Kindred: 100,000 copies sold!

Author News.

Kindred, the fifth book in my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series, joins the four other books you can see in background on my writing cabin wall in passing 100,000 copies sold.

Thanks to everyone who's bought a copy, and to my publisher Amazon Publishing for this lovely commemorative framed copy.

Another published author in the family - Mrs R's Poem.

While we were going through the loft recently, Karen came across her old school artwork, and amongst it was a poem about life as seen through her window while growing up in Ramsgate, Kent. She read it to me and said she also had one published when she was at school, which she wrote in 1982. I loved the poem. I really thought it caught the location and the time--period well, evoking my own childhood memories. It went back into the loft, and I hope to go and find it again soon so I can share it with you. Unfortunately, she didn't have a copy of the poem that was published, until now... While visiting our parents her mother produced the book and read the poem to us. I thought you might also like to read it, so here it is, as published in The Life Times of the East Kent Critic. It's called 'Dustbin Day'.

Inauspicious beginnings for an author!

Oh dear! Looking back at this I wonder why I ever wanted to write for a living.

I couldn't even fill in the details on the
cover of my English language school
book without a capitalisation error and
a spelling mistake! 

I've been clearing out my loft these past few weeks. I'm a total hoarder. I found my old Atari and Spektrum home computers from the 1980s, the skateboard I had as a child the decade before, even my battered old collection of marbles from my junior school days, still in the same denim pencil case I used to keep them in. I could go on and on. Needless to say, after much toil and deliberation (it's not easy for a hoarder to part with things) my loft has now been liberated, and I could almost feel the house sigh with relief after taking all that weight off its shoulders.

Somewhere amidst the decades of dust and memories, I came across a few of my old school books. Among them I found one for English literature, and two for English language. Naturally, I pulled them out of the pile to have a look, wondering if there might be some clue within the pages that would help me to understand why I've always wanted to write books. Apart from a keen interest in electronics, I don't recall being very good at anything in particular, or even interested in much other than the more practical studies such as pottery, woodwork and metalwork. Sadly my English grades bear this out with a D average for English literature, and a slightly more promising B- for English language during my third-form year. The literature grades came as no real surprise as even to this day I'm not a great reader, preferring to create my own stories instead, which flies in the face of the popular belief that all writers love to read.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to share a few pages from my school books with you. I suppose I must have been about fourteen years old when I wrote in them. If they've shown me one thing, it's that they've compounded my belief that we can achieve just about anything if we try hard enough and keep going until we get there, no matter how inauspicious our beginnings.

It's a D for English literature...

But I loved reading Enid Blyton!
Ok, so I recall that I left it too late to
to write the book review I was supposed
to write and fell back on a quick review
of something I'd read many
times before and knew by heart.
Sorry Miss!

I still throw in random capital letters
when I'm writing by hand. I have to
concentrate and try really hard not to
for some reason.

I guess that told me!

Sound advice for any writer.
What's wrong with bear mats anyway?

A good story, well told...
Words I have held very dear, and which
I always keep in mind when plotting
and writing my books.

Things are looking up on the English language
front. Hurrah! I think I'll become an author! :o)

NEW Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery Out Now!

The Girl in the Painting, my brand new Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery, is now available for Kindle and in paperback.

I'm very pleased to announce that my new Jefferson Tayte book is now available for you to read. It's been a couple of years since the release of Letters from the Dead, currently the last book in the main series. For those who have been following JT's adventures in solving serious crime through genealogy, The Girl in the Painting follows on. It has, however, also been written with new readers to the series in mind, so it can be enjoyed equally as an introduction to JT and the main series without spoiling any of the storylines in those books.

Whether you're discovering for the first time just how exciting genealogical crime mysteries can be, or are a die-hard fan of the sub-genre and have read all the other JT books so far, I hope you enjoy the story I've created for you. And if you have read the main series and have been patiently waiting for a new JT book to be released, I very much  hope you enjoy catching up with JT again as much as I have.

You can discover more and order your copy from Amazon here.

From the back cover:

A stand-alone JEFFERSON TAYTE novella from the author of the million-copy bestselling Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mysteries. 

A portrait painting is stolen from a London home. Shortly afterwards, the owner, Nat, calls on genealogist Jefferson Tayte for his help. She believes the subject of the painting, a young girl called Jess, is a past relative and wants to learn more about her. The problem is that Nat's research has hit a brick wall - Jess appears to have vanished from the slums of Victorian London soon after the portrait was painted.

