For our holiday, my family and I crossed the expanse of the Midlands to visit the Norfolk coast. We drove through The Fens, where parents lived out their childhood, and saw the house where my mother was born, the market town where my father's family had a store and by…
It's hot outside and we haven't had rain for a month. The grass is dying, the leaves think it's autumn and the sky is a constant azure and only wisps of clouds float by in the distance. Sitting outside, closing my eyes, shutting out the noise of traffic and voices,…
I'm delighted to announce that The Women of Heachley Hall has gone on tour! You can read an extract, reviews, author interviews and participate in a draw to win a free copy of the book. All you need to his visit one or more of these blogs over the next…
I created a family. It began with a name, one that I discovered using census data. The website provides details of the popular surnames of English counties. I picked two - one for each of the families that feature in my book, The Women of Heachley Hall. Dates became crucial…
Today my magical mystery book goes live on Amazon, which means the doors of Heachley Hall are fully open for you to come in and explore, alongside Miriam, who has to decide whether she can really live in a decaying house for year and a day. I don't possess the…
I wanted to set a book near Hunstanton. I have memories of Hunstanton that have stuck around and it seemed as good as place as any to write book. The choice of location reminds me of a debate I once saw on Facebook amongst authors - do you use real…
A cluttered desk - is it a sign of a disorganised mind or a busy one? I've a jotter pad with things scribbled on it, which at the time of writing meant something, but a few days later has lost all hope of being something. Stacked next to me are…
... or how it didn't turn out quite how I expected it to. When writing the first draft of The Women of Heachley Hall (codenamed: a year and a day), I had a good idea where I wanted to end up. The writing unfolded naturally to that conclusion and my…
The biggest challenge I face in publishing The Women of Heachley Hall is keeping quiet. When you want to sell your book, have it read by countless millions (or realistically a few thousand!), then they want to know what they're getting, don't they? When I sought feedback on the draft…