Author Buzz | Sam Smith | Group Activity https://authorbuzz.co.uk/members/samsmith/activity/groups/ Public group activity feed of which Sam Smith is a member. Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:59:08 +0100 https://buddypress.org/?v= en-GB 30 hourly 2 2c3d073fa13ea72a6fcf5da6e79f4a3a Matthew Brown edited the blog post Sekhmet calling in the group Writing prompts and inspirations https://muse.authorbuzz.co.uk/prompts/sekhmet-calling/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:59:08 +0100 Sekhmet callingToday you received a phone call from Sekhmet (the Egyptian god of war and plagues). All the chaos going on in the world has woken him up. Would you […]

]]> fdf111e90a47b40f6264a7946dc75a19 Toni McHadden started the topic Wuthering Heights in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/wuthering-heights/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:51:27 +0100 My sister gave me a beautiful hardback copy of Wuthering Heights. I’ve always meant to read it. I’ll let you know how I get on.

]]> 4f6be826eb36c68768848ce7a6804f4e Christian Writer joined the group General Chat https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19303/ Fri, 23 Oct 2026 19:44:26 +0100 0 cc42ec6d6ac13fceb0c377ac4b64217e Matthew Brown replied to the topic I'm reading "How to be a writer" in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/im-reading-how-to-be-a-writer/#post-5365 Thu, 22 Oct 2026 13:50:00 +0100 I own a copy of this book. It lives on my desk next to my PC.

]]> 3c14a2bddc5e408d0de23ce56418d255 Blog: Why Joss Wood is the Author You Need on Your TBR Shelf from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://s28434.pcdn.co/2026/10/21/why-joss-wood-is-the-author-you-need-on-your-tbr-shelf/ Wed, 21 Oct 2026 15:59:26 +0100 If you’ve never read Joss Wood, let me tell you why you need to fix that immediately! With a backlist … Continued

]]> 0 6fbd79a1777bb887e5a652e854641e62 Jason Latnar replied to the topic I'm reading "How to be a writer" in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/im-reading-how-to-be-a-writer/#post-5364 Tue, 20 Oct 2026 09:04:44 +0100 Is it any good?

We demand a review. Well we ask nicely – demand is too strong a word.

]]> 2f5724a7a2b8b092e04ea4c3b223c0b1 Blog: Exclusive Extract: Surgeon’s Christmas Consequence by Tina Beckett from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://s28434.pcdn.co/2026/10/16/exclusive-extract-surgeons-christmas-consequence-by-tina-beckett/ Fri, 16 Oct 2026 14:48:06 +0100 If you love one-night stands, opposites attract and surprise second chances, Surgeon’s Christmas Consequence belongs on your TBR! London at … Continued

]]> 0 fb55f28ee52d9a00da1ca1ede86c46ca Blog: The Mysterious Affair At Styles by Agatha Christie from Dogwood Tales in the group Book Reviews by Dogwood Tales feed https://dogwoodtales.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-mysterious-affair-at-styles-by.html Fri, 16 Oct 2026 11:08:17 +0100 This was Agatha Christie’s first full length novel and it established many of the tropes of the genre – an Edwardian country house, a dastardly murder, a large c […]

]]> 0 ff11f9cc084af751e803862980ec7c22 Matthew Brown posted an update in the group Help and Support: Oh boy, that's a lot of spam. Clearing it out now. https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19208/ Thu, 15 Oct 2026 02:55:04 +0100 Oh boy, that’s a lot of spam. Clearing it out now.

]]> 0 039349feb8a03806a22a055035e173b3 Blog: 13 Halloween Romance Books to Read This Spooky Season from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/10/14/13-halloween-romance-books-to-read-this-spooky-season/ Wed, 14 Oct 2026 14:27:09 +0100 It’s the most spook-tacular time of year! Whether you’re a Hocus Pocus or Blair Witch kind of ghoul, there’s nothing … Continued

]]> 0 a8f21bbd8268cb936a8581c70becd890 Blog: Exclusive Extract: Prideful Billionaire for Christmas by Jessica Gilmore from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/10/09/exclusive-extract-prideful-billionaire-for-christmas-by-jessica-gilmore/ Fri, 09 Oct 2026 13:22:55 +0100 If you love fake dating, enemies to lovers and a cosy holiday romance, Prideful Billionaire for Christmas belongs on your … Continued

]]> 0 ec08b578c4e1ed2aa8fe2288afe6af7c Blog: The Naughty List: 12 Spicy Christmas Romance Books For A Steamy Festive Season from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/10/07/the-naughty-list-12-spicy-christmas-romance-books-for-a-steamy-festive-season/ Wed, 07 Oct 2026 13:25:04 +0100 Not every Christmas fantasy involves chestnuts roasting on an open fire. Some festive seasons call for a romance so spicy … Continued

