I’ve just finished this book and don’t quite know how I feel about it which, I think, is good. We should all have a bit of a shake-up every now and then. To close a book and then have to spend some time thinking about it is no bad thing.

The White Octopus Hotel is very nicely written and who doesn’t love a perfect hotel that gives you everything you need – including the appropriate clothes to wear for the day, a comb that actually ‘does’ your hair for you, and the perfect lipstick.

It is not, however, a particularly cosy read and the twin themes of grief and regret entwine the story rather like the octopus tentacles that crop up everywhere.

I came away enchanted, bewildered, and thoughtful. I’d love to hear the views from other people who have read it.

Leave a comment

Buy now on Amazon

MRC Kasasian is on fine form with this latest murder mystery, featuring his latest heroine, Lady Violet Thorn.

Lady Violet is unwillingly involved when she overhears a young woman accuse a sinister married couple of murdering her parents and living in their house. When the police refused to believe this young lady, Lady Violet takes matters into her own hands. Her investigation includes breaking into the house at the dead of night – not standard behaviour for Victorian ladies – and stumbling across some unexpected bodies.

I’ve always enjoyed MRC Kasasian’s books. His first series featured the eccentric Gower Street detective – Sydney Grice – together with his assistant and biographer, March Middleton and are excellent murder mysteries.

The second series features Inspector Betty Church, a rare female police officer in the Suffolk town of Sackwater during World War Two.

I think the common theme throughout all his series are the wonderfully eccentric characters – even the secondary ones. No one does bizarre better than MRC Kasasian. Highly recommended, especially if you like characters that aren’t quite … right. Or conventional. Of course, quite a large percentage of them do turn out to be murderers, so … there’s that.

For those who like the feeling of having a series to work through – to say nothing of losing yourself in the blood and gore of these wonderfully melodramatic titles – behold!

Buy now on Amazon

The Gower St Detective series

The Mangle Street Murders

The Curse of the House of Foskett

Death Descends on Saturn Villa

The Secrets of Gaslight Lane

Dark Dawn over Steep House.

The Inspector Betty Church series

Betty Church and the Suffolk Vampire

The Room of the Dead

The Ghost Tree

Lady Violet Thorn

The Horror of Haglin House

The Montford Mania

The Terror of Tannery Lane.

Happy Reading.

Jodi x

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

I bought this some time ago and I don’t know why I didn’t get around to reading it sooner, because I really loved it. The plot is very different – a mixture of time travel, police procedure, magic and murder mystery. And it’s great to see urban fantasy set somewhere other in London. I now have an overpowering urge to visit Norwich.

Poor old Norwich has experienced some sort of magical and temporal cataclysm, resulting in different people from different time periods suddenly being dumped in the present which, since there’s no warning, can result in a wild ride for its inhabitants. And a bit of a shock for the actual occupants of an old house who can suddenly find twenty other people all claiming to live there.

The characters are vivid and very well drawn and I loved the dog, Harry.

I never liked to give away too much of the plot but police detective Eliza Barnaby manages to fall foul of a couple of rather unpleasant London magical practitioners and finds herself seconded to Norwich to bring back an escaped and homicidal renegade magician who manages to confuse Eliza by saving her life.

There’s magic, wolves, Puritans – as irritating today as they’ve always been – bad tempered sheriffs, nuns, the Lady Julian, and an engaging Springer spaniel.

Book two – Fire in the Flint – will be out on the 26^th of March – so not long to wait – which is just as well because I’m not famed for my patience and I can’t wait to find out what happens next – and there’s even a third book – Blood in the Maps – published on the 26^th of November this year, so lots to look forward to. Both these titles are available for pre-order.

Buy now on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Let’s start with the traditional opening while I struggle to get my brain in gear. Why and how did you begin writing?

I came to writing late. I was sixty when I started. At the time, I was helping my husband finish his autobiography. I was working with him on structure, setting out chapters, tightening passages, sorting phototgraphs, and somewhere in the middle I realised I’d always wanted to write a book myself. Not vaguely. Properly. So I did. There was no master plan. I simply sat down and wrote the sort of mystery I enjoy reading – traditional, complex, character-led stories, set in the 1920s. I didn’t think too hard about it. I just kept going until the book was finished. What surprised me was how much fun it was. The discipline didn’t frighten me. The research delighted me. The characters rather took over. One book led to another, and before long I had a series on the go. It turns out it was the right decision. Starting at sixty meant I didn’t waste time wondering whether I should or not, I simply got on with it. And I’ve been getting on with it ever since.

Do you plan it all meticulously beforehand with notes and diagrams and things, or do you just pick up a pen or open your laptop, think ‘What the hell?’ and just wing it?

I usually start with a situation, a body in an inconvenient place, a missing person, a gathering that’s bound to go wrong, and a fairly clear sense of who the characters are. After that, I write forward and see what happens.

That doesn’t mean it’s chaos. I know there has to be a solution, and I won’t begin unless I’m confident I can land the ending. But I don’t map every step in advance. Part of the pleasure for me is discovery, letting motives emerge, allowing characters to surprise me, following a thread that looks insignificant and finding it’s the key to the whole thing. I’m often surprised by the ending! That said, if I’m co-writing, everything changes. Then I have to be far more disciplined. It’s only fair. You can’t expect another writer to wander through the fog with you while you say, “Trust me, it’ll make sense in the end.” In that case I produce a proper, detailed plot outline, chapter by chapter, turning points, reveals, red herrings, the lot.

Left to my own devices, I open the laptop, think ‘Right then’, and get on with it.

Which book was the most fun to write?

Murder at Melrose Court. My first book, where a body is found on the doorstep of Major Heathcliff Lennox. It’s really quite a humorous book too, shades of PG Wodehouse permeate it. Lennox has matured since then, and is a bit more serious about murder, but the very English dry humour remains

If you couldn’t write what would be your second choice of occupation?

If I couldn’t write, I’d probably fall back on something I already know how to do. I trained and worked as an accountant in the defence industry, which is about as far from fictional country house murders as one can reasonably get. It taught me discipline, precision, and how to follow a trail of numbers until it made sense — all of which, as it turns out, are surprisingly useful in plotting crime novels.

I’ve also renovated houses over the years, and that remains a genuine passion. There’s something immensely satisfying about taking a tired building and coaxing it back to life, making practical decisions, solving problems as they arise, balancing vision with budget. It’s creative, but grounded. You can stand back at the end of the day and see exactly what you’ve achieved.

That said, in theory at least, being a private investigator would be the most fun. The idea of quietly observing, asking careful questions, piecing together inconsistencies, it appeals enormously. Though I suspect I find it appealing precisely because I haven’t had to do it for real. In fiction you get the satisfaction of the puzzle without the paperwork, the danger, or the awkward clients. Real life might be rather less romantic.

