The White Whale

 I read a lot of crime. Mostly romantic suspense, but there are police procedurals, cosies with amateur  sleuths, the occasional thriller. Crime with horror, the supernatural, ghosts, dogs, Dust Bunnies. (You need to be a fan of Jayne Ann Krentz, which I am, to get that one) they are all in the mix. One of the things I have noticed, and enjoyed recently, is the cold case crime. This is art following life, of course, as with ever refining forensic techniques, where evidence has been effectively preserved it is possible to revisit cases that stalled, and bring them to a successful conclusion. 

In fiction, one of the tropes of this sub genre is the detective and the one that got away. That case that they never managed to solve. In something I read recently the detective referred to it as her White Whale. Sadly I can't remember now what book it was, sorry, but the expression stayed with me. Memory is a tricky thing. I had the perfect ending for the WIP, when I get there. Did I write it down? No. Can I remember it? Also No. I am hoping that it will surface, even if in ghost form, when I get there. When. And Nel and Logan might have quite different feeling when I do, so I am trying not to grizzle about it.  But, back to the whale. As far as I know I have never read Moby Dick. It was probably on the list of classic literature that I was supposed to read for an exam in the dark and distant past, but I abandoned the list fairly soon and did the drama question instead. Much more my thing. But I still know about the White Whale. Literature is an entwining thing, the blocks from the past on which successive writers build. I've mentioned before the use of classic quote for subsequent book titles, which I love, but which in these days of algorithms are less common. It's all key words now, and poetry, Shakespeare and the Bible can be a bit light on those.  But the references remain - and the books we write now are that much richer for it. 

The power of the secret

 I'm sure you've noticed - writers, readers - and the people in publishing  who decide on book titles - love a secret. 

It's what makes the genre fiction world go round. And yes, I hold my hand up for that. I like a secret too. It comes in all sorts of ways. In crime and in romance -  a subject for blackmail or maybe an event that happened in the past that no one talks about - that's the classic for a group of friends who did something awful in the past, agreed not to speak of it and then it starts to come to light many years later. I've often wondered about having that sort of secret hanging over you. Honestly I think I'd confess - can't stand the suspense. I write it not live it. There is the treasure hunt sort of secret, when you have to follow the clues or the map or whatever, and whodunnits are actually one big secret. Who actually did make away with Colonel Mustard in the library - and was it with the poker or the candlestick? 

In romance there is often a family secret - one that the protagonist doesn't know about but which impacts their life out of the blue. A favourite is the secret baby, but knowledge that a close relative was a criminal might have just as much impact. With the popularity of DNA and ancestor research these days more people are actually living it - before it might just be a family rumour about that nine months Auntie Flo, spent living with that cousin in Scotland ...

People in fiction - human and non human - are complex characters - that's what makes them interesting. Curiosity can kill the cat, and gets quite a number of protagonists into trouble when they go poking around things they shouldn't. There is a common myth that many people who gets the message 'Fly, all is revealed' (or the modern equivalent - probably a WhatsApp? ) would be on their horse (or the car/train/bus) within the hour. 

Thankfully, I don't have secrets like that. I don't have a horse, or a car, so the fleeing stuff would be difficult.  I do currently have a secret - don't groan - it's the re-release of the four Riviera books as a box set all for 99p - or free if you read on Unlimited. Currently number four in hot new releases for romance anthologies - so people must be reading them. Thanks. And I hope you enjoy them 

Bookfair jaunt

 I had a fun day out at the beginning of the month - a trip to Cardiff Bay and the Sugarpages Book Fair at the Futures Inn. 

I haven't been down to the Bay for a long while - used to be there every weekday when I worked in Baltic House, opposite the Coal Exchange. It was worth the trip on this occasion as the fair was a lot of fun. A room full of authors with all kinds of books - historical, fantasy, romance and thrillers. Really, what's not to like?  Apparently there were about 300 visitors over the course of the day. I timed my arrival a bit later - it takes a while to get down there on the train and I did get a bit lost on the way. One of those cases when you can see where you want to be but end up down the wrong road. Didn't take long to find my way though, it was a lovely sunny morning and being later was probably a good thing as there had been a very long queue when the doors opened.

It was good to talk to so many authors and the room was buzzing with people chatting, buying books and having them signed. I exercised strong will power and did not buy any physical books but made notes and took names and spent the evening loading up my e-reader. Plenty of new names to try out and even better when you have actually met the author.   

I spent a happy hour or so wandering round, chatting and admiring - and there was a lot to admire. Once hunger finally got the better of me I found my way over to the Millennium Centre, treating myself to a late lunch and a wander around the network of craft stalls which were there for the Bank Holiday. Lots of chatting and admiring there too. 

It was a very successful day out, with plenty of enjoyment reading the results. 

