Thursday 29 September 2011

Killer Elite



Robert DeNiro, Jason Statham & Clive Owen star in this action thriller based on a true story.

Danny (Statham), an ex special op’s agent, is unwillingly brought back into action when his mentor, Hunter ( DeNiro) is captured during one of his missions.
Danny is ordered to carry out 3 assassinations by Hunters captors before they will let him go.
Spike ( Clive Owen) is the man sent to stop Danny from achieving his mission.
What follows is a cat and mouse thriller with plenty of double crosses and twists thrown in.

The movie moves along at an excellent pace. Owen is excellent as the obsessed agent intent on stopping Danny and both Statham and DeNiro play their parts well, making the film even more enjoyable.

I imagine the “true story” has been hyped up quite a bit for entertainment purposes as there are plenty of action and chase scenes throughout, in a kind of seen it all before way.
But don’t let this put you off because if you like your action thrillers then you’ll love this.





Reviewed By David
Family Entertainers

Wednesday 28 September 2011

Flidderbugs - Jonathon Gould



Flidderbugs is a quirky short tale about two opposing tribes of bugs that live in the Krephiloff Tree. The major argument between themselves is whether the leaves have three or four points to them.
Little do they know that just around the corner is real danger to their very existence and the two opposing tribes will have to overcome their differences if they are to survive.
Although this is a short story it comes with a big message.
In any argument just because you think you are right does not mean that you are right and that the real correct answer might be beyond what you see.
Jonathon concentrates on the storyline and never actually describes what the Flidderbugs look like but despite this holds your attention from the first page to the last.

This is a story that should suit all ages as the characters are very likeable with a plot very easy to follow.



Reviewed By David

Edge Of Extinction - Kristen Stone



This is not the normal type of book that I would choose to read but I am so glad I was given this to review.
It deals with a topic which the world is slowly coming to terms with and starting to put right – Large Corporation Pollution.

Kianda Mala is the leader of his “lost” tribe deep in the Amazon and sets out to discover why his people are suddenly becoming sick and dying.
What he is about to discover will rock & possibly destroy his world.
Kristen has done an excellent job in mixing reality with fantasy and not got bogged down in facts to keep the story entertaining.
The prologue was a bit confusing and it took me a chapter or so to get into the story but Kristen soon grabs you and pulls you so far in that you can actually imagine yourself  trekking through the Amazon alongside Kianda and the rest of the characters.
A well written piece of work that I recommend you don’t pass up.



Reviewed By David

Friday 23 September 2011

Interview With Nicole Storey - Author Of Grimsley Hollow



AUTHOR
Nicole Storey

BOOK TITLE
Grimsley Hollow-The Chosen One

AUTHOR BIO:

I am from a smallish town in Georgia in the United States.  I have lived here all my life.  I have a wonderful husband, two amazing children, a cat that believes she’s a tiger, and a bunch of goldfish.  When I’m not writing, I enjoy gardening, reading, and dreaming of my favorite holiday, Halloween, all year long!



SHORT SYNOPSIS:

This book is about an autistic, 11-year-old boy named Gage who has no friends and loves Halloween.  He meets a young witch named Eve who is from another realm called Grimsley Hollow, where all magical beings live.  An evil witch named Inari is trying to take over by stealing a magical key that holds all the power of their world and Gage is the only one who can save them.  So, along with an ornery pixy; a werewolf; a vampire; Eve; and some dragons, they travel on a journey that will change them all, especially Gage...if he can survive!


GENRE:

I would say that this is (fiction) fantasy/paranormal for kids ages 11-92!  LOL!


WHERE AVAILABLE/PRICE:

My book is available for eBook and in paperback version on Amazon, Smashwords, and Barnes and Noble.  The e-book download is $3 and the paperback is $10.

Click the book image above to go to the UK Amazon Page.


HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK

I collect Department 56 Halloween Village houses and one of them is an old, haunted house called Grimsly Hollow.  I chose it as the magical world’s name and just spelled it differently.  ‘The Chosen One’ came after I had almost finished the book and decided that I wanted to make it a series.


WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN ?
This is my first one, but hopefully not my last!

WHY DO YOU WRITE?

I write because I want to share the magic that books can bring to others, especially children.  Nothing pleases me more than to get lost in a book and go on an adventure as someone else.


WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR BOOK?

I have always been a huge fan of Halloween, so I knew that I wanted to incorporate that into my story.  I love the ‘characters’ that we think of when Halloween comes near; witches, vampires, werewolves, scary monsters... all of these and more help to shape Halloween and make it wondrous and magical.  I also knew that I wanted to put my children in the book, especially my son.  It just sort of came together one day and I began to write my ideas down.


WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER(S) IN THIS BOOK ?

I would have to say Puck, the pixy.  He makes me laugh so much and he gives the story humor and makes it less scary.  He’s sort of the comic relief after holding your breath and waiting for the boogymen to go away. 



HOW MUCH, IF ANY OF THE STORY WAS INSPIRED BY YOUR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES? 

My son, Gage, was diagnosed at the age of two with autism.  He developed Tourettes syndrome when he was seven.  All of the “autistic moments” in the book are things that my own son has, or still does, struggle with.  Gage’s love for Halloween in the story came directly from my own love for the holiday.  My children love it, as well!


GAGE AND SYDNEY, YOUR SON AND DAUGHTER, ARE PROMINANT CHARACTERS IN THE STORY. DO YOU INTEND ON ADDING ANY OTHER FAMILY MEMBERS INTO THE MIX IN FUTURE STORIES ?

I may, but nothing is definite yet.  I have a nephew that is begging me to make him into a character, so that is a possibility.

DID GAGE AND SYDNEY HAVE ANY SAY ON THEIR CHARACTERS TRAITS ?

Not really.  I wanted the book to be a surprise, so I didn’t let them read any of it until the paperback version was out and they got their own books.


DID THE STORY PROCEED AS YOU ORIGINALLY CONCEPTUALIZED IT, OR EVOLVE AS THE WORK PROGRESSED?

When I wrote this book, I had no idea what I was doing and no one to ask for help, as I didn’t know any authors like I do now.  I just went from chapter to chapter and typed what I felt should happen at that time, so it slowly evolved.  At night, I would lie in bed and think about what I wanted to happen when I worked on it the next day.



WHO DO YOU USE AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR YOUR WRITING? 

Now, I have many friends who are authors, but when I wrote this book, I talked to my friend (and the person who edited the book), Michele Messenger.  She literally kept me from pulling my hair out at times!  LOL!  I didn’t talk to my family as I wanted it to be a surprise for my husband and children and most of the other people that I am close to considered it a planted seed that would never grow. 


IN WHAT GENRE WOULD YOU BE LEAST & MOST COMFORTABLE WRITING?

I am most comfortable with fantasy and paranormal.  Those are the genres that I love best.  I would be least comfortable with romance, as I don’t read those very much.


IS THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT FACT OR MYTH, FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND WHY?
“WRITING THE FIRST SENTENCE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF WRITING A BOOK.”

For me, it is a myth.  The first has come easy for me so far because I already had in mind where I wanted that first chapter to go.



WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR ?

I have many that I love, but my absolute favorite is Kim Harrison.  She writes the most amazing books, but she is also a lovely person who takes time for her fans and appreciates her readers when so many other well-known authors forget who got them to that point after they make a lot of money.  Readers are very important to me and they always will be, no matter what happens with my book.


WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK ?

My favorite book of all time would have to be To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee.  I have read it more times that I can count.


THIS IS ALSO A BLOG ABOUT FILMS TOO, SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM ?

I really love classic horror movies.  I guess my favorite would have to be Halloween with The Fog and Jaws (even though it isn’t a horror movie) running second and third.


APART FROM WRITING DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES ?

Yes, I love to garden and read.  I also like to cook when I have the time and I love reading over recipe books for new things to try.


HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR BOOKS ?

For now, I am a self-publisher, so I am trying to promote my book any way I can.  I use the internet a lot and depend on my friends to help spread the word.  I am planning a book signing for next month, too.  I also have a blog and website.  Most of my marketing has been from simply making writer friends who are in the same boat I am in and we are willing to help each other out.


IT’S FAIRLY OBVIOUS THAT THIS IS THE FIRST OF THE SERIES. HOW MANY BOOKS DO YOU PLAN FOLLOWING THE ADVENTURES OF GAGE AND THE PEOPLE OF GRIMSLEY HOLLOW ?

I haven’t decided on that yet, but I know there will definitely be three.  If I haven’t finished my tales in Grimsley Hollow after the third, and if there is a demand for more, then I may plan on another.



WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR PROSPECTIVE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU OR THIS BOOK?

My main goal when I wrote this book was to spread awareness for special needs children.  I wanted to say to other people (especially kids) that all these special children want is to be accepted and have friends.  I see my son, and others, struggle every day to try and be accepted, only to be made fun of, bullied, or turned away because they are “different”.  My goal was to get across that we are all different in some way or another, but we are all still people with feelings.

