“Tense and compelling” — Daily Mail review of Dead Ringer
Christena Appleyard of the Daily Mail gives her review of Dead Ringer. The idea of this book might sound a bit far fetched — two girls find their doppelgängers via a new facial recognition app and decide to swap lives. Nicola Martin spins this slightly dodgy idea into a tense…
My doppelgänger story
Have I ever met my double? Is Dead Ringer secretly a true story…? Er, no. But here’s a quick rundown of the times I’ve been mistaken for people who look like me. I was on the island of St John in the US Virgin Islands recently, (and, yes, I know…
How to get your book published
The path to getting your novel or non-fiction book published can be circuitous and confusing, so here’s my step-by-step guide to how the whole process works for first-time authors. Write the whole book first Many new writers cling to the idea that they can sell a book to an agent/publisher…
5 ways to make your fiction unputdownable
Even quiet stories can (and should) have that gotta-keep-reading quality to them. But how can we as writers make sure our novels and short stories are compelling the whole way through? I’m going to use the C word here. Gulp. I’m going to talk about making fiction commercial. ‘Commercial’ can…
How I got my short stories published in The People’s Friend
This week marks my seventh short story published by women’s magazine The People’s Friend. But mine wasn’t an instant success story – I got rejected a lot in the beginning. Find out what I did differently to turn those rejections into acceptances. When I started writing short stories about five…
4 true crime documentaries for hipster douchebags who’ve seen every true crime documentary
I found out a new friend of mine was a true crime junkie recently. Our conversation quickly spiralled into what can only be described as true crime hipster douchebaggery: “You’ve seen Making a Murderer?” “Obviously. Have you watched The Jinx?” “Yeah, a couple of times. What about The Staircase?” “Pleeeease…
Check out the trailer for Dead Ringer
Want to meet your double? Be careful what you wish for… The eerie trailer for Dead Ringer gives you a flavour of what to expect from the novel.
Four months till Dead Ringer is published – what am I doing to prepare?
My debut novel, Dead Ringer, is set to be published on 27 February 2020. That’s four months from now, which simultaneously feels like eons away and yet is also panic-inducingly soon. So, in between breathing deeply, what am I doing to prepare? – Letting everyone know that the paperback is…
5 things I’ve learned as a beginner in public speaking
Public speaking has always been a huge fear of mine, but over the last year, I’ve been working on getting past my nerves and anxiety. I’ve been doing this by joining the worldwide public speaking club Toastmasters. (You’ll probably find there’s one in your town, too.) After a few months…
One bad habit that writers need to break
It’s time to stop cringing when people ask if you’re a writer. It’s time to stop waving your hand when people ask what you write. For a long time, when people would ask if I was a writer, I would make a face. A full-on Kermit-style twist of the mouth…
The People’s Friend’s Writer of the Week
I’m thrilled to be The People’s Friend’s Writer of the Week. Here’s a short interview from their blog. What inspired you to write “Like Father, Like Daughter” that’s appearing in this week’s issue? I was taking a stroll through my favourite park in Bristol, where I live, and I saw…
The 10 people who’ll critique your writing
Joining a writing group is probably the best thing I’ve ever done, in terms of improving my writing. Getting other people to read and critique my work has forced me to look at my stories afresh. It’s sparked new ideas. And, uh, it’s stopped me from making completely boneheaded leaps…
I gave up coffee and I didn’t die
(Trust me, I’m surprised too.)
5 YA books from the 90s that deserve a revival
Looking at the current crop of Young Adult books, it can be tough to remember that there was ever a time before Twilight and The Hunger Games. YA is now a juggernaut, spawning million-dollar box office openings, but let’s not forget that 20 years ago, it was a cute little…
What listening to audiobooks taught me about writing craft
I’m a recent convert to audiobooks. For years, I never had much patience for them. If you’re a fast reader, one who can knock out a novel in a few hours, spending 10-20 hours on a single book can feel like some kind of sick joke. What d’you mean… I…
6 books to read if you love Gillian Flynn’s psychological thrillers
I love Gillian Flynn! Doesn’t everyone love Gillian Flynn? (Real answer: No. My mum does not love Gillian Flynn. I recommended Gone Girl to my mum and she now refers to it as “that weird book you made me read”. Sad times.) However, for everyone – my mum excepted –…