Archive for category Authors
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Abigail Johnson
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors, Books on June 3, 2025
Abigail Johnson is an author from Birmingham whose stories have been longlisted for the Bath Novel Award and Exeter Novel Award and shortlisted for the Edinburgh Award for Flash Fiction.
Although her primary school teacher predicted she would grow up to be an author, it was only in her forties that she decided to take writing seriously.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I don’t set daily targets as I find that some days the words flow and some days they don’t, and if I force myself, I’ll just end up feeling frustrated! Instead I might set rough goals, for example, aiming to get to a certain point of the story within a set timeframe. The motivation can be hard when I’m feeling stuck and that’s when I think it’s important to try and move forward, even if you skip past a tricky part and revisit it later.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
I think being able to have empathy with your characters is probably the most important. If you want your readers to care about the characters you’ve written, you really need to be able to step into their shoes. This is something that comes quite naturally to me but the other important element needed is being able to structure a story well and I find this a bit harder.
How do you market yourself and your books?
My books are uplifting book club fiction and I’m grateful to the publicity team at PanMacmillan for their marketing of my book. I’m trying to get myself known by taking part in events and meeting readers. I also have a website and promote myself on social media, which doesn’t come very naturally to me.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Despite the fact that I love reading, for some reason I don’t particularly like to read about the craft of writing but this isn’t because I don’t have lots to learn. What I have found useful is attending workshops and listening to other authors talk about how they approach their writing. I found the Jericho Writers’ Festival really helpful when I was starting out and I’m thrilled I’m going to be delivering my own workshop at this year’s Festival! I’ve also done a number of writing courses where I’ve learned more about the publishing industry as well as writing techniques. The Secret Collector, my debut novel, was written while on the Curtis Brown Creative three month novel writing course.
A top tip for other writers?
Keep going! It’s so much harder to write a novel than I had ever imagined and I could have easily given up many times along the way but if you don’t stick with it, you’ll never finish what you started. If you are feeling very stuck, I recommend taking a break and perhaps being creative in other ways. Write a bit of poetry or flash fiction or a short story or even draw something. It might just be what you need to feel inspired again.
About The Secret Collector – published April 2025
The Secret Collector, is set in Birmingham and is an uplifting and warm story about friendship across generations, the power of community and finding hope where it had been lost. Alfred is an elderly widower who uses antiques and collectibles to fill the hole in his heart left by his late wife. Kian is a lost teen who has been let down by the care system and finds it difficult staying on the straight and narrow. After Kian throws a brick through Alfred’s window, Kian is enrolled on a restorative justice programme to help make Alfred’s home liveable again.
A £10,000 Advance!
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books, Travel on May 13, 2025
No! Stop the applause and put the champagne away. It’s not me!
£10,000 is the amount Benjamin Disraeli received as an advance on his novel ‘Endymion’ published in 1880. I had no idea that Disraeli, one of our most famous prime ministers, had had a literary career. Endymion is described as a ‘romance’ by Wikipedia and is set against a political backdrop during the years 1819 to 1859.
Members of GoodReads have awarded it an average of 3.52 stars.
This wasn’t Disraeli’s first novel, that was ‘Vivian Grey’, which was heavily criticised but didn’t stop him writing. His output only slowed when he became an MP.
A thought to take away with you, according to Wikipedia, £10,000 in 1880 was equivalent to £1,257,376 in 2023! I can’t say whether this huge sum was because of his literary prowess or because he was an ex-prime minister.
(The plaque illustrating this post can be found at Hughenden Manor, a National Trust property in Buckinghamshire).
Island Song by Pepsi Demacque-Crockett
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books, Resources on January 30, 2025
I’ve just finished reading Island Song, the debut novel by Pepsi Demacque-Crockett – published today, 30th January 2025 (No, I didn’t speed read 300+ pages! I received an advance review copy). 
