Katherine Howell

You can dance, you can jive

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:04:09 +1000

Can you guess I went to see Mamma Mia last weekend? At the drive-in no less! Call me an ABBA dag if you like, but it was so much fun. I went with two of my cousins, a second cousin and one of her friends. The seven-year-olds were in the front seat, we slightly more grown-up types were in the back, and we sang our hearts out. Faaantastic.

But onto booky news: I'm off to the cold cold isle of Tasmania this weekend, for the Tasmanian Living Writers Week. On Saturday 23rd August I'm speaking with fellow crime writers Adrian Hyland, Debi Marshall and David Everett about crime writing and exactly why we do it. That's in Launceston in the Tram Shed, in the Inveresk Rail Yards Precinct, from 2.30 to 3.45 pm. It's free and there's no reserved seating so make sure you get there early! For more info you can call 03 6233 5940. Then on Sunday 24th I'm speaking with Bradley Trevor Grieve, Katherine Scholes and Adrian Hyland about selling internationally. That's in the Jones and Co Room, in Henry Jones Art Hotel, 25 Hunter Street in Hobart, from 3.45 to 5 pm. Again, no reserved seats, and call the same number as above for further info. Lots more info on all the events for the week is here. It's going to be great!
cheers,
Katherine.

Deux gamins en arrêt cardiaque. Bon Dieu!

Sun, 3 Aug 2008 19:42:00 +1000

Bon Dieu indeed: Frantic is out in France! You can see the cover of Urgence Ultime and read an excerpt here. Then while you're in a clicky mood, nip on over to the UK newspaper Mail on Sunday to read an article I wrote about a case I did some years back, and see one of the photos taken by a canal somewhere near King's Cross in London on one of the many, many marvellous days I had on my trip.

It truly was wonderful. Early on I was in London, meeting up with my UK publishers who are a great bunch of people (Hi Imogen, Rebecca, Sophie, Julie, Anna, Charlie, Maria and Katie!). I met the lovely Nina Sebastiane for my interview on Bookzone - last time I checked the interview wasn't up yet but I can highly recommend the site for fascinating interviews with such crime authors Jeffrey Deaver, Michael Connelly and R.J. Ellory.
While travelling about it was great to see my friend Kate Morton's new book The Forgotten Garden advertised just about everywhere. There were billboards, ads and excellent reviews in newspapers and magazines, and the book itself was front and centre in every bookshop I went into. It's a great book and I'm so pleased for her!
I had a wonderful time with my sister and her family, and all their friends, and then on the 17th it was onto the train north. And who should get off the very same train in Harrogate but my good friend Kathryn Fox? We found we were staying in the same hotel, and (possibly in an attempt to keep the Aussie rabble contained?) they even had us in adjoining rooms. That night we went out to dinner with her UK publishers Hodder and US author Cody McFadyen, a charming man whose site has his report on Harrogate plus excerpts of his novels - as if I don't have enough books already, now I'mdetermined to add these to my collection. Go and have a read!
After dinner we went to the Festival's opening night party. Being with Kathryn Fox was a blast - she seems to know everyone in the crime writing world and introduced me to them! David Hewson was a standout, but as Cody says on his blog, all the authors were friendly and generous with their time. David, I have you on my to-be-read pile ... along with books by ex-cop Karen Campbell, Robert Crais (who I did literally walk into - then looked up at the face above this extreeeeemely bright Hawaiian shirt and thought, "oh my God, you're Robert Crais!" while managing to maintain exterior calm and just say, "Hi..."), and Tom Rob Smith, who I swear looks in real life so much like Chris Martin that Katie from Pan Macmillan UK and I stood there trying to work out which one of them he was and comparing the photo in the back of my copy of Child 44 with the person across the room. Finally she, being much braver than I, grabbed my hand and yanked me over to him and said, "Hello, is this you?" and what do you know, it was him, and not Chris Martin, and he laughed and kindly signed my book.
One of the many things I loved about Harrogate was that everyone there was a crime fan, so while standing in a line to have a book signed by Jeffrey Deaver it was no difficult thing to get chatting with fellow queuers. In this way I met crimeficreader whose marvellous and information-packed blog It's A Crime is a frequent stop for me on my browsing, and she then introduced me to fellow bloggers Karen from Eurocrime and Maxine from Petrona. It was great to be able to put a face to these names and web-voices! Hello also to Michael, Dave, Amanda, Janet and Marion.
Some of the highlights of the sessions for me were listening to Jeffrey Deaver read from his hilarious diary and realising that he procrastinates almost as much as I do! and hearing Tess Gerritsen speak for an hour on her own, after her interviewer failed to turn up, and learning that she too feels hopelessly lost in the middle of writing each book. If you've read any of this site you'll know what a huge fan I am of Tess's work, and it was wonderful to finally meet her. Her agent Meg Ruley is lovely too, and as she represents other medical thriller authors such as Michael Palmer we had a good yak about the genre. (Very important side note: Tess is blogging again! Read her Harrogate report and tales of her adventures with Meg Ruley looking for Hadrian's wall, and check out her out on Tuesdays, too, on Murderati.) I also got to speak briefly to Ali Karim, editor of the great online crime sites The Rap Sheet and Shotsmag. If you're into crime fiction and want to keep abreast of what's going on, bookmark all these sites when you visit them - even better, use an RSS feeder like Google Reader to get the latest posts from your favourite blogs on a single page.
All in all, Harrogate was one of the many highlights of my trip, and to come back to Australia seemed like a bit of a let-down. But not for long! because I was off again immediately to the Byron Bay Writers Festival. This is one of my favourite festivals and the anticipation and excitement were palpable at the Thursday night opening party, despite the three days of constant rain. Unfortunately it continued to rain overnight, flooding the site (I heard the water in the marquees was knee-deep) and requiring that Friday's sessions be cancelled. I really felt for the festival director, Jeni Caffin, and her extremely hard-working staff and volunteers, because while we the authors and attendees were disappointed, we spent the day in restaurants and bars, relaxing around the fireplaces, while they had to do what they could with the site in the rain and decide whether Saturday and Sunday could go ahead. Luckily for everyone the rain stopped that afternoon, the sun came out, and between that and some very hard work at the site (thanks also to the people from the Splendour in the Grass festival who came along to help out), and $15,000 of gravel, the weekend sessions went ahead as planned. My session on Friday was to have been with my great buddy Leigh Redhead,; it'd would've been our first session together, an event we've been looking forward to for four years, but of course that was washed out, but the Sunday session with fellow crime authors Sydney Bauer, Jarad Henry, and true crime author and journo Liz Porter was an absolute smash. Sydney and I then repaired to the bar where we ran into Marele Day and a good friend of mine, editor Judith Lukin-Amundsen. It was so cold outside it seemed like everyone eventually retired into the warmth, and so I also got to talk to friends Charlotte Wood, Susan Wyndham and Debra Adelaide.
Speaking of Debra, she's on tour for Books Alive at the moment, and is coming to East Maitland on Wednesday the 13th August, for lunch and a talk. Bookings are filling fast so don't miss out on hearing this fascinating and truly lovely lady speak, particularly about her new book The Household Guide to Dying. Sound ghoulish? Well, it's not -- it'll make you laugh out loud, and yes it'll make you cry too, and isn't to feel emotion what we want from books? I can't recommend this highly enough! It's part of the Books Alive picks, which means if you buy it in August you'll also receive a free copy of the new Michael Robotham book, Bombproof. Now this is another top read -- again, laugh out loud funny, but no tears this time, just a fast and exciting story that you'll only be able to put down once the cat/dog/kids are chewing your leg off in hunger. And even then ... if you want to, you know, kick them aside for just a few minutes longer ... we'll understand.
Michael's touring with Books Alive at the moment, too, and I was lucky enough to hear him speak here last week. My good buddy Leah Giarratano is also out and about, though I missed her last week at Singleton -- why? Because I tried to book it the day before and they were full! Don't make that mistake, if you want to see Debra on the 13th get on the line to Kylie on 024933 6952 and reserve your spot.
You can see the rest of the schedule for Debra, Michael, Leah and the other Books Alive authors here.
One final thing: on August 29th the Ned Kelly crime awards presentation is being held in Melbourne. It's a free event, part of the Melbourne Writers Festival, and a great opportunity to meet many of the country's crime authors as well as hear Leigh and Jarad debate with Tara Moss and Joel Becker on whether crime fiction should be more than simply entertaining. More info is here. I'm going along -- hope to see you on the night!
Cheers,
Katherine.