]]> 0 4cee904c59fa31cbf2101f146dd859b6 Blog: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, illustrated by Tove Jansson from Dogwood Tales in the group Book Reviews by Dogwood Tales feed https://dogwoodtales.blogspot.com/2026/10/the-hobbit.html Sun, 04 Oct 2026 18:49:07 +0100 Whilst I’ve read The Lord of the Rings multiple times over the years, I don’t think I’ve sat down and read the Hobbit from cover to cover since I was small. When […]

]]> 0 63ce50e3716577bf849316a89c47c917 Matthew Brown replied to the topic Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes by Rob Wilkins in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/terry-pratchett-a-life-with-footnotes-by-rob-wilkins/#post-5355 Fri, 02 Oct 2026 22:47:03 +0100 I am 124 pages in and hooked. STP’s influence on Rob Wilkins is clear. Highly recommend this for Pratchett fans.

]]> 862ca76eec4324fa9a5ebee380acb82a Blog: Exclusive Extract: Kidnapped by the Devil by Heidi Rice from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/10/02/exclusive-extract-kidnapped-by-the-devil-by-heidi-rice/ Fri, 02 Oct 2026 16:14:19 +0100 If you love mafia romance, marriage of convenience and a heroine who learns that loving someone and seeing someone are … Continued

]]> 0 081fc82c38d9cec8bcbeda90c63213ed Blog: The Nice List: 9 Christmas Romances to Curl Up with this Festive Season from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://s28434.pcdn.co/2026/10/01/the-nice-list-9-christmas-romances-to-curl-up-with-this-festive-season/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 16:18:11 +0100 If your idea of the perfect Christmas involves a steaming mug of something delicious, a fluffy blanket to curl up … Continued

]]> 0 3e2049d40505f591e8a1cdf244a3a077 Blog: Romance Includes You 2026: Winner Announcement from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/10/01/romance-includes-you-2026-winner-announcement/ Thu, 01 Oct 2026 12:55:27 +0100 Katherine Woollacott selected for Mills & Boon’s 2026 Romance Includes You mentorship! Mills & Boon is thrilled to announce that … Continued

]]> 0 0b3217f9d9954d8e177b63b54329e30f Blog: Why Lynne Graham is the author you need on your TBR from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/09/29/why-lynne-graham-is-the-author-you-need-on-your-tbr/ Tue, 29 Sep 2026 09:29:50 +0100 Lynne Graham is a USA Today bestselling author with a backlist that reads like a greatest hits collection of everything … Continued

]]> 0 ecd47f486ac06a5aaaf0ef0052164497 Matthew Brown edited the blog post I'm checking up on a small bug in the group Help and Support https://dev.authorbuzz.co.uk/2026/09/28/im-checking-up-on-a-small-bug/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 16:19:18 +0100 I'm checking up on a small bug There appears to be an issue with ActivityPub on some blogs, including Author Buzz HQ. It should not break the site (as far as I can tell), but it […]

]]> 8fa6e0bae267c209b2e6c43135ebeeb1 Matthew Brown edited the blog post Fediverse Book Fair (#FediBookFair) in the group Author Buzz HQ https://authorbuzz.co.uk/2026/09/28/fediverse-book-fair-fedibookfair/ Mon, 28 Sep 2026 14:59:27 +0100 Fediverse Book Fair (#FediBookFair) A social media book fair is being organised on the Mastodon (and ActivityPub) social media network. It is free to participate, but you may, if you wish, […]

]]> 4f5fcf4f9742d7341950ece828d24b55 Blog: Ice by Anna Kavan from Dogwood Tales in the group Book Reviews by Dogwood Tales feed https://dogwoodtales.blogspot.com/2026/09/ice-by-anna-kavan.html Sat, 26 Sep 2026 15:53:46 +0100 Well, this wasn’t quite what I was expecting. It opens conventionally enough with an unnamed narrator driving through an unseasonably harsh ice storm, looking for a […]

]]> 1 364517ee3dba677da932a51a3972db46 Matthew Brown edited the blog post Keeping Your Side Characters Distinct - Brandon Sanderson's Writing Lecture (2025) in the group Thanet Creative: Writers https://thanetcreative.co.uk/2026/09/keeping-your-side-characters-distinct-brandon-sandersons-writing-lecture-2025/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:12:58 +0100 Keeping Your Side Characters Distinct – Brandon Sanderson's Writing Lecture (2025)

]]> 31ef8da10aab76eefc614ec0a906b9dc Matthew Brown started the topic Terry Pratchett: A Life With Footnotes by Rob Wilkins in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/terry-pratchett-a-life-with-footnotes-by-rob-wilkins/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 19:04:33 +0100 I’ve not started reading it yet but I was given a copy of the Terry Pratchett biography, A Life With Footnotes by Rob Wilkins, for my birthday.

