Category Archives: For writers

All posts which writers may find more interesting

Exciting new creative writing competition open to all writers!

Online lifestyle magazine Lothian Life in conjunction with the online creative writing school Writingclasses.co.uk are running a brand new writing competition open to all writers. All you have to do is write a short story (500 words maximum) on the theme of … Continue reading

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Hold onto your hats and grab your kindles The Shoeshine Killer is out!

Clink here to buy your copy of The Shoeshine Killer! “The Shoeshine Killer is a more realistic Death in Paradise, with shades of Alexander McCall Smith in the often humorous, unfussy style of writing. It’s tempting to call the novel deliberately old-fashioned, … Continue reading

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Vonnegut’s 8 rules for great writing

You may already know Kurt Vonnegut’s 8 rules for great writing but they are worth repeating: 1: Find a subject you care about and which you in your heart feel others should care about. It is this genuine caring, and … Continue reading

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My top book marketing tip …

In the olden days In another life I was a successful marketing manager – I even have a degree on the subject. So, when my first book, The Blue Suitcase, was published a couple of years ago,  I was not daunted by … Continue reading

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What do you do to de-stress?

When I want a break from writing I like to go for a walk. I especially love “luxuriating” in the smells and sounds of woods.  Some people call this “forest bathing” or “shinrin-yoku.” I talk about “shinrin-yoku” and  the importance of  getting … Continue reading

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Delighted to be a featured author for the Crime Readers’ Association!

The Crime Readers’ Association (The CRA) The CRA was set up by the Crime Writers’ Association to give readers news and information from their favourite authors along with tips for beginners working in the genre. So, if you love reading crime fiction, … Continue reading

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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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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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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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