the writer is a lonely hunter

writing by Gail Aldwin and other authors

The Blue of You by Amanda Huggins

I was delighted to receive a review copy of The Blue of You, the latest work by talented author Amanda Huggins, published by Northodox Press. The novella is a joy to read, and I thoroughly recommend it to you. Here’s my five-star review:

The setting of a village on the NE coast of England in The Blue of You is integral to the story where some members of the close-knit community hold secrets and others break them. The novella works as a mystery where I found myself wondering which characters were trustworthy. Layers of narrative reveal Janey Shaw’s personal history as she becomes empowered to address issues of unresolved grief. The writing is immersive and rich with symbolism. This is another triumph for the author who has a strong track record of producing high quality writing. 

The novella is available to pre-order (publication date is 23 October) from the publisher or through a range of bookshops including T G Jones, The Portobello Bookshop and Waterstones Bookshop.

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Is AI such a bad thing?

Photo: Steve Johnson, Unsplash

AI systems are trained on existing written material and therefore authors are anxious about having the copyright of their work infringed. It’s large corporations that gain most from the introduction of AI and the big profits that can result. Professional writers whose median income fell to £7000 in 2022 are right to be concerned. There are also reports of AI generated stories flooding open submission windows causing more headaches. You can read about the Society of Authors response to AI here. Keeping all this in mind, are there any positives?

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