Killing Club imminent, blog tour hits road

As part of what is a pretty big week for me - THE KILLING CLUB is published tomorrow - I today embark on my first ever official blog tour.

What this means is that various bloggers and web-masters have very kindly invited me to write guest blogs for them designed to coincide with the launch of the new novel, at the same time giving a bit of background detail, character notes and so forth.

First of all, I'm hugely flattered to be asked to participate in this. So thanks to all those involved. I couldn't be more grateful. Secondly, it's been amazingly enjoyable. Quite honestly, there is nothing more exhilarating for an author - I'm sure I can speak for others on this - than to be asked to share the thought processes and creative urges that have combined to see your ideas and dreams hit the printed page.

 As authors, we are nothing without our readership. We don't write for ourselves; what would be the point in that? We write to enthuse, excite and delight that great mysterious mass of often unseen folk who provide our audience. And though the modern era and the social networks in particular allow readers to provide instant feedback - which is hugely gratifying, I assure you - we are a self-effacing enough bunch, I think, to never be absolutely sure we are hitting the right spot.

In that respect, how deeply affecting is it to be asked to sit down and chat about it? Could there be a more gentlemanly way to inform an author that he or she is starting to produce the kind of imaginings that many, many others are buying into?

So thanks again to all those who invited me to participate in this tour. I feel hugely honoured. And so, without further ado, here are the tour-dates, so to speak:

Wednesday, May 21 - WRITING.IE

Thursday, May 22 - KILLING TIME

Friday, May 23 - CRIME THRILLER GIRL

Sunday, May 25 - THE BOOK CORNER

Monday, May 26 - CRIME BOOK CLUB

Tuesday, May 27 - RAVEN CRIME READS

Wednesday, May 28 - LOVE OF A GOOD BOOK

To round off today, I've dressed up this column with some more shots from various underground railway stations in Germany, where the German translations of my Heck novels are being aided and abetted by this very eye-catching poster campaign.