Alison Thompson's posts

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.    My guest today is Christine Hancock, a historical novelist and author of The Byrhtnoth Chronicles, a series of books set in tenth century England. Christine wrote her first book, Bright Sword, by accident – listen to the episode to find out how, and why she’s now on book number five!  We talk about the pros and cons of self-publishing, how real historical figures can become realistic book characters, and why it’s important that writers also read!   More About Christine Hancock Christine Hancock was born in Essex and moved to Rugby, Warwickshire when she married. She has a husband, two sons and two lovely grandchildren. She is a long term family historian and leader of the local history group. Christine had never thought of becoming an author; she just wanted to write about some of he

My guest today is Ellen Watts, an award-winning author, coach, trainer, publisher and expert in cosmic ordering. Ellen is a long time friend and client of mine, and in our chat I found out the story behind how her book Cosmic Ordering Made Easier led to not one but two new businesses.  We also talk about how the fear of writing can lead to procrastination and Ellen has some great ideas on how to overcome it.  More About Ellen Watts   Ellen Watts is an award-winning coach, trainer, speaker and author. She’s also an expert in cosmic ordering and the author of Cosmic Ordering Made Easier. In her book she describes how she uses cosmic ordering to magically transform her own life and business and it has helped thousands of people around the world.    Since 1996, Ellen has personally trained and coached thousands of individuals and businesses in the UK and around the globe to get more of what they want, more often, in their personal lives, at work and in business in a calm and confident way, with ease and wit

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspires them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.     My guest today is Bobby Nash, an award-winning author of novels, comic books, short stories, screenplays, and more across a range of genres including crime, action and thrillers. Bobby has over 150 writing credits to his name, and he provides a fascinating insight into the life of a full-time writer.  In our conversation Bobby talks about the perks of writing crime novels and how to let your characters lead the story. He also explains how he juggles several writing projects at once, and talks about collaborating with other authors. More About Bobby Nash Bobby Nash is not a man of action, a detective, or a hero, but he loves writing about characters who are all those things and more. Bobby is an award-winning author of novels, comic books, short stories, screenplays, and more. He is a member of the

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.   My guest today is Nicola Hebron, author of the Wiccan Romance series of books, which follows the adventures of quads Amelia, Sam, Ben and Charlie who, on their 17th birthday, discover they have magical powers.    In our conversation Nicola talks about method writing, the benefits of self-publishing and how learning about herself through writing gets her through challenging times. She also gives a shout out to the England cricket team … you’ll have to listen to find out why! More About Nicola Hebron   Writing has been calling to me for years. I often worked on stories in my spare time since my school days, where I frequently spent my lunch hour sat in the library scribbling away. The initial premise for my current series came to me as an idea when I was supposed to be writing a history coursework durin

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is Peter Jones - no, not the Dragon, but the author of three novels and five self help books on being happy, finding love and losing weight.    Peter was the first guest when I initially launched my podcast back in 2014 and we catch up on what's he's been up to, the different ways he tackles writing fiction and non-fiction, and why his wall is covered with photos of Hollywood actors! More About Peter Jones Peter Jones started professional life as a particularly rubbish graphic designer, followed by a stint as a mediocre petrol pump attendant. After that he got embroiled in the murky world of credit card banking. Fun times.   Nowadays, Peter spends his days writing, or talking about writing.    He is the author of five popular self-help books on the subjects of happiness, dating and die

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is J.T. Scott. Jenny, AKA The Dragon Lady, is the author of the "Sammy Rambles" series of books about a boy and his dragon. She has also written the popular illustrated series "Bumper and Friends", following the adventures of garden creatures who help each other solve problems.   In our conversation Jenny talks about how, rather than fear of the blank page, she struggles with story overload. She also outlines how she has expanded her profile by creating a range of merchandise related to her book characters, and she encourages authors to think big! More About J.T. Scott aka The Dragon Lady   J.T. Scott, Jenny, is the author of the "Sammy Rambles" series of books about a boy and his dragon. She has also written the popular illustrated series "Bumper and Friends" following the adventures o

