INFLUENCES: What Inspired WIDOW’S WELCOME by D.K. Fields

WIDOW’S WELCOME D.K. Fields (dkfields.blogspot.com) Head of Zeus (headofzeus.com) £8.99 What inspired Widow’s Welcome? In short: “Mi dispiace, il mio italiano non va bene”. This became a mantra for us when travelling in Italy – “I’m sorry, my Italian is not good”. Whether Kath was trying to order peach ice cream but kept saying ‘fish’, […]

INFLUENCES: Scooby-Doo Rules by Fran Dorricott

AFTER THE ECLIPSE Fran Dorricott (www.frandorricott.com) Titan Books (titanbooks.com) £7.99 To celebrate the release of her new novel, After the Eclipse, I’m very excited to welcome Fran Dorricott to Reader Dad to talk about her influences. Thanks for having me! When I first sat down to write After the Eclipse I didn’t think I would later […]

INFLUENCES: Rave Culture by RICHARD WILLIAMS

MOSTYN THOMAS AND THE BIG RAVE Richard Williams (richardwilliamsbooks.com) Graffeg Books (www.graffeg.com) £8.99 Thanks for asking me to write a piece for your blog, Matt! The idea of Mostyn Thomas and the Big Rave grew from the realisation, many years later, of a colourful and unique time in rural Welsh history that went largely undocumented […]

GUEST POST: SNUGGLE the Cat by Frank Hinks

THE TALES OF RAMION: The Dream Thief The Land of Lost Hair Frankie and the Dancing Furies Creatures of the Forest Frank Hinks (www.ramion-books.com) Perronet Press £12.99 each To mark the release of Frank Hinks’ quriky new childrens series, The Tales of Ramion, I’m very happy to welcome Frank to Reader Dad, and present a […]

GUEST POST: Mrs Danvers Reviews THE WINTERS by Lisa Gabriele

THE WINTERS Lisa Gabriele (www.lisagabriele.com) Harvill Secker (www.penguin.co.uk) £12.99 To celebrate the release of Lisa Gabriele’s modern-day reworking of Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca, Mrs Danvers the housekeeper of Manderley, has written a review of the book. For anyone who wants my opinion (and why would you, when you can have Mrs Danvers’), The Winters is […]

GUEST POST: Halcyon Sounds by RIO YOUERS

Name: RIO YOUERS Author of: HALCYON (2018) On the web: rioyouers.com On Twitter: @Rio_Youers There’s a time for peace and quiet—on those meandering countryside walks, for instance, at one with your thoughts as the sunlight creeps through the branches and the scent of pine sap fills the air. And first thing in the morning, when […]

INFLUENCES: Murder Down a Dark Alleyway by TOM CALLAGHAN

Name: TOM CALLAGHAN Author of: A KILLING WINTER (2015) A SPRING BETRAYAL (2016) A SUMMER REVENGE (2017) A WINTER HUNTING (2018) On the web: tomcallaghanwriter.com On Twitter: @tomcwriter I’ve always been a voracious reader, and an indiscriminate one. My bookshelves are like a party where no-one knows anyone else and wonders if […]

INFLUENCES: On Inspiration by TYRELL JOHNSON

TYRELL JOHNSON Author of: THE WOLVES OF WINTER (2018) On Twitter: @tjohnso14 Inspiration is a funny thing when it comes to writing. At least it is for me. Some authors have really specific moments of inspiration; others have one important theme they want to explore; some start with a concept; some are inspired by people […]

EXTRACT: THE CABINET OF LINGUISTIC CURIOSITIES by Paul Anthony Jones

THE CABINET OF LINGUISTIC CURIOSITIES Paul Anthony Jones (www.paulanthonyjones.com) Elliott & Thompson (www.eandtbooks.com) £14.99 auripotent (n.) rich and powerful The Latin word for gold was aurum, which is not only responsible for the chemical symbol for gold, Au, but is today found at the root of a host of suitably golden words. Aurigraphy, for instance, […]

INFLUENCES: What Made Me Write WHERE IN THE DARK by KAREN MILLIE-JAMES

KAREN MILLIE-JAMES Author of: THE SHADOWS BEHIND HER SMILE (2016) WHERE IN THE DARK (2017) On the web: www.karenmilliejames.com On Twitter: @KMillieJames My new novel Where In The Dark tackles some difficult subjects, from the search for justice of Holocaust survivors to the dark secrets of gold stolen by the Nazis and hidden in banks throughout the […]