So you entered a writing competition and received your first ‘honourable mention’. Is that worth mentioning? Find out what authors think in this blog.

If you’ve recently discovered the lovely ‘Bookstagram’ community of readers, writers and bloggers over on Instagram, you may have spotted some unfamiliar words cropping up regularly in posts.

Here’s a quick lowdown of the most popular terms, and what they mean…

With ‘Connections’ topping the Amazon bestseller list in both ebook and paperback, local news and lifestyle magazine Celebrate:MK were kind enough to include a feature on me for their June/July issue. You can read the digital edition for free here.

Podcasts. Eeek! For many writers, the idea of being a guest on a podcast is a terrifying thought. If you’ve never podcasted before, here are 5 tips from my own personal experience that just might help…

Joe Shwartz invited me to join him on his Cups of Joe podcast series!

In this episode, we talk about the bestselling Connections book release, UK vs. US language differences, good food and great music.

Book sniffers, assemble!

The bestselling Connections: A Collection of Short Stories is now available to buy in good old-fashioned paperback format, priced at £9.99 on Amazon. Yep, that’s still less than a cocktail in London.

In case you’ve been living under a rock (or just generally hiding away from the world in favour of binging Netflix and munching popcorn in your pyjamas - and I don’t blame you) - let me tell you about it.

The wait is over. It’s finally here!

Connections is a brand new collection of short stories, bringing together the works of over 20 UK authors. Edited and published by Fuzzy Flamingo, Connections has launched online today and is now available to download in ebook format for readers on Kindle or tablet devices.

Buy now on the Amazon Kindle Store!

Q) How old were you when you first started writing?

I was definitely at primary school, perhaps I was six or seven? I used to carry a notepad and pen everywhere I went, scribbling down stories that I never finished. Actually, I’m still like that! I’m a bit of a perfectionist, so finishing my first short story, The Man Upstairs, was the best feeling in the world. I’m addicted to writing.

Let’s address the elephant in the room. I’m not going to sit here, as an unpublished author (but not for long!) and claim I’m an expert in building a social following that will sell millions of books and make you the next Elon Musk. I’m still, very openly, figuring this thing out as I go. But having spent years working in the digital marketing world by day, I do know a thing or two about how to connect with people.

In the height of the November lockdown in 2020, I wrote a short story called The Man Upstairs. Other than the odd pieces I penned at school to get good grades in English - and please my beloved teacher, Mrs Mason - this was my first official crack at a short story worth publishing.

And let me tell you - it was cathartic.