Stuart Aken's Blog, page 348

Interview with Author, Sarah Barnard

Sarah Barnard is a single mother living, working and writing in Middle England. She describes the place as a bit like Middle Earth in its beauty but without the walking trees. She tries to live a green life, growing some of her own crops, keeping chickens for eggs and doing as much reducing, reusing and recycling as she can. A Pisces and a rooster, depending on the preferred zodiac system, her favourite colours are green and purple. She's been writing since a very good friend dared her to...

Goodreads, A Community For Readers & Writers

Image via Wikipedia
If you've never visited the Goodreads website, you've missed a real treat. This is a place, ostensibly, for readers to list, comment on and share their opinions about books they have actually read. It's also a place for authors to promote their own titles. But it is so much more than that. The insights from real readers are so useful for a writer and give wonderful guidance to other readers about what might be worth trying and what is definitely for the bin. The variety of ...

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Interview with Author, Nick Quantrill

Nick Quantrill, accountant by day, is a recent addition to Hull's literary heritage. Most newbie writers blindly send their MS to publishers or agents hoping someone will decide to publish it, but Nick decided to build a readership first. He set up a website, put his work on it and received compliments for his short stories. So, when he approached a publisher, he could also send a batch of positive comments about his writing. A Hull man (for those outside the UK, Hull - population over...

A Bit of Encouragement

Having spent the day with my brother, ripping up carpets and emptying my step-mother's flat, as she is now in residential care, I am somewhat weary. So, here I give you a short piece of unpublished fiction for your entertainment. I'd be interested in your views.
A Bit of Encouragement'It's great. You'll like it.''Don't think so.''Scared?''Have to be a bit thick not to be; staring death in the face.''Jeez, it's only a fag.''Makes you ill and can kill you.''They just say that. Any case; doesn't...

Interview with Author, Sibel Hodge

Sibel Hodge has dual British/Turkish Cypriot nationality and divides her time between Hertfordshire and North Cyprus. A trained fitness instructor and sports and massage therapist, she writes freelance feature articles on health, fitness, and various lifestyle subjects. There are very few British writers of Turkish Cypriot origin who write commercial fiction for the women's market. Her first novel, Fourteen Days Later, is a romantic comedy with a unique infusion of British and Turkish...

Tell Me What YOU Want From This Blog

Many blogs act simply as marketing platforms for their authors. Whilst I accept this is a legitimate use of the medium, and I have done a small amount of marketing on this blog, I want to make this particular blog more of a service to my readers. Image via WikipediaSo, I'd like to know what YOU would like to see and read here. There are more interviews with published authors in the pipeline and I will post these at regular intervals, as I have with those already posted. I have also...

Interview with Jake Webber, Author

Image by stuartaken via FlickrA lifelong resident of Louisiana, Jake Webber enjoys researching and studying history. He attended Louisiana State University and is a graduate of the University of Louisiana at Monroe. His professional background is in the medical field. He is married and lives in Baton Rouge with his wife and two children. Jake is an avid reader who loves a good story. He also loves history. In his first novel, he combines the two loves for an interesting adventure.
SA...

Madeleine McDonald, author of ENCHANTMENT IN MOROCCO, reports on her non-writing life

Image by stuartaken via Flickr
Expect the unexpected. Or, why does this have to happen to me right now?
Yesterday, the wardrobe collapsed. As I yanked a jacket from its overstuffed interior, there was the sound of metal snapping, followed by creaks, and the entire structure folded itself neatly sideways like a short row of dominoes. Yesterday I shut the door on it all.
Today I face facts. Disasters must be dealt with, and never mind what else I have scheduled in life—like starting a new...

Sharon Dwyer, Author Interview

Sharon Dwyer describes herself as your average person filling up her own personal space in today's exciting world. She's immersed herself in books from a very young age. Traveled to exotic locales and fought for the good side in the land of words written by those who crafted a story that enthralled and entertained.She earned a degree in nursing but soon discovered a restlessness and moved on. After receiving a degree in engineering, she worked in energy analysis, battling that male oriented...