Chapters – Entitled or just a number?

Is it better to put a title at the beginning of each chapter in your book or should you merely put a simple number? I’ve never used chapter titles when writing my own books although I’ve absorbed them when reading other books.

What do chapter titles do?

They can act as promises of what’s […]

Books enjoyed in 2025

Selection of books read 2025

As in previous years, reading books has given me enormous pleasure. Let’s be honest, I’ve been a voracious reader since I was five. This year, I published a new thriller, Double Stakes, the sequel to Double Identity and Double Pursuit plus participated in a number of events and sat down to draft the next […]

To DRM or not to DRM?

Now that really is the ‘question du jour’!

Very many authors use Amazon’s KDP platform to publish their books; Kindle e-reader users who buy a book from Amazon can then download their reading choice quickly and easily. Simples, as the meerkats used to say.

But as we know things change quickly in the digital world […]

The kindness of strangers

Writers enjoy going to new places, meeting new people, seeking out new experiences. Sometimes, they meet up with old friends, longstanding colleagues or relatives they haven’t seen for years. All grist to the mill.

I love travelling – the planning as well as actually taking the train and plane – and talking to fellow travellers. […]

Where do you find your next book?

A few weeks ago, I asked people on a well-known social media site how and where they bought their next read. In yesteryear, it was the library or bookshop. In my hometown of Tunbridge Wells, there were five shops that sold books. In addition, we enjoyed a children’s library (clean hands, please and no shrieking), […]