*Thank you so much, David, for giving me this time to promote my book and to speak about something very close to my heart!  


VISIT NICOLE'S NEW WEBSITE

FOLLOW NICOLE ON TWITTER

VISIT NICOLE'S FAN PAGE ON FACEBOOK

Thursday 22 September 2011

Tinker Taylor Soldier Spy



I knew before I went to see this, from the trailers, that it was not going to be a James Bond type spy thriller with lots of explosions, chases and witty one liners.

But i expected a little more action than there actually was.
It was slow, tepid and boring right through.

A Russian spy is hidden within MI16 during the cold war and it’s one of 4 people. It’s down to retired spy George Smiley to flush him out.

Basically George is told there is a spy and goes out to trap him to send him back to Russia.
We don’t even have the thrill of red herrings or the spy leaving false trails to trick the viewer into believing it’s one person when it isn’t or false deaths, where the person who is meant to be dead turns out to be alive and well but he’s the spy.

No cliche’s whatsoever.

So what do we get....A slow, one paced, long, drawn out film that all the critics are jumping over themselves to give excellent, pretentious reviews.

The actors are all veteran actors and could play the roles given with their eyes shut so of course everyone will rave on as to how this film was well acted with award winning performances etc etc.
And there’s no argument from me on this point.

But what’s the point when the film is just plain boring.


Reviewed By David
Corporate Entertainment

The Change Up



I went into this film thinking it was going to be the same old rehashed switching bodies storyline that has been done time and time again, most notably in Disney's Freaky Friday and the 1988 film Vice Versa.

And it was......Except one thing.
This one was sooo funny.

I’ve seen both the Disney's Freaky Friday and the Vice Versa films and yes they were ok but had lashings of sentimentability in them.

The Change Up also has a little bit of the sentimentability in it too but with a lot more comedy.
So if you’re planning on giving it a miss because you think you’ve seen it all before – Don’t.
Go see it and, like me, you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how much better and funnier this one is.


Reviewed By David

Wednesday 21 September 2011

Six Weeks - Jessica L Degarmo



Six weeks is a hard hitting, gritty, tale of Imogene, a 19yr old student, who has just found out that she is pregnant and has six weeks to decide on whether or not to keep her baby. 
The story is told from Imogene’s point of view as she has to deal with her alcoholic mother, younger sister and the baby’s father Matthias, who has problems of his own.
The story is very thoughtfully written and with the dilemma that Imogene finds herself in, the reader gets an insight into what goes through a young teenagers mind when an unplanned pregnancy occurs.
The characters are all portrayed very well. It almost seems that the Author is writing about real people in real circumstances and you are completely drawn into the story and the plight of the characters involved.
My only complaint ( this is totally, a personal thing) is I don’t like the way the story ended.
I won’t say more than that as I wouldn’t want to spoil the ending for anyone reading this well crafted bit of work.

This is the first book I have read from Jessica Delgarmo and I can say I thoroughly enjoyed the read and look forward to more.

To find out when this book will be available click the link below.
Jessica L Degarmo - Six Weeks

Reviewed By David

Thursday 15 September 2011

Grimsley Hollow : The Chosen One - Nicole Storey



This is a charming story about a young autistic boy called Gage who gets invited into the “ storybook “ world of Grimsley Hollow to help the people and creatures defeat an evil witch, who is causing havoc in the search of a magic key.
This is very much in the vain of the Harry Potter books except the hero of the story is autistic and there’s no school.

In the story you get to meet some characters which are expertly crafted and within a short time you feel as if you’ve known them forever.
There’s vampires, witches, pixies, dragons and even a demon doctor.

Now, I loved the Harry Potter books and i can heartfully say that Nicole Storey has captured the magic and mystery of Grimsley Hollow just as good as JK Rowling did with Hogwarts in her books but with the additional insight of what an autistic person has to deal with on a day to day basis.

I just hope that the right person comes along and reads this book because it, in my opinion, has the same potential to be liked and enjoyed as much as the HP series and I can’t wait to see what adventures await Gage in the follow up books in the world of Grimsley Hollow.



Reviewed By David
Childrens Entertainers

Wednesday 14 September 2011

An Interview With Vickie Johnstone : Author Of Kiwi In Cat City


AUTHOR

Vickie Johnstone

BOOK TITLE
Kiwi in Cat City

AUTHOR BIO:

Hi, I live in London and have a thing about fluffy animals. I work as a sub editor on business magazines – at the moment it’s all about mining, geodrilling and tunnels! I have been writing since I was a kid. I love it. I also like nature, music, films, travelling and cheese.



