CRIME AUTHORS SPILL THEIR GUTS ABOUT WRITING. Every Thursday top-notch authors of psychological thrillers and crime fiction share their writing secrets – and the secrets to their success – with you and me.
“I can write anywhere – on a bus, on a train, or in a crowded room.”
Tell us about yourself…
My real name is Helen Blenkinsop and I’m the eldest of five. Like lots of children, I made up stories and fantasy adventure games. This entertained my four younger siblings and earned me brownie points with my parents. As an adult, the need to earn a living sent me into accountancy – luckily, I was good at maths as well as English. Since then, I’ve put my knowledge of finance to good use in my crime thrillers. Having worked recently in the City of London, I’ve seen ambitious, driven high flyers in the workplace, and I’ve channelled them in my stories.
The books are set in places I know, too. I was born in an industrial town near London and spent much of my life in Birmingham. There was a big upheaval as Britain moved away from a manufacturing economy and Brum became the shiny, service-focused city we see today. Although I moved to Bristol, I love Birmingham, visit it often and big it up in my Trail series of crime thrillers. Being in warm, buzzy Brum makes my heart sing.
While I’m not dyslexic, I’ve arranged for the Trail series to be published in a large print dyslexia-friendly edition as well as in traditional paperback and e-book formats. I wanted dyslexic family and friends to enjoy the crisp feel of a paperback as much as I do.
How long does your first draft take you?
Six weeks of daydreaming, research and… TO READ ON, CLICK HERE
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