I’ve just finished reading the latest draft of Unlocked Lies — and it’s been somewhat of a reality check.

There’s a solid story in there, which is always a relief. A lot of work will be required to dig it out, though. Some scenes need to be added to strengthen the tension. Others will be axed. I’ll tighten the writing throughout, and a few characters aren’t pulling their full weight on the page. That will change! They need to earn their place in the story.

There’s also an important plot issue I haven’t cracked yet. At the moment, I’m leaving it alone and trusting that the solution will reveal itself as I work through everything else. That’s often how it goes — clarity tends to come from momentum rather than staring at the problem head-on.

None of this is unusual. In fact, it’s very much part of the process. First drafts (and even second or third drafts) are often about getting the raw material down. The real work comes in shaping it into something sharper, leaner, and more compelling.

My plan is to tackle the straightforward fixes first — the obvious cuts, the line edits, the smaller improvements. Once those are out of the way, I’ll move on to the more structural changes, which always take more time and thought. I’m hoping to resolve most of these issues over the rest of April. We’ll see how cooperative the story and its characters decide to be!

There’s a time in almost every psychological thriller I write when a character simply refuses to cooperate.

I’ll sit down at my desk with a clear plan. I know what the scene is meant to achieve, what secrets need to be hinted at, where the tension should build. And then… the character tells me they want to do something unexpected. Something that’s not in my chapter plan.

This isn’t surprising. In real life, people are often illogical. We hide uncomfortable truths, both from others and from ourselves. That messy emotional reality is exactly what makes psychological thrillers such fun. But it also means that fictional characters can, and often do, develop a will of their own. They’re telling me that the scene I’d planned could be better, stronger, if I change the script.

Some of my favourite twists in my novels have come from moments like this — when I stopped forcing the story along its pre-planned track and instead followed where the character was leading me. After all, the most unsettling thrillers aren’t just about shocking events. They’re about people making choices we can hardly fathom… even when we wish we could.

Right now, as I work on my current manuscript, I’m once again negotiating with a particularly stubborn character, my antagonist. Where this will lead, I don’t know. I suspect they’re hiding something significant. Whether they’ll reveal it on their own terms or mine remains to be seen.

‘Unlocked Lies’ is undergoing revision and editing, with a publication date yet to be determined, but probably summer 2026. Watch this space!

I’ve finished the revised draft of my next psychological thriller, Unlocked Lies. Such a relief! The messy drafting stage is behind me. I’ve done the structural changes. The new scenes are in place. Now comes the part of the writing process I enjoy most: editing and revision.

This is where the real shaping happens. I try to notice where tension dips. If a scene lingers too long. When a character’s motivation needs sharpening. Psychological thrillers live or die on precision. Suspense isn’t only about shocking twists or dramatic reveals — it’s about emotional pressure, secrets festering beneath everyday life, the slow tightening of tension until people snap. Editing like this is less about fixing mistakes and more about deepening impact. It’s about making sure every chapter earns its place. Each scene serves the story. Every revelation lands exactly when it should.

For the initial edit, I’m going old-school. A printed version of the manuscript, along with a pen or pencil, a comfy seat, my phone on silent. I’ll scribble notes all over the text. ‘Axe this scene.’ ‘Tighten tension here.’ ‘More sensory details needed.’ Once I’ve completed my read-through, I’ll decide how best to put all this into place. What needs to be done first, which parts require most input, etc. Then I’ll create a plan and a timeline to get it all done, ready for another read-through. I’m lucky in that I read very fast, because I do many, many read-throughs during the editing process, always refining and tweaking as I go.

Unlocked Lies explores a mystery rooted in abandonment, obsession and the dark shadow of an unhappy past. I find something exciting about knowing the book exists in full — that the mystery is there, waiting — and my job is to make it as gripping and unsettling as possible before it reaches you.

For the past few weeks, I’ve been back working on Unlocked Lies, the psychological thriller that’s been sitting quietly on my hard drive while life — and a bout of burnout — took centre stage.

Opening the manuscript again felt like walking into a house I hadn’t visited in a long time. Everything was familiar, yet somehow different. The rooms were all where I remembered them, but I noticed details I’d overlooked before. When you’re deep in the middle of writing a novel, it’s easy to lose perspective. Scenes blur together. Plot threads start to tangle. You can spend hours staring at a paragraph without being able to tell whether it’s working or not.

Stepping away — even when the break wasn’t planned — changes that.

