Ducie’s Diary: November 2021
Don’t look now, but I’m actually posting this on the right day, the last Monday of the month. I’m finally back on track, after two months of only just making…
Elizabeth Chats With…Marcia Clayton
I was introduced to this month’s guest a couple of years ago when she was just beginning her journey towards independent publishing. I watched with delight as she mastered all…
Ducie’s Diary: October 2021
For the second month running, I’m posting this late, but have just made it before the month end. (I was thinking of posting it in the early hours of next…
Elizabeth’s Chatting With…Stephen Male
My guest this month is a Swanwicker and fellow member of Chudleigh Writers’ Circle. He is interested in the fundamentals of what we humans are. Do we have souls or…
Ducie’s Diary: September 2021
This post is coming out a couple of days late, but I wanted to make sure it appeared in late September, rather than slipping into October. It’s been a busy…
Elizabeth’s Chatting With…Paul K Joyce
My guest this month is multi-talented. I met him when he joined Chudleigh Writers’ Circle and we were all thrilled when he published his first novel, The Will of the…
Ducie’s Diary: August 2021
I’m writing this on August Bank Holiday Monday, the last official holiday in the UK until Christmas. At 6.30 this morning, we watched the sun rise over the sea at…
Elizabeth’s Chatting With…Suzanne McConaghy
I first met this month’s guest when she attended Chudleigh Literary Festival back in 2018. We were running a competition, a kind of Chudleigh Dragon’s Den, for the first page…
Katherine’s In The Garden This Year
Today’s Virtual Swanwicker is Katherine Bolton, former Vice Chairman and events organiser, well-known to regulars for her meditation sessions by the lake each morning. To me, she’s simply my friend…
Cheryl’s In The Garden This Year
Todays’ visitor is Cheryl Holland, one of the School’s IT team, who usually spends the week tweeting about what’s going on in The Hayes. This week, she’s making use of…
Zana’s In The Garden This Year
Today’s guest on the Virtual Swanwick blog will be a familiar face to all Swanwickers. Zana Lamont, together with her husband John, has acted as host for guest speakers for…
Mark’s In The Garden This Year
Today we’re meeting someone who has a greater claim to being close to the Summer School than anyone else. Mark Dakin was brought up in Swanwick and returns at different…
Geoff’s In The Garden This Year
In this first of this year’s In The Garden interviews, I’m talking to Geoff Parkes, who will be known by many Swanwickers for his enthusiastic involvement in Page to Stage…
Who’s In The Garden This Year?
It’s the start of the second week in August, and time for an important annual event. And no, I don’t mean the Perseid meteor shower, although that often features in…
Val’s New Police Procedural
This week, I am delighted to hand my blog over to fellow author, Swanwicker and friend, Val Penny, as she prepares to launch the first in a brand new series…
Elizabeth Chats With…Maureen Boon
My guest this month is a fellow member of Chudleigh Writers’ Circle. She retired as Headteacher of Vranch House, an independent school for children with physical disabilities in Exeter, having…
Ducie’s Diary: June 2021
It’s become a bit of a habit to open these posts with a comment on the weather. How very British of me! In April, I complained about how cold it…
A Passion For Audio Books
Today’s blog post is a little different from my usual interviews. I’m handing over to fellow Chudleigh Writers Circle member, Celia Moore, who is going to talks about her love…
Ducie’s Diary: May 2021
What a difference a month makes. In April’s diary, I was talking about spending Easter with friends in the garden wrapped in blankets and cuddling a hot water bottle. For…
A Rose For Every Sense…
This time last month, we came to the end of my gastronomic tour around the world. If you missed it, you can find the start of the tour here. Today,…
Elizabeth Chats With…Margaret Barnes
Today, I’m welcoming an old friend back to the blog. Margaret Barnes and I have been writing buddies for years. We both started writing fiction after retiring from professions where…
Ducie’s Diary: April 2021
As predicted in last month’s diary, the Easter weekend saw us taking tea (and other beverages) with lots of friends in the garden. Our brand-new gazebo wasn’t needed, as the…
Eating My Way Round The World: Oysters in Paris
Today, we reach the final stage on my gastronomic trip around the world, looking back on some of the more memorable meals I’ve eaten during my travels. We started by…
Elizabeth Chats With…Sally Jenkins
My guest this month is an author and speaker. She has written two psychological thrillers, many short stories and articles plus non-fiction books on public speaking and self-publishing. I met…
My Working World: O is for…
It’s time for another in the occasional series looking at places I’ve worked around the world. We’ve covered the first half of the alphabet in the past couple of years…
Ducie’s Diary: March 2021
In the introduction to last month’s blog, I suggested winter was on the wain. Last week we passed the Spring Equinox; and last night we moved into British Summer Time…
Reflecting On A Year In A Bubble
