News & Updates

2024 gets off to a good start!

I got to begin the year with two great booky events. First off in February was a trip to the beautiful coastal idyll that is Aberaeron with an event hosted by brilliant indie bookshop Gwisgo Bookworm alongside talented fellow crime writer Sarah Ward. Then, only a week later, I was in Penarth Library with more of my Crime Cymru crew (Sarah Ward, GB Williams and Phil Rowlands) talking all things crime fiction.

Final events of 2023 for THE HOTEL!

I met the most fantastic bookclub in Llanishen, Cardiff who turned up for an evening of good coffee, great cakes and a chat about all things THE HOTEL! This was followed by two brilliant library events, one in Pencoed and one in Cowbridge, as part of a month long celebration of crime fiction.

THE HOTEL Amazon bestseller and No:62 in Kindle chart!

Always a total delight to see a book of mine do well - here is THE HOTEL with its lovely orange Bestseller flag on Amazon and sitting pretty at No:62 in the Kindle chart! Woo-hoo!

THE HOTEL on the shelves at The Works!

As usual, I was subtle and understated when I spotted my book THE HOTEL on shelves at The Works! It is always a thrill to see my story as an actual paperback on an actual shelf and the kind staff at this branch even let me sign the copies they had!

Bringing THE HOTEL back home!

Whitchurch Library has a special place in my heart: the staff at Cardiff Libraries are a joy to work with and how could I resist an event in my home town? Here I am talking all things THE HOTEL with Caroline Noall and having a great time!

THE HOTEL launch event!

So, my third thriller THE HOTEL is now well and truly launched! Fantastic launch event in September with local indie bookshop Griffin Books in Penarth including lots of chat, laughs… and bundt cake made by me! Wrote the book AND baked the celebration cake - what more could a reader ask?

THE HOTEL goes on tour!

My third thriller THE HOTEL is going on a bit of a tour around bookshops in Wales… First up the always lovely Griffin Books in Penarth where I signed the pre-orders that had come in, then Waterstones in Swansea where I got to chat to the supremely talented Clare Mackintosh, Chris Lloyd and Alis Hawkins about all things crime. Finally a trip to the seaside and an event with the absolutely brilliant team at Waterstones Aberystwyth where I met lots of new readers!

Third thriller THE HOTEL hits the shelves!

So my third thriller, THE HOTEL, is now out in ebook, audio and paperback! As usual, in this picture I’m playing it low-key and subtle…

Creepy ruined hotel on the coast? Check.

A mysterious maze? Check.

A mysterious light in an abandoned window? Check.

A disappearance that has never been solved? Check.

Ravencliffe awaits…

Get your copy at Amazon, Waterstones and independent bookshops, or ask for it at your local library.

Louise at the Primadonna Festival

So this year I got to chair TWO panels at the fabulous Primadonna Festival in Suffolk. First up I chatted to bestselling author Joanna Cannon about all things plotting and writing advice and then in the evening I turned to crime… not literally: a crime fiction panel with Queen of Newcastle Noir Dr Jacky Collins and Icelandic crime fiction writer Jonina Leosdottir. That talk ranged from tea habits to my own story of being the only crime statistic in Iceland the year I visited…

Hey! Hey! Louise spends the week at the Hay Festival!

It still all feels like a dream! At the end of May I was chosen to be part of the Writers at Work programme at one of the UK’s largest literary festivals, the Hay Festival! I was one of ten writers picked as emerging Welsh writing talent who spent nine days at the festival completing an intensive course of workshops, meeting many of the prestigious speakers at the event and being given lots of opportunities for networking. My head is spinning with all of the new information and at the talent of the rest of my cohort. Big thanks to the Hay Festival, Literature Wales and the Arts Council of Wales for such a brilliant opportunity.

Cover reveal for THE HOTEL!

And doesn’t it look gorgeously creepy? THE HOTEL, my third thriller, will be out on 22nd June in ebook and 17th August in paperback. It’s set on the coast of Cardigan Bay, West Wales, and here is the blurb:

Four of them went to the hotel

Four students travel to Ravencliffe, an eerie abandoned hotel perched on steep cliffs on the Welsh coast. After a series of unexplained accidents, only three of them leave. The fourth, Leo, disappears, and is never seen again.

