"It's a page-turner!" Ghostwriter 7 On Sale Now—Most Gripping Mystery Yet

"I really loved this book. The storyline was interesting and grabbed your attention. It’s very well written and developed. I found this a hard book to put down. I recommend reading."

– Heather 177, Booksprout

“A well written suspense with engaging characters and well plotted mystery.”

– Anne Glass Kasaba, Booksprout

WITHOUT A WORD

A Ghostwriter Mystery 7

IT'S BEEN a long time between drinks for our merlot-swilling ghostwriter, but Roxy Parker's back in the belly of her mates and on a 20-year-old missing person's case.

Roxy’s client—PR princess Phoebe Fisher—was just a child when her entire family vanished. She wants Roxy to tell her story now; Roxy’s more interested in the past. Why did young Phoebe’s family vanish? How could they do it in just one night? And what's the 'dark and sinister event' that triggered everything? As Roxy sorts fact from fiction, detective friend Gilda has a shocking case of her own—a woman has baked to death in a sizzling hot car. They’re calling it "suicide by sunbaking" but is that even possible or could it be something more macabre? From the best-selling author of the AGATHA CHRISTIE BOOK CLUB comes the much-anticipated seventh instalment of the Ghostwriter Mysteries, a fun, fast-paced series for those who love a complex, humorous whodunit with contemporary characters you can fall in love with. This time, Roxy’s got a dog by her side and a secret so scary she's terrified to tell her mum (let alone her ex-boyfriend Max!). GENRE: Cozy, crime, humour, romance, amateur sleuth, international adventure NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: This book contains Australian slang and a little adult language—all part of the Aussie vernacular. No offence is intended. AVAILABLE: @ Amazon @ Apple iBooks @ B+N nook @ kobo

Under my Ghostie's skin (is she deeper than you realise?)

Q: Do you think Roxy Parker chose to be a Ghostwriter so she could hide in the shadows of other people's lives?

It was a throwaway question, posed to me by a longtime reader and fan, but it threw me for six. I was writing my third ghostwriter mystery when she emailed me from her home in Canada, and I laughed at first before blinking rapidly and having a mini 'Ah-ha' moment that quickly turned into an ''Oh my God!'

Yes. Absolutely. Of course! My reader had nailed it, and I hadn't even realised. Yet I have to confess, that hadn't been my original intention, at least not consciously, not at the start.

Conjuring up a ghost
Roxy Parker was just supposed to be a bit of fun, a bit of a lark. When I first conjured up the protagonist of my new Ghostwriter Mystery Series for the first book Killer Twist, I enjoyed turning her into a merlot-swilling, fast-talking, puzzle-loving amateur sleuth, who just happens to stumble upon corpses as she ghostwrites other people's 'autobiographies'.

Yet as I fleshed Roxy out, as I coloured her in and then drew in her supporting cast, I created something a lot deeper than that, and a hell of a lot more interesting. I'm not talking thesis-inspiring deep, or even something many readers would consciously notice, but it's there and I hadn't even realised it had happened, until one reader pointed it out.

While creating a ghostwriter, I had in effect created a ghost.


Behind the shadows
Roxy lives in the shadows of other people's lives. She's a journalist first and foremost, and most journalists, it has to be said, do exactly that—especially of the print variety. In fact, it's the reason I became a print journo. My communications lecturer had suggested I go into broadcast; I guess he figured I could pull off the voice and/or face for it, but I was aghast at the thought. I loved being behind the scenes, I loved pulling the real story out of other people and pushing them up and into the spotlight.

I wasn't the story, they were! Duh!

It's doubly so for ghostwriters. They don't even get a byline asI generally do, their voice is never heard. Ghostwritten books are usually always in first-person, in the subject's voice, not theirs.  It is ALL about the other, and that's just the way young Roxy likes it.

It's also the reason she has set her life up the way she has. It explains everything about her, from her cosy little apartment, only big enough for one, to her motley crew of mates, all fiercely single, all living through others whether they realise it or not. Like her sweet slob of an agent, Oliver, whose whole career is set up to push other people's careers; and her Scottish pal Lockie, a budding artist who provides a cosy cafe where real arty types can congregate. And Gilda Maltin, of course, the tough-talking cop who is single, lives alone and investigates other people's lives.

Only one person breaks the mould. 

Max Farrell is Roxy's best friend, a photographer, but he doesn't just snap other people, he creates his own artworks, is a minor celebrity in his own right. He lives in an over-sized warehouse and has plenty of room both there—and in his heart—for Ms Parker.

