Written in Blood: Trials and tribulations of a crime writer - Writing, Selling and Theft!.

 

Since my last article for Mystery People, I have found my ‘book time’ split between writing my next book and trying to encourage people to buy the books I have already written.

I have been very fortunate with my latest book

Death in the Sea Pool.

After talking about it at the Bude Festival (see my previous article for Mystery People), the local bookshop Spencer Thorn took a box of 16 off me, sold all of them, requested another 16, and sold all of them too. I have now dispatched a third box. All very encouraging.

Meanwhile back home in Oxfordshire, I have taken part in two book fairs, spoken in two libraries, and given talks to various women’s institutes and a care home.

 Of course, there are no guarantees re sales. Sometimes you have a really successful time, other times you don’t. In one Oxfordshire market town, I sold only one book at the end of my 45 minute talk. I did admittedly receive a fee, but I also had a book stolen! I left my box of books on the pavement while I walked round the corner to get my car. When I got back, the box had disappeared. Aagh!

A quick scout round revealed that it had been moved to a bench under cover. Phew!
How kind of someone. It was only when I got home that I realised that that ‘kind’ person had decided that they deserved a free book and took it home! There is obviously an irony in someone stealing a crime novel, so I have banked that as an experience to be tucked away until I need an anecdote to be wheeled out at a future event.
In the meantime, I am trying to finish the draft MS of my latest crime novel It involves a new set of characters, and I am really happy with the way those individuals have developed. V S Pritchett said: ‘There is no such thing as plot. There are only characters.’ I find those words wise and helpful.  So right now, with 90 per cent of the MS written, I am waiting for the characters to lead my story to a satisfactory and exciting conclusion.

Wish me – and my characters –
the best of luck.

Peter Tickler 

All of my crime novels can be purchased as e-books or in many cases as paperbacks. If you are ever visiting Bude, do call into the Spencer Thorn bookshop for a paperback copy of Death in the Sea Pool.
Or if you can’t wait, click
https://tinyurl.com/2rr86dv8   now!  

Twitter: @ptickler
Email: petertickler@btinternet.com
Website:  www.petertickler.co.uk 

Twitter: @ptickler