Emily and her current favourite toy.  Note its missing nose. Emily really hates being the only dog in the house.  We had hoped she would have become used to it by now, following Ygraine's death, but that hasn't happened despite extra cuddles and heaps of new toys.  She was starting to worry us.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with her physical health but she is depressed.  All her life, she's been around other dogs.    So Richard suggested we look around for a rescue dog.  A brief internet search produced a whole army of Staffordshire Terriers, Bulldogs, Mastiffs and similar dogs needing homes, but neither of us like them.  We wanted a small, lively, good-natured dog who would get along well with Emily, plus our cat Jazzy and the chickens.     So Richard and I, and Emily, travelled to the animals sanctuary.  I had spoken to a young woman there via telephone earlier, and she met us in person as soon as we arrived.  She asked if we had young children (no) or planned any (

Australian writer and entertainment agency owner Rebeka Harrington talks about her second vampire novel, Desires Revealed , in this interview with me here . Her novel is set in the 16th Century, and aims to redefine vampire fiction.   

In 2004, Geoff Wakeling quit his job as an administrator to head to Ecuador and conduct conservation work in a newly established nature reserve. He returned home to start a thriving gardening business. In 2008, he increased his gardening business by becoming a garden expert and copywriter, appearing on shows such as This Morning, Sky’s Rooftop Rainforest and Horticultural Channel. He set up the Gay Gardening Blog. His copywriting duties increased over the years, and Geoff now writes on a range of subjects including insurance, social media, men’s health and gardening. He also writes novels... Read his interview with me here on Hubpages.   

Charles Martin's debut novel, Mythical , is now available as an ebook. The first of a trilogy, this book brings us the story of an eighteen year old girl whose discovery of a corpse in the Arizona desert introduces her to the dangerous world of shapeshifters. Charles consented to be interviewed by me, and you can read the results on Hubpages here .   

Get ready for some great ebook bargains! All through July, the first novel in my Artisan-Sorcerer series, Tamsin will be at 50% its usual cost. Many other ebook titles will be at 25% their usual cost, while Spanish Jones and The Karens will be entirely FREE! All you have to do is visit Smashwords  then make your choice. A wide variety of ereader formats are available, and if you don't have an ereader you can download a free one from Adobe or Amazon, or download an HTML file which you can read on your usual computer. And when you've done that and read your heart out, how about writing a few reviews on Smashwords, or on your blog or forum - or will you take part in this forthcoming competition? Competition Time! Are you artistic? Create a web banner or some fanart based on the Artisan-Sorcerer series! Entry fee = NONE! Prizes = FREE EBOOK copy of the forthcoming 3rd novel in the Artisan-Sorcerer series,  BETHANY ROSE, for every contributor!  Dea

Here is a preview of the cover for Bethany Rose .  It continues with the visual theme for the other two novels in the Artisan-Sorcerer series, this time using a flower from the Rosa mundi which grows in my garden. The flower was chosen for its symbolism, as with the images on the other book covers. 

The Faerie Pond on Caldy Hill In a recent blog post, Jennifer Rainey  included some photos of the Hocking Hills region in southeast Ohio, where she sets some of her fiction.  As most readers of my blog will already know, my fiction tends to be set locally to me, and one of the locations I use is Caldy Hill.  Why?  Well, it's a beautiful place, it's only a short walk from my home, it's peaceful and ancient, and the air is full of birdsong and the fragrances of heather and broom carried on salty breezes coming off the Dee estuary.  Jays, crows, wood pigeons, turtle doves, goldfinches, bullfinches and owls nest there.  There are rabbits, bats, foxes, lizards, adders and badgers.  There are benches perfect for meditating while gazing along the River Dee, over to Flintshire or out to sea. In my fiction, Caldy Hill is home to the notorious Caldy fae.  If you're expecting sugary-cute, tutu-wearing, small faeries probably clutching a sparkly wand, and who might offer you thr