When Boris Johnson announced a National Lockdown on 23rd March 2020, most people thought it would all be over in about three weeks. And many complained that three weeks was…
Eating My Way Round The World: Barbecue In Brazil
Today, we have another of my themed posts. As food has always been one of my favourite subjects, we’re taking a gastronomic trip around the world, looking back on some…
Elizabeth Chats With…Patricia M Osborne
My guest this month is friend and fellow-Swanwicker, Patricia M Osborne. Born in Liverpool but now living in West Sussex, she is married with grown-up children and grandchildren.. In 2019…
My Working World: N is for…
It’s time for another in the occasional series looking at places I’ve worked around the world. We’ve covered the first half of the alphabet in the past couple of years…
Ducie’s Diary: February 2021
As I sit writing this, I can see out of the corner of my eye custard coloured daffodils, tiny narcissi with trumpets of orange, pale yellow and purple crocuses and…
Eating My Way Round The World: Watching Sports in USA
Today, I’m returning to my latest series of themed posts. As food has always been one of my favourite subjects, we’re taking a gastronomic trip around the world, looking back…
Elizabeth Chats With…Allison Symes
Today’s guest is a fellow Swanwicker. She is a writer of short stories (including flash fiction), novels and some poetry; and she loves writing what she calls fairytales with bite….
My Working World: M is for…
Looking back through my blog, I am surprised to find it is eleven months since I last wrote one of these pieces about My Working World. But there’s been a…
Ducie’s Diary: January 2021
We may be almost at the end of January, but hopefully it’s not too late to wish you all a very Happy New Year. It’s been while since I’ve written…
Eating My Way Round The World: Georgian Tables
Today, I’m returning to my latest series of themed posts. As food has always been one of my favourite subjects, we’re taking a gastronomic trip around the world, looking back…
Elizabeth Chats With…Jo Barton
My guest this month is someone of great importance to writers everywhere: a book blogger. Those wonderful people who agree to read our books, talk about them, review them, recommend…
A Game of Three Halves
For the past few years, my first post each January has been a review of the previous year’s writerly achievements followed by my plans for the coming twelve months. I’ve…
Taking A Break
I’m taking a short break from blogging. I will be back in the new year.
Blog Tour: Gilding The Lily by Justine John
Today, I am delighted to be hosting Justine John on the latest leg of her blog tour to celebrate her psychological thriller, Gilding The Lily. My thanks to Kelly of…
It’s Been A Strange Kind of Year…
I’ve always been a planner. Every year, I set up a list of writing objectives to be completed over the coming twelve months. From this, I produce monthly plans, which…
Elizabeth Chats With…Kimwei
This month’s guest is a singer-songwriter; spoken word artist; music tutor; and the current Grand Bard of Exeter. When you become Bard you take an oath, a commitment to the…
Eating My Way Round The World: Barbecue in a Cave
Today, I’m returning to my latest series of themed posts. As food has always been one of my favourite subjects, we’re taking a gastronomic trip around the world, looking back…
Ducie’s Diary: July 2020
It’s hard to believe we are already into the second half of the year. One minute we were in mid-March, waiting for spring to begin, and suddenly we’re already well…
Blog Tour: Temple of Dreams by Carolyn Mathews
Today, I am delighted to be hosting Carolyn Mathews on the latest leg of her blog tour to celebrate her time-slip novel, Temple of Dreams. My thanks to Kelly of…
Blog Tour: Let’s Get Published by Val Penny
Today, I am delighted to be hosting Val Penny on the latest leg of her blog tour to celebrate the launch of her fabulous guide for newbie writers, Let’s Get…
Blog Tour: Whatever It Takes by Tadhg Coakley
Today, I am delighted to be hosting Tadhg Coakley on the latest leg of his blog tour to celebrate the launch of his great new thriller Whatever It Takes. My thanks…
Eating My Way Round The World: Wedding in St Petersburg
Before we were so rudely interrupted by Covid-19, I began a new series of themed posts. We’re taking a break from my usual ‘seven decades of’ pieces and going for…
Independent Publishing Webinar
Join me for a free webinar on Saturday 20th June at 3pm BST when we will review the key decisions you need to take to prepare for a successful indie…
Elizabeth Chats With…Joy Wood
I first met this month’s guest when she arrived at the Book Room with copies of her novels at the start of the annual Writers’ Summer School at Swanwick a…
Ducie’s Diary: June 2020
Just over two months ago, I had everything mapped out for spring and early summer. I was due to have knee surgery on 26th March, so my physical movement was…
Change of Plan…
Anyone who knows me will attest to the fact I am an inveterate planner. I have lists; lists of lists; and spreadsheets about lists of lists. And one of the…
Eating My Way Round The World: Christmas in Jordan
As we start a new monthly series of themed posts, I thought we’d take a break from my usual ‘seven decades of’ pieces and go for something a little different….
