Frost reviewed the hardback of The Caller not so long ago, or rather, I did, and now the paperback is on the shelves – grab it. It’s a hide behind the sofa read, but unputdownable: after a tough week – we’ve all had them – a shower and then relaxation seems like a good idea. Tanya Kaitlin thought so too, until her phone rings …  And it’s the start of it all.

The video call request comes from her best friend, Karen Ward. Tanya takes the call and the nightmare begins. Karen is gagged and bound to a chair in her own living room. If Tanya disconnects from the call, if she looks away from the camera, he will come after her next, the deep, raspy, demonic voice at the other end of the line promises her.

As Detectives Robert Hunter and Carlos Garcia investigate the threats, they are thrown into a rollercoaster of evil, chasing a predator who scouts the streets and social media networks for victims, taunting them with secret messages and feeding on their fear.

Frost Magazine caught up with author Chris Carter and bombarded him with questions:

Margaret: Chris Carter, I was totally hooked, but it’s not bedtime reading. It was more a ‘I need to hide behind the sofa and peek out from time to time’
type of book.

Is it based on a real case, or has it come from the inner you? Please tell me it’s a real case or I can never ever be in the same room alone with you. Presumably you have to alter the case to some extent so it isn’t recognizable?

Chris: Sorry to disappoint you, but The Caller is not based on a real case.  The idea for the plot did come out of true facts.  I can’t say which facts those are, as they are one of the revelations I make towards the end of the novel concerning the killer, but it was after reading a very concerning statistics on a new research conducted in the USA that I began working on the idea for The Caller.

Margaret: It was deftly handled and the tension was like a tripwire. Are you a prolific reader, and learned your writing trade in that way, or did you do as the rest of us, and work with a mentor, or some sort of creative writing support?

Chris: I’m definitely not a prolific reader at all.  Far from it.  My “to read” shelf is turning into a “to read” library because I never get to read much.  I also never had a tutor or mentor.  I never took part in any creative writing courses or read any books on the subject.  The truth is that I had never planned on writing a book.  I never though about a career in writing and I never spent any time thinking up stories or developing characters in my head that I would one day want to write about.  My submersion into the world of books – writing books that is – came out of a dream I had back in 2007.  In the morning I mentioned the dream to my girlfriend at the time and when I was done she said  – ‘You know what, Chris?  You should write that story down.  It’s a good idea.  And I really like the twist at the end.’

So I decided to do exactly that.  With absolutely no experience whatsoever, I began writing it.  Until then, I had never even written a short story in my life.

To make a very long story short, that dream turned out to be The Crucifix Killer, which became the first book in the Hunter series.

Margaret: I find, as an author with Random House, that the world I create is the only thing of which I am in control. The rest of my life seems to spin off as it will. Would you agree that one of the empowering things about writing is that we are able to create whole worlds that discuss and resolve issues as we wish – basically our worlds are shaped.

Chris: Yes, I would agree with that statement.  As authors of fiction books, in our stories, we are God.  We can do anything we please, talk about anything we like and resolve any issues as we wish – which can also be quite dangerous.
Margaret: How do you work? Do you plan? Do you have a strict time table?

Chris: I do have a strict timetable, but I plan almost nothing.  All of my stories are pretty organic.  All I have is a “one-line plot idea” and I start writing, for example – for The Executioner, my second novel, all I had in my had for the plot was – a killer who uses his victims fears to kill them.  With that I sat down and began writing the book.

I never really know who the killer will be until usually past halfway through writing a novel. The same goes for how Hunter will figure out who the killer is and why the killer is going around killing people.  The basis of my writing is – I will write one chapter and as I get to the end of it I ask myself – “OK, so if this just happened, what would happen next?  If I were involved in this case, what would be my next step?”  And that’s how the next chapter develops in my head.  It can get pretty confusing at times.  Actually, it gets confusing all the time, but it works for me.

Margaret: Do you actually enjoy writing?

Chris: I absolutely love it.  I love the whole process of it – I love the writing.  I love the researching.  I love coming up with characters, with villains, with crazy murders, etc.  The only bit I’m not very keen on is the editing at the end.
Margaret: I interviewed Frederick Forsyth at my charity’s (Words for the Wounded) Literary Festival a few weeks ago, and we were discussing writers – what they are? We came to conclusion that we are observers, that even when we’re out socialising, or working at something else, we are somehow not fully present. We’re assessing, observing and somehow disengaged.
Worse, even as life is turning upside down we’re thinking how we can use it. What are your thoughts on that?

Chris: I would totally agree with that statement as well.  I would just add that as authors we also have to be a tad schizophrenic.  We have to be able to think like more than one person at any time, regardless of conviction, belief, race, status, gender, or anything else for that matter.  If we are writing an argument scene between a deeply religious old man and a totally agnostic young woman, we have to tap into both of those lines of thoughts and be convincing.

Margaret: What next? Another unputdownable book?

Chris: I am more than halfway through writing my next novel, so yes, there will be a new book in 2018.  I can only hope that my readers will enjoy it as much as they have enjoyed all the previous books in the series. 

Margaret: As a p.s. Chris, congratulations on your huge success, keep the books coming, keep me scared to death. Bravo.

