As I mentioned in my last post, I’ve recently joined Goodreads. If you want to make the most of it, either as a reader or author, I can see you need to input quite a lot of time and effort, which I haven’t got at the moment, as I’m busy writing (I’m glad to say).

However, I’ve come across a couple more reviews of ‘Best (British) Short Stories 2020’ on there, which draw attention to my contribution, ‘Whale Watching’ and it is always so uplifting and rewarding to hear praise from readers of your work. 

The anthology, as a whole, has been awarded three, four and five stars, which is great. One reader gives ‘Whale Watching’ four stars, and has linked to it, calling it a ‘wonderful story’.

Another refers to some of the stories as the kind that are, in effect, novels in miniature – true ‘short’ stories – and remarks that these are all ‘excellently sketched’, ‘such as Diana Powell’s moving ‘Whale Watching’.’

Or this, from another reader: ‘For me, ‘Whale Watching’ was the emotionally affecting story in the collection.’

It is particularly satisfying to know one has written a work that has succeeded in moving readers. I am very grateful to them for letting me know, through the Goodreads site. Thank you!

I also came across some four and five star ratings for my novella, ‘Esther Bligh’, along with a great review, which I wasn’t aware of. Thank you to author Maria Donovan for this: ‘A disturbing novella, in the haunting and haunted tradition, relieved by a compelling freshness of language and vision. More please’.

And I’m so glad to have my collection ‘Trouble Crossing the Bridge’ published, which includes ‘Whale Watching’ – showing that I have, indeed, written more!