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Natalia Sheppard recently released her debut novel,The Little White House. But it's not her only claim to fame! So we wanted to sit down and have a chat with the author about her life now and how things have changed since she became a published author. Did you always dream of becoming an author? Since I was a child, I have always had a real passion for words and writing - particularly descriptive writing. I was enamoured by the short stories of New Zealand authors, W...

What makes a book? The opening paragraph? The characters? The plot? In truth, they all work together to create a good narrative but the final line of the book is just as important; how the author leaves us is just as vital as how they greet us. So, without further ado, we give you: our favourite closing lines in books. The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel "Very few castaways can claim to have survived so long at sea as Mr. Patel, and none in the company of an adult Bengal tiger." ...

Maria Forbes published her debut fiction novel,Slaves of the Third Millennium, earlier this year. We wanted to catch up with the author and find out what she had been up to since becoming an established author. Did you always dream of becoming an author? I always dreamt of becoming an author ‘one day’.As a young girl, I was sent to boarding school at the age of five and was always making up stories about magical ways of returning home. In my twenties, I becam...

Here are 10interesting book facts that will blow your mind! 1.The earliest known work of literature is an epic poem titled the 'Epic of Gilgamesh', from AncientMesopotamia. Because paper books did not exist at the time, the whole tale is told on 12 tablets. 2.It's estimated that 755,755 new books are published every year. As of mid-2017, there werean estimated 134,399,411 total published books in the world! That's a lot of books! 3.The world’s larges...

M.J. Dermott, author ofTime Passages, published her debut novel in January 2018. We wanted to catch up with her and find out how life had been treating her since the release. Did you always dream of becoming an author? I’ve dreamed of becoming an author since the age of ten or eleven, when I received a 'Highly Commended' certificate for a story that I entered into ‘The Telegraph Children’s Writing Competition’. I was so proud of that certi...

As Easter Sunday is approaching, it's a time for baby animals and chocolate eggs. But maybe there are a few facts that you don't know about this time of year. So, we present to you: 8Facts You (Probably) Didn't Know About Easter! 1.The religious celebration of Easter might have deep roots to ancient Christian traditions, but the name itself comes from pagans.Apparently,the Olde English worshipped a fertility god named Ostara and the Celtics worshipped a similar god called Eos...

Karan Vickers-Hulse recently released her new children's book,Surf School. We felt it was time to catch up with the author and find out how life had changed since her book was published. Did you always dream of becoming an author? I have always loved books and had a secret dream to write, as I always felt I had a book in me. What was your first job? I have always worked with children and started as a nursery nurse before becoming a primary school teac...

Since it's International Happiness Day, we thought we'd bring you five books to make you smile! Skelp the Aged, by John Duignan and Ian Hopkins Mungo and Ethel live in genteel poverty in the decaying family villa. In one moment of madness out of many in his life, Mungo borrows from loan sharks to fund the dream of a little place in the sun, fortified by warm nights of samba-ing and even warmer tonic wines. Placing their trust in an estate agent - another moment of madness - the...

Anthony David originally published his first book,H2O, with Pegasus in June 2017. Now with the release of his second book,Pay Up, we wanted to catch up with Anthony and find out how his life has changed since becoming a pubished author. Did you always dream of becoming an author? I have always written. Up until recently, it was as a singer/songwriter. I have had several ideas for a novel in the back of my mind for years but never thought I would get around to writing and...