Updates (Aug 2022)

Hello. Goodness me it’s been a long time since I posted anything here. Between trying to get these books written and my non-writing life getting in the way, it’s been a struggle. But I’ve updated everything here that needs updating, and now feel the need to tell you a little more about it. I hope you’re indulge me.

First of all, I am finally getting around to starting a mailing list. I know, I am behind the curve when compared to my peers but it was never something I could get the hang of. So if you’re keen on getting all the information about DI Kidd and anything else I happen to be working on, feel free to sign up below!

SIGN UP HERE

Next up, I’m started a new series starring DS Zoe Sanchez which will be launching this autumn. The first in the series is called Deadly Tears and follows Zoe quite soon after the events of Book 7 in the DI Kidd series (no spoilers here!) and her adventures while Kidd is taking a leave of absence. It is written with a hope to standing alone from the Kidd series but is obviously best enjoyed as part of it. It is available for pre-order now!

But don’t think I’m leaving DI Kidd behind. You don’t think he’d go on leave from the Met and not get himself into some kind of trouble? Publishing shortly after Zoe’s first adventure will be Beyond The Sea, the eighth book in the DI Benjamin Kidd series. It is also available for pre-order now.

I would also like to take this moment to thank you all of the support you have given me over the past 18 months. It’s incredible to think how far this series has come from a little idea in my head to where we are now. I really appreciate it.

That’s all I have for you for the time being. Hopefully I’ll be coming to you soon with cover reveals and writing updates and, if you sign up to the mailing list, you’ll get all of that first. Until next time!

GS x

Finishing Book 3 (with great difficulty!)

Hello there,

It’s been a little while hasn’t it? I seem to have neglected this site a little in favour of writing which, though not conducive to building an audience and interacting with readers, is certainly necessary when it comes to writing a book.

Book 3 has been a difficult mountain for me to climb. I started with the best intentions, planning it out to where I usually get a book to before I start writing and diving in with gusto, but I struggled to really hit the ground running with it, struggled to find my pace.

With the world re-opening again (albeit slowly) I have had things to do over the past month and a half, shifts to work and a life I had left behind in the lockdowns to tend to. It means that as the days went by, my deadlines got harder and harder to meet. When I sat down to write, I managed to hit my word counts most of the time and was inching towards that goal but I could feel myself on the edge of a burnout. I needed a little more time.

Not one, but two extensions later, the book is finished and has been to my editor (twice) and is hopefully in a pretty good state. I love the beginning, I love the ending, the middle was what I was most worried about but my editor has assured me that she has enjoyed it, so there we are. The story is (I think) quite an exciting one. The plot feels interesting and fresh, and there are parts of this book that I have been looking forward to writing for a couple of books now. (Some big revelations to come, but I will say no more for fear of spoiling anything!) It’s an exciting one for sure and you will be seeing it very VERY soon.

I am writing this post because, though I don’t get a huge amount of readers on this blog, I feel like it’s important to be honest about both the successes and the failures or setbacks that come with writing. Book one and two came a little easier than book 3. I certainly had them finished way ahead of my deadline, while this one was a little tougher to wrangle. But now that it’s done I am pleased that I forced myself to sit down and do the writing even when I was feeling a little bit exhausted.

With only the proofread left to do, I now need to start thinking about book 4. The idea has been in my head for this one for a little while (the plot of it was originally meant to be book 3, which is perhaps why book 3 was so hard to wrangle, in hindsight!) and I once again have quite a few scenes in this book that I am absolutely itching to write.

Hopefully we can do this one in a much more timely manner and, all being well, you will be enjoying it some time before the end of the summer. But we’ve got book 3 to contest with first. More details on that to come shortly…

Until then!

GS

Finishing Things

(Image courtesy of https://unsplash.com/photos/npxXWgQ33ZQ?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditShareLink)

Hello there. I hope you’re all doing well, welcome back (or welcome if you’re new here.)

Since last we spoke I have finished the first edit of Book 2 in the DI Benjamin Kidd Thrillers (Just Keep Breathing, available to preorder now) and sent it off to my editor and I couldn’t be happier. The first edit is always the most difficult bit and it always takes me a little while to get through.