When Tayte learns that the theft is connected with a recent murder, he's right to be wary, but solving crimes through genealogical research is what he does best. He quickly becomes intrigued by the girl in the painting and agrees to help. What became of her? Who stole the painting, and why would they kill for it all these years later?

As Tayte and Nat go in search of the answers, can they solve the mystery and bring the murderer to justice? Or will they become the killer's next victims?

Editing my new JT book.

My copy editor has sent the manuscript for my new Jefferson Tayte genealogical mystery back to me for editing. I would have thought that after ten books my own editing would be pretty good by now, but my goodness no. I went through it twice before I sent it in, and yet there are so many little things still to fix. Conclusive proof, if ever any were needed, that authors need editors. They are the unsung heroes of publishing! Thankfully the fixes are all little things. No major issues. I can also report that she said she 'loved it!' as I hope you will, too.

Once I've finished these edits, I have a pro proofreader/editor lined up for early February. After that, more reading and formatting for the Kindle and paperback editions. With less than two months to go, I'm very excited about this release. Not least because it's been a couple of years since I've had a new Jefferson Tayte book out, and I can't wait to hear what you think about it.

Jefferson Tayte is Back!

 New Jefferson Tayte novella coming 23 March

If you've been missing JT these past couple of years, you'll be pleased to know that the man in the tan suit is set to return this March in a brand new genealogical mystery called The Girl in the Painting. It's about half the size of the books in the main series, and I've written it both as a stand-alone introduction to Jefferson Tayte for new readers, and as a continuation for existing readers, although this book does stand apart from the main series, so there are no repeat characters apart from JT.

It's been a challenge writing a story that would appeal to both new and existing readers, and to fit a full JT story into half as many words as I usually do, with a present-day genealogical investigation, and a past mystery. This time it's about a young girl living in the slums of Victorian London, and what became of her.

You can pre-order your Kindle copy from Amazon HERE, where you can also read the description and discover more about the book. The paperback edition will be available in April.

The Secret Wife is out now!

What happens when you take a modern psychological thriller, such as Emma Donoghue's ROOM, and blend it with Daphne du Maurier's classic, REBECCA? That's the question I had in mind when I set out to write my latest gothic suspense thriller, THE SECRET WIFE, which is set in a remote part of Cornwall in the 1840s.

The title has just been released for Kindle and in paperback. Here are some of the things readers are already saying about it...

'An excellent and compelling story'  . . .  'To say I was hooked by the bottom of the first page is an understatement'  . . .  'An engrossing page turner, tense and dramatically descriptive'  . . .  'You just can't put it down. A must read.'

Click here to discover more

The Secret Wife - Out 25 June

New book release - The Secret Wife

My new historical suspense thriller, The Secret wife is now available to pre-order and will be out for Kindle and in paperback worldwide on 25 June.

You can visit the product page and pre-order it from Amazon in your country HERE.

From the author of The Penmaker’s Wife, and the million-copy bestselling JEFFERSON TAYTE series, The Secret Wife is a chilling tale of survival in nineteenth-century Cornwall.

Description:

Locked away. Believed to be dead. Can a mother survive her murderous husband's cruel oppression?

A house fire at Crows-an-Wra Manor in a remote part of West Cornwall supposedly takes the life of its mistress, Rosen Trevelyan. Sometime later, she awakes to find herself locked in an unfamiliar room, questioning why her husband, Richard, has done this to her. And what of their daughter? Did Sophia really die in the fire, as Rosen has been led to believe?

When a stranger arrives at the manor, and the reason for Rosen’s incarceration becomes clear, she fears that her husband can ill afford to keep her alive much longer. But could this harbinger of her death also be her salvation? 

Under the watchful eyes of Richard’s hateful mother, Mariah, Rosen must do all she can to survive their cruelty, in the hope that she will some day be reunited with her daughter, but time is running out. 

Can this stranger to Crows-an-Wra Manor discover the truth before it’s too late for both of them?

Room meets Rebecca in a suspenseful tale of deception, murder, and survival in nineteenth-century Cornwall.

The Penmaker's Wife is Out Now!

Historical noir anyone? Welcome to my dark side. 

I've very pleased to announce that my new historical thriller, The Penmaker's Wife is out now in all formats worldwide! 