SHORT SYNOPSIS:

Amy and James live in a house with their parents and their little black cat, Kiwi. One dark night, Amy cannot sleep and she looks out of the window into the garden to see Kiwi transfixed by the moon, which has taken on a weird, glowing shape like a cat's claw. Waking her brother, Amy suggests they follow Kiwi that night to see where she goes... whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that, with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed in their wildest dreams. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, they gain an understanding of what it's really like to be a cat. They get to help Inspector Furrball solve the mystery of the missing catizens and find out what really happened to Madame Purrfect.



GENRE:

Book for children, teens and adults


WHERE AVAILABLE

Click the site name to be taken to the relevant pages.



Amazon US





HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK

The main character is Kiwi, so I thought she has to be in the title, and then it just seemed obvious to put Cat City. Then there’s the alliteration, with the sounds making the title sound cute! Maybe!



WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN ?
Kiwi and the missing Magic – book 2 in the Kiwi Series
Kaleidoscope – a collection of 119 poems on different subjects
Travelling Light – a free sample of poems
I’m writing book 3 in the Kiwi Series – it will be spooky!

WHY DO YOU WRITE?

Because I enjoy writing. If I go too long without writing, it’s like an itch you have to scratch. It gets frustrating. Also, there’s all these ideas and characters running around – you have to get them down on paper. If I wasn’t working I would write all of the time. It’s the best thing. Complete freedom.


WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR BOOK?

It’s based on a cat I used to have called Kiwi, who was a real character. Intelligent, cute, individual, independent and very cheeky. She loved people and she wasn’t scared of anything. I grew up with a load of animals. We had a menagerie of animals really. My mum took in abandoned ones and my dad was also bringing in injured birds. At one time we even had a duck. I loved animals from when I was little and enjoyed reading about them. I was obsessed with Enid Blyton’s books – I loved the Faraway Tree and all of the characters, and the books with animals in. I guess it was only a matter of time before I wrote a book about them. I had been made redundant, had a lot of time on my hands, and the book began then. I started writing about Kiwi, imagined a city inhabited by cats, and it all emerged from there.


WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK ? 

It has to be Kiwi.



HOW MUCH, IF ANY OF THE STORY WAS INSPIRED BY YOUR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES? 

None at all. It’s all invented. But when I was little I really thought you could talk to animals! Mine were great friends! So I wish Cat City really existed. I’d be taking holidays there all of the time!


DID THE STORY PROCEED AS YOU ORIGINALLY CONCEPTUALIZED IT, OR EVOLVE AS THE WORK PROGRESSED?

It evolved as the book progressed. I didn’t know where it was going. The characters emerged as I wrote. There was Kiwi, so I thought about her, her description, her character. Then I thought what if she had an alternative home? I thought of the two children who live with her, how Kiwi could take them to her other world. How the children would react. I wondered what could happen there – there had to be a mystery, some good characters, some bad, someone had to learn something, there had to be something exciting going on. It all sort of developed as I wrote it. I think I wrote it in chronological order, except that I put the introduction in last – to show something exciting would happen later. I also wanted the reader to be surprised by things and not give too much away, and I wanted Cat City to be a different world – one that the reader could sink into and imagine they were somewhere else…
With book 2, I did more planning. I took notes, wrote parts, took more notes and wrote some more. I knew where it was going, although I didn’t have all the details. I didn’t write the scenes in order. I imagine the characters in my head, say when I’m walking down the street, think up scenes and conversations. Then I put them in my notebook and embroider it all later. When I’m writing poetry, it’s like flash poetry – it’s quick and just ideas or characters that come into my head.



WHO DO YOU USE AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR YOUR WRITING?  

There’s no-one really. The Book Junkies group is great for discussing writing though. I think it’s too much for friends! When I published Kiwi in Cat City on kindle, no-one had read it. None of my friends knew that I had written a book. Then I was praying that people wouldn’t hate it. I had no idea if anyone would like it. I had contacted one publisher years ago, got rejected and I never tried again. When I published Kiwi, I had no idea what feedback I would get. You can’t imagine how great it feels to have people reading my books. It’s just the greatest feeling. I honestly felt that no-one would ever read the book.


IN WHAT GENRE WOULD YOU BE LEAST & MOST COMFORTABLE WRITING?  

I think romance might be a problem! Fantasy and children’s books, and poetry the easiest.