Chris: Thank you so, so much for your more than kind words.

The Caller by Chris Carter        –        pb  Simon and Schuster UK £7.99

David Leadbeater has been crowned the winner of the inaugural UK Kindle Storyteller Award, with his Crime Thriller The Relic Hunters securing him the £20,000 cash prize. Alongside the money, David will receive a marketing campaign to support the book on Amazon.co.uk, access to a mentor and the opportunity to have his book translated.

The Relic Hunters’ is an archeological action adventure story that follows relic smuggler Guy Bodie across the world as he tracks down famous objects throughout history, with the help of his team along the way. Before this book, Leadbeater, from York, had already written twenty three Kindle International Bestsellers reaching readers across the globe.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 25: Lily Cole (L) poses with David Leadbeater, 
Pic Credit: Dave Benett

“Winning the Kindle Storyteller Award has been a life-changing experience,” said David Leadbeater. “It’s an honour to be chosen as the winner and truly wonderful to have The Relic Hunters selected from such a strong shortlist. It is thanks to my readers that I have won this prize and for that I am truly thankful. I am excited for the next chapter in my storytelling career and hopefully with the profile this prize has given me, my stories will reach more readers.”

What made this prize truly unique was the customers’ role in the process. From thousands of entries, a shortlist of six authors was selected based on a number of factors driven by customer interest in the titles. Alongside the winning title, the shortlist included a range of genres from historical fiction to fantasy to non-fiction.

The panel of judges who decided upon the winning book included actress and literacy campaigner, Lily Cole; best-selling author Rachel Abbott; Irish author, former literary agent and founder of The Alliance of Independent Authors, Orna Ross; the Metro’s Books Editor Claire Allfree; as well as members of the Amazon Books team – UK Head of Kindle Singles and Chair of Judges, Andrew Rosenheim; UK Kindle Content Director, Amy Worth; and UK Editorial Director for Amazon Publishing, Emilie Marneur.

Lily Cole said of her involvement: “”I love the democratic accessibility of this prize. It has encouraged more people to write and independently publish, and invited readers to participate in rewarding new writers!”

For more information visit www.amazon.co.uk/storyteller

I have to confess to being something of a traditionalist when it comes to wine. Reds in winter, whites in summer and never the twain shall meet.

So you can imagine my reaction when I was asked to sample two new summer wines, perfect for the barbeque season. The weather did little to help, as no sooner had I dusted off the barbeque than the heavens opened. Perhaps it was a sign not to mess with tradition but I cannot allow superstition come between me and a good wine.

Dark Horse is an excellent name for these wines as it does seem to be a rather well- kept secret and at around £8.50 a bottle, frankly they are a bit of a steal. Both bottles have satisfyingly deep punts (the dimple at the base of the bottle) making pouring a pleasure.

I loved the Californian Sauvignon Blanc with its crisp citrus flavour, hints of grapefruit and a refreshing clean finish reminiscent of the popular New Zealand wines perfect with a summer salad or grilled fish and very affordable for those of us who enjoy a glass or two sitting in the garden on a warm summer’s day. With its screw top this would definitely be my first choice of picnic wine.

Still smacking my lips over the white it was time to turn my attention to the Dark Horse Merlot. This was no light weight, it had guts and was robust, dark and jammy, with sophisticated flavour notes. I could imagine it being paired it with the mouth-watering richness of barbecued ribs and to be honest if you like your red to have bite you will love this whatever is on the table. However, I can’t help thinking that it needed time to open out and I would be tempted to decant this wine an hour before I wanted to drink it. I also wondered how it would taste lightly chilled.

So forget tradition these are definitely two dark horses well worth a punt.

Dark Horse Californian Sauvignon Blanc & Dark Horse Merlot  available nationwide. £8.50 each RRP

Review by Frances Colville

Under the Hen’s Bottom is a wonderful collection of short stories by author Wendy Breckon, detailing her memories of growing up in Northern Ireland in the 1950s and 1960s.  As the title suggests, these stories are witty, quirky and so engaging that the reader is immediately drawn into the author’s childhood experiences – from almost being born under a hedge, through holidays with her grandparents on their farm, to the building of friendships and early aspirations to be a writer and actress.

Wendy is a storyteller with a gentle touch and is particularly adept at bringing her characters to life.  The descriptions of time spent with her eccentric grandmother will make you smile, but there is poignancy here too, nostalgia for days gone by and some thought-provoking questions about the religious divide which existed at the time in Ireland.  As it says on the back cover of the book, the reader will be captivated from the moment they first turn the pages and start to share the experiences of this small child.

I was going to pick a favourite, but I actually can’t. Every time I think I have settled on ‘Voulez-vous’, I remember ‘Two Squares of Chocolate and a Floral Gazunda’ or ‘The Russian Princess’ or ‘The Lost Sheep’ or ‘An Honorary Catholic’ and the task becomes impossible.   So there is absolutely no substitute for buying the book and reading them all.

Under the Hen’s Bottom was published by Magic Oxygen on 6^th July 2017 and is available (priced at £7) from Amazon or by emailing Wendy herself at wendybreckon@outlook.com