Afleveringen
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Just long would you be prepared to endure a difficult marriage? How many years of mind games could you take? That's the dilemma facing Laura in Alison Irving's debut novel, Casual Cruelties, which was published by Bloodhound Books last year. As Alison is keen to stress to us from her home near Belfast, she is not writing from personal experience, but she did conduct extensive research in creating the world of her characters. Her second novel, Her Best Friend's Husband has just been published, and again it delves into the hidden darkness that can be masked by the outward trappings of a happy marriage and family life. As Alison tells us, she's so fulfilled by her writing experiences that she's chosen to change direction in her life - from a physiotherapist working in palliative care in a hospice - to writing full time.
Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca discuss the revelations within a chart celebrating the 50th anniversary of The Sunday Times bestseller list. Which books spent most time in the top 10? The answers are quite surprising, and for fiction fans, not that encouraging!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Casual-Cruelties-nail-biting-domestic-suspense-breathtaking-ebook/dp/B0CHMNHBRL
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Best-Friends-Husband-nail-biting-ebook/dp/B0D6RMNLP6
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There was a time, not so long ago, when the name Moss Side conjured up images of dystopian Manchester streets riddled with drug-related gang gun crime. The epicentre of 'Gunchester' in the 90s, the district was one of the toughest areas in the UK to police. Our guest this week, James Ellson did just that, and was responsible for serious crimes in the division, from shootings, robberies to suspicious deaths. Seeking a change of direction after his police career, James is now a smallholder in the Peak District, as well as a crime author. Drawing on his passion for Nepal where he has trekked extensively, James devised the DCI Castle series, which plunges Manchester-based DCI Rick Castle into a series of investigations in the Himalayan nation. As James tells us, it's a passion project, combining his front-line police experience with his love of Nepal and its people.
Also this week, we discuss how a Liverpool library was caught up in recent social unrest across the UK and the campaign to raise funds to replace the books destroyed in the subsequent fire, and we hear about the latest efforts to protect creative professionals and their incomes against the march of AI.
James Ellson – Writer, Smallholder, Speaker
DCI Castle Series - available here
Fundraiser by Alex McCormick : Books for Spellow Lane (gofundme.com)
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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When it comes down to it, The Hobcast Book Show is above all else a celebration of storytelling. Our guest this week, Tim Sullivan, has been a storyteller his whole career - beginning with theatre productions at Cambridge University, making short films, working throughout the Granada TV empire in all departments including news and drama, and becoming a director of shows such as Coronation Street, Cold Feet and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes. Tim has directed and written films too, working with legendary figures such as Judi Dench, Alec Guinness and Eileen Atkins. He's written big-budget Hollywood animation movies, and most recently he's turned to crime fiction and the DS Cross Crime series, set in Bristol. As Tim tells us, he's proud of how George Cross has been received by readers, particularly those in the autism community. Tim spent many months research into autism before creating his lead detective, who he describes as being rude, awkward and difficult with people, but also a champion of the voiceless and dispossessed, with the best conviction record on the force. The most recent novel in the series, The Teacher, was released earlier this year. This interview is a celebration of storytelling in all its forms.
Also this week, we learn which genres dominate sales on Amazon in the UK, and Adrian reveals the impact that a new audiobook project on the Titanic disaster is having on him.
Home - Tim Sullivan
The Teacher: A brand new case full of twists for the unforgettable must-read detective in 2024 (A DS Cross Thriller) eBook : Sullivan, Tim: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store
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There seems to be a theme emerging on The Hobcast Book Show. Iet's amazing how many guests begin their literary careers in comics and graphic novels. That's certainly the case for our guest this week, D.V. Bishop. David was the youngest editor ever of the celebrated 2000 AD comic. As he explains, many of the lessons he learned from that experience have given him advantages as a novelist and creative writing course leader. Author of the Historical Dagger-winning Cesare Aldo series of historical crime novels set in Renaissance Florence, David's evocative recreation of the city at its height in the 16th century has gained him many admirers. As he explains in this illuminating interview, his passion for literature was forged in his New Zealand upbringing - where finding books to read involved a lengthy bike ride to access the mobile library service once a week.
