I may have mentioned this before but I’m not a natural short story writer. I love to read them, and I’m constantly amazed at the skill other authors show, especially with very short fiction.

WriteRight's online magazine, Lothian Life has a regualr feature called Words With...interviewing 'ordinary' people who do extraordinary things.  One such person is Wendy Bough, the force behind the Caledonia Novel Award.

It sounds like a great title for a novel, but it;s far more than that. The Emerald Bookshelf is the pop-up initiative from local writer, traveller and mum, Sandy Bennett-Haber.

It's a few months now since I've mentioned Bhola's Children, my home from home in Bangladesh.  I'm always keen to remind myself that this is really where my writing 'career' really took off. Eight years since it was published I still look at A Blonde Bengali Wife in surprise and have to remind myself I actually wrote a whole book,  and  most importantly, that it started the story of  Bhola's Chiildren.

Imagine examining a new-born baby. You take a long, long look, flick your eyes to the adoring, but probably nervous, mum or dad, pick up their bundle of joy, and say, 'You've a fine, healthy baby here, and it's going to grow up into something special, something you can be proud of, but at this minute...well, it is a bit funny looking.'