Books

11 June 2019

Why my children’s book is all about the power of words by Veronica del Valle

When I started working on this middle-grade book I knew two things: 1) I wanted to write a story that celebrated words. One of my main objectives was to teach ...

11 June 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Ruth Heald

When I was twelve my ambition was to be a ghost writer for the Sweet Valley series. I devoured those books when I was young, saving up my pocket money ...

10 June 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Tony Rocca

It was my school catching fire that set my lifestyle for the following 30 years (as a journalist, note, not arsonist). Some instinct made me phone the Manchester Evening News ...

Princess Arebeena and the Crystal Fairies

6 June 2019

10 Reasons why I write by Fiona Boyd

Fiona Boyd is a graduate from Queen Margaret’s University, Edinburgh. She is happily married, with one daughter and lives in the Scottish Borders. She loves the countryside, fairies, wildlife, writing ...

6 June 2019

E. J. Russell reveals the inspiration for his novel The Madness Locker

It was the second year of my creative writing degree. I had transitioned out of software into creative writing. A peculiar choice, you may wonder. But I had long had ...

6 June 2019

Luciano Iorio discusses his new book An Author on Trial

In November 1948 the novel Il Fuoco del Mondo (‘The Fire of the World’), by my father, the Italian writer Giuseppe Jorio (1902-1995), was still in unbound sheets when the ...

6 June 2019

A day in the life of Sue McDonagh, debut women's fiction author, artist – and Curvy Rider

To celebrate the paperback release of my debut novel, Summer at the Art Cafe, I thought I'd share with you a particular day in my life. I've been told my ...

Power, Beauty and the legitimacy of Adolescence

6 June 2019

How to handle the teenage years by Susan Jane Broda Tamburi

How to handle a teenager is an ongoing problem. The world changes, behaviours evolve but the passage from childhood to adulthood is a perennial issue. Our children all go through ...

6 June 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Soren Paul Petrek

I spent a great deal of time researching female British Special Operations Executive agents and those in the French Resistance while preparing to write Cold Lonely Courage. My ...

3 June 2019

Top tips for practising gratitude by Iona Russell

Iona Russell – Over the last 15 years, Iona has helped numerous people create their best lives. Using Coaching with an inside-out approach, she works with clients in person and ...

3 June 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Alison Wem

I was unexpectedly widowed in my 40s and suddenly found myself with two children, a demanding job and no husband. Not coping with life and with no-one to turn to, ...

30 May 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me and my book Ting-A-Ling by Harry Goldstar

The reasoning behind placing these little stories in front of a publisher was like the stories. Simple! Having created them quite some years ago, they wouldn't leave my head compelling ...

30 May 2019

Seven ways to embrace your inner fairy by Karen Kay

It is said that “seeing is believing” but what if the opposite is true - “Believing is seeing”? We know that air exists and we can’t see that! We know ...

30 May 2019

Why Liverpool is still the place to be years after the swinging sixties by Anna Stewart

When I asked my trusty research assistant (better known as my best mate) if she’d be prepared to come on an arduous trip around Liverpool’s clubs and bars to research ...

24 May 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Paul Wolfendale

As a child I was brought up by my ever so caring grandparents from the age of one year old, along with my sister Zoe. For some reason still unknown ...

24 May 2019

7 ways to set boundaries to build better relationships in work and life

by psychotherapist, counsellor and author of Finding A Balanced Connection, John-Paul Davies Internally, you might see boundaries as the thinking, feeling and behavioural lines you draw to make sure ...

24 May 2019

The writing process behind my novel, The Last of Us by Harriet Cummings

To celebrate the publication of her second book, The Last of Us, we asked Harriet to tell us how she kick-started her creative process. I feel like authors are often ...

24 May 2019

Nataly Restokian discusses her new book Masks

Isn't it strange how many of us come to this world with dreams, and only a few of us get the chance to make those dreams come true? Have any ...

21 May 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Ian Jones

I have always wanted to be a writer; but not because I have a dream of pots of money or fame, I am not interested in either but because it ...

21 May 2019

Seven ways I use my writing to help the environment by Janey Louise Jones

Janey Louise Jones is the author of Princess Poppy, Please, Please Save The Bees! We have all read the reports saying there are fewer pollinators around and as humans we ...

20 May 2019

Seven things you never knew about gemstones

I don’t know many people who can resist the alluring flash of a beautiful gemstone. I certainly can’t! My fascination with gemstones has seen me qualify as a gemologist with ...

20 May 2019

5 Benefits from learning something new

The day you stop learning is the day you stop earning, so here are my 5 top benefits from learning something new. Sometimes, particularly as adults, we slip into the ...

19 May 2019

From Paris to home by Ric Casale

It’s time to get personal, to dispel the romantic notion that we have more important things to do. But first, the big picture. The ambition of the Paris Agreement is ...

16 May 2019

10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me by Stephanie Hill

After many years of travelling and living out of a backpack, Stephanie Hill returned to the UK after popping to Bermuda for a two-week holiday and staying for 16 years. ...