Time for a long-overdue update. Firstly, all my best to you for the festive season. Here in Australia we are heading into the hottest period of summer, with bush fires already causing destruction. The southeast of the country has been experiencing extreme flooding. Climate change is making its mark here in a big way and we can only hope those in positions of power are brave enough (and principled [...]
Here's a link to my most recent post for Writer Unboxed. In it I talk about unlikely heroes in folklore, fiction and real life. Make sure you read the comments - they are very insightful! Photo 99656242 / Courage © Mbolina | Dreamstime.com
I see to my horror that it's three months since I last posted here - apologies to all. Readers who follow my Facebook author page and/or my Instagram will have seen this picture already - it represents an unexpected turn in my ideas for a new project. I've had the best part of a year off writing for various reasons, and it hasn't been easy getting back into the swing [...]
I'll be appearing in a live (virtual) 24 hour Read-a-Thon on April 7/8, a fund-raising venture for Manchester City Library. I'm one of many authors participating in this event, during which each of us will read briefly from our work, then answer questions about writing, reading and libraries. That's Manchester, New Hampshire, USA, folks, not the English city. The event will be broadcast live on Twitch at: www.twitch.tv/mcl_foundation For more [...]
Hi all. I hope you enjoy this recent interview. There are a few gaps, because there's a time difference between Perth and Brisbane. Also, the initial lead-in time is long enough for you to press play, go and make a cup of tea, and get back for the start. It was lovely talking to Aimee, and I really appreciated the opportunity at a time when live appearances to promote books [...]
Hi all, and apologies for neglecting you! With two new books coming out later in the year, I aim to post more frequently from now on. I am still active on the Facebook fan page, where we recently had fun finding Irish names for some disreputable henchmen-for-hire in the third book of Warrior Bards. That's the novel I'm hard at work on, meaning less time and brain space for social [...]
Apologies - it's been a long time since I posted here. I'll put up a separate post about my future travel plans and appearances soon. The big question is, what am I working on now and when will it be published? I have two projects on the go, but I can't tell you a whole lot about either until my agent has definite arrangements with the publishers in question. The [...]
Yoda has been using the Force to help me sort out some books. Rather a lot of books. This double pile represents a small percentage of the mountain of fantasy works piled up all over my house at present. This year I am one of the five judges for the World Fantasy Awards. These awards are presented annually for the best fantasy works in English, spread over several categories [...]
Yes, it's that time of year again, and we headed along to Pet Lover's Cafe for a photo with a very long-suffering Santa. Reggie (on the left) is reacting to the photographer, Zen looks stately but disapproving, and Fergal is posing sweetly. I left Pip and Bodhi at home - not brave enough to try for the five-dog image this time around. It's been an unproductive year for me [...]
If I asked you what are the most popular settings for historical fiction these days, you might nominate the Tudor period, Regency England, or perhaps London in Victorian times. Then there’s Roman Britain, Viking era Scandinavia, Napoleonic Europe. But you don’t often find a novel set in early medieval Wales, which is odd, since that period and culture are rich in storytelling potential. Welsh mythology, captured in that treasure trove [...]