Also this week, we look ahead to the release of two new Hobeck audiobooks, and we debate some of the 3200 new words added to the Cambridge Dictionary. Just what is a "face journey"?
D. V. BISHOP (dvbishop.com)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CKXN9W6S
Bodies in the Water Audiobook: https://open.spotify.com/show/2zPQ27dQcCWbRAKOJaxloG?si=zkWTF7icTlOB_2RtHQ8bgA
Blood Notes Audiobook: https://open.spotify.com/show/5QREmjP90mjN7A4sQ47dJc?si=chp1InqCSk-JUinSwjNIig
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There can't be many authors who haven't dipped into the Writers' and Artists' Yearbook at least once in their career. First published in 1906, the 2025 edition came out last week. It's the go to reference guide for the UK publishing industry, with comprehensive listings of all the agents, publishers, periodicals, newspapers, awards and festivals that make up the British publishing scene. But as yearbook editor, Alysoun Owen, tells us - the book is far more than that. Each year she commissions articles and essays from leading authors and industry figures shining a light on the key developments within the industry - whether it be the growth of independent publishing or the influence of new technology and AI. It's a huge challenge for Alysoun and her team to reflect all the changes within publishing and illustration each year, but the yearbook has retained it's reputation as the most trusted chronicle of the evolution of the industry over the 118 years since it was first published. It's a fascinating insight into what it takes to keep this great institution fresh and relevant.
Also this week, we discuss the shock felt by some academics that their work has been licensed to Microsoft AI by their publisher without consulting them, and we reflect on our feelings at missing this year's Harrogate festival.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writers-Artists-Yearbook-2025/dp/1399411780
Alysoun Owen Consulting
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On this week's Hobcast Book Show, we talk to our latest Hobeck Books author, David Jarvis about his new thriller - The Violin and Candlestick, and about how a career as an internationally-renowned strategic planner has fueled this latest novel in the Mike Kingdom series. Michaela 'Mike' Kingdom is a former desk-bound CIA analyst who becomes a reluctant freelance field agent thanks to the machinations of her former boss, Leonard De Vries. In this third adventure, Mike finds herself investigating the death of a leading Canadian billionaire who's made his fortune supplying the building boom across the Gulf states, but who's been living a secretive double life. As David explains, he draws heavily on his personal experience of the hidden parts of the Gulf that tourists never see, as well as his understanding of the power-dynamics at play in this fascinating region.
Also this week, Adrian reveals the personal impact that a major UK crime story had on him this week, and Rebecca prepares herself to chair her first meeting as a 'boss'...
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Violin-Candlestick-Mike-Kingdom-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B0D54FBVK8
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Who knew that the innocent looking Foxglove at the bottom of the garden could kill you? Or could your Peace Lily be trying to poison you? Our guest this week, author Jill Johnson, has drawn on her knowledge from her degree in Ornamental Horticulture and wider passion for plants to create her Eustacia Rose mystery series. Eustacia is the putative professor of Botanical Toxicology at University College London, and her expertise in the poisonous qualities of various plants draws her into becoming an amateur sleuth. Jill's first novel, Devil's Breath was featured on BBC2's Between the Covers review show, and her second book in the series, Hell's Bells is published on 11th July 2024. But Jill's literary roots, (awful pun, we know) are deep - she opened London's leading comic-book store Gosh! comics shortly after arriving in the UK. This is a fascinating interview in which Jill reveals although she writes crime novels, she's not read many other books in the genre. Does that hold her back?
Also this week, what will the UK general election result mean for publishing? And how are UK book festivals doing to bridge the funding gap caused by the withdrawal of support by controversial investment management firm, Baillie Gifford?
Jill Johnson – Author of Devil's Breath & The Time Before The Time To Come (jilljohnsonwrites.com)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CJ2YHCXQ
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CC4YW9M9
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Welcome to this special edition of The Hobcast Book Show, bringing you highlights from Europe's biggest independent publishing show, SPS Live! 2024. Hundreds of authors descended on the South Bank Centre in London for this fourth edition, for two days of talks by bestselling authors and industry figures - all offering insights into the potential future for independent publishing. The two dominant themes this year were the march of AI in publishing, and the developments in the audiobook industry. Picking up on those themes, we speak to Ricardo Fayet of Reedsy, and Craig Thomson of audiobook giants W.F Howes Ltd. How big a role do they see AI playing in the future? Or will the need for human connection keep the bots at bay?
