Back in 2015, I applied for a place on the UCL MA Publishing. I got an interview, and travelled all the way down to London, where I met Dr Melanie Ramdarshan-Bold and Professor Iain Stevenson. It was the most positive interview experience I’ve ever had, and I came out of it feeling buoyed up and … Continue reading BLOG: The Stevenson Award – Legacies in Publishing
Author: Joanne M. Harris (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Gollancz Genre: Fantasy, folk tale, novella Buy Now: ebook | hardcover I am as brown as brown can be, And my eyes as black as sloe; I am as brisk as brisk can be, And wild as forest doe. (The Child Ballads, 295) So begins a beautiful … Continue reading REVIEW: A Pocketful of Crows – Joanne Harris
Author: Anna McKerrow (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Bookouture Genre: Contemporary fantasy, romance, erotica Release Date: 16th October 2018 Buy: ebook | paperback Faye Morgan – beautiful, independent and lonely – runs her family’s small shop of magical curiosities like her mother and grandmother before her. She longs for an escape, unaware of the dark power that flows through … Continue reading REVIEW: Daughter of Light and Shadows – Anna McKerrow
Who hasn’t, at some point, looked across on the train or in the café, seen what someone else is reading and felt a sense of distaste that someone is reading ‘trash’? Perhaps it comes with that additional flush of intellectual superiority, that you are able to recognise how appalling that book is, whilst they cannot … Continue reading BLOG: In Defence of Bad Books
My previous blog post talked about how long you should be aiming to make your novel. Today I want to talk about the different stages it will go through before you have a final product. Beta Reading This is something I first came across in relation to fanfiction, although since studying my MA I have … Continue reading BLOG: Beta Reading vs Proofreading vs Editing
Author: Mary Balogh (website / facebook) UK Publisher: Piatkus Genre: Romance, historical fiction Buy now: ebook | paperback Humphrey Wescott, Earl of Riverdale, has died, leaving behind a fortune that will forever alter the lives of everyone in his family - including the daughter no one knew he had . . . Anna Snow grew … Continue reading REVIEW: Someone to Love (Westcott #1) – Mary Balogh
Lately, I have found myself thinking about the length of books, and with NaNoWriMo coming up, it seemed like the perfect time to discuss what the ‘sweet spot’ was for the length of a novel – particularly debut novels. I currently have on my TBR list three massive books, all topping between 600 and 800 … Continue reading BLOG: How Long Should a Debut Novel Be?
Today is World Mental Health Day, and I wanted to say something. I have thought quite hard about whether or not to share this post. Part of me was worried that it would be seen as attention-seeking, jumping on a bandwagon, or airing my dirty laundry in public. Another part was concerned whether this might … Continue reading BLOG: World Mental Health Day 2018
Author: Nicola Mostyn (website / twitter) UK Publisher: Piatkus Genre: Contemporary Fantasy, humour Buy now: ebook | paperback Meet Frida: divorce lawyer, cynic and secret descendant of the immortal love god Eros. She's about to have a really bad day . . . When a handsome but clearly delusional man named Dan bursts into Frida's office … Continue reading REVIEW: the Gods of Love – Nicola Mostyn
Happy October everyone! This is my favourite time of year, I love the quality of the light you get on an Autumn afternoon and the chill in the air. It makes me just want to curl up and snuggle with a fire and a nice glass of wine. A good book and a blanket always … Continue reading BLOG: September Round-Up
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