Stuart Aken's Blog, page 349

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 So, here I give you a short piece of unpublished fiction for your entertainment.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...

Printer peculiarities

Image via WikipediaAm I alone in wondering at the manufacturers of printers? They seem to delight in providing as many different ink cartridges as they can design, usually only half-filling them and pricing them so high that they frequently cost more than the printer they serve. And why is it that when I'm printing a completely black document, with no hint of colour, that the colour cartridges empty along with the black one? The printer gets all uppity when I dare to replace the overpriced ma...

Interview with Writer, John Pearson

Cover of Learn Me GoodJohn Pearson was a design engineer but is now a 3rd grade maths teacher who says the only thing that hasn't changed noticeably in his daily life is the maturity level of the people surrounding him all day. He works in Dallas, Texas, with a very diverse, at times frustrating, at times inspiring group of kids. He writes as well, mostly about said kids and his interaction with them. His book, Learn Me Good, is largely the result of his first year. He also enjoys college...

Tonight is Wednesday

That means that I am out for the evening, sharing thoughts, ideas, stories and experiences with others of my writers' group. I meet with a bevy of talented, warm, generous but profoundly honest women writers. Sometimes, Rick attends and amuses us with his comic poetry, sending us into fits. We read our words and receive the considered reflections of those present. Criticism is given freely and honestly and, with the gathering made up exclusively of published writers, it is always worth hearin...