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Edna O'Brien and Ernest Gebler

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Hah! In the local newsagents and discovered Grand - The Journal of One Grand Books. Very enjoyable read. Fiction, Poetry, Memoirs and interesting biographies - Edna O'Brien the standout read.  Now, interesting aside - the article shows a black and white picture of Edna sitting by a window in her Chelsea home in London, in 1971. That's just about the time I used to travel to see my grandparents in the same area. Not saying I saw Edna, but in a peculiar way, it's comforting to know a writer of her literary talent was just around the corner. Sad to read about her soured relationship with husband Ernest Gebler (an author - yes, I had to look him up). Turns out, Ernest was a divorcee when he met Edna in 1952. His fame was a novel which became a movie starring Spencer Tracy: The Plymouth Adventure. Edna was working in a pharmacy. He became a Svengali of sorts - introducing her to publishers, perhaps encouraging her writing and probably wished he hadn't when her debut novel Th...
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In-Between Dartmoor Available from Amazon

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  I'm pleased to announce that the Tavistock Writers Independent Group - TWIG - have released their first anthology - an E-book exclusively available from Amazon Kindle. A couple of short stories of mine are featured together with some excellent fiction from other members of the group including poetry.  In-Between Dartmoor on Amazon
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Inspiring Words on a Coaster

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Inspiring words from a coaster I picked up from a gift shop in Lynmouth, Devon. Typewriter looks a bit out of date though. Maybe a smart phone or tablet or lap-top would have been better. But the message is sound. Something to aspire to.  
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Best Bond Book

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It was Ian Fleming's birthday yesterday and I noticed several lists popping up on the internet citing the best Bond books in order - a countdown if you like from 14 - 1. I haven't read them all, but when I do pick them up, I usually enjoy them. The books are not all novels. Fleming wrote two Bond short story collections: For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy.  One thing I noticed was that the least favourite story was: The Spy Who Loved Me. It's written in first person from the point of view of a female character called Viv. It's about her life. Bond doesn't appear until halfway through or so. I found this frustrating when I read it years ago in my teens, but did enjoy the gangster plot and the tension Bond brings to his scenes. It's become one of my favourite's over the years and doesn't in any way match the plot of the Roger Moore movie - which is cracking. An oddity in the Bond canon, but then Fleming also wrote Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang. Nuff said. Here...
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Fang-tastic - World Dracula Day

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It's world Dracula Day today. The seminal vampire novel written by Bram Stoker was published on May 26th, 1897. Bram Stoker's Dracula was meticulously crafted, drawing from folklore, history, and extensive research. Here are some fascinating facts about its construction: Epistolary Format : The novel is told through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles, creating a fragmented yet immersive narrative. Historical & Folkloric Influences : Stoker researched vampire legends and historical figures, including Vlad the Impaler and Countess Elizabeth Báthory, though recent scholarship suggests he may not have directly based Dracula on them. Whitby Connection : While vacationing in Whitby, England, Stoker discovered the name "Dracula" in a public library and chose it because he believed it meant "devil" in Romanian. Extensive Notes : Stoker compiled over a hundred pages of notes while developing the novel, ensuring a rich and detailed world. Binary...
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Sherlock Holmes Day

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Today is Sherlock Holmes Day. A way to celebrate his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday. The author was born 22 May 1859. The great detective character first appeared in 1887 in the story A Study in Scarlet. His fame for deduction soon caught on and many came to believe he was actually a real person living at 221B Baker Street in London. Together with his side-kick Dr.Watson, Sherlock appeared in innumerable novels and short stories.  My personal favourite is The Hound of the Baskervilles. Doyle threw everything into the novel - Dartmoor, escaped prisoners, and a monstrous hound that make it still enjoyed to this day.
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White Goat - A Flaw In Time - Tortive Lit Runners Up

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Hooray! I'm excited to announce - my short Flash fiction piece 'White Goat', came Runner Up in the Tortive Lit Flash Fiction 101 March Competition.  The theme prompt was: A Flaw in Time. Entries were restricted to exactly 101 words. And the guest judge was writer Richard Curnow. You can read 'White Goat' - a one-minute read on their website via this link:  March 2025 Runner Up: White Goat Hope you enjoy it. Pic AI Generation.
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