Durham didn't disappoint ...

Last weekend, I appeared at Durham Book Festival with Sophie Hannah and Dreda Say Mitchell. That's me on the left in the photograph. The Cruel to be Kind event was chaired by Peter Gutteridge in a packed town hall.

It was bitterly cold on Saturday in Durham but there was a great atmosphere, a real buzz about the place. In the streets outside, a food festival was also going on and my senses were hit with wonderful smells from around the world as I approached the venue. Durham did its best to impress and it didn't disappoint.

I'd like to thank New Writing North for inviting me to speak and congratulate them for putting together another fantastic Durham Book Festival. It just gets better and better. The city loves its festivals. Roll on 2013!

Book Launch news!

For those of you who enjoyed The Murder Wall, I just wanted to let you know that Forum Books are going to launch the second book in the Kate Daniels series, SETTLED BLOOD. The launch will take place on Wednesday 7th November at 7pm at Tea and Tipple in the market square in Corbridge.

Tickets are a fiver but there will be wine/fizz and nibbles. Please note: tickets must be reserved by calling Forum Books on 01434 632931. I hope some of you can come along and share my special day.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

Mari

A night of crime in Beverley.

On Friday, I travelled to the East Riding of Yorkshire to take part in the Beverley Literature Festival with fellow Pan Macmillan author, David Hewson. The venue for 'Crime Night' was the beautiful Toll Gavel Methodist Church, the green room the vestry! What a lovely crowd greeted us there. Thanks to the organisers for their hospitality and hard work, especially Rebecca Stokes who chaired the event so well and everyone who attended. It was a real pleasure ...

Meet the Author ...

Earlier this year, I shared the news that The Murder Wall had been chosen by North Tyneside Council as its Summer Read. The idea behind it was to get everyone in that area reading the same book at the same time - and boy did they respond!

Last night, a 'Meet the Author' event was held in The Grand Hotel, Tynemouth to mark the end of the summer read campaign. I was slightly nervous as I arrived - you never know how these things will go or how many people will turn up - but I needn't have been. As you can see from the photograph below, we had a full house and a wonderul evening.

I'd like to take the opportunity to thank the organisors: Steve Bishop who chaired the event brilliantly; Joanna Simpson and all the North Tyneside librarians who worked so hard to make it happen over the summer; and Rebecca Wilkie from New Writing North who did such a great job on the bookstall last night.

I'd also like to thank my publisher Pan Macmillan for making Settled Blood available in advance of its official publication date, and of course the readers who turned up and made my night so special. I thought I'd never stop signing! Thank you all. 

Richmond Festival Rocks!

Many thanks to Richmond Walking and Book Festival, in particular Anne Wicks of Castle Hill Books who invited me to take part in the Macmillan Murder Mystery Panel last Friday night, along with fellow authors, David Jackson, Matthew (MR) Hall and Susan Parry, our brilliant chair. I enjoyed the event immensely and wish to thank everyone who turned out at Richmond School - Sixth Form Centre - in torrential rain and gave us such a warm Yorkshire welcome. Thanks also to Tim Culkin and Austin Lynch of Millgate House for accommodating us in such style. This was my first trip to Richmond but it won't be the last.