When I have read (some of) it, I’ll report back.

]]> a311ec64d798669d5ba9ab435d5c3bae Toni McHadden joined the group I probably should be writing https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19124/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 18:56:09 +0100 0 b4a2f980eafab4603fd074deaa4d8ba1 Blog: Exclusive Extract: Her Royal Houseguest by Jade Lee from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://s28434.pcdn.co/2026/09/25/exclusive-extract-her-royal-houseguest-by-jade-lee/ Fri, 25 Sep 2026 14:12:09 +0100 If you love royal romance, opposites attract, and sharp-tongued heroines who refuse to be overlooked, Her Royal Houseguest belongs on … Continued

]]> 0 5af7da999ec98810b203e02fb8fc9cae Blog: 11 Cosy but Spicy Books to Read this Autumn from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/09/23/11-cosy-but-spicy-books-to-read-this-autumn/ Wed, 23 Sep 2026 15:15:45 +0100 The scent of cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger is in the air, which can only mean one thing…pumpkin-spiced lattes are back! … Continued

]]> 0 06a7823adf8fbf259a6678e69fa6da1b Matthew Brown commented on the post, What book do you wish you could read again for the first time?, on the groupblog Shall we talk? https://chat.authorbuzz.co.uk/books/what-book-do-you-wish-you-could-read-again-for-the-first-time/#comment-858 Sun, 20 Sep 2026 19:29:13 +0100 The Player of Games by Iain M. Banks.

]]> cb814d9f9f1d71dec6747d5ae63554e4 Blog: Exclusive Extract: Doctors’ Red-Hot Rivalry by Luana DaRosa from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/09/18/exclusive-extract-doctors-red-hot-rivalry-by-luana-darosa/ Fri, 18 Sep 2026 09:02:02 +0100 If you love spicy medical romance with enemies-to-lovers tension and a secret arrangement that sets the page on fire – … Continued

]]> 0 1a5fb1433187e046dba346d1ec4820cc Sam Smith wrote a new blog post What book do you wish you could read again for the first time? in the group Shall we talk? https://chat.authorbuzz.co.uk/books/what-book-do-you-wish-you-could-read-again-for-the-first-time/ Wed, 16 Sep 2026 17:00:00 +0100 cf8b7573add94d1f7e32b00aeee62b4e Blog: Love Practical Magic? Here Are 7 Witchy Romance Books to Read Next from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://blog.millsandboon.co.uk/2026/09/16/love-practical-magic-here-are-7-witchy-romance-books-to-read-next/ Wed, 16 Sep 2026 13:19:10 +0100 Calling all witches, ghost enthusiasts and hopeless romantics – your autumn TBR just got a serious upgrade!🧙‍♀️🕯️ Has Practical Magic … Continued

]]> 0 5598e5bee51a8082538f331c18348120 Jane Smith started the topic Yesterday, I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas to two happy children in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/yesterday-i-read-how-the-grinch-stole-christmas-to-two-happy-children/ Tue, 15 Sep 2026 09:45:26 +0100 I loved reading Dr Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas when I was small, and I got to read it again yesterday evening when I read it to my friend’s two kiddies.

]]> bfdd7975545e1296bf7b69e7ec89f8cc Matthew Brown replied to the topic The Player of Games by Iain M Banks in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/the-player-of-games-by-iain-m-banks/?view=all#post-5316 Mon, 14 Sep 2026 14:24:41 +0100 The Player of Games was my first Iain M Banks book. It got me hooked on the Culture as a whole; it was by far the best one. Jernau Morat Gurgeh’s journey was a compelling one but I liked how Banks never shies away from what it cost him, as well as what it gave him.

The game playing went so many levels deeper that’s more obviouse on a second reading.

]]> 9a64ba899a461c86abc99042e8ad994b Sam Smith replied to the topic The Player of Games by Iain M Banks in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/the-player-of-games-by-iain-m-banks/#post-5314 Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:24:04 +0100 I loved that book.