>

It's great to be away, but good to be home, too.

Wed, 30 Jul 2008 14:16:00 +1000

Yes, I'm back! Full details of the Great Pomgolian Adventure are still being compiled and will be up in the next few days (including what happens when I bump into (and I mean that literally) Robert Crais, and some musings on just how many crime bloggers go to that Harrogate Festival anyway??) but I *had* to get on and post about the fantastic author, Books Alive Ambassador and all-round nice guy Michael Robotham --- he's speaking tomorrow night (Thurs 31st July) at Easts Leisure and Golf Club in Tenambit Street, East Maitland. TOMORROW NIGHT! That means you'd better get on the horn and call Kylie at Maitland Council on 024933 6952, or drop her a line at kyliel@ maitland. nsw. gov. au (just remove the spaces from that email address), and bags your place before it's too late. Bookings are essential so they get the number of canapes right. It costs $10, and runs from 6 till 8 pm. If you haven't read Michael's work, you are really missing out: his books leave me speechless with admiration.
See you there!
Cheers,
Katherine.

Last post before takeoff; fasten your seatbelts please.

Sun, 15 Jun 2008 09:28:11 +1000

That's it, folks -- I'm off! This time next week I will be luxuriating in the beeyootiful summer weather on the lawns of Hampton Court Palace or thereabouts. Last time I dropped by Henry's place it was five below zero and we went ice-skating on that same lawn - well, on the rink set up on the same lawn. I'm so looking forward to being there, and especially spending time with my sister and her family! Among other plans are some promo for the July 4th release of Frantic and meeting the great folks at Pan Macmillan UK, a number of perambulations about the metropolis with the fantastic London Walks, and rounding off the stay with a fun-filled few days at the Harrogate Crime Festival. Then it's back to Oz in time for the excellent Byron Bay Writers Festival. I love this event! And this year it's particularly special as I get to be on a panel with my bestie Leigh Redhead. There ain't much that's cooler than that. Or than her!

Due to the vagaries of software and my access while I'm away to the interweb yokeybus (as Declan Burke calls it) I can't post the details of my Thrilling Pomgolian Adventures on this page. Instead they'll be appearing in all their finery over at the message board.

One thing I'm going to miss out on while I'm away is the launch of Kate Morton's second book, The Forgotten Garden. It's on July 4th at Mary Ryan's in Paddington in Brissie, kicking off at 6.15 pm, and you need to rsvp on 07 3368 1694 if you want to go. I loved Kate's first book The Shifting Fog (known in the UK and elsewhere as The House At Riverton), and judging by the excerpt The Forgotten Garden is going to be every bit as good!

Okay, enough chat, I need to finish packing and head to Sydney. It's a busy couple of days before I get on the plane for London: among other things I'm attending careers night at my old high school (I *loved* high school! and am looking forward to being there again and meeting everyone) and then on Tuesday night it's off to Rouse Hill for the Dymocks event with Sydney Bauer and Kathryn Fox. Hope to see you there!

Cheers,
Katherine.

PS

Sun, 1 Jun 2008 11:33:42 +1000

I wanted to add the details of a signing I'll be doing in East Maitland. It's at the Angus and Robertson store in Greenhills Shopping Centre, on Thursday the 12th June, starting from 6 pm. Helen and her lovely staff will give you $5 off when you buy The Darkest Hour or Frantic on the day -- you can't beat that! For more info call the shop on 02 49 346 500. Hope to see you there!
cheers,
Katherine.

Home once more.