So perhaps the sensible answer is renovation. The more entertaining answer is private investigator. And the practical answer is that I’ve already tried accounting, and I much prefer writing.

Do you ever have an urge to go completely off-piste and do something completely different? A bodice-ripper, perhaps or a cosy detective story, just for the sheer hell of it?

I think every writer occasionally feels the itch to wander off in a different direction.

In my case, I actually did.

The Heathcliff Lennox books are traditional country house mysteries, layered puzzles, families with secrets, a body in the library sort of thing. I adore writing them. But there came a point when I wanted something sharper, darker, a little less contained by drawing rooms and afternoon tea. That’s how The Alexander Wolfe series began. It’s still set in the same interwar world, but the tone is very different, spies, assassins, shadowy organisations, vast wealth and the sort of power that operates behind closed doors. The stakes are higher, the moral lines less tidy. It’s allowed me to explore a more dangerous side of the 1920s. So yes, I’ve gone off-piste and I’ve loved it. It stretches me in a different way. The plotting is tighter, the atmosphere more taut, and the world broader. I’m not sure I’ll ever write a bodice-ripper, but never say never. The joy of writing is that you’re not obliged to stay in one room forever.

Which book would you take to a desert island with you? Other than one of yours or one of mine, of course?

I’d take The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien.

If I’m to be stranded, I want something substantial. It’s not merely one story but an entire world; history, language, maps, songs, the lot. You could read it for the adventure, then read it again for the detail, and a third time simply to admire the sheer craft of it.

There’s also something rather appropriate about reading The Lord of the Rings on a desert island. A long journey, sparse provisions, questionable companions, and the occasional sense that everything depends upon quiet endurance.

It would keep me occupied and possibly civilised.

Serious question – how easy or hard is it for you to go back and re-read your own work?

It’s easier than you might think, though perhaps not in the way people imagine. I don’t often sit down and re-read my books silently to myself. That feels slightly too much like marking my own homework. But I do listen to them, especially on long car journeys, with my husband. Audiobooks are a different experience. You hear the rhythm, the dialogue, the pacing in a fresh way.

Sometimes I’ll wince at a sentence I’d phrase differently now. Occasionally, I’ll think, “That was rather well done,” which is reassuring. Mostly, though, I find I’m listening as a reader rather than as the author. I’ve usually forgotten enough of the finer detail that the story carries me along.

It’s also useful. You catch the odd repetition, the slightly overlong passage, the place where you might tighten things next time. But on the whole, I’m rather fond of them. They represent a particular moment, where I was, what I was thinking, how I was writing at that point in my life. And long journeys are much improved by a good murder.

What are your plans for future books? What can we look forward to in the coming months?

The Player in the Game, which is book 3 in the Alexander Wolfe series should be released at Easter. So should The Chester Grand Murders, book 18 (I think) in the Heathcliff Lennox series, and book 5 in the Miss Busby Investigates series is about to be released any day now – The Mystery of the Midnight Swan

Which authors or books have significantly influenced your writing style and thematic choices?

One of the strongest influences on me has been Lindsey Davis and her wonderful Marcus Didius Falco series. What I admire most is the voice. Falco narrates with wit, intelligence, and just enough irreverence to stop the history feeling heavy. The books are meticulously researched, yet they never read like research. The world feels lived-in rather than displayed. That balance, authenticity without pomposity, is something I’ve always aimed for.

I’m also drawn to the way Davis blends humour with genuine stakes. The mysteries are clever and properly constructed, but there’s warmth in the relationships and a sense of the ordinary human muddle beneath the larger political currents. That mixture of crime, character, and a vividly realised past certainly shaped how I approach my own 1920s settings.

If I’ve borrowed anything at all, I hope it’s that tone: intelligent, lightly worn, and never taking itself too seriously, even when the murder most certainly is.

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain this equilibrium?

Balance is perhaps too dignified a word for it. live a fairly insane, hectic life. I had imagined drifting gently into retirement, more reading, more gardening, perhaps the occasional long lunch. Instead, I appear to have built several book series, a publishing business, and a schedule that would alarm any sane person.

The truth is, I don’t wait for perfect conditions. If I did, nothing would be written. I write in the gaps, early mornings, between calls, on trains, planes, wherever there’s a quiet hour to be had. I treat it as work, not as something that must wait for inspiration or tranquillity.

I’m also quite structured about it. I set realistic daily targets, and I meet them. A thousand words a day if I can. Some days are better than others, but steady progress matters. Discipline is far more useful than drama.

That said, I’ve learned to be pragmatic. Life occasionally takes precedence, family, travel, the general chaos of running things. When that happens, I don’t panic. I simply return to the desk the next day and carry on.

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the path to publication?

Do not be deterred. That sounds simple, but it’s the crux of it. There will always be reasons to stop; rejections, slow sales, unhelpful opinions, your own doubts. If you allow any one of those to halt you, you won’t get very far.

Finish the book. That alone puts you ahead. Then make it as good as you possibly can. Edit ruthlessly. Cut what doesn’t work. Listen to sensible criticism and ignore the rest.

Also, understand that publication is no longer a single narrow gate guarded by a handful of people. There are options. Traditional routes, independent routes, hybrid approaches. Learn the business side as well as the creative side. Writing is art; publishing is commerce. You need at least a working grasp of both.

Most of all, keep going. Careers are built on persistence far more often than on sudden brilliance. If you believe in what you’re writing, and you’re prepared to work at it properly, don’t let temporary setbacks persuade you to abandon it.

The only guaranteed failure is stopping.

How important are book reviews to you?

Vital. Reviews matter, not merely to the ego (though one would be lying to pretend they don’t sting or delight), but to the practical reality of selling books. They provide social proof. They reassure a hesitant reader that someone else has taken the plunge and enjoyed the journey.

In the online world particularly, reviews influence visibility. Algorithms notice them. Retailers notice them. Readers certainly notice them. A strong body of thoughtful reviews can give a book momentum that no amount of quiet hope ever will.

That said, one has to develop a slightly thick skin. Not every reader will love every book, and that’s perfectly reasonable. If ten thousand people enjoy something and one does not, the book hasn’t failed, it has simply found its audience.

So yes, reviews are vital. I value them enormously, especially from readers who take the time to write a few considered lines. They make a tangible difference, and I’m always grateful for them.

https://www.facebook.com/KarenBaughMenuhinAuthor

Read Jodi Taylor’s review of The Caxton Manor Murders by Karen Baugh Menhuin and Matilda Swift and The Belmont Affair by Karen Baugh Menhuin and Nicki Mason.