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is Lisa Cherry. Lisa's writing journey has taken her from blogging to authoring to becoming an international speaker and trainer specialising in trauma, recovery and resilience for vulnerable children, young people and their families. She is the author of four books, including The Brightness of Stars and her new book Conversations that make a difference for children and young people, which both deal with the experience of children in the care system. In our conversation Lisa talks about using writing as a tool for healing, how identifying the intention behind your book is the key to its success, and why authors need to be courageous. More About Lisa Cherry Lisa Cherry is an author and a leading international trainer and consultant, specialising in assisting those in Education, Social

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is Roger Edwards. Roger is an international speaker and marketing consultant who helps smaller companies to use digital marketing to grow their businesses. His first book, Cats, Mats and Marketing Plans: How to build a simple marketing strategy and avoid complexity as your business grows was published during the 2020 pandemic and does exactly what the subtitle suggests. In our conversation, Roger talks about traditional publishing versus self-publishing, and explains why using dictation tools are a great way for anyone to write a book. More About Roger Edwards Roger Edwards helps companies nail their offer, set their goals and plan their marketing activity in a world where business BS and complexity threaten to stifle success. An experienced marketing professional helping busine

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is Joyanna Lovelock, a lawyer working in legal education who also masquerades under the pen name J.A. Lovelock. Her first book, "Let Me Tell You Something" came out in 2019. In our conversation Joyanna explains how the universe played a part in her writing, tells me about some of the fun things that have happened as a result of publishing her book, and talks about how challenging becoming an author really can be. More About J.A. Lovelock J.A. Lovelock is a barrister-at-law. As an academic lawyer, she has spent a career in legal education which included lecturing, training, and examining. She has a passion for how crime is dealt with within the criminal justice system and has created, produced, and host a podcast in that regard – Behind the Yellow Tape, btytpodcast.com. She is also a

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is Gordon Frederick Coggon, author of The Life of a Yorkshire Lad, which came out in December 2020. Gordon's book is the story of his life, from growing up in a small Yorkshire village to the present day, and includes a detailed account of his time in the RAF on Christmas Island in the 1950s, when he witnessed some of the UK Government's nuclear tests. In our conversation Gordon talks about how boredom led to him writing his life story, why writers need to have thick skins and how he went about completing his memoir at 82 in order to support the work of LABRATS. -- More About Gordon Frederick Coggon Born in 1938 near Doncaster, Gordon Frederick Coggon’s life experiences range from seasickness on a North Sea fishing trawler and building drilling rigs to witnessing the explosion of t

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors. My guest today is Dr Harry Singh, author of five books including two on financial and property  investment for dentists, two on facial aesthetics for practitioners, and a patient's guide to aesthetics. In our conversation Harry talks about how he manages to write each book in just a few weeks, and why his books have become very effective business cards. More About Dr Harry Singh Dr Harry Singh has been carrying out facial aesthetics since 2002 and has treated over 5,000 cases. He is a leading light in the UK facial aesthetics profession. He is a trainer for Medfx and Galderma and on the editorial board of Aesthetic Medicine. He was awarded the Fellowship of The-International-Academy-for-Dental-Facial Aesthetics.    He is not only a skilful facial aesthetician but a keen marketer, which he feels is vi

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.   Today’s guest is Lindsay Woodward. Lindsay writes love stories with a sci-fi or supernatural twist. Her novels all have romance at their heart but with a sprinkling of something weird thrown into the mix. She currently has seven published novels with her eighth book coming out this summer. In our conversation Lindsay gives some useful advice on how to plan novels and talks about how she uses her own life experiences as inspiration for her supernatural love stories. More about Lindsay Woodward   https://www.lindsay-woodward.com/    ---   Conversations with Authors is a Proof Fairy Production and hosted by Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy. To find out more about Alison and the services she offers authors, including proofreading, book formatting and cover design, visit www.theprooffairy.com

