Category Archives: Featured

Greg Mosse Interview: On Writing, Trilogies, A.I. and Kate. 

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One of the best things about being editor-in-chief of Frost Magazine is all of the people I get to meet. Having a chat with a writer I admire is also exciting for my other life as an author. Greg Mosse is a great interviewee. Candid, kind, and bursting with interesting information. I read The Coming Darkness in 2022 and loved how unique it was. It is a great thriller. Now, the third in the trilogy, The Coming Fire, is out. I interviewed him over Zoom to talk all things writing, A.I., and Kate.  

Greg complimented my children’s artwork on the fridge, and I complimented his impressive book posters. 

On the impermanence of theatre and writing during lockdown: ‘The posters on the wall, most of them are mementos of my theatre work, because theatre is a wonderful fugitive experience. It’s that brilliant moment shared by the audience live in the room together that can never be repeated, but at the end of a run of theatre, for most shows it’s gone forever. And unless you’re in Les Mis or something like that, and it doesn’t stop, it’s great to have the poster on the wall as a reminder of, ‘Oh yes, I did that.’ 

The rhythm of my life under coronavirus lockdowns changed completely. In one way, because theatre had become illegal, and so there was really no point in writing new plays for I didn’t know how long, but in another way, it didn’t change at all. It just meant that I sat in the corner of my study, there with my red blanket, because it was March, wasn’t it? It was cold at first, and then it got really hot. It just changed from writing dialogue to writing prose and that’s why, in the centre of the wall of posters behind me, are all the novels I’ve published.’ 

That was a smart thing to do. Yes, but remember, we were utterly unemployed, weren’t we? We had to fill our days and I did find it very easy to be productive, because I was utterly without distractions.

As the lockdown started, I actually went and I picked up both of our children. My wife, Kate Mosse, and I. Felix was working in Norwich. He was on stage in a show that shut, and Martha was living in North London in a flat in a block, and we thought both of those circumstances would be a less pleasant way of being locked down than in our house in Sussex with fields that you could walk out to and all of those lucky things that we had, but that said, you know, they’re grown-ups, so it’s not like I brought them home and had to look after them. So I had not limitless time, but I had a lack of distractions, which really taught me how valuable that can be in terms of working quickly, but not necessarily efficiently. 

On writing a trilogy: For The Coming Darkness, the first book in the Alex Lamarque trilogy, I wrote 170,000 words from which ultimately I cut 70,000 words because the thriller that MoonfFlower, my brilliant publisher wanted, was just under 100,000 words. However, when The Coming Darkness went very well, I got excellent reviews for which I’m very grateful. It meant that I had these subplots I cut from the first draft that were the heart of the second book, The Coming Storm. That also accelerated the process. So it wasn’t like I had to sort of start again. My hero, who’s like an action hero, a member of the French secret services. He wins at the end of The Coming Darkness, but he only wins a fragment of the battle that he’s engaged in. But I already had the heart of The Coming Storm already on the page. It had to be massaged into a different shape, a different timeline, but it already existed. The future, historical background to the book that I researched by reading lots of scientific papers and government papers and NGOs and everybody who’s predicting the future, trying to plan for what’s coming next. Five years, 10 years, 15 years, a generation. All of those notes were super valuable over the whole of the trilogy, and the things that we’re worried about today in 2037 are more urgent, more dramatic, more desperate, but they are the same things, but more so.

The Coming Fire is the culmination of a trilogy about a time when everything that we’re worried about today is more intensely felt and more intruding, more fully on people’s lives. So that meant I’ve already got a crescendo that can play out over three books, and then the other way of describing it. The further Alex goes towards the heart of this terrorist mystery, the closer he gets to the biggest, hardest enemy to defeat. There’s an overall shape that you know you’re writing into. I sometimes describe it as pouring creativity into a pre-existing shape, yet not just writing to find the shape, but the shapes already there in the back of my mind.

