For Outlander fans…Author @Lizzie_Lamb on the atmospheric coast road from...
If you're a fan of Outlander - or if you love Scotland as much as I do - then I have a treat in store today. Scottish author Lizzie Lamb recently undertook the Coast Road 500 trip around Scotland....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Romantic Novelists’ Association Thank You Giveaway by @Lindahill50Hill
A sad post with a happy ending by one of my favourite book bloggers, Linda Hill. Linda is very generously running a giveaway of an Amazon gift card as a thanks for her recent award from the Romantic...
View ArticleThe Queen of Victorian psychological thrillers
Project Gutenberg has hundreds of old Victorian and Edwardian novels available for free download, and some of them make a cracking read. I went through this list of Edwardian novels on Flavorwire...
View ArticleChoosing the point of view for your story and keeping it consistent
It's the first authors' Round Robin of the year, and another thought-provoking topic for me, both as a writer and an editor. Whose point of view do you like to use when writing your novels? And do you...
View ArticleStruggle and suffrage: celebrating 100 years since the first women gained the...
Centenary of the Representation of the People Act 1918 6th February 2018 marks 100 years since the Representation of the People Act, when all women over the age of 30 who met certain property...
View ArticleTerror on Sunshine Boulevard: murder, mystery and a book #giveaway!
American author JQ Rose and I have been online friends for years (...and soon to meet in real life!!) I interviewed JQ Rose in the very early days of my blog (interview here) and we had a great time....
View ArticleClik here to view.
Staying in with Helena Fairfax
It’s the perfect weather for staying in, and award-winning book blogger Linda Hill has invited me round for a chat. I’ve been following Linda’s blog for a long while now and have discovered some great...
View Article9 brilliant books by Irish writers
People often say the Irish are the best story-tellers in the world, but coming from an Irish family myself, it wouldn't be fair to me to comment! There are very many Irish authors I love, and...
View ArticleWhere do stories come from? The magic of writer inspiration.
It's time for another Round Robin, where a group of authors each post on the same topic on the same day (but not necessarily the same time zone :) ) This week's topic has been chosen by author Rhobin...
View ArticleA new and exciting writing project by nine northern authors
Working as a writer and editor means working alone a lot of the time, and to be honest, as an introvert this is something I enjoy. Some mornings, there's nothing better than knowing you don't have to...
View ArticleRomance novels and the #metoo campaign
After Harvey Wienstein was accused of abusing his position and of using his power to take advantage of women working either directly for him or in his industry, the #metoo campaign went viral. Lots of...
View ArticleHow a group of authors became friends and inspired each other #amwriting...
Sometimes writing can be a lonely business. The only people you meet are the characters inside your head, and the only exciting things that happen are the ones you dream up. You are not friends with...
View ArticleOld and new – 13 brilliant books set in Yorkshire in the north of England
The landscape and people of Yorkshire have inspired writers for hundreds of years. With its rich history and incredible variety, it's no surprise the county has produced such a wealth of great...
View ArticleHappy 95th birthday to the fabulous children’s author, Judith Kerr
Today is the 95th birthday of one of my favourite authors, and all-round fabulous woman, Judith Kerr. BBC Radio 4 featured a brilliant interview with her this morning, which you can listen to here....
View ArticleWhat makes a writer write, when writing is such hard work?
It's June, which means the sun is out, my roses are in bloom - and it's time for another of our authors' Round Robins... This month the topic is: Why do you write or feel compelled to write, even...
View ArticleThe tragic life of the Brontë sisters, and new photos of the parsonage at...
If you've followed my blog for a while you'll know I live in West Yorkshire, not far from Haworth and the home of the Brontë sisters, Charlotte, Emily and Anne. I've visited the Brontë parsonage many...
View ArticleFive photos that show how a writer’s voice evolved
Author Sharon Booth - member of the Romantic Novelists' Association and fellow Yorkshire lass - has a series of posts on her blog this year inviting writers to share five photos that mean something to...
View ArticleWriting is rewriting: how to be brave and persevere
I have to confess this month hasn't been a good writing month for me. I've started a new novel and I'm about 30,000 words in. A few agents have seen it already, and their comments have all been along...
View ArticleDifferently wired: the unique perspective of autistic author James Christie
Author James Christie once made a remarkable journey from his home in Glasgow, travelling all the way across the States to Hollywood by Greyhound. The purpose of his journey was to meet Juliet Landau,...
View ArticleHow do you encourage children to read?
Another month and another Authors' Round Robin! And this month the topic is... How do you encourage children to read? When I was a child I read voraciously. To be honest, I probably read a bit too...
View Article