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Best-selling thriller writer LJ Ross sets up her own publishing imprint

Best-selling thriller writer LJ Ross is setting up her own publishing imprint, Dark Skies Publishing, as she unveils a new character this Halloween.

LJ Ross turned down a traditional publishing deal to self-publish when she released her debut novel, Holy Island, in 2015. Now, having sold more than 4million e-books and print copies of her DCI Ryan thriller series through Amazon, she is launching her own imprint to offer print editions of her books to stores.

So far, her 15-title DCI Ryan series has been available to only a handful of independent book stores and libraries.

LJ intends to change that by making a total of 18 titles available in the first quarter of 2020, starting with Imposter, which is her latest book to be released.

Available to order through Gardners or Booksource, LJ has commissioned “fairly large” print runs and will be offering similar terms and availability to booksellers as those offered by major publishers. She intends to make all of her titles available as soon as possible rather than staggering or delaying release dates.

LJ said: “Making my books available to the trade for the first time is an exciting challenge. I don’t know of too many other authors who have taken the decision to manage this element themselves, but I feel my existing readership shows that demand for my books is strong, particularly in the UK, and I’m willing to take the punt and forge ahead.”

This new development comes as the lawyer-turned-author, who is best known for her chart-topping DCI Ryan series, is unveiling a trilogy based around a new protagonist, criminal profiler Dr Alex Gregory.

An audio edition will also be released, narrated by Emmy Award-winning actor Hugh Dancy, who is best known for his role of criminal profiler Will Graham in the hit NBC television series Hannibal.

It is the first new main character for LJ, whose popular DCI Ryan mysteries have sold more than four million copies since she released her debut novel, Holy Island, in 2015.

The new Dr Alex Gregory trilogy, which starts with Impostor, also marks a change in scenery for LJ. While her DCI Ryan books are set in her home county of Northumberland, and the wider North East, Dr Alex Gregory is called upon to catch a serial killer terrorising a tiny rural community in Co. Mayo, Ireland.

LJ said: “I’m always drawn to places which have a strong sense of their own identity and traditions and I’ve visited Co. Mayo several times where I love the village of Cong.”

Following in the successful footsteps of the books in the DCI Ryan series, Impostor has already stormed the Amazon best-seller charts, going straight to number #1 even before its official release date, with fans downloading on pre-release so they can read it the moment it becomes available.

Impostor follows Dr Alex Gregory, who will already be familiar to eagle-eyed readers of DCI Ryan, as he features as a minor character in the series in both High Force and The Moor.

After an elite criminal profiling unit is shut down amidst a storm of scandal and mismanagement, only one person emerges unscathed. Forensic psychologist Doctor Alexander Gregory has a reputation for being able to step inside the darkest of minds to uncover whatever secrets lie hidden there and, soon enough, he finds himself drawn into the murky world of murder investigation.

In the beautiful hills of Co. Mayo, Ireland, a serial killer is on the loose. Panic has a stranglehold on its rural community and the Garda are running out of time. Gregory has sworn to follow a quiet life but, when the call comes, can he refuse to help their desperate search for justice?

Murder and mystery are peppered with LJ’s signature brand of dark humour in this fast-paced thriller set amidst the spectacular Irish landscape.

LJ said: “I’ve had this idea for a new character in my head for a long time now, so I’m thrilled to be able to share Dr Alex Gregory with my readers.

“I’m been absolutely blown away by the reaction so far. For the first book in the new Gregory series to go to number #1 on the first day of pre-order is phenomenal. I just want to thank everyone who has supported me. I really appreciate it, and hope readers enjoy the story when it comes out on Halloween.”

The new launch means that LJ Ross fans now have two series to enjoy rather than one.

One fan writing on the LJ Ross Author Facebook page said: “I’ve just read all the Ryan books in the summer holidays (I’m a teacher) and I LOVED them, couldn’t put them down. I’m so excited for the next one – already on pre-order. I’m now delighted to see you’re starting another series! I may have to give up work.”

Another said: “Looking forward to the new novels. If they’re anything like Ryan, they will be an instant hit.”

Meanwhile, it has been announced that Hugh Dancy, British actor and star of the critically acclaimed NBC series Hannibal, will be the voice of Dr Alexander Gregory.

Following Ross’s bestselling and critically acclaimed DCI Ryan Mysteries, which have sold more than four million copies worldwide, her three new novels follow the story of Dr Gregory and his work as a psychological profiler with a reputation for being able to step into the darkest criminal minds. The action begins with a murderer on the loose in the scenic hills of rural Ireland, and listeners can expect to be on their edge of their seats with fast-paced and riveting story-telling.

Ross said: “I was thrilled when I heard that Hugh Dancy had agreed to lend his vocal talents to my new Alexander Gregory thriller series. I’ve long been an admirer of his work, including his portrayal of Will Graham in ‘Hannibal’. It’s wonderful to know he will be breathing life and soul into the characters I’ve created, and I am sure that listeners will be gripped by the story as narrated by Hugh.”

Dancy is no stranger to criminal profiling, having played an FBI profiler who seeks help from Hannibal Lector in the television series Hannibal, and it is a subject which has also long-fascinated LJ Ross.

LJ gave up work as a regulatory lawyer in London to become an author. Writing Holy Island while she was pregnant with her son Ethan, she did a postgraduate diploma in psychology where she found herself fascinated by clinical and abnormal psychology.

She even thought about retraining to be a forensic psychologist before writing Holy Island and enjoying unprecedented success with her DCI Ryan series.

“I’ve always had an interest in psychology and true-life drama like Mind Hunter and The Jigsaw Man. I became interested in the history of criminal profiling as I was always intrigued by how much of it is a science and how much of it is just hocus.

“That’s why Gregory is a sceptic, rather than someone who feels they can go into any situation and wave a magic wand. He sees himself as a clinician first and a profiler second.”

While DCI Ryan is largely set in the North East of England, the Gregory series has an international perspective. Gregory lives in the Shad Thames area, where he has a view of the river, and works at the fictional Southmoor Hospital, which takes inspiration from Broadmoor and The Maudsley.

LJ said: “It’s been fun because in the new stories I can weave in time I spent in Paris, and Ireland, which I love. Some of the Scottish islands also feature as well as a little bit of upstate New York. Because Gregory is a consultant, he goes wherever the work is around the world.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Fiona Brook .