Thriller writer, archaeologist and traveller
Long time, no blog, as the year has ended in a flurry of travelling. Just like most of 2025, in fact. I spent around 120 nights away from home, splitting the year more or less into equal thirds of writing, archaeology and travel. January was mostly spent recovering from the flu, but following the successful... Continue Reading →
Death in the Dales returned for a second year, ably organised by Jean Briggs and Sedbergh Book Town. Tucked away beneath the brooding Howgills and heavy grey skies, Sedbergh hosted a weekend of talks and thoughful entertainment with crime at its heart. Jean Briggs introduced the opening conversation between Martin Edwards and M W Craven.... Continue Reading →
In 1997 I wrote a crime novel in which villains exploited this thing called the Internet - it was science fiction, I was told, so was never published. In 2025 it would be old hat. I was an early user of the internet, having flirted with JANET at university in the 80s then using the... Continue Reading →
#17 in an occasional series on writing non-fiction If you are self-publishing or are with a small press who will play ball, you can employ a number of sophisticated strategies, particularly if promoting e-books outside your local region. You will need to study the various techniques on offer and apply them rigorously. These are in... Continue Reading →
#16 in an occasional series on writing non-fiction As marketing is such a big subject, I've spread it across three blogs. Here we have a quick look at the mechanics of your book marketing plan in the twenty-first century. Identify market channels before you even begin to write. If your primary audience will be inhabitants... Continue Reading →
#15 in an occasional series on writing non fiction The cover image is a bit of fun - it's not the way to market a book! Marketing is the really tough challenge and can take as much time as writing the book itself. I’m not a marketing expert and it’s something I have personally struggled... Continue Reading →
#14 in an Occasional Series on writing non-fiction If you are an aspiring novelist, this is where your dreams can die. A minority of people who start writing a novel succeed in completing a readable book, and only a fraction of those will find a traditional publisher. Sadly, unless well written and edited to high... Continue Reading →
The name's Monaghan, Jason Monaghan. Conference Season morphs into Crime Reading Month and I was off around Yorkshire talking at library events. First stop was Wakefield, with panel sessions in the main library and useful chats with fellow writers out in the lobby where several of us set up stalls. Curiously for a crime writing... Continue Reading →
June is National Crime Reading Month, with events being held at libraries and bookshops all over the country. I'll be appearing at three events. The first is a free all-day event at Wakefield Library with a host of other authors - I'm on the 'Murder Mystery' panel. It will be a popular day so booking... Continue Reading →
Archaeological digs often feature in novels, or are portrayed on films or documentaries such as Digging for Britain. But if you imagine your own job portrayed in a seven minute TV slot, or serving as part of the backdrop of fiction you'll realise how much more there must be to the real experience of volunteering... Continue Reading →