On authors being pigeonholed: As a writer for theatre, nobody says to you, “You know, last year, you wrote a play about smugglers, set in 1749. Why are you now writing a play about the First World War?” Whereas, as a novel writer, people say that to you all the time. Being able to write in these different voices, to tune into a different quality of creativity, is really normal for a playwright and to write dialogue in different voices. One day a king, another day a minor living 300 years later, another day a 12-year-old child living today, is totally normal. Now, the other part of your question, which one do I like best, writing plays or books? The great thing is that they refresh one another. You know what I was just saying about playwriting? That’s one of the best things about writing plays. So a full-length, two-hour play is about 20,000 words, whereas The Coming Fire is 98,000, I think. So a full-length, two-hour play is a fifth of a novel. So it’s more difficult to get that refreshing change in novel writing because the scale of the creative enterprise is so much bigger. If you have sympathetic publishers who understand that you’ve got these different goals, entertaining people in different ways, that’s what it’s about. They really bounce off each other super well. 

On his writing routine: It’s 6:30 till 10:30 more or less every day. When I say every day, it’s like six days out of seven. Sometimes I’m travelling for other parts of my life. And so it can’t happen if I’m driving to London in the morning for the work I do in theatre, for example. But about six days out of seven. 6:30 to 10:30. In that time I’d expect to write a couple of 1,000 words. I’d expect it to begin with a two. Doing that for six weeks of six days a week, 2,000 words a day that’s 72,000 words, isn’t it? And once I’ve got to sort of that, I’ve actually got an unpublished novel in my computer over there that I’ve written about 65,000 words of, and I’m currently editing it because I’ve got an idea of how it will end, like a framework for how it will end, but in order to write the last quarter of the book, I need to make sure everything in the first three quarters ties up and is completely coherent, and that I’ve probably been writing for about six weeks and now it’s going to go really slowly for a week or 10 days, maybe because I’m reviewing everything, and I have to keep going backwards and forwards, you know, to tie things together. And I’ll find a thing on page 102 and God, where was that, although I referenced that. And then there it is on page 17. And all of that over and over and over again. And only once I’ve got all of that done, probably through the whole of those 65,000 words twice. Only then will I write the last quarter of the book. And then, of course, I’ll have to check it from line one to the last line again to make sure I’ve got it all right. So that means about 10 weeks in total for a draft that I am willing to show one person alone, and that person is my wife, Kate Mosse, [Most people would be scared to give Kate Mosse the first draft of their novel] yeah, probably. But, you know, there she is. She’s having a cup of tea in the morning, eating her Marmite on toast, and she’s trapped. You know, there’s nothing she can do.

I was asked this weekend, as I usually am at some point at festivals, ‘Greg’, was it helpful at all to be married to the international best-selling novelist Kate Mosse?’ And I always say she is the wave that I surf.

On supporting other writers: When Twitter was invented, before it became a cesspool of bots and hatred, it is I chose as my Twitter description, ‘writer and encourager of writers.’ Back then, almost all of my writing was theatre, of course, and that’s changed, but the encourager of writers hasn’t. It’s the reason why, with my son Felix Mosse, we run a theatre script development programme at the Criterion Theatre, Piccadilly Circus, which is free to the mid-career playwrights who take part. And then when I’m at a festival, like Harrogate, or in the new year, Kate and I will be in Jaipur, and then Dubai, at the Emirates Festival, the majority of my time there will actually be spent with readers and writers, aspirant writers, trying to help them develop their plots, understand the business. You know, all of that stuff. And that’s super rewarding.

His thoughts on A.I: My thoughts on A.I., what I wanted to put on stage in The Coming Fire was the fact that the terrorists, the big, bad, evil presence behind the whole of the trilogy, has a view on A.I. that you and I and many people probably share, which is that it’s an enormous danger, and there are two parts to this danger. There is a relinquishing of humanity, and thinking that A.I. is probably as good as the ways in which humans have evolved, in doing things over a gazillion years over evolution, and then recorded history.

And then the other part of it is that relates to the creative arts. There’s a brilliant, I think it’s in an Arthur C. Clarke science fiction story from many years ago, where he compares a flawless reproduction of a piano to a real piano. And he says it’s like the difference between being told that you’re loved and being held in your parents’ embrace. It’s great. It may not be a quotation, but it’s something like that, right? You know what I mean there, there is a difference that feels elusive, but it’s also really substantial.

Yes. So then the other part of it is the fact that, and we’ve seen this all through the technological age, technologies respond in ways that we don’t predict. There’s always a law of unintended consequences. There’s always unfortunate outcomes, even with the best of intentions. My brother, who has a sardonic cast of mind, sometimes says to me, no good deed ever goes unpunished, and you want, but people who are, I would argue, unthinkingly embracing technology, assume the best, whereas I’m a much more precautionary cast of mind. You never know where this will end up. So coming back to the big baddie in The Coming Fire.

