Archives

I love asking people what their superpower of choice would be!  You can learn SO much about someone from their answer, especially if they explain why. My superpower (like Celeste’s) would be mind-reading, because you could literally take over the world with it!  Er, if you were that way inclined.  You’d be able to pre-empt attacks, outmanoeuvre every enemy, know how to best charm people, understand their intentions (good and…

Whenever I’m planning a day out or holiday, looking for somewhere to eat or choosing a book, I always check out reviews.  But – confession time – I’m terrible at remembering to leave reviews afterwards and give back to those platforms. I know they’re important but, since publishing my books, I’ve realised just how important they really are! Reviews are not just nice for an author to read (assuming they’re…

Having talked in the last post about how I wouldn’t use AI for writing my stories, an area where I have been happy to use it is in book cover generation. AI use is contentious, which I’ll talk about in more detail another time.  One of the main issues is that illustrators and graphic designers who might have been paid in the past to do covers are now being replaced…

Publishing three books in quick succession (each about a month apart) is fairly unusual, although less so in the self-publishing world than traditional publishing.  So, this is part background story and part proactive explanation in case any AI-writing accusations come my way! The latter is very understandable without context.  There are a growing number of “authors” who are self-publishing a succession of “books” quickly, which have been written by AI. …

Music is powerful.  It stirs up emotions, triggers memories and affects our mood – both positively and negatively. We can hear a song and instantly be transported back to a happy moment, or a heartbreaking one. Music can depress us or it can lift us up. Hundreds of thousands of people flock together regularly to gigs and festivals, like Glastonbury last weekend. I can’t listen to music with lyrics while…

I can’t quite believe it but… I’m finally publishing the four books I’ve been working on for the last 12 years!!!!! It has been a loooooong and winding journey, as evidenced in many of the blog posts on this site.  But the moment has come when I feel like the books are as ready as they’re ever going to be, and they need to get out there in order to…

Apologies for the radio silence on this blog for such a long time!!  Time flies when you’re, er, busy 😉  And for the last year, I have actually been much busier with my writing again.  More to come on that soon, but for now… To get back into things, let me share no.46 on my “50 Things For 50” list with you (should be self-explanatory but, if not, this is…

After yet another long hiatus from writing (fiction and blog), I’ve finally finished my MA in Public Relations and am slowly getting back into the writing groove! It’s not easy.  I definitely need to be more proactive and deliberate about blocking out writing time and setting goals.  But I did manage to start warming up my creative writing muscle again by entering a short story competition.  The Fortnum & Mason…

When I first became serious about writing, I was given the same advice I think most writers get – read these books, go on this course and attend that conference if you want to succeed.  These things can end up costing a lot of money though.  But that’s okay – isn’t it? – because they’re an investment in my writing career that will pay off when I get published… Seven…

  A couple of years ago I got an opportunity to take part in a fantastic project. A group of young researchers with a range of (dis)abilities, involved in a Barnardo’s project, wanted to investigate and share the experiences of similar young people.  They were trained and supported by academics from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLAN) to conduct interviews and collect stories of resilience and transformation from other children…