Dorothy Says

I watch a Star Trek episode everyday.

I watch a Star Trek episode everyday. Yes, really. At the moment it’s episodes of DS9 and Next Gen. Next Gen was my favourite. At my age, I obviously started …

Have a Quiet Moment With Me

Lovely peeps, did you know that reading for just 5 minutes can reduce stress by nearly 20%, as well as improving concentration and focus by as much as 11%? Well …

The Sareeta Domingo Prize is now open for submissions

The Sareeta Domingo Prize is now open for submissions Before you hit submit, ask yourself these 4 questions: Have you read your work lately? If you’re submitting an old piece …

The Quiet Girls Extract

Click the link to read the first few chapters of THE QUIET GIRLS The Quiet Girls Extract     And click here to buy: Buy The Quiet Girls!  

Buy The Quiet Girls

BUY THE QUIET GIRLS Get your gorgeous paws on a copy of The Quiet Girls, here: BERT’S BOOKS BACKSTORY LONDON PORTOBELLO BOOKSHOP BOOKSHOP.ORG FOYLES WATERSTONES AMAZON

BUY THE QUIET GIRLS

  PRE-ORDER THE QUIET GIRLS BOOKSHOP.ORG FOYLES WATERSTONES AMAZON  

Read a Give Him To Me Extract

Click the link to read the first few chapters of Give Him To Me Give Him To Me Extract   And click here to buy: Buy Give Him To Me! …

December’s Big Reveal Book Club Choice is . . .

It’s taken me a while to send you December’s book choice because I have been doing so many events. Since the beginning of September, I’ve had at least one event …

Goal-Setting For Writers

People regularly ask me how I stay motivated when it comes to writing. And the short answer is: ‘because this is my job and I need to do it. I …

The Big Reveal Book Club Choice Is. . .

As I’m sure I’ve told you before, as well as being a bestselling author, I am a HUGE reader and I love nothing better than to share the book love. …

Welcome To The Big Reveal Book Club!

As well as being a bestselling author, I am a HUGE reader and I love nothing better than to share when I find a book I adore. So here I …

Extract of Every Smile You Fake

Every Smile You Fake Extract Prologue Please take care of my baby. You’re the only one I can trust with him. His name is Arie. I don’t want to do …

Are You A Natural-Born Profiler?

So how you doing? Hope things have been all right for you despite all that’s been going on. Cos it’s been a LOT hasn’t it? I’ve spent a lot of …

Did I Tell You About How My Sewing Teacher Hated Me?

My sewing teacher hated me. There, I’ve said it. I’ve started this so many times and each time I abandon writing it down because I felt bad about revealing just …

So, how do you deal with your friendly neighbourhood psychopath?

‘They’re over-represented in politics for sure.’ That’s what the clinical psychologist I spoke to when I was researching Give Him To Me told me when we discussed psychopaths. ‘You definitely …

So I’ve finally admitted to myself I was dumped . . .

4-minute read My husband asked me the other day why I seemed so miserable recently. ‘You’ve finished the book, the sun’s (mostly) out and Sewing Bee is back on, what’s …

Read An Every Smile You Fake Extract!

Just click the link or cover below and you’ll be able to read an exclusive extract of Every Smile You Fake. Enjoy!     EverySmileYouFake-extract

Flashy Birthday To You

Happy 1st Birthday My Other Husband paperback!! Remember when we had a flashmob down at the UpsideDown House on Brighton seafront to celebrate? Loved it so much.

Welcome to The Big Reveal!

I’ve got a new podcast! It’s called The Big Reveal and it is all about helping you to find your next favourite read, watch or listen. Have a listen to …

Let’s Review, Shall We?

6-minute read Can a hater help you? One of mine did. I’ll tell you how in a minute or two because today we’re talking about the outside world and your …

Listen Up!

5-minute read   Hello you. How are you? Sorry to have missed you last week. And I did miss you, if that doesn’t sound too sentimental. I missed last week’s …

Be More FuFu

5-minute read Hello you. My dog Fufu is small. And MIGHTY. And hilarious.  Jollof, Fufu’s physically bigger sister (they’re from the same litter), only really barks at people in the …

That’s Me In The Corner

5-minute read There’s this face I make when I’m writing sometimes. It’s hard to describe (yes, I am aware of the irony of a writer writing that) but it’s a …

Let’s Talk Character

6-minute read Hello you. It’s Word Count Wednesday and today, we’re talking character traits. I’ll be coming back to character building more than once, because I think when you’re writing …

Hay, Where Did You Go?

