Q & A – H. A. Leuschel

H. A. Leuschel has got a new novel out. To find out more, I asked her over to the blog for a chat. Morning, Helene! I hope your Sunday has started well! Tell us a bit about Lizzie in The Memories We Bury. Lizzie is a young Scottish woman with a passion for music who, …

An Interview with … Camilla Downs

Good morning! Today I'm talking to author Camilla Downs about her poetry and her creative inspirations. Hi Camilla. Let's start at the beginning. Where does a new poem begin for you? Do you have an idea you wish to explore, or do they stem from an image? Or is it something completely different? In the …

An Interview With … Marjorie Mallon

Today I'm joined by the very creative Marjorie Mallon to talk about her writing, her photography, and where all the ideas come from. Hi Marjorie - first off then, tell us a bit about the thinking behind Mr Sagittarius. What’s it about? Mr. Sagittarius is a collection of poetry, prose and photographic images inspired by …

52 Weeks of Writing Author Journal and Planner – Mariëlle S. Smith #review #giveaway

I've had a brilliant idea for a novel. I'm not telling you what it is in case you steal my idea and end up winning the Booker. I haven't written it yet because, well … because. Because although I come up with nuanced, clever sentences in my head, the words become wooden and lumpy as …

Cover Choices – The Truth About Love and Dogs #GuestPost

Now, something a bit different here at Books and Wine Gums - I am very excited to introduce my first ever guest post on the blog. I was really pleased when author Lilly Bartlett got in touch about her new book, The Truth About Love and Dogs. Here, she talks about the differences in her …

An Interview with … Rich Garon

Hello! I've been lucky to grab a moment with American author Rich Garon to discuss his writing, his motivations for his work … and to ask him the all-important question about, ahem, wine gums. His second novel, Lee Fitts, was published in February. Where did the idea for your new protagonist, Lee Fitts, come from? …

The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson – Helen Kitson

You wait for one intriguing novel, and a bagful arrive at once. I’ve been really lucky with the books I’ve picked up recently (I am quite choosy), and Helen Kitson’s accomplished The Last Words of Madeleine Anderson is one of my favourites. Gabrielle Price, the author of a critically-acclaimed novel in her youth, is now …

An Interview with … Ashlee Rose

Today, I'm chatting to Ashlee Rose about her writing, her inspirations, and snacking. She's the author of two self-published novels, and she's now writing her third. Hi Ashlee, tell us a little about your writing to date. I write rom-coms with some soft erotic scenes. I try to make my books as light hearted as …

An Interview with … Jim Alexander

After something of a hiatus, it's lovely to be quizzing an author on writing tips and inspirations again. Today, I'm chatting to Jim Alexander about creative ideas, problems with desert islands, and his somewhat questionable approach to wine gums. His debut novel, GoodCopBadCop, is out now. Hi, Jim. Tell us a little about your writing to …

70 Reviews: 4. Summer in Algiers by Albert Camus (Pocket Penguins) #review

I had read some of Camus’ novels (in translation – my GCSE French textbook, the marvellous Tricolor, didn’t cover existential thought) and loved them. I had not, however, spent much time with his essays. This is another brilliant thing about this Penguin boxset challenge – I’m reading things I might otherwise have passed over because …