Five Come off the Shelves – Again
I have a confession to make. It’s a shameful one, the kind of confession that leaves you red-faced and truly humbled, but the time has come and I must unburden myself. I am a fan of the Famous Five.
Category: Books
Christmas Crackers: The Best Festive Reads
I wrote the bulk of the following post before the recent attack on a Christmas market in Berlin. I was planning a jolly, festive post, full of Christmas cheer … which, in the circumstances, hardly seems appropriate. Of course, life must go on, along with all the activities that make up a life – reading being one… Continue reading Christmas Crackers: The Best Festive Reads
Happy St Patrick’s Day: Irish Horror Writers
St Patrick’s Day is upon us, or so my desktop calendar assures me. Since I have (to the best of my knowledge) no Irish blood whatsoever, it’s not an occasion I usually celebrate. That doesn’t mean, however, that I can’t raise a glass of Guinness to some fine Irish authors, especially if they’re authors of… Continue reading Happy St Patrick’s Day: Irish Horror Writers
February was the Cruellest Month
Goodbye and good riddance, February 2016. You were a hideous month, a month that robbed us of two great writers: Umberto Eco and Harper Lee. I’m not going to attempt a critique of Eco’s and Lee’s respective contributions to literature – that’s already been done, and done far better than I could do it. This… Continue reading February was the Cruellest Month
The Great Literary Love Stories
It’s that time of year again. Valentine’s Day – to the undoubted delight of greeting card manufacturers and chocolatiers the world over – is almost upon us. I feel the need to celebrate in some way – and what better way than by delving into a good literary love story? There are many works of… Continue reading The Great Literary Love Stories
Getting into the New Year With a Swing! (Sort of…)
Well, here we are again. The season to be merry has come and gone (indeed, and as I can testify, if you were in Britain this Christmas it probably swept past, borne along by flood waters). Crackers have been pulled, embarrassing Christmas jumpers have been worn, and unwanted presents have been stowed in the attic.… Continue reading Getting into the New Year With a Swing! (Sort of…)
I’ve Come Over All Christmasy…
It’s (almost) that time of year again, when the entire Western world embarks upon a huge sweaty orgy of buying and selling, and we all demand to have our stockings well and truly stuffed. When having fun is mandatory, and rapidly-sobering revellers are admitted to A&E Departments after attempting injudiciously ambitious dance moves at office… Continue reading I’ve Come Over All Christmasy…
Things that Go Bump in the Night
Re-blogged from Authors Electric. It’s that time of year again, when pumpkins are carved out, horror films dominate the TV schedules, and kids don Frankenstein masks and flit around their neighbourhoods asking for sweets. Well, technically speaking, I am of course a few days late, but my Authors Electric slot falls on the second of… Continue reading Things that Go Bump in the Night
Front to Back
I’m currently in the process of giving my books a facelift. I’m not reworking the actual contents (apart from clearing up a few minor typos and formatting problems), just trying to make them look more attractive and professional. The process so far has given me a thumping headache, and a renewed respect for publishers. Getting… Continue reading Front to Back
The Dreaded A-Word
Consider these three different scenarios: 1. The hero of a Regency romance stalks into a drawing-room and greets his bewildered valet with the words “What’s up, dude?” 2. A generally well-researched novel set in Mediaeval Europe has a scene in which the protagonist gets out of bed and puts on his underpants. (Underpants, so I’m… Continue reading The Dreaded A-Word
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