Readers often ask me why they should write a book review, and why reviews are so invaluable for writers. So I thought I'd explain why, if you love a book, you should write a review. Find a New Author Firstly, and most importantly, a good number of book reviews encourage readers to find a new … [Read more...]
The Future of Books at the Fitzrovia Festival
A few weeks ago I took part in a panel discussion on the future of books at the Fitzrovia Festival in London. The event was hosted by Author in Residence at Virtual Futures, Stephen Oram, and included talks from writers of various disciplines. It was a very interesting evening and my thanks go to … [Read more...]
Kindle Countdown Deal
Want to forget all about the Brexit vote? (I certainly do) Immerse yourself in The Red King of Helsinki, a Cold War spy tale set in Finland in the chill of midwinter. And now there's good news! I bet you didn't think I'd say that this morning ... The Red King of Helsinki is now £0.99 … [Read more...]
The Finnish Girl out in paperback soon!
One of the best jobs I ever had was to be a bookseller. The year that I spent in the now sadly closed England's Lane Books in Northwest London, could easily be described as the happiest of my life. I would go as far to say that it was also a life-changing time for me, because two momentous events … [Read more...]
Memories of the London Book Fair
It's a month or so since the hustle and bustle of The London Book Fair, and I have just about recovered. As usual it was a very busy time for me, catching up with fellow ALLi indie authors, attending seminars, meeting new and interesting fellow book people (most memorably sharing a sandwich with a … [Read more...]
Pre-order The Finnish Girl now!
Yay, it's nearly out! My latest book, The Finnish Girl, a prequel novella to The Englishman, will be published on 15th April and is now available to pre-order. This novella, just as The Englishman, is based on true events, and was very hard for me to write. But I felt compelled to revisit … [Read more...]
Marry in Haste by Debbie Young – Book review
Marry in Haste by Debbie Young is a lively selection of short stories around marriage, love and relationships in general. They are arranged in three sections, Seeking, Committing and Enduring. And here I have to come clean: I don’t usually much enjoy short stories. And yet, I read Marry in Haste … [Read more...]
Advice for New Writers Part 6: Traditional or Self-publish?
In this series of posts on Advice to New Authors, I've talked about writing the 1st draft, about editing your work, how to increase the speed of your writing, how long it takes to publish a novel, and about ways in which you can learn your craft. Today I'm going to talk about self-publishing versus … [Read more...]
Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith – Book Review
I've read and liked all three Robert Galbraith (aka J K Rowling) novels featuring the ex-army private detective, Cormoran Strike, and his aptly named side-kick, the young and beautiful Robin. In Career of Evil, Robin's role as Cormoran's assistant is in jeopardy, when she receives a gruesome … [Read more...]
5 Books for the New Year
I love January and the new year, because I get more time to read than in the busy time leading up to Christmas. This year, because I am a fully-fledged Driven Woman, included in my reading list for the first time is a self-help book (for lack of any other description), which was recommended to me by … [Read more...]