IS THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT FACT OR MYTH, FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND WHY?
“WRITING THE FIRST SENTENCE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF WRITING A BOOK.”

Myth because sometimes I don’t start at the beginning. With poetry, the first sentence is important because everything flows like water from there. But with my books I may go back and change the first sentence. With Kiwi 2, I didn’t begin with the beginning. With Kiwi in Cat City, the first sentence is important as it’s a poem about Kiwi, and that’s the first line I wrote!



WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR ?

Roald Dahl


WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK ?

Fantastic Mr Fox


THIS IS ALSO A BLOG ABOUT FILMS TOO, SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM ?

Oh god, this is hard. How to choose? MMMMM. I don’t think I can choose.


APART FROM WRITING DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES ?

Art, visiting galleries, going to gigs, watching movies, I used to draw and paint when I had more free time, tarot, dancing, yoga


HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR BOOKS ?

I find this really hard. I also find it hard to find time to do it as I work full-time.
I use Facebook and have FB pages for my books; use twitter; I have a blog, and I’ve joined Book Blogs and Networked Blogs; I market other people’s books on my blog by writing interviews; I chat in FB groups such as Book Junkies; I offered my books for free in the Smashwords sale; I’ve probably given away about 150 copies of books, hoping to gain some new readers; I joined Goodreads and Kindleboards, although I barely find time to use them enough; I ask people if they would like to review any of my books; I tell friends (now!) and family. I think I don’t do enough to be honest. A lot of other writers are a lot better at it than me. I keep praying readers will discover my books somehow! There must be a secret to it J



WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR PROSPECTIVE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU OR THIS BOOK?

That I really enjoy writing my books and I hope they enjoy reading them too! And I wish I could write for a living. That’s my dream. And my message to readers who want to write – just go for it. Now’s the time!

AUTHOR
Vickie Johnstone

BOOK TITLE
Kiwi in Cat City

AUTHOR BIO:

Hi, I live in London and have a thing about fluffy animals. I work as a sub editor on business magazines – at the moment it’s all about mining, geodrilling and tunnels! I have been writing since I was a kid. I love it. I also like nature, music, films, travelling and cheese.



SHORT SYNOPSIS:

Amy and James live in a house with their parents and their little black cat, Kiwi. One dark night, Amy cannot sleep and she looks out of the window into the garden to see Kiwi transfixed by the moon, which has taken on a weird, glowing shape like a cat's claw. Waking her brother, Amy suggests they follow Kiwi that night to see where she goes... whether it involves a hunt for mice or something else. Little do they know that, with a flick of her tail, Kiwi is going to lead them on the adventure of their lives to a land they never knew existed in their wildest dreams. In the blue-lit world of Cat City, they gain an understanding of what it's really like to be a cat. They get to help Inspector Furrball solve the mystery of the missing catizens and find out what really happened to Madame Purrfect.



GENRE:

Book for children, teens and adults


WHERE AVAILABLE/PRICE:

Smashwords
http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/55227

Amazon
http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B004YKSZMM

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YKSZMM

Publishmybook.ie

Breakthrough Bookstore

$2.99


HOW DID YOU DECIDE ON THE TITLE OF YOUR BOOK

The main character is Kiwi, so I thought she has to be in the title, and then it just seemed obvious to put Cat City. Then there’s the alliteration, with the sounds making the title sound cute! Maybe!



WHAT OTHER BOOKS HAVE YOU WRITTEN ?
Kiwi and the missing Magic – book 2 in the Kiwi Series
Kaleidoscope – a collection of 119 poems on different subjects
Travelling Light – a free sample of poems
I’m writing book 3 in the Kiwi Series – it will be spooky!

WHY DO YOU WRITE?

Because I enjoy writing. If I go too long without writing, it’s like an itch you have to scratch. It gets frustrating. Also, there’s all these ideas and characters running around – you have to get them down on paper. If I wasn’t working I would write all of the time. It’s the best thing. Complete freedom.


WHERE DID YOU GET THE IDEA FOR YOUR BOOK?

It’s based on a cat I used to have called Kiwi, who was a real character. Intelligent, cute, individual, independent and very cheeky. She loved people and she wasn’t scared of anything. I grew up with a load of animals. We had a menagerie of animals really. My mum took in abandoned ones and my dad was also bringing in injured birds. At one time we even had a duck. I loved animals from when I was little and enjoyed reading about them. I was obsessed with Enid Blyton’s books – I loved the Faraway Tree and all of the characters, and the books with animals in. I guess it was only a matter of time before I wrote a book about them. I had been made redundant, had a lot of time on my hands, and the book began then. I started writing about Kiwi, imagined a city inhabited by cats, and it all emerged from there.


WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE CHARACTER IN THIS BOOK ? 

It has to be Kiwi.



HOW MUCH, IF ANY OF THE STORY WAS INSPIRED BY YOUR OWN LIFE EXPERIENCES? 

None at all. It’s all invented. But when I was little I really thought you could talk to animals! Mine were great friends! So I wish Cat City really existed. I’d be taking holidays there all of the time!


DID THE STORY PROCEED AS YOU ORIGINALLY CONCEPTUALIZED IT, OR EVOLVE AS THE WORK PROGRESSED?

It evolved as the book progressed. I didn’t know where it was going. The characters emerged as I wrote. There was Kiwi, so I thought about her, her description, her character. Then I thought what if she had an alternative home? I thought of the two children who live with her, how Kiwi could take them to her other world. How the children would react. I wondered what could happen there – there had to be a mystery, some good characters, some bad, someone had to learn something, there had to be something exciting going on. It all sort of developed as I wrote it. I think I wrote it in chronological order, except that I put the introduction in last – to show something exciting would happen later. I also wanted the reader to be surprised by things and not give too much away, and I wanted Cat City to be a different world – one that the reader could sink into and imagine they were somewhere else…
With book 2, I did more planning. I took notes, wrote parts, took more notes and wrote some more. I knew where it was going, although I didn’t have all the details. I didn’t write the scenes in order. I imagine the characters in my head, say when I’m walking down the street, think up scenes and conversations. Then I put them in my notebook and embroider it all later. When I’m writing poetry, it’s like flash poetry – it’s quick and just ideas or characters that come into my head.



WHO DO YOU USE AS A SOUNDING BOARD FOR YOUR WRITING?  

There’s no-one really. The Book Junkies group is great for discussing writing though. I think it’s too much for friends! When I published Kiwi in Cat City on kindle, no-one had read it. None of my friends knew that I had written a book. Then I was praying that people wouldn’t hate it. I had no idea if anyone would like it. I had contacted one publisher years ago, got rejected and I never tried again. When I published Kiwi, I had no idea what feedback I would get. You can’t imagine how great it feels to have people reading my books. It’s just the greatest feeling. I honestly felt that no-one would ever read the book.


IN WHAT GENRE WOULD YOU BE LEAST & MOST COMFORTABLE WRITING?  

I think romance might be a problem! Fantasy and children’s books, and poetry the easiest.


IS THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT FACT OR MYTH, FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND WHY?
“WRITING THE FIRST SENTENCE IS THE MOST DIFFICULT PART OF WRITING A BOOK.”

Myth because sometimes I don’t start at the beginning. With poetry, the first sentence is important because everything flows like water from there. But with my books I may go back and change the first sentence. With Kiwi 2, I didn’t begin with the beginning. With Kiwi in Cat City, the first sentence is important as it’s a poem about Kiwi, and that’s the first line I wrote!



WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE AUTHOR ?

Roald Dahl


WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE BOOK ?

Fantastic Mr Fox


THIS IS ALSO A BLOG ABOUT FILMS TOO, SO WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE FILM ?

Oh god, this is hard. How to choose? MMMMM. I don’t think I can choose.


APART FROM WRITING DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER HOBBIES ?

Art, visiting galleries, going to gigs, watching movies, I used to draw and paint when I had more free time, tarot, dancing, yoga


HOW DO YOU MARKET YOUR BOOKS ?

I find this really hard. I also find it hard to find time to do it as I work full-time.
I use Facebook and have FB pages for my books; use twitter; I have a blog, and I’ve joined Book Blogs and Networked Blogs; I market other people’s books on my blog by writing interviews; I chat in FB groups such as Book Junkies; I offered my books for free in the Smashwords sale; I’ve probably given away about 150 copies of books, hoping to gain some new readers; I joined Goodreads and Kindleboards, although I barely find time to use them enough; I ask people if they would like to review any of my books; I tell friends (now!) and family. I think I don’t do enough to be honest. A lot of other writers are a lot better at it than me. I keep praying readers will discover my books somehow! There must be a secret to it J



WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU LIKE YOUR PROSPECTIVE READERS TO KNOW ABOUT YOU OR THIS BOOK?

That I really enjoy writing my books and I hope they enjoy reading them too! And I wish I could write for a living. That’s my dream. And my message to readers who want to write – just go for it. Now’s the time!