NAME THAT BOOK! CHOOSING A TITLE

NAME THAT BOOK! CHOOSING A TITLE

WHAT’S IN A NAME? I recently expressed some disquiet over a book title  chosen by a fellow member of a writers’ group. He  was  actually  seeking advice on whether to include a blurb on the back cover of his memoir. Perhaps rightly, he was not impressed when

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THE BEST PART OF WRITING A BOOK?

THE BEST PART OF WRITING  A  BOOK?

Some people might say that the best part of writing a book is typing the words THE END.    Or that the most satisfying part is setting  out on the journey and writing that first sentence.  But for me, there is one stand out moment of pure joy

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MRS BEETON -THE TRUTH ABOUT HER LIFE

MRS BEETON -THE TRUTH ABOUT HER LIFE

 Misconception! ‘A stout Victorian matron in black bombazine, her huge upper arms developed by years of beating outrageous quantities of eggs into churn-loads of butter’.  This description fits a widely held view of Mrs Beeton, author of the culinary bible Household Management, but it could not be

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SLEEPING WITH A STRANGER!

SLEEPING WITH A STRANGER!

For many years my partner Rob and I travelled around the UK  staying  in Bed & Breakfasts.   Some were absolutely  charming, with equally charming hosts. Others were….well pretty awful  (read ‘Unravelling With My Aunt’  on this website and you will get the picture). But as  we both

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A VERY SPECIAL REVIEW OF MY THAMES BOOK

A VERY SPECIAL REVIEW OF MY THAMES BOOK

Dr James Colthurst is perhaps best known for having been  a  close friend of  the late Princess Diana.  He  was trusted implicitly by Diana , and acted as a go-between during one of  the most difficult periods of her life.  It was Colthurst who   conveyed the secret tapes  she

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BATTLE OF TWO BOOKS!

It’s an extraordinary thing having two very different books published in one year, and  it would be  quite impossible for me to choose my favourite. My first, The Water Doctor’s Daughters, has a special place in my heart due to its content.  I became so emotionally involved

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The Queen’s Oak at Hurley – a Royal Mystery.

The  Queen's Oak at Hurley - a Royal Mystery.

This is a 2022 update on the story of the Queen’s Oak at Hurley Lock. In 2014, I was in the UK following the launch of my book on the Thames Path, held at Marlow Library. Everyone was so kind and generous, especially as I was an

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LAUNCH OF MY THAMES BOOK!!

ALL ALONG THE RIVER: TALES FROM THE THAMES  was released on July 31 by London publisher  Robert Hale.   Rob and I celebrated with lunch at the Show Boat, moored by the river at  the Harleyford  estate just outside Marlow.  It was owning a lodge in this glorious

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A Tale of Bribery and Electoral Intrigue From the Thames Town of Marlow

One of the difficulties I found  in writing a book about the river Thames was making  those really hard decisions about what should go in! So much history…..so much intrigue and scandal. Naturally  I was tempted to include far too  much about my beloved Harleyford Estate at

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