Books

Joanna Toye
31 March 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me by Joanna Toye
I always have more than one book on the go – as a reader, not as a writer! Currently it’s Raymond Chandlers The High Window - one of the lesser-known ...

Samantha Greene Woodruff
26 March 2022

Samantha Greene Woodruff: Six things I learned about lobotomy while writing The Lobotomist’s Wife
-  1. People may have suspected a connection between the physical brain and emotional behavior as far back as the Stone Age. Archeological findings from the prehistoric era indicate early ...

Dark stars is out now! / Picture Credit: Titan Books
26 March 2022

Dark Stars review: A beautifully scary collection of tales from horror’s best writers
Many may be used to witnessing horror stories unfold on the big screen, but if they were to look towards books, and this one in particular, there wouldn’t be much ...

Anne-Christine Witzgall writes an exclusive piece for Female First / Picture Credit: Diana Feil
25 March 2022

How writing my memoir helped me to overcome my family's horrific past, by Anne-Christine Witzgall
My memoir, Freeing Rapunzel: Finding Peace After Trauma in a Divided Homeland, is the story of abuse within a household that echoed what my home nation, Germany, had inflicted on ...

Genevieve Jenner opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First
24 March 2022

Author Genevieve Jenner: How depression inspired the love of cooking behind my new book
When I was 21, I experienced an incredible depressive episode. I wasn’t new to depression. I have what amounts to a 99 year lease with depression and anxiety. Thankfully it ...

Eloise Allen
22 March 2022

The importance of self-validation and how we can begin to validate our own experiences
By Eloise Allen It’s all too easy to say to ourselves how we should be feeling, or to tell ourselves we shouldn’t be feeling a certain way. We often hold ...

Carl
22 March 2022

The End Of Paradise: An Interview With Author Carl Borgen
Said to date back to the last ice age and beyond, the Bock Saga could possibly be the world’s oldest creation myth. Now respected Bock Saga historian and author Carl ...

Jacqueline Winspear by Stephanie Mohan
22 March 2022

Why you should read a whodunnit even if it's not your preferred genre by Jacqueline Winspear
During the past couple of years, a time when people have been separated from family and friends by repeated lockdowns, I became curious about the number of messages I received ...

Emma Pass
21 March 2022

Author of Before the Dawn, Emma Pass shares seven things she'd like her readers to know about her
7 things I'd like my readers to know about me… hmm, that's a tricky one! I'm rubbish at making decisions at the best of times, but after a lot of ...

Anne Jones, How To Heal
21 March 2022

Anne Jones explains how to heal the scars on your mind, spirit and body caused by past traumas
If you are troubled by fears and anxiety, have emotional outbursts and find it difficult to reach your goals, you may be holding imprints and scars from your past. Imprints ...

Drew Povey
21 March 2022

Author of When the Clouds Come, Drew Povey shares how to ride out the storm when things get tough
Lets be honest - the clouds are going to come. They're not all going to rain on your parade and neither do they all have silver linings, but they are ...

Ericka Waller
21 March 2022

Author of Dog Days, Ericka Waller shares how dogs inspired her novel
All my happiest childhood memories involve a dog. My aunt’s dog, Sandy, who let me share his basket. My dad’s dog, Jess, who let me hold her hour-old pups. Growing ...

Jac Padley
21 March 2022

Jac Padley, author of Emanuel and Me, shares how to start on your spiritual journey
A spiritual journey is our reconnection to the self. It’s a journey with your soul to deepen the connection to knowledge, understanding and wisdom that we hold in this lifetime. ...

Matt Witten
21 March 2022

Matt Witten, author of The Necklace shares his top writing tips for his younger self
When I was 32 years old, my wife was pregnant with our first son. We were highly impecunious at the time. I.e., we were dead broke. So I decided I ...

Tilly Bagshawe
21 March 2022

Author of The Secrets of Sainte Madeleine, Tilly Bagshawe shares seven things about her
-  I hated reading as a child and am still a very slow reader. I didn’t really enjoy reading until I discovered Enid Blyton’s ‘Secret Seven’ books when I was ...

Image credit: Unsplash
21 March 2022

World Poetry Day: Sappho, Maya Angelou, Rupi Kaur and more incredible female poets
As part of World Poetry Day, we are examining the works of the top eight female poets of literary history and why their contributions are of such importance.  Most famous ...

Danielle Owen-Jones opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First / Picture Credit: Russell Colman
21 March 2022

Six facts about me and my debut novel by Danielle Owen-Jones, author of Stone Broke Heiress
To celebrate the release of her debut novel, Stone Broke Heiress, we asked author Danielle Owen-Jones to open up not only about the book, but about herself, so readers can get ...

Melissa Ginsburg
18 March 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me by Melissa Ginsburg, author of The House Uptown
My parents met and married in New Orleans but moved 6 hours away to Houston, Texas. I grew up driving back and forth between the two cities and believing fervently ...

Sonya Singh opens up in an exclusive piece for Female First
17 March 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me, by Sonya Singh, author of The Break-Up Expert
To celebrate the release of her new book The Break-Up Expert, we asked author Sonya Singh to tell us a little bit about her, as part of our 'seven things' series! ...

Amanda Jennings
17 March 2022

Author of The Haven, Amanda Jennings explains why she threw out the parenting rule book
I had my first baby when I was twenty-four. She was unplanned and I was the first of my friends to have a child and those early days, despite having ...

J M Hall
17 March 2022

How being a deputy headmaster inspired my latest novel by J M Hall, author of A Spoonful of Murder
With the publication of my first novel, people have been asking me how being Deputy Head in a primary school has inspired that novel. My first, instinctive response is I ...

The Living Art of Chi Kung
15 March 2022

Is your inner critic holding you back? Here's a Chi Kung morning routine to boost your confidence
A little self-reflection is never a bad thing, but self-criticism is. The difference? Self-reflection is where we take compassionate responsibility for ourselves. Our inner critic however, sabotages us with no ...

Terry Blackburn
15 March 2022

Five ways to change your mindset and boost your wellbeing by Terry Blackburn, author of Be A Lion
Having a lion’s mindset is key to health and exercise as much as everything else. If a lion isn’t fit, it’s not going to catch any prey. I want to ...

S J Ford
15 March 2022

Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me by S J Ford, author of The Choice
Original and instantly gripping, The Choice is domestic and relatable but with a dark secret and huge moral dilemma: would you kill a man if you knew he was plotting to blow ...