January 29 2010 3:18 pm
I’ve just finished reading ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ by Khaled Hosseini, a number one bestseller, the cover proclaims. It also shouts out the high praise the book has received: ‘A suspenseful epic’, ‘A triumph’, ‘Unforgettable’, ‘A masterful story’. Does it, I wonder, deserve such acclaim. Would it be such a success if... read more
January 22 2010 8:08 am
I’m going to be talking about ‘Unravelling’ at the first Chipping Campden Literary Festival in May! I wrote to the artistic director Vicky Bennett with an idea for a talk. At first she was hesitant about a self-published author (although she’s successfully published her own novel) but when she saw my... read more
January 19 2010 10:29 am
Communications about Unravelling come from Matador thick and fast. There’s so much to decide: the book’s details and my biography for bookshops and online stores, such as Amazon; a press release; marketing materials … And most difficult of all the book’s cover. This is the aspect that causes me most anguish.... read more
January 14 2010 12:04 pm
Wow! The editing and rewriting are finally done. The title of my novel is on its third incarnation. Now I need a publisher.
January 12 2010 9:32 pm
My very first blog. There’s so much advice: make a contract with your reader – they have to feel there is something worth investing their time and effort in. Raise a question. How to start? Who’s the main character? Well, me, obviously. Or is it you? Make your reader care.... read more