Firstly, what’s a trigger? In mental health terms, a trigger is something that affects your emotional state by causing you to feel overwhelmed or distressed. Secondly, what’s a trigger warning? It’s a note to readers, either in the blurb or at the beginning of the book, that the story might contain a particular situation that […]
Ever wondered what it’s like to be an author? It’s not all moleskin notepads and brunch, you know. Here are a few things I’ve done in the name of writing: – Googled “what does a fresh body smell like?” – Asked a nice ex-soldier for his email address so I can contact him *for research […]
We’re fast heading for the new year, so I figured I should probably make some attempt at getting organised (which has never been one of my strong points!). In 2017, my goal was to publish a book a month, and I’ve done that, although December’s release will be a box set rather than a new […]
AKA Why do I write like a Brit? Well, the simple answer is because I’m British. The question of whether to use British vs. American English is one that comes up often on writers’ forums again and again, and it’s also something I’ve received messages about from readers. The issue also pops up in reviews from […]
The best things about being a writer Writing I’ll start with the obvious – I write because I love it. I love bringing my characters to life on paper and creating worlds for them to live in. Those first meetings, plot twists, dramatic climaxes, and happily ever afters. I still laugh and cry when I […]
I don’t know about you, but when I read a book, I often wonder what was going through the author’s head as they wrote it. My latest novel, 24 Hours of Trouble, was inspired by the many horse shows I went to as a teenager plus a decade’s worth of trips to France to watch the […]
So, it’s evening on day 5 of 2017, and I’m already stuck into writing a new book. Well, I started writing it over Christmas but between one thing and another (okay, mainly Trev the horse going lame and then going lamer, but that’s another story), I haven’t finished it yet. Cursed will be my first […]
Getting all philosophical today… At the beginning of December, I attended Wattpad’s London convention, held in the Crypt on the Green—a beautiful venue hidden away under an old church in Clerkenwell. It was my third trip to this annual event, and it got me thinking. At what point do I call myself a writer? Whenever […]
NaNoWriMo This is my third go at November’s National Novel Writing Month challenge—writing 50,000 words, or a short novel, in just thirty days. Fortunately, I’m blessed to be able to write fast, but this year threw in the added challenge of a holiday midway through—it’s not so easy to write underwater! But I did fit […]
The other day, I was reading my reviews on Amazon (I know, I know—I should avoid them, but they’re just there), and one stood out that got me thinking: I did enjoy the book, but there was far too much use of the f word. This word was overdone and for me, it popped up […]