An Author's Lot

So what's happening in my world?

The short answer is loads.

But I guess you want the long answer.

Well, I'm about to kick off on the publicity trail and anyone who has been following this blog knows that there's actually more to an author's life than just sitting at a computer writing the latest draft. It's one thing writing the book, getting it through the editing process to a satisfactory position where the editor is happy with it, but then you must do your damnedest to get the word out to potential readers.

So here, briefly, is what is on the cards in the next few months.

Radio interview with Siren FM. Check. It's in the bag and should be airing some time this coming week around the Lincoln area, as well as a podcast from South-side Broadcasting. I will post a link when it comes available.

Next week from 19th - 22nd may I'll be at bristol for Crimefest. This year I'm on a panel called 'The Grass is Greener': USA Vs UK, and for the first time will be moderating a panel called Without reservations: No Holds Barred. I'm thoroughly looking forward to Crimefest, which is rapidly becoming the best crime fiction convention in the UK.

After a very short break - where to be honest I'll be working on my next draft so it's no break at all - I'm off to Whitburn Library, South Tyneside on Friday 10th June. If anyone's in the area please come along and support your local library.

On 13th June I'm then attending the Middlesbrough Literary festival alongside Stephen Booth and Graham pears, and forensic specialists from the nearby university for a night of crime fact and fiction.

On Wednesday 15th June I'm joining Zoe Sharpe, Diane Janes and other authors at Kendal Library, Cumbria for a night of crime.

Rounding off that week, I'll be at Nottingham Crime readers day at Nottingham Library on saturday 18th June.

A few days later, Tuesday 21st June, its off to London for the inaugural Crime in the Court: Goldsboro Books's new crime spectacular in Cecil Court, London.

Couple weeks writing are then on the cards, but then it's off to New York for Thrillerfest 7th - 10th July, where I'll be taking part on a panel talking about balancing real life and fiction.

Then it's the Theakstone Old Peculiar Crime Writing Festival at Harrogate, Yorkshire from Thursday 21st- Sunday 24th July.

But that's not all that's happening that week. Blood and Ashes is released on 21st July, and running alongside it will be a week long campaign on Talk radio where I'll also be taking part in live interviews. With an audience of over 2.5 million, I'm looking forward to this one.

All that done and dusted, I then start looking forward to the launch of the next book - Dead Men's Harvest - in mid-August, at the same time as publicising the impending release of both Slash and Burn and Cut and Run in the USA, this coming winter. For this I will be heading off to Bouchercon, St Louis, Missouri between 14th and 18th August.

Who said an author only sits at a computer writing? This is just the tip of the iceberg and doesn't take into consideration all the social networking, blogging, guest blogging etc that must be undertaken.

At the same time I'll be putting the finishing touches to JH 8, Starting JH 9, line editing and proofing JH 7, and Line editing and Proofing JH 4 for the US market. Plus other little projects I've got on the boil.

Mind you, it's still the best job in the world and I wouldn't change it one bit.

Speaking of Vallon Jackson...

The zombie anthology containing Vallon Jackson's story APOCALYPSE NOO entitled Holiday of the Dead is now available for pre-order at Amazon and will be out 18th May 2011. With over 500 pages, 38 stories from some of the top names in horror fiction it's getting some fabulous reviews. The book is also available on Kindle and Smashwords.

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Holiday-of-the-Dead/dp/1907954058/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1304802205&sr=1-2

Published by Wild Wolf Publishers

The Weird Vault of Vallon Jackson

Some of you here know I have an alter-ego called Vallon Jackson, and that when whim takes him he will shanghai my typing fingers and pen something from his crazy-weird imagination. Well, I've kind of exorcised him and banished him to his own vault where you can read all of his horror, ghost, crime, noir and weird stories. There's some over there that you have not read yet. Why not pay him a visit here: The Weird Vault of Vallon Jackson

New Joe Hunter Site

http://joehunterbooks.wordpress.com/

Folks, I have taken the decision to close down my sister blog Joe Hunter's Fixers as it was not being used as I would have wished. But all is not lost, it has been reborn Phoenix-like as a new Wordpress site aptly named JOE HUNTER BOOKS.

I will be transferring some of the better posts from the defunct Fixers site across there, and adding lots of new Joe Hunter stuff.

This is to separate Joe-centric news from all the general writing and rigmarole that goes on here. I hope you'll visit and make it a regular stopping off point along during your browsing.

See all you Fixers across there, OK?

No Ordinary Joe the Movie

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLOnc-OGTCs

I've been teasing with some production shots from a mini-movie book trailer produced by those wonderful people at Third Act Montage and am proud to now share it with you. Click the link for your first look and let me know what you think in the comments.

Enjoy!

Blood and Ashes down under.

Here's a review of Blood and Ashes  from the 'Sydney Morning Herald' I was made aware of this morning that I'm particularly proud of and would like to share with my readers. I'm assuming most of you DO NOT dislike violence in your action thrillers.

Your first look at Dead Men's Harvest

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 slave ship 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.


Published 18th August 2011 by Hodder and Stoughton and available for pre-order now at: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Mens-Harvest-Matt-Hilton/dp/1444712632/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1291725685&sr=1-2