The Hobcast Book Show

We'd like to introduce you to two words, if you haven't already discovered them, that will change your life. One is stramash, a Scottish noun for "uproar, brawl or tumult." The other, which also features in the back cover blurb of our guest Callum McSorley's second novel, is the brilliant shitemire, which we think succinctly sums up the world at present. As you'll hear, both words feature fairly heavily in our interview with Callum, who enjoyed a stellar debut with his breakthrough novel Squeaky Clean in 2023. Amongst the accolades and amazing critical reviews it received, it won the coveted McIvanney Prize for the best Scottish crime novel. Set in a car wash in East Glasgow, and inspired by Callum's experience of working in one, it's a dazzling and funny crime novel. His follow up, Paperboy, was released last week. So how has Callum coped with the pressure of second-novel syndrome?Also this week, it's an exciting week for Hobeck Books with the release of our psychological thriller , What You See by Hilly Barmby, and Rebecca reflects on her visit to this year's London Book Fair.callummcsorley.comhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Squeaky-Clean-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0BT8SGQLVhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Paperboy-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0DFYC9KFHhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/What-You-See-page-turning-psychological-ebook/dp/B0DS44FTSG

Finding time to write can be one of the biggest challenges for any author. That's certainly the experience of our guest this week, Jenny O'Brien, who for years had to find pockets of time in her busy career as a nurse to jot down ideas or write scenes. She tells us she always had a notebook handy, and sometimes used dictation during her breaks on the ward to add to her work in progress. Now the successful author of the popular Detective Gaby Darin series published by HQ Digital, as well as romances and psychological thrillers, her next novel published next month, The Book of Lost Children, is a departure for Jenny; it's partially set in Guernsey in 1943. Also in this inspiring interview, Jenny explains how a love of open water swimming has fueled her creativity.Also this week, we discuss how American tariffs are scaring the U.S publishing industry, and Rebecca looks forward to her visit to this year's London Book Fair in London.Jenny O'Brien Author | Irish writerDetective Gaby Darin (6 book series) Kindle editionhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lost-Children-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0DTX81TG4

We're always on the lookout for ways to unlock the creative juices, and our guest this week, author Cauvery Madhavan recommends an early morning round of golf to set the mood. Born in India, but based in Ireland since her early twenties, Cauvery draws inspiration from both her homeland and her adopted country for her storytelling. The author of four novels, her most recent work, The Inheritance, was published last year. Set in the stunning Beara Peninsular in south-west Ireland, it tells the story of Marlo, a young London-Irish man who moves to the area to recover from a devastating revelation. He inherits a minibus service from a neighbour, unleashing a series of surprising adventures. As Cauvery explains, she never sets out with a plan for her books, but delights in the way her characters and settings guide her work. This is a joyous interview.Also this week, we discuss how several leading UK literary festivals are working together to survive hard times, and how arts bodies in the United States are reacting to tough new directives brought in by the Trump administration.Cauvery Madhavan – Author, Journalist, Bloggerhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Cauvery-Madhavan-ebook/dp/B0DF93T83H

Over the course of four years of creating this podcast we've noticed certain themes emerge, not least the challenging path many writers take to final publication. Our guest this week, author Roxie Key, is a good example. As she tells us, she faced dozens of rejections from both publishers and agents before she secured representation and finally a deal with HQ for her debut novel, The Deadly Spark. It's an inspiring tale of perseverance. Roxie also explains how a creative writing degree from Middlesex University helped her to discover her voice, but perhaps more importantly showed her which writing styles and genres suited her best. The final key moment came when she discovered the crime fiction of Jane Casey in a charity shop, and Roxie fell in love with the genre. Also this week, we discuss how many of the UK's leading creative figures are pressuring the government not to give AI companies free-reign to use their work without compensation, and we celebrate the publication of two new Hobeck Books titles by Lin Le Versha and David Jarvis.Roxie Key - Author | Facebookhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Spark-brand-new-addictive-psychological-ebook/dp/B0CLN33FG3https://www.amazon.co.uk/Blood-Spots-gripping-Suffolk-mystery-ebook/dp/B0DPRCPBDYhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Mongoose-Cobra-Mike-Kingdom-Thrillers-ebook/dp/B0DLQV47YV

Regular listeners to The Hobcast Book Show will know how obsessed Adrian is about Sir Michael Caine. So imagine his excitement when he found out our guest this week has acted as the great man's P.R. Not only that, but Peter Berry has represented some of the biggest film, TV, and music stars of the past thirty years, not to mention superstar chef Jamie Oliver too. Now Peter has become an author, with the second of his crime novels featuring The Deadly Dozen, Revenge of the Deadly Dozen, published by Bloodhound last month. As Peter explains, he wanted to create a team of retired protagonists for these novels - each bringing their specialist skills to the collective. But isn't managing the storylines of so many characters a huge challenge? Listen to hear how Peter dealt with that issue, and how a certain Hollywood superstar would call him each year to wish him a happy Christmas...Also this week, we discuss how a cyber attack has disrupted one of the UK's leading book printing companies, and ask if the UK industry is ready to follow the lead of Simon and Schuster and abandon the practice of seeking puffs or blurbs to put on book covers.Peter Berry — Bloodhound Bookshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Revenge-Deadly-Dozen-unmissable-Mysteries-ebook/dp/B0DFYP926Y

We often get a little giddy when we anticipate speaking to our guests on the show. That was certainly the case when we perused Colin Bostock-Smith's extraordinary list of comedy writing credits: The Two Ronnies, Not the Nine O'Clock News, The Clive James Show and Metal Mickey to name but a few. Now Colin has turned his hand to crime fiction. His debut novel, Sting of the Nettle was published by Diamond Books last month. It's a cosy murder mystery set in rural Devon in the 1950s, and draws extensively on Colin's childhood memories. As Colin tells us, the novel, the first in a series, came together quickly - a career of having to write rapidly for TV and radio certainly helped. This is a fascinating interview that takes you straight into the writing rooms of some of the greatest shows in British TV history.Also this week, we discuss how the 'Big Six' UK publishers all enjoyed sales growth for their e-books in 2024, and the revelation that 90% of all e-book sales last year were sold through Amazon.Colin Bostock-Smith ⋆ Diamond Bookshttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Sting-Nettle-Martin-Mysteries-Book-ebook/dp/B0DSGPPYFX