Interview - CUT SHORT

Newly-published local author reveals clues to her success in an interview with the Watford Flea Magazine

**STOP PRESS** - 'CUT SHORT' just hit second best seller spot on Amazon in the female sleuth category! We're delighted.

+++VIDEO+++ Leigh Russell reads from her hit crime thriller CUT SHORT

Congratulations to local English teacher Leigh Russell who recently published her first novel "CUT SHORT". As this detective thriller was about to hit the bookshops, she was kind enough to invite the Watford Flea to interview her.

Our first question was an internal one - 'who should interview her?' Well, we didn't need to ponder for long. After all - when you mention detectives, who do YOU think of first? Chances are it's a French detective - Poirot, Maigret or even Clouseau! And it just happened that Matthieu Paris, a business studies student from France was on attachment with FleaCentral at the time - the perfect suspect for this assignment.

Here's the interview. We found it fascinating and we're sure you will too.

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When did you decide to write your first book?

I started writing about two years ago.

Why did you choose to write a detective novel?

I enjoy reading crime fiction novels so thought I’d try writing one myself.

Was it difficult to write?

I wrote the first draft very quickly but then spent months researching and revising.

How long did it take to write?

The first draft took about two months. It didn’t occur to me at first that my story might one day be published - I just enjoyed writing it. Once I found a publisher, I had to start taking it seriously!

Where did you do your writing?

I wrote wherever I could, mainly at home in the evenings after work.

How do you get your ideas for a plot?

All my plots begin with a “What if” question. What if I was walking in the park and saw a dead body in the bushes? Everything spins off from that first question . . . Who was the victim? Who killed her? How did she die? Why was she killed? . . .

Do you craft the story before you write - or does it develop in your head as you write it?

I have the outline, write the book, and then have to go through carefully checking that dates, motive etc all fit. I try to slip in a few clues for the reader. It must be plausible so that an intelligent DI would come across these clues but miss their significance first time round. Writing in the genre of crime fiction means that the reader has certain expectations, which helps me to stay focused.

How did you choose the title – and when?

I was chatting to my publisher and we were playing around with ideas, when Cut Short occurred to me.

How did you set about getting your book published - and was it difficult to find a publisher?

I was extraordinarily lucky to find a publisher straight away. With a naiveté that astounds me looking back, I submitted my manuscript to three publishers before I’d even completed it. One of them phoned me after 2 weeks to express an interest and 3 months later we signed a contract for the first 3 books in the Geraldine Steel series. It really happened that suddenly, before I had a chance to stop and think: 'What am I doing?' But I wouldn’t change anything.

What’s the significance of this book for you?

I am thrilled to be a published author. My success has changed the way I feel about myself. I am loving every minute of the experience – although writing is harder work than I realised at first!

Did you always want to be a writer?

No. I never considered it before I started writing this first book.

What are your ambitions as a writer? - do you intend to branch out into other genres?

I would like to continue writing Geraldine Steel novels. I can imagine writing about 20 of them, after which I think they might run the risk of becoming tired and formulaic, at which point – if I’m still around – I might want to move on to something else - but it would probably be another detective series!

What involvement do you have in sales promotion for the book?

I’ve found bookshops, festival organisers and librarians have been very approachable and supportive and I’ll be doing a lot of book signings and author talks over the next few months. The schedule is on my publisher’s website.

Is your work translated into other languages and published in other countries?

My first book has only been published for a day so not yet, but I hope it will be. That’s for my publisher to organise.

What are your feelings now the book has finally been launched?

I am very excited. I feel as though I’m five years old, deciding who can come to my party!

Do you think e-Books and the internet are changing anything for authors?

I think e-Books will probably be bad news for authors, but am not ‘in the know’ about it. Creative artists of any kind – painters, musicians, writers, actors – are hideously undervalued in our society. It shocks me that talented musicians – and what a gift that is! – have to do other work to earn a living.

What advice would you give to someone thinking of writing their first crime thriller?

I would advise them to enjoy the writing. Being published and seeing your name displayed in major book chains and on Literary Festival programmes is a great thrill, but the real buzz is in the writing.

What type of books do you read, who is your favourite author and what's your favourite book?

I have many favourite authors, including crime writers Frances Fyfield, Ruth Rendell and Michael Billingham. My favourite book? That’s an impossible question. It might be ‘The Age of Innocence’ by Edith Wharton, or possibly ‘The Great Gatsby’ by F Scott Fitzgerald or ‘The Remains of the Day’ by Kazuo Ishiguro. All sad books. Ask me tomorrow and I might say ‘The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy’ or Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. I can’t narrow the choices down to one book.

Is there anything you’d like to say to your readers?

Well, of course I hope you enjoy reading Cut Short. I’d also love to meet you at one of my book signings or talks. Please feel free to contact me on leighrussell@live.co.uk or check my schedule of appearances.

Finally, to help put everything in context, could you tell me something about yourself and your philosophy of life?

Apart from writing crime thrillers, my life is blissfully ordinary. I was born and grew up in London and I'm a secondary school English teacher. I've been happily married for many years and have two grown up daughters. I spend my days teaching full-time and writing when I can. My philosophy of life? Consider others before yourself and work hard to achieve your personal goals.

Thanks Leigh for sharing so much with us. We wish you and Geraldine Steel a long and successful new career.

Read a brief synopsis of CUT SHORT and links to reviews

CUT SHORT can be found at Borders Bookshop in Watersfield Watford and in other fine bookshops nationwide.

ISBN: 9781842432716
Price: £6.99
Casing: Paperback

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Video of Leigh Russell reading a short excerpt from CUT SHORT

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About our interviewer, Matthieu Paris

Matthieu joined FleaCentral (the operations centre of Flea Magazines) on a three month attachment during the summer of 2009. He has just completed his second year of study at the Ecole de Gestion et de Commerce de Franche-Compte, a business school in eastern France, about 100km from its border with Switzerland.

Having arrived with a taste for fine wines and exotic cheeses, after three months in England he went home not just eulogising about Real Ale, Guinness, vintage Cheddar and Branston Pickle - but speaking like a native!! He also taught us how to play 'office petangue" using tin foil balls and the waste bucket! We look forward to seeing him in England again very soon - and we're practising our petanque ready to beat him on his next visit! Merci Matthieu!

This article was created on Monday, 24th August 2009. It was last tinkered with on Wednesday, 9th September 2009.

This is the 38th issue of Flea Magazine in Watford. The on-line version of the articles below includes additional content that we couldn't fit into the printed version.

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