Triskele Lit Fest - friendly and with fizz!

STOP PRESS: video added below!

The historical fiction panel, left to right Jane Davis (chair) Orna Ross, Radhika Swarup, J D Smith and me (see video of session below!)

Scarcely recovered from the Historical Novel Society Conference, I was back on the plane ten days later en route to a rainy London and […]

Indie writer?  Please don’t do these things

I’ve published 12 books – seven novels, two novellas, a short story collection and two non-fiction (as at 2021) – via the indie route since 2012, but in the preceding three years I learnt how to write for publication. More importantly, I learnt writing techniques: structure, plot, dialogue; how to delete adverbs, adjectives and over-writing; […]

On becoming RNA Independent Author Member No.1

With indie authors Glynis Smy, Jessica Bell and Talli Roland

What does ‘independent’ mean?

“Having independent means” – economically self-sufficient “Independence Day” – departure from the another country’s dominion “Independence in law” – e.g. ancient Roman emancipation from the parent’s legal authority “The Independent” – A newspaper with no financial or political ties

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The Indie Author Fair 2015

Nick Stephenson, Rachel Abbott, Mark McGuiness, Steena Holmes, CJ Lyons, Joanna (JF) Penn

Things have been in a constant whirl since the London Book Fair, but such an important event took place on the Friday immediately afterwards as part of the fringe that I have been feeling enormously guilty at not posting about […]

My London Book Fair - Day 3

Rebecca Swift, Juliet Mushens, Iain Millar

Thursday had a calmer feel to it and I went to listen to a session on how publishers and agents are discovering new talent in these evolutionary times, led by Rebecca Swift from The Literary Consultancy, talking to Juliet Mushens from The Agency Group and Ian Millar […]