Happy Friday!

Charlotte Mills is here today to talk about Payback, her latest novel.

Another new direction

So, as a newly published writer I should start at the beginning and introduce myself. My career to date has had fingers in several pies including carpentry, conservation and furniture making. This no doubt sounds a million miles away from writing lesbian fiction, but after yet another career change in 2014 I wanted to see where a seed of an idea would take me. The answer was self-publishing, four books later I was lucky enough to be picked up by Ylva Publishing with my fifth offering Payback.

My choice in reading genres generally stretches between crime fiction, thrillers and Lesfic and anything that slips in-between. A high-quality thriller can keep me on the edge of my seat as well as any first rate romance. With that in mind, I thought it was time to amalgamate the two genres into my writing, starting with Payback.

With this new direction I particularly enjoy exploring how everyday people, and by that I mean untrained individuals cope with very challenging and dangerous situations. I find it fascinating how they go about utilising their current abilities or possibly developing a new skillset to deal with a fresh situation. Payback largely centres on revenge from the point of view of two different characters for very different reasons. With one taking advantage of what’s put in front of them, while the other has some lengthy ground to cover before they can get near to their foe, not to mention dealing with the aftermath, and was it really what they wanted in the end?

While writing Payback I became intrigued with the idea that people really do get away with murder. Often with years spanning between committing the act and getting caught. The public only hear about it after the fact when the culprits are arrested, but what about their lives in-between perpetrating the act and getting captured.

This links in well with my second thriller Body of Work (due for release later this year with Ylva) which focuses on a character that is so desperate for closure, after the loss of a loved one many years ago that she is prepared to risk everything to achieve it.

One of the many things I enjoy about writing in the thriller genre is the investigation process, the detailed legwork I have to go through. It’s amazing what you can find out on the internet or via a conversation with the right person. I’ve learnt about air-gapped computers and hacking (in theory only of course) which is pretty good for a Luddite like myself. I also know how to make a bump key and I can create padlock keys out of baked bean tins (please do not ask me to demonstrate, it may take me some time). These are just a few of the skills I have acquired for the Payback sequel, currently titled Fair Game. I’ve always been a kinaesthetic learner as you can probably tell from my career choices. It’s only when I’ve got that kind of detailed information that I can then begin to picture the events in my mind and write about them.

If my browsing history was ever actually investigated I would probably be questioned for some time. My partner often jokes that if that does happen she already has plans to deny all knowledge.

PAYBACK

A thrilling lesbian mystery about trying to right a past wrong…despite the consequences.

Detective Constable Kate Wolfe is sent to a Cheshire backwater after falling foul of a disciplinary hearing in London. But before she even has a chance to settle in, Kate finds herself in a situation there’s no coming back from. She’s reported as a troublemaker to her new boss, Detective Chief Inspector Helen Taylor, a no-nonsense veteran who once had an esteemed, high-profile career.

The pair investigate a spate of arson attacks, a dead body found in a burnt out building, and a missing architect while fighting their growing attraction for each other. The discovery of a dumped vehicle in a quarry lake sparks a series of events that will change their lives forever.

GIVEAWAY

 Win a copy of Payback.

One lucky winner will receive the e-book.

To enter, simply leave a comment below and state Charlotte Mills’s name. Hint: it’s Charlotte Mills. Honestly, I’m not trying to trick anyone or make this difficult.

The winner will be selected on April 26th.

Please note, the author will contact you via email to arrange delivery of the e-book.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Charlotte Mills was born and bred in the south of England, after studying Fine Art at Loughborough University she has made the Midlands her home for the last twenty years where she lives with her partner. When she is not writing she enjoys watching films and day dreaming about living in the middle of nowhere without any neighbours’ in earshot.

CONNECT WITH CHARLOTTE MILLS

Twitter / Goodreads / Website / Amazon Author Page

Thanks so much for stopping by today.