Great Big Blog Party - More Winners

I'm back to annonce more winners - this time from Lesley Cookman and Susan Stephens . . .

So - Lesley first - here's her message . . .

I've picked Ruth, as she mentioned two detectiveswho are secondary characters in Elizabeth George's books, andyou'd have to be very familiar with the genre to know that.

Congratulations Ruth!

And Susan Stephns put this message on the comments section - so in case you haven;t spotted it -



Lois, you're the winner today, so huge congratulations. Could you send your snail mail details, please?susan@susanstephens.netThank you!Thank you all so much for dropping by Susanxx

Congratulations Lois as well.

Ladies you each win signed books - Lesley's Murder in Steeple Martin and Susan's current Presents - One-Night Baby. I hope you enjoy your prizes.

Great Big Blog Party 36 Lesley Cookman

Several times on this blog I have mentioned Caerleon Writers' Holidays - with good reason. I'm addicted to the warmth, the sharing and the feelgood factor of this annual event. As are many other people. Everyone has a wonderful time and the help yourself Speakers' Bar is an established tradition and the perfect example of the open generosity of the organisers - and their appreciation of their speakers.

It was through Caerleon and in the bookroom that doubles as that bar, that I first met today's Guest Blogger - Lesley Cookman. At that time Lesley was at Caerleon in her capacity as a profgessions Pantomime Writer. To this day she is the only professional Pantomime Writer I have ever met.

(I'm tempted to add here - 'Oh no she isn't! . . . Oh yes she is! ' - but perhaps not!)

Lesley and I got talking and we talked about writing (surprise, suprise). She had tried a couple of times to write for HMB and had got close but never quite made it. She was still hoping to get back into writing fiction. For a while we discussed her romance novel writing - but in the end it was clear that that was not the right path for her. After a detour into a Creative Writing MA, Lesley found her real path in Crime Fiction and in 2006, her first long fiction book Murder in Steeple Martin featuring middle aged actress come investigator, Libby Sarjeant came out.

It was followed by Murder at the Laurels and in November Murder in Midwinter is due to appear.

Romance writing's loss is crime fiction's gain.

So here's Lesley Cookman

I first met Kate Walker when I was just over 50. Shewas a main speaker at Caerleon Writers' Holiday and I was running a two and a half day workshop on writing pantomime. We spent agood deal of time together in the bar and she persuaded me to have another go at writing long fiction.

So I did.

And life begins at (just over) 50- believe me!

Thanks, Kate.

GIVEAWAY:

Lesley has a signed copy of Murder in Steeple Martin to giveaway

QUESTION:

Who is your favourite fictional detective and why?