Blog
Writing Time Travel for Middle Grade and YA
Writing Time Travel for Middle Grade and YA Check out my chat with my fellow writer, Suzy Vadori, on the Show, Don’t Tell Writing podcast. On the show, we cover my own experiences with my own novels, my writer’s guides, as well as tips and and advice for writers creating work in the time travel and historical fiction genres for Middle Grade and YA readers. Check out the link to the podcast...
read moreCopywriting for Business
I offer a number of writer services for business. The way in which you communicate with your customers is a vital component of your business and well written content can be the difference between success and failure. I have extensive experience in writing for a wide range of industries and market segments. I offer a variety of copywriting services including website content, blogs and newsletters, social media including Facebook and X, brochures, direct mail, sales letters, press releases, newspaper and magazine advertising and more. Learn...
read moreRealistic Settings and Making Your Story Believable
Any novelist, whether they’re writing for children or adults, must invent a completely imagined world and the creation of realistic settings is a key element in any story. Even the often highly fantastic universe created by fantasy or science fiction writers must always rest on extremely solid foundations. Just as the time travel methods in my novels had to seem to be plausible, the scientific facilities in the LennoxGen research complex featured in much of The Clone Conspiracy, along with the company’s vast maze-like underground area,...
read moreWhat’s it all about? An excerpt from Where Do Ideas Come From?
Introduction Many of my novels can be used as the basis for workshops and projects in the classroom. The Alchemist’s Portrait, The Sorcerer’s Letterbox, and The Heretic’s Tomb are all time travel stories and can be used as the basis for workshops in which students create time machines and stories set in a different era. All three novels are also ideal for studying the different historical periods depicted in the stories. The Alchemist’s Portrait can be the starting point for workshops using pictures for inspiration, creating stories...
read moreShadowzone – “a great read … Highly recommend this series!”
“Time travel, alternate worlds, and societal sub-cultures are blended into a great plot, and a gripping and relevant read. The environmental stewardship aspect of this story echoes our current day challenges, as do the almost prescient references to a dangerous virus. Characters were well drawn and the reader is cheering for their success. The three books in the series flow smoothly together. A great read for middle school ages and up, to both engage interest and build vocabulary. Highly recommend this series!” While watching intense...
read moreThe Stone of the Seer – Where Magic and Historical Fiction Collide
The Stone of the Seer is an exciting historical fantasy series of adventure novels for young adults, primarily set in the turbulent era of the English Civil War. “Magic and Historical Fiction Collide – This book combines historical fiction with a world of magic. It is set in the period of the English Civil War and incorporates magic, mystery and witch hunting. This book engages the reader with action and interesting characters. It is the first in a series and will leave the reader looking for book 2.” “Royal Blood: Book...
read moreAvoid Preaching If You Write for Kids
While your novel may very well contain a moral or theme that you’d really like to get across, don’t be tempted to include it in such a way that it detracts from the narrative and possibly turns the reader off your story altogether. If you really believe that you have to convey an important message, try and ensure it’s actually a good fit with the text and doesn’t look as if it was added later simply for effect. Learn more in the latest post at Write by the...
read more“A well-written, suspenseful time travel story sure to keep readers engaged till its very clever ending.”
The Sorcerer’s Letterbox In a hidden drawer in the base of an old wooden box, Jack discovers a letter from a boy calling himself Edward. Penning a reply, Jack is astonished to be corresponding through time with the boy king Edward V, one of the famous Princes in the Tower, murdered by King Richard III. Travelling back in time, Jack attempts to rescue Edward V and his brother from their fate, but is soon fighting for his life in the terrifying London of 1483. “Your book is the best !!!!!!!!!!! I wished it never ended!...
read moreThe Sphere of Septimus
“Fast paced with vivid descriptions, creative creatures and a suspense filled plot, it’s impossible to put this book down. It is a great read for children who enjoy fantasy and science fiction books. I highly recommend it for both boys and girls. It’s a must read!” Eric isn’t too happy when he has to spend the summer with his eccentric father, Septimus Trinket, in the backwater village of Middle Wogglehole, deep in the heart of rural Derbyshire. In the isolated village, however, things are not quite what they seem. Eric meets...
read moreThe Time Camera
The Time Camera The massive explosion in which Eleanor Chamberlain died at her research laboratory was widely seen as a tragic accident. Or was it the perfect crime? Two years later, Jake and Lydia discover a mysterious camera, capable of taking pictures of the distant past and more ominously, of the future. As they uncover the shocking truth and learn of secrets that someone will kill to protect, Jake and Lydia are soon propelled into a deadly struggle to save the future. “I just finished your book The Time Camera! I think this might...
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