Do I need to blog about the London attack?

(Still from a BBC video)

Yes, I do.

“Seven people are dead and over 40 injured, after three people launched a van and knife attack.” (BBC website)

It was such a stark statement. I was in Spitalfields on Saturday 3 June, about a mile north of London Bridge, having a bite to eat […]

Writing with SAD

Fed with with the news and weather? Low energy and bored with most things? Eating more chocolate? Even though brilliant December days lighten the feeling, many of us dislike that grey dull period stretching from dismal November to that liver-yellow time in February and view with relief the first flower burst in spring.

But for […]

30 questions - a revealing post

Could you answer 30 personal questions in a public forum? And would you want to? There’s a quiz going round Facebook but just to be different, I thought I’d answer them here!

1. Who are you named after? My first name, nobody, but my second name ‘Mary’ pops up frequently in my mother’s family. 2. […]

Are the Roma Nova books feminist?

Yes, but ‘feminist-lite’. Let me explain…

First, where do I stand? I believe that women and men should be treated equally. We are different from each other biologically and studies have shown that we have broadly different aptitudes, strengths and approaches dating back well beyond the Stone Age to when we were evolving from […]

Conflict for characters - how to make a decision

How do you make a decision? Whether it’s buying a new pair of shoes, going to law or plunging into a new life in a different country and culture, it’s a complicated question.

First of all, there’s an instinctive reaction to the decision: you see, you want, you say yes. Then your brain kicks in: […]