Welcome to my spot on the celebration month of Blogival. If you haven’t heard of Blogival, it is a celebration of all the Clink Street Authors. I participated last year too, and it is a wonderful way to celebrate all the brilliant Authors from this publishing group. Thank you very much to Rachel Gilbey for organising this and getting me involved. Last year during Blogival, I found an Author that I really liked – Lee Cockburn. Ms Cockburn writes very dark thriller stories, and I love them!
The first book I read by Lee Cockburn was Devils Demise. I have to say it was the darkest most disturbing book I have read in a while. Then I read her next book, Porcelain, Flesh of Innocents. This one was equally dark and equally brilliant. I have wondered what makes an Author choose to write about such dark and unsettling topics, so I was very happy when Ms Cockburn explained it to me. Today I bring you a guest post from this talented Author, whereby she explains to us, why she writes about disturbing topics!
You can read my review for Lee Cockburn’s first book ‘Devils Demise’
Lee’s latest book Porcelain, Flesh of Innocents was published by Clink Street Publishing on February 21st 2017. There are some bloggers who are writing reviews of her book especially for Blogival, so be sure to check them out too.
You can read my review for Porcelain, Flesh of Innocents
Description:
Detective Sergeant Taylor Nicks is back and in charge of tracking down a sadistic vigilante, with a penchant for torturing paedophiles, in this unsettling crime thriller by a real-life police sergeant.
High-powered businessmen are turning up tortured around the city of Edinburgh with one specific thing in common — a sinister double life involving paedophilia. Leaving his ‘victims’ in a disturbing state, the individual responsible calls the police and lays bare the evidence of their targets’ twisted misdemeanours to discover, along with a special memento of their own troubled past — a chilling calling card. Once again heading the investigation team is Detective Sergeant Taylor Nicks, along with her partner Detective Constable Marcus Black, who are tasked not only with tracking the perpetrator down but also dealing with the unusual scenario of having to arrest the victims for their own barbarous crimes. But with the wounded piling up the predator’s thirst for revenge intensifies and soon Nicks discovers that she is no longer chasing down a sinister attacker but a deadly serial killer.
Vivid, dark and deeply unsettling Porcelain: Flesh of Innocents is the perfect next read for serious crime and police thriller fans.
Published February 21st 2017 by Clink Street Publishing
I am happy to welcome Ms Cockburn to ChocolatePages where she explains to us why she writes about disturbing topics. It is a question I have wondered about, so thank you and I hand you over to the talented Author of Devils Demise and Porcelain Flesh of Innocents, Lee Cockburn.
Why I write about disturbing topics?
This is actually very hard to answer, as I find myself recoiling a little when I read my own work, just at the level of violence and the graphic detail involved. I suppose I wasn’t prepared to leave it to the imagination of some people, because that might not stretch far enough to reach, what is the harsh reality of the crimes portrayed in my first two novels.
I actually regret the first chapter of my first novel Devil’s Demise being quite so brutal, taking the advice of a female colleague that it wasn’t brutal enough and that I hadn’t explained what was going on in full detail. So me being me, I had to prove a point and I think I took it too far, as it makes me uncomfortable reading it, and I wrote it! However, I always knew she was going to live and the book is about her strength and will to live and her fight against the perpetrator.
The sequel Porcelain Flesh of Innocents is equally harrowing, another uncomfortable read, but again highlighting the crimes that go on on a daily basis against the most vulnerable amongst us, the victim’s silent in their torment, trusting, fearing the threatening lies they are told, to ensure their silence. However again this is another story of the victims taking back control of their lives, and the consequences of the crimes committed against them and the lasting damage they have to live with.
Book three, the title a secret I’m afraid, I promise to try and bring some happiness to the main characters, although the first chapter is another hard hitting and terrifying start to the book, with graphic scenes and more tragedy to endure (apologies).
I may write brutal and graphic books, but I think I am genuinely a kind, humorous, fun loving decent person and don’t know where the dark side I write about comes from, I presume fear of the topics I have chosen.
I set out to write an exciting, gripping and slightly scary book, with tension and suspense throughout, and love scenes that don’t end after one line, as this is something that annoys me when I am reading, as a little titillation goes a long way to the enjoyment of a book for me (although I might take this a little too far sometimes too!).
To some people my books will shock, to others they seem to love them, the more graphic and violent the better, and I am well aware that you will never please everyone, although I do try. The erotic scenes are probably an indulgence on my part, some people say it detracts from the story line, and they may be right, but I think a little personal interaction and passion is an exciting little interlude from the suspense and horror of the actual plot.
One critique given, suggested that officers would never think of lust and desire when they are on a case, I disagree, because if they are on cases all the time, then there would never have time to think about things like that? The officer’s work is high pressure, full on and you practically live in each other’s pockets day in and day out, and of course there would be attractions and liaisons between colleagues, the nature of the job would lead them to steal away precious moments together, as all they ever seem do is work!.
I digress, I hope this has explained a little why I write what I write, and you will either like it or not, happy reading, and make sure you lock the door.
Thank you very much Lee for explaining that to us. I am very happy that there is a third book on the way, and I am intrigued as to the title and plot this time. I guess we will have to patiently wait and see.
Here are the links for Lee’s books and for Lee herself. Take a look at these and remember to check out all the rest of the posts for this summer’s Blogival.
ChocolatePages 