It's Independent Booksellers Week and National Crime Fiction Week does that mean you should buy a crime novel from an independent bookshop?
The answer is why not if you enjoy reading a good crime novel. I'd love people to dash out and buy one of my crime novels, of course, but I'm not selfish, you can buy one of my fellow crime authors books if you prefer. And if you don't read crime fiction then you could still pop into your nearest independent bookshop and buy a book - any book will do, you might help to save this rare breed from extinction (independent booksellers that is, not crime writers). And that is what these dedicated days and weeks are for really - a marketing ploy to help stimulate business and raise awareness. And it seems there are a growing number of them: World Smile Day (I'm all for that, but why need a special day- smiling is great for relieving stress we should all try it any time). Then there's Farmhouse Breakfast Week, (I'm not kidding), National Chip Day (that should go down well in the UK) and Love Your Tax Officer Day. I made that one up. I'm a...