Guest Post Number 1 by Anne Coates

My competition on Twitter last year for one author to feature on my blog for a whole year was so popular, I decided on a runner-up prize. The lovely Anne Coates was the winner and this year she is writing a series of six guest posts. Here’s Anne talking all about reading and reviewing.

 

The Two Rs – Reading and Reviewing

For most of my working life I have worked either as staff or freelance in publishing/journalism and a lot of my time has been spent, reading and assessing manuscripts, editing, abridging fiction and narrative non-fiction and judging competitions. So when it comes to reading for pleasure I love taking off my editor’s hat to immerse myself in another world.

Although I review some YA and parenting books on my website Parenting Without Tears and therefore receive advance copies, I usually buy novels even though I’m registered with Netgalley. I aim to support other authors by adding to their sales figures and posting a review on Amazon. As an author, I know how important reviews are! However I would rather not leave a review at all, if I didn’t like a book or had problems with it. Who am I to judge a book just because it doesn’t resonate with me? Just writing a book and getting it published it a major achievement and should be celebrated which is wonderful to see on Twitter.

One of the joys of Twitter for me has been finding new (or new to me) authors and getting to know bloggers. I fell in love with Mel Sheratt’s books and was thrilled when she invited me to a launch party in London some years ago. My first Twitter party and I met numerous people in real life who had previously just been names and faces. So many of those people have become friends…

Like most book lovers I have a pile of unread books. Some are patiently waiting their turn while others I have started but not finished for a variety of reasons. When I’m in the middle of writing a book, my reading time is limited so if after a few chapters I’m not engrossed, I tend to put the book aside, often seeking out authors I know whose writing I admire and enjoy.

What I love is being captivated by a narrative so all I want to do is read on – without interruption. The moments when my editor’s hat is left out in the hall are beyond compare but even with some of my favourite authors I get pulled up short by a mistake like someone wiping their nose on the sleeve of a coat they took off two pages before! Or a funeral being arranged two working days after a fatal traffic accident… But these are minor niggles really.

I am full of admiration for book bloggers who manage to read – and review – so many titles as well as having jobs and family commitments. It is obviously a real labour of love. And I feel honoured when anyone reviews one of my books or invites me to be featured on their blog (thank you Sonya!). A couple of years ago I wrote round-up of books I’d read and enjoyed. I was stunned to receive a DM from an author demanding to know why I hadn’t included one of her books. So I am always saddened – but not surprised – when I see that bloggers I know and respect have been subjected to abuse or bullying from writers and publishers.

That’s when I move away from social media and lose myself in a book.

 

About Anne Coates

For most of her working life in publishing, Anne has had a foot in both camps as a writer and an editor, moving from book publishing to magazines and then freelancing in both. Having edited both fiction and narrative non-fiction, Anne has also had short stories published in a variety of magazines including Bella and Candis and is the author of seven non-fiction books. Telling stories is Anne’s first love and nearly all her short fiction as well as Dancers in The Wind and Death’s Silent Judgement began with a real event followed by a ‘what if …’; That is also the case with the two prize-winning 99Fiction.net stories: Codewords and Eternal Love. Songs of Innocence will publish summer 2018.

 

Links

Dancers in the Wind
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dancers-Wind-gripping-thriller-Weybridge/dp/1911129635/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1486815984&sr=1-1

Death’s Silent Judgement
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deaths-Silent-Judgement-Hannah-Weybridge/dp/1911331353/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487075630&sr=1-1&keywords=death%27s+silent+judgement

Cheque-Mate & Other Tales of the Unexpected
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheque-Mate-Other-Tales-Unexpected-Coates-ebook/dp/B008G1FI5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487075707&sr=1-1&keywords=Cheque+Mate+and+other+Tales+of+the+unexpected

Author website http://www.annecoatesauthor.com/

Twitter – @Anne_Coates1

Interview with Anne Coates

I’d like to welcome Anne Coates back to my blog.  Her new book, ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ is out on the 11th May of this year.  As part of the event I have interviewed Anne.

 

As you know I loved ‘Dancers in the Wind’ and I am thoroughly looking forward to your next book which is out in May. Can you tell me a bit about it please?

‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ continues Hannah Weybridge’s story and opens with her discovering the dead body of her close friend Liz Rayman in the crypt of St John the Evangelist at Waterloo where she ran a weekly pro bono dental surgery. Initially the police write off the murder as perpetrated by one of the homeless clients high on drink or drugs. Neither Hannah or Liz’s mother, Lady Celia Rayman, is convinced by this theory and Celia employs the journalist to start investigating. No spoilers here.

 

Did you have to do much research?

