For some, lockdown’s provided an opportunity to have a clear-out and I for one have started sorting out boxes etc that have been hanging around for so long I’ve forgotten what’s in them. Some of what I’ve unearthed has been … Read More
Where and when a story takes place is crucial for the reader’s enjoyment and understanding and provides a backdrop for the action. It creates atmosphere and sets the scene for the narrative. Setting can also give an idea as to … Read More
Last week, I received four reviews for Blue Tide Rising, three good, one bad. And guess which one I spent ages agonising over, unpicking, and generally over-analysing? The poor review wasn’t posted on the review website for which it was … Read More
People have been taking Blue Tide Rising on holiday and sending me photos so I thought I’d post a few. It’s nice to know that Amy Blue is travelling… On a beach somewhere in Crete. From a park bench bench … Read More
Every time someone tells me they like Blue Tide Rising, I do a little dance of joy. If it’s people I already know, I always add a caveat – they might just be being nice. But when it’s a stranger … Read More
Someone messaged me last week to say they were having an ‘Amy Blue week’ – Amy is the main character in Blue Tide Rising – adding ‘you write depression with cutting beauty and deep understanding.’ This was good to hear, … Read More
A young woman I know once read six books in a day. She read all day, every day, and combined reading with all sorts of other activities, like eating, watching telly and engaging on multiple social media channels. When I … Read More
Until recently I thought ‘uplit’ meant ambient lighting, like in the picture, but last week, at a workshop called ‘The Kindness Effect’ I learnt it’s actually a genre, or a literary trend – one that has empathy at its core. … Read More
I am sitting in a former tram depot and I #amwriting I sit near the balcony which gives me a view of the bar below. This place is designed a bit like a Victorian music hall, in which case I … Read More