‘The Beautiful Game’ – Filled with dread
‘The Perfect Crime’, a collection of crime fiction short stories by diverse writers, is reviewed by Peter Kalu on Writers Mosaic. Peter says, ‘There are… Read More »‘The Beautiful Game’ – Filled with dread
Writing
The Writer as an Outsider
‘As writers, we are all anthropologists, observing the natives and commenting on their customs. As writers, we can tap into that feeling of being an… Read More »The Writer as an Outsider
Rejection – Or How to Fail Better at Writing
‘I tried to remind myself of the rejections other authors had faced. JK Rowling was famously told that children did not want to read long… Read More »Rejection – Or How to Fail Better at Writing
What no one tells you about getting published…
(A love story in twenty-five parts) When the Royal Literary Fund asked me to write an article on this topic, I used Matt Haig’s poem… Read More »What no one tells you about getting published…
My favourite children’s book
‘It’s such a moving, powerful story but it’s also beautifully written. It’s about kindness and compassion, about how what we’re like on the inside should… Read More »My favourite children’s book
My desert island book
I’d want to read it on a desert island because it would remind me of the power and passion of human emotions.’⠀ Talking about the… Read More »My desert island book
The Perfect Crime is out now!
22 bestselling crime writers. 22 deadly destinations. One deliciously sinister collection 🔪 I’m delighted that ‘The Perfect Crime‘ is out now, published by Harper Collins. It’s… Read More »The Perfect Crime is out now!
My favourite translated book – The Glass Bead Game
My favourite book in translation is ‘The Glass Bead Game’ by Herman Hesse. The Royal Literary Fund has made a short film on books in… Read More »My favourite translated book – The Glass Bead Game
Sleeping Beauty – How Somerset inspired my thriller, One Year Later
‘The Pines is a rambling farmhouse that our parents, David and Eleanor, converted years ago, and although it no longer has the land it came… Read More »Sleeping Beauty – How Somerset inspired my thriller, One Year Later
Sugar Island is available to pre-order
I’m delighted to announce that one of my novels is going to be republished! ‘Sugar island’ by Sanjida O’Connell is based on a true story… Read More »Sugar Island is available to pre-order
The Stolen Child: A dark fairy tale
‘They stole you from me. They took you away for seven years. Your entire lifetime…Make no mistake, my darling. I am coming for you. I will take you back.’ The Stolen Child is about a couple, Zoe and Ollie, who long for children and when they’re unable to have their own, they adopt a little girl,Read More »The Stolen Child: A dark fairy tale
Happy Mother’s Day!
Happy Mother’s Day! I had hoped to spend today being spoilt with prosecco and cake in some nice cafe - but I'm grateful that my family are healthy and safe at the moment, and spending time with them, no matter what, is the best Mother's Day present. All four of my psychological thrillers are aboutRead More »Happy Mother’s Day!
Wuthering Heights – the novel that has influenced me the most
When I was a teenager, I steadfastly refused to believe that so-called ‘classical literature’ could be better than the assortment I chose from the local… Read More »Wuthering Heights – the novel that has influenced me the most
My Mother’s Secret – Location
There’s a thin band of cream silhouetting the cranes that hover over the half-built office blocks in the city centre. I head home, below an… Read More »My Mother’s Secret – Location
Life-changing literature
I have dreamt in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas; they have gone through and through me, like wine through water, and altered the colour of my mind. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte I first read Wuthering Heights as a teenager, and since then, I've read itRead More »Life-changing literature
Interview with Historical Fiction Reader
...one of the scenes I lost, which I pine for, is where Joseph is in a small canoe, floating down a river lined with boats full of orchids that are for sale. I've just been interviewed by Erin Davies, aka the Historical Fiction Reader, about my latest historical novel, The Priest and the Lily. ErinRead More »Interview with Historical Fiction Reader
Marketing and Me
‘I don’t much like it. Marketing is about selling & writers, as we know, are about writing and reading. They’re generally not known for their… Read More »Marketing and Me
Red Hot Chilli Writers Podcast
I had a wonderful chat with two of my favourite crime fiction writers, Vaseem Khan & Abir Mukherjee, for their Red Hot Chilli Writers podcast - out today! Luckily I had two books to talk about, ONE YEAR LATER, as well as THE PRIEST AND THE LILY. We talked about camping in lockdown, asRead More »Red Hot Chilli Writers Podcast
The best writing advice I ever received
The thing about being a writer and not having a ‘proper’ job is that we don’t have IT support, coffee breaks, water-cooler chats and personal… Read More »The best writing advice I ever received
The Priest and the Lily – the inspiration for my novel about men and flowers
Many of our most common and beautiful garden plants have come from far-flung locations throughout the world, brought to us by intrepid explorers who have literally risked life and limb in their search for the rare and exotic. Our gladioli originally came from South Africa, rhododendrons from the Himalayas, the monkey puzzle tree is indigenousRead More »The Priest and the Lily – the inspiration for my novel about men and flowers