Legend Press

Ruth Dugdall interviewed on BBC Radio Suffolk

Ruth Dugdall was interviewed on BBC Radio Suffolk on Saturday about the subject of writing and getting published.

To listen to the interview please click here and go to 1:40.

Ruth is the author of The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man.

Lucy

Ruth Dugdall event at Southend Central Library

Ruth Dugdall, author of 'The Woman Before Me' and 'The Sacrificial Man' will be speaking at Southend Central Library on 14th March:

Award winning author Ruth Dugdall brings a fantastic novel in ‘The Sacrificial Man.’ A psychological thriller, the book weaves a tale that is both surprising and disturbing. Winning the Debut Dagger Award in 2005 set Ruth on the path to success as a writer but she remains keen to help others in the field and regularly runs workshops to help bring new talent to life. She is an inspiration and a wonderful speaker.

Tickets for the event are £5, with the event running from 7:30-9:30pm. For details about the event please click here

Lucy

Ruth Dugdall Ebooks 99p on Amazon until tomorrow

Both of Ruth's novels The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man are currently being promoted by Amazon - with Ebooks for just 99p. The promotion ends tomorrow evening, so make sure you order your copies before it ends!

It is fantastic to see so many people downloading Ruth's work, with The Woman Before Me now 23 in the Amazon Kindle charts.

Order the Ebook of The Woman Before Me for 99p by clicking here

Order the Ebook of The Sacrificial Man for 99p by clicking here

Lucy

The Woman Before Me - 25 in the Amazon Kindle Chart

Coming into the office this morning it was fantastic to see that The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is currently number 25 in the Amazon Kindle chart. The book is currently being promoted by Amazon for 99p.

To order the Ebook please click here

It is fantastic to see this brilliant book doing so well... even beating Stieg Larsson, P.D. James and Martina Cole in the rankings. If you haven't read it yet, make sure you pick up a copy and let us know what you think.

Lucy

A must for your January sales purchases...

They have been flying through the Christmas and Amazon will now be continuing to promote the fantastic THE WOMAN BEFORE ME by Ruth Dugdall through the first three months of 2012.

If you haven't already bought one, or both, of the Cate Austin books - THE WOMAN BEFORE ME and THE SACRIFICIAL MAN - then you really should catch up.

Order now:

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (print)

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (e-book)

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN (print)

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN (e-book)

Tom

Advent Calendar - 2nd December

Seasons greetings! Today as an advent treat we are giving you a free sample of the award-winning The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall. The book is the winner of the Luke Bitmead Bursary, the CWA Debut Dagger and shortlisted for the New Angle Book Prize, the Brit Writer's book award and the People's Book Prize.

Download The Woman Before Me sample

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

'The final twist is stunning' - The Sacrificial Man by Ruth Dugdall

The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man by Ruth Dugdall have received fantastic reviews from online blogger Fleur Fisher. Below is a snippet:

'Sometimes library books are like buses – you wait for ages for one to appear on the shelves, and when you finally spot it the sequel is there too.

That’s what happened to me with Ruth Dugdall’s first two novels: The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man.

Both feature probation officer Cate Austin. It’s an interesting choice of perspective, a less usual angle, and it is clear that the author, a former probation officer, knows of what she writes. Cate copes as a single mother, whose ex lives nearby with his new family, and she works hard at a new job, fully aware of the importance, the potential consequences, of what she decides. It all rings true, and Cate is an interesting character, but Cate isn’t the main focus.

The main focus of each book is the woman whose case Cate has to evaluate.'

To read the review in full please click here

Lucy

Free sample of the book everyone is talking about - The Woman Before Me

With fantastic 5 star reviews appearing everyday on Amazon, everybody is talking about The Woman Before Me, the debut novel by Ruth Dugdall.

In case you haven't had a chance to read Ruth's writing yet we are happy to offer a free sample of the book by following the link below:

Download Woman Before Me sample

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

Ruth Dugdall events in November and December

Award-winning crime writer Ruth Dugdall will be doing a tour of events in the run-up to Christmas across the South.

Ruth will be promoting her novels The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man.

Below are the list of events:

- 19th November - Waterstone's Bishops Stortford

- 26th November - Waterstone's Lowestoft

- 3rd December - Waterstone's Bury

- 10 December - Waterstone's Ipswich

- 17th December - Waterstone's Woking

The events are the perfect chance to pick up your signed copies for Christmas.

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here 
The Sacrificial Man is available to order by clicking here

60 Amazon reviews for The Woman Before Me

Word of mouth is a fantastic tool for promoting a novel, so it is great to see the fantatic reviews for The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall on Amazon. There are now 60 reviews on the site (42 five star and 10 four star), and it is great to see such overwhelming support for this fantastic debut.

