of her mixed-race marriage on the themes of her work. Liz also shares with Rebecca and Adrian plans for a third series, set in her native West Lothian in Scotland.

Also this week we discuss the role played by one of the Hobeck family in winning a the big prize at Harrogate this week, the mammoth seven-figure deal signed by British crime author T M Logan, and reflect on the closure of another of the UK's best-known independent publishing houses.

Liz Mistry Crime Writer – Author & Writer

Liz Mistry - Book Series In Order

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What if? Two simple words that can unlock a world of stories. Throw in a few more questions, examine your ideas from different angles, and you can really come up with a compelling story. That's certainly the approach taken by our guest this week, Alison Stockham, a Cambridge-based author of psychological fiction. Her debut novel, The Cuckoo Sister, was a break out success. The premise is simple and compelling. You want the best for your sister, but what if that sister wants what you have - especially your children? With her second novel, The Silent Friend due out later this month, it's a great time to speak to Alison about her approach to generating ideas. We also discuss what she's learned from her involvement in the Cambridge Literary Festival.

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca on the three years since they first published The Rock series by Robert Daws, and ask if crowdfunding is the future of independent publishing.

https://www.amazon.com/Silent-Friend-unputdownable-psychological-bestselling-ebook/dp/B0C1FY8PBF

https://www.amazon.com/Cuckoo-Sister-Alison-Stockham-ebook/dp/B09YTJ48YQ

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We've often said on The Hobcast Book Show that are more than a few similarities between the book trade and the music business. True, it's not often that an author fills a stadium with screaming fans, but there's no doubt that the two industries share common challenges and risks. No matter how hard you work creatively, you never know if your next novel or album will find a big audience. So imagine having a foot in both worlds? Our guest this week, Guy Hale has done just that, setting up his own record company specialising in the Blues, and now self-publishing a series of crime novels set in the music industry. So what lessons has Guy brought from the music business to his writing career? Guy tells us that it's the responsibility of each artists, whether they be musician or author to promote their own work, and keep up that effort for as long as it takes. It's an interview that will provoke some debate.

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca wish the British Library a happy 50th birthday, and Adrian shares some experiences he's had with some new A.I publishing tools.

Guy Hale - Guy Hale Author

Books – Hillside Global (hillside-global.com)

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It's one thing to teach English for a living, it's another to practice what you preach. Our guest this week, Louise Mumford, after years at the front of the classroom, has now established herself as one of the rising stars of the UK thriller scene, but her big break came by chance at an arts festival in Suffolk. Being the organised person she is, Louise was carrying a sample of her first novel when she bumped into a commissioning editor for a major publishing imprint. Four years on, she has published three bestselling novels with Harper Collins offshoot, HQ. Louise is also committed to promoting crime fiction in her native Wales, and is the co-chair of Crime Cymru – The Welsh Crime Writing Collective, which holds a physical festival every two years. It's a fascinating interview.

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca reflect on an illuminating visit to one of the UK's biggest book printing companies, and Adrian makes a confession about how his Attention Deficit Disorder played havoc with a major project this week.

For a full transcript of the interview with Louise Mumford, click here:

https://www.louisemumfordauthor.com

Crime Cymru – The Welsh Crime Writing Collective

CPI Print | Home | Uk's leading Book printing company (cpi-print.co.uk)

primadonnafestival.com – Primadonna Festival

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This week's Hobcast Book Show is a departure from our usual subject areas. We're joined by the co-authors of Vitalising Purpose, Jonathan Bland and Jamie Veitch. Drawing on their years of experience working in the UK's social enterprise sector, the book offers insights and suggestions for improving vital public services we all rely on, by introducing lessons learned from organisations and pioneers who've partnered with local authorities, government and public bodies to improve outcomes for the people who use those services. As Jonathan tells us, both he and Jamie hope the book will inspire new thinking and approaches to running public services.

Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca lament job cuts at one of the UK's most influential universities for creative writing, and discuss if a call from independent bookshops for publishers to stop referring readers to Amazon is a realistic approach to improving sales.

For a transcript of our interview with Jonathan and Jamie - click here

Jamie Veitch

jonathan bland – Social Business International

E3M | Vitalising Purpose Book

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