Paperback writer
Gavin’s book is now in shops across the area
A Cambuslang man is enjoying the thrill of walking into supermarkets and book shops and seeing his first novel on the shelves.
The Killing Season was released in paperback on March 9, and its author, Gavin Bell - writing as Mason Cross - has been thrilled to see his work appearing in shops wherever he goes.
His second novel, featuring detective Carter Blake, will be released this summer, and he’s currently hard at work finishing off his third tome.
Gavin said: “It’s a good feeling. I was very grateful when I was going into Waterstones and seeing it there, or having it for sale on Amazon, but it’s different now, when it’s there in all the supermarkets and WH Smith.
“It seems to be doing quite well, but I won’t know for a while yet as I get six-monthly royalty statements, and right now we’re somewhere in the middle of one.
“The good thing is my publishers, Orion, were very happy as the advance orders were really good for supermarkets, particularly for a debut author, which is very promising.
“My big worry was that I’d go into a pound shop and see copies of it piled up there - that said, I’ve picked up some really good books in pound shops!”
The writer has been delighted to see copies of his book everywhere, as his followers on social media and those who read his blog will testify.
Gavin joked: “People following me on social media are probably heartily sick of me retweeting endless pictures of the poster and the book on the shelves, so I’d like to offer my apologies for that. I’m ticking all of the ideal fantasy author experience boxes right now, and it feels amazing to see my book everywhere.”
With the release of The Samaritan due in July, Gavin is hard at work on book three, which he fits in around his full-time job with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations.
Taking time out from writing it to talk to the Reformer, he said: “I’ve to deliver number three quite soon, so I’m just pulling that into shape just now, and hope I have something acceptable for the deadline, as it gets nearer.
“I have to fit it in with everything else I’m doing.”
Gavin, who has given talks in various venues across Britain - including Cambuslang Library - will be heading to Bristol soon to speak at their Crime Fest, while Waterstones in Argyle Street and East Kilbride are hoping to get him in for the launch of The Samaritan.
He added: “I was asked to chair the Inside Job panel for the first time, as part of Glasgow’s Aye Write Book Festival, in the wonderfully grand surroundings of the Mitchell Library.
“The panel featured three ex-police officers and one ex-parole officer talking about how their reallife experience has influence on their crime writing. It was my first time in the questioner’s chair, and it was a really good experience.
“The comforting thing I found was that they didn’t want to bring all of their inside knowledge to their books, because there’s no point in putting everything in, just because of what they know. They can only put in sections of it.
“The other thing they said was if you were to write about a realistic police character, then they’d be writing about someone sitting in front of a CCTV screen for 24 hours!”