Below is a list of links that I've come across or have been passed on to me, all of which are more than merely 'interesting'. Many of the owners of these sites have become real friends, teaching me more about human nature, the Internet - and myself - than I could have ever learned from any book. I urge you to take a look at them - I think you'll be surprised and delighted by much of what you see (and hear).

But first, Congratulations to Robert Montgomery

whose children's story Melvin's Incredible Journey was published recently by Barny Books.

...and Ollie Morgan, computer wizard and writer of great passion and extraordinary talent. Visit his excellent site, too, and say hello - I know he'd love to meet you:

From time to time I'm asked to critique someone's poetry and, generally speaking, I refuse politely. This is not because I don't have an interest in the subject - on the contrary, I love it. However, my days are already filled to capacity with reading and writing prose. Recently, however, a friend in California sent me some of her daughter's poems and I loved them so much I simply had to share them with you. My friend is the talented writer Genevieve Beltran and her nine-year-old daughter's name is Samantha.

Samantha

And for writers in general, there surely can't be anyone amongst you who doesn't know the importance of hooking your readers right from the start. One of the best ways we can teach ourselves this skill by studying how others have accomplished it. There's a brilliant book on the subject, which gives plenty of examples of how authors have been successfully hooking their readers - from the 1950's to the 1990's.

Getting Hooked has been compiled and edited by the prolific author, Sharon Rendell-Smock (Shara to her friends). Visit her site and take a look at just how versatile this lady is. Surf her pages carefully and you'll find there's an excellent opportunity on Shara's site for you to win a copy of Getting Hooked for yourself. You'll be genuinely entertained while you browse, I promise. Then, when you've finished, drop Shara a line, make her laugh - before you know it, you could be Getting Hooked...

To get there, click on the book above. (You know what it's called...)

The title of a wonderful book by a seriously talented young writer - Thea Atkinson.

Click on the banner above to visit Thea's website and enjoy all she has to offer there.

Here's a writer, teacher and mother who has one of the most interesting and profoundly moving sites I've come across on the Net. I urge you to visit Alison's pages, check out her excellent resources for writers, and make sure you read her biography where her courage and resourcefulness are displayed to the full. This lady should be an example to us all.

And look at what Ali's presented to me - I feel truly honoured...

Here's someone all you budding Romance writers can learn from. So much like me it's uncanny, she likes ice cream, seagulls and thunderstorms - and lives on the shores of Lake Erie (well, okay, so I don't live anywhere scenic like that and maybe I'm not that keen on thunderstorms but, otherwise, uncanny...). Let me introduce you to Holly Fuhrmann, whose latest book A Snowball's Chance can be sampled at her Home Page.

You know what to do to get there.

A special dedication to Betty Lawson in Bury St. Edmunds, Suffolk, a lifelong friend and fellow writer who, like me, has learned everything the hard way. A constant source of inspiration and humour - thank you, Betty.