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.   In this episode I meet Eileen Forrestal, a retired anaesthetist who worked as a doctor for 32 years, took over a publishing company, began publishing a series of award-winning diaries and journals and has now written her memoir, “The Courage to Shine”. As you’ll hear during our interview, as a child Eileen had a stammer that made her afraid to speak for years, but she now works as a speaker, mentor and coach, as well as writing and publishing.  During our conversation, we discuss the power of saying yes, overcoming fear, being open to opportunities and using coaches and mentors to help you write your memoir. Eileen’s positivity is infectious and it was a joy to chat with her. I hope you enjoy listening too! More About Eileen Forrestal Eileen Forrestal (MB BCh BaO FFARCSI), a retired doctor after 32 y

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.     In this episode I meet Mose J Gingerich, a murder mystery author and former reality TV star who spent the first 23 years of his life in the Amish community. I had an absolutely fascinating conversation with Mose, who not only shed light on being an author but also on his time in the Amish, his reasons for leaving and the harsh truth about the world of reality TV.  We also talk about agents and publishers, Mose explains why recording his own audio books was more challenging than he expected, and we discuss the ‘golden hour’ for writing.  More About Mose J Gingerich  Mose J Gingerich was born and raised in the Old Order Amish community of Greenwood, Wisconsin. During his 22 years among the Amish, Mose lived in over a dozen Amish communities, teaching school in several of them. Mose is best known for h

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.   In this episode I meet Linda Jämsén, author of Odyssey of Love: A Memoir of Seeking and Finding, which was published in June 2021. Linda is an American ex-pat living in Helsinki and her book tells the true story of how she moved across the world to find love after a psychic told her to travel to Europe to find a tall man wearing glasses!  Linda never intended to write a book and she explains how it grew organically from personal writing she did as therapy after the death of her father. We also talk about being authentic, writing at your own pace, and using editors and beta readers to make your book as good as it can be. More About Linda Jämsén  Linda Jämsén is an American ex-pat writer-musician living in Helsinki. She grew up in New York, holding a book in one hand while exploring the piano keybo

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.   In this episode I meet British sci-fi author Sean Armstrong. Sean publishes under the penname STL Armstrong and his first book, “The Green Girl and the Serum”, is the first in a series of six YA science fiction novels. Sean has mild cerebral palsy and learning difficulties but it hasn't had any bearing on his ability as a writer and he is proof that anyone can achieve their dreams when they put their mind to it! We talk about the books, films and video games that gave Sean the inspiration for his series of superhero novels. Sean also tells me about the ease of self-publishing with Amazon KDP Print and the sense of achievement he feels about becoming an author.   More About Sean Armstrong Sean Armstrong is a 36-year-old disabled author who started working on the “Green Girl” series of YA science ficti

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.   In this episode I meet Beth Hildenbrand, a mother, grandmother, home educator and author living in Pennsylvania, USA. Beth is the author of “Cain the Heretic Son” and “Heretic Faith”, the first two books in a dark horror fantasy trilogy. She’s also a poet with two books of her work published, and she runs her own community for authors, Buy The Author (such a clever name!).  We talk about argumentative characters, writing as therapy and the importance of being part of a writing community. Beth also explains why she returned to self-publishing after a period with a traditional publisher, and you’ll learn that it’s never too late to follow your dreams, no matter who you are. More About Beth Hildenbrand  Beth Hildenbrand is the author of the Cain series. She lives in Ephrata, Pennsylvania with her fa

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 Jim James, an entrepreneur who started his first company in Singapore at the age of 28 and has since opened offices in China, India and the UK. He’s now back living in the UK where he hosts “The UnNoticed Show,” a public relations podcast for entrepreneurs. From the interviews he conducts for his podcast, he found the content for his first book, “The UnNoticed Entrepreneur”.  Jim is a mine of information on technology to help entrepreneurs and he shares with me some really useful tech tools for authors. We also talk about entering book awards, creating merchandise and reader avatars, and Jim explains why writing a book is like running a marathon.     More About Jim James Jim has built businesses from a suitcase on 3 continents over 25 years, all using public relations. His first br

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 can offer other aspiring writers.   My guest today is Lawrence Bradby, a British author living in Portugal who I first met when we were both paddle boarding on the Rio Alva last summer! Lawrence has collaborated on two very unusual books: The Day of the Duck, with artist Helen Stratford, and How to Play with MK, which Lawrence wrote jointly with his wife and children during a two-year residency as artist family in residence in the UK city of Milton Keynes.  We talk about taking time out to find creative inspiration, turning real life projects into fictional works, and book launch events. Lawrence also talks about his experience of working directly with printers, we discuss joining a writers’ group versus having a trusted circle of supporters and we even touch on duck rights!    More About Lawrence Bradby Between 2003 and 2019 Lawrence Bra

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.   Today I have a chat with Alanna Irving, a British author currently living in Barcelona. While Alanna has been writing all her life, her first published novel “Abolish the Rose” is out on 10th April 2022 through Atmosphere Press.  Atmosphere Press specialise in partnership publishing and in the podcast we talk about why Alanna chose that method over self-publishing. We also discuss how social media and blog tours can be used to promote books, and Alanna explains her reasons for writing.     More About Alanna Irving  Alanna (rhymes with Hannah) was born and raised in Nottingham, England. She holds a Bachelor degree in Classics and a Masters in International Relations, and currently lives, works and salsa-dances in Barcelona. Her first published novel “Abolish the Rose” is out April 10th 2022.     “Aboli

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.    Today there’s a welcome return for 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.  We talk a lot about marketing in this episode, and Bobby has some great advice on how to promote your books through local media, cafes and conventions. We also talk about pre-promotion and selling without selling, and have a great chat about visiting real life locations to get inspiration for your novel.  More About Bobby Nash  Bobby Nash is not a man of action, a detective, or a hero, but he loves writing about characters who embody all those traits and more. Bobby is an award-winning

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.   Today we are travelling to sunny California to meet best friends Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren. The duo met at an online writing workshop, became best friends, wrote a rom com together on the writing website WattPad and have now co-authored and published their first book together, the Young Adult novel “Horror Hotel”.  Our conversation includes the pros and cons of a publishing contract, using pen names and their ambitions to become rock star authors. We also talk about how they write in partnership and they have some great tips to help you get past the blank page.  More About Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren  Victoria Fulton and Faith McClaren are an award-winning co-author duo who write edgy rom-coms and frightening horror with plenty of smooching, friendship and movie references. Original

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.   I am so thrilled that this podcast seems to have gone international! Two weeks ago my guest was in Scotland, last week they were in the US of A and today we are heading to Vancouver, Canada! Because my guest today is John Leister, who has more than fifty books to his name, including the “Lee Hacklyn, Private Investigator” series, the “Urban Tiger” series and two standalone novels.  Our conversation covers more topics than I have space to mention here, but to give you a flavour, we discuss, being fearless, originality - or a lack of it, genre mashups, KDP Print vs Draft2Digital, self-acceptance, superheroes, following your bliss and taking a leap of faith.  As you can tell, the conversation takes some interesting turns – it includes mentions of death, suicidal thoughts and religion, so if any of those

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 Anntricia Bray Smith, a professional mentor, speaker, entrepreneur and author. Anntricia has several books to her name including “Recreating A Better Me”, “Struggling to Forgive” and “Financial Education Simplified”.  During our conversation we discuss legacies and how writing a book is a continuation of the age-old tradition of stories being passed on from generation to generation. We also explore what writing teaches us about ourselves, why everyone should write a book, and why we think every writer should have an Alison or an Anntricia in their life!  More About Anntricia Bray Smith  Anntricia Bray Smith is a professional mentor, speaker, and author. She has self-published numerous books including “Recreating A Better Me”, “Struggling to Forgive” and “Financial Education Simplifi

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 James Jenkins, a Suffolk-based writer of gritty noir fiction. James has had over a dozen short stories published in magazines, collections and anthologies and has now secured a publishing contract for his first novel, Parochial Pigs, which came out in January 2022.  During our conversation James explains how he went about finding a publisher and we discuss why short stories are a great place for any author to start. We also talk about the importance of beta readers and how throwaway comments can change the whole course of your life…  More About James Jenkins  James Jenkins is a Suffolk-based writer of gritty noir fiction. He has work published or forthcoming in Bristol Noir, Punch-Riot Mag, Bullshit Lit, A Thin Slice of Anxiety and Punk Noir Magazine. One of his short stories appears

