Behind the Bestseller: what makes a book a success? Bestselling author Sam Blake talks to authors, editors, publicists and agents to find out exactly what that magic ingredient is. Join crime author Sam Blake as she chats to bestsellers from every genre to find out what makes a book fly off the shelves. Discussing concepts and ideas, where stories come from and how authors develop them into what you see on the page, Sam also chats to agents, editors and publicists to understand their part in the process. Behind the Bestseller is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network (https://headstuff.org/headstuff-podcast-network) Sam started writing fiction in 1999 when her husband went sailing across the Atlantic for 8 weeks, she was convinced that first (terrible) book would be a bestseller – but it took her a bit longer than she expected to get published and it was her actually the fifth book she wrote that became her debut novel. Little Bones hit the number one slot on release and launched detective Cat Connolly into the world, as well as launching Sam's writing career. Little Bones kick starts the trilogy when Cat Connolly finds a baby’s bones hidden in the hem of a wedding dress, In Deep Water moves her story on and focuses on the disappearance of her best friend Sarah Jane Hansen, leading Cat deep into the Dublin underworld. The third in the trilogy No Turning Back delves into the Dark Web. Featuring locations in Dublin and London, Cat’s world is complicated by her relationship with her Detective Inspector, Dawson O’Rourke. Cat Connolly is a kick boxing champion, and is a fit and feisty protagonist often in trouble herself as often as she's investigating it. The Sunday Independent says of 'Little Bones': ‘Connolly, for whom the word “gutsy” might have been invented, is a terrific character . . . a compelling debut; the author keeps her complex storyline going all the way to its incredible ending’. Along the way to writing 'Little Bones', to improve her writing and to try and find out exactly what those magical ingredients are for success, Sam set up The Inkwell Group, first bringing bestselling authors to intensive one day fiction writing workshops and later developing a publishing consultancy. She is also the founder of Writing.ie, the multi award winning online writing magazine that is now one of the biggest in Europe. With all this experience she is well placed to quiz authors on exactly what made the difference for them, to get into the detail of how brilliant stories are born and how they grow. Described as Strangers on a Train meets Dial M For Murder, Sam’s first psychological thriller Keep Your Eyes on Me arrives on bookshelves in January 2020 - tune in to hear to hear her uncover the secrets of success.
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Behind the Bestseller: what makes a book a success? Bestselling author Sam Blake talks to authors, editors, publicists and agents to find out exactly what that magic ingredient is. Join crime author Sam Blake as she chats to bestsellers from every genre to find out what makes a book fly off the shelves. Discussing concepts and ideas, where stories come from and how authors develop them into what you see on the page, Sam also chats to agents, editors and publicists to understand their part in the process. Behind the Bestseller is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network (https://headstuff.org/headstuff-podcast-network) Sam started writing fiction in 1999 when her husband went sailing across the Atlantic for 8 weeks, she was convinced that first (terrible) book would be a bestseller – but it took her a bit longer than she expected to get published and it was her actually the fifth book she wrote that became her debut novel. Little Bones hit the number one slot on release and launched detective Cat Connolly into the world, as well as launching Sam's writing career. Little Bones kick starts the trilogy when Cat Connolly finds a baby’s bones hidden in the hem of a wedding dress, In Deep Water moves her story on and focuses on the disappearance of her best friend Sarah Jane Hansen, leading Cat deep into the Dublin underworld. The third in the trilogy No Turning Back delves into the Dark Web. Featuring locations in Dublin and London, Cat’s world is complicated by her relationship with her Detective Inspector, Dawson O’Rourke. Cat Connolly is a kick boxing champion, and is a fit and feisty protagonist often in trouble herself as often as she's investigating it. The Sunday Independent says of 'Little Bones': ‘Connolly, for whom the word “gutsy” might have been invented, is a terrific character . . . a compelling debut; the author keeps her complex storyline going all the way to its incredible ending’. Along the way to writing 'Little Bones', to improve her writing and to try and find out exactly what those magical ingredients are for success, Sam set up The Inkwell Group, first bringing bestselling authors to intensive one day fiction writing workshops and later developing a publishing consultancy. She is also the founder of Writing.ie, the multi award winning online writing magazine that is now one of the biggest in Europe. With all this experience she is well placed to quiz authors on exactly what made the difference for them, to get into the detail of how brilliant stories are born and how they grow. Described as Strangers on a Train meets Dial M For Murder, Sam’s first psychological thriller Keep Your Eyes on Me arrives on bookshelves in January 2020 - tune in to hear to hear her uncover the secrets of success.
