Today I’m pleased to bring you two reviews: one, a historical novel set in a medieval English monastery and the other, contemporary fiction set on the Irish coastline. Both books – Brother Cyril’s Book by Penelope Wilcock (published Feb 2023 by Humilis, Hastings) and Winter People by Grainne Murphy (published Oct 2022 by Legend Press)Continue reading “Book Reviews: ‘Brother Cyril’s Book’ by Penelope Wilcock and ‘Winter People’ by Grainne Murphy”
Category Archives: SC Skillman
The Power of a Writers’ Conference – Scottish Association of Writers Annual Conference 2023 in Cumbernauld near Glasgow
I’m just back from an amazing Writing Conference in the Hilton Hotel, Spa and Golf Course near Glasgow – and what a packed, exciting weekend it was! I was invited to the conference by the Scottish Association of Writers, to judge the Nonfiction Writing Competition and to give a workshop on Writing Literary Nonfiction. SoContinue reading “The Power of a Writers’ Conference – Scottish Association of Writers Annual Conference 2023 in Cumbernauld near Glasgow”
Booksigning at Vintage Crafts and Gift Fair in Dorridge Village Hall Saturday 11 March 2023
One of the good things for an author about hiring a stall at a craft fair is the company of fellow creatives. So many imaginative and beautiful crafts and gifts were on display at this fair, organised by Ultimate Girls Night Out, who run vintage-themed events, fairs and markets across the Midlands area. A bonusContinue reading “Booksigning at Vintage Crafts and Gift Fair in Dorridge Village Hall Saturday 11 March 2023”
Strange Tales from Paranormal Warwickshire Part 3: Shakespeare’s Ghosts and Spirits
When it comes to William Shakespeare‘s own beliefs about ghosts and spirits, scholars and actors hold divergent views. ‘Did Shakespeare believe in ghosts and spirits?” said the actor who led the Stratford-upon-Avon town ghost tour. “One hundred per cent! Of course he did!” And the unspoken corollary to that was, of course, so do allContinue reading “Strange Tales from Paranormal Warwickshire Part 3: Shakespeare’s Ghosts and Spirits”
Strange Tales From Paranormal Warwickshire Part 2: Guy’s Cliffe
Today I continue my series with the second episode: the mysterious ruined manor house off the Coventry Road, Warwick. The land at Guy’s Cliffe has been a magnet for Celtic hermits, holy people, and legendary heroes since well before the Norman Conquest, and for medieval historians and the Warwick earls later. The combination of wildContinue reading “Strange Tales From Paranormal Warwickshire Part 2: Guy’s Cliffe”
Strange Tales From Paranormal Warwickshire part 1: Warwick Castle
Today, I begin the first episode in a series of strange tales from my book Paranormal Warwickshire. Warwick Castle is, of course, the first thing many people think of when Warwick comes to mind. And no wonder: when I researched for my forthcoming book ‘A-Z of Warwick‘ (due out in November 2023 and now onContinue reading “Strange Tales From Paranormal Warwickshire part 1: Warwick Castle”
Book Review: ‘The Salt Path’ by Raynor Winn
I have come at last to read The Salt Path by Raynor Winn, having heard much about it. I usually hesitate to read much-hyped books, but now, finding it on the shelves in Warwick Books, I’ve given in on this one! The first thing to say is that the cover design artwork for this book,Continue reading “Book Review: ‘The Salt Path’ by Raynor Winn”
Book Review: ‘The Spirit Engineer’ by AJ West
The Spirit Engineer by AJ West: This fictionalisation of a true story was probably one of the creepiest tales I’ve ever read. The Spirit Engineer by AJ West was published in July 2022. Its creepiness does not come from the purported spirits conjured up by the deceptive Goligher family in 1920s Belfast, but much moreContinue reading “Book Review: ‘The Spirit Engineer’ by AJ West”
Book Review: ‘The Winter Guest’ by W.C. Ryan
I was engrossed by this historical novel set in Ireland in 1921 among The Troubles that exploded in 1919 in the Irish War of Independence after the First World War. The Winter Guest by W.C. Ryan brings our investigator and first person narrator Tom Harkin to the atmospheric, crumbling and haunted ancestral mansion of theContinue reading “Book Review: ‘The Winter Guest’ by W.C. Ryan”
The Lure of a Country House Library
I was inspired by an Instagram post I read recently from a fellow-author. She said she was warming up with a cup of coffee at the Dorchester Curiosity Centre in Dorset, while waiting for her MOT to be done, and ‘contemplating how cover design has developed over the decades’. She was looking at an entireContinue reading “The Lure of a Country House Library”
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