Hi, I’m Shirley Wells and I’m thrilled to be a member of the wonderful Carina Press team of authors.

I live in the UK, amid the beautiful Lancashire Pennines where my novels are set, and I share my home with two cats, two dogs and a husband who tries, very hard, to cure my penchant for shiny new gadgets.

The latest “must have” was the iPad. My other half believed it was yet another over-priced gadget that I didn’t need. “But it’s gorgeous,” I pointed out. “It’s expensive,” he argued. “Well, um, yes, of course it’s expensive, it’s got this cute little Apple logo on it, you see…” I pointed out that I could read books on it. “Not in the bath,” he said. (I hate to admit it but that’s a fair point…)

As the iPad was a long way from release in the UK, I carried on writing and put all thoughts of shiny things from my mind.

As you will have gathered, I consider myself extremely lucky to live in this part of the UK and to wake to spectacular views of the hills every morning. I see those hills basking in the summer sunshine or brooding in a thick November mist. Sometimes I find myself cut off from civilization because the roads are blocked by snow. Whatever the season, I love this area. It surprised me then when someone visited, shuddered, and said “it’s too bleak for me”. What? That’s as crazy as me saying “yes, I know it has an Apple logo on it, but I don’t want it”.

That single remark gave me the urge to write a story based around a man forced to visit the area by circumstances beyond his control. I wanted a southerner, preferably a city boy, and it wasn’t long before I knew Dylan Scott’s every thought.

In the normal run of things, Dylan wouldn’t be caught dead in a Northern town like Dawson’s Clough. Dylan and ‘normal’, however, are rarely on speaking terms.

Dylan had a promising career ahead of him in the police force until he was dismissed in disgrace and became a reluctant private investigator. When he’s asked to look into the disappearance – thirteen years ago – of Anita Champion, he has little choice but to head north.

I had enormous fun writing about Dylan but, if readers were going to meet him, I had to think about a publisher. When I heard about a new imprint called Carina Press, and then saw the mega-talented people heading up the project, I was very excited.

I sent my novel, Presumed Dead, to Carina Press and put it from my mind. Well, I had more important things on my mind – like convincing my husband that, as soon as the iPad was available in the UK, I needed it.

A few weeks later, I was checking my email on my iPhone and reminding him that I was risking my sight by staring at such a small screen, when it appeared. Yes, I had The Email from Angela James telling me that Carina Press loved Presumed Dead and wanted to publish it. (I won’t describe my shrieks of joy because I expect you heard them…) Believe me, it was a magical moment.

I soon realized that, amazingly, the fun was only just beginning. The contract was signed and I ‘met’ my fab editor, the hugely talented Deb Nemeth who not only loved Dylan as much as I did, but also came up with suggestions that improved his story no end. The edits were soon done and then the cover draft arrived. (OMG, the cover! I’ll tell you about that later.)

So the important thing was to convince husband that, as I was being published in digital format, the iPad, despite his claims to the contrary, was an essential piece of office equipment. Well, I couldn’t be the only author on the planet without a dedicated e-reader, could I? Also, I’d been telling people for ages that, like music, we’d soon be downloading all our books with the click of a mouse. I had to back up my claims by having a reader, didn’t I?

Two things worked in my favour. One, my birthday was coming up. Two, my husband likes a quiet life. Yay – my shiny new iPad arrived along with the email saying “Here’s your book!”. Great timing, yes?

Presumed Dead was the first book I loaded onto my iPad and, thanks to everyone at Carina Press, it looks gorgeous. Utterly, wonderfully gorgeous.

Needless to say, I now have dozens of books on my iPad. The great thing about digital books is that you don’t have to wait to go to the bookstore but can download whatever you’re in the mood for. I read anything and everything. Sometimes I want to pit my wits against the police, PIs or just the author and guess ‘whodunnit’ before I reach the end. Often, though, especially if I’m busy writing my own mysteries, I like a good contemporary romance.

What about you? I’d love to know what you read and, just as important, how you read it. Do you read on the computer, the Nook, the Kindle, the iPad? Enquiring minds would like to know.

The cover – oh, yes, I’ll pop back later and tell you about the cover.

Becoming part of the Carina team has been a wonderful experience and, to continue the party theme, I’m having a giveaway with prizes including a copy of Presumed Dead. You can find all the details over on my blog and I do hope you’ll come along and join in the fun.

Shirley Wells can be found all over the place – her website, her blog, on Twitter and Facebook.