Only three of them came back

A decade on, the friends have lost contact. Oscar is fame-hungry, making public appearances and selling his story. Richard sank into alcoholism and is only just recovering. Bex just wants to forget – until one last opportunity to go back offers the chance to find out what really happened to Leo.

Ten years later, they return one last time

But as soon as they get to the hotel things start going wrong again. Objects mysteriously disappear and reappear. Accidents happen. And Bex realises that her former friends know far more than they are letting on about the true events at Ravencliffe that night…

We did it! Gŵyl CRIME CYMRU Festival 2023 in Aberystwyth is a huge success!

So, months and months of planning, preparation and mild panic created a fantastic new event on the crime fiction festival calendar. It was a privilege to be part of the team bringing Gŵyl CRIME CYMRU Festival to Aberystwyth this April. I helped write a murder mystery play for our Gala Night, had a cocktail created in honour of SLEEPLESS (expresso martini-based, of course!) created hundreds of tickets, helped run the programme, saw my book in a Waterstones window and… oh, far too many things! We are all exhausted now but, watch out 2025 - we’ll be back by the seaside…

Louise chats to Welsh writing superstars, Julie Owen Moylan and Fflur Dafydd!

Brilliant evening on 5th April at Waterstones Cardiff with these two amazing writers, Fflur Dafydd and Julie Owen Moylan, talking all things writing and books! And, yes, my dress pattern might remind you of the seat coverings on National Rail!

Louise appears at The Dark Side of Brighton one day book event!

Oh I do like to be beside the sea… I got to make the trip to lovely Brighton for the one day book event The Dark Side of Brighton in February. I very much enjoyed my chat with fellow authors Alan Meredith and NR Daws on our ‘Something Different’ panel and then got to be an honorary member of the Northern Crime Syndicate for a special live edition of ‘Whose Crime Is It Anyway?’

Louise appears at Newcastle Noir!

I cannot stress enough how much I enjoyed being part of Newcastle Noir in December! It is such a friendly and welcoming frstival, packed full of interesting panels, and I got to chat about THE SAFE HOUSE with two other brilliant authors, Eve Smith and David Becklar. As the festival took place two years to the day since SLEEPLESS was launched, it was also a special moment to see both my books on sale at the festival bookshop!

Louise’s short story THE CLEANER featured in new anthology UNLOCKED!

When SLEEPLESS came out back in the lockdown days of 2020, I joined a Facebook group of debut authors who were all in the same position of having their first book launched during a pandemic. It was an invaluable source of support and fun. Fast forward a few years and we have teamed up to produce the short story collection UNLOCKED which features my story THE CLEANER, about a woman who will let nothing get in the way of doing her job…

Louise appears at Aberaeron Book Festival!

I had a lovely time being part of Aberaeron Book Festival, organised by the fantastic people at Gwisgo Bookworm bookshop. It is always a thrill to see your book in the front window of a shop and SUCH a brilliant bookshop at that - independent shops like Gwisgo are the very life-blood of our high street.

Louise interviews million-copy bestsellers Clare Mackintosh and Simon McCleave!

I was very excited to be asked to interview million-copy bestsellers Clare Mackintosh and Simon McCleave for Waterstones Swansea in September. They are both writers at the top of their game and it was such an interesting chat. Then, at the end of the month I got to return to Waterstones Swansea for a Crime Cymru event with GB Williams and the Waterstones Welsh Book of the Month author Chris Lloyd!

SLEEPLESS is coming to Canada!

Delighted to announce that from 29th November, SLEEPLESS will be available as a paperback in Canada. Will you look at that cute Canadian edition with its mini size? So adorable! Can’t wait for Canadian readers to meet Thea and Vivian!

Louise interviews million-copy bestseller Erin Kelly at Primadonna Festival!

Once again, I had the BEST time at the Primadonna Festival in Suffolk on the 29th-31st July 2022. Got to chat with the super talented thriller writer Erin Kelly on the main stage and get a glimpse of my books available to buy at the pop-up Waterstones!

Brilliant news! THE SAFE HOUSE hits No:43 in the whole Kindle UK Chart and is a No:1 bestseller!