I first encountered Karen Baugh Menhuin when I discovered her excellent Major Heathcliff Lennox series. Of which I think there are sixteen or seventeen books, so plenty to get your teeth into.

This new series is very similar, being set in the same period – just after World War I – and against the classic backdrop of well-staffed country houses. The unconventional hero – Alexander Wolfe – is an ex-spy who served in the war and is now retained by the Home Office in the form of Lord Hector Sommerton who certainly doesn’t believe in sending his people into the field fully briefed. Or sometimes, even briefed at all.

In both books Wolfe is called in to investigate murders that, in addition to being mysteriously suspicious, have complicated diplomatic situations to be untangled as well, providing Wolfe and his team – the enigmatic but likeable James Fox, the endearingly enthusiastic valet Dicks, and a mischievous terrier Wilf – with seemingly unsolvable problems.

These stories are less light-hearted than the Major Lennox tales but none the less enjoyable.

The third in the Alexander Wolfe series – The Player in the Game – is available for pre-order and will be published on 14^th July this year.

The Caxton Manor Murders by Karen Baugh Menhuin and Matilda Swift

The Belmont Affair by Karen Baugh Menhuin and Nicki Mason.

What inspired you to embark on a writing career, and how did your journey as an author begin?

I don’t think there was one thing that inspired me to embark on a writing career. A number of experiences provided the push to get me started.

A friend of mine had just published his first novel. I was impressed that he managed to find time despite his busy schedule. It made me wonder why I couldn’t at least try. I’d been thinking about writing for a long time and always had one excuse or another for why I couldn’t do it just yet.

I was also feeling stagnant at work and in life. Not because work wasn’t interesting or I was dissatisfied with how life was going. I just felt like I wasn’t learning anything new and life was sort of entering a holding pattern.

I began by writing short stories each week. Eventually, I came across Reedsy Prompts and saw a short story prompt (“Write about a second chance or a fresh start.”) that resonated with me. I entered the contest, one thing led to another, and I ended up writing Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan.

It took a lot of discipline to complete the book, but it also brought me energy, a fresh perspective on things, and characters that could help me navigate my thoughts and feelings.

It hasn’t been long, but it’s been a fun journey.

Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a structured outline, or is your approach more organic?

I consider my approach to be structured. I do not have formal writing training so keeping things organized helps me a lot. That being said, the most important part of my process is letting the characters drive the story instead of forcing them into unnatural actions.

For each chapter, I begin by listing the main points (events and dialogue) that would logically occur based on the world setting and characters. From there I write notes that expand the overarching brushstrokes into more detail. Finally, I take these notes and write the entire chapter.

I don’t usually have a clear idea of what will happen when I sit down to write. I think about the scenario or setting and then respond as if I were Willem or the character in question. These actions then drive the story forward organically. Sometimes I am surprised at what happens.

In my mind, my character exists in some corner of the multiverse. I’m simply writing down what actually happened to them. From that perspective, I feel like my writing is more like a dutiful recreation of events.

Overall, my structure exists so that I have a regimen I can follow with discipline. This helps me write consistently each day, and frees my mind to let the story tell itself.

I try not to pressure myself too much to write but I do set clear goals. Every time I sit down to write I try to make sure I complete the entirety of the task. Whether it’s scoping out the main points, filling in detailed notes, or writing out the full chapter, I usually do it in one sitting. Structure really helps in this case. By writing the main points and then filling in the details before writing the full chapter, I find that I save a lot of time and frustration.

This doesn’t mean I don’t throw away what I’ve written on occasion. For example the main points I write initially and the detailed notes often deviate substantially.

By writing the main points and the notes before finally writing the chapter, I’ve essentially written each chapter three times. This makes it easier to just write ideas down without worrying if it will be good as I always know that I will have a chance to fix it as part of the process. I find that this reduces the rate of failure substantially.

One thing I would suggest new writers consider is using AI as a tool for ideation, brainstorming or research. It’s really easy to give up and think that an idea isn’t any good, or to be too embarrassed to share it with someone. Or you just might be writing—like I often do—way too late in the evening and have no one you can bounce the idea with. You might also need to find out more about pickles and farming and need a quick data dump. In these scenarios, I think AI can be quite useful.

Which authors or books have significantly influenced your writing style and thematic choices?

I would say David Gemmell, Christopher Nuttall and John Scalzi had the most influence on my writing style and thematic choices.

In particular, I found Gemmell’s themes of redemption to be encouraging, and his characters inspiring despite their flaws. This directly led me to think about my characters as flawed individuals with possibly horrible pasts who still deserved a chance at a future with community and loving relationships.

Scalzi’s writing is incredibly creative while always following the underlying logic of his worlds. I try to follow his example. When I write, I always try to ask myself whether what happens is possible within my world’s logic or if I’m just writing a scene for its own sake without considering the whole book. Scalzi is also incredibly funny and his sense of humor has definitely been an influence as well.

Nuttall’s novels and their commentary on politics and economics have had strong influence on how I write. They’ve helped me flesh out the backdrop of the world my characters exist in. If I’ve done a good job ensuring my worlds have their own character from a political and economic standpoint, it has a lot to do with Nuttall.

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain this equilibrium?

That’s a good question. I don’t think I have managed to balance writing with other aspects of my life to the extent I would like. Sometimes I feel like I get too engrossed in the world I am writing to the detriment of my relationships and work. However, I have tried my best to include my friends and family in my writing process. They aren’t bystanders, they are active participants.

Making sure I am not on the journey alone and I share the process has been the most effective way of maintaining equilibrium for me.

What challenges have you encountered in your writing career, and how have you overcome them?

The challenges I’ve faced in my writing career primarily stem from my own sense of insecurity. I constantly wonder if my stories are interesting or entertaining at all, or if I am just filling the world with garbage. Every time I begin writing after a long day I wonder if I’m wasting time and effort that I should be spending elsewhere.

I don’t think I’ve overcome my insecurity. I think I’ve just accepted that it’s a permanent companion. In a way, that’s made writing easier. It’s a constant reminder that I have a long journey ahead of me and there’s lots to learn and improve on and I don’t need to be weighed down by the expectation that I am any good. My insecurity helps me be fully comfortable that I have lots of room to get better if I just try harder a little bit more every day, even if excellence will always seem out of reach.

Friends and family have helped a lot in this area. They reminded me that it’s the journey that’s important.

The list of things I find challenging is long, but I’d like to focus on one that I think is particularly silly yet somehow managed to occupy a great deal of my brain.