Elizabeth Chats With…Daniela Norris
My guest this month is a former diplomat and political writer, turned inspirational author and speaker. She is a Goodwill Ambassador for the UK charity Children of Peace and the recipient…
My Working World: L is for…
It’s the first Monday of March, it’s time for another in the series of My Working World and today we’ve reached L. If you want to read any of the…
Ducie’s Diary: February
I know February is the shortest month, but it’s only by a day or two, especially this year, so why does it only seem about two weeks since I was…
Television Tales: 2010s
This week we conclude my meander around television through the decades. Television, that cultural icon sitting in the corner of most people’s lounges, which has been blamed for all sorts…
Elizabeth Chats With…Shoshi Herscu
While most of my interviewees are friends, colleagues or fellow writers I have met in the flesh as well as online, occasionally I post a call for expressions of interest…
My Working World: K is for…
It’s the first Monday of February, it’s time for another in the series of My Working World and today we’ve reached K. If you want to read any of the…
Ducie’s Diary: January
Regular readers of my blog will know I tend to use a loose monthly pattern for my posts. The first Monday is usually My Working World, a travel/geography piece, based…
Television Tales: 2000s
This week we are continuing my meander around television through the decades. Television, that cultural icon sitting in the corner of most people’s lounges, which has been blamed for all…
Elizabeth Chats With…Verran Townsend
Verran Townsend is an author, a potter and a mountain walker, whom I met via Rowcroft Hospice, Torquay. I had just published Chasing Unicorns, an anthology, written by a group…
An Ever-Growing Glass?
This time last year, having, in true politician style, converted the rather lack-lustre results for my 2018 objectives into an apparently sparkling set of achievements in a packed schedule, I…
Signing Off for 2019…
Dear All. I’m going offline for the holidays. Have a great time, whatever your beliefs and whatever your plans. I will be back, with lots of new ideas, early next…
Television Tales: 1990s
This week we are continuing my meander around television through the decades. Television, that cultural icon sitting in the corner of most people’s lounges, which has been blamed for all…
Elizabeth Chats With…Natalie Trice
Natalie Trice is a powerhouse in the PR world. After teaching English in Japan, she forged a successful PR career in London working on local, regional, UK, and international levels. From…
My Working World: J is for…
It’s the first Monday of December, so it’s time for another in the series of My Working World and today we have reached J. If you want to read any…
Christmas Specials…
The perfect present for the readers in your life. Buy direct from me and solve all those gift problems in one go. Get any one of the Suzanne Jones thrillers…
Writerly Round-Up: November 2019
Such a wet month, November! On Saturday 24th November 2012, the stream next to our house broke its banks and our basement level lounge and kitchen were put out of…
Television Tales: 1980s
This week we are continuing my meander around television through the decades. Television, that cultural icon sitting in the corner of most people’s lounges, which has been blamed for all…
My Working World: I is for…
It’s been a while since I’ve posted one of these alphabetical pieces, due to a whole raft of busy Mondays. But now the series is back and we’ve reached the…
Writerly Round-Up: October 2019
I know it’s a factor of age, but time really does seem to flow faster these days than it used to. It seems like to time at all since I…
Television Tales: 1970s
This week we are continuing my meander around television through the decades. Television, that cultural icon sitting in the corner of most people’s lounges, which has been blamed for all…
Elizabeth Chats With…Nicola May
Nicola May is the author of ten romantic comedy novels, all of which have appeared in the Kindle bestseller charts. Her novels Christmas Spirit and The School Gates won Best…
Writerly Round-Up: September 2019
I’m sure it’s no coincidence that September, just nine months after Christmas and New Year, is a packed month for birthdays. So many of my friends have been celebrating this…
Television Tales: 1960s
This week we are continuing my meander around television through the decades. Television, that cultural icon sitting in the corner of most people’s lounges, which has been blamed for all sorts…
Family learning, The People’s Book Prize and The String Games
Today, I’m taking a back seat and handing my blog over to friend and Dorset-based author, Gail Aldwin. I first met Gail in 2018 when she pitched her debut novel,…
Writerly Round-Up: August 2019
As we reach the final day of the hottest August Bank Holiday since records began (at least here in UK), I’m writing this while waiting for the sun to break…
Television Tales: 1950s
Today I am starting another of my series of meanders down memory lane, examining some of the cultural references that resonate with me, and hopefully with you too. So far…
Saying Goodbye To The Garden
Friday already and at the Hayes Conference Centre, Actual Swanwickers are putting the final touches to their packing, while elsewhere, members of Virtual Swanwick are putting away the garden chairs….
