Today I decided to delete my Substack account. I haven’t been on it that long and only published two posts and a few notes, but already...

We’re now back from an amazing holiday to Switzerland with Great Rail Journeys. Since we’ve travelled a lot, we wanted something...

Like most writers, I adore pens and pencils and stationery of all kinds and what better time to take stock on supplies than at the...

Wishing you a very Happy Christmas or Winter Yuletide, according to how you celebrate this festive season. Thank you for all the support...

My latest publication is now available and is a little departure from my usual books. Words for all Seasons is a collection of some of...

I’m very pleased to introduce long-time writing friend Ann Burnett to the blog today. Although a well-published author of non-fiction,...

Since it’s spooky season, and my birthday this weekend, I thought you might like a free read of my Halloween story, Samhain, which is...

Many writers know that short stories can often be more difficult to write than novels, as the word count is greatly restricted. Imagine...

We’ve just had a wonderful visit to Rosslyn Chapel at last! I’ve been wanting to see inside it for ages and it wasn’t too busy today so...

It gives me great pleasure to welcome my talented daughter, Victoria Gemmell (aka Vikki Andres), to my blog. Having two published YA...

Writing a letter to a magazine or newspaper is often the way in which writers first see their name in print. You might even get paid for...

We’ve recently returned from a lovely holiday to North Wales, partly a nostalgic trip revisiting some of the places we first enjoyed well...

One of my favourite forms of poetry is the tiny 3-line Japanese haiku: five syllables in the first line, seven in the second, and five in...

I’m delighted that several of my very short stories are published in this lovely anthology, Mum Life Stories, featuring writers from...

“Hail, bounteous May, that doth inspire Mirth and youth, and warm desire; Woods and groves are of thy dressing; Hill and dale doth boast...

If you’re in the mood for a little light reading over the Easter break, you might enjoy my fun Aphrodite and Adonis trilogy set on the...

Throughout history, women have been subjugated and silenced solely because of their gender in a patriarchal society. Yet in almost every...

If you’re looking for e-books to read over the next week, you’ll find a huge selection in the Smashwords Read an E-book Sale from 3rd to...

It’s the season of love and romance so what better time to celebrate words and books that deal with relationships of a romantic nature....

It’s that time of year again, when Scots the world over celebrate the memory of our national bard, Robert Burns, on 25th January. Famous...