How a writer writes about being a spy…(without being one)

By definition, it’s not always easy to find out how the world of espionage works, so how does a writer create it? At least one reviewer of my Nadia Laksheva spy series believes I may actually be a spy (former, she hopes). So, here are some tricks of the trade (writing, not espionage).

Before getting started, it has to be said that most people are not spies either, so won’t know if what I write is realistic or not. However, those people do have an idea, whether from the papers, movies, or documentaries.…

Saved the best till the end?

I’ve been getting feedback from people who have read 88 North, the finale to the series that started with 66 Metres and charts Nadia’s progress in her personal war against the terrorist Salamander. In short, people are telling me this is the best book. It’s good to know, as it was produced under considerable time pressure. Maybe that’s the best way to write fast-paced thrillers – my sense of urgency and high stakes translated onto the page, lol. I did enjoy writing the exotic locations, from Hong Kong, which I know very well, to Sudan and North Korea, which I don’t know at all (though I was diving just north of Sudan a couple of weeks ago). …

Thank you book bloggers :-)

I’ve now appeared in at least 5  book bloggers favourite books for 2017, one just in had both 66 Metres and 37 Hours in the top 5, which is rare to see. I just wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to all the book bloggers who have reviewed my books over the past year. Before last year I didn’t really know anything about book blogging, and now I think they are a fantastic service for authors, especially as they mostly review books for free and often include candid and critical feedback for authors.…