Michael K. Foster's Blog

Hello everyone.
It seems such a long time since my last post. I am still working diligently behind the scenes, and "The Deadly Mooring," the eighth book in the Jack Mason Series, is scheduled for release in December 2025.

Let me set the scene:
Marjorie Parkins, a self-made businesswoman, is facing bankruptcy, and her business is in freefall. Stock market shares have crashed, her creditors are clamouring for blood, and her rich husband has sat back and allowed it to happen.

Vast amounts of money have gone missing from her accounts. While unfavourable transactions receive attention, the profitable ones do not.

Convinced her husband is involved in an affair and wants to see her fail, she is left with few options.

Contact the police or confront her husband head on?

Regrettably for Marjorie, she does neither and seeks revenge. By selling her husband’s priceless family heirlooms, which included a Degas painting that was worth £4 million, she has embarked on a perilous path.

Drawn into a complex web of deceit and murder, she quickly finds herself surrounded by the shady characters of the criminal art world.

Without police help, her next action may be her last.

Hello everyone
A big thank you to all who have joined since my last update, it’s lovely to meet up with you.

As usual, at this time of the year, I’m rushing around trying to get things ready for my publishers. When it comes to meeting deadlines, I’m hopeless at doing this.
Organisation is not one of my strongest skills as I always end up running around in a flap. The launch deadline for Angelica’s Curse, book 3 in the current crime series, has been put on hold for a few weeks. Sorry for the delay.

If you would like a regular update on my writing activities, please feel free to subscribe to my regular newsletter https://www.michaelkfoster.com/contact

In my last newsletter I talked about the new cover design for Angelica’s Curse, and running a book giveaway competition. So far, the graphics team have produced two drafts designs, and are currently working on two more. As soon as they are complete, the first 5 lucky winners to choose the correct cover to be used will each receive a signed paperback copy of Angelica’s Curse.

I was talking to a reader group the other day, and asked them about their reading habits. Janet, a mother of 3, who works as a part-time assistant in a pharmacy shop spends a lot of her time running the children around to Brownies and after school events. Time is precious nowadays, Janice explained, but she still manages to read in the car whilst waiting for her children and in the evening at home. Now that’s what I call organizing yourself.

For those closer to home, here are a couple of forthcoming events to pop in your calendar – both are WH Smith book signings:

The Gateshead Metrocentre, from ¬11:00 am – Saturday 2nd December.
Northumberland Street, Newcastle, from 12:00 pm – Monday 11th December.

Well that’s it until the next time.
Gan canny

Michael

Well that’s another year nearly over with, where did 2016 go?

It has been a manic writing year for me. I spent the first six months finishing off Satan’s Beckoning, and getting it ready for the publishers. Book2 was finished in July, and the Beta Reader team were eagerly waiting to cast a critical eye over things and give their valuable feedback.

As I continue to work on Book3, The Wharf Butcher climbs up the Amazon Top 100 Crime thriller charts. It reached #4 in the US, #2 in Canada, and finally made it to #43 in the UK’s top 100 all kindle books. Who would have thought a year ago it would be ranked amongst such prolific crime writers as Peter James, Ian Rankin and Peter Robinson?

I’ve really enjoyed the book signings with W.H. Smith this year. Meeting up with readers and discussing the ins and outs of where the future lies for DCI Jack Mason, and criminal profiler David Carlisle. I’ve met so many wonderful people along the way, including a 96 year old lady who thought I should introduce a little more blood and guts to my writing. She was such a charming lady, but too scary to meet with on a dark winters night.

June saw the first of my author talks, which was held at the Newcastle City Library. That was followed by Consett, Chester-le-Street and Stanley library reader group talks. The thing is, it’s great to see so many North East people still supporting their libraries – without them where we be?
What about 2017? Well, in April I’m a guest speaker at the Newcastle Phil & Lit Noir at the bar. I’m certainly looking forward to that. In June I will be doing book sign talks with U3A, which by the sounds of things is going to be a whole lot of fun. Then there’s book3, of course, which promises to be a real blood bath. The pre-launch date is set for September, but there is still a lot of research work to do.

This being the final blog of the year, I would like to wish you all a happy Christmas, and all the very best for 2017. Well that’s it for now – Gan canny.
Michael

Check this out! https://youtu.be/7mrskEv4Vus

Don't miss out on the pre-launch party for Satan's Beckoning. Lots of books to win, and the GRAND PRIZE is the choice to have your name in the next book.

So why not join us and make this a fantastic night, with a chance to link up with some of your favourite authors, bloggers, and top reviewers.

SIMPLY CLICK ON THE LINK

https://www.facebook.com/events/66988...