Okay, it's not too dark. If you can handle Peaky Blinders I think you'll be fine with The Penmaker's Wife, which is also set in Birmingham, although a little earlier, in the late 1800s.

I was in what I imagine was a small minority of TV series viewers when I wrote this book, in that I hadn't seen a single episode of Peaky Blinders. That is until my Publisher Thomas & Mercer wrote the following comparison: 'Alias Grace meets Peaky Blinders in this tale of obsession, ambition and murder in Victorian England.' How could I not watch the TV series after reading that? Having now binge-watched the first five seasons, I'm actually in withdrawal as I wait with everyone else to watch season 6. Gripping stuff! I can't get enough of it!

So why did I set my book in Birmingham? The simple answer is trains and pens. Early on in the book Angelica Chastain has to flee from London with her young son, William. As the rail link between London's Euston station and Birmingham was already well established by the time the story takes place -- initially running to Curzon Street in 1837 and then New Street from 1851 -- it was a logical choice. More importantly, I chose Birmingham because it was then the centre of Britain's thriving pen-making industry. I had a great time with the research for this book, exploring Birmingham's Victorian streets and suburbs, and the riches of the Jewellery Quarter. 

If you'd like to discover more about me and my books, please visit my website. To order a copy of The Penmaker's Wife from Amazon, here's a link.

Praise for The Penmaker's Wife from Amazon UK readers:

'An incredible, shocking and chilling masterpiece.'

'I didn’t see the final twist coming at all but I’m not going to say anymore as you need to read this book for yourself to find out the delights that are contained in its pages.'

'A tale told cleverly leading this reader with mixed emotions about the central character- but I cannot say more without spoiling it for A N Other. Steve Robinson is an author to follow.'

'This is a brilliant book and I highly recommend this to those who enjoy getting totally engrossed in a tale of struggle and determination to escape their past and improve life for their children.'

'Masterfully transporting. Loved It! A well orchestrated story of love, despair, deception and survival.'

'It was very good indeed, totally unexpected and original. Well written too. A good one!'

'Very cleverly written. The author brings alive London and Birmingham during the late 1800s.'

'Page turner. I wasn't sure if this was going to be as riveting as Jefferson Tayte's stories but I was not disappointed. Excellent story. I couldn't put it down.'

'Great story. Didn't want to put it down. Steve Robinson writes historical drama so well.'

'I loved this book, I didn't really know what to expect, but from the minute I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. So cleverly written with lots of twists.'

'The writing style captivated me and held my attention throughout and I truly could not have guessed the ending.'

'The historical detail included made you feel as if you were really there in Victorian times.'

'What a very brilliantly written book. I loved the characters and especially how the story was delivered.'

'I found this book to be a compelling historical noir. It grabbed me from the first couple of pages and I found it very hard to put down!'

'What a twist! … I highly recommend this book.'

My author copies of The Penmaker's Wife have arrived!

THE PENMAKER'S WIFE -- OUT SOON!

I was so excited to receive a box full of books from my publisher, Thomas & Mercer. It's the paperback edition of The Penmaker's Wife, my new historical thriller. I've always thought the cover image looked great - love the colour scheme - but there's nothing like holding one in your hands after what has amounted to almost two years since I began plotting the story. It's my eighth published book, but that special feeing never wears thin. 

It will be out in the UK on 1 November and elsewhere on 1 December, so not long to wait, wherever you are. It's a breakaway from my Jefferson Tayte series, although it shouldn't be entirely unfamiliar to those who have read my JT books as it's much like one of the historical narratives you'll have read in those. If you get a copy, in whichever format you choose, be it paperback, Kindle or audiobook, I hope you enjoy it.

In Victorian England, a mother is on the run from her past—and the truth about what she did. Alias Grace meets Peaky Blinders in this tale of obsession, ambition and murder in Victorian England.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy, here's a link.

The title of my next book is...

New book from Steve Robinson coming soon.

My next book is called The Penmaker's Wife, and it will be out worldwide in paperback, Kindle, and audiobook formats on 1 December 2019. The cover hasn't been finalised yet, but here's a peak at what it's going to look like.

Not a Jefferson Tayte novel.

