Author Archives: Marianne Wheelaghan

Book Covers: What makes a good one?

I’ve just read the excellent blog post, Book covers: Should we put people on them?, by Belinda Pollard. Belinda is an Aussie writer, editor, publishing consultant at Small Blue Dog Publishing, lover of dogs, the wilderness and things spiritual. In her post Belinda talks … Continue reading

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Do you judge a book by its cover?

A friend gave me the award winning The Whaleboat House by Mark Mills (which started out as Amagansett before it was republished with the new title). This was lucky for me because I loved it but would have never picked it up based … Continue reading

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what is the secret to being a successful writer?

When we think of successful creative people we tend to think of artistic geniuses like Shakespeare or Michael Angelo or Wordsworth or Mary Shelly … you know who I mean, special people. However, research shows categorically that there is no specific … Continue reading

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Help, new crime novel needs a title!

I have finally finished the edits to the second DS Louisa Townsend mystery. The first book in the series is called Food of Ghosts. Here’s what Liane Adam, a recent Amazon reviewer, said of Food of Ghosts: “A gripping thriller which I … Continue reading

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Only in France …

We are still in France. On the way to the dump with our DIY rubbish we came across the above. The sign says ‘trolly of wooden off-cuts for sale, 9 euros!’ Well, apologies to all my French relatives and friends, … Continue reading

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Gone plumbing in France …

I am in France for the next wee while with the other half. The plan is to give the bathroom and kitchen in the house we inherited many years ago a bit if a make-over. We’ve started with the bathroom. … Continue reading

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Review of Trish Nicholson’s Inside Stories – a great addition to the writer’s bookshelf!

I am a fan of books on writing, whether they talk about the writerly life or deal with the nitty gritty of how to hone your writing skills. I even reviewed some of  the ones I found most helpful (see … Continue reading

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How much should it cost to enter a writing competition?

Here are the  details of a writing opportunity for unpublished women memoirists. The entry fee for this competition is £25, which may seem steep, but it is not as steep as the entry fee for the new Bloomsbury Children’s Author Prize, which … Continue reading

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Win £500 and publication with the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award!

 Win £500 and publication with the Aesthetica Creative Writing Award! Aesthetica Magazine is inviting all writers and poets to submit their work into the Creative Writing Award. The Creative Writing Award is a fantastic opportunity for existing and aspiring writers … Continue reading

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Enter the New Children’s Author Prize 2015 and you could win a publishing contract with Bloomsbury!

In partnership with Bloomsbury  Children’s Books the NationalLiteracy Trust want to find talented new authors of children’s fiction. Members of the public are invited to submit stories for eight to 12-year-olds to be in with a chance of winning a publishing contract … Continue reading

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