Print book sizes. How do you decide? I found myself paralyzed with indecision. What if the book was too tall and wide, and as a result looked too thin and not worth picking up? What if I made it too small and then it’s so thick that people don’t want to try? It took me months and support from friends to help me choose. (They didn’t laugh at me. Too much.)

Could you share insights into your current or upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?

I’m currently working on books 3 (Band of Others) and Book 4 of A Gentle Apocalypse. Willem’s journey is a long one that’s just beginning and I’m learning lessons with him along the way.

In addition, I am finalizing Book 2 (Warmage) of my Janissary Series, which will be published on March 10th. This series is quite different from A Gentle Apocalypse. It’s darker, more military fantasy driven with a more serious tone.

There’s also another idea for a more modern setting that I’ve been noodling around in my head. Do hotels and demons sound fun? I don’t know yet. Too many thoughts floating around. I think I’ll let the character tell me the story once I put the first words down.

How do you handle periods of writer’s block or creative stagnation?

When I feel stuck I write short stories that take place somewhere in the world of Demon Overlord. It might be part of a character’s history, or something totally unrelated. Because Willem has lived for so many incarnations as Galornus Prime, there’s almost no limit to the possible experiences he’s had. This gives me a lot of freedom to just write without worrying about impacting my story plot. (Most of these stories will also never see the light of day so that helps too…)

The other method is structural. I write notes on what happens in a chapter. Even if they seem bad, I just keep going until the entire chapter’s outline is done. More often than not, some part of these notes gives me a new idea. I think the biggest problem is stopping. Once you lose forward momentum, it’s really hard to begin again.

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the path to publication?

Don’t stop. Ever. Keep writing. Even the worst sentence, the most boring idea or the dullest description you create has moved you forward. There is no such thing as wasted time on the journey. You can always go back, re-read it, and laugh at yourself. There’s some value in that.

How important are book reviews to you?

Extremely important. I read them constantly. This can quickly spiral into self-doubt, and I think it may not be a very good habit but I doubt I’m going to stop. That being said, I think the vast majority of reviewers are trying to be constructive and encouraging.

I wish I could respond to every review. I wish I could talk to the reader and ask them about the book. Even negative reviews, when they explain why, can be encouraging. They help me understand what I could improve on.

Leave a comment

LINKS:

https://www.patreon.com/mhfoster
https://x.com/fostermh613

Read Jodi’s review of The Demon Overlord’s Retirement Plan CLICK HERE

What inspired you to embark on a writing career, and how did your journey as an author begin?

I have been writing fiction and non-fiction since I was very small. At school I was the person who wrote the scurrilous gossipy stories that got passed around - I remember reading “she flicked her hair obnoxiously again” and everyone in the lunch room shrieking with laughter as they knew exactly who was meant. That was the first time I realised I could make people laugh with words, not just when I fell over. (I fell over a lot.)

I trained as a journalist but wound up working in publishing for a while before going to university. I worked for years on the student union newspaper while studying English and Publishing, before deciding Publishing was not for me, and abandoning it entirely. I then got myself a graduate job publishing a weekly staff newsletter, writing and producing the entire thing. I really need to stop listening to my own gut feelings.

I wound up writing a lot of fiction in my spare time over the years - I think I’ve done NaNoWriMo a dozen times now, and I have multiple bad novels in a metaphorical drawer (at least two in a literal drawer). I then fell into writing a lot of technical documents in my last job, and so when a friend offered to put me in touch with a publisher who was looking for non-fiction writers in my area of interest (TV comedy), I said yes.

I wanted to ‘be a writer’ when I was young; I’m now well into my 50s and I’m not yet ‘a writer’ in my head. But I’m a lot closer than I used to be!

Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a structured outline, or is your approach more organic?

For fiction, I tend to have an outline of the plot but it might be rather vague, as characters can and will surprise you. The shorter the story the easier it is to stick to the plan. For instance, the short story I contributed to the Sands of Time compilation came to me as an ending (a mental image of David letting someone out of a shed after a jump went wrong) so that just needed to be given a backstory, which fell into place the moment I worked out exactly who the characters were. The only significant editing I had to do was to get it into the word limit. I tend to ‘write long’ and edit back, which is much easier than trying to pad it out!

For the Hearts Through History competition - poetry, rather than fiction - I started writing and just let it flow as if it were simply a short story I was trying to force into rhyming couplets. It was rather on the side of rambling doggerel as a result, but I actively decided not to edit it - love poems don’t have to be overly manicured and neat. Passion rarely is.

For non-fiction, my process is more structured. As I had a contract, I knew what the publisher wanted and that I needed to write to a conclusion. Then it was just a case of writing sections of text as the research progressed, hopping around in the plan to make sure I used everything I had in the right place. There was a lot more rearranging of chapters and paragraphs than there is with fiction, as I realised that thematically story A belonged with story B and not story C, even though it came from the same source as C. The editing took a lot longer than the actual writing.

Which authors or books have significantly influenced your writing style and thematic choices?

For fiction, my influences are all reflected in my library: Terry Pratchett, Diana Wynne Jones, Joan Aiken, Stephen King, Susan Cooper, and a certain Jodi Taylor. Writing a Sands of Time competition entry with Rosie Lee in it felt almost like channelling St Mary’s, which I really wasn’t supposed to be doing, but it felt so comfortable!

For non-fiction, I took a lot of advice from Stephen King’s On Writing, used my journalism and publishing experience, and read a lot of non-fiction books about TV and comedy, to see which approaches I liked and which felt wrong. The first full draft was a lot like my technical writing, and so needed prettying up.

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain this equilibrium?

When I signed the book contract I agreed a 6 month submission deadline. I spent the first 4 months researching and just making notes in my draft document every few days. I then went away, to somewhere I would not be too distracted by my usual routines (cat-sitting in Orkney turns out to be absolutely ideal for this), and wrote solidly for at least 4 hours a day, for the best part of 21 days. I spent the following month writing and editing for four hours every weekend morning, a fortnight having Covid (again), and another fortnight trying to get hold of my editor before I submitted a month late. It turns out everyone but me pretty much expected that delay. I didn’t want the book to be a dominating aspect of my life, as I still had to write a lot in my day job, but relegating it to weekends and my holiday was still manageable.

When I write fiction I tend to wait until whatever bit of plot in my head has reached the ‘write it down NOW’ phase, unless it’s November and I’m doing NaNoWriMo again, in which case I try to write at least a sentence every day.

What challenges have you encountered in your writing career, and how have you overcome them?