Who’s In The Garden On Thursday?
As we approach the end of our Virtual Swanwick, tour, we are back in the Midlands. Today’s guest lives in Northamptonshire. Although she’s a bit of a globetrotter too. As…
Who’s In The Garden On Wednesday?
Today’s journey is just a tiny one across the Tamar into Cornwall to visit a most prolific writer of short stories. We first met at another writing conference, which shall…
Who’s In The Garden On Tuesday?
Today, we’re heading to my home county of Devon; to Plymouth, home of the Hoe, where Sir Francis Drake allegedly played bowls, and also to our latest guest on the…
Who’s In The Garden On Monday?
Today our tour takes us across the water to our European neighbour, France, and to the new home of my erstwhile fancy-dress buddy. She’s taken some huge steps recently, as…
Who’s In The Garden On Sunday?
As the first day of courses gets underway at The Hayes, our tour heads southwards towards East Sussex and the home of a long-timer Swanwicker. She was my ‘Eagle-Eye’ proofreader…
Who’s Also In The Garden On Saturday?
Next on our tour of Virtual Swanwickers, we are dropping in on the writer who has shaped this week’s programme for VS and made it the best so far. She…
Who’s In The Garden on Saturday?
It’s the second Saturday in August! Hundreds of writers are converging on a small town in Derbyshire. It’s time for the annual Writers’ Summer School known familiarly as ‘Swanwick’. And…
Elizabeth Chats With…Anne Cater
I first came across this week’s guest through her wonderful Facebook group, Book Connectors. Currently composed of nearly 5000 members, it’s a place where authors and bloggers can connect, and talk…
Writerly Round-Up: July 2019
The end of July already! And it’s been a busy, fun-filled month in our household. We celebrated our forty-second wedding anniversary with a quiet supper at home, musing on whether…
Movie Moments: 2010s
This week we have the final instalment of my latest meander across the decades. In Movie Moments, we’re looking at what was topping the charts at the box office, some…
Elizabeth Chats With…Jonathan Higgs
I first met this month’s guest back in 2013, when he first ventured into the ‘surreal and alternative world’ – his words, not mine – that is the Writers’ Summer…
Busy, Busy, Busy…
It’s the second Monday of the month, which is always interview day. Except, this month, it isn’t. There are five Monday in July, which doesn’t fit too well with a…
My Working World: H is for…
It’s on days like today I realise how big the world is, how long the alphabet is – and how little I’ve seen of either, despite travelling on business for…
Writerly Round-Up: June 2019
Here we are, nearing the end of June; and although it only seems like yesterday when we were all stuffing ourselves with chocolates in front of the Christmas tree –…
Movie Moments: 2000s
This week we have another instalment of my latest meander across the decades. In Movie Moments, we’re looking at what was topping the charts at the box office, some of…
Elizabeth Chats With…Maria Hennings Hunt
Regular readers of my blog will already know how important the annual Writers’ Summer School in Swanwick is to me. And over the past few months, I have been featuring…
Writerly Round-up: May 2019
May is one of my favourite months. It’s when my garden puts away its winter garb and starts dressing for summer. Looking through the office doors as I type, I…
Movie Moments: 1990s
This week we have another instalment of my latest meander across the decades. In Movie Moments, we’re looking at what was topping the charts at the box office, some of…
Elizabeth Chats With…Lance Greenfield
The life of this month’s guest spans the Royal Navy; a spell as a dairyman in the Highlands of Scotland; many years in military survey in the British Army; and…
My Working World: G is for…
After a couple of rather dry months, it looks like my luck is changing. There are eleven countries in the world beginning with G, and I’ve visited four of them,…
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