The Hobcast Book Show

We're delighted to be speaking to Hobeck Books author Tony Gartland, writing as AJ Aberford, in this episode, to mark the release of The Car Horn Revolution - the sixth and potentially final novel in the George Zammit series. It's perhaps the most personal adventure for our accidental Maltese police hero, as the book is set firmly in Malta, and his whole family face danger as geopolitical intrigue and outside forces threaten the island. It's been a remarkable journey for author and character alike - originally Tony wrote Bodies in the Water as a standalone thriller, but three years and five books further, George has risen through the ranks of the Maltese police. We discuss the cultural impact that George has made on Malta, and Tony also shares plans for a change of direction in his writing career.Also this week, will a letter signed by over ten thousand famous creators really make the AI companies pause for thought? And we hear how Bob Dylan lost sleep thanks to the night time antics of hordes of publishers.Home | AJ Aberfordhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Car-Horn-Revolution-action-packed-Inspector-ebook/dp/B0DDHSWZKL

Regular listeners to The Hobcast Book Show might be forgiven for thinking that we're obsessed with AI. There's barely a week when we don't discuss the latest encroachment of AI into the publishing world, whether it be machine generated text and covers, or AI mimicking the work of audiobook narrators. Above all, we're concerned about how the big tech companies have ingested copyrighted works into their systems without any recompense for their creators. Our guest this week, Tom Albrighton, has just released a book examining these issues and assessing the scale and impact of AI systems on human creativity, particularly writing. How much of a threat do AI systems pose? In AI Can't Write, But You Can: Why human writing matters in the age of ChatGPT, Tom argues that AI systems are essentially highly-developed predictive text machines. They're good at synthesising what's expected in a certain type of writing, but they remain soulless and prone to mistakes. Tom says that humans should lean in to what makes them unique as authors, and make the most of what AI's lack - emotion. This is a provocative and timely interview.Also this week, have Penguin Random House found a way to beat the AI companies? And why are hardback sales down year-on-year?https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cant-Write-But-You-Can-ebook/dp/B0DFJ3RXRB(25) Tom Albrighton | LinkedIn

It's been an odd week here at The Hobcast Book Show. Rebecca and I have been watching the BBC's new smash-hit cosy crime series, Ludwig, starring David Mitchell. Nothing unusual in that you might say, but each episode has multiple aerial shots of the centre of Cambridge, where the stories are set. Each time they pop up, I exclaim, "there's my church!". I'm referring to Great St Mary's, where I was head chorister back in the early 80s. It reminds me of one of the happiest periods of my life. So why am I mentioning it now? Well, our guest this week, Nigel Stewart was also a chorister in the rather grander setting of Hereford Cathedral. Unlike me, he carried on with his passion for making and writing music. He's also a novelist, with five books released to date, including Colouring In, The Road Home, and Justinian's Daughters. How much do music and writing overlap? Listen to this fascinating interview to find out.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca react to the claim by Sir Ian Rankin that crime novels are becoming too long, and should be capped at 300 pages. Is that realistic?https://www.amazon.co.uk/Colouring-Nigel-Stewart/dp/1912677067https://www.amazon.co.uk/Road-Home-Nigel-Stewart/dp/1739501217https://www.amazon.co.uk/Justinians-Daughters-Nigel-Stewart/dp/173916525Xhttps://www.thetimes.com/article/2a5a03a7-af9d-4b2f-ba4a-b6c29bc8eb84?shareToken=1c45daea137b5399b42bd662d66c1fe4

We'd be the first to admit that when we hear the word "trope", we give it negative connotations. It might be a British thing, but a trope is often equated to a cliche - something to be shunned and avoided. But our guest this week, bestselling author Jennifer Hilt, believes that authors should embrace tropes and lean into them as much as possible. She argues that all celebrated literature is full of tropes, and that they are the foundation stones of great storytelling. Jennifer, known colloquially as "The Trope Lady", explains her philosophy in her book, The Trope Thesaurus. Jennifer says she was initially slow to recognise the importance and power of tropes, but once she'd made that realisation, she couldn't enjoy a favourite book or film without spotting them. She hopes that authors will also see their importance, and lean into and twist tropes to strengthen their work.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca reflect on their trip to London for the inaugural gathering of the new Indie Press Network, and ask if publishing is ready to cope with some new EU legislation that will significantly complicate printing books in future.Jennifer Hilt, USA Today Bestselling Author of Non-fiction and Urban Fantasyhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Trope-Thesaurus-Jennifer-Hilt/dp/B09PHG395P