Also this week, as we proudly publish two books in his Mike Kingdom thriller series, we speak to new Hobeck Books author David Jarvis about the world he's created for his reluctant freelance ex-CIA field agent.
Reedsy: Find the perfect editor, designer or marketer | Reedsy
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Amazon-Ads-Authors-Advertising-Potential-ebook/dp/B0BQ3BR152
W. F. Howes | RBmedia (rbmediaglobal.com)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0D5799WYG
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Whatever happened to the Artful Dodger? That's a question that our guest James Benmore has explored with The Dodger Papers trilogy of novels, exploring how one of Charles Dickens' most-beloved characters might react on his return to London after five years hard labour in Australia which was his fate at the end of Oliver Twist. Some might say that it's a brave call to return to the world of a literary giant like Dickens and ask 'what if?', but for James it was something he felt compelled to do. He secured a publishing deal with Quercus, before taking the rights back and publishing the books himself. His most recent novel is Ask for Mercy, a contemporary crime thriller. So what has he learned from the transition from traditionally published author to becoming an indie author?
Also this week, we discuss what's behind that rarest of phenomena in publishing - industrial action - and we look ahead to our visit to the Self Publishing Show Live in London this week.
James Benmore Author Website | mystery thrillers (james-benmore.com)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0CV8ZW2CX
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Ask-Mercy-James-Benmore-ebook/dp/B0CJ8BPM5V
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You'll forgive us for talking shop this week on The Hobcast Book Show, as we speak to fellow indie-publisher, Phil Rowlands of Diamond Books. Set up by three friends during the Covid crisis, Diamond Books specialises in crime fiction. Phil, and his fellow founders Jeff Dowson and Steve Timmins all had experience as authors, directors and script writers in their own right. Born partly out of frustration at their experiences with the publishing industry, they set up Diamond Books to give a platform to talented unpublished writers. So what's their publishing journey been like? What challenges have they faced and how have the adapted? As you'll hear in this revealing interview, it's been tough at times, but they remain determined to forge on and continue to publish work by new authors.
Also this week, we discuss the shortlist for the new Theakstons McDermid Debut Award for newly published crime writers, and we examine the implications of a survey of Canadian readers that suggests that more than half of them access all their books and audiobooks from free sources.
https://diamondbooks.co.uk/
https://diamondbooks.co.uk/authors/phil-rowlands
McDermid Debut Award - Harrogate Theakston Crime Awards
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One of the joys of interviewing authors for The Hobcast Book Show is delving into the myriad ways they conduct research for their novels. Our guest this week, Liz Webb, is a great believer in immersing herself in a setting and finding inspiration from those experiences. So it was quite natural for Liz to take the plunge into the freezing waters on a remote 'slate' island off the west coast of Scotland to gain insights for her most recent novel, The Saved, which begins with a husband being resuscitated despite being clinically dead after drifting in the water following a boat accident. We also explore Liz's varied career - she spent ten years on the UK stand up comedy circuit, before becoming a radio drama producer with the BBC. This interview is a celebration of storytelling and making connections with the people and the world around us.
Also this week, we discuss the continuing impact of the campaign by pressure group Fossil Free Books as investment firm Baillie Gifford pull their support for a number of UK book festivals, and hear how some authors are alarmed that their Facebook ads have suddenly begun to spend far more than they budgeted for.
Liz Webb, Author. Order The Saved now!
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Saved-Secrets-bodies-remote-Scottish-ebook/dp/B0C6FS7NMT
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Crime fiction is the most enduring genre in UK publishing, as well as the most popular. For over two hundred years, readers have had a love affair with whodunnits and murder mysteries, police procedurals and amateur sleuths. So what lies behind crime fictions eternal appeal? Who better to ask than our guest this week, Martin Edwards, who is recognised as the foremost authority on the history of British crime fiction. Martin is the president of the Detection Club, succeeding such legendary figues as G.K Chesterton, Dorothy L. Sayers and Agatha Christie. He's also a former chair of the Crime Writer's Association, a Diamond Dagger recipient and the author of dozens of novels and non-fiction works. His most recent books are Sepulchre Street, the fourth novel in the Rachel Savernake Golden Age mystery series, and award-winning non-fiction work, The Life of Crime - Detecting the History of Mysteries and their Creators. In this fascinating and wide-ranging interview, we ask what lies behind crime fiction's popularity and how has the genre changed to meet changing public taste?
