Talking to Myself.

When you're asked to interview yourself, you can answer some of the burning questions that readers often ask but don't go into the usual interviews. Well, at SEA MINOR I do just that...answer those frequently asked questions you'd all like the answers to.

http://nigelpbird.blogspot.com/2011/08/dancing-with-myself-matt-hilton.html

Thanks to Nigel Bird for the opportunity.

The Wait is Over

The Harvestman is back! And determined to wreak revenge on Joe Hunter. When Rink is ambushed by a team of highly skilled killers, Joe is pretty sure his friend is being used as bait. And the intended prey is Hunter himself. Joe has to go 'off radar' to rescue his friend. Their deadly game of cat and mouse reaches its climax on the rusty hulk of The Queen Sofia - a container ship used by human traffickers - moored off the North Carolina coast where Joe's ex-sister-in-law is being held hostage. Against overwhelming odds, and amid a ferocious storm, Joe comes face to face with his old enemy Tubal Cain.

AVailable from today from Hodder and Stoughton in hardback and eBook formats.

...and while I'm talking books.

Other books, better described as straight crime that you will also enjoy are as follows....

Simon Kernick's latest bestselling paperback

A 'smashing, gritty debut' from Howard Linskey

The first in a new Mike Yorke series from Sheila Quigley

The Hardboiled Collective

As a writer of hardboiled crime - yeah, that's another name for crime thrillers if you hadn't heard - I was pleased when approached by book reviewer and author JV Steen of Sons Of Spade to join a group of likeminded authors to help promote and support others in our field. I was delighted to do so and have joined the Hardboiled Collective. Over the coming months I will be bringing you news of each author and their current book but for a quick overview you might want to take a quick look at this Listmania entry over at Amazon:

Basically, if you like Joe Hunter, or you like Jack Reacher, then you're more than likely going to like the writing of these fine individuals.

First up is news about a brand new e-antholgy of short stories from fellow Brit - and Cumbrian - Zoe Sharp whose Charlie Fox collection FOX FIVE has just come available on Kindle. 

FOX FIVE is a collection of stories by the highly acclaimed crime thriller writer, Zoë Sharp. All feature her ex-Special Forces soldier turned self-defence expert and bodyguard, Charlotte ‘Charlie’ Fox.

In A Bridge Too Far, we meet Charlie before she’s become a professional in the world of close protection. When she agrees to hang out with the local Dangerous Sports Club, she has no idea it will soon live up to its name.

Postcards From Another Country has Charlie guarding the ultra-rich Dempsey family against attempted assassination – no matter where the danger lies.

A finalist for the CWA Short Story Dagger, Served Cold puts another tough woman centre stage – the mysterious Layla, with betrayal in her past and murder in her heart.

Off Duty finds Charlie taking time away from close protection after injury. She still finds trouble, even in an out-of-season health spa in the Catskill Mountains.

And finally, Truth And Lies puts all Charlie’s skills and ingenuity to the test as she has to single-handedly extract a news team from a rapidly escalating war zone.

Also included: Excerpt from KILLER INSTINCT: Charlie Fox book one, Meet Charlie Fox, Meet Zoë Sharp, info on the other books in the Charlie Fox series.

Praise for Zoë Sharp and Charlie Fox:

‘Ill-tempered, aggressive and borderline psychotic, Fox is also compassionate, introspective and highly principled: arguably one of the most enigmatic − and coolest − heroines in contemporary genre fiction.’ Paul Goat Allen, Chicago Tribune

'If you don't like Zoë Sharp there's something wrong with you. Go and live in a cave and get the hell out of my gene pool! There are few writers who go right to the top of my TBR pile − Zoë Sharp is one of them.' Stuart MacBride

'Anyone with a brain wants Charlie Fox for the girl next door. Funny, compassionate, and with moves that can − and do − kill, Charlie is the indelible creation of the remarkable Zoë Sharp.’ Gayle Lynds

P.S. I left Zoe Sharp's book off my previous entry in anticipation of doing this one. Charlie Fox could easily sit alongside any of the tough guys mentioned in my 'If you like Joe Hunter piece...' below...

If you like Joe Hunter then you'll like...

The sixth Joe Hunter thriller from Matt Hilton

The second Harry Tate spy thriller from Adrian Magson

The second Ryan Lock thriller from Sean Black

The second Paul Dark spy thriller from Jeremy Duns (aka Free Country)

The first in a new spy thriller series featuring Will Cochran from Matthew Dunn

The first 'Victor' spy thriller from Tom Wood

The second to latest Dan Shepherd thriller from Stephen Leather

My Inspiration

OK, there are many of you who will read the heading above and think that I'm going to start naming names  of all the authors who have inspired me to date. I think I've already done that on a number of occasions and you're probably sick of hearing me going on about the same people. No, all I'm going to do here is mention one name in particular. That name is ADRIAN MAGSON.

Now I'll probably embarrass Adrian in saying so - he's such a humble guy - but of all the author's I've read and admired, Adrian probably gave me more of an inspirational boost than any. Now it could be quite simply that Adrian was the first 'real' author I ever corresponded with, but his words of encouragement gave me the proverbial kick up the butt that my writing aspirations required way back when I was still aspiring to be published. Adrian might not even remember our short email conversation, back when I bit the bullet to congratulate him on hearing of his publishing deal with Creme De La Crime for the first in his Gavin and Palmer series. On Adrian's urging I submitted my latest novel to his publisher - and it was rejected. But, hey. Not such a bad thing. Because I also gained some great feedback and advice from both CDLC and Adrian. As a result of that I continued writing. Believe it or not, but prior to that I was on the cusp of giving up on my writing dream. The advice was just the push I required, and glad I am that I spoke with Adrian that time.

Since then I've followed Adrian's writing, through the Gavin and Palmer books, and more recently through Red Station, and Tracers (Harry Tate series), and Death on The Marais, and Death on the Rive Nord (tbr) (Lucas Rocco series). But also, I have also avidly followed Adrian's 'beginners' column in WRITING MAGAZINE. I was chuffed to hear from Adrian recently that he had plans to pull all his columns together in one volume, and here it is. WRITE ON! The Writer's handbook.

For any aspiring author there's good advice on writing, and there's great advice, and from Adrian you only get the latter. This book is a superb addition to any author's shelves - beginner or advanced - and - written in Adrian's engaging, anecdotal and witty style - is actually an enjoyable read (unlike many text books). An interviewer asked me recently which book on writing I'd recommend, and without pause I said Stephen King's ON WRITING. I wish I'd had Adrian's book on hand at the time because my answer would assuredly be different. I'd have said Adrian Magson's WRITE ON and Stephen King's On WRITING. Yeah, it really is that good in my opinion.

You can grab yourself a copy here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Write-Writers-Help-Adrian-Magson/dp/1908006773/ref=sr_1_13?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1312976486&sr=1-13

Dead Men's Harvest - Joe Hunter 6

Dead Men's Harvest - Joe Hunter 6 - is only a little over a week from hard back publication on 18th August 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton. I will be officially launching the book on Saturday 20th August at Waterstone's Carlisle branch, Scotch Street, Carlisle, Cumbria, UK at 11:00 am if anyone can make it along (I'll be in store for five hours so plenty time). This is your opportunity to have your books personalised.

Joe Hunter VS Prisoner 1854
The Harvestman is back, and he's got a bone to pick...

Me Interviewed!

http://wp.me/p18Ztn-uZ

Morgen Bailey interviewed me for her blog on writing and teased from me some little known facts. Why not skip on over and see what we've got to say. Morgen blogs and interviews different authors twice a day and her site is a great asset for any writer - aspiring or otherwise.