Below are some of the fantastic endorsements:

‘instantly engaging and kept me gripped throughout. I'd go so far as to say it's unputdownable… an impressive debut and I would recommend it without reservation.’ – TARguy, Colchester

‘The characters are very rounded and believable, arousing sympathy and mistrust throughout the book. It's very pacy and keeps you guessing right to the end.’ – LadyMacbeth

‘Dugdall spins a very clever web of deceit and entwines her characters into her story. I totally enjoyed the book, as did the book club.’ – May Bee

‘the pages turn faster and faster as you go. This story is a refreshing change from the usual crime mystery, populated with real characters you can believe in. An excellent novel.’ – Frances Day, Gloucestershire

‘I really liked the style of writing and the way it differed from so many other crime thrillers out there… I would not hesitate to recommend this book’ – Julia Shaw

‘There were no winners among the characters in this novel but this is a winning book in more senses than one and I am glad I read it.’ – H Gore, Essex

‘Dugdall draws her characters with consummate skill, using her personal experience as a Probation Officer in a women's prison to bring them to life. She holds the reader's attention through to the end’ – Wendy

‘This story is about so many different things, loss, relationships, jealousy and obsession all displayed in a measured manner… Fantastic I hope Ruth Dugdall writes more for us’ – C. Bannister, Jersey

‘psychologically acute; it is also, more importantly, very, very moving.’ – David Rose

‘a finely crafted piece of observation. A precise study of human need… excellent stuff!’ – Gary Murning, author

‘Dark and disturbing, this psychological thriller will stay with you long after you've put the book down.’ – S Lovett, Essex

‘I loved this book even with its dark subject matter, and read it in two sittings. It is a real page turner and written with real insight into all the characters.’ – M. Squirrell

‘Absolutely brilliant. I could not put it down and read it in a day. Still thinking about the characters now.’ – schoolescort

‘this one is definitely addictive and definitely leaves you wanting more.’ – kayscarpetta, Cleveland

‘What makes this thriller so successful is the way sadness and creepiness combine - in the sense that the reader feels that such a story could happen in anybody's life.’ – Petch

‘This was a page turner from beginning to end… I cannot wait for the next installment from this author.’ – AY Smith

‘With a fantastic eye for detail and sense of place this story will stay with you long after you've finished reading it.’ – Green One

‘A dark and captivating read. Dugdall reveals her skills as a `wordsmith', creating a spare and compelling narrative that is both satisfying and disquieting.’ – bhgirl

‘If you like dark and disturbing plots, this is for you! You'll be gripped by the relentless pace of the story and be prepared for a couple of shocks at the end.’ – Roz Colyer, Essex

‘Pacy, believable, with characters you can really root for; Ruth Dugdall is a talent to watch out for.’ - Devon Violets

‘It was marvelous, a real diametric juxtaposition of raw emotion and sophisticated narrative, pacy plotlines and luxuriously laconic descriptions reminiscent of authors such as John Connolly’ - Mark

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

Ruth Dugdall and Book Gourmets

This week Legend Press were delighted to take part in book group in Colchester, arranged by new company The Book Gourmet.

The is a community of book lovers meeting in book clubs around the UK and connecting online. For information please click here

Ruth Dugdall attended the meeting in Colchester this week, where they discussed her second novel The Sacrificial Man. An interview with Ruth has been posted on the Book Gourmet website.

Below is a taster:

Jo asked Ruth : Are you Cate?

'Do you remember when she gets the handcuffs put on her, by the officer? Well that actually happened to me and I didn’t go and report it. So there are bits of me in her, that feeling of frustration and powerlessness in this institution that is not listening. But I am no more Cate then I am the others.

There are bits of me in Alice. Although Alice isn’t a pleasant character, you still have to invest in that character. And so there is. My wardrobe is organised like Alice’s. I color co-ordinate my books. There are bits of my obsessiveness in Alice. You borrow, you borrow all the time. You borrow experiences and merge them. So Cate is a bit of me, but Alice is too and I suppose all of those characters are. And of course the backstory, Alice’s childhood with Matilde is very very important and that is really about the relationships between women, mothers and daughters. And having a daughter myself, that relationship is so crucial.'

Lucy

The Sacrificial Man is available to order by clicking here

40 five star reviews for The Woman Before Me

The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall has received a fantastic response so far from readers on Amazon - with 40 five star reviews posted up for the book.

There is great word of mouth momentum behind this book - and we would love you to join the discussion by reading the book and reviewing online.

