Stuart Aken's Blog, page 180

A Walk in the Autumn Forest

Let’s face it, the past few days, weeks and months have been pretty traumatic. In UK, the unresolved Brexit situation lingers. Devastating earthquakes, typhoons and hurricanes, have caused destruction worldwide. And a new President Elect threatens changes of real consequence to more than just the USA. So it’s been a pretty torrid time. Hope’s depressed, … Continue reading A Walk in the AutumnForest

Blood Red Dust to Launch 19 November at Fantasticon 2016!

Launched at the brilliant Fantasticon 2016 in Hull on Saturday 19/Sunday 20 November is my latest science fiction novel, Blood Red Dust. (Tickets here) If you can make it to Hull and pop in, I’d be delighted to sign a copy for you. If you can’t be there, you can still obtain a copy in … Continue reading Blood Red Dust to Launch 19 November at Fantasticon2016!

The First Muslim, by Lesley Hazleton, Reviewed.

Subtitled, ‘The Story of Muhammad’, this scholarly and meticulously researched book provides answers to many common questions about the Islamic prophet. As an agnostic (It’s impossible for humanity ever to truly ‘know’ whether God exists or not, since such a power must, by definition, be far beyond our comprehension) I have an interest in the … Continue reading The First Muslim, by Lesley Hazleton,Reviewed.

Share your blog!

Originally posted on Roberta Pimentel:
First of all If you reblog this post you help me, I help you and you help your readers, so everyone wins.. There are thousands of good blogs out there and think of all of that we are missing just because they are not visible to us. That’s why I…

Looking for the Best Word? Tip #12

A series exploring similar and dissimilar words for ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate and effective. A good thesaurus gives substitutes for the idea of a word, but not all are true synonyms. Context is vital. Placing alternative words in the same sentence to see if they actually make sense … Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip#12

Liking is Lovely, but Sharing is Caring.

All of us who blog, or use a website to inform potential readers about our books, are aware of the struggle for exposure, the difficulty of getting our names out there. We indulge in online activity to add value to the lives of others (at least, I hope we do: those interested only in self-promotion … Continue reading Liking is Lovely, but Sharing isCaring.

Laughter the best medicine – Hippies, Beethoven and Natural Born Citizens!

Originally posted on Smorgasbord - Variety is the spice of life:
My online friend with a wonderful collection of humour has kindly donated some more to my buffer… She wishes to remain incognito… but I am very grateful. A man is looking through a cemetery when he hears some music. He looks around to see…

The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet, by Dr Michael Mosley, Reviewed

I read this book way back in February 2016, so why am I reviewing it in November? Well, seems to me the best evidence of a diet book’s validity is a personal test. And I can say that this one definitely worked for me! The book is aimed at individuals in danger of becoming type … Continue reading The 8-week Blood Sugar Diet, by Dr Michael Mosley,Reviewed

Looking for the Best Word? Tip #11

Examining similar and dissimilar words for ways writers might make their work more varied, accessible, interesting, accurate and effective. A good thesaurus suggests substitutes for the idea of a word, but not all these are true synonyms. Context is vital. Placing alternative words in the same sentence to see if they actually make sense is … Continue reading Looking for the Best Word? Tip#11

Creative #Writing #Contests Table Updated

Here’s the monthly reminder that the writing contest table is continually updated. Make sure you get your entries submitted in plenty of time, there are some really spectacular prizes to be had. Some of these are free to enter, too. And think of the kudos! The table updates each time I save it, which is … Continue reading Creative #Writing #Contests TableUpdated