We're back! Our summer hiatus was a little longer than we planned, but we're delighted to bring you The Hobcast Book Show again. Our guest this week is Rhoda Baxter, queen of witty, heartfelt romcoms. She also writes as Jeevani Charika, exploring multicultural women’s fiction with depth and warmth. We talk about smart heroines, nice‑guy heroes, and the craft of writing under two names. A former microbiologist turned intellectual property specialist, Rhoda brings a unique perspective to her writing life—balancing science, creativity, and a love of cake. It's a truly inspiring interview.Also this week, we hear how leading UK independent publishers have warned that they're facing an existential threat, and can you really publish a book that smells of mayonnaise? Jeevani Charika and Rhoda Baxter – Comfort reads with a dash of fun Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
This week we're joined from Italy by the brilliant Katherine Mezzacappa. Born in Ireland, Katherine is now based Tuscany, a country which has inspired her work as a historical and contemporary novelist. Her most recent novel, The Ballad of Mary Kearney was published earlier this year, sees Katherine return to her Irish roots, telling the tragic tale of an 18th century nobleman who secretly marries his servant, in defiance of law, class, and religion. But Italy also features heavily in Katherine's work, including The Maiden of Florence published in 2024, based on true events involving the powerful Medici family. Writing as Katie Hutton, Katherine has also published four novels with leading publisher Bonnier Zaffre. Katherine is also a passionate advocate of short fiction, and works with us as a judge on The Henshaw Short Story competition. This interview is laced with brilliant advice for authors of all persuasions.Also this week, we hear about trouble for retail giant WH Smith, while rivals Waterstones go from strength to strength thanks to a growth in sales to a younger generation of readers.Katherine Mezzacappa – Katherine Mezzacappa – Authorhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Ballad-Mary-Kearney-Katherine-Mezzacappa-ebook/dp/B0CZQJFJD6https://www.amazon.co.uk/Maiden-Florence-captivating-historical-retelling-ebook/dp/B0CWFBKHX7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
If you're beginning to think we're obsessed with Icelandic crime fiction here on The Hobcast Bookshow - you may be right. We're delighted to be joined this week by our third great Icelandic crime fiction writer in recent months, Sólveig Pálsdóttir, the author of the popular Ice and Crime series. As we explore in this wide-ranging interview, Sólveig enjoyed a varied career prior to becoming an author, including several years as one of Iceland's leading actors, before family life encouraged a switch to teaching, with the occasional appearance in TV dramas. But now her principal focus is writing further cases for her detectives, Guðgeir and Elsa Guðrún, translated into English by the brilliant Quentin Bates and published by Corylus Books.Also this week, we discuss the threat posed by AI-written low quality books posing as established titles. Is it time for online retailers to tighten up their submission protocols?Sólveig Pálsdóttir – Corylus Bookshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08Y5NPMKV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In many ways, British crime authors are lucky. They stand on the shoulders of giants from the so-called 'Golden Age' of the genre: Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Margery Allingham, G.K. Chesterton and Ronald Knox were just a few of the greats who established both the rules of the genre, and laid the foundations for crime fiction's enduring popularity with UK and international readers. Our guest this week, Victoria Dowd, is an avowed fan of this era, so when it came to creating her new series, The Charlotte Blood Chronicles, it was natural that she set the opening novel, Death in the Aviary in 1928. Victoria has given both the traditional country house setting and locked mystery a twist: her cast of characters are trapped in a lift, the lights cut out, there's a shot, and a victim lies dead. As Victoria tells us, launching a new series in a historical period required huge levels of research, not least into the habits and behaviour of ravens! It's a departure from the books that established Victoria as one of Britain's rising crime-writing stars, The Smart Woman's Mystery Series. And it doesn't harm that Victoria is a former barrister who worked regularly at the Old Bailey.Also this week, we ask is the CEO of Penguin Random House's response to the recent scandal engulfing Raynor Winn's The Salt Path adequate? And can you really give each of the novels long-listed for this year's Booker Prize a two word review? About – Victoria Dowdhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Death-Aviary-Charlotte-Blood-Chronicles/dp/1915523532https://www.amazon.co.uk/COMPLETE-MYSTERIES-gripping-terribly-mysteries-ebook/dp/B0DQVHFGKB Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It sometimes feels as if this podcast feeds our "must visit pile". Whether it's