Ask the Author: William Shaw
Answered Questions (27)
William Shaw
Thanks for much for your non-question. Hugely appreciated. I wish I had a US publisher for them so they could reach the US and Canada more easily.
William Shaw
Yup. I'll answer just so the algorithm is happy
William Shaw
Hi there. Thanks for the kind words on the Cupidi series. It's a total pain the Canada rights thing. It's all because US and Canadian rights are bundled together and when Mulholland dropped me half way through the Cupidi series - fools! - it made it harder for any other US publisher to pick up the series half way through. Sorry about that. My agent has been working to fix this. Paperback is out soon though.
William Shaw
Apologies. Yes, there are definitely plans. The production company Red Planet, who do the Death In Paradise series, are working to develop the Cupidi series. Fingers crossed they get interest from a channel or streamer.
William Shaw
This is a pain all round, Shannon. Mulholland started publishing the series then dropped out, leaving me without a US publisher. My agent could allow them to be distributed in Canada but this would effectively lower chances of it being published in the US — which is completely insane, I know. But hopefully we will be able to sort something out in the future because its so frustrating.
William Shaw
Apologies Shannon. I’ve only just spotted this. I’m a massive fan of Val McDermid, which I hope shows, but I really don’t think I stole Mint from her. I hope I didn’t anyway. I love names like Mint and Ferriter which kind of suggest something and sound great - and Mint is a great cockney word.
William Shaw
Sorry. Only just seen this TWO years after you wrote it. The two series are linked but I hope the nature of that link is an Easter egg rather than a thing you HAVE to know, and I hope the books can be read in any order
William Shaw
I'm not got a great answer for this I'm afraid. US publisher Mulholland published the first two books but they didn't take any of the others. Until they get an American publisher I'm afraid they remain unavailable as e-books in the US, though imported physical copies are available. It's very frustrating
William Shaw
I'm so glad your library has it. Thank you
William Shaw
I pronounce it Cue-pee-dee
William Shaw
Apparently so. I had a lot of legal advice on that.
William Shaw
I would love to but I’m currently still in 1969. I’m planning to start the discussion about picking up the series again with my editor later this year. But wouldn’t the 70s be great?
William Shaw
Thanks for the very kind words. I really wrote them hoping they DIDN'T have to be read in order as I kind of hate that as a reader. That said, the progression is:
A Song From Dead Lips/She's Leaving Home
A House of Knives/The Kings of London
A Book of Scars/A Song for the Brokenhearted
Sympathy For The Devil/Play With Fire
(sorry about the alternative titles! Not my doing...)
A Song From Dead Lips/She's Leaving Home
A House of Knives/The Kings of London
A Book of Scars/A Song for the Brokenhearted
Sympathy For The Devil/Play With Fire
(sorry about the alternative titles! Not my doing...)
William Shaw
Susan... I have just read your review. Every time I get quite emotional reading them as you were reading them at the very start. Thank you SO much yet again. I am so happy you liked it.
I am sure there will be more Breen and Tozer books, it's just a question of when and how. At the moment Quercus in the UK are determined to make the Cupidi series work and I really can't complain. So they don't want the distraction for the marketing machine. But once it's up and running it makes real sense to revive that series. I have LOTS of ideas for new B&T's... but I'm not as fast as some other writers who seem to be able to do two a year.
Again, thanks and lovely to read your words.
I am sure there will be more Breen and Tozer books, it's just a question of when and how. At the moment Quercus in the UK are determined to make the Cupidi series work and I really can't complain. So they don't want the distraction for the marketing machine. But once it's up and running it makes real sense to revive that series. I have LOTS of ideas for new B&T's... but I'm not as fast as some other writers who seem to be able to do two a year.
Again, thanks and lovely to read your words.
William Shaw
Yes indeed, Linda. Deadland is out in the UK in May, featuring DS Cupidi and the return of William South.
William Shaw
Yes... The original title was A Song From Dead Lips, but my US publisher, Mulholland publish mostly crime and in the US market the struggle is to keep things from being ghettoised as crime fic. So they wanted a less crimey title and have stuck with that for all the Breen and Tozer books. The new one there is called Play With Fire: that's the US title for Sympathy for the Devil. It's VERY frustrating but they're a lovely bunch so they're always very apologetic when they have to change it.
William Shaw
My apologies! I've only just found your question. I hope you can read Salt Lane... some of the question you've asked is answered there, but I would also love the chance to re-visit Cathal and Helen more fully. I'm afraid it's really just a commercial thing... the series did OK, but the publishers want more of Alex Cupidi right now. If Cupidi takes off, I'll get more leeway to take Cathal and Helen into the 1970s which I would love to do.
William Shaw
He's absent for Salt Lane but he returns for the next book - as yet untitled. Cupidi has the challenge of helping him return to the community after being incarcerated for murder. Writing it now. Thanks for the very kind words.
William Shaw
Thanks for the posting... maybe I should end all my sentences with a question mark too?
William Shaw
It's kind of the follow up. But I wanted to keep The Birdwatcher as a standalone so technically Salt Lane is Alex Cupidi #1 so it's right on Amazon.
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