I mentioned in my November newsletter that the first meeting of a local writers’ group that I am facilitating was happening on Wednesday. I was anxious that no one would come so I was relieved when eight other writers arrived. We chatted about ourselves and what we were writing for thirty minutes and, for the […]
Book review: The Mystery Writer
Wow. Sulari Gentill sure knows how to captivate us with complex story lines. In The Mystery Writer, Theodosia Benton leaves her attorney job and shows up at her brother’s home with only two suitcases and an unfinished novel. She has many doubts about her life, including whether she is capable of becoming a successful writer. […]
Book review: Murder at the Book Festival
Murder? Book festival? An alluring combination and, of course, I was going to read this! The small village of Merrywell in the UK is hosting its first book festival, organised by Eric Nash, the owner of the local bookshop. He’s organised a full agenda of talks and workshops, with Leonie Stanwick, author of best-selling raunchy […]
Book review: After She Wrote Him
Wow. For the first few chapters, I couldn’t follow this story but I’m glad I persevered because it took me down a crazy path. Who was writing the story I was reading – Madeleine or Edward? Edward is a character in the murder mystery Madeleine is writing and he soon becomes all she can think […]
Book review: The Writing Retreat
I’ve always wanted to attend a writing retreat. I imagine spending mornings learning with a group and the retreat leader, afternoons writing and evenings discussing books. The food would be delicious and the individual bedrooms would be comfortable. We’d find time for walking in the fresh air, alone or in groups as we prefer. By […]
Book review: Prom Mom
Laura Lippman sure knows how to write a slow-burning thriller. Prom Mom is the story of Amber Glass, who allegedly gives birth and kills her baby on the night of her school prom. Joe Simpson, her date, abandons her on the night so he can pursue the girl he likes more. After spending most of […]
Protecting my headspace
Stories are my thing. They can be constructed from my memories or recounted by other people. Stories can be spoken or written; based on facts or totally imaginary. It doesn’t matter how they come to me. Words, of course, are the basic building blocks of stories. I’m immersed in words every day, whether I’m reading, […]
Book review: Echo Lake
After recently divorced Rose McHugh leaves Sydney to start a new life in the Southern Highlands area, she finds a roll of film buried in her backyard. She has the film developed (I’m not sure many people would do that but she’s an historian and also nosy, which helps make her actions more believable), and […]
Book review: The Gardener
This is the first novel by Salley Vickers I have read and, after finishing it, I am keen to read her others. It transported me to the Welsh Marches, that area along the border between Wales and England. Any writer who can evoke such a strong sense of place engages me. Hassie Days, an illustrator, […]
The value of creating
Have you ever read something that forces you to immediately stop whatever you are doing? Like when a sentence hits you with force and make you wonder how that couldn’t possibly have occurred to you before? For me, it happened when I read a quote from Neil Gaiman. I’m a voracious reader. To me, reading […]