Here are some reader's thoughts:

'Ruth Dugdall has written her with great psychological insight and captures Rose's descent into obsession with chilling precision. I found myself desperate for Rose to do the right thing and yet simultaneously understanding her needs, even empathising with them. It's quite an achievement and left me disturbed long after I had put the book down. This is an impressive debut and I would recommend it without reservation.'

'Ruth Dugdall draws her characters with consummate skill, using her personal experience as a Probation Officer in a women's prison to bring them to life. She holds the reader's atention through to the end, with its horrifying twist.'

'This is a book that you're drawn into right from the start and it quickly becomes a page turner that you just can't put down. I didn't see the twist coming. The characters are very rounded and believable, arousing sympathy and mistrust throughout the book. It's very pacy and keeps you guessing right to the end. I can't wait to read Ruth Dugdall's next one. A totally unique book that creates its own genre. Great movie material.'

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available now for just £4.43 by clicking here

The Woman Before Me shortlisted for the Brit Writers Published Author Award

We are delighted to announce that The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall has been shortlisted for the Brit Writers Published Author Award.

The award will be announced at an event at the London Aquarium on 7th October.

The book has been described by best-selling author Sam Mills as 'An enthralling psychological thriller' and by the CWA Debut Dagger panel as 'Dark, disturbing and authentic'.

Lucy

If you haven't read this fantastic book yet make sure you pic up a copy by clicking here

The Woman Before Me at Half-Price at BOOKS etc.

It was great to receive an email from BOOKS etc. headlined by the brilliant THE WOMAN BEFORE ME and offering copies at half-price (in fact, £3.99), plus a further 5% when registering - thereby the lowest price on offer for the acclaimed and prize-winning novel.

To order your copies, simply click here.

Tom

Ruth Dugdall - word spreading!

We were delighted to see today that The Sacrificial Man by Ruth Dugdall has been tipped as a must-read by influential crime reviewer Mike Ripley for Shotsmag.

Mike gave a fantastic endorsement for Ruth's debut novel The Woman Before Me describing the book as 'at times quite hypnotic...gripping and powerful.' Mike commented that the novel was 'one of the most under-rated spinetinglers of 2010'.

To read Mike's August crime fiction report please click here

Lucy

The Sacrificial Man is available to order by clicking here
The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

 

Ruth Dugdall at Bodies in the Bookshop tomorrow evening

Ruth Dugdall will be at Heffers bookshop in Cambridge tomorrow night at 6pm for their annual Bodies in the Bookshop event.

Ruth will be joined by authors including James Aitcheson, Richard Blake, C. J. Box, Alison Bruce, Will Carver, Jane Casey, Mary Andrea Clarke, Barbara Cleverly, Charles Cumming, Ruth Downie, Nick Drake, Patrick Easter, Kate Ellis, Jane Finnis, Peter Guttridge and Sophie Hannah

Ruth will be promoting her novels The Woman Before Me and The Sacrificial Man.

Lucy

The Woman Before Me chosen for WI Summer Read

We were delighted to hear a month or so ago that Ruth Dugdall's The Woman Before Me has been chosen by Westcliff on Sea WI as there summer read. The group will be meeting in September to discuss the book, with Ruth attending the meeting. It will be fantastic to hear what all the members think of Ruth's book and we hope there will be lots of debate!

We love having book groups read and discuss our books so if you would like to get your group involved email info@legend-paperbooks.co.uk

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is a complete bargain at the moment online for just £4 so make sure you pick up a copy by clicking here

Ruth Dugdall in Writing Magazine this month

Ruth Dugdall is featured in Writing Magazine this month. Below is a taster:

When Ruth Dugdall won the CWA Debut Dagger in 2005 with The Woman Before Me her life changed. She gave up her job as probation officer and writing became a career.

'I'm a bit of a control freak,' she says. 'My diary holds a list of today's tasks, which are ticked off as they're completed. When in a writing phase my minimum daily count is 1,000 words, and in the editing phases I'll stipulate a number of pages, say 20. I stick to my target, whatever life throws in the way.

To read the article click here

Lucy

 

Vote for The Woman Before Me

The fantastic The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is in the final for the People's Book Prize 2011 in the Best Fiction category.

