Thursday the 10th January 2019. An insignificant little day in itself. Christmas has been and gone, the New Year has been welcomed in and everyone considers doing Dry January until they realise how miserable the weather is and reach for the nearest bottle of wine. To me, however, this date marked the official start of … Continue reading Publication Day!!!

It's been a weird eight months. To recap - back at the start of 2018 I was actively seeking to move from part-time to full-time work. My CV had been dusted down and "creatively tweaked". My latest novel was out with agents and a few publishers. Life was jogging along nicely. A phone call from … Continue reading Countdown to Publication

Yes, guys, in case you hadn't heard, I've got a two book digital first publishing deal! *happy dance with particularly exuberant thrusting moves and a showy-off body roll* So naturally a quick blog update is in order, where I'd like to pass on some words of wisdom to all the disheartened aspiring authors out there, and … Continue reading Celebration and Reflection

I've been a naughty bunny and sadly neglected my blog of late. In my defence, I have been writing my little bunny tail off, and now have a completed first draft of Cupboard Love (my dual timeline romantic comedy) which has taken longer than anticipated. This is what happens when you throw a bit of history … Continue reading Waiting But Still Writing

I began writing this blog apologising that it was non-writery, because it was a quick account of my trip to Italy, but then I remembered everything I do is writerly. Every fun (and not so fun) interaction I have with my teenage children, every time I have some disastrous domestic incident, and every new life experience … Continue reading You Call it a Holiday – I Call it Research.

As I skip merrily towards the end of my first draft of my current work in progress, I thought I'd share with you a recently discovered activity that's helped me focus and get those pesky words written over the last few weeks. There are lots of downsides to being a writer, but the solitary nature of the craft and … Continue reading Virtual Write-ins and Writing On…

An author's life can be a lonely life. Don't get me wrong - after years of intense child rearing, the solitary nature of the lifestyle works for me during the working day, but I feel it is important - nay ESSENTIAL - to connect with real people regularly, be they writers, friends or family. Because … Continue reading Being a Social Butterfly – The Duty of the Author.

  A little update for you all, on this merry, nearly Christmassey-type day. If you've been following my recent exploits on Facebook, you will be aware that, although traditionally a pantser, I have taken the brave (some say foolhardy) step of planning my current book. Standing back, I can see a case for both planning … Continue reading To Plan Or Not To Plan…

So what have I been up to recently? And why is my bunting covered in question marks? Well, here's the thing. Novel number three, Lucy's Locket, was finished in July, after six months of intensive writing. It was, by that point, as good as I could get it without the benefit of a professional eye - or … Continue reading A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Book Four…