Nicola Martin's Blog

Mark your calendars, because my new novel, The Spotlight, is set to land in a whirl of confetti in just over six months. Here’s everything you need to know about it: 1. It’s about a popstar who bears a resemblance to Taylor Swift Love her or loathe her, Taylor Swift is a fascinating figure. Rich...

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In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Catherine Cooper’s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? Eyeroll, probably by quite a long way. 2. If your writing muse were an...

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In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Valerie Keogh’s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? The smiling face with blushed cheeks or the one with the sunglasses. And I...

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There comes a time when everybody has something they want to promote. Maybe it’s an event you’re running or a charity where you volunteer. Maybe you’re an author and it’s your own book you’re promoting. Maybe the thing you’re promoting is… YOU. You’re trying to get more visible in your field, so that you can...

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We’re all trying to cut down on our screentime, aren’t we? Most of us would like to read more books, whether to boost our depth of knowledge or as a way to unplug and relax. I’m as guilty as anyone of spending too much time on screens (I say, as I cue up yet another...

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Writing a novel is a bit like sighting Everest on the horizon and saying, “Sure, OK, I’ll climb that.” The struggle to reach the summit can be so overwhelming that I’ve learned to do a lot of preparatory work up front. Here’s what my novel planning process looks like: Step 1. Brainstorming When I start...

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In this series, I carry out hard-hitting interviews with psychological thriller authors, where I ask them… just a bunch of silly questions, actually. This month, it’s Becca Day’s turn in the hot seat. 1. Which emoji do you use most often? It’s the sleepy emoji… which I think just about sums up my general state...

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It’s holiday season and perhaps you’re jetting off somewhere exotic. Alternatively, you may be trudging to work as normal through the drizzle. Regardless, it’s a good time to pick up a beach-read to pass the time. Here are five of my recommendations for fast-paced, fun, and crime-y reads. The Kind Worth Killing – Peter Swanson...

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Grab a painkiller and settle back for a virtual vacation to some of the dreamy locations featured in my mystery-thriller The Getaway. 1. Virgin Gorda Virgin Gorda is the third-largest and second-most populous island in the British Virgin Islands, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean. It doesn’t have an airport, so you get there...

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The Getaway is a novel that had a long gestation period. I was thinking about it back when I was still writing (and rewriting) my first novel, Dead Ringer. I abandoned an early draft of it that wasn’t working. I probably should have given up on it altogether, but… it was one of those ideas...

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