The Hobcast Book Show

It's only in the past few years that neurodiversity has entered the wider consciousness. For instance here at The Hobcast Book Show, we are both touched by Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), but we've only become aware of it recently. It helps explain our lifelong experience of feeling on the outside of society - never quite fitting in or being comfortable behaving as others would expect. It's simply not how our brains are wired or function. For authors, neurodiversity can present a range of challenges, not least trying to implement structure to their work or applying strategies for productivity drawn up for neurotypical writers. Our guest this week, author Amanda Marples, knows these challenges well: she is neurodiverse herself, and as a mental health professional she works as a mentor for students with a range of backgrounds and conditions. Drawing on her expertise and personal experience, Amanda has created a mentoring service for neurodivergent writers called Reconcile Creative, helping authors to overcome the hurdles they face and explore unconventional strategies to reach their goals. This is a fascinating, valuable and insightful interview.Also this week, we discuss the shortlists for the UK crime writing 'Oscars' - the CWA Daggers, and look ahead to the release of our latest Hobeck Books title, Her Charming Man by Rachel Sargeant.innercritic | Reconcile Creative Mhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Her-Charming-Gloucestershire-Crime-Book-ebook/dp/B0CY5ZFRR4

We're always keen to explore where an author's inspiration comes from. What inspires that kernel of an idea that leads to a novel? In this week's episode we speak to Alison Stockham, who explains how the seeds for her recently published third novel, The New Girl, were sown some years ago after a conversation with a friend. As Alison explains, she's always had a gift for taking inspiration from overheard conversations, and that's one of the reasons she'll often be found in a Cambridge cafe both writing and picking up ideas for her writing. It's a strategy that clearly works, as Alison shares the news that she's now a full-time author.Also this week, we reflect on the impact that this week's extraordinary general meeting of the Society of Authors has had, and we reveal the latest changes that Amazon have made to the way they run advertising for authors and publishers.Alison Stockham-Author | Facebookhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Girl-addictive-psychological-BESTSELLER-ebook/dp/B0CPBJRDLB

We're delighted to be joined again by our guest, Julie Anderson this week, as we celebrate the launch of her new novel for Hobeck Books, The Midnight Man. Set in post-war Clapham, the book introduces us to two very different women, Elly and Fay, who become an unlikely sleuthing duo following a chance meeting in the cafeteria of the South London Hospital for Women and Children. It was a remarkable institution - created by two pioneering women surgeons who themselves fought the male-dominated Establishment to found the hospital in 1912. It's the perfect setting for this atmospheric thriller, and as Julie tells us, recreating the world of this long-closed hospital where for most of its history all the staff, from surgeons to porters, were women, has been an epic labour of love. It's a remarkable novel.Also this week, we examine this year's long list for the coveted Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel of the Year 2024 and ask, are we right in imagining the same authors are nominated every year? And just how open are independent bookshops to stocking independently published fiction? Julie Anderson – Writer and author (julieandersonwriter.com)https://www.amazon.co.uk/Midnight-Man-FLEMING-ASSOCIATION-LONGLISTED-ebook/dp/B0CY2M5BMQ

We had the pleasure back in February 2024 to appear on The Secret Circle podcast discussing the challenges of running a small publishing house in the current marketplace. This week, we have the pleasure of returning the invitation to the show's host, Dr Luke Deckard. Luke is an author with a deep passion for noir, both written and film, and is a creative writing mentor at the University of Westminster. He holds a Masters and now a PhD in Creative Writing from Kingston University, achievements all the more remarkable as Luke has dyslexia. So how has he navigated the issues that being dyslexic has posed in his journey into the world of writing and literature? It's a fascinating interview.Also this week, the UK publishing industry is gearing up for its award season, with long lists announced for both the National Book Awards and the Crime Writer's Association Daggers. Are Adrian and Rebecca impressed with the choices? Not entirely...DR Luke Deckard

There are so many challenges that publishers face as it is, so is it possible to also tackle the environmental impact of creating books too? Our guest this week, Stuart Debar of UK independent press, SRL Publishing, believes it is. In fact, he argues that publishers have a duty to publish in as sustainably as they can, from choice of paper stock for their print copies, planting trees to offset those felled to create that paper, or paying close attention to the chemicals used in the printing process. As Stuart tells us, this focus on sustainable publishing developed gradually as SRL grew in recent years, and now the company is recognised as the world's first Climate Positive publisher. There's so much to learn from this fascinating interview.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca again discuss the march of A.I in publishing, with a recent survey revealing that one third of translators say that they've lost work to A.I systems in the past year. SRL Publishing(27) 🌳 Stuart Debar | LinkedIn

Why become an independent publisher? It can't be the hours? Or the pay. So what motivates people to enter the industry? That's a question we put to our guest this week, Joe Chadwick, author and creator of Essex-based micro-publisher Crescent Swan Publishing. Joe set up the company in order to publish his first novel, The Briarmen in 2021, and with that experience behind him, he signed his first author, Tim Franks, who appeared on this podcast recently. Joe says he, like many other small publishers, is still learning as he goes, but he's determined to build his imprint steadily in the coming years. This is an interview where Joe's passion for books shines through.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca question whether it's right for celebrities to write new books in the Roald Dahl world, and we debate the reaction to the cancellation of a major Scottish literary when a grant application was turned down by Creative Scotland.Independent Publishing | Crescent Swan PublishingThe Briarmen: A fairy-tale for adults: Amazon.co.uk: Chadwick, Joseph A.: 9781838308407: Books

Would you ever consider writing a chapter from the perspective of an octopus? Our guest this week, New York-based author Tim Maleeny certainly has, but as he explains in this episode of The Hobcast Book Show, he'll consider anything if it entertains his readers. Tim is the author of the Cape Weathers Mysteries series; the latest novel Hanging the Devil was published in 2023, and deals with the murky world of international art dealing. Described by NY Times bestselling-author Gregg Hurwitz as: "A caper stuffed with comedy and crime...equal parts adrenaline and heart," - it's perhaps no surprise that our interview with Tim is also an entertaining thrill ride.Also this week, where do publishers turn when their distributor pulls the plug? And we hear about the latest moves to ensure A.I systems are kept honest.Author Tim Maleenyhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0C7F6TN6N

It's been something of a mad week for us at The Hobcast Book Show. We've been on the road with our annual visit to the London Book Fair at Olympia, and spent two days in Dorset discussing books with bestselling author Rachel Maclean. Somehow we've also found time to speak to Hobeck Books author Stacey Murray ahead of the release of her first novel for us, the brilliant psychological thriller The Thief of Joy. Stacey sets her story in Buxton and the surrounding hills and valleys of the Peak District, where our protagonist Roz veers from one bad decision to another in her desire to have the life that everyone else around her seems to enjoy. We learn how Stacey's storytelling has been influenced by her experiences in commercial law and film-making, and she reveals what it was like to share a conversation with the late, great Sir Sean Connery.Also this week, we digest the big news that emerged during LBF24, including big royalty changes promised by Audible to authors and narrators, and will new legislation in the United States to ban TikTok halt the BookTok juggernaut? Plus, we finally bring you a message from the now legendary, Mr Pineapple! The Thief of Joy: A dark and twisty suspense novel about the dangers of comparing yourself to others eBook : Murray, Stacey: Amazon.co.uk: Kindle Store