If the name of the author seems familiar to you, you are right. Pepsi enjoyed a career in the pop industry in the 1980s and 1990s as part of Wham! and later in the singing duo Pepsi & Shirlie. Pepsi’s parents came to the UK in the 1950s from Saint Lucia and Island Song is inspired by their experience. I enjoyed this book in two different ways, as a reader and as a writer:
The blurb: When their father dies, Agnes Deterville and her sister Ella must forge their own paths in life. Headstrong Agnes dreams of a new life far away. Cautious Ella fears the world beyond their small village in St Lucia. When Agnes departs for a new life in 1950s London, they are both confronted by heartbreak, loneliness, and tragedy. Separated by an ocean, but bound by love, can the sisters keep their island song singing in their hearts?
My reader review: Island Song is a book of contrasts. The reader travels from the bright and colourful island of St. Lucia to grey and dismal London. We experience the friendly, inclusive Caribbean culture and then witness the hostility and suspicion of people in 1950s UK. We get to know Agnes and her adventurous, determined spirit compared with her older, much more cautious sister, who is very much a home bird.
Pepsi Demacque-Crockett weaves all of these threads together to create an absorbing, timely, thought-provoking but easy-to-read novel. It is reminiscent of ‘A Small Island’ by Andrea Levy and would make a great book club read.
With thanks to HarperCollins and The Reading Agency for my Advance Review Copy.
My writer review: The word ‘contrast’ sums up what I learned as a writer from Island Song. We are always told the importance of differentiating our characters to avoid them homogenising into one voice. However, this can be difficult if our protagonists are similar ages, from similar backgrounds and have similar lifestyles. Pepsi got around this difficulty by giving the two sisters, Agnes and Ella, very different personalities: Agnes wants to conquer the world but Ella fears even leaving their village. But they still share the same basic philosophy that family is all important. For me, the lesson to take away is that I should concentrate on what makes my characters different to one another, especially when they are conversing or otherwise interacting with each other.
5 Questions About Writing With . . . David Wake
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors, Self-publishing on December 13, 2024
David Wake writes science fiction, adventure, comedy and, most recently, fantasy. 
An advocate of indie publishing, he co-wrote Punk Publishing with Andy Conway on why and how to self-publish. He’s published 14 novels and has been a guest of honour at SF conventions.
More information: www.davidwake.com. Sign up to receive his latest news via his mailing list.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
It’s the other way around. I like writing, so it’s other things, real life stuff, that gets in the way. The trick is to make writing part of your lifestyle. You write, say, in the mornings, and always do that. Then writing is easy, part of your every day routine. I get twitchy if I’m not writing something.
I have, and do and will do in the future, set myself targets. Most successful writers I know, and I’ve read about, tend to write 1,000 words a day. But, if you set yourself a target, then you can feel a failure when you don’t reach that arbitrary number. But we shouldn’t. And maybe this chapter, that paragraph or whatever has to be written slowly.
So, make it part of your lifestyle.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer?
Perseverance. Bloody mindedness. Kindness.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I really don’t do enough and I should. I go to SF conventions and sell to fans there. I occasionally do Amazon Ads. I’m too English and hate blowing my own trumpet. It’s a problem for me. I’m great at turning readers into fans, but rubbish at turning strangers into readers.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
Wikipedia for research, obviously. I did an MA in Creative Writing. There’s loads of stuff on YouTube, but a lot of it takes a lot of time to say nothing.
I’ve written a program to help me with a few admin things when writing. For example, it does an automatic word count for the target I shouldn’t be setting myself.
As for organisations, the best is New Street Authors (http://newstreetauthors.com/), which I co-founded and co-run. It’s a collective for independently published authors.
Andy Conway and I also co-wrote a book, Punk Publishing, on why and exactly how to self-publish. (http://punkpublishers.com/)
A top tip for other writers?
Just keep going. And work out how to use Word’s styles – fiddly, but worth it once you get them working for you, rather than against you, it really helps.
And be kind.
About The Jackdaw’s Choice (The Daughters of Égraine Book 1) – published November 2024
Mara dreams of peace and the return of Red Mill’s men from war, yearning for the day she can marry the blacksmith’s apprentice. But when a brutal goblin raid strikes her village, Mara must lead the women on a desperate journey into the unknown…
The Jackdaw’s Choice begins the spellbinding Daughters of Égraine trilogy.
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Chris Penhall
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors on November 19, 2024
Chris Penhall writes uplifting stories set in gorgeous places. 