He wants to set back Earth’s technological development by a few generations. He wants to destroy the hyper-connected world, the global village, and fragment and atomise human populations. Now, of course, that also means that he’s a completely inhumane barbarian,

utterly insensible to human tragedy and loss of life. Those things are meaningless to him because he has this conceptual idea of turning back the technological human clock,

and a thing that he can’t see is the inhumanity of the A.I. that he wants to exploit in order to achieve those terrible goals is actually super similar to his own cast of mind, and that’s why Alex must stop him.

Well, it’s the third part of a trilogy. There is a hero. Usually, the hero wins, but of course, it would be a spoiler to say if he does. I have a friend who’s a neuroscientist who works at the University of Sussex, with whom I was talking quite recently about the fact that he gets infuriated when he’s told that artificial intelligence has discovered or devised something. And he says there is no artificial intelligence. What there is is an algorithm that analyses statistical probabilities and comes up with likely scenarios from which it can choose one. But it’s not intelligence. It’s a sifting of data to find the most likely average outcome. 

Thank you Greg. 

The Coming Fire is out now and published by Moonflower. 

Interview With Author and Publishing Director Phoebe Morgan

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I am excited to interview Phoebe Morgan for Frost. Phoebe is the author of fantastic thrillers while also being the publishing director of Hodder and Stoughton. I have no idea how she manages it. I also know if Phoebe has worked on a book then it is definitely worth reading. Phoebe has a new Substack, The Honest Editor, which gets into the nitty gritty of publishing. It is essential reading for all authors.

 Tell us about you.

I am a publishing director at Hodder and Stoughton, working on commercial fiction. I also write my own novels on the side! I’ve worked in the industry since 2013, and I love finding new authors to work with, as well as progressing my own creative career. It’s a juggle but I am lucky to do two jobs I love!


You have written five books. Does writing ever get easier?

I would say psychologically it does, because you know you are capable of getting to the finish line and so that can be reassuring. But it’s still a slog at times, of course, and I am not a huge plotter so I am often running into plot problems as I go and figuring it out as I go along! So each book is still a marathon, but you do feel a sense of security when you have had a couple of books out – it’s so important to push through and get a first draft down, I think, so that’s always my initial aim, and then you can go back and edit afterwards (which is the fun part!)

Do you have a favourite?

Of my books, the second one is probably my favourite (The Girl Next Door). It’s set in Essex, in a small village where I used to live, about a teenage girl found dead in a field of buttercups at the back of the community hall. I love the couple at the heart of it, and although it’s not my biggest seller, it’s the one I always want more people to read.


How do you find time to write when you also have a busy publishing job?

I tend to write in big chunks at weekends rather than every day. I am quite a fast writer when I get going, so if I can clear a free Saturday for example I can really try to focus and get a lot down at once. You do need a lot of drive and determination to do both, though, as my day job is very absorbing and is always my priority. 


What is a typical day like for you?

I work full time at Hodder, so a typical day involves a lot of meetings! I manage a commercial fiction team so my time is spent catching up with them, attending acquisitions meetings, cover art meetings, production meetings etc in-house, and also working with my existing list of writers (I have about 20 at the moment). I edit their novels and send notes to them, and brief their jackets, and liaise with our marketing and publicity teams on their campaigns. I also read submissions from agents, but this is usually done outside the 9-5! My own writing is reserved for weekends. In my spare time I also run, kickbox, and am part of a drama group.


What are the best, and worst, things about your job?

The best thing is seeing new books reach readers, and being the first to read amazing manuscripts. It is a lot of reading, but I always remind myself that it is also an incredible privilege. If I had told my younger self that I would get to read for a living, I’m not sure I’d have believed her! Conversely, the worst thing is having to disappoint writers – not being able to get a book through acquisitions, or not achieving strong sales, and it’s also the inability to read for fun any more! I basically only read for fun on holiday…

Who are your favourite authors? What books should we keep a look out for?

I love Liane Moriarty, Maggie O’Farrell, Jennifer Close, Louise Candlish, Lorrie Moore, Katherine Heiny, Abigail Dean (who I published at HarperCollins) and Cara Hunter (ditto). I am sure there are tons more too! This year, do keep an eye out for upcoming thrillers on the Hodder list, Julie Tudor Is Not A Psychopath (a hilarious thriller about an office worker who is convinced she’s in love with her younger colleague) and Party of Liars (think Big Little Lies meets du Maurier’s Rebecca…)


What advice would you give writers to have a long career?