Most of my challenges have been logistical. I’m physically disabled, and found it surprisingly hard to sit at a library desk during the weekend writing phase, but it turns out that no one in the Bodleian Library minds if you lie under the desk for a few minutes now and then, as long as you warn the desk staff first. Similarly, writing while cat-sitting is great until the cat in question decides that you have spent far too long on chapter 2 and intervenes by stepping on the keyboard. I was very grateful for regular back-ups after he actually shut down my laptop (the power button is a little too accessible for determined paws) while I was getting him some cat treats!

I struggled a little for interviewees for my book - I did interview Jodi, Jasper Fforde, and a few veteran TV and radio comedy writers, but because I was writing about Fawlty Towers, once John Cleese announced his own book (which came out a month after mine) it became a lot harder to get agents and PR people to respond to a mere amateur like me. Had I been offered the contract 6m earlier I think I would have been a lot more successful!

I occasionally struggle in fiction with characters who do not want to do what I tell them, and have much better ideas about who they are than I do, it seems. I take this to be a sign that I’ve created ‘real’ people, who are well-rounded and internally consistent and rail against out-of-character actions and dialogue, because the alternative reading is that I’ve created total nightmare people.

Could you share insights into your current or upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?

In 2025 I wrote scripts for three short films - Team Weird’s Jodiworld competition entries, although only two made it through the full edit - and my Dodo D’Or is on my windowsill behind me as I write this. I contributed to the Chronicles of St Mary’s Companion, the Sands of Time short story compilation, and my own non-fiction book came out: The Legacy of Fawlty Towers (White Owl Books), celebrating 50 years of the sitcom.

In 2026, I’ve entered Hearts Through History, and I’m sure I will contribute to future writing competitions! I’m currently looking at completing and self-publishing a similar book about The Fall and Rise of Reginald Perrin, which also reaches 50 years old this year. If I can successfully navigate the technical side of self-publishing - I have a couple of friends who have done it and promise to hold my hand through the process - then I plan future volumes on other 70s and 80s sitcoms, perhaps one a year until I run out of steam. And the current ‘bad novel’ is actually looking pretty good right now - characters behaving, plot going where I want it to, etc. It wouldn’t be the first almost-publishable one, but it might be the first one since 2015 that I actually show to anyone else.

How do you handle periods of writer’s block or creative stagnation?

I like to let things percolate. My fiction writing process is generally to hold the plot in my head ready to go, then write until I run out of words, then wait for more to come. I have written in excess of 15,000 words in a day before. Because I knew the story so well from thinking about it, all I had to do was let it out.

When I can’t decide where a bit of plot is going or what needs to happen with a character, I don’t mind just walking away from them. If my sub-conscious knows what needs to be done, I will think about it. It might be in the middle of the night three weeks later, or - with one NaNoWriMo novel, eighteen months later - but sooner or later I will know what to do. And if I cannot come up with something to fix a problem, I’m not afraid to delete.

Non-fiction is more episodic - I do “skip to a new bit” if I get bored or stuck on a section, and come back later to fill in the gaps. But because I had a contract, with money attached, and a deadline, I found it much easier to stick to my overall plan!

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the path to publication?

I don’t know if everyone struggles with writing while the dishes need doing, but I found that it’s much easier if you have somewhere else to write, outside the house. I do get less housework done, but a lot more writing. I used libraries a lot, and my trip to Orkney was invaluable. (Plus it is a lovely place. Staring at the Atlantic Ocean when you have writers’ block is much nicer than, say, the industrial buildings opposite my house.)

If you are not too fussy about what you write about, there are publishers out there looking for competent writers all the time. You won’t make a fortune, but you will get to hold your book and say: I wrote this.

How important are book reviews to you?

I’m not sure I’ve actually had any. (Goes to look.) Ah, there’s a nice positive one on Amazon. I think that means I’m not particularly bothered! It’s much nicer to receive comments from friends and fellow fans on Substack or Facebook.

Author Biography:

Jacqui lives in Oxford with a large collection of books, yarn, and hair dye. She works in university administration and dreams of writing full-time. She has recently written The Legacy of Fawlty Towers (White Owl Books, 2025) for which she interviewed Jodi, several short films for Jodiworld 2025, and this short story. She is still wrestling with her Great Unfinished Novel.*

* probably not great, definitely unfinished.

You can find Jacqui on Substack https://substack.com/@jacquicollier
and her website https://fawltyat50.co.uk/

This is a book with a lot going on. Set in the Republic of Caten – the equivalent of Ancient Rome – the story follows the adventures of Vis Telimus, an ex-prince of Suus, a country invaded and occupied by Caten. As a fugitive Vis must do whatever he can to avoid coming to the attention of the authorities. Something he significantly fails to do. As with every hero worthy of the name, Vis attracts trouble wherever he goes.

Adopted by a high-ranking Caten family, he is sent to the Academy – a rigorous educational establishment where not every student survives. His task, set by his adoptive father, is to discover the facts surrounding the mysterious death of his father’s younger brother. Difficult enough you might think, given that he must keep his identity a secret from everyone at all costs, but he is also being blackmailed by a group of rebels who know exactly who he is and will not hesitate to use him for their own ends.

Prince, fugitive, student, hero, spy, surrounded by enemies and always alone – will Vis survive?

This is a tense, well written and consistently exciting tale – the first I’ve read by James Islington. I haven’t quite finished The Will of the Many – at 640 pages it’s not a short book – but I have already ordered The Strength of the Few – the sequel, because I really want to find out what happens to Vis Telimus.

Buy on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

I’ve just finished The Shadowed Blade by Lexi Conyngham – the latest in the Hippolyta Napier series. The series is set in a small Scottish village in the 1840s. Hippolyta is the doctor’s wife and, frankly, the 19^th century’s answer to Joyce Barnaby, and always manages to be on hand when someone meets an untimely end.

This time the action centres around the temperance movement, a member of whom is found impaled upon an enormous claymore. And then a second member is stabbed to death in a dark lane. What on earth is going on? The village of Ballater is normally fairly divorced from events in the outside world, but with earthquakes in Stirling and social unrest throughout the country – the outside world is there with a bang.

This is an excellent murder mystery – the characters are well-drawn and believable and the setting is impeccable. Lexi Conyngham’s creation of time and place is always first-rate.

Check out her other series as well. The Orkneyinga and Murray of Letho are my favourites and highly recommended.

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

I don’t know why I picked this up. Possibly chocolate overload has caused my brain to shut down because I have no memory at all of buying this book. However, there it was in my TBR list so I got stuck in.

It’s absolutely delightful. What an unexpected treat. The Demon Overlord in question, bored with annihilating his enemies and causing various apocalypses, decides to retire and settle down. Four hundred and forty-four reincarnations have left him with a desire for the simple life. A future filled with vegetable growing and goat keeping. Appropriating the body of Willem Porter, he retires to the village of Lower Middleton, anticipating rural tranquility and an unending supply of healthy, homegrown vegetables.