]]> 2552a4c47496c8c28bde95c6ca0d53af Acorn Boi started the topic I downloaded The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/i-downloaded-the-wheels-of-chance-by-h-g-wells/ Mon, 14 Sep 2026 09:18:53 +0100 I downloaded The Wheels of Chance by H. G. Wells from Standard Ebooks. They’re a project to make good-looking free ebooks from public domain works.

https://standardebooks.org/

]]> 145fe15419b24301535e71ca09328f09 Blog: Exclusive Extract: From Baby Surprise to Snowbound by Susan Meier from Mills & Boon Blog in the group Mills and Boon fans https://s28434.pcdn.co/2026/09/11/exclusive-extract-from-baby-surprise-to-snowbound-by-susan-meier/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 15:54:43 +0100 If you love feel-good winter romance with festive charm, a swoony second-chance connection and the kind of forced proximity that … Continued

]]> 0 3b140e9b656fbc5941c98a3db0a576e3 Jane Smith replied to the topic I'm reading Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (no spoilers please) in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/im-reading-beautiful-ugly-by-alice-feeney-no-spoilers-please/#post-5310 Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:19:16 +0100 Good so far

]]> f2595b3ba017250b0e5a5de9f83f0e2e Charles Maxwell started the topic The Player of Games by Iain M Banks in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/the-player-of-games-by-iain-m-banks/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:16:42 +0100 I’m halfway through The Player of Games. Not sure if Gurgeh was written to be likeable. I am hooked on him anyway. Such a rich setting and the game… Oh, boy: WOW!

Anyone know if this is a series? I want more.

]]> acf7eab8b7ced53342b2c15039212234 Charles Maxwell joined the group What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19032/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:13:29 +0100 0 6b7c8e7ea76a9d7f12d40520bcb633d7 jeffjohns joined the group What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19031/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 10:04:41 +0100 0 b9f8b37fae54ad05e4d1689100e5c125 Toni McHadden joined the group What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19030/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:53:46 +0100 0 ea35f69401c89d9b4c646daa075bac41 Acorn Boi started the topic I'm reading "How to be a writer" in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/im-reading-how-to-be-a-writer/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:50:12 +0100 It is a little yellow pocket sized book.

So far, so good. Lots of helpful tips.

]]> 8772b2f13fbc84d3dce26923056f40e2 Acorn Boi joined the group What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19028/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 09:47:31 +0100 0 3562350bf24c82c75144fd1e5c7bbfeb Arves Corral started the topic His pet peeve about writing in the forum Brandon Sanderson Fans https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/brandon-sanderson-fans/forum/topic/his-pet-peeve-about-writing/ Fri, 11 Sep 2026 08:40:05 +0100

]]> 4c531910b1ec9f4dec74941ff3f1d1d6 Matthew Brown replied to the topic I've just finished Project Hail Mary in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/ive-just-finished-project-hail-mary/#post-5303 Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:09:49 +0100 I read the book first. The movie was good, but the book had more depth, for sure.

As an adaptation, the film was reasonable.

]]> 412a76e96d4dabf636bfc2a8bf99139b Matthew Brown started the topic I'm reading the entire Stormlight Archive (spolier free) in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/im-reading-the-entire-stormlight-archive-spolier-free/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 13:06:40 +0100 I’m very many books into the Stormlight Archive.

I bounced right off the first book on my initial reading attempt, but I found myself with time to kill and gave it another go. Book 1, Volume 1 has five or six first chapters, and you need to steam past all of that to get into the story. Many of those introductions do not entirely pay off in the…Read more

]]> ec31802a38b6e5dab386ccf66c46b42a Bob Bobson started the topic Sanderson on getting famous in the forum Brandon Sanderson Fans https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/brandon-sanderson-fans/forum/topic/sanderson-on-getting-famous/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:41:37 +0100  

]]> 52d400c6b5abba3465c701c84a361b95 Sam Smith replied to the topic I'm reading Beautiful Ugly by Alice Feeney (no spoilers please) in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/im-reading-beautiful-ugly-by-alice-feeney-no-spoilers-please/#post-5300 Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:20:11 +0100 I was put off by all the negative reviews

When you finish, you’ll have to let me know if I should read it

]]> 3f439e2f2c7964cd6430e893588e5ecd Sam Smith replied to the topic What are you reading? (Start a thread if you wanna chat about it) in the forum What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/groups/what-are-you-reading/forum/topic/what-are-you-reading-start-a-thread-if-you-wanna-chat-about-it/#post-5299 Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:18:10 +0100 Eeek, lol – that’s my post. 🙂

 

]]> a9901f8981ccab61faef31e5535bed4f Sam Smith joined the group What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19013/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:17:36 +0100 0 6a0218efb48e0b63397684e7ba910d6d Matthew Brown joined the group What are you reading? https://authorbuzz.co.uk/activity/p/19012/ Wed, 09 Sep 2026 10:16:43 +0100 0