behind the scenes of dead ringer

Dead Ringer wins fiction prize at Lakeland Book of the Year Awards

Dead Ringer wins fiction prize at Lakeland Book of the Year Awards

I bumbled up to Penrith last month for the 2021 Lakeland Book of the Year Awards, the very picture of “I’m just glad to be nominated”. After all, there was no way my debut thriller, Dead Ringer, with its doppelganger vs. doppelganger showdown on the sinking sands of Walney Island in Cumbria, was going to…

Dead Ringer longlisted for Lakeland Book of the Year

Dead Ringer longlisted for Lakeland Book of the Year

I’m delighted that my debut novel, Dead Ringer, has been recognised in the 2021 Lakeland Book of the Year longlist. This award, sponsored by Cumbria Tourism, showcases literary talent inspired by the landscapes, history and culture of the Lake District, Cumbria. Cumbria was always at the (dark) heart of Dead Ringer, from the first moment…

You’ll have to rearrange your life in order to write a novel – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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You’ll have to rearrange your life in order to write a novel – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer

If there’s one myth about writing that I hate, it’s the myth that great novels were written in snatched 5-minute bursts. “Get up earlier and write while drinking your morning coffee! Write in your lunch break! If you’re not writing while simultaneously making a risotto and changing a duvet cover, you obviously don’t want it…

Joining a writing group will save your soul – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer
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Joining a writing group will save your soul – Things I learned while writing Dead Ringer

When I look back and try to identify the ONE thing that took me from slush pile to publication, it’s joining a writing group. Specifically, a workshop critique group. This was a big, scary step for me, because (like most writers) I haaate having my writing critiqued. At the time, it felt like someone was…

Interview with Nathalie Buscombe, Dead Ringer audiobook narrator

Interview with Nathalie Buscombe, Dead Ringer audiobook narrator

Find out the secrets of audiobook narration in this interview with one of Dead Ringer‘s narrators, Nathalie Buscombe. You’re also a talented artist and writer, in addition to being an actor. How does audiobook narration fit into your schedule and why do you enjoy it? I have separate agents for Acting and Voiceover and my…

3 things that inspired my novel Dead Ringer

3 things that inspired my novel Dead Ringer

Inspiration isn’t always linear; oftentimes, story ideas emerge out of unexpected nuggets colliding. Here’s how the premise for Dead Ringer ultimately came together. A clickbait article “I found my twin on YouTube.” When you’re scrolling distractedly through Twitter, that’s the sort of thing that catches your eye. Some 5 years ago, I stumbled across the…