A writing hiatus

Alison not quite cross-eyed

You may have thought I’d disappeared.

No, apart from squeezing in some writing and finalising edits with my copy editor, I was just publishing and launching a new book.

“Just publishing and launching” doesn’t quite describe it.

Let me show you…

Target RETALIO publication date: 27 April 2017

Mid […]

Judging for Words With Jam

STOP PRESS: Winners announced!

The quality was impressive; it caused much sweating of the brow and drinking of tea. Congratulations to the three winners, but also to all those on the long and short lists. http://www.wordswithjam.co.uk/2017/07/first-page-competition-2017-winners.html ——————

A few weeks ago, I was delighted (and rather flattered) to be asked to judge the Words […]

London Book Fair 2017 – Networking, America and Getting Over Ourselves

Left to right: ‘ALLis’ Joanna Penn, Jessica Bell, me, Rebecca Lang LBF 2017

Back in March 2010, I started this blog. Weeks later, in the Year of the #Ashtag, I descended on Earl’s Court for my very first London Book Fair. Breathless newbie that I was to this writing and publishing game, I […]

The heroines behind the heroines...

Authors often talk about the heroines in their books. You may have caught me mentioning Carina and Aurelia from time to time. (Whistles in the air) But a conversation about heroines and their heroes led to something else…

This post was inspired by author Helen Hollick. It’s mainly in her voice with bits and pieces […]

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 […]