Hours and Hours of Me
Whether it’s books, games, or movies you’re interested in, there’s plenty of me to go around this month…
The Dog Sitter Detective on sale soon
My new cosy crime series, The Dog Sitter Detective, goes on sale worldwide in May.
Meet Gwinny, an unlikely bloodhound, and her four-legged friends determined to dig up the truth.
Penniless Gwinny Tuffel is delighted to attend her good friend Tina’s upmarket wedding. But when the big day ends with a dead body and not a happily-ever-after, Gwinny is left with a situation as crooked as a dog’s hind leg.
When her friend is accused of murder, Gwinny takes it upon herself to sniff out the true culprit. With a collection of larger-than-life suspects and two pedigree Salukis in tow, she is set to have a ruff time of it.
P.S. Nothing bad happens to the dogs!
“A fun, witty page-turner and if Dawn French doesn’t play Gwinny in the TV series, there is no justice in the world!”
– Ian Moore, author of Death & Croissants
“A country house, a body in the library, a cast of dodgy wedding guests, and a prickly, dog-loving sleuth... I can’t think of a more agreeable combination of ingredients for a new cosy crime series. Simply delightful!”
- Vaseem Khan, author of Midnight at Malabar House
“A tail-wagging, wet-nose delight of a book! The Dog Sitter Detective is sure to tickle the tummies of anyone who loves a good mystery. A clever whodunit with plenty of clues, red herrings and misdirection.”
- Fiona Veitch Smith, author of the Poppy Denby Investigates mysteries
“Antony Johnston demonstrates his literary versatility with The Dog Sitter Detective, a light-hearted and lively story which will offer readers some very welcome escapism.”
- Martin Edwards, Diamond Dagger winner and author of Murder at the Manor
My author copies of the book arrived earlier this month, so for #WorldBookDay I made an impromptu unboxing video over on Instagram:
As you might imagine, I’m currently gearing up for PR and promotion for the book, including writing pieces for a few places who’ve never had me before, which is exciting.
And I’m also appearing in person at some new places, such as Standish Library on June 6, as part of National Crime Reading Month. I’ll be reading from the book and talking about why cosy crime remains so popular. It’s a FREE event, so do come along if you’re in the area. More details at: https://crimereading.com/event/a-civilised-murder-why-we-love-cosy-crime
If you’re a NetGalley user, the book is available for request there: https://www.netgalley.co.uk/catalog/book/283523
And if you run a book club or reading group, watch this space – I plan to make some discussion materials available soon via the official website at https://dogsitterdetective.com
One place I’ll be appearing that certainly isn’t new is Bristol’s CrimeFest, which this year takes place less than a week before the book is released. I may get a little whiplash at this one, as I’m appearing on a panel about cosy crime on Friday morning… followed by another panel about writing spy thrillers on Friday afternoon! Find out more and book tickets at https://www.crimefest.com
Finally, I’m visiting Allison & Busby’s offices next week to sign copies of the book for pre-orders. They’ll be available to order from A&B directly, and from retailers: when I have more details I’ll let you know.
Marketing supremo Helen Richardson is handling PR for The Dog Sitter Detective. If you’re a blogger, bookstore, or library interested in getting involved – or if you know someone who is! – find Helen at https://helenrichardsonpr.com/campaigns/
It’s Czech, mate
On the videogames front, I’m a guest speaker at this year’s Game Access Conference in Brno, Czech Republic on June 2-3.
This is my first in-person game conference appearance since before the pandemic; my talk at GDC last year was delivered virtually from my study.
So I’m really looking forward to this one, where I’ll be giving a similar talk on how to run and handle writers’ rooms in games. It’s a subject I’ve become quite passionate about, as the industry matures and I see more and more writers struggling to deal with the pressures and demands of running a room.
I have no idea if anyone reading this newsletter will be at GAC! But if you are, do come and say hi. More details and tickets at: https://game-access.com/conference/
Guild on Games
Speaking of games and virtual talks, I was recently interviewed by my old friend and erstwhile colleague Andy Walsh (you may know his work from little-known games like Horizon: Forbidden West and Prince of Persia…) for the Writers’ Guild of Great Britain about writing for games, including a lively Q&A session.
Members of the audience called it “educational” and “inspirational”, and you can watch it on the Guild’s YouTube channel:
…Plus, as I’ve done before, because we ran out of time before getting to everything the audience asked, I answered the remaining questions in a Medium post. You can read that here:
https://medium.com/writing-and-breathing/writing-for-games-q-a-follow-up-ae959ed39c90
Let ’er Rip
Finally, as if all that wasn’t enough, I’m also on the latest episode of Hammer House of Podcast, a show hosted by my friends Paul Cornell and Lizbeth Myles, talking about the forgotten classic HANDS OF THE RIPPER.
For the past 40 years I’ve sometimes wondered if I’m the only person who’s ever seen this film, and talking with Paul and Lizbeth on the show… didn’t really shake that feeling, to be honest! 😂 Take a listen:
https://hammerhouseofpodcast.wordpress.com/2023/03/13/episode-61-hands-of-the-ripper/
THE SAME WINDS BUT WHEREAS:
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