A member of The Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists Association, she won the 2019 Choc-Lit Search for a Star competition, sponsored by Your Cat Magazine, for her debut novel, The House That Alice Built, and has since written five more books. The House That Florence Left is the fourth in her Portuguese Paradise series.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write, and do you set daily targets?
I am disciplined and I am motivated, but I don’t really have a set time to write or daily targets, although I have tried to work like that. A lot of my work has been deadline driven, with many different projects on a given day, week, or even month, so I’m used to prioritising, adapting, dealing with other things urgently, then making sure I’ve done everything in time. So when I write a novel, which is a long-term project, I behave in the same way.
When I’m working on a book, I strive to write something every day. This doesn’t always work but after six books, I don’t beat myself up about that so much. As far as word counts are concerned, some writing sessions provide a couple of thousand, some provide a couple of hundred, and very occasionally a couple of sentences. But whichever it is, I’m staying connected to the book.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
Imagination – all writers have that. Tenacity – you have to really want to do this, in order to ride the waves of success, disappointment, success etc. etc! Also, you have to love writing for the sake of it. You are spending a lot of time in your own head, so you’ve got to enjoy being there…!
How do you market yourself and your books?
I’m still learning how to market myself and the books. My publisher does a lot of marketing, thankfully, which is great as I think it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not used to it. I have always done things that are related to books and reading, so I’m continuing to do that, but now sometimes as an author, rather than a reader.
I have worked for BBC local radio for many years, and way back in the last century for Radios One and Four, so I lean into my audio experience and background as a way of marketing myself and therefore my books. For instance, I have a community radio programme called Books and Tunes in which I chat to other writers, and before that I made my own podcast called Talking to My Friends About Books – in which I did just that!
I have also hosted events and interviewed other authors at The Essex Book Festival and have been a judge for a short story competition the festival ran in conjunction with the Essex Gardens Trust. A few years prior to that I was a long-list judge for the BBC Essex radio play competition for two years.
And I have a blog on my website in which I feature interviews with authors.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I started writing my first novel many years ago and when I got stuck I enrolled on an online course, which helped me develop the characters, the plot and actually get to the end of the book. A few years after that I invested in a mentor with a literary consultancy, and that is what got the manuscript to the level that won the Choc-Lit Search for a Star Competition.
After that I did an online course with Future Learn – because basically I enjoy developing my skills, and I have done one or two writing workshops too. I’m doing one in a few weeks actually.
I find chatting to other writers really helpful, but I have only just joined The Society of Authors and the Romantic Novelists Association.
A top tip for other writers?
Write. Be tenacious. Pat yourself on the back whether you’ve written 5, 50, 500 or 5000 words today. Enjoy it. Remember why you’re doing it. And follow your dreams.
About The House that Florence Left – published October 2024
Bella Cresswell likes her life organized. But when she inherits her great-aunt Flo’s house in the Algarve, her life gets decidedly disorganized. She flies to Portugal hoping for a quick sale and to return home. Except there is a clause in the will stopping her. Before she can sell the house, Bella must ‘make it better’.
As she tries to fix up the dilapidated property, Bella discovers the faded walls are filled with the memories and secrets of Florence’s vibrant life. And, as she looks further into her great-aunt’s time in Portugal, she realises, there’s more to making it better than she first thought. Bella finds herself caught up in the charm of the lively Portuguese village, the eccentric and friendly locals and her handsome, yet mysterious, neighbour, Hugo.
But when it’s time to sell and say goodbye will Bella be able to return to her old life?
Or will she discover that some things are meant to be held onto forever?
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Claire Sheldon
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors, Books, Writing Handicaps on October 24, 2024
Crime author, Claire Sheldon
lives in Nottingham with her family, and a dog called Podrick. She suffers from Multiple Sclerosis but that doesn’t stop her writing. Perfect Lie was released in 2020 followed by A Silent Child and A Burning Lie. Her latest book A Dead Lie was published on October 24th 2024. Claire’s inspiration comes from hours spent watching The Bill with her grandparents and then later, Spooks.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I use Scrivener so I input how many words I need to write and when I need to get them done by. Scrivener then tells me how many words I need to write each day. I try to stick to that and if I write more than that in a day, it just means I’ll get to the magic number quicker.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
If you’re writing for fun, then I don’t think there are any important qualities because you’re doing something you enjoy with no major goal in mind.
