Ciao, Adieu, Auf Wiedersehen…

Yup, I’m really sorry to say that I’m taking a break from Girls Heart Books for a while. I’ve been with this wonderful blog since it began a couple of years ago, so it’s not been an easy decision. But my career has taken an unexpected twist or two over the past year, and my … Continue reading →

The Plot Thickens…

How do you go about planning a story? Of course, not everyone does. Some writers just start out with an idea and see where it takes them. But that can be scary – a bit like walking out on a tightrope, not sure if you can get to the other side without falling off. Which … Continue reading →

Mad! Quite, quite mad!

Okay, I admit it. I’m mad. Well, not all the time. But a lot of the time. Oh, not bats in the belfry mad. Or going out with my knickers on my head mad. More steam hissing out of my ears mad. Hopping up and down mad. Wanting to scream at the world mad. But … Continue reading →

What? No more best friends?!

Can you believe it? The head teacher of a London primary school has said he thinks you should be discouraged from having a best friend at school. Of course, he comes up with some reasons why he thinks he makes sense, such as other girls might feel excluded when there’s a split-up you might feel … Continue reading →

Covers – what makes you pick up THAT book?

I was in a bookshop the other day – one of my fave places to be – when suddenly I was struck by how many different kinds of covers there are, and how many books aimed at girls now seem to use photos of real girls. For example, when Cathy Cassidy’s book, Scarlett, first came … Continue reading →

So who’s the BEST STORY MUM EVER?

Hey, it’s Mother’s Day! One of my favourite days of the year. Yes, you’ve guessed – I’m a MUM! So it’s my chance to put my feet up and be pampered. Sadly my own mum passed a way a couple of years ago, so I won’t be able to pamper her, but I like remembering … Continue reading →

Forget LOL, what’s SWALK – and who’s the VIP?

Okay, so you’re all up to speed on text speak. Or shd tht b txt spk… But when I was your age, we could only fantasise about amazing gadgets like mobile phones while we swooned over Illya Kuryakin, played by David McCallum, the GORGEOUS star of THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law … Continue reading →

How many lives would you like?

It’s occurred to me a few times that I wish I could live more than one life. Okay, so I know that sounds a bit greedy. One life should be enough. But there are so many things I would love to have been. Apart from being a princess, I’d love to have been an intrepid … Continue reading →

Top Ten Reads for Young Feminists

Recently I was asked by Scottish Book Trust to come up with my top ten books for young feminists.  Now, maybe you’re wondering what would make a girl’s book a feminist book? Well, I had to think about that for a while… Until I finally realised that this was one of the questions best turned … Continue reading →

Bubblehead!

Sometimes when I sit down to write my head feels like this: Which is a bit of a drawback if you’re a writer. After all, a writer needs to have lots of ideas, don’t you think? So when this happens I basically have three options. Go back to bed, get up again, and hope that … Continue reading →