The Ice Dragon by George RR Martin Published by Harper Voyager 2014 A review with a difference... a story of my own and a plea to publishers. The Review Bit The Ice Dragon by George RR Martin is being heralded as his first book for children, having been first published as a short story for adults in 1980 and now repackaged in short chapters and with fantastical illustrations by Luis Royo. It is the story of Adara, a winter child born during the worst freeze ever, and her

Too many people had said how amazing this book was and I couldn’t ignore it any longer. Besides, I love the cover. The colours are magnificent and the raven is just gorgeous. I am a sucker for a gorgeous raven, er, cover. And I am always a sucker for a good story about wizards and magic and adventurous girls and boys taking on the odds. The Wizards of Once is a good story about wizards and magic and an adventurous girl and boy, who, incidentally, are not supposed to like each

I have bookshelves crammed with books. I’m sure you would never have guessed. This particular book was lent to me by a lovely librarian friend. I read it. Now I own it. I went right out and bought my own copy because it is a fabulous adventure with a gorgeous main character, all packaged up in a totally beautiful book, from the delightful cover, to the endpapers, the print, the texture and... mmm... smell of the paper, and the magical illustrations by Kelly Canby. There was n

… or apologies. It would seem to be many weeks since I tapped out a post for my blog (so much for my great plan to write something for it once a fortnight!), although I have been busy on my website. Apart from changing the look (and I’m not totally sold on it yet, although I do love the photo), you’ve possibly noticed that I have added a sign up form, so that I can start sending out newsletters (I’m thinking monthly) and keep my readers up to date with what is happening. The

Most people who want to write a novel probably already have a good idea about what they want to write about. It’s the idea that fuels the desire, and keeps you up at night (or, if you are like me, wakes you up early in the morning, kind of like the family pet, helpfully licking your face to let you know the sun is about to come up). I understand, however, that it is a source of mystery for many. And perhaps some of them would like to write a novel if only they could work out

Reading and writing go hand in hand, and there is nothing like sitting down with a good book and getting lost in another world. I can enjoy reading almost anywhere, but some favourite places might be under the shade of a tree on a hot day, curled up on a comfy chair beside the window as the rain drums against the glass, or beside the fire on a cold, wintry day. Or in the mysterious quiet of the library. Just add book. So what sort of books do I enjoy reading? Like the rest