Last week I switched off my mobile and unplugged my laptop. Going off grid is great or is it? For five days I shunned the digital world to commune with nature. In other words, I went camping in The Lake District. Back to basics in a little corner of Cumbria The Lake District. Three words […]
Going off grid is great or is it? Read More »
Starting The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer I wasn’t sure what to expect. I’d never watched Shooting Stars or The Smell of Reeves and Mortimer. However, I like Bob Mortimer’s quirky sense of humour from watching the delightful Gone Fishing series multiple times. And I (like vast swathes of the public) laugh at his retelling
The Satsuma Complex by Bob Mortimer Read More »
‘It’s a year ago this week since I published Apokeri Bay,’ I remarked while unwrapping an Aldi Titan chocolate bar. An amusing name for a treat that would fit snugly in a gnome’s shirt pocket. My partner lounged on the sofa, watching another rerun of Would I Lie To You, and barely raised his head.
One year as a published author and what have I learned? Read More »
I picked up the House at Riverton by Kate Morton and flipped to the back cover. The very bottom line stated ‘one of the most successful debuts of all time’ – now that’s a way to get my attention. Coming in at almost six hundred pages, this was going to be a significant investment of
The House at Riverton by Kate Morton Read More »
There’s a wonderful world of book awards out there. For authors they are a stamp of approval. A way of shouting – hey my book is brilliant because it’s recognised above all the others. And who doesn’t love an accolade. I can’t imagine for one minute; any winner is going to turn around and say
The wonderful world of book awards and as a reader do you care? Read More »
A couple of weeks ago I was lucky enough to be at the New Writing North Newcastle Writing Conference and attend a fascinating panel event, featuring authors Karen Powell and Tawseef Khan. For both, the settings of their novels are intrinsically bound to the landscape. In Fifteen Wild Decembers, the bond between the wild Yorkshire
The importance of place in storytelling Read More »
I love writing. I love the art of storytelling, where you can conjure worlds and characters from your imagination. Where readers are gripped by the adventures of entertaining and intriguing characters. Through words I can go anywhere, do anything and be anyone. Isn’t imagination a fantastic thing? But is writing good for you? I took
Is Writing Good For You? Read More »
In this The Memory Garden by Rachel Hore review, I’m going to say straightaway that I had very high expectations. I loved A Week in Paris and hoped for more of the same. I wasn’t disappointed. Rachel delivers another knockout book. Again, it goes between two time periods. This time modern day and a hundred
The Memory Garden by Rachel Hore review Read More »
Bothy Tales by John D. Burns is a short collection of stories based on his adventures in the Scottish hills and made the TGO magazine shortlist for Outdoor Book of the Year. If you’re looking for inspiration to get out and about then this book is definitely worth a read with its engaging, down-to-earth and
Bothy Tales by John D. Burns Read More »
The days are lengthening, it’s not dark on the morning dog-walk and life is pushing up through the grass. Snowdrops are swaying in the breeze, along with cyclamen and hellebores and I’ve even sees some early flowering daffodils. Yes, winter is slowly loosening its grip – hooray we all cheer. However, I did have to
Looking for a little slice of Greek sunshine? Read More »