The winner is decided by the public, and the public alone so we would really appreciate your vote. Voting takes a couple of minutes and can be done by clicking here

Endorsements for The Woman Before Me

"An enthralling psychological thriller - perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah" - Best-selling author Sam Mills

‘Dark, disturbing and authentic’ - CWA judging panel

‘Impressive in its unflinching realism, this is a dark and haunting psychological thriller that possesses both depth and sensitivity.’ - Crime Time

‘This novel is an extremely addictive debut… a real page-turner… As a debut novel, this is a remarkably assured and well-written book.’ – Petrona

‘Authentic… diverting debut’ – The Daily Mail

‘always a page-turner… Just when I thought I'd got it sussed, I'm proved wrong. This is a clever and suspenseful story told in an engaging style.’ – thebookbag.co.uk

‘a young British crime-writer who uses her career in the Probation Service to stunning effect… a bleak, dark psychological thriller, at times quite hypnotic… gripping and powerful.’ - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag

‘outstanding novel…sheer time-stopping suspense’ - Katie McGrainor, Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust

‘I read it in about two days, constantly thinking about the characters and the story, so much that I had to pick it up again and again!’ – Nikki Dudley, author and blogger

‘an enthralling psychological thriller and is in turns moving, tragic, tense and altogether very well written…always a page-turner’ - Allovertown.co.uk

‘Very fine debut’ - DJs krimiblog

Thank you for your help!

Lucy

And The Sacrificial Man is released...

Today, 1st July, sees the official release date of the fantastic THE SACRIFICIAL MAN by Ruth Dugdall. I was going to use a snowballing anology but I think I will change that to a whirlwind - since last August and in particular over recent months, so much has been happening for Ruth's first novel THE WOMAN BEFORE ME and now THE SACRIFICIAL MAN.

Prizes, national coverage, fantastic reviews, bestseller charts, more interviews (and on very varied subjects) that Jeremy Paxman could fit into election year, rights auctions, international interest, more events than there seem to be days to do them, book group best book selections and, finally, the cause of a book group fight.

So, really, you need to find out what the huge fuss is about:

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN (print)

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN (digital)

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (print)

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (digital)

 

Tom

'The first time my book club members nearly had a PUNCH UP'

The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall has received the ultimate review from a book group which I spotted on Amazon yesterday:

'The first time my book club members nearly had a PUNCH UP was over this book. Such is the level of emotion that Ruth Dugdall conjures in this amazing debut novel, with it's dark controversial subject matter and uncomfortable portrayal of womanhood and motherhood, it's a must read, especially for book groups. Some members focussed on the clever writing and held sympathy for the characters, one felt it portrayed women in a bad light, and another was visibly seething with anger at the fictional behaviour. But no one could put it down. I thoroughly recommend this book and look forward to reading more from this gifted author who we will no doubt be seeing much more of. But if we make it a book club choice, I'll be sure to hide any sharp objects first...'

Read Ruth's Amazon reviews by clicking here

Lucy

Lining Up in the Amazon

Nice to receive my morning Amazon email with the three books from the fantastic Ruth Dugdall at the top.

They clearly have fine taste.

With longed for Jedi power, order your copies now!

Tom

The Luke Bitmead Bursary

Submissions are now open for the 2011 Luke Bitmead Bursary.

We are delighted to be working with Luke's family to ensure that Luke’s name and memory lives on - not only through his work, but through this wonderful memorial bursary too. For those of you lucky enough to have met Luke you will know that he was hugely compassionate and would love the idea of another struggling talented writer being supported on the arduous road to securing their first publishing deal.

For details of how to submit please click here

The deadline for submissions is 31st August 2011.

Lucy

Vote for The Woman Before Me

The fantastic The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is in the final for the People's Book Prize 2011 in the Best Fiction category.

The winner is decided by the public, and the public alone so we would really appreciate your vote. Voting takes a couple of minutes and can be done by clicking here

Endorsements for The Woman Before Me

"An enthralling psychological thriller - perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah" - Best-selling author Sam Mills

‘Dark, disturbing and authentic’ - CWA judging panel

‘Impressive in its unflinching realism, this is a dark and haunting psychological thriller that possesses both depth and sensitivity.’ - Crime Time

‘This novel is an extremely addictive debut… a real page-turner… As a debut novel, this is a remarkably assured and well-written book.’ – Petrona

‘Authentic… diverting debut’ – The Daily Mail

‘always a page-turner… Just when I thought I'd got it sussed, I'm proved wrong. This is a clever and suspenseful story told in an engaging style.’ – thebookbag.co.uk

‘a young British crime-writer who uses her career in the Probation Service to stunning effect… a bleak, dark psychological thriller, at times quite hypnotic… gripping and powerful.’ - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag

‘outstanding novel…sheer time-stopping suspense’ - Katie McGrainor, Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust

‘I read it in about two days, constantly thinking about the characters and the story, so much that I had to pick it up again and again!’ – Nikki Dudley, author and blogger

‘an enthralling psychological thriller and is in turns moving, tragic, tense and altogether very well written…always a page-turner’ - Allovertown.co.uk

‘Very fine debut’ - DJs krimiblog

Thank you for your help!

