It’s a really personal choice: why we read, what we read, and when… Reading the Amazon reviews, I was struck by the number of readers who said they ‘couldn’t engage with the characters’ Or that ‘the characters all do far too much overthinking,’ or ‘talk too much the same’ or ‘are too articulate about their… Read More

Here is a relaxing read for any of us who have enjoyed school stories or even wondered how if not given to the National trust, a stately home can occupy its retirement years. Debbie Young(Author of the Sophie Sayers cosy mysteries) has now created a girls private boarding school just a mile or two down… Read More

Do you find yourself using the increasingly violent metaphors being used in the media and newspapers? Is ‘skyrocketing’, or ‘crashing out of Europe’ or ‘we can’t throw Ireland under a bus’ over dramatic, lazy, or a great way to describe political happenings in our 21st century? How do these words make you feel? Click on… Read More

Latest blogpost on the MariHowardAuthor blog. ‘As a writer, I am aware that publishing houses don’t want any ‘spiritual’ content in fiction today, (especially not ‘Christian’) yet I hesitate to ban from my stories the strange and informative interplay of strict and liberal ‘religious’ characters, rounded and believable, not caricatures or always the villains.’ Here… Read More

Today guest reviewer Edmund Weiner, who was also at the Scargill Writers’ Weekend,  writes about this interesting new book from Adrian Plass. Adrian has a thoughtful, insightful take on faith, God, and religious certainty (particularly Christianity) today… Find the review as usual on my Mari’s Book Club page, along with one on Out of Silence,… Read More

  All three of these books (novels Baby, Baby, and The Labyrinth Year, and the new poetry collection, Live Lose Learn) sold well at the ACW Writers’ Weekend at Scargill, Yorkshire recently!  The weekend, discussing, interactive talks, and group work, was led by Adrian and Bridget Plass – I’ll be reviewing Adrian’s latest book, Shadow… Read More

‘Life is becoming… / We stand on unsteady feet/ clutching the furniture,/ staring,/ transfixed,/ into the wonderland beyond… ‘