Today we have another ‘Author Spotlight’, again courtesy of Rachel Gilbey at Authoright Marketing, who put the authors in touch with me. It’s Matthew Redford’s turn to say a few words today.
Thank you so much for allowing me a few moments to be featured on your blog under an author spotlight. And under the spotlight is a good description because I’m feeling the pressure! I think that’s because I’m really happy in the background and I probably need to push myself forward a bit more.
By way of an example, at work recently we had some training that included a look at personality traits and we had to fill in a questionnaire. The outcome was that under the heading ‘Extroverted versus Introverted’ I fall into the latter category. Well, I didn’t need my Food Sapiens detective, Willie Wortel, to help me work that one out!
So, now that I have got that off my chest let me introduce myself. My name is Matthew Redford; I am 36 years old; I was born and raised in Bermondsey, South London, and grew up with my family on a council estate. I’ve been fortunate enough to have an extremely supportive family who have encouraged me to grow and become the person I am today. And they never turned their back on me when I sat them down and broke the news to them that I was training to become an accountant.
I don’t believe in taking take life too seriously. I’m extremely lucky to be living the life I lead. That doesn’t mean I am not serious about things I care about, I just think its all about perspective. We all can lose perspective from time to time, but you just have to look on the front page on the BBC news website to get everything back realigned. I mean, look down the major news items and then ask yourself whether the fact that your train is running ten minutes late is actually that important really?
So what am I serious about? Well, my family comes first no matter what. My parents sacrificed a lot for me and my brother and they have laid the foundations for any success that I have in my life and career. And then there is my dear Nan who is the ripe age of 93 years young, who, as she often tells me, just needs a new pair of legs.
One thing which I think is important is that we accept we are full of contradictions. I know I am, so embrace your contradictions. For me, they add colour, depth and personality to who we all are. I’ve just said above that I don’t like to sweat the small stuff, so now let me contradict that by saying I absolutely hate it when playing a game of online chess I make a silly blunder and lose. I will chew over that for ages after the event. I am quite hard on myself in that respect. If someone was to lose their temper with me over something that went wrong, trust me, they couldn’t say anything which would be as painful as what I would inflict on myself chewing the situation over, and over, and over once more.
I mentioned at the beginning that I like to keep myself in the background, to keep myself to myself. I think this is representative of my star sign, Scorpio. Hold back; stay hidden in your shell; come out if it is safe. But always, always, keep your tail up and sting ready, just in case. And this is really important. It takes an age to build trust. But it can be lost in a second.
Finally, I enjoy humour. Make me laugh and I’m yours. I hope this comes through in my writing. My books are surreal, after all who else would write about food sapiens (you know, walking, talking food items) and the leading police detective of his generation, Detective Inspector Willie Wortel, family man and carrot.
So, that’s me. I hope that I haven’t scared you off completely and that you would like to hear some more about the Food Related Crime team. My debut book Addicted to Death was published in 2015 and my second book, Who Killed the Mince Spy? came out in time for Christmas 2016.
More information can also be found on www.matthewredford.com
Addicted to Death: A Food Related Crime Investigation
Following the murder of Benedict and Darcy Blacktail, two eggs savagely beaten to death outside their home by an unknown, fedora wearing assailant brandishing a large metal spoon, Detective Inspector Willie Wortel, carrot and the leading food detective in the police force, is called in to investigate. When the only food sapiens minister in the Government, Professor Perry Partridge, is murdered at the Strawberry Strip Club, run by the young damson Victoria Plum, DI Wortel suspects that the two cases may somehow be linked. As the Head of the Food Related Crime Division, DI Wortel is ably assisted by his human colleague Sergeant Dorothy Knox. But as their investigation begins, four celebrity chefs are sent death threats. It’s a recipe for disaster as the incarcerated evil genius MadCow McBeef is seeking parole; someone appears to have crumbled Mr Bramley’s apples; and there is an anti-GM food protestor on the prowl. And why do Oranges and Lemons think they owe someone five farthings? DI Wortel and his team must find out who is seemingly addicted to death. It will take all efforts – human, fruit and vegetable – to figure this one out.
Purchase from Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/Addicted-Death-Related-Crime-Investigation-ebook/dp/B010545FEQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1490869221&sr=1-1&keywords=matthew+redford
About Matthew Redford
Born in 1980, Matthew Redford grew up with his parents and elder brother on a council
estate in Bermondsey, south-east London. He now lives in Longfield, Kent, takes masochistic pleasure in watching his favourite football team snatch defeat from the jaws of victory, is a keen chess player and is planning future food related crime novels. To counterbalance the quirkiness of his crime fiction Redford is an accountant. His unconventional debut crime thriller, Addicted to Death: A Food Related Crime Investigation was published by Clink Street Publishing last summer.
Website – http://www.matthewredford.com/
Twitter – https://twitter.com/matthew_redford
Publication Day: 19
Everything Is Better With Dragons 