Happy (belated) St. David's Day by Cathy Ace

Hello folks! St. David's Day was yesterday, March 1st, so as you're reading this I am flopping about somewhere in a Welshcake-induced coma. It also means I'm going to (respectfully) ignore this week's question, and take the chance to tell you ALL about the fabulous crime writing festival that will be held "in Wales" this end April/beginning of May, online, and free of charge. I hope you'll forgive me this bit of flag-waving! 

(And keep reading to the end of this post for news of a FABULOUS offer on my Welsh cozy mysteries!)

There are some international headliners, and great deal of Welsh-grown talent at the events - all of which are detailed below. I'll be appearing, as will fellow blogger here Abir Mukherjee, along with people like...no, I can't list them all, so check out the FABULOUS names below! 

Some you'll know, some will be new to you - so, come on, let's try to find you your next favorite crime writer...in WALES! 

Over 4,000 viewers watched the panels at last year’s digital Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival.

Another 3,000 have watched them on our YouTube panel since.

(FYI: Gwyl is the Welsh word for Festival)

 

Now it’s your turn…

 

We're incredibly excited to present the full programme for the
2022 digital Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival.

Check out the panels for the 2022 digital Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival below and book your tickets now – you’ll find links by clicking on your chosen panel title.

 

And don’t forget…

 

All the panels are online. All the panels are free.

 

 

PROGRAMME & TICKETS

 

Wednesday 27 April Event 1 - 18:30 The Second Story in Crime Fiction: We all have Issues! Contemporary crime fiction has proven to be the perfect genre to explore many difficult issues that trouble society beyond law-breaking. Homelessness, dubious technology and deep-rooted traditions are just some of the subjects explored to great effect by the authors here. Chair: Jacky Collins Speakers: Trevor Wood, Awais Khan, Louise Mumford Event 2 - 20:00 Who killed Daniel Morgan? This panel discusses the infamous unsolved axe murder of Welsh private detective Daniel Morgan with journalist Peter Jukes and Alastair Morgan, Daniel’s brother. Chair: Matt Johnson Speakers: Alistair Morgan, Peter Jukes

Thursday 28 April Event 3 - 18:30 Women in Crime Fiction: Pursuers and Perpetrators Gone are the days of gender stereotypes in crime fiction. These authors demonstrate how the agency afforded women in crime fiction has diverged considerably to the extent that the characters these authors have created are found on both sides of the law and are always to be reckoned with. Chair: Jacky Collins Speakers: Mari Hannah, Elly Griffiths, Beverly Jones Event 4 - 20:00 How Much Fact, How Much Fiction: Using Historical Events in Crime Fiction Crime Writers’ Association Historical Dagger winner, Vaseem Khan (Midnight at Malabar House) and Historical Writers’ Association gold crown winner, Chris Lloyd (The Unwanted Dead) discuss how they balance writing compelling fiction and giving readers an authentic taste of the historical events their characters are dealing with. Chair: Alis Hawkins Speakers: Vaseem Khan, Chris Lloyd

Friday 29 April Event 5 - 18:30 Gwaed ar y Dudalen Mae’r Cymry yn hoff o drioedd felly yn y sesiwn yma bydd Jon Gower yn trafod tri o hanfodion sgrifennu trosedd gyda’r awduron profiadol a phoblogaidd Gwen Parrott ac Alun Davies – lleoliad, plot a chymeriadu. Chair: Jon Gower Speakers: Alun Davies, Gwen Parrott Event 6 - 20:00 It’s all in your head: writing psychological crime fiction Do authors need to get into their readers’ heads as well as those of their characters’ to write compelling, bestselling and prizewinning fiction? Clare Mackintosh and Belinda Bauer talk about playing with perception, plot and people in this fascinating discussion. Chair: Katherine Stansfield Speakers: Clare Mackintosh, Belinda Bauer

Monday 2 May Event 7 - 18:30 Ex-forces cops – hard men or soft centres? Craven’s Washington Poe and Johnson’s Robert Finlay both have pasts in the military, and the life-or-death situations they faced in uniform mean that they bring a particular ‘who gives a f***?’ attitude towards some aspects of policing. But does policing also require emotional intelligence? Barry Forshaw explores Craven and Johnson’s differing views. Chair: Barry Forshaw Speaker: MW Craven, Matt Johnson Event 8 - 20:00 Island Crime Do remote settings enhance the mystery and chill of the crime novel? Does location affect how the reader experiences the scene of the crime? These award-winning and critically acclaimed authors know how to transport us so that we feel the remoteness of bleak island landscapes and the bitter chill of northerly winds. Chair: Jacky Collins Speaker: Ann Cleaves, Lilja Sigurdardottir

