About time too. . .

Okay - I admit I've been a little slack of late. Three months since the last entry is definitely not the way forward. Apologies. First things first; I want to draw your attention to an inspirational indie writer by the name of Catherine Ryan Howard. Her eBook adventures are well worth reading and have provided me with a much needed kick start. Read her story at http://catherineryanhoward.com/

Catherine's blog is a rich source of information for the eWriter, so if you have any doubts or concerns regarding eBook technical issues (formatting etc), or revenue questions, or just want to be totally inspired at what hard work and determination can do, do pay her blog a visit. I for one will be a regular follower from now on.

Now then, my latest novel is all but complete. It's entitled 'Silent Order' and can best be described as a crime novel in an unusual setting - a modern monastery. It's the most severe winter for decades, and Winfield Abbey's dark secret is about to be revealed....Chief Inspector Brendan Moran is called to investigate an extraordinarily brutal murder and discovers that he is up against a clever and evasive antagonist. But can Moran lay his own demons to rest in time to catch the killer? Here's a taster. . .

Moran despatched the skull to the coroner’s office for examination. The cause of death was apparent: the skull was fractured, a cracked indentation zig zagging across the crown like a lightning bolt. Although it looked like a blow from some heavy object, he’d leave it to the path lab to establish likely cause. Still, whoever had moved it from the chapel vault to Horgan’s freshly dug grave must have left traces - at least Moran hoped so. But why the morbid display? Who was the perpetrator trying to scare and why? And the note: 'From liberty, peace'. What was all that about? Moran’s take on that one was straight forward enough: someone had known about the body; that it needed a Christian burial, and now, in this rather flamboyant way, was making a statement that the burial was well overdue. However, the question he most wanted answered was just as puzzling: was the display of the skull the work of Horgan’s killer, or someone else? 

The interrupted funeral service had resumed an hour and a half later. Father Liam Horgan had been left in peace beneath the frozen turf as the light was fading and a fresh batch of snow blew in on the chill afternoon wind. The monks had moved away in small groups, black hoods drawn around frowning faces, each nursing private suspicions and anxieties. Moran read their expressions: what was happening amongst them? Who was responsible? What would the abbot do? Were they safe?

I'll be releasing the novel in eBook format in the autumn. Until then, much time will be spent editing and paring, hacking and tweaking so that it will hit you between the eyes when you read it, as I hope you all will! For the more traditional readers out there I may also release it in printed format, depending on various logistics. But I would say this to fans of paper and physical books - give eBooks a try - you get a much better deal for your money. My archaeological thriller 'The Trespass' is retailing for $2.99 at Barnes and Noble online, at Apple and shortly at Amazon Kindle. You can check it out via

http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/24247

The funny thing is that, having discovered the joys of eBook publishing from the other end - the production end rather than the consumer end I mean - and having been previously rather sniffy about 'real' books being superior in every way, I've actually become a bit of an eBook fan on the quiet. Oh no. I guess that means I'll have to go out and buy a Kindle. . .