06 Thursday Jun 2019
Posted in Viewpoint
I’ve recently taken part in an academic research study looking at life for women in the media. I hesitated before agreeing to take part as I stopped working as a journalist five years ago and now write fiction.
But it got me thinking about what life was like for a young, female journalist in the 70s, 80s and 90s.
16 Tuesday Apr 2019
Posted in Viewpoint
What is it about authors? Why are so many of us nervous about our work, lacking in self-confidence and, let’s face it, scared to put our writing out there?
I’ve not met an author yet who doesn’t at some stage whisper conspiratorially that they’re worried they’ll be ‘found out’ one day. Continue reading
12 Tuesday Mar 2019
Posted in Viewpoint
It’s always interesting to hear how other authors work: where they write; what they have on their desks (or kitchen tables); the time of day that’s best for them to be creative; and what they wear.
Now to be honest, it’s the ‘what they wear’ that interests me the most today. Sorry to be so shallow, but I know from talking to other people who work from home, we’re not the sort for a full row of pearls and stilettos while we’re sitting in front of our computers bashing out the odd 5,000 words. Continue reading
13 Thursday Dec 2018
Posted in Reviews
From the start of Alison Moore’s quietly creepy book, the expectations are that not all will end well. Continue reading
31 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted in Viewpoint
There was an interesting juxtaposition of articles in a newspaper this week and, while I first thought it was a mean trick by a grudging sub editor to put the two side by side, I realized that one was a harrowing story of bravery while the other was … well… an over-indulgent whine. In other words, a poorly considered first person column. Continue reading
17 Wednesday Oct 2018
Posted in News
The two of us will be meeting readers and signing copies of our books, this Saturday (October 20) at one of Harrogate’s newest and most beautiful bookshops.
14 Friday Sep 2018
Posted in Reviews
This is one of those books I’ve always thought I should read, but it was only when it appeared on my local Book Club list, that I finally got around to it. It’s not a new release – in fact, it’s almost fifty years since it was published, so perhaps it could be described now as something of a classic. Continue reading
16 Monday Jul 2018
An explanation: this review is about a book – but it’s also about a film. It’s a film review – but the film is an adaptation of the book – and it mentions the book too. OK?
The film is The Bookshop, currently doing the cinema rounds, and based on the book of the same name by Penelope Fitzgerald. The original was published in 1978 and shortlisted for the Booker – and I simply can’t understand why I hadn’t heard of it until now. Continue reading
02 Monday Jul 2018
Posted in Authors' tips
Sue and I learned something interesting about Author Talks recently: don’t do them – or rather, do them at your peril.
No! I’m only kidding – well – half-kidding if faced with the type of event we recently encountered. Continue reading
26 Tuesday Jun 2018
I’d been wanting to get hold of a copy of this since first reading about television producer Jane Fallon’s latest book. It was the title that did it: Faking Friends.
Anything to do with ‘Friends’ is of interest to my co-author, Sue, and I, given that we’re soon to complete our Friends trilogy, which so far consists of A Falling Friend, A Forsaken Friend and the third which has the working title of A Forgiven Friend. Continue reading