Iceland, Seattle, Barcelona, Romania or Maine, our guests fuel our wanderlust with their passion for their home areas. That's the case again this week with our enthralling conversation with Dr. Nicholas Louis Baham III as we discuss his debut crime novel, The People's Detective. Set in present day Oakland, California, it's a celebration of all facets of Nick's fascinating home city. As he tells us, Oakland is a city of contradictions with great wealth and considerable poverty, and being a major port, a true melting pot of different nationalities. It's also a city with a proud record of protest and the struggle for equality, which underpin Nick's work. Nick's passion for Oakland shines through in this fascinating interview.Also this week, as the dust settles on another Harrogate Crime Fiction festival for another year, we ask "how much?". Yes, it seems bar prices have reached a new stratospheric level at the UK's premier crime fiction event. And we celebrate the growth of niche independent bookshops as a romance specialist store opens in Notting Hill in London.Home | Nicholas Louis Bahamhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Peoples-Detective-Sonny-Trueheart-Mystery-ebook/dp/B0D886W1ZG Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Some guests are so good we have to give them two shows. So we're delighted to welcome back Antony Johnston again this week to discuss the methods and techniques he uses to cope with writing multiple projects in multiple formats at the same time. His advice is based on years or trial and error during his career as a writer for video games, films, graphic novels and fiction, as well as extensive research into many productivity systems and ideologies. First published in 2020, his book The Organised Writer distils all this research and advice, and suggests methods all creative professionals can adopt to improve their productivity and flow. So prepare to put aside a weekend, re-organise your workspace, and enjoy the benefits of uninterrupted creative endeavour. It's a brilliant interview full of useful insights and advice.Also this week, we delve into the controversy surrounding Raynor Winn, the author of the best-selling memoir The Salt Path, and we discuss if AI really can translate your work into multiple languages at the press of a button.Antony Johnstonhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Organised-Writer-projects-never-deadline/dp/1472977181 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Antony Johnston's list of achievements as a writer take the breath away. His work has been made into a star-studded Hollywood film. He's a legend in the video games industry with some of the biggest franchises amongst his credits. He's worked in the Marvel Comic universe with superheroes such as Daredevil and Wolverine. Antony is also an accomplished novelist working across a number of genres, including thrillers, cosy crime, and now, an innovative take on the "whodunnit" where readers try to solve the crime themselves and have to make decisions as they read Can You Solve The Murder which was published last month. This is a fascinating interview. So good in fact, that we've split it into two parts. Next week Antony will take us through his system for improving your productivity as a writer or freelance creative.Also this week, we run through the winners of this year's CWA Daggers, and ask, should job-sharing become standard practice in publishing?Antony JohnstonCan You Solve The Murder: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Can-You-Solve-Murder-Investigate-ebook/dp/B0D5QP9W2HDog Sitter Detective series: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0BW9MGPQC Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We had one of those moments this week. In fact we had a few. Those moments when you are given an insight or information that challenges your perception of the world or the work you do. One of those came during our interview with author Jodie Robins, whose debut novella The Off-Season was published earlier this month. Jodie adopted the Eastern Story Structure or Kishōtenketsu, which is traditionally divided into four acts and, in contrast with western story structures, does not require conflict to drive the narrative. As Jodie tells us, it was both challenging and liberating in equal measure. The result is a captivating story set in wintry Blackpool, described by one reviewer as a "darkly glittering fairground of a novella." It's been published by our friends at Wild Hunt Books as part of their Northern Weird series.As for the other moments of insight, Rebecca and Adrian attended this year's Self Publishing Show Live 2025 in London this week. How has the show changed since we first attended five years ago? What are the latest trends in book marketing for independent creators? And how will a landmark legal ruling impact the long-running battle between copyright holders and big tech companies looking to fuel their AI systems? Jodie Robins | SubstackThe Off-Season by Jodie Robins The Northern Weird Project — wild hunt booksThe Northern Weird Project — wild hunt booksThe Self Publishing Show LIVE! 2024 - Digital Tickets Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
