World building : Animals, plants and evolution

World building : Animals, plants and evolution

Designing a new world with its own creatures and plants is a lot of fun. There are so many resources available online that research can be a bottomless pit. However, this depth of knowledge will shine through in your writing.

World building: Creation

World building: Creation

Writing is quite a personal thing, with authors each having their own idiosyncrasies and quirks to help them imagine and get the words on the page. Books may start in a dream, but like anything worth doing, take days that

Author interview: Claire Buss

Author interview: Claire Buss

Today I introduce Claire Buss, a UK writer and author of the recently released book “The Rose Thief”. What is your current project? My current project is the sequel to my first novel The Gaia Effect. Previously my characters over

New Release: The Engineer

New Release: The Engineer

Today sees the release of “The Engineer – Chronicles of Actaeon” by Darran Handshaw. Imagine MacGyver crossed with Indiana Jones, investigating the mysteries of the long vanished ancients. Weird technology, odd customs, dangerous relicts, monsters and inventions combine to provide

Writing up a storm

Writing up a storm

Everyone always complains about the weather – do your characters? Or do they sail through the pages in blissful ignorance of the climate? Weather conditions can be a big part of a scene, adding impact in many different ways, from

My Kingdom for a hot shower

EMSH artwork from Heinlein Have Spacesuit, will travel

Fantasy books are often set in a more primitive world where the chance of having a hot shower is minimal and toothbrushes possibly not invented. Likewise, in space, water is at a premium, needing to be recycled over and over.

Rick Haynes: Author interview

Rick Haynes: Author interview

Today I introduce Rick Haynes, an English writer and author of the recently published epic fantasy novel, Heroes Never Fade. Rick has quite a few novels published, so make sure you check out his Amazon page and website, the links

Crom! There’s a louse in my ale.

Crom! There’s a louse in my ale.

Insects are all around us, from spiders living in your hard drive and the corners of the room, silverfish eating your precious books, beetles clicking, butterflies fluttering…you get the idea, I don’t have to get all poetic. Insects outweigh us

Author interview: SC Mitchell

Between Venus and Mars

Today I welcome SC Mitchell, a fellow Soul Mate author. Steve has an upcoming book ‘Between Venus and Mars’ which is part of the popular Soul Mate tree series. His books are scifi romance, and promise “An intergalactic adventure filled with

Quest for Fire

Quest for Fire

Reading is easy. We sit in a comfortable chair, perhaps by a warm heater with cat on lap/dog at feet and a hot drink. That’s often why we read, to share vicariously the bad times and good with characters while