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Why I Write by Sharon Cook
Today it is a delight to welcome my friend and fellow author Sharon Cook to the blog to explain her compulsion to write. Sharon's debut...
authorvalpenny
Jan 11, 20253 min read
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Christmas Books
One of the things I like best about Christmas is that my elder daughter and I often swap books that we have read and enjoyed during the...
authorvalpenny
Dec 25, 20242 min read
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My Writing Journey by Martin J Lake
It is my great pleasure to welcome my friend and fellow author Martin J Lake to the blog today. Martin's debut novel, Beyond The Stones:...
authorvalpenny
Dec 21, 20245 min read
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The Bruntsfield Book Group
It was a thrill to produce my first collection of short stories in time for Christmas. It includes stores about DI Hunter Wilson and his...
authorvalpenny
Dec 18, 20244 min read
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Hunter's Christmas
It was a thrill to produce my first collection of short stories in time for Christmas. If I do say so myself, it makes an ideal and cost...
authorvalpenny
Dec 4, 20244 min read
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Tips to Writing on Social Media
Most of us use social media to a greater or lesser extent to promote our work and we all know that some posts work better than others....
authorvalpenny
Nov 20, 20242 min read
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Plotters, Pantsers and Skeletons
Authors vary a great deal in how they prepare to write their books. Some plot carefully using rolls of wallpaper to display their story...
authorvalpenny
Oct 23, 20242 min read
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My Writing Journey by Alex J. Adams
I am thrilled to introduce my readers to my friend and fellow author Alex J. Adams whom I met when I attended Books on the Beach run by...
authorvalpenny
Oct 19, 20244 min read
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An Extract from The First Cut
The first novel in my Jane Renwick Thrillers series of novels is The First Cut . The second in the series, A Fighting Chance, will be...
authorvalpenny
Sep 14, 20243 min read
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The Themes of a Novel
In contemporary literary studies, a theme is a central topic, subject, or message within a narrative. Themes can be divided into two...
authorvalpenny
Sep 11, 20242 min read
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Creating Convincing Characters
A gripping plot can only carry an interesting story if it is carried by convincing characters. When I an creating a new character I start...
authorvalpenny
Aug 28, 20243 min read
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What Swanwick Means to Me
I suppose I should start this article with a disclaimer because, in reality it is mis-titled. Swanwick is a little village in Derbyshire...
authorvalpenny
Aug 7, 20244 min read
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An Extract from Hunter's Rules
Hunterβs Rules will launch at The Harrogate Crime Festival! Join me and SpellBound Books at 1pm Friday 19th July at the Alexandra in...
authorvalpenny
Jul 17, 20243 min read
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Writing The First Cut
I have been writing and telling stories all my life. When I was a child, I used to make up stories for my little sister after our Mum put...
authorvalpenny
Jun 8, 20242 min read
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Improve Your Writing Skills
Do you remember when you first started writing? I don't mean writing stories, but when you were first taught to hold a pencil and write...
authorvalpenny
Apr 13, 20244 min read
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How to Write a Blurb for a Book
If you ask a reader why they chose to buy a certain book you will get a variety of responses. Perhaps it was written by an author whose...
authorvalpenny
Mar 2, 20242 min read
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π¦π½π²πΉπΉππΌππ»π±/π£π²π»π»π π£πΏπΆππ² Eπ»ππΏπ RππΉπ²π 2024
You still have until the end of February to craft and entry the SpellBound/Penny Prize. This competition closes on 29, February 2024 and...
authorvalpenny
Feb 3, 20242 min read
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Hunter's Christmas
I hope you were able to download my new book, Hunter's Christmas and Other Stories on your new Christmas Kindle or unwrap it amongst your...
authorvalpenny
Dec 30, 20234 min read
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Hunter and the Christmas Stories
Let me take this chance to tell you about Hunterβs Christmas, the new book of short stories containing tales featuring DI Hunter Wilson,...
authorvalpenny
Dec 23, 20232 min read
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Hunter's Christmas
I am so pleased to have a new book coming out this year and to be making the departure into short stories is exciting. Let me share an...
authorvalpenny
Dec 16, 20233 min read
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