Silent Witness producer makes her crime fiction debut

We love speaking to true storytellers on The Hobcast Book Show. Our guest this week, <a href="https://jaynechard.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jayne Chard</a>, fits that description perfectly, even though she published her debut novel, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Than-Murder-unputdownable-intriguing-ebook/dp/B0F381RKHS" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">More Than Murder </a>this week. It's the first in a series of cosy crime novels Jayne plans to publish. But Jayne is no stranger to telling crime stories. She is a hugely successful and award-winning TV and film drama producer, with the hugely popular BBC cold-case drama Silent Witness prominent in her list of credits. She's also been a documentary maker, playwright and theatre director. But Jayne will be the first to admit that she's found the process of publishing her first book at times challenging and frustrating, with many hurdles thrown up by the publishing platforms and industry systems. So can you plan your way to publishing success, applying the lessons learned from a career at the top of TV and film production? This is a fascinating and wide-ranging interview. Also this week, should we dismayed that Agatha Christie has been brought back to life by the BBC and AI to teach aspiring writers the secrets of her craft? And should a book published by an imprint owned by Penguin Random House feature in the Independent Publishing Bestseller lists? <a href="https://jaynechard.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jayne Chard – Author Of More Than Murder</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Than-Murder-unputdownable-intriguing-ebook/dp/B0F381RKHS" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/More-Than-Murder-unputdownable-intriguing-ebook/dp/B0F381RKHS</a>Agatha Christie AI BBC Maestro behind-the-scenes: <a href="https://youtu.be/26Tn5OjMcAM?si=0n6HwXpX1oL7D_ZW6Tn5OjMcAM?si=0n6HwXpX1oL7D_ZW" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/26Tn5OjMcAM?si=0n6HwXpX1oL7D_ZW6Tn5OjMcAM?si=0n6HwXpX1oL7D_ZW</a>

219: Planning for publishing success - with Jayne Chard

Finding lessons from history

It's fair to say that 2025 has been an unusual and surprising year so, driven largely by events in the United States. Almost as soon as we record our news section for The Hobcast Book Show, it fast becomes out of date as President Trump signs a new executive order or publishes his latest social media post. Upheaval in America is nothing new of course, but for our guest this week, author and film maker Denise Ohio, current challenges hold strong echoes with an event she has spent many years researching and publicising, the 1916 Everett Massacre. It's the subject of Ohio's documentary <a href="https://holytoledo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Verona: The Story of the Everett Massacre</a> which took twenty years to make. It tells the story of the events of Sunday 5th November, 1916, when members of a union, the I.W.W arrived on the dock at Everett to support the striking shingle weavers who'd been on strike for five months. When violence broke out, several men lay dead or dying. It's become a celebrated event in the struggle for free speech in the United States, but as Ohio tells us, events were far more complex than that - so much so - she has now embarked on writing eight novels telling the stories of some of the people involved. This is a fascinating and thought-provoking interview that draws parallels between today's events and the struggles of the past. Also this week, we discuss how the closure of crowd-sourced publishing pioneers Unbound will leave some contributors out of pocket, and is it ever write to microwave a mug of coffee? <a href="https://holytoledo.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Verona: The Story of the Everett Massacre</a>

218: Protest in America - with Denise Ohio

Reading books in a second language

We're really excited to be bringing you something different in this week's show. We're joined by six students from <a href="https://www.detooropmavo.nl/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Toorop Mavo in Rotterdam</a> in the Netherlands, all of whom are taking the Cambridge English course as an additional option to their usual studies. All our guests are around 15 years old, and each read one of our Hobeck books before we interviewed them - choosing between Echo Rock by Robert Daws, and a prequel novella by Lin Le Versha. So what did they make of their first taste of crime fiction? And what do they normally read? This is a fascinating interview that highlights the challenges younger reader face in finding time to read, and even access to books. Also this week, we ask if the UK government are exploiting the country's creative sector to secure a trade deal with the United States, and we discuss a new development for Kindle users - "Recap" - which uses AI to give readers a reminder of key events from book series they love before they read their next instalment. <a href="https://www.detooropmavo.nl/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">De Toorop Mavo De TooropMavo</a>

217: What young people read - with Toorop Mavo students, NL

The deadly side of Showbiz reporting

A few weeks ago we had the pleasure of speaking to veteran entertainment and celebrity public relations expert and author, <a href="https://open.acast.com/public/streams/646f7fb53c7f5e001173a62e/episodes/67b31b36bce64a0601860c2f.mp3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Peter Berry</a>. He gave us an insight into how difficult it is to mediate between his celebrity clients and the demands of journalists. It's time to hear from the other side of things. Debut author <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/C.-R.-Westbrook/author/B0DXWPRZ1J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Caroline Westbrook</a> is an entertainment journalist who has faced the challenge of encouraging her celebrity interviewees to say something fresh and interesting, even if it's the hundredth interview of their promotional tour. Drawing extensively on her career in newspapers, magazines and the BBC, her novel <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/TROUBLEMAKER-C-R-Westbrook-ebook/dp/B0DQ16S84J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Troublemaker</a> delves into the high-pressure world of entertainment journalism and gives it a murderous twist. As Caroline, writing as C.R Westbrook explains, many of her colleagues believe they've been the inspiration behind her characters. Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca discuss the potential impact of Donald Trump's trade tariffs on the publishing industry. Will books be harder to sell in uncertain economic times? <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/TROUBLEMAKER-C-R-Westbrook-ebook/dp/B0DQ16S84J" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/TROUBLEMAKER-C-R-Westbrook-ebook/dp/B0DQ16S84J</a>