4-minute read   Hello you. ‘For two days she sat on the sofa in the window, waiting for you to come back.’ That’s what I was told about my biggest …

Why Mary Poppins Was Wrong

6-minute read   Far be it from me to disrespect the iconic supernanny, but she honestly is. Before I explain why, let me ask: how’s your writing going this week? …

Sew What Do I Do? (Pt 1)

6-minute read   Hello you. I’m going through an existential crisis and could do with your help to decide what to do. I need you to bear with me for …

Word Count Wednesday – Goal Setting

Hello you. I was really excited yesterday when I did the final readthrough of this letter to send out. I mean, kicking off Mentoring with Dorothy Koomson/The Happy Author is …

Saturdays In Sydney

5-minute read    Hello you How are you? Back in 2005 to 2007, I lived in a central suburb in Sydney, Australia. Not sure if you know that? If you …

My Other Husband – Exclusive Extract

Click the link below to be taken to an exclusive extract of My Other Husband. Enjoy!   MyOtherHusband-Exclusive Extract   You can buy My Other Husband wherever you get your …

Setting Writing Goals Worksheet

  For those who’ve signed up for my Dorothy Koomson/The Happy Author mentoring newsletter, I’ve created this SETTING WRITING GOALS WORKSHEET that you can fill in if you feel it …

Do you need a writing mentor?

Hello! It’s May 2022 and I’m launching the Happy Author with Dorothy Koomson Mentoring Group/Writing Circle, my newest way to help authors – especially new writers – on their writing …

New Book, New Title

I know it’s been a while, but it’s so good to be giving you the first look at my new book! Here it is…   https://www.dorothykoomson.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/someone-is-trying-to-frame-me-for-murder.mp4 My 18th book is …

Terms & Conditions

Dorothy Koomson Prize Draw Terms & Conditions   This is a prize draw to win one copy of a Dorothy Koomson book. By entering this competition you are agreeing to …

The Television Advert!

https://youtu.be/z_e7B5gLs6M Hello! I am SO EXCITED to present the TELEVISION advert for #AllMyLiesAreTrue! 🎉🎉🎉 It is SO GOOD!! It’s voiced by Maria Gbeleyi, who is Verity from the audiobook, and …

It’s a cover up!

https://youtu.be/vChQNtbq29A   It’s a cover up… All My Lies Are True is coming out in paperback THIS THURSDAY! Did you notice we’d changed the hardback cover? Do you want to …

Hello! I’m so excited to share with you my new adventure…The Happy Author! What is that exactly? Well, it’s a podcast and a series of posts that come together to …

New Edition, New Cover

News klaxon!! All My Lies Are True has a brand new cover for paperback! I love the hardback cover (the model Jocelyn is as lovely as she is beautiful) but …

What Black Panther did for me

I’d been waiting on the Black Panther film since I saw Captain America: Civil War in 2016. I’ve always been a comic book fan and have indulged my love with the …

THE ICE CREAM GIRLS: 8 BOOK & TV DIFFERENCES

         All My Lies Are True, the sequel to my bestselling novel The Ice Cream Girls, is just around the corner. If you haven’t read the book and only …

Film & TV news

Not sure if you saw the news that the screen rights for Tell Me Your Secret have been optioned by Silver Milk and Nicholas Pinnock, who played Doctor Evan in …

It’s Nearly Here . . .

Find out more about All My Lies Are True here: All My Lies Are True And buy it here: Buy All My Lies Are True

All My Lies Are True

Find out more about All My Lies Are True here: All My Lies Are True And buy it here: Buy All My Lies Are True

Mothering Heights

Read this guest post by Sharon Wright about her book, The Mother of the Brontës: When Maria Met Patrick I wrote the book that could never be written. Writing it …

Find My Verity

Headline launches open casting call for the new Dorothy Koomson audiobook to bring more black voices to audiobook narration . . . Headline and Dorothy Koomson have launched an open …

The Thing About Revenge. . .

In Tell Me Your Secret, one of the characters is out for revenge. Is she justified or will she be damaging herself and everyone around her?  ‘Revenge is a dish …

Would You Survive A Serial Killer?

In Tell Me Your Secret, one of the characters survives a weekend with a serial killer. Would you manage to make it out alive? When I was researching Tell Me …

So THAT was 2019

I don’t normally document my year, I usually move on and will sometimes talk about my hopes for coming 12 months. But 2019 has been something of a wild ride …

Book 16 is . . .