Lucy

Pictures from Ruth Digdall's Book Launch

Greatly enjoyed the trip to Ipswich on Saturday for the launch of the brilliant THE SACRIFICIAL MAN by Ruth Dugdall.

The event took place at Waterstone's Ipswich and saw Ruth give a brilliant reading, including musical accompanyment, to a packed audience.

She then risked an arm injury by signing copies for the long queue of soon to be readers of her latest book.

With so much happening for Ruth's writing it is a very exciting time and we are expecting THE SACRIFICAL MAN to prove a huge success.

Order your copies here:

THE SACRIFICAL MAN (print version)

THE SACRIFICAL MAN (digital version)

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (print version)

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (digital version)

Tom

Ruth Dugdall on BBC Radio Suffolk

Ruth Dugdall was interviewed on BBC Radio Suffolk yesterday about her forthcoming novel The Sacrificial Man. You can listen to the interview by clicking here (Ruth is at 39 minutes in).

Lucy

Vote for The Woman Before Me

The fantastic The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is in the final for the People's Book Prize 2011 in the Best Fiction category.

The winner is decided by the public, and the public alone so we would really appreciate your vote. Voting takes a couple of minutes and can be done by clicking here

Endorsements for The Woman Before Me

"An enthralling psychological thriller - perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah" - Best-selling author Sam Mills

‘Dark, disturbing and authentic’ - CWA judging panel

‘Impressive in its unflinching realism, this is a dark and haunting psychological thriller that possesses both depth and sensitivity.’ - Crime Time

‘This novel is an extremely addictive debut… a real page-turner… As a debut novel, this is a remarkably assured and well-written book.’ – Petrona

‘Authentic… diverting debut’ – The Daily Mail

‘always a page-turner… Just when I thought I'd got it sussed, I'm proved wrong. This is a clever and suspenseful story told in an engaging style.’ – thebookbag.co.uk

‘a young British crime-writer who uses her career in the Probation Service to stunning effect… a bleak, dark psychological thriller, at times quite hypnotic… gripping and powerful.’ - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag

‘outstanding novel…sheer time-stopping suspense’ - Katie McGrainor, Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust

‘I read it in about two days, constantly thinking about the characters and the story, so much that I had to pick it up again and again!’ – Nikki Dudley, author and blogger

‘an enthralling psychological thriller and is in turns moving, tragic, tense and altogether very well written…always a page-turner’ - Allovertown.co.uk

‘Very fine debut’ - DJs krimiblog

Thank you for your help!

Lucy

Visit Ruth Dugdall's new website

Psychological crime writer Ruth Dugdall has a new website http://www.ruthdugdall.com/

The website allows you to read the first chapter of each of her novels and watch author videos, as well as a link to Ruth's blog. So make sure you take a look!

Lucy

 

Vote for The Woman Before Me

The fantastic The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is in the final for the People's Book Prize 2011 in the Best Fiction category.

The winner is decided by the public, and the public alone so we would really appreciate your vote. Voting takes a couple of minutes and can be done by clicking here

Endorsements for The Woman Before Me

"An enthralling psychological thriller - perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah" - Best-selling author Sam Mills

‘Dark, disturbing and authentic’ - CWA judging panel

‘Impressive in its unflinching realism, this is a dark and haunting psychological thriller that possesses both depth and sensitivity.’ - Crime Time

‘This novel is an extremely addictive debut… a real page-turner… As a debut novel, this is a remarkably assured and well-written book.’ – Petrona

‘Authentic… diverting debut’ – The Daily Mail

‘always a page-turner… Just when I thought I'd got it sussed, I'm proved wrong. This is a clever and suspenseful story told in an engaging style.’ – thebookbag.co.uk

‘a young British crime-writer who uses her career in the Probation Service to stunning effect… a bleak, dark psychological thriller, at times quite hypnotic… gripping and powerful.’ - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag

‘outstanding novel…sheer time-stopping suspense’ - Katie McGrainor, Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust

‘I read it in about two days, constantly thinking about the characters and the story, so much that I had to pick it up again and again!’ – Nikki Dudley, author and blogger

‘an enthralling psychological thriller and is in turns moving, tragic, tense and altogether very well written…always a page-turner’ - Allovertown.co.uk

‘Very fine debut’ - DJs krimiblog

Thank you for your help!

