Review of 2016 – Books and Tools
It’s always interesting to review a year that has just passed. 2015 was not a good year for me – with 14 friends and family dying, it was never going to be a happy year. However, at least there are people who help distract me. And first amongst these are authors, of course. Last year … Continue reading
Review: SPARE ME THE TRUTH
Tomorrow I’ll be putting up a review of my year for 2015, running through my favourite books of the year, but I have one problem. One of the books I read was stunning, was thrilling, and I should have mentioned it … except I couldn’t, really. The damn thing wasn’t published last year! Caroline Carver … Continue reading
Diaries and Paper!
Apologies – this week I’m desperately working on an edit (again). This one is the last in my Vintener Trilogy about the Hundred Years War. A good series of books, and enthusiastically supported by an increasing readership. Thanks! I should have finished the edit in the next week, but with family coming to visit, time is getting … Continue reading
Another Week, Another Edit
Last week I was glad to finish one edit – this week I have another. It’s one of the more accurate observations, the fact that all writing is rewriting. I estimated that my first novel was the result of reading and rereading my manuscript somewhere in the region of thirty five times. By the end … Continue reading
Review: HEARTS OF STONE by Simon Scarrow
As I have said before, I will only review books I’ve enjoyed. Well … I’m a novelist, and I’ve written enough books to cost half the Amazon rainforest. That, for me, means I’m pretty hard to please. Especially in my chosen specialist subject of the historical story. Historicals for me create a number of problems. … Continue reading
Review: The Devil’s Sanctuary
Written by Marie Hermanson, published by Little, Brown, trade paperback 978 1 847445766 £12.99 This is a rather different style of book for me. Usually I’ll go with thrillers and crime stories, but this was a book I saw in Waterstone’s, and the cover attracted me almost immediately. Identical twins Daniel and Max have a … Continue reading
Review: The Girl Who Wasn’t There
ISBN: 978 0 349 14046 9 Published by Abacus, an imprint of Little, Brown There are some books that grip from the first page, some that intrigue and keep you reading. Of course there are the others that deserve the Dorothy Parker quote “This is not a book to be tossed aside lightly, it should be … Continue reading
Reviews: Deon Meyer: COBRA
Another day, another new book to read. Writing reviews for books is growing to be rather more difficult. There are so many writers who have a reputation for ‘log rolling’, or puffing the books of their friends, that their words cannot be taken on face value. I’ve always had it as a firm policy that … Continue reading
Holidays!
It is very hard to write when it is school holidays. Children on holiday have an ability to make noise and disrupt thought processes much more than children at other times of the year. It is particularly unpleasant to be attempting to live to the 5:2 diet when sadistic teenaged girls insist on wafting lemon … Continue reading
Review: INTO THE FIRE, by Manda Scott, published in hardback by Transworld Books at £14.99
ISBN: 978 0 593 07247 9 I have to declare an interest here. Manda is a good friend. We first met as crime writers, and in more recent years we’ve worked together to take her vision of the Historical Writers’ Association and bring it to fruition. She has also generously given me a bunch … Continue reading
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