Well, obviously, that doesn’t happen, and the tale of how Willem copes with interhuman relationships, village life, uncooperative turnips, taxation, children, and Prometheus the goat is hilarious. And clever. Everything Willem does turns to good. No matter what his intentions, everything has a happy outcome. This can be very disconcerting when you’re a Demon Overlord – even if you are retired.

This is a very understated book. The humour is subtle and the characters well fleshed out. And there’s a sequel which I shall definitely be reading because I can’t wait to find out how the Demon Overlord tackles his next challenge.

Buy on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

What inspired you to embark on a writing career, and how did your journey as an author begin?

I own a bookshop and found that customers kept asking for suggestions for a local walk. After a while of scribbling directions on scraps of paper, I decided to pull everything together to write a walking guide. From there, I decided to try writing fiction as well. I've always loved telling stories, so I thought I would give it a go.

Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a structured outline, or is your approach more organic?

I try to follow a plot. I certainly know how a story ends - mostly. But sometimes it's a single scene that grabs my attention, and then I build a story around it.

Which authors or books have significantly influenced your writing style and thematic choices?

I don't know that any writer has influenced my writing style, that's such a tough question, but if I could throw a sentence together the way PG Wodehouse can, I would be delighted. His prose is so light and delivers whopping great punches that have me laughing out loud.

Thematically, I was first captured by Asimov. I loved his ideas and puzzles, and then I discovered Le Guin; her ability to question the human condition was eye-opening. Those were my first great loves and I have always been a voracious reader of speculative fiction in all its genres.

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain this equilibrium?

I have to be disciplined and remind myself that this is a job. I do not have the luxury of waiting for the muse to strike. I have bills to pay so I need to open the keyboard and write. Certainly, some days are better than others but imagine a bus driver saying his muse had deserted him.

Since becoming a full-time writer, I have bizarrely found it harder to be disciplined. In the past I had no option but to squeeze my writing into the small gaps in the day. Now as the empty hours stretch in front of me, I find all sorts of excuses.

I am a dreadful procrastinator.

What challenges have you encountered in your writing career, and how have you overcome them?

Trying to stay focused, I'm afraid to say I haven't found a way to do that yet.

Could you share insights into your current or upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?

I am completely in love with my new series The Norwich Map Runners. It's an urban fantasy where the maps of Norwich blend the current-day timelines with the past, and it’s the perfect place for a murderer to hide out. I think it has the same blend of fun and action found in the Quantum Curators but this time there are no parallel universes.

How do you handle periods of writer’s block or creative stagnation?

Whenever I struggle with a brick wall I turn away from it and try to find a new approach. I swap genres and try other things. I find reading and travelling also shake out new ideas.

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the path to publication?

Avoid anyone who offers you a contract but asks you to contribute financially. There are two solid and proven routes: you get a contract with a reputable publisher, and they take on the costs but also take a share of any earnings, or you self-publish, you pay for everything upfront, but then you get to keep all the profits. Neither approach is guaranteed but surround yourself with allies and make use of all the support groups out there.

Just because one route seems to work for one author this doesn't mean it's right for you. Arm yourself with as much information as you can, knowledge is power.

How important are book reviews to you?

They are more for readers than for me. What I like are the direct interactions with readers so if you've ever been tempted to get in touch with an author, do. We love it!

Author bio:

Like the best of us, Eva St. John is a construct. A moving feast of many parts, most of those parts involve gin, science fiction and falling over her dogs.

Favourite authors: Iain M Banks. Ann Leckie. Genevieve Cogman. Terry Pratchett. TJ Clune.*

Favourite shows: Doctor Who. Indiana Jones. National Treasure. Star Trek. Slow Horses. Firefly.*

Favourite food: Everything. Not a fan of offal or ice cream.

Favourite drink: Milk. Followed by a willingness to drink anything. Except Ouzo. Or tea.

Accessible via TT. FB, IG and https://mudlarkspress.com/collections/science-fiction-fantasy

* This list is forever changing and only represents the current top of her head.

Leave a comment

In a city where history bites back, murder is just the beginning.

Detective Eliza “Bish” Barnaby thought she’d left her home behind—along with its plague outbreaks, random time-shifts, and tendency to accidentally host people from the 1600s during breakfast.

But when a dangerous practitioner escapes custody in London, Bish is forced back to Norwich, a city where ancient maps hide deadly shortcuts, angry nuns have scores to settle, and Puritans throw acid at those they don’t approve of.

Armed with only a gun she can’t fire, a spaniel who thinks he’s a wolf, and a partner who dresses like a rejected Bridgerton extra, Bish must stop a killer before wild magic unravels the city’s fragile balance.

But keeping her own forbidden talents hidden is just as dangerous as catching the murderer. And in a place where past and present bleed together, the only way to solve this mystery might be to embrace the very magic she fears.

Grab the brand new adventure from Eva St. John, author of the bestselling Quantum Curators series

FREE with Kindle Unlimited

If you are a published author and would like to be featured on Jodi’s blog, please CLICK HERE to complete the questionnaire.

As you can see, I’m still on the mass slaughter at Christmas thing – and I thought I’d give this one a whirl. I haven’t finished it yet but it’s pretty good so far.

Set in England 1910, Halley’s Comet is on the way – the population is reacting with its usual calm good sense – and everyone is preparing for the end of the world and the annihilation of all life. The World’s End of the title is an island frequently cut off from the mainland – obviously – and Tithe House is the scene of the murder. To protect the residents from the comet’s supposed poison gasses, the owner, an eccentric aristocrat, has ordered the house to be locked, the windows boarded up and everyone, guests and servants alike, to be sealed in their rooms. Until the danger has passed and they can begin new lives

Naturally, at some point in the dark night, the owner is murdered. Crossbow bolt through the eye – as per Harold at Hastings, apparently.

The police are ineffective so solving the crime falls to an irascible old lady – oh, how I identify – together with her maid and Stephen, the second footman.

I’m really enjoying it so far. Give it a go and see what you think.

Buy on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Another brilliant book by one of my favourite authors. It’s Christmas time and Grace, the office manager, has high hopes for her carefully organised office party.

Alas – this is not just any Christmas party - this is the Stranger Times Christmas Party. Brace yourself for the unexpected.

A demonic Santa Claus.

A ghoul who has not yet learned not to crap in the corner.

The wonderfully awful Vincent Banecroft.

The policeman with the thing in his head.

The perpetually-stoned Manny and his passenger.

