The Literary Sofa
Sex in fiction
February 2022 Round-up
Due to my lack of activity on the blog lately – you know there’s too much going on when you’re posting your February content in March – I decided to throw together a quick round-up of recent reading while on a trip to Paris. Voilà the intro. Voici the books! A Very Nice Girl – … Continue reading
Guest Author – Catherine McNamara on Writing about Sex and Desire
Back to my Summer Reads and I’m declaring this week’s post a Special Edition, partly because it’s a change from the normal format but mostly because I am so thrilled to be hosting the talented and lovely Catherine McNamara, whose second solo short story collection The Cartography of Others was recently crowdfunded by many and … Continue reading
What the French taught me about sex (and writing it)
It’s nearly a week since my debut novel Paris Mon Amour came out and I’ll be writing about that incredible experience very soon… But in the meantime – and because I was way too busy to post this week – here are some of the pieces I’ve written elsewhere to coincide with the release. Given the longevity and popularity … Continue reading
Book Review – Maestra by L S Hilton
Wondering what to read on holiday? Check out my Summer Reads 2016. This time I didn’t wait for a hundred people to ask if I’d read the latest publishing sensation, Maestra, by L S Hilton. The level of hype surrounding this book, the first in a trilogy, is something I generally find extremely off-putting. Due … Continue reading
The Deal – Paris Mon Amour, 13 June 2016
As a novelist it’s not surprising that I have a vivid imagination. I also have a handy ability to visualise success even when it is nowhere in sight. So along with the dress I designed years ago in my head for my fantasy book launch, I have often imagined penning this post to share news of … Continue reading
Writers on Location – Jill Alexander Essbaum on Zürich
Hausfrau is the first novel by acclaimed American poet Jill Alexander Essbaum and I was fortunate enough to read it six months ago, knowing only that its UK publishers at Mantel were very excited about it. As anyone who runs a literary blog knows, it’s a publisher’s job to be excited about the titles they release – … Continue reading
Sex Scenes in Fiction
2021 UPDATE: Since writing this post many years ago I have had two novels published which include plenty of sex scenes, including same-sex in my new novel Scent. This is the 100th post on the Literary Sofa and the subject of sex hasn’t come up much beyond the occasional mention in a review. Last week’s piece on … Continue reading
My new novel SCENT – out in paperback on 19 May 2022
The Literary Sofa 