Tuesday 3 May Event 9 - 18:30 35 Diwrnod a Bang – y ddrama drosedd rhyngwladol Yn y blynyddoedd diwethaf mae sioeau trosedd o Gymru wedi plesio cynulleidfaoedd yng Nghymru ac ar draws y byd. Bydd Jon Gower yn trafod y llwyddiant yma gyda dau sydd wedi disgleirio wrth lunio cyfresi treiddgar, cyflym a gwaedlyd, sef Fflur Dafydd a Roger Williams. Chair: Jon Gower Speakers: Fflur Dafydd, Roger Williams Event 10 - 20:00 Where, When or Who? Which is the most important question in crime fiction? Billingham, Jones and Ellis are all crime authors but they set their fiction in the past and the present, in Britain and Venice, featuring police officers and amateur sleuths. What unites their books under the crime banner? What common factors do they share? And why might their work appeal to different kinds of readers? Chair: Barry Forshaw Speakers: Mark Billingham, Mark Ellis, Philip Gwynne Jones

Wednesday 4 May Event 11 - 18:30 The Truth, The Whole Truth and The Historical Truth With dogged detectives who refuse to settle until the truth is revealed, the authors on this panel have successfully shown how constructing fiction around historical fact blends perfectly with crime and mystery and provides wonderful insight into times gone by and faraway places. Chair: Jacky Collins Speakers: Abir Mukherjee, Alis Hawkins Event 12 - 20:00 Strong Women, Strong Setting Cosy crime meets gritty as Cathy Ace pits her Cait Morgan and WISE Detective Agency series against GB Williams’ Branwen Jones (The Chair) and Ariadne Teddington (Locked series). How do the settings of these books influence their protagonists’ approach to the crimes they find themselves tangled up in? Chair: Alis Hawkins Speakers: Cathy Ace, GB Williams

To see all tickets, CLICK HERE

 

 

Book now and enjoy the buzz of a live panel with your favourite crime writers. That way, you can put questions to the authors, you interact with participants from all over the world, and you get to be part of an exciting online crime fiction festival as it happens. So put on your PJs, pour a cup of tea or a glass of wine and watch from the comfort of your own armchair… or bed, or mountain top… and buckle up for the

2022 digital Gwyl Crime Cymru Festival.

And, who knows, you might just find your next favourite crime writer in Wales sooner than you think…

And if you're in the mood to visit Wales NOW...look no further than this great deal: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09SZLBH5T

With thanks to everyone who has purchased (and rated!) - it's been a real thrill to achieve #1 Bestseller status in multiple categories in Australia, Canada, the UK, and the USA! 

http://www.cathyace.com/

Awe vs envy...a study in green? by Cathy Ace

Reading: Which crime fiction author are you insanely jealous of and why?

This is a tough one for me to answer…maybe it’s because I’m not a jealous person by nature, or maybe because I truly believe one shouldn’t covet one aspect of another person’s life (in this case their creative output) without being prepared to take on all the crap they also have to live with….that being said…

I could just say, “Anyone who sells enough books to make an actual living at it,” but that would suggest there was some point in my life when I thought that might be a possibility…and there wasn’t. 

So the honest answer has to involve authors whose work “I wish I’d written”…with the caveat I don’t really wish I’d written any book that’s already been written by someone else – I only want to write my books, my way...and I'm incredibly grateful that I get to do that!

So, with all that out of the way…and bearing in mind I have no idea what these folks’ lives are/were really like, and I LOVE my life, so I really don’t want to swap life-experience with anyone (oh my, the conditions for this are mounting up!) these are the crime fiction authors I don't envy...but of whom I am in awe:

Agatha Christie: she had the chance to make the rules, then break them…to surprise and delight readers with plot shapes and twists for the first time. She built the foundation upon which so much mystery fiction is built. A LEGEND.

Patricia Highsmith: laid the groundwork for the psychological suspense thriller, creating unforgettable characters and twisted plots that every writer in this genre envies. A WIZARD OF THE WARPED.

Margaret Millar: when it comes to portraying the inner workings of the female mind, Millar has no equal – certainly before, and arguably since. Domestic suspense = Margaret Millar. A MISTRESS OF CHARACTERIZATION.

Martina Cole: broke the mould for female writers by creating hard-hitting, realistically gritty tales of families, relationships and crime that forever changed the way we think and read. A RULE BREAKER.

(I should probably mention that the eponymous pro/antagonist in Martina Cole's first book and I share a birthday...she's exactly ten years older than me...so I was on her side from page one!)

 
Marcia Muller for Sharon McCone, Sue Grafton for Kinsey Millhone, and Sara Paretsky for VI Warshawski: they showed us that not all private eyes had to be down at heel and possessed of questionable morals...and they could be women! A TRIO OF TERRIFIC TABLE-TURNERS.

Lynda La Plante for Jane Tennison, and Ann Cleeves for Vera Stanhope (with nods to Helen Mirren and Brenda Blethyn for bringing them to life so vibrantly): two strong women created two strong women...and changed the way female police detectives were, and are, portrayed in procedurals. Not side-kicks, not sleuths...real women, doing a damned fine job in a man's world. BRINGERS OF EQUALITY.

Am I jealous of them? Not really. No real green here. Do they inspire awe in me? You bet they do! And they all make me want to write the best books I can...at the same time wondering why I even bother. Aim high, and take your knocks! (And, yes, I have noticed they are all women!)

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