One of my characters in The Golden Girls' Getaway is Vivienne, an actor who is in her seventies. This blog post examines the sort of roles available to her as an older woman.
Category: My novels
When neighbours become good friends…
I wrote The Golden Girls’ Getaway about three women, Vivienne, Mary and Gwen, who are neighbours in a house in London. Vivienne, 72, occupies the top flat, Gwen the ground floor, and Mary, the oldest resident at 80 years old, lives in the basement. Throughout the lockdown situation, they have become more supportive to each …
Blog tours, new books and sunshine days
My blog tour for Lil’s Bus Trip started on 26th August and it continued to the 7th September. I loved every minute of it. It was organised brilliantly, as ever, by Rachel's Random Resources and Boldwood Books. I always look forward to blog tours; it’s a chance to meet up again with some reviewers that …
My latest novel, Lil’s Bus Trip: what I’m writing about now and what’s coming next.
Lil’s Bus Trip is published on the 26th August. It is my seventh novel, and my eighth one is currently under wraps for publication later this year. All my novels feature older people as main characters, embracing the fact that all people can still laugh, love, develop and enjoy life, whatever their age. I try …
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‘Chasing the Sun’: travelling to two gorgeous locations and finding fabulous festivals, fun and food.
As the worst of lockdown is over, despite wide predictions of another possible ‘wave’, we are all looking forward to the summer and the chance to travel again, whether it is to the nearest beach, or to see much-missed friends, or to somewhere distant but safe. It will be lovely to spend time in the …
My next novel, Chasing the Sun
Originally given the working title The Hokey Cokey Woman, I set out to write a story about Molly, a seventy-year-old widow who leaps into situations with complete abandon, later realising that what she’s chosen isn’t for her and she should have considered all options and thought more wisely. But part of Molly’s charm is that …
Casting Heading over the Hill as a film
Of all my novels, this one is the easiest to cast as a film. The characters jumped out at me, from the moment I thought ‘now who would play Billy and Dawnie?’ Once you’ve read the book, think about the casting for yourself – you may come up with much better ideas than I have …
My novel Heading over the Hill and the three stages of marriage.
When I wrote Heading over the Hill, I decided that my main protagonists would be a married couple who arrive in West Devon. Having left their children behind in their former house in Lancashire, they are now looking for a new life, an opportunity to start again. My protagonists Billy and Dawnie are retired and …
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If The Old Girls’ Network was a film, who would play the roles…?
Perhaps every writer dreams of seeing her or his work produced on film. After all, great stories make good theatre and good television, or good movies. I love to imagine who’d play the major roles in my novels if they were made into films. I’ve always been fascinated by the psychology of casting and, whenever …
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As the year grows older, is autumn everyone’s favourite season?
The sharp scent of autumn has been on the air for several weeks now; it began before the first of September. My social media feed is inundated by glorious russet-coloured photos, pictures of damsons and apples, posts rejoicing in autumn, the cooler weather, the beauty of falling leaves, the abundance of berries and fruits. It …
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That quintessence of dust 