Keep writing! It is a long game, and the road can be bumpy. I know authors who have had huge success followed by years of low sales, and vice versa, but it can all change overnight sometimes and the key is to keep writing what you love, keep taking advice, keep plugging away and remember to be proud of yourself, too.


How has the publishing industry changed?

It’s changed a lot even in the decade I’ve been in it – we’ve seen some retailers rise and fall (e.g. the supermarkets) and some genres come in and out of fashion (e.g. romantasy). Reading habits have shifted due to the cost of living crisis, the explosion of subscription boxes, and the boom of audio (thanks in some part to Spotify) and part of my job is to stay alert to that data and what it tells us, and work out how we can continue to provide readers with what they want.


What’s next?

For me, I am writing book six this year which is something a little bit different that I am very excited about. And I’m always hunting for new authors for my list at Hodder. Genre wise, SFF and romance are dominating the charts, but there’s always going to be room for a bit of crime, too…

Phoebe Morgan’s books are available here.

What I Want Querying Writers To Know. On Finding a Literary Agent

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My journey to become Catherine Yardley, author, was a tough one. It’s a known fact that writing is hard. Yes, the actual writing part can be tedious, but those who decide to go the traditional route quickly find out that writing the book was the easy part. The next part is getting a literary agent. The gatekeeper to a publishing deal. Finishing a book is a huge accomplishment in itself. When so much work goes into something, you want it to pay off. I had previously written non-fiction, and when the time came to try and get it published, I bought a copy of The Writer’s and Artist’s Yearbook.
It’s embarrassing to admit now, but I thought the whole get-an-agent-thing seemed exhausting. I was already exhausted from writing the bloody book! So I did a ton of research and went straight to publishers. Even more shockingly, all the editors replied, and the book went to acquisitions. Everyone was so nice and supportive. This was in 2013. You would probably get blacklisted emailing your book to editors nowadays.
I first queried my first fiction book, Ember, in 2020. It was a turbulent time in everyone’s life, and I wanted something good to happen. Yet I did not think for one second I would get an agent. Every rejection was confirmation of my belief that the book wasn’t good enough. This was just my first novel, I told myself. I will write more and query them too. In fact, I had two books: Ember and Where The Light is Hottest. I didn’t think the latter was ready yet. It took me six years to write both books simultaneously. I recommend having more than one book because an agent might like your writing but not the book you are querying. So, the first time was hard, but I wasn’t expecting success. 2020 was an incredibly traumatic year for me, and I was just trying to survive. In the end, I got two full requests from agents, signed with an agent, and also got offered two book deals. All good. Ember came out in March 2022 and did well. My agent was lovely, but we ended up parting ways.
Which brings me to what I want every querying writer to know: other than losing a loved one or a traumatic event, querying was the worst thing for my mental health. The constant rejections, the full requests that might lead to all of your dreams coming true. It’s a rollercoaster of pain and elation. I got a full request immediately. Then another. Still, it took an entire year for me to sign with a new agent. I was relentless. For every rejection, I send another three queries out. I want writers to understand the physical and emotional toll querying takes on you. It is a hard thing to go through. I believe querying is harder than ever. Publishing is slow at the moment, so agents are being cautious about what they take on. The day I cancelled my premium querytracker subscription (a site with all of the agents on which lets you directly submit to them) was a brilliant one. Take care of yourself. Join up with other querying writers. Take regular mental health breaks. Know that it can happen at any moment. It only takes one yes. More than anything, know that going after your dreams is hard and you are brave.

Keep at it. You will get there too. Just keep writing those books.


Where The Light is Hottest came out end of February and I Ember is also available here.

Becoming an Author Takes a Huge Amount of Talent. We Deserve Better Than AI and Piracy.

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Last week, thanks to a fantastic article in The Atlantic, I found out that one of my books had been taken from a piracy site and used by Meta to train their AI. Seeing your book on a piracy site hurts a lot. It takes years to write a book. There is a huge amount of sacrifice. Of sleep, time spend with loves ones, and time spent with Netflix. Querying is hard and tough on your mental health. After all of that, your book can then die on submission. Then you have to write another book and start the whole thing from the beginning.

