Aiming the pistol at the foot

Despite all my bluster chivvying authors into brave faces, preaching that the un-achievable is attainable, when it comes to my own career as an author I tend to shrink back into the shadows. I have no idea why I do that. But I do. Always have. Call it a character flaw. However, every now and again I emerge from my cave, or shell, or whatever, and decide, HEY! I can DO THIS! And I summon…

Review: The Polaris Whisper, by Kenneth Gregory

The Polaris Whisper by Kenneth GregoryMy rating: 3 of 5 stars Originally a Wattpad publication, The Polaris Whisper, by Kenneth Gregory appears to be a self-published book through the services of The Black Staff Press. I received a PDF copy of Gregory’s debut novel through Black Staff on Net Galley. The novel has all the potential of a truly great novel: great subject matter, interesting characters, a delicious melange of history and mythology. Set during…

Guarding your time

I have freelanced most of my adult life as a writer, journalist, editor, artist, and during those near 40 years it has always amazed me how people generally have no concept of how hard a self-employed person works from home. There seems to be the assumption we can simply swan off whenever we like. Well, that is true in part. Those of us who work from our home offices are at liberty to call our…