Tue, 27 May 2008 10:59:49 +1000

What a fantastic two weeks that was! First on the Gold Coast, where the signing and then the Literati on the Glitter Strip events could not have gone any better. A big hello and thanks to Ross and staff at Angus and Robertson in Tweed City, to my ambo friends who dropped past, and to all the lovely people at the dinner but especially Benette and David and the rest of the fabulous gang from Angus and Robertson Southport Park.
Then it was on to Sydney, and then later Melbourne. A big thanks to Annmarie and Anthea of Geelong City Libraries, for their wonderful organising of the Newcombe and Queenscliff events --- I hadn't been to Queenscliff before but now I really hope to get back there! It's a beautiful spot. And such nice people too!

'The Darkest Hour' has scored some excellent reviews recently: top of my list is Sue Turnbull's piece in the Sydney Morning Herald's Spectrum section on May 17th. It's not on the web, unfortunately, but allow me to quote a little: "As with Frantic, I galloped through this book with my heart racing. Howell may have left the ambulance service but she can still drive a narrative at full speed with the sirens blaring. Pass me the oxygen, someone."
There's a good article here too, which appeared in the Gold Coast Bulletin's Paradise magazine also on the 17th May.

This week I received my copies of the German Frantic, otherwise known as Herztod. It's a beautiful thing! I studied 3 unit German for the HSC but it doesn't help me much now as I flip through this. Although, that study was maaaaany years ago... But anyway what a thrill to get my first Kundenrezension - otherwise known as Customer Review - on Amazon Germany. I don't know what she said but I'm guessing she liked it, as she gave it five stars!

This week I'm speaking to Jan Goldsmith on Melbourne's 3CR at 11.30 am on Thursday 29th, and then in June there's an event I am REALLY looking forward to: the meeting of the criminal minds -- well, I mean, it's those smart and lovely ladies Sydney Bauer and Kathryn Fox, plus me -- at Rouse Hill. All the info you could possibly need is right here. Tell all your friends -- sheesh, you know I am!

The day after that I am off overseas in time for the UK release of Frantic on July 4th. It's now available for pre-order at Amazon Canada and Amazon UK. While I'm there an article I wrote will be published in the Mail on Sunday, so look out for that one. I'm rounding off that trip with three days at the Harrogate Crime Festival - it's going to be HUGE!

Happy reading to all,
cheers,
Katherine.

'The Darkest Hour' is on the loose! UPDATED

Tue, 6 May 2008 20:27:59 +1000

Well, it's here! The Darkest Hour is looking stunning on shelves all over the country. I don't know about other authors but it always make me kinda stop and gulp when I walk past a shop and see it there! My baby ...

I've done a few interviews already and have some real goodies and great events coming up:

1 - I know it's late notice (I'm writing this the night before) but on Wednesday May 7th I'll be talking booky things with Carol Duncan on Newcastle ABC radio. Click on the link to find out how to listen in your area.

These next few are rehashed from the news further down the page but they're well worth repeating, don't you reckon?

2 - On Thursday 15th May from 4 pm I'll be at Angus and Robertson in Tweed City Shopping Centre to sign copies and say hi. For more info you can call the shop on 07 55 244 371.

3 - Then on Friday 16th I'll be at the Gold Coast Library's 'Literati On The Glitter Strip' Literary Feast. This is a fantastic idea, where twenty five authors move from table to table for each course of the dinner, so everyone gets to talk to everyone. It's to be held at the Gold Coast Arts Centre and starts at 7 pm. See here or call 07 55 817 441 for more details.

3 part 2 - Then on Saturday 17th May the authors scatter to the various libraries on the coast for free events; I'll be at Southport Branch speaking about 'Stories from the front line of crime and how the process of writing can help deal with trauma' alongside my good friends psychologist and thriller author Leah Giarratano, ex-cop and author of the incredible 'Crime Scene' Esther McKay, and true crime author and journalist Paul Anderson. Call the library on 07 55 817 201 for more info on that.

Now this stuff is new:

4 - on Tuesday May 20th I get to have a darn good yak with Derek Guille and true crime author Rochelle Jackson on ABC 774 in Melbourne. That's at 7.30 pm, and again follow the link to see how to listen in your area.

5 - Thursday May 22nd, still in Melbourne - let's have tea! Morning AND afternoon, for a *very* good cause, the Cancer Council: morning tea's at Newcombe Library, 10.30 am, then afternoon's at Queenscliff Library at 2.30 pm. More info here

6 - there's more to add, but for now I'll just give a long-distance heads-up that I get to talk to the wonderful Jan Goldsmith on Melbourne's 3CR on Thursday May 29th, and then looking waaaay ahead to Tuesday June 17th, Dymocks in Rouse Hill has arranged an absolute ripper of an event: 3 crime writers for the price of one! That's right folks, it'll be me, Sydney Bauer, and Kathryn Fox. **It'll be at Vinegar Hill Memorial Library in Rouse Hill, from 7.30 to 9 pm. Cost is $5 and you need to book on 8889 5200. How could you possibly go wrong??

7 - okay, so this isn't an event, instead it's a fantastic review from a guy who keeps one of the most detailed Australian crime fiction websites around. His review of The Darkest Hour is here and his blog about all the various goings-on in the crime fiction world is here.

Happy reading!
Cheers,
Katherine.

Interwebby fun and games

Thu, 24 Apr 2008 08:16:54 +1000

Marshal Zeringue, he of multi-blogs Campaign for the American Reader, Writers Read, and the Page 69 and Page 99 tests (look out for The Darkest Hour on the Page 99 site soon), has tagged me for the 123 meme.
How it works is this:
1. Pick up the nearest book.
2. Open to page 123.
3. Find the fifth sentence.
4. Post the next three sentences.
5. Tag five people, and acknowledge who tagged you.

So here goes ... the nearest book is James Lee Burke's 'Bitterroot'.
Sentences 6,7 and 8:

"Can you explain to me what your son is doing with Sue Lynn Big Medicine?" he said.
"Dancing, the last time I saw her."
"You were an officer of the federal court."

I love this book and wish I could post more! but you'll have to read it for yourself.

And now I'm tagging Damien from Crime Down Under, Karen from AustCrimeFiction, Perry at Matilda, and my friends and fellow authors Josephine Pennicott and Louise Cusack.
Cheers!
Katherine.

'The Darkest Hour' approaches!

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 09:19:41 +1000

Not long now till my new book is out! It's always an exciting time, and there are a few things happening. Good Reading magazine has picked The Darkest Hour as their book group selection for the May issue, so there will be some info about the story plus discussion questions. The magazine is available from newsagents and some bookshops, and libraries usually have copies too.
On Thursday 15th May from 4 pm I'll be at Angus and Robertson in Tweed City Shopping Centre to sign copies and say hi. Then on Friday 16th I'll be at the Gold Coast Library's 'Literati On The Glitter Strip' Literary Feast. This is a fantastic idea, where twenty five authors move from table to table for each course of the dinner, so everyone gets to talk to everyone. It's to be held at the Gold Coast Arts Centre and starts at 7 pm. See here or call 0755817441 for more details. Then on Saturday the authors scatter to the various libraries on the coast for free events; I'll be at Southport Branch speaking about 'Stories from the front line of crime and how the process of writing can help deal with trauma' alongside my good friends psychologist and thriller author Leah Giarratano, ex-cop and author of the incredible 'Crime Scene' Esther McKay, and true crime author and journalist Paul Anderson. Call the library on 0755817201 for more info on that.

Looking further down the track, I'm off to the UK in June in time for the release of Frantic! Can't wait.
cheers,
Katherine.

******************* UPDATE ******************
I received my author copies of The Darkest Hour! It's such a thrill to open the box and take a copy out, to see the colour cover for the first time, to heft the weight of it and flip through the pages and inhale that lovely new book smell! I feel very proud.

Till next time!

Festival and blogs.

Sat, 15 Mar 2008 20:46:29 +1100

Well, the Somerset Festival is over for another year, and what a fantastic three days it was! So well organised, beautiful setting, my student minder whose job it was to make sure I got to the venues on time, had everything I needed, and then didn't talk too long was an absolute charmer (hi Jono!), and the students, teachers and librarians in each session audience were so interested and asked the best questions! Hi to Liz and the gang from Tamborine Mountain High, to all the Somerset Wordsmiths, to Deborah (how's Borneo?) and the readers and writers from Robina High, and a big thank you to the great bookshop volunteers and everyone involved in the organising and running of the event.

Onto some bloggy news: my friend Peter Canning, an American paramedic who blogs about his experiences, recently had a very near miss in his ambulance. Read it and shiver.
Here's another interesting paramedic blog - the author is doing some military training at the moment so has invited readers to send in the stories of their greatest successes on the job, and of their most disturbed/disturbing patients.

The overseas release of Frantic is creeping closer! It's listed now on Amazon in Canada (available July 4), the UK (also July 4) and Germany (available April 1). Not sure when it will be on sale in France, Italy and Russia, but when I find out I'll let you know.

And I realised the other day that The Darkest Hour hits the streets in just six weeks! Seems incredible. I'm so looking forward to holding a copy of the finished book . . .

Finally, this is where I go when I want to laugh.

cheers,
Katherine.

Aussie crime writers galore

Wed, 5 Mar 2008 11:34:38 +1100

Ever wanted to know why Sydney Bauer chose a male, Boston-based attorney as her main character? Or what Peter Temple believes his character Jack Irish would say if he met Shane Maloney's character Murray Whelan? Wouldn't you love to know the eerie ink between PD Martin's real life and her first book Body Count? Or how Adrian Hyland's Emily Tempest came into being?
Well, this is your lucky week! Because three Aussie crime and book blogs have come together to interview crime writers about their books, their writing lives, and what they're up to next, and are posting the results on their sites. Check out Matilda, Crime Down Under, and AustCrime for all the goss. Then stay and have a browse round - these are three of my favourite sites and well worth checking out.

Much excitement coming up for me - the Somerset Celebration of Literature is on next week, and I'm fortunate enough to be speaking to three student groups and also to be on a panel with Garry Disher, Leah Giarratano and James Phelan, discussing suspense and excitement in our novels. Talk about suspense - I'm feeling it now! If you're going, do come up and say hi.
Till next time,
Katherine.

Reading, writing, writing, reading.

Wed, 6 Feb 2008 11:11:52 +1100

Some authors are very strict about when they read. That is, they won't read when they're writing, particularly in the same genre. I'm the opposite: I find I NEED to read. It helps sometimes to be reminded that it's all about one word after another, you build a sentence then a paragraph then a chapter. Sometimes too it shows me again the power of words, just what a thrilling experience it can be to immerse yourself in a story, and what it is I'm trying to achieve. I don't worry about adopting too much of another author's tone or voice, as I figure even if it does weasel into the first draft, it'll be all reworked later on.
So here's what I've been reading lately:
C is for Corpse, the third book in Sue Grafton's marvellous series. I wish Kinsey Millhone was my friend.
The Big O, by Declan Burke. I'd seen mentions of this around the web, then read a review of it here on Karen Chisholm's great Australasian Crime Fiction Database, so nipped over to the publisher's site where I read a pdf excerpt
then promptly plonked down my money! The book is an absolute ripper, and Declan's no shy retiring type either, as you can see on his excellent blog.
I've also read a biography of John Keats - just for something different, you know how it is - and a most wonderful book that made me cry, The Children by Charlotte Wood. Go here to click through to an excerpt. I love Charlotte's work! A tremendous Aussie author.

Okay, well ... I guess now it's time to get back to writing.
Cheers,
Katherine.

Only twenty four years late.

Sun, 13 Jan 2008 20:40:56 +1100

Don't you just love it when you find an author you've never read before, and adore their work, and then realise there are NINETEEN more books in the series waiting for you?!?!? Yes folks, I've recently read the first book in the Kinsey Milhone series by Sue Grafton, 'A is for Alibi'. That came out in 1983 and she's just released 'T is for Trespass'. By all accounts the series is powering, so I'm feeling all happy about the prospect of spending many more hours in Kinsey's excellent company. And hey, if you want to make yourself cry, go to the page on Grafton's site about their cat Emma and read the tribute written by her husband. Oh MAN.

In booky news closer to home, the edits of The Darkest Hour are done and back with the publisher, so next step is copy editing and then page proofs. Editing is weird - well, the whole writing process is weird, really - you swing from feeling like the ms works okay, the story cooks along nicely, then to feeling absolutely certain that no bigger pile of hogwash has ever been created. A book I've found helpful in the midst of all this is Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott. It's funny and down to earth and puts into words lots of the things I've been thinking and feeling. Hooray for Anne! and thanks to good buddy Leigh Redhead for telling me about it.

Till next time!
Katherine.

Pre-Christmas round-up.

Wed, 12 Dec 2007 07:54:30 +1100

So here we are, almost at the end of the year. It's been a huge one for me - first book out - great reviews - second book finished and with the editor now - third and fourth contracted - I met so many wonderful people at festivals and bookclubs and seminars - three of my uni friends have books out or contracts - and next year I have a likely trip to the UK in time for the release of Frantic on the 4th July and oh what a lovely coincidence, The Old Peculier Crime Writing Festival at Harrogate is on just a couple of weeks later! Imagine - the chance to meet the gods of the business like Tess Gerritsen and Robert Crais!

It's been a great year for reading too. Currently I am deep into Don Winslow's 'The Power of The Dog', which I saw recommended on the ABC's First Tuesday Book Club, then spotted in my local book emporium. Only got it yesterday and I'm already halfway through. Incredible story and characters. When I finish I'm going to rush out and see what other books of his I can get my hands on.

Speaking of reading, Peter Rozovsky on his blog Detectives Beyond Borders has a fascinating discussion on when and why good crime series go bad. How to keep each book fresh yet not too different from the ones before is a question pondered by every author of a crime series.

Let's end on a lovely note -- presents! Books are always good :) but for the person who has every book already, what better gift could there be than a piglet? This is where I go.

Wishing you all a happy festive season and a wonderful 2008.

cheers!
Katherine.

Home again.

Fri, 16 Nov 2007 18:37:02 +1100

Newtown was great! Our panel was well-attended, and it was fascinating to listen to Leah Giarratano talk about her work as a psychologist with both victims and perpetrators of crime.Thanks to Derek and Maggie and the other staff from Better Read Than Dead bookshop for superb organisation on the day.

Hello to Carolyn, who I met on the plane to Sydney - how was your reunion? Hello also to the woman whose name I can't remember - hope your daughter stunned them all in the exam!

The website's been updated. Click here to see images of the cover of the A format of Frantic (the smaller size) which comes out at the start of January, and of the cover of The Darkest Hour, which will be published in May. There's a little bit of info there about the book also.
Till next time!
Katherine.

Newtown in November

Wed, 31 Oct 2007 11:21:35 +1100

Been busy lately, getting underway with the new book - both in terms of research and actual writing. It's an exciting time, with so much potential in the ideas in your head, although when you start to write you realise again that first drafts are never all that good! Especially when you've just come from working on the nth draft of the previous book. Still, this is the challenge of writing - or should I say just one part of the challenge. My dad asked the other day was it easier with each book, and I said not really: though with every book you learn things and decide to do it differently next time as a result, each new book is still a brand new thing, and brings its own problems. And its own joys too, of course!

Now, a question: what are you up to on Sunday November 11th? If you live in Sydney you might like to check out the Newtown Festival. It's chockful of great activities, markets, live music, AND a writers tent, where you can come and listen to me rabbit on about crime writing with fellow writer Leah Giarratano! We're on at 11.30 am, and you can read more about the writers tent happenings here. Should be a corker!

Onto books I've recently read: I could not put down James Lee Burke's 'The Tin Roof Blowdown'. If you've been to my links page you will have noticed my passion for his work, and this book is simply fantastic. It's a crime story set in and around New Orleans when Hurricane Katrina hit, and twists your guts up in knots to 'see' what happened, through the eyes of local cop Dave Robicheaux.

Okay, that's it from me!
cheers,
Katherine.

Skin Privilege/The Bone Garden

Wed, 3 Oct 2007 16:43:13 +1000

Well, the structural edit of Panic is done. I posted it back last week, and now it's been read by my lovely editor Kylie and has received the official stamp of approval! It'll be off for copy editing next, while I get on with the new book. Exciting times!

As I mentioned the other week, I was saving Karin Slaughter's Skin Privilege until that edit was done, and let me tell you once I started I tore through it in two days flat. Fantastic book!! And now I'm onto Tess Gerritsen's The Bone Garden. Wow! I am in complete awe of her skill as a writer and storyteller. Please, if you like quality crime fiction, go and buy these books or hunt them down at your local library. Don't miss these two!

Time for some work on the brand new first draft,
till next time,
Katherine.

A bit of reading for you.

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 10:02:54 +1000

Had a fantastic time at the Brisbane Writers Festival on Sunday. The organisers really know their stuff! And the venue was lovely - in and around the State Library, right on the banks of the river. The day was hot but there was a constant breeze off the water. My co-panellists Mark and Chris are lovely guys and we had a great time sitting around talking before we went on, just about books and writing and authors and what we're working on now. The panel itself went well, and the audience had lots of great and well-thought-out questions afterwards, as did our moderator John Roe.

One of the ambulance-related websites on my links page, Random Acts of Reality, has had some great posts lately. Check out this one about a job Tom recently did himself, and also this then this then this for three perspectives (respectively cop, paramedic, nurse) on a single case done in the States.

Okay, it's back to the structural edit of 'Panic' for me!
cheers,
Katherine.

Let's do lunch!

Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:52:33 +1000

Got to see the new Bourne movie last week - oh MAN! I so love that series, and this instalment was no disappointment.
The week before I made a quick trip to Brisbane for a talk by Karin Slaughter. Such a lovely person! Entertaining speaker as well - she talked about growing up in the days when the Green River killer was on the loose in Atlanta, and how that affected her and other kids' lives. Bought a copy of her latest book Skin Privilege and am keeping it as a reward for when the structural edit of Panic is done. :)

Brisbane Writers Festival tomorrow! Looking forward to it very much. If you happen to be around the Blue Marquee at 320, stop in and say hi.

I'm speaking at another event the following Sunday, Sept 23rd. It starts at noon, at Tracie's Garden Restaurant on Marine Parade in Kingscliff. It's a fundraiser for Kingscliff Friends of the Library, and 20 bucks gets you pasta and dessert (drinks not included). Book your ticket through Kingscliff Library on 02 6674 1607. See you there!

Katherine.

What The Dead Know.

Fri, 17 Aug 2007 18:19:04 +1000

If you've visited my links page, you've seen my thoughts there on the marvellous Laura Lippman, and how keenly I've been waiting for her new book 'What The Dead Know'. Well, I nabbed myself a copy last week and tore through it in less than two days. A fantastic book. Lippman has an amazing talent for keeping you guessing about just where you're going, and having you feel deeply involved with her characters. Highly recommended, and while you're at it track down a copy of 'Every Secret Thing'.

Received some great news on 'Panic' during the week - it got the big thumbs-up from agent and publisher and editor! Next comes the edit, a process which I always enjoy because I learn a lot and can see the book improving.

Couple of appearances coming up - first is online, doing a guest blog on August 30th at Sarah Weinman's great crime fiction site Confessions of an Idiosyncratic Mind. Then on Friday September 7 I'll be speaking at Tweed Heads Library from 10 am. On Sunday 16th September, 320 pm, I'll be on a panel about reading and writing thrillers at the Brisbane Writers Festival, and prior to that I'm very much looking forward to reading my co-panellists books, 'Golden Serpent' by Mark Abernethy and 'The Low Road' by Chris Womersley. Most of the events over the festival are free, so why not have a squiz at the programme and see what catches your eye? And if you're there on the Sunday, come up and say hi.

cheers,
Katherine.

Byron postmortem.

Tue, 31 Jul 2007 14:05:30 +1000

Well, what a ripper of a festival! Congratulations to the Northern Rivers Writers' Centre and the many volunteers for a wonderful three days. The weather was perfect too.

The workshop on Thursday went really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed the other days, going to panels (including all the crime ones), meeting writers, spending time with friends, and talking to readers. Great to meet all of you!

I also found time to start work on the next book. 'Panic' is currently being read, and I feel at such a loose end. I'm cooking up some great characters and look forward to starting to write.

cheers,
Katherine.

SCU and Byron

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 07:57:27 +1000

I had a fantastic day at Southern Cross University yesterday! Ellie from the Co-op Bookshop had it all so well organised, the space in the library was great, and lots of people came along. It was wonderful to see so many writing students there. The course is obviously powering. Lots of insightful questions too. Thanks everyone for attending!

This morning I'm off to Byron for the Nuts and Bolts workshop. Should be a great day. The festival itself kicks off tomorrow, and I'll be at the SCU tent 1130-1230 on Saturday, and 11-12 on Sunday, so come on up and introduce yourself! To help plan your schedule, Damien on Crime Down Under has the perfect wrap-up of the panels that would interest crime fans.

Till next time,
cheers,
Katherine

July already - what?

Sat, 14 Jul 2007 13:06:45 +1000

I don't know about you, but I can't believe how fast this year is going. I guess it's because I spend all my time finishing up Panic, so the days are simply flying by.

The talk with the bookclub at Boardwalk Books went really well, as did the one with the Pottsville writers group. Everyone at both events was lovely and friendly, and many interesting and thought-provoking questions were tossed around. There is nothing to compare to meeting people who've read the book and want to talk about it!

There's another article about Frantic published today (Sunday 15 July). It's in the Sydney Sun-Herald. Journalist Genevieve Swart describes the book as having "action plotted as tight as a tourniquet". What a great phrase!
UPDATE -- the article is now online.

If you have a copy of the book you'd like signed, send me an email with your address and details and I'll post out a bookplate. Also, I now have a PO box if you'd rather not email. See the contact page for the address.

Well, I think that's it for now. Better get back to work!

Cheers,
Katherine.

News, reviews, and talks.

Sat, 16 Jun 2007 19:44:18 +1000

Hello! Well, here it is, mid-June -- hard to believe Frantic's been out for six weeks. By all accounts it's selling really well. Thanks to all those readers who've emailed me! It's always so lovely to hear that you like it.

There are some new reviews out: Reg Anderson in the Courier Mail (9th June) said "Frantic is a ripper of a yarn, told with verve and feeling for the characters and place. Howell is a natural storyteller", while Sue Turnbull in the Sydney Morning Herald (16th June) described the book as "an adrenaline rush of a thriller ... as addictive as it is exhausting", and ended by saying she can't wait for the next book in the series.

I'm doing a few talks next month. First up is at Boardwalk Bookshop in Kingscliff on Tuesday the 3rd of July. It kicks off at 10 am and everyone's welcome! Call Nikki at the shop on 0266 754 777 for more info and to RSVP.

Next talk is on Saturday the 14th July, at Pottsville Beach Neighbourhood Centre, Elizabeth St, Pottsville, in the Sandbar Room. That's from 1 to 3 pm. To RSVP and for further information you can call the PBNC on 02 6676 4555, or Rosemary on 02 6676 0874. All are welcome, and they ask for a gold coin donation to cover afternoon tea. We won't have books there for sale on the day, sorry, but bring your copy along and I'll be pleased as punch to sign it for you.

Third on the list is a talk at Southern Cross University in Lismore, on Wednesday the 25th. I have a real soft spot for this place! and am delighted to be going back and speaking. The event will be in the uni library, starting at midday. For more info call Luke at the uni Co-op Bookshop on 0266 214 484.

Finally, the Byron Bay Writers Festival! This is one of my favourite events, and I've been going for years. Who else remembers last year, freezing cold, pouring rain, but wasn't it GREAT?!? The organisers always put on an excellent three days. This year I'll be part of the workshop on Thursday 26th, titled 'Nuts and Bolts - so you want to be a writer.' The festival programme describes it as "a full day seminar covering the businesses and practicalities of being a writer", with a huge range of topics including the publishing process, the role of the agent, what manuscript assessors do, and how editors work. The panel I'm on will discuss the methods and merits of teaching writing, and it's on from 3-4 in the afternoon. The other panellists are John Ryan, extension English teacher from Richmond River High School, Dominique Hecq, Senior Lecturer and PhD Coordinator in the Writing Faculty of Higher Education, Swinburne University of Technology, and Janie Conway-Herron, BA Course Coordinator, convenor of the Writing Program in the School of Arts and Social Sciences, Southern Cross University. Entry to the workshop is separate from the festival entry passes, but it's just $55! (Even less for students/concession.) You can't beat that for what's described as "a fat toolkit of insider knowledge for emerging writers and those who are just plain curious". Cos let's face it, a lot of the publishing world is a total mystery, and every bit of info helps. Go here for more information.
Hope to meet you sometime soon!
cheers,
Katherine.

Audio book.

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 15:27:08 +1000

Frantic is now available as an audio book! Click here to see the details and to listen to an excerpt (it gives me goosebumps!). You can buy it direct from Bolinda Audiobooks, or talk to your local bookshop about having them order it in for you. They're a great idea for those long car trips, or for loading onto the ipod for going to work.

There's a couple of new reviews of Frantic out now. Peter Canning, Connecticut paramedic and blogger describes the book as "an incredibly accomplished thriller", while in The Courier Mail, reviewer Reg Anderson wrote "Frantic is a ripper of a yarn, told with verve and feeling for the characters and place. Howell is a natural storyteller".

I've recently received some great feedback from ambulance officers in various states. It's wonderful to hear that you enjoyed the book and found it so true to life. Thanks!

Who?

Sat, 2 Jun 2007 10:10:03 +1000

Check out the latest WHO magazine! It came out yesterday, the first of June, but the cover's dated the 11th. There's a interview with me starting on page 44. Thanks to my ambo friends who kindly agreed to pose for the photo!

UPDATE ----- you can now see the article here.

Herztod.

Sat, 26 May 2007 20:25:01 +1000

What's that mean, you say? It's a German word; the literal translation is 'heart death'; and it's the title of the German release of Frantic! Check out the cover. Pretty flash!

Another of the radio interviews, this one taped when I was in Melbourne, is available here. Vincent O'Donnell is a lovely guy and interviews a wide range of people from all over the arts world as you'll see if you scroll down the page.

Things are really moving now with Panic. It's always exciting to finally have the manuscript ready, and a great moment when you send it off to the publishers - even though that just means the beginning of the next phase, the editing. It's hard work but wonderful at the same time, because the skill and advice of good editors can make a book so much better. I'm so fortunate to work with great and talented people: my agent, her assistant, and the folks at Pan Macmillan!

Lastly, thanks to all of you for coming by. We're getting so much traffic we've had to increase our bandwidth! And we're looking at the messageboard too, which appears to have an inbuilt hatred of punctuation.

See you next time!

Home again!

Sun, 20 May 2007 14:23:38 +1000

I had a FANTASTIC week. Spent Monday in Melbourne, in both rain and sunshine, doing various press and radio interviews, then flew up to Sydney that night. First thing Tuesday I headed into the city to meet with lovely publicist Kate and go to the ABC studios for an hour-long chat with Richard Fidler. I so enjoyed that! The rest of that day was filled with more press interviews and photo shoots. Wednesday I did a number of phoned radio interviews to various regions across the eastern states, then went to Ashfield Library to give a talk. It was great to see so many people there, not only friends and family but interested readers! Thanks to all of you for coming along.
The rest of the week was just as busy. I had a wonderful time. The Pan Macmillan publicists who took me around and saved me from getting lost, the journalists and the photographers were all just lovely and made the entire week very easy.

Thanks to the readers who've written to tell me how much they liked the book! And to those who've sent their launch photos as well. Much appreciated.

The Who Weekly article hasn't appeared yet, but there's a new review up here.

So it's back to normal for me now - sort of. Have another couple of interviews this week, but am very much looking forward to getting back to work on PANIC, then starting on the as-yet-untitled book 3!

Signing and travels.

Sat, 12 May 2007 08:28:04 +1000

It's Saturday morning, and I'm off to the Angus and Robertson bookshop in an hour for the signing. I'll be there till midday, so if you're in the Tweed area, why not stop in and say hi?

Monday I'm off to Melbourne for the first day in a hectic week of interviews. One I'm really looking forward to is Conversation Hour with Richard Fidler on the ABC. It's on Tuesday, from 11-12 midday. The link has information on how to find your local station, how to listen over the web, and how to download a podcast also.

On Wednesday I'll be at Ashfield Library talking about Frantic, from 1-2 pm. You can get more information here. I'm really looking forward to that one too.

Lastly, the Who Weekly article will apparently be out in next Friday's issue.

Have a good week - see you next time!
cheers,
Katherine.

Suspense article

Tue, 8 May 2007 14:01:16 +1000

The article is now up! You can access it here, or via the link on the bio page.

We're collecting together photos from the launch to post here too. I took my camera on the night but then completely forgot to use it! So if anybody has digital pictures they wouldn't mind sharing, I'd love to see them please. Just email them in, by clicking that little envelope up there on the left. Thanks!

Call me forgetful.

Mon, 7 May 2007 14:51:51 +1000

I realised this morning that I left a couple of important things out of yesterday's news: the lucky door prize winners!
Third prize was four books (Leigh's three, and my one), kindly donated by Angus and Robertson bookshop. This was won by Lisa - congratulations! I'd like to add here that Tanya and Carol from Angus and Robertson did a sterling job. They had no cash register and no EFTPOS machine, and were writing out receipts by hand, and they still managed to sell 60 books! And then they gave US flowers!?!?!?!?!?
Second prize was to have your name given to a character in Leigh's next book. This was won by a dear friend of mine, psychologist Nerida Saunders. I look forward to seeing what Leigh does with her!
First prize was your name as a character in my book. This was won by another good friend of mine, ex-paramedic Graham Strong! He's now going into 'Panic', so look out for that next year!

Till next time!

So how was it?

Sun, 6 May 2007 17:04:46 +1000

It was wonderful! We had about 85 people turn up, the cafe was packed full. I was thrilled and touched that so many people came along to celebrate. Leigh Redhead launched the book with great style and humour, and then I got up to say a few words. Looking out over the sea of faces was amazing. So many smiling friends, both old and new! And it's hard to believe that this time last year the book hadn't even been signed up.
Thanks so much to everyone who came along. You turned the afternoon into a fabulous event.
Cheers!

Launch day!

