Crime Fiction Month: The Write Stuff with... Rachel Ward

Today I'm delighted to be hosting the first of what I hope will be many The Write Stuff with... guest features from authors as part of this month's Crime Fiction month.  So it's my pleasure to be handing the reins over to author Rachel Ward who is talking about Turning to Crime.

This year I’m turning to crime. Well, crime writing to be more precise. My first novel for adults, The Cost of Living, will be published by Sandstone Press in September. It’s a warm, contemporary tale of supermarkets, date nights and charity spinathons, wrapping around the darker thread of young women being attacked in a small market town.

I’ve been writing YA thrillers for eleven years (published for eight) and so it feels a bit like changing horses in mid-stream. It wasn’t planned. Over the years, I’ve found that I don’t really choose what to write – my stories choose me. 

My mum hasn’t hidden her bemusement (and dismay) at me producing dark, scary tales for teenagers. ‘Where do they come from?’ she asks. The answer is mysterious. Who knows? I’ve surprised myself with all my books, and The Cost of Living is another surprise, but a completely different one.