Coming back to Unlocked Lies, I saw the story with fresh eyes. A scene that once felt stubborn and difficult now seemed easier to shape. A character’s reaction that had never quite convinced me was clearly wrong, and fixing it was much simpler than I’d feared.

It reminded me that sometimes the most productive thing a writer can do is step back.

Psychological thrillers in particular rely on delicate balance. Secrets have to be revealed at exactly the right moment. Suspicion needs to build slowly enough to keep readers guessing, but not so slowly that the tension disappears. That kind of pacing is hard to judge when you’re too close to the manuscript.

As I worked through the chapters again this week, I was reminded of one of the reasons I love writing psychological thrillers. They allow you to explore the uncomfortable question of how well we really know the people around us. And… how well we know ourselves.

Stories built around secrets and hidden motives often reflect something very human. Most of us carry things we’d rather keep private. Small truths we avoid saying out loud. Pieces of our past that we quietly hope will stay buried. In fiction, of course, those secrets have a habit of refusing to stay hidden.

Returning to this manuscript after time away has reminded me why this story grabbed my attention in the first place. I’m looking forward to spending more time in this story world again.

I’m curious about something. When you read psychological thrillers, what draws you in most — the shocking twists, the hidden secrets, or the complex characters who may not be telling the truth?

It’s been a while since I last published a new novel - December 2022, to be precise.

If you’ve been wondering whether I’ve disappeared, the answer is no. I’ve been working quietly behind the scenes. Over the past few months, I’ve taken the opportunity to step back and strengthen the foundations of my author business. Some of that work isn’t very glamorous, but it matters.

Here’s what I’ve been doing:

• Updating the back matter in all my books
  
• Reviewing and optimising keywords and categories
• Creating a structured 2026 work schedule
• Designing a proper marketing plan for my backlist
• Moving my email list over to Substack and setting up a new home there
  

All of that groundwork is now in place. Which means I can return to what I love most: writing.

I’m now diving back into Unlocked Lies. There’s still a great deal to do - drafting, tightening, deepening character arcs, sharpening the tension — but it feels good to be back at the desk with a clear plan. I’m looking forward to sharing more as the year unfolds.

In the meantime, here’s a reminder of what Unlocked Lies is about:

Deep in the wilds of Northumbria, two babies lie starving and abandoned in the cellar of a derelict farmhouse. Upstairs is the body of the brutally murdered homeowner, William Mostyn. The only clue is a bracelet inscribed: ‘Mariah—mine forever.’ Despite a massive police investigation, the babies’ identities and their connection to the dead victim remain a mystery. 

Years later, Lottie Ryan is all grown-up and seeking answers. Who dumped Lottie and her brother Gabe in that cellar? Was Mariah their biological mother, and did she kill William Mostyn? 

As Lottie delves deeper into a twisted web of lies, she realises that the enigmatic Mariah holds the key to unlocking the truth. Mariah is long gone, however, taking her secrets with her. Can Lottie ever uncover what happened that fateful night?

A gripping novel of obsession and deceit, Unlocked Lies unravels the mystery that has darkened two women’s lives for decades. 

A new year is just around the corner, and as a die-hard planner I've decided on how I want my career to proceed in 2022. I've already shared on this blog how 2020 proved a difficult year for my writing, with my enthusiasm for creating fiction largely gone. While that's mostly now sorted, I don't want to push myself too hard in 2022 and risk losing my writing mojo again. With that in mind, I've created a fairly relaxed schedule that allows me time off and still publish two novels in 2022.

So where am I with my ninth novel? The answer is that it's well under way, with 23,000 words done. The plan is to complete the first draft by the end of 2021, ready to start editing in January 2022 and publish the book in March. That gives me enough time to plan, write, edit and publish my tenth novel by the end of 2022, while also working on sundry other projects such as getting some of my novels into hardback format.

I also aim to streamline my process and make it more efficient by using speech to text software, which is far quicker and more accurate than my ham-fisted typing. A snail could type quicker than me and probably make a better job of it! I've also bought timeline software that should help during the planning phase of my novels.

I didn't achieve as much as I wanted in 2021, but I did release 'She'll Never Tell' in August and my second box set, 'Shadows of the Mind 2', a month later, which is far more than I managed in 2020. I'm cautiously optimistic about 2022 - bring it on!

On January 5, 2021, I posted my writing goal for the year, which was to publish two novels. My eighth full-length title, She'll Never Tell, was released on August 31, 2021, and I soon realised that planning, writing, editing and publishing another before the end of 2021 wasn't going to happen. My solution? I decided to release a novella instead, figuring that 30,000 words was doable even if 80,000 wasn't. Life, however, proceeded to throw me a curve ball or two, and it soon became apparent that getting a novella out by December 31 wasn't feasible either.

