Maggie Davies6 days ago2 minH is for HawkFor Christmas I bought my husband a book about a woman who buys a bird and attempts to train it. Not my kind of thing. I'm drawn to books...
Maggie DaviesApr 32 minThe Fairy Dogmother - A Lesson For Writers About RejectionYou are at the kitchen table, drooping over yet another rejected story. In her basket Ruby, the cocker spaniel, looks expectant, head...
Maggie DaviesDec 28, 20211 minMy Lovely Husband...For Christmas my lovely husband ordered a personalised jigsaw from Wentworth Puzzles. Who needs Mr Darcy...?
Maggie DaviesNov 21, 20211 minWild Swans: Three Daughters of ChinaThere are books that you want to read a second time and Jung Chang's Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China is one. I read the story soon...
Maggie DaviesNov 4, 20211 minPolice ProceduralsI have written before about my enjoyment of good crime fiction, which I find an excellent change of pace from historical novels and...
cpaveleySep 13, 20216 minElizabeth Gaskell – novels for our timeFrom time to time I like to include articles about books by writers other than myself, and the following is a piece by Tanya van Hasselt,...
Maggie DaviesAug 25, 20212 minCECILY - by Annie GarthwaiteBefore reading this book I was already aware that Cecily Neville - granddaughter of John of Gaunt and the mistress who subsequently...
cpaveleyAug 1, 20214 minHow my novel was publishedI am delighted to welcome one of my periodic guest contributors, writing here about how she succeeded in having her debut novel...
Maggie DaviesJun 11, 20218 minTwenty-Six Little BonesShort story competitions keep many writers going. Less of a commitment than a novel and good practice for our craft, they offer the hope...
Maggie DaviesJun 2, 20211 minCongratulations!Congratulations to Katie, Charlotte and Trudie, whose names came out of the hat yesterday for free, signed copies of The Servant. They...
Maggie DaviesMay 22, 20212 minMy Writing LifeMy favourite writing places are coffee shops, and now we are allowed back inside... A couple of mornings a week, in normal times, I...
Maggie DaviesMay 10, 20211 minGrave's End by William ShawWhen a corpse is found in the freezer of an unoccupied mansion, DS Alexandra Cupidi is handed a case made even colder by nobody seeming...
Maggie DaviesMar 26, 20211 minLove Historical Fiction?If you love historical fiction, you might enjoy a FREE online event on the evening of Wednesday the 14th April. At 7.30 pm, Alison Weir...
Maggie DaviesMar 3, 20213 min"A very fine cat indeed..."Are writers attracted to cats? Or cats to writers? In a Zoom interview last year Maggie O'Farrell spoke of retreating to the solitude of...
Maggie DaviesFeb 13, 20216 minA Cautionary Tale for Valentine's WeekendTill Death Us do Part by Maggie Davies I wrapped my arms around Neil and kissed the top of his head. His hair might be the colour of...
Maggie DaviesJan 8, 20213 minOn Golden Hill by Francis SpuffordThe hard cover copy of this impressive book was gifted to me a couple of Christmases ago, but is now available in paperback. I cannot...
Maggie DaviesDec 15, 20202 minThe Santa Claus of the 18th CenturyInside The Foundling Museum, in London's Bloomsbury, hangs Hogarth's magnificent portrait of a generous-hearted man who should be far...
Maggie DaviesDec 12, 20201 minThe Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy LefteriThis book - recommended to me by a friend - took me on the tortuous journey that bee-keeper, Nuri, and his artist wife, Afra, are forced...
Maggie DaviesNov 20, 20202 minDo You Write Book Reviews?For writers, especially during lock down when bookshop signings and talks at the local library are impossible, getting on-line reviews...
Maggie DaviesNov 20, 20203 minThree Books for ChristmasIf, like me, you're looking for books to put on your Christmas wish list, and you have a weakness for historical fiction, here are three...