A Halloween first – and a few butterflies!
This Halloween, I’m doing something I’ve never done before: reading one of my stories in public!
I’ll be reading The Young Woman in the Yellow Bikini at Halloween Bites, held at the Tankard pub on Kennington Road in London on 28 October 2026.
I’ve never done a public reading before, so I’m feeling a mixture of excitement and nerves. Writing a story in the privacy of your own home is one thing. Standing up in front of an audience and reading it aloud is quite another! Fingers crossed I don’t stumble over my own words.
Christmas has arrived early!
Meanwhile, I’ve been getting into the Christmas spirit rather ahead of schedule.
I’ve just published Children’s Quirky Christmas Stories, a collection of four stories about – you’ve guessed it – Christmas! Aimed at children aged 8–12 who enjoy humour, imagination and unexpected festive adventures, these quirky Christmas stories are, as you might expect from me, not entirely conventional!
The collection actually began as a private project. I wrote the stories for my great-nephews and great-nieces, and the children of friends and neighbours, and gave them copies as presents.
Now I’ve decided to let a few more children in on the fun.
The ebook is already available on Amazon, and a paperback edition will follow shortly.
Discover Children’s Quirky Christmas Stories on Amazon
So that’s October: a little Halloween nervousness, a little early Christmas cheer, and two very different kinds of storytelling!
