Portobello Book Blog

Taking part in my author spotlight today is author of The Trail series AA Abbott. Thanks for joining me, first of all, would you tell my blog readers a little about yourself?

My real name’s Helen Blenkinsop. I decided AA Abbott was much more mysterious, gender-neutral and suitable for a crime thriller writer. I live in the English city of Bristol, but I’ve lived and worked in London and Birmingham too. My stories tend to be set there, as I know them well. I also think Birmingham is brilliant, buzzy and gets a bad press – my books try to address that.

What inspired you to start writing?

Fate. Every generation of my family features at least one writer, one engineer and one dyslexic. (To be fair, it’s a large family.) It’s motivated me to have books published in a dyslexia-friendly large print, as well as standard paperback and Kindle versions.

Tell me about your journey to publication

Every book is a team effort. It’s only ready to publish after 20 beta readers (generous souls prepared to read a draft) and a professional editor have made LOTS of improvements.

In a nutshell, what is your latest book about?

Glamorous Kat White is determined to make the best vodka in the world. Finally, success lies within her grasp – but a crazed killer’s on her trail.

How did you come up with the title for your book?

I admit, I love writing books, but I hate finding names for them. The title of “The Revenge Trail” was crowd-sourced! I asked readers for ideas and ran a poll on Facebook to choose the favourite.

How did you celebrate publication day?

With magical colour-changing cocktails at The Alchemist in Birmingham. What better way to launch a crime thriller about a vodka business?

Do you have a work in progress just now?

“The Final Trail”. It’ll be the last in the series, so just for once, it wasn’t hard to find a name.

What’s your favourite book you’ve read in the past few months? Or favourite three if you really can’t choose!

Believe it or not, a fantasy novel: “Darkspire Reaches”, by CN Lesley. Beautifully written, packed with twists and suspense.

What are you reading just now?

I’m scaring myself silly at bedtime reading Pat Spence’s “Truly, Madly, Creepy”.

If you were on Desert Island Discs, what one book would you take with you?

On a desert island, I’d look for an uplifting read, so it has to be “Park Life” by Katharine D’Souza. Every woman over the age of forty should get a copy.

Is there a book you’d like to see made into a film? Who would be in your dream cast?

“The Vodka Trail”, in which Kat and her worst enemy get kidnapped and have to work together to survive. Scarlett Johansson would be awesome as Kat, with Tom Hiddleston as her arrogant boyfriend, Ross.

How can people follow you or connect with you on social media?

I’m on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/AAAbbottStories/ and Twitter @AAAbbottStories https://twitter.com/AAAbbottStories

And finally, if you could be a character in any book you have read, who would it be and why?

Fictional heroines, mine included, are generally braver than me. I’d love to be advertising copywriter Martha in Joan Aiken’s 60s mystery, “Trouble with Product X”. She has a fun job, goes to lots of parties and kicks ass – what’s not to like?

Thank you for hosting me on your blog, Joanne – it’s been a pleasure and a privilege.

My thanks to Kelly at Love Books Group Tours for inviting me to take part in the tour. The Revenge Trail is available now in paperback and as an ebook. You can order a copy online here: The Revenge Trail

From the back of the book

VODKA TO DIE FOR…

Kat’s craft vodka brand makes it big, but a crazed murderer’s on her trail.

Glamorous blonde Kat White makes the best vodka in the world. At last, her craft vodka from Birmingham is going places, while the mother who abandoned her faces financial ruin.

So does vodka salesman Marty Bridges. Kat doesn’t trust him, but she has to save his business or hers will go under too.

That’s not her biggest problem. Crazed murderer Shaun Halloran wants to kill her, even if it means breaking out of jail to take his revenge.

Kat dreams of love, riches and success in her life – but shouldn’t she just focus on staying alive?

With twists, tension, secrets and suspense – “The Revenge Trail” is a gripping crime thriller that will draw you into Kat’s exciting world.  

About the author

English thriller writer AA Abbott’s real name is Helen Blenkinsop, but like JK Rowling, she wanted to maintain an air of mystery. She loves city life, having lived and worked in London, Birmingham and Bristol. Her crime thrillers, set in Birmingham and London, sizzle with suspense, twists and the evils of office politics.

Helen’s books are available in a dyslexia-friendly large print as well as standard paperback and Kindle editions.

Her Trail Series follows the fortunes of glamorous blonde Kat White, a party girl who finds her purpose making vodka, shrewd businessman Marty Bridges, and manipulative East End crime lord Shaun Halloran.

Don’t miss the rest of the tour