Totally overwhelmed that THE SAFE HOUSE recently hit No:43 in the entire UK Kindle Chart and became a No:1 bestseller at the same time in Welsh Crime! Glad that so many readers are enjoying Esther’s story set in her strange house…

Klaxon! Louise signs new two-book deal with HQ, HarperCollins!

Better get writing, shouldn’t I? Super-pleased to be able to write TWO new thrillers for HQ, HarperCollins! They will be coming out in June 2023 and 2024 respectively and I’m already thinking up new plots and characters…

Louise interviews Sunday Times bestseller CL Taylor for Cardiff Libraries!

I came to the rescue in July and stepped last-minute in for the original interviewer who had sadly come down with Covid. Changed out of my gym clothes and rushed over to Rhydypennau Library in Cardiff where I had a brilliant evening talking to Cally about her new book THE GUILTY COUPLE.

Louise featured in ITV Wales’ programme BACKSTAGE

It was lovely to be part of this ITV Wales programme called BACKSTAGE which featured the amazing Llantwit Arts Festival and interviewed me (in glorious sunshine!) about my writing and THE SAFE HOUSE.

Louise’s short story published in the Daily Express!

A national newspaper published my short story HIDEOUS THINGS! Delighted that the Daily Express printed my tale in the 25th June 2022 edition of their Saturday magazine - it is such a brilliant thing to see my words illustrated and I loved writnig this story. My character Ann really knows how to hold a grudge…

Louise published in Writing Magazine!

I was super-chuffed to have an article about me and my path to publication in the July 2022 edition of Writing Magazine. I love this magazine and subscribed very early on when I first thought I wanted to get a book published. It is full of such great advice, competitions and articles and it is a total dream to be feautured in it!

Louise appears at Llantwit Literary Festival!

I had a brilliant time having afternoon tea with my favourite Cardiff writer, Chris Lynch, at Llantwit Literary Festival on Saturday 11th June! The sun shone, we had tea and cake and got to talk about all things to do with THE SAFE HOUSE and writing in front of a lovely audience!

Louise’s new thriller THE SAFE HOUSE is launched!

I had an absolutely lovely time at the launch of my second thriller THE SAFE HOUSE in my local library. Genuinely touched by the show of support from my friends and the local community! I got to chat all things THE SAFE HOUSE with Caroline Noall from the charity that helps support the library AND I got to wear silver shoes!

Louise appears at Gwyl Crime Fiction Festival!

It is a pleasure to be part of the group bringing the second Gwyl Crime Fiction Festival to screens worldwide. There were six evenings of panels, including names such as Mark Billingham, Clare Mackintosh and MW Craven and I got to talk about my novels with the lovely Awais Khan and CWA-Award-winning Trevor Wood, chaired by the ever-brilliant Dr Jacky Collins!

Louise interviews award-winning thriller writer Will Dean for Cardiff Libraries!

I had such a fun evening at Rhydypennau Library in Cardiff interviewing the awrd-winning, bestselling thriller writer, Will Dean! We talked inspiration, plotting or ‘pantsing’, the joy of libraries and much more. A fantastic event all round!

Louise’s short story, STONE, published by Honno Press!

It is an honour to have my short story, STONE, chosen to be included in the Honno anthology of Welsh women writers called CAST A LONG SHADOW. I had a lot of fun writing my story about a mysterious woman on a train in the dead of night…

Eve Pope to narrate Louise’s short story, SIX STEPS!

It has been a total joy to be part of LJ Ross’s charity anthology EVERYDAY KINDNESS, raising money for Shelter. As an added bonus, the anthology has been made into an audiobook with some fantastic names as narrators including Julie Walters, Richard Armitage and absolute Corrie LEGEND Eva Pope reading my short story, SIX STEPS!

TA-DAH! Here is my second thriller, THE SAFE HOUSE, which will be published by HQ on 12th May in ebook, audio and paperback! I’m HUGELY excited for you all to meet Esther, Hannah, Tom, Ned and very grumpy toy whale called Mr Wiffles! Here is a bit about the book:

***

“The house keeps us safe,” she says. “There’s nothing left for us outside.”

Esther is safe in the house. For sixteen years, she and her mother have lived off the grid, protected from the dangers of the outside world. For sixteen years, Esther has never seen another single soul.

Until today.

Today there’s a man outside the house. A man who knows Esther’s name, and who proves that her mother’s claims about the outside world are false. A man who is telling Esther that she’s been living a lie.