If you’re looking to get published then you’ll need patience (I have zero of that!) and perseverance, because it’s unlikely you’ll become the next best seller overnight. And even when you’ve written “The End”, there is still so much more work needed to get the book out there.
How do you market yourself and your books?
Social media is a great tool. I’ve joined several Facebook groups in my genre, such as UK Crime Book Club and Crime Fiction Addict. And also, a group called The Fiction Café Book Club, who are always happy to support authors.
In the real world, I’m part of a group that meets every month and we have different authors that come in and talk to us about their work. So, I occasionally run an event there.
It’s about getting your books out there and being “seen”. And, of course, supporting others, who will then go on to shout about your books in return.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I’ve got all of Stuart Gibbon’s “straightforward guides to” books, which have been really helpful for everything to do with police procedure. I also use Forensics for Dummies. And I’ve got The Emotion Thesaurus by Angela Ackerman and Becca Puglisi, which details character traits for each emotion – great for those show don’t tell moments.
A top tip for other writers?
Never give up! Keep chipping away because you will eventually get there. It might be hard work but it will be worth it 😊
About A Dead Lie – published 24th October 2024
A DEVOTED WIFE. THE PERFECT MOTHER. A DARK PAST SHE’LL DO ANYTHING TO OUTRUN. MEET DETECTIVE JEN GARNER.
Jen’s life is a balancing act between her past as an undercover police officer and her present as a mother. Until a woman claiming to be her best friend, Chloe Seaward, shows up on her doorstep.
But Chloe died years ago during an undercover operation.
Caught in a deadly game of cat and mouse with no one she can trust, can Jen uncover the truth . . . and keep her family safe?
5 Questions About Writing With . . . Sarah Rodi
Posted by Sally Jenkins in 5 Questions About Writing, Authors, Books, Writing on August 27, 2024
Sarah Rodi has been a magazine journalist for over 20 years, but it was her lifelong dream to write romance for Mills & Boon. She now writes Viking romance for them!
Sarah Rodi
Sarah is also the volunteer coordinator of the RNA New Writers’ Scheme. She can be contacted via @sarahrodiedits or sarahrodiedits@gmail.com. Or visit her website at sarahrodi.com.
How do you discipline/motivate yourself to write and do you set daily targets?
I’m usually motivated by a deadline! If I see one is looming, I divide the number of words I need to do by the number of days I have to write the book in, which usually sends me into a panic and motivates me to sit down and get it done. Staring at that first blank page is the hardest thing, but once you get going, you have something to work with and edit, and then it starts to flow. I struggle to write every day, but I aim for about 10,000 words a week, in between working and juggling family life. I have been known to write 20,000 words in a weekend when I’m up against it, but I wouldn’t recommend it, and steady, daily targets are definitely the best way to go.
What are the most important qualities required by a writer? Do you have them?
Passion to write and publish books. You need a spark of an idea, a way with words, the dedication to sit down and get those words down on the page, despite a busy schedule and friends inviting you out, and being committed to getting it written. Focus on the end result, but most of all, make sure you’re enjoying yourself while you’re writing. I believe if you are loving your characters and what you’re writing, your readers will enjoy your writing too. I certainly have a passion for writing and a need to share my characters with the world. I have the commitment, even if I never have enough time. But you have to create those opportunities for yourself to write. Make your writing a priority.
How do you market yourself and your books?
I often do a Blog Tour around the publication day of my latest release to drum up some excitement. I also write monthly blogs and newsletters from my website, offer giveaways, and create posts and videos on my Facebook, Instagram, X and TikTok pages. I also volunteer with the RNA to make friends and help other writers. It’s not an easy thing to promote yourself, so I tend to focus on my books rather than myself. Last Christmas I ran a book review advent calendar where I created little videos about other authors and their books each day. That was fun and forced me to post something every day.
Which writing resources have you found useful, e.g., books, courses, organisations, websites etc.?
