Books

2 April 2020

Tracy Rees shares the inspiration for her new book The House at Silvermoor

Even now that The House at Silvermoor is out in the world, I find it hard to believe that I actually finished it! It was conceived in a fit of ...

2 April 2020

Eight top takeaways from Generation Hope

In these uncertain times, many of us are finding inspiration in unexpected places, like the pages of a children’s book. Generation Hope showcases young activists working to bring about positive ...

2 April 2020

Nikki Smith: Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me

I didn’t get my publishing deal for my debut novel until I was 45. I’d ended up working in a career in Finance after doing an English degree, but had ...

2 April 2020

Tips for writing the dreaded second novel by Emily Gunnis

“I’ve got a two book deal!’ After only five days of my agent sending my book out, Headline Publishers had pre-empted my debut novel, and not only that, they liked ...

2 April 2020

Martin Edwards: Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me

- As a child I loved reading stories, and also making them up. Aged eight I discovered Agatha Christie, and once I’d read The Murder at the Vicarage I was ...

2 April 2020

My extraordinary day by Marion Carroll

I laughed when someone suggested that I am extraordinary. Doing the dishes and sweeping the floor, I don’t feel extraordinary, but I did have an extraordinary day. On the third ...

2 April 2020

Darren O'Sullivan: Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me

I studied performing Arts at college and when I graduated I half-heartedly tried to make it in the industry. Sure, I went on a few tours, performing in a few ...

1 April 2020

Gill Thompson: Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me

1. I’ve always wanted to be a writer but my father persuaded me teaching was a more realistic career, so I buried my authorial aspirations and dedicated myself to attempting ...

31 March 2020

Seven gift ideas for book lovers

If you have a book lover to buy for in the next few weeks or months and don’t know which books they’ve read and which they haven’t, here are some ...

Christmas gifts Books

31 March 2020

Seven things you need to know about the Latin language

- Latin Rocks On by Sarah Rowley published by Unicorn, £10. ...

31 March 2020

Seven food cupboard essentials for Indian cooking

Garam masala is one of those ‘go to’ spices in Indian cooking just like the essential spice black pepper. Garam masala is a mixture of hot spices such as clove, ...

31 March 2020

Travis Elborough: Six things I'd like my readers to know about me

1. I trace my own fascination with travel and all things historic and quirky back to the 1970s when my grandparents ran a pirate-themed eatery in Polperro in Cornwall, which ...

30 March 2020

Children’s books featuring characters with disabilities by Rose Robbins

When I go shopping for children’s books, I am always on the look-out for prominently and positively featured disabled characters. This is quite the treasure-hunt, partly because the treasure is ...

30 March 2020

10 Things I learnt from bringing up my children after my wife’s death

When my wife passed away, due to cancer, at the age of 47 I was left to support our four children through their grief. They are two girls, and two ...

30 March 2020

Six ways to do a digital detox – and why you should not feel guilty if you fail

I grew up without a television. My parents believed that television would stop conversations, destroy creativity and sap our energy. Today we see similar reactions to digital media, but there ...

28 March 2020

Sarah Cheesbrough discusses her new book Wild Neighbours

Some years ago I wrote a story called Hold The Love. All over the globe, people plunged into fear as a virus from a computer game infected the populace. Our ...

27 March 2020

10 Steps to living a sustainable lifestyle by Robert Perryment

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27 March 2020

Kirsty Ferry discusses her new book A Secret Rose

When I was a teenager in the 1980’s, I discovered Victoria Holt. If you haven’t read any of her books, I thoroughly recommend them – they are all Gothic Romance ...

26 March 2020

Peter Marshall shares the inspiration for his new novel The Russian Lieutenant

Marina Peters, the central character in my novel, is an attractive and intelligent career woman, reluctant to explore the mysteries of dating websites. But at thirty she decides to take ...

Love it or Leave It: How to be Happy in the Workplace

25 March 2020

Seven ways to achieve work happiness during lockdown

Make sure that you are actually creating a space or environment that is productive and conducive to work and not having an adverse impact on your body. Look at your ...

25 March 2020

Berni Sorga-Millwood: Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me

I never saw myself as a writer, I had stories I wanted to tell but wasn’t sure how to write them down for others to read. I attended writing classes ...

24 March 2020

Martha Ackmann: Seven things I'd like my readers to know about me

I’m not one to write in coffee shops, around other people or even with music in the background. I need silence and solitude. Years ago, a friend built me a ...

23 March 2020

How the real life trauma of my childhood inspired my writing by John Biddle

At the age of forty-two, I came to the realisation that I had spent most of my life in the sights of a passive-aggressive, covert narcissist. A therapist called Jane had ...

23 March 2020

Jules Hayes: 10 Things I'd like my readers to know about me

- Before my 13th birthday, and in my first year at secondary school, I ran the 100 metres in 11.7 seconds. Once only, though. I never managed that time again, ...