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Allison Symes – Local Author News – Seeing The Other Side

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Image Credits:-
Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay images. Some images from Bridge House Publishing/Chapeltown Books. Other photos were taken by me, Allison Symes. A huge thanks to Janet Williams for taking what I now use as my author shot from one of the Hiltingbury Book Fairs and for the other image where I am signing books at the same event.

Now this is a post I’ve wanted to write for some time but am delighted I can now do so. I am thrilled to announce I have signed and returned the contract to Bridge House Publishing for my third flash fiction book called Seeing The Other Side. Chapeltown Books are one of BHP’s imprints and both of my other flash collections came out via Chapeltown).

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Author Interview: Maressa Mortimer – Going Downstream

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Maressa Mortimer and Lynsey Adams for author and book cover pictures. Other images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is a great pleasure to welcome Maressa Mortimer back to Chandler’s Ford Today. Maressa and I are members of the Association of Christian Writers.

If you’ve been tempted to think you don’t have time to write, Maressa may encourage you to think again. She writes around her home life of four children, who are home schooled, a dog, and the demands of her husband’s job as a church minister.

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New Year, New Writing Format for Val Penny

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Writers often mix up their writing formats. It keeps us versatile and is fun. It is fabulous for readers too.

One author who has done this again recently is Scottish crime writer, Val Penny, who is best known for her DCI Hunter Wilson series (also called the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries). Her latest book, Hunter’s Christmas and Other Stories, is Val’s first collection of short stories. It stars her lead character but also others, including characters new to Val herself.

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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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Introducing Rosemary Johnson – Wodka, or Tea with Milk: The Road to Publication

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Rosemary Johnson for supplying the original images of Poland, author and book cover pics, which I’ve adjusted a little using Book Brush. Other images were created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is always lovely to hear of friends’ publication news. I am so pleased to welcome Rosemary Johnson to Chandler’s Ford Today to share something of her writing journey with us, why persistence is such a useful quality in writing, and to tell us more about her book Wodka,or Tea With Milk.

Did you know that anything above fifty years old counts as historical now? That puts me in the historical “bin” for a start but for fiction, this applies to settings. The idea behind this is to take readers out of the events of their lifetime.

Rosemary’s book is set against the backdrop of the Solidarity movement in Poland in the 1980s and is just “outside” the historical fiction category if you follow the 50 years “rule”. Given I remember watching the news about Solidarity, I would have sworn it was long enough ago to count as historical but apparently not quite, again if you follow the 50 years “rule”.

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Author Interview: Val Penny – Hunter’s Secret, Advice on Writing a Series, and Blog Tours

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Image Credits:- Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Many thanks to Val Penny for supplying book and author photos and some fabulous shots of Edinburgh. Photos of The Hayes Conference Centre, Swanwick were taken by me, Allison Symes.

It is always a joy to welcome authors to Chandler’s Ford Today and it is especially lovely to welcome back Scottish crime writer, Val Penny. I interviewed Val in June. She is a busy soul with a new book out and a new role at The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick as well.

She also has huge experience of blog tours which form a major marketing “foundation” for many authors when it comes to launching new books. More on that shortly. Val’s latest book is Hunter’s Secret, the latest in her fabulous DCI Hunter Wilson series (also known as the Edinburgh Crime Mysteries so no prizes for guessing where the setting is!).

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Val Penny – Author Interview and News Update

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Val Penny for supplying author and book cover pictures and some wonderful shots of Edinburgh. Photos connected to The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick, were taken by me, Allison Symes. Other images were created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

It is with great pleasure I welcome Scottish crime writer, Val Penny, back to Chandler’s Ford Today.

Naturally, she has been busy since we last spoke and is now on the Committee for The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick as well.

Committee service is voluntary, but it can be rewarding. Most writers like to give back in some way. This is one way to do just that. The school couldn’t run without its volunteers.

So over to Val with the questions.

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Local Author News: Allison Symes – Spring 2023 Round Up

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Image Credits:-
Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. One image directly from Pixabay. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes. Photos from The Writers’ Summer School, Swanwick were taken by me, Allison Symes, or by kind colleagues using my phone!

It has been a busy few months since my last round up and that was only back in March!

Mind you, this is how it is supposed to be! The writing life is not a static one. Nor it is meant to be. So what has been going on writing wise for me recently?

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Festive Flash and Other News

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Image Credits:-
Images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos. Many thanks to Hannah Kate from North Manchester FM for kind permission to use the Three Minute Santas photo. Book covers of Evergreen – an Anthology and The Best of CafeLit 11 are from Bridge House Publishing. Screenshots taken by me, Allison Symes. The Merry Christmas image is from CFT archives.

My, how does the time fly! It’s time for some festive flash fiction and news about my writing year. It’s been a busy but fun one.

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Ruth Leigh and The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge – Part 1

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Image Credits:-
Many thanks to Ruth Leigh for supplying author pictures and book cover shots. Other photos created in Book Brush using Pixabay images.

It is with great pleasure I welcome Ruth Leigh back to Chandler’s Ford Today to talk about her hilarious and moving creation, Isabella M Smugge. Ruth has written her third book in the series – The Continued Times of Isabella M Smugge.

Ruth Leigh

Ruth Leigh is a freelance writer, novelist and book reviewer. Married with three children, a cat, one husband and assorted poultry, she is a recovering over-achiever.

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Local Author News – Allison Symes – Crossing Fiction and Non-Fiction

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Image Credits:–

Some images created in Book Brush using Pixabay photos.

Many thanks to Wendy H Jones for supplying the book cover credits for Creativity Matters: Find Your Passion for Writing.

Many thanks to Gill James at Chapeltown Books for the cover pictures for The Best of CafeLit 10.

Screenshots of Mom’s Favorite Reads, Friday Flash Fiction, and new ACW Flash Fiction Group details were taken by me, Allison Symes.

This summer, I have been kept busy with more Zoom talks. I spoke again to the Dundee City Writers on 19th July and am due to speak to another Scottish group, Byre Writers, right at the end of the month.

This is made possible thanks to the wonders of Zoom and a huge thank you to both writing groups (as I know here and now Byre Writers will make me very welcome!).

I had a lovely time talking about short story writing to Dundee City Writers. I am looking forward to talking about flash fiction writing with the Byre Writers. And there has been plenty else going on too.

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Local Author News – Allison Symes – New Book, New Anthology, New Zoom Event!

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Murphy’s Law has struck again for this writer! No news (publication or otherwise) for a while and then lots all at the same time!

Feature Image - Allison Symes - New Book, New Anthology, and Zoom-1
Feature Image – Allison Symes – New Book, New Anthology, and Zoom-1. Book cover image from Chapeltown Books.

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Waterloo Arts Festival 2020 Goes Digital – Online Writing Event

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The Waterloo Arts Festival is an annual celebration across several art disciplines all based on a theme. This year’s one was Transforming Communities. Previous topics have been Transforming Being and To Be…To Become.

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The Bridge House Publishing logo. Image from Bridge House Publishing.

For the last three years, there has been a writing competition as part of the Festival and Bridge House Publishing have been the sponsors behind this. I’ve been privileged to have had winning stories in all three ebooks produced. Each ebook is a compilation of the fifteen winning entries in each year.

The Waterloo Arts Festival goes online for 2020. Pixabay.

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Summer Reports

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Did you look forward to your end of term report or was it something you dreaded?

My reports came in a yellow book and were filled in year by year at secondary school level. I only got to keep it at the end of my final year. No surprises really that I did well in English and History, less so at Maths and PE (though ironically now with the swimming and walking the dog, I’m probably healthier now than I was then!). [Read more…] about Summer Reports

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