Who wants to be an allrounder? Back in school, my form tutor once wrote: "If Nikki were a cricketer, she would be called Ian Botham. One of the best allrounders we’ve ever had." Sounds lucky, right? And yes, it’s led me down a unique and varied path with five switches...
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The Spine is Mine
Work as an author, writing advice and tips.
In Conversation with Author Elizabeth Macneal
It’s not often that I anticipate a book as keenly as Elizabeth Macneal’s Circus of Wonders which is published today! I first came across Elizabeth after I entered Pivotal into the Caledonia Novel Award in 2018 and despite being unsuccessful myself, I followed the...
In Conversation with my Editor – Anna Barrett
Meet Anna I found my brilliant editor, Anna Barrett (née Hogarty), through Reedsy (think CheckaTrade or RatedPeople but for writers) where you can search for professional editorial support, read testamonials and match to your requirements. Within her business, The...
Liza’s Choice: To thrive or to survive
This week on the Pivotal Anniversary Tour the focus is on Liza’s story. Does she thrive or just survive? The book explores the impact of a mysterious bequest on the four leading characters’ mental health, particularly in relation to their relationships with parents,...
Pivotal and Tango – Fiction and Dance Intertwined
At the launch of Pivotal on 17th October 2019, Antonio Riva of Tango Bridge UK treated everyone to a surprise Tango demonstration. Antonio had agreed to collaborate and I billed him as ‘The Mystery Man’ beforehand in order to keep the Tango connection with the book a...
What’s in a Prize? – Literary Prizes and Why Votes Matter
The People’s Book Prize organisers have extended the voting deadline to 30th May 2020. But what is the People’s Book Prize, why do literary prizes matter to authors and why does your vote matter? The People’s Book Prize There are many literary awards and competitions....
Pivotal Giveaway for Mother’s Day
Sometimes life brings you a reminder of just how short it is and what's really important. Sometimes the thing you were striving for one day seems the most trivial and unimportant thing the next. Before becoming an author, I was fortunate enough to have found two...
More Books Than Bikinis 5 – The Deal and Then?
Earlier this Month in More Books Than Bikinis, Part 4 – Seeking out a Publisher, I promised to bring you up to date on Pivotal’s journey to publication. If you have been following me on Social Media you will know we have reached an extremely exciting stage, with the...
More Books than Bikinis 4 – Seeking out a Publisher
More Books than Bikinis 4 – Seeking out a Publisher To start this, the next instalment in my writing story, I began by looking back at part 3, Final draft to Submission and realised how much time had passed by – a year! I have not been sitting on my hands waiting for...
The Writers’ Pod Presents… Phoebe on publishing, writing and books.
I feel very fortunate to have met and interviewed Phoebe Morgan, author of The Doll House (which I loved), The Girl Next Door, (just published and saved for my Easter holiday reading – I can’t wait!) and Editorial Director at Orion imprint, Trapeze. Her passion for...
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