I suppose a bit of background is required as to how it is I work. I often find that I can motor through the first draft of something in a couple of months but will more than likely leave it in a bit of a mess. So my “first edit” is to go back through the book from start to finish, taking out the things I realised halfway through writing weren’t such a good idea and fixing any glaring plotholes that I have discovered along the way.

It’s not something that works for everyone but, for me, it is an essential part of writing a book. I always come up with new ideas when I write, no matter how much I plan.

At the time of editing book 1 (When You’re Smiling, available now), I thought it was a difficult job but book 2 has definitely proved to be a bit of a doozy for me. It seems that I had a lot of plates spinning in the air at one time and I needed to make sure they all kept going. But I think I’ve managed to make it work. I’m very excited to get my edits back from my wonderful editor and work on it again before getting it out into the world and seeing what you all think.

I’ve taken the last few days off from working on book things. I know my edits will be back soon and I need to start thinking about Book 3 (what?!) but I think I needed to take a couple of days away from DI Kidd’s world just to reset myself. It’s good to take breaks every now and again. Tomorrow I will be back on it and thinking about the third book in the series. Maybe my next post will be about planning…

Until next time!

GS

Book 1 and 2 Updates

Hello there.

So, WHEN YOU’RE SMILING has been out for just over a week now and things are looking good. Some lovely reviews have already been posted, so thank you if you were one of those lovely people, I am so glad that you have enjoyed reading the book as much as I did writing. I love that there are people out there already enjoying this book. I hope that continues.

If you are yet to read it, When You’re Smiling, the first in the DI Benjamin Kidd thrillers, is available to read on Amazon Kindle and on Kindle Unlimited now. LINK HERE.

Now onto Book 2. I have been working on this in the background and trying to ignore what people have been saying about Book 1, which has been very difficult. I am working on the first edit and it is very nearly done and ready to be sent over to my editor, which is very exciting. It’s a little longer than book 1 (actually quite a lot!) but all of it feels relevant. I’m really enjoying this follow-up story and I hope you all do too when it comes out in April.

Anyway, until next time!

GS

Publication Day

The cover of WHEN YOU’RE SMILING, designed by Meg Jolly

The day has finally arrived and I am so excited that WHEN YOU’RE SMILING is finally out in the world. I am very proud of this book and really hope that those of you who have preordered it (can’t believe I actually had preorders) enjoy it, and those of you who bought it enjoy it too.

CLICK HERE TO READ NOW

It has been out for a whole 24 hours and I had every intention of working on Book 2 yesterday, but I failed. Instead, I took the day to just sit back and celebrate the fact that I’d managed to get a book out. It had gone from a little idea in my head to this fully edited completed thing with a stunning cover too. (Thank you Meg Jolly for that!)

I had such a good time getting to know these characters and getting to know this world, and that enjoyment has continued well into Book 2, which I finished the first draft of on Sunday. It’s definitely a strange feeling to have a book come out and already thinking about the next one, but I am already getting excited to see what you guys think of When You’re Smiling and then the follow up Just Keep Breathing, publishing in April.

Thank you so much for all of the support so far. The journey is just beginning…

Launching My Debut + Writing Update

Hello there.

So we have six days until the publication of WHEN YOU’RE SMILING and I am super excited to finally get to share it with you all. It has been a pretty long road writing this one and I am so pleased to have it all wrapped up and finished, ready for you to (hopefully) enjoy. I uploaded my final files yesterday, so the only thing to do now is wait and see what you all think when it publishes on 15th February. Click here to buy!

The book has been finished for about a month now and I have spent a lot of my time working on the second book in the DI Benjamin Kidd series. No rest for the wicked. I have nearly finished my draft of it and will likely write those magical words ‘THE END’ at some point in the next couple of days, which is very exciting. As with the first book, I am already excited to share this with you so I hope enough of you enjoy book one to want to read its follow up.

That’s all from me for now, I had better get back to writing. I have a killer to catch after all…

Speak soon.

GS