Author Genre: Mystery & Thrillers, Literature & Fiction, Psychology
Author's Blog: Jfhilborne's Blog - Author of mystery and suspense
Twitter: @JFHilborne
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Google+: Check Out Google+
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Author Description:
I'm a native Brit and the author of psychological thrillers and mysteries, including the Jackson series set in San Francisco. I divide my time between California and England, plotting, researching and writing.
My titles include: MADNESS AND MURDER (Jackson 1), NO ALIBI, HIDE AND SEEK (Jackson 2), STONE COLD, and THE BLACKEST NIGHT (Jackson 3).
My background is in real estate and finance which provides much of the inspiration for my stories, as does my love of travel and ex-pat status. I've practiced martial arts in the form of Shotokan Karate and hold six belts.
A little secret about me: Unlike the fiends wandering through the text in my novels, I'm afraid of the dark.
SPOTLIGHT Questions and Answers with the Author
First things first. Do you have another book on the horizon? Can you tell us the timeline for its release and give us a little tease?
My next book is a mystery/suspense called Easy Target and is the sequel to No Alibi. In Easy Target, a suspect in a murder investigation forces a homicide detective into dark territory with both his son and the woman he loves. The anticipated release date is the end of 2014.
You have a great following on twitter. How important have your social media relationships been? How did you build your following in your niche? Do you see a carry over to your writing success?
Social media is essential for building relationships first, and then sharing news about my work. I've met some terrific people and made some lasting friendships. Like most authors, I use social media to enhance not just my career but the the careers of others, sharing their successes and challenges. It's a great online community.
Do you maintain a reader list? What are the methods you use to find your readers and create the list and the relationship? Do you use social media, forums, newsletters and/or support groups to build your list?
My reader list consists mostly of people I meet at book events who sign up voluntarily to be added to the list. I send newsletters about twice a year about new releases or significant book news.
Do you do any book signings, interviews, speaking and personal appearances? If so, when and where is the next place where your readers can see you? Where can they keep up with your personal contacts online?
I've participated in a number of signings, interviews, and speaking engagements, plus given workshops to upcoming authors in the UK. My most active online pages for news on my work are my author page: and twitter:
You have great covers. They carry a theme and your brand with them. How does your book cover creation process work? Do you hand over the basic theme or do you have more of a hands-on approach? Do you get your readers involved in its development?
I use a professional for my covers. I'll have a basic idea of what I want and I give her free reign to work from there. If I have difficulty choosing from the terrific designs my designer presents, I've been known to ask readers for their help in deciding.
Several of you novels have been converted into audio books. What has been the impact on your regular sales? Has the audio books gained a new audience?
It's difficult to measure the impact of anything on book sales, including audio books. What works one month may not work the next. I do get a number of requests for my books in audio, so I'd like to think it's helped.
You have published a short story (False Pretense – see below). Can you tell us if they had an impact on the sales of your novels? Are shorty’s one of your styles of writing or are they created to give readers a sample of your work?
False Pretense is loosely based on a real life event. It's very short and carries a powerful message. I think readers have bought the short based on the strength of the novels rather than the other way around. Shorts are a great way to sample an author’s work and perfect for those with a busy schedule.
What has been your experience in giving your books away free? Have you been involved in any other type of giveaways and how did that work out? What was your main goal in doing this? Did you run into any obstacles?
Free is still popular among readers, though I think less so among authors. As artists, it's difficult to give our work away free, but when you're trying to build recognition, it does provide some visibility, though perhaps with diminished results compared to a couple of years ago. Goodreads giveaways are a way to boost a new title and achieve legitimate reviews.
You have a great blog. You do a great job keeping readers informed, marketing your books and providing useful information to other writers. What is your primary goal? And where in the world do you find the time to create great novels, take care of the social media and maintain your blog?
As recommendation is one of my primary sources for buying books and trying new authors, I use my blog to spotlight my own work and that of other authors, and also to help readers find great books. I'll often post book reviews on my blog to share with readers who enjoy the mystery/thriller genre.
What is your method of getting reviews for your novels? Do you seek professional reviews, use social media or do you rely on your reading audience to supply them?