I know the area (and the Cardboard City in the Bullring in the 90s) really well. My mother was born in Waterloo and many of my extended family lived there. I also worked for IPC magazines when situated at King’s Reach Tower, Stamford Street which gave me a good backdrop. Having written the first three chapters many years ago, strangely I had never been inside the church. I have subsequently attended many meetings there and it will be the venue for my launch party.

My work as a freelance journalist for newspapers and magazines gave me a solid background for my protagonist.

There are themes that I have gone back to primary sources for research – I won’t mention these as I hope readers will be surprised and intrigued as to how the novel progresses. I am also blessed with friends who work in diverse careers whom I can tap into for information. Great to do my research over a glass of wine and a chat with a friend!

 

What made you decide to write crime fiction?

The first short story I had published was a “confession” of a crime and many of my tales with a twist which I wrote for magazines like Bella (some published in ‘Cheque-Mate & Other Tales of the Unexpected’) concerned a crime of some description from fraud to murder. I love reading crime novels and believe you should always write what you would like to read!

 

Can you relate to any of your characters?

I am blessed/cursed with the type of mind which can put me in someone else’s shoes very easily.

Hannah Weybridge has some of my foibles and characteristics (but is not me). In many ways she is my alter ego and does things I wish I had the guts to do. I would never be such a risk-taker. There are other characters I have fallen a bit in love with like Tom Jordan the DI in ‘Dancers in the Wind’ and James, the doctor who also features in both books. I have a real soft spot for Sam who has a small role in DitW and DSJ but may have more to say in book three which I am currently working on. Linda comes to the fore in book three and she is an amalgam of some of my loveliest friends. I can also put myself into the minds of my baddies – which probably reveals a bit too much about me and my darker side!

 

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

As a journalist I learned to write fast and stick to deadlines so that discipline helps with writing books. So the answer to your question is, it depends on the deadline but I do like a lot of thinking/dreaming time for ideas to percolate and take root. My writing is very character led and they often take me off in directions I would never have contemplated when I first started a particular book.

 

Do you have a favourite place where you do your writing?

Not really. I usually write at home although I also scribble down ideas on buses and trains. As my first draft is written on my laptop it means I can be anywhere – even in my garden when it’s warm. If I get stuck with a scene I find changing rooms helps – a move to the kitchen or bedroom encourages a new perspective.

 

Are there going to be more books?

I am currently writing book three in the Hannah Weybridge series (as yet no title) and I have an idea for another book when we meet her many years later.

 

I see that you are also an editor. What does that involve doing?

I have edited magazines for various companies and for many years I have abridged books for Reader’s Digest for the UK, Australian and Canadian markets. Cutting a book – sometimes by as much as 50 per cent – is a major task and by the end I have read the book so often I probably know it better than the author. I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown when I had to cut Middlemarch in half for the Orion Compact Editions. With the classics you can’t change a word and as I love that book it was heart-breaking to eliminate themes or storylines.

I also copy edit, which involves checking facts and spellings, making sure of consistency, following house style and basically dotting the ‘I’s and crossing the ‘T’s.

 

What was your experience at getting published by Urbane Publications like?

I have been published by four other companies: Wayland, Bloomsbury, Need to Know, and Endeavour and each experience has been different. Urbane Publications – like many of the newer indie publishers – offers a more collaborative approach, which works well for me. The focus, enthusiasm and sense of purpose is brilliant and I also enjoy the being part of a group of authors who are supportive and happy to meet up in real life. Last year Urbane sent a group of us to CrimeFest, which was a great experience and this year I’ll be on one of the panels and we’ll all meet up for drinks and the Gala Dinner.

 

What advice have you got for anyone wishing to pen a book?

Read widely, keep writing and don’t give up. There are many routes to getting published now and if you persevere you’ll find the right one for you. I was once told to write the first novel, dump it and get on with the second. My first novel is still in a box in the attic.

 

Who are your favourite authors?

Twitter has introduced my to an amazing array of authors whom I might not have come across but whose books have become firm favourites. Some have become friends and if I started naming them I’d be bound to leave someone out in error. However it was with utter joy when I learned that the daughter of a close friend (and my daughter’s godfather) had achieved a brilliant publishing deal. Needless to say I loved reading it: ‘Elizabeth is Missing’ by E C Healey. When I have the time I go back to reading old favourites like Wilkie Collins, Dickens, James Joyce, and DH Lawrence among others.

 

If you were only allowed to keep three items what would they be?