Is her mother keeping Esther safe – or keeping her prisoner?

Don’t miss! SLEEPLESS at Crickhowell Literary Festival Saturday 16th October!

Crickhowell is a lovely literary festival and it is BACK as a physical event this October! I’m thrilled to be taking part in two panels as part of Crime Cymru - the Welsh crime writers collective. Saturday 16th October at 2pm I talk with Thorne Moore and Beverley Roberts in Past/Present/Future - thrilling readers through the ages. At 4pm I then chat with Katherine Stansfield, GB Williams and Mark Lowe in The Magic of Crossover Fiction.

Louise’s short story part of major charity anthology for World Kindness Day!

I will freely admit - writing an uplifting short story is NOT my comfort zone but I was delighted that my story, SIX STEPS, is included in this brilliant antholgy curated by the crime writing powerhouse that is LJ Ross, raising money for the charity Shelter. Front page The Bookseller advert!! (My name is on the top book, middle tall stack!) Please do pre-order by clicking here. The book is published on World Kindness Day, 13th November.

Incredible afternoon at Llantwit Literary Festival!

So lucky to be invited to give a little talk at the burgeoning Llantwit Literary Festival this August. Set in the tranquil surrounding of St Illtud’s Church this was a brilliant chance for local writers and readers to get together and celebrate all things bookish. My talk was ‘Everything you ever wanted to know about being published but were too afraid to ask’ so I had a LOT to cover!

SLEEPLESS at the Primadonna Festival!

Totally delighted to be asked back to the Primadonna Festival in Suffolk this summer! This was the place where I met my publisher in 2019, that dream moment where someone read my work and was interested in publishing it. This time I took part in a Debut Authors panel and recorded a podcast, as well as that I got to see my book in the Waterstones festival shop amongst all the other amazing titles. A real “pinch me” sight and such a great festival!

SLEEPLESS to be sold in Asda stores nationwide AND is the July Killer Read!

There are not enough exclamation marks in the world to express how shocked and overjoyed I am that SLEEPLESS is going to be reissued in paperback for Asda stores nationwide. There is going to be an exclusive edition packed with extra content and it has been picked as the Karin Slaughter Killer Read for July. As an ebook-first novel I never expected SLEEPLESS to have much of a paperback presence so to have this happen really is beyond my wildest dreams, and it is all down to my lovely readers who have bought the book, reviewed and recommended it. Thank you to you all!

Louise’s article about insomnia featured in national newspaper

This story was a deeply personal one to write - I talk about my insomnia and the car crash that forced me to rethink how I was living my life. I was delighted to see it published in the July 1st edition of the i newspaper and I hope that it resonates with those who struggle to sleep.

Virtual literary festival season begins!

I have never been so grateful for my selfie light! I have been lucky enough to take part in two amazing virtual literary festivals: Wales' FIRST EVER Crime Fiction Festival and The Stay At Home Festival. Topics of discussion ranged from the best Welsh gins, crime traditions across the UK, our favourite crime detectives (mine is Jessica Fletcher!) and what makes a page turner. Hoping that many festivals keep a virtual element as we move out of lockdowns - I think they have been popular with authors and audience alike!

Louise’s Ode To Booksellers chosen for The Bookseller’s March Springboard Conference!

It was a complete pleasure to write a poem celebrating the amazing work that high street and independent booksellers do, especially the way they have responded to this pandemic. I was delighted when my poem was chosen for print in The Bookseller magazine and that I got a chance to read it at the virtual March Springboard Conference.

SLEEPLESS hits US Kindle Chart Top 100!

It seems Americans are just as #SleeplessOverSleepless! Delighted to see SLEEPLESS hit No:73 in the US Kindle Chart, making it No:1 in three different categories and giving it a gorgeous little Bestseller flag!

SLEEPLESS wins award!

So proud of my publisher HQ and their fantastic publicity and marketing team! SLEEPLESS won the Guerilla Campaign award from the Book Marketing Society for its “excellent core creative idea and tactical approach to planning.” We are all still #SleeplessOverSleepless!

Louise appears on BBC Radio Wales Sunday Morning with Anna Ryder Richardson talking about SLEEPLESS!

