How did it get to almost-February?? I know I had my head down working on revisions but somehow Feb has snuck up on me. I surfaced to take a look at the reviews of A Proposal to Secure His Vengeance and was thrilled to find 7 - 7!! great reviews on Amazon and there's a really fabulous one over on the Mills and Boon site -

A Stunning read!!
*****
This is hugely enjoyable. A book to savour like a fine wine. An example of a highly accomplished author at the top of their game. The writing comes across the page as effortlessly readable. Assured storytelling at it's very best.

Raoul Cardini is a hero who delivers from the start, dominating the book. I highly recommend this potentially as of the finest in the Kate Walker vintage!!

Read it now!!

Thank you so much Karim Lalani  - I'm just thrilled you enjoyed Raoul's story so much.

Now I need to focus on sorting out a trip to York with the other writer in the family while I act as PA. That's the rest of the week seen to.

My DH  and his co-author  Stuart Gibbon - former senior police detective and now running The Gib Consultancy  are giving a talk  at Waterstone's in York  from 7pm

Historical crime writer Stephen Wade and former Senior Police Detective Stuart Gibbonhave teamed up to write The Crime Writer's Casebook, an essential companion for anyone interested in crime, whether historical or modern-day. It features true crime case studies and explains how crime investigation has evolved throughout the centuries. 

This is a unique opportunity to hear extracts from the book and to ask questions of two leading experts in their field.

PS If you can't make York - then there's a second talk in Waterstone's in  Harrogate on 16th February   at 18.30 pm

Crime Writers' Giveaway

CRIME WRITER'S GIVEAWAY

Tomorrow is December 10th. That makes it the official publication date of the Babe Magnet's great new book from Straightforward Publishing. The Crime Writers' Casebook.

To celebrate, my DH has given me two paperback copies of this book to give away over the weekend. As Good reads have changed their policy making international giveaways much more difficult, I'm going to have to do this personally.

Written with Stuart Gibbon, former Metropolitan Police detective with 30 years experience in crime investigation. As a DCI he was in charge of murder cases and was an SIO on the East Midlands Special Operations Unit. He is now a writing consultant advising authors on police procedures.

Stephen Wade is the author of over 60 non-fiction books, many of them on crime history. His most recent works have included The Justice Women, No More Soldiering and The Girl who Lived on Air, all mainly concerned with legal issues in history. His book, Murder in Mind, was featured at the Ilkley Literature festival in 2017. Stuart and Stephen give talks to writing groups on crime past and present.

To enter, just leave a comment below - or on my Facebook page - telling me - and Steve and Stuart - the name of your favourite ever crime novel .. Giveaway open internationally; prizes posted next week; you don't have to buy anything to enter; and names

will be drawn at random.

This time, Ruby will pick the winners on Monday morning - which is a day when she will be celebrating a special something herself!

Here's a small hint about what -

On the road - or, rather, the train, again.

So after last week's trip to London and  my time being the  romance writer   who lunches - and then parties - now we're back and I've got all the laundry  washed and dried  (in spite of the rain) .

This weekend we're at another writing event - but it's a very different one.  This weekend the Babe Magnet is speaking at the Jack the Ripper Conference   in Liverpool.

So this weekend it's my turn to step back and let him take the spotlight while I play the part of the PA to true crime writer and crime historian Stephen Wade.   He was supposed to  be able to display his new title Murder in Mind, but unfortunately publication on that has been delayed - so instead he'll be talking about researching  the true crimes  and criminals of the past -  and possibly his collaboration with ex detective (from London and Lincolnshire) Stuart Gibbon   on a new book planned to help writers get those important factual details right in   crime fact or fiction.