Where The Light is Hottest, Catherine Yardley, Balavage

Authors do not earn a lot of money. At last count the average was seven thousand pounds a year. If you worked out the hours we put in, it is below minimum wage. You have to really love it to be an author. The highs are liking nothing on earth and the lows are crushing.

@balavage It is hard being an author. I know this is a bit of a rant but please bare with me. Leave your comments below. #booktok#writertok#authortok#writingcommunity#authorscommunity#writing#publishing♬ original sound – Catherine Balavage Yardley

Being an author is as hard as any other career. Yes, it has a huge amount of benefits. Working from home, being creative and seeing your work out there in the world. But the work can be tedious. Reading the same book multiple times. Editing it so many times that you want to give up. Then you market it while writing your next one. It is the dream, it really is. Don’t get me wrong, but there is a lot of work involved. If you cannot afford books you can go to the library. Authors get paid when you borrow our books. There is also the Libby library app if you are not near a library. My two books, Where The Light is Hottest and Ember are both on kindle unlimited. I hate to be downer and I know how lucky I am. I feel privileged and happy every day, but please stop stealing our work. Especially if you are a trillion dollar company. We can only write if our books sell. Publishers will not give us contracts if they think we have no readers. Publishing is a business like no other. It is all about the bottom line. Thank you. Please share any comments below.

Crafting Activities the Whole Family Can Enjoy

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Crafting is a wonderful way for families to spend quality time together. Not only is it fun and creative, but it helps build bonds, teaches new skills, and creates lasting memories. This article will explore several crafts that parents, children, and teens can all take part in together. With a little planning and preparation, you can find activities that suit everyone’s interests and abilities.

Simple Sewing and Embroidery

Sewing and embroidery projects allow family members of all ages to flex their creative muscles. Young kids can practice basic stitches on burlap or felt. Older children can try cross-stitch patterns or sewing simple items like pillows and tote bags. Teens and parents can take on more advanced embroidery hoops or make their own clothes. The great thing about sewing is that it can be as simple or complex as you want. Start with an easy kit that has pre-cut fabric and designs. As skills improve, move on to selecting your own materials and patterns. The finished products will be great memories for children you foster with Foster Care Associates.

Building Model Cars, Planes, and Rockets

Parents who want to share their love of mechanics and construction with kids will enjoy putting together model vehicles. Look for beginner kits of cars, planes, helicopters, ships, and rockets that snap together or use basic gluing. Teens may appreciate more challenging models with fine details and electronics. Not only does this teach hand-eye coordination and following instructions, but it opens up conversations about science and history.

Nature Crafts

Using materials found in nature is an eco-friendly way to craft with the whole family. Go on walks together looking for interesting flowers, leaves, seeds, feathers, rocks, sticks, seashells and more. Then get creative repurposing your finds into art and decorations. Make pressed flower cards, leaf rubbings, or collages. Arrange your nature collections in shadow boxes or frames. Use sticks and rocks to make sculptures or paint them bright colours. You can even make bird feeders by spreading peanut butter and birdseed on pine cones. Encourage children to use their imagination to invent new ways to use natural objects.

Melting and Moulding Crafts

Melting crayons, sculpting clay, and moulding plaster allow for all sorts of unique crafts. Young children can cut or break old crayons and watch them melt together to create colourful swirl art on canvas or cardstock. Air-dry clay allows sculpting without any baking. Let the whole family craft their own clay figurines and ornaments. For bigger messy fun, make your own plaster moulds using plastic cups, bowls, and packaging, then pour in plaster to create one-of-a-kind shapes. As the mould dries, the children can paint and decorate their plaster creations. Cover your workspace and wear old clothes for these delightfully gooey activities.

Making crafts as a family is not just about the end product. It’s about slowing down, being present together, and experiencing the joys and challenges of creativity. Find activities that play to each person’s strengths and let everyone go at their own pace. Stay flexible and keep a light-hearted attitude. With the right materials and guidance from parents, kids and teens can create memories to last a lifetime. So, put on some aprons, turn on some music, and let your family’s imagination run wild!

Guest post from our partner.

Is London Book Fair Worth it for Authors?

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London Book Fair is a bustling and exciting place to be. A lot of deals are made. You can feel the buzz. This year they had an Author’s HQ and the SOA (Society of Authors) was also there. But is it worth it for authors? We ask Joanna Knowles, author of Lost and Found in Venice.

Was this your first time at the London Book Fair?