He's the one who tries to break into Roxy's heart, to bring her out of the shadows and put her in the spotlight. And she keeps pushing him back.

She likes her quiet little life, thank you very much! She likes her Thai takeaway, her local cafe and the newsagents who hold the paper for her so she can cut out the complex mystery and misery she finds inside. Maybe Roxy thinks by doing all of this she will avoid more mystery/misery in her own life?

She had a taste of it once, remember, when her beloved father died? She doesn't want to feel that pain again. She'd rather document other people's pain.

And so Roxy has made her life very small, very single, very closed down—just ask her disapproving mother! Perhaps Lorraine isn't as clueless or as cruel as Roxy likes to make out.

Perhaps the reason both Lorraine and Max want Roxy to stop interfering in other people's mysteries has less to do with her personal safety and more to do with Roxy living a life of her own.

None of this matters, of course, if you're just enjoying the ride. But if you like your characters deeper, if you're into psychoanalysis, well... may I introduce the real Roxy Parker. She's deeper than you may realise.

What do you think? Did you, like my Canadian reader, catch any of that? Are we both over-thinking it? Does it even matter? I'd love to hear your views, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below, or get in touch via email.

Happy (deeper) reading everyone!

xo Christina

New look, same great stories...

Pop open the champers everyone! My new-look Ghostwriter Mystery Series is now online and available for sale at all good eretailers right around the globe, including Amazon, Apple, Smashwords, Barnes & Noble and Kobo. 

I do hope you love the fresh look and would appreciate some feedback if you have the time.

As I said in an earlier post, I've revamped all six ebook covers to spread the net wider and attract a larger readership (new covers pictured right and below). I do this not to dismiss the beautiful fanbase I already have—without you guys, I never would have got to book three, so thank you!—but I hope to appeal to those who may have swept past me in their online search for crime fiction, misunderstanding what my Ghostwriter books are all about, believing incorrectly, 'Oh that's not for me.'

Yes, they're fast-paced and fun to read.

No, they're not just for those under 30!

My 'Ghostie' Roxy Parker has a much wider appeal than that. And I know this because of the many people who write to me from around the world, complimenting my work and asking me to keep writing. These beloved fans come in all shapes and sizes, genders and age groups—from teenage girls to elderly men. It just doesn't matter.

What matters is the story behind the front cover, and I hope you find it intriguing enough now to take a second look. If you love a good mystery, an unpredictable plot, and characters who leap off the page and leave a small smile on your lips, then you won't be disappointed, I know you won't.

And if you've already read all six, then, again, thank you and let me know your thoughts.

Happy (more glamorous) reading everyone!

xo Christina

Review one book, get one free (it's too easy!)

Want to win a free murder mystery? Be one of the first to review Roxy Parker's latest Ghostwriter mystery, A Note Before Dying, and you can have your pick of any of Roxy's past adventures, including Killer Twist, A Plot To Die For, Last Writes, Dying Words or Words Can Kill. Or, if you've read them all, no sweat. You could win one of my other ebooks, available via Amazon including The Agatha Christie Book Club and An Island Lost.

It's easy!

Just download a copy of A Note Before Dying (if you haven't already) then sit back and enjoy your read. Once you've finished, simply jot down a quick review on Amazon. It doesn't have to be long, doesn't even need to be favourable! I'd just like to hear from you.

What did you like? What didn't you? Did you guess whodunnit?

Once you've jotted your Amazon review, just sit back and DO NOTHING! I will get in touch with you via Amazon to offer you a Kindle copy of one of my eight murder mysteries currently available at Amazon.

Or, if you'd prefer, get in touch via the comments box below to alert me to your review or send me a direct email. It's up to you!

Don't hesitate! 

I'm offering this to the first THREE people who review my book on Amazon. So get in quick and get yourself a free murder mystery.

Happy reading, everyone!
xo Christina

Peace, man ... (Or why hippies should not take offense)

I go a little hard on 'hippies'* in my latest novel, A Note Before Dying, and for that I'd like to apologise and explain.

First, the explanation. 

It sounds like a dreadful cliche/cop-out but some of my best friends are hippies, really they are! And how could they not be? For the past 15 years I’ve been living in a region that could only be described as the Hippie Capital of Australia, the Byron Shire (just a hop skip and a djambe from the smoky village of Nimbin, a Hippie Mecca and home of the Age of Aquarius).

In my local shire, there are 'hippies' as far as the all-seeing eye can see—think, hemp clothing and velvet vests, white guys with dreads, communes and multiple occupancies, organic vegies and vegans, and creaky Kombi vans.  