Beta Readers:

As my DCI Mason and David Carlisle novels are works of fiction based in the North East of England, there are so many people without whose help and support it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to write with any sense of authenticity. When you’ve finally typed those magic words THE END into your draft manuscript, it’s really just the beginning of the story. Many authors need to use beta readers to fix misspelled words, correct grammar errors, besides giving you some constructive feedback.

For my first novel THE WHARF BUTCHER I only used a handful of people whose opinion I respected as beta readers. It’s never easy as a writer, and you always need to be prepared for some harsh criticisms at times. Sound feedback is always important to a writer, and some of the questions you need to ask yourself before going to final proofread are:

• Is the pacing of my novel consistent throughout?
• Are there sections that are weak or drag?
• Do the characters seem real?
• Is the storyline realistic – and has my research been thorough?
• Will the reader figure out the ending well in advance?
• Is my story a page turner, and does it have a cliff-hanger ending?

My second novel SATAN’S BECKONING has taken me two years to write. Just for the record, the storyline has been completely rewritten twice, there have been four different endings, and the killer’s identity has been changed at least three times.

So, you may ask, why bother? The truth is I want my readers to enjoy the ride.

During the writing of Satan’s Beckoning, a lot has been going on behind the scenes. I have met with two senior police officers, a paramedic, a psychologist, a forensic scientist who was an expert in SOC photography, and a dear 76 year old lady who kept tarantulas as pets.

Research is another important aspect of getting the story line right, and after three months of visiting numerous pubs in Geordie land; I’ve finally found Jack Mason a regular watering hole. It’s a great place, and I’m sure you will like it.

It has been another busy month, and after taking a short break in the W H Smith North East book signing tour, today I can now reveal the cover for SATAN’S BECKONING. I am very pleased with the cover, particularly as my son and daughter (Paul and Lynn) were heavily involved in the concept design. The cover also includes Penshaw Monument – a prominent folly built in 1844 on Penshaw Hill between the districts of Washington and Houghton-Le-Spring within the city of Sunderland, North East England – more about that later.

The next three big dates in my diary include: 20th August, a book sign at W H Smith, Northumberland Street, Newcastle, 11th October Consett Library a book talk and signing, and more importantly the launch date of SATAN’S BECKONING – now firmly fixed for the 20th October. To coincide with the Amazon day of release, W H Smith has agreed a book signing is to take place at the Gateshead Metro Centre on the same day.

Well that it’s for now. In the meantime you can find a sneak extract for the opening chapter of SATAN'S BECKONING on my official website blog: www.mike-foster.me

Hope to catch up with you soon, Michael

Thanks to all who came along to the talk and book signing at Newcastle City Library on Tuesday 18th May. It was lovely to meet up with you and have a chat. Special thanks go to the library staff for helping make this a great event. The library is a very large and impressive building. It is well supported by the people of Newcastle, and it was such a great place to hold the venue.

My next book signing event is at the Metro Center in Gateshead, which is to be held at W H Smith on Saturday 2nd July. Do come along I’d love to meet up with fellow Goodreads members.

A quick update on Satan’s Beckoning – the second in the DCI Mason and David Carlisle Tyneside crime thrillers – it’s currently with the police. It’s not what you’re thinking! They are currently checking it out for technical mistakes, so there. The next stage is the publishers, and launch date is set for early September. If you want to keep it touch you will find me on www.mike-foster.me with links to Facebook etc. Stay in touch. Mike.

A huge thank you goes out to all those lovely readers who commented on the latest DCI Mason and David Carlisle novel, The Wharf Butcher. This was my first attempt at crime writing, and the past few weeks have been hectic, what with book signing events and talks – a big thank you to all.

Satan’s Beckoning – Summer 2016
Well, the second novel in the DCI Mason and David Carlisle series is now onto its final draft. I normally like to do three or four before going to print. Fingers crossed, I’m still on track for summer 2016. The location for the opening chapter took some finding. Although I had a plot in my head, how to kick start it was the problem. Local knowledge of the area was invaluable, and Windy Nook village in the Metropolitan borough of Gateshead seemed the perfect location. No stranger to serial killers, Mary Elizabeth Wilson also known as the Merry Widow of Windy Nook was the last woman to be sentenced to death in Durham. Convicted of murdering two of her four husbands with beetle poison in 1956 and 1957, the remains of her earlier two husbands, John Knowles and John Russell, were later exhumed to reveal high levels of phosphorous in their bodies – I hope you’re getting my drift?

On a steep gradient known locally as “Heart attack hill,” lies Coldwell Lane. On a clear day the views from the top are spectacular, but on a cold winter’s night in the middle of January things can be somewhat different. It was the steepness of the incline that finally inspired me to draft the opening few lines, but it is at the bottom of the lane where all the action takes place. Until my next post, I’ll leave you to figure out the rest.