About the author

Stephen was born in Kettering, Northamptonshire, and spent all of his working life in the county as a police officer. He retired from the force, and the community he served for thirty years, in 2005. 

After he retired from the force, he set up ‘Blueknight Ltd.’, his own business in training and development specialising in drugs and driver impairment. He retired from Blueknight at the end of 2022 and now prefers to write full time. 

Published in various specialist magazines and books, the publications relate to Stephen’s expertise as a road safety specialist. He published an aide memoir for police officers in drug drive impairment recognition. 

Stephen’s desire to write crime fiction culminated in his first book ‘Blind Murder,’ published in 2014. Since that time, he has published his second title, ‘Driving Dead,’ which was a 2021 finalist in the Page Turner awards. He later released a second edition of Blind Murder in spring 2022. 

His third novel, ‘Crimson Dragon,’ set in Hong Kong and the UK, was published in March 2022 by Matador.

He has now also published, under his production company name 'Five-2-Eight Productions', a novel written by his aunt in the 1950s, Ruth Martin. ‘Let the Grass Grow Green’ is a romantic mystery, set in Cornwall.

Stephen has an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction, from the University of East Anglia (UEA). 

Website: https://stephencollier.com

Amazon page: https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B00L4JZ7P4/allbooks

Lesson Summary

Steve and Morgen discuss various aspects of Steve's writing journey, including:

• Working with editors to improve their books.
• Learning the craft of writing through courses and experience.
• Self-publishing a relative's book.
• Collaborating with a cover designer.
• Marketing challenges.
• Using social media and online platforms for promotion.
• Financial aspects of advertising and book sales.

They emphasise the importance of consistent branding and the thrill of publishing a book.

The discussion covers topics such as Steve's website, upcoming projects including an anthology and book four, his writing processes, short stories versus novels, and Steve's podcast: 'The Old Copper's Podcast'.

Steve, a retired police officer, shares:

• His personal experiences and insights into his work and writing life.
• Insights into characters from his books, potential future novels, and collaborations with other authors.

The conversation also touches on health, nutrition, and weight loss. Morgen and Steve go on to talk about Steve's transition to writing after retiring, his experience with writing crime fiction and short stories, and foray into scriptwriting.

They also discuss his editing process, plotting style, and inspiration behind his novels, particularly one set in Hong Kong, 'Crimson Dragon'. Steve shares insights into his writing process and the evolution of his approach over time.

Stephen Collier retired from his company, Blue Knight, at the end of 2022 and now focuses on writing full time. He has:

• Published works in various specialist magazines and books, primarily on road safety.
• Ventured into crime fiction with novels such as 'Blind Murder', 'Driving Dead', and 'Crimson Dragon'.
• In the pursuit of a writing career, Steve obtained an MA in Creative Writing – Crime Fiction from the University of East Anglia (UEA).
• Published a novel by his aunt, Ruth Martin, under his production company name 'Five-2-Eight Productions.'

His works can be found on his website and Amazon (see his biography on this page).