Today sees the start of National Story-telling week, a celebration of the oral tradition of storytelling, and takes place for a full week at the beginning of February each year. Stories are told in schools, theatres, pubs, village halls, community centres, and are a way of bringing people together. To celebrate I have a Q&A with…
Month: January 2022
Under the Reader’s Radar – celebrating the quiet novel
There are thousands upon thousands of books published each year. Only a small percentage of those make it to the best-seller list. That doesn’t mean that the rest aren’t worthy of reading. It may be that they are written by self-published authors who don’t have the marketing knowledge or a small independent publisher who doesn’t have…
Andreina Cordani – Q&A
Dead Lucky by Andreina Cordani was published by Atom on 13 January 2022. Andreina kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about Dead Lucky. Dead Lucky is about a group of young influencers – Xav, Maxine, Leni and Ed – who have hit the big time at eighteen. They’re all…
The Girl Who Reads on the Metro by Christine Féret-Fleury, translated by Ros Schwartz -review
Published by Pan Macmillan Publication date – 1 October 2020 Source- own copy When Juliette takes the métro to her loathed office job each morning, her only escape is in books – she avidly reads on her journey and imagines what her fellow commuters’ choices might say about them. Then she meets Soliman – the…
Sarah Bonner – Q&A
Sarah Bonner’s debut novel, Her Perfect Twin, was published by Hodder Studio on 20 January 2022. Sarah kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about Her Perfect Twin HER PERFECT TWIN is my debut psychological thriller. It follows the story of Megan, who discovers her husband is having an affair…
The Key in the Lock by Beth Underdown – review
Published by Viking Books Publication date – 13 January 2022 Source – review copy ‘I still dream, every night, of Polneath on fire…’ By day, Ivy Boscawen mourns the loss of her son Tim in the Great War. But by night she mourns another boy – one whose death decades ago haunts her still. For…
Isabel Bannerman – Q&A
Isabel Bannerman’s book, The Star-Nosed Mole, was published by Pimpernel Press on 23 September 2021. Isabel kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about The Star-Nosed Mole. The Star- Nosed Mole is a sort of salad of delicious scented titbits that did not go into my book about scent in…
B: A Year in Plagues and Pencils by Edward Carey – review
Published by Gallic Books Publication date – 4 November 2021 Source – review copy ‘I blame the pencil. I hadn’t meant to do it. I wasn’t thinking. It just happened that way.’ In March 2020, as lockdowns were imposed around the world, author and illustrator Edward Carey published a sketch on social media, with a…
Reshma Ruia – Q&A
Reshma Ruia’s short story collection, Mrs Pinto Drives to Happiness, was published by Dahlia Publishing on 12 October 2021. Reshma kindly answered a few of my questions. 1. Tell us a little about Mrs Pinto Drives to Happiness. Mrs Pinto Drives to Happiness is a collection of short stories that spans continents and cultures. The…
Under the Reader’s Radar – celebrating the quiet novel
There are thousands upon thousands of books published each year. Only a small percentage of those make it to the best-seller list. That doesn’t mean that the rest aren’t worthy of reading. It may be that they are written by self-published authors who don’t have the marketing knowledge or a small independent publisher who doesn’t have…
From First Page to Last 