Lucy

Listen to Ruth's Woman's Hour interview

Ruth Dugdall's interview on Woman's Hour is now available to listen again by clicking here

In the interview Ruth spoke about her perspective as a crime writer who has worked as a probation officer in high security prisons. She spoke about her novels and the way the criminal justice system treats female criminals in contrast to men.

Lucy

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN Tops the Charts!

Following on from Ruth Dugdall's appearance on Woman's Hour on Radio 4, this morning the already great demand for her novels has taken a surge onwards!

Digital and print versions of THE WOMAN BEFORE ME and SACRIFICIAL MAN have been flying up the charts, and now THE SACRIFICIAL MAN is no.6 on the Amazon Psychological Thriller Chart!

Join the rush and order here:

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (print)

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME (digital)

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN (print)

THE SACRIFICIAL MAN (digital)

Tom

Ruth Dugdall on Woman's Hour

We were delighted to hear Ruth Dugdall on Radio 4's Woman's Hour this morning. We will be posting up the iplayer link to the interview tomorrow morning.

Ruth was discussing her debut novel The Woman Before Me and her new release The Sacrificial Man, published on 1st July.

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

The Sacrificial Man is available to order by clicking here

Vote for The Woman Before Me

The fantastic The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is in the final for the People's Book Prize 2011 in the Best Fiction category.

The winner is decided by the public, and the public alone so we would really appreciate your vote. Voting takes a couple of minutes and can be done by clicking here

Endorsements for The Woman Before Me

"An enthralling psychological thriller - perfect for fans of Sophie Hannah" - Best-selling author Sam Mills

‘Dark, disturbing and authentic’ - CWA judging panel

‘Impressive in its unflinching realism, this is a dark and haunting psychological thriller that possesses both depth and sensitivity.’ - Crime Time

‘This novel is an extremely addictive debut… a real page-turner… As a debut novel, this is a remarkably assured and well-written book.’ – Petrona

‘Authentic… diverting debut’ – The Daily Mail

‘always a page-turner… Just when I thought I'd got it sussed, I'm proved wrong. This is a clever and suspenseful story told in an engaging style.’ – thebookbag.co.uk

‘a young British crime-writer who uses her career in the Probation Service to stunning effect… a bleak, dark psychological thriller, at times quite hypnotic… gripping and powerful.’ - Mike Ripley, Shotsmag

‘outstanding novel…sheer time-stopping suspense’ - Katie McGrainor, Staffordshire and West Midlands Probation Trust

‘I read it in about two days, constantly thinking about the characters and the story, so much that I had to pick it up again and again!’ – Nikki Dudley, author and blogger

‘an enthralling psychological thriller and is in turns moving, tragic, tense and altogether very well written…always a page-turner’ - Allovertown.co.uk

‘Very fine debut’ - DJs krimiblog

Thank you for your help!

Lucy

THE WOMAN BEFORE ME at the top of the charts!

I know Amazon email you a selection based on your previous searches, but it is still a nice sight and one that feels like a nice sign. Over the last few months, THE WOMAN BEFORE ME by Ruth Dugdall has been in the top 1,000 more often that Cliff Richard over the last 175 Christmasses combined.

And with Ruth second novel, THE SACRIFICIAL MAN, due out on the 1st July, we very excited by the prospect that Dugdall is the new big name in crime fiction.

If you haven't ordered a copy of her books, go and do so now and see what the fuss is all about:

Buy THE WOMAN BEFORE ME here

Buy THE SACRIFICIAL MAN here

Tom

Ruth Dugdall event last week

Ruth Dugdall was at Caxton Books in Frinton-on-Sea last Thursday for a wine and canape evening to discuss her debut novel The Woman Before Me. Thank you to the bookshop for hosting such  good event.

Ruth's second novel The Sacrificial Man is out on 1st July and is available to pre-order by clicking here

Lucy

Ruth Dugdall on the Luke Bitmead Bursary

On Friday submissions opened for the 4th Luke Bitmead Writers Bursary. This week we will be posting up blogs from the previous winner's of the Bursary and today is one from 2009 winner Ruth Dugdall:

If you’re reading this, and thinking about entering the Luke Bitmead Bursary, you may be interested to know how winning the bursary changed my life.

All you need is a novel to submit. Mine was The Woman Before Me, a psychological thriller set in coastal Suffolk.

It’s about Rose Wilks, whose life is shattered when her newborn baby Joel is admitted to intensive care. Alongside her in hospital is Emma, who has just given birth to Luke and the two women become friends. Joel dies and Luke is thriving – then tragedy strikes and Rose is the only suspect.

