BLOOMIN' GREAT BOOKS

Welcome back, lovely listeners. Today we have the highly anticipated chat with Charlotte McConaghy about her atmospheric, moving and chilling novel, The Last Migration (out now). We talk about why Charlotte decided to write a novel about climate change and how she created the wonderful and complex character of Franny, the protagonist who sets out to follow the Arctic terns on what could be their final migration. This book will stay with you, long after you read it.  

Today we're sharing our interview with Susi J Holiday, a dark fiction writer who cut her teeth writing flash fiction and short stories, many of which have been shortlisted for prestigious awards. As a writer she's mastered the entire dark fiction genre with creepy hits like the Bastoun trilogy, Supernatural mysteries like The Lingering and our favorite "Violet";  a truly gripping psychological thriller. Susi is a big name in a the Crime Fiction World and is living proof that crime fiction writers are far more cheerful than you might expect! Alongside all this incredible writing Susi works in Clinical Research and even finds time to perform in a group called the Slice Girls, a big hit on the crime fiction festival circuit.

Today we're chatting to the lovely Lara Dearman. Lara was born and raised on the Channel Island of Guernsey and is the author of Devil's Claw and Dark Sky Island, two crime fiction books that combine her love of Guernsey, myths and folklore with her obsession with crime fiction and serial killers - bet you can't wait to read these books after that intro! They are as brilliant as they sound. During this wonderful chat, we discussed how Lara loves to create and write the characters that differ most to her and she explains how the editorial process works and how it can impact a novel. Lara is a fabulous author and all-round lovely person, who just happens to enjoy books that explore the dark side of human nature. Haha. We can't wait for you to listen, we hope you enjoy this episode!

Today we're chatting to the wonderful Paddy Magrane, Psychotherapist, journalist and thriller writer (what a winning combination!). He was born in the Middle East, educated in England and travelled all over the world finding inspiration for his books. Paddy is the #1 Amazon Kindle author of the Sam Keddie thrillers, DISORDER and DENIAL and ​His latest book, RED DESERT, is an Audible Original OUT NOW. Along with writing he somehow found the time to be the LYME Crime festival director, a new crime and thriller festival that launched online in June 2020. Paddy is humble, funny, and engaging - we had a great time chatting to him about his love of exotic settings in his novels and his conversion to writing outlines rather than retro-fitting - not sure what that is? Have a listen.

Caroline Green who writes under the pseudonym Cass Green is the award winning author of Crime and Young Adult Fiction. Her first Crime Fiction books The Woman Next Door and In a Cottage in a Wood dominated the book charts and at the time of our interview, she was just finishing a new genre busting novel for Harper Collins. In between all of this she somehow finds the time to teach others as the writer in residence and lecturer for Crime Fiction at City University. Oh yes, we had a lot to cover - enjoy!

Gavin Bell, also known as Mason Cross is the author of the truly exciting Carter Blake thriller series where the mysterious manhunter is on a mission to find people who just don't want to be found. You might also know him by Alex Knight, author of the phenomenal thriller Hunted. His books have been picked up by some of the best book clubs and awards going and we can't wait to share this truly entertaining insight into the world of one seriously brilliant crime writer with you. 

Quentin Bates is an English Novelist who went to Iceland for work and never left! He is best known for his Officer Gunnhildur series, about a tough cop who uncovers murder and corruption in the Icelandic criminal underworld. Most likened to "Nordic Noir", his books are hailed for capturing the Icelandic atmosphere. Quentin has also used his deep knowledge of Icelandic life and culture to translate many books for leading Icelandic authors. We can't wait for you to hear more from this warm and funny man!

Today's episode is an extra special one because we have not one but two exceptional guests! We're chatting to the Icelandic crime writer and award-winning playwright, Lilja Sigurdardóttir, along with Quentin Bates, a crime author in his own right and the translator of Lilja's books. These two are so much fun - we can't wait for you to listen. As always, let us know what you think @bloomingreatbooks.

Welcome to YET ANOTHER fabulous interview! This week we're chatting to Gemma Reeves, author of Victoria Park (out now), an absorbing fiction read about the interweaving lives of Victoria Park residents in London. This book had us feeling nostalgic for London and sucked us in from the start as the characters are so real and intriguing. We loved chatting to Gemma and know you will adore the episode too, especially if you’re a budding author - Gemma will have you feeling inspired. We do delve into a few of the character storylines, so you may want to read the book first. @bloomingreatbooks.

Don't say we don't treat you! Today it's time to share our killer episode with best selling author Cath Quinn. Cath is not only an epic crime novelist but a hugely successful historical thriller writer with copies published in over 25 countries - wow! Her first contemporary thriller, Black Widows, went to a seven-way auction and was optioned for film, before being snapped up by Orion as their super-lead book and is OUT NOW. It then went on to sell in nine other territories, including North America. Oh yes, Cath is one to watch. She's also the sister of one of our all-time fave authors Suzy K. Quinn, also featured in our Crime Fiction Series! Be sure to head over to your preferred podcast platform to hear it and & if you like it... you know what to do! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

It's time to share our interview with the brilliant Tony Kent! When we met Tony last Summer, he was working on the latest in his Joe Dempsey series following the success of his 'lockdown release', Power Play. His first book, Killer Intent has been optioned for television by Liberty Films and is being developed for the screen by BAFTA Award-winning Director Duncan Jones, Producer Stuart Fenegan and Tony himself. But when he's not writing best selling crime fiction, Tony is a heavyweight boxer and full-time defence lawyer and we had so much fun picking his brains on how to turn his passion into success while balancing a rather hectic schedule. Whether you're a crime fiction fan, or just want to know how on earth he does it all, this is one episode you HAVE to tune into.

