This evening I am excited to welcome local crime author K A Richardson. Kerry has just released the fourth book in her North East Police Series, please see below for details.
Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
My name is Kerry-Ann Richardson and I live in the north east of England. I’d always wanted to work for the police and so decided to do my crime scene science degree which I passed in 2008 – I pretty much immediately started working as a Crime Scene Investigator and when I’d been working about 2 years I went to see a psychic. He asked me a very important question. Why wasn’t I writing? I’d always written since being a child but never really though about pursuing it professionally and life kind of got in the way. He made me realise though, that I missed it and inspired me to go back to uni and get my masters in creative writing. I passed this and used the first 15000 words of my first novel for my dissertation. I then went on to finish that novel, and kept on writing, ended up getting my first publishing contract with Caffeine Nights, then was offered a further contract with Bloodhound Books.
1. What was you favourite book from childhood?
The Enchated Wood by Enid Blyton. I still love it now – it made me realise that books could take me to a whole other world!
2. What type of books did you read as a teenager?
I was an avid reader as a youngster, often getting through 20 books a week. And thanks to my mum teaching me to read at a young age, I pretty much read everything in the library children’s section by about 10. I moved on to reading mills and boon – the intrigue ones as I liked the adventure as well as the romance and then I progressed to adult crime novels early in my teens. I remember reading a lot of Dick Francis, Patricia Cromwell and Jonathan Kellerman back then.
3. When you were at school what was your favourite book you studied?
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. It was the first book that made me cry – and I mean hysterically sobbed to – I loved it so much. I read it multiple times through school and have read it many times since. Steinbeck did an amazing job of drawing me into the story and cramming so much great writing into a small book.
4. What is your favourite classic book?
I was never really into the classics like Jane Eyre etc – but I did always love Macbeth if that can be considered a classic. And I’ve always been a massive fan of A Christmas Carol by Dickens.
5. What would you consider to be one of the best books you have read over the last 5 years?
Had as in read or had as in published? Read I’d say The Treatment by Mo Hayder which was absolutely brilliant. I loved how dark it was. I love the wandering man character.
6. What book to you think you should read but never get round to?
The art of war – I’ve always fancied it and have it in hard copy but something else always takes precedence.
7. What do you consider to be your favourite book ?
It’s far too hard to choose just one! I love all of my Enid Blyton Collection (over 200 including a first edition) – and I’ve got a 1928 edition of Sherlock Holmes which is my prized possession. But there are so many amazing authors around currently – it makes it impossible for me to pick one. I love Karen Rose, Mo Hayder, Howard Linsky, Eileen Wharton, Danielle Ramsay and Sheila Quigley – among about a million others.
8 Is there a book that you have started but been unable to finish?
Yes – I got to the age I am by loving reading and I used to force myself to read anything I started – but now if I can’t get away with it I put it away. There are too many fab books to waste time on one you’re not enjoying. And that’s not me saying it’s the authors fault – it’s seriously not. It’s just down to my taste.
9. If you were stranded on a desert Island which 2 books would you want to have 
with you
My Sherlock Holmes book – and probably the Dark Minds anthology – I contributed to it but it’s a collection of 40 amazing short stories – the other authors who contributed all write in different styles which is just great.
10. Kindle or Book?
Both. Kindle for holidays but books have my heart. Kindles just don’t smell the same.
Books:
Escape (short story)
With Deadly Intent (book 1 in north east police series)
I’ve Been Watching You (book 2 in the series)
Time to Play (book 3 in the series)
Watch You Burn (book 4 due out May 2017)
Social media:
Facebook: KA Richardson
Twitter: @kerryann77 or @KArichardson77
Website: www.kerryannrichardson.com
And this is an funding danger value taking.