The Winding Narrative Turns Eight

The Winding Narrative is now eight years old! This past year has been turbulent for me professionally, as my publisher, Wings ePress, closed down, so I had to find a new home for my books. Next Chapter Publishing came to the rescue, and they have now republished my first two Jade Riley Mysteries and, hot off the press, they have published the third: The Man in the Dam, Jade Riley Mysteries Book 3. I can’t believe I now have a triology! Continue reading The Winding Narrative Turns Eight

Jade Riley is Back

In my last post about my writing life, I lamented the fact that my publisher, Wings ePress, is closing down at the end of 2025. At my request, they unpublished my books right away, so I could jump back into the pitching game.
…I’m happy to announce that I’ve signed with a new (aptly-named ) publisher: Next Chapter Publishing. Continue reading Jade Riley is Back

Danny Finley’s life lessons learned through music

My dear friend, Danny Finley, drummer in MPD Limited, is the real-life inspiration for the character called Danny in my mystery novel, A Killer Among Friends. Danny’s behaviour in the book is made up, but like his namesake, he is a drummer in a rock band.
Join Danny and me as we chat about the joys and challenges of life as a performer and his life after music. Continue reading Danny Finley’s life lessons learned through music

Writing a Mystery: Chapter Titles/Playlist A Killer Among Friends

In my debut novel, The Godfather of Dance, I used song titles to name each chapter, which suited a novel set in the ballroom dance world. Reader feedback about this was positive, so it made sense to continue the style for the second Jade Riley mystery, A Killer Among Friends. It also matched the story because the second point of view character is a drummer in a rock band. Continue reading Writing a Mystery: Chapter Titles/Playlist A Killer Among Friends

Writing a Mystery: Crafting a Series

In the first part of this blog series, Writing a Mystery: Introducing Jade Riley, I introduced the protagonist for The Godfather of Dance. A journalist by trade, Jade hails from Melbourne and has a past tinged with the tragedy of her best friend’s death. Today, I share how I am developing the Jade Riley Mystery Series, and how I envision future books. Of course, this will almost certainly change along the way due to factors beyond my control or my evolving creative preferences. Continue reading Writing a Mystery: Crafting a Series