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If you’ve visited your local bookshop recently, or browsed books on Amazon, you’ll have noticed how popular thrillers have become. Crime, political intrigue, suspense, the list goes on. I’ve noticed my very own corporate thriller genre thriving too. As well as my own books – Up In Smoke and After The Interview, other British writers are covering white collar crime. The brilliant Robert Harris wrote a suspenseful story about a hedge fund (The Fear Index) and even J Jackson Bentley switched focus from soccer crime to the City of London.

Why is business suddenly in the spotlight? Perhaps it’s because the credit crunch has revealed that corporate culture isn’t as boring as we all thought, with banks plagued by losses, mis-selling and interest rate-fixing scandals. We even discovered the Co-op Bank in Britain was run by Crystal Methodist Paul Flowers, a cocaine addict.

My own observation of the corporate world – the world in which I’ve worked for decades – is that it’s populated by humans. That means emotions like love, loss, revenge and fear come into play. People annoy each other. Sometimes they fall in love (it was rumoured that 20% of the staff would marry each other at one of my workplaces). There are winners and losers, sometimes very bad losers indeed. Mistakes are made and covered up. Plenty of material for a thriller there – and thanks to Paul Flowers and his ilk, readers will believe it! You can see from the tasters on this website how the corporate life has inspired me.

Having said that, I admit to spicing up my fiction – to my knowledge, my colleagues haven’t resorted to murder and fraud! They’ve had to get used to more public interest in the way they do business, however. Taxpayers’ money was used to bail out the banks, and individuals are starting to ask how large corporations make profits and whether they pay enough tax on them. I hinted at some answers in After The Interview.

The corporate thriller is definitely here to stay! What do you think? Follow me on Twitter @AAAbbottStories and let me know!

Crime fiction, corporate thrillers, construction manuals, critics, agents, writers and publishers – every sort of book, and anyone who might be interested in it, was at the London Book Fair last week. Only consumers were conspicuous by their absence, although most individuals in the book trade love to read and it’s what draws them to it in the first place.

Publishers, especially the big corporations, rule the roost at the Book Fair. The big boys take huge stands, piled high with the latest publications. It must be fiendishly expensive. I was told an independent publisher paid £150 for shelf space for two books. The organisers don’t miss a trick either; even the stairs are sponsored.

There’s plenty for authors at the Fair too, with an Author HQ hosting networking events and lots of seminars. This is relatively new. Personal finance writer Penny Golightly (what a great name!) says “The Book Fair’s been running intensive Author HQ events for the last four years. They’re incredibly useful.” Highlights of the seminars included what journalists want (they’re very busy, so send a tailored email with a crisp, clear call to action), and the importance of good book cover design. Book buyers, PR consultants and writers all stressed that a professional book cover was essential. “I paid for my first novel, Park Life, to be professionally designed,” says author Katharine D’Souza, “and readers tell me it’s really appealing.” (It’s a compelling read, too – see it here.) Reviewers and bloggers had their say as well. They’re looking for page turners, and, at the risk of stating the obvious, they expect to be approached about books within their chosen genres. No vampire romances for the crime thriller enthusiasts, please.

Self-published authors are the least important ants in the anthill, but still welcome at the lavish networking drinks hosted by the publishers each evening. Simply turn up, and enjoy a glass or three of plonk. Just don’t be surprised to be told by a literary agent that he’s forgotten all his business cards at the British book world’s biggest annual beano. “Write down their email address even if you don’t get a business card,” suggests networker extraordinaire Justine Solomons of Byte The Book. A national book reviewer was happy to have a copy of After The Interview emailed to him to read, even though his broadsheet doesn’t permit him to write about self-published books.

Writers are a friendly bunch, and it was a delight to meet and swap tips with authors I rate, among them Katharine D’Souza, Peter Sutton and Andy Lake. When all’s said and done, we’re drawn together by a common interest in books. Don’t forget, you can stay in touch, too – please sign up for my newsletter here.

True crime, corporate thrillers, sci-fi, romance and even cowboy stories – can there be a British writer who wasn’t inspired by their local library? Libraries hold a special place in my heart. Growing up in a large family, I was lucky to receive a handful of new books every year. I read them over and over again, passing them on to my siblings until the pages tore and the spines crumbled. The local library was like Aladdin’s cave for me. I must have read every one of its children’s books. If you’re reading this, I bet you’ve had a similar experience.

As an adult, my local library has become more than a home for dreams and knowledge. It provides a meeting room for the supportive writer’s group who have helped me hone my craft, and it’s a safe, quiet place to meet friends (not always – there’s space in my life for cocktail bars too!).