Also this week, we ask how the once powerful Romance Writers of America organisation has collapsed into bankruptcy, and we discuss the challenge that arts festivals face as campaigners force the Edinburgh Literary Festival to become the latest event to sever links with a major sponsor over their links to fossil fuel companies.
Martin Edwards - Martin Edwards Books
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sepulchre-Street-Rachel-Savernake-Book-ebook/dp/B0B2FFJR12
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Life-Crime-Detecting-Mysteries-Creators-ebook/dp/B09JB4GV7Q
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"Relax. The inspiration will come." That's the message for writers from our guest this week, novelist Orla Owen. The author of the critically acclaimed Christ on a Bike, Orla has learnt to trust in the writing process to solve problems she faces, whether it be a plot point or character development, or any other of the myriad puzzles that need solving during the creation of a novel. Orla is also a great believer in putting a manuscript aside and returning to it several months later. She finds that will help her to recognise any issues or flaws that need solving, and she also finds reading the work aloud a great help in improving the flow of the prose. This is an interview full of insight into the creative process and a deep dive into the writing craft.
Also this week, as a UK general election is called, Adrian and Rebecca reflect on the potential impact that an important piece of legislation that was passed last week may have on the way that publishing is impacted by the big digital companies such as Amazon and Facebook.
Orla Owen
Christ on a Bike | Bluemoose Books
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So much of publishing of the publishing process has been sped up by waves of digital technology over the past three or four decades, so it's rare to meet an author who believes in the creative power of putting pen to paper rather than slaving in front of the computer screen. For our guest, Jennifer Lee Thomson, the magic of writing longhand unlocks her creativity in a way that a word processor or typewriter never could. It may be a slower process, but it's one that's allowed Jennifer to write crime and zombie fiction as well as several self-help titles. Her most recent novel is Vigilante City, the third in her 'Detective in a Coma' crime series. Detective Inspector Duncan Waddell is assisted by his colleague DC Stevie Campbell, even though the latter is in a coma due to an injury in the line of duty. During this fascinating interview, Jennifer shares details of how her agoraphobia has impacted and even fueled her creative process.
Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca discuss the latest shockwaves being felt in digital marketing and ask - is advertising on Facebook worth it or just too much of a gamble?
https://diamondbooks.co.uk/authors/jennifer-lee-thomson
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Vigilante-City-3-Detective-Coma/dp/1915649382
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It's only in the past few years that neurodiversity has entered the wider consciousness. For instance here at The Hobcast Book Show, we are both touched by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but we've only become aware of it recently. It helps explain our lifelong experience of feeling on the outside of society - never quite fitting in or being comfortable behaving as others would expect. It's simply not how our brains are wired or function. For authors, neurodiversity can present a range of challenges, not least trying to implement structure to their work or applying strategies for productivity drawn up for neurotypical writers. Our guest this week, author Amanda Marples, knows these challenges well: she is neurodiverse herself, and as a mental health professional she works as a mentor for students with a range of backgrounds and conditions. Drawing on her expertise and personal experience, Amanda has created a mentoring service for neurodivergent writers called Reconcile Creative, helping authors to overcome the hurdles they face and explore unconventional strategies to reach their goals. This is a fascinating, valuable and insightful interview.
Also this week, we discuss the shortlists for the UK crime writing 'Oscars' - the CWA Daggers, and look ahead to the release of our latest Hobeck Books title, Her Charming Man by Rachel Sargeant.
innercritic | Reconcile Creative M
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Charming-Gloucestershire-Crime-Book-ebook/dp/B0CY5ZFRR4
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We're always keen to explore where an author's inspiration comes from. What inspires that kernel of an idea that leads to a novel? In this week's episode we speak to Alison Stockham, who explains how the seeds for her recently published third novel, The New Girl, were sown some years ago after a conversation with a friend. As Alison explains, she's always had a gift for taking inspiration from overheard conversations, and that's one of the reasons she'll often be found in a Cambridge cafe both writing and picking up ideas for her writing. It's a strategy that clearly works, as Alison shares the news that she's now a full-time author.
