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Author Interview – Gill James – Natascha’s Story

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Image Credits:- Many thanks to Gill James for supplying author and book cover pictures. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos or images supplied by Gill. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes.

It is with great pleasure I welcome Gill James back to Chandler’s Ford Today. Gill is an author, editor, and publisher, being the mastermind behind Bridge House Publishing, Chapeltown Books, CafeLit and other imprints within the Bridge House “family”, including Walela Books. The latter published Debz Hobbs-Wyatt’s If Crows Could Talk. Chapeltown Books have published many authors, including me.

Gill has written across many genres including historical fiction (check out her Schellberg series) and science fiction (see her Peace Child books, an excellent series I’m happy to recommend). But this time she is back with a children’s tale, Natascha’s Story, with an unusual viewpoint – that of a Russian doll!

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Author Interview: Gill James – Build A Book Workshop

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Gill James for supplying images of books produced by the Build a Book Workshop and for her author photo. Most of the other images were created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos with one taken directly from Pixabay.  Image from Bridge House Publishing celebration events was taken by me, Allison Symes.

It is with great pleasure I welcome Gill James, publisher and author, back to Chandler’s Ford Today. Gill wears many hats. She is a multi-published writer and is the driving force behind Bridge House Publishing, CafeLit, and Chapeltown Books amongst other imprints.

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For more information check out the following sites.

Useful Website Links

Gill James website: http://www.gilljameswriter.com/

Bridge House Publishing: https://www.bridgehousepublishing.co.uk/

CafeLit:  https://cafelit.co.uk/index.php/submission-guidelines-2

Chapeltown Publishing: http://www.chapeltownpublishing.uk/

Bridgetown Cafe Bookshop/Buy Link: http://www.thebridgetowncafebooksshop.co.uk/2021/07/build-book-workshop.html

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The Joys and Woes of Writing Historical Fiction – Part 2 of Gill James Interview

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Last week Gill James shared her thoughts on historical fiction based on her experience of writing The House on Schellberg Street, which is set in Germany during the rise of Hitler and throughout WW2.

Gill talked about why she wrote this book (it is based on her late mother-in-law’s life) and shared the difficulties in bringing it to publication. In Part 2, Gill shares what she feels are the joys and woes of writing historical fiction, gives useful advice to those new to this genre, and reveals what happened as a result of the book. This includes the development of material for use in schools. Now over to Gill…
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Writing Historical Fiction – Interview with Gill James Part 1

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Gill James is a prolific writer and publisher. As well as running Bridge House Publishing, Chapeltown Books and Cafelit (along with Debz Hobbs-Wyatt), Gill has written dozens of books ranging from science fiction (The Tower Trilogy) to historical fiction (The House on Schellberg Street). She has also been a university lecturer in creative writing.  [Read more…] about Writing Historical Fiction – Interview with Gill James Part 1

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Gill James: Top Tips to Writers’ Networking

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This post continues from yesterday’s article where Gill James shared some of her thoughts on life as a creative writing lecturer and author.

Gill gave me my first publishing credit via Alternative Renditions, a Bridge House anthology, and I have since had other work published online and in Limerick Nation and The Shamblelurklers Return. I’m currently working on a short story collection. [Read more…] about Gill James: Top Tips to Writers’ Networking

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Gill James: Teaching Writing

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Earlier this year, I posted my interview with Gill James who as author, creative writing lecturer and small publisher gave me my first break into publication with my short story, A Helping Hand, when it appeared in the Bridge House Publishing anthology, Alternative Renditions. [Read more…] about Gill James: Teaching Writing

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What’s Your Story? Gill James

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What’s your story?

It can be difficult for a fiction writer to answer that. We have lots of stories from our tales of how we develop as authors (with hopefully increasing numbers of publishing credits) to each of the actual works we invent and rigorously edit before they see the light of day. [Read more…] about What’s Your Story? Gill James

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Life as a Small Publisher: Allison Symes Talks to Gill James

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Gill James and I met at the Isle of Wight Writers’ Conference, which was run by Felicity Fair Thompson from 2000 to 2005.

