Tell us about yourself and how many books you have written.
Hi! I’m an Australian crime fiction writer who publishes both traditionally (with a small press here in Australia) and self-published. When not writing, I work as a translator specializing in Russian language. I’ve also worked as a researcher, writer and consultant in New York, Moscow, Munich, Abu Dhabi and Australia.
A couple of weird, fun facts about me: I voted in a foreign election despite having no eligibility to do so, was almost lost at sea on a Russian fishing boat, and was detained by military forces in the Middle East.
My debut crime novel, SOLD, was the first in a thrilling noir trilogy, featuring the detestable yet lovable one-man wrecking ball Gary Braswell. Watch out for the next exciting book in the series, SOLD to the Devil due for release early 2020.
The first book I wrote was a children’s novel, Escape from Passing Winds. The perfect middle-grade reader for young girls who love reading, and a great book for boys to discover how awesome girls can be.
What is the name of your latest book and what inspired it?
My most recent release is piece of fun inspired by Twitter. It’s a collection of funny tweets collected together with some illustrated by a very talented cartoonist, Vince Steele. It’s called Boyd and Sarge: NYPD Law and Disorder, and it’s packed with puns, dad jokes, black humour and fantastic cartoons. I was inspired to turn these daily tweets into a book by followers on Twitter who said, literally, these guys need to go in a book!
Do you have any unusual writing habits?
I like to email myself the latest versions of any books I’m working on, and read them back to myself on my cell phone. I guess that’s a bit weird.
What authors, or books have influenced you?
I could spend all day answering this question, there are so many! But I’ll break it down to the main ones.
For the crime stuff, I can go all the way back to Dostoevsky. For me, Crime and Punishment is the ultimate detective novel. Tense, brooding and with beautiful language. Actually, I can go even further back – as a young child I would borrow my mother’s Agatha Christie novels and read them one after the other. I think I got through the entire catalogue by the time I was 12.
I also love the Scandi writers, like Nesbo, Larsson, Camilla Lackberg. I’m a huge fan of British writers Mo Hayder and Irvine Welsh. Trainspotting and Tokyo in particular.
As someone invested in the Russian language, I have to add Chekhov and a lesser-known guy called Daniil Harms to my list of all-time favorites. Chekhov for the drama, Harms for the sense of the absurd and ridiculous.
What are you working on now?
My WIP is called Revolution Day. It’s based on true events that happened in the late 1980s in Moscow. A foreign student, a young man from Nigeria, was murdered and the case was never properly investigated. I’ve fictionlized the story pretty much 100%, but I hope it resonates with those who appreciate a good crime story with a moral message.
What is your best method or website when it comes to promoting your books?
I’m fairly new at this promotion thing. I try to talk about my work on social media, but you have to be careful your friends and followers don’t feel you’re trying to ram your product down their throats. Even my best freinds will “like” and “share” and make encouraging noises, but will they actually buy the book? Often, no. I’ve had some sales through taking out ads on Facebook and boosting posts, but am yet to try Amazon ads in earnest. I’m open to all good suggestions, so send them to me please! And sign up to my email list while you’re at it.
Do you have any advice for new authors?
Be patient. I need to take my own advice here, because I often want success to come quicker than is realistic to expect. Also, switch off distractions and just, write, write, write. It’s not rocket salad, after all.
What is the best advice you have ever heard?
Trust your inner voice. It’s from a book by Dean Wesley Smith called “Writing into the Dark”. I highly recomment this terrific work to all aspiring writers. Especially those like me who are true “pantsers”.
What are you reading now?
A book called Idaho by Emily Ruskovich. I’ve only just started it, so can’t give a huge commentary on it. What is interesting is why I’m reading it. The novel was recommended to me by a British reader who was impressed enough by my novel SOLD that he reached out to me personally with some lovely words of encouragement and praise.
However, I do like to review books, as you can see if you look me up on Goodreads.
What’s next for you as a writer?
Revamping my website and creating a good email list are the priority technical tasks. As for the actual writing bit, I want to finish Revolution Day (I’m immodestly hoping it will become the next Gorky Park) as fast as I can and turn it into a series of at least three parts. I’ve already grown to love the main character, a Moscow cop called Viktor Voloshin. He’s brash, a bit of a klutz, but persistent. His side-kick, Boris Adamovsky, is also fun to write.
If you were going to be stranded on a desert island and allowed to take 3 or 4 books with you what books would you bring?
1. 101 ways to cook fish and coconut
2. Building a life raft for dummies
3. The subtle art of not giving a f*ck
Author Websites and Profiles
Blair Denholm Website
Blair Denholm Amazon Profile
Blair Denholm’s Social Media Links
Goodreads Profile
Facebook Profile
Twitter Account