The Hobcast Book Show

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

As you may be aware, we run a short-story competition alongside presenting The Hobcast Book Show and our publishing firm, Hobeck Books. The Henshaw Short Story competition has uncovered many new talented authors, and raised funds to support school libraries. So we were delighted to be contacted by author Anna Vaught who has created The Curae Prize for non-paid carers. There are millions of people in the UK alone who fall into this category, and Anna is proud that it has given so many people their first opportunity to explore their creativity despite often very difficult day-to-day circumstances. Anna herself is an accomplished published author of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. Her fascination with magical realism shines through her work. She's also an editor, reviewer and English teacher. This is a fascinating, and dare we say it, magically eclectic interview!Also this week, we welcome the decision by one Simon and Schuster executive, Sean Manning, to call for an end to the industry-wide practice of chasing authors for 'blurbs' or 'puffs' from their contemporaries. He argues that all that time spent chasing around for nice comments that can be splashed on the cover or inside pages is a waste of time, which could be better used writing more books instead. And we ask, will the new international trade tariffs imposed by President Trump signal difficult times ahead for publishing?Anna Vaught Writes – Dr Anna Vaught: teacher, mentor, author, campaigner – Novels, short fiction, nonfiction, teaching, mentoring and editingThe Curae Prize – A writing prize – just for writers who are also carers

As we start 2025's run of shows, we thought we'd catch up with one of UK crime fiction's biggest champions, Donna Morfett, who returns to the show for the third time. Donna is a prolific blogger, the founder of The Dark Side of Brighton weekend crime festival, and an author in her own right. In recent weeks though, she's revealed how she's become embroiled in a dispute with a well-known fiction editor who she offered to help by lending her PayPal account. The act, made in good faith, left Donna owing a debt recovery company £1000. Encouraged by many members of the UK Crime Fiction community, Donna launched a Go Fund Me campaign and raised enough money to cover the debt in less than three days. As she tells us, the generosity of the donors has been extraordinary, and she remains determined to ensure that others don't face the issues she has.Also this week, we pay tribute to former guest Amer Anwar (episode 118) who very sadly passed away this week. And we ask, will the potential sale of the WH Smith UK high shops change the publishing landscape?Donna Morfett - AuthorSelect tickets – The Darkside of Brighton 2025 – Old Ship Hotel

As we return for 2025, the new year has already proved one thing - nothing in publishing ever stands still. It's an industry that is constantly evolving and adapting and facing new challenges. Our guest this week, author and editor Joel Hames, in many ways reflects this. As he tells us, when he released his first novel in 2014 he assumed the world would be ready to embrace it. Now, as an editor of dozens of books and a much more experienced author, he views his craft very differently. It's his close working relationship with bestselling author Rachel McLean that has made the biggest difference, Joel says. The fifth novel in their co-authored Cumbria Crime Series, The Lake, is released this week. With three books scheduled to be released each year, with reader magnets in between, Joel has had to become far more prolific and adapt his craft. In this fascinating interview he shares how he's adapted and changed as an author over the past decade.Also this week, does the brief TikTok shutdown in the U.S herald more upheaval in the marketing sphere, and we discuss the issues facing innovative crowd-sourced publisher, Unbound.Joel Hames – Author – Books that make you want to readhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Lake-Cumbria-Crime-Book-ebook/dp/B0DGYN1DFT

We're delighted to be joined this week by crime author Claire Sheldon, author of the Jen Garner series. Published by Choc Lit, an imprint of Joffe Books, Claire has laced her main character's life with a host of secrets and contradictions that threaten her perfect life. With four books published to date, the series offers a mix of psychological fiction and police procedural, and has built a loyal fan base.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca ask if The Bookseller's attempt to rank commissioning editors using data science misses the whole point and art of discovering new talent, and they reflect on another busy year as we approach Christmas. NOTE - The Hobcast Book Show will return in the New Year.Claire Sheldon - Author | Facebookhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Dead-Lie-addictive-thriller-Detective-ebook/dp/B0DJDG4L1F