Tag Archives: short stories
Tripping the Light Fantastic by Allison Symes
Val Penny ♦ September 24, 2020 ♦ 1 Comment
At long last, the second collection of Flash Fiction by Allison Symes is available now. I thoroughly enjoyed the clever twists in the tiny stories told by Symes in her debut book, From Light to Dark and Back Again. That book was a joy to read and inspired many young writers to try their hand …
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The 5 Questions of Writing by guest author Steve Catto
Val Penny ♦ February 6, 2019 ♦ Leave a comment
I am glad to welcome author Steve Catto to my blog today. Here he explains about his writing and how he came to writing novels. Welcome Steve, over to you! When I started writing?That’s difficult to say. I’ve written technical manuals and documents since I started work, about forty years ago and I’ve always experimented …
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Potpourri by Anusha VR
Val Penny ♦ January 23, 2018 ♦ Leave a comment
I very much enjoyed a previous book by Chapeltown Books, From Light to Dark and Back Again by Allison Symes is a reviewed here: https://bookreviewstoday.info/2017/03/22/from-light-to-dark-and-back-again-by-allison-symes/ . So, I was thrilled to receive another book from this publisher in exchange for an honest review. I always give honest reviews. Potpourri by Anusha VR is a delicious mixture of …
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‘The Emporium’ a short story by guest author Andrew Roberts
Val Penny ♦ October 27, 2017 ♦ Leave a comment
Today I am delighted that my friend Andrew Roberts is visiting my blog to share his short story, ‘The Emporium’. Andy is an accountant by profession and a writer by choice. We share a love of telling stories and attending Swanwick Writers’ Summer School. We both very much hope you enjoy this tale. The Emporium …
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From Light to Dark and Back Again by Allison Symes
Val Penny ♦ March 22, 2017 ♦ 1 Comment
I must immediately make clear the Allison Symes, the author of From Light to Dark and Back Again is a good friend of mine. We met at Swanwick Writers’ Summer School. However, she as well as anybody knows I am nothing if not blunt! So when she sent me a copy of her book in …
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Structure by guest author Allison Symes
Val Penny ♦ December 4, 2016 ♦ Leave a comment
This article was first published on 24 Novermber 2016 at http://allisonsymes-thisworldandothers.weebly.com/blog—creating-worlds/structure. I used to be frightened of the thought of story structure. It seemed too formal, too technical etc. I’ve found it helpful to think of it as the “edit where I check the story makes sense”, which I appreciate is something of a mouthful! But …
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The Return Journey and other Stories by Maeve Binchy
Val Penny ♦ April 18, 2015 ♦ Leave a comment
Several people had told me that Maeve Binchy was an excellent writer and told great stories with believable characters. So I was thrilled when her book of short stories The Return Journey and other Stories came up as the book to read on my book group. I had previously read one novel by Maeve Binchy, Full …
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Full House by Maeve Binchy
Val Penny ♦ April 6, 2015 ♦ Leave a comment
Maeve Binchy was born on 28 May 1940 in Dalkey, County Dublin, Ireland, the eldest of four children. Her parents were very positive and provided her with a happy childhood. She studied at University College, Dublin and was a teacher for a while. She also loved travelling and this was how she found her niche as …
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A Deadly Deception by Margaret Thomson Davis
Val Penny ♦ March 22, 2015 ♦ Leave a comment
Margaret Thomson Davis has lived in Glasgow, Scotland, since the age of 3. She left school at the age of sixteen, working as a children’s nurse and having a variety of other jobs before achieving her ambition of becoming a writer. She is a Scottish author who has forty novels published and also over two …
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Taking the High Road by Harry Hunter
Val Penny ♦ October 22, 2014 ♦ 1 Comment
I enjoy short stories. They are good to read on the train, when time does not allow for the concentration a novel requires and just before I go to sleep. So I was very excited when my friend in the village who writes under the name of Harry Hunter told me he had been commissioned …
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