Sandra Davies's Blog: reading is communication

March 20, 2021

Ten years of triangles

'Drink with a dead man' is the fourth of what looks like being a six-book series.

The first – 'Step so Grave' – began as a challenge to myself to write a crime novel. Doing so provided a very steep learning curve and a need to further explore the oft-times toxic chemistry between detective inspector Luke Darbyshere and crime journalist, Baz Rose; a relationship put to the test in 'Longest shadows reach'.

'Commission & omission' was next, set partly in the North Yorks town of Yarm, near to where I live, and the fourth - 'Drink with a dead man - tells of a man returning from the dead in order to halt a marriage.
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Published on March 20, 2021 07:08 Tags: baz-rose, crime-series, crime-writing, love-triangles-with-murder, luke-darbyshere

August 16, 2019

Step so grave

Eight years ago I signed up for NaNoWriMo 2011 with plans to write a murder mystery (a genre I then knew little of).

I had a title. An idea: a cruise ship on which brides were bumped off to order. I had back stories for a dozen honeymooning couples; for ship’s crew and owners (some good, some bad). Best of all I had DI Luke Darbyshere and crime reporter Baz Rose, whose from-the-cradle friendship had turned toxic. All I needed to do was convincingly bump off a few brides under suspicious circumstances, by person-as-yet-unguessed-at, for reasons I could not begin to imagine.

Nearly eight years later, the final, final version of ‘Step so Grave’ is now available.

Not only did the original undergo a change of title and me commence a steep learning curve – simultaneously reading some 700 crime novels and learning how to structure a readable novel – but, thanks to fellow writers and a succession of beta readers, asking pertinent questions and pointing out self-indulgences I reached a point where Step so grave was far removed from a shitty first draft and, having undergone eleven rewrites, became something I’m confident enough about to announce its release to a paying public.
To order: https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/9571608-ste...
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Published on August 16, 2019 08:10

March 15, 2013

Darn it - a plot hole!!

"Although it's likely Walpole will have cleared it up" Madigan, one of my characters says, on page 193, speaking of possible blood and gore.

But there's been no mention by her, or any of her three companions, that Walpole has been involved in anything.

I know it - it's my story.
The reader knows it - the scene appeared earlier.
But these folks, in discussion in the bar, do not know of it.
Damn.
I have to tell them, before page 193.
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Published on March 15, 2013 13:41 Tags: not-wanted-on-voyage, plotting