Lucy Strange is an award-winning children’s author whose books feel like classic children’s literature, but are written in a style that is engaging and accessible for today’s younger readers. Most recently she’s collaborated with artist Pam Smy on their spooky, funny new series Lockett & Wilde’s Dreadfully Haunting Mysteries! Often inspired by folklore and fairy tales, Lucy combines historical settings with touches of magic and fantasy to create utterly convincing worlds in which anything...

GD Wright is the author of the bestselling AFTER THE STORM and INTO THE FIRE, and he’s genuinely one of the nicest guys in the business with an extraordinary tale to tell: he was a copper, then due to health issues had to retire aged 30, and if you know Gary at all you’ll know that he’s had a few challenges this year… but he’s come through and was an amazing guest on the livestream. He talks frankly his strange route to publication, creating a writing habit, how his work was optioned when he ...

Bestselling and award-winning author Rowan Coleman joined me to discuss her new book Never Tear Us Apart, revealing how a family photo inspired her to research in Malta, why she wrote her next book, The Good Boy, under a pen name, then there was something about quantum physics, and ultimately she asks the question we all want an answer to in any situation: What would Charlotte Brontë do? This was a really fun chat with tons of great advice for writers. LINKS ROWAN'S WEBSITE https://rowancol...

I had a wonderful time chatting to Nicola Whyte the debut writer of 10 Marchfield Square about how she was inspired by the nooks of London and Douglas Adams's whodunnits. We also discuss planning the middle of a novel, "soft boiled crime", designing author websites, and we get nostalgic about the Ottakars book chain and much, much more! LINKS NICOLA'S WEBSITE: http://nicolawhyte.com PERSON OF INTEREST: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_Interest_(TV_series) ALL THE LOST SOULS B...

I chat with Sarah Pinborough, the bestselling and award-winning author of Behind Her Eyes about her new thriller We Live Here Now, spooky houses, her method of 'triple writing', going on tour and the lies we tell each other... LINKS The book links are affiliate links and I earn a wee bit of commission if you buy from them. WE LIVE HERE NOW: https://amzn.to/44IfsJg LAUNCH AT WATERSTONES MILTON KEYNES ON WEDNESDAY 4TH JUNE https://www.waterstones.com/events/an-evening-with-sarah-pinbor...

Tracy Buchanan is the bestselling author of the Dr Vanessa Marwood thrillers and she runs one of the best author groups on Facebook and is a brilliant advocate for authors. We discuss: Which comes first: research or plot? If authors can still earn a living from writing Growing maggots for research purposes And much more! My apologies for the quality of my mic for this episode. I had a dodgy connection and sound a wee bit toppy! Edit by Kai Newton Production assistance by Emily Stay Jingl...

Nadine Matheson is the bestselling author of the DI Henley crime thrillers and presenter of the Conversation Podcast. We discuss: Writing as a planner Nadine's great tip for finishing first drafts Why not reading the small print was great for her career We have a fun rant about META and book piracy And much more! Edit by Kai Newton Production assistance by Emily Stay Jingle by Dom Currie LINKS NADINE'S WEBSITE: https://www.nadinematheson.com THE KILL LIST: https://www.nadinema...

Award-winning author Gareth L Powell takes us into the future with his latest science fiction novel Future's Edge. We discuss: Writing SF in an era when fact is in danger of overtaking fiction Running the Stars and Sabers imprint with Jendia Gammon Why most authors now need a second job The importance of tea in the creative process And much more! Edit by Kai Newton Production assistance by Emily Stay Jingle by Dom Currie LINKS GARETH'S BOOKS: https://www.garethlpowell.com STARS AND SABER...

Nicola May is the author of heartwarming and funny romantic comedies, including the hugely successful Ferry Lane and Cockleberry Bay series, she’s a great champion for indie authors and she’s here to kick off 2025 with another bestseller ‘How Do I Tell You?’ We discuss: Tips for writing romcoms The key differences between self publishing, traditional publishing and digital-first publishers Balancing serious themes with heartwarming fiction And much more! LINKS Nicola's website: https://ww...

In this special festive edition of the podcast I welcome GB Ralph, author of the cozy Milverton Mysteries series! We discuss: Slow burn romanceWriting in scenes and converting them to chaptersChapter word count analysis (it gets nerdy!)Tips for book launchesTips for writing on your commute and how Gavin wrote his debut novel on his phoneWhat he learned from switching from romcoms to cozy mysteriesHow he uses deadlines to motivate his writingAnd the importance of narrators for audiobooksLINKS ...

I'm joined by Mike Shackle, author of the epic LAST WAR fantasy trilogy, and he also writes thrillers under the name Michael Dylan: we talk about the perils of writing epic fantasy when publishers are imposing word limits, the pros and cons of self publishing and traditional publishing, writing cop thriller fiction, setting a mission statement for each book, and Michael creating his own artwork! And we're also joined by Buddy. Who has a squeaky toy that has an urgent message for the world......

Zoë is the author of Garden of Her Heart, and host of the podcast, Write Damn It! An experienced coach with more than 35 years working on mindset, Zoë shares a ton of practical advice for writers including how to deal with self-doubt and rejection. WE DISCUSS... How stand up comedy helped Zoë's writing How to rethink your attitude to resilience Great tips for writing a synopsis Writers' flow and getting started each day Building characters using their childhood trauma How to get people to s...

My special guest on the podcast this month is LJ Shepherd, author of the stunning debut novel The Trials of Lila Dalton. We discuss first lines and opening pages, the benefits of attending festivals, the book that inspired her to choose her agent, and we get sneak peek into the notebook where she first jotted down her ideas for the novel that would become her debut. Oh, and her cat Coral pops in to say hello... LINKS Some of the following are affiliate links and may earn me commission... T...

Welcome to the first episode of Creative Differences with my special guest SC Gowland. We discuss curating the short story anthology The Law of Consequences, how to write a short story, and Steve reveals the little things that have made a big difference to his writing career. I also launch the GREEN ROOM: twice-monthly live Zoom sessions with me, exclusive for Green Room members on my Kofi page. Links: SC Gowland's website where you can get the first book in the Souls' Abyss trilogy for fre...