That's not such a bad thing - apart from my reader magnet, Blackwater Lake, I write longer fiction, which is my preference. With that in mind, and with my 2021 writing goals blown anyway, I decided to grow my novella into a full-length novel.

I'm now almost 11,000 words into the book, and I'm busy working on the additional plot elements. It's been great fun throwing all kinds of wicked stuff at my hapless characters! I'll post in more depth later about the storyline, but it involves a dark obsession based around a heart transplant! My aim is to plot the novel during November and write it during December, using speech to text software to speed things up. If all goes well, the novel should be released next spring. Fingers crossed!

I'm delighted to say that my eighth novel, She'll Never Tell, has now been published in kindle format via Amazon. The paperback version will follow shortly. The book has been getting great reviews so far! Here are a selection:

LC - There are red herrings everywhere, and I pride myself on spotting these, but not this time. There are so many revelations that I didn’t expect, include a couple of massive ones near the end of the book. This really was an excellent example of a psychological thriller and I read it in one day. I had to know!  A fast paced read full of suspense and ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
 
NM - Wow!! What a very clever concept and one perfectly executed. Skillfully constructed and a plot that comes alive putting the pieces of the puzzle together. A highly recommended read.

DD: If you like well-drawn characters, a twisting plot & several unexpected turns of events, then this is the book for you. Highly recommended.

LH - I loved it… - that ending!!

Wow! As you can imagine, I'm delighted by such great feedback. If you'd like to check out She'll Never Tell, then the Amazon link is in the button below.

The sudden death of her mother shatters Olivia Gilchrist’s world. Grief turns to shock when a post-mortem reveals Sonia has lied to her daughter in the cruellest possible way. Angry and hurt, Olivia vows to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s neighbour, Elena, harbours a dark secret. Now the past has caught up with her, forcing Elena to go into hiding.

Olivia soon discovers Elena was involved in Sonia’s deceit. She has questions she’s desperate to ask her former neighbour. Olivia suspects, however, that Elena is warped and unstable. Tracking her down may be difficult and dangerous.

The temptation proves too strong, and a game of cat and mouse with a vengeful woman ensues. One that has the potential to turn deadly…

A gripping novel of psychological suspense, She'll Never Tell is the story of a decades-old secret that refuses to stay hidden.

Drum roll, please! My eighth novel, She'll Never Tell, is now available for preorder in kindle format from Amazon. Publication date is August 31. The paperback version will be released soon after. Here's the link: She'll Never Tell.

The sudden death of her mother shatters Olivia Gilchrist’s world. Grief turns to shock when a post-mortem reveals Sonia has lied to her daughter in the cruellest possible way. Angry and hurt, Olivia vows to uncover the truth.

Meanwhile, Olivia’s neighbour, Elena, harbours a dark secret. Now the past has caught up with her, forcing Elena to go into hiding.

Then Olivia discovers Elena knows what Sonia did thirty years ago. She has questions she’s desperate to ask her former neighbour. Olivia suspects, however, that Elena is warped and unstable. Tracking her down may be difficult and dangerous.

The temptation proves too strong, though. A game of cat and mouse with a vengeful woman ensues. One that has the potential to turn deadly…

A gripping novel of psychological suspense, 'She'll Never Tell' is the story of a decades-old secret that refuses to stay hidden.

After such a stressful 2020, I 'm relieved we're in 2021! Yes, I know the covid-19 infection takes no notice of dates, but there's something about a new year that always inspires me. I love setting goals for myself, yet I achieved little on the writing front in 2020. For much of the year my enthusiasm for writing novels evaporated, and I questioned whether to continue with my author career. That struggle is still with me to some extent, but I've made significant strides in conquering my demons. From talking to my author friends, it seems disillusionment is an occupational hazard!

Onwards into 2021! One thing I'm clear on - I'm keen not to overstretch myself this year. I've read social media posts from authors who publish a book a month; just the thought exhausts me. I want balance in my life, not burnout. Besides writing, I have other priorities in my life, such as health and fitness, improving my spoken Spanish and learning to paint abstract acrylics. Writing is hugely important, but not at the detriment of my other goals.

With that in mind, I've set myself modest and very achievable targets for 2021. My aim is to publish my eighth novel, currently in first draft format, and write and publish my ninth novel. That's two releases in one year, much better than 2020, which was a zero-release year. It's a far cry from joining the book-a-month brigade, but I'm comfortable with that. Wish me luck!