Author Archives: hcannam

Endless editing?

Posted on May 3, 2013 by hcannam

Not so long ago there was an interview in a Sunday paper with the crime-writer Ian Rankin. Asked how he knew when he’d got to the end of a novel he was writing, he said, ‘When I get to the … Continue reading →

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Broken NHS? No!

Posted on March 7, 2013 by hcannam

Every day it seems there’s a new story about some appalling scandal in an NHS hospital somewhere in England. Needless deaths, botched surgery, patients treated with the utmost contempt or cruelty, neglect and misery, particularly where elderly patients are concerned. … Continue reading →

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Do we need publishers?

Posted on February 11, 2013 by hcannam

Self-publishing puts the author in the driving seat – so we were told at a very upbeat recent meeting of fellow writers. It’s true too. We writers no longer have to wait for a publisher to consider our books for … Continue reading →

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‘Family Business’ – update: see footnote

Posted on December 6, 2012 by hcannam

I called it ‘contemporary fiction’. The way I saw it, anything happening within my lifetime was contemporary. Historical novels are set in the past, in Victorian times or earlier. Then I came to edit ‘Family Business’ prior to launching it … Continue reading →

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Death and Taxes

Posted on November 27, 2012 by hcannam

Nothing is certain except death and taxes. Well, up to point. Death – yes, it comes to us all, sooner or later. The best we can do is try and put it off as long as possible by eating sensibly, … Continue reading →

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Cover story

Posted on November 14, 2012 by hcannam

‘Never design your own cover.’ That’s the advice all the ‘experts’ give to writers struggling to get their books in the Kindle store. You need a good eye-catching design, so an amateurish job just won’t do. Paying for a design … Continue reading →

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Nature’s revenge!

Posted on October 25, 2012 by hcannam

There’s a ‘retail area’ not far from where we live, which is better than most, in that it is well scattered with young trees. That gives it a human scale, making it feel less like a wasteland than many such … Continue reading →

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Changing world

Posted on October 22, 2012 by hcannam

I’d only ever written historical fiction before. But in 1994 a lot was happening in the Church of England, of which, as a vicar’s daughter, I’ve been an active member nearly all my life. Above all, it was the year … Continue reading →

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I’m History!

Posted on October 18, 2012 by hcannam

Our ten-year-old grandson’s current history topic: 1948-2011 – how did technology change during this period? 1948! That’s my lifetime! All right, I was only four at the start of the period, but I do just about remember that far back. … Continue reading →

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Time to kindle…

Posted on September 17, 2012 by hcannam

Well, I’ve been and gone and done it… Got my latest novel uploaded to the Kindle store, that is, where it is offered at an irresistible (I hope!) introductory price. What’s more, I did it All By Myself. I’d written … Continue reading →

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