I studied English at university and then a postgraduate degree in journalism. My full-time job is as a magazine journalist, so I have always worked with words. I used to go on a lot of creative writing courses – in Fishguard, and on those run by Mills & Boon authors Sharon Kendrick and Kate Walker. These were incredibly useful. But it was when I joined the Romantic Novelists’ Association that I really started to make some progress with my writing. I submitted to their New Writers’ Scheme each year to get a critique on my manuscript. This was invaluable in honing my craft. The RNA also hosts a Conference where you can pitch your novel to an agent or publisher. This is how I pitched my first novel to Mills & Boon. I would not be where I am today without the RNA, which is why I now volunteer as their New Writers’ Scheme coordinator to give something back.
Best book that’s helped me? The Emotion Thesaurus.
A top tip for other writers?
Keep going. Believe in yourself. If you’re writing a romance and need help, join the RNA.
About Her Secret Vows With The Viking – published August 29th 2024
All my stories begin with a tiny spark of an idea, and this one was no different. A Viking boy, wounded and left for dead. A Saxon girl, who rescues him. I do love a forbidden romance! And so Her Secret Vows with the Viking began.
Knowing her father would never allow her to marry a Dane, my heroine, Ædwen, and hero, Stefan, say their vows in secret. But when Stefan’s memories return and he remembers who he is and what happened the day he arrived on these shores, he cannot forgive Ædwen for hiding the truth from him, so he leaves.
My story starts almost two winters later, when Ædwen is distraught to be marrying the hateful Lord Werian. Her father has convinced her that her previous, clandestine union was invalid. Even though Stefan abandoned her, there has not been a day gone by that she hasn’t thought of him.
Anger has kept Stefan away these past years, and he has made a name for himself as King Canute’s right-hand man. But upon hearing about Ædwen’s impending wedding, his unsatiated vengeance and desire burns. He is determined to take his revenge on Ædwen and her father. He interrupts the wedding ceremony, announcing to the congregation that Ædwen is already married – to him – and he has returned to claim his wife…
I hope you enjoy it.
Book Group Recommendation: Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books, Lifestyle on July 30, 2024
I run a monthly book group. There are 12 of us in the group and I choose our books from the numerous book group sets available from Birmingham Libraries. We always get a cross-section of opinions on each book; some members will rave about the book and others will detest it so much that they can’t finish it.![20240707_151310[1]](https://sally-jenkins.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/20240707_1513101.jpg)
Recently we read Mrs. Palfrey at the Claremont by Elizabeth Taylor (no, not the actress) and it provoked one of the best discussions we’ve ever had. It’s about an elderly lady in the late 1960s who joins several other older people as a permanent resident in a hotel. She longs for her grandson to visit so that she can show him off to the other residents. He doesn’t appear but Mrs. Palfrey strikes up an unlikely friendship with an impoverished young writer.
I found it an easy, gentle read but the novel has a lot to say about the issues and indignities of growing old, much of which is still relevant today, for example, loneliness, infirmity, abandonment by family and fear.
The ladies in my group are all retired and were open about their opinions on the treatment of older people, their fear of needing care, the advantages and disadvantages of ‘retirement villages’ and how we encourage our children to fly the nest and go away to university, but often they never return. We came to the conclusion that there has been no improvement in how we treat older people over the last 50+ years.
But the book is not all doom and gloom. The residents have eccentricities and there are lovely comic cameos plus a marriage proposal! I’d never heard of Elizabeth Taylor but she is a wonderful writer and creator of characters. Read her books!
On the subject of book group discussions, it was lovely to hear from a group who have read and discussed Waiting for a Bright New Future. They all enjoyed the book and found it uplifting (which was my aim!), the group favoured the character of Florence (she’s a colourful, middle-aged, tribute band singer and I loved writing her!), one member guessed the ending but the others were taken by surprise and there was general consensus that a sequel would be good in order to find out what happens to Stuart. I’m also aware of two other book groups borrowing the five copies of Little Museum of Hope in Birmingham Libraries. I have no idea what their verdict was! And I’ve just noticed that Amazon have reduced the price of the paperback to £4.65 (for how long, I don’t know), if you fancy a bargain.
If your book group has read a book that created a good discussion please share it in the comments!
Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Books on June 7, 2024
As an author I found the premise to Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang intriguing:
A struggling writer, June Hayward, is friends with a bestselling author, Athena Liu. Athena dies in a freak accident while June and Athena are alone in Athena’s apartment. June spots Athena’s just-completed, latest manuscript and steals it. This paper copy is the only one in existence – despite this being the age of the internet, Athena works on an old typewriter.
June edits and tweaks the manuscript and then passes it off as completely her own work. Publication of the book causes social media uproar but not, at least initially, for the reasons you might expect.
Most of us writers have, at one time or another, felt some degree of envy at another’s success. But how many of us would be prepared to take the same action as June? Hardly any of us, I imagine (and hope!). That is what makes this book so compulsive – it tips us into somewhere we dare not tread.
Yellowface would make a great book club read (or it might be something you discuss within a writers’ group) because it encompasses so many issues. The following discussion prompts popped into my head as I was reading:
- Can/should an author create a character from a background of which they themselves have no experience, e.g. a different race, sexual orientation etc. ?
- What makes someone keep working towards their ambition despite numerous knockbacks?
- Does it matter if your family are ambivalent/disinterested in that ambition?
- Would there ever be a circumstance in which the stealing of a manuscript was acceptable?
- Was Athena also a thief? Did she deserve to have her novel stolen?
- How would you feel if someone used part of your life story in a novel without asking permission?
- Social media plays a large part in the book. Has it become too powerful?
If you’ve read Yellowface and would like to add to the list of issues it raises, please leave a comment in the box below.
On the subject of book clubs, a reader has told me that they have suggested Waiting for a Bright New Future as a possible read for their book group. If it gets through, I’ll be both intrigued and apprehensive to find out what they discuss and the verdict on the book!
On the panel . . . with cupcakes!
Posted by Sally Jenkins in Authors, Events, Promotion, public speaking on February 27, 2024
Despite having researched tips for panel events for Public Speaking for Absolute Beginners, I’d never actually taken part in such an event until last Friday night when I was part of a Women’s Fiction Panel. I sat alongside the charismatic Kim Nash and the fabulous Florence Keeling at The Museum of Cannock Chase. 
Kim was a very able chairperson with a wonderful flow of writing-related conversation starters which showed differences and similarities in the way the three of us approach our work.
Florence is a pantster who sallies forth with no definite plan about where the story is going. I plan but mostly veer away from it once the characters start appearing on the page and I realise that what I planned for them won’t work with their personalities.
Kim lights a candle on her desk to signal the switch from working at home in her day job to embarking upon her ‘writing time’. Florence doesn’t have space for a dedicated writing area and so you’ll find her on the settee with the laptop on her knee and a Harry Potter film on TV as background. I work in the smallest bedroom in silence – any music or radio noise is too distracting.
Kim and I write the first draft without reading back and editing what we’ve done the day before. Florence edits each section as she goes.
Florence and Kim both started writing initially as an escape from tough times in their lives. I got addicted after seeing my name and contribution in print on a women’s magazine letters’ page and receiving a cheque in the post for my trouble.
Florence and I have each self-published several books, as well as having novels traditionally published.
A very exciting part of the proceedings were the cupcakes(see above!) Each one sported a little cocktail stick holding one of our book covers – fantastic!
Did I learn anything about panel events?
If you’re worried about your mind going blank when faced with a question (as I was!), ask the chair for a list of possible question areas in advance. I felt more comfortable knowing the subjects that might be covered. This is also gives you chance to think about how you could turn a question around if it’s one you might find awkward.
Remember to talk to the audience. It’s OK to glance at your fellow panelists occasionally but the audience wants to see your face and hear your answer! Without the audience there would be no event.
If the venue is plying you with tea and coffee, don’t drink too much before the event starts – a toilet visit part way through the discussion might be frowned on.
Find out what the arrangements are for selling books. The lovely Press Books and Coffee Shop kindly attended my event to sell copies of all of our traditionally published books. But I only discovered later that I could have taken my self-published books to sell directly as well.
Relax. It’s not the Spanish Inquisition! The rest of the panel are human too and it’s always a lot of fun talking about writing and books with others who are passionate about the subject.
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