"Part-time Writer" guides the reader through all aspects of writing - from the embryonic stages of researching and planning, to the hard slog of the writing and editing, through to the presentation of the manuscript, and finally, approaching agents and publishers. At each stage, the author explains how she did it - and how the reader can do it too. How can I write engaging dialogue? What can I do to make my characters 'live' on the page? Must I always 'show and not tell'? How can I transform a hobby into a book? When is the right time to show my work to others? How should I present my manuscript? Do I need an agent? Where can I publish my work? Should I self-publish? Where can I find the time to write a novel? In her inimitable style, Marjorie Quarton merges literary memoir, anecdotes and straight talking to provide invaluable insights into the realities of being a writer, while offering indispensable advice on the trade, making this book a must-have for any aspiring author.

These are just a few samples from an eighteenth-century Commonplace Book, passed down the generations from Mary Cannon's kitchen to her many times great-granddaughter Marjorie Quarton. A Commonplace Book was a scrapbook for sayings, letters, prayers, measurements, or, as in this instance, of recipes. Mary Cannon lived in Dunleary (now Dun Laoghaire) and collected over 120 recipes between 1700 and 1707. They are presented here in sections such as ffishe, ffleshe, Puddings and Deserts, Pickles and Preserves. The visceral vocabulary and archaic spellings of these dishes will refresh our word hoard, while imparting a sumptuous flavour to Ireland's gastronomic repertoire. Unopened and untried for over 300 years, they form a unique resource for food historians and knights of the dining table. Marjorie Quarton has edited these recipes, commenting on the significance and usage of certain ingredients. She has added fragments of family history, from Jacobite leaders and Huguenot refugees to tales of the Indian Mutiny. The recipes are illustrated by Alice Bouilliez, also a descendent of Mary Cannon.