Young Adult Mystery
Date Published: January 2015
Three months before she died Daina Harrow faced a bully at school.
Six weeks before she died Daina Harrow suffered an assault in the park.
One week before she died Daina Harrow stole a secret people had killed to hide.
That was ten years ago. Ten long years.
Now, her bones have been found on a building site. A coroner's inquest has been reopened. A parade of witnesses is about to start.
And Daina's here. Watching every day as her mother cries in the courtroom. Watching every day as her friends, and her enemies, and her killers lie about her on the stand.
Watching, and making sure that no matter what the coroner hears, you know the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
So help you God.
Warning: this book contains some bad language, and scenes of sexual assault. Recommended for ages 17+ only.
#1 – Do You See Writing as a Career? I see it as a
retirement career, in that if I keep writing and publishing then one day I
might be able to afford to retire a little bit earlier than planned and do it
full-time. Until then it’s my secondary career! The one I do for enjoyment and
fulfillment rather than cold hard cash.
#2 – What was the Hardest Part of Your Writing Process?
Every bit of it seems like the hardest part of it while you’re doing it. When
I’m writing, I’m looking forward to editing because then you don’t need to come
up with all the words; when I’m editing I look forward to publishing because
then I don’t have to read and re-read the same book over and over and over and
over; when I’m publishing I’m full of anxiety as to how the book is going to be
received by the first readers and reviewers and can’t wait to just sit back and
try to sift through ideas to find one that will form the next book; when I’m
sifting through ideas I despair of ever finding one with enough legs to
actually make it into a book, and look forward to when I’ve starting writing
and just need to flesh out the idea. And then I’m back to the beginning. I
think the circle only works because I always mysteriously look forward to the next
bit.
#3 – Did you have any One Person Who Helped You Out with
Your Writing Outside of Your Family? I have help from an editor who will
perform a high-level review of my first draft to let me know where the gaping
holes are, and then performs a more detailed edit once I’ve worked through
until I think the book is pretty much in shape. Then she performs a proofread,
and finally I send it off to an editorial book review service to see what they
think of the (hopefully) finished version.
#4 – What is next for your writing? I’m working on my next
novel, again set in Christchurch, which is concentrating a lot more this time
on the perpetrator of a crime, rather than being as victim-centric as my first
two novels were (although it’s still a bit victim-centric – can’t change some
habits). I’m also working on an idea which may end up as a short-story or a
novella at this stage – I’m not quite sure - which is telling a murder mystery story
through a series of blog-posts.
#5 – Do you have an addiction to reading as well as writing?
If so, what are you currently reading? Yes, I definitely have the reading bug,
although not in the same volume as when I was a kid and could read almost all
day long. I’m currently reading “Big Little Lies” by Liane Moriarty and enjoying
it immensely. I like the idea of a murder mystery set in the land of preschool.
I’ve also just started “A Land of Two Halves” by Joe Bennett, which is telling
the story of his travels as a hitchhiker up and down New Zealand to decide if
he actually likes it ten years after he arrived and decided to stay, and lastly
“Command and Control” by Eric Schlosser which is a wonderful tale about all the
terrible and incompetent things that happen to the gigantic weapons that dot
our world. And these are things happening when they are “safe” in the right
hands. I think that’s more chilling than any murder mystery I could pick up.
Next on my reading list is the new thriller from Paul Cleave who also writes
crime novels set in Christchurch ,
but far better selling than mine. Reading something by a local writer always
has a certain extra thrill about it.
I tend to pick away at non-fiction books reading a little
bit here, a little bit there, so I always need a back-up fiction book (usually
crime-related) on the go to get veraciously involved with.
DESCRIBE Your Book in 1 Tweet:
Daina will never be older than 15. Her bones are ten years
dead. Will a coroner’s inquest be able to find out the truth of how she died?
This or That?
#1 - iPd or Mp3? MP3
#2 – Chocolate or Vanilla? Vanilla
#3 – Mashed Potatoes or French Fries? French Fries
#4 – Comedy or Drama? Comedy
#5 – Danielle Steel or Nicholas Sparks? Nicholas Sparks
#6 – Fantasy or Reality? Reality
#7 – Call or Text? Text
#8 – Public School or Home
School
#9 – Coffee or Hot Chocolate? Moccachino, every time
#10 – eBook or Paperback? eBook
Katherine Hayton is a 41 year old woman who works in insurance, doesn't have children or pets, can't drive, has lived in Christchurch her entire life, and currently resides a two minute walk from where she was born. Fascinating, eh?
She's the author of two spectacular un-bestselling books (unless you count tiny niche genres on Amazon, which of course you should) FOUND, NEAR WATER and new release SKELETAL.
She is currently curled up on her couch with her typewriter (laptop) while she tries very hard to give birth to her next novel AS YET UNNAMED BUT PROBABLY INVOLVING GRUESOME MURDERS.
April 3 - Mythical Books - Guest Post
April 4 - Chosen By You Book Club - Excerpt
April 5 - Author Candy O'Donnell - Excerpt
April 6 - Fictional Real World - Review
April 7 - Kimber Leigh Writes - Interview
April 8 - Words I Write Crazy - Review
April 9 - Books Direct - Review
April 10 - Storey Book Reviews - Excerpt
April 11 - Satin's Bookish Corner - Excerpt
April 12 - Book Reviews By Jasmine - Excerpt
April 13 - A Life Through Books - Review
April 13 - We're All Bookish Here - Excerpt
April 14 - IEqualsAlissa - Guest Post
April 14 - Story Teller - SK Gregory - Excerpt
April 15 - Mom With a Kindle - Excerpt
April 15 - RABT Reviews - Wrap Up
Thank you so much for hosting me today, and kicking off the book tour. And a big thank you to any and all visitors dropping by today. If you have questions or comments please ask away, and I'll stop by during the day to keep up to date. Warm regards, Katherine.
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