Books for Christmas!
Well, I hate to remind you, but it is coming close to that time of year again. Christmas. Now, of course, I mean that it’s time to go out and make someone happy. Giving presents is a heart-warming thing. It produces a feeling of well-being, an atmosphere of happiness, a sense that all is right … Continue reading
Belfast with Medieval Murderers
Last week I was enormously lucky to be invited to Northern Ireland to talk to some library audiences. I confess, I have never been to Northern Ireland before purely because the stories of bombings and shootings made it a less than attractive proposition. Still, I remember distinctly my brother telling me that he had met … Continue reading
Starting and Ending
I’m in a bit of a fix just now. I have to write a synopsis for a new book. Not a problem: I’ve written many of them in the past, and this will not take too long. But it did bring me to consider how I tend to do such things. The normal approach with my … Continue reading
THE LATE SCHOLAR by Jill Paton Walsh
ISBN 978 1 444 76087 3 Paperback £8.99 I have always been a huge fan of the classic crime stories. When I was very young I devoured Sherlock Holmes, whose only failing was, so far as I could see, that he didn’t have more adventures. While I have read some continuation stories by other writers, … Continue reading
THE BEAST IN THE JUNGLE – Louis Bayard
ISBN 978 1 84854 234 1 Published by John Murray This is a very difficult book to review. It is filled with suspense like a strong psychological thriller, but it’s also rather historical in feel, and is a crime story in many ways, too. The basic plot is simple enough: in 1914 the former US President, Theodore … Continue reading
The Templar’s Penance
There are times when I put up a video on my YouTube channel and soon get a series of questions that I hadn’t thought of at the time. So, if you want to see the original video, you can find it here – and thanks to Hans van der Boom for his questions. Apologies for not speaking … Continue reading
Scams
This one fails on so many levels. Still, I’m glad that the Manchester employee is keen to apologise for his lack of English. BEGINS Hello, I am Richard Wong a staff of one of highly reputable financial institution here in Manchester, United Kingdom, and I am the head of operation. I am pleased … Continue reading
Refreshing old stories
Today I have the joy of starting to write one book I first thought up  ten years ago, while also looking at an edit of a book I wrote at about the same time. I have been a writer for an appalling twenty years now. It’s shocking to think of all those years having … Continue reading
Dear Hachette,
Originally posted on Blair MacGregor:
Dear Hachette, I’m a nobody. Let’s get that out of the way right now. I don’t have a contract with you or any of your peer companies. But I’ve known and listened to writers and editors for the last twenty years, and many of those conversations would never be placed in writing…
Newmark and Totty
This case is getting more and more ridiculous. Now we learn that the Tory MP who’s just quit was groomed – and I use that term advisedly – over months. He was contacted by a reporter pretending to be a young Tory supporting PR girl. The conversations were initiated by this “girl”. They were conducted … Continue reading
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