From her life as a journalist in Northern Ireland to her first women's fiction book, Claire Allan's publishing journey was punctuated by key life events. In Behind the Bestseller she reveals what made her take that first step into fiction and how she moved from women's fiction to crime. Sam Blake delves into what makes Claire's books bestsellers across multiple platforms and all over the world, and how she comes up with her ideas. Character is crucial in Claire's books - as she digs into her writing process, Sam Blake gets Claire's top tips for bestseller success and unlocks her secrets.
Claire Allan is a former journalist, turned bestselling author from Derry in Northern Ireland who graduated with a Masters Degree in Newspaper Journalism from Ulster University in 1999, before starting work as a staff reporter with the Derry Journal - covering an array of news from politics to human interest stories. She was the paper's first female columnist in its 200 year history. She also worked for a time as acting news editor.
Claire was part of the award winning team that covered the Saville Inquiry into the events of Bloody Sunday, and she covered Derry's year as the first UK City of Culture. She maintains the best part of the job was always meeting 'ordinary people with extraordinary stories to tell'.
In 2006, Claire decided to try and fulfil a lifetime ambition to write a novel and spent six months writing 'Rainy Days and Tuesdays' - loosely based on her own experienced of post-natal depression. This was published by Poolbeg Press in Ireland in 2007 and became an instant bestseller.
Seven more women's fiction novels followed before Claire decided to leave journalism to concentrate on writing, and also to try her hand at writing psychological thrillers. Ten years after 'Rainy Days and Tuesdays' was written, Claire began to write 'Her Name Was Rose', which was published by Avon Books in 2008. It became a bestseller in the UK, Ireland, Canada, America and Australia.
It was followed by Apple of My Eye (Jan, 2019) and 'Forget Me Not' (May, 2019). Her fourth thriller 'The Liars Daughter' is out now.
Behind the Bestseller
Behind the Bestseller: what makes a book a success? Bestselling author Sam Blake talks to authors, editors, publicists and agents to find out exactly what that magic ingredient is. Join crime author Sam Blake as she chats to bestsellers from every genre to find out what makes a book fly off the shelves. Discussing concepts and ideas, where stories come from and how authors develop them into what you see on the page, Sam also chats to agents, editors and publicists to understand their part in the process. Behind the Bestseller is part of the HeadStuff Podcast Network (https://headstuff.org/headstuff-podcast-network) Sam started writing fiction in 1999 when her husband went sailing across the Atlantic for 8 weeks, she was convinced that first (terrible) book would be a bestseller – but it took her a bit longer than she expected to get published and it was her actually the fifth book she wrote that became her debut novel. Little Bones hit the number one slot on release and launched detective Cat Connolly into the world, as well as launching Sam's writing career. Little Bones kick starts the trilogy when Cat Connolly finds a baby’s bones hidden in the hem of a wedding dress, In Deep Water moves her story on and focuses on the disappearance of her best friend Sarah Jane Hansen, leading Cat deep into the Dublin underworld. The third in the trilogy No Turning Back delves into the Dark Web. Featuring locations in Dublin and London, Cat’s world is complicated by her relationship with her Detective Inspector, Dawson O’Rourke. Cat Connolly is a kick boxing champion, and is a fit and feisty protagonist often in trouble herself as often as she's investigating it. The Sunday Independent says of 'Little Bones': ‘Connolly, for whom the word “gutsy” might have been invented, is a terrific character . . . a compelling debut; the author keeps her complex storyline going all the way to its incredible ending’. Along the way to writing 'Little Bones', to improve her writing and to try and find out exactly what those magical ingredients are for success, Sam set up The Inkwell Group, first bringing bestselling authors to intensive one day fiction writing workshops and later developing a publishing consultancy. She is also the founder of Writing.ie, the multi award winning online writing magazine that is now one of the biggest in Europe. With all this experience she is well placed to quiz authors on exactly what made the difference for them, to get into the detail of how brilliant stories are born and how they grow. Described as Strangers on a Train meets Dial M For Murder, Sam’s first psychological thriller Keep Your Eyes on Me arrives on bookshelves in January 2020 - tune in to hear to hear her uncover the secrets of success.