The rise and rise of Icelandic crime fiction continues, and we at The Hobcast Bookshow are here for it! We're delighted to be joined this week by internationally acclaimed playwright, screenwriter and author Jón Atli Jónasson, whose brilliant novel Broken was published in translation this month by Corylus Books. His plays have been performed in major cities including London, Paris, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen and Athens.Jón has also written a number of film scripts, most notably The Deep, produced by 101 Studios Iceland and based on his own play, which was shortlisted for Best Foreign Feature at the 85th Academy Awards in 2015. His crime novels all take place in modern-day Iceland and focus on themes such as corruption within the police force, changing dynamics in Iceland’s society, the evolving underworld and shifting power structures in politics and business. This is a brilliant interview with a master storyteller, who is also joined by translator and former Hobcast guest, Quentin Bates.Also this week, we discuss major changes at leading UK indie crime publisher Bloodhound Books including a partnership with AI-powered editing service, Pro Writing Aid, and is a 31% rise in UK audiobook sales in 2024 as exciting as it seems?Jón Atli Jónasson – Corylus BooksBroken: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Broken-J%C3%B3n-Atli-J%C3%B3nasson-ebook/dp/B0DVZFZ6Y7132: Inside Icelandic Noir - with Quentin Bates - The Hobcast Book Show | AcastEnhancing Our Editorial Process: A New Partnership with ProWritingAid — Bloodhound BooksAudiobooks and fiction drove growth in 2024 - Publishers Association Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Every so often, when Rebecca and I put down our microphones after an interview, we turn to each other and say: "That was great." Our interview with New York Times bestseller J.D. Barker is a classic example of that feeling. His journey to the top of the bestseller lists is remarkable. Encouraged by his wife, J.D. sold up everything and they moved to a small duplex in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania while he wrote his debut novel Forsaken. With some support from Stephen King, the book took off, and soon J.D. was being approached by major publishers. He's also written six novels in partnership with James Patterson, and in this fascinating interview J.D. reveals how the two men have influenced each other in the way they approach the craft. J.D's latest novel, Something I keep Upstairs, is his latest release under his own imprint within the Simon and Schuster empire. This is a remarkable story of how taking a huge risk can pay off with skill, creativity, and daring.Also this week, we look again at the downwash from the issues at struggling indie-publisher Boundless/Unbound, and we ask - why are children reading less?J.D. BARKER - NY Times Bestselling Author | Master of Suspensehttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Forsaken-J-D-Barker-ebook/dp/B00P1W6RDQhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Something-Keep-Upstairs-J-D-Barker-ebook/dp/B0DJW9ZHWV Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
You'll know by now that we're obsessed with good storytelling here at The Hobcast Bookshow. Our guest this week, author Anne Booth, has a passion for engaging readers, whatever their age. Anne waited until she was 49 before her first book was published, but she's certainly making up for lost time. Her publisher credits include Puffin, Nosy Crow, OUP, Walker Books, Templar, Tiny Owl, Egmont and Lion, and Catnip. Her works range from picture books for the under fives, through to cosy mysteries for adults. Her story is an inspiring one, demonstrating an unrelenting commitment to creativity and a determination to persevere. As Anne tells us, not all her ideas are going to attract interest, but you should never be disheartened or give up. Also this week, we examine the shortlist for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Novel of the year, and we hear how one aspect of publishing is being positively influenced by AI.Anne Booth – Authorhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=anne+booth&i=amazon-devices&crid=15TPMJP6M5ZU8 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Anyone embarking on writing a book will know how tough a journey that can be, and how many unexpected bumps and hurdles can be encountered. Our guest this week, Rachel Grosvenor, has combined her knowledge as a writer and editor with her training as a certified life coach to become a writing coach. She aims to help her clients through the creative writing process from idea to completion, and help them to balance busy lives with completing their writing goals. Rachel draws heavily on her own experience - she completed her PhD while working two jobs, so she understands the competing pressures facing her clients. Rachel is also a successful author: The Finery was published to great acclaim in August 2023, and her next novel, Witchborne will be published in September.Also this week we reveal how authors formerly published by UK independent publisher Unbound will have to wait longer to