Category Archives: Writing

Yesterday I attended the London Book Fair for the second time (2016 being the first for me), and once again it was an illuminating and valuable experience. What’s more, it was a very different experience to the one I had last year. In April 2016 I hadn’t yet finished Man O’War, and hadn’t yet signedContinue reading “YAWB: London Book Fair 2017 Debrief: Opportunity Is…”

There is a current controversy surrounding whether or not Waterstones are being underhand or manipulative in opening new book stores in Southwold, Rye and Harpenden but withholding the Waterstones company name from the facade. The argument goes that apparently this impersonation of an independent bookshop is damaging the high street by killing off the real indie bookshops,Continue reading “YAWB: You Can’t Judge A Bookshop By Its Cover”

One of my Journeys co-authors, Juliet E. McKenna, who wrote the story The Road To Hadrumal, has kindly hosted a guest post by yours truly over at her place, where I talk about some of the real-life back story to the creation of my own story, A Warm Heart. The collection is still available for a steal – just 99p at Amazon for anotherContinue reading “YAWB: My Journey to Journeys”

Woodbridge Press’s first fantasy anthology, Journeys, is out today and, like a Panini sticker book, is the ridiculously low price of 99p for the first week before it reverts to its RRP of… whatever Woodbridge deigns it to be. My story, A Warm Heart, about a trainee assassin on his first proper assignment who is unwillinglyContinue reading “YAWB: Journeys Out Today!”

The other day I was watching an episode of Celebrity The Chase (I know, I know, but I’m a student of all levels of culture, dontchya know) when something unexpectedly annoyed me. One of the contestants was Fern Britton. Lovely Fern. Presenter of Ready, Steady, Cook, and This Morning. And, as it transpires, novelist. When quizzed by the hostContinue reading “YAWB: Invitations To The In-Crowd”

My last-but-one post was on disappointment, which is just one of the prongs of the industrial-sized pitchfork wielded by the angry mob consisting of publishers, reviewers, editors, agents, and our own muses. Disappointment doesn’t have to be all bad, though. At least you can counter it with a good attitude and a bit of professionalism. DoubtContinue reading “YAWB: Doubt”

The other day I was directed to Emma Green’s blog about the constant stream of disappointments that one experiences as an author. Writerly angst is always in vogue among us creative types, isn’t it? Green’s experience sounds quite painful, but also, dare I say it, rather naïve. That might make me seem rather heartless, and I do sympathiseContinue reading “YAWB: Disappointment”

Sometimes the journey is more important than the destination… Last year I submitted a fantasy story entitled A Warm Heart to my buddies at Woodbridge Press with hope for inclusion in their first fantasy anthology. To my delight, and against some very high quality submissions, my story was accepted for inclusion, and I’m really excited to be aContinue reading “YAWB: Journeys”

To accompany some of my releases this year I’m releasing a second edition of “Eat Yourself, Clarice!” It seems to me that in the time of post-truths, fake news and the ironic juxtaposition of pushbacks against Government surveillance initiatives and the individual’s ever-increasing desperation for visibility against the cultural backdrop, that the content is more relevantContinue reading “YAWB: Canniballs!”

The only reason any of us decide to write is to get into swanky literary parties, right? Well, this week I attended my first swanky* literary** party***, organised by Miranda Miller, a member of the Society of Authors. Around ten writers turned up, all at different stages in their career. It’s always fascinating to swap storiesContinue reading “YAWB: Swanky”