The weekend takes us to a final few days with Jamieson.  It's been wonderful spending so much time with him.  There's been so much to discuss.  And then next week will find us first at the home of The Dotterel on March 30.  I'm feeling rather overwhelmed by all this...

Pop on over to Trixie's place.  We'll be there all day sharing secrets, getting to know each other, talking about our roots, tangled or otherwise.  And, of course, we're still having a lovely time at Jamieson's, where today we're talking specifically about the book...

Today the "Space-Time Tour" finds us both in Canada with Jamieson  and in Bangkok sipping tea with JJ.And tomorrow....we're still hanging out with Jamieson while also stopping by to reveal some personal secrets to Trixie.  See you there.As they say, on wings of...

The "Space-Time Tour" continues today over at Jamieson Wolf's place for an interesting discussion about inspiration.  Then tomorrow we continue with musings about process and the rather torturous way in which Tangled Roots took nearly a decade to write!And at the same...

I've woken up this Mothering Sunday (as we say over here in the UK) to find myself truly transported.  Not only have my sons seemed to have remembered to lavish all sorts of of love and praise on their ole mum, but my friends around the blogosphere have also begun to...

Last year, when the hardback version of Tangled Roots came out, I found myself on train platforms all across Britain, from Portsmouth to Manchester, from Reading to Bristol, heading off to the next stop on my first-ever book tour. It was great fun, and very exciting...

They just arrived!Aren't they lovely?You can get one of your own, you know (and just in time for Mother's Day if you happen to be in the UK) here, here, here or in any number of Waterstones, Borders, local fabulous indie bookshops.  Go on.  You know you want to 🙂

I'm meant to be writing to remind everyone that they can hear me go on and on about the writing life -- with some terrific Hendrix, Cream, Jefferson Airplane etc in the background -- tomorrow evening, Tuesday 17 March at 7 pm GMT on Express Fm, either at 93.7 on your...

I want to share with you a wonderful videoclip of an orchestra born out of one of the most amazing movements for social change developed over the last three decades: El Sistema.  Founded in 1975 by the Venezuelian musician, Jose Antonio Abreu,  El Sistema's goal is to...

Just a quick note to tell one and all that I will be interviewed by Rob Richardson on his "WriteOn" program tomorrow, Wednesday 11 March 2009 at 11.00 am GMT.  If you're hanging around or driving around or otherwise find yourself with some empty head space, give a...

I'd like to introduce you to David Gardiner and his wonderful new collection of short stories "The Other End of the Rainbow."  David is an expat Irishman, a former teacher and "professional student" now living in London. He has previously published the sci fi novel,...

This little game has been going around cyberspace lately, but it's just too much fun not to waste an hour doing it.  So, if you're looking for a good procrastination technique, let me recommend the following:1. Band Name. Go to 'wikipedia' (click here) and hit 'random...

It's easy to think that the paperback is the hardcover's adorable baby brother...lovable, of course, important, definitely.  But some how, just not as...as.....exciting.  Well ladies and gentlemen, I am hear to tell you that it just ain't so.  The looming publication...

As you probably all know by now, the other hat I wear is as Artistic Director of the arts charity, CurvingRoad.  Last autumn saw the successful and incredibly exciting West End premiere of new playwright, Leo Richardson and his play, Sh*t-M*x.  Now we are sitting...

Mars?   Well, not exactly, but you could own a piece of it.  Yes, you can!  Just ask those crazy guys over at bluechrome.  You see, the paperback of Tangled Roots will be coming out at the end of March, just in time for Mother's Day.  But if you pre-order not only do...

One of the first "British" words that I adopted upon moving to these shores so many years ago was the word "chuffed." For those Americans (and others) out there who may not know, it means "to be delighted." Well, I am absolutely chuffed for two reasons today.1. I'm...

Despite my husband and No. 2 Son insisting on skiing up to a place where they could take  a photo of such a sign, we have all returned safe and sound from our ski trip.  Every year for as long as I can remember, we've taken the kids skiing in February, and every year...

A few days ago I was reading the  interview Sarah Salway posted with Elizabeth Baines celebrating the publication of her new short story collection, Balancing on the Edge of the World.    You can read the full interview here.    Baines is a real find.  Her prose is...

I'm so woozy from jet lag that I feel like I downed a pitcher of Singapore Slings. Singapore is a very long way from London, but I'm so glad I went. Number 2 Son's concert was incredible. A string orchestra of about 100 teenagers played a variety of music from Grieg's...

I'll soon be travelling to Singapore, a city, to be honest, I was never particularly curious about. At first it seemed so uninteresting that I had hoped to link it to a stop-over in Bangkok, a city I have wanted to return to (especially now that I have new blog...

Oh no!  I can't believe it.  My blog's first birthday was not sometime during the first week of February as I had thought.  It was this past week, specifically 26 January.  How awful am I?Well, looking back at that first posting I saw that I wrote about the mighty...

Ahh, motherhood.  Full of trials.  Full of tribulations. You know the rest.  But the good news for all you parents of young children out there is...the little buggers grow up.  And when they do you get to do lots of weird and wonderful things that you probably would...

Bifurcated: now that's a word I haven't used recently :-0So today I have two things I want to discuss:I. New Year's Goal Number 3In one of my New Year blogs I said I wanted to strive to have faith. What I mean is that I want to be able to believe, really believe, that...

Maybe it's the end of the long holiday season.  Maybe it's the general air of doom and gloom (President Obama's inauguration notwithstanding).  But there's been a lot of talk lately, both virtual and non, about the problem of "writer's block":  who has it, what is it,...

Inauguration Day is the day in the United States when poetry and politics combine.  The tradition of poets speaking their words at Inaugurations is long and telling. The choice of poet tells us a bit about the new President's outlook, heart and sensibilities.  Or so...

In just a few days, Barack Obama will be sworn in as the next President of the United States.  Well, you didn't need me to tell you that.  And you also don't need me to tell you about the high hopes we all have for his administration.  He has already made several...

Ah, the joys of air travel.  It was a wonderful weekend in New York, a real reunion, full of family members I haven't seen in months and even some I haven't seen in years. I'm so glad I went, and my still reduced stamina wouldn't have given me much trouble if not for...

Every Christmas, we give each other books.  Lots of books.  It's actually become the best part of the gift giving, to see who came up with what, to see if any of us have given each other the same book (it's happened twice).  I got a good haul this year, so here's the...

Lookie, lookie: my new award, and given to me by my friend, the writer DJ Kirkby of Chez Aspie fame. It comes with a challenge, though, so unless you're interested in reading  10 honest things about me, look away now....1.  Although I have played the violin seriously...

There was a great item in yesterday's Guardian:       "Wales has clambered aboard the Obama bandwagon with the disclosure that one of the US president-elect's schoolteachers was Welsh. Bill Messer, who left to live in Hawaii 40 years ago, can lay claim to preparing  ...