At first it freaked me out. Fresh from the Meat Packing District of New York, I felt like I had landed on another planet. My God, who were these people?! The way 'they' ate, spoke, danced, dressed and even hugged (often in the middle of the street, for 10 minutes at a time), was like nothing I had ever encountered. 

And I've encountered plenty in my 40-plus years, I can tell you that! I mean, hey, I grew up in Papua New Guinea for crissake. I went to boarding school with nuns. I lived on a Greek Island, and worked in the cities of London, New York and LA. I've seen a fair bit; I've met my share of 'types'; and this was one of the most unique I had ever encountered.

Let me give you an example (one of many). My partner and I went to a dinner party one night, early in our first year here. All was going well, or so I thought, until one of the guests announcd that the energy in the room was not working for her and she wanted us to all gather in a circle, hold hands and chant. For half an hour. 

Hate to sound un-PC or anything, but that kind of thing, well, it takes a bit of getting used to. But get used to it I did. Eventually, I grew to understand that not all hippies are alike. (Duh!) I realised that boxing 'hippies' is as idiotic as boxing 'hipsters'. There may be a certain stereotypical way of eating, speaking, dancing, dressing and yes, even hugging, but that's where the similarities end.  Of course there are a million shades of grey, just like there are in every community subset and culture.

For every free-spirited hippie I have met, there is an equally close-minded (dare I say narcissistic?) one. Just as there are free spirits and narcissists amongst every subset. It's not rocket science, people. It's human beings, and you learn about it in Bigotry 101.

And so I hadn't really given the issue much thought lately, until I began to write my latest Ghostwriter Mystery, that is. 

And now for the apology...

While writing A Note Before Dying, I was forced to see 'hippies' afresh all over again, through Roxy Parker's eyes (and, even less sympathetically, through her rusted-on city mate Gilda Maltin's). And it wasn't pretty.

You see, Roxy lives and works in inner-city Sydney, more familiar with 'hipsters' than hippies'. She's a true-blue city gal. So when she comes to this region to ghostwrite the story of an aging rock star (and ends up investigating his murder, as is her want in life), she is viewing hippies through that distorted lens. The same lens through which I first viewed them. 

And so her bias comes out. Big time. Roxy and Gilda both give hippies a bit of a rough time in this book. They find them baffling, even a little amusing, and it may just annoy the 'hippies' who read it, and it will definitely annoy the PC police (of which, I know, there are many). 

Please don't take this to heart. It's fiction, people! It's about channelling the reality of a city girl encountering a 'subspecies' she has never met before. I did not write it to offend. I just wanted to be colourful and honest, and I hope I have achieved both.

[FYI: In the next book, Roxy does a lot of growing up. I can't speak for Gilda, though. I think she'll always be a little pigheaded where hemp clothing and white people in dreads is concerned. But hey, it's entertainment, peeps, it's supposed to be fun!]

So, with that caveat in mind, I hope you enjoy the latest Ghostwriter Mystery, and if you do see yourself in this book, I hope you can have a laugh (even if you do need to do a little chanting and burn a smudge stick afterwards).

Happy reading, everyone.

xo Christina 

*For want of a better word. I’m no fan of the term 'hippie', which, like ‘gypsy’ seems derogatory to me, yet is widely used and accepted in these parts, even amongst 'hippies'. Forgive me if it offends.

Roxy returns—and no-one can guess whodunnit!

I'm thrilled (and not a little relieved) to announce the launch of my latest Ghostwriter Mystery,
A Note Before Dying. 

It's now available on Kindle at Amazon and iPad, Nook, Kobo etc, via Smashwords.

This is Roxy Parker's sixth scintillating adventure and my eighth crime novel, and I defy anyone to work out whodunnit before the riveting conclusion! No, really, it's been through more than its fair share of editors (thanks Diana, Elaine and Misha), not to mention readers (thanks Shell and Pete) and NOT ONE person has come close to guessing.

Can you work it out? 

Have a look and decide for yourself. Until then, happy (challenging!) reading.

xo Christina

A Note Before Dying (Ghostwriter Mystery 6)

By C.A. Larmer

When uber rock legend Jed Moody is electrocuted while strutting his stuff on stage, he’s lucky he’s got one true fan in the audience—ghostwriter Roxy Parker. She may be there to write his life story but now she wants to know who snuffed it out so violently, and why.

Could it be a string of lovers or his long-suffering wife? An embittered band member or the money hungry publicist? And what about all those local villagers who resent the upstart rock star, including sexy ‘sparkie’ Sam? He’s got the electrical expertise and the perfect reason to want Jed Moody dead. 