216: Entertainingly Murderous - with Caroline Westbrook

Using research to find new storytelling directions

In the second part of our interview with award-winning historical author <a href="https://www.chrislloydauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chris Lloyd</a>, we discover how unexpected historical research details impact his storytelling and novels. Chris spends three months digging into the minutiae of life in wartime Paris for each of his <a href="https://www.chrislloydauthor.com/the-occupation-series" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Occupation Series novels</a>, and is often surprised by what he finds. As he explains, his plans can change dramatically as a result. Also this week, we discuss this year's author line-up for the Theakston's Old Peculier Crime Festival in Harrogate. Is it the same old faces, or can we look forward to something a bit different from this year's chair, Mick Herron? <a href="https://www.chrislloydauthor.com/the-occupation-series" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Occupation Series — Chris Lloyd</a>

215: Panning for gold - with Chris Lloyd

Plotter? Pantser? Find your natural approach and stick to it

Some interviews are so fascinating we decide to run them over two episodes. That was certainly the case with our guest this week, <a href="https://www.chrislloydauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chris Lloyd</a>, winner of the Historical Writers' Association Gold Crown for the best historical novel of the year. The winning title, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unwanted-Dead-Chris-Lloyd-ebook/dp/B086GJ2B83" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Unwanted Dead </a>was the opening novel in his Occupation Series, set in wartime Paris, in which Detective Eddie Giral tries to ensure justice is served despite working under Nazi occupation. In part one of this interview, Chris explains that he's learned to accept that he's a born pantser as an author, and that his best work comes when he allows inspiration to lead him, rather than a firm plan. Also this week, we discuss the story that has dominated the minds of indie authors and publishers this week - the revelation that Facebook's parent-company Meta has used illegal pirate websites to ingest vast quantities of copyright-protected fiction and non-fiction to teach its AI models. How should authors react? And what can be done to protect their rights and incomes? <a href="https://www.chrislloydauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Chris Lloyd - Crime Fiction Author</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unwanted-Dead-Chris-Lloyd-ebook/dp/B086GJ2B83" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unwanted-Dead-Chris-Lloyd-ebook/dp/B086GJ2B83</a>

214: Embrace your author nature - with Chris Lloyd

Lessons from a McIlvanney Prize Winner 

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 <a href="https://callummcsorley.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Callum McSorley</a>'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 <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squeaky-Clean-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0BT8SGQLV" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Squeaky Clean</a> 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, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paperboy-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0DFYC9KFH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Paperboy</a>, 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 , <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-You-See-page-turning-psychological-ebook/dp/B0DS44FTSG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">What You See</a> by Hilly Barmby, and Rebecca reflects on her visit to this year's London Book Fair. <a href="https://callummcsorley.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">callummcsorley.com</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squeaky-Clean-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0BT8SGQLV" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Squeaky-Clean-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0BT8SGQLV</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paperboy-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0DFYC9KFH" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Paperboy-Callum-McSorley-ebook/dp/B0DFYC9KFH</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-You-See-page-turning-psychological-ebook/dp/B0DS44FTSG" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/What-You-See-page-turning-psychological-ebook/dp/B0DS44FTSG</a>

213: How to follow a dream debut - with Callum McSorley

Finding the time to become a successful author

Finding time to write can be one of the biggest challenges for any author. That's certainly the experience of our guest this week, <a href="https://www.jennyobrienauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jenny O'Brien</a>, 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 <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BTRZV2J?binding=kindle_edition&amp;ref_=saga_dp_ss_dsk_sdp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Detective Gaby Darin series</a> published by HQ Digital, as well as romances and psychological thrillers, her next novel published next month, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lost-Children-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0DTX81TG4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Book of Lost Children</a>, 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. <a href="https://www.jennyobrienauthor.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Jenny O'Brien Author | Irish writer</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BTRZV2J?binding=kindle_edition&amp;ref_=saga_dp_ss_dsk_sdp" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Detective Gaby Darin (6 book series) Kindle edition</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lost-Children-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0DTX81TG4" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Book-Lost-Children-Jenny-OBrien-ebook/dp/B0DTX81TG4</a>

212: Writing on the job - with Jenny O'Brien

Following your instincts to tell a great story

We're always on the lookout for ways to unlock the creative juices, and our guest this week, author <a href="https://cauverymadhavan.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cauvery Madhavan</a> 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, <a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Cauvery-Madhavan-ebook/dp/B0DF93T83H" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Inheritance</a>, 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. <a href="https://cauverymadhavan.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Cauvery Madhavan – Author, Journalist, Blogger</a><a href="https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Cauvery-Madhavan-ebook/dp/B0DF93T83H" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.amazon.co.uk/Inheritance-Cauvery-Madhavan-ebook/dp/B0DF93T83H</a>

211: The Wonder of Storytelling - with Cauvery Madhavan

New publishers Adrian Hobart and Rebecca Collins discuss the issues of running a start-up creative business in this pandemic world. Meet the people who make Hobeck Books possible.

How do you launch a publishing house from scratch? The Hobcast brings you insights, interviews and ideas for aspiring authors and creative entrepreneurs, as well as anyone who loves books.