
Blog
My Blog
If there’s something you’d like advice on or a book you’d like me to take a look at, do get in touch, I’d love to hear from you.
If you enjoy reading my thoughts on writing, people, books and the world, please consider supporting me, for the price of a coffee. All donations get a reward. You can also become a regular subscriber for exclusive content.

Latest Articles

Cosy Comfort – Winter Lights, Short Story Collection by Deborah Jenkins
As someone whose short stories always end up somewhat on the dark side, it's great to read writers who can craft a story with nuance and depth that still has a hopeful feeling overall. I featured Deborah Jenkins' wonderful novel Braver last year (which has deservedly...

Haunting Tale: Things Found On The Mountain by Diana Powell
Having only read the wonderful Diana Powell's short stories before (Trouble Crossing The Bridge is her excellent collection), I was delighted to have the opportunuty to read her novel Things Found On The Mountain. Just like her other fiction, it resonates with an...

Unusual Drama: Cardboard Clouds by Ben Niespodziany
I can safely say I've never read anything like this before. Featuring a cast of Death, A Business Man and a Magus (as well as Baby, God and Various Monsters), Cardboard Clouds by Ben Niespodziany is certainly unique. It's a novella written in one-act plays, something...

Artist’s Way Week 8: What Took Me So Long? Recovering Creativity
It happened again! Somehow I am writing this three months after finishing week 7. Despite all my best intentions, I completely fell off The Artist’s Way wagon. My creative recovery most definitely stalled. Interestingly enough, it turns out that the last time I...
More stories
The great thing about hosting this site is all the amazing books that appear on my radar. Keely O'Shaughnessy's...
For regular visitors, you may have noticed that my personal blogs have been somewhat erratic of late. While I’m...
For Christmas last year, my mum got a bird box with a camera in it. This spring, we watched tiny, helpless scraggles...
Guest post from Janey Burton, a Publishing Consultant, Editor and Contracts Negotiator. Find out more about her advice...
I'm absolutely thrilled to be welcoming Judy Darley back to the blog. Last year I featured her collection Sky, Light,...
This month I'm thinking about playing – the summer can be a time to really open yourself up in terms of what you...
Tidal waves. volcanoes and sea monsters all find their way into Family and Other Natural Disasters, a short story...
We're always told that place has a special role to play in stories. At times, a place can take on a life of its own...
I love words. Well, of course I do, I’m a writer. But there’s something about onomatopoeic words that is just...
There are times when a publication just resonates perfectly with me. With Unknown, a collection of poetry that...