I’m a businessman. I don’t often think of myself in this way, but it’s true. I’m in the business of writing, publishing and selling books. And let me tell you, as a businessman, I make a really good writer. When it comes to the development of product, I’m doing fine. It’s all the other aspects related to treating this profession as a business where I’m not so strong.

I love fruit. I love its fresh juicy yumminess. I love the way different types of fruits combine different flavours, from sweet to tart and everything in between. I love the fact that as well as being so tasty, they’re also really good for you. Almost like nature’s own treats.

I tend to go through phases where I go berserk over a particular fruit and eat as much of it as I can. Sometimes it will be raspberries. Sometimes it will be passionfruit. Sometimes it will be peaches (especially the clingstone ones). Sometimes it will be blood oranges (and boy am I hanging out for those to be in season again). But at the moment, there’s one particular fruit that’s number one on my list. And that’s the wondrous pomegranate. 

Well who would believe it. Seems like 2017 had only just started and suddenly we’ve crossed over the halfway mark. As we cross over from June into July, it’s that time again to look back over the previous six months and think about what sort of progress has been made. Has it been a productive time? Am I any closer to achieving my yearly goals?

So here we go with a mid-year status update for 2017.

It’s not uncommon to hear writers being compared to architects.

The comparison makes sense on a number of levels. Firstly, both are creative occupations. Both create something where nothing previously existed. Just as an architect designs and creates buildings, a writer designs and creates stories (or whatever other type of writing they specialise in).

I’m an introvert. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. I’m loud and proud about it. Okay, so I’m not exactly loud about it – after all I am an introvert. But I’m definitely proud about it. I reckon it’s one of the qualities that most influences the person that I am. I feel no need to be embarrassed by it, or to play it down.