Yes, it was. I had contemplated going before but I had been advised that it was more of a trade event, not an event for authors to network or make contacts. However, now I was more established as an author, I saw the LBF advertised, and with tickets available specifically geared towards authors, I decided that maybe the event would be beneficial to my career. Plus, a trip to London is always a great location for inspiration and cultural enjoyment. The museums, the libraries, the natural beauty of the parks contrasting against the giant structures that seep their histories via their bricks and mortar; no wonder J.M Barrie said, “London is a swarming, restless, bustling town, always on the go.”

Why did you go?

The brochure advertised seminars that really appealed to me, and so I planned by visit by what seminars I could attend and learn from. I also noticed there would be an Authors HQ stage. With writing being a naturally solitary profession, I was excited at the prospect of meeting fellow authors and visiting the hub of a profession I am proud to be a part of. 

Did you enjoy it?

The vibe was definitely humming. An eclectic mix of languages, conversations, and book genres that meant the place was thriving. And huge! Sadly, the recommended app requested to download before attending wasn’t working and so I was unable to navigate the fair with destinations in mind. It was more of a stroll to find stands that interested me. I did speak to a wonderful LBF employee at their large Helpdesk who did offer guidance based on where I wanted to visit. 

The Olympia Building stands as a beauty icon in its own right. As you enter, it is the sheer amount of glass and arching ceiling that made me want to stop and just stare. However, the enormity of the site from a practical point of view was a little overwhelming without a map to guide me, and I also found little seating in the complex, observing others sitting sporadically on the floor. 

I did have certain seminars that I had pencilled in to attend, noting previously that they didn’t need advance booking, but I found myself unable to enter the first seminar due to a lack of spacing and a plethora of people spilling outside of the Author HQ stage. I did try to fit in the area outside, in the hope that I might be able to hear, but I was moved on by a security guard for health and safety reasons as the walkway was beginning to get blocked. 

Do you feel like it’s a good place for authors?

If a group of authors visited together, I can see the advantage of networking and comparing notes. There is a real opportunity to utilise the opportunity of having so many authors in one place. 

Plus, the seminars I had chosen to attend were directed towards authors, and if there had been more space and seating available, I can see it being a great place to gain insight from a profession that is mostly remote. Plus, if an author is without an agent, then learning the valuable processes of how the industry works could be incredibly useful. 

What did you gain from it?

The people I did speak to are very friendly, agreeable, and everyone is clearly passionate about the industry. I felt energised just from being there and being in the presence of the giants of publishing. I did visit my own publishing house and could see the energy and excitement that goes into each meeting with attendees. 

It was also fascinating to be a part of something that is industry renowned around the world. To know that deals were happening under the same roof and that potentially, the next bestseller was being discovered over coffee, or the newest trend was being discussed was exciting. Equally, to see the various stalls evidence the creativity, passion, and effort that goes into the written word was just a joy to be around. Particular highlights include theHatchette UK stand, the Audible stand, Wordsworth Editions Ltd and The British Library stand. 

As an author, what would you like to see more of at LBF?

Networking opportunities that are both free, assessable and insightful for authors that are navigating their own position in the industry. To be able to pre-book onto seminars so that the itinerary is set, and a place is guaranteed. This would avoid the over-crowding and limited access that I encountered on the day. 

The queues for refreshments were long; so perhaps more catering would help with keeping people hydrated and provide the valuable seating that the 2025 LBF lacked. Also, a potential opportunity to purchase goods on display (which I appreciate would be limited in space and volume), but would offer great marketing potential rather than just scanning a barcode and being sent a summary of activity after the event. 

Do you recommend other author goes?

Not unless recommended by their editor/agent to do so. There are limited opportunities for authors as the fair stands now; but I do feel there is huge potential to make the event more author friendly and desirable to all. 

Joanna Knowles –

Author, Writer, Prolific Reader, Lover of Cake.

Joanna lives in the south of England with her family, in a house with far too many books, and a cat who often ignores her. She hates to fly but loves to travel; she prefers paperbacks to eBooks, and she adores American sitcoms.

Alongside her writing, she has a love of movies, eating out, and socialising with her friends. Her family are her world and her husband is the love of her life. She loves to read. Anything. Shampoo bottles, magazines, current affairs, 19th century literature; and she has a particular penchant for a pretty book cover. She has completed both a BA(Hons) in English Literature and a master’s degree in creative writing, all while her children were little. Her biggest complement would be to be called a geek. Her love of literature comes from a young age, when seated cross-legged on the classroom floor, reading book after book in the book corner. 