Although I am an inveterate hoarder, I try to discipline myself not to be “owned” by possessions. It’s taken me a long time to realise this. My family, friends and three cats (the felines are all sitting with me as I write this, making sure I include them) are the world to me. If I had to choose items it would probably be my mother’s rings and earrings, old family photos currently framed and hanging in the dining room, and my phone which contains all my contacts. Actually this has given me an idea for another book …

 

Links

Dancers in the Wind
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dancers-Wind-gripping-thriller-Weybridge/dp/1911129635/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1486815984&sr=1-1

Death’s Silent Judgement
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deaths-Silent-Judgement-Hannah-Weybridge/dp/1911331353/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487075630&sr=1-1&keywords=death%27s+silent+judgement

Cheque-Mate & Other Tales of the Unexpected
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cheque-Mate-Other-Tales-Unexpected-Coates-ebook/dp/B008G1FI5M/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1487075707&sr=1-1&keywords=Cheque+Mate+and+other+Tales+of+the+unexpected

Author website http://www.annecoatesauthor.com/

‘Dancers in the Wind’ by Anne Coates

‘Dancers in the Wind’ was published on the 13^th October by Urbane Publications.  I was very kindly sent a proof copy to read and review.

This story is set in 1993.  Hannah Weybridge is a freelance journalist and single mother.  Commissioned by a national newspaper to write an article on the notorious red light district in Kings Cross, Hannah interviews a prostitute called Princess and a police inspector in the vice squad, Tom Jordan.

When Princess turns up at her house badly beaten up and barely recognisable, Hannah finds herself in a very difficult position and has to decide quickly what to do for the best.  She soon finds herself drawn ever deeper into a world of deceit and violence and knows that she must do her utmost best to expose the truth whilst staying alive.  Will she succeed in her quest?

I thoroughly enjoyed ‘Dancers in the Wind’.  I loved the writing style and the element of suspense throughout.  The majority of the chapters were very short but I felt that this just added to the excitement.  I also absolutely loathe being unable to finish a chapter in one sitting or being interrupted halfway through it so the shorter chapters were better in that sense too.

I really liked Hannah Weybridge and thought she was a gutsy lady.  I don’t think she realised just what she was getting herself into in helping Princess and I feared for her and her adorable daughter.  I also liked Tom Jordan but like Hannah wasn’t too sure about him for quite a while.  I felt so sorry for Princess who hadn’t exactly had a great life and for others like her.

Anne Coates has written several non-fiction books and a number of short stories.  ‘Dancers in the Wind’ is actually her first novel but you would never guess it.  Anne writes with such confidence, it’s as if she’s been writing crime fiction for ages.  I also liked the fact that real events are used to base her stories on.

I bought a copy of ‘Dancers in the Wind’ at Anne’s wonderful book launch and it’s one I will certainly treasure.  At the end of the book you can read the first chapter of Anne’s next novel, ‘Death’s Silent Judgement’ which is the sequel to ‘Dancers in the Wind’, due out next Spring  I loved the opening to it and am already intrigued.

I give this book 5 out of 5.

 

‘Dancers in the Wind’ is available to buy from Urbane Publications:-

http://urbanepublications.com/books/dancers-in-the-wind/

 

Guest Post by Anne Coates

Anne Coates is having her novel, ‘Dancers in the Wind’ published by Urbane Publications later this year.  She has written a guest post for this event about her inspiration for this book.

 

My Inspiration for Dancers in the Wind by Anne Coates

With most of my fiction, the initial idea comes from a real life incident ­–  something I have read or someone has told me about and sometimes a dream sets off a chain of thought. I take the seed and think “What if…”

The inspiration for Dancers in the Wind came from interviews I did many years ago with a prostitute and police officer at Kings Cross. This was for a Sunday newspaper and I had to pay the prostitute for her time in cash. Like an idiot I gave it to her in the envelope it had arrived in – with my address on it! In the end the newspaper didn’t run the story as it was so gut-wrenchingly sad.

A few weeks later, when I had fallen asleep sitting by my baby’s cot, I was woken by a loud knocking at my front door. It was 2am and I crept downstairs, heart thumping, and looked out of the window. There was no one there… However, as you can imagine, I felt totally spooked. In Dancers this scene heralds the arrival of a badly beaten up prostitute.

I set Dancers in London where I have lived most of my life. I love my local area and community and am blessed with good friends both here and in other parts of the country. Some may realise I’ve lifted a characteristic or trait from them here and there but hopefully I won’t have offended anyone!

Friends who have read the manuscript say that they can see me in the protagonist: freelance journalist, Hannah Weybridge. There are superficial similarities. Of course I have drawn on some of my own experiences but she is not me – for one thing I’m far too much of a wimp but I do have a vivid imagination.

Dancers in the Wind will be published by Urbane Publications in October 2016, with the sequel due in spring the following year.

Anne’s flash fiction has twice won 99Fiction award and her short stories have appeared in magazines like Bella and Candis. Two collections: Cheque-Mate and Other Tales of the Unexpected and A Tale of Two Sisters are published as ebooks.

 

You can follow Anne on Twitter – @Anne_Coates1