I have a new book out! It’s a collection of 25 short stories all with a food and/or drink theme.

Here’s the blurb –

We eat and drink for more than mere survival. Food comforts and reassures, connects us with others. A mug of coffee wakes us up in the morning. A cup of tea can calm us down.

Cakes are great for celebrations, birthdays in particular. Making one specially for someone shows how much we care. The same applies to learning to make their favourite dish, or passing on your signature recipe.

The food and drink choices we make expose aspects of our personality. What we give to others, and the care we take when doing so, can be even more revealing.

Sharing food helps build, or repair, relationships. It creates and recreates traditions and brings back memories – if that’s what we want.

Whether you prefer unsweetened black coffee, or milky tea, rich sponge cake or something savoury, this collection of 25 stories provides the perfect snack.

You can get it here.

I have a new writing book out! Isn’t it pretty? And to prove it’s useful too, here’s the blurb …

All writers need ideas. We need topics and themes, prompts to get started and a little encouragement to keep going. New writers may be wondering where to begin, daunted by a blank page and want help to transform thoughts into fiction. Even the most experienced have dry periods when ideas don’t flow, or times when they appreciate a push to try something different.

Patsy Collins’ methods are proven to work. She’s employed them at workshops where she’s never failed to get her attendees, from brand new and nervous to burnt out, not just writing but producing interesting scenes, snippets and stories.

Each of the daily sets of prompts in this book have been used in some way by Patsy, to create her own work. She needs a lot of ideas as she’s completed five novels, co-written From Story Idea to Reader (an accessible guide to writing fiction) and produced nineteen collections of themed short stories, averaging two dozen per book. Hundreds and hundreds of her short stories have been published – mainly in women’s magazines. She blogs, writes articles, wins competitions and is always working on something new.

Whether you’re a new writer, or a more experienced one temporarily out of ideas, have hours to fill or just five free minutes, you’ll find something in this book to help get you writing – every day of the year.

It’s available as an ebook for £2.50 ($3.22) or a paperback for £6 ($7.74). Buy it here.