Yet now, more than ever, we can’t take libraries for granted. The splendid new Library of Birmingham, a public asset so amazing that tourists come to gasp at its cathedral-like dome, is being forced to cut its hours from 73 to 40 per week. Bristol is considering closing its central library for one day a week, and shutting several suburban branches. These local authorities aren’t evil philistines; their finances are being squeezed by central government.

Personally, I’d rather pay a bit more tax and keep the wonderful libraries that serve our community so well. If you’re not convinced, read this article by Neil Gaiman. He explains that reading and libraries don’t just make our lives more pleasant, they build our futures too.

Should you be in Bristol on Thursday 16^th April, come along to the Lansdown pub in Clifton – I’m joining other writers to read some wickedly humorous stories at Novel Nights. The event starts at 8pm. There’s time to attend a neighbourhood meeting about some of the city’s libraries first…

Show some love to your local library – pop in for a book, see what’s happening in your locality, and tell the staff they’re terrific!

As a writer, I believe in listening to readers. At least twenty people (mainly, but not exclusively, British) read my thrillers before they’re published. In fact, I use a rather corporate questionnaire to seek their feedback. After a rewrite, the books are crisper, tighter and even more fast-paced.

So what do readers ask for? The top request is more sex, to maintain that racy, blockbuster feel. They’re also deeply interested in the characters’ emotions. Darker feelings in particular – resentment, jealousy, fear, shame, desire and revenge – are powerful drivers that keep the plot moving. After all, stories aren’t just about the setting, even in an enigmatic industry like Big Tobacco.

While sex sells, at Easter, it’s chocolate that fills the TV screens. Ads that combine both (for example, Cadbury’s Flake) are tremendously successful. Eating chocolate is said to trigger pleasure chemicals in the brain – just like other activities we find enjoyable. Without commenting on the science, it’s rather obvious that chocolate contains energy-boosting sugar as well. If it tastes wonderful, it’s bound to make you feel wonderful, so on this lovely Easter day, have a little of what you fancy – it’ll do you good.

The draft of my third thriller, due out Summer 2015, contains a chapter to please chocolate lovers! But will they ask for more?…

By the way, if you’re in Birmingham and looking for that feelgood factor without the calories, come along to The Book Club at Waterstones, High Street, on Tuesday 7^th April at 7pm. In a two hour event, I’ll be reading a new short story live, plus a chapter from seductive thriller After The Interview, and there will be lots of great chat and networking going on. No need to book your free ticket; just turn up.

I’ll be telling newsletter subscribers more about my third novel and giving them a chance to read the draft before it’s published, so please subscribe here to stay informed!

Although a writer of British corporate thrillers, I adore reading them too. In fact, most genres appeal. For less than the price of a pint, you can buy hours of holiday entertainment, and best of all, there’s no hangover. As a teenager, I spent one of the hottest summers of the 20^th century curled up on a beach reading Dracula by Bram Stoker. There’s only one quality I want from a book: it has to be a page turner. Here are five that definitely fit the bill. Look no further for your bank holiday reading!

Clovenhoof, by Heide Goody and Iain Grant. In this comic fantasy, Satan isn’t evil enough for Hell, and is banished to a suburb of Birmingham. Terry Pratchett fans might just have found a new hero.

Shades of Green by Andy Lake. This is a dark political thriller, and really topical with an election on the way. The writer has worked for the Cabinet Office, so he really knows his stuff.

One Swift Summer by RJ Askew. It’s short, it’s shocking and it’s sweet. I haven’t read anything like it. A bargain for £2.

Park Life by Katharine d’Souza. A novel about a dynamic young go –getter and his older, wiser neighbour, the characters are beautifully drawn and every page makes me want to read more.

The Secret Alchemist by Caroline A Connell. A thriller about secrets, lies and high finance, written by a Manchester financier.

Last but not least, it’s definitely worth packing my gripping corporate thrillers, After The Interview and Up In Smoke, in your suitcase. Read tasters, and free short stories, here.

What does spring mean for you? To me, lighter mornings are made for writing. While my third corporate thriller is nearly at the draft stage (more news soon!), I’m using that lovely early morning daylight to write some distinctly British short stories as well.

I’m planning a free e-book for my newsletter subscribers with new, unpublished tales set in urban and rural England. So far Birmingham, Bristol and sleepy rural Somerset all feature – with the focus about to shift to London. (It would be a crime to omit our fair capital, after all!) They’re ideal to read with a coffee or on a commute. Although they’re not all corporate, each has a thrilling twist to keep you interested.

It’s no surprise that spring is a time of new beginnings. While the dark British winter is a good time to daydream and reflect, lighter days, green shoots and sunlight are an inspiration to action. On that note, please sign up for my newsletter here – it won’t be long before that e-book is finished and on its way to you!