Ooh this made my morning! I had so much fun making these miniatures for the Bloody Scotland nominees and I am delighted by how well they were received!

So proud of DB and I am excited for him to go on sub next week! I expect Charlie will have quite a few suitors vying to snap her up.

✨AGENT ANNOUNCEMENT✨ Just in case you missed the big news from @dbtelford.bsky.social earlier.

After ONLY TWO WEEKS in the query trenches, Killer Twist Pitch Prize Winner @dbtelford.bsky.social has signed with literary agent Katie Fulford of Bell Lomax Moreton! Crying all the happy tears for you! Can’t wait to see editors fighting over DEAD MEN DON’T SING in the fall. Congratulations!

2 days after sharing the pitches, 6 out of the 9 shortlisted manuscripts now have agent interest, including Grace’s lush, lyrical mystery. Grace has such a gift and I think historical fans will fall for her voice.

The Killer Twist Pitch Prize Shortlist! Agents, pay attention, l'd bet some of these will find rep any minute now. This decision was IMPOSSIBLE with stunning novels across the crime genre (& some cross-genre gems) Cheers to the shortlist. Can't wait to see what's next #KTPP #MurderAtTheHotelOrient

Check back on Wednesday March 19th at 6pm CET for the Killer Twist Pitch Prize short list reveal!

Our Lit Festivals manager, Clem is celebrating her 35th Birthday today & her present to YOU could be 35 books 📚 All you have to do is like this post, pop your guesses for Clem's height in the replies below (and be following us on Bluesky)!  We will randomly select a winner on 17/03/2025 (UK only).

Confirm your reservation now, Darling, because UK pre-order for Murder at the Hotel is officially open. Mysteriously, 💋Sterling Lockwood, 🛎️Concierge & Keeper of Secrets If your alias is the name of your favorite fictional character, who are you checking in as?

New Post, in which another author‘s husband inspires me to explore the deep web, and what I discover leads to an experience I never dreamed of. Okay, it’s not as bad as it sounds. alessandraranelli.com/2025/03/08/y...

Got a flurry of last minute entries for the Killer Twist Pitch Prize (you are all such naughty procrastinators!) and some of them had me shouting. This is going to be an impossible decision! Tomorrow is the LAST DAY to enter!

Enjoy some of my favorite lines from the entries. Crime writers, want to see yours on the board? Enter your query by March 2nd!

Only a few days left! Here’s a peek at a few favorite lines!

7 Days left to enter the Killer Twist Pitch Prize! If you’re an un-agented crime/ thriller writer, why not enter? While some contests charge $30 for AI to read your book, this has free entry & no catch. 🥇 wins a trip to Harrogate for Theakston’s Crime! See 📌 for details.

🚨BURYING JERICHO WATERSTONES PREORDER DEAL🚨 The gorgeous BURYING JERICHO hardback has been chosen to be part of Waterstones’ pre-order promotion happening this weekend! Grab Scott Jericho’s latest adventure for a bargain price using the code PREORDER25 right here www.waterstones.com/book/burying...

Murder at the Hotel Orient is on Goodreads, and it would be marvelous if you'd add it, Darling. Mysteriously, Sterling Lockwood Concierge & Keeper of Secrets Hotel Orient, Vienna www.goodreads.com/book/show/22... #MurderAtTheHotelOrient #MATHO #goodreads

Introducing The Killer Twist Pitch Prize for Unagented Crime Writers! Top Prize: 4-Day Pass #TheakstonsCrime + 3-night hotel stay in #Harrogate, Pitch Revision & Coaching. (a $1250 value) 2nd Place: @JerichoWriters Agent 1-on-1! T&Cs apply, See www.alessandraranelli.com/prize for details.🧵1/4

#WritingCommunity If you entered the #KillerTwistPitchPrize you should’ve seen a confirmation page & received an email within 24hrs. As of now I’ve confirmed all entries. If you’re having issues you may have to enter again and ensure you fill all required sections! Also: new prizes:

#writingcommunity In case you missed the big announcement yesterday ⬇️

Introducing The Killer Twist Pitch Prize for Unagented Crime Writers! Top Prize: 4-Day Pass #TheakstonsCrime + 3-night hotel stay in #Harrogate, Pitch Revision & Coaching. (a $1250 value) 2nd Place: @JerichoWriters Agent 1-on-1! T&Cs apply, See www.alessandraranelli.com/prize for details.🧵1/4

By Request: The Murderboard! Can you solve the case before February 2nd at 18:30 CET? In 30 hours I'll reveal exciting news for #amquerying crime writers

QUERYING CRIME WRITERS! Check back in on Sunday February 2nd at 18:30 CET for the big reveal! Or can you guess what it is before then using the clues behind me?

