…on this very wet, grey, dark and dismal November morning, it was encouraging to hear that I have reached the longlist of RETREAT WEST flash fiction competition for this quarter. The theme was WATER – particularly appropriate, then, to today – and a maximum of 500 words for the story. As the competition is ongoing...
The first reviews for THE LEGACY OF MR JARVIS have been very positive. Beautifully written with so much heart and vividly drawn characters I devoured this book as slowly as possible so I didn’t have to leave the story A fascinating story – the writing is simply extraordinary A literate and compassionate look at the...
My new novel, THE LEGACY OF MR JARVIS, has more than one setting, but the most important, crucial place that dominates the narrative is clearly indicated by the cover image: the south east coast of England. And not the contemporary south coast that you might visit these days. My protagonist, Mary, is recalling the events...
Publication date of my next novel has been brought forward to November 28th – which is great news since I will be attending three book fairs in November and will have copies with me to sell. In fact, although formal release date is not until the end of the month, I expect to have the...
On Saturday 7th December I will be at Winchester’s Guildhall with two other local writers – Helen Matthews and Katharine Johnson – on a stall selling our novels. Amidst all the craft items and products and a lot of clever, crafty women, I hope we will be spotted and that people will come over and...
Finally, I can reveal the chosen cover for my next novel, THE LEGACY OF MR JARVIS. It’s taken quite a while to come up with something that felt right and reflected the content and tone of the novel appropriately. It is very easy to point out what is wrong and why an image fails to...
November is proving to be a busy month – two book fairs just six days away from each other! On Sunday 17th November, I will be in Henley in Arden – the heart of Warwickshire – at their book fair for independent writers. Henley in Arden seems to be a very vibrant arts-orientated place: it...
Sometimes, carrying out research for a novel seems the best part of writing! My third novel which is set in London concerns three main characters who all move into flats in a converted Edwardian house. One of these three protagonists is a woman called Catherine Wells who works in a small museum in Clerkenwell. The...
On Monday 4th November, I will be a guest on CHILTERN VOICE FM’s morning programme about all things books! Antonia Honeywell is the presenter of this weekly programme which runs from 10.00 am until noon and I am so looking forward to meeting her, talking about reading, writing, authors, stories et al – and choosing...
The other day, I was talking to someone about a recent discussion that had taken place at her book group. The novel under discussion was written about 20 years ago and was a remarkable success story at the time, going on to launch the writer’s notable literary career. I remember loving it when I read...