I had so much fun chatting to Anna Ryder Richardson on her BBC Radio Wales Sunday morning show. We talked about how my insomnia was the inspiration for the book and the Welsh island that gave me the perfect setting for the events. Click on the link above to listen to a clip.

Short story published in The Sunday Post

Delighted to have my short story ‘Making A Meal Of It’ published in the Scottish weekly newspaper The Sunday Post. This is a darkly comic tale of revenge and was a huge amount of fun to write!

SLEEPLESS optioned for television!

Fantastic news that SLEEPLESS has been optioned for television by Californian production company Insurrection Media! Every writer’s dream is to see the characters and world they created come to life on screen and SLEEPLESS is now one step closer to that. For the announcement to be made just as the book is published has made publication day all the sweeter!

Louise appears on Roy Noble’s BBC Radio Wales show talking all things SLEEPLESS!

It was an absolute pleasure to chat to Wales’ National Treasure, Roy Noble, on his BBC Radio Wales show on a Sunday afternoon! We discussed insomnia, the inspiration for the book, indomitable aunties and our dream cast for a television version of SLEEPLESS. The time flew by! Click on the link above to listen.

#SleeplessOverSleepless takes on Twitter!

Part of the brilliant publication day festivities for SLEEPLESS was a Twitter hashtag #SleeplessOverSleepless that ran all day where people who had just downloaded the book, or had it delivered, posed with their best eye masks, slippers and pyjamas. Pets got involved too! Such a fun way to celebrate the book and I loved seeing each and every photo.

Watch my virtual launch party for SLEEPLESS

I had such a lovely time at my virtual Facebook Live book launch party for SLEEPLESS on the 10th December! It was a total delight to read everyone’s comments, share a bit from the book, have a chat, a toast, wear my tiara and host a fun quiz for extra prizes. Click above to have a look at what went on!

Louise featured in November Thriller Fest!

It was a delight to take part in fellow HQ author Jenny O’Brien’s November Thriller Fest blog. Click here to read about my early writing influences, what I would save in a fire and what keeps me awake at night (spoiler: lots!)

Thanks to strong pre-orders, paperback of SLEEPLESS brought forward from 18th February to 10th December!

Good news! Due to the success of pre-order sales, the paperback of SLEEPLESS has been moved forward. The ebook, the audiobook and now the paperback will all be available on a slightly amended date, 10th December - so paperback-lovers, now is your chance to snap up a ‘sleeper’ hit! Available at Amazon, Waterstones online and Bookshop.

SLEEPLESS makes an appearance in Local Link Magazine

Lovely little piece on SLEEPLESS in the Local Link Magazine for Cardiff and the surrounding areas. Loving the banner at the top - don’t fall asleep!

SLEEPLESS continues to be an Amazon Hot New Release!

SLEEPLESS continues to be a Hot New Release in the Amazon charts - here it is at No:1 in Psychological Fiction in October. (And it hasn’t actually been released yet…)

Reading Group Questions Available for SLEEPLESS

If you are part of a Book Club or reading group and want some food for thought on SLEEPLESS click here for a PDF of some reading questions. Have I missed out a really good question? Let me know!

SLEEPLESS No:1 Amazon Bestseller! (On pre-order alone!)

SLEEPLESS becomes No:1 in Amazon’s Dystopian Science Fiction chart netting itself a lovely orange ‘Bestseller’ flag - all before it is even released! Champagne essential.

SLEEPLESS breaks into Amazon Kindle Top 50

It is not even released for two months but on 29th September 2020 SLEEPLESS broke into the Top 50 Amazon Kindle chart on pre-order, getting to No:49 overall and No: 2 in Women's Action and Adventure. 

SLEEPLESS gets a mention in The Bookseller!

SLEEPLESS gets a mention in The Bookseller (25.09.20). The "creepy thriller... where nothing is what it seems" was featured in the Agents' Hotlist Frankfurt Book Fair 2020 and picked out in the Preview article beforehand as part of a group of titles on the winter trend for books "that deal with the difficulties of getting to sleep".

Louise at the Primadonna festival

In the summer of 2020 I was invited talk in a panel at Virtual Primadonna. The panel was called ‘The Joy of Primadonna’ and I got to discuss SLEEPLESS and how I met her publisher at the 2019 Primadonna festival.