Author Archives: James - Page 36
B204 Leadership, Influencing and Change started
B204, my last Open University course for my Business Studies degree officially started on Saturday. It's about Leadership, Influencing and Change. You might have guessed this from the title. B204 Course Materials These have some novel features. B204 is the first OU course where I've had a commercial DVD to watch for the coursework. Leadership and Change There's a large practical element to B204. The key part of the end of module assessment is a work based initiative to identify and implement a change using the things that you have learnt on the course. Although there is a practical angle there is still a strong academic background. Unlike B628 there aren't marks just for doing things in B204, you need to have the right academic quality. I'm happy about this, because to get good marks in B628 required a lot…
Eamonn Griffin – Historical Fiction [Author Interview]
This week sees an interview with Eamonn Griffin, a professional writer who has published two novels, as well as writing for other people. Eamonn Griffin's third novel, Juggernaut - a sequel to Jekyll & Hyde, is due out in November this year. Eamonn Griffin Interview 1. How long have you been writing for and what made you start writing? I've been writing seriously for about 14 years. I'd always had the ambition to write someday, but up until a decade ago, I'd convinced myself that I didn't have the time for it. The first thing I wrote with serious intent was a screenplay which I collaborated on with a work colleague. The central idea had some promise, and we had a great summer working on the project, and on sending it out and getting the first rejections back. One day,…
History Bookshelf – Bookshelves Abound = #Shelfie 02
The History Bookshelf sits next to the Fiction Bookshelf. You can just see it alongside in the photo. Like the Fiction Bookshelf the History Bookshelf is second of the five identical Ikea bookshelves to feature in my Shelfies. History Bookshelf The History Bookshelf, one of five Ikea bookcases This is not the only bookshelf containing history books, most of my bookcases have some history on them. The reason that I've called this one the History Bookshelf is that it has a mixture of themes on it. Most of it is WW2 history, but there are other periods too. The top shelf has a mixture of POW stories, from both British and German points of view. It also has Blitz and National Fire Service histories. There are a handful of other home front books across the history bookshelf too. Further down there is a…
Slouching in the Undergrowth by Jack Swaab [Book Review]
Slouching in the Undergrowth: The Long Life of a Gunner Officer by Jack Swaab My rating: 4 of 5 stars I bought Slouching in the Undergrowth because I'd previously read and enjoyed Field of Fire, the author's wartime experiences. Slouching in the Undergrowth covers pretty much all of Jack Swaab's extraordinary life. Slouching in the Undergrowth There's a fair amount on his childhood, first in Sydenham and later at boarding school in the South West. Jack also tells us of his time as an undergraduate that doesn't flatter himself much. I guess when you get into your nineties you don't need to worry so much what people think of what you did as a callow teenager. There is some good social history on pre-WW2 Britain from the perspective of reasonably well to do children. You can see how experience in…
Ricky Vernio – Historical Fiction [Author Interview]
This week’s interview is with Ricky Vernio who has written several novels. Ricky Vernio writes across a variety of genres, including historical fiction. Interview with Ricky Vernio 1. How long have you been writing for and what made you start writing? About fifteen years, give or take. I use a dozen different pseudonyms because of all the genres I work in. I believe that writing is storytelling first and foremost. It irked me that authors were somehow losing sight of that fact. 2. Do you write for a living, or do you also do other work? I write for a living. Lately, with the sales down for everyone, and the publishing industry unable to support as many authors as it could earlier, I've been augmenting my income by painting portraits and cityscapes, lecturing, and giving painting and music lessons. 3. How…