top of page
Search


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


An Extract from Hunter's Rules
Hunter’s 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


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


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


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


𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗕𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱/𝗣𝗲𝗻𝗻𝘆 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘇𝗲 E𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 R𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 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


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


Hunter and the Christmas Stories
Let me take this chance to tell you about Hunter’s Christmas, the new book of short stories containing tales featuring DI Hunter Wilson,...
authorvalpenny
Dec 23, 20232 min read


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


Hunter's Christmas
The first novel I wrote was Hunter’s Chase and this month my first collection of short stories is published by SpellBound Books Ltd. The...
authorvalpenny
Dec 13, 20234 min read


Competitions: Why Enter?
Competitions are a sore subject for many writers, but here's the thing - there are some good reasons for entering, sharpening up your...
authorvalpenny
Oct 4, 20235 min read


Tips for Crime Writers
I write crime fiction novels and here I want to share a few tips about writing crime with my fellow authors. Let's start at the very...
authorvalpenny
Oct 4, 20235 min read


Hunter's Secret - An Extract
My next novel in the DI Hunter Wilson Crime Thrillers was published by SpellBound Books Ltd on 15th September 2023. I hope readers will...
authorvalpenny
Sep 16, 20233 min read


Let me Introduce DI Hunter Wilson from Hunter's Secret
The first novel ever I wrote was Hunter’s Chase. The main character is a police detective inspector, Hunter Wilson. Let me tell you about...
authorvalpenny
Sep 9, 20233 min read


Extract from Hunter's Blood
The next exciting novel featuring my protagonist DI Hunter Wilson, Hunter's Blood is available on Amazon. You can read an extract from...
authorvalpenny
Jul 1, 20234 min read


Remembering My First Impressions of the Writers' Summer School at Swanwick
I originally heard about The Writers' Summer School from fellow writers at The Largs Writers Group to which I was introduced by the late,...
authorvalpenny
Jun 21, 20234 min read


An Extract from Hunter's Force
If you missed the preorder for Hunter's Force you can still get it here - free on Kindle Unlimited or only 99p/117c to buy...
authorvalpenny
Apr 19, 20233 min read


Routes to Getting Published - Independent Publishers
This is my third article discussing different routs to getting your book published and I am going to deal with independent publishing...
authorvalpenny
Mar 18, 20231 min read


The First Cut - An Excerpt
From Chapter Three Jane pulled the helmet onto her well-coiffed hair. She knew it would ruin the style, but she had rarely cared less....
authorvalpenny
Mar 11, 20234 min read


Writing The First Cut (A Jane Renwick Crime Thriller)
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
Mar 5, 20232 min read
bottom of page