Category Archives: Archives

Charyn Is Not An Average Thriller Writer

Posted on November 23, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

A couple days ago I finished reading my second Jerome Charyn novel. After reading The Secret Life of Emily Dickinson last year I expected this novel to be somewhat different than the average thriller and I wasn’t wrong.  Under the … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2011 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Too Many Titanic Books? Is There Room For Another?

Posted on November 20, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

When I first noticed The Girl Who Came Home by Hazel Gaynor listed in Amazon’s historical fiction new books I wasn’t interested. I thought that the sinking of the Titanic was a topic that had just been done too often … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

National Short Story Week Kindle Offer

Posted on November 16, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

I seem to see short story collections everywhere this week. I guess National Short Story week has made me more aware of them. When I was browsing in Easons at lunch hour today I noticed that My Weekly and The People’s Friend have both released short … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2012 | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Serial For National Short Story Week

Posted on November 13, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

A new novel, The Fifth Knight, that’s released today is just the thing for National Short Story week.  You may be thinking that a novel isn’t really appropriate for National Short Story week – well, this one is. It’s released as a 6 part serial – every … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2012 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

My Contribution to National Short Story Week

Posted on November 12, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

Today begins National Short Story week (12-18th November). Since I was a child I’ve always loved a good story – short or long, it never mattered. Before I was old enough to read my grandfather used to spend whole afternoons … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2012 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

A New Thornleigh Tale

Posted on November 10, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

In September I met Barbara Kyle at the Historical Novel Society’s bi-annual UK conference in London. Soon after we met I finished reading my first novel by her. Despite Barbara’s prolific output of historical fiction the first novel I was … Continue reading →

Posted in November 2012 | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Time For A Foreign Encounter

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

I’ve lived away from my home country for more than two decades now so I should be well assimilated in my adopted land, a small patch of countryside in Northern Ireland. But there are still things I find strange, amusing … Continue reading →

Posted in October 2012 | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Too Much Information?

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

We’ve all heard the expression ‘too much information’ applied to instances where someone relates too much detail about an unpleasant or disturbing topic. So how much is too much information? Dr Ian Mortimer made me think about this question at the Historical … Continue reading →

Posted in October 2012 | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Facing An Audience – FLive and All Ireland Poetry Day

Posted on October 11, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

I doubt I’ll ever join Toastmasters – and I have been invited by friends to do so. I really am not keen on public speaking and I would rather stay behind the scenes. But when the local writers group I … Continue reading →

Posted in October 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

The Quest Continues

Posted on September 30, 2012 by Dianne Ascroft

At the end of August I posted some information about Quest, Inc by Justin Cohen. I had intended to review the novel at the same time but I was juggling too many plates and I hadn’t even finished reading the … Continue reading →

Posted in September 2012 | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments