October.

Well, here we are again. I think I should just issue a blanket apology for the lateness of all my posts forever. Last time I wrote here it was May and I said sorry for not having posted since January. The time before that I was doing the same. Each month I have great intentions and then . . .  nothing.

Anyway! Things have been busy here. I'm currently wrapping up the copy edits on book 7, and am delighted to be able to tell you that the title is DESERVING DEATH. Release date in Australia is 1st Feb next year, and the finishing touches are going on the cover and promo material. Woohoo! The writing of book 8 is coming along too, slow and steady.

I've done more travel writing recently too, with a trip to gorgeous Queenstown, NZ, to try my hand (or foot) at skiing, and a few other thrilling adventure experiences. All the articles are now listed on the Other writing page.

I've been doing lots of talks and workshops, and have more coming up, including in Helensvale, Casino, and Indooroopilly. Two of those events were actually 'in conversations' with the one and only Kathy Reichs. I'm a big fan of her work and it was a great thrill to interview her in front of two big audiences, the first at Chermside Library and the second at the Brisbane City Hall. Here we are mid-chat at Chermside. 


I've also been to the Brisbane and Byron Bay Writers Festivals. At Byron I taught a booked-out workshop on developing suspense in your writing, and at Brisbane was involved with a couple of great events with Sisters In Crime and also took part in the debate that was part of the Ned Kelly Awards presentation evening. The Neds are the annual awards of the Australian Crime Writers Association, and the debate topic was 'You can't make this stuff up'. On the affirmative side stood writer Matt Condon, lawyer Jacqui Payne, and Queensland Writers Centre head honcho Meg Vann. Facing them across the stage was the negative team: crime write-ist and all-round Scottish dude Stuart Macbride, screen-writer (Mad Max) turned bestselling crime writer (I Am Pilgrim) Terry Hayes, and me. You can see our style in the action shots below and on the ACWA website, and understand why we won in a landslide, arguing that in fact you can make this stuff up.

---

Stuart making a decisive and incisive point.

Terry mowing down the opposition with wit and wisdom.

Me quoting Shakespeare: "Of course we have to make this stuff up: it's fiction."

I was thrilled that this year I was shortlisted in both the Ned Kelly best fiction category (for Web Of Deceit) and the Sisters In Crime's Davitt best fiction category (for Silent Fear). (The eligibility conditions cover different time periods, hence the different books.) Sadly neither book got up on the respective nights, but to be listed in the top five books out of 60 odd contenders is an honour.

And that's where I'm going to finish this post! I'd like to say I'll be back sooner than three (or four, or five) months, and who knows, maybe I'll manage to surprise us all. Meantime, happy reading!

cheers,
Katherine.