Sam’s also got his sights set on Roxy Parker and she’s falling for him fast.

In the sixth Ghostwriter Mystery, Roxy enlists her best friend Detective Gilda Maltin to help her investigate. What they uncover will shock Roxy to the core and make her question her own insight into the human heart.

Has Roxy’s fetish for crime finally clouded her judgment? Is she now incapable of recognizing evil, even when it’s staring her in the face?

New Ghostwriter Cover Reveal!

A sneak peek for my devoted readers ...

A Note Before Dying will be up online at Amazon later tonight, and via Smashwords (Apple iPad, Nook, Kobo et al) over the next few days.

Stay tuned and happy squizzing.
(Oh and let me know what you think!)

xo Christina

A note on my new title

It's been a long time coming, but the sixth Ghostwriter Mystery is about to hit the digital stands and, at last, I can reveal the winning title.
(grapple for the envelope, drum roll please...)

Roxy Parker's next adventure will be called: A Note Before Dying
(pause for thunderous applause)

A big THANK YOU, first and foremost, to fellow author Mary Kelly (of the Romantic Comedy trilogy) who emailed me through two terrific suggestions which helped form the basis of this wonderful title (once you read the book you'll understand just how wonderful it is). 

Mary has now won the coveted prize of naming the villain in my next book and has, in fact, already sent her suggestion through. It's a fabulous name, completely unexpected, and will make a terrific 'baddie'. She tells me the name is derived from an old work nemesis who, for now, shall remain nameless (not only for Mary's sake, but because I don't want to give away the plot to my next novel. Duh!)

Runners up
I'd also like to thank her four fellow contestants who also sent in some weird and wonderful ideas of their own: Michele (I'm stashing yours away for a future novel, hope that's okay), Lou (thanks, girl, you made me laugh), Horatio (six ideas! Man, you're prolific) and 'JP' (what the ...?). 

I loved hearing from you all and I appreciated your taking part. Thank you!

The trick behind titles
Naming book titles is not always as easy as it may seem. As Mary says, "As an author I find the title to be very important. Although sometimes a title is an easy choice from the start, I change my mind a million times for another book." 

In my case, I not only have to find a title that suits the specific plot, it has to have some general connection to murder (it has to sound a little ominous) and writing (it's a Ghostwriter Mystery, after all). Capturing all three elements in just a few words is no mean feat.

This time, as the story is about a musician who gets murdered, I think we've hit the right note.
(pause to groan loudly at the pun)

But you be the judge
A Note Before Dying will be up online by close of business Thursday, Feb 5. That's TOMORROW folks, and is subject to smooth sailing at Amazon and Smashwords. Look out for it and please, let me know your thoughts. 

I love hearing from my readers, and I look forward to taking you on another riveting ride with Roxy.

Happy reading everyone!
xo Christina

Sale-ing towards Roxy's 6th adventure: 99c ebook sale!

It's written, edited and re-edited within an inch of its life. 

The cover is designed, the cover title has been chosen, and the requisite people been acknowledged and duly thanked. 

Hurrah! Roxy Parker's sixth riveting adventure is about to be launched and will hit the stands (as in, digital stands) in just one week.

Until then ... I'm throwing a Ghostwriter sale!

The first FOUR adventures in the Ghostwriter Mystery series will be on sale for exactly one week. That's seven days, folks, to catch up on any tales you haven't read, download a copy for a friend, or simply re-read an early favourite.

Then watch this space. 

I'll be doing a cover reveal in a few days and will also be announcing the winner of my Name The Next Book competition!

Happy (inexpensive) reading, everyone!

xo Christina

Name my new mystery, be named in my next one!

        Author Note: "A big THANK YOU to all those who emailed me privately with their book title ideas (see blog below). Some were wonderful, some a little wacky and all were most appreciated. The competition is now officially closed and I will be going into cover production phase next week with my designer. A final decision on the title will be made after that. Stay tuned and thanks again ..."

Roxy Parker's 6th Ghostwriter murder mystery is about to come out but I need your help first! There's the small matter of the title ... oh whatever shall I call it?

I have a few ideas but I'd love your input as well. Come up with the perfect title for the novel and you will not only have the satisfaction of seeing your words splashed all over Amazon, Apple ibooks, Sony etc, but you will also be thanked inside the cover AND be offered the chance to name the new villain in Ghostwriter Mystery #7! (You could name yourself, your boss, your cheating ex-hubby, it's up to you!)

FYI: Book 6 sees Roxy Parker head to the subtropical hinterland behind Byron Bay on Australia's sun-drenched eastern coast where she is booked to write the life story of an ageing Aussie rock star. When he is suddenly electrocuted while on stage, Roxy realises there is murder afoot, and sets about investigating...