I use the old fashioned method of waiting for readers to post reviews. If someone sends me a message to let me know they enjoyed the book, I will ask if they'd be kind enough to share it on Amazon and review sites to help me spread the word.
Author's Book List
The Blackest Night
- Jackson mystery series volume 3Thirteen years ago, William Law went to prison for a crime he didn't commit. Six years after his release, he is still struggling to put his life back together. Despite losing everything, he has his innocence...and his hope of reconnecting with his wife. But life takes another bad turn on the night he is attacked in an alleyway. With the real perpetrator now behind bars, is the violent encounter connected to Law's former incarceration or to his release?
Meanwhile, Homicide inspector Mac Jackson is leading inquiries in a murder investigation. When he receives an anonymous phone call with some startling information, he learns that one crime is connected to another, and that the wrongfully convicted ex-con might be the only person who can lead him to the truth.
Order the Book From: Amazon
No Alibi
When an international pilot goes missing and his girlfriend is found murdered, homicide inspector John Doucette is assigned the case. As Doucette digs in and uncovers the dark secrets surrounding the case, he faces difficult moral decisions when his investigation forces him to unearth his own past.
His main suspect, Isabelle Kingsley, unnerves him. Could she be innocent? If she is, how did the murder weapon end up in her possession? Doucette must set aside his own personal fears and follow the clues, even though they may lead him to the one person to whom he owes so much.
Order the Book From: Amazon
Stone Cold
In the competitive world of advertising, Charles Dean is a ruthless boss driven by results. When a scandal threatens to ruin his company, he is determined to identify the culprit and handle it his way. Mara Mann has other ideas, and her own reasons for bringing him down. Then the murders of two senior corporate executives stun the Oxfordshire community.
Mara's hatred for Dean leads her into the dangerous and twisted world of Vice President, Reid Dalton, and to the discovery of a forgotten grave. As she uncovers more truths about her boss, and learns the secret he has kept hidden, she is drawn deeper into the mind of a killer and puts her own life at risk.
Order the Book From: Amazon
False Pretense
Liv's friend loved to flirt, to dance, to be a girl; until three years ago, when a night out almost got her killed. After a long and difficult recovery, she returned, ready to forget and reclaim her life. But life will never let her forget. Nothing has changed, except her, and nothing will ever be the same.
Order the Book From: Amazon
Hide and Seek
- Jackson mystery series volume 2The book begins:
“You have committed the most heinous of crimes, and you have shown no remorse. The court imposes the maximum sentence the circumstances will allow…life without parole.”
Many readers asked for the return of Homicide Inspector, Mac Jackson. He is back in HIDE AND SEEK and thrust into the middle of another complex mystery:
HIDE AND SEEK: A guest disappears from a private party and blood is discovered on the grounds. Abducted, murdered, or did Abby McCabe fake her own disappearance? San Francisco homicide inspector, Mac Jackson, is called out to investigate.
As Jackson questions the guests, he uncovers old hostilities and learns the details of an unusual death. He centers his investigation on the lingerie bar, where Abby once worked and where the other women are afraid to talk. His best chance at solving the case hinges on an uncooperative source and Jackson must work fast, before his source also disappears.
Ready to pit your wits against those of a killer? Download a sample or buy your copy of HIDE AND SEEK today.
Order the Book From: Amazon
- Barnes and Noble
Madness and Murder
- Jackson mystery series 1Homicide detective, Mac Jackson is on a collision path with a civilian in his hunt for a killer. A lack of evidence leaves him frustrated. With the body count rising, he questions his own ethics when he considers risking the life of an innocent woman to put the killer within reach. The stakes are high if his gamble fails.
Jessica Croft begins a new life in San Francisco, ninety miles from the sinister secrets and the madness that destroyed her family. She hopes to find tranquility, maybe even love, but her chance for happiness is threatened when she finds herself the target of a madman. Unwilling to live a life of fear, Jessica takes a bold risk to draw him out; unaware of the trap he has already set for her.
Order the Book From: Amazon
Author Recommended by: HBSystems Publications
Publisher of ebooks, writing industry blogger and the sponsor of the following blogs:
eBook Author’s Corner and
Top Shelf Author Advice
HBS Mystery Reader’s Circle
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