Following on from yesterday’s post about what makes a good teachable children’s book (and of course they don’t all have to be teachable to be enjoyed by children!), here’s my top five I’m itching to get into the classroom. Long Way Down I read Jason Reynolds’ Long Way Down as part of the UKLA awards … Continue reading The three children’s books I can’t wait to teach
Category: Novel
The biggest surprise of all
What an exciting weekend I’ve had. Got my COVID jab which was pretty cool. And released my book. Which was even cooler. I’ve had a massive surprise though, and something completely unexpected has just blown my tiny mind. I felt incredibly awkward launching the book. Too much look at me. I sent round an email … Continue reading The biggest surprise of all
A bit of horn-tooting
It's release day! Excuse me a little bit of my own horn-tooting. Let's face it; if I'm going to make it as a self-published author, I'm going to have to get used to blowing my own horn! It's not a state of affairs that comes naturally to me. Whether it's because I'm a woman, or … Continue reading A bit of horn-tooting
Five things I’ve learned on the final countdown
They make it sound so easy. Just pop it on Amazon. Job done. Ha! I'm not even fully there yet and I'm already stressed out beyond belief and have this pit of churning nerves instead of a stomach. Here are five things that I've learned as I approached P-Day (Publication Day in case the acronym … Continue reading Five things I’ve learned on the final countdown
Going it alone… sort of… self-publishing
So it’s been a funny old year, hasn’t it? You’d’ve thought that the pandemic would make writing easier. All that time cooped up inside. Especially if you read the Daily Mail and believe that teachers have been doing nothing in lockdown - hours and hours of uninterrupted time! Of course, the reality has been very … Continue reading Going it alone… sort of… self-publishing
Three reasons why it’s a good thing if your first book goes nowhere
So, long time, no see. I've been neglectful of my blog. But not neglectful of the writing. I've been busy writing my second novel, Witness, a standalone domestic crime thriller. And while I've been beavering away at that, I've actually been appreciating the fact that Between The Lines hasn't been a runaway success (or any … Continue reading Three reasons why it’s a good thing if your first book goes nowhere
Inspirational truths… reality is stranger than fiction
Another way that us inspirational-surroundings-deficient writers can find ideas is from reading current and old media stories. The old adage that the truth is often way weirder than even the most hardcore fiction writer can think of holds true. There is some very whacky stuff out there - just think about Peter Madsen who murdered … Continue reading Inspirational truths… reality is stranger than fiction
Inspirational Questions
So, in the absence of spectacular Maine scenery, where can we find inspiration? Just lately, I've found myself using 'what if' questions as the starting place for much bigger ideas. My next Vida and Slater novel is going to start from one of these 'what if' questions. While we were in Maine, we went on … Continue reading Inspirational Questions
Back to pinning the tail on the donkey
You might have noticed a bit of a hiatus in the blog posts over the past month or so. I wish I could tell you that it's because I've been beavering away, polishing, honing and writing anew. I'd be fibbing if I did that though, and while there's a very thin line between telling lies … Continue reading Back to pinning the tail on the donkey
Rules for being a Domestic Noir Doyenne
I'm writing this post from both a position of love as a reader of domestic noir, but also as a wannabe writer of domestic noir. Not at the minute as Vida and Slater have just embarked on their second adventure together but at some point in the not-too-distant future, I'm going to write the story … Continue reading Rules for being a Domestic Noir Doyenne
Listen to my words…
So, I did it! And you know what, despite the fact I had to follow nine amazing writers, and the fact that I was exhausted from teaching for five hours and then driving for over four, it wasn't as nearly as scary as I expected it to be. I chose to read the introduction to … Continue reading Listen to my words…
Preparing for my first public event
As someone who effectively spends my whole life presenting ideas to classes, and who is more than accustomed to reading aloud, you wouldn't think the prospect of doing a public event for my novel would be daunting. But it is. Oh, how daunting it is. The thing is, in this day and age, authors (especially … Continue reading Preparing for my first public event