Rules of the game:

• It's very simple: all you have to do is post your book title ideas in a comment page on this blog. Or, if you're prefer anonymity, you can email me directly: christina.larmer@gmail.com.
• You will need to send your ideas ASAP - my designer will start working on the cover on Jan 20.
• If yours is the winning title I will contact you directly. If you have not heard from me, it means you have not been successful.
• Where two or more people submit the same title idea, the first in wins.
• There is no payment for ideas, your reward is the right to name the villain in my next Ghostwriter Mystery (book #7), due out later in the year.*

And remember: 
1): The title has to be short and snappy and catch a reader's attention straight away
2): It has to imply something to do with writing, words, books etc (check out my other titles to get the idea)
3): It has to imply some kind of murder, crime, mystery or death
4: And if you can, it would be great if it had something to do with music and/or music writing. But that would be a bonus!

To get you inspired, here are a few I've been playing with:
The Last Verse
Death March
Killer Chorus ...

Good luck and I look forward to seeing your ideas!
xo Christina

* Within reason! I can not use profanities in names and where I think the name is in bad taste or will cause harm or injury to myself or another person I reserve the right to reject your suggestion. This is at my discretion. I trust you understand.

Roxy's 6th mystery brings sparks - good & bad!

So there she is, minding her own business again—or rather, poking her nose into a client's—when our industrious ghostwriter Roxy Parker stumbles upon another grisly murder. (What? No!) This time Roxy's client, an uber-sexy rock star with a v. messy background, is zapped to death by his Fender Strat guitar.

He literally burns to death in front of her eyes!

There are some very dodgy suspects watching from the crowd, and at least two or three on stage right alongside him, including his beloved wife ...

In my sixth Ghostwriter Mystery, Roxy is back with a sizzling crime and a soft spot for a man who just might be the murderer. (Why must she always fall for the bad guys?!) Everyone's pointing the finger at the local sparkie (aka electrician), Sam Forrest. He's got a very good reason to want the rock star dead, and Roxy knows she should be avoiding the man at all costs. The problem is, she's nursing a broken heart after her failed relationship with Max Farrell, and there's something about Sam she can't resist. He has big puppydog eyes and an even cuter puppydog! And he's begging for her help.

Has Roxy just met the new man of her dreams or is she being taken for another ride?

Stay tuned, folks. You'll find out for yourself in a few weeks. I've just finished writing the latest adventure in Roxy Parker's life, and this one is set in the hinterland behind the rockin' town of Byron Bay. It's currently with my US editor. I'm hoping to have it up on Amazon and Smashwords in the new year.

Until then, be sure to catch up on Roxy's other adventures first if you haven't read them all via Amazon or Smashwords. And listen out for fresh books sales and title/cover reveals in the lead up to the launch.

If we don't speak beforehand, have a fantastic festive season and may there be lots of riveting mysteries in this year's Chrissy stocking!

xo Christina

The one that got away

Several years ago I was having dinner with a criminal lawyer friend who suggested a non-fiction book idea to me which I promptly ignored, and am now kicking myself about.

Back in 2005, a German backpacker had been found murdered, her body left under palm fronds near a Lismore caravan park, and her case has gone largely unsolved, despite several good leads and at least three suspects. My lawyer friend, Tracey, who also happens to live near Lismore, knew about the case and thought it would make a fascinating book.

But did I listen to her? No I did not!

Then, last weekend, while planted in the packed audience at a true crime session of the Byron Bay Writers Festival—a popular annual event that I NEVER miss out on—I had the great good fortune of hearing three writers speak about their work.

One of them was about a German backpacker who had been found murdered, her body left under palm fronds near a Lismore caravan park. What? No! Not only was the tragic story of Simone Strobel fascinating, the author, Virginia Peters, had such an incredible tale to tell of researching and writing the book, and the audience was captivated by the excerpt she read out.

After the session I rushed out to buy the book.

While I'm yet to finish Have You Seen Simone? (Penguin, 2014)—freelance work, why do you plague me so?—I am enjoying it thoroughly. And I can not help wondering, what if ...

What if I had listened to my lawyer friend and written the book myself?

One step removed

I recall at the time Tracey suggested it, I was intrigued. I've always had a macabre interest in true crime, devouring Who/People magazines' crime articles weekly and reading real crime stories in daily papers with the same gusto that my heroine Roxy Parker does. (Although, unlike Roxy I do not cut and paste them in a Book of Death. I'm sick, but not that sick!)

