Ruth’s Blog
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Unbinding from ‘Unbound’, without regret
If you’ve read last week’s post you might not be surprised by my decision to ‘unbind’ from ‘Unbound’. This is not a criticism of them: all the people encountered there were friendly, supportive and helpful. But it does raise a question about the suitability of the...
A writer’s dilemma: what’s the priority?
After my last novel 'Fatal Reckoning' came out in 2016, I promised myself a break. Five books published in five years, and I needed some time out. So six months later I'm looking back and reflecting on what the break has taught me, so far. Firstly, it's clear that I...
The power of the spoken word
First, to pick up on the last blog post, how has it been the past week to be back in a place where I used to do so much work? Actually, despite my fears, it's been great. There are enough people here who still remember me and our time together, and it's been lovely to...
The perils of going back
I'm in Winnipeg, Manitoba, at present, visiting for a few days. Over the past two decades I've been here dozens of times, three times a year for several years, in the fall, the deep winter and the very early spring, working with teachers and school leaders in various...
Talking about the 2001 catastrophe in Cumbria
Does it help to talk about a catastrophe years later? The 2001 foot and mouth outbreak in Cumbria was undoubtedly a catastrophe, and mention of it can still stir a wide range of emotions - sadness, anger, and fear are commonplace among my neighbours and farmers across...
Do readers need a ‘friend’ if the context is complicated?
Three years ago I was in the final stages of writing my third novel 'Fallout', which had as its backdrop the nuclear reactor accident at Windscale in Cumbria in October 1957. Deciding on that context for a story about finding love in later life was a gamble. For a...
What’s the best ‘crowd’ for ‘crowd-funding’?
Having done my deal with Unbound.com to publish my next book 'Burning Secret' - a crime story set during the Cumbria foot and mouth disease crisis in 2001- there's now a link unbound.com/books/burning-secret to the page where the project is explained, illustrated and...
The Unbound project is live!
After a flurry of activity the Unbound project to publish my next book went live on Monday. I've been busy the past few days emailing the link to dozens of people asking for their support. This is the very classy flyer that gives the basic details but there's much...
Almost there…
With only one or two tweaks yet to make, my Unbound project 'Burning Secret' should go live tomorrow, Monday May 8th 2017. Then the fun begins, and readers will hopefully begin to pledge their support. There are some good ideas among the pledges, by the way, and...
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