With seven Jefferson Tayte books now published, I decided it was time to take a break from my genealogy mystery series. With over a million copies sold, the series has been very successful and it was a difficult decision to make, but I felt the need to try something a little different. Does that mean there won't be any more JT books? I hope not. I like to think of it as giving the poor fella a much needed rest after all the scrapes he's been in since the first book in the series, In the Blood, was released back in 2012. 

So, what type of book is The Penmaker's Wife? Well, if you've enjoyed the historical narratives in my JT books, or you enjoy historical thrillers in general, then I think you'll enjoy this. I actually started plotting it for a JT book some years ago, but it became too big a story in itself. It's set entirely in the late Victorian era, and my development editor has described it as a fantastically dark and creepy gothic thriller. I hope you'll give it a try.

I'm very excited about it and can't wait to let you know more. The description should be ready soon, and I'll be sure to share it, along with the full cover, when I can.

Images from my recent hiking trip

I've been to Barmouth - the 'Little Gibraltar of Wales.'

Image from Barmouth.org.uk

I've not long been back from a hiking trip in mid-wales, this time in the southern region of the Snowdonia National Park. We stayed just above the town of Barmouth, with some great walks right on our doorstep. With all the glorious weather we've had this summer and early autumn, we hoped we'd be in for a treat, but unfortunately the weather had other ideas, with not just one, but three different storm systems heading our way. To say it was wet and windy would be an understatement, but we got out there and it was great fun, if you like that sort of thing. As far as hiking goes, I'm fond of the phrase, 'there's no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing,' and we were well prepared. The weather even cooperated a few times, enabling me to bring a few images back with me that I like, and wanted to share.

For those interested in photography, I've just switched from my Canon full-frame gear to the Fujifilm mirrorless X-System, which uses a crop sensor and is much lighter for hiking with, yet still offers great image quality. I hope you enjoy the photos with captions. Click on any image to enlarge them.

Looking into the Mawddach estuary from Barmouth Bridge.
William Wordsworth called it the sublime estuary, and JRR Tolkien
 was so taken with the town of Barmouth that it became his model
for the fictitious town of Hobbiton in The Lord of the Rings.

Barmouth Bridge - a Grade II listed wooden railway viaduct with
pedestrian foot bridge. High winds were a challenge as we crossed
the bridge during the full force of Storm Ali.

Looking towards the Mawddach estuary with Cadair Idris mountain
range in the background.  

Some interesting light amidst the storm clouds one morning, looking
towards Cadair Idris from the balcony outside our accomodation.

More interesting sunlight through the storm clouds.

Heading back to our accommodation on the Panorama Walk above Barmouth.

Taken during a hike from Barmouth to Tal-y-bont on the Ardudwy Way.

A seascape taken from Fairborne, which is on the other side of Barmouth Bridge.

Letters from the Dead - Out now!

New Jefferson Tayte book

My new Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery is out now in paperback, audiobook (performed by Simon Vance) and for Kindle worldwide. If you're following the series and plan to read it, I very much hope you enjoy it. If you're new to the series and just like the sound of this book, it can also be read as a stand-alone story without having to have read the earlier books first. For more information, and to order a copy, please follow this LINK, which will take you to the Amazon product page in your country.

Reviews

Here's what some readers are saying about the book on their blogs so far. You can follow the links to read the full reviews.

‘The end of the Scottish adventure is a white-knuckle ride and, as always, I thoroughly enjoyed this story. Steve Robinson carefully strands his stories together and they are a joy to unpick.’ — Ignite Books.

http://ignitebooks.blogspot.com/2018/08/steve-robinson.html

‘A story that, at times, had more than the touch of an Agatha Christie about it. If you have not read any of Steve Robinson’s work and are a fan of historical and genealogical fiction or merely just love a good mystery story, then you won’t go wrong with this series.’ — Go Buy The Book.

https://gobuythebook.wordpress.com/2018/08/04/letters-from-the-dead-by-steve-robinson/

‘Even better than the beautifully descriptive passages is the way Robinson builds the mystery and plants the clues. I am usually pretty good at predicting the outcome, but with this book I confess to being wrong every time.’ — Jollett Etc.

https://jollettetc.blogspot.com/2018/08/book-review-letters-from-dead-by-steve.html

‘I found myself literally holding my breath as each mystery unfolded, and genealogist, Jefferson Tayte, uncovered the clues. Steve Robinson is always a must-read author. I thoroughly enjoyed Letters from the Dead and could not put it down!’ — Old Bones Genealogy.

https://www.oldbonesgenealogy.com/genealogy-mysteries-2018-whats-new-part-2/

Further information now on my website

If you would like to read some background information about the book, including the inspiration behind it, how I set about writing the story, and some of the research that went into it, please take a look at the information page on my website HERE. I hope you'll find it interesting.