Yet I made a deliberate attempt to ignore my friend's advice. I like reading about true crime, I love writing crime fiction, but both things afford me a distance that writing true crime would not. Mine are one step removed. Safe and cosy. To do this book I would need to do as Virginia does, and not only immerse myself in the real crime, decaying flesh and all, but I would have to meet and interview the suspects. I would have to look a potential murderer in the eye.

It felt like a step too far. Did I really want to invite that kind of vermin into my life? Back then, I decided, not.

Living brave
Now, flicking through this book and remembering the wide-eyed audience who clung to the author's every word at the Writers Fest, I wish I had been braver. I wish I had taken a risk. And I wish I had written about an important story that needed to be told. Maybe if I had, it would be me sitting up on that podium, keeping an audience entranced with a story that breaks your heart.

Oh well, Tracey, you tried. Next time I'll heed your advice!

Happy reading everyone and kudos to you, Ms Peters.
xo Christina

POSTCRIPT: Despite not pointing the finger directly at any one suspect, author Virginia Peters is currently being sued for defamation. For me, this only underscores the importance of this story and the author's utter bravery.

The backseat review

Writers love a good review, that goes without saying. We also despise a narky one and, as I've blogged before, it can leave us quivering messes constantly second guessing ourselves and threatening to give it all up, such sensitive souls as we are.

But what to do with the 'backseat review'?
That's what I call a review where the reader tells you what to do next, where to take the characters and what they expect. In no uncertain terms, they make it clear they want more of one thing, less of another.
In other words: you're driving the wrong bloody way!

Passionate readers are my favourite kind, let's get that clear from the start. Better to have a fanatical reader who bosses you about than a reader who stumbled upon your book, read it half-heartedly and couldn't really give a toss. They're welcome, too, of course, don't get me wrong. But gee, a little passion is a wondrous thing.

However! With passionate readers comes a caveat: they not only think they own the characters, they believe they own the plot.
I recently enjoyed reading a review from an extremely passionate reader who was a little miffed that all her favourite Ghostwriter Mystery characters, especially Oliver, were largely absent from my latest book Words Can Kill. In this tale, Roxy packs her bags and heads to Europe to hunt down her ex-boyfriend, Max. He's gone missing, his Berlin flatmate has shown up murdered, and a cryptic text tells her Max's life is hanging by a thread. Roxy's good friend, and Max's sister Caroline, does tag along, but that's not good enough, not for this reader at least.

She desperately wants Roxy to return home. She wants her to trawl the familiar turf of Sydney, her motley mates by her side. And I get that. That's what made her fall in love with my books in the first place.

But it's also what makes them a little boring for me as a writer.
I travel a lot. I love exploring new terrains in my books and not just because my holidays are tax deductible, although that's an added bonus. I think it makes the copy more interesting, more textured and colourful. And it makes me a better writer.

I also love creating new characters and can get a little over the old ones. In fact, I got dreadfully bored with Roxy and Max's relationship. I felt it was verging on snoresville, hence the ending of my latest book.

This reader vehemently disagrees. She was not happy, she begged me to take Roxy home and deliver up all her favourite characters again. She even wants Max and Roxy back together and I almost wonder if she'll settle for anything less.

Will she desert the Ghostwriter Mysteries if I don't do as I'm told? And should that even matter?

My question to you, dear blog reader is this: How seriously should a writer take an avid fan's concerns? She's just one person, after all. Does she speak for all, or do the other readers (the hundreds who did not seem to have any problem with any of this) feel differently? I honestly don't know.

What's more, isn't it my book? Isn't it up to me where Roxy goes and with whom she goes there?

How important is one person's opinion when every reader counts (and when that one person is, perhaps, your biggest fan)? I don't know. I don't want to lose her, but I won't be directed from the sidelines either. It's a fine line.

In any case, it's too late now. This lovely reader is not going to be happy. I'm midway through Roxy's sixth adventure and she's already headed out of town, up the Australian coast. What's worse, she's headed off alone. (Although, thanks to this reader, I am considering some last-minute tweaks. Maybe a few of her friends will join her up the coast? Maybe she'll return to Sydney sooner than I had planned?)

Should I be doing any of that, just for one reader, albeit a passionate one?

It's an interesting question and I'd love to hear your thoughts. Jot me a comment below.

In the meantime, happy—involved—reading everyone! (And thanks to that beloved reader who has given me pause for thought.)
xo Christina

The truth hurts (but it's friends I'm worried about!)

I live in an extraordinary part of Australia brimming with a motley collection of hippies, yuppies, rednecks and bogans. 