SugarPages will be doing a series of similar events during 2026 - two in Bristol and also in Thornbury and Gloucester, with a return trip to Cardiff in November, so there are plenty more opportunities to meet some authors and check out some books in fun events. 

News

 The Riviera books have been put together in a new box set. All four of them, including the two that were finalists in the Romantic Novelists' Association's Jackie Collins Romantic Thriller of the Year award. Three were boxed as a set before, but now you get all four for 99p! And they have a brand new cover. If you don't have all the books already, this is your chance. Romantic suspense - so you get mayhem and murder along with the hearts and flowers. There are flowers - this is the Riviera. I couldn't resist describing beautiful gardens. You can see the link to Amazon  HERE

Accidental inspiration.

 I had a day out with a friend yesterday. Amongst coffee, lunch and lots of gossip, we visited the Gwen John exhibition at the museum in Cardiff. I didn't know a lot about her, and having seen the exhibition I can't say that she is going into my top five of favourite painters, bur the exhibition was worth visiting. As  a writer I'm a great believer in taking opportunities - art, theatre, lectures - you never know what might feed the beast called inspiration, for want of a better description. 

Gwen John's works were small, mostly domestic scenes and portraits, many in series and with a muted colour palettte. There were a lot of people at the exhibition and it was clear that a great deal of work and organisation had gone into assembling it, from many sources - private and public collections from around the world. 

Apart from the art, what did I get? She studied at the Slade, so there was information about her studies there.  The artist in my partially completed but currently stalled WIP studied there, so now I have information that will be useful when I finally go back to it. There were books, diaries and letters, always interesting and a bit of inspiration for the current WIP, although my 'artist' is a writer. I fell in love with a small published volume - I think it might have been poetry  - that had drawings and annotations in the margins - that will certainly be inspiring for future books. And as I mentioned, the paintings were in series. That gave me a half formed idea of some sort of hidden message in an artist's work. It's nebulous at the moment, but it will develop if and when needed, I am sure.

So, that's what I got from my day out. Very well worth it.

And vey enjoyable. 

Right Time?

 The WIP is meant to have shades of Dark Academia. Don't know how that is going to pan out, but that's the current plan. Dark academia has a Gothic, moody vibe, which means that the standard time for them to take place is autumn. That's the setting for the first part of the WIP - November, under a Frost moon. (The most cited name for November's moon is Beaver. but it didn't have the same ring.)   The story is in two parts though, so what about the second? Which leads me to a big question, can you be spooky in daylight?

You see, I have a yen to set the second half of the book around now - spring, more specifically Beltane, 1st May, time of fire festivals.

I know where this comes from. Ever since reading Mary Stewart's Wildfire at Midnight  set on the island of Skye in the run up to the coronation in 1953 - which was at the beginning of June, so a little later than Beltane, but making use of the idea of the Beltane fires, I have wanted to create something set at Beltane.

Is this the opportunity? Is it possible to get the gothic and Dark Academic vibe when there is so much daylight? I have realised that I am planning two incidents of arson as part of the book - when you write suspense you get to do all the 'fun' stuff - so the fire theme may be emerging incidentally. 

But can I make May sufficiently creepy?

I'm really not sure, but I am thinking seriously. My location is the Welsh coast, not a Scottish island, but I'm trying for Atmosphere - with a distinct capital A. There might be fog - which is a device Mary Stewart also uses, but I'm not too keen on that. 

I'm really not sure. But I'm tempted...

Am I doing this?

 As you know, the WIP is really making progress - slow, but happening. Now I have some pages in my hand, I am wondering ...

As part of the Romantic Novelists' Association conference which takes place at the end of July attendees have the opportunity of a short consultation with an agent or editor - possibly more than one, to discuss a manuscript. Big question - should I have a go? The MS is a long way from anything like finished. A looong way. And I have no idea what I intend to do with it when that happens, except a nebulous idea about self publishing. But - now I am tempted. The 1-2-1 sessions at conference are acknowledged to be only the very first step on a book being taken on, so there would be no six figure contracts in the offing. (Don't we all wish!) but it would be interesting to find out from a professional whether they found it interesting, particularly as I am crossing genres - romantic suspense and dark academia. (And which is a big reason why I have assumed I would have to self publish). 

Thing is, the selection process requires all the usual submission stuff, synopsis, elevator pitch, bio, the opening of the actual book ... I haven't done any of that for a long time. 

Do I want to? 

Would I be better off spending my time just quietly plowing on with the actual WIP? Currently dithering and  scribbling 30 word pitches on bits of scrap paper.

I'm really not sure. But if I don't, will I get to the conference, hear the valuable  feedback other people are getting and wish I had?  

I used to do those author/editor/agent meetings at every opportunity before I had a book accepted. And it was as a result of one of those 1-2-1s at the RNA conference in Greenwich, many moons ago, that I got my contract with Choc-lit. 

No expectations now, and it will be a while before there is actually a viable book.

But I am curious ...