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
writing tips
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
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
How to create the perfect villain!
Today I ran a lesson about villains for homeschool with my nine-year-old daughter. She loved it and created a supreme baddie: Galactica, Queen of the… Read More »How to create the perfect villain!
Blueprint for a house…and a story
In May 2017 we bought a house in Somerset. It was originally built in the 1950s and for almost two years we’ve been renovating it.… Read More »Blueprint for a house…and a story
Letter to my younger self
What would you tell yourself if you could? The Royal Literary Fund recently gave me the opportunity to write and record a letter to my… Read More »Letter to my younger self
How I write
The Royal Literary Fund has recorded a mini -podcast with me on how I write – with a black coffee, and some dark chocolate and… Read More »How I write
How to write a thriller
In a few days time I’m heading to Ted Hughes’ old house, Lumb Bank, in Hebden Bridge, to teach an Arvon Foundation course on how… Read More »How to write a thriller
Becoming a coach
I’ve just returned to working for charity, First Story, this month. First Story’s aim is to change young people’s lives through writing, particularly those… Read More »Becoming a coach
My Writing Toolkit
Book blogger and health journalist, Victoria Goldman, asked me to tell her what my essential writing toolkit is for her blog, Off-the-Shelf Books. Here goes: Office… Read More »My Writing Toolkit
In a thriller, nowhere is safe…
This is a blog post I wrote on the importance of setting for The Asian Writer, and I thought would be most appropriate as I’ve… Read More »In a thriller, nowhere is safe…
How to tell a good plot
My seven-year-old daughter is teaching me how to plot. She’s drawn a story mountain for me, which shows the start, build up, climax, solution and… Read More »How to tell a good plot
The octopus and the pirates
I’m giving a talk on plot at Novel Nights on Wednesday 23 Many. This is a wonderful monthly event, organised by writer, Grace Palmer, in… Read More »The octopus and the pirates
My Mother’s Secret is out now!
My Mother’s Secret is out now! It’s available to buy in bookshops or from Amazon. You can read some extracts from it if you’d like… Read More »My Mother’s Secret is out now!
Hiking for writing II
Happy Earth Day! Today, we’re celebrating our extraordinary planet, and trying to end plastic pollution. In a month I’ll be heading to one of my… Read More »Hiking for writing II
Party like a writer!
I’d love you to come to my book launch party if you can make it! It’s 7 p.m. Friday 11 May at Waterstones, Bristol. There’ll… Read More »Party like a writer!
My Mother’s Secret – What other writers are saying
Six weeks to go until My Mother’s Secret comes out! For an author waiting to see how her book will be received, this is a… Read More »My Mother’s Secret – What other writers are saying
Mothers & Daughters II
Happy Mother’s Day! This blog is dedicated to those very special women in our lives, without whom, we would not exist. My first thriller, Bone… Read More »Mothers & Daughters II
First Lines
Did you know that many publishers won’t read past the first few lines of your manuscript? Harsh but true. Agents may read a page or… Read More »First Lines
How do I write?
Well, I start the day with a large black coffee and some dark chocolate! Writing a novel feels like being an ultra marathon runner. It’s… Read More »How do I write?