receive the money they're owed, and we look at the CWA Daggers shortlist for 2025, how many former Hobcast guests feature on the lists.Rachel Grosvenor Author – Rachel Grosvenor Authorhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Finery-Rachel-Grosvenor-ebook/dp/B0CGVF282QWitchborne by Rachel Grosvenor | flyonthewallpress Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're thrilled to be speaking to author Alison Stockham again on The Hobcast Book Show. Alison joins us for a third time, to celebrate the recent release of her latest psychological thriller, The Man She Married published by Boldwood Books. Regular listeners will know that Alison has a background in TV and film production, worked with the Cambridge Literary Festival, and is now a full-time author. In this great interview, Alison discusses the challenges she faced ensuring that her latest protagonist, an Australian woman, was authentic and believable. So sit back and enjoy our in depth discussion about accents, Neighbours and coffee!Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca discuss the potential implications of yet another huge change in the way that audiobook distributor Findaway Voices will operate from August as rights-holders are forced to use two platforms for their productions rather than one. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Man-She-Married-Alison-Stockham-ebook/dp/B0CW1PV9HDSpotify Transitions Select Audiobook Distribution Services to INaudio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Can crime fiction rebuild a national identity? Our guest this week, award-winning author Teresa Solana, believes it can certainly help. Teresa has won admirers world-wide for her crime fiction centered on her native Catalonia and Barcelona, which has been translated into eight languages. But she's most proud of her contribution to rekindling the Catalan language, so long repressed under the regime of General Franco following the Spanish Civil War. Teresa tells us that crime fiction is the perfect vehicle to celebrate the language, the culture and unique humour of the people of the city and wider region. Now living in Bristol, Teresa is also a translator, and was director of the translation center in Tarassona between 1998 and 2004. Her most recent novel, Black Storms, was published in translation by Corylus Books last October. This is a joyous interview celebrating the power of language.Also this week, Amazon and KDP announce a cut in royalties for paperbacks priced below a certain threshold. Does this spell the end of indie and self-publishing? And can Rebecca master a new random accent?Teresa Solana – Corylus Bookshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Storms-Teresa-Solana/dp/1739298977 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Our guest this week, Scottish crime author Douglas Skelton probably won't mind us saying that he's had an eclectic career, so juggling writing several book series in parallel might be easier for him than it would be for other authors. As we discuss in this wide-ranging interview, Douglas wrote several true crime non-fiction books before switching to crime fiction in 2013. Nominated multiple times for the prestigious McIlvanney prize, Douglas has established himself as one of Scotland's leading crime authors, and last year published three novels: his sixth Rebecca Connolly contemporary thriller The Hollow Mountain, and two books in his historical crime and adventure Company of Rogues series set in the early 18th century. So how does he manage to juggle the demands of two series and be so prolific? Also this week, we discuss how last week's release of an AI enabled writing course from Agatha Christie has gone down on social media, and we celebrate releasing our latest Hobeck title, the brilliant Year Zero by Rob Gittins.Douglas Skelton - Crime WriterThe Hollow Mountain: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hollow-Mountain-Rebecca-Connolly-Thriller-ebook/dp/B0CM4N8SDDA Thief's Blood: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Thiefs-Blood-gripping-historical-thriller-ebook/dp/B0D52DXP38Year Zero: https://www.amazon.co.uk/s?k=year+zero+rob+gittins&crid=3L1RZ56WH8XHUhttps://www.hobeck.net Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We love speaking to true storytellers on The Hobcast Book Show. Our guest this week, Jayne Chard, fits that description perfectly, even though she published her debut novel, More Than Murder this week. It's the first in a series of cosy crime novels Jayne plans to publish. But Jayne is no stranger to telling crime stories. She is a hugely successful and award-winning TV and film drama producer, with the hugely popular BBC cold-case drama Silent Witness prominent in her list of credits. She's also been a documentary maker, playwright and theatre director. But Jayne will be the first to admit that she's found the process of publishing her first book at times challenging and frustrating, with many hurdles thrown up by the publishing platforms and industry systems. So can you plan your way to publishing success, applying the lessons learned from a career at the top of TV and film production? This is a fascinating and wide-ranging interview.Also this week, should we dismayed that Agatha Christie has been brought back to life by the BBC and AI to teach aspiring writers the secrets of her craft? And should a book published by an imprint owned by Penguin Random House feature in the Independent Publishing Bestseller lists?Jayne Chard – Author Of More Than Murderhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Than-Murder-unputdownable-intriguing-ebook/dp/B0F381RKHSAgatha Christie AI BBC Maestro behind-the-scenes: https://youtu.be/26Tn5OjMcAM?si=0n6HwXpX1oL7D_ZW6Tn5OjMcAM?si=0n6HwXpX1oL7D_ZW Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