Sat, 5 May 2007 07:41:50 +1000

The day is finally here, and I'm really excited. The book's been out for a week or more but I'm so pleased that this afternoon I'll get to celebrate its existence with friends, many of whom I haven't seen for ages. Leigh and I have cooked up a great lucky door prize idea as well! I'll tell you more about that - and who won - next time I post here. I'm aiming to have photos put up then too.
My article on suspense is in the process of being added to the site. It's a VERY potted version of my thesis - but then that's what happens when you boil 14,000 words down to 1200. Hope you find it interesting, anyway. If anybody wants a list of the references I used for the thesis, just send an email. Oh - the link to the article is on the bio page. Or just check back here and I'll let you know asap when it's up.
I've had a hectic week, with numerous live radio interviews (did anyone catch the 3CR one? I really enjoyed speaking to Jan there). There are plans afoot for a one hour conversation with another station on the 22nd, and also trips to Sydney and Melbourne. I'll post details here once things are confirmed.
Meantime the end of 'Panic' is drawing closer! It's going really well. But all I can say is, poor Ella ...
Till next time!!

Frantic is in the shops!

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:35:28 +1000

Not only have I seen it there with my own eyes (and signed a few copies too) but friends are sending me pictures of themselves next to store displays! It's really a tremendous feeling.

There's a review in the May issue of Good Reading magazine, with Alan Gold describing the book as "a confident, well-explored and satisfying novel." In the same issue, look out for the interview with my good friend Leigh Redhead.

Another magazine to keep an eye out for is Who Weekly. There's an interview with me, plus pics, in an upcoming issue, possibly the one released on May 4th. Check it out!

Finally, on Thursday the 3rd, if you're not doing anything at 11.30 am, why not tune in to 3CR Community Radio in Melbourne, where I'll be discussing Frantic with Jan Goldsmith? It's at 855 on the am dial for locals, and for the rest of us, complete and simple instructions about how to listen over the web are here.
See you next time!

New on the site.

Wed, 18 Apr 2007 11:44:05 +1000

Hello! Not long now till the book hits the shops. Quite a few libraries have placed orders too, so you can borrow from your local if you prefer. Either way, I look forward to hearing what you think.

We've just added a short synopsis and first chapter excerpt for Panic - click on over to the books page for a look.

On the links page we've listed a few more of my favourite writers.

Finally, I see on my webstats programme that we're getting visitors from all over the world. Welcome - it's great to have you drop by!

The book!

Sat, 7 Apr 2007 13:53:23 +1000

Imagine it: twelve years of hoping and praying and working on learner novels, three years of drafting and editing, one year in production with the publisher, and then ... you get the box from the post office, rip the top open with your car keys because you can't wait any longer, and there it is! Your book. It actually exists.
I sat in the car and just held it for I don't know how long. Then I read the dedication and the acknowledgements, flipped through the pages, put my face into it and inhaled.
It's so strange to see text that I worked on for so long, on computer screen and on A4 manuscript pages, here in real book form at last. Strange, but wonderful too.
I don't know when I'll read it. At the moment it's much too close, and I need some distance. Maybe I'll never read it? Have to wait and see.

Just three weeks now till it hits the shops! The in-store date is April 24th, although some stores may take a few days to put it on the shelves. Angus and Robertson in Tweed City (such lovely people!) are holding a signing the week after the launch, on Saturday 12th May, 10-12 midday, so if you're in the area, stop in and say hi! I'd love to meet you. Tell me what you like to read, too - I'm always on the look-out for a good book.
Till next time!

Latest news.

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:34:11 +1000

Hi everyone, thanks for stopping by.
RSVPs are starting to come in for the launch - it's going to be great to see so many people there!
If you're in Sydney, I'll be speaking there later in May. One confirmed date is Wednesday 16th, at Ashfield Library - check it out here. There are other possible dates and locations, and I'll post them here as soon as we know.

What I'm reading now ...

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 08:42:35 +1000

Well, I never finished Christine Falls. Hard to say why - just not my cup of tea, I think.
Pelecanos was great, as always.
I've just started David Morrell's Long Lost, and so far so good! Morrell wrote First Blood and a stack of other thrillers since. I recently came across his writing book 'Lessons from a lifetime of writing', and found some great advice in it. I borrowed it from my local library first, then bought a copy, I liked it so much. Well worth a look.
I see Laura Lippman's 'What The Dead Know' is out in the US now (and getting great reviews too!), but not here yet. I sometimes buy books I really want from Amazon or similar, but I think this time I'll make myself wait. After all, I am on deadline! -- It's coming along really well too. Look out for a short synopsis and excerpt on the books page soon!

Launch news!

Tue, 6 Mar 2007 16:24:41 +1100

Get out your diaries - 'Frantic' will be launched on Saturday the 5th of May, at Cafe La Cucinna in Tweed City Shopping Centre, Tweed Heads South, from 4 to 6 pm. Crime writer Leigh Redhead will be doing the honours (thanks Leigh!). All are welcome to this free event, but to make sure we have enough cake and champagne, we're asking that you please RSVP by 28th April, either to Angus and Robertson Bookshop on 55244371, or right here, to me, by email. Look forward to seeing you there!

The early reviews have begun!

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:37:08 +1000

The March issue of Bookseller and Publisher describes Frantic as “a fast-paced and involving read”, and “a real page-turner (that) will certainly appeal to fans of medical-based crime thrillers”.

Better Read Than Dead bookseller Derek also has some nice things to say, describing Frantic as "a fast-paced compelling mystery" and "a great read."

What I’m reading...

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:40:31 +1000

I have two books on the go at the moment, ‘Soul Circus’ by George Pelecanos, and ‘Christine Falls’ by Benjamin Black (the pseudonym of Man Booker prize-winner John Banville). I really enjoy Pelecanos’s series of novels featuring Washington PI Derek Strange. Pelecanos has also written for the HBO TV show ‘The Wire’. It’s only been on pay TV here in Australia, but is highly recommended if you like your crime shows gritty and real.
I’m not far into ‘Christine Falls’ yet, only having read the first chapter so far, but I feel that tug of wanting to get back to it and find out what’s about to happen.

Launch of Frantic

Sat, 24 Feb 2007 16:39:51 +1000

Planning for the Tweed Heads launch of Frantic is underway, and details will be posted here soon. One thing we do know: it will be a free event and open to everyone!