Writing a novel about a ballerina who turns to prostitution seems a strange choice for a writer who normally goes out of her way to avoid writing sex scenes. And, no, it’s not simply out of fear of ending up alongside Manil Suri on the podium clutching a bad sex award, or the thought that my mother might read it….
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‘A beautiful object’ In his 2011 Man Booker acceptance speech, Julian Barnes was quick to praise the unsung hero in the publication process, his book cover designer, Suzanne Dean. But this was three years ago, and Barnes’s concern was the rise of the e-book which, as we all know, is no threat to the paperback. It is just another…
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As an avid reader, I’m always excited to discover new authors. And so I was delighted to be contacted by Piers Alexander, author of The Bitter Trade, his first novel. He is also a serial media entrepreneur (I must admit I’m not 100 per cent sure what that means), and lives in London with the singer-songwriter…
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Author Interview: Liz Broomfield
Non-fiction author Liz Broomfield on which professional services she won't skimp on.
Today, I’m delighted to welcome Liz Broomfield to my blog. As well as writing non-fiction, Liz is an editor, transcriber and localiser who has been running her own business since 2009. (I’ve recently had the pleasure of working with her on my forthcoming novel, An Unchoreographed Life.) As well as her editing and other work, she…
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Today, I’m delighted to welcome Glynis Smy to my blog. Glynis Smy (nee Honeycombe), was born and raised in the coastal town of Dovercourt, near Harwich, in the county of Essex, England. She married her school sweetheart, Peter, in 1979 and they produced three amazing children, Darren, Nicola, and Emma. The long hours of a…
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“I could tell you things to make you blush or weep.”
Jane Davis on one of the themes of An Unchoreographed Life
Surrey Life Magazine’s book reviewer told me that she was intrigued by the sound of AN UNCHOREOGRAPHED LIFE, my story of a ballerina who, on becoming a single mother, turns to prostitution. But was I aware of the 1940 film, Waterloo Bridge (in which a ballerina, Myra – played by Vivien Leigh – resorts to prostitution when…
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Today I’m delighted to invite Katharine D’Souza to my blog. Katharine writes contemporary novels and the occasional short story. She lives in Birmingham, UK, where her stories are set, although she hopes their themes are universal. She’s fond of reading, drinking tea or wine, and eating cake. These things have been known to feature in…
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Today, I’m delighted to hand over the reins to Tanya Aydon. Tanya is married with four sons, one of them autistic. She lives in Tunbridge Wells and is a part-time painter of portraits and landscapes. She writes novels under her Dutch maiden name, Tanya van Hasselt. As Tanya Aydon, she won joint first prize in last year’s Barbara Pym…
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Today I’m delighted to welcome Ingrid Williams to my blog. Ingrid and I met recently when we attended the London Author Fair. She is a native Californian who now lives with her family in Norway (a country I feel a strong affinity with). She has had a successful career as a financial journalist for Dow Jones Newswires…
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