These days, she can often be found scouring the internet for her next book destination, failing miserably at the daily crossword, and writing her next novel sitting absolutely anywhere, but at her desk.

Lost and Found in Venice is Joanna’s second published novel with Orion Fiction. Her debut, Love is in the Air, was published in November 2023. She is currently working on her third novel which takes place at the top of a volcano. 

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis Review

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Five eight in heels. Five four in a bullet proof vest.

Fundamentally is the book of 2025. It is in every magazine and newspaper with rave reviews, and its author, Dr. Nussaibah Younis, long-listed for the Women’s Prize, is the woman of the moment. Readers, do believe the hype. The Times called Fundamentally Bridget Jones with Isis brides. It says a lot about the talent of the author that she can take such a serious subject and make it so funny.
This debut, yes, it is actually a debut, is funny as fuck. Written with a bravery and lack of filter that sorts out the great writers from the good ones. This no-holds-barred novel takes a serious subject, the rehabilitation of Isis brides and extremism and handles it perfectly. It is not tackled with kid gloves, and Younis reminds me of I.S. Berry, who wrote The Peacock and The Sparrow (pretty much my favourite book of 2024). Written in first person, Dr. Nadia Buart has been abandoned by her mother and is escaping a broken heart after her girlfriend, Rosie, leaves her. Going to Iraq to rehabilitate Isis brides is one hell of a rebound.
Dr. Nussaibah Younis knows her stuff. She’s a peacebuilding practitioner and a globally recognised expert on Iraq. She advised the Iraq government for years on proposed programmes to deradicalise women affiliated with Isis.
It is impossible not to fall in love with Nadia, despite her many faults. Younis writes with such humour that you will laugh even when you wonder how she was brave enough to write it. Fundamentally is an immersive novel. Completely unique and full of hilarious, well-rounded characters. It tackles a very serious subject with such skill and compassion. Some of the women in the camp ended up there because their husbands told them they were going on holiday. When they get there, they are trapped.
It is hard to say who my favourite character is because I kind of love them all. Younis put a huge amount of work into the book. I went to her book launch, and she said how she did a stand-up comedy course to get the jokes right and be funnier. She even got her book club to read her manuscript and critique it.
The result is a morally complex, sparklingly funny, jaw-dropping, and gripping novel. It will make you laugh out loud. Fundamentally, is essential reading from a bright new talent who is completely unafraid. Nussaibah Younis has big things ahead of her. We are all just along for the ride.

A wickedly funny and audacious debut novel following an academic who flees from heartbreak and lands in Iraq with an insane job offer—only to be forced to do the work of confronting herself.

When Dr. Nadia Amin, a long-suffering academic, publishes an article on the possibility of rehabilitating ISIS brides, the United Nations comes calling, offering an opportunity to lead a deradicalization program for the ISIS-affiliated women held in Iraqi refugee camps. Looking for a way out of London after a painful, unexpected breakup, Nadia leaps at the chance.

In Iraq, Nadia quickly realizes she’s in over her head. Her direct reports are hostile and unenthused about taking orders from an obvious UN novice, and the murmurs of deradicalization being inherently unethical and possibly illegal threaten to end Nadia’s UN career before it even begins.

Frustrated by her situation and the unrelenting heat, Nadia decides to visit the camp with her sullen team, composed of Goody Two-shoes Sherri who never passes up an opportunity to remind Nadia of her objections; and Pierre, a snippy Frenchman who has no qualms about perpetually scrolling through Grindr.

At the camp, after a clumsy introductory session with the ISIS women, Nadia meets Sara, one of the younger refugees, whose accent immediately gives her away as a fellow East Londoner. From their first interaction, Nadia feels inexplicably drawn to the rude girl in the diamanté headscarf. She leaves the camp determined to get Sara home.

But the system Nadia finds herself trapped in is a quagmire of inaction and corruption. One accomplishment barely makes a dent in Nadia’s ultimate goal of freeing Sara . . . and the other women, too, of course. And so, Nadia makes an impossible decision leading to ramifications she could have never imagined.

A triumph of dark humor, Fundamentally asks bold questions: Who can tell someone what to believe? And how do you save someone who doesn’t want to be saved?

Fundamentally by Nussaibah Younis is available here.