Reviews sub-category
The publishing world is awash with romance, erotica and young adult dystopia. Every day another 400 million novels are published. With this in mind you’d think only a madman would consider writing a short story anthology dealing with none of the above. Rupert Dreyfus isn’t mad. At least I don’t think he is, but in … More The Rebel’s Sketchbook – Rupert Dreyfus
‘Electoral democracy, for pretty much the entire nation, is nothing more than a spectators’ sport.’ Rupert Dreyfus’s debut novel Spark explores the individual in the face of big business and reacting against a system geared towards a select self-interested few. In this author interview I asked Rupert about writing, self-publishing and a worldview that led … More Author Interview – Rupert Dreyfus
Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt Dir. David Frankel I thought I’d written a review of this film, but having watched it again the other night I realise I hadn’t. Which is a good thing because it means I can jump on my cinematic hobby horse: inverted morality. What I mean by that … More The Devil Wears Prada
With only days to go Toten Herzen’s number one fangirl Raven (real name [REDACTED]) gives you a guide to the British general election. I hate my life. And a lot of it is because of politicians meddling and scheming and turning everything upside down. But give them credit, every five years they let us decide … More Raven Rants – guide to the British general election
Not all these tips are appropriate for every author. You need to pick the ones you think will work for you. Note: the author accepts no responsibility for any injury or embarrassment sustained in the course of following this advice. 1 QR codes pros – They’re mysterious and people love a mystery. ‘Ooh, where … More #Ten #SureFire Ways To #Promote #YourNovel
Now I’ve got a real treat for you this time. A writer who, if she started name dropping, would put Michael Parkinson to shame. In fact, to put me in the mood I’m gonna type up this interview whilst listening to Children of Bodom’s Hate Crew Deathroll. . . . Say hello to Hilary Mortz, … More Guest Author – Hilary Mortz
Who cares about anything? NSA spying on us all, who cares? Aliens in Area 51, nobody cares? Engineers blew up the World Trade Centre towers… see that’s when it started. That’s when conspiracy theory went too far and everyone switched off. Conspiracy theory was no longer fascinating, it was the haunting ground of the nutcase. … More Conspiracy Theory Is Dead
As it’s Easter Sunday and I haven’t posted anything for a while and I couldn’t get into the garden centre cafe because everywhere’s closed, I’ve resurrected my post from two years ago about Easter… What is it about Easter that gets the planners in such a fuss? Every year it chops and changes: this year … More Will someone sort out the date for Easter?
Apparently, the Clean Reader app (you know the one that changes words like bum to something less inflammatory like baby peaches) has been well and truly caned by authors everywhere. So much so that Clean Reader has removed all novels from its catalogue. And one or two people have raised some interesting legal points, notably … More Clean Reader app Update
You might not be interested in football (and let’s just pause here to remind our non-European friends it is football, not soccer), but Spanish side Valencia have in recent years transcended the sport to such a degree even die-hard football haters would sit up and take notice. Settled on Spain’s Mediterranean coast, Valencia Club de … More Supporting Valencia
Every so often you read a quote that appears to be about a current issue, but then turns out to have been written four hundred years ago. Anyone who has seen the latest kerfuffle involving Jeremy Clarkson (BBC fracas pulls Top Gear from Sunday night schedule etc) might think the lynch mobs out to get … More The fracas over Jeremy Clarkson’s fracas
Some say marketing is how you sell books. Some swear by social media, others believe book signings are the way forward. Others take a more . . . unorthodox approach and get themselves arrested. What all these people have in common is that they never back up their bright ideas with real results. We’re never … More When Marketing Goes Wrong
I am a liar. Always have been. There was a time when I was quite adept at conjuring up a whopper, but over the years I’ve learned to channel my lies into more productive outlets. But let’s face it we’ve all gone through the Three Phases of Lying. Phase One – childhood. We fib. Our … More The Three Phases of Lying
Lancashire based restaurant and food critic Anders Merrycorn tours the Greek islands and is somewhat underwhelmed by the offer. One of the more enjoyable aspects about a luxury cruise around the Greek islands at a time of recession is the welcome value for money one encounters. Shops, bars and of course restaurants drop their prices. … More Restaurant Review – The Greenhouse
In his latest article, Lancashire restaurant and food critic, Anders Merrycorn samples the unusual menu at Le Raconteur. Long summer nights inevitably draw one out onto the patio for a little salade com freshe alfresco. But just recently the local farming community has taken to despoiling their fields with the most foul smelling silo concoctions. … More Restaurant review – Le Raconteur
The Opening Sentence 