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 Kath Parrington, who combined a corporate career in finance with a lifelong love of words to write her first book. “The REAL Business Plan” is a simple, no nonsense guide to writing a business plan that takes out all the angst and complication and makes it a straightforward process.  During our conversation we talk about the process of turning a process into a book, owning your expert status and using networking as a marketing tool. Kath also tells me about some of the problems she encountered using Amazon’s publishing service.  More About Kath Parrington Kath Parrington is a natural-born planner. Planning is in her DNA. Entering the corporate world at the age of 22 she planned to have made her exit before turning 50. She achieved it aged 47. Through big business, she learned a lot

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 Teri M Brown, a business content writer and author who was born in Greece but now  lives in North Carolina. Teri has been writing since childhood and turned her hobby into a career, but the stories inside her have always wanted to be told, and she is now just about to publish her first novel, “Sunflowers Beneath the Snow”.  During our conversation we talk about why authors need thick skins, dreaming big and book marketing, and Teri explains how her writing process is ‘story first, detail later’.  More About Teri M Brown Born in Athens, Greece as an Air Force brat, Teri M Brown came into this world with an imagination full of stories to tell. She now calls the North Carolina coast home, and the peaceful nature of the sea has been a great source of inspiration for her creativity. No

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 Andrew Culture, an author, podcaster and musician. As well as having several collections of short stories to his name, Andrew is also the author of a romantic novel, “Getting It”, and is currently writing his second full novel, which he is pre-publishing in a very unusual way.  During our conversation we talk about how romantic fiction works despite being formulaic, namecheck several authors including Chaucer, Kerouac, Wodehouse and Katie Fforde, and find out what Andrew was doing at Barack Obama’s first presidential inauguration. We also discuss publishers, Kindle marketing tools, the DNA of writing and much more.  More About Andrew Culture Writer, musician and podcaster with a taste for fun, a passion for life and a soft spot for anarchy. Links:  andrewculture.com "Getting It"

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 Karen Williams, a coach, speaker and the book mentor at Librotas, who has worked with hundreds of people to help them share their stories. Karen is also the author of eight books to date, including “Book Marketing Made Simple”, “Your Book is the Hook”, and her autobiography “The Mouse That Roars”.  During our conversation we talk about why setting goals and planning content is the most important part of writing a book. We also discuss self-publishing options and using books as business tools, and Karen gives an insight into how audiobooks work.  More About Karen Williams Karen Williams is The Book Mentor at Librotas. Having started out in business in 2006, and writing her first book in 2009, she knows the difference that writing a book can make to your business when done well. Sh

The podcast is taking a short break over the Christmas period because I'm sure you've got better things to do! But we'll be back on Thurs 6th Jan 2022 with a new episode. Have a fabulous time!

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 Ian Peterman, founder and CEO of the Peterman Design Firm. Ian has over 15 years of experience in designing, developing and launching products in many sectors and he has developed what he calls Conscious Design, an approach to design that improves and enriches other classic design methods. His book “Conscious Design” was published in October 2021.  During our conversation I find out how the starting point for Ian’s book was an infographic. We also talk about tribal knowledge, the joys of editing and formatting, and the steps required to make a good cuppa! More About Ian Peterman Ian Peterman is the founder and CEO of the Peterman Design Firm. His career has led him to develop a wide range of products, from lasers at nLight Photonics to speakers at Barefoot Sound to printers at HP. H

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 Helen Dewdney, better known as The Complaining Cow. Helen is a consumer champion, journalist, blogger, consultant and best-selling author, with her books How to Complain: The Essential Consumer Guide to Getting Refunds, Redress and Results! and 101 Habits of an Effective Complainer. Helen is a regular on TV and radio and all over the printed media, so it’s a real privilege to chat with her for my podcast.  During our conversation we talk about promoting your book, the importance of reviews, and using books as marketing tools, and Helen also tells me how she may never have become a best-selling author if it wasn’t for one Jeremy Clarkson … you’ll have to listen to find out why! More About Helen Dewdney Helen Dewdney is The Complaining Cow. She is a consumer champion, journalist, blog