I’ve been working on Book number 16 for a number of months. This book is different to my other books and, actually, exactly the same for many, many reasons. I …

A Different Flavour of Title

I’m often asked if would I go back and revise anything I have written in my previous books. It’s a tempting thought, but even if I could, I wouldn’t. Admittedly, …

Tell Me Your Secret Video Series – Ep 6

The countdown to publication continues with a fabulous competition! I’m giving one lucky person the chance to win a gorgeous pot inspired by TELL ME YOUR SECRET. And the best …

Tell Me Your Secret Video Series – Ep 5

Next episode in the TELL ME YOUR SECRET series is now out! The characters in my stories often have a ‘quirk’ or hobby. In this book, Pieta’s quirk resulted in …

Tell Me Your Secret Video Series – Ep 4

Hello! This is the next episode of the #TellMeYourSecret video series. Today, we’re going to Brighton Marina to find out why it’s such an atmospheric setting for some of the …

Read the first 50 pages!

Just click on the cover to read the first 50 pages of Tell Me Your Secret.

Tell Me Your Secret Video Series – Ep 3

Hello! Episode 3 in the TELL ME YOUR SECRET video series is a special competition! You could be in with a chance to win some rather snazzy armwarmers AND get …

Tell Me Your Secret Video Series – Ep 2

This is episode 2 in the TELL ME YOUR SECRET video mini series. This time I’m talking about my main character, Pieta, who has a devastating secret, and how #Brighton …

Tell Me Your Secret Video Series – Ep 1

I recently filmed a series of short videos to give you a little insight into TELL ME YOUR SECRET. It’s all about the book’s characters, settings and my writing process. …

Just asking

Here are some answers to the questions I’m asked the most. If your question isn’t here do email me via the contact me page. I will do my best to …

The Dancers’ Stories

Music and dance play an integral role in my eleventh novel, When I Was Invisible. These videos tell their stories in a beautiful way.   This is Nika’s story   …

The Brighton Mermaid Extract

  Hurrah! Read an extended extract of my 14th novel.  Click on the image above or here on THE BRIGHTON MERMAID. And this video is of me reading an extract …

THE FRIEND EXTRACT

It’s here! The first read of  The Friend. Click on the image above or on THE FRIEND EXTRACT to read the first few pages of my 12th novel. If you …

Total Fangirl

So, I went to the National Literacy Trust midsummer’s party last night. I am a huge supporter of their work and how they aim to help to lower and eventually …

My events

  Keep checking back here for news of my new events. And don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter to be kept up to date on the new stuff …

The Two Ice Cream Girls

It’s a little-known fact that my readers often make me cry. They do so by telling me how my books have deeply moved them. With The Ice Cream Girls, I …

From There To Here

To whet your appetitie for my tenth novel That Girl From Nowhere, I’ve penned this short prequel called FromThereToHere. It basically tells the story of what the main character Clemency …

What Is A Literacy Hero

At the end of 2013, to celebrate 20 years of working to improve literacy skills, The National Literacy Trust launched a national  search for Literacy Heroes – people who have …

Why That Girl From Nowhere slept in a cardboard box

A couple of years ago, when I was starting to flesh out the story for my tenth novel, That Girl From Nowhere, my husband mentioned a story he had read …

The Flavours Of Love Muffins

In The Flavours of Love, Saffron Mackleroy spends a lot of time trying to find out which foods can be combined together so they make up the flavours of love. …

This is where it all started

The Cupid Effect was my first novel to be published and it recently received a revamp with a new cover, which is why I wrote a new introduction to it, …

Teapots & Islands

I had a reminder this month why I need to do more when I attended a local event. Last week, I went to an event hosted by artist and book …

That Girl From Nowhere, The Whistle-stop Tour

If you’ve been following my exploits on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram, then you’ll know I’ve been doing a lot of running around since publication of my tenth novel, That Girl …

Easy-Peasy Frozen Yoghurt

If you’ve read The Flavours of Love you’ll know that the main character, Saffron, is holding a bowl of blackberries when she receives some devastating news. While she eventually decides …

From There To Here

March 20, 2015Me and this diary malarkey. Plus a short story for you. Let’s face it, I’m super rubbish at updating my diary. I mean to, I honestly do, but …

Dear Library

Dear Library (Every Public Library), I wanted to tell you how much I love you. I would not be the person I am today without you. You were always there …

You Wear It Well

Way back in 2007, I attended a library talk in Birmingham. It was a great event and I met some really nice people (as I did on all the library …

10 years on the shelves

I was living in South London at the time and went up to central London to be interviewed by a reporter from The Voice newspaper at Borders in Oxford Street. …