There are lots of single parents, successful musos and artists, a smattering of celebrities, too many cashed-up types, a cluster of the poor and disadvantaged, a bunch of ordinary mums and dads, one or two psychopaths, and some genuinely good sorts.

It really is a magnificent melting pot and, for a regional area, a unique one at that. Which is why it would make great fodder for a crime novel.

So why, then, have I NEVER set a single book in this area? What's that about? 

Not knowing the answer to that question (and not really asking it of myself), I decided to set my latest Ghostwriter Mystery #6 (my 8th book) in this area. Of course, I didn't call it Goonengerry. I'm not a complete idiot. I've given it a fictional name, and I've just begun to create a collection of characters who vaguely resemble the people that I know. After all, why not? It'll be fun to write and brimming with some of the most honest characters of Roxy's life.

Er, not so fast.
As I began creating my characters, I started to worry. Then I began to panic. Normally, when pumping a story with life, I pluck a name out of thin air, add some interesting or portent hair colour, body type and personality flaws, then before you know it, I've got my victim or villain, suspect or passer by.

80,000 words later, it's done and dusted and I've had one hell of a ride.

Not this time. 
This time I am realising that creating characters out of thin air is so much easier, and a hell of a lot safer, than trying to hide real people in a pretend universe.

I really, really want to use that self-righteous hippie who pretends to be spiritual but is tediously self-obsessed, those arrogant yuppies who wish they were spiritual but can't see beyond their shiny BMW, that neurotic guitarist and his snotty-nosed wife, those lovely farmer folk and the sweet family who live next door, the local newspaper guy whose arrogance is baffling, the naive young groupies who are headed for a fall, and the caring community types who rarely get a gong but deserve so much more.

So many colourful characters, so little wordspace! They live and breathe around me, and I want them to live and breathe in my next novel.

The thin, true line
Yet the brakes have gone on. Big time. I realise now, 10,000 words in, that I am treading a very fine and dangerous line. It's tempting to not just borrow from the people around me, but to recreate them right down to the colour of their clothes and the swing of their hair. They do it so well, I want to reflect that in this novel.

Yet I can not. It's a small town, after all. And the last thing anyone needs (least of all my friends, neighbours and family) is to recognise themselves in my next novel.

For the first time in my fictional career, I really understand why all good books begin with a qualifier:

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Yet in this case, it may be the whitest of lies. Unless I back up a bit, that is.

I want my characters to be real, but I don't want to hurt anyone (at least not in real life), nor do I want to ostracise the people around me and make life difficult for my hubby and boys who must live and breathe in this community.

Will one of my characters make it tricky next time we go to the local shop? 

Will anyone even notice?

It's a conundrum that I am still working out. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this, how you (or the authors you admire) manage to breathe life into characters without sucking the life blood out of the people you (they) love. Send me an email or jot a comment below.

In the meantime, happy reading everyone (and may you never see yourself in a novel, at least not in a bad light!)

xo Christina

When a 'Mean Girl' strikes (ouch!)

I received a pretty nasty email last night. 

It was from a reader, a regular one by the sound of it. She was taking me to task, in no uncertain terms, for using a certain line 'too often' in my books. The line is fairly benign, can't quite understand why it's caused her such angst, and how that angst has forced her to not only seek out my email address but to pen a very demoralising and outright nasty letter.

She's entitled to her opinion. I should be grateful, I know, that she has even bothered. I'm sure she thinks she's 'helping'. But it got me thinking ... what kind of a person does that? 

And have they any idea what kind of a person I am?

Sensitive souls

If you're a creative type, like me, you will know the answer to that question, without ever having met me. I am a writer. Sometimes I wish I wasn't. Gee my life would be easier, and downright more lucrative, if I had a strong drive to be, say, a banker. Or a clerk. Or even a waitress. I'm sure I'd earn more, and probably feel a lot better about myself.

Most writers, by their very nature, are sensitive souls with non-existent egos and endless vulnerabilities. It seems a contradiction considering how we throw our words about, but many of us are one really dreadful review away from chucking it all in.

We feel life differently to many others. That's why we write. We see the nuances in every upturned eyebrow and casual throw-away line. We pick and plot our way through the world. We feel things so intensely we have to get it down, we have to share it with the world lest we implode. If we didn't, we'd just get on with our lives and be happy with our lot.

Instead we question and quiz and plot and play — all with words, which we hope will delight and explain and go some way to making sense of this crazy world.

Even the greats

Every writer is full of neuroses, even the greats. Read any interview, witness any author/poet talk and this is abundantly clear—from Sylvia Plath to Agatha Christie. At some stage we all read our work and think, 'Oh my God that's a load of drivel, why do I even bother?'