Next in our Crime Fiction Mini-Series, it's Ian McFadyen, author of the much loved Carmichael Murder Mystery series. Set in rural Lancashire (where Ian also lives), the series follows Detective Inspector Carmichael as he solves the many, often bizarre, murders that happen in and around the sleepy village. With a distinct Midsummer Murders vibe, this is cosy crime at it's best and it's not hard to see why Ian has become one of the most loaned authors in UK libraries. We had SUCH fun interviewing Ian and can't wait for you to enjoy this episode. For any crime fiction lover, or closet author this is a MUST listen!

Today’s interview in the crime fiction mini-series is with the wonderful Suzy K Quinn, a British fiction author, who writes in three different genres: psychological thriller, comedy and romance (she’s so talented!). Since her first publication, Suzy has become an international bestseller, a #1 Kindle romance and romantic comedy bestseller. Suzy's novels have been translated into 7 languages and her books have sold over ¾ million copies worldwide. If you’re currently lacking inspiration or just want some great writing tips, this is the episode for you.

This is our chat about the New York Times Bestselling book, Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld - a novel that re-imagines the life Hilary Clinton could have had if she had not married Bill Clinton and let his political career take precedence over hers. This book captured our attention because Curtis Sittenfeld is one of our all-time favourite authors. From page one the characterised Hillary is intelligent, independent and ambitious. It's 300 pages of politics, relationships and powerful women - Sittenfeld did her research too so it really is grounded in reality, with, well quite a bit of poetic license once the real events end.

We are back after a long and cosy winter break. We, like most of you, have been in a Covid-quarantine like state with very little social plans and as well as bingeing on shows like Bridgerton and The Undoing, we have also been reading! We found we fell into a bit of a reading dip at the end of last year. So, to get us back into the flow of it, we chose some accessible, some surprising and some downright brilliant books to kick-off 2021. Listen to us chat about the books that have kept us entertained for the past two months. As always we hope you enjoy our recommendations. For more on books please follow us @bloomingreatbooks over on Instagram.

If you haven't yet heard of Louise O'Neill then we have a treat in store for you. In 2014, O'Neill's debut novel, Only Ever Yours was published for a YA audience and went on to win Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year at 2014, the Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Award; the Children's Books Ireland Eilís Dillon Award for a First Children's Book, and The Bookseller's inaugural YA Book Prize 2015. Since blasting onto the writing scene in 2014 O'Neill has written 4 more books, for children and adults alike. After the Silence is her fifth book and is as bold, brave and shocking as her other novels. The book is set in Inisrun, Ireland and has a chilling tag line: Nessa Crowley's murderer has been protected by silence for ten years. Until a team of documentary makers decide to find out the truth. Do you even need more information to read the book? Just in case you do, here's more... on the night of Nessa Crowley's murder there was a big storm, cutting the island off from the mainland, so nobody was able to leave. The mystery behind the murderer was hidden, but those on the island who was to blame. This book delves into the deadly nature of secrets and how they can devastate those who keep them. We loved this book and felt every emotion reading it. Join us for this podcast episode when we delve into the themes and mystery in detail. @bloomingratbooks.

Sinek is a motivational speaker, who has written five books so far (with many more to come we're sure). Start With Why is his first book and in it, Sinek explores the idea that to be a successful leader, you need to inspire and to inspire, you need to know your WHY. In this podcast, we talk about what we loved and didn't love so much about this book. We also say the word why, a lot, so be prepared.

It's November, the leaves are falling from the trees and we're officially entering that time of year when it's perfectly acceptable to curl up on a sofa all evening with a book (although we do that all-year-round anyway!). This month we have some fantastic books to share with you on this episode; recent releases from Curtis Sittenfeld and Maaza Mengiste and some golden oldies by Fitzgerald and Dahl that we love and think you will too. For more information about this episode or us in general, head to our website.

We're back for part two of our summer reading list. We read so many books we loved this summer, we couldn't fit them all into one episode. So sit back, relax and reminisce with us now. @Bloomingreatbooks

As the cold weather hits and another lockdown looks likely, we have a throwback to summer reading episode to warm you up. In this episode, we talk about a few books we read and loved this summer, but we read so much, we needed to split the chat into two. Sit back, relax and listen to part one with us now. @Bloomingreatbooks

Another bloomin' great book that changed us! We read this book and found it completely revolutionary and during this episode, we chat about why it had such a big impact on our lives, and why people in a relationship may find it useful (transformative even) to read too. @bloomingreatbooks on Instagram and more from us here.

Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear by Elizabeth Gilbert is a truly wonderful read and has become a Bloomin' Great Books obsession. In this book, Liz takes you on a journey with her; from doubt and fear, to why we need to create and how she believes it works. We were particularly taken by her description of how inspiration finds us and her encouragement to have a 'hot affair' with creativity, who could say no to that? You may not have thought this was a business book, but let us prove you wrong. @bloomingreatbooks on Instagram.

We love Audible, but we also love physical books (just like you, right?) and in this episode, we compare how we read for pleasure and why that sometimes differs to how we read business books. Disclaimer: we mention A LOT of books, click here to find that full list!