A happy 2026 to all my readers! Setting sun mid-winter in Lillington, Leamington Spa I have three projects on the go. 1. Writing the 4th draft on the novel, Kaleidoscope; 2. Submitting my completed novel, to potential agents and or publishers; 3. Write a blog. Like...

At this time of year I remember Paul. He was homeless and had his own spot near Argos and Chandos Street car park. I often used to chat to him as did many others in our town. He left home aged 13. Now in his mid-30s, he had a teenage daughter who sometimes called by...

This morning it's raining, i've a routine appointment which I'm not looking forward to and words are slow to come. It's not 'writers' block', it's this writer's reluctance to write. The usual suspects line up. Why do I bother? I can list the success of other writers...

An attention-grabbing title for a collection of short stories by Alan Beard, published by Floodgate. The celebratory launch was held at Voce books in Digbeth, Birmingham. The room was crowded with lots of Alan's writing friends, family and readers of his work. In...

Haunting cover designed by Adam at Cinnamon Press Nine years ago I celebrated the publication of my first novel in Waterstones, Leamington Spa. Cinnamon Press, my publisher, is a small, independent press and like many similar presses, has needed to diversify to...

A blank page - with lines! Years ago, a friend whose husband had recently retired, told me that he wanted to write. I had just started. I did correspondence courses, used books and gradually got to know other writers near to where I lived. This friend locked her...