Maybe it's fleeting—Harlan Coben once said, "At some point in every novel, I fear that I will never be able to pull it together"—or maybe it's a constant battle. The great Tennessee Williams is quoted as saying: "I don't believe anyone ever suspects how completely unsure I am of my work and myself and what tortures of self-doubting the doubt of others has always given me.”

Whatever it is, however strong our self-doubt, to slam that ability to finally "pull it together" (and produce a work you can actually sink your teeth into) with a bitchy comment, while totally justified perhaps, can wither something so easily inside us all. You need to know that.

Speak out, by all means

I'm not saying you have no right to criticise. If authors want the praise—which we do, and often!—we must also accept the criticism right along with it. I know that, Harlan and Ian know that. I'm just saying, be careful how you criticise.

I have received plenty of wonderful gushing emails, I'm not short on praise, and I respond to each one like they've sent me a glass of water in a parched desert. They inspire me, they keep me thriving. I have also received the occasional critical one, but I have been equally as appreciative. I'm often told I use too many profanities in my books, but I stand by them. My stories are largely set in Australia and Aussies swear like bloody troopers. I thank the critic and get on with my life.

A few books back, a fan wrote to tell me how much she loved my work but had found some spelling errors and wondered if I was keen to know? I was! She has since edited several of my books and I can not thank her enough. That kind of criticism is valuable, it's imporant, it's appreciated. What's more, she did it with a kind heart and a helpful soul. She wasn't out to hurt me, she was out to help.

A sting in the tail

The email last night only had one intention. This person was clearly frustrated and wanted me to feel her pain. Well done, Mean Girl, you achieved just that. (You probably had a point, you know, but you did it so viciously, your point got lost amidst the pain.)

Please be aware, as you press 'Send' and get on with your life (one that probably doesn't involve writing novels and putting them out there for others to judge), that a nasty tone and a mean rant actually demoralises us. It doesn't help. It may even stop us from writing all together. And if, like Ms Mean Girl, you profess to reading all our books, why risk killing them off? Luckily, I'm made of sturdier stuff.

(Still, for every 10 positive reviews I get on Amazon and the like, I get just one slightly nasty, slightly tetchy one. And it's that one review I remember. Sad but true. It's the reason I have largely stopped reading my reviews, despite the fact that most are so wonderfully supportive. Almost every writer I know does not read their reviews for that very reason. It's usually the negative ones that stay with you, whether you like it or not.)

So tread gently, folks. We're human, you know? That's why you have a book to read in the first place.

Be a kind reader this month.
xo Christina

A sweet place to bump someone off

So I'm wandering through a towering, Scandinavian pine forest towards a rippling blue cove and all I can think about is murder. What a stunning place to bump someone off!


Later, while staring up at the ancient bell tower I consider hanging someone from it, or should I just lay their body strategically underneath, a reindeer grazing nearby?

I'm on the tiny island of Sandhman, part of Stockholm's archipelago and it's frightening how quickly my thoughts turn to all things murderous. Really, this Swedish island is idyllic. Serene. The very last place you would expect such violence. And yet there my mind goes. I guess it's the unexpectedness of it that's so appealing, the incongruity of murder in such a peaceful setting. I know it'd make a great plot device for a future Ghostwriter Mystery.

There's just one problem and I'm not talking about my sad, twisted mind.

It's all been done before, damn it, and by someone with a lot more authority than me. Or at least I think it has. If only I could read Swedish.

The one who came before

Swedish author Viveca Sten has been coming to Sandhamn since she was a baby. Every damn summer for decades. And she's based a bunch of crime novels on the island.

She beat me to it, and I expect she's done it much better than I could ever hope to—because she has such an intimate knowledge of the place. How could she not?

I'd be cranky with Ms Sten if I wasn't so intrigued. I long to read her novels, to see if her mind lingered on murderous thoughts at the same spots that mine did. How did she pull it off? Did she use the bell tower? How did she describe that apline forest? Was the murderer a local, the detective a ring-in like Roxy?

So many questions, so little chance of ever having them answered, unless of course I take up Swedish. You see, as far as I can tell Ms Sten has not had her books translated to English. And why should she? She's a popular Swedish author, living thousands of miles away from me.

But gee I wish she would.

For now, I can only imagine where Ms Sten's tales took her and try to give mine a different twist. Because I'm not put off one bit. I still intend to get Roxy across to Sandhamn and place her life in jeopardy somewhere in that spiky forest.

It's too serene a location to pass up.

xo Christina