Mark Stay Writes

Julie Wassmer: Libraries have a Special Meaning for me | Creative Differences LIVE

I speak to Julie Wassmer, author of the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries and screenwriter on shows like Eastenders in a special episode, recorded LIVE at the Staines Library Hub as part of the Escalate Arts Festival.

We Discuss:

How Julie’s TV experience affected the Whitstable Pearl Mysteries

Using dictation and writing by hand

The role that libraries played in Julie’s writing journey

And much more! (And there’s a lovely bit with some horsies)

LISTEN TO THE PODCAST

Or watch it on Youtube (best choice for the horsey bit)…

LINKS

https://juliewassmer.com

A huge thanks to Emily Stay-Newton for production assistance, to Kai Stay-Newton for the edit, and Dominic Currie for the jingle.

And a very special thank you to the team at the Staines Library Hub, Susan Dinmore at Surrey Arts and everyone who came to the recording on the day.

Support the show:

Visit https://markstaycreativedifferences.com/

Join The Green Room: https://ko-fi.com/markstaywriter/tiers

Buy my books here: https://witchesofwoodville.com/#bookshop

And there’s more about me at: https://markstaywrites.com/

A Place for all your Books: The Canterbury Gaming Convention, August 2026

I had a really good time selling and signing m’books at the Canterbury Gaming Convention last year. I hadn’t done a gaming convention before, so wasn’t sure what to expect, but it turns out that gamers are a well-read bunch and really friendly and enthusiastic (it really shouldn’t have surprised me: so many of my writer friends are big gamers).

The organisers got in touch and told me that they’d had so much positive feedback from convention goers on the authors at the con that they wanted to do it properly this year. So, we proudly present a special corner of the Canterbury Gaming Convention: A Place for all your Books! This will be a dedicated area to authors and their books. We’ll be selling and signing, as you’d expect, but there will also be panels and maybe even some gaming!

The authors joining me offer a fantastic range of brilliant fiction, so there’s going to be something for everyone…

And it’s being presented in association with the wonderful BOOKS & BREWS!

Early bird tickets are selling fast, and the convention was a sell-out last year, so make sure you grab your tickets asap!

GET TICKETS

Kathleen Whyman on the Creative Differences Livestream

Join me and Kathleen Whyman bestselling humorous women’s fiction author whose new book THE MOTHER OF ALL COMEBACKS is out now!

Kathleen writes for all the multi-tasking, mentally-overloaded women, who put themselves on the subs bench for the sake of their family, and are beginning to realise that they don’t have it all – they do it all!

Kathleen’s books, one of which was shortlisted for the Comedy Women in Print prize, are inspired by her own struggle to juggle a career with children, housework, life admin and never-ending laundry. The laundry’s winning.

Join the conversation LIVE on Monday 23rd March, 8pm GMT

Please note that the date has changed from the one advertised on the previous episode of the podcast.

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

Or join us Youtube…

Horror Short Story Anthology (with a Witches of Woodville story)…

Coming in June: a horror anthology featuring ‘Elderflower Cordial’ — a Witches of Woodville short story set some years after the end of The Corn Bride. You can get involved here: https://www.starsandsabers.com/books/of-dread-decay-and-doom/

Things People Say to Authors at Comic Cons: March 2026

How about another round of Things People Say to Authors at Comic Cons…?

I’m going to be popping up in Staines (with Julie Wassmer!), Peterborough, Bournemouth, The British Library (with Ben Aaronovitch!), Fort Amherst, Cardiff, Herne Bay and Scarborough. More details here.

And if you like this, there’s a whole playlist of them on Youtube here…

Things PEOPLE SAY TO AUTHORS AT COMIC CONS PLAYLIST

Start them while they’re young!

When I was a young, chubby, little bright orange haired child, I vividly remember playing in the garden with my sister. My mum would be pottering …
Start them while they’re young!

The End of Magic 99p offer EXTENDED

The 99p/99c offer on The End of Magic ebook has gone so well that I’m going to keep it going! As before, it’s available from all good and evil eBook retailers, but you can also get it direct from me. Just click on the image below…

And it only seems fair that I should also bring down the price of the End of Magic eBook Omnibus edition to a sprightly £7.99. Again, this is available from Kindle, Kobo, Apple and the like, but you can get it direct from me by… yes, you’ve guess it! By clicking on the image below…

And thanks to everyone who has read the books, left a review/rating and spread the good word. You’re all marvellous!

Me. Julie Wassmer. Staines. Live!

I’ll be chatting to Julie Wassmer, author of the brilliant Whitstable Pearl series, and screenwriter for shows likes EastEnders about her incredible career live and in person at the Staines Library Hub on Saturday 14th March from 3pm!

If you want to know about writing for TV, writing a series that gets made into a TV series (surely the Holy Grail for every novelist!) then join us before the tickets sell out! Like, now!! Click on the big picture below…