Two recent news stories have added to my fear that we’re not planning properly for the future in this country of ours. Imagine for a moment, you live in Whaley Bridge, Derbyshire, perhaps in a new development. It’s peaceful place, with beautiful countryside nearby to walk the dog, including Toddbrook Reservoir, its calm waters … Continue reading "Failing our future?"
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No Accident is the first novel in the Kent Fisher series of murder mysteries. It taught me a lot, including the following five lessons. #1 – I could create original crime fiction Years of rejection can erode your self-confidence and make you believe there’s a conspiracy against you out there. Equally, you could take the … Continue reading "5 things I learned from No Accident"
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5th July 2019 – Songs that changed my life Sometimes you listen to a song and it has a special significance, a deeper resonance. It touches you in a way that makes your spine tingle. That was my criteria for selecting songs for my appearance on the Martina Mercer show on Hailsham FM recently. We … Continue reading "River of Dreams"
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unless you count the panting. 23rd June 2019. The highlight of the week was last Sunday’s Race for Life, when Carol and I ran 10K around Hampden Park in Eastbourne and raised £265 for Cancer Research UK. It was the twisting course of two laps through woodland and around fields. My abiding memory will be … Continue reading "Silent Running"
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Or why I took a two month break from Robservations. 14th June 2019. Sometimes you have to step back to move forward. In early April my thoughts turned to the publication of the fourth Kent Fisher mystery, No More Lies, due for release on 9th May. I needed to prepare for the launch, write guest … Continue reading "Back in the groove"
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There’s an adage that says you have two ears and one mouth – use them in those proportions. Sound advice, you might say, but us writers have our pens and word processors. We often have an audience who like our words, which is why we write for them. We talk to them too on social … Continue reading "Let’s talk about listening"
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Did I really write that? Well, no one else did. It’s your name and title on the front cover. I could blame Harvey, my adorable West Highland white terrier, who sometimes wanders up, seeking attention or a treat. He may wonder what I do, sitting at my desk in Crouch Corner for most of the … Continue reading "How I rewrote my future."
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I learnt to run as a child, mainly to escape from the kids who didn’t like my stories and jokes. In time, this led to my selection for the school’s Junior Cross Country Team. Any initial euphoria at being selected soon paled when I finished a race sodden from the rain and covered in mud. … Continue reading "Running Commentary"
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Ideas are everywhere. Sometimes it feels like you can pluck them from the ether. And you can lose them just as quickly if you’re not careful. Many of my ideas come when I’m drifting off to sleep. Shaving in the morning seems to generate quite a few. Running seems to stimulate the creative juices too. … Continue reading "The next murder mystery novel is only an idea away"
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Maybe I should have been a copywriter. After all, I love words and I love playing with words. No, I’m not in search of an alternative career. It’s another of those random thoughts that flit through my head now I’ve completed the latest novel, No More Lies. It’s the recovery after the sprint finish, the … Continue reading "The hole after the whole"
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