The talking dog – arguably the most normal character in the book.

If you’ve read the previous books in the series then you’re in for another treat. And if you haven’t then start with the first one - The Stranger Times. Trust me, you’re in for a real treat.

The action takes place over the build-up to Christmas. Sinister grottos, indoor snow, and a whole ton of magically influenced Mancunians. As Max herself would say – what could possibly go wrong?

Settle down with a glass – no, a bottle – of Vincent’s special non-alcoholic wine and enjoy a wonderful seasonal read. Exciting, funny, and very occasionally, absolutely heartbreaking.

Buy now on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Welcome to Jack Bale…

What inspired you to embark on a writing career, and how did your journey as an author begin?

My journey as a fiction author began late in life after 25 years in publishing. It started with the unsettling question : what if the voice inside your head wasn’t yours?
The answer to that question became Merlin’s Game, in which the character of Jean-Patrique was born and the consequences of his inner struggle has serious consequences for those unfortunate enough to be in his life. The character took control, and the writing began to flow while I was on a winter holiday in Mallorca, and eventually the plot extended to some of my other favourite locations around Europe.

Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a structured outline, or is your approach more organic?

I outline just enough. I like to know where the shadows fall, not necessarily what’s hiding in them. I begin with a skeletal structure—key characters, emotional turns, plot destinations I want to reach—but the characters often take me down side streets and alleyways.
Some writers like to control the story - I try to keep up while pretending I planned the whole thing.

Which authors or books have significantly influenced your writing style and thematic choices?

I’d say Hilary Mantel looks over my shoulder (usually whispering something terrible about a character, but beautifully phrased). I’m also indebted to the legacy of Patricia Highsmith and Earnest Hemingway for their economic prose style and their focus on the unpredictabilty of a character’s inner life. Both understood that a good plot comes from psychology first and violence second.
I’ve always been drawn to the old black and white movies by Alfred Hitchcock and the like, and I guess you could call my writing a tribute to the golden age of crime with modern psychological insights, in which case you’d have to add Carl Jung to my unconscious influences.
I love stories that ask: What would you do if no one ever knew?
Merlin, of course, has his own answer to that.

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain this equilibrium?

“Balance” is generous. It’s more like steering a sail boat without a rudder between commitments. My strategy is simple, if I have one: I write early, before the day can get hold of me. There’s a strange magic in the morning—your critical mind hasn’t fully woken, but your subconscious is wide awake and looking for mischief.
To keep going with my own writing schedule, I bribe myself with chocolate and the promise that I can stop when the chapter stops - which is usually a lie, but an effective one.
When I’m not writing, you can usually find me with my family and messing about on boats.

What challenges have you encountered in your writing career, and how have you overcome them?

My biggest challenge was shifting genres. I had been writing under my own name for years, exploring spirituality, myth, and personal transformation. Becoming Jack Bale and stepping into the psychologically darker waters, required a complete recalibration.
So I stopped trying to be “a writer” and focused on telling the truth of the characters. Even if that truth was messy, unsettling, or entirely morally bankrupt - especially then.

Could you share insights into your current or upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?

I’m currently finishing the sequel to Merlin’s Game in a way that I hope will surprise readers. I’m not finished with JP yet. Without spoilers, let’s just say that Merlin isn’t the only voice that wants to be heard.

How do you handle periods of writer’s block or creative stagnation?

I suffer more from writer’s diarrhoea than constipation. I may deliberately take time out from writing to sit with an idea to see where it may lead, and find that back at my desk, the idea quickly takes on a life of its own.
I do work over my writing multiple times. I’ll scrap pages when I have to. My test is always - would I read this? Does the plot keep me turning the page? Are the characters real?
I guess these are the questions most writers ask themselves.

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the path to publication?

I don’t feel qualified to give advice, but these are the self-imposed rules I follow:
Write the book only you can write.
Finish the draft. Half a book leaves you with nothing.
Be stubborn. (Publishing is a long game, and the people who make it are the most talented and who don’t stop.)

How important are book reviews to you?

I have a wonderful team of critics who review my work before I publish, and I always try to take their views on board. After publication, reviews matter—not for my ego, but for readers. A good review tells potential readers, “You might like this strange, dark little story.” A thoughtful negative review, oddly, can do the same.
What I especially love are the reviews where readers wrestle with their feelings about JP and Merlin. If I’ve made someone unsettled, conflicted, or unsure who to root for, then I feel I’ve done my job.

Author bio:

Jack Bale is a storyteller fascinated by the hidden corners of the human mind. Drawing inspiration from Patricia Highsmith’s darkly compelling worlds, Hilary Mantel’s masterful exploration of psychological complexity, and Ernest Hemingway’s spare yet evocative prose, Bale crafts novels that are as intellectually intriguing as they are thrilling.

At the heart of his work lies a deep dive into character—unearthing the desires, fears, and contradictions that drive people to extraordinary choices. His debut novel, Merlin’s Game, is a spellbinding tale of identity and deception, exploring how ambition and obsession can shape, or unravel, the self.

When not writing, Jack is a relentless observer of human nature, capturing the moments where truth and illusion blur. Welcome to his world—where every character hides a secret, and every secret is a story waiting to unfold.

Leave a comment

Click on the links to buy the books:

Paperback

Kindle

Audiobook

If you are a published author and would like to be featured on Jodi’s blog, please CLICK HERE to complete the questionnaire.

You can’t go wrong with a T Kingfisher book and this one is no exception. I sat up until the very small hours to finish it.

T Kingfisher writes three main series – the Paladin series – my favourites, The Sworn Soldier series, and her stand-alone horror stories, of which Snake Eater is one. The setting is unusual – a tiny house situated in a historic site in the desert. Very cosy and conventional – apart from the toilet!

Accompanied only by her dog, Selena is fleeing her partner and comes in search of her only living relative – her aunt. Except her aunt died a year ago and now Selena doesn’t have enough money to return home. This isn’t a problem as the community rallies round to help her. However, this is a T Kingfisher story so obviously things start to get pretty weird pretty quickly.

This is a lovely story where sinister events are leavened by examples of human kindness. And a fascinating insight into desert life in the US. And the dog, Copper, is so engaging. As any labrador owner will already be aware, their loyalty is frequently conflicted by the demands of their stomachs.

As usual, I won’t spoil the story, but it’s classic T Kingfisher and well up to her usual standard.

Buy now on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Alice, an ambitious post–grad student in the field of analytic magick, desperately needs the support of her tutor, Professor Grimes, to achieve the academic excellence she so desperately craves.

Unfortunately, he’s dead.

Even more unfortunately – it’s Alice’s fault.

