Author: Isabella Muir

• Agatha Christie and Isabella Muir

  I read my first Agatha Christie novel when I was thirteen years old.  I don’t remember which one it was, but I do remember that it led me to read another and another. Like most authors I am a voracious reader.  Having worked my way through Agatha Christie’s crime fiction I moved on through other…

  Isabella Muir

  September 9, 2019

  Agatha Christie, crime fiction, Janie Juke, mysteries, research, sixties, social history, writing

  cosy mysteries, crime fiction, sixties

• Celebrating cozy mysteries!

  Today is the first day of an exciting week, leading up to 15th September – the birthday of the great Queen of Crime, Agatha Christie, and National Cozy Mystery Day! So, to get us started, I am delighted to share some news about cozy mystery author, Judith A Barrett – plus a special offer not…

  Isabella Muir

  September 8, 2019

  Agatha Christie, crime fiction, mysteries, reading

  cosy mysteries, women sleuths

• Interviewing Patricia M Osborne

  When did you first start writing fiction? I’ve always written some fiction but more seriously since 2013 when I began House of Grace. On entering the fictional world I discovered I could transport myself to any time, anywhere and become anyone I wanted to be. I’ve never looked back. What challenges did you experience in…

  Isabella Muir

  August 12, 2019

  sixties, writing

  historical fiction, sixties

• …when I’m 64

  ‘When I get older, losing my hair Many years from now’ Who remembers hearing these Beatles lyrics for the first time, back in 1967.  Maybe we thought that by the time we reached 64 we would be ‘old’.  It seems laughable now, when 64-year-olds choose to go trekking in their holidays and spend their weekends…

  Isabella Muir

  August 11, 2019

  crime fiction, mysteries, reading, research, sixties, social history, Sussex, writing

  cozy mysteries, crime fiction, sixties

• Choosing a life of crime

  

  When Agatha Christie’s first crime novel was published in 1920 she was thirty years old.  She was a loved and loving daughter and is described as living in an ‘upper middle-class family’. When Jane Austen’s first novel was published in 1811 she was thirty-six years old.  She too was a loved and loving daughter.  Her…

  Isabella Muir

  June 6, 2019

  Agatha Christie, crime fiction, reading, research, social history, writing

  crime fiction, social history

• A world without images

  Thank goodness for libraries.  As part of my research into all things ‘sixties’ I have tracked down a fascinating book.  ‘The Neophiliacs’ was written by Christopher Booker and published in 1969.  It turns out that it is now out of print and Amazon are asking over £100 for a copy!  So, you can imagine my…

  Isabella Muir

  May 27, 2019

  reading, research, sixties, writing

  sixties, social history

• Talking and listening

  It’s been a fun week! I spent the day on Saturday with two wonderful writing friends talking practically non-stop about words in every genre. One of my friends, Sarah Acton, is a poet extraordinaire! Based in Dorset she runs poetry workshops and nature walks, captivating everyone who attends. The third person in our little chattering…

  Isabella Muir

  May 22, 2019

  writing

  1960s

• Australia – shadows amidst the sunshine

  I am delighted to welcome fellow author, Rosemary Noble, to my blog today. Rosemary shares my passion for exploring the truth about some of the darkest parts of Australian history. Here she explains… In the Australian National Anthem, ‘Advance Australia Fair’, there’s a phrase celebrating the country’s modern forward-thinking attitude: “Australians all let us rejoice,…

  Isabella Muir

  January 24, 2019

  research, writing

  history, immigration, migration, social history

• Giving Back to Greenland — Christoffer Petersen

  It’s no secret, I write about Greenland, and as a full-time writer I make a modest living from my Greenland stories. So, it’s time to give something back. Starting in January 2019, I’m going to give 100% of my royalties for the sale of my novella The Heart that was a Wild Garden, including paperbacks […]…

  Isabella Muir

  December 13, 2018

  writing

• Why we love crime!

  Walk into any bookshop and you will see a whole host of fictional genres – history, romance, supernatural, science fiction, thrillers…and crime.  And, even if you’re not a reader, you can turn the TV on and discover a whole host of great dramas featuring crimes and criminals. So, what is it about the criminal mind…

  Isabella Muir

  September 9, 2018

  writing