We're linking up with the U.S again this week to meet YA author Jon McBrine. Joining us from his home near Dallas, Texas, Jon shares his journey from graphic designer, illustrator and comic book aficionado to author. His first YA superhero adventure, Unsecret Identity was published last year, and introduces Eric Icarus, a 14-year-old with the ability to fly. You'd think that would be a gift, but for Eric it's the last thing he needs, drawing unwanted attention to him at a time of acute teenage sensitivity. As Jon explains, he wanted to use the superhero genre to explore the themes teenagers face as they prepare for the wider world.Also this week, we discuss Pan Macmillan's withdrawal from X (formerly Twitter), and Adrian reveals details of a big writing project he's just been commissioned to deliver in 2025.https://jonmcbrine.com/https://www.amazon.co.uk/Unsecret-Identity-Eric-Icarus-Book-ebook/dp/B0CJTK86Z5

You've written the book, and found a publisher. But how do you find your readers? Our guest this week, Roger Corke, has taken a meticulous approach to building the promotion around his debut thriller, Deadly Protocol. With a successful career as a documentary maker and investigative journalist, Roger used his research skills to discover how best to promote his novel. Drawing on the advice and experience of a range of established authors, he has explored all avenues in creating a buzz around the book - building an extensive blog and podcast tour, tracking down elusive book reviewers from the print media, and creating a wide range of video content for various social media platforms. As Roger tells us in this wide-ranging interview, the onus is on authors to build their own audience, even if they have a supportive publisher. Roger also explains how a chance conversation with a British scientist led to the plot of the novel - who would benefit from the death of a scientist on the verge of curing cancer?Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca support a new initiative to connect BookTok stars with authors and publishers, and they reflect on how they coped when they lost WiFi for four days. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Deadly-Protocol-Roger-Corke-ebook/dp/B0DFYBLBQ3

We welcome back author and theatre-automation expert Jamie West to The Hobcast Book Show again this week. Jamie has just published his second novel, Murder at the Matinee, which reacquaints us with playwright and amateur sleuth Bertie Carroll, and glories in the setting of London's West End Theatreland in the 1930s. Bertie is intrigued when a newspaper advert predicts a death in Act 3 of a play in which there are no deaths expected. When a body is duly discovered, Bertie himself is not above suspicion. In this wide-ranging interview, Jamie explains how he's taken inspiration from promoting theatre shows to his book marketing, and how he now believes that authors would help themselves by taking time to build interest in their work long before publication date.Also this week, with distribution outlets for independent publishers becoming more challenging to find in the UK, how are they coping? And Adrian and Rebecca discuss the importance of fact-checking everything before a book goes to print.Jamie West Authorhttps://www.amazon.co.uk/Murder-Matinee-golden-age-theatrical-Thorogood-ebook/dp/B0CYT7WQC5

It's always lovely to catch up with our guests on The Hobcast Book Show. We first spoke to author J.M. Simpson on episode #103, and eighty-seven episodes later she's back to discuss how Jo has developed her existing Castleby series, but how she's also poised to launch a new crime series based in the Highlands of Scotland and a mountain rescue team that operates there. We discuss how Jo's established audience has influenced the direction of her work, and we look at the challenges of balancing a busy day-to-day life with the demands of being an indie author.Also this week, Adrian and Rebecca run through the newly published Top 10 list of Kindle authors in the UK. Six on the list are crime authors, and three have been guests on this podcast! J.M. Simpson | Author of drama and suspense novels (jmsimpsonauthor.co.uk)Buy the Castleby series by J.M. Simpson here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sea-State-Castleby-Book-1-ebook/dp/B09L6W5XJL