My Life of Crime by Bernie Steadman author of Death on the Coast

It never ceases to amaze me  that when I ask crime writers about themselves, they have such a diverse range of tastes and tales to tell. Today, I'm pleased to welcome Bernie Steadman to The Crime Warp, and believe me she is no exception. 

Thanks so much for coming along, Bernie!

Bernie taught English for many years but only dabbled in short fiction and poetry until a few years ago when she took to writing full-time.  She completed her debut novel, Death in the Woods when she escaped the classroom and could finally stop marking essays. This was the first in the West Country Mysteries series featuring DI Dan Hellier and his Exeter-based team. There are now three in the series, Death on Dartmoor and Death on the Coast completing the series.  
Bernie lives in a small town in East Devon and her novels are set in and around the ancient Roman city of Exeter, which has seen its fair share of murder and mayhem over the centuries. The books explore the beauty of the area, but demonstrate that even in the most charming of settings, terrible events may occur.

When not glued to the laptop, she is a keen yoga fan and enjoys walking and cycling in the Devon countryside with her husband. They share their home with two large, black cats which came from the animal sanctuary where she is a volunteer and trustee.

Two books that influenced me:  

The first book that properly influenced and stimulated my imagination was called something like ‘Tales from Greek Mythology’ and I read it when I was ten or so. It conjured up fantastical worlds of bravery, love and cruelty among the gods – I was hooked on adventures from that moment on, and totally disinterested in ‘girl appropriate’ stories after that. Although I do recall a short period of Georgette Heyer Regency romances… It’s tough being 12!

The second book I’d like to mention I read much later on in life. It was the first Kate Brannigan mystery from Val McDermid, written when she worked as a reporter in my home city of Manchester. I had read Agatha Christie as a teenager, and Sherlock Holmes, but they were so far removed from my life they could have been science fiction. I loved working out the story, though – the plot was what caught me up. With Brannigan, I also understood that women could investigate crime, that  crime books could be funny and a bit sexy, and I haven’t stopped reading crime, or writing it, since then. So, thanks, Val!






Two songs that have influenced me:

One is called ‘Desire’ by Boz Scaggs, from his album ‘Dig’. It’s a very different album from his older stuff, very cool and soulful and relaxed, with great lyrics and his voice sounding better than it often does. When I need to just lie back a bit and allow a section of a story to grow and find its way out, ‘Dig’ is the album that goes on, and ‘Desire’ is the track I sing along to.

The other song I’ve picked was the soundtrack to my life as an urban teenager trying to find her way out of the cultural straitjacket society had ready to tie her into. It’s ‘Blackbird’ from The Beatles ‘White Album’. It was released when I was 13 years old and had begun to discover all sorts of things that would shape me into the adult I became. I loved to sing all the songs on the album, but especially that one, and it led to me singing in a band for some years, and finding a guru for some more, (if it was good enough for them…) and becoming a teacher and finally to me taking up the pen and telling my own stories.

Two films  that influenced me: 

The first has to be ‘2001; a space Odyssey’. Completely outside anything I had ever seen and with such stunning cinematography. Nobody could really explain it, so it was open to our own interpretation, and was one of the most important films ever made in terms of expanding our human consciousness and awareness of the universe out there.

My second choice has to be Hitchcock’s ‘Rear Window’ where I suddenly understood about story arc, structure, building tension, and character. I couldn’t have put it in those words then, of course, but I knew it was a brilliant film because I was there, with my broken leg, in the chair next to James Stewart, watching murder unfold and unable to act.

Two people who have influenced me:

I think my first choice may ring a bell for many people; it was my secondary school English teacher Miss Evans. She encouraged me to read, and to write, and to not be satisfied with the ordinary. I got to experiment with language and style in a way that children don’t get these days. It gave me confidence in at least one subject where I could hold my head up. She directly influenced my decision to become and English teacher, and I never regretted it.

There are too many established writers to mention. They have all influenced me in many ways, but if I check back to my late teens; David Eddings’ 10-book series ‘The Belgariad’ taught me about making a commitment to writing, about getting involved and believing in the characters and their challenges. Since then I love nothing more than finding a new author with several books already out. Currently I’m getting up-to-date with Canadian crime writer Louise Penny, which means I’m 13 books in to the series. And let’s not mention Lee Child! The over-riding factor for me is really good story-telling, whatever the genre.

Thanks Liz for giving me space to rattle on, it’s been very enjoyable!

Death on the Coast is  book 3 in the West Country Mysteries series 

Available here

Blurb:

 Can DCI Dan Hellier decipher the twisted mind behind the ritualised burning of homeless men on Devon’s beaches before more people are sacrificed?

When images from the burnings appear all over social media, Hellier realises that he is dealing with a cult a mystery that will lead back to the Irish Troubles.

Hellier will battle a bitter man who has plotted revenge for more than twenty years, without a care for the lives he will destroy…

Twitter: @bernieSteadman

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestCountryMysteries  is my author page

Website: https://www.berniesteadman.com