Now she has no choice but to journey to Hell and bring him back.

I loved this book. It really touched a chord with me. At one point in the story, one of the characters, in an attempt to explain her academic imperative, rationalises her emotions by saying – Never mind the day-to-day distractions of everyday life. All she ever wanted was the unhampered time and resources to be able to think.

I’ve had many jobs and enjoyed all of them but one, but no matter how interesting or engrossing the task in hand, there was always a slight resentment that the paying job got in the way of what I considered to be proper thinking. Paying jobs stood between me and the ability to think the thoughts I wanted. They also stood between me and homelessness and starvation, of course, but to have the time to imagine, to dream, to create whole new worlds full of strange new people and places seemed, to me, a never-to-be-achieved luxury. I could only imagine having the time, one day, to take any number of these random elements and weave them into a story of my devising.

As you can see, I did get there in the end, and now I’m not only allowed to do all that but I’m actually encouraged to do it. And then they pay me for it. Time is many different things to many different people, but to me, it’s the luxury of finally being able to do the very thing I most enjoy.

Sorry – rambling again. Back to Katabasis. This is a fabulous story combining philosophy, logic, history, mythology, mathematics, magick, academia, and with a guided tour of Hell thrown in for free. Highly recommended.

Buy from Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Journalist Jack Parlabane leads an investigation into supposed medium, Gabriel Lafayette, who apparently possesses almost magical psychic powers. There’s a lot of power and prestige at stake and Jack does his best to expose Lafayette as a fraud, despite the minor inconvenience of being dead.

Brilliantly plotted, entertainingly told, and with the bonus of a couple of classic Brookmyre rants as well.

Fun and very enjoyable.

Buy on Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Welcome to Mike Turner…

What inspired you to embark on a writing career, and how did your journey as an author begin?

I absolutely love stories, reading and writing them. There’s nothing better. I could get lost in a book, and when my mind is on crafting one of my own, the feeling is much the same: I am at one with the characters on their journey and having a lot of fun with it.

Can you describe your writing process? Do you follow a structured outline, or is your approach more organic?

I’m definitely a plotter. Once an idea strikes, I tend to bounce it around in my head for a little while until it takes shape. Then I draft plot-lines for all the main characters using a flipchart and Post-its. After that, it’s all about getting it out. Writing essentially becomes a series of connected short stories, and the process is all the more enjoyable for it. Then: edit, edit, edit.

Which authors or books have significantly influenced your writing style and thematic choices?

I tend to read across multiple genres, but my go-to favourites are the usual household names such as: Stephen King, Lee Child, David Baldacci, J K Rowling, Garth Nix, Philip Pulman, Kazui Ishiguro, Tess Gerritsen, Will Carver, Sophie Kinsella, Cixin Liu, Linwood Barclay, and Ken Follett. My favourite reads have to be: Wolf Hall, Pillars Of The Earth, The Three Body Problem, I Am Pilgrim, Great Expectations, and Remains Of The Day

How do you balance writing with other aspects of your life, and what strategies do you employ to maintain this equilibrium?

I try to keep busy all the time. I never get bored. There’s always something to do … not always what I should be doing, of course. I play games too, read a lot, I enjoy walking, biking, and even like to have a go at designing my own book covers, though I did commission an artist for the early draft of artwork I used for The Many Worlds Bazaar.

What challenges have you encountered in your writing career, and how have you overcome them?

I have so many ideas for stories and want to write all of them at once, and struggling to decide which one to start on can often lead to me not starting any.

Could you share insights into your current or upcoming projects that you’re particularly excited about?

I’m at the proof copy stage of publishing three new novels (Trouble Shooter, Thrill Seeker & Unfinished Business) and also a novella (A New Beginning). When these are done I plan to complete a novel I am currently two thirds of the way through. Then it’s on to the next instalment of the Many Worlds Saga – for which I have a six book series in mind.

How do you handle periods of writer’s block or creative stagnation?

I don’t really have writer’s block, though I do have days where I’m just plain lazy. I don’t consider this the same thing, though both will affect output, for sure. Basically: sit down and write and don’t stress over the quality of output. Often, I find, that when I read it back it’s not nearly as bad as I imagined. That is not to say that it doesn’t still need work. I also belong to a writer’s group. Once a month there is a prompted-writing session; you are given a prompt, the clock starts immediately, and 45-60 minutes later you’re done. There’s no time to think, you just write. I can’t think of a better way to inspire you to create. Just do it.

What advice would you offer to aspiring authors navigating the path to publication?

If writing is something you enjoy then you should write regardless. I write for myself first and foremost. But of course I want others to read my stories and enjoy them. I find motivation in meeting with other people who also like to write. Writers, I’ve found, are only too willing to share in their experiences and offer help and advice.

How important are book reviews to you?

Very important, though reviews are not always easy to come by. I need to get better at promoting my work. I really like my stories and I am sure others will too, if they know they exist. Online reviews can definitely help inform a would-be reader that your work is worth their time, and for readers who are kind enough to leave reviews, I am very grateful. It’s even better when they spread the word and encourage friends and family to pick up a copy too.

Author bio:

Mike spent a quarter of a century ‘slave to the grind’ before venturing out into the world of fantasy and fiction. Like any self-respecting bookworm he devoured stories with a most voracious appetite, intrigued by the hooks that compel pages to be turned.

The Many Worlds Bazaar is the first instalment of The Many Worlds saga, a rip-roaring fantasy adventure laced with humour that is genuinely laugh-out-loud, and will leave you eager for more.

Leave a comment

If you are a published author and would like to be featured on Jodi’s blog, please CLICK HERE to complete the questionnaire.

Both books tell the stories of an eccentric but brilliant older woman detective, Anna Dolabra, and her assistant Dinios Kol, who has been magically altered to possess total recall.

Sci-fi, murder-mystery, satire, magic, politics. A rich mixture, great world-building and very clever murder mysteries. Original and often funny – the relationship between the old woman and her young male assistant is wonderfully observed. Mutual respect but often grudgingly given!

Both highly recommended. I loved them and can’t wait for the third in the series.

Buy from Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

Brilliant mystery with sharp writing and some absolutely hilarious one-liners. The main character is witty and delightfully sarcastic. Honestly, I can’t fathom why there’s such a fuss these days about characters needing to be “likeable.” It’s a murder mystery, not a romance. Thoroughly recommend it.

Buy from Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment

The wit, eloquence, and historical finesse of the incomparable Georgette Heyer. There's no one quite like her for writing comedies of manners. Despite the delicious froth of some of her narratives, an underlying realism and writerly genius makes these books endure.

Buy from Amazon

Have you enjoyed this book too?

Leave a comment