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.   In this episode I meet Alan Owen. Alan is the founder of LABRATS and former chair of the British Nuclear Testing Veterans Association. He has written two books on the British nuclear tests of the 1950s under the alias Slaine McRoth – The X, Y and Z Files and Fallout: Living in the Shadow of the Bomb, and is working with several nuclear veterans to help them write and publish their memoirs. He is also the author of Halt 2 Proceed, which offers a simple process to help people through challenging decisions.  In our conversation, we discuss print on demand versus vanity publishing, why you should never make assumptions, and how to use beta readers to ensure your book is as good as it can be.    More about Alan Owen:   LABRATS: https://www.labrats.international  The Halt 2 Proceed book and programme: ht

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.   In this episode I meet A.D. Hyde – Anthony to his friends – who is the author of “The Leukaemia Diaries: Seeing the Funnier Side of Cancer”.  Anthony was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in 2017 and soon realised that all the books he could find on the subject were either hard-reading encyclopaedias or heart-breaking personal stories. Anthony wanted something that was upbeat, informative and inspirational ... so ... after some encouragement ... he decided to write his own book. In our conversation, Anthony explains how he went about finding his voice as a writer and talks about being bitten by the writing bug.    More about A.D. Hyde:   www.adhyde.com Find Anthony’s book on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Leukaemia-Diaries-Seeing-Funnier-Cancer/dp/B08SYTC4FX/ ---   Conversations wi

Welcome to Conversations with Authors, where I – Alison Thompson, AKA The Proof Fairy – meet amazing authors and find out what inspired them to write and what advice they would offer other aspiring authors.   In this episode I meet Faigy Liebermann, author of three books aimed at women with ADHD: “Organise Your Home Like A Pro”, “Own Your ADHD”, and “Banish Your Overwhelm, part one: Declutter Your Life”.    If you’ve ever been terrified by the sight of a blank page, Faigy gives her thoughts on how to overcome that fear and accept that there is no such thing as perfect when it comes to writing.    About Faigy Liebermann   Mother to five children with ADHD and having ADHD herself, Faigy has a unique understanding of the challenges and strengths of ADHD and is proof to ADHD women worldwide that you can live a successful life.    In the last five years Faigy has done more to educate and raise awareness of ADHD in the UK than any other ADHD coach in the country. Faigy has authored three books about ADHD and has mo

After a seven year break, Conversations with Authors is back with a whole new bunch of amazing authors for you to meet!  In every episode of Conversations with Authors, Alison Thompson AKA The Proof Fairy meets a published author to chat about what inspires them to write, how they go about the process and what advice they have for other aspiring authors.  

Susan Hegedus is the author of “Type 2 Diabetes Cookbook For Real Men”. Susan wrote the book after her husband was diagnosed with the condition and it was the result of her experimenting in the kitchen to find diabetic-friendly alternatives to his favourite meals. In our conversation Susan talks about how writing the book has made her something of an expert, and why perseverance is the key skill any aspiring author needs to have. #conversationswithauthors #writing #author #susanhegedus #prooffairy #alisonthompson

In this podcast I talk to Katarina West, a Finnish author now living in rural Tuscany. After a fascinating career that’s included teaching, researching, journalism and a lot of travel, Katarina published her first novel Witchcraft Couture in November 2014. In our conversation she talks about the metaphysical and practical things she’s learnt about writing a book and outlines the three key things an author needs to succeed. #katarinawest #witchcraftcouture #writing #author #writer #conversationswithauthors #prooffairy #alisonthompson

Susan St Maur is what you’d call a prolific writer, with 31 books under her belt. Susan specialises in books about writing but she has also published books on jewellery, wedding planning and horse jokes! In our conversation Suzan talks about the pros and cons of traditional publishing versus self-publishing and she has some great tips on how to create a book from a blog. #suzanstmaur #howtowritebetter #writing #author #writer #conversationswithauthors #prooffairy #alisonthompson

Elizabeth Lee is the author of 'Delicious Dishes For Gluten-Free Vegetarians'. Having had short stories, poems and features published, Elizabeth was inspired to write her cookery book after reading an article in Writing Magazine. In our conversation she talks about using specialist magazines to help you promote your books, and explores why every writer should be part of a writing group. #elizabethlee #author #writing #prooffairy #alisonthompson #conversationswithauthors