Book Six Complete; What Next?
I have recently completed my latest book, with a working title of ‘Conditions Are Different After Dark’. While I go through the process of seeking a publisher, I need to decide what to write next. As a starting point, I am revisiting my published books to compare the elements that make them unique. My first […]
My Top Three Fiction Reads of 2022
Bournville This family saga is set mainly in Jonathan Coe’s native West Midlands and London. It plays out through seven events that gripped the British nation, including VE Day, four Royal occasions, the 1966 World Cup and the seventy-fifth anniversary of VE Day. A notable aspect is the author's love for his characters, despite their shortcomings, […]
Mr Wilder & Me by Jonathan Coe
When I started reading Jonathan Coe’s Mr Wilder and Me, the thought occurred that the pleasure gained from reading his prose almost makes the story redundant. It did not take long to become fully immersed in this warm-hearted and moving book.Calista, a film composer, reflects upon her life at a time of change. Her twin […]
The Green Man Appears in Many Forms
I have discussed in earlier posts how the expressions of English representations of the Green Man changed over the centuries. They were sculpted at their jovial peak from around 1300, before declining through merry, smiling, serene, worried, distressed, tormented and finally to resignation. A distinctly menacing image can be found in Bamberg Cathedral, Germany, supporting […]
Stone Devil From The Invisible College Trilogy
The statue of the Stone Devil that features in my YA series, The Invisible College Trilogy and appears in the cover design for book 2, ‘Dust and Shadows, is based on this photograph I took some years ago. I'm glad I did, as it has since disappeared. In book one, ’They Do Things Differently Here’, […]
SALAD: Southend Area Local Authors’ Day Saturday 6th July 2019
Not to be missed! On Saturday, 6th July, the 2019 Southend Area Local Authors' Day (SALAD), with the Southend Festival. The opportunity to meet, talk and listen to local authors from the Southend-on-Sea and surrounding area. Share stories and experiences of writing and buy their books. Participating authors from a number of genres, including fiction, […]
A Personal List of Writing Guides
Here is a selection of the best guides to writing fiction that I have discovered to date. I will be adding my thoughts on each on this site over the coming months.
November 2017: Autumn Turns to Winter in Little Baddow
Early on a bright late November morning I set out with my camera to photograph the turning season. The sun was low in the sky and beginning to cut through the mist and frost. Geese drifted aimlessly on the lake behind the canal, The sun was rising over the horizon, obscured by light cloud. A […]