Today I’m delighted to welcome author Billy McLaughlin as part of the blog tour for his latest release, The Daughter. I have a quick Q&A session with Billy to share, just as soon as we’ve taken a look at what this book is all about.
The Official Book Blurb
Sometimes a killer comes along who will make your blood run cold…
When the body of a young woman is found with her hands and teeth missing, Detective Inspector Phil Morris struggles to identify her.
The evidence initially suggests she is local missing girl, Alex Waters, whose mother, Tricia, comes armed with a psychic gift she would rather not possess.
As Phil and his partner, Detective Donna Barclay, try to untangle the web of mystery surrounding the body, it appears that Alex had more secrets than even her psychic mother knew.
As the hour glass empties, Phil and Donna are pushed to their limits trying to unravel the disturbed mind behind the sick game playing out around them.
Welcome to a new chapter in domestic noir.
Hello Billy, how are you? Thanks for including me in your blog tour.
Did your writing skills come naturally or did you have to attend courses to help you develop that creative side?
I’ve always been a relatively imaginative person. I’m also fairly adequate at the physical act of writing. Not perfect though. I did do an HNC a couple of years back to develop my writing skills. It only served to show me how much I had to learn. That’s why we need editors. Writers are not editors. The creative element of my books appears to come naturally though. I’ve always been a bit of a day dreamer, and I have a real sense of drama.
What books/authors inspired your writing journey?
Lots of different writers inspired me although I have to say I’ve taken a real shine to the cliff-hanger element which comes more from TV and film than it does books. A few people have commented on the visceral style of some of my writing and I think that’s why. I love how Lisa Gardner cross references in her books. She’s got a few different sets of main characters but she’ll drop links in each book even if one of her main characters are absent. I love that. It’s something I enjoy doing. My lead character Phil was absent from my last book, but I couldn’t help referencing him in it. So train spotters will notice he’s there in some capacity.
How does it feel to know that your books inspire others? Whether readers with a response to the content or other aspiring authors?
I’m not sure my books inspire people. My main objective is to entertain. I think I manage to entertain people. If someone emails me or leaves a glowing review, then I know I’ve done my job well. It’s hard to take criticism sometimes, although if valid it can really be a source of support so it’s nice to get good feedback.
Do you have any writing rituals? What are they?
A writing ritual is probably to plot. I haven’t done too much writing recently. I recently got married and that took over everything for a while, but I plan to get back to completing the next book which is almost complete as a first draft. I don’t know exactly how it will go, but it’s a very different story from what I’ve written so far.
If you could have written any literary character, who would it be and why?
I don’t know what character I would love to have written. Can I mention one of my own characters. There is a character that I let go of too soon. I got lots of feedback about that and I do have some regrets about it. However, the end of the character was impactful and she might not have had such an impact had she not left too soon. I would have liked more time with her though. She had a lot to say in a short time. I can’t think of any other characters that I would love to have written because I don’t think I could do somebody else’s characters the same level of justice.
Within your genre, is there a subject that you would never write about? What? Why?
I don’t know if there is anything that I would specifically stay away from. There are some subjects that need to be tackled delicately. What I don’t want to do is write something that is offensive to someone through lack of insight or education. If I’m writing about something I always do some research. I spend a lot of time checking that what I’ve written is authentic and isn’t going to be considered tasteless. Again, it’s about perspective. What one might find tasteful, someone else might be disgusted by. I just try to find a balance.
Thanks very much for joining me today. It’s been lovely chatting with you.
The Daughter is available now from Amazon.
About The Author
Billy McLaughlin is a Glasgow born author who released his first novelette Invisible in March 2016. Receiving glowing customer reviews, he followed up with the gritty novel Lost Girl which introduces readers to the mainstay characters Phil & Kate. In September 2016, his third book In the Wake of Death was released, re-uniting audiences with Phil & Kate as well as throwing a brand-new mystery that has been praised for its unique twist.
McLaughlin welcomed 2017 in celebrating that Lost Girl peaked at number 2 in the crime thriller charts the previous August and gained the coveted number 1 slot in the Scottish crime charts with In the Wake of Death. His fourth book The Dead of Winter arrived in March 2017 to glowing reviews. One reviewer likened the novel to a series of Broadchurch. Kate and Phil returned for a brand-new mystery in The Daughter which also sees the return of Donna Barclay.
Work has now begun on the sixth book which will be a new stand-alone project. More information coming soon.
Keep your eyes peeled for more news at the following social media platforms;
Facebook | Twitter
You can also contact Mr McLaughlin directly at [email protected]
My thanks to Emma Mitchell for inviting me to be a part of this tour. You can follow the rest of the tour for more reviews at features at the following blogs:
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