Out 14 Aug! Letters from the Dead

My new Jefferson Tayte book!

I'm very excited to finally be able to say that Letters from the Dead will be out next month! It's the seventh book in the series, but as with all the other books, it's a full story in itself, so you don't have to have read the previous books to enjoy it. It will be released worldwide on 14 August for Kindle, and in paperback and audiobook formats, the latter of which has once again been performed by multi-award winning narrator and actor, Simon Vance.

The present-day narrative is set in Scotland in the Southern Highland town of Comrie, and as with most of the books in the series it has a past narrative, which this time is set in Colonial India, specifically Jaipur, in the 1820s. I'd always wanted to write a story set in India around the time of the Honourable East India Company, and I had a great time conducting the research required to bring this colourful era to life. I also set out to write a full on murder-mystery with this book, with a traditional cast of suspects, so if you plan to read it, I know you'll have fun trying to work out whodunnit.

Do you like my bears? The one on the left of four in the image above is my birthday bear, brought to the hospital for me by my dad on the day I was born. The avid-reader bear in his cardigan on the right has been stuck into the new book since the box arrived in the post the other day. He looks pretty gripped, so that's a good sign. If you join him in reading it, I hope you'll be gripped, too. I'll be introducing the other bears on my Facebook page soon, where I'll be running lots of competitions to win signed Jefferson Tayte paperback and audiobooks, one of which will be the month-long #BearsWithBooks competition, which starts on 14 July, so if you'd like the chance to win a signed book, do pop along to my Facebook page HERE.

Description:

From acclaimed author Steve Robinson comes a thrilling new Jefferson Tayte mystery.

When genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to prove the identity of a black sheep in his client’s family tree, he unwillingly finds himself drawn into a murder investigation with nothing more to go on than a 150-year-old letter and a connection to a legendary ruby that has been missing for generations.

As more letters are mysteriously left for him, Tayte becomes immersed in a centuries-old tale of greed, murder and forbidden love that takes his research from the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the colour and heat of colonial India.

A dark secret is buried in Jaipur, steeped in treachery and scandal. But why is it having such deadly repercussions in the present? Can Tayte find the ruby and prevent the past from repeating itself before it’s too late?

This is the seventh book in the Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.

Letters from the Dead can be pre-ordered from Amazon HERE.

The blurb is out. Read all about it!

Book description for my new Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery, Letters from the Dead.

After what seems like a very long time indeed, I'm very pleased to be able to tell you more about my new JT book at last! The back cover description has now been released. You can read it HERE where you can also pre-order your copy so you receive it the day it comes out, or on my blog below.

I hope you like it. :)

From acclaimed author Steve Robinson comes a thrilling new Jefferson Tayte mystery.

When genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to prove the identity of a black sheep in his client’s family tree, he unwillingly finds himself drawn into a murder investigation with nothing more to go on than a 150-year-old letter and a connection to a legendary ruby that has been missing for generations.

As more letters are mysteriously left for him, Tayte becomes immersed in a centuries-old tale of greed, murder and forbidden love that takes his research from the wilds of the Scottish Highlands to the colour and heat of colonial India.

A dark secret is buried in Jaipur, steeped in treachery and scandal. But why is it having such deadly repercussions in the present? Can Tayte find the ruby and prevent the past from repeating itself before it’s too late?

This is the seventh book in the Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series but it can be enjoyed as a stand-alone story.

Cover reveal for NEW Jefferson Tayte mystery

Here it is--the front cover for my new book, Letters from the Dead!

The shiny new cover for my seventh Jefferson Tayte Genealogical mystery has been finalised, and I'm so pleased to be able to share it with you. I love it! Nice and moody. Now I really can't wait for the book to be out on 14 August. Here's a link to the book on Amazon for pre-orders and more information, which should be ready very soon.

Do let me know what you think. :)

My 7th Jefferson Tayte Mystery is called...

New Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery coming this summer

I'm very pleased to announce that the seventh book in my Jefferson Tayte Genealogical Mystery series is going to be released in all formats worldwide on 14 August. It's called Letters from the Dead.

