The countdown to the book launch has begun with just over two weeks to go until Wheel of Fortune‘s release. And I’m still waiting for delivery of the books. It’s always the same at this point – the ‘will-they-won’t-they’ trepidation, those first-night nerves. This is the sixth book launch I’ve done since 2012 and I’ve never not had the books for the big day. There’s always the risk that the much anticipated box won’t arrive in time, that the distributer has mislaid the order. Or perhaps the lorry has been waylaid by book-loving gremlins en route… No, that last is implausible. Gremlins don’t read.

Meanwhile, preparations continue apace. Not only is Wheel of Fortune due for release by Resolute Books on 20th May, but my good friend and author, Paul Trembling, is launching the latest instalment in his Local series – Local Killer – on the same day. I had the privilege of seeing an ARC  (Advance Reader Copy) of Local Killer a while back and it is a cracking read. I’ll be writing a full review of Local Killer shortly.

It struck me how different our writing styles are, reflecting the different genera in which we write. His – taut, sparse, tense – the epitome of great crime thriller writing. Mine – with tension woven throughout a longer, multi-layered narrative, where the historical landscape is peopled by complex personalities negotiating a web of political and personal dilemmas. The varied styles of   authors writing in different genera is one of the aspects of literature I find so enjoyable – mystery, suspense, thrillers and, of course, history – set in any location and in any period. When it comes down to it – and whatever the genre – it’s all about story.

There is one type of story of which I am not particularly fond, the one where the author has a queue of eager readers waiting for a signed copy of her book – and an empty table. I haven’t read that story yet and I’m determined not to write it. Roll on 20th May and my box of books!

Local Killer by Paul Trembling and Wheel of Fortune by C.F. Dunn are published through Resolute Books on 20th May 2023