This was a weekend conference based in Shanklin or Sandown with guest speakers. There was a special speaker after the main Conference dinner on the Saturday night. David Nobbs (Reggie Perrin) and Raymond Allen (Some Mothers Do Have Them) were just two of the after dinner speakers who entertained us all. [Read more…] about Life as a Small Publisher: Allison Symes Talks to Gill James

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Update – Local Author News – Allison Symes – Seeing The Other Side – Publication News

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Image Credits:-
Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or photos provided by Bridge House Publishing/Chapeltown Books. Some images directly from the publishers. A huge thank you to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick for sending the the poster which will advertise my book launch at this year’s school and for permission to use that poster here. Screenshots were taken by me, Allison Symes. Many thanks to Adrian Symes for filming a certain marketing video. AI images avoided.

This post is an update for the one I wrote a few weeks ago. I’m thrilled to say my Seeing The Other Side has now been published by Chapeltown Books (as at 16th July 2026). I’m very happy with how the book looks and now have my stock with me. I’m now in the happy position of starting to organise events to celebrate my new third flash fiction collection. More details as and when.

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Writing Events

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Image Credits:- 
Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Many thanks to Lynn Clement and Gill James for two photos included here. Other images (especially of The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick) were taken by me, Allison Symes.

Hopefully later this year, I will be off once more to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick and I expect to take in a couple of other writing events. It took me ages as a new writer to pluck up the courage to go to my first writing event where, ironically, I ended up meeting the lady who would become my publisher. Neither of us could have known at the time.

Why go to writing events at all? What benefits are there for writers? Does it pay to work out what it is you would like to achieve by going to a specific writing event? I hope the following helps.

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Back At The Theodore Bullfrog with Bridge House Publishing

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Image Credits:- 
Most of the images were taken by me, Allison Symes. Other images were created in Book Brush using my images or ones from Pixabay. Many thanks to Paula Readman for taking the images of Rosemary Johnson and me with some of our respective works. Many thanks to Lynn Clement for the selfie of both of us.

On Saturday 6th December 2025, I had the great joy of being back at the wonderfully named Theodore Bullfrog in Charing Cross, London, for the annual Bridge House Publishing Celebration Event. This, along with The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick, is a major highlight of my writing year.

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Author Interview: Introducing Hannah Retallick

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Hannah Retallick for supplying book cover, book launch, and author photos. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or photos supplied by Hannah or are directly from PIxabay.

I am so pleased to welcome Hannah Retallick to Chandler’s Ford Today. Hannah, like me, is a Bridge House Publishing stalwart, and her debut short story collection, Something Very Human, has just been published by them. Hannah and I have been in many of the anthologies they have produced.

Hannah is an excellent flash fiction writer and has gained recognition in many international competitions, including receiving Highly Commended in the Bridport Flash Fiction Prize 2022, winning the £2000 Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction 2024 – the biggest flash prize in the UK – and being Highly Commended in the Bath Flash Fiction Award. All of these are highly prestigious in the flash fiction world.

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Top Flash Fiction Writing Tips and the Benefits

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Image Credits:- Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Many thanks to Penny Blackburn for taking the images of me at The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick 2024. Many thanks to Gill James for taking the image of me reading at the 2023 Bridge House Publishing Celebration event (and it was a cold day!).

As some of you will know, I discovered flash fiction by accident. It is easily the happiest writing accident I have ever had/am likely to have and I’m grateful for it. Two published books later with a third accepted – well, it’s the kind of accident any writer would welcome.

CafeLit, with whom I’d been published for a while, issued a 100 word challenge and I gave it a go, discovered the form is addictive and I’ve not looked back.

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Author Interview: Debz Hobbs-Wyatt – If Crows Could Talk – Part 1

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Debz Hobbs-Wyatt for supplying book cover and author pics. Some images from a Bridge House Publishing event supplied by Paula Readman and me. Screenshots were also taken by me, Allison Symes.

It is a joy to welcome Debz Hobbs-Wyatt to Chandler’s Ford Today. I’ve known Debz for some time thanks to our mutual connections with Bridge House Publishing.

