Blog
From encyclopedias to Google: Looking things up in life and writing
Amongst the many bookshelves in my childhood home, one of them (although not pictured here) held an encyclopedia set. In that pre-Internet world, those twenty-five volumes (hardcover and bound in cream with touches of red, black and gold) were my window on the wider...
Wishing on a wishing tree
“There’s a wishing tree in Irish Falls. The bits of paper tied to its gnarled branches hold the hopes and dreams of everyone in town…” That’s from the blurb for my most recent book, The Wishing Tree in Irish Falls, a story about wishes come true, even for those who...
When tragedy strikes close to home
I've now lived in Canada for almost five years and although England will always be one of my ‘homes,’ my English and Canadian lives rarely intersect. Last weekend was different, though, and I was reminded that despite being geographically distant, my English ‘home’...
Voices in my head
In a Twitter exchange earlier this week, my author friend Jane Cable commented on the importance of writer friends, saying: “They don’t think you’re odd to have voices in your head.” Although Jane and I were chatting about finding writing inspiration (which usually...
For the love of libraries
As both reader and author, one of the things I’ve missed most during this time of self-isolation is visiting the library. From childhood until now, libraries have been one of my happy places—to learn, get book recommendations, find a sense of community and more....
Walking my way through lockdown
Like many of you, and although certain restrictions have eased a bit, I live in an area where we’re still sheltering in place and 'normal life' remains in almost complete lockdown. As such, and with gyms, my dance studio and other fitness facilities closed, walking is...
Reading (& Writing) for Hope, Comfort and Happy Ever After, plus a 0.99 deal on my latest book
Hello everyone, This week, I've written a guest post for Women Writers, Women's Books (WWWB) about 'Reading (and Writing) for Hope, Comfort and Happy Ever After.' Especially at this time of global pandemic, I'm sharing the importance of 'comfort reading' and why I...
Looking to the past to cope with the present
As life continues to be unsettled, I’ve thought about my late mother even more than usual recently and, in particular, how she coped during rough times. Both practical and pragmatic, when life was difficult Mom turned to baking or knitting. If she could give the...
Life and writing in lockdown
When this is all over… I hear that phrase often these days as everyone, me included, wants life in 2020 to go back to ‘normal’ as soon as possible, whatever that ‘new normal’ will be. For the moment, though, life (and for me, writing), have to go on in lockdown. As...
Photo by Robin Spencer, Spencer Studio