The recent Big Jubilee Book List is the latest in a trend that’s been around for a while now. ‘Top 100 Books to Read Before You Die!’ ‘The BBC Believes You’ve Only Read 6 of These Books!*’, ‘Most Popular Books of (any year you care to choose!)’ And my particular favourite, ‘An Editor’s Bookshelf, Not Including the Pictures of Her Dog.’

The list, so to speak, is endless.

I’m not entirely sure what purpose these lists serve. That they are informative is a given, but the implied element of competition always strikes me as slightly passive aggressive. If you haven’t read Ulysses, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin, or Love in the Time of Cholera, what on earth have you been doing with your reading time?

The books on display at the forthcoming Honno Authors Book Fair are, by and large, unsung outside of Wales. None of them have reached the giddy heights of a BBC instructional list. These omissions, however, in no way lessen their value as books worth buying and reading. And several have been long and shortlisted for prizes (one has been a winner.) Some have featured as Book of the Month on a variety of platforms, and as a Readers’ or Publishers’ Choice in numerous publications.

The circles of literature tend to overlap and thanks to the likes of Twitter it is possible to engage in serendipitous and fleeting collisions with the great and the good. I’ve had the odd tweet liked and even commented on by one or two blue tick authors; had a few pleasant interactions. In the moment it generates a grin but the Twitterverse is ephemeral and the twitterati notoriously fickle! The essential nature of a book fair is the opposite of social media. Book fairs are places where real people gather in real time: authors and readers alike. Where it is possible to pick up a book that catches your eye and then, glance up and discover the author, behind her table, happy as Larry’s sister to see you! She may also be a little anxious, in case you don’t in fact want to talk to her at all. The point is, if you do, she will engage because, along with the books, talks and panels, what a book fair offers is the chance to interact with actual authors.

We may not be renowned or have blue ticks; we do have name badges. (Some of us have sweets!) We are most certainly present and unequivocal in our willingness to be as vocal as you like. We are Honno Authors and along with a few guest friends, we look forward to seeing you on Saturday 7 May in the delightful town of Narberth at the newly refurbished and charming Queen’s Hall. For full details of everything on offer see: thornemoore.com/honno-authors-book-fair

* Only twenty-four out of the 100 titles listed are written by women. (And I’ve read most of the list, so the BBC can stick that in it’s proverbial pipe & smoke it!)

It was an honour to be asked to take part in this event. Today I am delighted to feature Thorne Moore and introduce her latest book, Fatal Collision. To quote, Judith Barrow, Moore possesses ‘a talent for setting the scene . . . Fatal Collision has a strong plot that weaves in and out, juxtaposing the ordinariness of life with disturbing and menacing criminal undertones . . .

Thorne’s back catalogue is equally impressive. Her writing is immaculate and astute. And her female characters in particular have always appealed to me. They are unfailingly interesting and relatable (even the scary ones!), often flawed and above all, authentic. It is no wonder then, that when I asked her to conjure a small essay about writing female protagonists, she wrote this, proving beyond any doubt, she is a woman after my own heart. Welcome Thorne and away we go.

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SAVE ME!
You know the story. Butch guy in metal comes to the rescue of hapless girl at mercy of cruel beast. Butch guy gets grateful girl. It’s a theme that runs all the way from St George and the Dragon, to Lorna Doone, but it isn’t one I follow. Does anyone these days? Except in tales of sado-masochism, maybe. Even the new-model Bond girls do less squealing “James! James! Save me!” They are more likely to come to his aid with a well-aimed karate chop and a Kalashnikov.

I usually write about women and they often do need rescuing, from emotional crises or bad decisions, because fiction needs drama in the form of obstacles to be overcome, but I make it a rule that my women always save themselves. I am not averse to them finishing up with Mr Right, if that’s what they really want, but only after they’ve sorted themselves out. Like a bar of Flake, he’s a little treat they can award themselves when the work’s done.

I don’t want my women to be naturally helpless and passive, waiting for a manly hand to change a light bulb, but I am quite happy for them to be vulnerable. In Fatal Collision, my protagonist, Nicki Bryce, is a woman who, in normal circumstances, would be ready to stand up and fight, or at least argue, with anyone. But circumstances are not normal. Her husband/best friend, Adam, has been killed by a drunk driver. She witnessed the accident and held him as he died, so she is suffering not just from grief but from post-traumatic stress, and that leaves her both numb, unable to deal with issues that are just too much to confront, and vulnerable to the malign whims of others. When the crunch comes, however, she takes matters into her own hands – with a vengeance.

I do slightly slip from my no. 1 rule with Fatal Collision, in that Nicki has a man constantly at her side, or just behind her, and she desperately wants him to save her. She talks to him, he teases her and he tells her what to do when things get tricky. The one thing he can’t do is touch her – because he’s dead. It’s one of those things about grief. You often can’t bear to let go of someone you love, and you’re desperate to believe that they don’t want to let go of you either.

*

Call yourself a friend? asked Adam.

“Call yourself a husband?”

That’s exactly what I am.

“No, you’re not, you’re a pile of ashes. You left me, you bastard.”

*

Fatal Collision, published by Diamond Crime, is out now, available as paperback and Kindle.

Thank you, Thorne! Love the teaser and cannot wait to read Fatal Collision, a copy of which is on order.

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mybook.to/FatalCollision

Thorne’s links:

website and blog: thornemoore.com/

FB Author page: www.facebook.com/thornemoorenovelist

Twitter: twitter.com/ThorneMoore

Amazon author page amzn.to/1Ruu9m1