Also this week, we reflect on the impact that this week's extraordinary general meeting of the Society of Authors has had, and we reveal the latest changes that Amazon have made to the way they run advertising for authors and publishers.
Alison Stockham-Author | Facebook
https://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Girl-addictive-psychological-BESTSELLER-ebook/dp/B0CPBJRDLB
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We're delighted to be joined again by our guest, Julie Anderson this week, as we celebrate the launch of her new novel for Hobeck Books, The Midnight Man. Set in post-war Clapham, the book introduces us to two very different women, Elly and Fay, who become an unlikely sleuthing duo following a chance meeting in the cafeteria of the South London Hospital for Women and Children. It was a remarkable institution - created by two pioneering women surgeons who themselves fought the male-dominated Establishment to found the hospital in 1912. It's the perfect setting for this atmospheric thriller, and as Julie tells us, recreating the world of this long-closed hospital where for most of its history all the staff, from surgeons to porters, were women, has been an epic labour of love. It's a remarkable novel.
Also this week, we examine this year's long list for the coveted Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024 and ask, are we right in imagining the same authors are nominated every year? And just how open are independent bookshops to stocking independently published fiction?
Julie Anderson – Writer and author (julieandersonwriter.com)
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnight-Man-FLEMING-ASSOCIATION-LONGLISTED-ebook/dp/B0CY2M5BMQ
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We had the pleasure back in February 2024 to appear on The Secret Circle podcast discussing the challenges of running a small publishing house in the current marketplace. This week, we have the pleasure of returning the invitation to the show's host, Dr Luke Deckard. Luke is an author with a deep passion for noir, both written and film, and is a creative writing mentor at the University of Westminster. He holds a Masters and now a PhD in Creative Writing from Kingston University, achievements all the more remarkable as Luke has dyslexia. So how has he navigated the issues that being dyslexic has posed in his journey into the world of writing and literature? It's a fascinating interview.
Also this week, the UK publishing industry is gearing up for its award season, with long lists announced for both the National Book Awards and the Crime Writer's Association Daggers. Are Adrian and Rebecca impressed with the choices? Not entirely...
DR Luke Deckard
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There are so many challenges that publishers face as it is, so is it possible to also tackle the environmental impact of creating books too? Our guest this week, Stuart Debar of UK independent press, SRL Publishing, believes it is. In fact, he argues that publishers have a duty to publish in as sustainably as they can, from choice of paper stock for their print copies, planting trees to offset those felled to create that paper, or paying close attention to the chemicals used in the printing process. As Stuart tells us, this focus on sustainable publishing developed gradually as SRL grew in recent years, and now the company is recognised as the world's first Climate Positive publisher. There's so much to learn from this fascinating interview.
Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca again discuss the march of A.I in publishing, with a recent survey revealing that one third of translators say that they've lost work to A.I systems in the past year.
SRL Publishing
(27) 🌳 Stuart Debar | LinkedIn
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Why become an independent publisher? It can't be the hours? Or the pay. So what motivates people to enter the industry? That's a question we put to our guest this week, Joe Chadwick, author and creator of Essex-based micro-publisher Crescent Swan Publishing. Joe set up the company in order to publish his first novel, The Briarmen in 2021, and with that experience behind him, he signed his first author, Tim Franks, who appeared on this podcast recently. Joe says he, like many other small publishers, is still learning as he goes, but he's determined to build his imprint steadily in the coming years. This is an interview where Joe's passion for books shines through.
Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca question whether it's right for celebrities to write new books in the Roald Dahl world, and we debate the reaction to the cancellation of a major Scottish literary when a grant application was turned down by Creative Scotland.
Independent Publishing | Crescent Swan Publishing
The Briarmen: A fairy-tale for adults: Amazon.co.uk: Chadwick, Joseph A.: 9781838308407: Books
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