The cover design and blurb are still being worked on, so I can't share much more with you just now, but I can tell you that JT finds himself in Scotland this time, drawn into an ill-fated family's search for a priceless gemstone that takes his research to India at the time of the British East India Company, where he unravels a tale of greed, murder and forbidden love.

Needless to say, I'm very excited about this book. I've wanted to write about British India for some time now. It's such an evocative period in British history, conjuring a strong sense of adventure and excitement, which are two things I set out to capture when I began writing the story. I'm very much looking forward to seeing the cover design, which of course I'll share with you as soon as I can, along with the back cover description as soon as it's ready.

If you'd like to pre-order a copy so you receive Letters from the Dead on the day it's released, please follow the Amazon pre-order link below, which will take you to the book's product page in your country. If you're able to share the news and help spread the word, that would be great. :o)

Pre-order Letters from the Dead here.

Harper Collins Japan to publish IN THE BLOOD

I'm very excited to share with you the cover design for the Japanese language translation of IN THE BLOOD, the first book in my Jefferson Tayte Genealogy Mystery series, which is due to be released by Harper Collins Japan in February.

Because things don't always translate well from one language to another, the title has changed for the Japanese market. The lettering on the cover says 'A Secret of the Family', which I think sums up what the story is about very well. Harper Collins said: 'The reason is that the story develops around a secret of one family, which has been kept for several hundred years.' It was also chosen because 'Japanese readers tend to like dark and mysterious histories of a family.' IN THE BLOOD is certainly that.

I really like the cover design. It speaks of the past, and of old documents, and I've also just heard that the book will include a map or Cornwall where the story is set, and a Fairborne family tree. I can't wait to see a copy.

From the back cover:

Two hundred years ago a loyalist family fled to England to escape the American War of Independence and seemingly vanished into thin air. American genealogist Jefferson Tayte is hired to find out what happened, but it soon becomes apparent that a calculated killer is out to stop him.

In the Blood combines a centuries-old mystery with a present-day thriller that brings two people from opposite sides of the Atlantic together to uncover a series of carefully hidden crimes. Tayte's research centres around the tragic life of a young Cornish girl, a writing box, and the discovery of a dark secret that he believes will lead him to the family he is looking for. Trouble is, someone else is looking for the same answers and will stop at nothing to find them.

My 7th Jefferson Tayte Mystery is written!

New Jefferson Tayte Genealogy Mystery moves into editing. YAY!

It's been almost ten months in the making, but I'm very glad to be able to say that my next Jefferson Tayte story is written. Not only that, but I've also finished editing the first draft, and having only just read the book for the first time as a complete story, I must say that I'm very pleased with it. My first reader, Mrs R, is currently reading it, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that she likes it, too. She may be my wife. but she 's a tough critic and knows how important it is to make the book as good as possible at this stage before I pass it on to my publisher and the structural editing begins.

So what's next? Well, tomorrow I'm going to give myself a break and go and play some golf, then we have friends visiting over the weekend, so on Monday I'll begin formatting the manuscript to make it ready to send to my editor. That involves compiling the scenes from Scrivener, which I use to write the story and to go through the first draft, into MS Word. Then I'll make sure it all looks okay and go through some basics, like spell checking and checking misplaced words, such as 'onto' when I meant 'on to' and 'isle' where I meant 'aisle'. I have a long list that I've gathered over the years and won't send an MS in until I've gone through it all, checking to see if I've fallen foul of any such errors. Then I'll go through a second draft, this time listening to the story as an audiobook, which I find helps me to create realistic dialogue, and spot missing words that my brain too easily fills in for me when I'm reading the words off my screen.

If you've been following my posts on my writing progress over the years, particularly on Facebook, you'll know that I dread the structural editing stage, which is basically where my editor tries to pull all my hard work apart an then asks me to fix it. At least, that's how it can seem, but it's a necessary and invaluable part of the process and one I wouldn't want to miss, however difficult it can be. It's the part where the story is made better. That means it's better for you when you read it, so although I dread it, I love it at the same time. Maybe that dread stems from the fact that I'm against the clock during each round of editing, particularly during the first round where I only have two weeks to find a solution to any points raised and implement them, which can be quite a challenge.

I'll be sure to let you know how it all goes, and as ever I can't wait to tell you more about it.