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  Why dream when autumn is this great ... Cover update! I commissioned a new one for A Friendship of Thistles and have updated the description on Amazon to help people find it. Seems to be working as immediately had six sales and a new review. I shared news on Facebook about the new 4-star book review. October has been a great month, writing-wise. First, I won second place in the Just Imagine Short Story Competition with A Traveller’s Daughter . You can read it for free if you sign up to my mailing list here . I was impressed by the entries in the children’s and young adult category, enjoyed reading out an extract of my story, and chatting to the winner, Angela, afterwards for the refreshments portion of the evening. Second, I won first place in a beta-reading contest from @everything.writing on Instagram for my forthcoming book Clashmaeclavers and Fisherlassies. Here is the blurb for my new book Can you tell lies from truths? We’ll see. Scotland, 1815. After her moth...

I'm clearly not focused on self-promotion, as my newest book was published in May and I haven't posted here about it yet! I am also offering a giveaway here . Or get your paperback/ebook copy here for the US , and here for the UK . About the book ‘Where have you been?’ Hector asked. He unfisted a crumpled sheet of test results. Heather said, ‘You’re all bones.’ ‘Fran, threw me out.’ ‘And?’ she asked. Two women. Multiple secrets. The question is: how to forgive your best friend with a heart full of thistles? Read with a friend! A Friendship of Thistles is THE book to read with your closest friend, or group of friends. With great discussion points for a book group. With that said, it’s also for you if you’ve never had a friend nor sustained a thirty-year friendship, or fallen out with a friend and are wondering how to repair the damage done. The story of Heather and Fran brings Edinburgh alive, during lockdown from 2019 to 2020. From a working-class perspective, Parfitt ...

  Surprised I managed to finish it, what with juggling work and writing and some time for relaxation and mental health, but this month I read the above novel. And I am struck by the characterisation of The hippopotamus, and thus delved deeper into Stephen Fry’s writing psyche. But not that deepily; at least, not to the depths of a hippo with a cocktail on its nose. The main character of the book is poet and newspaper columnist (and hippo), Ted Wallace. It’s clear from the initial scene that he’s got an inflated sense of self importance as he gets fired and goes to stay with relatives. I had just been sacked from my paper, some frantic piffle about shouting insults from the stalls at first night. I love these creative descriptions of his editor, that, note, also describe his contempt: my wet turd of an editor had shrilled the kind of anile little runt who, in foyers and theatre bars the West End over, can be heard bleating into their gin and tonics I ...

Post-Brexit, coronavirus, whatever the current political or global crisis writers keep writing. Don't they? Not always. During 9/11 it has been noted that creativity took a nosedive... okay, I'm going to be honest here... I couldn't find my original reference. Some years ago I read something related to something. Just kidding. I read an article related to trauma and it discussed that when 9/11 happened writer productivity/submissions to publishers fell. Apparently everyone was too shocked to write. As that would require some semblance of normalcy. Please tell me if you find this article back as I would love to reread it. Anyhow, now my thinking has changed. A lot has also happened in my life since 9/11, my student days, when I worked part-time as a cleaner to pay my way through university. Not to mention, the fallout from 9/11 such as increased airport security and the hoops we now must jump through. Sigh. On a more optimistic slant, I have discovered living in the ...