The novel starts with Rose having spent five years behind bars. She is just weeks away from release if she can convince probation officer Cate Austin to recommend parole. As Cate is drawn into Rose’s story she begins to question everything she thought she knew about justice, love and obsession.

The Woman Before Me won the Debut Dagger in 2005, which was a watershed moment for me. Until then I’d thought of writing as a hobby – I’d self-published my first novel (The James Version) but was still working as a Probation Officer. The Dagger gave me the confidence to resign and dedicate myself to writing full-time.

The day after the Dagger awards I signed with a top agent and the novel was going to be submitted to six major publishing houses. I thought I had made it…

But that would have been just too easy. The Woman Before Me didn’t get picked up by the major publishers. They worried that it was ‘not commercial enough’, and that it didn’t fit neatly enough into the ‘crime novel’ box. It went into the bottom drawer and I started to write my third novel, The Sacrificial Man. I have to tell you, this was all pretty soul-destroying and I was really beginning to wonder if I was just kidding myself and I should just go back to work.

Then, in the summer of 2009, I saw the Luke Bitmead bursary advertised in Writer’s News. It seemed perfect for The Woman Before Me. The bursary aims to promote and publish a new writer each year, and was set up in memory of Luke Bitmead, a talented writer who sadly committed suicide.

When I won the award in October 2009 I cried through much of the ceremony, knowing that I would finally see my novel in print. So, after waiting nearly five years, I finally achieved my goal!

Winning the bursary changed everything for me. The Woman Before Me was published in August 2010. Since then it has been short-listed for The New Angle Prize for literature and is through to the finals of The People’s Book Prize. It is already in its third print run, and rising in the Amazon ranks with 33 positive reviews. Rights have been sold in Germany, India, Turkey and large print.

And the good news doesn’t stop there: Legend Press will be publishing The Sacrificial Man, next month! Starting tomorrow I have a whirlwind of book signings, talks and events going right up until Christmas...

I had so many days when I thought this would never happen, and now it has it’s truly wonderful. A real dream-come-true.

To be a writer you have to be tenacious and dogged – having a strong support network helps. I would urge any new writers to consider competitions as a way of getting a foot in the door. The closing date for this year's Luke Bitmead Bursary is August 31st.

So, what are you waiting for?

Good luck!

Ruth

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

Ruth Dugdall at Caxton Books this Thursday

Ruth Dugdall will be speaking at Caxton Books in Frinton this Thursday 19th May about her debut novel The Woman Before Me. The event with wine and canapes will be held in their cookery workshop from 7-9pm.

For details please click here

This fantastic independent book shop Caxton Books & Gallery is just a stone's throw from Frinton Beach. The Gallery also exhibits local and East Anglian artwork, ceramics and jewellery.

Lucy

The Woman Before Me is available to order by clicking here

Ruth Dugdall at Waterstones Lowestoft

This Saturday 14 May, Ruth Dugdall will be once again signing copies in Waterstones Lowestoft from 11am onwards for her fantastic debut novel The Woman Before Me.

Ruth's second novel, The Sacrificial Man, is published 1 July and details of upcoming events will be listed shortly. 

Click here for directions to the store.

Lauren

Ruth Dugdall at Caxton Books in Frinton

Ruth Dugdall will be speaking at Caxton Books in Frinton on Thursday 19th May about her debut novel The Woman Before Me. The event with wine and canapes will be held in their cookery workshop from 7-9pm.

For details please click here

This fantastic independent book shop Caxton Books & Gallery is just a stone's throw from Frinton Beach. The Gallery also exhibits local and East Anglian artwork, ceramics and jewellery.

Lucy

The Woman Before Me - 'sheer time-stopping suspense'

The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall has been reviewed by the Staffordshire and West Midlands Trust website:

In reading this outstanding novel one quickly finds that the title can have several meanings. In one sense we are looking at who these two women are prior to them meeting each other within the walls of Bishop’s Hill; in another we see the woman of Rose, sitting before Cate, and vice versa, and the ways that these two women dissect each other both professionally and personally; and finally we see the protagonist Rose become obsessed with her partner’s relationship with the woman he was with before her...

As a notoriously slow reader, the fact that I read this book in a matter of days speaks volumes of its readability, its clever writing and its sheer time-stopping suspense.

Ruth Dugdall worked as a probation officer for 10 years in high security prisons and it is interesting to see a fellow probation officers opinion of the book.

Lucy

If you have not read the book already it is souring up the charts on Amazon, and we urge you to read it!

