As well as corporate thrillers, I love writing short stories; I’m about to pen a bespoke fairytale to raise funds for the Sue Ryder charity. They’ll auction it this week in their Whiteladies Road, Bristol shop and it’ll be written for the winning bidder’s child. I’ve just written a short crime story too – after the success of the Hearts of Darkness fiction night in Birmingham last week, I’m joining the Bristol Fiction Writers for their Hint of Crime festival in Foyles, Bristol on Saturday 21st February. British crime author Sarah Hilary is also taking part, giving us a sneak preview of her new chiller, No Other Darkness.
I love meeting readers (let’s face it, I love meeting people!) but live fiction events offer more than that. They’re also a chance to tell a tale the way I want it to be experienced, with tons of dramatic pauses and tension. You can hear me reading a chapter from thriller Up In Smoke here. I promise you that, short as it is, my new story offers suspense and thrills aplenty, and I’ll be bringing them to life on Saturday.
The Bristol Fiction Writers are an interesting bunch, led by Bristol babe Suzanna Stanbury. Suzanna’s own fiction might seem a little schizophrenic: swashbuckling pirate tales for children, and much darker adult stories. Peek inside the Dark Imagined Bristol anthology on Amazon (did you know you click on a book image to look inside?) for a preview of the group’s style.
Foyles is a lovely bookshop, friendly to both writers and readers (they’ll happily offer you a free coffee if you buy a few books from them – how good is that?). Their event space is upstairs, near enough to bookshelves to browse if the fancy takes you but with plenty of chairs if you want to sit and listen. Best of all, the Bristolian writers are bringing great stories and a dash of theatrical style.
Chills, thrills and spills are guaranteed – so if you’re in Bristol this Saturday, what are you waiting for? Join us for this free event at Foyles, from 4-6pm.
STOP PRESS: the Foyles event was really good fun, with an appreciative and friendly crowd of readers. If you’d like me or a group of writers to read stories at your venue or event, please get in touch. Simply email aaabbottstories[at]gmail.com.
