How well read are you? Does it matter?
Recently on Facebook there was a link going around that listed 100 classic books. You could go in and tick which ones you’d read and see how high you scored. I scored 23, and it could be said I cheated a little, as I ticked both Hamlet and The Complete Works of Shakespeare (which I […]
A Blog Tour
I am posting a day early owing to my participation in a blog tour. Thank you, Jeanette O’Hagan, for nominating me! You can see Jeanette’s post here: http://jeanetteohagan.com/my-writing-process/ 1) What am I working on? I’m currently putting the final touches on The Reign. It’s the last book in the Verindon trilogy and is scheduled for […]
A book, a true book, is a writer’s confessional
So wrote Nelson Algren in Entrapment and Other Writings, and I think it’s true. Authors are encouraged to write what they know. When I began writing, I assumed this meant if you have worked in a bookshop then you should set your novel in one, as you can write about it with authority. I believe […]
Reading is sometimes an ingenious way of avoiding thought
This was said by Austin Phelps, an American Congregational minister, and I think it is a wise saying. While there’s no doubt a lot of knowledge, wisdom and inspiration to be gained from a book, I think some readers read to avoid thinking for themselves. They will take whatever idea is presented in the latest […]