Hi Bluesky. I have a lot of followers on here but ai tend to feel like my posts disappear into the ether. If you're a querying writer, here are some tips for honing your one line pitch. alessandraranelli.com/2025/01/27/4...

Message my American friends!

Unpaid carers are under-represented in writing, publishing & the Arts more generally; I'm in a good position to begin to collect data (more on which soon). I also believe that unpaid carers should be protected in law - @carers-uk.bsky.social on The Equality Act here. www.carersuk.org/reports/maki...

Price per book: 2 Euros My self control from 1-10: 0

Sometimes book research requires stepping on a few toes.

This was a vulnerable thing to share, but I had some lovely feedback on it. Thanks everyone ❤️

New Blog: 20 Tips For Writing While Sad (from an author with PMDD) ilsaseeksrick.com/2024/12/15/2...

Just finished A VERY BAD THING and I'm convinced, without Googling to confirm it, that J.T. Ellison has celiac disease because the rep in the book is flawless. "I can't get sick this week so I'll eat bananas & chocolate" is so real. It's a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Certified Gluten-Free Crime Novel.

First rule of Height Club: You must be this tall to enter.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone celebrating today. And if you are alone today or missing a loved one, my heart goes out to you.

I have more to be thankful for this year than I ever imagined was possible. But if I could only mention one person it would have to be my agent @HarryIllingworth.bsky.social For now, ~ 10 bajillion tiny pies later, I am thankful the baking is done. 🦔 A Happy Thanksgiving, indeed.

I'm in Austria, but the most sacred tradition Thanksgiving is alive and well: I just sent my spouse to the store for more butter.

By the sound of things downstairs my wife and her book club pals sure have drunk a lot of books.

A note to fiction authors, mainly myself: The events in your novel are All. Made. Up. They might feel set in stone, but they aren't. There is no law that you cannot change them! Signed, A tired author who just had a breakthrough.

#SimmondsWritingTips Today's tips are all about how to start your book. You're ready, blank Word doc or notebook in front of you, ideas whirling in your head. Now what? Let's look at how to grip your readers from page one...

I have been making a conscious effort not to start emails with the word 'Just...' ('just wondering if''just a quick message''just in case you didn't see my last email') but it is SUCH a hard habit to break

Writers/editors: PLEASE help me describe the Austrian/German "Hä?!" sound for my book. (Video below) My current description is: "a typical utterance of confusion, which resembled the exasperated honk of an incredulous goose. " But like, this is a serious work of literature. I swear.

Writers/editors: PLEASE help me describe the Austrian/German "Hä?!" sound for my book. (Video below) My current description is: "a typical utterance of confusion, which resembled the exasperated honk of an incredulous goose. " But like, this is a serious work of literature. I swear.

Welcome new followers. I'm an American crime writer living in Vienna, where my office is... pretty unique. Here's a tour.

Things I Googled lately (as a crime writer) that definitely got me put on a watchlist: (a.k.a. Why My Editors Might Have to Bail Me Out) 1. Poisonous wine additives (flavorless) 2. Espionage laws in Austria 3. History of the Vienna International Center 1/2

When do we stop creating starter packs and start doing packs of our secret Bluesky crushes?

Where are all the #crimewriters and crime readers on here? Reveal yourself! #authors

The horrors of simple math have revealed my main character was born in the mid 90s. Impossible. She cannot be that much younger than me. I REFUSE to believe it. Now, excuse me while I go apply medicated ointment to my achy joints.

Book Pitch Revision Before & After October's lesson: Taglines vs. Pitches If you read my good news email to The Shit No One Tells You About Writing podcast, this is what I was talking about offering. Good luck to all the #amquerying authors.

Well, in the three months since that update, things have happened. Welcome back to Bluesky, crime writers. I'm one of you, now.

Well, in the 7 months since I last posted here... I signed with my dream agent, went on sub, and... let's just say it's been an amazing year. 👀

And so, querying begins.

So. I finished writing my book.