Little did I think, when I started writing my first novel (long, long ago) that I’d one day be celebrating my tenth novel out in the world. Death in Wiltshire is the latest instalment in my DS Wild crime thriller … Continued
The most famous really short story is: “For sale: baby shoes, never worn.” It’s usually attributed to Ernest Hemingway but versions of that story were circulating when Hemingway was seven years old. Unless he had a good memory. The brilliance … Continued
Many of the spy novelists whose works I’ve enjoyed cite Ian Fleming, John le Carré, or Len Deighton as their primary inspiration. John Buchan also gets an honourable mention from time to time, along with Graham Greene. However, for my … Continued
I’ve heard it said that creative writing is an exercise in hope. It starts with the intent to finish a piece of work. Next, before and after editing, is the hope that it’s good enough – by some subjective standard. … Continued
Occasionally I get asked how to go about writing a book. I usually answer ‘one word at a time’. It sounds glib but there’s a lot of truth in that. We start off with a premise, or a character, or … Continued
Back in the day, I had the good fortune to meet Lynn Michell online. She’s an author and editor, as well as the owner of independent publishing house Linen Press. Although we write in different genres we found we had … Continued
Ask any dedicated reader and they’ll tell you that they have a treasured few books that they return to time and time again. Know you’re going to be stuck on a train or a coach? Want to fill a few … Continued
I’m still in two minds about AI. Sure, it has revolutionised system automation, data analysis and data processing, and it’s at the forefront of customer service and user experience. But when it comes to the creative arts, AI is several … Continued
So much for the elements, what elevates a spy novel? Characters we want to follow into the shadows A great spy story must have well-rounded, believable characters, not merely caricatures. British spy novels tend to be inhabited by flawed, conflicted … Continued