Writer's life: an update and a ramble

This is a little update on what I'm up to with writing, work and life generally at the moment. If you come here to read book reviews and have absolutely no interest in me then please skip this post, I should have another book review up next week.

If, on the other hand, you read my book Highlanders' Revenge and enjoyed it, or you're a freelance writer too and want to know how a fellow one makes a living then read on, it'll be brief, I promise.

Writing Life: Felixstowe's Ferry Boat Inn

Restaurant Reviewing for the East Anglian Daily Times

I'm quite lucky that in my work for my local newspaper, the East Anglian Daily Times (EADT), I quite often get to review restaurants. I'm a freelancer so generally the other members of my team get to do regular reviews but I occasionally get thrown a bone and get to choose from the seemingly unending list of restaurants, pubs and cafes that are up for review.

I know this is basically a big boast, sorry about that, it is one of the major perks of my job (another was getting sent free jam and salted caramel spread from Tiptree for writing an article about them, that was a dream). However, it is sometimes a bit daunting, if the restaurant organises it it's fine as they know what's going on, but quite often I find myself calling a restaurant and asking them to give me a free three course meal for two. Luckily I haven't been laughed away yet or told where to go. The EADT is pretty well known in these parts and a good review often gets more people through the door.

Look at me I'm showing off again.