Tuesday, January 10, 2023

Works in Progress...

Often don't progress. 

I'm a Plotter. Writing murder-mysteries practically requires it. I have to know whodunnit, why, where, how, and when. It's not the kind of thing IMO that can be done using the Pantsing method without needing a lot of refining, head-scratching and rubbing out in many subsequent drafts.

I write an outline before I start on any Veronica Nash story, filling in details as they occur to me. The process can take weeks, sometimes months, but I think it's worth it as it makes writing the manuscript that much easier.

That's not to say plotting out a story beforehand is foolproof.

For my current manuscript I wrote an outline as usual then set to work. It pootled along quite nicely for the opening chapters then hit a snag. The characters were going places and doing things that jarred with what I had in mind. Fixing it required a lot of thought - often subconsciously - and a bit of time. I let it be over the holidays then returned to it afresh. 

And that's when I saw the problem was in the outline, not the manuscript. By rearranging where the principal characters are and what they're doing I overcame the stoppage (Writing is similar to plumbing: Discuss). Once that was solved everything began to flow again.

Moral of the story - Outlines are never set in stone, nor should they be.

Sunday, November 06, 2022

Death on the Rocks ~ Out now!

Death drops in...

Veronica and Claire’s delayed honeymoon on the French Riviera is interrupted when a man falls onto their beach. Did Hollywood mogul Solly Myers fall—or was he pushed? He’d plenty of enemies, but negotiating the tangle of friendships and betrayals to uncover the truth is no easy task—especially after one fateful night in the casino.

Death on the Rocks - Out Now at eXtasy Books.

Sunday, September 25, 2022

Death on the Rocks ~ Coming soon!

Death on the Rocks ~ Book #8 in the Veronica Nash murder-mysteries - will be released on October 21st!

Death drops in... 
 
Veronica and Claire’s delayed honeymoon on the French Riviera is interrupted when a man falls onto their beach. Did Hollywood mogul Solly Myers fall—or was he pushed? He’d plenty of enemies, but negotiating the tangle of friendships and betrayals to uncover the truth is no easy task—especially after one fateful night in the casino.

Friday, February 18, 2022

Traitor's Gold ~ Out now!

 

Traitor’s Gold

Bell, book, and scandal.

Did Veronica’s father attack a shop assistant, leaving her for dead? The retired magistrate is too ill to answer questions, so the Ladies look for an explanation.

Their quest leads to a historic family scandal and a legendary lost hoard of gold that almost toppled the Crown of England. With a dangerous stranger dogging their footsteps, the stakes are high. For Veronica, solving the case could lead to so much more than clearing her father’s name, but fate has another shock in store...

 

Traitor’s Gold ~ Out Now at Extasy Books!



Saturday, October 23, 2021

And the Nun Sang Plaisir d'Amour ~ Out now!

 

Cover art by Martine Jardine

 

And the Nun Sang Plaisir d’amour


The hills are alive with the sound of mayhem...

 

Veronica and Claire head for Derbyshire on a Home 

Office mission to spy on the Willow Woofs—an 

eccentric back-to-nature group. There’s something 

rotten behind their quaint facade, but what can it be?

 

 

Friday, September 17, 2021

Chimes at Midnight ~ Out now!

 

Chimes at Midnight

Death and blackmail walk amongst the Dreaming Spires...

A year-end tradition at St. Barbara’s College Oxford ends in the death of a controversial professor. Royce Sheridan had enemies—but which one killed him? A weekend at a stately home may enable Veronica and Claire to uncover the culprit, but as a snowstorm engulfs the house and the body count rises, they may find more than they bargain for.

https://www.extasybooks.com/Chimes-at-Midnight

Sunday, August 01, 2021

eXtasy Books ~ Revamped website

To celebrate eXtasy Books new revamped website they're offering 40% off sale price on certain books!

Head on over to check out a new author or title!