Ruth Dugdall's second novel out in June

We are very excited about the launch of Ruth Dugdall's second novel The Sacrificial Man this summer on 25th June 2011. As a sneak preview below is the blurb for this great book:

What I want to say is that suicide is my choice. No-one else is to blame. Man seeks beautiful woman for the journey of a lifetime: Will you help me to die?

When Probation Officer Cate Austin is given her new assignment, she faces the highest-profile case of her career. Alice Mariani is charged with assisted suicide and Cate must recommend a sentence.

Alice insists her story is one of misinterpreted love, forcing those around her to analyse their own lives. Who is to decide what is normal and when does loyalty turn to obsession?

Investigating the loophole that lies between murder and euthanasia, Cate must now meet the woman who agreed to comply with her lover’s final request. Shocking revelations expose bitter truths that can no longer be ignored.

Lucy

The People's book prize

We are excited to announce that The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is through to the final of the People's Book Prize 2011, a national competition showing new authors in the UK.

Ruth's second novel The Sacrificial Man will be published on 25th June 2011.

Blurb:

What I want to say is that suicide is my choice. No-one else is to blame. Man seeks beautiful woman for the journey of a lifetime: Will you help me to die? When Probation Officer Cate Austin is given her new assignment, she faces the highest-profile case of her career. Alice Mariani is charged with assisted suicide and Cate must recommend a sentence.

Alice insists her story is one of misinterpreted love, forcing those around her to analyse their own lives. Who is to decide what is normal and when does loyalty turn to obsession? Shocking revelations expose the bitter truths that can no longer be ignored.

Investigating the loophole that lies between murder and euthanasia, Cate must now meet the woman who agreed to kill, and eat, her lover.

Lucy

The Woman Before Me on Radio Suffolk

The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall has been featured on the Lesley Dolphin show on BBC Radio Suffolk, following its longlisting for the New Angle Prize for Literature.

Ruth's hotly anticipated second novel The Sacrificial Man is published by Legend Press on 25th June 2011.

You can listen to the feature by clicking here and going to 1:55hr

Lucy

Order The Woman Before Me by clicking here

The Woman Before Me longlisted for the New Angle book prize

The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall has been longlisted for the 2011 New Angle Book Prize. The longlist includes:

- Aftermath by Ronald Blythe (Black Dog Books, 2010)
- The Breakfast Machine by Helen Ivory (Bloodaxe Books, 2010)
- Death Watch by Jim Kelly (Penguin, 2010)
- The Last Weekend by Blake Morrison (Chatto & Windus, 2010)

For details of the full longlist please click here

Lucy

 

Legend Press needs your vote! - The Woman Before Me

Legend Press novel The Woman Before Me is up for the People's Book Prize in the Fiction category. We are currently in third place but literally only a few votes behind, so every vote counts!

Please help us support this fantastic book, which really deserves all the great praise it has been receiving.

Voting is simple and takes a minute (a couple at most) and can be done by clicking here

Thank you for your support

Lucy

Your votes are required!

The fantastic THE WOMAN BEFORE ME by Ruth Dugdall was selected for voting for The People's Book Prize - the only major book prize decided exclusively by the public – with voting ending in just seven days on 28th February.

And currently the prize-winning novel is in second place, just 12 votes behind the current leader. Therefore, we need your votes and with them we are sure we can cover that gap and get THE WOMAN BEFORE ME into the lead.

Therefore, click here, see voting so far for fiction and then all you have to do is register and record your vote on the book's page.

Place your votes now!

Tom

We need your vote! Please!

The fantastic The Woman Before Me by Ruth Dugdall is up for The People's Book Prize, which is being announced in a couple of weeks. Ruth has just slipped into second, so we need your vote to help this brilliant and gripping novel!

Voting takes one minute so we would really appreciate your help. Voting can be done by clicking here

Thanks for your help!

Lucy

Ruth Dugdall as she was then

Following on from our 'Author's as they were then' blogs at the end of last year here is a picture of Ruth Dugdall as a child alongside a piece from her local paper.

Ruth has been busy this month promoting her novel The Woman Before Me.

Lucy

Buy the book

Ruth Dugdall interviewed on BBC Radio York

Ruth Dugdall, author of The Woman Before Me was interviewed on BBC Radio York yesterday by Russell Walker on his afternoon show.

You can listen to the interview on iplayer by clicking here. Ruth's interview starts at 14:10.

Lucy

Ruth Dugdall on BBC Radio Suffolk yesterday

Ruth Dugdall was interviewed by Lesley Dolphin on BBC Radio Suffolk yesterday.

You can listen to the interview on iplayer by clicking here. Ruth's interview starts at 2:35:00.

Lucy