I’ve been on one side of the fence here, having had several stories in various BHP anthologies over the years. Debz has been on the other side of the fence with BHP founder, Gill James, and the two continue to work closely together. Indeed, I’m looking forward to meeting up again with Debz and Gill at the Bridge House Publishing Celebration Event in December.

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Decisions

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Image Credit: Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

Every story focuses on a decision. At some point a character has to choose whether or not to act on a situation they’re facing. What they decide to do has immense consequences for that story.

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Allison Symes – Festive Writing and Round Up 2023

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Image Credits:-
A few this time! A huge thank you to Paula R.C. Readman, Debz Brown, Gill James, Nicole Fitton, Hannah Ruth Retallick, and Lynn Clement for supplying images of me reading at the Bridge House Publishing Celebration Event. Other photos from that event were taken by yours truly, Allison Symes, as were the screenshots. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. (Always tricky taking publicity shots of yourself as you’re trying to do the actual publicity work!).

There are a few things which have become almost like traditions for me in the run up to Christmas. Certainly they are lovely ways of finishing my writing year.

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Bridge House Publishing Celebration Event 2022

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Image Credits:-
Photos taken by me, Allison Symes. Many thanks to Lynn Clement for taking the image of me reading work. Other images created in Book Brush but using one of my photos.

It is always a joy to get to go to the Bridge House Publishing celebration event and it is equally lovely to blog for Chandler’s Ford Today about it! This year it was held at the Theodore Bullfrog pub in London. They do have some great pub names (and if you can think of any you’ve come across, do share them in the comments). It is an especial pleasure to go since Covid-19 has put paid to previous planned get togethers. It was by no means certain this year’s event would go ahead either due to other outside events beyond BHP’s control.

But we made it and it was lovely to get into a cosily warm pub, given it was bitter out. (Coldest places on the planet must include railway stations. They make for very good wind tunnels… brrr… and I’d nominate Southampton Airport Parkway as one of the worst there).

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Celebrating with Bridge House Publishing

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Image Credits:-
Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images.
Photos taken by me, Allison Symes, with one exception. A big thank you to Lynn Clement for kind permission to use the photo of her with Gill James and myself at the Bridge House Publishing event.
Also thanks to Gill James for the YouTube link showing what BHP have been up to this year – it is easier to see what BHP have been up to than to list it!

It was great to be able to celebrate with Bridge House Publishing twice in one week this year.

On Thursday, 2nd December, there was a Zoom meeting for those who couldn’t get to the in-person event in London on Saturday, 4th December. There was a quiz, a look at the books published by BHP and its imprints this year (including The City of Stories by Lynn Clement, which I edited), and there were readings.

I read Breaking Out, one of my two stories in The Best of CafeLit 10, which is just one of the many books produced this year.

It was lovely to see so many on screen and I loved hearing the stories.

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Back From Brechin

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Image Credits:-
Some pictures are from Pixabay. Others are created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Many thanks to Sarah Archibald for the Festival related photos.
Many thanks to my guests from the Association of Christian Writers for supplying their fab author photos and book cover pictures. Naturally I took my own pictures (though will credit Adrian Symes for my author photo. It is tricky doing that one yourself!).

It was a pleasure to be a part of the Brechin/Angus Book Festival from 19th to 21st November 2021. The event also formed part of Book Week Scotland.

Last year, I went to the Festival thanks to Zoom but it was lovely to be there in person this time, my first “big” writing event since before lockdown.

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Introducing Lynn Clement – The City of Stories

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Image Credit:-
My speaking at Swanwick 2019 was taken by Penny Blackburn.
Many thanks to Lynn Clement for supplying her author photo and book cover pic.
Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images or were direct from Pixabay.
Book cover pics from Chapeltown Books.

This is a lovely post to write as it is a Local Author News one for debut flash fiction author, Lynn Clement, and me. Why? Because I’ve recently had the joy of editing Lynn’s first flash fiction collection, The City of Stories, which is published through Chapeltown Books. And Lynn is from Hampshire. Definitely local enough!

How did Lynn find out about Chapeltown Books and CafeLit? Quite right – through yours truly.

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