My Interview with Lois Davis Children's Author Blog Title Image

Tools of the Trade

When I interviewed good friend, fellow author, and proofreader Nick Jones, in July 2020 for my blog, I never imagined he would promote me on his website. But that is exactly what he did, and I so appreciated the gesture. Take a look! ‘My interview with Lois Davis, children’s author Blog – Page 2 of

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Behind the Scenes Title Image

Behind the Scenes

Just as with a finished production in a theatre so much goes on behind the scenes, so it is for writing a book. The world is a rich delicious pot of discovery to acquire ideas! You just have to dip in and see what’s there! Once the ideas form in my head and I know

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At the Crossroads Blog Title Image

At the Crossroads

December 2019. This way or that way.     Near on seven years in as a children’s author, and I am truly at a crossroads. The loss of my dear Mum earlier in the year focuses my mind. After copious submissions – yet again – I decide once and for all, to opt-out of the soul-destroying wait

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Have I Got This Write? Title Image

Have I Got This Write? 😉

When I took a leap of faith in January 2020 to go it alone as a children’s author and start up my own publishing company ‘The Fish Face Publishing Company’, one of my first tasks was to find an editor. It’s always tricky sourcing the right people as the internet can be a real ‘Wild

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No-one is an Island Title Image

No-one is an Island

The days are long gone when being an author, you wrote a book, got it published, and into book shops. Today, there is more than one way in becoming published, and after navigating, or rather roller coasteering my way through this industry over the years, I have emerged as an independent or ‘Indie’ author as

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From the Drawing Board Blog Title Image

From the Drawing Board

Finding the right illustrator is quite a challenge! There are literally many hundreds of very talented people out there, each working in their own individual way. I knew I needed someone who would fit the quirky nature of my writing and my brand. There are authors who are illustrators too as I was to discover,

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The Protagonist

He wasn’t always the main man – dear old Mincemeat, Great-Grandma’s human-sized utterly devoted ginger cat. He started out as her side-kick in 2013, remaining so for almost seven years. But nothing stays the same as they say. In 2019 I lost my mum, and I had a dreadful year. At the end of that

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Tickets Please! Tickets Please!

MINCEMEAT AND A TRAIN CALLED ZAYN The notice at Candy Floss Central station was written in bold letters: Mr Clarence Clipit Station Master Candy Floss Central Mr Clipit had twinkly green eyes and a moustache that looked like a brush. He wasn’t just the station master. He would board the trains too, passing through the

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A Vignette

I’m often asked where my characters come from. Great-Grandma was imagined when I set out on this journey back in 2013. My twin grandkids had moved with their parents halfway across the globe to Brazil and I began writing letters to them. My mum wasn’t too well at the time, so I was relaying family

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An Excerpt from ‘Mincemeat and a Train Called Zayn’…

Great-Grandma returned from the village to find conkers by her front door. There were conkers going up the stairs and conkers in the sitting room. In the kitchen, there were conkers on top of the cupboards. “What are all these conkers doing around the cottage, Mincemeat? I thought they were for your cake.” Mincemeat was

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