It's fair to say that 2025 has been an unusual and surprising year so, driven largely by events in the United States. Almost as soon as we record our news section for The Hobcast Book Show, it fast becomes out of date as President Trump signs a new executive order or publishes his latest social media post. Upheaval in America is nothing new of course, but for our guest this week, author and film maker Denise Ohio, current challenges hold strong echoes with an event she has spent many years researching and publicising, the 1916 Everett Massacre. It's the subject of Ohio's documentary Verona: The Story of the Everett Massacre which took twenty years to make. It tells the story of the events of Sunday 5th November, 1916, when members of a union, the I.W.W arrived on the dock at Everett to support the striking shingle weavers who'd been on strike for five months. When violence broke out, several men lay dead or dying. It's become a celebrated event in the struggle for free speech in the United States, but as Ohio tells us, events were far more complex than that - so much so - she has now embarked on writing eight novels telling the stories of some of the people involved. This is a fascinating and thought-provoking interview that draws parallels between today's events and the struggles of the past. Also this week, we discuss how the closure of crowd-sourced publishing pioneers Unbound will leave some contributors out of pocket, and is it ever write to microwave a mug of coffee?Verona: The Story of the Everett Massacre Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
We're really excited to be bringing you something different in this week's show. We're joined by six students from Toorop Mavo in Rotterdam in the Netherlands, all of whom are taking the Cambridge English course as an additional option to their usual studies. All our guests are around 15 years old, and each read one of our Hobeck books before we interviewed them - choosing between Echo Rock by Robert Daws, and a prequel novella by Lin Le Versha. So what did they make of their first taste of crime fiction? And what do they normally read? This is a fascinating interview that highlights the challenges younger reader face in finding time to read, and even access to books.Also this week, we ask if the UK government are exploiting the country's creative sector to secure a trade deal with the United States, and we discuss a new development for Kindle users - "Recap" - which uses AI to give readers a reminder of key events from book series they love before they read their next instalment.De Toorop Mavo De TooropMavo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of speaking to veteran entertainment and celebrity public relations expert and author, Peter Berry. He gave us an insight into how difficult it is to mediate between his celebrity clients and the demands of journalists. It's time to hear from the other side of things. Debut author Caroline Westbrook is an entertainment journalist who has faced the challenge of encouraging her celebrity interviewees to say something fresh and interesting, even if it's the hundredth interview of their promotional tour. Drawing extensively on her career in newspapers, magazines and the BBC, her novel Troublemaker delves into the high-pressure world of entertainment journalism and gives it a murderous twist. As Caroline, writing as C.R Westbrook explains, many of her colleagues believe they've been the inspiration behind her characters.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca discuss the potential impact of Donald Trump's trade tariffs on the publishing industry. Will books be harder to sell in uncertain economic times?https://www.amazon.co.uk/TROUBLEMAKER-C-R-Westbrook-ebook/dp/B0DQ16S84J Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In the second part of our interview with award-winning historical author Chris Lloyd, we discover how unexpected historical research details impact his storytelling and novels. Chris spends three months digging into the minutiae of life in wartime Paris for each of his Occupation Series novels, and is often surprised by what he finds. As he explains, his plans can change dramatically as a result. Also this week, we discuss this year's author line-up for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Festival in Harrogate. Is it the same old faces, or can we look forward to something a bit different from this year's chair, Mick Herron? The Occupation Series — Chris Lloyd Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.